Chapter 25: I Need to Brainwash Them

The two men smiled and gestured for the two children to climb off the bicycles.

"Thanks, brother. You guys aren't really selling fruit, are you? This is quite the setup."

Xu Shujian laughed, "It's just the family hanging out, selling some fruit on the side."

"Xu Shujian!!!" Just then, the woman who had previously thought Xu Shujian looked familiar suddenly shouted, holding up her phone to show the person next to her.

"Who?" the two men leaned in.

"Xu Shujian! He used to be huge; he even performed at the Spring Festival Gala!"

"Holy crap! It really is him!"

One of the men immediately turned to Xu Shujian, "Damn, it is you! The captain of the boy band LG. I know you! I was still in college when you were at your peak. Back then my girlfr—ugh, never mind. How come you’re selling fruit?"

The man was very enthusiastic, pulling out his phone to take photos as he spoke, which left Xu Shujian feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It’s me, it’s me. Please, don't get too excited. I’m a has-been, truly."

First, they took photos individually, then they took group photos together.

"Nonsense, you just stopped appearing in public. I still see people on TikTok covering your old tracks all the time. Aren't you from Yuzhou? What are you doing in Yuecheng?"

"Man, you look even more handsome than back then. Didn't you get married? What's the situation with you guys?"

Xu Shujian pointed to Song Yue nearby and explained, "Just think of it as a tenth-anniversary honeymoon trip. We're filming a variety show, and the production team won't give us any money to spend. We were forced into this, and we just happened to run into the old gentleman. We're just trying to earn a living."

In fact, even without Xu Shujian’s explanation, the woman had already recognized Song Yue. She was checking her phone and found various articles about Xu Shujian and Song Yue getting married and retiring from the industry, complete with photos of Song Yue.

The two women hurried over to take photos with Song Yue as well.

"It’s been over a decade in the blink of an eye. That’s great. What kind of variety show are you filming?"

Xu Shujian replied, "It hasn't aired yet. There's a confidentiality agreement, so please, brother, don't spread the word just yet."

The man laughed heartily, "I get it, I get it. Weigh us a few pounds. It’s just inconvenient to carry since our car isn't parked nearby; otherwise, I would’ve bought the whole lot. Leibo navel oranges are delicious—they’re our local specialty. It’s perfect, consider it a promotion for us through your show."

As Xu Shujian bagged the fruit for the man, he agreed, "They are indeed delicious. They’re incredibly sweet; most places can’t grow fruit this good. Fruit like this is very particular about the environment and the weather."

Another man gave Xu Shujian a thumbs-up, "Professional. Give me ten pounds too."

Xu Shujian and Song Yue stayed there for over forty minutes, encountering five or six groups of people. Some recognized Xu Shujian, while others didn't, but Xu Shujian was enthusiastic and had a great image. He sold as little as five or six pounds and as much as twenty-plus pounds to various customers.

One generous man, after learning about their situation, secretly transferred extra money to Xu Shujian. Even when Xu Shujian tried to return it, the man refused and rode off on his bike.

By the end, Xu Shujian had made over three hundred yuan, and he had helped the old gentleman sell off more than half of his inventory.

When they left, the old gentleman was reluctant to see them go, pulling Xu Shujian aside to film two more videos before finally letting them off.

The accompanying director was caught between laughter and tears, only feeling at ease after reporting to his superiors and receiving their approval.

At 2:30 PM, Xu Shujian and Song Yue encountered a roadside farmhouse restaurant, and Xu Shujian steered them in without a second thought.

Their guide had been useless; they hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, and their stomachs had been growling for a long time. Once they found food, why would they mistreat themselves? If they could eat fresh food, who would settle for instant noodles and pre-packaged meals?

The farmhouse was run by an elderly couple who didn't recognize them. Xu Shujian waved his hand and ordered two dishes—primarily a sizable fish caught from Qionghai Lake. He had it prepared three ways and added a vegetable dish, making a meal of three dishes and one soup.

Xu Shujian offered to let the production crew join them, but they declined, citing the importance of filming.

At a table by the river, the owner began serving the dishes. Song Yue licked her lips, her bright eyes sparkling.

Xu Shujian handed Song Yue a pair of chopsticks, "Eat. I’m truly starving."

Song Yue began to eat, "I never expected you to have this kind of talent."

Tofu and fish head soup, deep-fried fish fillets, and spicy green pepper fish—in their famished state, Xu Shujian didn't care about anything else. He replied while eating, "Just a normal operation. Maybe the others will learn to earn money themselves, too."

Song Yue took small bites and shook her head.

They wouldn't. Most people couldn't think of it, and even if they could, they couldn't do it as well as Xu Shujian. At the very least, those other people couldn't.

Song Yue had put herself in their shoes earlier. She was hungry, too, but she respected the rules and didn't think there was anything wrong with eating instant noodles. The production team restricted their spending specifically to see the chemical reactions of these families facing financial hardship.

It was easy to say, but when faced with complex marital issues and interpersonal conflicts, few people had the leisure for such things, nor were they necessarily willing to put down their pride—take Zhang Qidong, for example.

Yu Hui might be capable of it, but someone like him wouldn't make the old gentleman happy, nor the buyers, nor the sellers.

As for Chen Linye and Pan Yun, the only thing Song Yue could imagine was Chen Linye busking.

Comparing everyone, Song Yue looked at Xu Shujian, feeling inexplicably anxious.

With Xu Shujian being like this, did he even need her to "optimize" him anymore?

If he didn't, another problem began to surface: she felt like she was truly about to lose him.

Xu Shujian scooped a ladle of rice into Song Yue's bowl, "The taste is pretty good. You can tell it’s a freshly killed fish. We still have two hundred left. I'll figure something else out later. Since we're traveling, a 'poverty-style' trip is no fun at all."

Song Yue murmured an agreement, "It's delicious. You're amazing. Eating instant noodles is so boring."

Xu Shujian chuckled twice.

Ten minutes later, Xu Shujian began piling food into Song Yue’s bowl.

Song Yue froze. Why is he giving everything to me? What does this mean? Don't... don't be so good to me!

Behind and to the side, sounds began to drift over. Song Yue didn't need to turn around to know someone was coming. She glanced at Xu Shujian, a smile curling the corners of her lips.

Xu Shujian didn't look at her reaction, just focused on finishing his meal, his mouth glistening with oil.

He had earned this money through his own hard work; why should he share it with them?

Some people didn't respect their own dignity, so there was no need for him to maintain it for them.

...

On the other side, a group of people were chatting and laughing as they rode their bikes slowly along the cycling path.

Zhang Qidong glanced at the bag hanging in front of him, filled with oranges and apples. He chuckled, "Some people just love to rush. We're on vacation, not at work. Naturally, you should do whatever makes you comfortable. Look at us: we’re calmly enjoying the scenery and chatting, and we even managed to buy some discounted fruit at the end of the day. This is what life is about—so enjoyable and comfortable!"

Pan Yun chimed in, "Mr. Zhang, don't say that. It was my fault for getting up late. But I haggled hard to get those; I practically drove that old man to despair. See? I still know how to live. When it comes to taking care of everyone, that's my specialty. Look at what you guys bought—I got two big bags for twenty yuan, hahahaha... I’ll apologize to Mr. Song and Shujian in a bit."

Zhang Qidong laughed again, "I'm just joking. Didn't I wake up late too? I understand. Everyone has a different attitude toward life. I'm not saying they're bad. I'll have to brainwash them later. It's understandable; Mr. Song is focused on his career and Shujian is such a homebody—they must rarely go out to play. I have to correct their travel mindset. It’s them who will feel uncomfortable if they don't fit in. I'm doing this for their own good."