Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Prince
Actually, Tuanzi really wanted to do the entire hoop challenge on her own.
She knew this show was going to be tough, and she happened to know what Director Li was like. Her idea was simple: collect as many food supplies and tools as possible in the beginning.
"Oh, why can’t we transfer the hoops?"
She leaned her little head on Gu Cheng, worried.
Cui Jixing, with his chubby face, overheard and said bluntly, "Because the production team doesn’t want us to have it easy; they’re mean."
The equestrian athlete patted his son’s head and smiled apologetically.
"What are you talking about, child... just speaking the truth."
But luckily, Fu Guoqiang hit two targets. One was a 100g bag of nuts, and the other was a hammock.
Tuanzi stared at the bag of nuts and suddenly looked up at her brother.
"Such a small bag of nuts. Why didn’t the production team prepare bigger bags?"
Gu Cheng ruffled her fluffy little head, "Don’t worry, we won’t let you go hungry."
Tuanzi crossed her arms and snorted.
She puffed out her cheeks, her gaze moving back and forth over the supplies provided by the production team.
Aside from that 4.5-liter barrel of water and a set of five cans, all the food-related items are pretty small.
100g of nuts, a small bag of beef jerky estimated to be less than 100g, and a 550ml bottle of water.
When it was Youyou’s turn, she took a deep breath and threw, but the bamboo hoop gently landed not far from her feet.
Youyou: o(╥﹏╥)o
"Daddy, you throw it; don’t waste it."
She quickly handed the other bamboo hoop back to her father, cheering cutely, "Daddy is the best, go, Daddy!"
Cheered on by his daughter, Fu Guoqiang successfully threw and landed a map.
"A map?" he was a bit puzzled.
Director Li smiled and said, "It’s a map of the area within 500 meters, with this place as the center point. For places further away, you’ll have to explore on your own."
Gu Cheng asked, "Does it mark any fruit trees or lakes?"
Fu Guoqiang hurriedly opened it, and it was a very rudimentary map, sparingly marking a few banana trees and giving hints on where to find pineapples, in addition to marking the location of a lake.
Five hundred meters is still too close; there should be more resources further away.
However, the map does not mark routes or possible wild animals encountered along the way.
"There are bananas and pineapples."
Fu Guoqiang sighed in relief.
He knew this rainforest was rich in resources, but he recognized very few. However, he did know bananas grow on trees and need to be climbed up to cut down a bunch. Pineapples are shorter and easier to pick.
Gu Ran, seeing the situation, quickly looked around and regretfully found no other maps.
She only won a small deep-sided pot, enough to make soup for two.
Gu Jiujiu, the first one who didn’t get anything, was a bit upset.
He had delicate features and was dressed like a little prince.
Tuanzi curiously glanced at his outfit.
Noticing her gaze, Gu Jiujiu suddenly said, "Sister, help me out."
Tuanzi: "?"
Gu Cheng instinctively pressed his sister’s shoulder.
For some reason, hearing someone call Tuanzi "sister" made him a little uncomfortable.
Director Li quickly said, "You can’t transfer the bamboo hoop."
Gu Jiujiu turned his head, "Hmph," obviously not wanting to listen to him.
"I want to transfer it, I’m going to transfer it!"
On the broadcast, people began commenting about how stubborn he was, unwilling to follow the rules. Some praised him for doing a good job, saying in dealing with such a production team, breaking the rules is the way to go.
Following the production team can feel frustrating, but it has entertainment value. Outwitting the production team also has entertainment value. The former hurts the guests, the latter hurts the production team. It’s up to the guests to choose.
Gu Ran softly advised her son to follow the rules.
Gu Jiujiu, with his arms crossed and eyes red, stubbornly said, "I won’t listen! Last time, when I followed their rules, I almost starved!"
"No food, no water, and they even made Mom play super difficult games, wahh!"
As he spoke, this little prince-like boy started crying, wah-wah and very sadly.
The other kids first watched him curiously, then couldn’t help but step closer to comfort him.
Cui Jixing and Xiong Chenli, both five and a half years old, were the oldest. They sympathetically patted Gu Jiujiu’s little head.
"Don’t cry."
Cui Jixing advised him, "The production team has never been considerate, you know that."
Director Li: "..."
[Hahahahaha]
[Why is it both heartbreaking and funny]
[Even the kids know the production team isn’t considerate]
[If you find it tough, then don’t come]
Gu Jiujiu wiped his eyes pitifully, "I don’t want to participate in this stupid show anymore."
Tuanzi looked at him and found that this little boy looked quite good when he cried.
"Then why did you come?"
She asked softly, "You could have chosen not to sign the contract."
Gu Jiujiu felt even more aggrieved, "Because a man must keep his word."
Mom said they had signed a six-episode contract from the start. If they terminated the contract after the show resumed airing, they would have to pay a penalty.
"A man of honor must keep his word."
Tuanzi rubbed her cheeks, "But when you’re crying, it’s not very manly."
Gu Jiujiu didn’t fall for it.
"Boys and girls can both cry. What you said isn’t right."
Tuanzi thought for a moment. Indeed, when she went with her master to challenge other sects, she did make the male disciples of other sects cry.
"Yes, that’s not right; anyone can cry."
Gu Jiujiu emphasized, "Even little princes can cry. I am a little prince!"
Tuanzi: "!"
The system had taught her some fairy tales.
A delicate little boy is a little prince?
She looked around and didn’t think he quite fit the image.
"But even a little prince has responsibilities."
Tuanzi pointed to the nearby woods.
"This is all your territory. As a prince, shouldn’t you protect your land and your people?"
Gu Jiujiu was stunned.
Gu Ran was also surprised. This was the first time, besides family members, that someone was willing to play prince games with her son.
She gratefully thanked Gu Cheng and said, "I’m really sorry; at home, we’re like this..."
She was so busy, and as a single parent, her son usually stayed with her parents. Feeling guilty, she would play prince games with him whenever she had time.
Gu Cheng shook his head.
He didn’t mind, only thinking his sister was adorable and caring.
Then a thought struck him: Did anyone play princess or queen games with his sister when she was little?
Remembering she used to live in ancient times, his eyes darkened. With only her master for company, no one probably played those games with her.
Initially, he rationally believed his sister hadn’t time-traveled, just lived deep in the mountains. Later, the peculiarities about her were too many, which couldn’t just be explained by living in the mountains.
He gradually began to believe what his sister said and felt more and more sorry for her.
Gu Jiujiu thought seriously for a moment, wiped his tears, and forcefully placed a bamboo hoop in Tuanzi’s hand.
"I am the prince, and even adults must listen to me."
He pointed at Director Li and the other staff members.
"Now, the prince says you can exchange hoops!"