58.1 - The Panda Cub Bows For Love

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Public Execution In the end, when Jing Dan showed a firm attitude, he left dejectedly after facing her without the softness he had shown towards He Xuan, following Jiang Ya to feed the cows for the villagers. After Bian Fengyu left, He Xuan looked at Jing Dan and chuckled softly, "Very good, keep it up." Feeling acknowledged, Jing Dan showed a hint of pride and leaned closer, whispering softly, "Is there a reward for that?" With an expectant tone that clearly hinted at some ulterior motives, she squinted and said, "Didn't I reward you before for keeping your distance from him? Do you want the same reward again?" "Can't I?" Jing Dan blinked innocently. He Xuan gave her a cold look, pointing her index finger at her forehead to push her away, ruthlessly refusing, "No!" "Okay." Jing Dan replied softly as she was pushed away. Glancing at her, He Xuan knew her tactics very well. Did she really think a bit of feigned disappointment would work on him? Seeing He Xuan unmoved, Jing Dan pouted slightly, hummed softly, and then started to eat a few bites before feeding He Xuan. It was a one-for-one eating pattern! He Xuan naturally noticed her little gestures and couldn't help but smile lightly inside. After finishing breakfast, the director sensibly waited for them to rest for a while before announcing their task for the day. Director: "Today, you need to find people willing to help you, have them assist you in purchasing ingredients, prepare a sumptuous dinner, and invite the elderly left in the town to dine together!" "Preparing a sumptuous dinner?" Jing Dan was surprised. Did that mean He Xuan would be cooking? "No problem." He Xuan held her hand and whispered softly in her ear, "I will be happy to cook for those elderly left alone." The loneliest are those elderly folks, without any company by their side. If their actions could bring some warmth to these people, it would be wonderful. Listening to He Xuan, Jing Dan obediently nodded. However, the production team did not mention anything about the budget; evidently, they would have to earn the funds for the dinner themselves. Seeing they still had time, instead of rushing to find people, they took Zheng Weiyi with them and went up the mountain again to dig bamboo shoots. This time, Jing Dan searched particularly earnestly, as though equipped with a bamboo shoot detector; every place she checked was right, and in a short while, they had filled three large baskets. Looking at the bamboo shoots they had dug up, Zheng Weiyi felt a sense of accomplishment, "Today, we are bamboo shoot experts too!" Hearing her words, He Xuan glanced at her and then at Jing Dan, who was digging bamboo shoots with great focus. He chuckled softly, knowing full well that without Jing Dan, could she have become a bamboo shoot expert? They spent the whole morning digging, nearly turning the entire bamboo forest upside down to fill seven large baskets. Seeing the baskets full, He Xuan covered Jing Dan's eyes to prevent her from getting upset again. "Alright, let's stop here. Let's take these bamboo shoots to the market, sell them, and see if we have enough money. If not, then we'll come up with another plan to earn some more money. We should make sure the elderly folks get to eat something good." He Xuan suggested. The others nodded in agreement, though puzzled about why He Xuan covered Jing Dan's eyes. While Jing Dan's eyes were covered, she could still smell the fragrance of the bamboo shoots, so she pursed her lips. She had been working hard all morning and hadn't even tasted a single shoot! Seeing her like that, so exasperated and yet funny, He Xuan felt both amused and frustrated. Selling her bamboo shoots in front of a foodie like her was akin to stealing her food. "I'll reward you with an extra bottle of milk tonight," He Xuan whispered. Upon hearing this, Jing Dan blinked, her long lashes gently brushing against He Xuan's palm, as she asked, "Can I have two jellies instead of milk?" Although she posed it as a negotiation, she spoke with a sense of entitlement. He Xuan's expression shifted slightly, somewhat gritting her teeth. This guy was shameless! But upon seeing the several baskets of bamboo shoots being carried away one after another, He Xuan reluctantly agreed, "Once!" Consider it compensating for all the effort of finding so many shoots. After all, she had not eaten any herself despite the hard work. "Okay." Jing Dan nodded, content with the agreement. Seeing Jing Dan nod, He Xuan sighed softly. When would this guy learn that kissing was not something friends could randomly do? They loaded the remaining baskets onto the car, with He Xuan suggesting, "Let's keep one basket to cook tonight. This way, we save some money on buying vegetables, and the young bamboo shoots are tender, a perfect delicacy." The others had no objections to He Xuan's suggestion. Being novices in the kitchen, they were more than willing to defer to the advice of a cooking expert. Hearing He Xuan's words, Jing Dan's eyes brightened slightly. Would she get a share of this basket to eat? Arriving at the market, as soon as they took the baskets off the car, some familiar faces approached them, recognizing Jing Dan and He Xuan from yesterday. They greeted them, "Hey, back to sell bamboo shoots again?" He Xuan chuckled, "Yes. Need some? They are a bit pricier today, though. Three for 15 yuan. We need the money to buy ingredients for cooking dinner for the elderly folks in the town tonight." Understanding their reason for the price hike, especially for good quality bamboo shoots at a reasonable price, the people began selecting what they wanted. With Zheng Weiyi and the others assisting, the process was less chaotic than the previous day's sales. Jing Dan handled the money as before, clutching the increasingly thick stack of bills, her eyes gleaming brighter. -Oh my, why does it feel like her face is becoming more money-oriented? Check your account balance first! -Is it possible that the money in the account is just a string of numbers, and it doesn't feel as real as holding a thick stack of bills? -... Makes sense. After two hours, they sold all six baskets of bamboo shoots for a total of 1,105 yuan. It was quite a substantial profit. Before they could seek people willing to help them for dinner, someone approached with fruits and vegetables, placing them in the baskets. They said, "We are often busy and heard you're cooking dinner for the elderly tonight. These are some homegrown produce. Take them; they're pesticide-free and healthy!" He Xuan was momentarily stunned by this offer and quickly refused, stating they would purchase ingredients later. The people waved their hands, saying generously, "It's just some homegrown stuff, not worth much. Take them." Gratefully, He Xuan and the others accepted the gifts and thanked the donors. "He Laoshi!" A young voice called out. He Xuan turned to see the girls she had taught the day before standing nearby, looking excited. "How come you're here?" He Xuan was surprised. "We came today to try our luck and see if we could meet you. Turns out, our luck is pretty good," one girl laughed, her eyes twinkling. He Xuan chuckled, and Jing Dan glanced at the girls. "He Laoshi, we heard about cooking for the elderly tonight. Is there anything we can help with?" one of the girls asked. Pleased at the help offered, He Xuan asked, "Can you cook?" The girl proudly replied, "My dad is a chef! I've been learning to cook with him since I was young. Many say the food tastes delicious! And these girls here are good cooks too!" He Xuan's expression lightened at this and smilingly asked, "Can we invite you to help cook tonight for the elderly left alone?" The girls brightened up and agreed enthusiastically. Now that they had a team with cooking skills, those who couldn't cook would assist with preparations. When they returned to the town with the purchased groceries, it was already 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Everyone had been busy all day and hadn't even had lunch. But with dinner scheduled for 7 o'clock, they didn't have much time to spare. They cast aside any concerns about their celebrity image, grabbing a piece of bread to munch on while they busied themselves with the tasks at hand, not wanting to waste time on eating. Jiang Ya and the others returned, with Jiang Ya immediately pitching in to help. Only Bian Fengyu said he was tired and went upstairs to rest. Seeing Bian Fengyu's state, the production team shook their heads helplessly. His manager had called before filming began, requesting more screen time for him. But with his current state, how could they give him more screen time? A bit more and he might get criticized out of the industry! The busy group paid no heed to Bian Fengyu; his absence actually lifted their spirits, as they found it more enjoyable not to face his ever-changing moods, even if it meant working a bit harder. Jing Dan worked by He Xuan's side, assisting where she could. While she didn't know much, she didn't want to just stand around idly. So, she observed others and tried to help out where she could. And whenever He Xuan couldn't bear to watch, she stepped in to guide her. Looking at the vegetables she had washed, Jing Dan smiled lightly and whispered to He Xuan, "I'll assist you from now on!" She has become a capable assistant now! He Xuan's hand, which was chopping vegetables, paused, and he glanced at her. He noticed her slightly proud expression and chuckled softly, "Alright." She was talking about the future. - What are these two gossiping about while not focusing on work?! - And are they saying something we shouldn't hear? - Jing Zong says: "Having you tonight." - Upstairs is quite naughty!