Chapter 52 Forgetting One's Roots "I always felt that this kid had ulterior motives."...

Chapter 52 Forgetting One's Roots "I always felt that this kid had ulterior motives."...

No sooner had he said that than Ji Changtu could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

"You want to compare my jade pendant with a glass Shoushan stone?"

[Hahaha, Ye Hantao, what time are you planning to appear at Shoushan? I'm setting my alarm.]

[Ye Hantao is so confused! The jade pendant Ji Changtu brought today is definitely real!]

[The main problem is that Ji Changtu's malice towards Ye Hantao was too obvious. From the moment they met, he had an arrogant and condescending attitude, looking down on ordinary people.]

[Look how cold he is to Wu Xia. He doesn't dare utter a sound when Jin Shiyue doesn't give him a friendly look.]

[How foolish! Although I suspect Ji Changtu borrowed the jade pendant from someone else, Ye Hantao could simply refute it by insisting it was borrowed!]

[They're clearly in the right! But they insist on proposing a comparison.]

Sigh, the child is still young, and it's inevitable that they're hot-blooded.

The online trolls in the live stream: "...?"

You've changed.

You used to join us in mocking Ye Hantao for being vain, superficial, and a liar!

The online trolls tried to steer public opinion, but netizens believed that Ye Hantao had been bullied by Ji Changtu to the point of no return, which is why she thoughtlessly suggested comparing her to Shoushan glass.

In summary...

Ye Hantao, being so young, was repeatedly ridiculed and looked down upon by Ji Changtu, so it's completely understandable that she acted rashly!

As for Ji Changtu? He's disrespectful to his elders! He looks down on the poor!

Ye Weizheng and Zhou Ti exchanged a glance, and both felt their legs go weak.

How much are our decorative items?

"The peach-shaped ornament is very small. It's expensive because of the carving, but the materials are okay."

Ye Weizheng: "How much is it anyway?"

"..."

Zhou Ti couldn't remember a specific price for this ornament, given how long she had owned it and how many pieces of jade she had handled over the years.

The finest imperial green.

It's so small.

Zhou Ti estimated, "Around ten million."

If it were twice as big, it could reach hundreds of millions.

A thousand or so...

Ten thousand.

"Honey, why aren't you pinching me anymore?"

"My hands are shaking."

Even though they've downgraded their own homes to electric tricycles and live in two-bedroom apartments, how can they still display jade ornaments worth over ten million yuan?

This is over ten million, not a thousand dollars.

Tao Tao isn't stupid; what excuse could they possibly come up with to fool them?!

Zhou Ti was afraid that Tao Tao would have another relapse.

In the live broadcast room, Ji Changtu's fat face showed an indescribable expression, with undisguised contempt, yet he deliberately restrained it in order to show the unfathomable knowledge of an expert.

"What can those two be compared to? Transparency?"

The lights were on in the guesthouse corridor.

The outlines of some flower and plant paintings hanging on the wall were drawn out, and the disdain deep in Ji Changtu's eyes was also illuminated.

After asking the question, Ji Changtu didn't wait for Ye Hantao's reply and said to himself, "In terms of transparency, my bright green jadeite really can't compare to glass."

However, apart from the finest imperial green jadeite, what other genuine jadeite can compare to the transparency of glass?

If he could borrow the finest imperial green tea, he wouldn't care about the tea shop's negative reviews online.

Let alone top-grade imperial green, even the finest old mine glass-type imperial green is more valuable than this icy type.

Ye Hantao glanced at him and said strangely, "My Shoushan has always been very transparent, why would I compare it with yours?"

The two appraisal masters at the antique market in Langqiao Town last time affirmed the transparency of the glass, so why did she bring it out to compare again?

"When I say 'beautiful,' I mean the exquisite craftsmanship of Shoushan carvings."

Like my mom said, some cheap ornaments are all made using the same machine carving.

Only highly skilled masters can match the level of machine carving in hand carving.

When Ji Changtu first displayed the Yanglu jade plaque, she carefully observed the carving details of the plaque.

The Maitreya Buddha pattern on it is nowhere near as exquisite as the machine-carved animals and flowers on Shoushan Mountain.

As afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, Ye Hantao, holding onto the stair railing, glanced down from the next flight of stairs.

"Anyway..." Her confidence was evident in the light and shadow, "It's much more realistic than the Maitreya Buddha carved on your jade pendant."

Seeing Ye Hantao's state, Chen Xiaofeng suddenly abandoned his plan to complain to Cheng Zhao when he returned.

He was even thinking of having Cheng Zhao find a way to get some jade Shoushan to support Ye Hantao, but now he realizes that Ye Hantao is clearly very confident!

Hehe, Ye Hantao really got too cocky after being praised at the food tasting event. Ji Changtu leisurely stroked the jade pendant on his wrist, "Alright, I'll be waiting to admire your Shoushan carving."

Jin Shiyue took a step back in disgust and said without any politeness, "Wipe your sweaty hands before you touch me."

He Qiang unusually agreed with Jin Shiyue's statement, "This jadeite wasn't very translucent to begin with, and after touching it a few times, it became even more cloudy."

[Hahaha, this is the first time I've seen these two united against a common enemy!]

[Ji Changtu has accomplished something that others couldn't, hahaha.]

Ji Changtu froze.

Even though he stopped touching it, some people still weren't going to let him go.

"Boss Ji, this jade pendant looks familiar." Cheng Zhao, who had caught up with the group, strode up the stairs from the corner.

He glanced casually at the jade pendant on Ji Changtu's wrist, and when he looked up again, he unsurprisingly met Ji Changtu's suddenly changed expression.

A slight smile played on Cheng Zhao's lips as he spoke softly and slowly, "I feel like I've seen this somewhere before."

Ji Changtu gripped the stair railing tightly.

No, impossible.

What a coincidence! The jade pendant he borrowed had actually been seen by Cheng Zhao.

Seeing this, Cheng Zhao's smile deepened. It really was borrowed; he felt guilty as soon as it exploded.

"Let me think, where have I seen you before?" Cheng Zhao asked, seemingly deep in thought.

Ji Changtu stuffed his trembling hands into his trouser pocket. “Maitreya Buddha is quite common in jade carvings. You may have seen similar jade carvings.”

Cheng Zhao remained noncommittal, saying, "That's too similar."

Ji Changtu mechanically forced a smile, "Yes, yes."

[Family members, is Ji Changtu feeling guilty?]

[No way! No way! He couldn't have really borrowed the jade pendant, could he?!]

[Ji Changtu was able to flaunt a fake jade pendant in the first episode, so surely he wouldn't be scared off by just one sentence from Cheng Zhao?]

[His reputation was already terrible, and he only managed to salvage it with this genuine jade pendant. How could he not panic when Cheng Zhao said he'd seen it before?]

Why is Cheng Zhao suddenly targeting him? Is he upset that he mocked Ye Hantao?

[Not necessarily. Don't forget that Cheng Zhao was already targeting him when he said his tongue was dull during the last tea drinking session.]

Just as Yuan Kai was about to play the peacemaker and let the matter drop, Su Yi'ang glanced at the large beads of sweat on Ji Changtu's forehead and asked in surprise, "Boss Ji, the air conditioning is on in the room, why are you sweating so much?"

"Dr. Ke said you need to eat less oily food and exercise more." Su Yi'ang patted his shoulder. "Boss Ji, we're both examples of people with weak constitutions!"

Ji Changtu was already overweight, and he often wore a suit jacket to cover it up.

Furthermore, he usually takes a quick shower, so when he sweats like this, the remaining strands of hair on the edge of his bald spot become wet and clumped together.

Suddenly, everyone remembered what Jin Shiyue had said about the smelly sweat.

"..."

It felt like there was a smell in the air.

Su Yi'ang awkwardly lowered his hand from Wu Xia's shoulder, and before Wu Xia could dodge, he quickly wiped his hand on Wu Xia's back with his palm.

"...?!"

Wu Xia really wanted to smash the thermos cup on Su Yi'ang's head!

[Hahahaha, Flash, you're so mean!]

Am I the only one who thinks Ji Changtu is unlucky? Isn't this a case of several people bullying him?

【？？？？？？？】

When Ji Changtu repeatedly belittled Ye Hantao, why didn't you mention bullying?

[Aside from giving Ye Hantao a nice look, have Jin Shiyue and He Qiang ever been polite to anyone else?]

[They're close to Ye Hantao, so they're targeting Ji Changtu. If anyone else has a conflict with Ye Hantao in the future, Ji Changtu will suffer the same fate!]

[Hehe, I just feel really good, watching Ye Hantao go from being all alone to having people helping her now.]

After all, he's my classmate. If things get too tense, it will damage his image.

So, Yuan Kai suppressed his discomfort and resolutely put his arm around Ji Changtu's shoulder. "Hey, Changtu just doesn't like to exercise. He sweats after walking just a little bit!"

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he could almost smell the faint odor of sweat on Changtu's clothes.

"Let's continue looking at houses." Ye Hantao checked the time. "The brochure says the scenic area closes at five o'clock."

They were going to Cao Zhi Scenic Area in Yushan in the afternoon to complete a task, and the scenic area's opening hours ended at 5 pm.

Ye Hantao pointed forward and said, "Classmates, follow me."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhao stepped past Ji Changtu and headed straight upstairs. After climbing a few steps, he caught up with Ye Hantao, who was walking ahead.

Ye Hantao turned her head to look at him, "Director Chen said you went to cosplay as an exam proctor? Are we having a surprise exam?"

Cheng Zhao chuckled softly, "No, I was just teasing him."

Jin Shiyue and He Qiang followed one after the other like students scrambling for seats, trying to squeeze Cheng Zhao away from Ye Hantao. Unfortunately, the stairs were only wide enough for two people, and they couldn't manage to get away until they reached the next bedroom.

Wu Xia followed closely behind.

He needed to quickly find a restroom to wipe the sweat off the back of his clothes.

Su Yi'ang and Chen Xiaofeng, like brothers, chatted and followed behind.

Yuan Kai glanced at the cameras around him before speaking again, "Changtu, Tao Tao is young, and sometimes she says whatever comes to mind. Don't take it to heart."

Ji Changtu kept a long face and didn't say a word.

“When we get back, if Tao Tao compares your jade pendant with the Shoushan ornament…” Yuan Kai lowered his voice and made sure the microphone clipped to his clothes could pick up the sound, “Give the young people some face, and don’t always speak so sarcastically.”

[He truly lives up to his reputation as the class's elder statesman!]

[This whole thing stemmed from Ji Changtu's fault; he harbored inexplicable hostility towards Ye Hantao from their very first meeting.]

【That's also Ye Hantao's fault for boasting.】

[Boasting? I advise you to wait and see. It's not like you haven't been proven wrong by Ye Hantao before.]

[Stop talking, stop talking! I got slapped in the face by Ye Hantao for tea tasting and the black card, oh, and the bet with Cai Qiwei (bitter smile.jpg)]

Ji Changtu could only sneer as he listened to his old friend playing the good guy again.

Is Yuan Kai trying to use him to build his persona?

That depends on whether he cooperates or not.

“You make it sound like I’m petty,” Ji Changtu sighed deeply. “I’ve always been like this, speaking my mind directly. It’s my fault for being prejudiced and having preconceived notions. Just because she used the excuse of sweat allergy to avoid shaking hands with you when we first met, I suspected her of being a snob.”

His words reminded some viewers of Ye Hantao's performance at a food tasting event.

Ye Hantao, who mentioned her sweat allergy on the show, was surrounded by a group of managers, and she shook hands with almost everyone, regardless of gender! Looking further back, Ye Hantao also shook hands with Chen Xiaofeng!

Seeing that Yuan Kai's expression was off, Ji Changtu continued, "Through getting to know you these past few days, I've also discovered that Tao Tao has a good personality. Don't worry, no matter what kind of Shoushan Tao Tao makes, I'll praise her well."

Yuan Kai released his arm from Ji Changtu's shoulder without expression.

The group of ten people stayed in the same accommodation group as the previous group.

The choice of bedroom is determined by the number of Fengwu Tokens they possess; Ye Hantao and Jin Shiyue together only have 10 Fengwu Tokens.

Even if Jin Shiyue was not satisfied, she could only stay in the smallest bedroom, because this was the only room priced at 10 Fengwu Tokens.

The bedroom is small, and there's no private bathroom either.

"Has the production team gone bankrupt?" Kim Si-wol stood by the bed, staring at the camera in the room. "Last episode we were sleeping on Hastens mattresses, what are we sleeping on this week?"

Ye Hantao also touched the mattress, her face full of distress.

This mattress doesn't bounce back; it's too hard.

"..." Director Wan really didn't expect this regarding mattresses.

The major investor said he wouldn't interfere further and everything would proceed according to their plan. He had the investor help him obtain numerous passes, but the only thing left unconsidered was the mattress for accommodation.

It's not like it's anything really necessary.

When he's busy with work, he can even fall asleep at his desk.

[Knock knock knock]

"Is anyone there?" Chen Xiaofeng's drawn-out voice came from behind the door.

Jin Shiyue quickly scanned the room to make sure neither she nor Ye Hantao had opened their suitcases and exposed any private items before nodding when Ye Hantao asked if she should open the door.

What did she just nod about?!

"I'll drive."

Jin Shiyue opened the door first.

If Ye Hantao shares a room with her and she plays the role of caregiver from beginning to end, He Qiang will definitely steal her away in the next episode. She can't allow that to happen!

Chen Xiaofeng saw the door open, and before he could even see who it was, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth, "Tao—Jin Shiyue?! Why are you the one who opened the door!"

Jin Shiyue crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "What do you mean I have to open the door? Tao Tao is young. I live in the same room as Tao Tao, so of course I have to take care of her."

[Family members, the Jin Jie in this episode is completely different from the Jin Jie I know.]

Did Ye Hantao cast a spell on Jin Shiyue?

[Jin Shiyue is unwilling to admit defeat; she doesn't want He Qiang to steal Ye Hantao away, as He Qiang has the natural advantage of being from the same sect.]

No, no, no, Jin Shiyue's performance has gone beyond simply trying to outdo someone or refusing to admit defeat.

[If He Qiang called someone else "junior sister," Jin Shiyue wouldn't have reacted this way.]

[Jin Shiyue could only coldly sneer, "Is this how your junior sister is?"]

[Hey there, the person in front of me, your comment now has sound!!!]

Jin Shiyue's scrutinizing gaze swept over Chen Xiaofeng and then landed on Cheng Zhao, who had come with her. She narrowed her phoenix eyes, her tone carrying a hint of aggressiveness, "You two came here for something?"

Ye Hantao originally thought that only Chen Xiaofeng would come, but when she heard Jin Shiyue say "you two", she walked from the bed to the door, where Cheng Zhao was indeed waiting.

Cheng Zhao smiled slightly.

"We came to ask if you want to change rooms."

Ye Hantao was taken aback.

Cheng Zhao and Chen Xiaofeng's room was the second one on the left. It was spacious and had a sofa and a separate bathroom.

Why change it?

Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhao was about to give a reason when Chen Xiaofeng interrupted, "Because we have a private bathroom! I don't want to be woken up by the sound of Cheng Zhao showering at two or three in the morning!"

Cheng Zhao stared at him silently.

He didn't say a word, but Chen Xiaofeng could read the words "Do you want to die?" in his eyes.

Chen Xiaofeng moved his feet toward Ye Hantao.

Brother, you must pay attention to your image in front of someone you like, and be a polite gentleman who doesn't lay a hand on anyone.

Since the other party has offered to change it, then—

Jin Shiyue and Ye Hantao said in unison, "Change!"

Hesitating for even a second longer is disrespectful to a private bathroom!

The two quickly pushed their suitcases out. Cheng Zhao noticed that Ye Hantao paused for a moment, then pointed to the left and said, "Turn left, second shop."

Ye Hantao looked back at him and smiled gently, "I know which room you're staying in."

Cheng Zhao heard an unexpected answer.

He thought Ye Hantao didn't know where his and Chen Xiaofeng's room was, which was why she paused.

Ye Hantao: "I just stopped to say thank you to both of you."

Cheng Zhao replied, "You're welcome."

When she said thank you, Ye Hantao glanced at the suitcase she had brought.

She was so surprised when Cheng Zhao frankly revealed Shan Feng's true identity that she didn't mince words, that she didn't even give him the thank-you gift she had bought for him.

Fortunately, we brought enough gifts this time, so we can share one with Director Chen.

Chen Xiaofeng leaned closer, his handsome dark face full of smiles, "There's no need to be so formal about talking about Xie. As long as you two are comfortable!"

Cheng Zhao grabbed his hair and dragged him away.

If it were just half a meter closer, it would be stuck to Ye Hantao's arm.

[This bedroom swap is so deliberate!]

But wait, why didn't they switch bedrooms when Ye Hantao and Jin Shiyue were choosing theirs?

[From what I saw in the live stream, Cheng Zhao was opening the window and going to the bathroom, so he's probably dissatisfied with something, which is why he approached Jin Shiyue and Ye Hantao to ask to change bedrooms.]

[Ye Hantao's bedroom not only lacks a bathroom, but there's also a chicken coop underneath. I can't believe Cheng Zhao's room could be worse.]

[Am I the only one concerned about whether Cheng Zhao really showers at two or three in the morning? Hahahaha.]

Old Chen talks a lot of nonsense; if you believe him, you're doomed.

The question has come full circle: why did they switch?

yes.

Why did they switch?

Ye Weizheng also asked Zhou Ti this question.

“Darling…” Ye Weizheng stared at Cheng Zhao on the screen and said cryptically, “I always have a feeling that this kid has ulterior motives.”

Zhou Ti peeled a longan and ate it, without responding to Ye Weizheng's words.

Now it's not just Cheng Zhao who has ulterior motives, but Tao Tao who might, perhaps, possibly...

never mind.

Zhou Ti pushed a plate of longan to Ye Weizheng and instructed, "You should peel the longan."

After tidying up briefly in their bedrooms, everyone gathered in the courtyard and then took a bus to the Cao Zhi Scenic Area in Yushan.

On the bus, Chen Xiaofeng slapped his right hand hard with his left hand!

That's awful!

I lost all three rounds of rock-paper-scissors!

He heard Cheng Zhao calling him from the bathroom to check the water heater, so he went over there dumbfounded. As soon as he entered the bathroom, Cheng Zhao suggested playing rock-paper-scissors. He lost all three rounds and had no choice but to agree to change bedrooms.

Why!

He had previously hoped that Cheng Zhao would encounter more setbacks and catch up with Ye Hantao later, but now he hopes that Cheng Zhao will catch up with her sooner.

Given Cheng Zhao's tendency to forget friends for the sake of women, who knows what he might have to sacrifice in the future!

As the bus turned into the tree-lined road, Ye Hantao caught a glimpse of the scenic area's outline through the window.

It's such a pity that her phone was taken away by the production team, so she couldn't take pictures. She felt that just describing it to her family verbally when she got home was not enough.

The production team didn't confiscate phones last time, otherwise we would have been prepared to bring cameras with us this time.

Ye Hantao reluctantly turned her gaze away and began to carefully read the question booklet that the production team had given them before they set off.

1. What is the origin of the name Yushan?

2. In which year was Cao Zhi enfeoffed as the Prince of Dong'e?

...

100. When was Cao Zhi's tomb excavated?

The entire page was filled with one hundred questions related to Yushan and Cao Zhi.

Ye Hantao's impression of Cao Zhi consists of only one poem, "The Seven Steps Poem," a line from one of his poems (the one about melon fields and plum trees), and "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River."

By the way, they will be able to visit Luoshen Lake* today.

Before entering the scenic area, they had to go through these 100 questions.

After they arrive at Luoshen Lake, the program team will randomly select 10 questions to ask them.

You can earn a "Fengwu Token" by answering a question correctly.

This is closely related to the ingredients for dinner.

Ye Hantao buried herself in memorizing.

She didn't want to go hungry.

Fortunately, I just finished my final exams last month, so there weren't too many things to memorize, which gave my brain a workout.

She has a good memory; if she's focused, she can review all the questions twice before arriving at the scenic spot.

"Ugh, there are so many questions!" Su Yi'ang looked at his overwhelmed head, clutching his head with both hands and lamenting, "If I had that kind of brain, I could have memorized them all and become the top liberal arts student back then!"

He and Ji Changtu sat in front of Ye Hantao, next to Ye Hantao was Wu Xia, and behind them were Cheng Zhao and teacher He Qiang.

The seats across the aisle were occupied by Liao Jiayue and Chen Xiaofeng, and behind them sat Shi Yue and Yuan Kai.

Chen Xiaofeng then used a piece of paper to fan himself, saying, "My Chinese language grades were always at the bottom when I was in school."

Yuan Kai laughed and said, "Xiaofeng, you're being modest. I heard that when you're directing, you know the lines better than the actors do."

"How much can I memorize with just one head? Actors' scripts are that thick." Chen Xiaofeng scoffed. "If you happen to meet an actor who can do a dozen takes for just a few lines, you can still memorize his lines."

Ye Hantao turned to look at them, "We'll have a guide explaining things when we visit the scenic area later. If you look at the questions now, you'll remember them better when you hear the explanation."

Su Yi'ang was completely demoralized. "I'm dizzy from writing."

You're only 21! Your mind is still sharp!

[Thank goodness, you guys almost got to have an easy trip :)]

The production team prepared too few questions! Why a hundred instead of a thousand or ten thousand?!

[Cao Zhi! Yueyue once shared a handwritten copy of the Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River!]

I vaguely remember it trending on social media, right?

Yes! Liao Jiayue's readership is truly rare in terms of traffic!

Chen Xiaofeng also noticed that Liao Jiayue, who was sitting next to him, flipped through the book and then stopped looking at it. "Have you finished memorizing it?"

Liao Jiayue nodded slightly, "I'm good at memorizing things."

"Wow, you're really good at memorizing lines on set, aren't you?"

"I probably have a good memory because I often memorize all my lines the night before."

After Liao Jiayue finished speaking, she waited for Chen Xiaofeng to extend the topic, and the conversation might eventually lead to a future collaboration on a film.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Xiaofeng shut up and refused to talk about it.

Liao Jiayue couldn't help but ask, "I remember Tao Tao was quick at memorizing things when we were in school, so she should have finished memorizing them by now, right?"

"Yes, I finished memorizing it a long time ago," Ye Hantao replied. "I'm reviewing it now."

[Disease progression: 77%]

[Someone is really afraid of being outdone by Yueyue.]

[Wake up, you mockers! Look at Ye Hantao's university and major. How dare anyone doubt her memorization ability?]

As they got closer to the scenic area, Ye Hantao let go of the answer she was covering, and smiled as she looked at the answer she had just memorized.

All correct!

College students who have just finished their final exams are just that awesome!

Ye Hantao turned around and saw Cheng Zhao when someone nudged her ponytail from behind.

The thing he used to touch her hair was the camera he was holding.

"!!!"

"I've been shooting all the way here, I'm a little tired." Cheng Zhao handed over the camera. "Do you have any room in your backpack?"

Ye Hantao shook her head, "There are no seats available."

Cheng Zhao didn't put the camera away, waiting for Ye Hantao to continue.

Ye Hantao's almond-shaped eyes sparkled. "Cheng Zhao, can I borrow your camera to take some pictures?"

Cheng Zhao placed the camera in Ye Hantao's hands, saying, "It's quite heavy. Tell me if you get tired of carrying it."

Audience: [???]

[(Soybean Question Mark.jpg)(Soybean Question Mark.jpg)(Soybean Question Mark.jpg)]

Dude, you've forgotten your roots so quickly? Don't you remember how cold you were when we first met?

【I order you to do it again so we can see!】

-----------------------

Author's Note: Viewers: [Question mark][Question mark][Question mark]

--Randomly dropping small red envelopes~--

*In reality, Yushan Caozhi Scenic Area and Luoshen Lake National Park are in two different places, about a 4-hour drive apart. This story combines the two attractions into one [cat emoji].