Back to 1997, I became the originator of online literature

Chapter 553 Living the Life They Longed For
Guo Qingyun was Cao Sheng's classmate during his senior year of high school.

Back then, he and Cao Sheng sat not far apart, and their relationship was fairly good.

Unlike Cao Sheng, he passed the college entrance examination and went to a university in the provincial capital. He has now graduated for a year.

After graduation, his family used their connections to get him a job at Jinsheng Bank in his hometown county, a job that seemed very respectable.

But he was not happy.

Because he works one day on and rests the next, sharing the same position with another person, and his salary is... pitifully low.

All his relatives and friends advised him to persevere and wait until he became a full-time employee, saying that he would finally succeed.

Today is another day off for him.

He rested all day and took a nap when he had nothing to do during the day. He was very energetic at night because his salary was low and he didn't want to go out, since going out might cost money.

I just stayed in my rented room and watched TV.

There are just too many TV commercials these days, and too few good programs.

He kept changing channels with the remote control.

Keep changing channels.

After switching channels, I ended up switching to Huizhou TV.

I spotted Cao Sheng on TV right away.

"Cao Sheng?"

Guo Qingyun stared at Cao Sheng, who was chatting and laughing on the TV, and slowly put down the TV remote control with his right hand.

He hadn't seen Cao Sheng since graduating from high school.

Time flies, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

After not seeing him for five years, Cao Sheng suddenly appeared on television. He didn't feel like a stranger, because he had seen Cao Sheng's photos and figure online and on television every year in recent years.

He not only frequently sees news related to Cao Sheng online and on television, but also occasionally hears his classmates and colleagues discussing it.

Cao Sheng, Zhongyuan Yidianhui, emerging writer from mainland China, the top literary talent in mainland China... the highest-paid screenwriter in the Chinese film and television industry... and so on.

Over the past few years, he has noticed that Cao Sheng's reputation is growing.

There were so many that he couldn't even remember how many titles Cao Sheng had.

Every time he sees Cao Sheng's achievements online or on TV, he feels it's all so unreal.

How did Cao Sheng, his high school classmate who always had slightly worse grades, suddenly become so successful after entering university?
Why should he?
In high school, Cao Sheng's Chinese grades were very good, but... was it too far-fetched that he could write so many novels and screenplays?
on TV.

Jiang Xiaoshuang looked at Cao Sheng with a flicker of her eyes and said, "Okay! I believe you. So, the next question is, under what circumstances did you get the inspiration to write the script for 'Infernal Affairs'?"

Cao Sheng: "What if you're short of money?"

A burst of laughter came from the audience.

Even watching TV, Guo Qingyun couldn't help but smile.

He noticed that Cao Sheng seemed to have become quite humorous after not seeing him for several years.

He's even become more handsome.

On television, Cao Sheng had long since shed his youthful naiveté from high school and cut off his side-swept hairstyle that he had been growing for several years, sporting a clean and neat buzz cut that made him look particularly energetic.

It's not ugly at all.

In an era where most people sport side-parted, four-six-parted, or center-parted hairstyles, Cao Sheng's short buzz cut makes him look energetic and stylish.

Most importantly, it's his demeanor.

Clean, sunny, elegant...

Yes, he sat on the stage in a relaxed manner, without any deliberate effort, yet exuding a leisurely and elegant air.

and I?
Guo Qingyun subconsciously looked down at himself.

Wrinkled jeans, a cheap white T-shirt, and a pair of worn-out plastic slippers.

As for the face?
He doesn't need to look in a mirror to know that he's not handsome, and he can't compare to Cao Sheng at all. He couldn't compare to Cao Sheng back in high school, let alone now.

Furthermore, he still has the tall and thin physique he had in high school, while Cao Sheng on TV looks different.

robust!

A guy who writes novels and screenplays actually has a very strong physique; the muscles in his forearms exposed outside his short-sleeved shirt look very solid.

What kind of pen did he use to write the novel?

How did you manage to develop such strong muscles?
Could it have been written with a judge's pen that weighs dozens of kilograms?
and also……

Guo Qingyun noticed that on the show, the host Jiang Xiaoshuang's eyes seemed to be shining when she looked at Cao Sheng. She was chatting and laughing with Cao Sheng, and every time she mentioned "old classmate," Guo Qingyun suspected that she and Cao Sheng had a very good relationship in private.

She also suspected that Cao Sheng reappeared on her show because she and Cao Sheng had a good relationship, so Cao Sheng gave her face.

Jiang Xiaoshuang...

As a native of Anhui Province, Guo Qingyun was no stranger to the beautiful host Jiang Xiaoshuang.

Firstly, because these days, ordinary television stations can only receive a very limited number of channels.

Moreover, the number of TV stations that can provide clear images is extremely limited.

The picture quality of CCTV is usually clearer, probably because CCTV has the strongest signal?
Then there are the provincial TV stations, whose broadcasts are relatively clear.

Even if you can receive a signal from a TV station in another province, if the TV quality is poor or the weather is bad, the picture on the TV will be full of snow or flickering lines on the screen...

Therefore, Guo Qingyun can only watch a very few TV channels normally.

The Huizhou TV station, because it's not too far from here, has a fairly clear picture.

Therefore, he had seen Jiang Xiaoshuang on television before.

Secondly...

He had seen the rumors about Jiang Xiaoshuang and Cao Sheng in the news.

On tonight's "On Stage with Frost" program, the details of Jiang Xiaoshuang and Cao Sheng's amiable conversation and eye contact further convinced Guo Qingyun that the relationship between Jiang Xiaoshuang and Cao Sheng was extraordinary.

Their rumored affair...

Perhaps it's more than just a rumor.

Thinking of this, Guo Qingyun felt a pang of jealousy.

Because of his looks, tall and thin physique, and other reasons, he didn't date a single girl during his four years of college, and he still hasn't dated a single girl since graduating.

And what about Cao Sheng?

How many scandals have there been over the years?
This guy even had multiple rumored relationships with Wang Zuxian.

Reason told him: Stop watching this show, the more you watch, the more upset you'll feel.

But curiosity kept him glued to the TV, watching Jiang Xiaoshuang and Cao Sheng interact and listening to Cao Sheng talk about writing.

Unbeknownst to him, Guo Qingyun's eyes were filled with deep envy, because Cao Sheng had become the kind of person he longed for.

……

Shen Xiuying was Cao Sheng's classmate in his senior year of high school.

She also graduated with a bachelor's degree.

I now teach at the No. 1 Primary School in my hometown county, where I am a math teacher.

She did not live in the dormitory assigned to her by the school.

Because her home is in the county town.

After graduating from university, her family used their connections to help her get a teaching job at a primary school. When she first started working at the primary school, she was very happy and quite satisfied with the job.

But now she has been working at a primary school for a year.

The various unpleasant and trivial matters in her work and life gradually caused her to lose passion for her current work and life.

Sometimes, she really wants to change jobs and escape her current life.

but……

Reason and her relatives and friends advised her: being a teacher is very good, you shouldn't resign so easily.

Fortunately, summer vacation has started recently.

She can finally rest at home for a while.

That evening, she was reading and preparing lessons in her bedroom.

Yes!

During summer vacation, she was still preparing lessons. This summer, she had taken on several elementary school students and was charging them for tutoring.

These days, many children in the county town attend extra classes during winter and summer vacations.

As far as she knew, many teachers in every school in the county town tutored students during holidays and even outside of holidays, earning more in tutoring fees than their regular salaries.

She didn't originally intend to tutor people.

But she couldn't resist the persuasion of her parents and relatives.

And then there's... the allure of money.

Many of the children who seek her tutoring are acquaintances introduced to her by relatives and friends.

She's not good at holding her urine.

When I was preparing lessons until after 9 p.m., I couldn't help but leave my bedroom to go to the bathroom. As soon as I came out of the bedroom, I heard the sound of the TV coming from the living room.

She didn't pay attention, went to the bathroom to urinate, washed her hands, and was about to go back to her bedroom to continue preparing her lessons when she inadvertently glanced at the TV in the living room and saw a familiar face.

Cao Sheng?

The moment Shen Xiuying caught sight of Cao Sheng, she instinctively stopped in her tracks.

Many memories from her high school years flooded her mind instantly, including some from her university years.

On television, Cao Sheng's smile was sunny and gentle.

He speaks and laughs with ease.

At the bedroom door, Shen Xiuying stared blankly at Cao Sheng on the television.

No one knew that she actually had a crush on Cao Sheng during high school.

When she was tired from studying every day, she couldn't help but look back at Cao Sheng. Every time she looked at him, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

But there was also a period of complexity.

Because she knew that there seemed to be quite a few girls in her class who liked Cao Sheng.

Several women wrote love letters to Cao Sheng.

But Cao Sheng's attention usually seemed to be on Qian Zhenyu.

Reason told her: Cao Sheng had no interest in her.

So she studied hard and eventually got into university.

When the college entrance exam results came out, she went to Cao Sheng and asked him how many points he scored. When she learned his score and that he hadn't reached the undergraduate admission line, she had an impulse to tell him her feelings while he was feeling down after failing the exam.

but……

Reason stopped her.

Reason told her: He was no longer good enough for me. Once I got to university, everyone around me would have better grades and a brighter future than Cao Sheng.

So she held back.

Sure enough, once she entered university, she saw many handsome guys on campus.

Although none of those handsome guys pursued her.

But there are still so many handsome men.

However, before she finished her first year of college, she heard from her high school classmates that Cao Sheng's novel had been published.

Sophomores, juniors, seniors...

Although she never intentionally inquired about Cao Sheng, she would occasionally see news about him and hear about him.

Sometimes I see his picture in the newspaper.

Sometimes I see him online.

His achievements are becoming increasingly dazzling.

He seemed to have layers upon layers of halos around him, making him appear even more handsome than other good-looking men of similar appearance.

And tonight... at this moment, she saw him on television once again.

—This guy is shameless; he's even barged into my house.

The thought flashed through her mind.

……

What Cao Sheng didn't know was that many of his high school classmates returned to their hometown county to work after graduating from university.

These people, along with their parents and relatives, formed the legendary "Brahmins of the county town".

After graduating from university, they took up positions in various departments and units in their hometown county through family connections, making them the envy of many.

But perhaps it's because they haven't been out of school for long.

Perhaps for some other reason.

In short, although they have jobs that many people envy, very few of them feel truly satisfied and happy.

Stable, respectable jobs have trapped them, binding them to the small town of their hometown with invisible ropes.

The dreams of my youth can only remain in my heart now.

They yearn for the wonderful world outside.

But they are trapped in this county town, repeating the same work and life day after day.

Cao Sheng, who appeared on television again tonight, became their target.

In recent years, Cao Sheng has frequently appeared in the news, so they have long known what Cao Sheng has been doing in his spare time while studying.

I know that Cao Sheng writes novels and screenplays.

What they saw was the freedom and high income of writing novels, and Cao Sheng's frequent appearances on the news and television.

How could they not be envious?
……

In fact, it wasn't just Cao Sheng's high school classmates who envied him.

Summer vacation has started.

All the students at Huizhou College are on holiday, and those who come to study at Huizhou College are mostly students from the province.

They are scattered throughout every corner of the province.

That evening, many of them saw Cao Sheng on television.

Some people proudly introduce him to their parents and relatives: "This is my senior on TV, have you heard of Zhongyuan Yidianhui? He's from our school!"

Some people listened attentively to Cao Sheng's introduction to writing, hoping to learn the secrets of writing and embark on the path of writing themselves.

Some people have become interested and are planning to go to the cinema soon to see Cao Sheng's screenplay "Infernal Affairs" to see if the movie is really that good.

……

Xu Linjun is a deputy director of Anhui Provincial Satellite TV.

That evening, while resting at home, I was watching TV with my wife and daughter. My 16-year-old daughter, who has no sense of morality, suddenly changed the channel with the remote control while I was engrossed in the show.

Why...why did you change the channel?

Xu Linjun looked at his daughter with displeasure.

His daughter glanced at him, chuckled twice, said nothing, and continued changing the channel.

As I switched programs, I ended up watching "On Stage with Frost" on Huizhou TV.

Then I just stared at Jiang Xiaoshuang and Cao Sheng on the show and didn't change the channel.

Xu Linjun looked at his wife with a stern face and found that she was also watching the program with great interest. Every now and then, she and their daughter would burst into laughter.

Is this show really that funny?
What's so funny about an interview program?

Xu Linjun couldn't help but look at the TV as well. As he watched, he found the program quite interesting, especially the guest Cao Sheng.

As time went by, he discovered that the host of the show, Jiang Xiaoshuang, was actually quite outstanding in both her hosting style and ability.

He frowned and thought for a moment, going through all the program hosts of Anhui TV in his mind, and was surprised to find that Jiang Xiaoshuang's image and hosting ability seemed to surpass most of the hosts of Anhui TV.

Among the current female hosts on Anhui TV, it seems that only Zhou Qun from "Super Winner" can compare to her.

If only we could get Jiang Xiaoshuang onto our TV station...

The thought flashed through Xu Linjun's mind.

(End of this chapter)