pjbooks Chapter 22 Warmly Welcomes the New Members
Chapter 22 Warmly Welcomes the New Members
The challenge time was not even halfway through, yet more than half of the contestants had already dropped out. To prevent the situation from worsening, the production team introduced a pre-planned "variable": the remaining ten contestants were reorganized into three groups to continue the challenge.
Among the five men and five women, five ordinary people and five celebrities, Yuan Linghan, who ultimately demonstrated the highest ability, directly led three others to continue the challenge. The remaining four so-called professional outdoor bloggers paired up with one celebrity.
It must be said that the program planners put a lot of thought into ensuring that all the remaining contestants could complete the challenge. Yuan Linghan's group consisted of four people, a combination of two men and two women. The remaining two groups were combinations of three men and three women.
When the contestants were assigned by the production team, Chen Duling, as the "host," immediately smiled and stepped forward to give the female contestant a warm hug, saying, "Wow, Sister Ying, I really didn't expect you to participate in this program too."
"Yes! I was also surprised that you, such a well-behaved girl, would dare to participate in a program like this."
Zhao Liying, who warmly embraced Chen Duling, was also quite shocked. But she was almost certain that Chen Duling's ability to persevere until now was probably related to the partner she had chosen. Chen Duling simply couldn't have built such a perfect shelter.
Meanwhile, another male guest, Yuan Linghan, who was also a "host," stepped forward and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Teacher Wu, I am Yuan Linghan, a contestant who is not a professional. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."
"Mr. Yuan, hello! I'm truly unworthy of your kind words. I'm good at acting, but I'm really no match for surviving on a deserted island. You're an expert in this area, so I hope you'll take good care of me in the future."
Seeing Wu Yue's polite demeanor, Yuan Linghan smiled and said, "Since we're partners, let's work together from now on. Dudu, take Teacher Zhao and Teacher Wu inside first; it's still raining outside!"
"Okay, I got it, Brother Yuan!"
Upon arriving under the eaves, Wu Yue remarked with considerable emotion, "Mr. Yuan, is this the bamboo house you built?"
"Teacher Wu, you are a senior, you can call me Xiao Yuan or A Ling. We made the most of the local resources and chose to build the shelter here because of the bamboo forest next to it. It took some time to build this bamboo house."
"Great! Although I don't know about the other challenge groups, their shelters are definitely not as spacious and sturdy as yours. Liying, it seems we won't have to go hungry for the rest of our days."
Taking the opportunity, Yuan Linghan shook hands with Zhao Liying and introduced them. Seeing the luggage the two had brought, Yuan Linghan immediately said, "Brother Yue, if you don't mind, you can share a room with me tonight. Sister Ying, you can stay in Dudu's room, how about that?"
"Wow! Seeing your place reminds me of the shelter I built before, it's nothing compared to this!"
Helping them carry their luggage into the room, Wu Yue found it quite spacious. What truly surprised Wu Yue was that Yuan Linghan didn't have a tent. But there was a solid wood bed, which would certainly be just as comfortable as sleeping in a tent.
Yuan Linghan then asked at the opportune moment, "Brother Yue, would you prefer to sleep in a tent or a bed?"
When asked, Wu Yue quickly replied, "I'll sleep in a tent. I'll be sleeping there for almost half a month, it'll be fine!"
Seeing that Wu Yue seemed to have misunderstood, Yuan Linghan immediately smiled and explained, "Brother Yue, what I meant was, if you like sleeping in a bed, we happen to have some leftover wood. I'll make you a bed later, so you won't have to sleep in a tent."
"Oh! You can even make beds?"
"Just set up a frame and put the planks together. These planks are all trash we collected from the beach. It's more comfortable to sleep on if we put on some hay or palm leaves. The only downside is that it attracts mosquitoes."
Listening to Yuan Linghan's teasing, Wu Yue thought for a moment and said, "Mosquitoes are indeed annoying, but sleeping in a tent is too cramped. If there's a bed, I'd much rather sleep in one."
"Okay, then leave the space for now. I'll make another bed after I bring the materials over. By the way, Yue-ge, how about we ask Ying-jie? If she wants to sleep in a bed, we can make both beds at the same time."
"Okay, let's ask!"
The two rooms were separated by a bamboo wall, so they could hear each other talking. Chen Duling, who was introducing things to Zhao Liying, heard Yuan Linghan's words and immediately asked Zhao Liying what she thought.
Zhao Liying thought for a moment and said, "Dudu, wouldn't that be too much trouble?"
"Sister Ying, no way! Brother Yuan is very skilled, and we collected a lot of wood that washed ashore on the beach. We burned the less desirable pieces as firewood. The remaining wood should be enough to make two beds."
Having just moved to a new place, Wu Yue and Zhao Liying were delighted to receive a new bed. However, when they entered the kitchen and saw the barrels of smoked meat, they were both instantly stunned.
Wu Yue then asked, "Ah Ling, did you get all this meat on the island?"
"Hmm! The rabbit and chicken meat were caught earlier. The pork was caught a couple of days ago when it rained. Dudu, how about we cook a big meal to celebrate Yue-ge and Ying-jie joining us?"
"I agree, and I wholeheartedly support it."
Only now did Wu Yue and Zhao Liying understand why the staff had smiled without saying a word on their way here. It turned out the production team knew perfectly well that by joining Yuan Linghan's challenge group, they would no longer have to endure hunger.
To be honest, the two of them were quite unlucky. Wu Yue's partner had to quit due to injury shortly after arriving on the island. Wu Yue, who had little outdoor experience, had managed to persevere through hunger and hardship thanks to the tenacity of a martial artist.
On the other hand, Zhao Liying seemed to have chosen a partner with the highest level of outdoor skills, but that outdoor blogger, nicknamed "Iron Head Bro," suffered from severe diarrhea after eating raw seafood a week after arriving on the island and was eventually forced to withdraw from the challenge.
Netizens initially thought Zhao Liying would leave the show, but she persevered by eating noodles, wild vegetables, and seafood she foraged. Their individual dedication has earned them considerable popularity and goodwill.
With Wu Yue's help, the two new beds were quickly made. While preparing lunch, Yuan Linghan thought for a moment and said, "Dudu, how about I make some smoked chicken and bamboo shoot soup, stir-fry some smoked rabbit with dried bamboo shoots, and cook some rice porridge? What do you think?"
"Brother Yuan, don't you eat meat?"
"Brother Yue and Sister Ying probably haven't been eating much oily food lately. If I cook pork dishes, I'm afraid their stomachs won't be able to handle it. Chicken and rabbit meat don't have much oil, so let their stomachs get used to it first, and then we can cook pork later."
"Okay, I'll do as you say!"
The two people standing nearby, intending to help, were also touched by Yuan Linghan's thoughtfulness. Although they also craved meat, Yuan Linghan was more considerate. If eating meat caused diarrhea, it would truly be a case of losing more than they gained!
When lunch was ready, the two who had been invited to sit down found the meal to be quite lavish. It included meat, vegetables, a staple food, and drinks. They had never dared to dream of such treatment if they had been alone before.
"Brother Yue, Sister Ying, don't just stand there! Drink some soup first, and eat more vegetables. You should drink more porridge later, and if you're still hungry, have a cassava. This cassava tastes good, but don't eat too much."
"Okay, you and Dudu have to spend money this time. I'll treat you two to a big meal after the show ends."
"Okay, Dudu and I will remember!"
Without much formality, Wu Yue and Zhao Liying began to enjoy their first lunch since arriving on the island, which they considered quite filling. Even as a female celebrity, Zhao Liying had a bowl of soup, two bowls of porridge, and a cassava for lunch.
Many viewers watching the live stream felt that Zhao Liying was starving and finally had a chance to eat her fill. Meanwhile, male celebrity Wu Yue didn't hold back either, finishing all the food with Yuan Linghan.
Chen Duling, however, barely ate anything at the meal. It wasn't out of consideration for her; she simply didn't have much energy and couldn't eat much at all!