Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Singing

◎I can’t sing.◎

Yang Huayi’s elegant voice, like fine silk, came from the other end of the phone in the dead of night.

“Good morning. How’s the trip?”

Li Lan walked to the end of the corridor, looked left and right, and lowered her voice. “It’s fine. What do you want?”

“Just calling to check in. Why so nervous?” Yang Huayi said faintly. “Or is your little one not letting you answer the phone?”

“What does this have to do with Zhu Qing?” Li Lan frowned. “I’m on a show. Can’t you just send a message? Do you have to call?”

Yang Huayi laughed, her voice low. “I just want you to listen to this song every now and then.”

Li Lan’s expression instantly darkened.

“Alright, I’ll tell you before I call in the future so you can avoid your little one, okay?”

Li Lan hated the way she talked and acted. She tried to suppress the emotions churning inside her and said coldly, “It’s better if you just call less in the future.”

“The show is tough and tiring. I won’t hold it against you if you’re in a bad mood,” Yang Huayi’s tone shifted. “Yu Ling also called me crying. She’s all bruised up and not getting enough to eat. She’s in a much worse state than you.”

“That’s only because you found her such a great partner,” Li Lan said coldly. “And I didn’t stop her from eating. She’s the one who refused to leave Qi Yao behind.”

Yang Huayi said, “Why do you care so much? How could she abandon Qi Yao? She’s a nobody, and the only thing she has over Zhu Qing is a company contract. There’s no way she would abandon her partner on the first day, especially since they’re supposed to be creating a romantic atmosphere.”

“And you’re really willing to do that.” Li Lan said sarcastically.

Yu Ling was only seventeen or eighteen, seven or eight years younger than Qi Yao. Qi Yao was lazy and had bad intentions. The company should have considered this when they decided to pair them up.

“There’s nothing we can do. Qi Yao is a rival company’s talent. If you don’t let him on the show, our rivals won’t get any benefits, and they’ll put all their energy into smearing the show. If that happens, this show will be a complete failure before it even airs.” Yang Huayi’s voice was very patient and casual. “You, don’t you understand this?”

Li Lan’s lips curled up in a sarcastic smile.

Yang Huayi’s voice was calm and commanding. “Alright, whether you like it or not, you need to take better care of Yu Ling over the next few days. Besides, she’s a fan of yours.”

Li Lan didn’t say anything, showing her defiance through silence.

Yang Huayi had expected this. When she saw that Li Lan wasn’t talking, she slowly said, “I watched the rough cut of the first episode last night. It’s pretty good, but I had some parts deleted.”

Li Lan was silent for a moment before she asked, “What parts?”

“The part where Zhu Qing comes back to the kitchen after earning points and sees the empty water jar and used-up firewood, and her face falls,” Yang Huayi said calmly. “But the production crew hadn’t edited in the footage of Zhu Qing filling the water jar and collecting firewood that morning. So, I had that moment of her face falling deleted.”

Li Lan’s expression grew even darker, with a clear hint of anger.

“You’re smart; you should know what the audience would have thought when they saw that.”

Li Lan gritted her teeth. “Most people would think that using a little water and firewood from the communal kitchen isn’t a big deal.”

“Exactly. So take it as a warning. Tell your little one to tone down her true feelings. But don’t blame the production crew. You and Qi Yao had a conflict on the very first day. There are bound to be more problems. The production crew can’t just cut it all out. It’s a normal thing to plant a seed to test the waters.”

“So they can just slander Zhu Qing? Zhu Qing was the one who carried the water and chopped the firewood. Why didn’t the production crew edit in the part where Qi Yao used up all the water without asking? If they had edited it correctly, I’m sure the audience wouldn’t have misunderstood Zhu Qing.”

Yang Huayi didn’t respond immediately. After a few seconds, she let out a light, meaningful laugh. “I remember someone saying they were 30 years old this year. Haven’t all your experiences taught you anything? There is no ‘why.’ They edited it this way because Zhu Qing is the one with the least connections, and there’s hot discussion and profit to be had. She’s the easiest target to exploit. Don’t ask me why the production crew is bullying her. It’s making me feel like the person talking to me isn’t Li Lan, the 30-year-old, but the naive and explosive girl from back then.”

After a silent half-minute, Li Lan collected herself. She suppressed her intense sarcasm, and her voice was calm. “Then please continue to keep a close eye on it, Miss Yang. I’ll take good care of Yu Ling.”

…

In the morning, Hu Xu took out a bag of Mongolian milk tea powder. Yu Ling mixed the milk tea with the bird’s nest and used her only 20 points to get a few pieces of crackers from the production crew. She soaked them in the milk tea and bird’s nest and gave them to everyone to eat.

As soon as Li Lan and Zhu Qing came out, they were given a bowl. Zhu Qing sniffed it. “It smells so good.”

Hu Xu and Liu Yini were older and didn’t need as much sleep, so they had woken up at a little after 5 a.m. and were already exercising in the yard. Zhu Qing and Li Lan woke up around 7 a.m., showered, watched the first episode, and came out at 8:30 a.m. They thought no one would be awake except for the older couple, but they didn’t expect Yu Ling to have already gotten up to prepare food for everyone.

“Thank you,” Li Lan said with a smile. “You worked hard.”

Yu Ling also smiled. “It’s nothing. I just boiled some water so everyone could have something to drink when they woke up.”

Li Lan asked softly, “You’re going to do farm work today. Are you ready?”

Yu Ling was a little surprised that Li Lan was talking to her. She nodded immediately but then shook her head awkwardly. “I lived in a village for a short time when I was very young. I think I know how to fertilize, but it’s been so long, I don’t know if I can still do it.”

Zhu Qing thought for a moment and reminded her, “It’s better to use too little fertilizer than too much. It can burn the seedlings.”

Li Lan agreed. “She’s right.”

Zhu Qing took out a bottle of mosquito repellent and handed it to her. “Oh, and here. Wear long sleeves and pants and tie them at the bottom. The smell of the fertilizer attracts mosquitoes, so be careful not to get bitten.”

Yu Ling was flattered and took it. She looked at Zhu Qing and then at Li Lan. Her eyes were lighter than most people’s, which made her look innocent and pitiful no matter her expression. But she was also very beautiful, and when she wasn’t looking at anyone, she looked cold and distant, which was very aesthetically pleasing.

Zhu Qing couldn’t help but say, “You’re so pretty.”

Yu Ling smiled shyly. “You’re pretty too.”

The milk tea and bird’s nest were only enough to take the edge off. It wasn’t enough for a normal person’s breakfast, but for Li Lan, it could easily become her only breakfast.

Of course, Zhu Qing wouldn’t allow that to happen. She rolled up her sleeves and went to the kitchen. Hu Xu and Liu Yini had just come back from their walk. She greeted them with a smile. “Teachers, would you like some soup?”

Hu Xu put her hands behind her back and wandered around the kitchen entrance. “What kind of soup?”

“We have some leftover chicken and wild vegetables from yesterday, and the production crew left some flour. The chickens in the coop probably just laid some eggs, so… how about I make some flour drop soup?”

Hu Xu said happily, “That’s great! I love flour drop soup.”

Liu Yini, on the other hand, heard “eggs” and started walking toward the chicken coop. She said in surprise, “I heard chickens crowing this morning. I said there should be eggs, but you said there wouldn’t be.”

“Wait for me! Be careful the chickens don’t peck you,” Hu Xu said, gesturing to Zhu Qing that the flour drop soup was great and she should hurry up and make it. She then rushed off to catch up to her wife.

Even though the people who were born in the 1960s were less likely to starve to death and wouldn’t go hungry every day, they still lived a very difficult life and didn’t have many good things to eat. A thick bowl of flour drop soup was a delicacy, so there was no way they would turn it down.

Zhu Qing breathed a sigh of relief but was still a little worried. She had seen Li Lan’s previous meal plans. If she had a fashion show, she would have to prepare three months in advance, and a lot of her ingredients would be flown in. And even for a not-so-picky wealthy person like Qian Can Can, their monthly food budget would still be in the tens of thousands. Zhu Qing was worried that no one would want to drink such a simple flour drop soup.

Li Lan picked up a pile of small wooden sticks for kindling and went into the kitchen. She heard Zhu Qing’s worries and smiled faintly after hearing the full story. “Just make it. There aren’t that many delicate young masters and ladies here. Everyone has lived a hard life.”

The cameras were rolling, so Zhu Qing didn’t continue to ask. She also wanted to ask if the actor and actress would eat, as well as Yu Ling and Qi Yao.

“I’ll go ask,” Li Lan knew what she was thinking just from her expression. “You boil the water first. That pile of pigweed probably isn’t enough to eat, so I’ll go find some more.”

Zhu Qing was about to ask her where she was going. “We still have points! Don’t go looking for more. We can just exchange for some!”

Li Lan gave her a playful look and smiled as she turned to leave. Zhu Qing was very good at reading Li Lan’s expressions. Li Lan was telling her that she was being a little money-grubber. She was too stingy to give them food yesterday, but she was being so generous today.

Zhu Qing pouted and started the fire. She wasn’t a money-grubber. The conditions yesterday were too harsh. If they had to go up the mountain to find food every day, Li Lan wouldn’t be able to keep up. She knew that Li Lan looked healthy, but she was a little frail. And if she went alone, Li Lan wouldn’t be willing to let her, and would end up going with her and getting exhausted.

The production crew had changed the show’s format last night. Zhu Qing only had to cook to earn points, so she no longer had to worry about Li Lan getting tired or hungry. And she was cooking in the kitchen, so there were fewer mosquitoes. She could even give a bottle of bug spray to Yu Ling.

Soon, Li Lan came back with an update. The actor and actress had nothing but praise for the flour drop soup she was making. Yu Ling, being very considerate, said she had no opinion and complimented Zhu Qing on being so capable and asked if she could help with anything. Qi Yao hadn’t woken up yet, so it was assumed he had no opinion.

Everyone had a lively breakfast and then collected their mission cards and started their tasks for the day.

However, there was a small hiccup in the middle of it all. When Qi Yao came downstairs for breakfast, he mistakenly thought there was no food for him because his spot at the table wasn’t set with a bowl. He immediately turned around and went back upstairs. Yu Ling chased after him and called him to come down. In the end, Qi Yao ate the food Zhu Qing made and ate the most, but everyone else praised the flour drop soup, except for Qi Yao.

But Zhu Qing didn’t notice this because Li Lan kept complimenting her. Whenever Zhu Qing’s attention was about to be drawn to Qi Yao’s rude behavior, Li Lan would call her name and praise her. Zhu Qing was so happy from all the praise that she smiled throughout the entire meal, looking very cute and likable.

“You should go back to the room and rest,” Li Lan said, stopping Zhu Qing, who was about to clean up the dishes after breakfast. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

Zhu Qing hesitated. “I’ll do it.”

“You did the cooking; I’ll be your assistant,” Li Lan said, pulling her up and pushing her toward the room. “Cooking is a lot of work. You should go rest first. You can cook for the other three groups after they’ve collected enough points and exchanged them for ingredients.”

“Is it not for the cameras?” Zhu Qing asked. She didn’t expect to have time to rest while filming a reality show. She thought she would have to be working all the time.

“They have more than enough footage. They only show one hour of footage a day, so they’ll have to cut a lot of it. The work you do will only be edited in for a few minutes,” Li Lan’s voice was very calm, but Zhu Qing could hear a hint of annoyance in it. She obediently went back to the room. “Then I’ll just sleep for an hour. You should come back and rest after you’re done washing up.”

Even though everyone liked the flour drop soup, besides Sun Qi and Xu Yuzhi, who were planning to wash their own bowls, the others didn’t bother to clean up after themselves. It was understandable for the older couple, as they were getting on in years, and they probably knew that even if they offered to wash the dishes, no one would let them. So they didn’t bother with the formalities.

But Li Lan knew that whoever cooked was also expected to wash and pick the vegetables, wash the cutting board, wash the pot, wash the dishes, carry water, start the fire, chop firewood, serve the food, clean up the table, and so on. These tasks couldn’t be summed up as just “cooking.”

Zhu Qing wasn’t oblivious; she was just good-natured and didn’t care. Cooking was also very boring. Li Lan had a feeling that Zhu Qing’s screen time would be less and less, which was what Li Lan wanted.

Li Lan didn’t mind if the production crew cut out Zhu Qing’s hard work, but she didn’t want to see them slander Zhu Qing. This kind of random editing for the sake of popularity was a sore spot for Zhu Qing. She would be extremely disgusted by it. Zhu Qing didn’t like to be criticized, told what she should and shouldn’t do, and hated being slandered or misrepresented. But what she hated the most was the cold, mutually hostile atmosphere that was created for profit—which was exactly what the entertainment industry was like, and where Li Lan worked. So Li Lan could only try to keep Zhu Qing as far away as possible so no one would bully her.

When Li Lan was washing the dishes, the two cameramen crouched directly in front of her. There was no dish soap, so she had to boil hot water in the kitchen.

“These are the small wooden sticks Xiao Qing picked up. There are old newspapers in the utility room that can be used for kindling, but she prefers these small pieces of wood. She uses the large pieces of firewood for cooking and the small sticks for kindling. She thinks it’s fun,” Li Lan said, holding up the small sticks for the camera. “Before we had gas and natural gas, this is how people cooked their food.”

She didn’t know if the production crew would edit in her rambling, but compared to Zhu Qing, they preferred to edit in her scenes.

After an hour of washing dishes, Li Lan went back to the room and took a nap with Zhu Qing. The sounds in the yard started up again at 2 p.m. Hu Xu and Liu Yini were the first to return. They had not only gone to the village but had also taken a car to a distant market. They had brought back a lot of delicious and fun things and even brought snacks for Li Lan and Zhu Qing.

Li Lan wanted to laugh. “Teacher Hu, where did you get all this?”

“From the market and the villagers’ homes. We got puffed rice candy, yellow cake, and tamarind,” Hu Xu said excitedly. “A lot of it is homemade. I’ve tasted it all. It’s delicious.”

Liu Yini didn’t let her eat too much. “You’re getting old. Did you check your bl00d sugar today?”

Zhu Qing lifted her head. “Does Teacher Hu need to control her bl00d sugar?”

Liu Yini laughed. “Yes. Look at her figure. The older she gets, the more she craves sweets.”

Zhu Qing thought for a moment. “Then I’ll cook more vegetarian dishes.”

Liu Yini smiled gently. “Thank you, two young ones.”

Hu Xu was a little embarrassed. She coughed lightly. “We’re on vacation. We should eat well. We’ve already walked 10,000 steps today.”

Liu Yini rolled her eyes at her.

The production crew came online.

[Congratulations to the two teachers for completing the bartering mission. You have exchanged five wild animals, two pounds of various mushrooms, and other snacks and items that are not included in the exchange. You have earned a total of 550 points. After deducting the 20-point loan interest, you have 190 points left.]

Hu Xu said to Li Lan and Zhu Qing, “The points are all yours. Take them and exchange them for whatever you want. I don’t like spicy food. Teacher Liu loves sour food. We don’t have any other dietary restrictions.”

The production crew interrupted, “The two teachers have successfully earned points, but you still need to complete the following mission to use the kitchen.”

“Please have a singing PK with Li Lan and Zhu Qing. The group that sings three songs that fit the topic first wins. There are five topics in total. It’s a best of five.”

“PS: Li Lan and Zhu Qing will receive an extra 50 points if they win.”

The instructions were a bit convoluted, but Li Lan understood. She explained it concisely to Zhu Qing, “It means if we win, we get 50 points. It doesn’t matter for them; they just have to participate in the game.”

Zhu Qing was about to nod, but she saw Li Lan frown and say in a low voice, “But I can’t sing. Can you?”

Zhu Qing stared at Li Lan in a daze. She can’t sing?

That ringtone… if she hadn’t heard wrong, the voice was definitely Li Lan’s. In the song, Li Lan’s voice was full and melodious, with a beautiful tone. How could she say she couldn’t sing?

Was she hiding something? Was she still hiding something? Was she still hiding something?