House Number Five was some distance away. Naomi Kenway had two large suitcases containing clothes and a first-aid kit. She pulled one with each hand, and it looked like quite a struggle.
At a pointed look from the director, a staff member ran over and offered to help with her suitcases. Everyone around was used to this. It was a common occurrence whenever Naomi Kenway was on a variety show. She was known for being a diva; she'd throw a tantrum and threaten to walk off set at the first sign of strenuous labor. To ensure filming could continue, the production team always provided her with some small assistance.
Of course, for this very reason, Naomi Kenway had been dragged through the mud on social media more than once.
Naomi Kenway hefted her luggage, then refused the staff member. "It's fine, I can handle it."
The staff member looked at her, utterly surprised, but eventually backed away.
The country path was a bit muddy. As Naomi Kenway walked, she kept an eye on Ian Shaw. Thinking about what had just happened, she asked, "Annie, why did you choose to live with Mom in the dilapidated house? Aunt Jennings's house is bigger and prettier, and..."
'And I did so many things to hurt him when I wasn't myself.'
Ian Shaw was only four years old, but he didn't complain once on the long, muddy path. He froze for a moment when he heard Naomi Kenway's question. "Annie can't be without Mommy, and Mommy can't be without Annie. If Annie isn't here, no one will be here to tell Mommy to eat. If Mommy doesn't eat, her tummy will hurt."
"Annie is a good boy. Annie can help Mommy with lots of things. Mommy, please don't leave Annie behind, okay...?"
Ian Shaw looked up, his eyes filled with adoration.
'My son is afraid of me, but there's not a trace of resentment in him.'
Naomi Kenway was thankful she was finally herself again. She set down her suitcases and gently hugged Ian Shaw. "Mommy will never leave you, because you're my one-of-a-kind treasure."
'This time, I will protect and take good care of my son!'
*
The condition of House Number Five was terrible. Aside from a jujube tree in the yard, the rest of the place was a wreck. The dilapidated little mud hut was drafty, and dust kicked up by the wind stung the eyes and choked the throat. You could even see bugs crawling on the floor.
Naomi Kenway casually placed the cup in her hand on a table. The next second... with a loud CREAK, the wooden table collapsed.
Ian Shaw suddenly grabbed Naomi Kenway's sleeve, terrified. "Buggies, Mommy, there are buggies..."
Naomi quickly picked up her son and placed him on the relatively clean wooden bed. "Wait here for Mommy."
Ian Shaw clutched her sleeve, looking anxious.
Naomi soothed him in a gentle voice, "Mommy's not going anywhere. I'm just going to tidy up the house."
Only then did Ian Shaw release his grip and nod obediently.
After rummaging around for a while, Naomi found a few thick newspapers. She roughly estimated the window's size, then climbed onto a stool to cover the drafty opening with the paper. For extra security, she found a few wooden sticks in a corner and wedged them against the inside of the frame to hold the newspaper in place.
With the howling wind now shut out, Naomi dusted off her hands and climbed down from the stool. She hadn't done any physical labor in so long that she felt a wave of dizziness as her feet touched the ground, but she quickly steadied herself.
These few actions alone were enough to make the chat in Naomi's livestream explode:
[Isn't Naomi Kenway famous for being completely useless at manual labor? Since when is she so capable?]
[When I saw Naomi carry Annie over to the bed, I thought she was just going to sleep. I never expected her to... actually get to work?]
[I don't buy it. This has to be scripted. Naomi Kenway planned all this, didn't she? She's really going all out to create a new persona.]
[This is definitely all staged. I'm just waiting to see when Naomi Kenway shows her true colors.]
[The thought of Annie having to stay here with Naomi for three days and two nights just makes my heart ache for him...]
...
The house was no longer drafty, but plenty of problems remained. For instance, the furniture was falling to pieces, and the kitchen stove had collapsed.
Remembering her son's fear of bugs, Naomi found a broom behind the door and swept the entire floor. Only after making sure there were no more bugs in sight did she lift her son down from the bed.
"Mommy..." Ian Shaw whispered. "Can we go home... please...?"
Naomi figured her son couldn't adapt to such a harsh environment. He'd never been anywhere like this before.
"People can't... live here," Annie said.
"Annie, just give Mommy a little time. I'm going to do a magic trick for you, okay? Trust me, you're going to love it here."
Naomi tidied up the room, but it still felt incredibly bare. The lack of a table was one thing, but without a stove, they wouldn't be able to cook.
Naomi turned to the nearby cameraman. "Is there a carpenter in the village?"
"Yes, I think there's one right around here."
Naomi nodded, then led her son out the door, making sure to grab a large sack of wood that was piled up inside before she left.
[I told you she isn't actually hardworking. See? Now she's going to find a carpenter to ask for a table and stools. She'll probably try to get a stove out of them, too.]
[Can you just ask the villagers for furniture? The nerve of Naomi Kenway.]
[What's she doing with that wood? Trying to trade it for finished products? And how is she planning to pay for the labor?]
[No wonder she was so confident. So this was her plan all along.]
...
Naomi was oblivious to all of this. All she wanted was to find the carpenter and ask him how to build a stove, which they would definitely need for cooking over the next few days. 'And a table and stools... I have to do my best to create a comfortable living space for my son.'
The carpenter lived just down the street to the east. Naomi knocked on the door. An elderly man with white hair and an apron covered in wood shavings came out. He looked hale and hearty, and a kind smile graced his face. "And you are?"
Naomi bowed. "Hello, sir. We're here filming the show. The stove in our house is broken, so we can't cook, and a lot of the furniture is broken, too. I was hoping you could teach me how to make new ones."
The old man's face lit with understanding. "Ah, so you're here for the show. No wonder you looked unfamiliar. Not having a stove must be a real problem, especially with how cold it's been these past few days."
"What is it, old man?" an elderly woman asked, stepping out from behind the door. After hearing about Naomi's situation, she sighed. "Oh my, that run-down mud hut on the west side is no place for anyone to live! You poor things, you must be suffering."
She took a piece of candy from her pocket and handed it to Ian Shaw. "Dearie, this must be your son, right? He's so handsome."
Ian Shaw hesitated for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome. Oh, what a sweet boy."
The mother and son were welcomed into the house.
[No way. Is Naomi Kenway actually here to learn how to do it herself?]
[Is she serious? Does she really think building a stove is that easy? Come on, if you're going to show off, at least be realistic about your own abilities.]
[Building a stove with bricks is one thing, but making tables and stools requires actual skill.]
[Just what you'd expect from a high-and-mighty celebrity. She probably has no idea how difficult woodworking is. She'll regret this in a minute.]
Naomi Kenway had a secret. After her consciousness awakened, she discovered her brain worked incredibly fast—her learning efficiency was several times what it had been before.