WBSGVS Chapter 243 Part 2

Back in Xu Family Village…

By the creek sat an old, worn-out bamboo basket.

In just a short amount of time, six fat, healthy fish were already in the bamboo basket.

But catching fish was also physically demanding. Qingli was freezing, so once they had had enough, she climbed out of the creek and began massaging her nearly frozen feet.

Xu Ci stayed behind in the water. Since these fish had clearly been released by the production team, if he didn’t catch them now, they’d either escape or get caught by someone else.

No sense letting them go to waste.

Growing up in hardship had taught him to seize every opportunity that came his way.

Xu Shan wasn’t allowed to play in the cold water, so she stayed onshore cheering them on. Seeing how accurate her brother was—snatching fish one after another—she couldn’t help but cry out in envy, “You guys are amazing! I spent several summers learning and barely caught a thing!”

Qingli laughed, “No worries, you just focus on eating.”

Xu Shan glanced at the basket full of plump fish, gulped, and nodded enthusiastically. “Mm! I’m gonna eat a ton!”

Once they’d caught enough fish, the three of them headed back.

Grandpa Xu was still weaving straw hats. When he saw them return, he immediately got up to greet them. “There’s hot water ready. Soak your feet—this water’s way too cold.”

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Qingli said, pleasantly surprised.

She’d thought she’d have to boil the water herself.

Grandpa Xu smiled warmly and waved it off. He took the basket from them, but the weight nearly pulled him down. Startled but delighted, he exclaimed, “Whoa! You caught this many?!”

Xu Shan used her foot basin to fetch water for Qingli and excitedly showed off, “Yup! Qingli’s incredible—super fast with her hands. Even my brother could barely keep up. And this was her first time catching fish!”

“City kids are clever,” Grandpa Xu said admiringly.

Xu Shan nodded a little enviously too.

Soaking her feet, Qingli smiled and said, “Of course we’re smart, but everyone’s just good at different things. You and your brother do great in school. I’m sure you’ll get into top universities when you take the college entrance exam.”

Grandpa Xu laughed cheerfully. “Yes, they’re smart too.”

Xu Shan smiled shyly and said, “I’ll work hard!”

The livestream comment section was filled with encouragement:

【You’ve got this! I want to sponsor them!】
【It’s not that city kids are smarter—they just have better resources. Rural education can’t compare, and that’s just how it is. But you’re doing amazing!】
【Wait—this village girl is super cute too!】
【She’s always been cute! And her brother’s a total heartthrob. But I didn’t even notice because my sweet daughter is just that impressive!】
【My daughter is the cutest!!!】

The topic veered off, but the atmosphere stayed warm. Qingli took her time soaking her feet, and when it looked like the time was right, she began preparing dinner.

The kitchen had already been cleaned in advance. Though still simple and worn, it was much better than when Qingli first arrived. She fetched water and moved to one side to start gutting the fish, making sure the camera was turned away.

It wasn’t something the audience needed to see—it was a bit too bloody.

Still…

【Ahhh! The moment I’ve been dreading!】
【I can’t even gut a fish… Sweet girl, it’s okay if you can’t do it. Don’t be upset!】
【Beautiful little sister, you’ve got this! I believe in you!】

Even the previously dejected director perked up a little and stared eagerly at the screen, silently praying in his heart: Please fail. Please fail…

He’d heard she was very particular about cleanliness—and that she was squeamish too.

By now, he didn’t even hope for a tantrum or meltdown anymore. He just prayed this task wouldn’t go too smoothly.

But twenty minutes later, the camera crew following Qingli sent a message—and the director’s heart sank with a thud:

【Director, Jiang Qingli, completed the fish-gutting task!】

Damn it!

She knows how to gut fish!

How is that even possible?!

When Qingli took the cleaned fish to rinse, the livestream exploded:

【How can someone that pretty know how to gut fish?! And she did a great job too??】
【Is it me, or has the world gone insane?】
【Qingli, you’re unbelievable!】

Xu Shan was just as stunned. She helped rinse the fish while blurting out what everyone was thinking: “Qingli… you did it?”

Qingli responded matter-of-factly, “Of course. I told you—I’ve got a great memory. I watched a fish vendor at the market once and memorized the whole process. Just tried it now, and it worked perfectly.”

Xu Shan: “??? That’s it?”

Livestream comments:

【That’s it???】
【It’s that easy for her?!】
【Turns out I’m the clown. This girl’s incredible!】

With the hardest task—gutting fish—handled, no one, not the director, not the viewers, not the Jiang or Xu families, worried about her cooking anymore. Honestly, it didn’t even need to taste good—if it was edible, it’d pass.

And even if it didn’t taste good, people would still say it did.

So, when it came to cooking, Qingli purposely played it a little clumsily. With Xu Shan guiding her, she successfully cooked up a full meal: steamed fish, braised fish, fish soup, stir-fried eggplant… and more.

From start to finish, the entire task only took three hours.

Another three hours!

Watching the footage of Qingli asking for her prize, the director, now on the verge of a breakdown, slammed his planning booklet down and gritted his teeth. “Give it to her!”

He was practically growling.

The staff stayed silent and hurried to the supply room, bringing out the bike and Qingli’s phone.

She finally got it!

No one in the Xu family had a phone, and there was no one they needed to contact. All the available communication methods in the village had been quietly blocked by the production team. Qingli had already experienced this in her previous life, so she didn’t bother wasting time trying them again.

This time, she went along with the program’s rules to lower their guard, making it seem like she had accepted her fate and was simply completing tasks as told.

So when she asked for her phone, claiming she wanted to call her family, the production team didn’t suspect a thing.

Qingli unlocked the phone—it was fully charged. She tapped the screen a few times but didn’t immediately make a call.

Instead, she hopped on the bike and rode straight out of the yard.

Livestream chat:
【??? What’s happening?!】

Production team: “?!!?”

The director froze, then bolted upright and shouted, “Stop her! She’s trying to escape! Don’t let her get away!”

With that command, the production crew sprang into action. Some took off running, some hopped on electric scooters, and others jumped in cars to cut her off.

“Help!” Qingli screamed like she was terrified, pedaling as fast as she could.

But she didn’t get far before the road ahead was blocked.

A swarm of staff surrounded her, trying to pin her down. One even shouted, “Grab her phone!”

Qingli tossed the bike aside, ducked under two people trying to grab her, and took off running in another direction. As she ran, she shouted into her phone at full volume:

“Officer, can you hear me?! I’ve been kidnapped! They’re restricting my freedom and trying to steal my belongings! Please help me! I’m in Xu Family Village, Jichun County, under Y City!”

Production crew: “!!!”

She… called the police!!!