Chapter 12 I'd rather starve than borrow money from them...
Su Tangtang sighed softly, her tone tinged with regret, "What a pity, we didn't record anything."
These words made the two people, who had just relaxed, tense up again.
In just a few minutes, their hearts were on the rise and fall like they were on a roller coaster, and now they were in their throats.
Wu Xiaojia forced a smile, the curve of her lips slightly stiff, "That...that's such a pity."
Her voice was a little strained, and her fingertips unconsciously dug into her palms.
“Yes,” Su Tangtang smiled gently, but her gaze fell meaningfully on Wu Xiaojia’s face. Her clear eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people’s hearts, making Wu Xiaojia’s heart tremble and a thin layer of sweat appear on her back. Could it be that she discovered something?
Seeing this, Zhao Zhiyi quickly grabbed Wu Xiaojia's wrist, "We still have to go to town, so we'll be leaving now."
After he finished speaking, he pulled Wu Xiaojia up and left, walking with a limp, no longer trying to hide his injured leg.
After the two had walked away, the others also gradually dispersed.
As Shen Yingying was leaving, she couldn't help but glance back at Su Tangtang, only to unexpectedly meet the other's probing gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly looked away, quickening her pace to catch up with Gu Qingke.
Watching their retreating figures, Su Tangtang chuckled softly but said nothing.
I thought that as long as she didn't cause trouble like the original owner did, everyone would get along well. But I didn't expect that just because she didn't cause trouble didn't mean that others wouldn't.
Huo Yizhou glanced at her and said calmly, "Let's go."
Su Tangtang paused for a moment and then nodded, "Okay."
-
After Huo Yizhou finished showering at the production crew's location, the two rode their tricycle to town.
First, I had breakfast, then bought vegetables from a street vendor, and went to the supermarket to buy bowls, chopsticks, and various cooking utensils.
It was already 10 a.m. when we got back.
The two had almost finished their work in the field and were just waiting for the seeds to sprout and be planted. So when they returned from town, they divided the tasks clearly: one washed the vegetables, and the other scrubbed the rusty pot again.
Meanwhile, Shen Yingying and the others were busy in the fields.
Although the early spring sun is not as scorching as the midsummer sun, it is still so bright at noon that it makes people dizzy and sweat drips down their cheeks.
"I really can't hold on any longer," Shen Yingying straightened her aching back, wiping the glistening beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Her fair cheeks were flushed with an unnatural blush, and a few strands of hair were damply stuck to her temples.
Seeing this, Gu Qingke immediately said, "You go and rest for a while, I'll keep working."
His wheat-colored skin was also covered in sweat, and the back of his white T-shirt was already mostly soaked.
Shen Yingying nodded, then turned to the photographer and asked, "What time is it now?"
“11:35,” the photographer replied, glancing at his watch.
This answer made Shen Yingying's heart sink.
She remembered the cruel rule the director announced yesterday: starting today, the production team would no longer provide food. Suddenly, her hunger became acute, and her stomach began to rumble in protest.
"What are we having for lunch?" she asked, looking at Gu Qingke, who was still bent over working. Her voice was tinged with helplessness.
Gu Qingke straightened up, wiping his muddy hands on his trousers. "I don't know," he said, frowning as he looked around the fields. There were still four acres of mulch that hadn't been prepared, and he felt a pang of sadness.
"How much money do we have left?" he asked suddenly, as if he had just thought of something.
Shen Yingying took out her crumpled wallet from her pocket and opened it to show him. "It's completely empty, not even a single coin left."
Just as the two were looking at each other, at a loss for what to do, Wu Xiaojia's shout suddenly came from afar:
"Sister Yingying, Brother Gu!"
Shen Yingying looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wu Xiaojia standing at the edge of the field on her electric scooter, waving at her.
She turned and glanced at Gu Qingke, then said, "I'll go take a look."
Gu Qingke nodded and continued working with her head down.
As she approached, Shen Yingying noticed that Wu Xiaojia was carrying food, and her eyes lit up.
"What's wrong, Xiaojia?" she asked.
Wu Xiaojia pointed to the electric bikes at the edge of the field and said, "We've left the bikes here. If you want to use them, just ride them."
"Okay, thank you," Shen Yingying replied, but her gaze couldn't help but fall on the bag in her hand. "Did you buy lunch?"
Wu Xiaojia nodded subconsciously, but when she looked up, she saw her looking at her food and her heart skipped a beat.
Knowing that the photographer was taking pictures of them, she worried that if she didn't speak up politely, netizens would say she was stingy, and her expression showed a slight struggle.
After hesitating for a moment, she forced a smile and said, "Sister Yingying...do you want to eat?"
Shen Yingying was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back, so she didn't care about being polite and asked directly, "I'm really hungry. What did you buy?"
Wu Xiaojia's face stiffened slightly.
She was just being polite and had no intention of actually giving it to him.
After all, most of the money they borrowed was used to buy greenhouse materials and seeds, and the remaining money was barely enough to fill their stomachs.
"A meat-filled sesame seed cake," she chuckled dryly, slowly pulled a meat-filled one out of the bag, quickly stuffed it back in, and then took out two without meat and handed them to Shen Yingying, "You two can have this first."
Shen Yingying didn't think much of it and reached out to take it, saying, "Thanks, Xiaojia."
Wu Xiaojia forced a bright smile, "You're welcome!"
But she was incredibly annoyed and couldn't help but glance at Zhao Zhiyi not far away. The other person rolled her eyes, clearly dissatisfied with her "generosity".
Shen Yingying held the two dry sesame cakes, feeling a little uncomfortable.
At least give me some meat!
"Then we'll get back to work!" Wu Xiaojia said hurriedly, and quickly jogged to catch up with Zhao Zhiyi.
Shen Yingying returned to the field and handed the sesame seed cake to Gu Qingke, saying, "Xiaojia gave it to me, just eat it."
Gu Qingke was so hungry that she was seeing stars. Without saying a word, she took them, and before she knew it, she had taken both of them!
Before Shen Yingying could react, he had already taken a bite of two sesame cakes, and in a few bites, half of them were gone.
"Oh! I haven't eaten yet!" she exclaimed hastily.
Gu Qingke was taken aback, then puffed out her cheeks and mumbled, "Huh? You didn't eat? I thought you had."
As he spoke, he handed back the half-eaten sesame seed cake, which still bore clear teeth marks.
Shen Yingying stared at the broken sesame seed cake, a surge of anger rising to her head.
But because the camera was still rolling, she could only force herself to suppress it and manage a weak smile, "It's okay, you finish eating."
Gu Qingke was starving himself, and Shen Yingying must be starving too. He handed it to her, saying, "Eat something to tide you over. We'll go eat after we finish this."
Shen Yingying reached out and took it. "Okay."
He had just taken a bite of the sesame seed cake when he said, "We don't have any money, we can't buy any."
Gu Qingke was silent for a moment, then scratched her hair in frustration. "If all else fails, let's borrow some from someone first."
Shen Yingying sighed, "Who can we borrow from now?"
“Xiaojia and her family just bought greenhouse materials, so they probably don’t have much money left. Zhou Yan’s family is in the same situation, and Lin Lang’s family is in the same situation as us, so they probably don’t have much money left either.”
Gu Qingke frowned, and the image of Su Tangtang involuntarily surfaced in his mind. If it were before, that person would probably have already presented him with money.
This thought inexplicably irritated him, as if he had been pricked by something.
“Right now,” Shen Yingying hesitated before speaking, “only Su Tangtang’s group has relatively ample funds.”
"I won't lend them money!" Gu Qingke abruptly interrupted her, her voice sharp even to herself. "I'd rather starve than borrow from them!"
Shen Yingying pursed her lips. She thought the same thing; she would rather starve than ask Su Tangtang and the others for money.
-
After Su Tangtang and Huo Yizhou finished getting ready, they began preparing lunch.
The ingredients I bought in town this morning are neatly arranged on the cutting board: fresh pork, cauliflower, tomatoes, and eggs.
"Are you sure what you made is edible?" Huo Yizhou leaned against the door frame, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the ingredients and Su Tangtang, his tone filled with obvious doubt.
Su Tangtang was tying her apron when she heard this, she paused, turned around and glared at him, "Your questioning is too direct, you didn't even beat around the bush."
“I’m just worried about the food going to waste,” Huo Yizhou shrugged, his gaze falling on the way she held the knife.
Su Tangtang slammed the cleaver down on the cutting board with a "smack," and said, "Don't worry!"
Huo Yizhou raised an eyebrow, remained silent for a moment, then rolled up his sleeves. "Then I'll take care of starting the fire."
Su Tangtang nodded vigorously, "Okay."
The kitchen was small, and the chimney didn't vent the smoke well. The moment Huo Yizhou lit the fire, the kitchen was filled with smoke, which was very irritating to the eyes.
Su Tangtang cut half of the vegetables, ran outside, and covered her mouth and nose, saying, "It's choking me!"
Huo Yizhou squatted in front of the stove, saying, "It'll be ready soon."
Su Tangtang stood outside for a while, and the flames in the stove gradually grew stronger, illuminating his focused profile.
Su Tangtang entered the kitchen only after the smoke had mostly dissipated. She quickly chopped vegetables, working efficiently and neatly.
After cutting the ingredients, she arranged them neatly one by one.
Once the water in the iron pot had evaporated, she picked up the oil bottle and poured it into the pot, the golden oil sliding down the side of the pot.
A short while later.
With lightning speed, Su Tangtang poured in the sliced meat. As the spatula flew, the aroma of the meat filled the air. When it was about 70% cooked, she deftly scooped it out and set it aside. Then she started to sauté the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Her whole set of movements was smooth and efficient, showing that she was a seasoned chef.
Huo Yizhou paused slightly as he added firewood, and a hint of surprise flashed in his deep eyes in the firelight.
This is the umpteenth time. The girl in front of me, with her skillful movements, is completely different from the spoiled, arrogant young lady in the rumors.
Su Tangtang likes cauliflower to be cooked a bit longer, so she stir-fried it for a while. When it was almost done, she added the meat and stir-fried it again.
In no time, a plate of stir-fried cauliflower with sliced pork, with its perfect color, aroma, and taste, was ready to be served. The cauliflower was coated with glistening slices of pork, and the steaming hot dish released an enticing fragrance that made one's mouth water.
Su Tangtang quickly washed the pan, turned around and started to stir-fry tomatoes and eggs. The golden egg liquid burst in the pan, blending with the bright red tomatoes. Compared to cauliflower and meat slices, this tomato and egg stir-fry is easier to make.
Meanwhile, Shen Yingying and Gu Qingke dragged their tired steps back to their residence. An enticing aroma of food wafted in on the breeze, and Shen Yingying unconsciously stopped and took a deep breath. "It smells so good! Who's cooking here?"
The dry sesame seed cake had long been digested, and the aroma made her stomach churn violently. She suddenly remembered the days when she deliberately dieted to maintain her figure, and even when she was hungry, she didn't feel as tormented as she was now.
But the two of them were broke and couldn't afford to buy food. They tried to borrow money from the director, but couldn't get any.
Shen Yingying tugged at Gu Qingke's sleeve, "How about we ask Sister Yan to lend us some?"
Gu Qingke frowned slightly, and finally said, "Alright."
The two, along with the photographer, arrived at Zhou Yan's door. The rich aroma of food wafted out from under the door, making everyone's stomachs rumble.
Shen Yingying's eyes lit up, thinking that she might be able to get a free meal. As soon as she stepped into the yard, she saw Zhou Yan and her husband eating heartily.
"Yingying? What brings you here?" Zhou Yan looked up and saw them, her chopsticks stopping in mid-air.
"Sister Yan, you're eating right now," Shen Yingying said, forcing herself not to look at the noodles in the bowl, her throat bobbing involuntarily.
Zhou Yan nodded. "Have you tried the noodles my husband Qu Xian cooked?"
“I ate some,” Shen Yingying said.
"Alright then, I won't offer you any food," Zhou Yan said.
Shen Yingying's smile froze, and she wished she could bite off her own tongue. She should have said she hadn't eaten!
"There's only a little soup left in the pot," Zhou Yan said with an embarrassed smile.
"It's alright, Sister Yan, we've already eaten!" She forced a smile, then changed the subject, "Actually... we wanted to borrow some money from you."
Zhou Yan exclaimed "Ah!" and turned to look at her husband, "How much money do we have left?"
Qu Xian put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "There's not much left. Lin Lang and the others just borrowed some."
The light in Shen Yingying's eyes dimmed instantly. Before she could speak, Gu Qingke had already stood up. "It's alright, we'll think of something else. I won't disturb your meal any longer, I'll be leaving now."
Seeing them leave, Qu Xian and Zhou Yan politely saw them to the door. Watching their departing figures, the couple exchanged a glance, both of them clearly watching the drama unfold.
Shen Yingying was very unhappy. She never expected that filming a variety show would be so miserable. If it aired, she wondered whether the fans would feel sorry for them or say that they were incompetent.
Back at my lodgings, the aroma still lingered, and the occasional laughter from next door could be heard in the courtyard, which seemed particularly jarring.
Shen Yingying clenched her fists, her heart filled with rage, but on the surface she smiled and said, "Su Tangtang and the others seem quite happy."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingke paused in her steps as she entered the main room. "Why bring her up?"
“I could hear their voices,” Shen Yingying said, tilting her head to look at him.
"Take a nap," Gu Qingke said, looking at her instead of responding to her previous statement.
Shen Yingying bit her lip lightly, feeling frustrated and aggrieved. She felt that Gu Qingke had been acting strangely these past few days, and wondered if she was overthinking it, but she still put on a good face and said, "Okay."
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