The master carpenter offered to help Naomi Kenway build a stove and some furniture, but Naomi felt that would be too much trouble for the old man and said she'd rather do it herself.
Naomi Kenway sat on a small stool in the courtyard, observing the master's every move. The motions were embedded in her mind like a slow-motion film.
After the master carpenter finished his demonstration, Naomi Kenway picked up a piece of wood herself.
Her memory had improved significantly, but putting it into practice still posed some problems. A moment of carelessness, and she cut a bloody line across her thumb. She quickly pressed down on it, but fresh blood still seeped from the wound.
The master carpenter hurriedly stood up and went to get a bandage.
Wow, Naomi Kenway didn't scream? Doesn't she usually wail for half a day over a tiny scrape?
Did she find out Rachel DIY'd a rug and now she wants to ride that wave? Tried to steal the spotlight but ended up hurting herself. Naomi Kenway, you're a real joke!
This must be Naomi Kenway's real goal. Now that her finger's hurt, she doesn't have to struggle with making the stool anymore. The master is so kind-hearted he'll definitely give her the furniture for free, and Naomi's team can spin this into some "hardworking" persona. Talk about killing three birds with one stone!
Tsk, and here I thought Naomi Kenway had actually changed. Turns out she's just playing the victim again.
Naomi Kenway is always scheming for a way to get out of doing real work. I'm going back to Rachel's stream. It's so wholesome and harmonious over there, and she's showing everyone how to assemble a rug.
...
Naomi Kenway was completely unaware of the comments in her livestream, and of course, she wouldn't have cared anyway. All she wanted now was to do her best to provide a good living environment for her son.
After applying the bandage, Naomi Kenway flexed her finger slightly. It stung a little, but it was completely bearable.
The master carpenter said, "It's common for beginners to hurt themselves. I know you celebrities rarely do this kind of manual labor. Don't be too hard on yourself, young lady. Besides, this isn't the kind of work you can master in a short time. In my warehouse..."
Naomi Kenway interrupted him, "Thank you, sir, but I've always been very interested in woodworking. Could you please guide me a little more?"
The master carpenter couldn't bring himself to refuse her again. He sighed with emotion, "There aren't many young people interested in woodworking these days. Since you want to learn, young lady, I'll definitely teach you. But your hand..."
"It's no problem at all."
Ian Shaw had been sitting quietly on his little stool. Hearing the commotion, he came running over on his short legs. When he saw the bandage on Naomi Kenway's finger, his eyes instantly reddened, but he didn't dare get too close. "Mommy, ouchie..."
Naomi Kenway smiled. "It doesn't hurt at all. This is a new ring Mommy designed. See? Isn't it pretty?"
Ian Shaw nodded hesitantly, his tightly clenched little fists relaxing slightly.
Naomi Kenway took Ian Shaw's hand and placed a bandage on his thumb as well, asking softly, "Do you like it?"
Ian Shaw looked from Naomi Kenway's finger to his own, his big, grape-dark eyes sparkling. "It's the same as Mommy's!"
"That's right. We're matching."
Naomi Kenway picked up a small wooden sword from beside her. She had just finished making it, and it even had Ian's name carved on it.
Ian Shaw took it with a look of pleasant surprise. He could hardly believe his mom would give him a toy, let alone one she had made by hand.
Naomi Kenway instructed him, "Go on and play, but be careful not to hurt yourself or anyone else, okay?"
Ian Shaw nodded obediently and ran happily to an open area to play.
Naomi Kenway picked up the wood and began a new round of work.
Selecting and cutting the material, woodworking, joinery, assembling the parts...
Each time she failed, she would try again, tirelessly repeating the same motions.
Finally...
Naomi Kenway reached up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Looking at the proper-looking little stool in her hands, she finally broke into a smile.
The master carpenter watched from the side, clicking his tongue in amazement. "My goodness! Young lady, you truly have great perseverance and talent. Ian is so lucky to have a mother like you."
Naomi Kenway was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Actually, I'm the lucky one to have a child like Ian."
In the background, Ian Shaw, who was swinging his little wooden sword, paused.
Naomi Kenway's livestream chat exploded.
No way, she actually made it?!
Oh my god, it's almost dark. Naomi Kenway is really going all out. If it were me, I would've lost my temper after repeating those moves for so long!
Naomi Kenway is really trying hard for Ian's sake. And she's someone who's never done a day of hard work in her life...
Learned how to make a stool in one afternoon? I don't buy it. Naomi Kenway must have practiced secretly at home! This is scripted! It has to be scripted!!!
After the stool, Naomi Kenway went on to make a table and other items, which left the online viewers with their jaws on the floor, exclaiming it was impossible.
The popularity of Naomi Kenway's livestream soared. Viewers from the other guests' streams heard the news and flocked over to watch Naomi's massive DIY session.
*
Since they hadn't received a mission yet, the guests of *My Supermom* were gathered in Renee Jennings's little villa, chatting about everything from family to child-rearing.
Ruby Preston glanced around but still didn't see any sign of Naomi Kenway. She couldn't help but ask, "Where's Naomi Kenway? Did she not come?"
Chelsea Raines scoffed. "Iris, you have no idea. Rachel went all the way to Naomi's little shack to get her, but no one was there. We asked the production team and found out she actually went to learn furniture making from a carpenter. Who knows what got into her. With that dumb brain of hers, forget one afternoon, she wouldn't be able to learn it even if you gave her several months."
Ruby Preston and Margaret Jennings didn't say anything at first, but they also felt Naomi Kenway's actions were rather absurd. Making furniture wasn't something you could learn overnight.
"Fruit is here!" Renee Jennings walked over carrying a fruit platter piled high with cut fruit, all of which had been stored in the villa's refrigerator.
Chelsea Raines took it and placed it on the table, not forgetting to praise her. "You cut this fruit so nicely. Oh, by the way, Rachel, you made this rug yourself, right? That's so amazing."
Renee Jennings smiled humbly. "Oh, it's not that amazing. I just found a few scraps of fabric and pieced them together. Mona likes to tumble around in the house, and I was worried he'd hurt himself without a rug."
Margaret Jennings let out a small "Oh?" "Mona seems so quiet. I didn't expect him to be as rambunctious as my Carina."
Carina Sanders put down the apple in her hand and pouted. "I'm not rambunctious! I'm very well-behaved!"
"Yes, yes, Carina is the most well-behaved. Mommy was wrong," Margaret Jennings said with a laugh, quickly pulling Carina into her arms.
Nathan Lynch sat next to Renee Jennings, working on math problems he didn't enjoy at all. When he heard what his mother said, he wanted to argue that he never roughhoused in his room, but after a moment's thought, he gave up.
Chelsea Raines looked as if she'd thought of something amusing, an unstoppable smile playing on her lips. "Rachel, do you think Naomi Kenway decided to make furniture because she saw you made a rug? Isn't she always a copycat?"
Renee Jennings listened, thinking to herself that Naomi Kenway was seriously overestimating her abilities. 'I practiced for ages just to get one embroidered flower on the rug right. Could Naomi have secretly been practicing at home too?'
She immediately dismissed the thought. 'Someone as lazy as Naomi would never spend time learning something like that. The more she embarrasses herself, the better. How else will my own excellence shine through?'
Renee Jennings sighed. "I'm still worried about Ian. I wonder how that child is doing now. House No. 5 is basically unlivable, and Naomi is just..."
She stopped herself at just the right moment and sighed again. "If only I had been more insistent, Ian wouldn't have to suffer with Naomi. It's all my fault..."
Chelsea Raines comforted her, "What can we do if Naomi insists on making her child suffer? Just you wait. It won't be long before Naomi comes crying to us for help. I've known her for so many years; I know her inside and out. She can't keep up this 'good mom' act for long."
Renee Jennings nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
*
In just one afternoon, Naomi Kenway had decorated the dilapidated mud-brick house. While it wasn't exactly exquisite, it could be described as clean and tidy. There were many wildflowers growing in the yard, so Naomi picked some to decorate the room, making it look much cozier.
Ian Shaw loved the red dates growing in the yard. Naomi Kenway used a pole to knock some down and put them on the table, but she didn't let him eat too many, lest he upset his stomach.
Their dinner was delivered by the production team, which saved them the trouble of cooking.
Naomi Kenway had just placed some egg into Ian Shaw's bowl when she faintly heard mocking voices from outside the door:
"I wonder how her furniture is coming along. It's a wonder she even thought of it."
The wooden door was pushed open, and Renee Jennings and Chelsea Raines walked in.
Chelsea Raines looked at the decorations in the room, then at the brand-new stove, table, and chairs. The smile on her face instantly froze.
"Naomi Kenway, the rules say you can't ask the production team for help! How is this any different from cheating!"