Chapter 21 – Gathering Honey

The situation finally came to an end, and Shen Junzai let out a sigh of relief.

He had originally wanted to quit directly but was afraid others would say he was guilty, so he could only grit his teeth and continue participating in the program.

He reappeared in front of the cameras as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, Qian Man walked out holding a microphone.

“A new day has begun. Last night there was a heavy rain, which must have left a deep impression on everyone. Working hard to earn money and reinforcing the shelter is imperative!”

“Now, all the kids, please come over here to Uncle and each collect a map.”

【I thought Shen Junzai would quit, but as expected, those who achieve great things have thick skin.】

【He already clarified everything. Are you guys done yet?】

【This is a wilderness survival show. If you want to argue, please leave.】

【Amazing. So it really did rain last night?】

【It should be. I saw Jiang Wanting and Yi Xia come out of Yue Su’s cabin early this morning.】

Qian Man handed out the maps and smiled as he reminded them, “Keep the maps well; they’ll be needed in the coming days too.”

Yuan Jin studied the map and asked, “Is there a mission today?”

Qian Man snapped his fingers. “Bingo! Today’s mission is gathering honey!”

“You should know that a few months before the program started filming, the crew explored the island and discovered several spots with wild giant honeycombs.”

The giant honeycombs were made by giant bees. The combs were heavy and mostly hung high up, making them very difficult to collect.

Thus, wild giant honeycombs were extremely rare.

“The difficulty is so high, and we’re not professionals. How could we possibly collect them?” Jiang Wanting was not optimistic about this task.

Not to mention it was dangerous. She didn’t want to participate at all.

Qian Man explained, “The crew will ensure proper safety measures are in place, and there will be professionals guiding you on-site.”

After all, giant bees were venomous. If you got stung without proper precautions, it wouldn’t be a small matter.

“Now, kids, please come draw lots.”

Jiang Wanting asked puzzled, “Why are we drawing lots again?”

Qian Man explained, “Gathering honey will be done in pairs. As long as a team collects more than 500 milliliters of honey, they’ll be considered to have completed the task. The first-place team will be rewarded with 3000 yuan, second place with 1000 yuan, and the last place gets no reward. Any extra honey collected can be kept or sold to the crew at market price.”

【Wow, I’ve only ever seen those giant honeycombs in videos.】

【The danger level is quite high. I doubt anyone will manage to complete it.】

【I don’t know about others, but I believe Mr. Fu can do it.】

【So excited! I hope Tingting draws and gets paired with Mr. Fu — she can just lie back and win!】

“Which kid wants to draw first?”

Jiang Xin raised her hand. “I’ll go first!”

Her hand stirred inside the box and finally drew the number 1.

Next was Yuan Jilin, who drew 3.

Then it was Yao Yao’s turn; she drew number 2.

Jiang Wanting’s heart was pounding, afraid Yao Yao would also draw 2.

Qian Man asked, “Which kid will go next?”

Yi Xia gently patted Chen Xingjun’s head. “Xingjun, will you go draw?”

Chen Xingjun hesitated, hovering in place.

Yao Yao’s eyes gleamed, and she ran over to him.

“Big brother, I’ll draw with you.”

Yi Xia gratefully looked at Yue Su. “Yao Yao will go with you. Come on.”

Chen Xingjun lowered his head and glanced at Yao Yao, then took her hand and walked forward.

Seeing this, Jiang Xin muttered, “Just don’t draw 1. I don’t want to team up with you. You’re so weird.”

Jiang Wanting glared at her. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Yi Xia forced a smile and explained, “Our Xingjun is just a little quiet, that’s all.”

Jiang Wanting apologized, “Xin Xin speaks without thinking. Miss Yi, please don’t mind.”

Yi Xia was a veteran actress in the entertainment industry, and good resources always sought her out. Acting alongside her would definitely be beneficial, so Jiang Wanting didn’t want to offend her.

Yi Xia didn’t respond, shifting her gaze back to her own son.

Chen Xingjun pulled out a wooden plaque from the box. It clearly had the number 2 written on it.

Yao Yao jumped up excitedly. “Big brother, you’re in the same group as me!”

Chen Xingjun pressed his lips together and smiled. He was obviously very happy.

Yuan Jilin looked disappointed, his mouth drooping. “Why couldn’t I draw to be with Yao Yao?”

Jiang Wanting’s smile grew wider. This meant her chances of being paired with Fu Xijin were even higher.

Next up was Shen Mizhen’s turn to draw.

He casually picked one and took a look.

“I drew 1.”

Qian Man nodded with a smile. “Then you’ll be in the same group as Jiang Xin.”

Nao Nao shrugged. “Then I don’t have to draw, right?”

Qian Man took out the last wooden plaque. “No need. Nao Nao, you’re teamed with Yuan Jilin.”

Jiang Wanting couldn’t hide her disappointment, but as long as Fu Xijin and Yue Su weren’t grouped together, it was still acceptable.

【I’m even more disappointed than Tingting. I wanted to see them team up!】

【So frustrating. Can’t they just put the family of three together for once?】

【Don’t want to watch. Mr. Fu and Jiang Wanting have no CP vibe at all.】

“There are five giant honeycombs marked on the map. Please search for them according to the map. Each honeycomb site has safety personnel present to guide you. Now, it’s time to start exploring!”

Shen Junzai approached Jiang Wanting, pointing at one location.

“Let’s go for the giant honeycomb on the cliff. I have experience with skydiving and rock climbing. Lowering ourselves from the cliff will be easier than climbing a tree.”

Jiang Wanting cast a deep glance at Fu Xijin and saw that he remained indifferent, and her heart kept sinking.

Her disappointed look made her fans’ hearts ache.

Although her marriage with Fu Xijin was a business arrangement, it was clear that she had one-sided feelings, while Fu Xijin was totally oblivious.

Yao Yao was very interested in gathering honey and eagerly got ready to set out.

Yi Xia said, “Yue Su, I’m a bit afraid of heights. I can’t climb to collect honey.”

Yue Su was stunned. “Miss Yi, it’s okay. We can just walk around inside. We don’t have to gather honey.”

Yi Xia shook her head. “I know my own condition. I don’t want to drag you down and cause you to come in last. I was thinking maybe I could switch with either Teacher Yuan or Mr. Fu. That way, at least you’d have a fair chance.”

Without hesitation, Yue Su said, “If you want to switch, then switch with Teacher Yuan. I’ll team up with Teacher Yuan.”

“All right, I’ll go ask.”

Yuan Jin had taken Yuan Jilin to the market, so Yi Xia and Chen Xingjun went to the market to find him.

Yue Su sat there waiting, but even after a long time, Yi Xia hadn’t come back.

She got up and went to the market to look for them, but it was completely empty inside.

“Brother Qian, where’s Miss Yi?”

Qian Man replied, “Miss Yi and Teacher Yuan have already left. Didn’t she say she was switching with Mr. Fu?”

Yue Su: “…Didn’t she say she was switching with Teacher Yuan?”

【LOL, Yue Su looks like she’s experiencing the end of the world.】

【She really doesn’t want to team up with Mr. Fu. That reluctance is practically spilling out of the screen.】

【Playing hard to get, huh? Someone who has already been a third party once wouldn’t give up so easily.】