Huayu: Starting from retirement, sweeping across the domestic entertainment industry

Li Ran saw Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng trying to move a bundle of bananas together. Both of them used all their strength, their faces turning red, but the bundle of bananas didn't budge.

He stepped forward quickly and said softly, "I'll do it."

He first checked the weight and binding of the banana bundle, then instructed, "You two stay in front and hold the sides steady. Don't use too much force, just maintain your balance."

After saying that, Li Ran walked to the back and easily lifted the main weight of the banana bundle, making his two younger sisters feel much more relaxed.

Similar scenes played out repeatedly throughout the afternoon. As the sun was about to set, the task of packing twenty bundles of bananas was finally completed, and everyone was so exhausted that they collapsed on the ground, not wanting to move.

After taking a shower, Li Ran felt a little stronger. He went into the kitchen to see how dinner was going, but found that Huang Lei had only marinated the barbecue ingredients and hadn't lit the grill yet. He wondered what Huang Lei had been busy with all afternoon.

He glanced at Zhang Zifeng sitting in the corner of the living room and noticed that she was sipping a bottle of milk. He suddenly understood why the child had been drinking milk all day.

My younger sister is still growing. After working all day, she doesn't know when she'll get to eat dinner. It seems she's just using milk to fill her stomach first and fill her hunger.

"Teacher Huang, shall I help you with the barbecue?" Li Ran really didn't want to be hungry until eight or nine o'clock, so she volunteered.

Huang Lei looked him up and down with some suspicion: "Do you even know how to grill? Don't waste all the ingredients."

"Don't worry, Teacher Huang, anyone can barbecue! Besides, with his name 'Ran' (meaning 'burning'), he'd have to know how!" Guo Qilin, who was already starving, quickly chimed in, afraid that Li Ran would be rejected by Huang Lei.

"Alright, then you young people can do it." Huang Lei readily agreed, handing over the oven and ingredients to them, while he turned around to tinker with his steamed chicken.

At dinner time, Li Ran took two bites of the meat he had grilled himself with great anticipation, and then stopped.

He originally thought there wouldn't be any problem with his grilling, but after taking a couple of bites, he realized it was way too salty. He had no idea how much salt Huang Laodeng had put in when he marinated it; it was so salty it tasted bitter.

He glanced at Zhang Zifeng, who was still quietly drinking his milk, and suddenly realized what was going on. He also quietly picked up his own milk, realizing that milk was the "main course" for tonight.

Fortunately, the show changed sponsors, otherwise Li Ran would have had to experience "chili rice porridge" again.

Only Peng Yuchang ate with great relish, taking bite after bite as if he were enjoying some rare delicacy.

Li Ran couldn't help but wonder to himself: Could this be a "meal shill" that Teacher Huang deliberately left behind? No wonder Da Hua, who used to love to complain, left behind this "indiscriminate freeloader" who could eat with relish no matter what Teacher Huang made.

And so, Huang Sanshi continued to complain that the meat they grilled was too tough and didn't suit his taste, and then he started his usual lecturing mode.

He talked about everything from the grilling temperature to the preparation of ingredients, and even started instructing Li Ran on how to play games, talking about teamwork and individual skills, speaking eloquently and acting like a know-it-all.

Li Ran was getting a headache from listening to Guo Qilin's boasting. He couldn't take this "mental torture" anymore, so he gave Guo Qilin a look: "Dalinzi, I'm stuffed. Want to go for a walk to digest?"

Guo Qilin immediately understood and quickly stood up to agree: "Teacher Huang, Teacher He, and all the teachers, you can continue chatting. I'm going out for a walk with Xiao Ranzi to get some fresh air."

"Okay, be careful and don't come back too late," Teacher He instructed like a concerned parent.

Just as Li Ran and Guo Qilin stood up to leave, Zhang Jingyi suddenly looked at Zhou Xun and whispered, "Gugu, can I come with you? I want to go for a walk too."

Seeing this, Zhang Zifeng immediately stood up and expressed his desire to join in.

Seeing this, Teacher He waved his hand and smiled, "Go, go, the more the merrier. You two brothers take good care of your sisters, be careful, and come back soon."

Watching the four young people leave the courtyard chatting and laughing, Tao Hong couldn't help but sigh, "Youth is truly wonderful! Look at these four kids, playing and joking around, what a beautiful time! It's truly enviable."

……

Dark as ink.

Li Ran led the three of them toward the village entrance.

Zhang Jingyi pulled her coat tighter around herself and looked at Li Ran beside her: "Where are we going? We've been walking for quite a while now, aren't we going back?"

Li Ran turned his head, his eyes reflecting the moonlight: "There's a special barbecue stall at the village entrance. Let's go grab something to eat. I don't want to go to bed hungry."

"Ah! Weren't we out for a walk?" Zhang Jingyi stopped in surprise, her voice tinged with confusion.

Guo Qilin on the other side immediately burst out laughing: "What are you talking about? We're two grown men, why would we have the leisure to go for a walk so late at night? It's so dark, we must have some 'important business' to attend to."

As he spoke, he deliberately patted his stomach exaggeratedly, as if to prove that he really needed to replenish his energy.

He then looked at Zhang Zifeng and asked, "Little sister, are you hungry?"

Zhang Zifeng smiled and nodded: "I knew things weren't that simple when you two came out."

She had long seen through the fact that her two older brothers' intentions were not so simple.

Li Ran turned to look at Zhang Jingyi, who was still standing there, her eyes filled with doting affection, but her tone carried a hint of teasing as she casually said, "See, even your little sister understands, but you're still so naive, just like before!"

Zhang Jingyi felt a little embarrassed by what was said, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she muttered softly, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? Teacher Huang works so hard to cook for everyone, and we're just sneaking out to eat."

Although she herself hadn't eaten much of the food Huang Lei had cooked and was still hungry, she was still somewhat worried.

After all, everyone else was resting in the Mushroom House, but they came out to "have an extra meal".

"Alright, stop thinking about it." Li Ran took her hand and walked quickly toward the village entrance. Guo Qilin and Zhang Zifeng followed closely behind, their shadows growing longer in the moonlight.

The four followed the scent carried on the night breeze to the warm yellow lamp at the village entrance. On the iron rack of the Dai auntie, pork belly sizzled, and the aroma of lemongrass mixed with the fragrance of charcoal filled the air.

They ordered some specialty grilled skewers, sat around a small table, and slowly ate them with chilled pineapple juice.

After eating and drinking their fill, Li Ran paid the bill. The four of them wiped their mouths contentedly and strolled slowly back to the Mushroom House under the bright moonlight.

The moonlight was very bright on the way back.

Zhang Jingyi looked at Li Ran walking ahead of her, feeling an indescribable sweetness in her heart. If only he hadn't gone to play professionally back then.

But it's not too late now, and her brother Ran is still protecting her just like he was in high school, just like at that New Year's Eve party.

When the four returned to the Mushroom House, the lights in the yard were off, with only a faint light coming from under the eaves.

Zhang Jingyi and Zhang Zifeng smiled and waved goodbye to Li Ran and Guo Qilin, then quietly went up the stairs to the girls' dormitory on the second floor.

Li Ran and Guo Qilin turned and walked into the living room, where warm yellow light immediately enveloped them.

The main light in the living room wasn't on, but the floor lamp in the corner was lit, and Teacher He was sitting on the sofa flipping through old photo albums.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his eyes behind his glasses filled with a gentle smile, his gaze lingering on the two of them for a few seconds.

"Did you guys sneak out for barbecue?"

Li Ran subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth, while Guo Qilin scratched his head awkwardly. Both of them were slightly stunned.

Teacher He's gaze fell on the two young men, noticing that they both seemed somewhat uneasy.

He smiled gently, lowering his voice as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the night, and softly reminded, "Alright, Teacher Huang is resting now. You two should go and rest too! You have to catch a flight tomorrow."

Li Ran and Guo Qilin exchanged a glance, then both breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing expressions of immense relief.

Li Ran thought that Teacher He's "Evil Gardenia" plan might have already started quietly!

The two moved stealthily, trying not to make a sound, as if afraid of breaking the silence around them, and carefully made their way back to their room to rest along the corridor.

The next morning.

The members of the Mushroom House arrived early to see off the guests, and Huang Lei was unaware that Li Ran and the others had gone out to sneak a meal the night before.

"See you next time, Ran-ge." Zhang Jingyi said goodbye to Li Ran with reluctance at the airport.

Li Ran gave her a gentle hug. "See you next time."

Watching her retreating figure as she went to get her ticket checked, Li Ran was quite satisfied with the recording of this variety show.

Although there were some bumps and bruises, and even Huang Lei's "poisoning" attempts, fortunately, he was not tamed by him.

Not only did he receive system rewards, but he also reunited with his high school junior, Zhang Jingyi. How could that not be a pleasant experience!