Welcome to Xiao Xie Talks

Xie Chen walked toward the village chief's stove on ahead, and the other guests followed closely behind.

What those two brothers were like, everyone knew well enough; they couldn't be bothered to expose them, let alone watch the drama.

Luo Mingyu in particular felt secretly excited, drifting over to Xie Chen's side without a trace and lowering his voice, "I think you're a bit different now, aren't you?"

"Where am I different?" Xie Chen asked dismissively while lifting the pot lid and giving the contents a thorough stir with a large ladle.

Luo Mingyu was instantly captivated by the aroma and swallowed hard.

What on earth is this?! he thought.

Did he put raw opium poppies in it?!

How can it actually make people feel unable to stop?!

His heart trembled, but he didn't dare show it on his face, and said with feigned composure, "In the past, when you were in front of the Xie Family, you really were just like a dog—summoned at a whistle and dismissed with a wave, and utterly loyal to boot."

"And now?"

Xie Chen had worked as a top-tier chef in the quick-transmigration worlds and was well-versed in all kinds of culinary traditions like Sichuan, Cantonese, and Northeast China cuisines. Right now, if he had the ingredients, he could easily whip up a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

The more experienced he was, the higher his standards for food, so he intended to keep a personal eye on it.

He absolutely couldn't ruin a good hen by stewing it carelessly.

Luo Mingyu was equally distracted, struggling to swallow his saliva. "Now you're finally living like a human being."

News within the wealthy circles circulated freely.

Although Xie Chen was an adopted son, he had long since become a laughingstock for after-dinner conversation.

People frequently made similar taunts:

"Look, that lapdog is following along again!"

"The Xie Family raised a dog, so they don't even need to hire a nanny—he's proficient at everything from doing laundry to cooking!"

"A dog is a dog after all; how could he ever compare to a person? Whining and begging for pity is useless. The moment the real heir returns, he'll just get kicked out of the house!"

Luo Mingyu had heard this sort of thing often and held Xie Chen in high contempt.

Couldn't he stand up straight with dignity? Why did he always have to bow and scrape, only for those people not to appreciate it anyway?!

He had always hated that bunch of hypocrites putting on airs in the Xie Family, and was even more infuriated by Xie Chen's lack of resistance.

Never had he expected to see a bit of improvement on a variety show...

Luo Mingyu wanted to say something else when the assistant director suddenly stepped over the threshold, "Director Li has spoken! If you want to eat, you have to perform a show first. The villagers' response is enthusiastic; we need at least two approved programs before we can enter the dinner segment."

Hearing this, Xie Chen nodded to himself, "A hen needs to stew a little longer to taste good anyway. We have plenty of time—let's go perform first."

Once they came out of the village chief's house, they spotted an open space not far away, likely used for events, where the villagers were already seated on small stools arranged in advance.

Li Jingfei, as a best actress winner, had already thought of her act.

She had practiced traditional opera since childhood and possessed a solid foundation of basic skills. Even though she hadn't taken the stage to perform in years, standing straight at the front still revealed the professionalism carved into her bones.

"I will perform a segment of Mu Guiying Takes Command for the folks."

"Good!" The village chief took the lead in applauding.

This opening act was great, directly striking the villagers' preferences.

Advanced in age, they all favored traditional arts, especially Peking opera.

Li Jingfei modulated her voice skillfully, hitting a high pitch with exquisite performance. After just one aria, the villagers burst into enthusiastic applause.

As she brushed past Li Sifan, the corners of her mouth lifted with smugness, "Kiddo, I leave the rest to you."

The latter's face darkened.

Please!

He was a rap artist. Leaving aside the art form for a moment, just judging by the speed of the delivery, the group of hard-of-hearing grandpas and grandmas before him might not even be able to understand a word.

Sure enough, after Li Sifan finished singing with exaggerated gestures and rapping, the previously quiet scene suddenly erupted with a shout, "Good!"

Followed immediately by the next comment, "What is this kid singing? Does he have a thick tongue? Maybe he should go get it checked at the clinic in town?"

Li Sifan walked off the "stage" dejectedly. His arch-rival Luo Mingyu gloated, seizing the opportunity to mock him, "Don't worry, Huaxia Rap turning out to be a dead end has nothing to do with you—it's still not too late to change careers."

Li Sifan smiled coldly, "Even if I change careers, I'll drag you down with me. Oh, I almost forgot, drinking too much has ruined your voice, so you can probably only dance now?"

Struck right where it hurt, Luo Mingyu pulled back the smile at the corners of his mouth. "So what if I dance? It's definitely better than you."

"Heh, I'll wait and see!"

"Just you wait!" Full of confidence, Luo Mingyu strode onto the stage and performed his signature popping and locking dance.

As a result, a few minutes later, the villagers showed no reaction at all.

An auntie even asked with concern, "Kid, what's wrong with your arm? Is it broken?"

Luo Mingyu, "..."

[Hahahahaha damn, I'm dying of laughter. One has a thick tongue and the other has a broken arm; these two disabled guys should team up for a performance.]

[I have to say, there's still a barrier to this stuff. Grandpa and grandma just can't appreciate it!]

[The best actress really has a few tricks up her sleeve with her solid foundation. No wonder her acting is so good!]

[I remember the assistant saying at least two programs need the villagers' approval to pass the task. There are still two people who haven't performed yet... The prospects look bleak!]

[I don't remember Xie Chen having any special talents. He always seemed completely mediocre, so it'll probably be pretty hard to impress the villagers.]

While the bullet-screen comments were discussing this, Wei Mingqi went on stage to perform a crosstalk monologue.

The villagers' cooperative laughter felt a bit awkward—the punchlines probably went right over their heads.

Seeing that the hope of the "entire village" was down to just one person, the guests cast hopeful gazes in that direction.

Xie Chen licked his lips, a lazy curve forming at the corners of his mouth. Yet after stepping onto stage, his expression turned dead serious.

He hooked his finger at the cameraman, and the cameraman immediately and with great tacit understanding zoomed the lens in.

"Dear fellow villagers, welcome to Xiao Xie Talks. Today our topic is,"

"Who will protect the rights and interests of left-behind villagers?"

Upon hearing this, the grandpas and grandmas sitting on their small stools instantly snapped to attention.