Chapter 67: Sixty-Seventh Day as a Salted Fish
Meng Zi’ang felt sweltering and thoroughly irritated.
He had lost!
Losing to Qin Jiaojiao’s current husband made him feel exceptionally infuriated, a suffocating sense of helplessness welling up inside his chest.
Back when the marriage alliance between the Qin and Meng families was dissolved, Meng Zi’ang had been entirely focused on his emotional tug-of-war with Shen Xiaoshan, eager to take things a step further with her.
Then one day, he suddenly heard people saying that Qin Jiaojiao had married into the Zhou family—a prominent house boasting centuries of rich heritage.
Hearing the news didn’t surprise him at all.
Qin Jiaojiao was merely a useless, incompetent heiress of a wealthy family. Raised in the lap of luxury since childhood, her sole value lay in a marriage alliance.
Even without actively inquiring, people naturally brought the news to his ears. After all, Qin Jiaojiao was once his nominal fiancée—vain, fame-obsessed, and arrogantly spoiled.
Rumors were circulating all over the Beijing circle that Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli were on terrible terms, and that they had only held a simple, low-key wedding ceremony. How was that any different from a hidden marriage?
Hearing those rumors gave Meng Zi’ang a deeply hidden sense of satisfaction. Back then, Qin Jiaojiao had slapped him right in front of a crowd of hotel guests. Had he not been in the wrong and minded the fact that she was a woman, there was no way he would have let her humiliate him like that on the spot.
Meng Zi’ang had always believed that Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli were a couple in name only—until today, when he witnessed Zhou Shaoli and Qin Jiaojiao passionately holding and kissing each other with his own eyes.
The unspeakable, malicious assumptions and dark desires in his heart—wishing for Qin Jiaojiao to live a miserable life—felt as if they had been dragged out into the scorching sunlight and slapped repeatedly across his face, leaving a burning, searing pain.
“Meng Zi’ang!!!” Shen Xiaoshan’s sharp voice rang out.
Snapping back to his senses, Meng Zi’ang realized that without realizing it, his grip on Shen Xiaoshan’s arm had been so tight that he had pinched her wrist red.
With a aggrieved expression, Shen Xiaoshan stared at him with reddened eyes, urging anxiously, “Our task isn’t finished yet!”
Seeing Meng Zi’ang staring absentmindedly at Qin Jiaojiao made Shen Xiaoshan panic internally. The fact that he had unconsciously pinched her till it hurt made a surge of rage burn even hotter in her chest.
Is Meng Zi’ang still caught up on Qin Jiaojiao? Is he really this provoked by seeing Zhou Shaoli and Qin Jiaojiao kissing?
Shen Xiaoshan couldn’t afford to dwell on her suspicions. Seeing Chen Feihong carrying Jin Mingzhu on his back while they bit into their apple, she grew desperately frantic. If they couldn’t take first place, they at least couldn’t end up in dead last!
“Let’s hurry up and eat the apple.” Shen Xiaoshan bit into the apple and leaned closer to Meng Zi’ang.
With his mind in total disarray, Meng Zi’ang couldn’t be bothered to cooperate with Shen Xiaoshan to put on a public display of affection. He simply took a huge bite of the apple and swallowed it whole.
Shen Xiaoshan bit into the remaining small chunk of apple. The sweet apple tasted as sour and bitter as a lemon in her mouth, making it hard to swallow. Forced to chew and gulp it down, she couldn’t control the ugly expression on her face.
She had only managed to marry into the Meng family because of her pregnancy. It was precisely because she was pregnant that Meng Zi’ang felt a sense of protective affection toward her, but it hadn’t reached the point where he couldn’t live without her.
If she failed to get pregnant during this period and was discovered to have faked it, Meng Zi’ang and the rest of the Meng family would think she had tricked him into marriage. They would definitely force Meng Zi’ang to divorce her. When that happened, how would netizens across the entire internet mock her?
Shen Xiaoshan didn’t even dare to imagine the consequences. She had to hold onto Meng Zi’ang tightly.
“Zi’ang, what were you thinking about just now?” Shen Xiaoshan leaned against Meng Zi’ang, her eyes filled with grievance. “Look at you, you pinched my hand red! Hurry, rub it for me.”
Meng Zi’ang looked down at her hand, holding it with a trace of guilt. “Sorry.”
Over on the other side, Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong also completed their task. Jin Mingzhu patted off the sand that had stuck to Chen Feihong’s clothes when he stumbled.
As a light, brief kiss came to an end, Qin Jiaojiao reached out and untied the red ribbon behind Zhou Shaoli’s head, revealing his deep, handsome eyes as the two locked gazes.
An adult-rated thought suddenly popped into Qin Jiaojiao’s head: Once they got back home, they could try blindfolding his eyes to experiment with some new bedroom fun.
Now that the game task was over, the director spoke into his megaphone: “Group C’s Yueli Couple took first place and won the reward for this task!”
Qin Jiaojiao exchanged a look with Zhou Shaoli in front of the camera, a brilliant smile blooming on her face as she glanced toward Shen Xiaoshan.
Shen Xiaoshan’s complexion looked somewhat unsightly, a flash of unwillingness passing quickly through her eyes as she struggled to maintain her usual professional, sweet smile in front of the lens.
The director announced, “That wraps up this morning’s recording session. Guests, please board the vehicles and return to the inn for lunch.”
The guests took the cars back to the inn. Seeing the show’s crew members set up with cameras, they immediately understood that the live broadcast hadn’t ended—they were simply switching locations to film.
Director: “The production team has prepared a grand feast for everyone. But before lunch, everyone needs to play another mini-game.”
“…”
As expected, the crew’s tricks were waiting right here.
The bullet comments exploded.
【It’s already twelve o’clock! Can’t you let the guests eat first?】
【So excited! Hurry up and announce what game it is!】
【The guests are practically exhausted to death! Let them sit down, rest, and drink some water first!】
【Feels like it’s going to be tough for the guests to eat a normal lunch.】
Qin Jiaojiao pulled a packet of tissues out of her sun-protective jacket, drew out a sheet, and turned her head toward Zhou Shaoli. “Lower your head, let me wipe your sweat.”
To film the show today, Zhou Shaoli had worn a white dress shirt paired with casual suit trousers. After carrying her on his back while running across the desert, the fringe over his forehead was already soaked with sweat. Far from looking unkempt, it radiated a touch of sultry, irresistible sexiness.
“Mm.” He gave a low response and bowed his head.
Holding the tissue in her long, slender fingers, Qin Jiaojiao carefully wiped away the fine beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, her expression utterly focused.
Until—
The director said, “Will all female guests please follow the production team’s instructions and prepare one dish each?”
The fair, tender hand wiping away his sweat froze on the spot, and Zhou Shaoli’s pupils trembled slightly.
The director’s voice echoed throughout the entire courtyard: “The male guests will taste the dishes prepared by the female guests and guess which one of the three dishes was cooked by their own wife!”
Observing the expressions on the guests’ faces, the director added, “Don’t assume it’s going to be easy! What kind of dish the female guests make and what ingredients go into it will all be determined by the production team’s arrangements.”
The moment these words were spoken, the guests’ expressions solidified slightly.
【Hahahahaha I’m dying of laughter, the crew is forcing the female guests to make dark cuisine!】
【Heehee, not heehee anymore!】
【If it’s done like this, can anyone even guess correctly?】
【Hahahahahahaha so the ultimate trap for the male guests was waiting right here!】
【If they guess wrong, the male guests will have to face their wives’ death glares! Just asking, are you scared yet?】
【The production team truly harbored evil intentions all along. Male guests, you’re on your own!】
【Who could possibly guess right under these conditions?】
Director: “Will the male guests please head to the living room to rest first, while the female guests head to the kitchen to make preparations.”
The crew specifically used a hanging curtain to separate the living room from the open kitchen. The female guests’ phones had been confiscated, and as for the dishes they were required to prepare, the crew wrote them on three slips of paper for the female guests to draw.
Jin Mingzhu drew: Pineapple Fried Rice. (Requirement: Add five spoonfuls of salt.)
Shen Xiaoshan drew: Kung Pao Chicken. (Requirement: Add five spoonfuls of dark vinegar.)
Qin Jiaojiao drew: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs. (Requirement: Add five spoonfuls of chili powder.)
Unfolding her paper slip, Qin Jiaojiao felt a slight suspicion that the production team was intentionally pranking the male guests. Sweet and sour pork ribs were supposed to have a sweet and savory taste—if she added five big spoonfuls of chili powder, would it even be edible?
Regardless of what the guests thought, having received their tasks from the crew, they had to start working.
Qin Jiaojiao had never cooked before, and since she couldn’t check instructional videos on her phone, she could only approach Jin Mingzhu to ask how to make sweet and sour pork ribs.
Jin Mingzhu patiently explained the process step-by-step. Qin Jiaojiao barely managed to memorize the steps: first, blanch the ribs with scallions and ginger, then fry rock sugar in oil until it turned into a caramelized color, and finally pour in the drained ribs to stir-fry them for color.
As Qin Jiaojiao stir-fried, she began to feel something was off. The heat was too high, and the ribs began emitting a scorched, burnt smell. She hurriedly turned off the stove and stole a guilty glance at the livestream camera.
The sweet and sour ribs were burnt, but adding a bit of water to simmer them should get rid of some of the burnt taste, right?
Qin Jiaojiao added some water and turned the heat back on. Inside the wok, the rock sugar and soy sauce bubbled around the ribs. Sensing it was about ready, she followed the crew’s requirements and added five large spoonfuls of chili powder into the sweet and sour ribs, giving it a few quick tosses before plating it up.
The sweet and sour ribs lay inside a white porcelain bowl. The dark, coffee-colored ribs looked decent enough on the outside.
Washing her hands with satisfaction, Qin Jiaojiao felt a bizarre surge of self-confidence—she clearly possessed the latent talent of a master chef!
When the crew members came to inspect the dishes prepared by the female guests, the camera zoomed in on Qin Jiaojiao’s sweet and sour ribs, sending the bullet comments into total chaos.
【Jiaojiao baby, are you planning to assassinate the male guests with your culinary skills?】
【Uhh… the CEO’s wife’s cooking skills are truly hard to compliment.】
【Why do I suddenly feel a bit heartbroken for President Zhou? No wonder he doesn’t let Qin Jiaojiao enter the kitchen!】
【Production team, better prepare an ambulance in advance!】
【Without comparison, there is no harm! Teacher Jin and Shen Xiaoshan’s cooking skills look mind-blowing next to this!】
【A woman like this wouldn’t even manage to get married off in our village!】
The female guests were arranged to sit off to one side, while the male guests sat behind a long table.
Director: “First dish: Pineapple Fried Rice.”
A staff member brought a plate of pineapple fried rice to the table.
The director said with a beaming smile, “Gentlemen, please sample this dish.”
Since the female guests were seated on the side, the male guests couldn’t see the expressions on their faces, nor could the women offer any hints.
The grains of rice in the pineapple fried rice were plump and glossy like gold, and the pineapple pieces were stir-fried just right. It looked exceedingly appetizing.
The three male guests picked up their spoons and took a bite.
Chen Feihong’s brows knitted tightly—it was so bitter! He had to try with all his might to keep from spitting it out.
Zhou Shaoli remained utterly expressionless as he set down his spoon.
Meng Zi’ang spat the pineapple fried rice straight into his own bowl and rinsed his mouth with water. It was hideously terrible—that damned production team was deliberately tormenting people!
【Hahahahaha I can’t, I’m going to die of laughter! The male guests are way too miserable!】
【I’m a bit curious, can they actually guess it correctly?】
【There are still two more dishes to go; the male guests’ “blessings” are still waiting behind!】
Director: “Male guests, you may write down your answers on the answer boards first. After sampling the remaining two dishes, you can still modify your answers.”
“Second dish: Kung Pao Chicken.”
Looking at the Kung Pao Chicken brought up to the table, Chen Feihong felt even more certain that the previous dish had been made by his wife—he knew her culinary skills well.
After sampling the Kung Pao Chicken, Zhou Shaoli felt confident in his heart. If he guessed correctly, the final dish had to be made by Qin Jiaojiao.
Meng Zi’ang looked at the Kung Pao Chicken on the table. It contained peanuts, and he was allergic to peanuts, so this dish definitely wasn’t cooked by Shen Xiaoshan.
“Third dish: Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs.”
When the sweet and sour pork ribs were placed on the table, the male guests’ expressions almost collapsed entirely.
This clump of black, burnt mush was sweet and sour pork ribs?!
Qin Jiaojiao looked at them with eager eyes. She had put her whole heart into making this dish; could Zhou Shaoli guess that it was made by her?
Both Chen Feihong and Meng Zi’ang cast a glance toward Zhou Shaoli.
With a calm, composed expression, Zhou Shaoli picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of rib, placed it in his bowl, and began eating.
Seeing this, Chen Feihong and Meng Zi’ang had no choice but to pick up a small piece of rib and place it in their respective bowls.
The bullet comments flew out in a frenzy of laughter.
【Hahaha the sweet and sour pork ribs are way too obvious! Everyone knows which genius made that masterpiece!】
【Male guests: She’s trying to poison us!】
【Jiaojiao’s cooking skills are truly painful to behold.】
Director: “Now, will the male guests please reveal your answers!”
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