Sweat dripped on Ning Wei's cheek and further down her neck before it disappeared into her shirt.
Ning Wei held the hoe in her hand and swung it hard on the soil. The farmer told her earlier that they would have to loosen the soil before they could plant anything. Or else, it would be hard for the vegetables to grow or absorb nutrients.
After swinging the hoe for a while, Ning Wei stood up straight. She had one hand supporting her waist while the other hand was wiping the sweat on her forehead. The sun was too hot. Ning Wei was forced to take off her cap and started to fan her face with it.
Ning Wei had to admit that farming was tiring than practicing dancing in the studio for the same amount of time.
The sun was scorching hot. The air was dry. The equipment was heavy. Practicing in the studio might be tiring, but she could still enjoy the cold air conditioner when she gets too tired.
It was at a time like this that she realized that she should appreciate the hardworking farmers a little more. Growing food was not easy. It requires hard work and patience.
Maybe next time she would think twice before she wastes the food on her plate.
The movement from the other side snapped Ning Wei out of her thoughts. She raised her head and noticed that the cameraman was shooting her. The scene of her wiping the sweat off her face was caught on camera.
Ning Wei's lips started to twitch. The way the crew was pointing the camera at her face felt as if they were filming an exciting scene.
Of course, Ning Wei would not guess that the scene of her wiping her sweat would drive her fans crazy when the show aired. In her fans' eyes, Ning Wei looked very handsome even when she was sweating a lot.
"Ning Wei!"
Hearing someone calling her name, Ning Wei turned around. The light in her eyes lit up when she saw He Zhen jogging towards her. The sweet girl was holding a few bottles of cold drinking water in her hand. He Zhen smiled once she stopped in front of Ning Wei.
"You should be tired," He Zhen said. "Come on. Have a drink."
Ning Wei glanced at the bottle of cold water and swallowed. She was indeed thirsty after working hard in the sun.
"Thank you." Ning Wei unscrewed the cap and drank half of the bottle's contents. When she looked up, she found that He Zhen was still watching her, unblinking. She raised a brow, wondering why He Zhen was staring at her with such enthusiasm.
"Ning Wei, have you seen Ai Lun?" He Zhen spoke before Ning Wei could ask.
Ning Wei could not hide her surprise at hearing He Zhen asking her about her group leader. She swept her eyes around the place and realized that the reliable Ai Lun was nowhere around.
On the other side, Xie Xi Yan seemed busy talking to a farmer about planting the vegetables they had chosen to plant. The farmer was giving him a few advice on how to plant them.
The scene around her made Ning Wei frown.
It was rare to see Ai Lun slipping away from a job. Usually, this man would be the most enthusiastic among the other members. His seriousness was what made others appoint him as their leader.
Ai Lun's absence made Ning Wei wonder if this man had gone to the restroom. She would not consider him skipping the task given to him.
"Now that you mentioned it… I haven't seen him around either," Ning Wei said. She then realized that she was the only one who was busy loosening the soil.
What has everyone else been busy with? If she were to work on the farm alone, there was a huge chance that they might have to forget about dinner.
The thought made Ning Wei a bit displeased.
This was not fair.
"Then, I'll go and ask Brother Xie," He Zhen said.
He Zhen was about to turn around and leave when they both heard the sound of a loud engine coming from the side.
Ning Wei and He Zhen turned around at the same time and saw Ai Lun sitting on a tractor. He waved his hand and smiled. Once he got closer, Ai Lun jumped down from the tractor and stopped before Ning Wei and He Zhen. By then, Xie Xi Yan and the farmer had joined them.
"What do you think?" Ai Lun pointed at the tractor behind him. "Pretty cool, right?" His lips curled into a smug smile. "I figured that it would take forever for us to plough the land. I asked one of the farmers to lend his tractor and had him teach me how to use the machine."
"Ai Lun–"
The words He Zhen wanted to say were cut short as Xie Xi Yan already hugged the leader.
"Ai Lun, you are a lifesaver!" Xie Xi Yan laughed happily. "We can settle this land very quickly with this machine around."
The group started to discuss what they were going to do.
"Brother Xie…" He Zhen looked at the tractor with worry. "The producer is not going to say anything about us using this machine, right?"
Xie Xi Yan glanced at the crew who stood not too far from them. "It should be alright. The show did not say that we cannot use any machine. There's no rule saying that we can't use technology to help. Anyway, as long as we get our job done, it should be fine. Look." He pointed at the crew not too far away from them. "They haven't said anything."
"When did you know how to operate a tractor?" Ning Wei asked once the others had left.
"A while ago." Ai Lun smiled. "I asked one of the farmers if they had anything that could help us speed up the process. Then, he taught me how to use the tractor. Xiao Wei, are you interested in trying? It's not that difficult. Come on. I'll show you."
Seeing Ai Lun turning around, Ning Wei had no other choice but to follow him.
Xie Xi Yan and He Zhen were listening to him attentively. It did not take Xie Xi Yan long to try the tractor. The joy on his face showed that he was happy to play around with the tractor.
Men were like this. They could get happy to get the chance to operate heavy equipment like a tractor.