Chapter Seventy-One: The Water Festival

Just as Yin Shanshan and the others were nearly at their breaking point, the production team brought news that rescued them.
“Tomorrow is the village’s Water Splashing Festival.”
Upon hearing this, everyone put down their tools. Su Wan Ning, who was making fruit tea, also looked over from her spot.
Five minutes earlier, Yin Shanshan’s agent had approached Chen Rui.
She was dissatisfied with how hard her artist was working in the show, so Chen Rui discussed with Wang Zan and decided to move tomorrow’s schedule up to today, putting an end to the pineapple picking activity.
“Director, are we also participating in the Water Splashing Festival?”
Feng Rui, already suffering from a sore back, supported her waist and asked.
“Yes. So now, everyone needs to join the villagers in making festival costumes. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing to wear and won’t be able to participate tomorrow.”
Yu Xin immediately tossed her gloves aside. “I’ll go and fetch Da Xi to join me!”
The others all left the pineapple field as well, except for Su Wan Ning, who frowned at her unfinished fruit tea.
“Wan Ning,” Wang Zan called to her.
“What is it?” Su Wan Ning looked up.
At a distance, Su Wan Ning couldn’t see Wang Zan’s expression clearly, and it was the first time he spoke to her with a hint of hesitation and reluctance in his tone.
“The villagers have heard of your great skill. They’re working hard making clothes, so why don’t you make more fruit tea for everyone to drink together later?”
Oddly, Wang Zan had never felt guilty for arranging things like this before, but this time, he felt a twinge of remorse for deliberately making things difficult for Su Wan Ning.
Su Wan Ning paused for two seconds, then nodded indifferently, “Alright.”
Su Wan Ning streamed her fruit tea preparation solo. With the process being complex and everyone else busy crafting unique costumes, the number of viewers in her livestream dropped sharply.
[Why won’t they let Su Wan Ning make clothes? What will she wear tomorrow?]
[Is the production team targeting her on purpose?]
[Serves her right—she had everyone picking pineapples under the sun.]
Meanwhile, each person brought their child to the costume workshop in the village.
Sui Sui and Nian Nian were brought by staff, but couldn’t spot Su Wan Ning among the crowd.
“Brother, where’s Mom?”
Nian Nian tugged at Sui Sui’s arm, asking softly.
Sui Sui shook his head. Just then, Feng Rui walked over.
“Looking for Su Wan Ning? She’s making fruit tea for everyone.”
Yu Xin chimed in, nodding, “Should I have the staff take you two to find your mom first?”
Yu Xin and Feng Rui exchanged a silent glance, each understanding the other’s subtle intentions.
Sending the children away to Su Wan Ning would delay their family’s costume-making, and by tomorrow, they’d have no clothes and couldn’t join the festival.
The young children didn’t grasp these adult schemes, and Nian Nian, eager at the suggestion, pulled her brother’s hand to go find Su Wan Ning.
After a few steps, Feng Rui and Yu Xin laughed behind them, but Sui Sui stopped.
“What is it, brother? Let’s go find Mom!”
Sui Sui shook his head. “We should stay and complete the task.”
Nian Nian didn’t understand, but obediently followed her brother. Seeing the children return, Yu Xin and Feng Rui exchanged a look, eyes full of frustration.
Feng Rui thought bitterly, “They’re just two kids—what could they possibly create here?”
Elsewhere, Su Wan Ning leisurely made fruit tea, and even her livestream viewers began to worry for her.
[Why aren’t you making clothes? The ones over there look beautiful. How will you join the festival without any tomorrow?]
[Poor Nian Nian and Sui Sui—they’re just children.]
Su Wan Ning’s face remained relaxed. “Why rush? Besides, Sui Sui and Nian Nian are there, aren’t they?”
[You’re so laid-back.]
[What can two kids do?]
Soon, the children proved the audience wrong through their actions.
Su Wan Ning paid no mind to the dwindling viewers, knowing the children were at the costume workshop.
Meanwhile, several middle-aged women dressed in the village’s traditional attire arrived. They spoke mostly in dialect, which few of the guests understood.
“Like this? And then this?”
Yin Shanshan frowned and tried to communicate with her instructor, but to no avail.
The others were in similar situations, soon growing bored and taking scissors to fabric, embarking on their own creative paths.
Only Sui Sui and Nian Nian, their little heads together, were secretly plotting something.
By the time Su Wan Ning arrived with her fruit tea, everyone’s costumes were awkwardly finished. To everyone’s surprise, Sui Sui and Nian Nian had worked together to make a dress for Su Wan Ning. It had a few flaws, but was beautiful nonetheless.
“So pretty! Thank you, darlings!”
Su Wan Ning hugged the children and planted a kiss on each of their cheeks, earning a giggle from Nian Nian and a look of disgust from Sui Sui.
Yin Shanshan looked from their costumes to her own and her brows furrowed deeply.
The next day, the Water Splashing Festival began on schedule. Everyone wore the clothes they’d crafted the day before and gathered on the village’s main road. Villagers rode by on bikes loaded with buckets, ready to supply water.
Everyone held water guns. Most villagers went barefoot, lively music filled the street, and they swayed to the beat, splashing water at everyone indiscriminately.
“Sui Sui, Nian Nian, hide behind me!”
Su Wan Ning’s face was alight with excitement as she found a tree to use as cover, filling her water gun.
“Mom, let us help you!”
The four families dispersed into the crowd, but Su Wan Ning squinted, taking aim at Yin Shanshan with her water gun.
She waited for the perfect moment and fired—a powerful stream struck Yin Shanshan’s head, making her shriek.
“Ah!”
Yin Shanshan spun around, only to get sprayed again. She fired her own water gun blindly, unable to find Su Wan Ning hiding behind the tree.
“Hahaha, Sui Sui, Nian Nian—join in! Spray water at others, it’s a blessing!”
Looking at Yin Shanshan’s ruined makeup, Su Wan Ning felt utterly triumphant.
Last time on the sand dunes, Yin Shanshan’s scheming hadn’t been proven, but Su Wan Ning hadn’t forgotten.
A gentleman’s revenge is never too late.
Soon, Yin Shanshan realized Su Wan Ning was targeting her, but was overwhelmed by Su Wan Ning’s force, and in desperation, hid behind Yu Xin.