Chapter 26 Part 2

Shen Linyan was surprised. Shen Qingqing had definitely become smarter. But had her physical strength improved? If she wanted to avoid last place, she would have to move several hundred kilograms of cabbage.

Either way, this was going to be entertaining. The thought made Shen Linyan even happier.

Because the vegetable and fruit storage areas were in different locations, the goods were placed at different gates of the ancient town. The five groups of contestants set off in different directions.

Everyone knew time was short, so they jogged toward their respective destinations.

However, Shen Qingqing was different. She leisurely applied sunscreen all over her body, then carefully applied sunscreen to Zhou Jiayan, rubbing his chubby little face until it was nearly squashed.

After she made sure every exposed part of Zhou Jiayan’s skin was covered, the little boy finally broke free. He pouted and complained, “My face is almost flattened!” As he spoke, he rubbed his now-reddened face.

Shen Qingqing gave him a look of disdain and replied, “I put sunscreen on you, and you’re still unhappy? If I didn’t, you’d turn into a little black charcoal ^[1]a common way of saying someone would get very tanned. in a few days.”

Zhou Jiayan knew it wasn’t good to become “little black charcoal” and understood his stepmother’s actions, but he still grumbled, “Couldn’t you be a little gentler?”

Then he remembered something more important. He quickly grabbed Shen Qingqing’s hand and urged, “Now that we’re done, let’s go! If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose even worse.”

However, Shen Qingqing simply shook her head and remained relaxed. “Don’t worry, Yanyan. Trust me—we’ll make it in time.”

After saying that, she slowly put on her hat and sunglasses, then placed a straw hat on Zhou Jiayan before leading him out of Zhuangyuan Mansion. She walked at a leisurely pace, as if she were taking a casual stroll.

Seeing this, netizens began to complain again.

[I have to admit, Shen Qingqing is staying incredibly calm. Is she confident or just giving up?]

[Based on the current situation, it looks more like she’s giving up. No matter how hard she tries, she’ll still finish last, so why not just relax?]

[Why do you all underestimate my girl Shen? Maybe she has a plan.]

[Do you really believe she has a strategy, or is she just bluffing?]

Meanwhile, Xu Xiang, who was monitoring the live broadcast rooms in the control center, also began to have doubts. Could Shen Qingqing have figured out his plan to give her special treatment?

Just as everyone was wondering, Shen Qingqing led Zhou Jiayan to an intersection. Then, she waved with a smile, “Big sister, you’re here!”

As the camera panned over, a woman riding an electric tricycle approached with a kind smile. It turned out to be the shop owner they had met when they first arrived in town two days ago.

Everyone was shocked. Shen Qingqing actually pulled off this move! This was a game-changer!

[Oh my god! 666! ^[2]666 is internet slang for “awesome” or “well played”.]

[Shen Qingqing always comes through with an unexpected trick!]

[I knew she had something up her sleeve!]

[After watching her play, I seriously wonder if she has some kind of foresight. She made connections with the locals as soon as she entered the town and secured the most practical transportation method available!]

The backstage staff urgently asked the director, “Director Xu, should we intervene? Does this count as breaking the rules?”

Xu Xiang watched the scene unfold and realized Shen Qingqing had outsmarted them. No wonder she had agreed so readily. She had planned this all along!

However, since he had already made things difficult for her earlier, he decided to let it slide. “Forget it. If she managed to borrow it, that’s her own ability. We never said they couldn’t use tools.”

Zhou Jiayan, who had been anxious before, finally smiled. His stepmother hadn’t lied to him—she really had a solution!

Seeing Zhou Jiayan’s admiration, Shen Qingqing proudly said, “I contacted her before I even applied sunscreen on you, little dummy. Instead of rushing out aimlessly, why not focus on upgrading your transportation first? Did you learn something?”

Then, she walked up to the middle-aged shop owner. “Big sister, thank you so much for coming. Don’t worry, we’ll only borrow it for a day, and I’ll make sure to return it clean.”

The shop owner waved her hand and smiled. “It’s no big deal. This electric tricycle isn’t worth much. Use it however you like. Besides, if I follow your advice, I think my shop will get more business in the future. So what’s a little tricycle?”

After exchanging a few more words, the shop owner left, and Shen Qingqing took Zhou Jiayan onto the tricycle.

Of course, with the owner gone, Shen Qingqing had to drive while Zhou Jiayan sat in the back.

Zhou Jiayan had never seen his stepmother ride a bicycle or a tricycle before, so he asked hesitantly, “Mom, are you sure you can ride this?”

Shen Qingqing rolled her eyes. “What choice do you have? Do you want to walk? With your short legs, it’ll be nighttime before you reach the town gate.”

Zhou Jiayan shook his head. Of course, he didn’t want to walk. For now, he had no choice but to trust her. So, he nodded and said, “Then please be careful and drive properly.”

As he sat down, he gripped the edge of the tricycle’s railing tightly.

Shen Qingqing snickered to herself. Actually, she was quite skilled at riding a tricycle.

In her previous life, she had played the role of a working-class woman who rode a tricycle every day to sell goods. During the three months of filming, she had mastered the skill quite well.

But since Zhou Jiayan looked so scared, wouldn’t it be fun to mess with him a little?

With that thought, she deliberately rode in a wobbly manner, even steering toward potholes on purpose. Zhou Jiayan, shaken from side to side, cried out, “Mom, can you please ride more steadily? My butt is going to break apart!”

His cries were met with Shen Qingqing’s loud laughter. “Hahahahahaha!”

After two minutes of teasing, Shen Qingqing stopped her “childish” act and started riding properly. Mostly because, if she kept it up, her own butt wouldn’t be able to take it either!

[Hahaha, Yanyan’s suffering is real!]

[Shen Qingqing was totally doing it on purpose at first! How mean! But I love it!]

[The biggest obstacle Yanyan faces isn’t the competition—it’s his mom. You never know what surprises she’ll throw at him!]

After about ten minutes, they arrived at the suburban location where the program team had piled up the cabbages.

The staff on duty were stunned. Where did Shen Qingqing get the electric tricycle from?

But since the director didn’t call it a violation, they didn’t interfere.

The cabbages had been transported by a small truck. As soon as Shen Qingqing arrived, she directed the staff to load the tricycle, filling it almost completely. Only a small space was left for Zhou Jiayan to sit. Less than half of the original pile of cabbages remained on the truck.

Seeing this, the staff responsible for cabbage transport felt relieved. They had assumed the contestants wouldn’t be able to carry much, so they hadn’t expected to need to prepare extra stock in the first place.

Fortunately, before leaving, they had the foresight to fill up the truck since it was already being used for transportation. After all, what if their guest turned out to be incredibly strong?

Now, they were relieved that they had delivered enough cabbages. Otherwise, they would have been the ones embarrassed.

Even so, Shen Qingqing looked unimpressed. “Ah, you brought too little. Two truckloads would have been better.”

The staff member was speechless and could only say, “Mr. Shen, why don’t you sell this batch first? Once it’s gone, we’ll restock it for you.”

Shen Qingqing nodded in satisfaction and rode her bike with Zhou Jiayan all the way to the vegetable market in the ancient town.

By the time they arrived, it was already 9:30 AM, and the market was packed with people.

The designated mobile vendor spots were already occupied by small sellers who had arrived as early as five or six in the morning, leaving no space for them.

However, Shen Qingqing wasn’t interested in squeezing in. With so many people around, it was bound to be hot.

She parked the tricycle under a big tree for shade and turned to Zhou Jiayan. “Yanyan, now it’s your time to shine. Don’t be shy. Sell the vegetables quickly and remember to shout loudly.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jiayan was confused. He tilted his head and asked, “Then what are you going to do?”

Shen Qingqing patted his little head with a loving smile, but her words were cold.

“My job was to deliver the cabbages. Now it’s your job to sell them. And didn’t you promise earlier that you’d work harder?”

[Hahaha, Shen Qingqing is a master at slacking off while tricking the kid into doing the work.]

[Yanyan, just quit! You’re just a child, don’t be scared!]

[Yanyan, use that clever little brain and outsmart her!]

Zhou Jiayan wanted to protest but soon realized that he had already “sold” himself from the start.

He could only nod firmly and say, “Okay, I’ll do my best to sell the cabbages.”

Seeing this, Shen Qingqing was delighted. His aggrieved expression was so adorable—so much so that she wanted to keep teasing him. What should she do?

“Alright, the price is 1.5 yuan per pound. If they buy more, you can give them a discount. Decide on the discount yourself. It’s too hot today, so I’m going to take a walk and gather some market intelligence. You sell the vegetables here.”

After saying that, Shen Qingqing really turned around and left, leaving Zhou Jiayan standing there in the scorching summer wind.

[What?! She actually left! Leaving Zhou Jiayan all alone!]

[She must have found a shady place to rest.]

[I feel like playing “Little White Cabbage, the Ground is Yellow” ^[3]a traditional folk song about a child left alone..]

Zhou Jiayan watched his stepmother walk away in shock, finally accepting the reality that she had abandoned him to sell vegetables alone.

With such an unreliable parent, what could he do? He had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family.

He returned to the tricycle and started calling out in his childish voice, “Fresh Chinese cabbage, 1.5 yuan per pound! Buy more for a discount!”

However, their stall was in a remote area with little foot traffic. Plus, they were selling cabbage—one of the most common vegetables. As a result, after half an hour, little Zhou Jiayan had only managed to sell one cabbage, and that was because a kind-hearted elderly lady took pity on him.

After wandering around for more than thirty minutes, Shen Qingqing returned. She saw Zhou Jiayan sitting there with a frown, sighing repeatedly.

“What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?”

Zhou Jiayan saw his stepmother return, but he still couldn’t cheer up. He rested his chin on his hands and said sadly, “It’s been so long, and I’ve only sold one cabbage.”

Shen Qingqing immediately understood the reason for his frustration.

She reached out and pinched his chubby little cheeks. “Cabbage isn’t rare, and we don’t have any special advantage. Plus, this spot isn’t great, and we don’t have regular customers. It’s normal that it’s not selling fast. You did great just selling one.”

Zhou Jiayan looked up. “Really?”

Shen Qingqing nodded. “Of course.”

But his joy didn’t last long. He quickly sighed again. “But if we can’t sell them, we won’t complete our mission. Mom, do you have any ideas to make our cabbages more competitive?”

Shen Qingqing touched her chin and grinned. “I do, but Yanyan will have to make a little sacrifice.”

Zhou Jiayan’s eyes lit up instantly. “What is it? As long as I can do it, I’ll definitely try!”

Seeing that he had taken the bait, Shen Qingqing spoke slowly, “Yanyan is so cute. Many young ladies and aunties would love to get close to you. How about this—we put up a sign: ‘Buy one cabbage, get a kiss from Yanyan.’ How does that sound?”