Herding geese

Zhong Ran stared at the exchange chart in front of him, gritting his teeth.

"What if we don't have enough money?"

"Then you'll just have to work to pay it off." The staff member had clearly anticipated this, and the smile remained on their face.

By the time everyone finished breakfast and walked into the courtyard, a huge board had appeared there at some point.

Written on the board in marker were nine large characters: Jobs for earning travel funds.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm sure you all understand the importance of travel funds by now. To make your future travels easier and more enjoyable, the production team has devised a travel fund earning plan for this first installment. Under this plan, we'll provide you with all kinds of jobs. For every job you complete, you'll receive the corresponding payment, with no upper limit." The director leisurely waved his palm-leaf fan, a sly smile appearing on his round face.

"Reselling a two-yuan bottle of mineral water for twenty yuan. I'd say our director is a business genius held back by his day job." Xia Yu's voice was neither loud nor quiet, just enough for everyone present to hear every word.

The director's fanning hand paused, and his expression turned a little awkward.

"Business genius? He's the biggest crook among crooked merchants, the worst of the worst." Yun Xi's face filled with pained regret at the thought of the two hundred yuan he had paid yesterday.

[Hahahahaha, a business genius.]

[This is the first time a director has been called a business genius by his guests.]

[It really is a bit of a rip-off. Even tourist attractions don't charge that much.]

[The person above is putting it mildly. That's more than tenfold profit.]

[I bought that two-hundred-yuan soda for ten yuan. I'm so good at saving money, haha.]

[Haha, by that logic, Mom will never complain that my drinks are expensive again.]

[President Pei says: I came on a show and actually ran into a "business genius"!]

[Netizens these days really are too talented. This old man is impressed!]

[Poor Ranran.]

The director flushed slightly as he read the comments. Stay calm, stay calm. I mustn't let my resolve waver.

"Ahem, you can all start earning travel funds freely now." With that, the director handed the floor over to his assistant, the assistant director.

"You can come up and choose the task you'd like to complete. Once you've chosen a job, take down the corresponding job card. After completing the work, bring the stamped job card to me to exchange it for the corresponding travel funds." The assistant director's booming voice rang out through the megaphone.

Xu Wang walked up to the board and studied it for a moment.

The jobs were arranged from bottom to top, from easy to difficult.

The one-star easy jobs included helping elderly residents tend their courtyards, helping elderly residents fill their water vats...

The two-star medium jobs included helping elderly villagers pick peaches, helping villagers buy daily necessities in town...

The three-star difficult jobs included helping herd geese, herding sheep...

The payment for each task also varied according to its difficulty.

One-star tasks paid between 500 and 800 yuan.

Two-star tasks paid between 900 and 1,300 yuan.

Three-star tasks paid between 1,500 and 2,300 yuan.

It had to be said that, judging by how stingy the director was being, the production team had probably gone as high as it could with these payments.

Zhong Ran instinctively wanted to go straight for the highest-paying task.

But when he and Leng Yifan saw the large character for "geese," they both remembered the terror of being at the geese's mercy in the enclosure yesterday.

Both lowered their hands in unison, finally choosing the medium-difficulty peach-picking task.

Xia Yu and Hou Yunqi also struggled to decide, ultimately choosing to help the villagers buy supplies in town.

Qin Huai and Gu Yunlan decided to start small, taking an easy task to help an elderly resident clean the courtyard.

Xu Wang and Pei Yanchuan exchanged a glance and readily took down the goose-herding task. It paid very well, at 2,300 yuan, but the risk was also high. For instance, not a single goose could go missing while they were herding them. For every goose lost, the guests would have to compensate the villager at market price.

Xu Wang and Pei Yanchuan made their way to the older man's house with practiced ease.

The man was leisurely squatting outside his front door, gnawing on an ear of corn. He waved excitedly when he saw them.

The man breathed a deep sigh of relief at the sight of Xu Wang and Pei Yanchuan. He was glad these two young men had taken his task. If it had been anyone else, he might have had his work cut out for him again today.

Yesterday afternoon had worn him out. Having so many people there had been harder to manage than doing it alone.

"You're here! Have you had breakfast? Want some corn? I boiled a whole pot." The man warmly pressed two ears of corn into their hands.

Xu Wang stood on no ceremony and took a bite with a smile. It had to be said that it tasted quite good. It was sweet corn.

"Yanchuan, try it." Xu Wang looked at Pei Yanchuan beside him.

Pei Yanchuan lifted the corn in his hand and took a bite, sweetness spreading through his mouth.

The man briefly explained the goose-herding route to them, then handed over his goose-herding stick.

Xu Wang wasn't worried at all. He knew this work well. Back in the village, he had herded geese, sheep, and cattle.

Xu Wang entered the goose enclosure with the stick in his hand. The Goose King had been about to throw his weight around, but the instant he saw Xu Wang, he cowered.

"Honk, honk..."

"Come on, line up. I'm taking you out for some fresh air." Xu Wang arranged the flock in front of him into two lines.

Xu Wang glanced at the Goose King, who stood out conspicuously among the ranks, silently picked him up by the neck, and placed him at the very front.

"Honk-" Help! This terrifying human has me in a neck lock-

Xu Wang took Pei Yanchuan by the hand and walked to the back of the flock. He lightly tapped the ground with his stick, and the geese obediently walked out of the enclosure.

The Goose King meekly walked at the very front.

When the flock came around to the front of the man's house, he stood by the roadside with a look of wonder.

Well, now. Was this really his Goose King, who had beaten every animal in the village? Had someone switched him out?

Feeling the man's gaze, the Goose King was just about to bestow upon him a king's disdain, but when he heard the stick tapping the ground behind him, he haughtily turned back and obediently headed down the road ahead. Sooner or later, I shall reclaim everything that belongs to me. Honk!