Upon hearing that someone from the Fu family came to take Xiao Bao to the capital for filming, the members of the Yin family were extremely grateful. Xiao Bao had saved the young master of the Fu family’s life, and they hadn’t expected any repayment. However, the Fu family not only remembered the favor but was willing to help despite their humble circumstances.
As a gesture of gratitude for the Fu family’s assistance, even before the New Year arrived, Grandma Luo specially slaughtered a large black pig to entertain the guests. It was a way to express appreciation for the Fu family’s help and to celebrate Xiao Bao’s first time going to the city for filming. Uncle Yin also raised a large knife and, guided by Xiao Bao, selected a lucky pig from the pigsty.
Despite the Yin family’s warm insistence, the young man could only express his helplessness, saying, “Then let’s go for a smaller pig.” There were only three of them, including the driver and the bodyguard, and they couldn’t eat too much.
“Alright.” The young boy nodded, and in the next moment, his finger pointed to the most robust pig in the pigsty. Sensing danger, the black pig immediately moved away from the trough. However, that very morning, the pitiful cries of the pig echoed through the winding alleyways, its blood flowing in buckets, drawing the attention of many neighbors. Several children even ran over to watch, giggling and laughing, eager to join the commotion.
“Hey, Hongmei, the New Year hasn’t arrived yet, and you’re already slaughtering pigs?” Shouldn’t they wait until before the festival to sell in the market? The price would double! They couldn’t believe that the shrewd Grandma Luo didn’t know this.
Grandma Luo put down the pig-killing knife, wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, and after a moment, she continued with the slaughter. Her heroic posture was undiminished from years past. While killing the pig, she explained, “Yes, Mr. Fu is taking Xiao Bao to the city for filming, and there’s also the matter of building a factory. We’re slaughtering the pig to celebrate.”
“Wow, congratulations! I knew it, Xiao Bao is such a lucky boy! Just look, he’s going to film in the big city. Sooner or later, we’ll see his handsome face on the television.” Since Xiao Bao casually saved someone, the visible result was that the days of the Yin family became prosperous. The eldest granddaughter could go to college, the youngest grandson was going to act, and now they were even building a factory. Wasn’t this a display of good fortune? The villagers on all sides envied them, regretting that they didn’t have a little one at home who could make them proud.
A few lively young adults even came to inquire about Uncle Yin’s factory construction, subtly expressing their hope for a job opportunity. Shen Qiuyi was also entangled by her family because of this. Seeing those brothers who had treated her like a castoff in the past, years later, they were now coming to her with smiles, asking for her help in speaking kindly to the head of the family. Shen Qiuyi’s emotions were particularly complex.
On that day, the entire family hosted the guests and enjoyed a delicious pork feast. The surplus pork was neatly tied up by Grandma Luo and warmly given to the young man. Despite his attempts to refuse, he eventually accepted.
As they were about to leave, the Yin family kept advising and instructing Yin Minglu: “Xiao Bao, you don’t understand much, so when you’re in the city, you must listen to your brother. Don’t wander around, okay?”
Yin Minglu nodded his little head.
“At night, you mustn’t kick off the blanket. Be careful not to catch a cold.” Shen Qiuyi, being the mother, felt extra tender toward her son, who had come out of her own belly. He was usually warm and cuddly. This was the first time in nine years that they were separated, going to an unfamiliar place. Shen Qiuyi naturally felt extremely reluctant. She held her son’s hand, her eyes teary, almost crying.
The young man was surprised, “Xiao Bao kicks off the blanket?”
Shen Qiuyi nodded apologetically, “Yes, Xiao Bao is mischievous. He especially likes to kick off the blanket at night. Just a few days ago, he almost caught a cold. Someone must cover him with the blanket in the middle of the night.”
“Do I do that?” Yin Minglu tilted his little head, blinked innocently, indicating that he had absolutely no recollection of it.
The young man smiled, “Auntie, rest assured, I will watch over Xiao Bao. We sleep together at night, and if he kicks off the blanket, I’ll cover him.”
Shen Qiuyi was astonished, “How can that be proper?”
The young man said, “It’s okay. Xiao Bao is like my little brother. Away from home, I will take good care of him.”
After a few more back-and-forths, almost stripping Yin Minglu naked1basically their topic was Minglu, his habits and such were gradually exposed thus “almost stripping Minglu naked”, Shen Qiuyi finally sent him on his way to the city.
The car door opened, and he climbed in with some effort. The young man steadied him, patted the seat beside him, and said, “Sit here.”
Yin Minglu obediently moved over, gazing at him dependently. The young man was satisfied, smiled, and said, “So well-behaved.”
“What am I going to film?” Yin Minglu asked curiously. This was the 1980s, an era that birthed numerous classic TV dramas and films. Could he have the opportunity to participate in one of them, which held significant historical significance in the world of film and television?
The young man handed him a few small notebooks, his eyes gentle. “Your first role requires an audition. The casting hasn’t been finalized yet. If you memorize the lines well and perform excellently, you’ll definitely secure the role. The process may be challenging, but once this series airs, you’ll become famous.” He had high hopes for this talented youngster, undoubtedly among the best of his peers.
Yin Minglu feigned understanding, flipping open the handwritten notebook. However, when he saw “Fragrant House Chronicles,” those round black pupils instinctively shrank. This TV series, adapted from a classical masterpiece, was established in the early 1980s with the preparation team completing the initial script by the year’s end. The director spent two years meticulously selecting from tens of thousands of candidates across the country.
From the lead actors and actresses to supporting roles and maidservants, the director spared no effort in the selection process. Once the role candidates were confirmed, they underwent several training sessions. This involved a deep understanding of the original work, contemplating the characters, and also learning arts and culture. Only those who passed the training were allowed to participate formally.
In other words, if selected, even for a small role, he would need to invest at least several months in this series. However, the rewards were boundless. Because this was a historical costume drama funded by the state, every detail, every word and sentence inside it, would become classic memories for countless people in their youth after it aired.
For a moment, Yin Minglu felt a surge of excitement. When he opened the notebook and reviewed the contents, he sensed a profound force. If he had the opportunity to play a role, he would give it his all.
Seeing him in a daze, the young man comforted him tenderly. “Don’t feel pressured. If this production doesn’t work out, we have the next one. I’ve reserved a role as Monkey King’s subordinate for you with another director. You’ve been reading the notes for two hours now. Are you tired? Do you want to rest by using my leg as a pillow?”
Speaking of fatigue, Yin Minglu nodded his small head and rubbed his eyes. After closing the notebook, he obediently lay down, preparing to sleep with his head on the young man’s thigh. Before closing his eyes, he unconsciously nuzzled the person’s hand.
Feeling the warm and tender touch on his palm, the young man, whose face was already picturesque, quietly smiled. He hugged the child even tighter, alleviating the slight bumps on the road.
Until nightfall was approaching, the driver finally couldn’t stand it. He thought, “This little ancestor called Xiao Bao can really sleep. He’s lying on the leg of his young master so stiffly, yet he can sleep so soundly. There are suspicious traces of water at the corners of his mouth. His little snores are continuous, and his small hand is patting the young master’s leg. His sleeping face is extremely fair and lovely. Anyone would hesitate to wake him up.”
But they had been driving around the city for ten laps, and they had also circled the night market about ten times. When would they stop? The driver muttered to himself. Seeing the young master enjoying himself so much, he could only grit his teeth and continue driving.
Since the driver from the Fu family didn’t recognize Yin Yue, after strolling around the night market for about ten laps, they still hadn’t spotted the young couple selling their wares on the street.
The weather was gradually turning colder, and everyone walked on the street, their exhaled breath visible in the cold air. However, Qin Mao was sweating profusely. This was because he and his wife, Yin Yue, were pushing a hot pot called “Guandongzhu” and selling it at a street market.
The Guandongzhu stall was neither too big nor too small. The simmering iron pot was divided into more than ten square compartments by iron plates, each containing different ingredients.
There were expensive items like shrimp dumplings, fish balls, scallops, tribute meatballs, and white tofu, as well as cheaper options like hollow vegetables, seaweed, baby bok choy, radishes, and more. Everything was cooked in the boiling pot, looking very appetizing. There were also a few plastic cups on the side. Once a customer placed an order, they would ladle the items into the cup and then add sesame oil, coriander, or salt according to each customer’s taste. This uncommon form of street food immediately caught the attention of a large part of the night market crowd.
In fact, the taste of the Guandongzhu soup was not exceptional because Yin Yue wasn’t particularly skilled in cooking at home. Her culinary skills were just passable, and the simmering of the big bone soup lacked a bit of finesse. However, the later addition of condiments compensated for the shortcomings of the soup itself. Coupled with the fact that most stalls in the night market sold common items like noodles, dumplings, pancakes, buns, etc., the sudden appearance of this novel Guandongzhu stall was especially attractive.
And as the weather turned colder, the citizens were willing to spend two or three yuan to order a bowl of soup, holding it in their hands, sipping slowly while walking, dispelling the chill in their bodies.
So, in no time, customers came in droves.
Customers would occasionally shout for meat or vegetables, keeping Qin Mao busy, and several times he miscalculated and gave the wrong change. In charge of the cash register, Yin Yue smiled satisfactorily, thinking as she expected, these citizens who hadn’t tried these things before would naturally join in. Just from the income of today alone, she was about to recover the upfront costs.
If the daily profit continued like this, in less than two months, she could completely take over a shop in the city and focus on opening a food business. When the restaurant opened and customers flocked in again, she could hire some workers and become a hands-off manager. Then she could save up some money to start a clothing factory. She had countless experiences in avant-garde fashion in her mind. Even if she made domestic low-cost versions of those international high-end clothing, the less experienced locals would surely buy them. In short, she would earn money first before deciding.
Busy counting money with her head down, Yin Yue did not notice that in front of her stall, several suspicious figures had appeared. They watched her stall from a distance, some approaching to buy a cup of Guandongzhu, while others casually pretended to pass by, glanced at the pot, and left nonchalantly.
Then, in less than two days, Yin Yue found a significant decrease in profits on her books. She grabbed her husband Qin Mao’s arm and asked, “What’s going on? Why have we lost so many customers?”
Qin Mao was also bewildered, wiping sweat and saying, “Yeah, two days ago, we had half the usual number of customers, and today there are even fewer.” Unlike Yin Yue, who was busy counting money backstage, he was responsible for ladling soup and adding ingredients, so he could clearly feel the change in the flow of customers.
“It’s only been three days. It can’t be that the customers got tired of it so quickly, right?” Yin Yue refused to believe it. How could that be possible? People these days were not like those in the future who had many choices and more picky tastes. It was impossible for them to get tired of it in just three days.
Something must have gone wrong!
Furious, Yin Yue angrily left the stall. After walking a few steps, she discovered that not far from their stall, where there used to be vendors selling buns and noodles, there were now numerous similar Guandongzhu shops. The soup in each shop was richer and more delicious, and the prices for the meat and vegetables were cheaper one after another. As a result, customers flocked to these stalls.
They had actually been copied by others? Yin Yue was almost shocked into unconsciousness by this revelation.
Author’s note: I’ll add more later tonight.
Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
T/N: And we’re done with the updates for this week. Next update will be on Dec. 11 (+8GMT)
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