Back at the campsite, there was no one to be seen except for the three tents. Most of the other guests hadn't arrived yet, but where had Meng Pinglang gone?
Chu Rong seemed to have read her mind and explained proactively, "He went to find ingredients."
Quan Jiu said "Oh" and after a moment's thought, went to wash the wild fruits first.
Meanwhile, on another hillside, Meng Pinglang was struggling to clear a path, occasionally turning back to speak to the cameraman.
"I think we're going the wrong way. There are no signs of anyone having been here. She definitely wouldn't have gone this way," Meng Pinglang stood still, sweating profusely as he looked around. But all he saw was forest.
"I think we need to change direction. This direction is wrong." Meng Pinglang pondered for a long time, wiped his sweat, turned in another direction, and continued forward.
As he walked, somehow he ended up back on the path he had come from. Looking up, he realized he had descended along the mountainside.
Meng Pinglang was at a loss and had to climb up the mountain path again.
By the time he reached his destination again, it was half an hour later. A makeshift stove had been set up at the campsite, and the other two groups of guests had also arrived. Everyone was busy setting up tents, while Quan Jiu was calmly boiling water.
Meng Pinglang thought for a moment and guessed what had happened. Angrily, he approached Chu Rong and questioned him, "Since they're already back, why didn't you notify me?"
Chu Rong's expression was indifferent. "Forgot."
Meng Pinglang was speechless. This guy must have graduated from the School of Strategic Manipulation.
He took out a handful of wild vegetables from his bag and said to Quan Jiu, "This is called bitter cress. It's an edible wild vegetable. Although it's a bit bitter like bitter melon, it has medicinal value and is good for the body. Blanching it before stir-frying will reduce the bitterness."
Quan Jiu was a little surprised. "You recognize wild vegetables? I ate a lot of bitter cress when I was a child, and I'm used to it. You can leave it, I'll stir-fry it."
Meng Pinglang glanced at Chu Rong, raised an eyebrow, and his voice became a little louder, "My cooking skills are quite good."
Quan Jiu really didn't want to cook. Since someone else was doing it, it saved her the trouble, so she thanked him.
Meng Pinglang showed a slight smile and began washing and blanching the vegetables, while Quan Jiu helped wash rice and cook it.
Another half an hour passed, and the last three guests finally arrived at the campsite. Seeing their calm demeanor, it was clear they had enjoyed a leisurely stroll up the mountain. While they certainly enjoyed themselves, they were all a bit bewildered to see tents and cookware scattered everywhere.
"You've already started cooking," Mai Su habitually walked towards Chu Rong.
Seeing the mushrooms stir-frying in Chu Rong's pot, even though it was vegetarian, the aroma was already filling the air. Mai Su, forgetting her previous discomfort, looked entranced. "You've thought of everything, even bringing the ingredients."
Another female guest, not liking her attitude, said, "We all found wild vegetables and fruits on the mountain ourselves."
The implication was that if they wanted to eat, they should find it themselves.
Mai Su bit her lip. Seeing Meng Pinglang also stir-frying, she ran over, "Let me help you." In her mind, Meng Pinglang was likely the only unattached male guest.
However, to her surprise, Meng Pinglang stopped her with a simple "No need," and then asked Quan Jiu, "Do you eat spicy food?"
"Yes. I can't live without spice," Quan Jiu replied with a smile.
Meng Pinglang then added a bit of chili to the dish, stir-fried it a few times, and served it. The aroma was equally enticing.
Although Mai Su was rejected, she was secretly overjoyed. Meng Pinglang teaming up with Quan Jiu meant that Chu Rong was the only one left alone.
She quickly turned and ran back to Chu Rong, "Let me help you, what do you need?"
Chu Rong acted as if she were invisible, serving the dishes himself and placing them on the table.
Mai Su froze on the spot, so embarrassed she could have died. In her mind, she hurled every insult imaginable at Quan Jiu, calling her a conniving, cheap, manipulative, and green-tea bitch.
Soon, the dishes from the other groups were also ready. Some clever guests had brought ingredients from down the mountain, while others had found them on the mountain. In short, except for the last group to arrive and Mai Su, everyone else had food.
The tables were portable and small, and the group arranged them into a long row, with benches on either side, and sat down in order.
Of course, Mai Su and the other group were also invited to sit down, and the three of them shamelessly got a free meal.
Mai Su saw Quan Jiu sitting next to Meng Pinglang and quickly grabbed a stool, intending to sit next to Chu Rong.
But before she could get close, she saw Chu Rong pick up a stool and sit on Quan Jiu's other side.
She was so annoyed she cursed again in her heart and had no choice but to sit down by herself.
In front of her was a plate of bitter cress and a plate of stir-fried mushrooms. Mai Su, seeing the vibrant green, had no appetite and reached for the mushrooms. But as soon as her chopsticks touched the edge of the plate, a slender hand with well-defined joints picked up the plate and served a large portion of mushrooms into Quan Jiu's bowl.
Quan Jiu was caught off guard. Looking at the large bowl of vegetables, she said speechlessly, "I can't eat this much."
"You don't like bitter things, so eat more mushrooms. They're good for you too," Chu Rong put down the plate and then looked at Meng Pinglang, "Your dish has a bad omen. Do you want someone to suffer with you?"
Meng Pinglang was almost amused to anger. "Medicine can be bitter, but it's still medicine. Wouldn't you take medicine if you were sick?"
"Then you should see a doctor. You're weak, that's why you get sick easily."
"Pfft..." Qi Fei couldn't help but spit out his rice, his face turning red from suppressed laughter.
"So you care about me so much. Anyone who didn't know would think you liked me," Meng Pinglang said.
"I naturally sympathize with the weak. This type of person needs more social care."
Quan Jiu sighed helplessly and said to Chu Rong, word by word, "Can you just eat your food and stop talking?"
"Does the food suit your taste?" Chu Rong softened his voice.
Quan Jiu didn't answer, but the vegetables in her bowl were enough for the meal. She didn't want to leave them, so she buried her head and ate the mushrooms, symbolically picking up a couple of bites of bitter cress and praising Meng Pinglang's cooking.
The meal was eaten with ten guests having mixed feelings.
After the meal, Quan Jiu took out some wild fruits she had picked and shared them with everyone. These guests had all grown up in the city and had never tasted wild fruits from the mountains. After trying them, they all praised them highly.
Mai Su, while eating the wild fruits, asked curiously, "Sister Quan, how do you know about these country wild fruits? Did you live in the countryside when you were little?"
Quan Jiu smiled slightly. "Yes, I lived in the countryside with my grandmother when I was young."
Mai Su was very surprised. "I can't tell. So you're from a rural background? I always thought you were a rich heiress."
Quan Jiu's smile deepened. "Temperament and cultivation come from the heart."
Mai Su didn't react at first. After savoring it for a while, she realized that Quan Jiu was subtly calling her uncivilized and uncultured.
As expected, she was a conniving, cheap, and green-tea bitch who had to speak indirectly even when insulting someone. It was a pity that the best time to retort had passed. If she spoke now, it would seem like she hadn't understood at first.
Just then, a staff member came forward to announce the next game task, and Mai Su had no choice but to give up.
"We have hidden different ingredients in the mountains, five portions in total. The best is a deluxe barbecue set, and the worst is two packs of instant noodles. Of course, if a group doesn't find any ingredients, they'll have to forage for themselves."
Mai Su looked at the vast forest. "How do we find them in such a large mountain? And it's so dangerous in the mountains. What if we encounter snakes or wild boars?"
The staff member smiled. "Firstly, this mountain has been surveyed, and there are no dangerous animals like wild boars. Secondly, we have also prepared maps for everyone." With that, he took out five maps and handed them to the five male guests.
"Now, you can form your own teams and set off to find the ingredients."