Peninsula: Please, I only want to talk about ordinary people.

Chapter 22 Jeju Trip 1

"Miyeon, let me help you~"

Zhang Dulian smiled and took the plastic bag from Zhao Meiyan, then put it into the overhead luggage compartment.

The plastic bag was bulging, and the opening was tied in a knot. Small bottles of skincare products inside were faintly visible through the plastic film.

She clapped her hands, sat down by the window, and smiled with a hint of schadenfreude.

Zhao Meiyan thanked him reluctantly and squeezed herself into a seat in the aisle.

In the previous hand, "poker determines life," she drew a 2 of hearts, and Zhang Dulian flipped over a 9 of spades.

She stared at the two cards for several seconds, then clasped her hands together, cupping Zhang Dulian's hand in her palms, and looked at him with watery eyes.

"Unnie, just one more round, just one more!"

Zhang Dulian pulled his hand out and shook his finger.

"Miyeon, a game is just a game~"

The attempt to play the victim failed.

The plastic bag was only so big, so Zhao Meiyan reluctantly opened her suitcase and squatted on the ground for a while to pick through it.

She packed two changes of clothes, picked out the smallest bottles of skincare products, and her makeup bag was so full that she hesitated to pick it up and put it down again. In the end, she watched helplessly as Jang Do-ryeon handed her suitcase over to the production team.

In front of the two were Seohyun and Narsha. Each of the two groups had a small camera set up in front of them, recording the conversations taking place in the cabin.

During post-production editing, any interesting content can be selected and included in the final cut.

"Miyeon, isn't my topic interesting?" Jang Do-yeon asked her with a smile.

"Unnie, what's so funny about that!"

Zhao Meiyan crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"My cosmetics! Unnie's score with me has dropped! Dropped, you know that?!"

Zhang Dulian smiled ingratiatingly at her and gently bumped her shoulder against hers.

"Hey~ Our trip isn't over yet, the rest of the trip is going to be really fun."

Zhao Meiyan sighed, turned her head to the side, and muttered resentfully in a low voice.

The plane began takeoff.

After things calmed down, Narsha turned around from the front row and looked at Zhao Meiyan.

"Miyeon, what are we going to do if you don't have any makeup? We don't have a makeup artist with us this time."

This statement was like throwing another piece of firewood into a dying fire.

Zhao Meiyan turned her head angrily to look at Zhang Dulian and accused him:

"Exactly! Doryeon unnie, I'm an idol!"

Seohyun also turned her head, her black hair sliding down her shoulder, and her voice gently interrupted.

"Miyeon, I'll lend you my cosmetics."

"Really?! Senpai-nim~"

Zhao Meiyan's grievances instantly turned into surprise. She gripped the back of the front seat with both hands, her eyes shining as if she had found a savior.

Seohyun waved her hand, her smile faint yet warm.

"Of course, but don't call me 'senpai' anymore, just call me 'unnie'."

"Seohyun unnie!"

Zhao Meiyan called out sweetly, her coquettishness making it impossible not to dote on her.

Seohyun smiled and nodded, then turned around.

Narsha flipped through the "health" list that Seohyun had handed her, and the more she looked down, the more she felt that "the future is bright".

Xu Xian turned her head to look at her, and the corners of her mouth curved up.

"Narsha unnie, my travel plans are pretty interesting too, aren't they? Are you ready?"

Narsha returned the notebook with a wry smile.

"Hyun, is this really how it has to be? I can't do it."

"Unnie, we're not young anymore, we should be more concerned about our health."

Seohyun put the notebook away, her voice still so gentle, and what she said left Narsha speechless.

Seeing her like this, Narsha knew he was doomed.

She closed her eyes and began to mentally prepare herself for the day's filming to end so she could sleep until tomorrow.

Sun Changyu walked over from the front cabin, checking the camera positions and sound recording of each group of cameras along the way.

When Zhao Meiyan saw him, she suddenly remembered something and called out to him softly.

"Miyan-xi, is there something you need?" Sun Changyu stopped in his tracks.

Zhao Meiyan glanced at the camera in front of her, raised her hand to cover the microphone tucked into her collar, and asked in a low voice:

"It's nothing... PD-nim, it's just, isn't PD-nim Kang coming to Jeju Island with us?"

She realized after asking that she seemed to be paying too much attention to Jiang Yongtai, so she quickly added an explanation, speaking much faster than before.

"I think we have too few people setting off; this number probably won't be enough..."

Sun Changyu was taken aback, not expecting that she was going to ask about Jiang Yongtai.

However, Jiang Yongtai mentioned to him during the meetings these past two days that he had previously collaborated with Zhao Meiyan.

He didn't think much of it at the moment; it's nothing for an artist to ask a few questions about a PD they're familiar with.

He explained with a smile:

"PD Kang went to Jeju Island yesterday to shoot some outdoor footage, which will be used in the post-production editing. You'll be able to see him when you arrive."

Zhao Meiyan nodded and removed her finger from the microphone.

"Thank you, PD."

Sun Changyu waved his hand, checked the indicator lights on the small camera in front of them, confirmed that the equipment was working properly, and then walked back to his seat.

Zhao Meiyan leaned back in her chair, relaxing her shoulders.

It turns out he went yesterday; I thought he wasn't coming...

Xu Xian had her eyes closed in the front row. Zhao Meiyan and Sun Changyu spoke very softly, but sitting in the front, she could still vaguely hear a few words.

Moreover, from the very beginning of the opening segment in the airport departure hall, she noticed, intentionally or unintentionally, that Zhao Meiyan's eyes would occasionally sweep over the group of production crew members.

At the time, she thought the newcomer was nervous and didn't know where to look, so she didn't pay much attention.

Now we know that Zhao Meiyan found that handsome PD who is younger than her, and considering her reaction to Kang Young-tae when we met her at the elevator after the pre-interview that day...

A slight smile played at the corners of her lips.

This is not something an idol who has only debuted for two years should do, Miyeon~

……

Jiang Yongtai and his accompanying VJ exited the guesthouse. The VJ put the camera off his shoulder and shook his arm.

The interior of the guesthouse was cramped. In order to capture the entire room layout, I had to squat and walk around the whole time using a wide-angle lens, and my thigh muscles were almost trembling.

This is a guesthouse the production team found in Jeju Island, called New Jeju House.

Convenience stores and bus stops are all within walking distance.

The accommodation conditions were not very detailed. There was only one single room in the entire house, without a bed, so you had to sleep on the floor. However, bedding was provided. The bathroom was also so small that you couldn't even turn around.

But the price is indeed very affordable, only a little over 30,000 Korean won per night.

This price range offers exceptional value for money in Jeju Island's accommodation market.

Of course, as is a tradition of "heartbreaking travel", "cost-effectiveness" alone is not enough.

The production team also booked another "value-for-money" guesthouse in Seogwipo.

The detached house has an open-air balcony, and you can see the outline of Hallasan Mountain when you open the window. The price is six times that of this place, and that's because it's currently the off-season in Jeju Island.

Whether the four guests sleep on the floor or in a double bed tonight depends entirely on whether they can win the task game.

Kim Sung-woo and several staff members were waiting on the roadside at the entrance, next to an MPV.

Seeing Kang Young-tae and the VJ come out of the door, Kim Sung-woo went to greet them.

"Brother, are you done filming?"

Jiang Yongtai nodded and closed his camera diary.

"What about over there?"

"The restaurant? We're done filming. The auntie there was very welcoming, but I couldn't understand her dialect."

Jiang Yongtai smiled but didn't reply.

He and Kim Sung-woo flew to Jeju Island yesterday with the advance team, arriving a full day earlier than the main group.

The amount of outdoor footage shot was considerable. Hyeopjae Beach, Aewol Handam Trail, Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak... all the famous Jeju Island attractions had to be scouted in advance and their establishing shots filmed.

These scenes will be edited into transitions and emotional build-up in post-production. They are footage that viewers won't pay special attention to during broadcast, but without them, the quality of the program would be halved.

In addition to that, there was something even more troublesome – negotiating with the restaurant about filming.

Following the travel itinerary submitted by Jang Do-yeon and Seo Hyun, he and Kim Sung-woo visited every restaurant that the two teams might stay at on their first day.

The filming process for Korean variety shows on location is always meticulous. Before booking a restaurant, the actor (AD) has to call the owner in advance to discuss the filming time, make it clear that there will be cameras and sound recording equipment in the store, and confirm that the owner is willing to cooperate in appearing on camera.

Once they arrived at the venue, the PD and the writers' team had to go over the menu with the owner again.

Which dishes are suitable for filming, whether filming will affect the pace of serving food, and whether the kitchen layout allows the cameraman to stand inside—all these things must be decided before filming begins.

If the guests are minors or do not wish to show their faces, additional preparations such as blurring and image authorization are required.

The abalone congee shop I went to early this morning was run by an elderly woman in her seventies. At first, I didn't understand why I wanted to take pictures of her kitchen beforehand.

"My kitchen isn't very nice, so please take some nicer pictures."

She spoke in the Jeju dialect, her face full of confusion.

Kim Sung-woo explained for a long time that "this is so that it can match the footage of the guests eating during post-production editing," before the old lady reluctantly agreed to let them film.

After filming, they insisted on having them stay for congee. Jiang Yongtai declined three times, but finally gave in and was forced to drink it. The group stood at the shop entrance and finished it.

Jiang Yongtai handed the camera notebook to Jin Chengyu and glanced at his watch.

"Have Changyu and the others boarded the plane?"

"Yes, it has already taken off from Gimpo."

Kim Sung-woo put the notebook into his backpack. "If we head to the airport now, we can catch the pick-up just in time."

"Let's go then."

The advance team members boarded the vehicles one after another. The voice of the staff left at the airport came through the ushers' cell phones, saying that the filming crew had set up the camera positions and were just waiting for the guests to land.

……

As soon as the flight from Gimpo to Jeju Island Airport landed, Son Chang-woo and his production team set up a camera position at the exit of the airport arrival hall.

Jiang Yongtai and Jin Chengyu, along with the advance team, quickly walked over from the parking area, nodded and greeted everyone, and then found Sun Changyu next to the monitor.

"Yongtai, over here." Sun Changyu waved.

"How did the location shooting go?"

"I've taken all the shots I needed to." Jiang Yongtai handed him the framing notebook.

"I've reserved two extra spots near Sunrise Peak as backups. I'll decide based on the weather tomorrow morning."

Sun Changyu flipped through two pages of the notebook and nodded.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. They'll get their luggage now and come out right away."

As soon as he finished speaking, the automatic door at the entrance slid open.

The first person to appear at the door was Seohyun. She was wrapped tightly in her coat, and her single ponytail was lifted by the wind and then fell back down, like she was shooting a fashion magazine at the airport.

Narsha followed behind Seohyun, with Jang Doyeon in third place. As they stepped outside, a gust of cold wind hit their face, causing them to hunch their shoulders and mutter, "Is the wind in Jeju Island for real?!"

Zhao Meiyan followed at the very back.

The clothes she was wearing were the right thickness in Seoul, but in Jeju Island they felt like she was wearing a cardboard box.

The sea breeze rushed in from the arrival gate, causing her to lean back half a step, her skirt billowing, her hair smearing her face, one hand clutching the plastic bag tightly, the other futilely shielding her forehead.

"Unnie!"

Zhao Meiyan stumbled forward a step.

Zhang Dulian turned around and saw Zhao Meiyan standing in the wind with her neck hunched over, looking like a lost short-tailed mouse.

She sighed, opened one side of her coat, and Zhao Meiyan immediately crawled inside. The two of them, wrapped in the same coat, walked towards the camera, making the scene look like a humanoid monster.

Jiang Yongtai stood next to the monitor, his gaze falling on the plastic bag in Zhao Meiyan's hand, and asked what was going on.

The lead writer, Park Soo-bin, standing beside him, explained with a smile:

"That was Zhang Dulian's theme. Mei Yanxi lost a card game at the airport and couldn't bring her suitcase; she could only pack her things in plastic bags."

Jiang Yongtai paused for a moment after hearing this, then smiled and shook his head.

Only a comedian could come up with the idea of ​​having an active idol carry cosmetics and a change of clothes in plastic bags for the sake of creating a TV show effect.

Zhang Dulian truly lives up to his reputation; in just half an hour, he has already provided enough material for post-production to edit into three trailer segments.

The four guests gathered in the plaza in front of the arrival gate. Jang Do-yeon and Jo Mi-yeon were wrapped in the same coat, Seo Hyun was looking around for something, and Narsha was complaining about the weather.

After exchanging a few words, the two teams prepared to separate and proceed according to the established procedures.

Zhang Dulian opened his suitcase, lent Zhao Meiyan a piece of clothing, and freed her from his embrace.

Then I took out my phone and pulled out the notes from my previous scouting trip.

"Meiyan, our first stop is Dongmen Traditional Market!"

She held up her phone to show Zhao Meiyan several photos on the screen.

The stalls selling grilled cheese lobster, the teppanyaki grill for black pork skewers, and the plating of white ribbonfish sashimi arranged in a floral pattern.

"The largest and oldest permanent market on Jeju Island, full of cheap seafood."

Grilled cheese lobster, 15,000 each. It's their signature dish; the cheese can be stretched this long!

She gestured with her hand to indicate an exaggerated length, "And there's abalone offal rice, black pork skewers, and a platter of ribbonfish sashimi—all at incredibly low prices!"

Zhao Meiyan's eyes lit up as she looked at the stretchy cheese in the photo, and she subconsciously swallowed.

She grabbed Zhang Dulian's sleeve and headed towards the taxi stand.

"Unnie! Let's go, let's get a taxi!"

"Wait a minute~"

Zhang Dulian pulled her back, took out the deck of cards from his pocket, and shuffled them twice.

"Oh no..."

Zhao Meiyan's smile began to crack.

"Miyeon, playing cards determine your life, and this is just the beginning."

Zhang Dulian spread the cards out in a fan shape in his hand and raised an eyebrow at Zhao Meiyan.

"This time, we drew lots with the production team. If we got a high score, we'd take a taxi; if we got a low score... we'd take the bus."

"Another one?"

Zhao Meiyan's voice suddenly rose, then she shut her mouth, realizing that she couldn't challenge Zhang Dulian's authority as captain, but...

She turned her head, glanced around at the production crew, and her gaze settled on Jiang Yongtai, who had reappeared. Her eyes darted around, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Unnie, let me choose the production team. I already had bad luck once before I set off, so trust me this time!"

She pointed to the monitor and said, "That PD-nim~"

Jiang Yongtai looked up and saw Zhao Meiyan pointing her finger in his direction.

Sun Changyu gently nudged him from the side.

"Yongtai, Meiyan chose you, go for it, don't embarrass us."

Jiang Yongtai had no choice but to stand behind the camera and not appear on screen.

As Zhao Meiyan watched him approach, she smiled and rubbed her hands together, as if preparing for an impending victory.

Zhang Dulian handed over the playing cards in his hand.

"I was supposed to be the team captain, but I'm here to try and earn points for the team members' evaluations. Go, Miyeon!"

Zhao Meiyan took the playing cards and nodded solemnly.

"Don't worry, unnie, I'm confident!"

She drew a card, stuck it to her chest, took a deep breath, and then turned it over—10.

Upon seeing the number, she jumped up, her eyes nearly disappearing with laughter, and urged Jiang Yongtai:

"PD, hurry up!"

Jiang Yongtai drew out the cards and flipped them over without hesitation.

3.

"Yay! I won! Unnie, take a taxi!"

Zhao Meiyan raised her hands in cheers, but Zhang Dulian behind her covered her forehead.

Jiang Yongtai smiled helplessly as he watched her cheer, and softly reminded her:

"In the rules set by the US-training team, 10, J, Q, and K are all 0 points."

Zhao Meiyan was stunned, and slowly turned her head to look at Zhang Dulian.

Zhang Dulian was still covering his face, his voice muffled as it came through his fingers.

"I told you this kid isn't very bright, now you believe me, right?"

Seeing this, Seohyun couldn't help but lower her head and laugh.

Narsha laughed so hard she bent over, one hand on her knee and the other pointing at Zhao Meiyan, who was standing there dumbfounded.

"Miyeon, ah." Narsha laughed so hard she could barely breathe.

"Didn't I explain the rules to you during the training? How come you forgot after just one flight?"

Zhao Meiyan stood there blankly, looking down at the cards in her hand, then at the 3 in Jiang Yongtai's hand, and finally turning to look at Zhang Dulian, who was covering his face.

"...Unnie, did you tell me about this rule? It looks like you won't get the 30 tomorrow..."

Zhang Dulian reached out and pulled Zhao Meiyan back from her daze, then sighed.

"Let's go take the bus. I'll treat you to black pork later."

Zhao Meiyan's eyes lit up again, and she shook the plastic bag containing her luggage in her hand.

"Really? Okay then~"

She turned around, waved to Seohyun and Narsha, and her smile returned.

"Seohyun unnie! Narsha unnie! See you tonight!"

Seohyun waved to her, and Narsha made a "fighting" gesture.

Sun Changyu patted Jiang Yongtai on the shoulder as he returned to the monitor.

"Yongtai, then Xuxian and the others are in your care."

Jiang Yongtai nodded.

The production team automatically split into two groups, with Sun Changyu leading two writers and a dozen people to follow Zhang Dulian's team.

On Kang Young-tae's side, ten people, including the two's managers, remained with Seo Hyun.

"Narsha unnie, let's go too."

Seohyun turned around and looked at Narsha, a faint smile on her lips.

So where is our first stop?

Narsha tugged at the collar of her trench coat, a last glimmer of hope in her expression.

Seohyun pointed to the green sign next to her, which had a simple drawing of a bicycle on it.

"Let's rent a car first."

"Rent a car?"

Narsha followed her finger and her eyes lit up.

"Is it a car? Hyun, our budget isn't enough to rent one..."

"Of course not a car." Seohyun shook her head, her tone matter-of-fact.

"It's a bicycle."

Narsha's expression froze in the wind.

"A bicycle?! And such a strong wind?!"

Her voice was even louder than Zhao Meiyan's just now.

"Hey! Didn't you say you were going to walk?!"

"Unnie".

Seohyun had already walked towards the car rental shop, her ponytail swaying lightly in the wind as she turned back and smiled at Narsha.

"Bicycles are healthier!"

Narsha stood there watching her retreating figure, took a deep breath, and gritted his teeth to follow her.

"Seohyun! I don't think you'll get that 30 won anymore!"