Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 311 Jiang Wen Visits
Bai Bing knows better than anyone how petty her boss is.

During the casting process for Zhou Zhiruo, the boss got angry because Liu Jing's information wasn't brought over within five minutes.

She spent half an hour explaining in various ways before finally calming down her boss's anger.

The assistant wasn't the only one who thought Liu Jing was petty; Jiang Wen did too.

Enjoy seven days of National Day holiday, and have a wonderful time with Liu Jing.

During the day, I take Xixi sightseeing, and at night I accompany her to play in the water and go sightseeing.

He teases his assistant when he has nothing to do, and delegates tasks to his assistant when he needs them.

Fatty Wang was filled with resentment. "I'm so fat, how can you make me promote the film everywhere?"

Jing Tian comforted him, "Uncle Fatty, you're losing weight and you don't even have to pay for the gym. Brother Jing is so good to you, I'm so touched for you."

Fatty Wang didn't want this emotional appeal, but he also understood that with Zhang Min unable to promote the film, his presence would better capture the sentiment of the first movie.

Liu Jing visited several cities before returning to Yandu, leaving the rest to Gao Yuanyuan.

After ten days in theaters, the film has achieved remarkable success, and it's a sure thing.

The holiday was all about the popularity of "Yin Yang Sacred Fire Order". A good martial arts drama was broken down by some viewers into a suspense drama and a tragic love drama.

Did Xie Xun, the Golden Lion King, know about Zhou Zhiruo's plot? Did the woman in yellow follow Zhang Wuji all along? Was Fan Yao a disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect? Who will Zhang Wuji ultimately choose? Who dropped the "Martial Arts Manual of Yue Fei"? Did Zhu Yuanzhang kill his soldiers? ...

These questions are one thing, but some people have even analyzed that the disciple named Chen Hu in the final scene was actually Chen Youliang in disguise.

The "Military Manual of Yue Fei" is fake; it was forged by Chen Youliang and deliberately given to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Then, based on this, they wrote the plot for the third part, in which Zhang Wuji became a supporting character, and the main characters were Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang. Even more outrageous, Zhou Zhiruo escaped from the Ancient Tomb and changed her name to Ma Xiuying.

The name change was based on evidence, presented in a very detailed and convincing manner, that Liu Jing almost believed it.

Zhiruo, like the fragrant angelica. Xiuying, Xiu refers to the flowering and budding of flowers.

The fact that Zhiruo changed her name to Xiuying represents another layer of evolution in her personality.

Why the surname Ma? According to research, Zhou Ziwang's wife's surname was Ma, and Zhou Zhiruo took her mother's surname, representing a new beginning.

According to who conducted the research, that netizen did not provide any details.

After changing her name, Zhou Zhiruo joined forces with Zhu Yuanzhang to imprison Zhang Wuji, incorporate the Ming Cult, overthrow the Yuan Dynasty, defeat Chen Youliang, establish the Ming Dynasty, and become a wise empress.

After seeing it, Liu Jing was stunned for a long time. Could it really be adapted like this?
This is an adaptation, not a fabrication. This is not "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" but "The Legend of Empress Ma".

All of that aside, the question of who Zhang Wuji liked caused a huge online debate.

There are supporters for Zhao Min, Zhou Zhiruo, and Xiao Zhao; the three female leads are all fairly reliable.

There are also those who support the woman in yellow, and even more outrageous are those who support the dragon king in purple, and they have quite a few supporters.

Liu Jing was speechless. You guys must think Chen Zihan is too fierce.

Amidst the arguments and disputes, the box office of "The Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Order" steadily increased, and the holiday came to an end.

"Hey! Slow down, can't you see my high heels?" Even when Zhou Yun jogged, she couldn't keep up with Jiang Wen's pace.

"It's not a fashion show, why are you wearing high heels?" Jiang Wen complained, then turned to look at his wife and continued to complain, "Wearing this, people who know you are going to visit relatives and friends, but people who don't know you will think you are going to a job interview."

"It's my first time visiting Liu Jing's house, I have to dress formally." Zhou Yun was panting, walking on the main road in the sweltering heat was simply torture.

"I'm going to have a drink with some people, what are you doing following me? It's not like I'm going to a brothel, what are you worried about?" Jiang Wen was quite annoyed; his wife was like a shadow, never having any freedom.

"If you go out drinking and carousing, I really won't care. Look at you, all sullen and empty-handed, swallowing your anger." Zhou Yun finally caught up with her husband, hooking her arm around his, "Don't even think about leaving me behind."

"Who said you were empty-handed? You were carrying something, weren't you?"

"Did you buy these things? You're really shameless to go empty-handed. Anyone who knew you went to drink, but anyone who didn't would think you were going to fight today," Zhou Yun said irritably.

"Don't worry, I can't beat him." Jiang Wen's expression finally softened.

"Oh! Sir, you mean if you could beat him, you'd actually come and fight today?" Zhou Yun rolled her eyes, sarcastically mocking her husband.

"Long hair, short brains. You grown men really think you're as magnanimous as women. I just want to have a chat with him and see where I, Jiang Wen, have gone wrong." Jiang Wen's face darkened again. This guy is a kung fu star, and this woman is deliberately trying to provoke me.

"The Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Order" has been released for ten days and its box office performance is far ahead of others, crushing "The Sun Also Rises".

"The Sun Also Rises" was released on September 21st. Comrade Jiang Wen was full of ambition and wanted to make a brilliant comeback.

Unfortunately, reality slapped him in the face, not just once, but very loudly.

The box office on its opening day was less than two million, which is a slap in the face.

In its opening week, the cumulative box office was less than five million yuan in three days, another resounding slap in the face.

The poor box office performance could be blamed on limited screenings. The problem is that while the number of screenings is not low, the occupancy rate is less than 30%.

If you don't seize the opportunity in the first week, the subsequent outcome is predictable: falling behind at one step leads to falling behind at every step, until you completely collapse.

A successful turnaround in reputation is not impossible, but it's extremely rare.

With the hit drama "The Sacred Flame of Yin and Yang" and the subsequent drama "Fate Calls for Transfer," Jiang Wen's drama is completely doomed. Even if there are a few positive reviews, they will be drowned out by the flood of "Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre."

Now, after half a month in theaters, the box office has just broken ten million, which is another resounding slap in the face.

Today is October 8th, the National Day holiday is over, and yesterday's box office was less than 10 yuan, another resounding slap in the face.

The louder slap in the face wasn't here, but rather the box office performance of "The Yin-Yang Sacred Fire Order".

Released on September 28, a Friday, it grossed 1752 million, nearly ten times that of "The Sun Also Rises".

The box office totaled 4839 million yuan in the first three days (28th, 29th, and 30th), more than ten times the previous year's figures.

The second week, from the 1st to the 7th, has also released its box office figures: 6227 million.

It grossed over 100 million yuan in just ten days, which is more than ten times the box office.

This is just the mainland box office; the Hong Kong box office is much more impressive. Ten days later, it's only HK$1500. Many are proclaiming that Hong Kong films are about to rise again.

Produced by Golden Harvest and supervised by Wong Jing, this film is considered a purely Hong Kong film by Hong Kong and Taiwan audiences. Not a single actor is from Hong Kong or Taiwan, a fact subconsciously overlooked.

Before the release of "The Sun Also Rises," Jiang Wen made a lot of noise, and now the slap in the face is just as loud.

So he said to his wife, "If we can't beat him at the box office, I refuse to believe I can't outdrink him. There's bound to be one way I can beat him."

“You’re older than him,” Zhou Yun joked.

To her surprise, Jiang Wen pointed at her angrily, stomped her foot, and turned to leave.

Zhou Yun was terrified. Seven days of worry during the National Day holiday—wouldn't she become depressed? She insisted on going with him, just to avoid her husband causing trouble.

"You're something else, visiting someone without even giving them a heads-up. If I were Liu Jing, I wouldn't even open the door for you." Zhou Yun stopped provoking him; her husband had already suffered enough.

She hasn't been drowning her sorrows in alcohol lately. She smokes the equivalent of a month's worth of cigarettes in a few days, so she thinks it's better to go out for drinks.

"I asked Lao Tian, ​​and the kid didn't go to school today. I also asked his agent, Bai Bing, and he didn't go to work either. He's not at school, he's not at the company, he must be in Yandu. It's already past five o'clock, even if he went out to play, he should be home by now." Jiang Wen said smugly.

"Heh, you know to ask Lao Tian, ​​you know to ask Chunqiu, but you don't know to ask the real person. At your age, you're still so concerned about saving face," Zhou Yun mocked.

"What do you know? You don't understand anything. I don't even care about you." Jiang Wen shook off Zhou Yun. His thoughts had been exposed, so he could only rely on his thick skin to hold on.

"Look! That's his house. It's quite a large house, worth a lot of money, right?" Zhou Yun exclaimed in surprise.

"Go knock on the door." Jiang Wen stopped, but hesitated when he reached the door.

"Tch! Who is this?" Zhou Yun pouted, about to step forward and knock on the door, when suddenly her ears twitched. "Could I have gone to the wrong place? There are people performing opera inside."

A Beijing accent, a few lines of Peking Opera. Delicious meals every day, clothes for all four seasons.

In Yandu, it was common to hear opera performances, especially in the old residential areas.

The local elderly folks, especially the older folks, love to listen to opera and sing a few lines themselves.

"Let me listen." Jiang Wen quickly stepped forward, put his ear to the door, and indeed they were singing opera.

"You must be mistaken," Zhou Yun asked.

“That’s right, this is ‘Dingjun Mountain.’ This kid is quite proud of himself.” Jiang Wen also knows Peking Opera, after all, he graduated from the Central Academy of Drama.

He was a student in the class of '80, and was classmates with Lü Liping and Cong Shan.

Lao Tian and Lü Liping dated; he and Lao Tian starred in "The Great Eunuch Li Lianying".

This drama was directed by Lao Tian, ​​with Jiang Wen playing the male lead Li Lianying, Liu Xiaoqing playing Empress Dowager Cixi, Xu Fan playing Consort Zhen, and Ding Jiali playing Li Lianying's wife. So the entertainment industry is indeed a circle.

Jiang Wen can indeed sing opera, and there's an interesting story behind it.

When Chen Kaige was filming "Farewell My Concubine," he wanted Jiang Wen to play Duan Xiaolou. Jiang Wen felt the role wasn't challenging enough and insisted on playing Cheng Dieyi instead.

Chen Kaige was disgusted, and Jiang Wen had a lot to say. Who said Yu Ji couldn't be like me?

“He has every right to be proud. He’s the third director to have a film grossed over 100 million yuan in mainland China,” Zhou Yun said, habitually contradicting others.

Jiang Wen took a deep breath, really wanting to send his wife home. Why did she have to bring up such a sore spot? Instead of comforting him, she deliberately provoked him.

"The voice doesn't sound like it either." Zhou Yun pressed her face against another door, trying to make a careful judgment.

Luckily, there were no passersby at the moment, so the couple each lay on one side, looking like thieves.

"Singing so uniquely, it's definitely that kid Liu Jing." Jiang Wen straightened his collar, coughed twice, and cleared his throat.

"What are you doing?" Zhou Yun asked, looking at her strangely.

"Just you wait and see," Jiang Wen said, putting on a confident front, his heart at ease.

Before coming, he made a point of learning about Liu Jing. There were all sorts of opinions: some said he was stingy, some said he was a womanizer, some said he was arrogant, some said he was too straightforward, some said he was short-tempered—basically, he was difficult to deal with.

However, there was one thing he really liked: he was known as the "Immortal of Wine."

Having spent decades in the underworld, he had encountered many people with a high alcohol tolerance.

Whatever the god of wine, drunkard, wine saint, or drunkard, when they meet Jiang Wen, they all have to kneel down and call him brother.

Jiang Wen waited and waited. He knew the play, but he could only sing a few lines.

He needs to find the right entry point to seize the initiative.

Wait and wait.

Zhou Yun was almost dizzy from the sun when she finally heard her husband start talking, "As long as Huang Zhong rides his horse and takes Dingjun Mountain single-handedly. If we win within ten days, the military advisor's seal will be mine. If we fail within ten days, I'm willing to hang this old man at the camp gate. Come, come, bring my horse, it's up to you, let's sweep Dingjun Mountain flat."

Zhou Yun rolled her eyes. "Are you crazy? They're singing inside, and you're singing outside, and you even sing better than them. Showing off at their doorstep, no wonder you get the cold shoulder."

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and she thought her husband sang well. Qianqian, in the courtyard, disagreed, pointing her lip at her younger brother, "Who is this? Arrived so early, and sings even worse than you."

"Jiang Wen, are you looking for trouble? Watch my expression later," Liu Jing muttered.

"Then he's asking for it." Sisi scoffed, and I gave him one arm.

"Who goes there? State your name!" Liu Jing sang in unison.

"Let us drink and sing, for life is short. I am Cao Mengde, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty. Why don't you hurry and welcome our guests?" Jiang Wen laughed loudly.

"Hey you little rascal, go open the door." Liu Jing was speechless. Did he want to play Cao Cao so badly that he went crazy?

Zhou Yun rolled her eyes again. "Not just one lunatic, this is a pair of lunatics. Oh no, I'm going to have to see two lunatics later, and I'm going to get my nerves kicked in too."

"Screw you, speak properly!" Sisi couldn't help but scold him as she approached the door.

Zhou Yun breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Yifei was at home, so this was normal.

The door opened, and Sisi was surprised. "Director Jiang Wen, Sister Zhou Yun, you..."

"Hello Yifei, I'm so sorry to bother you. Old Jiang is feeling down and wanted to talk to Liu Jing, nothing more," Zhou Yun quickly replied.

“Yifei is here too. It’s better to be lucky than early. Let’s have a good time today. Quanjude, Donglaishun, Kaorouwan, Liubiju, Fengzeyuan, Hongbinlou, which one would you two like to go to? It’s on me today,” Jiang Wen said with a smile.

“My brother and I don’t want to go anywhere; we have plans to meet someone today.” Xixi emphasized two of the words.

"..."

"The great director is here! Please come in, please come in." Liu Jing put the props back in their place and went out to greet the guest.

"Quite the refined taste, performing opera at home," Jiang Wen said, quite surprised.

"Haha, I'm bored at home, so I'll sing a few lines." Liu Jing laughed.

He was already very happy that the Yin-Yang Sacred Fire Token had been a huge success.

He was even more delighted when Jiang Wen suddenly came to his door, after all, human joys and sorrows are never shared.

But other people's pain is usually the source of one's own happiness.

As the guests entered the courtyard, Zhou Yun looked around, finding everything novel and fascinating.

Jiang Wen's focus was completely different from his wife's; on the stone table under the pavilion, there were tea and snacks.

A stove was set up next to them, complete with a table, cutting board, and kitchen utensils; all that was missing was a cook.

"Hey! This stall is up for business? It's true that timing is everything, so it looks like I won't be treating you tonight."

"You can have me, I don't mind." Liu Jing gestured for Jiang Wen to sit down.

"I mind. If the box office fails, I won't have money to treat you." Jiang Wen grabbed an apple and started eating it without any hesitation.

"Don't worry, I don't blame you." Liu Jing poured a large bowl of tea, his tone full of comfort.

"Whether you find it strange or not, I don't care, but I can't get over this hurdle in my heart." Jiang Wen didn't care that the tea was hot and drank half a bowl in one gulp.

"Does a big director talk like this at home?" Sisi, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but ask Zhou Yun.

“It’s not usually like that.” Zhou Yun shrugged. It’s unusual for a idiot to be with someone he’s only half-acquainted with.

Sisi shrugged. "My Liu Jing also encountered a special situation. He usually only reacts this way when he encounters abnormal people."

"Sister Zhou Yun, please have some tea first. I'll go get the ingredients. Judging by the time, the chef should be here soon."

“We won’t interrupt when men are talking. Let me help you prepare the ingredients.” Zhou Yun rolled up her sleeves, showing her tact. “By the way, who’s the chef? I hope we’re not being presumptuous by visiting so suddenly.”

“A few days ago, some friends wanted to celebrate, and the date was set for today. There are teachers Huang Lei, He Jiong, and Xu Zheng. We don’t have any grudges against them, right?” Qianqian asked with some concern.

The entertainment industry is rife with complex and tangled relationships. He was her ex-boyfriend, she was his former lover. He was his wife's old flame, she was her husband's new love.

Sisi isn't Yang Mi; she doesn't have that much time to remember these things.

Yesterday, the box office of "Yin Yang Sacred Fire Order" exceeded 100 million yuan, and the entire Chunqiu was filled with jubilation. General Manager Wen gave gifts to all employees.

Liu Jing treated all the main creators to dinner, booking eight tables at Fengzeyuan Restaurant, with unlimited supply of Moutai.

Huang Lei, He Jiong, and Xu Zheng had said they wanted to celebrate a few days ago, but Liu Jingtong postponed it until today.

Many people were unable to come for various reasons.

For example, Jackie Chan, Li Lianjie, Chen Jiashang, Hu Ge, Edison Chen, and others also celebrated in their own ways.

The hottest topic right now isn't "The Yin-Yang Sacred Flame Order" or the seven-day National Day holiday, but rather the "100 Million Yuan Box Office Club".

After 2000, Liu Jing became the fourth mainland member of this club, following Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Feng Xiaogang. He is also the youngest member in the Chinese-language film industry across Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

It wasn't just the entertainment industry; even the evening news program on CCTV dedicated a segment to this issue.

"I'm invincible, and I have no grudges against anyone." Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen frowned and said to Zhou Yun, "Zhou Yun, these guys are all heavy drinkers, second only to me in terms of alcohol tolerance. I told you when we came that two bottles of wine wouldn't be enough, but you didn't believe me."

Zhou Yun took a deep breath; she had to give her husband face in front of outsiders.

“You don’t have to drink, but the four of them can each drink half a jin. A little wine is good for the soul, but too much is bad for your health.” Zhou Yun didn’t contradict her, but she wasn’t being polite either.

"Hey! I can't control you anymore, hurry up and buy some wine." Jiang Wen glared at him, displaying the demeanor of a head of the household.

Zhou Yun ignored her completely and pulled Qianqian along, "Little sister, come on, let's prepare the ingredients. Ask Teacher Huang if we need to prepare anything else? I heard he's particular about cooking."

"We don't care about being particular or not. We'll just make whatever we prepare." Sisi didn't want to ask any questions. This is cooking at my house, not yours. You don't have the right to be picky.

"Little sister, so cool."

"My sister is also very domineering."

"Haha, Yifei, let me tell you something. You can't spoil a man. We must fulfill our duties as wives by doing what's rightfully theirs. We must also uphold our bottom line regarding what's not rightfully theirs. If a man crosses the line, he'll relentlessly pressure you, and your bottom line will crumble. In public, you must give him face. At home, he'll reciprocate. He'll do whatever you ask—wash the dishes, make the bed, and even occasionally bring you water to wash your feet. He's more filial than even your own mother. All of this depends on him doing it willingly. Being domineering won't work, in a marriage..."

Sisi walked along, counting her steps. "I know everything you're saying," she said. "Mom taught me that years ago. Ever since her son became my man, Mom hasn't said that again. It's all my own doing, but it's actually quite good this way. Before, I could only order Liu Jing around; now I can order a whole bunch. I don't know what the real benefits are, but it's definitely a lot of prestige."

"Sister, just call me Xixi. It's a pity I found out about these things too late."

"It's not too late. You don't have a boyfriend yet, so you'll need this later. Let me tell you..."

While the two sisters were exchanging tips on how to manage their husbands, the two men over there were also busy.

“This woman needs to be taught a lesson. I'm giving her face in public. If we were at home, and she dared to say a word against it, I'd teach her a lesson. Let me tell you, women shouldn't be spoiled. As men, we must make sure they don't suffer any injustice. If other women have something, we should give them that too. If we give them face in public, they'll reciprocate. But we must uphold these bottom lines. We must let them know who's in charge, who's the pillar of our society…”

Liu Jing sipped his water, pursing his lips. "What you're saying is too idealistic, but I've already achieved it. Except for Qianqian, everyone else is incredibly obedient. They do whatever I tell them to do, not daring to utter a single word of dissent. Especially Yang Mi, despite her many schemes, she's completely under my control. She's a glamorous superstar in public, but in private, she can do whatever she wants."

After exchanging experiences as heads of households for a while, Liu Jing quickly got to the point: "If Qianqian hears this, she'll definitely come after me, and might even break off our friendship."

I've already tolerated you enough, and you still want to learn the art of controlling a wife? Do you want to fly to the moon?
There will definitely be no trouble tonight, because Sisi knows her younger brother's peculiar drinking habits all too well.

To prepare for tonight's drinking party, she declined all her close friends' invitations to celebrate, and even sent her dog away.

Now Sisi is a little worried. Fan Xiaopang wanted to come with Xu Zheng, but she directly refused.

This is a gathering of men, so apart from He Jiong, who needs to be watched, everyone else is safe.

But Jiang Wen, an uninvited guest, arrived with his wife.

This was unexpected, and she couldn't just kick them out, so she was worried.

She originally wanted to have a drink too, after all, the box office breaking 100 million was such a joyous occasion, worth celebrating.

Now she's decided to abstain from alcohol completely and keep a close eye on that bastard.

"Old Jiang, I thought you came to settle scores with me, but it seems you have other things to discuss." Liu Jing quickly changed the subject, and Qianqian came out carrying a case of Moutai.

The two of them had a very pleasant chat and had already reached the point where they could call each other "Old Jiang".

"Liu Jing, I have three main things to discuss with you. Let's talk business first, and then we can have a good drink later." Jiang Wen breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want to talk about the art of managing a wife. Zhou Yun came out carrying a basket of groceries; if his wife heard him, she definitely wouldn't let him into bed when they got home that night.

"Don't talk about work while drinking; talk about everything before you drink." Liu Jing thinks this is a good idea. He also doesn't like talking about work while drinking; they just chat and let the conversation flow.

"First, I've come to you for advice. What do you think of my play?" Jiang Wen asked expectantly.

Previously, he regarded Liu Jing as a good actor.

Now, this is a director who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me.

Box office results are the true measure of a director's ability; nothing beats that.

"Excellent production, exquisite visuals, clear theme, rich emotions, profound meaning, thought-provoking..." Liu Jing began to speak, but the more he spoke, the less confident he became, and the other three looked at him strangely.

(End of this chapter)