I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 288 My Brother's Decision (15)

"Su, Su Lizhen!"

The moment Chloe saw Maggie Cheung, she suddenly shouted.

"No, it's Ruan Lingyu."

"Su Lizhen!"

Mela and Chloe started arguing.

Zhang Manyu was a little confused.

However, Liu Jin realized what was happening.

"You're all right. Ruan Lingyu and Su Lizhen are both characters played by Maggie. Her real name is Zhang Manyu."

Oh, and you'll see Cheng Dieyi later.

"Wow!"

Both Mela and Chloe showed surprise and delight.

"Silly stockings, I'm Maggie Zhang, nice to meet you."

Zhang Manyu also realized what was happening at this moment.

I won't go into detail about Ruan Lingyu; that was a 1992 film starring Maggie Cheung, and it was the role that helped her win the Berlin Film Festival Best Actress award.

Su Lizhen is quite close.

The female lead in "In the Mood for Love" attended the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 and won a technical award.

Zhang Manyu did not win an award.

But the cheongsams she wore in the film, which she changed constantly, became her signature look, showcasing the beauty of Eastern women.

As for Cheng Dieyi...

Although Leslie Cheung did not win any awards, he became an overnight sensation in France for his role as Cheng Dieyi.

Liu Jin and Mei La mentioned Leslie Cheung, but they might not know who he was.

But if you mention Cheng Dieyi, they will definitely know him!
……

The Gruson Estate has become even more lively.

The old lady was very happy with the arrival of Mella and Chloe.

The appearance of Maggie Cheung surprised her.

"Li Qiao!"

The old lady laughed so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.

People her age rarely have a memorable experience with Hong Kong films.

"Comrades: Almost a Love Story" is one film, and "Autumn in My Heart" is another.

Cherie Chung was also one of her favorite actresses, but unfortunately she retired from acting in the 1990s.

"If you ever come to Hong Kong Island, I'll introduce you to Cherie Chung."

"Yeah!"

The old lady smiled and nodded repeatedly.

However, Liu Jin knew that the old lady would not go to Hong Kong Island.

She dislikes Hong Kong Island, even loathes it.

Not for any other reason than her unpleasant experience when she went to Hong Kong Island back then.

After she returned to China that year, Liu Jin asked her about her impression of Hong Kong Island. Her answer was only two words: arrogance.

In fact, Liu Jin had also experienced this.

He transited through Hong Kong that year, stopping for a day along the way.

When he speaks Mandarin, the inexplicable sense of superiority of Hong Kong Islanders is palpable.

Later, when he spoke in English and French, the taxi driver he remembered most vividly addressed him as "sir."

Yes, sir, you're absolutely right, sir...

Liu Jin almost asked Su Qin's famous question: Why were you arrogant before and respectful afterward?
Anyway, that's how it is!
The arrival of Méla, Chloé, and Maggie Cheung added a touch of vitality to the Château de Grüssant.

Liu Jin's life remained largely unchanged.

I practice martial arts early in the morning, paint in the morning, write in the afternoon, and ride my bike to the old town in the evening to stroll around and sample local specialties.

Gryzan has many ancient castle ruins.

It is said that a very fierce war took place here in the 13th century.

Almost all of Grysan's people died.

Most of the people of Grysan today are descendants of those who migrated there later.

The old town retains its 18th and 19th-century appearance, and a stroll through the city and along the Gruçon River brings a sense of peace.

There is a spa in the old town called Banlneo Gruissan.

Leslie Cheung would come here every day, buy a ticket, go swimming, and then have a spa treatment, which was extremely pleasant.

It started with him.

After Zhang Manyu arrived, she came with others.

Later, Mela and the others found out and flocked to the scene.

Liu Jin wasn't particularly interested in spa treatments, but he still recommended that the old lady and Qianqian come together.

After all, it's a form of relaxation.

On the weekend, a group of people rode bicycles along the Grysan River.

The Asian features of Liu Jin and others have also become a unique sight in Gruson.

However, in Gryzan during the summer, the daytime sunshine is very abundant.

When Leslie Cheung went cycling for the first time, he didn't take proper sun protection measures, and as a result, his skin started peeling extensively afterward.

The hot water stung terribly, so I had to soak it in cold water.

After that, he would always wear a hat and sunglasses whenever he went out during the day, and he dared not wear short-sleeved T-shirts anymore.

This also drew laughter from Liu Jin and others.

The most famous scenic spot in Grysan is the Pink Lake, also known as Lake Grysan.

At first, everyone was quite impressed. But gradually, it became rather bland...

Fortunately, Mela found a yacht, which added another source of fun to everyone's lives.

A group of people will board a yacht and sail into Lion Bay.

Under the guidance of Mela and Chloe, my mother also learned how to sea fish and successfully caught a Mediterranean grouper.

That grouper was steamed by Lao Zhong that night.

Excellent! It tastes fantastic!

The old lady seemed incredibly happy, almost forgetting that thousands of miles away in Zhongzhou, a lonely old man spent his days scavenging for food at a retirement home, living a miserable life. If her older sister hadn't called, she probably would have truly forgotten.

……

"Xiao Jin, it's time for me to go back to China!"

"You're leaving so soon? I was just saying it's cooler now, I'll take you to Spain for a visit."

"Forget it, if I don't go back soon, your dad will get angry."

The old lady sat on a chair on the terrace, holding Liu Jin's hand, and said softly, "I'm relieved to see that you're alright."

France is nice, but I'm not used to it.

I still prefer to go back to Zhongzhou and stay with your dad.

Liu Jin was silent!
"When are you leaving?"

"Next week!"

Mom calculated the time and said.

Eva leaped onto her lap, while Julie and Adrian lay prone at her feet.

The three little ones seem to have gained quite a bit of weight.

Next week!
That would be after September 2nd.

Liu Jin pulled up the calendar and took a look.

"How about number eight?"

The 8th is a Sunday, so Mom can stay for at least seven more days.

The old lady laughed and playfully hit him, then took the phone from his hand and looked at the calendar.

"I'll fly to Shanghai on the 5th. I'll go home and visit someone, and then return to Zhongzhou on the 8th."

"All right!"

The old lady has a very strong will; once she makes a decision, she won't change it.

Liu Jin was naturally reluctant, but he also knew that his mother's roots were in China.

That evening, he called and booked two first-class Air France tickets for the 5th.

"You need to pay more attention to Qianqian's situation."

“I’ve already had Mario contact the Higher Education Authority. The school doesn’t need to worry; Mela can handle it.”

The Higher Education Agency will send a letter directly to the embassy. Qianqian just needs to take her passport and go there to process it... It's the same French class she attended before at Toulouse II University. Mella's classmate is a teacher there and will be keeping an eye on her, so you don't need to worry.

"And I'm in Toulouse, I'm fine."

"That's good!"

The old lady nodded in satisfaction.

……

It's already the end of August; time flies.

Leslie Cheung originally intended to leave earlier.

However, when he heard that the old lady was also going back, and still in Shanghai, he changed his plans.

"It just so happens that I'm also going to Shanghai."

"Have you decided?"

"Yes, I'd like to try out the role of Ah Kui."

"This film can't be put into production immediately... I estimate it will take several years."

"Then I'll slowly experience life. I need to learn comedy and the Shanghai dialect, which can't be done in a short time."

"Ah Rong wants to learn comedy?"

"Yes, in my book 'Life Is Beautiful,' the male protagonist is a comedian."

"Then you won't have much luck finding one. These days, the comedians in Shanghai... Oh, right, your uncle has a friend from Ningbo who's a comedian. He's an old Shanghainese; he studied at Yucai Middle School in the 1930s and has almost sixty years of experience in comedies."

If Ah Rong wants to learn comedy, have your uncle act as a go-between.

"Who?"

Liu Jin asked in surprise.

He had no idea that his uncle had this kind of connection.

"It seems to be called, something like Yao Shuang."

"Yao Mushuang?"

"Yes, that's him!"

Liu Jin looked surprised.

When writing about a beautiful life, he actually researched some comedians.

Yao Mushuang, a master of comic plays, is the elder brother of Zhou Baicun, the head of the Shanghai Comic Drama Troupe.

A disciple of He Shuangdai, a master of solo performance during the Republic of China era, he was skilled in solo performances, with representative works including "The Ningbo Musician" and "English Translation"...

If Leslie Cheung had learned from him, there wouldn't have been any major problems.

"Can it be done?"

My mother smiled and said, "Don't worry, your uncle and he have a life-or-death friendship."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jin couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Leslie Cheung, who was standing next to him, breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "That's wonderful. I've done some research, and there aren't many people who know how to do comedy these days. It's my good fortune to receive guidance from a master like him, and I will study diligently."

……

(End of this chapter)