Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Chang Guangrong asked Chu Guangming to film a TV series, and Ye Fan did not stop him. Chu Guangming was very serious during the filming, probably because he knew that she had a share in the clothing factory. Chu Guangming was sensible, so Ye Fan had the obligation to help him avoid being harassed by his parents.

Ye Fan felt relieved after hearing this: "Didn't your childhood friend come with you?"

Chu Guangming smiled.

Dabao was at home today because school was on holiday. Seeing this, he slapped him on the back of his head and said, "What are you smiling at? I'm asking you a question."

Chu Guangming smoothed his hair carelessly: "It was only after his eldest brother and his wife moved out that they realized how comfortable it was. They didn't have to carry a spittoon at night or empty it in the morning. It was convenient to boil water with a gas stove, and the house was clean even on snowy days. So they were very grateful to my childhood friend. As soon as my childhood friend had a holiday, they asked him to come over, saying that it was difficult for him to cook when he lived alone. Because I was there, my childhood friend said he would stay for a few days. Aunt Ye, he is going to his eldest brother's house. Can I spend the New Year at your house this year?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Okay. Your aunt will definitely come back this year."

Geng Huihui thought, which aunt is he? Suddenly she thought of her mother: "Aunt, my mother called?"

"No. Your mother can see you as long as she watches TV. How can she resist coming back after seeing you?" Ye Fan asked her mother-in-law, "Will my uncle come again in the next two days?"

Yu Wentao nodded: "I've been going to the city to sell meat these days. I sold my three-wheeled vehicle and pooled some money with my sons to buy a farm tricycle. I told him not to work at his age, but he said he would work if he could. He really doesn't know how to enjoy life."

Ye Fan saw that his mother-in-law was just worried about his brother, so he smiled and comforted her: "You can't say that. The old men and women in the village stay in a corner after eating, gossiping about other people's affairs, and even get into a fight. My uncle must think it's better to make money than to talk nonsense with them. If you come out to make money, you can also hear some new things. If you come to our place to sell vegetables, you can chat with the old professor. One word from him is enough for my uncle to benefit from for several years. My uncle knows a lot and knows how to deal with things when they happen."

"He doesn't have that brain!" Yu Wentao looked disgusted, as if Yu Yinxing's father was not her biological brother.

Ye Fan laughed: "If I can't remember it once, or twice, I will definitely remember it if I go to the city every day and listen to it every day. Besides, I can see my grandchildren when I go to the city."

Yu Wentao didn't want to talk about her brother: "Why are you asking him?"

"Buy a pork leg and half a lamb. Also some out-of-season vegetables."

Chu Guangming seemed to be thinking about something after hearing this.

The next morning, Chu Guangming asked Dabao to go out with him. Dabao asked, "Everyone knows you, young or old. Where are you going? Stay at home."

"I can wear a scarf." Chu Guangming put on a hat and scarf, revealing a pair of eyes.

Dabao had several pairs of thick gloves and threw one to him. However, as soon as he got outside the door, he was blocked by a pickup truck. Chang Guangrong asked Chu Guangming to follow him.

Dabao asked: "Where are you going?"

"Make money!" Chang Guangrong raised his chin towards Chu Guangming. "Before I told you that you would get advertisements after the TV series was broadcast, but you didn't believe me. Now the advertisements are here. By the way, bring your ID card."

Chu Guangming's valuables were all in the bag, and the bag was in Dabao's bedroom. Dabao said, "Guangming, get in the car first. This is a good thing. I'll get it!"

Chu Guangming subconsciously wanted to talk to Dabao, but Chang Guangrong stretched out his arm from the car and grabbed him: "Dabao hasn't appeared yet. When Dabao appears in two days, you won't have anything to do. Hurry up, the opportunity is not to be missed, it will never come again!"

"Dabao only has a few scenes, don't exaggerate." Chu Guangming pried his hands apart, "Don't pull, I'll go up."

Chang Guangrong: "The ones that come to you are all small ads, while the ones that come to Dabao are big ads. I don't know if his school will allow it. If they do, the first ad will have to be for cars."

"Because the first shot of Dabao is him getting out of the car?"

Chang Guangrong did not answer but asked: "How much do you think a car advertisement costs?"

"I don't know. Tell me how much I want for one."

"My friend asked around, and the big stars in Hong Kong get two million for a photo. A small celebrity like you can probably get one hundred thousand. If they are satisfied with your appearance, it may be even more."

Chu Guangming: "Then Dabao can double it."

"Two hundred thousand?" Chang Guangrong sighed. "If it's really that expensive, I'll personally ask his tutor to be flexible."

Chu Guangming frowned: "It's not you who makes the money, why are you more anxious than Dabao?"

"The more famous you are, the easier it will be to sell my sportswear. It's a pity that Erbao is not suitable for advertising. Oh, I can give it to Huihui." Chang Guangrong's eyes lit up, "It's decided."

There were Chu Guangming's clothes in Dabao's bedroom. Dabao was not satisfied, so he found one of his casual jackets and asked Chu Guangming to take off his thick cotton jacket. Chu Guangming felt cold, so Chang Guangrong dug out a military coat from somewhere and said, "Wrap it with this and take it off at the entrance of the company. It's not cold in the company." He paused and said, "Even if you are cold, you have to bear it. You can't let people think you are a fool who just came to the city and is easy to fool."

Life has been better in recent years, and Chu Guangming looks good. He wears sneakers, light-colored jeans, and a casual jacket. Even the merchants who say he is from Gangcheng believe it.

When Chang Guangrong's friends first heard that a big star was worth two million, they asked for two hundred thousand when they negotiated with the merchant. The other party was unwilling because mainland actors were cheap these days, and Chu Guangming was not famous before, so they thought he was worth at most fifty thousand.

Chang Guangrong's friend called him and asked if 50,000 yuan would be enough. Chang Guangrong replied that Guangming should negotiate on his own. The merchant was satisfied with Chu Guangming's appearance and asked him where he worked. When he learned that he was a student of Aviation University, the merchant was in awe of the famous university. Later, Chang Guangrong and his friend negotiated with the other party for a long time and finally agreed to 150,000 yuan per piece.

They planned to put up posters before New Year’s Eve. They had already found a photographer and a venue, and were just waiting for a spokesperson, so they signed the contract and shot on the same day.

Chu Guangming treated himself as if he was filming a movie. Since he had no plans to work in this field, he was not nervous during the filming. The advertising director, unaware of the truth, praised him for being born to do this job.

At the end of the afternoon, Chu Guangming couldn't help but ask Chang Guangrong: "Is it in time before New Year's Eve?"

"Normally it's too late. He pays quickly, and people stay up all night. Maybe you'll be on TV tomorrow night, or in the newspaper the day after tomorrow morning." Chang Guangrong said, "Get on board. I'm telling you, don't be so arrogant. Take more jobs during the winter vacation. With the money, you can do whatever you want after graduation."

Chu Guangming: "Don't you really need to give your friend a commission?"

"No! Don't feel any psychological burden. In the past, he rushed to find people, but they didn't want his people. Now people take the initiative to find him, and he is happier than getting commissions." Chang Guangrong said while driving: "He helps you negotiate cooperation, you get the money, and he builds connections. By the way, it seems that you have to pay taxes for this. Ask Sen Sen some other day. He knows more about taxation than us."

Chu Guangming saw that it was still early: "Will you accompany me to the store? I want to choose some gifts for Aunt Ye's family."

Chang Guangrong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, feeling happy for Ye Fan: "Change the check into cash first, save the bulk of it, and take 50,000 back with you. Use part of it to buy gifts and part of it to pay taxes."

The money came quickly, and Chu Guangming felt uneasy and didn't know how to arrange it, so he decided to listen to him.

Chu Guangming wanted to buy gold and jade jewelry, but Chang Guangrong stopped him: "It's too expensive. Ye Fan definitely doesn't want it. Look at the clothes and shoes instead."

"But good clothes and shoes are almost the same as a bracelet. Besides, Aunt Ye often goes south to buy clothes and shoes, so she won't pay attention to these." Chu Guangming also thought of skin care products, but Ye Fan's family had everything. "Dabao and Erbao like Xiaojindou very much. Xiaojindou is not expensive."

Chang Guangrong thought about it and said, "But you have to buy a lot of copies."

"Nine parts, I've calculated it."

The small golden beans cost one or two hundred yuan, and buying nine of them would cost two thousand yuan. Even if the gifts for Yu Wentao and Ye Fan were changed to bracelets, the bracelets were light, and the total was at most three thousand yuan, which was a small amount for Chu Guangming now: "Buy it."

"Actually, I didn't spend much money. You can imagine how much you paid Sen Sen every day. I may have to trouble Sen Sen more often in the future." Chu Guangming walked towards the gold shop. "I used to trouble Aunt Ye often, but Aunt Ye didn't find me annoying at all. She even asked me to spend the New Year at her house."

Chang Guangrong smiled and nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "Is there no Dabao's father?"

Chu Guangming shook his head: "Uncle Geng is an officer, and officers are also officials. He can't accept my things. Huihui's father seems to be a leader as well, so he can't accept my things either."

"So there aren't nine?"

Chu Guangming: "There is Benben. No one cares who Benben takes things from." Chang Guangrong patted him on the shoulder: "Let's go!"

As expected, the three thousand yuan was not used up. Chang Guangrong asked the salesperson to pack the things into boxes, and he had some wrapping paper left over from the previous filming, so he took Chu Guangming to his house to wrap them up.

The gift boxes were very small, so Chu Guangming stuffed them into his pocket. After getting off the car, he ran to the back while complaining about the cold. He ran to the study, stuffed the things into the quilt, and then changed into a thick cotton coat.

The next day, someone came to see Chu Guangming again. Chang Guangrong gave Ye Fan's phone number to a friend and asked them to contact each other. Dabao sent him there. Just as he got home and hadn't even had time to catch his breath, Chang Guangrong came to see Huihui - someone asked the director to find Huihui to shoot a commercial. The director only had Chang Guangrong's phone number, so he had to find him.

Dabao took Huihui to the director's house to sign the contract in the afternoon. Two days later, Chang Guangrong's friend called Huihui and Dabao again and asked them to go over to sign the contract.

Ye Fan asked Dabao if he could shoot a commercial.

Dabao nodded: "Sure. I'm still a student, not a particularly talented student. There are at least 10,000 people like me in our country, if not 100,000. Western countries don't have the time to stare at me."

"Then why are you so secretive when you go out with your mentor?"

Dabao said: "Just because someone is not interested in me doesn't mean they are not interested in where I go."

"In that case, then you drive over there." Ye Fan has been teaching him how to drive every day recently. Dabao doesn't have the vigor of a young person when driving, but he's steadier than Ye Fan.

Dabao asked Chu Guangming to go as well. Chu Guangming was surprised: "Why should I go?"

"Maybe someone has taken a fancy to you." Dabao said as he pushed him into the car, and then drove him and Geng Huihui straight to the film and television company run by Chang Guangrong's friend.

Several partners were surprised to see Dabao opening the car door and getting out. One of them was impatient and asked Chang Guangrong's friend: "Isn't the car on TV a prop?"

Chang Guangrong's friend: "The director borrowed this car from his family."

People who originally thought they were very rich couldn't help but ask: "How is his family so rich?"

"You'll know when he comes up."

Not long after, Dabao brought Chu Guangming and Geng Huihui upstairs.

Dabao's clothes and shoes are all branded, and it can be seen that they were not bought specially for the purpose of discussing cooperation. Dabao's hair is a little longer than a crew cut and a little shorter than a student's haircut. His hairstyle looks very common, but paired with a casual outfit, he gives everyone a feeling of being as fashionable as a big star in Hong Kong.

The person who originally invited him to shoot the car commercial felt that he was impulsive and thought that the endorsement fee was so high that he seemed like a fool with a lot of money. Upon seeing this, he immediately signed a contract with Dabao and the shooting date was set on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Dabao was shocked: "Not celebrating the New Year?"

"It's too late on the second day of the Chinese New Year. Many people buy cars before and after the New Year. After a while, most of the money earned this year has been spent. Who has money left to buy a car?"

Others also wanted to work with Dabao, but they just took a look and found that the pay was too high and they couldn't afford it, so they signed with Chu Guangming and Geng Huihui. They also wanted to finish it before the Lantern Festival, so they decided to contact the director soon and shoot after the New Year.

These people did not plan to celebrate the New Year, but Dabao liked it, so before leaving he told Chang Guangrong's friends not to look for him before the second day of the New Year.

When they got home, Dabao asked Erbao to cut red paper while he wrote Spring Festival couplets. They were pasted on all the houses. Dabao couldn't do it alone, so Geng Huihui helped him write.

In the evening, the Spring Festival couplets were ready and Geng Huihui's parents finally appeared, calling "Huihui" as soon as they entered the yard.

Geng Huihui came out of the main room, and as expected, her mother pulled her aside and asked, "Did you appear on TV?"

"What TV?" Geng Huihui played dumb.

Seeing his daughter like this, Chu Fenghe wondered if they were just similar people: "It's the teacher Chu in "Glorious Class 8", not you?"

"What do you mean?" Geng Huihui asked again.

Chu Fenghe let go of his daughter and said, "Really? I don't think it's possible. How can you act in a movie?"

"Mom is afraid of me acting?" Geng Huihui always felt that her mother's demeanor was a little bit strange.

Chu Fenghe couldn't help but complain: "It was your grandpa who insisted that you were not a good teacher but an actor, and asked your uncle to go to the staff quarters to find me. I was not there at the time, and your uncle even left a note for the guard, asking me to take a leave and go back. I thought your grandpa was not in good health."

Geng Huihui was not surprised at all when she heard this: "That's what I told you. You are so busy at work, how can you have time to care about me?"

Geng Zhihui: "How can you say that about your mother?"

Geng Huihui didn't want to argue with them during the New Year: "I mean you feel relieved living with your aunt and grandma, so don't waste your time on me."

Chu Fenghe went to her parents' house today and heard her father say that Huihui was an actress. Her first reaction was, what era is it still actresses? When her father said how chaotic that circle was, Chu Fenghe's first reaction was that it was not as chaotic as another circle. Then she thought that Huihui lived with Ye Fan, and Ye Fan was such a cautious person, how could she get into trouble? What her father could think of, Ye Fan could not have thought of.

So Chu Fenghe said perfunctorily: "I'll deal with Geng Huihui when I get back."

Chu Fenghe couldn't help but say, "I thought so too, but your grandpa was angry, so I didn't dare to say it. I'm glad it's not you. Let's go into the house."

Geng Huihui didn't move: "Mom, I'm sorry, I lied just now, that person was me. The person I played was not Teacher Geng, but Teacher Chu, because your last name is Chu. If my grandfather knew that the 'Chu' in Teacher Chu's name was his last name, would he be so angry that he would die?"

Chu Fenghe was stunned.

Geng Zhihui said hurriedly: "Huihui, stop messing around!"

Geng Huihui: "If they don't come to bother me, I won't bother to answer them. If they find me and scold me for being self-indulgent, mom, you will also be an orphan like Guangming."

Chu Fenghe had a complicated expression. He couldn't blame his daughter because he hadn't taken care of her in recent years. He was also afraid that Huihui would learn bad things. "Do you really want to film a movie?"

Ye Fan came out of the kitchen: "That play was filmed during the summer vacation. Second sister-in-law, doesn't it sound familiar to you when you hear "Glorious Class Eight"?"

Chu Fenghe thought about it carefully and didn't have much impression: "I don't think so."

"What about the glory in reverse?"

Geng Zhihui: "Glorious, but glorious—always glorious?!"

Ye Fan nodded.

Chu Fenghe: "Was it taken by Chang Guangrong? Isn't he a clothes maker?"

Ye Fan thought, did you two just come out of the mountain den? "Rongguang sportswear!" Ye Fan saw that they were still confused, "Chang Guangrong didn't have the money to hire a big star to shoot an advertisement. A big star in Hong Kong costs one or two million for an advertisement. He simply thought of this method, because if it is broadcast on TV, not only does he not have to pay, but the TV station also has to pay him copyright fees. In order to save costs, he also hired Dabao and Erbao."

Chu Fenghe asked: "And Dabao and Erbao?"

Geng Huihui remembered something: "Mom, didn't you watch the TV series? Since Grandpa saw me, he also saw Dabao and Erbao, but he didn't even mention Dabao and Erbao? Mom, your dad really cares about me."

(End of this chapter)