Chapter 140

The little human child running and shouting at the top of his lungs melted the hearts of many viewers watching the live broadcast.

Song Feiran wore a black jacket, his expression still cold, yet his pace unconsciously slowed down significantly to match An An’s huffing and puffing as he tried to catch up.

When An An finally managed to catch up and even ran ahead, Song Feiran couldn’t help but ask disdainfully, “If you can’t even walk properly, what can you do?”

Feeling slighted, Xiao An’an put his hands on his hips and retorted, “I can pick up bottle caps!”

“And you ended up on X-Change because of picking up bottle caps?”

The little guy, who had just been standing proudly with his hands on his hips, started to look a bit downcast when he heard this, hanging his head and letting out a small huff, though he still seemed somewhat defiant.

【Haha, talking about the elephant in the room】

【Xiao An’an: You’re really good at chatting!】

【An An: Well said, but don’t say it again next time!】

【Song Feiran teasing An An is quite amusing; he seems like a very caring person.】

【Most of his classmates say he has a good personality. Isn’t sending him to X-Change just for relaxing through games a bit too much?】

【So, in the eyes of all parents, is academic performance still the only standard for measurement?】

The discussion started with finding An An amusing and then shifted to the reasons why Song Feiran was sent to X-Change, sparking a heated debate.

Many people thought that since Song Feiran was still young, he would eventually appreciate his parents’ push for him to work hard as he grew older.

Conversely, many others disagreed, citing their own experiences.

Even with parental pressure from a young age, they didn’t grow into what their parents expected, and looking back, they felt a deep sense of regret.

Under the sun, An An continued working with his Big Brother. After they finished working together, both were drenched in sweat.

On the way back, before the tired An An could speak up, Song Feiran directly picked him up.

As An An adjusted his breathing while hugging his Big Brother’s neck, he heard his brother’s teasing voice in his ear.

“Little weakling~”

An An didn’t understand what this term meant, but he could guess from his brother’s expression that it wasn’t anything nice. Annoyed, he reached out and tugged at his brother’s ear.

“What did you say?”

“Little weakling~”

Song Feiran happily repeated, having long seen through this little guy’s tough exterior and soft heart. Though An An appeared fierce, he was actually reluctant to be harsh.

Realizing that threats were ineffective, An An withdrew his hand angrily, folded his arms, turned his head to the side, and let out a huff like he was sulking.

In life, happiness comes from comparison.

Song Feiran initially thought his situation was terrible until he realized the other two were worse off. Then, seeing this amusing little one, his mood instantly brightened.

“Big Brother fai~ I’m not talking to Big Brother anymore, hmph.”

Once they reached Grandma’s yard and An An was set down, he finally voiced this thought.

Upon hearing this, Song Feiran squatted down in front of him and pinched his soft cheeks.

“Then who will dress you tomorrow?”

“Big Brother will.”

“Isn’t Big Brother bad?”

“Not bad, not bad.”

An An leaned in and hugged his Big Brother’s leg, like a little ornament hanging on Song Feiran.

The System in this world seemed to have a temporary glitch or some other reason, as it didn’t immediately provide information related to the mission target.

An An could only make do with the current information and wait for the System to update him later.

Fortunately, in this backward little village, while children Song Feiran’s age might feel out of place, someone An An’s age didn’t really mind.

After all, for him, it was just a change of playground.

With every step Song Feiran took, the little ornament hanging on his leg moved with him, clearly playing the fool, which gave him quite a headache.

“Let go!”

Song Feiran deliberately put on a stern face, trying to make the little guy compromise.

Unexpectedly, An An looked up at his fierce Big Brother for two seconds and then decisively closed his eyes.

【An An: If I can’t see it, I’m not scared】

【Haha, covering one’s ears while stealing a bell, my little one is too cute, sob sob.】

【First, I declare I mean no harm. Second, I’m just curious. I remember this show promoted products before. How much does such an ornament cost? Is shipping included?】

This comment attracted many viewers to check out the store opened by the show’s official team, where almost all the products were items sold to help the impoverished mountain villagers.

Those with the leisure to browse weren’t stingy about spending money, and sales surged instantly.

Many products sold out within just two days.

At this time, the store released a new announcement, stating that new stock would be available in a week, featuring fruits from the current filming location, and hoped for everyone’s support.

In this seemingly impoverished village, many peach trees were planted on the mountains.

Although the peaches mostly rotted on the ground after ripening each year, the villagers still carefully tended to the trees to have something to do.

Now, with the fruit just ripening, Song Feiran and An An were taken up the mountain by Grandma.

The Village Chief had previously communicated with the villagers that this time they would cooperate with the Production Team, who would help them set up an online store.

Compared to selling to the canning factories in town, they could earn twice as much.

Song Feiran carried a bamboo basket from Grandma’s house on his back. Climbing the mountain was tiring, and by the time he reached halfway, his legs were trembling.

In the basket on his back sat An An, holding a small basket, sitting obediently without moving.

Hearing his brother’s increasingly heavy breathing, An An gently patted him.

“Big Brother, should I walk by myself?”

At this age, children naturally have a strong sense of competitiveness, especially when facing a beloved younger brother.

Even though Song Feiran’s legs were shaking as he rested against a tree, he refused his brother’s offer without hesitation.

“No need, you’re not heavy.”

“Really? Today An An drank one and a half bottles of milk powder.”

Upon hearing An An’s slightly guilty tone, Song Feiran immediately changed his tune.

“No wonder you’re so heavy.”

“Hmph.”

【The ever-strong Big Brother, haha.】

【Did anyone notice his legs shaking?】

【Song Feiran: No, I can still carry on!】

【I can vouch, An An really isn’t heavy. He’s soft and round, and hugging him is so comfy~】

【What does the doctor upstairs say? How can you fantasize about hugging my son!!!】

Finally reaching the destination, the Production Team’s staff first set up the filming equipment, then called Song Feiran and An An over to prepare for the upcoming live broadcast.

Although there was some barely usable equipment, the mountain was too high, and the staff couldn’t carry it all the way up.

Although it was for the sake of the live broadcast, the Production Team reluctantly made their live streaming site presentable.

A picnic blanket was spread on the ground, and An An was placed on it, holding a peach that his grandmother had just stuffed into his arms.

The small basket they had carried earlier was now filled with peaches and placed aside as decoration.

Despite being on such a high mountain, they had only brought a little drinking water. Song Feiran held the bottle, letting the water trickle down slowly to wash the fuzz off the peach.

Once it was clean, An An eagerly took a bite.

The small mountain village was so remote that they couldn’t even buy the pesticides needed for growing fruit trees.

The reason these many fruits could grow was entirely due to the careful care of the owner.

The peaches were mostly green, not very sweet when bitten into, and had little flavor when chewed. The area near the pit was quite bitter, causing An An to instinctively frown.

Upon seeing An An’s reaction, the old grandmother’s back hunched almost instantly.

The Village Chief had previously thought about selling the village’s fruits to slightly farther places, but it had never been realized.

The main reason was that the fruits really didn’t taste good.

They had contacted many channels, but only the Canning Factory was willing to take them, and at a low price. However, for the villagers, it was a very rare source of income.

Seeing An An’s expression, Song Feiran also picked up a peach to try.

He initially thought An An might be picky, but after tasting it himself, he realized the flavor was indeed lacking.

Even though the tip was red, indicating ripeness, the flesh was still very hard.

【It seems, it’s not very tasty?】

【I thought no matter how it tasted, they would praise it well. I didn’t expect these two streamers to be so unprofessional.】

【Peaches like this are also in my hometown. Honestly, they’re really not very good.】

【Yes, back when there was nothing to eat as a child, we’d only pick them to fill our stomachs when we were starving.】

【But speaking of which, I do feel a bit nostalgic and want to try it again. It’s been years, and I miss my childhood life a bit.】

The staff responsible for this area saw the continuously rising order volume backstage, but their face didn’t show much joy. Instead, there was a faint worry between their brows.

The work site was at the Village Chief’s house. The assistant director came in holding a thermos cup and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“The order volume is okay, but… if the quality of the peaches is like this, it might be hard to ensure future sales won’t have issues.”

The reason they could sell now was purely because the show was still ongoing, and some people were buying out of curiosity.

If the peaches really weren’t tasty, once the show ended, everything in the village would return to how it was.

This was completely contrary to the Production Team’s original intention and definitely not what they wanted to see.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

The assistant director sighed helplessly after carefully looking at the data. The quality of the village’s fruits was just like this, which explained why they could only find a Canning Factory as an outlet before.

After all, in the fruit-selling industry, there’s a saying that good fruits never become canned.

During the live broadcast, An An and Song Feiran were very professional. With An An’s popularity, their order volume was decent, while the other two groups were quite lackluster.

Most people just wanted to join in the fun, but if they had to spend their own money on something they didn’t like, it was quite difficult.

When going down the mountain, the three groups of guests, who had been busy all day, looked exhausted, their voices hoarse to the point they couldn’t even speak.

Only Xiao An’an, being carried down the mountain by an assistant, still clutched a small flower even while asleep.

The program’s effort to boost fruit sales from underdeveloped areas even made it to the Hot Search, with many people expressing their opinions.

【What can I say, it feels like the program’s intention is good, but it’s still quite difficult to implement.】

【Yes, maybe some people will buy because of the show’s popularity, but they can’t rely on that forever.】

【So does the program have any significance?】

【Helping farmers isn’t that simple; the program might be a bit naive.】

【Replying to the previous comment, it does have significance, of course! Every change is a new progress!】

【Many programs and celebrities have tried before, but few have done well, right?】

The program team candidly admitted their shortcomings and welcomed any good suggestions from netizens.

Although the number of orders sold wasn’t high, the guests still diligently worked every day.

Halfway through the recording, the Production Team suddenly announced that a new guest would join them, and they were taken to the village entrance to welcome him.

The five of them thought it might be another unfortunate soul like them, but to their surprise, it was a man whose good temperament couldn’t be hidden even by casual clothes.

【Huh? Is he really that handsome? I’ve never seen someone like him in the industry before!】

【I don’t believe such a handsome male star could be unknown in the industry! I need all his information in three minutes.】

【Hello handsome, may I ask why you were sent to X-Change?】

【Haha, this might be the first time such a big guest has appeared in all the seasons of X-Change, right?】

【Host, say something!】

The host had left to record other programs after the previous show’s recording ended.

No one expected there would still be a new guest coming.

Without a host to help, the director had no choice but to step in, holding the microphone and asking:

“Hello, can you tell us why you were sent here? Can you introduce yourself?”

An An, who had been dozing off in his brother’s arms, was awakened by the noise. He rubbed his eyes and peeked in the direction of the sound.

“Hello everyone, my name is Zhou Shizhe, and I’m twenty-four years old.”

“Because… I talked back to my grandfather, so I was sent to X-Change.”

Hearing the familiar voice, An An suddenly wriggled out of his brother’s arms and ran towards his dear brother.

“Big Brother!!”

As An An ran over, Zhou Shizhe picked him up. Thanks to regular exercise, his physical condition was excellent, and he could easily hold An An securely with one hand.

The director, hearing this absurd reason, couldn’t help but continue to ask:

“Can you share a bit about what you talked back about?”

There was nothing to hide, so Zhou Shizhe nodded slightly.

“Well, my grandfather said my little brother being sent to X-Change was pitiful, and I said with the Production Team and assistants taking care of him, it should be fine.”

“So, I was sent here.”

After saying this, Zhou Shizhe looked at his brother, reaching out to smooth his messy hair.

After revealing the real reason, even the director didn’t know how to continue.

The younger brother was sent to the show for picking up bottle caps, and the older brother was sent for not pitying his brother. Each reason was more ridiculous than the last!

“Big Brother, does Grandpa miss me?”

Zhou Shizhe softly acknowledged with a nod, pointing at the camera as he spoke:

“Ever since the show started, Grandpa has been sitting in front of the TV watching you. Say hello to Grandpa now; he can see you.”

An An believed him and waved at the filming uncle to come closer, then waved at the camera, speaking in a childish voice:

“Grandpa~ It’s An An here, good afternoon~”

Whether Grandpa saw it or not was uncertain, but the online aunties were genuinely delighted.

“Coincidentally, I heard the fruit trees in this village don’t taste good after bearing fruit. I have some knowledge in this area and can help out.”

As the first grandson of the Zhou Family, Zhou Shizhe had a lot of expectations placed on him by his grandfather and father, primarily focusing on economic management.

However, due to his outstanding abilities and genuine interest, he was also quite knowledgeable about agricultural matters.

Since Zhou Shizhe arrived, Song Feiran had completely lost favor.

An An seemed to be glued to his brother, wanting to follow him no matter what he did.

Upon hearing that Zhou Shizhe was knowledgeable in this area, the Village Chief accompanied him up the mountain the next day.

Zhou Shizhe first checked the soil in their area, then examined the growth of the fruit trees and the issue of the fruit being hard and bitter after ripening.

After thorough observation, he sent some data to the mentor who had taught him, and then suggested to the Village Chief to switch to a different type of fruit tree.

The mid-mountain area of their village was not suitable for growing these peach trees. Due to soil conditions, the fruit would inevitably be sour, and even at full ripeness, the flesh remained hard.

Moreover, with the village’s inconvenient transportation, they rarely used pesticides.

Hearing this, the Village Chief’s face turned a bit red with urgency, waving his hands repeatedly as he said:

“We don’t use pesticides, not a single bit.”

Zhou Shizhe noticed his anxiety and eagerness to clarify, so he held the Village Chief’s dark hand and patted his shoulder.

Once the Village Chief calmed down, Zhou Shizhe slowly said:

“Using pesticides within regulations is normal, and it can indeed kill many pests.”

“With fruits like yours that haven’t been treated with pesticides, they may look fine on the outside, but worms can grow inside the peach pit.”

“Also, there are quite a few bad and prematurely rotten fruits, right?”

Zhou Shizhe took the half-eaten peach from An An’s hands and easily split it in two, revealing a worm slowly wriggling inside the pit, proving his point.

An An was so startled he froze in place, his mouth still agape.

“Wow!!”

Zhou Shizhe skillfully picked up An An, gently patting his back.

“I’ve already sent the relevant data to my mentor. If the Village Chief is willing to trust me, why not leave this matter to me?”

“After my mentor analyzes which fruit trees are suitable for this soil, I will provide all the seedlings and the necessary pesticides during the planting process.”

Coming here wasn’t just because he argued with Grandpa; there were other reasons too.

After seeing the environment in the live broadcast, Grandpa Zhou wanted to lend a helping hand.

The Zhou Family does a lot of charity work every year, so this wouldn’t be a big deal.

Moreover, their little darling was here filming the show, so helping out was convenient.

Zhou Shizhe had just returned from studying abroad and hadn’t had the chance to familiarize himself with the company affairs before being sent here.

“When the fruits ripen, there will be professionals to inspect them. If the quality meets the standards, we’ll help connect with companies to purchase them at market price.”

“For easier transportation of the fruits, we’ll also take the lead in building a road directly to the County Town.”

He spoke of these plans that he had already thought of on the way here, leaving the Village Chief too stunned to react.

It wasn’t until An An yawned sleepily that the Village Chief snapped back to reality.

The first thing he did upon realizing was to kowtow to Zhou Shizhe.

No matter which of these things, for the people in their village, it was a great kindness and something they never dared to dream of before.

The Village Chief’s sudden action startled Zhou Shizhe, who quickly set An An aside and helped the Village Chief up.

“Willing, we’re willing, everyone in our village is definitely willing!”

“It’s just… I don’t know when we can start?”

“I’m not rushing, really, just…”

The Village Chief, not being good with words, became even more tongue-tied in his anxiety, his face turning a bit red.

“No worries, once my mentor has a response, I’ll contact you immediately.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go inform the villagers right away.”

The Village Chief hurried down the mountain, not even having time to say goodbye to Zhou Shizhe.

Watching his hurried figure, Zhou Shizhe shrugged helplessly and continued to observe the fruit trees.

It’s not that the people in this village had the wrong idea, but for so many years, they had lived this way. To them, pesticides were like MSG, inherently unhealthy.

While outside, reducing pesticide use to lessen workload had become the norm, they still insisted on growing fruits in the most primitive way.

Then, with calloused hands, they would offer the fruits to others with a simple smile, saying:

“It’s sweet, homegrown, not a bit of pesticide used.”

【I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but it feels like these promises sound too good to be true!】

【+1, has An An’s brother considered how much money all these things he’s saying would cost?】

【He probably doesn’t know, otherwise he wouldn’t say it so easily.】

【I agree, rather than believing it’s true, I’d prefer to think he doesn’t know the cost, so he’s speaking freely now.】

【Anyway, once the show finishes filming, no one will come to this remote area to verify if he followed through, but he’s already gained fame.】

【I don’t know about the rest, but from the live broadcast, you can tell: from the County Town to this village entrance, it’s at least five kilometers, a whole five kilometers!

And it’s such a narrow path. Before paving it with cement, you’d need to bring in excavators to widen it, and handling the land and mountain permits for road construction is also troublesome.】

【If he’s joking about such matters, it’s a bit too much.】

【Seeing the smile on the old Village Chief’s face makes me feel a bit sad. Does the show have a donation channel? If An An’s brother doesn’t fulfill his promise, I’m willing to donate, at least to make their lives a bit better.】

If Zhou Shizhe had only mentioned one of these things, it might have seemed more believable.

But he made a series of promises, from providing seedlings and pesticides to securing sales channels and even planning to build a road, making it hard to believe.

As Zhou Shizhe spoke of these things, people online began digging into his personal information.

Among the known wealthy second-generation individuals in the country, they couldn’t find anyone matching his identity.

Either he’s very low-key, or he’s deliberately exaggerating.

Most netizens are more inclined to believe the latter is the truth.

Since Zhou Shizhe began participating in X-Change, he has adhered to the program’s rules, only using electronic devices when permitted by the crew.

He hasn’t had the chance to see the rumors circulating online.

Even if he did see them, he would just laugh them off.

Time will prove everything. Explaining oneself because of baseless suspicions from others is utterly foolish.

The grandmother with whom An An is staying heard that Zhou Shizhe would help solve their money-making problems and specifically called on the slightly younger villagers to help clean out a room.

The house hadn’t been occupied for a long time, and when they first tidied it up, there was a musty smell in the air.

Zhou Shizhe didn’t mind staying there, or if he did, he didn’t show it. His upbringing wouldn’t allow him to disregard the hard work of an elderly person.

Apart from focusing on whether Zhou Shizhe’s plans would come to fruition, the audience’s attention was entirely on Xiao An’an and Zong Lili.

Shortly after the program aired, someone recognized Zong Lili as a beauty blogger with over a hundred thousand followers on a short video platform.

Her fans flocked to her live stream, where she had limited tools and makeup products.

Being in the countryside during a season of lush vegetation, she recalled content she’d read in books and decided to use many natural plants to teach her fans how to use them for makeup.

Her skin was already in good condition, and she continued to take care of it in this place.

Compared to the videos recorded at home with a phone, the program’s high-definition cameras were noticeably better.

During her live streams, Zong Lili would always ask the crew to help link the village’s fruits, making it convenient for her viewers to purchase them.

Her sales volume even temporarily surpassed An An’s.

The director, seeing her in action, seemed to have discovered something remarkable and immediately sent staff to find out what was going on.

The staff member was a young female college graduate who had watched Zong Lili’s videos before and didn’t want to believe she was as rebellious as her parents portrayed.

“Why did you start live streaming at such a young age?”

Upon hearing this question, Zong Lili paused her actions. The staff member had asked what the audience was also curious about.

Through the camera, it was clear that Zong Lili appeared cold on the outside but was actually shy and not very good at communicating with people.

“Because my mom said that a child’s primary task at my age is to study well, so she won’t give me any pocket money.”

The staff member frowned at this and continued to ask:

“What do you need money for? Is there something specific you need?”

Zong Lili was washing a peach and biting into it. After a long time, she finally mustered the courage to answer:

“I need to buy sanitary products; they’re essential for me.”

“I don’t like poor-quality underwear; classmates in my class would laugh at me.”

“I don’t like ill-fitting shoes; every time I run, my feet get blisters or the shoes fall off.”

While saying this, Zong Lili maintained a cold expression, as if she were an observer. Yet, her words resonated with many netizens.

“As a blogger, I can get some small ads, even though I’m underage.”

Women tend to have strong empathy, and combined with the staff member’s liking for Zong Lili, she couldn’t help but hug her shoulder after hearing her out.

“Doesn’t your mom prepare these things for you?”

“She’s very busy.”

Zong Lili didn’t answer directly, but it was a roundabout way of giving an answer.

An An, who was walking the grandmother’s dog, happened to overhear Zong Lili’s words as he was about to enter to play. He rummaged through his small bag for a long time before finally pulling out the card he wanted and handed it to Zong Lili.

“Sister, use it as you please~”

Zong Lili instinctively took it, paused for a moment upon seeing it, then smiled and ruffled An An’s hair.

“Thank you. What’s the password?”

“Um, An An’s birthday.”

“Okay.”

At first, no one took this bank card seriously. Zong Lili thought he was simply feeling sorry for her.

How could a child have a card? Perhaps it was just a toy made to look like a card.

But since it was a gift from An An himself, Zong Lili accepted it, carefully placing it in her bag.

She wiped her tears and resumed her live stream.

An An sat quietly beside her, munching on a peach, serving as a silent backdrop.

Besides Zong Lili’s side, the highest viewership was at the house where An An was staying each evening.

An An would always hug his little pillow, hesitating between his brother and his biological brother, unsure of whom to sleep with.

Sometimes, he would listen to a story from Song Feiran, then drowsily crawl back into his biological brother’s bed.

He would be coaxed here and there, trying not to neglect either side, earning him the playful nickname from netizens as a born master of balance!

Within a few days, Zhou Shizhe received a reply from his mentor, who also sent over many saplings. The vehicle could only drive to where they had stopped last time, and the rest had to be carried over.

The Village Chief might hesitate on other matters, but not this one.

He quickly arranged for the villagers to cut down the fruit trees and plant the new ones.

When many netizens questioned whether they were just putting on a show, several experts in agriculture came forward to clarify.

Analyzing the soil, they confirmed that the place was indeed more suitable for the newly transported trees.

A very famous expert even stated on his personal page that Zhou Shizhe was his student, and he had recommended these trees. If anyone had different opinions, they could discuss it with him.

When someone at the pinnacle of the field spoke, all doubts vanished overnight.

Who would dare to challenge him!

The village was bustling with activity again, and even the grandmother they were staying with was no exception.

Most of the villagers were elderly, even older than Zhou Shizhe’s father, and they were all busy. Of course, he couldn’t just sit idly by.

Even An An would carry his little bucket to help transport water halfway up the mountain.

Parents who sent their children to this program intended for them to experience hardship, so they would appreciate their current lives and become more obedient.

The subsequent developments were beyond even the director’s expectations.

How did a perfectly good X-Change turn into a tree-planting event in the countryside? Five adults and one child were all enthusiastically engaged.

Though tiring, it was clear that everyone was enjoying themselves.

An An would carry two small water bottles each day, one for each brother. Zhou Shizhe patiently explained every detail to the villagers about how to care for the fruit trees.

Every time he returned home from the mountain, his throat was almost parched.

Although the show has deviated from the X-Change format, seeing the rising ratings, the director decided to turn a blind eye.

In a world where traffic is king, whatever brings in the views becomes the theme he films!

The first episode’s filming was already halfway through, and except for initially arriving at this place, the guests hadn’t caused any trouble about wanting to go home.

Early one morning, just after dawn, a stranger appeared at the village entrance.

Zhou Shizhe happened to see this while helping grandmother pick vegetables. He thought the person looked somewhat familiar, and sure enough, the person stopped right in front of him.

“Mr. Zhou, where is the Little Young Master? Hurry up and pack your things to go home!!!”