Netizens probably didn't expect that Jiang Xiaoman actually knew Tang Xinlan, and that her fans were urging her to quickly release a tutorial video, since they had forgotten the correct way to make konjac tofu after Jiang Xiaoman's incorrect demonstration...
Jiang Xiaoman watched and laughed, not caring at all about people loudly mocking him in the comments section of his videos. That's how it is in social media; you're not afraid of being laughed at or criticized, you're just afraid of being ignored—that's when you're completely finished. The fact that people were laughing at him meant that someone was willing to pay attention to him.
Sure enough, upon opening his profile page, it was discovered that in just one afternoon, his number of followers had skyrocketed from a little over 10,000 to over 30,000!
Clicking on another video platform where you can participate in ad revenue sharing, this platform has a lot of content sharing and knowledge sharing, in other words, there are a lot of netizens who like to give unsolicited advice. Jiang Xiaoman's video of his "noob at making konjac tofu" made netizens laugh out loud, and many people who thought he was good-looking gave him a lot of tips, telling him not to make things difficult for himself anymore, and to take the money and buy a piece of konjac tofu before it got dark.
Looking at the extra 1,081 yuan in earnings in the "Creative Revenue" column, Jiang Xiaoman couldn't help but bite her finger in excitement.
Holy crap, this is making way too much money!
He failed miserably at making konjac noodles, turning his entire operation into a complete mess, yet he still managed to earn over a thousand yuan by posting a video of his failure! Adding in the tips and donations, even after deducting the platform's cut, he'd have at least two thousand yuan in income that afternoon!
Two thousand yuan—that's what his dad could earn by working hard for months planting potatoes!
Jiang Xiaoman closed the background app and reopened WeChat. He originally wanted to thank Tang Xinlan sincerely, but unexpectedly, she had sent him a red envelope containing 188 yuan half an hour earlier, along with a message—
"Xiaoman, I think you should go for the silly route, hahaha. Don't bother learning any techniques anymore. Just do what you did today and film whatever you did. I have a feeling you'll be more popular than me!"
Jiang Xiaoman remained silent for a long time before accepting the red envelope that symbolized her "graduation."
Wow, he's pulling all-nighters and going bald, his meticulously crafted scripts are completely ignored, and his silly, disastrous video is getting likes all over the internet. Netizens these days are just so unkind! o(╥﹏╥)o
However, since the video went viral, Jiang Xiaoman seems to have suddenly unlocked his full potential. Because he has so much material, he now posts at least three or four videos every day.
It's been raining continuously these past few days, and work on the mountain has stopped because the mountainside hasn't been reinforced yet, and there's a risk of landslides. Jiang Xiaoman didn't dare let his father go up the mountain to cut bamboo, so he simply arranged work for him: the father and son helped Jiang Baichuan, and during their free time, they cleared out two more plots of land. Taking advantage of the rain, they quickly planted potatoes and planted a circle of soybeans along the edge.
His fans started to notice something was off: how come this father and son were living at the school? Could they be relatives of the school administration?
The controversy erupted in the comments section after Jiang Xiaoman posted a video of himself eating dinner. Eagle-eyed netizens noticed that not only Jiang Xiaoman and his son, but also Jiang Caiyun and her daughter were seen eating at the school. What's going on with this school? Has the school's educational budget been completely depleted by the teachers bringing their families to eat?
When netizens who were unaware of the truth saw the children from the mountains dressed in simple and worn clothes, they felt a surge of anger!
Jiang Xiaoman sent a private message with a more cautious attitude, asking what the situation was. If it was due to family difficulties, she suggested seeking social assistance or something similar, and advised him not to take up educational resources, especially in rural areas where resources are already scarce. Didn't you see in the video that the children could only eat konjac porridge? They're already in such a miserable state, and you still want to take up the educational resources of these rural children? Have some decency!
Those with fiery tempers simply questioned in the comments section, asking who Jiang Youliang and his son, along with that little girl, were to the school leaders, and why they were allowed to openly freeload at the school.
While netizens were bombarding her with questions in the comments section, Jiang Xiaoman was still diligently grinding tofu.
He's temporarily giving up on making konjac tofu, probably because it's not konjac season yet. However, he plans to grind more soybeans to make tofu pudding for the kids as a late-night snack, and press the rest into dried tofu. Tomorrow morning, he'll stir-fry the dried tofu with egg sauce and use it as a topping for noodles.
I just finished pressing the tofu, and when I checked my phone, the app was overwhelmed with messages.
After being bombed several times, he wasn't as excited as he had been at the beginning, but he still opened the comments section with anticipation.
Then he was stunned by the barrage of criticism from netizens.
What's going on? It's just an ordinary dinner, isn't it?
No, tonight's meal was indeed a bit simple. It's mainly because Jiang Baichuan had told him in advance that since it was raining and all the classmates were there, they would take the weekly test tonight. There were two subjects, Chinese and Math, to take in one night, so time was tight. Therefore, Jiang Xiaoman could only cook a big pot of semi-finished konjac paste and fry a bunch of filling fried dough balls.
The konjac paste looked like pig slop in the video, but Jiang Xiaoman had actually put a lot of thought into it. She specially made it with bone broth, and added lean meat and egg drop soup. It was even tastier than the braised konjac tofu they used to make. Even the younger kids could finish two big bowls in one go. With a couple of fried dough sticks, they could definitely handle two exams.
But who can tell him now? He was just cooking at school and posted a video of everyone eating together, so why was he attacked by the entire internet?
Jiang Xiaoman found the answer in the comments section.
After reading the questions and private messages from netizens and fans, he almost cried.
Although he and his father were temporarily staying at the school because their house had collapsed, they weren't staying for free. His father helped the school clear land and plant potatoes, and he helped cook every day. Moreover, because Jiang Baichuan was so stingy, he would often secretly pay out of his own pocket to buy some good food for the children.
And then there's Jiang Caiyun. She doesn't usually eat dinner at school, but tonight is a special case. So many classes are taking exams together, and there are only three teachers in the school, all of whom have to come and proctor. Her daughter is too young; she can't be separated from her tonight, so she had to bring her along. Even if the child eats her fill, she can't eat much!
Thinking about this, Jiang Xiaoman really couldn't help but want to speak up for the teacher profession.
I remember when they were in school, they liked to describe their teachers in their essays as being like a bright red candle, burning themselves to light up others.
Society as a whole is calling on teachers to sacrifice themselves and dedicate their entire lives to the great cause of education, but who cares whether teachers have families, parents, or children who need their care?
To take a recent example, Jiang Caiyun was responsible for teaching Chinese to grades one through three and music and art to six classes in the whole school. She was also heavily pregnant and had a daughter who was not yet three years old. Even someone with an iron body could not withstand that.
Shouldn't the school make an exception for this kind of teacher and let her bring her child to the cafeteria for a quick meal?
Are you suggesting that she go home first to cook for her daughter while heavily pregnant, then serve her dinner before returning to school to proctor the exam?
Jiang Xiaoman stood in the cold wind for a while, holding her phone, slowly processing the helplessness and the urge to retort in her heart. After calming down a bit, she found a secluded spot and hurriedly recorded a video.
Chapter 33
Jiang Xiaoman knew that netizens shouldn't be blamed for this. After all, schools have always been sacred places that Chinese people consider absolutely inviolable. A few years ago, some people even used the gimmick of teaching in rural areas to create a persona and do marketing, and were criticized by the entire internet until they had to close down. What's more, his matter might be a major issue of occupying the educational resources of students in impoverished mountainous areas.
To put it bluntly, the fact that netizens didn't immediately call the local education bureau to report it shows they were quite calm.
Jiang Xiaoman turned on the front-facing camera on her phone and first explained her family's situation to the camera, emphasizing three key points:
First, they did not occupy the classrooms that students usually use; instead, they lived in vacant rooms on the third floor of the school.
Secondly, because Langshan Village does not have an emergency shelter, everyone assumes that the school is the emergency shelter. It's not just their family; sometimes when there are flash floods in the mountains, the whole village has to stay at the school.
Third, he and his father weren't just occupying the school's unused classrooms for nothing; they planned to use this time to cultivate some more hillside land for the school and plant potatoes. He himself now helps the school cook in the cafeteria every day, so the teachers can focus on teaching.
"So, that's how it is. Thank you all very much for your oversight of the rural education environment. Please rest assured, the villagers will only send things to the school; absolutely no one will take even a needle or thread from the school!"
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xiaoman couldn't help but complain to the camera, "If you don't believe me, I'll make a video for you all tomorrow, and then you'll know what I mean."
As the saying goes, "better to sacrifice a friend than oneself," in order to clear his name in front of hundreds of thousands of netizens in the comments section, Principal Jiang's innocence has to be sacrificed temporarily...
Jiang Xiaoman's explanation calmed down most of the netizens who had raised questions, especially regarding Jiang Caiyun taking her daughter to the school cafeteria for meals. Many of those who were initially agitated and criticized her for taking her child to school to freeload have proactively deleted their harsh comments and sincerely apologized under Jiang Xiaoman's latest video.
To be honest, which of these netizens hasn't gone to school? Especially those from rural areas, who have witnessed firsthand the difficult scene of teachers coming to school heavily pregnant with their babies. Those who haven't experienced it can't even imagine how hard it is to be a rural teacher. Jiang Xiaoman's apology resonated with countless rural netizens, many of whom began reminiscing about their own childhoods in the comments section. Some said teachers had to go back to collect manure for farming after school, others recounted stories of teachers locking children in dormitories to prevent them from running around, resulting in a child nearly being burned to death after knocking over a stove…
Soft-hearted netizens cried in the comments section, while a few felt he was playing the victim to whitewash his image and hoped the principal would step forward and say something.
The principal will definitely step forward, but Jiang Xiaoman plans to have Principal Jiang "appear on camera" in a different way.
The next morning, Jiang Xiaoman secretly fixed her phone camera to the inside of her clothes, carried a large basket on her back, and went to find Jiang Baichuan.
"Uncle Baichuan, the kids have finished their exams. There's a big market day today, shall we buy some hearty dishes to help them recover?"
Because Jiang Baichuan strictly forbids Jiang Xiaoman from spending her own money to subsidize the school cafeteria, Jiang Xiaoman has been collecting her food allowance from him before buying groceries these past few days.
Upon hearing the keyword "main course," Jiang Baichuan immediately made a face as if he had a toothache: "It's just a week's assessment, the results aren't out yet, why bother with extra food? We don't have much food money left this month, so be careful! I think we should wait until after the monthly exam to buy a couple of good dishes. Go see if they have any pig's blood on the street, buying some to stew with tofu would be nice~"
"The noodles are almost gone..." Jiang Xiaoman continued.
"Don't buy those bagged noodles from the supermarket this time, they're expensive and don't last long! Let me tell you, go to the town and find the noodle shop that sells rolled noodles. They dry the noodles they can't sell and store them away. They may be a little broken, but they taste the same, right? And they're cheaper. A big bag is only a dozen yuan, and that big bag is enough for the whole school to eat for two meals."
Seeing Principal Jiang hand over the fifty yuan with a pained expression, Jiang Xiaoman almost wanted to take out her phone and give it a close-up shot!
When Jiang Xiaoman returned from the market, he deliberately turned on his phone camera and lingered around the doorways of each house in the village. Hearing that Jiang Baichuan had given him fifty yuan to go to the market, the grandmothers and aunts in the village couldn't sit still. One gave him two eggs, another cut off a piece of cured meat for him, and yet another brought two old pumpkins that had been stored from last year, telling him to go back and cook pumpkin soup for the children as a side dish...
"See? Most of us mountain people are honest and kind, and we don't like to take advantage of others, especially schools! Actually, it's not easy for our village primary school to survive until now. It's all thanks to the principal, my Uncle Baichuan, who has been saving every penny to keep it going. Think about it, there are nearly forty people in the school, including teachers and students, and the daily food allowance is only fifty yuan. What can that be enough to eat? In the end, it's always the villagers who contribute a little, and another family who gives a little."
"To put it bluntly, even if someone wants to freeload at the school, they still have to be able to! The school's daily food allowance isn't even enough to feed itself, let alone support idlers."
As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoman secretly took a small piece of meat out of her basket and smiled mysteriously at the camera. "Luckily, I was lucky today and managed to snag a piece of meat on sale before the market closed. But this small piece isn't enough to share, so I'm planning to make some minced meat and tofu for the kids at noon to satisfy their cravings."
Upon seeing this, netizens with low tear thresholds couldn't help but burst into tears—
"It feels like I've gone back to my childhood. Primary school in the mountains was so tough, sob sob~"
"The principal is so kind! Xiaoman is so kind! Make sure the children have enough to eat! I'll ask again, can we open a donation channel? We want to buy meat for the children."
"Get the free-range chickens and eggs ready! I can't wait for the donation channel, everyone, check out Guagua Video! You can tip Brother Xiaoman!"
"The tips have come back; I hope I can afford to treat the kids to some meat tomorrow."
"Holy crap, this is going to be hilarious! I haven't even wiped away my tears yet, and I'm already laughing so hard I'm snot bubbles coming out of my nose, hahaha!"
Following the comments section, people rushed to the Guagua Video to tip, clicking the video and heading straight for the tip button. They happily donated enough for two pounds of pork to the children, only to see the barrage of warnings startling them as they were about to exit. Then they realized they'd been so busy tipping for meat for the kids that they hadn't even finished watching the video!
Let's continue watching Guagua Video, and wow! Principal Jiang, please give us back our感动 (feeling of being moved/touched)!
Jiang Xiaoman is an honest girl. Since she said she would take netizens to observe "a day in the life of a principal" up close, it would definitely be a whole day!
So, in the following video, netizens had the opportunity to experience "a day in the life of the (stingy) principal"—
Worried that Jiang Xiaoman would again waste the school cafeteria's oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, Jiang Baichuan sneaked into the kitchen during the break between classes. He shouted loudly to stop Jiang Xiaoman's wasteful behavior of trying to put three spoonfuls of lard into the beef and egg soup. He also sternly pointed out: The school's funds are limited, and there is only a quota of ten catties of lard per month. We must not be so wasteful and live beyond our means!
In the afternoon, Jiang Xiaoman was about to open the bag of flour, intending to make some vegetable pancakes for the children to take on the road. Just as she reached her hand into the bag, Principal Jiang, with her sharp eyes, grabbed her hand!
Principal Jiang expressed his deep distress: "Can't we eat the potatoes he harvested this year? Why must we eat precious wheat flour? If the children are worried about getting hungry on the way, why not cook a pot of potatoes and give each of them a few?"
Seeing Jiang Xiaoman frantically trying to make something delicious for the children like a thief, and Principal Jiang stingily pulling him aside to calculate the bill, netizens laughed out loud. But after laughing, they felt inexplicably sad. Many netizens who grew up in the city even questioned whether this was a staged photoshoot planned by a team.
However, rural netizens who rushed to the scene quickly shared their experiences—
"Family members! This video is guaranteed to be authentic! When I was a kid, I did the same thing, carrying a few roasted potatoes in my pocket to eat at school."
"Can you praise Principal Jiang to the skies? When we were kids, our school didn't have a canteen at all. In winter, we'd bring potatoes, and they'd freeze into ice blocks. We'd borrow a brazier from the teachers' office and take turns heating them up. Ugh!"
"I was crying and laughing at the same time, and my classmates said I was crazy. Only children in the mountains know how real every place in this video is. They want to eat meat every day, but they don't have money. They can't bear to put lard in their cooking, and when they are hungry, they can only roast potatoes."
"The potatoes are pretty good, they look delicious. When we were kids, we used to bring those unleavened flatbreads from home, the kind that could kill someone if they got cold, and they could make you choke and your eyes roll back, okay?"
Guagua Video allows users to post bullet comments. After watching the second half of the video following the comments, some viewers were still not satisfied and went back to watch it again. Seeing the bullet comments go from tears to bursts of laughter, and then to various sentiments, it felt like reading a mini version of a thrilling novel. Especially when Jiang Xiaoman and Jiang Baichuan were outwitting each other, trying to get more benefits for the children under his "clutches," the bullet comments were absolutely hilarious.
Even so, after watching it, everyone felt only respect and gratitude for the frugal Principal Jiang Baichuan.
Jiang Xiaoman complained that he was extremely stingy, but netizens knew that every penny the principal saved wasn't spent on himself. After all, the principal was wearing a plaid sweater that looked like it came from a street stall, with the elbows almost worn smooth and the cuffs frayed.
In the video, Jiang Xiaoman also mentioned that the school originally didn't have a cafeteria. This cafeteria was built by Jiang Baichuan using his own salary savings over several years. Even the cafeteria wasn't included in the school's operating budget, let alone the students' meal subsidies.
The canteen at Langshan Township Elementary School receives no government subsidies. Jiang Baichuan knows that parents are reluctant to pay for the meals. If he insists that the students pay for the meals, many students from poor families will likely give up eating in the canteen and continue to bring a few roasted potatoes and a jar of chili sauce from home for lunch, or bring a bottle of corn porridge in a mineral water bottle and drink it cold.
Jiang Baichuan started this canteen after his students suffered acute gastroenteritis from drinking spoiled corn porridge and were rushed to the health center. He gritted his teeth and raised funds to start the canteen himself. He didn't force students to pay for meals; they could bring whatever they had at home when they came to school every Monday—corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pickled vegetables, anything was fine.
Jiang Baichuan would keep enough of what he collected to eat for a week, and take the rest to the market to sell, exchanging it for seaweed, tofu, dried tofu, and other things that weren't available in the school's vegetable garden. The few pigs and chickens raised by the school were basically the students' source of meat every year.
Jiang Xiaoman never expected that such a self-deprecating video would bring him, or rather, Langshan Township Primary School, nearly 20,000 yuan in donations!
This was before he opened the donation channel, because many people hadn't downloaded Guagua Video and couldn't give tips. Even so, earning 20,000 yuan from a single video is already quite impressive—even if half of that is deducted by the platform, the remaining 10,000 yuan would be enough to significantly ease the living expenses of the entire school for the next year.
In addition, there's extra advertising revenue from Guagua Video. Jiang Xiaoman checked the current view count of this video and immediately decided: no need to ask the principal anymore, it's tomorrow! He's going to make sure the entire school has braised pork! And he'll kill a few chickens and make a potato and chicken stew!
Chapter 34
"What? Kill chickens? And five of them?" Jiang Baichuan was utterly shocked by Jiang Xiaoman's words, as if Jiang Xiaoman was not killing chickens, but him, the principal.
"Hehe~ Uncle Baichuan, don't be nervous, come on, take a look at this!" Jiang Xiaoman deliberately kept everyone in suspense, opened the video creator backend, and pointed to the "Creator" revenue section for Jiang Baichuan. "See? Our school is famous! Now a lot of netizens are giving us tips and even clamoring to donate to us. I didn't dare to open the donation channel without your permission, but just the tips and advertising revenue share are enough for us to eat chicken for a year!"