The room had clearly been cleaned. Lang Yue gave everyone a brief tour. There were seven or eight empty rooms, and sharing one room among two or three people wouldn't feel crowded.
However, everyone from the production crew, without exception, declared in unison: they didn't need so many rooms, and they didn't need to be separated! They preferred to sleep piled together!
In the end, Director Huang hurried them back to their respective rooms. "You've all been through tough times with me, traveling far and wide. Are a few minor difficulties going to scare you off? When we climb the snowy mountains, I'll see if you aren't all braver than one another!"
Da Zhuang wore a pained expression. "Second Uncle... uh, no... Director, climbing snowy mountains is a challenge against nature! This is a provocation against the unnatural! Do you know how vast the disparity is between these two forces?"
"Go, go! You're the one with the most to say! And this talk about not planting locust trees in the courtyard... Are you looking down on locust trees, or do you want to rename them? Can you just say such things on camera?"
Turning back, he apologized to Lang Yue with embarrassment, "They're just people who haven't seen much of the world. I've made you look foolish!"
"Not at all, not at all."
Lang Yue smiled and said, "You're all very brave. This residence has already scared away three groups before you. Some left in the middle of the night with their bedding! You all seem the most sensible!"
Director Huang swallowed with difficulty. "That's a given, absolutely required..."
Night had fallen, and the surroundings were dark. The house hadn't been occupied for a long time, so naturally, there was no electricity. Lang Yue had managed to get power from the ancestral hall, which was just enough to charge their equipment.
She then brought in several kerosene lamps to provide light for everyone.
Staring at the dim, flickering lamplight, Wai Shao was moved to say, "In this scene and setting, I feel I should make a pair of shoe soles to match the mood."
Lang Yue apologized, "The conditions in the village are limited. I hope you can all be understanding."
Everyone quickly shook their heads and waved their hands. "No, no, please don't say that. It's us who are disturbing you."
"That's right, that's right. This is already very good! At least you didn't make us sleep on the streets!"
"Exactly! Not only are there beds here, but look, there are also tables, chairs, and stools!"
Lang Yue was amused by them. She looked up and said to Director Huang, "Your people are very good. You've led them well."
Huang Yanyan looked at her bright, clear eyes and suddenly found himself unable to speak.
With the horror atmosphere so perfectly set, no one wanted to sleep. They all gathered around Lang Yue, bombarding her with questions.
"Beautiful lady, why are you a village chief at such a young age?"
"My father was the village chief. After he had an accident, I took over. Hehe, it's called village chief, but there's so much work to do. I'm needed for everything from weddings and funerals to, well, you even encountered me during childbirth."
She said it so casually, it was hard to imagine how much this young woman in her early twenties carried on her shoulders.
Ah Ning hesitated and asked, "Your father..."
"That year, there was a heavy rain, and Ati's cow went missing. My father went up the mountain to find it. He found the cow, but he didn't come back."
Lang Yue said calmly, "At that time, it was the only cow in our village, and it was a great help for plowing during spring planting."
Everyone was at a loss for words for a moment.
Lang Yue smiled again. "However, in the past few years, the village's situation has improved a lot. If my father could see it, he would be very happy."
Everyone nodded sincerely. Director Huang said with even more determination, "Life will only get better and better."
Xia Weiliang asked her, "Why is your Mandarin so good?"
As they had entered, they had noticed that the locals spoke in dialect.
"Because I usually help the village with purchases and also sell the handicrafts we make. My Mandarin naturally improved."
Hearing this, Director Huang brought up the ultimate purpose of their trip. "Regarding those artisan uncles, I'd like to visit them tomorrow."
"I've already spoken to them," Lang Yue said, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Don't get your hopes too high. They don't really like talking about these things with outsiders."
"Why?" someone asked, not understanding. "Don't they want their traditional skills to be promoted?"
Lang Yue sighed. "How could they not want that? But for people nowadays, tradition is just a symbol, a symbol of the past. Every time someone comes, they're either interviewing, taking pictures, or even live-streaming with their phones. They shout loudly, and the villagers also try their best to present themselves on camera. But what's the result? These people get their material, gather their buzz, and then leave content. What we get is just sympathy and sighs. The reality hasn't improved at all. So-called inheritance is just another way of saying history."
Lang Yue's words left everyone in silence.
When they had first decided on this topic, Director Huang and the other main creators were full of confidence and united in their purpose.
Now, hearing Lang Yue's words, their faces flushed with shame, as if they were no different from those previous groups.
That night, everyone slept uneasily.
Early in the morning, with the first cat's meow.
Director Huang was in the kitchen early, preparing breakfast for everyone.
After him came Brother Qiao. The two exchanged a glance, neither saying a word.
Xiao Shuai, holding the camera, silently recorded it all.
During breakfast, the itinerary for the day's guests was arranged as usual.
Director Huang ate his noodles and handed out the prepared information.
"These four are the only remaining traditional artisans in the village. Pair up into groups of two, and you can freely choose your partners and take on tasks."
As everyone took a look, he continued, "Before coming here, my thoughts were very simple. I just wanted to shoot a documentary. I even felt a bit great for being able to record these almost extinct crafts in my footage."
He slurped his noodles loudly and said casually, "Now I have only one thought: don't let these old artisans down. No matter what you ask me to do, I don't want them to bid farewell to this profession with regret."
Everyone was silent at first, then several guests picked up the materials. Difficulty levels were marked on them. Xia Weiliang, without hesitation, grabbed the one marked with five stars.
"I'll team up with you," Su Yu Xi said.
Considering his hand injury, Xia Weiliang nodded.
Although Ah Ning and Situ also wanted to team up with her, the purpose of this trip was extraordinary. No matter who they were paired with, they had to do their best. Both of them also closed their mouths and picked up the sheet marked with four stars.
Then...
"Shh..."
She motioned for him to be quiet, then pointed to a tree. "Look, what is that?"