“Making a child cook, are they even human?!”
Seeing the other guests’ growing interest and their intent to press further, Yan An casually spoke up, steering the topic back.
“Then, Second Brother, who would you like to be grouped with?”
Ming Yi did not respond immediately. His gaze swept over the other guests, though he held little expectation.
Initially, Ming Yi had entered the entertainment industry to chase after Yan An, wanting to prove he could reach greater heights. They were signed to the same agency, yet the company chose to favor Yan An, leaving Ming Yi to pick up the discarded resources. Yan An’s fans called Ming Yi a copycat because he had spent his career trying to mimic Yan An’s persona, roles, and even acting style.
The result was a forced, awkward imitation.
Few knew that the only resources Ming Yi could get were those originally intended for Yan An. He had tried telling his family he wanted to attempt a different style, but he was met only with reprimands.
“Are these resources not good enough? Most rookies cannot even touch them. They were given to you, so what are you dissatisfied with?”
“Stop making a scene, alright? An An specifically gave up that endorsement for you. Do not waste his kindness.”
“Why are you so unreasonable? You said you wanted to act, so the family let you. We poured so many resources into you; what more do you want?”
But no one ever asked what he actually wanted.
Ming Yi did not want to disappoint them, and he could no longer bear their looks of disapproval. Thus, he never mentioned it again. He had walked a path with no retreat, burdened by infamy and pain, until he had nothing left.
Now, looking at the unfamiliar guests, Ming Yi realized in a daze that the socially adept one was Yan An, not him. He had no connections in the industry; in this variety show, aside from Yan An, he knew no one. No one would extend a friendly hand to a person with a ruined reputation. Of this, Ming Yi was certain.
However, there are always exceptions.
As Ming Yi remained silent for a bit too long, the atmosphere grew subtle. Ji Nian glanced between Ming Yi and Yan An, suddenly laughed, and walked over to Ming Yi with his arms crossed.
“Well, this clumsy person will not drag Chef Zhu Yu down then,” Ji Nian said leisurely. “It is the perfect chance for me to taste the new chef’s cooking. Right, Chef Yan? You will not let me down, will you?”
Ming Yi’s eyes flickered. Although the words were slightly different from the original novel, Ji Nian had made the same choice. Having read the plot, Ming Yi knew why. The reason was simple: Ji Nian, like him, was a minor cannon fodder who could not stand the protagonist.
The enemy of my enemy is a friend. To take down the BOSS, it is best to win over every friend you can; it can produce miracles at critical moments.
The words Xie Yunxie spoke while gaming flashed through Ming Yi’s mind. He cleared his thoughts and gave Ji Nian a small smile. “Then you chose the right person. I cannot promise gourmet quality, but I can guarantee you will not starve.”
“Bold words! You clearly do not know how treacherous the production team is. Only a newcomer would make such a guarantee,” Ji Nian sighed, not taking it seriously, but offered a polite compliment. “Fine, I will be following Chef Yan from now on.”
Two guests remained: Shen Pan and Ji Zhan Yun.
Ji Zhan Yun looked between the two groups, hesitating to speak, but Shen Pan stepped to Ming Yi’s side first. “I want to taste the new chef’s cooking too!”
Ji Zhan Yun laughed and did not fight her for the spot. “This is good. Each group has one person who can cook. No need to worry about missing meals.”
Yan An asked vivaciously, “Is eating really that difficult on this show?”
Ji Zhan Yun sighed. “You will find out soon enough.”
Once the peaceful team-up ended, the production team immediately revealed their true colors.
“What! You want us to go up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots?!”
Production Team: “Exactly. The higher the total weight of the shoots, the better the initial resources allocated to your group.”
Each guest was handed a hoe and a basket. Groaning, they began the trek into the mountains. Having just arrived after a bumpy journey, the guests were already exhausted. Ming Yi finally understood why Ji Nian and the others had been complaining. The production team was truly merciless.
Digging shoots was not difficult for Ming Yi. He still had the foundation from the farm work of his youth, and his injuries had mostly healed, allowing him to handle this level of labor.
A local villager led the way, enthusiastically describing the scenery and legends of Wuqing Mountain. The guests were excited at first, until the path became increasingly muddy. A rainstorm the day before had turned the mountain trail into a slippery mess. Despite their caution, the guests struggled. By the time they pulled their feet from the yellow mud, their clean shoes were ruined.
Wails echoed through the forest.
In contrast, Ming Yi was an outlier. He was familiar with mountain paths, walked steadily, and reacted indifferently to the mud on his shoes. He did not exaggerate his emotions like the others. He simply walked beside his teammates, his presence as faint as a ghost.
[Uh, MY’s emotional stability is like an AI. Is that allowed?] [Was it not MY’s persona a Little Sunshine? He is not even acting this time. Is he showing his true colors?] [Am I the only one who thinks MY is very stable? He does not slip at all and even helped Shen Pan.] [Hah, acting like a poor soul again? He is the only one not talking. Such a fake.]
The villager only led them up the mountain but did not teach them how to dig. He described which shoots met the requirements and then quietly vanished. The guests were left to fend for themselves. Since the teams were in competition, they naturally drifted apart to different areas.
Ji Nian pulled his shoe out of the mud with effort, leaning on his hoe as he looked around. “Is my eyesight bad? Why can I not see a single shoot?”
It was spring, and they were looking for spring shoots. While some visible tips could be seen, they far exceeded the length allowed by the rules. The production team clearly wanted them to search far and wide.
Shen Pan stared at the mud spots on her pants, looking close to a breakdown. “Ruined. My favorite pants are completely ruined!”
With one teammate struggling and the other disheartened, the burden fell on Ming Yi. His eyes were sharp and he had experience; before long, he had dug up enough shoots to fill nearly half his basket. His swift movements left Ji Nian and Shen Pan stunned. Their baskets were empty, and feeling a bit embarrassed by their teammate’s efficiency, they sheepishly asked for his secret.
Ming Yi led them to a spot, explaining as he walked. “Shoots are easier to find under bamboo with lush, dark green leaves. See these small mounds? Where the ground is slightly raised or cracked, a shoot is likely hiding.” As he spoke, he swung the hoe a few times, and a tip emerged from the soil.
Ji Nian and Shen Pan let out gasps of amazement. Ji Nian volunteered to try, and Ming Yi stepped aside.
“You have to dig gently, otherwise it will”
“Haha! Watch me!” Ji Nian swung the hoe recklessly and snapped the shoot in half.
Ji Nian turned to Ming Yi guiltily. Ming Yi remained calm. “It is fine. You will get the hang of it after a few more.”
Soon, Ming Yi found another. This time Shen Pan wanted to try. Worried she would break it too, Ming Yi demonstrated the technique personally.
“Got it! I learned it!” Shen Pan promised confidently, then swung her hoe and snapped another shoot.
Ming Yi: “…”
Being watched by two people with innocent, puppy like eyes, Ming Yi could only sigh and continue his lesson while digging.
[LOL, the vibe of a pro taking two toddlers out to play.] [MY was not lying. His digging skills are actually legit.] [I want to say, is the True and False Young Master story actually real?]
While Ming Yi’s side was a focused learning environment, Yan An’s side was full of pink bubbles. Yan An was not good at walking on slippery paths and fell several times. Zhu Yu, distressed, insisted on rolling up Yan An’s pant legs to check for injuries. Thus, Yan An sat on a rock while Zhu Yu knelt before him, carefully tending to him, leaving Ji Zhan Yun standing aside like a background prop.
The bullet comments were flooded with shipping fans.
[Ahhh ZY is so gentle! This looks like an idol drama. Zhu Yan CP is real!] [Movie King Ji: Is anyone going to speak for me?] [Can the CP fans chill? This is a lifestyle show, not a dating show. Can we focus on the mission? MY’s group has three baskets already.]
An hour and a half later, the guests headed down the mountain to regroup. Through the live stream, viewers saw Ming Yi had discarded his previous refined image. He carried the hoe on his shoulder naturally, with the basket hooked at the end. He stepped down the slope steadily and reached out to help Shen Pan down.
Ji Nian was anxious on the slope. “What about me? Teacher Yan, help me too!”
Shen Pan teased from below, “Brother Ji, believe in yourself! You can do it!”
Ming Yi was not close enough to them to joke around like that. Seeking to maintain a polite social distance, he kindly helped Ji Nian down as well.
“Thank you, Teacher Yan. You are a truly good person, unlike a certain devil,” Ji Nian said, wiping mud from his face.
Shen Pan sighed at Ming Yi. “You just spoil him! The more you spoil him, the more useless this Young Master Ji becomes!”
“Who are you calling useless!”
Ji Nian chased Shen Pan to smear mud on her face. Shen Pan dodged, and the two used Ming Yi as an obstacle, running around him with high energy. Compared to them, Ming Yi looked like a middle aged man who had just finished a long day at work, stoically ignoring the noisy children around him.
[Hahahaha I am dying! Why is this so funny?] [Strange, why does MY’s dead inside face look more pleasing than before?] [MY’s internal monologue: Who can take these two kids away?]
The trio returned to the base and met the other group. Unsurprisingly, Ming Yi’s team won the first challenge.
Yan An looked guilty. “I am sorry. I was the one who held us back.”
Zhu Yu comforted him immediately. “It was not like you wanted to fall. How can we blame you?”
Ji Zhan Yun added, “Zhu is right. It is just a game, do not overthink it.”
The results were in, and the production team gave each group an address. They were told the initial resources in each house were different. If the guests wanted to eat, they had to use those resources and figure it out themselves.
On the way to the house, Ji Nian kept muttering, “We are doomed. Is it going to start with just one pot again?”
The experience on the mountain had made the three more familiar. Ming Yi was no longer as stiff as before. “Has it started with just one pot before?”
Shen Pan sneered. “Exactly. One pot to start, and all the food depends on begging. Teacher Yan, remember, that is the essence of We Are Begging.”
Ming Yi thought for a moment. “Besides shoots, I saw many wild vegetables on the mountain. If we really have nothing, we can go back and dig.”
Ji Nian’s eyes lit up. “Right! We can eat shoots!”
Thinking of this, Ji Nian felt hopeful again. On the other side, Ji Zhan Yun’s face was pale as he held his waist. Yan An noticed and asked with concern.
Ji Zhan Yun said, “I think I strained my waist. It is fine; I just need to rest.”
Zhu Yu took his luggage. “Teacher Ji, why did you not say so earlier? Stop pushing yourself.”
Ming Yi’s trio arrived at their small courtyard first. They immediately rushed to the kitchen to take inventory.
Good news: There was more than one pot. Bad news: There was very little food and almost no rice left.
“How do we cook this salted pork?” Ji Nian held up a piece of salted pork about twenty centimeters long, frowning. “It is too fatty. It does not look tasty.”
Ming Yi measured the rice. “There is only enough for two meals for the three of us.”
Shen Pan said in despair, “It looks like we have to beg in the village again.”
Ming Yi looked around, assessing the poverty level of the house. “I told you, with me here, you will not have to beg.”
Despite Ming Yi’s skill with shoots, Ji Nian was skeptical. Without money or grain, how would they survive? As he thought this, his stomach growled. After the journey and the labor, he was starving.
Ming Yi said, “Let us make do with lunch first.”
One piece of salted pork, ten eggs, two white radishes, a small bag of flour, half a basket of rape blossoms, three tomatoes, and a bulb of garlic.
Ming Yi washed the pots and knives, then headed to the stove to start the fire. He directed Ji Nian and Shen Pan to wash the rice, vegetables, and radishes, and then clean the dishes. The production team was not entirely heartless; they provided oil, basic seasonings, and a lighter.
The stove could hold two pots. Ming Yi started the fire, heating one side to steam rice while using the other to cook dishes for efficiency. Once the rice was cooking, he began prep work, shredding most of the radish and peeling garlic.
Before peeling, Ming Yi turned to the two people watching him expectantly. “Do you want stir fried rape blossoms or garlic rape blossoms?”
“We can actually order?” Ji Nian swallowed hard. “Chef Yan, just do whatever you think is best. No need to ask us.”
Ming Yi decided for himself. When the timing was right, he started the second stove. He stir fried the radish until soft, set it aside, then whisked three eggs. He fried the eggs into a thin sheet and sliced them into strips.
Ji Nian peeked in curiously. “What are you making?”
“White radish and egg strip soup.” Ming Yi put the radish and egg strips into the pot with water and seasoning, then covered it. Steam soon rose, carrying an aroma that filled the kitchen. It smelled of a real home cooked meal, instantly triggering their hunger.
Ji Nian was nearly swooning from the scent. One look at the chef’s work and he knew he would not be begging this time. Along with the soup, Ming Yi made stir fried rape blossoms to complete the meal.
The rice was fluffy and fragrant. Ji Nian took a sip of the soup and almost teared up at the freshness.
“I am completely won over,” Ji Nian said, giving Ming Yi a thumbs up. “From now on, Chef Yan, you are my biological brother. I will not let anyone cross you!”
“Is it really that good?” Shen Pan did not believe it until she tried it. Then, she simply gave him a thumbs up in silence.
Ming Yi remained calm amidst the praise, casually picking up a piece of vegetable. “You are exaggerating. This is just basic.”
“We have salted pork. Once we dig more shoots this afternoon, I can make Yan Du Xian.”
Ji Nian and Shen Pan: “!!!”
They had truly hit the jackpot with this teammate. Shen Pan slammed the table excitedly. “Does the chef have any other orders? Please, order us around!”
Ming Yi thought for a bit. “We are running low on firewood. We should pick some up while we dig shoots.”
“Understood! Anything else?”
Ming Yi: “This food will not last until the end of the episode. What do you usually do in this situation?”
Ji Nian and Shen Pan exchanged a look.
“Beg other groups for food?” “Beg the locals for food?”
“Besides begging? Does the production team have a way to earn money?” Ming Yi was speechless.
“Oh, right, of course,” Ji Nian said, now familiar with the show’s tropes. “There should be a segment for guests to earn money.”
“Then let us dig more shoots,” Ming Yi suggested. “We can eat them, and if there is a way to earn money, we can sell them.”
After eating, the two teammates who did not cook insisted on doing the dishes. With no other immediate plans from the crew, they went to unpack. The courtyard had two rooms: one single and one double. Shen Pan took the single, while Ji Nian and Ming Yi shared the double.
Since they were heading back to the mountain, they did not change, only wiping themselves down briefly. Ji Nian, a chatterbox with people he liked, could not stop talking once he was in the room with Ming Yi.
“I wanted to ask, how are you so skilled at cooking?”
Ming Yi rested in a chair and tilted his head. “I told you, I cooked often when I was a child.”
“That was true?” Ji Nian was surprised. “So, when you were a kid, was there no one at home to cook for you?”
Ming Yi was silent for a moment before speaking slowly. “It was not that no one was there.”
“It was that I often had to cook for the family.”
Shocked by the answer, Ji Nian blurted out: “Making a child cook, are they even human?!”
The live chat was full of question marks. What was Ming Yi saying? They could not understand how those words fit together.