The first night in the ancient village was not as peaceful as its usual ones.

Yuni looked at the two small beds opposite of each other inside a cramped room with a blue face. They were told they would be living without modern convenience but this level of ancienty really disappointed her.

"The house is small so you will be sharing a room with our nine-year-old daughter." The farmer's wife said. They took out the new sheets from the cabinet and made the bed as comfortable as it was cold while Yuni watched in shocked silence on the side. 

"W-What about toilets? Where do you clean yourselves? Take a bath?"  

The wife walked towards the window and opened the wooden latch, she pointed outside to the separate shack. "There, but the water in the tank is very cold in the morning."

"No hot water? What about showers? I don't use a bathroom without a bidet..." Yuni looked so scared as if someone told her the end of the world is here. 

"Your bathroom must be nice." 

Yuni sighed, "Of course, I have a bathtub and a rainfall shower. Our house even has a sauna and a warm pool." 

The farmer's wife just listened with an embarrassed face. How are they going to provide that here? This is a remote province! 

"Have you not been in the countryside, big sis?" The family's daughter found her horrified reactions hilarious but dare not laugh out loud because it was rude. 

"No, this is my first time." Her mother was also from the countryside but she would die first before she admits that. Everyone knows Yuni as the perfect child star from a well-off family. There is no need to mention her mother's origin since she already discarded it a long time ago.  

Thankfully, after they all met their assigned family's Maya came to her for a chat. 

In another house, TK looked around his new room stiffly. Holy hell, it was that old man's fault he ended up here. After cutting all his cards and locking his garage he had no choice but to agree to join this program. He's making fun of him for sure! TK sat on the hard bed. His back will definitely be aching tomorrow and if his dad finds out he will be laughing his teeth off. He can't let that happen. Absolutely! 

Luan had no problems living in a poor state either. Aside from the lack of fancy furnishings and modern technology, the houses are clean. Her luggage was confiscated and secured because she brought a lot of unneeded things like phones, tablets, etc. But Gan and Eron Shi who never tasted hardships in their lives suffered culture shock. 

Eron Shi in particular was too stiff to move when it finally dawned on him that this is not the world he was used to living in. No parties, no unlimited cash to spend, no maids waiting for him and starting from today, he had to move his body to get something. Including the prize for the challenge. 

They have no idea that the worst is yet to come. Two weeks may seem short but it was enough to make them surrender. 

 

Sena slept through the night with no care in the world. She only woke up because of her body clock plus the honking of geese outside. Who said the city is noisy? The countryside is a lot noisier, especially in the mornings! 

The surroundings are still dark. She groped around for the match to light the candle and put on her costume. Before going to bed last night, she removed the paper layers of her clothes and hung them in the cabinet, fixed the rickety bed and brought out her toiletries along with socks, a towel, and a thick blanket. The weather is way much colder at night in the mountainous region that is why she brought an added layer of protection which none of the cast thought of. 

When the director sees this problem later, they will arrange a mini-game with blankets as a reward. For those who failed to win, they still get consolation prizes like a bonnet and a scarf. They can also borrow from the families they are assigned with.

None of the Eddings is up at this moment, Sena walked carefully until she reached downstairs. She remembered that they have to be frugal with food so she dare not touch the meat in the food cabinet. There are six eggs in the basket along with the ingredients to be cooked for breakfast. The family in ancient times didn't have a stove, they cooked everything in the hearth using a pot or a skillet. 

First, she boiled water to clean her face and body. Then using the breakfast staples she made tomato and scrambled egg on the cast iron pan, made oatmeal and ate her breakfast before heading to the pigsty near the vegetable garden. 

Felix was already up and met up with her outside. 

"Hello uncle," Sena greeted.

"Going to the pigsty?"

She nodded and took the rake leaning by the wall, a wheelbarrow then a bucket. The pigs are kept together in one meter and a half enclosure made of bricks. The smell grew stronger as they approached. 

"You're not afraid of this?" Felix asked.

"Not really, we already know pigs are the worst smelling animals there are. No surprise there. Unless they come after me and take a bite, I'd be running then." 

That made the uncle laugh. "That's one practical girl."

The pigs were already awake when she came, slowly she unlatched the door leaving only a small opening. 

"Mother…" She murmured looking at the three snorting jumbos. The wafting smell of earth, dung and spoiled food scraps made her wrinkle her nose. "You'll get a stomachache if you bite me and I don't taste good raw."

The smallest of the three faced her with its butt. The other two moved closer to arching on her skirt. 

"Move boy, come on!" She gently urged them with the back of the rake. "Go over there, don't disturb me cleaning your house."

Good thing she chose to wear boots and aprons to pair with her costume. These are easy to clean afterwards. 

"These pigs are a much darker brown colour than the pink ones we used to see," Felix commented. 

Sena touched the pig's wiry coat, "Probably a cross of an old breed. They're a little territorial." 

"You seem to know a little bit," 

"Just a little bit." She laughed. "I saw it on a documentary show some time ago. I was looking for the black Iberian pig and came across a few. These Tamworth pigs for example." She was only nine years old back then but she hasn't forgotten it because it was worthwhile and fun to watch. 

Since seeing that documentary she has always had a special fondness for Grandpa P's farm in the Swiss Alps. She had been there to play and care for the animals. She had raised a piglet before, stayed overnight to watch the ewes give birth and herded cows. And before coming here, she looked for the old documentary to rewatch it again and picked many helpful tips.

The floor is piled with hay, now wet with muck, then she used the rake to take it out and dump it on the wheelbarrow. After washing the floor and adding fresh hay in their sleeping area, Sena closed the gates and pulled the wheelbarrow towards the compost pit. After that, she washed her hands and feet clean.

The sun was up and she was done cleaning the pigsty and did a little sweeping in the yard before taking a break. Fortunately, Apple drilled her with exercise, increasing her stamina. The Eddings finally remembered they were on live broadcast and supposed to add obstacles to Sena.

Mycah with a sleepy face frowned when she saw her sitting comfortably on the table in the yard. "The task begins--"

"I'm done," Sena said, enjoying the look of choked disappointment on her face. 

She was far older than this kid but she doesn't feel guilty rebutting her childish attacks. She knew Mychah and her family were deliberately targeting her. 

The mother Sharon found no other reason to point out any mistakes, even Mak when he ran into the pigsty in hopes of seeing a mess had to reluctantly give an excellent score. She was done with her chore, woke up earlier than them and even cooked breakfast for everybody. 

[I feel sorry for these people, they look so appalled when Sena did a better job than them.]

[Not to mention waking up ahead of time. Imagine your guest cooking breakfast and voluntarily cleaning the yard for you because you're too lazy to get up?]

Naturally, because they are not farmers but actors. Farm people wake up as early as four to cook and make the most out of the daylight to finish their job. While Sena was lounging enjoying the sunshine, the sound of rhythmic chopping of wood can be heard in the background. The other casts rose as early as five like her. 

Arthur Min, followed by Gan woke up and began their task. TK and Eron Shi opened their eyes at about six in the morning already with the skies beginning to brighten. As for the other ladies, Nancy's house was near Arthur's so as soon as she heard someone chopping wood, she jumped out of the bed. More importantly, she wanted to finish early to visit Sena's place but alas when she was about to find a bathroom to wash, she fell into horror instantly. 

The bathrooms are old fashion pit style with no taps nor heaters. But Nancy, a quirky and lovable girl that she is quickly collected herself. She watched plenty of these in dramas and animes, she will not be fazed. Her otaku heart burned with hope and her eyes lit with determination. 

Just imagine yourself falling into a space-time crack and ending up in ancient times. Yep, that's it!

Nancy gathered her skirt, tied her hair and looked for a wooden bucket. She will fetch and boil her own water! 

Watching her toddle about with a water bucket, the fans on her window cried tears of joy for their little doll. 

Back to where Sena, the Eddings ate the breakfast she prepared and proceeded to their work. 

"We are going to the field now," Mak said awkwardly. 

Sharon smiled, "Harvest cannot be postponed. We need to pay the landlord taxes this year." 

"You did your job well, are you sure this is your first time?" Mycah asked. 

Sena nodded but the look on the girl's face indicated she was not convinced at all. 

[To be fair, Sena does her job earnestly but I feel this family is being rude to her.]

[How can that be? They are clearly just actors. Maybe it's part of the script.]

[I doubt it. They are originally locals of this town, even when they joined the crew to act out a role, they still belonged in this place. Sad to say that their wide social gap must have given the displeasure and took it out on her.]

When the family was gone, Sena also moved to receive the task issued by the program group. She locked the gates of the Eddings house. Arthur happens to walk by carrying two buckets of water from the stream when she comes out of the yard. "You're done?" 

Sena nodded. "You're about to finish yourself." 

"Hey, wait for me!" TK shouted from behind carrying a bucket as well. He looked dishevelled and out of breath he could barely speak. "My, my water tank... it's about full…. haa, I'm done splitting firewood." 

Five minutes and the three of them walked together towards the centre of the village to receive the official challenge. They talked about their first day, the inconveniences of living in ancient times and had a nice conversation going. 

"I have not tried doing something like this before, show me first!" Yuni's aggressive voice came from the other side of the fence. She had her hands crossed to her chest while talking to a small girl. 

"You just need to pull the weeds. Be careful not to take out the saplings." 

"I know I'm not stupid." Then she muttered facing the camera and raised her fancily polished nails. "I had my nails done before coming here and here I am about to claw dirt. Unbelievable! But I won't lose, watch me."  

When she saw Sena, Arthur and TK pass she ran to the fence, "Hey, you! Hey, wait. Are you all done?"

The three did not seem to hear her because they were looking somewhere else. Yuni stomped her foot when she was brushed off and brashly returned to weeding the garden. 

On the way, they came across Nancy being helped by a woman to get acquainted with the dairy cow. First Nancy wiped the udders, placed the bucket under and awkwardly groped the cow teats. 

"This feels weird somehow…" She said with a cringe. "It's so warm yet soft, a little rubbery and-- ah milk!"

Nancy happily pinched the teats alternately squirting fresh milk on the bucket. The comment section exploded. 

[No, no, please don't describe it in such a vivid way.]

[Ahhhh! Please spare my ears.]

"She's good." TK mused. 

Sena elbowed him, "Aha~ changed your impression?"

TK jumped in denial. "No way, I was just saying that she's quite capable for someone who looks squeamish."

Oh, fine. Sena rolled her eyes inwardly. "Nancy, good luck with your task. We will be waiting in the centre for you." 

"Don't include me," TK growled. The teat squeezing girl gave him a weird feeling when he saw her smile at the bucket. Had she never seen fresh milk before?

"Why are you so touchy?" Arthur asked while looking at him doubtfully. 

"I'm not!"

Nancy shot him a look and snorted, "Yes you're not, you're not special. My cow looks a lot better than you. Just cover your face with a sack, you'll look friendlier that way." 

"You!"

The exchanges were seen by the early risers in the live broadcast platform and teased the two. Nancy seemed to be doing fine, she waved at them cheerfully but when everyone gathered in the centre, they saw her red-eyed and silent in the corner. 

"What happened?" TK squirmed and pestered people for an answer. 

Teat squeezing-- Nancy was still smiling like an idiot before they left her half an hour ago. What could have happened?

Sena's eyes narrowed.  

Luan sighed, "It's an accident. Maya who was supposed to take eggs out of the coop was pecked by the hens and got chased. She ran into Yuni pulling weeds in the garden nearby and the two of them dashed in a panic running into Nancy holding a bucket of milk." 

"So their task failed?" TK frowned looking around.

"No, just Nancy. Maya passed because she fed the chickens and saved two eggs. Yuni also weeded the garden and was scored well by her family." 

TK felt something was off, Maya had band-aids on her fingers looking down while Yuni was frowning all the time as she was eyeing Nancy on the side. Just, what the heck? These two passed but they looked as if they still had a grudge.

Sena asked, "Is Nancy's bucket filled?"

"Yes," Luan replied. "Too bad it was wasted." 

"That's not fair! How could they not score her when she did her task perfectly?" TK was incensed now. 

And so all of Nancy's fans. 

[I hate to say it but Maya Luz and Yuni's scores looked unfair when they did their task screaming and running around.]

[Hahahaha she had bandaged on when the chicken did not even peck her that hard!]

[Hey, Maya was frightened!] A fan defended. 

[But Yuni, our best girl, milked the cow and filled the bucket. She endured even when she knew she might get kicked anytime, I believe she should get a good score!]

[Bah, nonsense. It's the family who gives out the points, don't blame Maya.]

[Yes! However, the family who gave the task only said to milk the cow and fill one bucket. Hey did not specifically indicate what to do with it after.] 

Other netizens also voiced their opinions in favour of Nancy. 

Sena added more oil to the fire, "We were watching her a while ago and we saw the farmer's wife supervising her. What did she say after?"

Several pairs of eyes turned to her including Maya and Yuni's. 

Yuni snorted, "It was an accident but Maya's clothes were soiled when the milk turned over, she had to take a bath in this cold weather."

Nancy's fans boiled. 

[Urgh! What nonsense!] 

[The angle from Nancy's camera clearly showed that Maya grabbed the bucket before she fell, therefore it was her fault.]

[She wouldn't get splashed in the first place because Nancy was facing the other way, if they didn't deliberately run to her screaming for help…]

[Huh, it's my first time seeing a person like this, pretending to look pure on the outside but completely opposite inside.]

The director who kept tabs on both the cast and their live stream windows had to rewatch the footage. Nancy has over five million followers on her page, if they dismissed this without investigating thoroughly the show will surely suffer.

In the video she finished milking the cow then the farmer's wife said when she filled the bucket. "That's it, you're done. You can go to the center now."

Because of this, the program revised their earlier decision for Nancy and told the family to give her a passing score. On the same note, Maya and Yuni's shabby performance gained a bad reputation among those who watched the live broadcast. 

Yuni wanted to argue and berate Nancy but Maya stopped her. She doesn't like this lolita costume-wearing freak, how can someone like this who only sits in front of the computer acting cute has more fans than a child star like her? She's a real celebrity and even had movies for crying out loud! 

Sena scoffed at her childishness. 

In another life, the milk incident became a comedy skit everyone just shrugged off. It was fun to watch pampered children running around, especially when they were pretty girls shouting pitifully for help. Because the score issue was addressed lightly, the viewers were pulled along giving no space for Nancy's fans to cry out their indignation for her. Yuni also made fun of her choice of dressing and called her abnormal several times. Nancy swallowed her anger and later got a passing score when the review came but her feeling of humiliation remained. 

Nancy was used by those two to boost their popularity, whether the incident was deliberate or not Sena will not let them dominate the program and use people for their gain.