The carpenter offered to help Naomi Kenway build a stove and some furniture, but Naomi felt it would be too much trouble for him and insisted on doing it herself.
Naomi Kenway sat on a small stool in the courtyard, watching the craftsman's every move. The motions were seared into her mind as if in slow motion.
After the craftsman finished his demonstration, Naomi Kenway picked up a wooden plank as well.
Her memory had improved considerably, but putting it into practice was another story. In a moment of carelessness, she sliced her thumb, drawing a line of blood. She quickly pressed down on the wound, but fresh blood still seeped out.
The craftsman hurriedly stood up and went to get a bandage.
Wait, Naomi Kenway didn't scream? Isn't she the type to cry for ages over a little scrape?
Did she find out Rachel made a DIY rug and now she wants to ride that wave of popularity? She wanted to steal the show, but ended up hurting herself instead. 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 keep struggling with the stool. The craftsman is so kind-hearted, he'll definitely give her the furniture for free. And Naomi's team can spin this into a "hard-working" persona. Killing three birds with one stone!
Tch, and here I thought Naomi Kenway had actually changed. I guess she's back to playing the victim.
Naomi Kenway is so full of schemes, always looking for a shortcut. I'm going to go watch Rachel's stream next door. Her stream is so wholesome and harmonious, and she's showing everyone how to assemble a rug.
...
Naomi Kenway was completely unaware of the comments on her livestream, and frankly, she didn't care. Right now, all she wanted 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 craftsman 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 something you can finish in a short time. In my warehouse..."
Naomi Kenway interrupted him, "Thank you, sir. But I've always been very interested in carpentry. Could you please guide me a little more?"
The craftsman couldn't bring himself to refuse her again. He sighed with emotion, "Not many young people are interested in carpentry 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 a small stool, but when he heard the commotion, he quickly scampered over on his short legs. His eyes instantly reddened when he saw the bandage on Naomi Kenway's finger, 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. Do you think it's 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 too. She asked him softly, "Do you like it?"
Ian Shaw looked at Naomi Kenway's finger, then at his own. His big, dark eyes, like black grapes, sparkled. "It's the same as Mommy's!"
"That's right. It's a matching set, just like Mommy's."
Naomi Kenway picked up a small wooden sword from nearby. She had just finished making it, and she had even carved Annie's name on it.
Ian Shaw took it with a look of surprise. It was hard to imagine his mother giving him a toy, let alone one she had made by hand.
Naomi Kenway reminded 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 empty spot to play.
Naomi Kenway picked up the wooden plank and began another round of work.
Selecting and cutting the material, woodworking, assembly, fitting 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 she held, a smile finally spread across her face.
The craftsman, who had been watching from the side, clicked his tongue in amazement. "My goodness! Young lady, you truly have great perseverance and talent. Annie is so lucky to have a mother like you."
Naomi Kenway paused for a moment, then smiled. "Actually, I'm the lucky one to have a child like Annie."
Behind her, Ian Shaw, who was swinging his little wooden sword, froze mid-swing.
Naomi Kenway's livestream chat exploded.
No way, she actually managed to make it?!
Oh my god, it's almost dark out. Naomi Kenway is really going all out. If it were me, I would've lost my temper long ago from repeating the same few steps over and over!
Naomi Kenway is really trying hard for Annie. And she's someone who's never done a day of physical labor in her life...
Learned to make a stool in one afternoon? I don't buy it. Naomi Kenway must have practiced secretly at home! It's scripted! It has to be scripted!!!
After the small stool, Naomi Kenway went on to make a table and other items, making the jaws of countless viewers drop as they exclaimed 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 big DIY session.
***
Since they hadn't received a new task yet, the guests of "My Super Mom" were all gathered at Renee Jennings's villa, chatting about everything from family to parenting.
Ruby Preston glanced around but still didn't see any sign of Naomi Kenway. She couldn't help but ask, "Where's Naomi Kenway? Didn't she come?"
Chelsea Raines scoffed. "Iris, you have no idea. Rachel went all the way to Naomi's little hovel to get her, but who knew, there was nobody there. We asked the production team and found out she actually went to find a carpenter to learn how to make furniture. I don't know what got into her. With that dumb brain of hers, forget learning in an afternoon, she wouldn't get it even if you gave her a few months."
Ruby Preston and Margaret Jennings didn't say anything, but they too felt Naomi Kenway's actions were rather absurd. Making furniture wasn't something you could learn overnight.
"The fruit is here," Renee Jennings said, walking over with a fruit platter piled high with cut fruit. All of it had been stored in the villa's refrigerator.
Chelsea Raines took it, placed it on the table, and didn't forget to praise her. "You cut this fruit so nicely. Oh, by the way, Rachel, you made this rug yourself, right? That's really impressive."
Renee Jennings gave a modest smile. "It's not that impressive. I just found a few scraps of fabric and stitched them together. That kid, Mona, likes to roughhouse in the room, and I was worried he'd hurt himself without a rug."
Margaret Jennings let out a sound of surprise. "Mona seems so quiet. I didn't expect him to be a handful just like my Carina."
Carina Sanders put down her apple, puffing her cheeks out. "Carina is not a handful! Carina is very well-behaved!"
"Alright, alright, Carina is the most well-behaved. Mommy was wrong," Margaret Jennings said, quickly pulling Carina Sanders into a hug with a smile.
Nathan Lynch sat next to Renee Jennings, working on math problems he hated. Hearing what she said, he wanted to retort that he never roughhoused in the room, but after a moment's thought, he gave up.
Chelsea Raines looked as though she had thought of something amusing, an unstoppable smile playing on her lips. "Rachel, do you think Naomi Kenway only decided to make furniture because she saw you make a rug? Isn't she always a copycat?"
Renee Jennings listened. 'Naomi Kenway is completely overestimating her own abilities,' she thought. 'I had to practice for a long time in private just to embroider one flower on the rug. Could she have been secretly practicing at home too?'
She immediately dismissed the idea. 'Someone as lazy as Naomi Kenway would never spend her own time learning something. The more she embarrasses herself, the better. Otherwise, how can I stand out?'
Renee Jennings sighed. "I'm still worried about Annie. I don't know how that child is doing now. House Number Five is completely unlivable, and that Naomi Kenway is just..."
She stopped herself at the right moment and sighed again. "If only I had been more firm back then, Annie wouldn't have to suffer with Naomi Kenway. It's all my fault..."
Chelsea Raines comforted her, "What could we do if Naomi Kenway insisted on making her child suffer? Just you wait. It won't be long before she comes crying to us for help. I've known her for so many years, I know her too well. She won't be able to keep up this 'good mom' act for long."
Renee Jennings nodded, feeling a little more at ease.
***
In just one afternoon, Naomi Kenway had already decorated the dilapidated mud hut. 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 house, 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 an egg into Ian Shaw's bowl when she faintly heard mocking voices from outside the door:
"I wonder how her furniture-making is going. It's amazing she even thought of it."
The wooden door was pushed open, and Renee Jennings and Chelsea Raines walked in.
Chelsea Raines's smile froze on her face as she took in the room's decorations, along with the brand-new stove, table, and chairs.
"Naomi Kenway, the rules say you can't ask the production team for help! How is this any different from cheating!"