Chapter 65

"Do they have a choice? Of course they want things. Those Overseas Chinese probably fake; it's no wonder they don't have any money."

As expected, an old fox is an old fox.

Gu Jinshui glanced at the astonished expressions on the Lin Bohu brothers' faces and knew that they were probably still hoping to get their money back.

But thinking about it carefully, even if the Overseas Chinese had money, they might not have given it.

The most important thing now is to cut your losses as soon as possible.

"I can't handle this on my own. I need to ask your nephew An Yi for help," Gu Jinshui. "If you can get An Yi here, I'll discuss it with him, and I estimate we can have a 30% chance of success."

A 30% chance of success is enough.

Without asking any further questions, Lin Wenxiang immediately sent someone to invite An Yi.

Gu Jinshui asked the Lin Family to vacate a room so that he could discuss things with An Yi.

When An Yi saw Gu Jinshui, his smile was no longer as friendly as before. He sat down on a stool in the room and said, "Just say what you want. You're quite capable, managing to boss my two cousins around like this."

Gu Jinshui, "You don't need to make fun of me. They listen to me because I said I could help them recover their losses and get back the antiques that were swindled away by the Overseas Chinese."

"What's going on?"

An Yi wasn't stupid; he immediately realized something was wrong.

Gu Jinshui then recounted what had just happened, and An Yi's expression changed. He abruptly stood up, exclaiming, "Damn it! I have several things in there too!"

Gu Jinshui didn't stop him. "If you go to find that Tom, you'll not only alert him, but you also won't get your things back."

An Yi stopped in his tracks, his face turning black with anger.

He turned to look at Gu Jinshui, "Judging from your tone, it seems like you have a solution?"

"It's not that I have a solution, it's that we can find a solution by joining forces."

Gu Jinshui tossed an apple from the table to An Yi. "I know you have a problem with me, but we're in this together now. We're both unlucky guys who got tricked. If we don't join forces, we'll just suffer in silence."

An Yi looked at him, narrowed her eyes, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You must have a lot of counterfeit goods over there, right?"

Gu Jinshui picked up the apple, wiped it with his sleeve, took a bite, and said, "It would be a waste not to use such good skills. Besides, we should let our friends benefit from this."

Chapter 74 The Seventy-Fourth Day of Being Eavesdropped On

It was late afternoon, and the sun was unusually strong.

Huang Xirong took the bus to the film studio. She had been there several times before, so she knew the way well and found the assistant director Chen Liang.

"Aunt Huang, what are you doing here today since we're not filming?" Chen Liang asked in surprise.

Huang Xirong smiled as he stared at the television in the office, his eyes glued to it. He thought to himself that the people at the film studio were lucky; they could watch TV in the office all day and still make money.

"Director Chen, I need your help with something."

Huang Xirong placed the fruit she had bought on the way on the table. "You guys are always so busy, I wonder if this is convenient for you?"

Huang Xirong really went all out to get things done. The fruit included bananas, strawberries, and big, round apples—all relatively expensive seasonal treats.

Chen Liang, being the kind of person who loves to take advantage, immediately laughed and said, "Just tell me if you need anything. Why did you bring gifts? These fruits aren't cheap, are they?"

"Oh, if you're willing to eat, that's a big favor to us. I'll definitely need your help a lot when I'm filming in the future."

Huang Xirong tried to get close to Chen Liang, who pretended to politely refuse once before accepting the gift. Only then did Huang Xirong get down to business, "It's like this, one of my neighbors is probably coming here for an interview this afternoon, you know about that, right?"

"You're the old lady who interviewed the old woman, right?"

Chen Liang said "Oh," and then added, "I know about this; Xiao Zhang told me about it."

"Yes, look how incompetent Xiao Zhang is. Can my neighbor even make movies? She's just an opera singer, and not even a very good one. And let me tell you, she has a lot of faults. If she came to our film crew, she would definitely cause a lot of trouble."

Huang Xirong immediately added fuel to the fire, saying a lot of bad things about He Chunlian.

Chen Liang wasn't young anymore, a man in his late thirties, and having worked in the film studio for so many years, he had seen all sorts of backstabbing and intrigue.

He immediately understood what Huang Xirong meant and said, "Auntie, you don't need to say anything more, I understand. Don't worry about it."

"You understand?" Huang Xirong was overjoyed and patted Chen Liang's hand affectionately. "Oh, I knew Director Chen was a wise man."

Chen Liang looked at Huang Xirong's hand, his lips twitched slightly, and he subtly withdrew his hand.

It was a little after 4 PM.

He Chunlian took the script and rushed to the film studio.

Zhang Mouyuan, Chen Liang, and an actress also came over. The actress was there to help He Chunlian with her scenes. Originally, Huang Xirong had nothing to do with this, but she just happened to come and join in the fun.

In this film, He Chunlian plays a pragmatic mother steeped in the old social customs, who is picky and nitpicky about her daughter's marriage, rejecting this one and that one.

Overall, this character should be a comedic figure, both funny and ridiculous. The script specifically designed him to contrast with the female lead's open-minded and generous mother.

The actress's name is Zhang Lili.

When she first started acting alongside He Chunlian, she was worried that He Chunlian wouldn't be able to keep up with the performance, but she soon discovered that this old lady was quite capable.

"Mom, Brother Wang said he would treat me well after we get married and cherish me like a treasure," Zhang Lili said, cupping her face in her hands and acting shy.

He Chunlian's eyes widened. She put down the knife she was using to chop vegetables, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over to place them on Zhang Lili's forehead.

Zhang Lili looked at the old lady, puzzled, and asked, "Mom, what are you doing?"

"Oh my goodness, I think my daughter has lost her mind. If a man is reliable, pigs can fly. He treated you like a treasure before marriage, but like trash after. Daughter, that old Wang is old and poor. Are you crazy to marry him?"

He Chunlian shook her head as she spoke, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Mom, he's not as bad as you say. His parents even said they'd give us the house to live in as soon as we get married."

Zhang Lili stomped her foot in anger and said...

He Chunlian laughed and said, "When you were little, you said you'd buy your mom a house and gold when you grew up. Do you even have any gold on you now...?"

The conversation between the mother and daughter is full of wit and humor.

Zhang Mouyuan and more excited as he read, and he quickly jotted down something in his notebook.

Huang Xirong watched from the sidelines, gritting his teeth and glaring, feeling extremely indignant.

"Cut, you can stop here."

After watching the two rehearse two or three scenes, Zhang Mouyuan called for a stop.

He stood up happily and said, "Aunt He, you acted really well. It seems you really watched it carefully yesterday."

"Director, you flatter me. That's just how we older folks are; we're all very meticulous."

Although He Chunlian was secretly pleased, she still modestly said, "It's also because Lili acted so well that our scenes together were so effective."

Zhang Lili felt quite embarrassed.

She scratched her braid. "Aunt He, you're too kind to me. I think you acted better than me."

She came in a hurry today, thinking that she was just acting with an amateur, so she didn't prepare anything beforehand. It was only when she was rehearsing the scene that she realized the old lady had made a lot of preparations. The tone of her voice, her movements, and the details of her hand and facial gestures were all clearly prepared in advance.

If it were for filming, this level of skill would be sufficient.

"Xiao Zhang, I feel like Aunt He's acting is a bit..."

Just as Chen Liang was about to find fault, there was a knock on the door. After Zhang Mouyuan said "Come in," the person outside pushed the door open and came in. The person was none other than Lan Yeping.

Lan Yeping, with his two children, smiled and said, "We didn't disturb you, did we? Second Girl said she wanted to come see her grandma filming, so I brought them over."

"Old Master Lan, this is really too much trouble for you. Second Girl, why are you disturbing Grandpa?"

He Chunlian scolded playfully, but she was actually quite happy inside. She picked up her granddaughter and kissed her.

Gu Yousi waved the candy in her hand, "Go, Grandma!"

"Go Grandma! You're so sweet!"

He Chunlian beamed with joy.

Chen Liang watched Lan Yeping interact with He Chunlian and the others, his eyes flickering, and asked probingly, "Old Mr. Lan, do you know Aunt He?"

"We're more than just acquaintances; we're practically neighbors."

Lan Yeping smiled and said, "So, how's it going? Will my little sister pass the interview?"

The Old Master has been back in Beijing for a long time, and his accent has become similar to that of He Chunlian and the others.

Chen Liang quickly smiled and said, "Of course! Aunt He's performance just now was really beyond our expectations; she did an excellent job."

"That's good."

Lan Yeping nodded and said, "Now that we've found all the actors, we can start filming tomorrow. It'll coincide with the opening of our shopping mall, so we can even get some advertising space."

Chen Liang nodded in agreement.

Zhang Mouyuan adjusted his glasses and looked at Chen Liang with some doubt.

Chen Liang's tone just now didn't sound like he was satisfied.

That's a huge change of heart.

Huang Xirong was furious. After everyone left, she saw Chen Liang come out of the office and quickly followed him. "Director Chen, this isn't appropriate. You already promised to help me, why are you changing your mind?"

Chen Liang took out a dollar from his pocket and gave it to her. "Auntie, please don't make things difficult for me. You didn't say that He Chunlian knows Lan Yeping. Our movie was made because Lan Yeping invested in it. How could I dare to offend him?"

As he spoke, he glanced down at Huang Xirong and added, "Besides, Aunt He's acting skills are really good. Even if she were just filming, there wouldn't be any faults. What do you want me to do? Alright, don't come to me with this kind of thing again."

Huang Xirong looked at the one yuan in her hand, then at Chen Liang leaving, and was so angry she jumped up and down.

Her fruit basket cost more than a dollar!

He Chunlian was overjoyed when she returned home. She even went out of her way to buy two roast ducks. She gave one to Lan Yeping and his grandson as a small token of her appreciation, and kept the other for the whole family to eat.

Gu Yousi rolled the duck meat in a spring pancake herself; the pancake, about the size of an adult's bite, looked exceptionally large in her hand.

While watching the child eat, Liang Ying asked, "Mom, is filming busy? Do you need to stay somewhere else?"

"No need, I've already asked. They said I don't have many scenes, probably only ten or so. I can just go to the set when I have other filming commitments." He Chunlian poured some soup for Gu Yousi. "I think I can rest for a few months and spend more time with the kids at home."

"What about the gigs in rural areas?"

Gu Yinxing looked up and asked, "Didn't you say this was quite profitable?"

He Chunlian said, "There's no end to making money, and besides, the teachers at my school aren't indispensable. If I don't teach those scripts, someone else will. But if I miss this filming opportunity, I don't know when I'll get another chance."

Hearing these words, Gu Yousi felt a sense of admiration for He Chunlian.

For someone of He Chunlian's age to dare to try new things and be willing to give up tangible benefits is truly remarkable.

"Grandma, you're awesome!"

Gu Yousi gave the old lady a thumbs up.

The old lady laughed heartily, "Our Second Girl has such a sweet tongue. When Grandma earns a lot of money, she'll buy you delicious food."

The Gu Family is living a happy and harmonious life.

Meanwhile, in Xi'an, more than a thousand kilometers away, An Yi carefully carried out a box from the house. The box was made of mother-of-pearl inlaid sandalwood. When the box was opened, the contents inside were bright pink and green, each piece a dazzling jade artifact.

He Fei's jaw dropped. He closed his mouth and gave An Yi a thumbs up. "Amazing! You're absolutely amazing! I knew you must have made a lot of stuff over the years. Everything here must be top-notch!"

To save face for An Yi, He Fei ultimately didn't reveal that the goods were counterfeit.

He looked at the jade artifacts in the box and asked, "Can I handle these and take a look?"

"See? We've already decided to cooperate with you, so why are you still being so polite?" An Yi gestured for them to proceed.

He Fei immediately took out a jade Buddha pendant, looked at it against the sun, and then came back and took out an Imperial Green bracelet.

He only looked at two items before putting them down, saying, "Brother, your craftsmanship is amazing! The green color and clarity are indistinguishable from the real thing. How did you...?"