Chapter 37: Digging, Digging, Digging for Potatoes

It was an endless potato field, spanning roughly two acres by the look of it. The morning sun bathed the land, casting a brilliant, golden glow over the soil. The group stood at the edge of the field, surveying the vast expanse with expressions of astonishment. They had assumed the production team expected them to harvest every single potato in sight.

The live stream comments were filled with complaints.
"Holy cow, a field this big? They’re treating the guests like beasts of burden!"
"Forget the guests; even if a local farmer did it, it would take a full day, wouldn't it?"
"Exactly. The guests all come from comfortable backgrounds and have never touched farm work before. Last time they helped the villagers, they were already exhausted; this will surely kill them!"
"Memories of my family working themselves to the bone in the fields are starting to haunt me again."

Just then, a voice-over sounded at the perfect moment.
"Everyone, please don't misunderstand. We won't be asking you to dig up the entire field..."
Everyone, both on and off camera, let out a collective sigh of relief.
"The rules of the game are: each person receives a hoe and a bamboo basket, and you will compete in pairs."
"You have a two-hour time limit. The team that digs up the most potatoes wins a cash prize and watermelons as a reward!"

Having understood the rules, the guests went to collect their tools and watched a demonstration by the staff on how to dig.
"Honestly, when the production team came up with this game, did they not consider that Ke Hao would pool everyone's money together?"
"Right? Since everyone is already spending from a common pot, it doesn't matter who wins. They could just dig slowly and not worry at all."
"Not necessarily. What if someone wants money they can spend themselves, rather than putting the prize into the communal fund?"

Xu Zhaozhao picked up her tools and, ignoring the staff's demonstration, followed closely behind Ke Hao. Back when they were collecting tools, the award-winning actor had quietly whispered to her, "Zhaozhao, stick with me. I’ll teach you how to dig potatoes." Clearly, Ke Hao did not want to waste time learning; he was gunning for first place.

Ke Hao grew up in the countryside. Although he hadn't lived there for long, he was no stranger to farm labor. He swung the hoe with practiced ease, demonstrating the technique for Xu Zhaozhao. Suddenly, Xu Zhaozhao felt a murderous gaze from Chen Sisi, who was nearby. The look was filled with jealousy and resentment.

Xu Zhaozhao sighed helplessly. Her arms, which had been swinging the hoe perfectly well, suddenly lost all strength, and after working for a long time, she had only managed to unearth a tiny cluster of potatoes. Seeing that no matter how he taught her, she couldn't seem to master the swing—either missing her mark or lacking the force to reach the depth of the potatoes—Ke Hao finally gave up on instructing her and focused on digging with his head down, working hard on his own.

By the time Ke Hao had dug half a basket, Xu Zhaozhao’s basket was barely covered at the bottom.
"This time, Xu Zhaozhao is really overacting!"
"Putting myself in the actor's shoes, I’d be crying."
"Don't blame Xu Zhaozhao. She's just a worker following her boss's orders. If you want to blame someone, blame Chen Sisi. I noticed her giving Xu Zhaozhao a warning look earlier!"

Sure enough, as the audience empathized with a fellow worker, the tide of public opinion turned against Chen Sisi. For a time, the comments were filled with sympathy for the actor and condemnation of Chen Sisi.

Two hours later, the amount of potatoes harvested by Ke Hao’s team was far below the others.
"I'm sorry, Actor Ke," Xu Zhaozhao said, filled with self-reproach. "I'm just too clumsy!"
Looking at Xu Zhaozhao, who kept her head low, Ke Hao hesitated, unsure of what to say. It was too late now; he had brought this on himself by choosing her as his teammate. He could only shake his head bitterly. "It's not your fault. You did your best!"

The final result was somewhat unexpected: Shen Mu and Chen Sisi’s team won the competition. When they received the cash prize and the watermelons, Chen Sisi gave Xu Zhaozhao a boastful look. Xu Zhaozhao pretended not to see.
"Everyone..." Chen Sisi announced publicly, "Even though Shen Mu and I won, friendship comes first. Let's go back, wash up, and eat the watermelon together!"
"Yay!"
"Sisi is so generous!"
"Sisi is the best!"

Back at the ancient manor, while everyone was enjoying the watermelon, Chen Sisi announced that she would donate their 100-yuan prize to the actor to add to the common living fund. Just as the group was about to shower her with praise, Shen Mu spoke up in opposition.
"I won't pursue the fact that you shared the watermelons without asking, but how could you dispose of my share of the prize without my consent?"
"The prize was earned by both of us, not just you. You have no right to decide what happens to my share!"

Chen Sisi was humiliated in front of everyone. It was the first time she had been so embarrassed. She immediately exchanged the crisp 100-yuan note with Ke Hao, threw 50 yuan at Shen Mu, and stalked into her room with a dark expression, not to be seen again. Shen Mu, the other party involved, acted as if nothing had happened, pocketing his 50-yuan prize with complete peace of mind.

Once Xu Zhaozhao had finished her watermelon and showered, she walked into the room, only to be pulled by Chen Sisi into a corner hidden from the cameras.
"Xu Zhaozhao, was it you?" Chen Sisi hissed through gritted teeth.
"What do you mean?" Xu Zhaozhao asked, looking at her with confusion.
"You’re the one who made Shen Mu treat me like this!" Chen Sisi’s eyes were full of suspicion.
"What nonsense are you spouting? What does that have to do with me?" Xu Zhaozhao rolled her eyes. This woman had a persecution complex. Besides, Shen Mu was the type of person who kept his accounts very clear; it had nothing to do with her. Chen Sisi had suffered at his hands so many times, yet she still didn't understand the kind of person he was.

"It was you! He used to be willing to give all his money to you. He was so generous then—why can't he do that for me?"
"Keep your voice down. Are you afraid the audience won't hear you?"
Xu Zhaozhao found it impossible to explain. Shen Mu had only done that to put on a show for his "white moonlight"; he wasn't actually that kind-hearted. He was a man she hadn't even truly known the profession or income of until their divorce!

"You..."
Warned by Xu Zhaozhao, Chen Sisi lowered her voice even further. "It better not be you. If I find out it was, you will..."
"And what will I do?"
Xu Zhaozhao pushed her away impatiently. "Stop threatening me with your usual tactics. I’m already doing my best to meet your demands!"
"Don't push your luck!"

Chen Sisi stumbled back from Xu Zhaozhao’s push, accidentally stepping into the camera's frame. She glared at Xu Zhaozhao with fury. Xu Zhaozhao turned and buried herself under her quilt, wanting nothing more to do with Chen Sisi.

Remembering the look of disappointment on Ke Hao’s face in the potato field, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Ke Hao was clearly a man of ambition and drive, the type who always insisted on coming out on top. If she had just tried a little harder, she could have helped him win first place. Instead, because of her contract with Chen Sisi, she had dragged him down.

*I'm sorry, Actor Ke. Once this dating show is over, I will definitely apologize to you properly!*