The environment at the orphanage is definitely not as good as when we were filming the show in the city. At night, we can only stay in separate dormitories for boys and girls.
Mu Hua, Lele, and Xiao Shu live in the boys' dormitory.
Du Xiaoruo, Fan Yue, and Xiao Tong live in the girls' dormitory.
Even washing up is done in a dedicated washroom, which is novel for children and feels like a sudden return to their student days for adults.
I didn't sleep well on my first night here. It was too hot, the bed was too hard, and there were a lot of mosquitoes at night. We got up in the middle of the night to look for mosquito coils, and we didn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning.
The next day at breakfast, Director Kang appeared in the live broadcast room with two small red bumps on his face from mosquito bites, all smiles.
"Distinguished guests, welcome to the recording site of the extra episode of Beibei Restaurant. This time we have come to Wencheng Orphanage to complete the preparation work for the library. Since this requires professional civil engineering knowledge, it is obvious that this is not your forte. So, I will now announce the assignments of each of you."
Mu Hua wanted to throw the steamed bun in her hand at him.
"Director Kang, I remember you said you wouldn't assign any tasks in the side stories?"
Director Kang has a thick skin; even if you call him out on the spot, it doesn't matter. He still has his signature smile on his face.
"I'm not assigning you tasks; I'm talking about work. Everyone should demonstrate their value through their work, and of course, our live stream is no exception."
In the live stream room,
[Director Kang, you have such thick eyebrows and big eyes, why don't you know how to study properly? Why have you started making empty promises?]
[I chuckled when Director Kang said there wouldn't be any tasks assigned; it's common knowledge that Beibei Restaurant always enjoys torturing its guests.]
[Rubbing my hands together, wondering what strange mission it will be this time?]
Director Kang waved behind him, and a middle-aged woman dressed as a cafeteria worker walked up, holding a large spatula in her hand.
The aunt walked firmly to Mu Hua and handed him the huge spatula with both hands, as if she were about to complete some important handover ceremony.
Mu Hua glanced at the spatula that was pressed against her face, and carefully took it under the encouraging gaze of the cafeteria aunt.
Director Kang announced, "Congratulations to the two of you on completing the handover ceremony. In the next two weeks, the guest team from Beibei Restaurant, led by Mu Hua, will take over the kitchen work. We also ask our canteen aunties and chefs to rest for a while."
At this point, the cafeteria worker who had been standing nearby breathed a sigh of relief and remarked,
"I haven't had a break in six months. Thank you all. Now I can go home and see my grandson."
Dean Huang chimed in, "Her grandson is over three months old, but because she can't leave here, she hasn't been able to go back to see him."
Mu Hua, holding the spatula, though forced to work, still uttered a fitting auspicious phrase.
"Congratulations on the new addition to your family. Go back and spend some quality time with your family."
In the live stream room,
Why do I feel like the show's production team is both kind and warm-hearted?
[My God, what does it mean to not have a break for half a year? Aren't people supposed to have holidays?]
[To the lady upstairs: Not all jobs offer holidays. My dad transports cement at a construction site, and he only gets a few days off during the Spring Festival, which is only because the construction site is closed.]
[Thank you to the production team, let the aunt go home and get some rest.]
The orphanage is located in a county under the jurisdiction of Wencheng City. In the morning, we need to drive to the county's farmers' market to buy groceries. After breakfast, everyone prepares to go out to buy groceries.
Just as he stepped out the door, Dean Huang chased after him and handed Mu Hua a wad of cash wrapped in paper.
"Teacher Mu, please take this money to buy groceries. We'll just need to trouble you to keep track of the expenses so we can register them when we get back."
Mu Hua pushed the money back, saying, "Since we're here, you don't need to worry about this small expense for food."
Dean Huang knew that this amount of money was nothing to people like Mu Hua, so he didn't refuse. He looked up at the sky and reminded them...
"Go and come back quickly when you go to buy groceries, it looks like it's going to rain."
Mu Hua also looked at the sky. Although the weather was a bit muggy, the sky was azure and cloudless. "It doesn't look like it's going to rain."
Dean Huang smiled confidently, pointing to his knee.
"Look at my leg, it has a special ability. It hurts before it rains, reminding me to bring an umbrella when I go out, and then it heals on its own after the rain stops."
Mu Hua choked for a moment, "Dean, we don't usually call your condition a special ability, we call it rheumatism."
Dean Huang glanced nervously towards the children.
"I've already told them I have special abilities, so don't let it slip to me."
In the live stream room,
[Hahaha, how can the dean be so cute? He even tricked the kids into thinking he has special abilities.]
[Uncle Dean, is it possible that the children already know, but are just pretending not to understand, and are just teasing you?]
[Could the program team please provide the donation address? My family has some excellent medicated plasters for rheumatism, and I'd like to send some to the hospital director.]
There's a shortcut from the orphanage to the market, which takes about ten minutes, but cars can't go that way; the road is only wide enough for tricycles.
After discussing it, Mu Hua rode the orphanage's electric tricycle with Du Xiaoruo to buy groceries, while Fan Yue and the children stayed behind to wash the dishes.
After Mu Hua and the others left, Fan Yue assigned tasks to the children. Xiao Tong and Lele were responsible for washing the dishes, while she herself simply lay down on a deck chair in the yard.
Xiao Shu wandered aimlessly around, then walked up to Fan Yue, squatted down, and asked, "Auntie, why aren't you working?"
Fan Yue, with her eyes closed, leisurely rocked back and forth in her recliner. "You didn't do any work either, did you?"
"Because I'm very young, I can't do much work yet."
"Then let's rest together." Fan Yue moved a little to the edge of the recliner to make room for Xiao Shu.
Little Shu wiggled her chubby little bottom as she climbed onto the recliner and lay down next to Fan Yue.
The two of them rocked back and forth in the recliners, and before they knew it, they were almost asleep.
Dean Huang was teaching a math class to the older students when he suddenly rushed out of the classroom. Seeing that Fan Yue and the others were still sleeping, he quickly ran over and kicked one of their reclining chairs.
"Get up quickly, the tricycle has overturned."
Fan Yue sat up abruptly. "What tricycle?" Then she remembered that Mu Hua and the others had just left on a tricycle.
"Xiao Tong!" Fan Yue called out loudly towards the kitchen.
Xiao Tong ran out with her hands full of foam.
"Mom is going out for a while. You stay in the yard with your brothers and don't go anywhere. Wait for us to come back."
After briefly explaining these few words, Fan Yue and Principal Huang jogged out of the courtyard.
Not long after Fan Yue and the others left, Director Kang and his group also drove off. Judging from their anxious expressions, the situation seemed to be quite serious.
The three little ones left at home grew increasingly uneasy. Little Shu couldn't hold back any longer; he frowned and pleaded...
"Let's go find the uncles and aunties from the program crew to help us find our dad."
Xiao Tong nodded and confirmed with Xiao Shu.
“You did hear that the tricycle overturned, right? If the tricycle overturned, then your parents might be in danger. Let’s set off as soon as possible.”
Lele reached out and tugged at Tongtong's sleeve. "Shall we order some takeout?"
"What did you say?" Xiao Tong thought she had misheard. "Your mother might be in danger, and you're still thinking about ordering takeout?"
The viewers in the live stream were also confused.
What is Lele saying? Is he hungry? Does he still have the appetite for takeout when Xiaoruo is in danger?
[Lele and Xiaoruo usually have a good relationship, they shouldn't be this heartless, right?]
Children from wealthy families are often spoiled and lack empathy.
[Everyone, Xiaoruo's live stream has resumed. Muhua drove the tricycle into the ditch, but he's okay. Xiaoruo seems to be injured and has been taken to the county hospital.]
Faced with Xiao Tong's questioning gaze, Lele became a little nervous. Coupled with his poor communication skills, he blushed and remained silent for a long time before finally organizing his thoughts and continuing to speak.
“There are many people on my mother’s side who will help. We are still young, and even if we go there, we will only cause trouble. But the children here haven’t had lunch yet.”
The viewers who had questioned him earlier in the live stream finally understood what Lele meant. He couldn't help his mother, but he could help order takeout to solve the children's lunch problem.
I think Lele is right. Rather than going there and causing trouble, staying here is more likely to solve the problem.
[Isn't Le destined for great things? She has such excellent stage presence at such a young age.]
[Didn't Lele want to take the civil service exam? She wants to at least become a leader in the future, right?]
[Everyone, don't forget Lele's Chinese... Let's not even talk about the distant future, the college entrance exam alone is a tough hurdle, right?]
When Lele's Chinese language score was mentioned, the live stream room fell silent.
After getting Xiaotong and Xiaoshu's permission, Lele used her phone to order fast food, fruit, and milk. Then the three little ones squatted at the entrance of the orphanage, staring longingly at the road in the distance. It was unclear whether they were waiting for the takeout or for their parents. The scene looked a bit pitiful.
Almost two hours passed. The children shared their takeout, and everyone packed up the takeout boxes together. The children from the orphanage went to take a nap, while Lele and her two friends continued to squat at the gate.
I had just squatted down when, after two claps of thunder, a torrential downpour began without warning.
The three little ones quickly stood up and ran back. As they crossed the yard, they dragged Dean Huang's recliner to the eaves. The three of them squeezed onto the recliner and continued to stare outside. Heavy rain poured down from the sky, creating small puddles on the ground.
Just then, a black Rolls-Royce drove into the yard despite the heavy rain.
The wipers stopped, and Qiao An got out of the passenger seat, walked quickly to the trunk, took out a black umbrella, opened it, and opened the back door. Du Xiaoruo got out of the car, her arm still wrapped in a bandage.
Qiao An held an umbrella and escorted Du Xiaoruo to the eaves. Then a business van from the production crew arrived. Mu Hua, Fan Yuekang, and the director got out of the van and rushed into the rain towards the corridor.
With nowhere else to go, everyone temporarily gathered in the orphanage's canteen.
Lele used to be able to calmly order takeout for the other children and handle the remaining issues on her own, but now that her parents have returned and she sees that her mother's arm is injured, her lips twitch and her eyes redden.
He half-squatted in front of Du Xiaoruo, resting his chin on his mother's knees, and asked with heartache,
"Mom, does your arm hurt? Is it serious?"
Du Xiaoru shook her head. "It's nothing serious, just a twist. The doctor said it will be fine within three days."
Hearing Du Xiaoruo's assurance, Lele felt a little relieved and went over to help Du Xiaoruo breathe a few times.
"Painkillers aren't working, so you think these two rubs will make the pain go away?" Qiao An pulled out a boiled sweet potato from somewhere and was peeling it when she saw Lele's actions, and started being sarcastic again.
Whether from fright or exhaustion, Mu Hua slumped against the wall, giving Qiao An a sidelong glance.
"Are you out of your mind? You can't even stand a kid helping his mom with diapers? Did you get a bomb explode?"
Qiao An took a bite of sweet potato, not even bothering to look at Mu Hua. "You're someone who can ride a tricycle into a ditch. You're not worthy to talk to me."
Mu Hua glanced at the camera somewhat guiltily and tried to argue, "A stray dog suddenly darted out from the road at that time, and I rode into the ditch to avoid hitting it."
"The whole family of the stray dog is grateful to you and will come to present you with a banner tomorrow."
[Hahaha, even though Xiaoruo is pitiful, why is it so funny to watch Mu Sansui and Qiao Sansui argue?]
When did Mr. Ha arrive? Did he rush over as soon as his wife had the accident? My goodness, he spoils her so much!
Am I hungry? Why am I constantly eating sweet potatoes?
[Hahaha, the key question is, where did he find this sweet potato? This kid has absolutely no inhibitions. He's supposed to be the chairman of Jinse, yet he's just eating a sweet potato without any regard for his image.]
Joan finished her sweet potato, but still seemed hungry. She looked around and asked,
"Is there nothing else to eat?"
This time, not only Mu Hua, but even Fan Yue couldn't hold back and retorted, "Did you come here to freeload?"
"I rushed over without even having breakfast. I don't know which Da Congming who can't even drive a tricycle is to blame."
Mu Hua sarcastically replied, "What's the use of some people coming hungry? They won't help with bandaging themselves, and they can't take away other people's pain. Even Lele knows to stay home and take care of her own things first."
The biggest victim of this tricycle rollover accident, Du Xiaoruo, finally couldn't take it anymore and spoke up to stop this endless farce.
"Stop arguing, let's get something to eat first, everyone's hungry."
After Du Xiaoruo personally issued a statement, Qiao An and Mu Hua finally quieted down.
It's raining heavily outside, so we can't order takeout. There are still some dishes left in the cafeteria, so we should be able to cook a few dishes.
But who will do it?
Mu Hua looked at Fan Yue, Fan Yue looked at Qiao An, Qiao An looked at Director Kang... Director Kang stood up and walked out.
Dean Huang, who had been sitting quietly to the side, stood up and said, "How about I do it? Although my cooking skills aren't great, I can at least make some noodles to tide me over."
"No need, no need," Mu Hua quickly advised. "How could we let you do it yourself? We can do it ourselves."
Du Xiaoruo's arm was injured, so she definitely couldn't cook. But apart from her, the other three adults obviously couldn't cook either. In the end, Mu Hua gave in first and carried his big spatula into the kitchen.
Mu Hua was cooking, but the dining hall in the cafeteria started to leak a little rain.
Dean Huang stood up, took out several small red plastic buckets from behind the door, and placed them in the leaky spots with practiced ease. The sound of raindrops hitting the bottom of the buckets filled the empty dining hall.
"How strange, why does it rain inside a house?" Xiao Shu stared at the little buckets; he had never seen a house where it rained inside before.
Dean Huang explained, "These houses are decades old, and most of them leak a bit. The few that don't leak are used as dormitories for students to sleep in, while the rest are just patched up and maintained year after year."
"How about a complete overhaul?" Fan Yue said. "It can't keep leaking like this."
“A complete repair costs money. The government-allocated funds are only enough to cover daily expenses. These repairs can only be done by saving money from small expenses. We can only do one repair once we have saved enough money.”
"Let my dad pay for it." Several children pricked up their ears to listen to the director's words. When they heard this, Xiao Shu suddenly spoke up, "My dad has money, let him fix it."
Dean Huang teased him, "How much money does your dad have? Tell me and let me see if it's enough to repair the roof."
Xiao Shu counted on her fingers, then frowned and answered very seriously, "There's definitely a hundred yuan."
[Haha, little book, you might have a misunderstanding about one hundred yuan.]
[One hundred yuan: I can't do that.]
The living conditions at the orphanage are appalling. No wonder Director Huang has developed rheumatism. I want to help them. Perhaps the production team could set up a fundraising window and fix the roof while they're repairing the library.
[Upstairs +1]
Not long after, Mu Hua brought out a large plate of fried rice from the kitchen. It looked quite normal; at least the eggs and rice were cooked, and she even made a vegetable soup.
Xiao Ruo was injured on her right arm. Qiao An served her fried rice and first used a small spoon to scoop up a spoonful and feed it to her.
"I can do it myself. I can use a spoon with my left hand."
With so many people around and cameras filming her, even though Du Xiaoruo has become a bit thick-skinned now, she was still too embarrassed to let Qiao An feed her.
Joan held the spoon to her lips, saying, "We're an old married couple, it's not like it's the first time."
Du Xiaoruo's eyes widened; it must be the first time.
I was unexpectedly fed a mouthful of food.
In the live stream room,
[Not the first time? Tell me, what have you two been doing behind my back?]
[It's so annoying! Every time the husky appears, I get bombarded with dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).]
My mom called me to eat, and I told her I was full from dog food. She told me not to eat random things because dog food is expensive. Damn, this is a second blow.
Qiao An fed him bite after bite, but Du Xiaoruo pushed him away with her uninjured hand, saying, "I don't want to eat anymore."
“Eating just this little bit won’t do,” Joan said firmly. “Eat more so your arm will heal faster. Have a couple more bites.”
Du Xiaoruo pursed her lips and shook her head. "I'm full, really."
"Just one more bite, just one more bite," Qiao An coaxed her like a child, trying to get her to eat more.
Du Xiaoruo glanced at Mu Hua with a troubled expression, "I really can't eat anymore, you eat it."
"Take another bite."
"I don't want to eat anymore."
"The last bite."
"......"
Mu Hua looked at the two of them being all lovey-dovey with disgust, feeling goosebumps all over. She served herself some rice and sat down to eat some distance away from them.
He shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth, chewed it, and his expression changed.
Mu Hua walked back, put down her bowl, and said to Qiao An, "Don't try to persuade me. I really can't eat. I can't even eat myself."
"It tastes bad?" Qiao An said dismissively. Fried rice is something that doesn't require any special skills, so how bad could it possibly taste?
He put the bite of food that Du Xiaoruo absolutely refused to eat into his own mouth, and swallowed the half-cooked, fishy-smelling stuff with difficulty.
"Xiaoruo, I'm so sorry for making you suffer. I deserve to die."
Du Xiaoruo nodded with tears in her eyes, thanking everyone for their understanding.
Dean Huang shook his head with a wry smile, stood up, and walked into the kitchen.
Inside the small white building of Jinse Group, the sign for the bling bling brand department has been hung up, but there are still a lot of materials scattered on the ground, looking messy and abandoned, like an unfinished building that no one takes care of.
Two employees at the front desk were whispering to each other.
"What's wrong with CEO Meng these past few days? When she first arrived, she seemed ready to make a big splash, but now she's suddenly not doing anything and just hiding in her office watching videos all day. What is she watching?"
Another employee answered,
"I heard from Secretary Zhou that she glanced at it when she went in to deliver documents. Guess what President Meng was looking at in her office?"
"What? Don't keep me in suspense."
"Watching the live stream recording of Beibei Restaurant, I wonder what she's trying to do."
"Beibei Restaurant? Isn't that the show our boss's wife took the kids on? Why would she watch that?"
The employee who leaked the information shrugged, indicating that he didn't know either.
"How can we possibly understand what the boss is doing? Whatever she does, as long as she doesn't work overtime or delay her wages, it's fine. Oh, by the way, are you going to get your nails done tonight?"
The office in the bling bling brand department isn't very soundproof. It was temporarily partitioned off when Qiao Qingchuan was chairman to accommodate Qiao An, and it was also the office Qiao An had been using before.
The whispers of the two employees reached Qiao Qingmeng's ears through the thin partition. She looked up at the wall clock and realized that she had unknowingly watched five or six hours of recorded broadcasts.
Previously, Qiao Qingmeng only learned about Qiao An from Jin Xizhen. Jin Xizhen described Qiao An as vicious and greedy, which made Qiao Qingmeng dislike him.
However, after watching the video footage of Beibei Restaurant, Qiao Qingmeng realized that Qiao An was not at all like what Jin Xizhen described. On the contrary, she thought Qiao An was humorous, handsome, and very smart, simply the perfect man of her dreams.
The more Qiao Qingmeng understood him, the more obsessed she felt. When she saw him and Du Xiaoruo being affectionate on the show, she was so jealous that her eyes turned bloodshot.
Qiao Qingmeng opened the drawer and took out a red velvet box.
Qiao Qingmeng found the jewelry box while cleaning the office. It was lying quietly under the filing cabinet. She opened it and found a brand new baroque pearl necklace inside.
She didn't know anything about the necklace before, but after watching the live stream where Qiao An went to buy a gift for Du Xiaoruo, she learned that Qiao An bought the necklace from Xia's Jewelry.
For some reason, Qiao An didn't give the necklace away in the end, but instead it fell into this corner and she picked it up herself.
Qiao Qingmeng interpreted this as everything being predestined.
She's wearing a black V-neck knit top today, which would be perfect for pairing with a pearl necklace like this.
Qiao Qingmeng took out the necklace, put it on, and took several selfies with her phone, showing off the necklace from various angles.
She then uploaded the pictures to her social media platform.
@QiaoAn,
Thank you for the necklace, brother. I really like it.
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