Chapter 17

Sensing the goodwill from Director Ouyang, Wei Sheng blinked.

Why did it feel like after missing two episodes, his colleagues were suddenly treating him much better?

Since no one objected, Wei Sheng continued refining his plan. However, he felt it was best for everyone to discuss the division of tasks together.

After all, everyone here was a senior at the TV station. As a newcomer, what right did he have to give them orders?

Since childhood, his grandfather had taught him: “Do what’s appropriate for your age.”

Juniors should behave accordingly—respect the elderly, be kind to the young, and do good deeds daily. This way, no matter where he went, he wouldn’t suffer losses.

Wei Sheng briefly analyzed what needed to be done, and the four guest hosts quickly came up with a division of labor—

Wei Sheng, with his sharp ideas and wide connections, would be in charge of sales.

Chen Mengjie, whose family invested in real estate development, would find a (free) interior designer to help them set up an in-house sales display.

Zhang Zexuan, with his extensive government connections, would handle reaching out to major educational institutions in the province—

After all, whether they were academic or non-academic training centers, they all fell under the education bureau’s jurisdiction and had to show some courtesy.

Even if they couldn’t secure big orders right away, at the very least, they could get an opportunity to showcase their products.

As for Ouyang Xia, there was no question—he managed the New Media Department. The online sales platform setup and promotional tasks naturally fell to him.

“Wait! We’re all focused on selling, but what about food?” Chen Mengjie raised the most urgent issue.

Her gaze, intentional or not, drifted toward Wei Sheng.

Wei Sheng: “…”

Fine. Cooking for four people every day wasn’t much trouble anyway. Besides, his work was mostly mental, so it wouldn’t interfere with his tasks.

“Xiao Wei, you’re such a great guy! Once this is over, I’ll treat you to a feast! You can pick the best restaurant in the provincial capital!” Chen Mengjie was deeply moved.

In this remote countryside, the village’s only convenience store didn’t even have real instant noodles—just knockoff brands!

If she wanted to fill her stomach, she had three choices: cook for herself, buy “Aoli Give” (a bootleg Oreo), or settle for “Ling Mailang” (a knockoff Jinmailang* instant noodle).

A billionaire like her had been reduced to such a state? Truly tragic!

The four hosts split up to handle their respective tasks.

Meanwhile, Xia Pingkang, the cameraman assigned to Wei Sheng, saw him grab his wallet and head toward the village. He quickly followed.

Wei Sheng, with his good looks and sweet talk, soon managed to buy two large slabs of cured meat, a winter melon, an old pumpkin, a bag of dried bamboo shoots, and a full basket of fresh vegetables from the villagers.

The total cost? Less than 100 yuan.

“The countryside really is cheap. If we bought this much in a supermarket, we wouldn’t get out of there without spending at least 300.” Xia Pingkang couldn’t help but comment.

“Now you understand why I got my mom into the specialty food business, right? Hey, Brother Xia, want to join our specialty food group? We have regular discounts—I’ll add you!”

Without hesitation, Wei Sheng added Xia Pingkang to his bulk-buying group chat.

Xia Pingkang opened it—wow! A massive group with hundreds of members!

No wonder even the director said Wei Sheng had a vast network.

And this wasn’t just any network… The kind of people who used their phones to snatch food deals while still affording premium specialty products? They were definitely well-off.

Xiao Wei, you’re a treasure to this production team!

As they walked toward the edge of the village, they saw a house with several bamboo trays in the yard, drying peanuts, sweet potato slices, and string beans.

Wei Sheng’s eyes lit up. He quickly approached, hoping to borrow a few bamboo trays.

A thought suddenly struck him—another advantage of bamboo products: durability!

Sure, nylon drying nets were cheap and convenient, but exposure to wind and sun meant they barely lasted a year before needing replacement.

But traditional bamboo products? The more you used them, the better they got! If they got damaged, thrifty elders would even patch them up instead of discarding them.

Not to mention large bamboo furniture like beds and stools—those things could last for generations.

As the saying goes, “A bamboo bed lasts three generations. Even when people are gone, the bed remains.”

The bamboo trays in this courtyard, judging by their condition, had been in use for at least five years!

Bringing them into the livestream studio as samples would be perfect for showcasing how long handmade bamboo products could last.

You all love those cheap nylon drying nets? Well, they cost 20 yuan and only last a year.

Our bamboo trays are pricier, but with proper care, they can last ten years.

That means you’re spending less than 5 yuan per year!

Which one’s the better deal? No need to spell it out, right?

In the yard, a little girl sat on a bench, doing her homework.

“Hey there, kiddo. Are your parents home? We’re from J Province TV, here to film a show. We’d like to buy some things from your family.”

Wei Sheng had no intention of taking advantage of the villagers. Since they needed to buy ingredients anyway, he planned to purchase their dried goods and borrow a few bamboo trays for a couple of days.

That should be reasonable, right?

The girl looked up, her eyes initially filled with caution.

But Wei Sheng had a friendly demeanor, and the cameraman’s camera had the J Province TV logo on it. After a moment, she smiled and brought over two bamboo stools for them.

“You guys wait here for a moment, I’ll go to the vegetable garden in the back and call my grandma.”

The little girl ran off to the backyard with quick steps. About ten minutes later, an elderly woman with a floral headscarf and a bamboo basket on her arm returned, walking unsteadily.

Hou Tingting was in the fourth grade of elementary school. When she was very young, her father was imprisoned for theft and assault. Not long after, her mother, unable to endure the hardships of mountain life, abandoned her and left.

Grandma Hou, already quite old, couldn’t rely on her son. She endured great hardships to raise her only granddaughter.

Since she was too old for heavy labor, she managed several vegetable gardens near her home and raised dozens of chickens.

By selling free-range eggs and various dried vegetables, she saved money to support her granddaughter’s education.

Hearing that Wei Sheng wanted to buy things, Grandma Hou was delighted. However, since their livelihood depended on this small income, she was cautious. She worried that Wei Sheng might try to haggle like the merchants who came to the countryside to buy goods, so she carefully explained that her eggs were fresh and her chickens were fed with homegrown vegetables. Even if Wei Sheng was here to buy in bulk, she could only lower the price by five cents per egg at most.

Otherwise, she would rather walk to town and sell them herself.

Wei Sheng asked about the prices and, without hesitation, bought an entire basket of eggs and a jar of salted eggs from Grandma Hou.

Thinking that braised potato slices wouldn’t be the same without chicken, he also bought two young chickens from her.

While at it, he purchased all the peanuts, dried sweet potatoes, and dried string beans that Grandma Hou had laid out to sun-dry on the open ground.

When he asked to borrow some bamboo trays for two days, Grandma Hou agreed without a second thought.

“These ones are old, but I have a few newly woven ones at home. If you need them, just take them. They’re all handmade—no need to pay!”

Grandma Hou had actually been a generous and straightforward person in the past. If life hadn’t been so tough, who would want to haggle over every little thing and risk annoying others?

“Thank you, Auntie, but for our show, we actually need these well-used bamboo trays as props. I checked, and the ones from other houses aren’t as good as yours. By the way, we’re staying in that two-story brick house at the entrance of the village. I’ll take these trays with me for now. If you need them urgently, just send word, and I’ll bring them back.”

The cameraman quietly recorded the entire exchange.

Later, when the episode aired, a bunch of viewers around Wei Sheng’s age started suggesting that he write a book on how to communicate with stubborn elderly folks.

Just moments ago, the old lady had looked so guarded and stingy, yet after talking with Wei Sheng for less than ten minutes, she was already offering him her new bamboo trays for free?

As they were about to leave, Wei Sheng noticed Hou Tingting lying on a wooden bench, doing her homework. A thought formed in his mind.

But before acting on it, he needed to discuss it with the director.

“What? You’re saying we shouldn’t use the money we earned to install streetlights in the village, but instead use it to buy necessities to improve the villagers’ lives?”

“Director, don’t get worked up. I’m not talking about renovating houses or buying cattle for the villagers. I know our show’s budget is limited. Just hear me out.”

Wei Sheng interrupted the director’s wild speculations and proposed a solution that might be even more cost-effective than installing streetlights.

“I’ve noticed that many left-behind children in the village don’t have proper desks or lamps. Every time they do their homework, they have to drag a stool to the doorway and bend over a bench. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it could also lead to poor posture and even hunchbacks.”

“Also, a lot of the elderly villagers have mentioned that there aren’t enough rural buses. If they want to sell local produce in town but miss the bus, they have no choice but to walk there.”

“You know, my mom recently started a business selling specialty farm products. That’s why I wasn’t around for those two episodes—I was in the countryside helping her find suppliers. Isn’t this a perfect coincidence? My family needs farm produce, and these villagers want to sell their goods.”

“Director, if the show agrees, why not connect with my mom under the program’s name? We could set up a long-term buyer for the elderly villagers who have difficulty traveling.”

Now, this was an idea!

No need to spend extra show funds, and it could provide lasting help to the left-behind elderly in Houzhai Village?

Damn, this kid Wei was really something!

For a moment, the director was seriously tempted.

After all, Wei Sheng had just joined the post-production team and wasn’t yet a core member. This kid had a quick mind and a knack for solving problems for his superiors—maybe he should be transferred to the director’s own team?

Wei Sheng had no idea that he had caught the director’s attention.

After getting the director’s approval, he immediately called Hou Pengfei.

His mom couldn’t personally make trips to the mountains all the time, so Wei Sheng decided to find a reliable person in the village and set up a collection point.

He planned to negotiate a fair profit-sharing deal, letting Hou Pengfei and his wife handle the acquisition of local seasonal specialties and then ship them directly to the provincial capital through logistics.

This way, not only would his mom have an easier time sourcing goods, but it would also provide an additional income stream for Hou Pengfei and his wife, who were struggling to start their business.

(End of chapter)

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—Jinmailang (今麦郎) is a well-known Chinese brand that produces instant noodles, beverages, and other food products. It is one of the major competitors in China’s instant noodle market, alongside brands like Master Kong (康师傅) and Uni-President (统一). Jinmailang is popular for its affordable and diverse noodle flavors, catering to a wide consumer base.