Chapter 219 - 215: Boss, Are You Catching Locusts?

Chapter 219: Chapter 215: Boss, Are You Catching Locusts?

As they ate, the entire film crew thanked Wei Yang.

They thanked him for bringing them to the best restaurant.

Wei Yang smiled. "Everyone, eat and drink to your heart’s content. After this meal, once we’ve finished filming our scenes at the Southwest Film and Television Base, we’ll come back for another one."

"Alright! Awesome!"

The crew all cheered in agreement.

"Director Wei, we wouldn’t mind coming a few more times before we’re done," someone else added.

Wei Yang said, "I’d love to, but we have to stick to the movie’s schedule."

The entire crew nodded. Of course, they understood that.

In that case, they’d just have to eat and drink more today.

"Director Wei, I think we’re going to need more food!"

"No problem. Order whatever you like. Just eat your fill, everyone."

"Then let’s get another ten pounds of spicy crayfish—no, make that twenty."

"And ten more orders of Mapo Tofu."

"..."

The crew members kept ordering more food, and the meal lasted until four-thirty in the afternoon.

The other customers in the restaurant had left long ago. Soon, the dinner crowd would start to arrive.

Everyone was completely stuffed and had drunk their fill.

Wei Yang said, "It’s already four-thirty. I was planning to take you all for a tour of the canyon after we ate, but we’ll have to save that for next time. We need to head back."

The crew all nodded. There really was no time left today. Even if they left right away, it would be past midnight by the time they got back to the Southwest Film and Television Base.

It was a real whirlwind of a trip.

But it was absolutely worth it.

That being the case, it was time to settle the bill and head back.

Da Bai finished calculating the bill. The food and drinks came to a total of 11,260 yuan.

Li You charged them 11,200 yuan, giving them a 60-yuan discount.

After paying via QR code, Wei Yang smiled and said, "Well, Boss, we’ll be heading out now."

Li You nodded. "Take care, Director Wei and everyone. Welcome back anytime."

Wei Yang said, "We’ll definitely be back."

He Wenqing and the other crew members all chimed in that they would definitely be back.

Li You smiled and said, "I’ll be waiting for you."

After that, the group walked out of the restaurant.

Li You also walked out to see them off, accompanying them all the way to the parking lot.

Wei Yang waited until everyone was in their cars, then waved goodbye through his window.

A few of the young celebrity actors also waved. By now, they no longer dared to treat Li You as just an ordinary small restaurant owner.

After Wei Yang’s group left, Li You returned to his vegetable garden to get back to work.

He still hadn’t finished planting his vegetables.

As he was working, a praying mantis suddenly appeared before him.

Li You’s eyes lit up, and he reached out to catch it.

Of course, he had no intention of harming it.

Mantises are beneficial insects, capable of eliminating dozens of agricultural and forestry pests like aphids, leafhoppers, cotton bollworms, whiteflies, inchworms, and various moths.

He just wanted to catch it for a closer look.

A praying mantis’s appearance is so peculiar that one can’t help but want to catch it for a look.

With a triangular head that could turn flexibly and two large, scythe-like forelimbs, the little guy was a natural-born hunter.

Any prey it targeted was almost certainly doomed.

Li You was very happy to see a praying mantis in his vegetable garden. He hoped to see more of them around.

These little creatures were guardians of the garden, capable of eliminating many kinds of pests.

After examining the mantis in his hand for a moment, Li You placed it on a cucumber vine.

He continued planting.

Soon, a grasshopper—or rather, a locust—leaped out.

’Hm?’

’The mantises and locusts sure are active today. They’re popping out one after another.’

A mantis is a beneficial insect, but a locust is a pest.

In fact, they are one of the most destructive agricultural and forestry pests. Wheat, rice, corn, beans, all sorts of vegetables, fruit trees, and more are all targets of their devastation.

However, locusts are also a food source.

Furthermore, their meat is tender, tastes as delicious as shrimp, and is also highly nutritious.

If you can stomach it, they’re worth a try.

Additionally, locusts have medicinal value. Medical texts like the *Baicao Jing* and the *Compendium of Materia Medica* have recorded their medicinal properties. They can relieve coughs and wheezing and can be used for conditions like bronchial asthma.

So, locusts have their value as well.

On the whole, however, they are still an extremely destructive agricultural pest.

Li You slowly crouched down, intending to catch the locust in front of him.

Compared to a mantis, a locust is much harder to catch. You have to approach it slowly and then strike quickly for any chance of success.

After crouching down, Li You flattened his right palm and slowly moved closer.

When he was about eight inches away, he swiftly brought his hand down over it.

Success.

The locust was trapped under his palm.

He then easily scooped the locust into his hand.

At that moment, the system’s voice sounded in his mind.

"Congratulations to the Host for successfully capturing a garden pest for the first time. A side quest has been triggered.

Quest Name: Destructive Locusts.

Quest Requirement: Successfully capture ten locusts.

Quest Reward: 550 pounds of chopped chili (Quality: Superior), one lottery draw.

Time Limit: None."

The voice left Li You a bit dumbfounded. ’There are quests like this?’

’This quest is really one-of-a-kind!’

However, the quest reward was a very pleasant surprise.

Ever since yesterday afternoon, the ingredients Li You had been craving the most were chopped chili and bighead carp heads.

And now, the chopped chili had arrived. A full 550 pounds, and of superior quality, no less. It was incredibly exciting.

This locust had appeared at the perfect time.

If it hadn’t appeared, Li You would never have caught it. And if he hadn’t caught it, he definitely wouldn’t have triggered this side quest.

You could only say that surprises were everywhere.

This locust was a hero. Li You found an empty plastic water bottle, put the hero inside, and screwed on the cap.

’A hero it might be, but it’s still a pest. I certainly can’t release it, can I?’

Now, it was time to start catching locusts. Ten of them shouldn’t take long at all.

Li You couldn’t wait to complete the quest.

He started searching in the vegetable garden.

He used to catch locusts in the fields for fun when he was a kid. He never expected to be doing it again now.

’But it’s actually pretty fun. I’ll just treat it as a trip down memory lane.’

And so, Li You was in high spirits. He thought he wouldn’t mind getting more quests like this.

’I’m catching locusts this time; next time it could be cicadas.’

’I’ll just catch them in rotation.’

As Li You was thinking this, a locust suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

’There’s one.’

Li You’s heart leaped with joy, and he approached it cautiously.

He eventually succeeded in catching it.

Li You was quite agile now. Although locusts weren’t that easy to catch, he could handle them with ease.

He put this locust into the same water bottle as before.

He continued searching.

He found two more in the vegetable garden, leaving seven to go.

There didn’t seem to be any more in the vegetable garden. Li You left the garden and went over to the orchard.

The quest requirements didn’t say they had to be caught in the vegetable garden, so catching them in the orchard should count as well.

Before long, he had successfully caught three more. Only four left.

’This quest is a real breeze.’

Li You was secretly delighted.

Just then, a voice reached his ears. "Boss, what are you doing?"

It was Chu Yiwei’s voice.

Li You turned around and, sure enough, saw Chu Yiwei and Lin Xin standing not far away.

Both of them were covering their mouths to stifle their giggles.

They had obviously figured out that Li You was catching locusts—an activity usually reserved for little kids.

’Who knew the Boss was such a kid at heart.’

Of course, Li You knew what they were laughing about. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh... I’m planning to go fishing tomorrow. I’m just catching some locusts for bait."

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