Chapter 9

After breakfast, the production team announced today's schedule.

Today's recording wasn't done in the village, but in a nearby ancient town.

The ancient town is located near Hangzhou and is a fairly large tourist attraction. It is also very close to the village, and it takes less than an hour to reach the destination by car.

It was peak summer season, and the ancient town was bustling with visitors. The production crew, with cameras and easily recognizable celebrities, instantly attracted a lot of attention.

Fortunately, the production team had taken precautions and quickly cleared a space to begin today's segment, announcing the tasks.

Today's task is for each group to find ways to make money in the ancient town, but these methods do not include using their celebrity status to sell autographs or take photos with others.

However, the production team was quite kind and provided some initial funding.

It's a full hundred yuan!

[The production team is so stingy! What can you do with 100 yuan? Hahaha.]

[Furthermore, Garnett's filming didn't include dinner, and this $100 fee covers the cost of meals for the rest of the trip. Things are expensive in tourist areas like this; a simple bowl of noodles costs thirty or forty yuan, so $100 is only enough for three bowls.]

[Besides Leng Yu, I really can't think of how they make money. Leng Yu used to be a bar singer; if the show allowed it, singing should be a pretty easy way to earn money.]

Qiuqiu held up the hundred yuan she had just received and pondered deeply.

When it comes to making money, she doesn't seem to have any ideas.

So she tugged at Jiang Xueru's sleeve and said, looking very aggrieved, "Qiuqiu can't earn any money, is that useless?"

Her eyes blinked so easily, it was quite endearing.

【Ahhhhhh, my darling Qiuqiu, don't blame yourself.】

【Qiu Bao doesn't need to earn money, your older sister will support you!!!】

Jiang Xueru was charmed by her cuteness.

He patted her head and said, "How could Qiuqiu be useless? When we're making money later, Qiuqiu will be the most useful one."

Qiuqiu's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs.

Jiang Xueru had already come up with some methods when announcing the task.

Especially when she saw a singer setting up a stall not far away, she thought that she could try making money by performing.

However, since she was unsure whether buying a song would meet the program's requirements, Jiang Xueru specifically asked the staff, and the answer she received was that it was possible.

The production team had already prepared for the guests to choose to perform for money.

After all, the other guests' performances are just for the sake of the show, but if Leng Yu is willing to sing, then she'll be making a huge profit.

Jiang Xueru can sing.

Never heard of it.

What musical instruments does she play?

I've never heard of it either.

Of these four guests, besides Leng Yu, only Sisi can play the piano. I remember Sisi plays the piano very well!

Why didn't Sisi choose to perform on the street? If the production team allowed it, it would be so much better to earn money just by playing the piano.

[But Jiang Xueru chose first, and Sisi probably felt it was pointless to choose the same thing.]

The town wasn't very crowded in the morning, and the street performance stalls were hardly visited.

Jiang Xueru took out the 100 questions provided by the production team and asked directly, "Can I rent your stall for an hour? If you don't have enough money, I'll deduct it from your earnings."

Jiang Xueru was wearing a mask; after all, it's a touristy place, so it's best to keep a low profile.

But her eyes were so striking that they stood out even more when the lower half of her face was covered, making it hard for anyone not to recognize her.

The other party quickly realized what was going on and generously said, "Use it as you like, it's free!"

Anyway, the peak hours are usually at night, so he doesn't make much money sitting here all morning.

Jiang Xueru: ......

Although I didn't quite understand, I still put the money in the stall owner's cash register.

Then she took off her hat and gave it to Qiuqiu, saying, "Mom has an important task for Qiuqiu."

Qiuqiu's eyes were full of anticipation.

"Qiuqiu will take the hat to collect the money later."

Qiuqiu: ?

She thought she could perform with her mother, but it turned out she was just getting paid.

Qiuqiu is not satisfied!

Jiang Xueru noticed her dissatisfaction. "Collecting money is very important. Our ranking today will determine how much money we earn. Qiuqiu will get a reward from Mom for completing her task later."

Qiuqiu: "Really?"

Jiang Xueru nodded earnestly.

Qiuqiu said happily, "Then Qiuqiu will definitely collect the money properly!"

There was a whole set of musical instruments on the stall. The stall owner said that they usually perform as a band, and they are very professional.

Jiang Xueru looked around and finally sat down in front of the drum set.

[Does Jiang Xueru play the drums?]

Why don't you just take a look and see?

A drumbeat quickly silenced the surroundings.

This was followed by a very rhythmic drumbeat, which seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

The stall owner sensed that the boss was exceptionally talented, so he immediately picked up his guitar and played a duet with Jiang Xueru.

The electric guitar and drum kit complemented each other perfectly without being too noisy, giving this quiet ancient town a very unique feel.

It quickly attracted a large audience.

Qiuqiu immediately seized the opportunity and started acting cute while holding up her hat.

Many passersby initially came over because of the nice music, but when their attention shifted to Qiuqiu, they were immediately charmed by this adorable child.

With such beautiful music and such adorable children, how could you not spend money?

Of course not!

As a result, Qiuqiu immediately received her first huge sum of money.

[Hahaha, to be fair, Jiang Xueru's decision to have Qiuqiu handle the cashier duties makes sense.]

Jiang Xueru's statement that Qiuqiu is very important is reasonable.

They're so cute! I'd love to feed them if I were there!

[Reporting Jiang Xueru for employing child labor! (Just kidding)]

[Wasn't anyone amazed by Jiang Xueru's performance?]

[How could there not be? I was just too busy admiring their good looks!]

[Ahhhhhh, so cool! Ahh ...

[Jiang Jiang isn't just beating a drum, she's beating my heart!]

[Jiang Xueru is so good at playing the clamp drum, how come I've never heard of her before?]

[I remember now, didn't she play a musician before?]

Yes, that drama was filmed during the years when she was at her lowest point in her career. Actually, she acted quite well; it was just that the script itself was terrible.

[And there's a drummer in there too.]

Based on yesterday's task, I have a bold idea.

[I thought of that too. This woman is really ruthless. Whatever role she takes on, she tries her best to play it to the best of her ability. If she's playing a rural woman doing manual labor, she does the farm work herself. If she's playing a drummer in a band, she learns to play the drums and she's become so good at it. Amazing!]

[Long-time fans really feel sorry for her during those years when she couldn't get a good script, but she always gave her all to every role she was given. Thankfully, things have improved in the last two years, otherwise I would be so disappointed.]

As soon as Jiang Xueru finished her song, thunderous applause erupted around her.

Some people even shouted, "Beautiful lady, sing another song!"

Jiang Xueru breathed heavily, savoring the moment.

She hadn't felt so much kindness from those around her in a long time.

Or rather, she has been rejecting other people's kindness for a long time.

Jiang Xueru and the guitarist exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Just as they were about to start the next song, someone else jumped onto the stage.

Would you mind if I came along?

Jiang Xueru looked over and saw Leng Yu.

Leng Yu hadn't originally planned to rely on singing.

After all, she earns hundreds of thousands to millions of yuan for a single commercial performance, so it would be too beneath her to sing a song here for a few hundred yuan.

But she had just listened to a song in the audience and suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable passion.

Then I couldn't help but rush up.

Then let's lower the price; I can't handle all this heat.

Jiang Xueru had no objection; two people playing music is the same as three people playing music, and besides, having a lead singer would make the effect even better.

Needless to say, the guitarist also got to perform on the same stage as two big stars; he certainly made a fortune.

Qiuqiu got a few more baskets from the production team and handed two to Shen Yi'an and Shen Yiyao.

Shen Yiyao answered very readily.

But Shen Yi'an didn't want to accept.

Qiuqiu handed the basket to him: "Mom said it's important for us to collect the money! Yaoyao and I can't handle it alone, so let's work together!"

In the end, Shen Yi'an couldn't refuse.

It's all because Qiuqiu's eyes are too sparkly and dazzling!

They're all ready over there and discussing what song to play.

Leng Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Tomorrow, will it?"

With a lead singer, the music can't be played randomly like before.

[Ahhhhhh, this is Leng Yu's debut song! It's been so long since I sang this!]

[If I could hear my sister sing "Tomorrow" one more time in my lifetime, I would die without regrets!]

Jiang Xueru nodded: "Yes."

The guitarist is also fine.

"Tomorrow" is Leng Yu's signature song and also her most popular song. The song is very rhythmic and catchy, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a divine song.

The song "You Earned Tomorrow" from the show's producers is now used as the closing act at Leng Yu's concerts.

【Aaaaaaah, why wasn't I there?!】

Many audience members who knew the songs joined in, and it eventually turned into a massive sing-along.

After the song was finished, not only were the audience members excited, but the three performers on stage were also thrilled.

The audience chanted repeatedly, "One more song! One more song!"

[Hahahaha, it's been so long since I've seen Leng Yu sing so enthusiastically!]

[Leng Yu is someone who was born to be on stage; she's just too dazzling!]

[Jiang Xueru is amazing too! Her drumming is incredible! It was so exciting to watch; even though I wasn't there, I could feel the atmosphere!]

I don't know why, but I'm so touched.

[Waaaaah, me too! I'm so envious of the people who were there!]

Leng Yu originally planned to sing one song and then rest, but she couldn't resist everyone's enthusiasm, so she sang three more songs in a row.

Every song turned into a massive sing-along.

The show was only stopped by the production team when the large number of spectators caused traffic congestion.

Leng Yu tossed aside the microphone and gave Jiang Xueru a hug, her voice still trembling with excitement, "We must work together again next time!"

She hasn't given a performance this enjoyable in a long time! And she hasn't met someone who plays the drums so well in a long time either!

Hugging is Leng Yu's habit after every performance, but it startled Jiang Xueru.

[It's starting! It's starting! Leng Yu's singing competition!]

[Hahaha, Leng Yu's enthusiasm scared Jiang Xueru.]

[Teacher Jiang, don't be afraid. Leng Yu isn't usually like this. Oh, okay, she's usually like this too.]

Qiuqiu came to Jiang Xueru carrying a full basket.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Mommy, look! So much money!"

His mother gave him a very important task, and he completed it!

Jiang Xueru: "Qiuqiu is so great! Do you want a reward?"

"I want a kiss from Mommy!"

Jiang Xueru: ......

What should I do? I really want to travel back a few hours to take back the words I gave you as a reward.

Time travel is impossible, the reward is irretrievable, and children cannot be fooled.

Jiang Xueru's face turned red at a visible speed. Before it turned completely red, she went all out, closed her eyes, and kissed Qiuqiu's face.

[Here we go again, the scene of the proud and aloof actress blushing.]

Hahaha, I love seeing Jiang Xueru blush!

[Oh no, Jiang Xueru is so cute! This hater is completely smitten.]

You wouldn't believe I came to see adorable kids, but it turns out the moms are even cuter than the babies!

This socially awkward moment only ended when Qiuqiu's stomach started rumbling.

Qiuqiu said shyly, "I'm hungry."

Jiang Xueru breathed a sigh of relief: "Then let's go have a big meal!"

After clearing the venue, the two adults tallied up the earnings. In less than an hour, they had actually made several thousand yuan from the performance.

The performance fee was terrifying.

One reason is that the ancient town is a tourist attraction, and people come to spend money there. Plus, the performances are concert-level, keeping the audience entertained, so they're bound to spend money.

Jiang Xueru divided the money into three parts, intending to give one part to the stall owner, but the stall owner refused.

The stall owner was quite embarrassed: "This is your skill. It would take me a month to earn this much money. I'm very happy today, and I'm already very satisfied!"

Since the other party had already said that, the two of them couldn't say anything more.

As a result, Jiang Xueru and Leng Yu's previously empty wallets instantly became bulging.

Being rich means you can do whatever you want.

[Look at Ye Sisi and her group handing out flyers at the street corner; they only earned 100 yuan in half an hour.]

[Isn't Ye Sisi supposed to be a very talented pianist? Why doesn't she go and earn money by playing the piano?]

[A piano can't beat a drum set to rock the crowd; they don't make that much more money.]

That's still better than handing out flyers.

[Maybe their piano skills aren't that great, and they're just embarrassed to show it off?]

The ancient town wasn't big, and Jiang Xueru quickly found a restaurant that suited Qiuqiu's taste. After the two of them had eaten their fill, they were too lazy to earn money anymore, so they simply started strolling around the ancient town.

As they passed a photo studio that offered period costume photography, Qiuqiu's eyes widened, and she grabbed Jiang Xueru's arm.

Jiang Xueru immediately understood what Qiuqiu meant.

The shop owner was delighted to see a customer and introduced the product: "Would you like to take some photos? We have family packages that turn out amazing and are super affordable."

Qiuqiu tilted her head and asked curiously, "Does the parent-child set mean that Qiuqiu and Mommy wear the same clothes?"

The shopkeeper was charmed by her cuteness, grabbed a piece of candy and handed it to Qiuqiu, replying with a smile, "You're such a clever little girl."

Qiuqiu looked at Jiang Xueru with expectant eyes, "Can we take family photos?"

Jiang Xueru: "Qiuqiu can take the picture if she wants."

Upon hearing this, Qiuqiu immediately skipped and jumped towards the store.

Qiuqiu is adorable. Her round little head looks especially cute with her hair in a bun, and her pink and tender clothes make her look like a lucky doll.

Jiang Xueru, needless to say, is naturally beautiful, and her elegance is further accentuated by the elegant ancient costume. However, her inherent aloofness is softened by the pink dress, making her appear somewhat lively and adorable.

Ahhhh, they're both so good-looking!

[What a paradise for those who love good looks! Both of them must be Nuwa's graduation project!]

[Ahhh, when will Jiang Xueru film another period drama?]

I've been unable to forget Liu Mo, whom I only caught a glimpse of back then.

[Because of Liu Mo, I can never bring myself to dislike her; she acts well and is also very beautiful.]

[Jiang Xueru winning the Best Actress award because of Liu Mo is undisputed. Otherwise, do you think any Best Actress could just get the title of "Heaven-sent Star"?]

Qiuqiu was very satisfied with her outfit.

When they saw Jiang Xueru's look, they were even more amazed.

—It's so beautiful!

But when it came time to actually start filming, Qiuqiu started to worry again.

She was afraid that her mother would once again have a cold face and not be able to smile, just like she did when taking promotional photos before.

But things didn't turn out as Qiuqiu had predicted.

This time, the effect was surprisingly good. When the photographer asked them to smile, Jiang Xueru finally refrained from using that awkward V-sign smile.

It was a very natural smile.

Jiang Xueru herself was naturally very surprised.

"Mom looks so beautiful when she smiles!" Qiuqiu looked up and smiled foolishly.

Jiang Xueru touched the corner of her mouth and looked at the photos that had been taken; they seemed to be real!

After the two finished taking photos and left the store, they ran into Ye Sisi at the corner.

Ye Sisi was handing out flyers outside the store when she looked up and saw two people walking towards her.

Qiuqiu doesn't even need to read minds; just by looking into Ye Sisi's eyes, she knows what this bad person is thinking!

Ye Sisi was unaware of what had happened between Jiang Xueru and Leng Yu, and thought she had already earned a lot of money by handing out flyers.

This shows Jiang Xueru both looking down on him and unable to resist showing off.

Qiuqiu is very unhappy!

Qiuqiu was the first to ask, "Aunt Ye, how much money did you make today?"

Ye Sisi answered happily, "More than four hundred."

Qiuqiu exclaimed in surprise, "So many!"

Ye Sisi thought to herself, "Of course, the shop owner just happens to be one of her fans, so he raised the price quite a bit."

Qiuqiu continued, "It's actually one-fifth of ours!"

Ye Sisi: ?