Clearly, the cameraman with his regular sleep schedule didn't ship them, because the shippers weren't even awake yet.
[Hahahaha I'm dying]
[Wifey looks so dazed. He definitely squatted there scrolling on his phone just now. He definitely saw it]
[Lasting CP has really made it. They only shared the screen for one day, and the whole country knows about them]
[Seriously, the whole internet ships them hahaha]
[So are the actual people involved force-feeding us the ship now? [doge]]
Wen Jiu belatedly caught on. Seeing that the cameraman still looked bewildered, he waved a hand and said it was nothing.
Just then, Village Chief Liu came over with a burlap sack over his shoulder. Spotting Wen Jiu, he waved warmly. "Xiao Wen, you're up so early!"
Wen Jiu was a little surprised. "You actually remember me?"
They had only met for the first time last night and hadn't even spoken.
"Of course I remember! I even came across you while scrolling through videos after I got home!" Village Chief Liu said. "You're a comedian, and you sing real nice, too."
Wen Jiu's smile gradually faded. "A... comedian?"
"Aren't you? That's what everyone on Douyin says." Village Chief Liu chuckled, thinking the young man was feeling bashful. "There are loads of funny videos about you!"
"Say, is singing your side job?"
Wen Jiu: ...
Wen Jiu felt as though his soul was about to leave his body. He forced a smile. "No, singing is my main job. Acting is my side job."
He paused, then couldn't resist stressing, "A serious actor."
Not some comedian!!!
(P.S. No offense to comedians.
It's just that I, Wen Xiaojiu, am such a manly, serious guy!
Can't the fans and netizens see my noble righteousness?!
[Hahahaha I'm dying! A freaking comedian]
[Wen Jiu: making people laugh is my main job, singing is my side job hahahaha]
"Ohhh-" Village Chief Liu understood. "No wonder you sing so well. Keep it up, young man!"
"Yes! Thank you! I'll keep working hard!"
Finally, the conversation was on track. Wen Jiu came back to life and eagerly took the sack from Village Chief Liu. "Let me carry that for you. Where's it going?"
"No, no, careful, young man. That's heavy!" Young people these days had mostly never done hard manual labor, and Village Chief Liu was afraid Wen Jiu couldn't carry it.
"We're already here. These vegetables are for you."
Wen Jiu easily lifted it with one hand and turned to Village Chief Liu. "Vegetables for us?"
Village Chief Liu: ... Holy shit, this kid's got it!
"That's right. It was so late last night. Going by past experience, you lot definitely wouldn't be able to get up."
"So us villagers thought we'd bring the vegetables over first. They're all homegrown, picked fresh from the fields this morning!"
Wen Jiu carried the sack to the little kitchen's entrance and set it down. When he opened it, there really were all kinds of vegetables inside.
He took out the cabbage and leafy greens, with dew still clinging to their surfaces.
The cameraman aimed his camera at the sack. There were some potatoes and taro underneath.
Wen Jiu was utterly touched. "Thank you to everyone in the village!"
Village Chief Liu waved a hand. "Don't mention it!"
"Old Wang and the others are still catching fish in the river. I'll bring some over later!" Village Chief Liu said, about to leave.
Wen Jiu clapped his hands clean and followed him. "I'll help!"
He had nothing to do anyway, and Wen Jiu couldn't sit still. Grabbing Village Chief Liu's hand, he whisked him away in a flurry.
The cameraman hurried after them.
Peach Blossom Spring Village's river was shallow, with water only reaching waist height. When the two arrived at the riverbank, several old men were standing in the river catching fish.
They were actually shooting them, holding specialized fishing spearguns. Someone even had a fishing slingshot.
It was a new model, one Wen Jiu had never even seen.
Wen Jiu: ... Are old men this trendy now?
"You've got to take your time fishing."
On another stretch of the bank, an old man lounged on a little folding stool with a fishing rod in hand and a little yellow dog curled up beside him, presenting an entirely different, leisurely picture.
Suddenly, splash-
Another old man gave the fishing net in the water a sharp yank, drenching the little yellow dog.
As he hauled it in, the net caught the other old man's fishing line. With another twist, the rod got hooked onto the net!
Well, that did it. The fishing old man blew up, the little yellow dog barked and howled madly, and the old men catching fish called out, "Well, now!" before cheerfully coming over to break up the argument.
They were promptly sucked into the fray.
[It's... pretty lively]
[These old men have so much energy]
[Hahahaha is Wen Jiu, that little coward, trying to leave? I saw him pull his foot back!]
Wen Jiu really did want to leave. The scene before him was so lovely that he couldn't bear to interrupt.
"Hey! Stop arguing!" Village Chief Liu bellowed. The other side went quiet, and a whole row of gazes swung toward them.
"Old Wang, Old Cai, come see who I've brought!"
Wen Jiu greeted them a little stiffly. Before he could introduce himself, the old men across from him came darting over.
"Wen Jiu, right? The one singing onstage last night. I remember!"
Wen Jiu nodded. "Yes, yes, yes!"
"My old lady loves you! Your singing's damn good!"
Wen Jiu bowed. "Thank you for the compliment! You're too kind!"
"I've seen you too. My wife showed me last night. I know your name's Wen Jiu!"
Wen Jiu was touched. "Yes, yes! That's me!"
"Hey! I watched too. Wen Jiu, the top funny comedian!"
"Yes, yes, yes... huh?"
Wen Jiu looked up in shock, his smile instantly freezing on his face.
What the hell was a top funny comedian?!
[Hahahahahahaha]
[The corners of Wifey's mouth drooped instantly]
[Hahahaha I could watch that split-second expression change a hundred million times]
Wen Jiu panicked. "No, I'm not..."
Village Chief Liu corrected him sternly. "What do you mean, top funny comedian? He's an actor!"
Deeply moved, Wen Jiu looked at him expectantly, his peach-blossom eyes sparkling.
"A comedic actor!" Village Chief Liu declared firmly. "Do you even know what a comedic actor is? Stop talking nonsense!"
Wen Jiu: ???
Mr. Village Chief, did you not take in a single word I just said?!
Village Chief Liu said, "Singing is his main job. The kid's a singer. Being a comedic actor is just his side job."
Village Chief Liu didn't really understand the whole main-job, side-job thing, but he had a good memory and hadn't forgotten a single thing he was supposed to remember.
He even had his own interpretation.
"He's a serious comedic actor! The kind who gets on TV!"
Wen Jiu: ...
[Hahahaha Village Chief Liu, you're so clever. Are you trying to inherit my homework? [doge]]
[A freaking serious comedic actor hahahahaha I'm dying]
[#Wen Jiu serious comedic actor# Come on, sisters, let's get this tag trending and show our sugar daddy investors just how terrifying a funny entertainer's power can be]
[Hahahaha have some humanity. Our son's about to break down]
Wen Jiu really was about to lose it.
Especially when the row of old men opposite him let out an "Ohhh" of vague understanding. Wen Jiu was terrified!
Worried that his funny image would become deeply ingrained in everyone's minds, he hurriedly explained, "I'm an actor, but not a comedic actor!"
Old Wang, the fisherman, didn't understand. Holding up his broken fishing rod, he humbly asked, "Aren't comedic actors actors?"
Wen Jiu choked. "Yes, but..."
How was he supposed to explain this?
"Oh, then that's right." Village Chief Liu nodded, smiling in relief. "I thought I'd misunderstood!"
Wen Jiu said, "No..."
"Oh, oh, oh!" The old men nodded, and somehow the topic ended right there. "Come on, young actor, let us show you the fish in our Peach Blossom Spring Village."
"Extra big and extra tasty!"
Wen Jiu actually got distracted. He leaned over to look into the old man's basket. "Wow, so many! They look so fat!"
"Right?" Old Wang proudly raised the broken fishing rod in his hand. "Fish are best caught with a rod!"
At his feet, the little yellow dog shook water out of its ears and cheerfully chimed in. "Woof!"
[Great, Wifey can't hide his adorably dopey side anymore. Sure enough, he got sidetracked again]
[Your elders really are your elders]
[The cameraman's hands are shaking with laughter hahaha. Also, the camera's tilted! Hey, cameraman, my wifey's sideways]
Something had tickled the cameraman's funny bone, and he couldn't stop laughing. The poor fans and netizens could only tilt their heads to watch the livestream.
On camera, the young man gripped the bamboo basket with both hands, beaming. His peach-blossom eyes shone brightly, and his smile was like a little sun.
The cuteness made the netizens' hearts tremble.
Wen Jiu wanted to get into the water too, but the old men stopped him. "Don't get those clothes dirty. They look real expensive."
"Go back, go back! Stay to the side and keep an eye on the basket. Watch this old man show you what he can do!"
Wen Jiu figured he might as well learn a thing or two from the bank, so he sat on the little folding stool and secretly picked up their techniques.
Suddenly, something tugged at his trouser leg.
Wen Jiu looked down.
The little yellow dog wagged its tail excitedly. "Woof, woof!"
Wen Jiu: ?
Village Chief Liu was beside him clearing out the fishing net with an old man. He looked over at the noise, surprised as well. "Come to think of it, Old Wang's Xiao Baga hasn't even snapped at Xiao Wen today!"
Old Cai, next to him, looked over too and grunted. "Do even dogs like looking at handsome men these days?"
Wen Jiu was just about to pet the dog's head when its paws suddenly landed on him.
Wen Jiu: ??
Then an utterly shitty, dramatic scene unfolded. The dog clung to his leg!
It! Actually!
Started excitedly thrusting back and forth!!!
Wen Jiu: ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿