My Mother-in-Law and I Became the Internet's Hottest Power Couple-Chapter 95

Jiang Lan remembered Shen Xingyao saying she wouldn’t participate in the third season, so who were the other three groups of guests?

Last season’s guests, except for Li Jia, were all easy to get along with, and Jiang Lan hoped the new neighbors would be the same.

Yu Wanqiu sent Zhang Tian a WeChat message, and Zhang Tian promptly sent over the list of guests for the show.

The civilian group consisted of Cheng Lixue and Chen Yunzhi—Cheng Lixue was an office worker, while Chen Yunzhi was a retired teacher. The celebrity group included Zheng Qiu’s wife, Shu Huayun, and daughter-in-law Han Yue. Shu Huayun had been an actress before leaving the industry to work behind the scenes, while Han Yue was a newcomer with solid acting skills, even earning a Golden Bear Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

As for the last group, Zhang Tian hadn’t found a suitable pair yet, so he invited a trial mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo: Liang Yun and Ou Mingyang.

Liang Yun was the same age as Yu Wanqiu, still unmarried, fair-skinned and beautiful, with a car, house, and plenty of money. Seeing Yu Wanqiu participate in the mother-in-law reality show had piqued her curiosity—was marriage really that great?

She might never marry or have children in this lifetime, so she figured she’d try out being a mother-in-law first.

Ou Mingyang, on the other hand, was only twenty-three, with no boyfriend in sight. Marriage was probably a decade away for her. She joined the show at her company’s arrangement, thinking she might come out of the experience never wanting to marry at all.

The four groups of guests were set to start filming in mid-June, with the show airing in early July—just in time for students’ summer break.

Yu Wanqiu sensed that the third season would be different from the second, so she asked Zhang Tian about it. He replied: [It is different. I haven’t been idle this past year—I’ve done my homework, binge-watched tons of variety shows. Just wait and see.]

Zhang Tian had waited a whole year for this. If he was going to film, he was going to do it right.

He didn’t want to ruin the show’s reputation.

Zhang Tian still needed to finalize Xia Jing’s contract. Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu were the anchors of the third season, the guaranteed ratings boosters.

With Liang Yun and Ou Mingyang also joining, there was no doubt the season would be full of talking points.

When Yu Wanqiu asked where filming would take place, Zhang Tian only revealed that the first episode would be in City G—the rest, he kept under wraps.

After putting down her phone, Yu Wanqiu showed Jiang Lan the chat log. “It’s different from the first two seasons, but it’s still a mother-in-law show. It’ll probably just be simple daily life stuff. Your graduation trip’s first stop—City G.”

Lu Yicheng was a little envious, but he was swamped with company work these days. Before, he’d just been helping out, but now he had an actual position.

He had a few days off during summer break, but after that, the next holiday wouldn’t be until National Day.

He wanted to propose, to show Jiang Lan his sincerity—that he wasn’t just someone who fooled around, that he was someone she could trust with her life.

Lu Shuangchen, though his workload had lightened, found himself with little to do while his wife was off filming a show.

He couldn’t exactly tag along unless he invested in a middle-aged couples’ reality show himself.

This was the difference between an established success and someone just starting out. Lu Yicheng could only dream about Zhang Tian making a dating show, but Lu Shuangchen? He had the money to make it happen.

Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu studied the guest list for a while. With filming starting in mid-June, there wasn’t much time left.

Yu Wanqiu remarked, “Liang Yun’s going too? I had no idea.”

She and Liang Yun were actually on good terms privately, so she decided to call her later and ask.

Zhang Tian had picked a great location—City G was one of China’s most famous tourist destinations, known for its mild climate, frequent rain, and stunning scenery.

Jiang Lan started looking up travel guides so she wouldn’t be lost about where to go when they arrived.

After a satisfying meal at the roast duck restaurant, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu spent the next two days relaxing. Between outings, they browsed through college application guides. Yu Wanqiu also prepared a gift for Xie Yunzhen to thank her for all her help.

When Xie Yunzhen heard Yu Wanqiu had estimated her college entrance exam score at 710, she was shocked. This year’s test had been particularly difficult, so scoring that high was impressive.

But the final score would depend on the graders—official results wouldn’t be out until the 23rd.

As part of the grading committee, Xie Yunzhen was too busy to keep tabs on Jiang Lan these days. She could go wherever she pleased.

On the afternoon of the 10th, Lu Yicheng brought back two graduation gowns. “Try yours on first to see if it fits. After that, I’ll wash them.”

The graduation ceremony was at nine the next morning, so they’d head over then.

...

The gowns were rented and had been worn by countless people before, so they were a bit grimy.

The black robes had yellow trim on the hoods. They were meant to be worn over regular clothes, with the graduation cap completing the look. Just putting it on made Jiang Lan feel like she’d already graduated.

The full-length mirror in the Lu family home was huge. Soon, Lu Yicheng had his gown on too, and standing side by side, he thought they looked perfect together.

He handed his phone to Yu Wanqiu. “Mom, take a picture of us.”

They hadn’t taken a single photo together at their high school graduation—Jiang Lan had been in Class 7, Lu Yicheng in Class 1.

Back then, he hadn’t dared to ask her for a photo. The only shot he had of her was from afar, where she stood laughing with her classmates. She’d never even considered taking one with him.

Now, at their university graduation, they’d take their first photo together.

Lu Yicheng stood beside Jiang Lan, then suddenly grabbed her hand. “Just like this.”

Yu Wanqiu looked at the two through the camera lens—Lu Yicheng was half a head taller, both of them strikingly good-looking. A perfect match. “…Could you two at least change your shoes? Wearing slippers for graduation photos? Indoors?”

Jiang Lan glanced down at her pink polka-dot slippers, then at Lu Yicheng’s blue ones. “Let’s take it outside.”

Yu Wanqiu turned on the lawn sprinklers—sunlight, water droplets, green grass. The setting was perfect.

She’d be attending the graduation ceremony tomorrow too. After that, Jiang Lan would spend a couple of days at home before they left for City G to start filming.

Lu Yicheng was still bitter about not being able to join, but the company really couldn’t spare him.

Lu Shuangchen wasn’t ready to retire at fifty-three, but after over thirty years of work, he was ready to lighten his load, delegating more to Lu Yicheng.

He was preparing for early retirement.

He and Yu Wanqiu had discussed traveling the world whenever she wasn’t filming—that was the life they deserved. The past thirty years had been all work, a waste of time.

As for Lu Yicheng? Youth was for working. He could think about fun when he was older.

Yu Wanqiu thought this arrangement was fine. She planned to take a break for a while—age was catching up to her, whether she liked it or not.

She could’ve skipped classes in university, but she’d enrolled to experience campus life properly. She wanted to see it through.

Looking at the photo of the two young lovers on her phone, Yu Wanqiu couldn’t help but think—youth really was something special.

Water from the sprinklers arced over the lawn, scattering like tiny diamonds in the sunlight.

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍Lan splashed water at Lu Yicheng. At first, he held back, telling himself, She’s my girlfriend, I should let her win. Otherwise, I could pin her down with one hand.

But after the third splash, he fought back.

Jiang Lan’s hair was completely soaked, and her carefully applied makeup was nearly ruined. "Stop messing around, I admit I was wrong. Hurry and wash these clothes, or they won’t dry by tomorrow."

"The more you can’t handle it, the more you want to tease. Look at the state you’re in," Lu Yicheng said as he adjusted Jiang Lan’s hair. "Alright, the water’s cold. Go take a shower."

Lu Yicheng took his phone back and scrolled through the photos Yu Wanqiu had taken.

Not bad. He had already saved so many pictures—perfect for their wedding slideshow.

Yu Wanqiu remarked, "Tsk tsk, anyone would think you’re getting married. It’s just a graduation ceremony."

Lu Yicheng replied, "What do you know? Look how beautiful she is. She was smiling so happily earlier."

As long as Jiang Lan was happy, that was enough.

On the 11th, Qinghua University’s School of Information Science and Engineering held its graduation ceremony in the auditorium.

There were very few students from the high-level art troupe. This year’s graduation ceremony was held jointly with the School of Information Science and Engineering. A small number of parents attended, while photography club students handled the recording.

The dean of the school gave a speech first, followed by Qinghua University’s president.

The president, an elderly man with white hair, adjusted the microphone and said, "Four years have passed in the blink of an eye. Four years ago, you attended the opening ceremony. Today, you’re here for your graduation ceremony..."

The president’s face was warm with a gentle smile as he gazed at the students below. He didn’t tell them not to forget their alma mater or to give back to society. Instead, after recounting the little moments he’d witnessed at Qinghua, he simply said, "I wish all of you here a bright future."

Next came performances organized by various student clubs.

Graduating seniors didn’t have to perform; they could just sit and watch. When it was time for the bachelor’s degree conferral ceremony, Lu Yicheng, Jiang Lan, and other student representatives went on stage.

Lu Yicheng was the Computer Science Department’s outstanding graduate, while Jiang Lan had been chosen by her entire class—partly because she had starred in the university’s promotional video and was later praised by the Communist Youth League.

The dean, department heads, and president placed graduation caps on the students and took group photos with the representatives.

The ceremony lasted over an hour. Afterward, Jiang Lan’s classmates called her over for graduation photos.

Jiang Lan waved to Yu Wanqiu, who immediately followed her outside.

Little Xu was waiting at the auditorium entrance with two bouquets. "Jie, happy graduation!"

Yu Wanqiu personally handed Jiang Lan the prettily wrapped bouquet of sunflowers. "Sweetheart, happy graduation."

She had called Jiang Lan "little princess" and used her full name before, but never "sweetheart." It felt a bit mushy, but saying it came naturally now.

No graduation was complete without flowers. Yu Wanqiu wanted to be the one to give them—even if Little Xu had bought them, the sentiment was hers.

Jiang Lan held the sunflowers and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Teacher Yu."

Yu Wanqiu said, "Go ahead and take photos. I’ll wait here for Lu Yicheng, give him his flowers, then come find you."

Yu Wanqiu had dressed up for the occasion—a white lace blouse, black jeans, and black leather shoes, looking both elegant and sharp.

Jiang Lan glanced at the bouquet Little Xu was holding: pink roses. Lu Yicheng, a guy, holding pink roses?

Well, it was… passable.

She waved. "Alright, I’m off!"

There weren’t many classmates, so they cycled through the usual graduation poses—group shots in their caps and gowns, tossing their caps in the air.

Jiang Lan’s group couldn’t get the timing right and had to retake the cap toss multiple times.

After the class photos, students from the violin club came over to take pictures with Jiang Lan.

Xu Xiang was the last to take photos with her. Though they weren’t in the same major and her department’s ceremony was the next day, she had put on a cap and gown to join Jiang Lan today.

Xu Xiang snapped a few selfies with her phone. "Nice, we look great. I’ll just do some light editing later—can’t get enough of our flawless beauty."

Jiang Lan asked, "Where have you been these past few days? You didn’t reply to my messages. I thought you’d gone off to get married."

Xu Xiang scoffed. "Who’s rushing into marriage like you? Speaking of which, don’t tell me you’re about to get married too. Don’t do it! Marriage is the grave of love. If I saw that Lu Yicheng right now, I’d give him a piece of my mind."

Jiang Lan burst out laughing. "It’s still early. I actually thought he might propose today, but he didn’t. Maybe he doesn’t think it’s the right time yet."

If Lu Yicheng did propose, she’d probably say yes.

Xu Xiang and Jiang Lan sat under the shade of a tree. "A proposal should be on a special day—an anniversary, or your birthday. A graduation ceremony? What kind of proposal is that? Hey, do you… believe in time travel?"

Jiang Lan obviously did, but to Xu Xiang, she said, "You’ve been reading too many novels. Don’t take that stuff seriously."

"I’m not stupid." Xu Xiang patted Jiang Lan’s shoulder. "Honestly, Lu Yicheng’s husband material. Marriage is fine, but after that, don’t get too caught up in it. Focus on making money—that’s what matters."

"Money! I start my job in August, but I’m already filming the third season of Mother-in-Law Is Coming these next few months." Jiang Lan was already earning.

Xu Xiang was stunned. "Teacher Yu is joining too? How many lifetimes of good karma did you accumulate to meet someone like her?"

One season wasn’t enough—now there was a second.

From above, Yu Wanqiu’s amused voice chimed in. "Four lifetimes each, and here we are."

Jiang Lan looked up. "Teacher Yu, you’re done over there?"

Yu Wanqiu nodded. "Mm. Lu Yicheng’s class is having a gathering. He’ll come take a few photos before leaving. He asked if you wanted to join."

Jiang Lan had no interest. The computer science department was mostly guys—why would she go? "No, I’ll head home later."

Xu Xiang stood up and brushed herself off. "Hello, Teacher Yu! I’m so lucky to see you again. Can we take a photo together later?"

Yu Wanqiu agreed. "Of course. But first, could you take a few of Jiang Lan and me?"

She had dressed up today specifically to take pictures with Jiang Lan.

She even borrowed Xu Xiang’s cap and gown for a mock "graduation photo."

The three of them wandered around Qinghua, snapping photos, drawing glances from passersby.

That was Yu Wanqiu, after all. With no Lu Yicheng in sight, just Jiang Lan beside her—their bond was clearly genuine.

On graduation day, many students posted on Weibo. They had seen Yu Wanqiu yet again! Today was a feast for shippers—the "Lanzhou Noodles" couple (Jiang Lan x Yu Wanqiu) was serving up sweetness.

The internet was flooded with photos from Qinghua’s graduation, including candid shots of Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu taken by students.

In the pictures, it was just the two of them—no Lu Yicheng—and their radiant beauty was off the charts.

They stood at the university gates, both smiling. Jiang Lan in her cap and gown, Yu Wanqiu looking effortlessly chic. Together, no one would guess Yu Wanqiu was nearly fifty.

The comments were filled with "Happy graduation, Jiang Lan!" By now, few people were begging Zhang Tian for a third season.

They had accepted it—if it didn’t happen, so be it.

Zhang Tian could ignore them all he wanted—it wasn’t like his was the only variety show out there. Who was begging him to film this anyway?

If the final product turned out poorly, or if the third season didn’t even feature Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan, fans would rather not watch at all.

Compared to skipping the show entirely, what fans hated even more was people trying to ride on the two women’s popularity.

The official team had remained silent for a long time. Zhang Tian had no idea how the third season would turn out, so he hadn’t bothered with any marketing or promotions. By the morning of June 14th, a Saturday, there was still no news.

Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu had joined the filming on Friday night.

The four pairs of guests stayed overnight at a hotel in G City. At five the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, they boarded the program’s bus and set off.

Jiang Lan, still half-asleep, drowsily gazed out the window.

The scenery shifted from clean, orderly streets and a futuristic urban landscape… to quaint little villas, neat brick houses, and eventually a muddy dirt road.

A muddy dirt road?

Jiang Lan’s head thumped against the window. She didn’t even bother rubbing the spot, blinking in confusion instead. “Yu Laoshi, where on earth are we?”

Zhang Tian, sitting at the front, held up a megaphone like the ones used in wet markets. “Wake up, everyone! We’ve arrived. Hand over your phones and wallets to the field staff up front. Filming has already started—look alive!”

The megaphone’s blaring noise instantly snapped Jiang Lan to attention.

Yu Wanqiu was just as clueless. “Is this some village?”

She had filmed Salute before, in a small northwestern village. But this place seemed better—definitely rural, but not as harsh.

Brick houses, some even two stories tall, lined the narrow roads barely wide enough for two cars.

Vegetable patches dotted the front yards, and every household had flowers planted outside.

Wait—what did he mean by handing over their phones and wallets? This wasn’t how things went in Season 2!

Ou Mingyang’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Why was this so different from Season 2? Weren’t they just supposed to stay in a villa, playing games and binge-watching shows all day?

She stood up, nearly bumping her head on the ceiling. “Director, where is this?”

Shu Huayun and Han Yue were equally baffled. They’d assumed the hotel stay the night before meant the filming location wasn’t ready yet—or maybe it was meant to be a surprise.

They’d woken up at 4:30 AM for this 5:00 AM departure.

Both women had done their makeup early, only to doze off during the ride and wake up here.

Cheng Lixue stayed silent, while Chen Yunzhi curiously looked around. In front of her sat Liang Yun, who had just removed her sleep mask, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. “Where is this?”

Yeah, where was this?

Zhang Tian announced, “This is the filming location for Mother-in-Law Is Coming 3, Episode 1—Yuanshui County’s Yu’an Village in G City. Each pair will send one person to draw lots for tonight’s accommodations. The last to pick gets whatever’s left—so hurry up!”

As the only pair who had participated in the previous season, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu suddenly understood the new rules.

Zhang Tian had mentioned this season would be different—this was what he meant.

The production team was ramping up their interference to test the bonds between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Harmony was easy when everything was provided—but what if they had nothing?

Here, money meant nothing because they didn’t even have their phones.

Jiang Lan hadn’t even had time to send a message to Lu Yicheng before her phone was confiscated.

To prevent losing contact, remember our backup domain:

A staff member gently asked if she had any cash on her. Jiang Lan swore she didn’t have a single cent left.

Yu Wanqiu drew the lots for their room—Jiang Lan had terrible luck, but Yu Wanqiu pulled House No. 1.

Number One. Sounded promising.

Following the map provided by the crew, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu found House No. 1—a mud-brick cottage.

Two rooms, an outdoor kitchen enclosed by a rickety fence that barely kept the wind and rain out. It was livable, but just barely.

Yu Wanqiu pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is House No. 1? Then how bad must the others be?”

Jiang Lan dragged her suitcase inside. It was only 6:00 AM, and the morning chill lingered. The house didn’t even have blankets—was this place really habitable?

The filming would only last two days. They could survive without food for that long.

But they were here to work, not just travel. And if it was work, they had to take it seriously.

Yu Wanqiu sighed. “Let’s tidy up first and see what we’ve got.”

Unfortunately, the house was empty. Aside from an iron wok on the outdoor stove, there was nothing.

Jiang Lan desperately wanted to see what the other groups had gotten. “Yu Laoshi, we’ve got no money, no phones, and now no food. What do we do?”

Yu Wanqiu, being older, kept her composure better. “Let’s check out the other houses first.”

The luckiest pair were Liang Yun and Ou Mingyang, who drew House No. 2—the two-story villa they’d seen when entering the village. The place was stocked with fruits, vegetables, meat, rice, and flour. The beds had soft quilts and pillows.

Shu Huayun and Han Yue got House No. 3, a proper brick house with three rooms and full amenities.

Cheng Lixue wasn’t as fortunate, landing House No. 4—slightly better than Jiang Lan’s, with one room, a new quilt, and two pillows, but no food.

Jiang Lan sighed inwardly. What could they do? They’d have to find a way to eat.

If not for their dire circumstances, this place would’ve made a nice tourist spot. The village was picturesque, with its charmingly scattered houses, an ancient ancestral hall, and quaint little cottages. From the outside, even Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu’s rundown place looked photogenic.

But inside? Not even basic cookware. And they hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.

Jiang Lan had an idea. “We could borrow some food from Liang Laoshi’s group. I’m pretty close with Ou Mingyang—she’d probably lend us something.”

Zhang Tian, who happened to be nearby, immediately raised his megaphone. “No borrowing between guests! If you borrow now, you’ll be trying to move in with them by nightfall. Figure it out yourselves. Anyone caught lending or borrowing will have the items confiscated and get the worst house next episode.”

There was a next episode? Jiang Lan was already fed up with this one. What idiot would choose to earn money over a proper graduation trip? Oh right—her.

Fine then.

Jiang Lan muttered, “Yu Laoshi, let’s find food first. There’s gotta be something in the village. Director Zhang is the worst—what’s wrong with neighbors helping each other?”

Zhang Tian: “…Badmouthing the director also gets you the worst house next time.”

Jiang Lan shut her mouth.

Yu Wanqiu and Jiang Lan wandered around the village.

There were lotus ponds, rice paddies—though the grains weren’t ripe yet—and peach trees with fragrant fruit. But the peaches belonged to someone else; they couldn’t just take them.

Yu Wanqiu said, “We’ve got nothing at home. If we want rice, flour, or meat, we’ll have to earn it. There are two ways: work for the villagers, or make something to sell ourselves.”

"Look, there's a mountain behind the village, but it seems pretty high. Let's not go there yet—we'll save it as a last resort. In front of the mountain is a river. We could try fishing, though I’m not sure if there are any fish in it. We don’t have a fishing rod, so we’ll have to figure something out," Yu Wanqiu patted Jiang Lan’s head reassuringly. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you go hungry."

Jiang Lan whispered, "I won’t let you go hungry either, Teacher Yu. Do you think there are crayfish in the river?"

Borrowing a fishing rod might be difficult, but catching crayfish doesn’t require one—just a small piece of bread would do.

Jiang Lan rummaged through her suitcase and found half a leftover piece of bread from yesterday. For crayfishing, all they needed was some string—but where could they find string? Maybe a stalk of grass would work, like a foxtail stem.

Zhang Tian had been watching the monitors closely. This particular room had been set up by the production team to test the chemistry between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair.

In the second season, everything had been provided, and there were no shortages, so the relationships naturally stayed harmonious and conflict-free. But now, with no food or blankets, adversity truly revealed the depth of their bond—and that saying couldn’t be more accurate.

As for why Liang Yun and Ou Mingyang got the best house, it was because they were a trial mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair. Zhang Tian was afraid that if they were given a bad house first, the two might actually starve to death.

The feasibility of using foxtail grass to catch crayfish was uncertain. If they used the half-piece of bread for bait, they’d have nothing left to eat themselves.

Armed with a plastic bag and foxtail stems, the two headed to the small river behind the mountain.

Meanwhile, Liang Yun and Ou Mingyang were staring blankly at a pile of ingredients.

Liang Yun said, "Don’t tell me you can’t even cook."

Ou Mingyang had originally wanted to show respect to her senior, but the truth was, she really couldn’t. "Well, neither can you," she retorted.

Liang Yun huffed, "I don’t have to—I’m not the one who’s supposed to be the daughter-in-law. You’re the one who’s supposed to know how to cook, not expect your mother-in-law to wait on you!"

"Teacher Liang, who says a daughter-in-law has to know how to cook? If I get married, I’ll just make my partner do it," Ou Mingyang shot back.

The two stared at each other in silence. Liang Yun suddenly regretted joining this show, and Ou Mingyang felt the same.

Here she was, a young woman in the prime of her life, not only forced into a fake romantic pairing but also stuck in a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law act with Liang Yun. Worst of all, she had never even been in a real relationship, yet here she was, already experiencing all this.

Ou Mingyang sighed. "Let’s figure something out. Jiang Lan and Teacher Yu have it worse than us. At least we can throw together a salad. Just watch me."

Meanwhile, the supposedly "worse-off" Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu had just caught their first crayfish.

It actually worked!

Living off the land and water—this river had plenty of fish and crayfish, and they were plump too.

Using a foxtail stem with a small piece of bread as bait, it wasn’t long before a crayfish emerged from the weeds. With a quick flick of the wrist and a plastic bag ready to catch it, they secured their prize.

The crayfish was about the length of a finger, its shell a deep brown. The half-piece of bread didn’t last long, so after catching one, they moved to a new spot. By the end, Jiang Lan and Yu Wanqiu had caught twelve crayfish—six each.

Jiang Lan glanced at Yu Wanqiu. "Teacher Yu, we caught these ourselves! Even if Director Zhang laid out a full imperial banquet for me, I wouldn’t eat it—wouldn’t even look at it!"

Yu Wanqiu smirked. "Really? Not even a peek?"

Jiang Lan grinned. "Okay, maybe one look."

Catching crayfish had been surprisingly easy. Jiang Lan almost wondered if Zhang Tian had a sudden attack of conscience and sent someone underwater to hand them crayfish.

With their haul, they could try trading for a proper fishing rod in the village.

Jiang Lan decided to approach households with children—kids were always eager for snacks, so if they had a fishing rod, they’d probably be willing to trade.

By 7:30 a.m., after knocking on six doors, Jiang Lan finally borrowed a fishing rod and half a bag of bait.

An elderly grandmother even pressed a large peach into her hands. She and Yu Wanqiu split it—breakfast was settled.

Yu Wanqiu expertly rolled the bait and hooked it, then waited patiently for a bite.

Jiang Lan had seen all of Yu Wanqiu’s movies, but she didn’t recall any scenes where the actress went fishing. Still, she wasn’t about to question it. After all, her own crayfishing idea had been a spur-of-the-moment thought with no guarantee of success.

If it didn’t work out, they’d just find another way.

Jiang Lan washed the peach, and Yu Wanqiu—strong as ever—split it cleanly in half. Just as they finished eating, the fishing rod twitched.

Jiang Lan had no idea what kind of fish it was, but Yu Wanqiu looked slightly disappointed. "A crucian carp. Only good for soup. We’d need a carp or grass carp for sour fish stew."

The fish weighed about a pound. After placing it in the plastic bag, Yu Wanqiu rebaited the hook. "For lunch, we’ll have sour fish stew and spicy crayfish. Let’s see what else we can find in the village—it’s only 8 a.m., so we’ve got plenty of time before noon."

If things went well, she and Jiang Lan might even manage a proper breakfast.

Jiang Lan swallowed hard. "Teacher Yu, you even know how to fish?"

Yu Wanqiu nodded. "Who do you think taught Lu Yicheng how to fish?"

Lu Yicheng: Why haven’t they arrived at the set yet? Why is there no contact?! 614 check-in.