Chapter 17: Fight, Fight, Fight—Are You Even Human, or Just a Fool?

"Host, you might as well just have us walk, pushing the cart is even more exhausting."

"This donkey is hilarious. You can tell the production team put a lot of thought into this—the donkey's legs are thinner than my four-month-old baby's!"

"It's all just a gimmick. I'm sure there's a car up ahead pulling the donkey, otherwise how would they cover over nine hundred kilometers? We'd be walking forever."

"Don't be fooled by its skinny legs; it's tough," the host said, patting the donkey's hoof. "No problem at all. Let me explain: each donkey cart is stocked with food rations, blankets, and so on, but if you finish the food, you'll have to figure out the rest yourselves."

"You must hand over any money or mobile phones you have. As before, we'll provide you with backup phones, so you can't use your own funds. Good luck, see you at West Mountain River."

"This donkey is so thin! How are we supposed to sit on it, let alone two people and all that luggage," muttered Huo Hongming.

Le Xi examined the three bags given by the production team: one held compressed biscuits, bottled water, and instant noodles; another contained two quilts; the last had a tent and raincoats.

After piling their own luggage onto the donkey cart, the group set off.

A minivan from the production team led the way. Since donkey carts weren't allowed on the highway, they traveled along the national road.

The air was filled with the scent of blooming rapeseed flowers, which finally eased their unsettled moods, making them feel a bit lighter.

But trouble soon arose. The road ahead was pitted and rough. The donkey staggered, and the cart rocked with it.

They feared the donkey's legs might break, or the cart might overturn, so everyone got down: some led the donkey by its rope, others pushed the cart.

"We've barely walked any distance!" complaints began anew.

Wang Sisi remained optimistic. "It’s fun—all is for the best. This will be an interesting experience."

No one responded.

After more than half an hour, they finally left the bad road. Just as they climbed back onto the cart, rain began to fall.

"Oh, this is so unlucky! Put on your raincoats, put on your raincoats!" Huo Hongming wished he could turn back.

Le Xi checked the weather forecast; the rain would last for hours.

Le Xi asked, "Does anyone know how to pitch a tent?"

No one answered.

"If none of us can, then we should stop now. The rain isn't too heavy yet; let's figure out how to pitch the tent. It's eleven o'clock now, and by three in the afternoon, the rainfall will reach over eighty millimeters. If the rain gets stronger, pitching the tent will be much harder."

Huo Hongming objected, "That's ridiculous—we should hurry while the rain is light. Weather forecasts aren't always accurate. Maybe if we move on, it'll stop raining elsewhere."

Wang Zhuorui agreed, "I think we should keep moving. We're in the middle of nowhere, nothing around—could be snakes or stray dogs. I don't want to spend the night here."

Wang Sisi considered, "But there are no service areas nearby. If we head to a village, we don’t have money for a hotel, and pitching a tent outside someone’s home isn’t ideal. Here is good—the air is fresh, it's like camping. I vote we pitch the tent right here."

Huo Hongming insisted, "I'm moving on. I won't stay here. It's just a little rain; if we stop now, what if it rains every day? Are we supposed to stay here forever, never reach West Mountain River, never finish the show?"

"They really are pushing the cart themselves—it's truly a donkey cart, kind of tragic."

"The production team could have just given them a minivan. The donkey cart is too much—it’s not ancient times."

"Le Xi isn’t wrong. None of them can pitch a tent. If there’s a heavy storm, raincoats won’t help—they’ll be soaked to the bone."

"Let me ask you, if the rain gets worse and everyone gets sick, and we have no money, then what?" Le Xi's question struck deep.

Huo Hongming took a deep breath. "I'll take responsibility."

Le Xi retorted, "Take responsibility for what? You can't bear someone else's pain or discomfort."

"You—" Huo Hongming was frustrated but had no comeback.

So they listened to Le Xi and stopped to pitch the tent. Everyone sat together, watching tutorials online about pitching tents. Wang Sisi, restless, said, "My head feels a bit dizzy. I'll get up and clear my mind."

Huo Hongming grew impatient with the repeated tutorials. "Why make it so complicated?" He walked over to the production team's van. "Can you help us pitch the tent? It's too complicated, and it's raining."

The staff replied, "No, it's the rule—the whole journey must be completed by yourselves."

Huo Hongming returned dejectedly, only to see Wang Sisi dancing with the donkey. He cursed inwardly: 'Idiot.'

Wang Zhuorui had been patient, but as the rain intensified and he saw Wang Sisi still sparring with the donkey, his temper flared. "Wang Sisi, are you done yet? If it weren't for you, would we be suffering like this? Dancing, dancing—are you even human? You idiot."

"Don't blame Wang Sisi for everything, Wang Zhuorui. You know your own abilities. You couldn't sell concert tickets or even a single ear of corn."

"Men like him are terrifying—blaming women for everything."

"To be fair, Wang Sisi is also at fault. She isn’t selling the goods properly, and now it’s raining. Everyone is focused on pitching the tent, but she’s dancing with the donkey—really seems out of her mind."

Wang Sisi said nothing, but picked up the tent and started fiddling with it fiercely.

Le Xi hurried over to help; pitching the tent was urgent now. Le Xi had brute strength and could cook, but anything that required thinking was beyond her. Wang Sisi seemed to know what she was doing.

Le Xi wanted to get it done quickly and rest inside; the rain made them cold and hungry.

Wang Sisi really did know how, and soon the two of them had a tent pitched.

"See, your teammates have finished one—let them help," said Wang Zhuorui and Huo Hongming, who doubted Wang Sisi and Le Xi could do it properly and kept pestering the staff for assistance.

Wang Sisi, proud, declared, "I said I was dizzy and needed to play with the donkey to clear my head. Now Le Xi and I have pitched one. If you want me to help you, Wang Zhuorui, you’ll have to apologize."

Huo Hongming nudged Wang Zhuorui, "Hurry up, apologize—I'm freezing!"

"Huo Hongming, you’re telling Wang Zhuorui to apologize, but you should too. The way you looked at Wang Sisi dancing with the donkey, you wanted to call her an idiot as well."

"Wang Sisi isn't useless after all."

"I find the girls more interesting—Wang Sisi and Le Xi work so well together, I want to root for them."

"Sorry," Wang Zhuorui apologized, and the comments rolled in:

"If only Wang Zhuorui put as much energy into his concerts as he does apologizing. If he stopped insisting on stadiums, he wouldn’t have lost so much and have to do variety shows to pay off his debts."

"Why do you think he apologized? He just wants the show to go smoothly so he can keep losing money on stadiums—it’s a vicious cycle he can’t escape."