Chapter 21: Lexi Cornered and Scolded

But who could have guessed the staff would say,
“The guests decide. Minority follows the majority.”
Wang Sisi immediately raised her hand,
“I want to catch crayfish.”
Huo Hongming shot Wang Zhuorui a look and said,
“I want to keep moving, hurry up and meet the other two guests.”
Huo Hongming was confident Wang Zhuorui would side with him; after all, when Lexi and Wang Sisi had barbecue and didn’t share, Wang Zhuorui had grumbled all night before bed, after the cameras were off.
But Huo Hongming was wrong again.
Wang Zhuorui meekly raised his hand,
“I want to catch crayfish too.”
Huo Hongming looked at him incredulously, as if he’d lost his mind.
Wang Zhuorui explained,
“I love eating crayfish. I’ve never caught them before, I want to try.”
Wang Sisi patted Wang Zhuorui,
“Your decision is absolutely right,”
then turned to Huo Hongming,
“You can wait for us by the donkey cart, just keep an eye on it.”
Huo Hongming wasn’t that foolish. If everyone went and he stayed behind, besides being scolded online for lack of team spirit,
when it came time to eat crayfish, he’d surely get none—he believed Lexi would make sure of it.
“If you’re all going, we’re a team, of course I’ll go too.”
...
“Go on, go on, you filthy mop-pusher, do you know how expensive my shoes are? Are you blind? Can’t even mop the floor properly, what use are you alive, might as well just die,”
Having just suffered in the private room, Song Qi finally found someone to vent his anger on, with his nose upturned, he unleashed a torrent of abuse at the cleaner.
“Good son-in-law, I’m your father,”
Lexi’s father saw Song Qi as a lifeline,
throwing aside his mop.
Lexi gives them nothing but rice and grains each month, not a penny passes through their hands, and the so-called housekeeper is nothing of the sort—
but a formidable aunt.
She rules over everything, even lectures them for wasting water when washing their hands, instructing them how things should be done.
What time to get up, what time to sleep.
Lexi’s mother isn’t even allowed to volunteer for housework; Lexi’s father and uncle must do it.
If they want money, they must explain its purpose. If it’s to buy sausages,
they have to snap a photo of the sausages and the receipt.

They are miserable beyond words.
Lexi’s father couldn’t stand his job, ran home, but the housekeeper said, if you don’t work, then don’t eat.
She really didn’t let him eat for a day, starving him until he sheepishly begged the manager to let him return to work the next day.
“Dad, I miss you so much, son-in-law,”
Song Qi dodged, not letting Lexi’s father touch him,
“Take your filthy hands away, dad? What dad?”
“Son-in-law, you may not want Lexi, but you can’t not want me as your dad. I treated you like my own son—if you don’t see me as your real dad, at least treat me as a wild one. Just throw me a few tens of thousands, that’d be good enough.”
Lexi’s father complained,
“That wicked girl Lexi, no wonder you don’t want her, she’s truly unfilial. You’re so generous, gave her thirty million, and she didn’t give me a penny, even kicked me out to work. She’ll get what’s coming to her.”
Song Qi used to feel disgusted—he always felt revolted by Lexi’s family,
never accompanied Lexi back to her parents’ home, but now, hearing a father say such venomous things to his daughter,
Song Qi sneered,
“You want money? Of course, I have plenty. But I doubt you’ll do as I say.”
Lexi’s father:
“As long as you give me money so I don’t have to do this wretched job anymore, I’ll do anything.”
Lexi and her group had a fruitful day, thanks to fat, juicy earthworms,
the crayfish were plentiful. They simply rolled up their pants, waded into the river and picked them by hand.
They gathered several big basins.
Lexi first cooked a basin for the staff, and as they were enjoying it, she asked,
“If we have money, can we take the train?”
Lexi didn’t mind the donkey cart, since they stayed in hotels at night now,
but she worried about the donkey. Though it could rest at night, the heat was intense,
and the donkey’s condition was poor—Lexi feared it might die.
“You can, as long as you earned the money yourselves. You could even fly if you wanted.”
When the staff realized they’d said too much and tried to take it back, it was already too late,
Lexi:
“Keep your word, the viewers are watching.”
Lexi told them,
“Stop eating, if you want a comfy ride, hurry up, those who are brushing crayfish, brush crayfish, those who are purging them, purge them.”
Everyone was eager to reach Xishan River, so all cooperated.
That evening, Lexi and her group went to the night market to sell spicy crayfish,
already packed—twenty yuan per box.
They were still debating who should call out, when people flocked over on their own.

Huo Hongming and Wang Zhuorui exchanged a smile,
“At last, we’re somewhere people recognize celebrities.”
“Yes,”
Both stood tall, believing the crowd was there for them,
“Crayfish—”
But they were interrupted,
“These crayfish, did Lexi make them?”
Huo Hongming and Wang Zhuorui were a bit disappointed, so they tried hard to promote themselves,
“We helped too, we caught and cleaned them together.”
“So they’re made by Lexi?”
Lexi replied,
“Yes, I made them, these are wild, the flavor is exceptional.”
“Oh, you show off your cooking on shows, but don’t cook a meal for your own parents at home. Isn’t it all for fame? People who don’t understand filial piety—even if they’re famous, they’ll soon fall.”
“You look decent enough, but who’d expect you to be so heartless? I just saw you eating crayfish, really enjoying yourself. Did you know, while you were feasting, your parents were choking on dry bread, nearly suffocating? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”
“You’ve been living separately for two years, and you’ve got bad habits, repeatedly scamming your ex-husband. Though he’s utterly disappointed in you, for the sake of your marriage, he still gave you thirty million, yet you, wicked woman, used his money to hire trolls to attack him online. You truly are a rotten woman.”
More and more people gathered, surrounding Lexi and her group,
everyone taking turns to curse Lexi. The scene was livelier than Wang Zhuorui’s concerts.
[Wow, people here are so gutsy, really know how to curse.]
[Too bad I’m not there, otherwise I’d join in.]
[I’m starting to sympathize with the ex-husband.]
[Lexi’s parents are even more pitiful, turned into leeches by Lexi. Looks like Gu Xiaomo was tricked by Lexi too, and Gu Xiaomo even defended her.]
This must be something Song Qi did, or Lexi’s family did.
Wang Sisi:
“What nonsense are you talking? We’re filming a show, don’t make trouble.”
While the crowd was persuading Wang Sisi not to be fooled by Lexi,
Lexi took out her phone, opened her microblog,
and saw her parents’ tearful livestream accusing her—videos and photos were topping every major site’s headlines.
Lexi couldn’t be bothered to open the videos,
but she looked at the photos:
Her father pushing a garbage cart, her mother choking on bread,
her uncle bowing ninety degrees to strangers...