It’s often said that variety shows have scripts—that everyone’s actions and words are all predetermined, just like acting in a play.
But in reality, that claim is a bit of an exaggeration.
Because scripts cost money too.
To get that kind of treatment, your variety show needs to have aired for at least several seasons and have really high popularity.
For a new show like “Back to Field.”
It clearly doesn’t deserve such high-end treatment.
At most, the directing team would only give them a rough framework. As for the specific direction and how things would turn out, that was entirely up to them to develop on their own.
Relatively speaking, it was more authentic.
This is also why the first three seasons of “Back to Field” were such huge hits.
But unfortunately, many people don’t understand this. Or rather, they do understand, but because the profits from this show are just too high, even knowing that a script would cause the show to decline, they still have to write one for the sake of making money.
But that’s not something He Jiong and the others need to worry about right now.
What they need to think about right now is: who exactly was the person who just called to order food?
“Snowy bean paste—he really knows how to eat. And he also ordered a plate of spicy dried tofu with green peppers. This should be someone from the Northeast, right?”
Hanging up the phone and recalling the conversation, He Jiong habitually offered a compliment, then gave his guess.
Da Hua nodded: “Very likely. But there are just too many celebrities from the Northeast. Teacher He, are there any more details?”
Hearing this, He Jiong thought for a moment and was about to speak.
But before he could get the words out, Huang Lei, who was sitting nearby, took a leisurely sip of tea and put on a lecturing posture: “Someone from the Northeast? I wouldn’t be so sure. Teacher He, Da Hua, don’t forget—on our show, guessing where the guests are from is also a highlight. The guests probably know that too, so they’ll definitely try every trick to mess with us and make sure we can’t guess. If you ask me, there’s no way he’s from the Northeast.”
Right off the bat, Huang Lei completely dismissed He Jiong’s earlier speculation.
And He Jiong—whether it was because he was intimidated by Huang Lei’s reputation, or because he didn’t know Huang Lei well enough yet—actually got bluffed by him. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he humbly asked: “Then Teacher Huang, where do you think he’s from?”
Huang Lei, like some kind of fortune teller, thought for a moment and said: “If you ask me, he should be from the north. After all, there are differences between north and south. Southerners might not necessarily know that much about the Northeast. But the fact that he immediately mentioned snowy bean paste means he knows the Northeast very well. At the same time, this dish is basically a dessert, so…”
Blah blah blah, Huang Lei said a whole bunch, all kinds of analysis.
It left Da Hua next to him completely bewildered, and in his confusion he also felt something was odd.
Because he thought about it and realized that after saying so much, Huang Lei had actually… said nothing at all.
“Uh… meaningless rambling?”
This thought flashed through Da Hua’s mind, but he quickly tossed it aside.
Because he felt that couldn’t be right.
Who was Huang Lei?
He was a famous teacher in the entertainment industry, an all-around artist.
He could handle a film set and also handle a kitchen. Capable in both literary and martial arts—practically perfect.
How could he be spouting meaningless rambling?
Especially seeing He Jiong’s thoughtful expression after listening.
Da Hua became even more convinced: “It must be that my level of understanding isn’t there yet—I didn’t catch Teacher Huang’s deeper meaning!”
Little did he know, at that very moment, He Jiong was frowning and thinking: what the hell was Huang Lei even talking about?
He wanted to ask Da Hua for his opinion, but when he turned his head and saw Da Hua’s expression of sudden realization, He Jiong was instantly dumbfounded.
Damn, don’t tell him you actually understood that?
If you understood it, then what was his current confusion supposed to mean?
“No way, I understood it too.”
So He Jiong also put on a look of comprehension, extended a finger, and praised: “As expected of Teacher Huang. That was so accurate.”
“Haha, you two should read more books in your free time—look at some humanities and history. After a few years of that, you’ll be just like me.”
Facing He Jiong’s flattery, Huang Lei didn’t show the slightest embarrassment. He just accepted it directly and laughed heartily.
Hearing this, Da Hua also instinctively chimed in with praise from the side.
Just as they were wildly singing Huang Lei’s praises.
Suddenly.
“Is anyone there? Is anyone there?”
A lively voice came through, and He Jiong was slightly taken aback.
Because he remembered that the person who had called him earlier was clearly a man.
But then he thought about it—the directing team had said that two groups of people would come today, and both groups would consist of one man and one woman. So he relaxed.
He quickly stood up: “Coming, coming.”
He Jiong walked outside.
Seeing this, Da Hua and Huang Lei followed.
And there stood a tall woman with two suitcases.
“Oh, it’s Mi Mi.”
Seeing who it was, He Jiong’s face immediately lit up with joy, and he hurried forward to welcome her.
However, he had only just gotten close when he suddenly felt something was off.
That is, why was there a huge shadow next to Yang Mi?
He Jiong instinctively looked to the side.
And there, in the camera’s blind spot, a tall and imposing man was looking down as he lit a cigarette.
Seeing He Jiong, he smiled slightly and casually pulled out another cigarette, offering it: “Teacher He, hello. Want one?”
“No thanks, uh… um, may I ask, you… you are?”
He Jiong felt like the man in front of him looked familiar, but for a moment, he couldn’t recall his name.
Seeing his blank expression, Yang Mi smiled and introduced: “Teacher He, let me introduce you. This is an artist from my company—Jiang Nian!”
“Jiang Nian?” He Jiong blinked, then it hit him. He clapped his hands: “Oh oh, I remember now—Du Gao, Yu Huatian! So it’s Teacher Jiang! Man, I was just thinking how familiar you looked. During New Year’s, I watched ‘Flying Swords of Dragon Gate’ several times—your Yu Huatian was absolutely amazing!”
With that, He Jiong enthusiastically extended his hand toward Jiang Nian.
Seeing this, Jiang Nian responded with a smile and extended his hand: “Teacher He, you flatter me. I just got lucky and landed a good role. Nothing compared to you, Teacher He—the ‘Happy Camp’ you host practically defined my entire childhood.”
This wasn’t just polite talk.
When Jiang Nian was young, there really wasn’t much to watch on TV—this was pretty much all there was.
At the same time, he genuinely had a good impression of He Jiong.
Although his sexual orientation was unconventional, when it came to how he conducted himself and treated others, you really couldn’t find fault with him.
“Haha, you’re too kind, too kind. Um… Teacher Jiang, how about I help you carry your luggage inside first?”
He Jiong suggested. The main reason was that Jiang Nian was currently smoking, which wasn’t convenient for being on camera, so he was offering to help.
But unexpectedly, Jiang Nian waved his hand: “No need. Just a moment.”
Then he put the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled sharply.
“Whoosh—”
At almost visible speed, the Marlboro that had just been lit was refined by Jiang Nian’s light cough, leaving only a long stretch of burned remains.
Jiang Nian casually flicked it away and exhaled a breath of smoke: “Alright, Teacher He, Sister Mi, let’s go.”
“Uh… okay, okay!”
He Jiong was already dumbfounded, replying in a daze.
And at the doorway of the house, seeing Yang Mi and Jiang Nian walk in under He Jiong’s arrangements.
Huang Lei said to Da Hua smugly: “See, what did I tell you? Yang Mi—she’s not from the Northeast, right?”
“Uh… well… Teacher Huang, is it possible that Teacher Jiang next to Yang Mi is from the Northeast?” Recognizing Jiang Nian, Da Hua said cautiously.
Huang Lei raised an eyebrow: “Jiang Nian?”
“Yeah, the Yu Huatian who was super popular a while back—Jiang Nian. I remember he seems to be from…” The more Da Hua spoke, the quieter his voice became, until by the end it was about as loud as a mosquito.
Because he was already starting to feel a hint of awkwardness.
Well now.
They had said from the very beginning that the person was from the Northeast, but Huang Lei insisted on disagreeing and going against the grain.
And it turned out a Northeasterner really did show up.
At this, Huang Lei’s brow furrowed slightly.
Then he walked forward, directly ignoring Jiang Nian, and said to Yang Mi: “Mi Mi, not bad. You just got here and already gave me a tough one—making me cook snowy bean paste. Since when did you start liking Northeastern food?”
Yang Mi didn’t catch his underlying meaning, nor did she know what had happened before she and Jiang Nian arrived.
She instinctively explained: “No, Teacher Huang. I didn’t order that dish—Jiang Nian ordered it!”
The moment those words came out, the smile on Huang Lei’s face froze solid.
Jiang Nian spoke up at this moment as well: “That’s right. Is there a problem?”
Huang Lei didn’t say a word.
It was He Jiong beside him who was sharp-eyed and noticed the atmosphere was off. He quickly stepped in to smooth things over: “Haha, what problem could there be? He just means you two really know how to eat. Come on, come on, hurry inside. You must be exhausted from the trip. Da Hua, quick, pour our guests some tea.”
Da Hua didn’t know what to do either at this point. Hearing He Jiong’s arrangement, he finally found a reason to leave, and quickly said: “Hey, got it! I’ll boil some water.”
Then he hurried into the house and didn’t make another sound.
Seeing this, Yang Mi felt something was odd but didn’t say anything more.
As for Jiang Nian, he looked at Huang Lei, his eyes narrowing slightly.
As mentioned before, his senses were very sharp—he could detect others’ ill will.
Which meant that just now, he had clearly and unmistakably sensed a thick malice coming from Huang Lei.
“This old bastard really has a problem with me!”
Jiang Nian muttered to himself.
Although he didn’t know why Huang Lei would show such hostility toward him upon their first meeting.
But it didn’t matter.
He, Jiang Nian, had never been the type to have a good temper. And when it came to people in the entertainment industry, no matter their status, he never catered to their whims—he treated everyone with the same free and unfettered attitude.
After all, with extraordinary martial arts skills at his disposal, what was some so-called entertainment industry big shot?
And it just so happened that he didn’t find this Huang Lei very pleasing to the eye either.
Put those two things together.
“You’d better not start anything. Otherwise, don’t blame me for not giving you even a shred of face.”
Silently glancing at Huang Lei, Jiang Nian thought to himself.
Then, just as Huang Lei had ignored him earlier, Jiang Nian also directly ignored Huang Lei. Without even a greeting, he walked straight into the house.
Seeing this, He Jiong—a man who knew how to read people—could naturally tell there was a problem.
But he didn’t know what to do about it either.
He could only awkwardly change the subject to keep the atmosphere from becoming too uncomfortable.
Fortunately, this torturous situation didn’t last long.
“Ring ring ring—”
“Ring ring ring—”
The phone in the Mushroom House rang again.
He Jiong realized it was probably the second batch of guests arriving, so he quickly answered and started chatting with the other party.
For a moment, only Yang Mi, Jiang Nian, and Huang Lei were left looking at each other, nobody speaking.
Huang Lei wasn’t speaking because what had just happened made him feel embarrassed and upset, so he was putting on airs and acting aloof.
Jiang Nian saw right through it and wasn’t playing that game at all.
Oh, so you’re the only one who can put on airs and act aloof?
Spoiled brat!
He directly held back Yang Mi, who was about to speak up to ease the tension, and sat there leisurely drinking tea, completely unmoved.
Anyway, he was the guest. When this whole thing blew up, the one who’d lose face wouldn’t be him—it would be Huang Lei, the unqualified “host.”
So then, let’s just wait it out. See who can outlast who.
Seeing this, a flash of suppressed anger passed through Huang Lei’s eyes.
He truly hadn’t expected that Jiang Nian—someone who had only just gained a bit of fame this year—would actually dare to not give him face.
But soon, he suppressed that anger.
Because they were filming a show right now, and he needed to maintain his image.
So, after a moment of silence, Huang Lei said: “Mi Mi, your company really has produced a big star.”
The moment those words landed, Yang Mi’s eyelid twitched.
She wasn’t a fool—she could naturally tell there was a hidden meaning in Huang Lei’s words.
So she braced herself and said: “Teacher Huang, you’re too kind. It’s just good luck.”
“Good luck? I wouldn’t be so sure. This Jiang Nian is no ordinary person.” Huang Lei continued his veiled mockery.
Seeing him fixate on Yang Mi alone and fire away at her.
Jiang Nian felt a faint displeasure in his heart, so he took over the conversation and pretended to be curious: “Oh? How is he not ordinary? Has Mr. Huang also studied fortune-telling or something?”
“No, I’ve just dabbled a little.”
“I see. Earlier, Mr. Huang spoke so knowledgeably that I thought you’d studied it deeply. I was just about to ask Mr. Huang to read my fortune.”
Unlike Huang Lei’s roundabout insults.
Jiang Nian’s specialty was direct confrontation.
It was only because they were still filming a variety show that Jiang Nian couldn’t just flip out completely.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be making snide remarks right now—he’d just raise a hand and start cursing up a storm.
Martial prowess gave Jiang Nian tremendous confidence. It was only because of the rule of law in society—otherwise, with a weapon in hand, the urge to kill would arise.
Hearing this, both Huang Lei and Yang Mi’s expressions changed.
“Sorry, Teacher Huang. Jiang Nian didn’t mean it that way. He’s always been like this—used to speaking bluntly.” Yang Mi explained.
Huang Lei’s eyelid twitched, but he still had to put on a magnanimous front for the cameras:
“It’s fine. After all, I’m indeed not very specialized in it. What he said isn’t wrong either.”
“Let’s get back to business. Mi Mi, do you know the rules of the Mushroom House?”
“What rules?” Yang Mi asked.
“Everyone who comes to the Mushroom House to order food must do actual labor in exchange for the dish. Today you ordered snowy bean paste and spicy dried tofu with green peppers. So I’ll have you do some farm work in the fields—that shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Although it was phrased as a question, Huang Lei’s tone was firm and brooked no doubt.
Hearing this, Yang Mi said: “Of course, no problem, Teacher Huang. Don’t let my appearance fool you—I may look like I’ve never lifted a finger, but actually, when I was little back in my hometown, I helped out with work at home too.”
“Good. Then you two go work in the fields now. My requirements aren’t high—you ordered two dishes, so one mu of land per dish. No problem, right?” Huang Lei said slowly.
The moment those words came out, Yang Mi’s expression changed dramatically, and she almost stood up.
How much?
One mu of land per dish?
Are you fucking insane?
