Chapter 22 Part 3

[They really made a Peppa Pig-style painting, hahaha.]

[Shen Linyan’s team has also finished. Their Chinese painting looks very impressive. It’s completely different from Shen Qingqing’s.]

[I have to say, Shen Qingqing embarrassed herself.]

[Even though Xie Bing isn’t skilled, you can tell she tried. It just doesn’t look great, haha. I’d rank her and Shen Qingqing last.]

After a while, all five teams completed their paintings.

Shen Qingqing saw the painting in Shen Linyan’s hands. It was a black-and-white freehand landscape painting ^[1]a type of Chinese painting that focuses on brush strokes rather than details.. It was clear that she had a solid foundation and had been trained since childhood. As soon as the painting appeared, the other teams were amazed and praised it.

Xie Bing even joked, “Once Lin Yan’s painting is shown, we have no chance.”

Shen Linyan shyly lowered her head and said, “Sister Xie Bing, I only have an advantage because I learned this when I was young. Xiaoyi also loves painting, especially Chinese painting. Since this is an ancient town, we decided to paint in this style. But Sister Cui Xia is also very talented, so the results are unpredictable.”

Then, everyone turned to look at Cui Xia’s painting. Unlike Shen Linyan’s traditional style, Cui Xia’s artwork looked more like modern illustrations. The colors were bold and beautiful.

Cui Xia, who was usually quiet on the show, wasn’t used to being the center of attention. She explained, “Actually, I haven’t painted much in the past three or four years. At first, I could barely hold the brush steady. Luckily, I still have some basics, so I didn’t embarrass myself too much. But I can’t compare with Lin Yan’s skills.”

Meanwhile, Xie Bing’s painting just looked like a bunch of messy lines.

Mo Man’s painting was actually drawn by Ying Shishuang, who was a child. Shen Qingqing could tell because it featured a little girl in a princess dress with a crown, standing in front of a castle. It seemed like Mo Man knew they had no chance of winning, so she just let her daughter play around.

While the others were praising each other, Zhou Jiayan quietly tugged on Shen Qingqing’s sleeve and whispered, “Do you really think we can win?”

Shen Qingqing was feeling nervous too. What if kids these days actually had really good taste in art?

But she didn’t want to discourage Zhou Jiayan, so she confidently said, “Don’t look down on our work! Our painting is down-to-earth ^[2]phrase used to describe something simple and relatable. and appeals to regular people!”

The five-year-old didn’t understand what “down-to-earth” meant, but he guessed it was something impressive, so he kept quiet.

After everyone finished talking, the director invited 20 judges onto the stage. Ten of them were little kids, around two or three years old, and the other ten were adults.

They were dressed simply and seemed to be local residents. They were very close to the children, probably their parents or relatives.

Each judge held a small red flower, which was their way of voting.

The staff then displayed all the paintings on a rack and placed a cardboard box in front of each one.

Once everything was ready, Xu Xiang announced, “You have 30 seconds to ask for votes before voting begins. During voting, all guests must wait in the back room. Please make the most of your time!”

The teams took turns giving their speeches based on age.

First was Xie Bing, who was always straightforward. “I know there’s no point in talking much about this painting. If I’m lucky enough not to be last place, I’ll be happy.”

Next was Cui Xia. She explained her painting with a few words, but her language was too technical. The kids looked confused and didn’t seem to understand her at all.

Then it was Mo Man’s turn. She had already given up and just joked, “We even ruined a dress while making this painting, so I hope you’ll give us a sympathy vote. Thank you.”

The whole studio burst into laughter.

Only little princess Ying Shishuang pouted and complained, “It’s normal to get your dress dirty while painting!”

Finally, it was Shen Linyan’s turn. She confidently explained her painting, covering everything from cultural traditions to historical references about Zhuangyuan Town. It was like a short history lesson.

She ended humbly, “I was a bit rushed this time and didn’t have enough time to perfect the painting. I hope I can create a better one in the future.”

Unsurprisingly, her humble attitude won the applause of most people.

[Lin Yan is really too modest.]

[It’s amazing that she can draw such a high-quality picture despite the limited time. I really want to see what she can do with proper preparation.]

[When these five paintings were put together, Lin Yan was the clear winner. I won’t even mention Xie Bing and Mo Man since they had already given up. But Shen Qingqing’s painting, was it supposed to be funny? And she looked so confident.]

[Maybe she just gave up, which suits her personality.]

Amid all the praise for Shen Linyan, Shen Qingqing began her campaign with “confidence.”

She was not embarrassed at all that her painting was of Peppa Pig, and she smiled warmly. “Children, come and see. What do you see here? It’s Peppa Pig.”

As soon as she said this, the drowsy little kids suddenly widened their eyes.

Seeing their reactions, Shen Qingqing was very satisfied. She thought, is there anything more attractive to children than cartoons?

Then she pointed at the painting and explained, “The one in the yellow skirt is me, and the little brother next to me in the yellow T-shirt is here. His mother brought him to the ancient town, just like how you go out with your parents.”

Shen Qingqing spoke in a way that even the youngest children, around two or three years old, could understand.

What made it even more impressive was that she made up a fairy tale on the spot. It was about a mother taking her children on an adventure in a small town, using their wits to fight off bad guys and finally protecting the town. The little kids in the audience were captivated, their faces full of excitement.

Watching Shen Qingqing confidently tell her story while the children were completely engrossed, netizens in the live chat felt uneasy.

[I have a bad feeling.]

[+1!]

[Shen Qingqing’s trick might actually work. The children’s response is way too enthusiastic.]

[They looked so sleepy when listening to others canvassing for votes.]

[Damn, is Shen Qingqing really going to win unexpectedly?]

At first, Shen Linyan had completely dismissed Shen Qingqing when she saw her painting. In her eyes, it was even worse than what she had drawn at three years old.

Shen Qingqing was only the eldest daughter of the Shen family in name. She had been spoiled by her mother, making her completely untalented. Shen Linyan couldn’t understand how a strong woman like Lin Chuyun could raise such a useless daughter.

In contrast, Shen Linyan had been forced to learn various skills since childhood. She had found it boring back then, but as she grew older, she realized the benefits and appreciated her mother’s efforts.

As an illegitimate daughter, she had to work hard to earn everything she wanted. Shen Qingqing had lived a life of luxury since childhood, yet she was raised into a failure. Now, she was getting the consequences she deserved.

But today, Zhou Yexuan unexpectedly showed up at the recording site, which completely caught Shen Linyan off guard. She never knew that Shen Qingqing and Zhou Yexuan had such a good relationship. Could it be that Shen Qingqing really had Zhou Yexuan’s support?

As Shen Qingqing started canvassing for votes, Shen Linyan’s anxiety grew. She had been so confident about winning, but now she was unsure.

Especially when she saw how the kids in the audience were reacting, she started panicking. Did Shen Qingqing really have a way to win over these kids?

She turned to look at the woman in front of her, who was smiling brightly. A thought flashed in her mind: Shen Qingqing is dangerous now!

Once the canvassing ended, everyone moved to the inner room to wait for the final results.

The atmosphere was generally relaxed. After all, this was a variety show about taking care of children, not a serious competition. While the results determined dinner, no one would actually go hungry. At worst, they might have to figure out how to make the kids eat plain steamed buns.

Most people didn’t care too much about the results, especially those who had no competitive spirit. They just enjoyed chatting and joking around.

As the strongest contender and a genuinely skilled artist, Shen Linyan naturally received a lot of praise.

However, Shen Linyan wasn’t fully paying attention. She kept glancing at Shen Qingqing, who was happily playing with the children, paint smudged all over her face. Was she really going to lose to Shen Qingqing?

Then she forced herself to stay calm. No, even if the kids were enchanted, the adults wouldn’t be swayed. There was no way they would let the kids decide the winner completely.

Besides, if the show actually allowed a painting like Shen Qingqing’s to take first place, wouldn’t that be ridiculous?

Unlike Shen Linyan’s growing nervousness, Shen Qingqing remained calm. She had done her best; now, she left the results up to fate.

Meanwhile, in the studio, twenty judges were voting nervously.

Fang Xiaoping, a three-year-old girl from Zhuangyuan Town, lived with her grandparents. Her parents worked far away, and her grandparents were busy running a small business, so she spent most of her time watching cartoons.

Her favorite was Peppa Pig, which she watched for hours every day.

Today, she was invited by the program team to vote alongside her grandmother. She didn’t really understand what was happening and had almost fallen asleep while listening to the first few contestants.

That was until the last contestant came on stage, took out a picture of Peppa Pig, and told an adventure story. Suddenly, she became completely absorbed.

So when it was time to vote, she immediately dragged her grandmother toward the Peppa Pig painting.

Grandma Xiaoping didn’t know what Peppa Pig was and didn’t find the painting appealing. She hesitated. “Xiaoping, I think this painting is just average. Are you sure this is the one you want?”

But Xiaoping nodded firmly, “Grandma, this is the one! I like Peppa.”

Xiao Ping’s grandmother adored Xiao Ping because she didn’t get to spend much time with her. She looked around at the other four paintings. Well, these paintings were not to her liking. Why didn’t they have more bright colors? Why not just follow Xiao Ping and vote the same way?

So, Xiao Ping and her grandmother both placed their two little red flowers into Shen Qingqing’s and her group’s box.

Similar scenes happened in many families present. When the judges finished casting their votes, everyone was shocked by the results.

Shen Qingqing’s group received more than half of the 12 little red flowers. Shen Linyan, who was expected to win, got 5 red flowers. Cui Xia received 2 red flowers. One little girl, who also had a princess dream, voted for Mo Man’s group.

This was unbelievable! The staff at the recording site couldn’t help but sigh.

Could it be that the two pigs in the painting really had such magical power over children?

At the same time, the viewers in the live broadcast room were also stunned.

[Oh my god, Shen Qingqing actually won!]

[She was so confident before, and I thought she was just showing off. But I didn’t expect that I was the fool.]

[Shen Qingqing might really be talented.]

[Hahaha, am I the only one who thought Shen Qingqing could win? If nothing else, she knows how to win the judges’ hearts.]

[Once you start working, you’ll realize that understanding your boss’s preferences often helps you achieve twice the result with half the effort.]

No matter how confused they were, the program had to continue. When the guests were called out, they were all silent.