Chapter 101: Perilous Situation

Zhao Xin'er quit Langyin and immediately lost all interest in posting videos.

A moment later, a message popped up. Zhao Xin'er picked it up and saw that it was from an unknown number.

"Zhao Yanyan, here's a picture for you."

As Zhao Xin'er scrolled down and saw the photo, her pupils contracted and her heart skipped a few beats.

The four guests will record separately on the second day, and there will be no live broadcast. The mini-exam will be broadcast live again three days later.

Qi Sheng went to set up a stall in the old street of Huai County with Teacher Li, who specializes in dough sculpting, while Guan Yue went to the Huai Opera Troupe and directly studied with Teacher Wang in the theater.

Zhao Xin'er went to the time-honored pastry shop in Huai County to begin her ten-day apprenticeship under Master Niu.

As for Wei Lai, at Shao Quan's invitation, he went directly to Teacher Shao's home in the suburbs of Huai County with the program crew.

The production team consisted of five people: two cameramen, one makeup artist, one editor, and the chief director, Xu Daolai.

As soon as the group stepped into the Shao family compound, they saw Jiang Mingyue sitting under the flower trellis in the corridor, painting.

Beside her was a woman with gray hair and an extraordinary air about her; the two were speaking softly.

Director Xu was stunned. This lady was not Teacher Shao Quan. Looking at the painting on the canvas, he realized it was a traditional Chinese ink painting, depicting koi in a pond.

The golden koi carp were so lifelike, it was as if they had really swum out of the pond and onto the canvas!

Goodness gracious! So Sister Jiang is also learning traditional Chinese painting from other masters!

Director Xu and the others looked at each other in dismay, realizing that comparisons were futile.

Hearing the noise behind her, Jiang Mingyue quickly turned around and saw Wei Lai and the other six standing dumbfounded at the door, and couldn't help but laugh.

She said something to Qin Xue, then got up and went over, "Director Xu, Brother Wei, why are you here so early?"

It's only 7:30 now, and the agreed time is 8:00.

Wei Lai explained with a smile, "Arriving half an hour early is just polite. Mingyue, are we too early and disturbing your painting?"

Jiang Mingyue noticed the curiosity and surprise in Wei Lai's eyes and smiled, "No disturbance. Come, let me take you to the living room first."

As Jiang Mingyue passed by Qin Xue, she took the opportunity to introduce her, saying, "This is also my teacher, the master of traditional Chinese painting, Teacher Qin Xue."

Xu Daolai's eyes changed; it was Qin Xue, a master of traditional Chinese painting!

He had just been thinking to himself that this woman looked so familiar.

Xu Daolai immediately stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, "So it's Teacher Qin Xue! I've heard so much about you, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Xu Daolai, the chief director of the 'Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage' project on Shiliu TV..."

Out of respect for Jiang Mingyue, Qin Xue chatted briefly with Xu Daolai.

"You guys go ahead with your work. If Mingyue and I are disturbing your filming by staying here, we can leave."

Xu Daolai quickly shook his head, "No, no, don't worry, Teacher Qin, we won't film you."

Just kidding, Qin Xue's title is no less than Shao Quan's; she's a master of traditional Chinese painting, a leading figure in the field.

Everyone admired Jiang Mingyue's luck; she managed to become the disciple of two big shots in one go, and even received one-on-one guidance. Given time, Jiang Mingyue's achievements would be limitless.

The group arrived at the reception room, but Shao Quan had not yet returned; the nanny had gone out to buy groceries.

Jiang Mingyue poured tea for them and gestured for them to wait a moment, saying, "Teacher Shao will be right back from his walk."

Wei Lai said there was no rush, "Mingyue, go ahead and do your work, don't let it interfere with your painting studies."

"Okay." Jiang Mingyue took the tissues, showed the direction to the restroom, and then went out first.

Xu Daolai looked at Wei Lai and asked in a low voice, "Little Wei, didn't you know that Sister Jiang became the student of a master of traditional Chinese painting?"

Wei Lai smiled helplessly, "I only just found out myself. Mingyue is more composed than me."

"It's okay, you don't know, and neither do Xiao Qi and the others."

Wei Lai nodded; Director Xu knew how to comfort people.

Five minutes later, Shao Quan returned from his walk, exchanged pleasantries with Wei Lai and her group, and then began the formal recording.

The recording location was set in a south-facing studio to the right of the main hall.

To allow Shao Quan to rest at noon, the morning recording will start at 8:00 AM and end at 11:30 AM, and the afternoon recording will start at 1:30 PM and end at 5:00 PM.

Wei Lai and her six companions returned to the hotel for lunch and rest.

While Jiang Mingyue was painting in the courtyard, she would occasionally hear Wei Lai cry out in pain as he pricked himself with the embroidery needle. Shao Quan didn't find him noisy at all; on the contrary, he was amused and laughed heartily.

Wu Lizhen is busy with work, her husband and daughter are far away abroad, and Shao Quan is lonely. In addition, she has to learn to paint with Qin Xue every morning, so it is rare for someone to accompany her to pass the time in the morning. The old lady is very happy.

Jiang Mingyue took a break in the afternoon to check on Wei Lai. He said he was afraid of not studying well, but he was actually very serious. In fact, he hadn't left the house for most of the morning except to go to the toilet.

When the study session ended at five o'clock, Wei Lai didn't even have time to complain to Jiang Mingyue. She took the homework assigned by Shao Quan and went back to the hotel to practice.

Zhao Xin'er did not go downstairs for dinner. She said she was too full from eating pastries and wouldn't eat dinner.

Wei Lai and the other two sat together and exchanged their experiences.

Qi Sheng: "I've been sculpting dough figurines all day, and my whole body aches. All I want to do is take a shower and get a good night's sleep."

Wei Lai: "Are you guys as miserable as me? Teacher Shao assigned me homework: tonight I have to embroider my name. For the first time, I feel like my name has too many strokes!"

Guan Yue's throat was sore, "I sang all day and now I can't even speak."

The show's camera crew filmed this scene, which will be included in the behind-the-scenes footage later.

After dinner, the three of them went back to their rooms to rest.

Wei Lai didn't dare to take a shower, because showering makes him feel relaxed and sleepy. He took a picture of his homework and posted it on Weibo.

[Wei Lai]: I will try my best to complete the assignments given by Teacher Shao!

As soon as the Weibo post was published, fans quickly flooded the comments section with messages.

"Brother, you don't need to push yourself so hard. We won't say anything if you can't finish."

“Brother, your name has too many strokes. I suggest you just embroider the character ‘Lai’.”

"Brother, you can actually be a little more shameless. It's not embarrassing to ask Sister Jiang to give you special tutoring."

Fans were teasing Wei Lai, who was both amused and exasperated, and replied to one of them.

[Wei Lai]: Mingyue is busier than me, I can't trouble her.

Fans were completely baffled. Sister Jiang's double-sided embroidery skills were already at a professional level, so what else could she be busy with?!

On the other side, Qi Sheng and the other two also shared their learning experiences from the day.

[Qi Sheng]: I spent the whole day in the cold wind and sculpting dough figurines, but I couldn't even make a small dog look like a real dog.

[Guan Yue]: Teacher Wang praised my figure, but she didn't praise my singing, sob sob sob.

[Zhao Xiner]: I ate pastries all day, I'll continue tomorrow.

Netizens were amused by the sight, finding a sense of comfort and joy in seeing celebrities suffering after a long day at work.

"Can't the 'Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage' program schedule daily live broadcasts? It's not like we lack viewers!"

“Live streaming every day is impractical and would also disrupt the guests’ learning process.”

"Don't worry, there are only two days left until the mini-exam. The mini-exam will be broadcast live on the day of the exam."

The next day, while Shao Quan was busy, Jiang Mingyue and Qin Xue painted in the Shao family courtyard in the morning and went out to stroll around various scenic spots in the afternoon.

On the third day, Jiang Mingyue drove Qin Xue to the high-speed rail station to pick up people. Captain Meng came to Huai County, along with Meng Qinzhou.

In early March, when the spring chill was still in the air, the uncle and nephew seemed unfazed by the cold. One wore a black leather jacket, and the other a navy blue denim jacket. Both wore masks, and their tall stature and long legs made them stand out in the crowd.

As soon as Meng Qinzhou saw Jiang Mingyue, he abandoned Captain Meng and ran over excitedly.

"Sister Jiang!"

"Qinzhou, long time no see." Jiang Mingyue smiled and patted Meng Qinzhou on the shoulder. The young man is still so handsome and dashing.

Qin Xue, standing to the side, teased, "Qinzhou, didn't you see me?"

Meng Qinzhou then noticed Qin Xue beside him, his face burning with embarrassment. He quickly greeted her, "Hello, Grandma."

Meng Qinzhou was the eldest grandson of Meng Zikun, the third younger brother of Qin Xue's husband, Meng Zizhan.

It is said that if one generation is early, the next generation will be early. Meng Zikun was transferred to work in Hanjiang and got married and had children early. Her husband, Meng Huai, is still single at thirty-three, while Meng Qinzhou is already twenty-four.

"Good boy."

Qin Xue hadn't seen Meng Qinzhou for a long time, so she smiled and hugged the child. She also took out a red envelope from her cotton-padded coat pocket and handed it to him, saying it was a New Year's red envelope for him.

Meng Qinzhou claimed that he was working and could no longer accept the red envelope from Qin Xue.

Qin Xue said he could accept the money even though he wasn't married yet.

As the two were pushing and shoving each other, Captain Meng, also known as Meng Huai, stepped forward, snatched the red envelope, and stuffed it into his own pocket.

"Grandma, just give it to me. I paid for the boy's high-speed rail ticket."

Qin Xue laughed in exasperation and pretended to hit Meng Huai, "Meng Huai, how can you be so stingy as an uncle?"

Meng Qinzhou quickly spoke up for Meng Huai, "Grandma, it's fine to give the red envelope to Uncle Huai. I was in a hurry and brought the wrong phone. Uncle Huai bought the ticket for me."

Qin Xue then took out the red envelopes she had prepared for Meng Huai, each containing a thousand yuan, for good luck.

Here, his share is for you.

Jiang Mingyue watched them fool around with a smile. Captain Meng was usually very serious in front of her, but he was quite lively in private.

Meng Huai looked at Jiang Mingyue, smiled and extended his hand, "Miss Jiang, we meet again."

During her stay in Huai County, Qin Xue brought up Captain Meng, who worked in Lingcheng. Jiang Mingyue also mentioned that she knew Captain Meng. Qin Xue simply sighed and said, "What a coincidence."

Jiang Mingyue reached out and shook hands with Meng Huai, "Who would have thought that Captain Meng and I have this history?"

"No coincidence is too good to be true." Meng Huai had not expected that Jiang Mingyue would actually become Qin Xue's disciple.

Qin Xue laughed and said, "Alright, kids, I see a lot of people watching you two. Let's leave first."

The documentary series "Exploring Intangible Cultural Heritage" was recently filmed in Huai County, attracting many tourists. The high-speed rail station was bustling with people, even more so than during the Spring Festival.

Even though Jiang Mingyue and the others left quickly, photos of her with Meng Qinzhou and Meng Huai were still taken by netizens.

At the time, some fans wanted to go up and greet Jiang Mingyue, but they didn't dare to because the man next to Meng Qinzhou looked intimidating.

That noon, Jiang Mingyue's meeting with Meng Qinzhou at the high-speed railway station became a trending topic on Weibo.

"Ahhhhh, Qinzhou is here in Huai County too! Doesn't this bring back memories of Mao Zong?"

"The four of you, Sister Jiang, can have dinner together tonight."

"Who is that man next to Meng Qinzhou? He looks so tall and imposing, with an air of righteousness."

"He's probably Meng Qinzhou's bodyguard."

"It couldn't be a bodyguard; Sister Jiang shook hands with him."

"Perhaps she is a relative of Meng Qinzhou. There is also an elder next to Sister Jiang."

"Hehe, waiting for Meng Qinzhou to post on Weibo tonight."

Meng Huai came here for two reasons: first, to see Qin Xue, and second, to discuss matters with Jiang Mingyue.

Meng Qinzhou had just finished filming his previous TV series and had a week off. Upon learning that Meng Huai was coming to Huai County, he decided to come and have some fun for a week as well.

The uncle and nephew didn't have high requirements for hotel accommodations, as long as it was safe and clean. Jiang Mingyue booked a three-star hotel for them that was relatively close to the Shao family compound.

Jiang Mingyue first took them to the hotel to drop off their luggage, and then took them out to eat.

After lunch, Jiang Mingyue took them back to the Shao family compound.

It wasn't even one o'clock yet, and Wei Lai and her entourage hadn't arrived. Meng Huai and Meng Qinzhou arrived with a pile of gifts.

Shao Quan said they had gone to too much trouble, "Why be so polite when you've come? We're all family."

Qin Xue smiled from the side, "They are the juniors, and you are the elders. They should bring gifts when they come to see you."

The four chatted for about ten minutes.

Five minutes later, Meng Huai came to the courtyard alone and walked aside to talk to Jiang Mingyue.

“Miss Jiang, you call my grandmother ‘Master.’ If we continue to be so polite, it will seem too hypocritical and formal. I’m older than you, so I’ll call you Mingyue.”

Jiang Mingyue readily agreed, "Okay, Brother Huai, just let me know if you need anything."

"Do you remember Eric?"

Jiang Mingyue paused, her gaze lingering. Meng Huai would never gossip about the person who was next to Mammoth. Since he had brought up this person, he must have already obtained relevant information.

"I remember, where is he?"

Meng Huai looked at Jiang Mingyue, who was calm and not afraid at all.

“Our people found him at the Haicheng Expressway service area, but unfortunately they lost him. We suspect he will come to Huai County to look for you.”

The second season of the reality show "Adventure" is a hit, and the fact that Jiang Mingyue is skilled in martial arts has been exposed. It is a double-edged sword. It has deterred the haters, but it has also revealed that she is not an ordinary female star.

Regarding the previous incident with He Yan, Jiang Mingyue was preparing for her concert in the South Island when Eric followed her.

Mammoth was captured, and Eric escaped. They thought the other party wouldn't dare to set foot in China again, but unexpectedly, he dared to show up again.

Jiang Mingyue wasn't afraid of Eric coming after her; she had considered all sorts of risks the moment she returned to Huai County.

"What does Brother Huai want me to do?"

Meng Huai looked up at the clouds on the horizon. The weather was fine, and the clouds looked clear, but there were always people who would spoil his vacation.

"We will remain still and wait for the right opportunity. I have colleagues in Huai County who will be in charge of the Shao Family Compound area."

Jiang Mingyue understood Meng Huai's meaning. He wasn't accusing her of dragging Qin Xue and Shao Quan down, but rather that he had an obligation to share the risks with her.

"I think you've made thorough preparations for your aunt's family. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

Jiang Mingyue knew she couldn't hide it from Meng Huai. Since she dared to let the variety show team edit out footage of her catching the car thief, she was naturally not afraid of being confronted by someone.

At the Sun family compound, she did take advantage of the house renovation to make some preparations. In addition to installing surveillance cameras inside and outside the compound, she also added some mystical methods.

"How many days does Brother Huai plan to stay in Huai County?"

"I haven't taken a vacation in more than three years. I'm taking advantage of this opportunity to travel around. As soon as I received the news, I immediately set off here and plan to stay for a week."

Jiang Mingyue hummed in agreement, pondering something in her mind: she still needed to make some preparations for Dahuai Village, just in case.

Perhaps it's time to let the land dragon out for a stroll; keeping it hiding at the bottom of the river isn't a good idea.

Jiang Mingyue was a woman of action. That night, while the Sun family was fast asleep, she quietly climbed over the courtyard wall and arrived at the Dahuai River in an instant, where she summoned the Earth Dragon.

The ground dragon emerged from the river, staring dumbfounded at Jiang Mingyue on the bank. Wasn't she calling it Clown? How come she's been calling it Little Dragon for a while now?

Something unusual must be going on.

The ground dragon decided not to go ashore; he wanted to hear what she had to say first.

Jiang Mingyue smiled; the earth-walking dragon that had gained sentience was indeed not easy to fool.

She coughed and spoke frankly, "It's like this, I have a favor to ask of you. I need you to do something for me later. After it's done, I'll send you to Sanshuihe for a while. Don't worry, I'm a man of my word, and I will definitely help you transform into a dragon in May."

In a moment, the ground dragon darted ashore and lay prostrate at Jiang Mingyue's feet.

Ten minutes later, several claps of thunder rang out over Dahuai Village, waking up the villagers who were getting up in the middle of the night.

The villagers remembered that the winnowing baskets drying in the yard hadn't been brought in yet, so they hurried to the yard. They looked up at the night sky and suddenly saw a long, dragon-like creature flash by!

The villagers hurriedly went back inside to get their phones before coming out to take pictures. The sky was calm, and they thought they wouldn't be able to get the shot, but then thunder roared again, and a dragon head suddenly appeared, glancing in the direction of the villagers.

Seemingly afraid of being discovered, it immediately disappeared again.

The villagers excitedly captured the moment and sent the photos to their children who were working far away.

"Son! Come back quickly! There's a dragon in the village!"

Tonight, more than one villager saw the dragon. Two young people who had returned to their hometown to farm also saw it. The young people like to stay up late. They were playing mahjong when the spring thunder rumbled and they instinctively looked out the window, where they unexpectedly saw the dragon flash by.

The two of them were no longer interested in playing mahjong. They grabbed their phones and ran outside to take pictures, and they actually managed to capture the dragon's tail peeking out from behind the clouds!

The next morning, netizens habitually opened Weibo to check the news and see what had happened that day. Suddenly, they caught sight of the last trending topic: "[There is a dragon in Dahuai Village]", and were stunned.

What is this? Is some village advertising?

Netizens clicked in, completely confused, only to discover that villagers had captured images of the dragon's head and tail!

"Ahhh, what a clear photo!"

"I knew our Chinese nation definitely has dragons!"

"Finally, it's not a blurry image anymore! Internet sisters, please tell me the address of Dahuai Village immediately, I'm going to chase the dragon!"

"Sister, take it, you're welcome! Hahaha, I'm already in Huai County, heading to Dahuai Village right away!"

An hour later, the hashtag "[There is a dragon in Dahuai Village]" went viral, trending in deep red.

They're like cattle and horses, happily slacking off, each one with no heart for work, just waiting for further news.

It's worth noting that many netizens have photographed dragons in recent years, but high-definition photos and videos are rare; most are just fleeting glimpses. However, the villagers of Dahuai Village captured very clear images, and you could even feel the dragon's fear of being discovered by humans.

That guy slipped away incredibly fast.

Author's Note: [Evil laugh][Evil laugh] There are probably still about 100,000 words left in the main text, hahaha