Isn’t money good?

Chapter 21

When the audience saw Yan Shiqiu and Tu Ya enter the courtyard and officially meet the six resident guests, the live comments immediately became lively.

[Here they come! Time to watch Yan Shiqiu start his drama queen journey.]

[Suddenly feel sorry for Tu Ya and the resident guests.]

[Eye candy? Oh, I get what Su Yunmu means. Basically a pretty vase.]

[Yan Shiqiu actually said he can cook and it tastes good? Can’t wait to see him get slapped in the face. I’ll definitely laugh really loud when it happens.]

[Who’s calling who daddy? He should be calling the older guys daddy instead, shameless!]

The comments were filled with mockery toward Yan Shiqiu, like holding a magnifying glass to find fault with an egg. His ordinary words and actions were interpreted as having ulterior motives.

In the show, after everyone got acquainted, Lin Xue reminded them to find their assigned tasks and prepare to work.

More “prophetic” comments appeared:

[Just wait, Yan Shiqiu will definitely try to find ways to slack off and avoid work. Even if he does work, he’ll definitely half-ass it.]

However, reality was different. When the camera cut to the sweet potato field, the two were squatting together in the field. While Wu Shan chattered with reminders beside them, Yan Shiqiu had already skillfully started digging, pulling out big sweet potatoes one after another. He showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever and actually seemed to enjoy the work.

[Such good acting?]

[So annoying, isn’t that disrespectful? Someone’s seriously trying to teach you, can’t you be humble and listen carefully?]

[Hilarious, is he playing the victim? His boyfriend is the CEO of Ye Corporation, and he still needs to buy books on discount?]

Some people couldn’t stand it and began defending Yan Shiqiu.

[Why so much malice toward him? He’s just an ordinary newcomer, I don’t see any problems.]

[What’s wrong with buying books on discount? How is that playing victim? Plus, even if he’s dating Ye Peiyuan, does that mean he has to spend Ye Peiyuan’s money? Besides, they broke up.]

[He’s quite entertaining actually, and his attitude is serious. He knew to prepare before coming on the show, even bought books to read. That’s pretty good.]

[Stop arguing, you’re all so annoying. Can we just watch the show quietly?]

When the camera switched to other guests, the comments finally calmed down.

Meanwhile, in Ji Yunnian’s fan group, everyone was having a small meeting.

[Family, something’s not right. Feels like there are paid trolls deliberately attacking Yan Shiqiu?]

[I noticed too, the attacks feel so awkward.]

[Everyone pay attention, don’t let others use us as tools. We should criticize with reason and evidence. If there’s no valid criticism point right now, don’t rush to speak. Wait until Teacher Ji appears, then everyone focus. If Yan Shiqiu actually does something wrong, then we’ll scold him harshly.]

[Got it.]

Twenty minutes into the show, the camera finally came to one of the most anticipated scenes: Yan Shiqiu hugging the goose.

Last week, when the production team released the preview, they also posted a meme of Yan Shiqiu holding a goose with “small, pitiful, and helpless” photoshopped on it. Combined with Wu Shan’s previous Weibo post, netizens’ curiosity was completely piqued.

So everyone watched as Yan Shiqiu stood frozen in place while feeding the geese, looking terrified, arguing with Wu Shan across the fence, the two trading witty remarks back and forth.

Then, after Su Yunmu walked over and asked a question, a small dog took the opportunity to sneak into the flock of geese, instantly causing chaos.

[Hahahahaha, these two minutes deserve repeated viewing, I’m dying of laughter.]

[I actually think Wu Shan made sense. Reading “Pig Farming” is equivalent to reading “Goose Farming”, no problem there.]

[Oh my god, the big goose is flapping its wings, super fierce as it lunges at Yan Shiqiu!!!]

[Already captured the meme source.]

[Holy shit, not only did this big goose not hurt Yan Shiqiu, it won’t leave his arms, even resting its head on his shoulder. What kind of plot twist is this?]

[I’m cracking up. Usually it’s beautiful women/handsome men throwing themselves into someone’s arms, but Yan Shiqiu takes the unconventional route. A big goose throws itself into his arms.]

[!!! Has the goose been tamed? It actually doesn’t want Yan Shiqiu to leave, following him like a little tail, even nuzzling him! So obedient!]

[This! Is! Not! Scientific!]

[So that’s what Wu Shan’s Weibo about “missing mommy” meant. Really impressive.]

[OMG, so cute. Yan Shiqiu’s smug little expression, “borrowing the goose’s power” works?]

[Production team: Small, pitiful, and helpless.JPG]

…

As the show’s ratings climbed, the official account seized the momentum and posted another Weibo @Ji Yunnian, previewing his upcoming appearance.

Ji Yunnian cooperatively reposted it.

Ji Yunnian not only had a huge fanbase, but also excellent audience appeal and public recognition. From elderly people in their seventies and eighties to children aged six or seven, almost everyone knew his name.

In his six years since debut, every character he played left a deep impression.

Moreover, despite his privileged background, he never put on airs or bullied others. He was gentlemanly and polite in his interactions, with exceptional acting skills, excelling in every aspect.

Once, a gossip reporter declared he would definitely capture Ji Yunnian’s true colors.

However, after following Ji Yunnian for five whole years, he didn’t capture a single piece of dirt, not even smoking. Truly zero scandals.

Finally, he posted on Weibo, admitting his prejudice and affirming Ji Yunnian’s all-around excellence.

After this incident, Ji Yunnian not only gained another batch of devoted fans, but his public recognition and favorability reached new heights.

Now, with Ji Yunnian reposting the show’s promotional Weibo, he brought another wave of traffic to the program. Offline viewership directly broke 2.0, and online platform views soared again.

Simultaneously, the show shot to the trending topics and quickly claimed the top spot.

At this point in the show, everyone had finished their morning work and began preparing lunch.

Seeing Yan Shiqiu put on an apron, roll up his sleeves, and prepare to cut vegetables, the mockery in the comments returned:

[Waiting for the face-slap. It’ll be good if Yan Shiqiu doesn’t cause trouble.]

Other viewers also thought that when Yan Shiqiu said he could cook, he probably meant ordinary home cooking, with skills similar to Lu Ze’s.

Then.

They watched Yan Shiqiu’s knife work. It was swift and precise. In no time, a plate of beef was perfectly sliced, each piece uniformly thin, as shown in the close-up shot.

[That knife work!]

[He said his cooking was good. I believe it now!]

[Seeing everyone drawn to the kitchen door by the aroma, looking at their expressions, I can almost smell it too. Shamefully swallowed my saliva.]

[It’s done. Seven dishes and one soup, amazing!]

[Come on, everyone join Wu Shan in typing “daddy” in the comments. He really is daddy! I apologize for calling Yan Shiqiu scheming earlier!]

During the lunch break transition, the production team didn’t edit much, using less than three minutes total.

The comments also thinned out.

But in the last minute, when Yan Shiqiu offered to help Xia Linqiu with homework problems, the comments surged again, filled with doubt.

[Wait, I was just starting to think Yan Shiqiu wasn’t bad?]

[Please don’t mislead students. Don’t you know your own academic level? Someone who couldn’t even get into a technical college, what confidence do you have to teach others after graduating two years ago?]

[Tried so hard to pretend all morning, finally can’t keep it up?]

[??? Can he actually do it?]

[Ah, what curse of face-slapping did I fall under today?]

[Sorry, my face is so swollen.]

…

When the show aired, Yan Shiqiu had turned on the TV and sat on the sofa watching with his mother.

Without live comments, Mother Yan watched happily.

This was her first time seeing her son on television. She found it both novel and was proud.

But seeing Yan Shiqiu skillfully cutting vegetables and cooking, remembering how he couldn’t even wash vegetables or dishes before, she couldn’t help feeling heartbroken.

She sighed.

Yan Shiqiu turned to look, seeing her slightly red eyes, reached over and gently squeezed her hand.

They continued watching. Later, when it showed Yan Shiqiu tutoring Xia Linqiu, Mother Yan froze again, hesitating to speak.

After consideration, she finally spoke: “Son, don’t blame mom for nagging, but mom still wants to persuade you to go to college. You might think it’s unnecessary and find mom’s bringing up old matters annoying, but…”

“Mom, I’m going to repeat senior year and take next year’s college entrance exam.” Yan Shiqiu interrupted, turning to meet her surprised gaze. He smiled and repeated firmly, “I’m going to get into a good university.”

He absolutely needed to get his diploma back.

Constantly pretending to be a poor student was exhausting.

After hearing this, Mother Yan was stunned. She stared at Yan Shiqiu, seeing the incredibly bright light in his eyes, and smiled: “Mom believes in you.”

The show’s progress bar passed halfway when Ji Yunnian finally appeared in the night. As soon as he got out of the car, dense comments immediately covered the entire screen.

[Ahhhhh, Teacher Ji!!!]

[I discovered it. Teacher Ji really is the mystery guest who decided to come at the last minute! Everyone looked completely confused when they saw him, not acting at all.]

[As a Zhang fan, I have to say if my boy had such natural, unaffected acting skills, we’d set off fireworks in celebration!]

[From this you can tell Yan Shiqiu didn’t come on the show following Ji Yunnian. Their meeting was coincidental.]

[??? Who spread that rumor?]

Ji Yunnian’s fans noticed this and began reflecting. Were their impressions of Yan Shiqiu too prejudiced?

The show continued. After Yan Shiqiu finished delivering meals to the elderly and arrived late, his interactions with Ji Yunnian weren’t cut at all. They were broadcast in full.

[Is it my imagination? I sense tension between Teacher Ji and Yan Shiqiu from their interactions?]

[Bad relationship, right? Too obvious.]

[No, I think they have a good relationship. When has Teacher Ji ever been so direct in verbal sparring? He’s always been gentlemanly and polite! Compare it to how he just spoke with Lu Ze and the others. The tone and attitude are clearly different.]

[They’re at most five years apart, right?]

[Teacher Ji actually lost in an argument to Yan Shiqiu?]

[Hahahaha, Yan Shiqiu is so bad – “sea cucumber needs six days of soaking” – is he implying Teacher Ji would starve to death waiting if he ordered it?]

[??? Holy shit, deliberately asking Teacher Ji for help to create alone time? Planning to leech off him?]

[Same old habits. Can I start cursing now?]

The Ji fans got excited.

But before they could finish typing their insults, the camera switched to the kitchen, showing Yan Shiqiu seriously cooking while Ji Yunnian helped alongside him. Their communication and interaction were completely normal.

So they had to delete their comments and continue waiting.

They waited and waited, right until the show’s end, but never found actual evidence of Yan Shiqiu deliberately trying to interact with Ji Yunnian or leech off his popularity.

Ji fans: ??? Why do our faces keep swelling?

And there was even a tiny bit of… intrigue?

Maybe… ship them a little?