This director is vindictive.

Chapter 166 The real grandson watched coldly, while the fake grandson burst into tears

Early in the morning, Chen Mo and Fan Binbin were awakened by a shrill cell phone ring.

Chen Mo groped for his phone in a daze, opened his eyes and looked at the caller ID, then suddenly woke up with a start.

It also woke up Fan Binbin, who was crying last night but trying to act strong.

"Who is it? You look surprised." Fan Binbin looked at Chen Mo with some curiosity.

"He's an old friend. It's definitely not a good thing if he calls, but it must be something interesting." Chen Mo said.

Fan Binbin's head was full of question marks.

Chen Mo picked up the phone.

"Director Chen?" A somewhat nonchalant voice came from the other end of the line.

"Old actor? Why did you think of calling me? Didn't we agree to never contact each other again?" Chen Mo asked with a smile.

"Hey, how could that be possible? If you were an ordinary person, you would never have anything to do with me, but you are not. I am not stupid, and I would never have anything to do with me?" said the voice on the other end of the phone.

"I heard from Uncle Chen that you are back. How are you? Would you like to come and support us when you have time?" the voice on the other end of the phone said again.

"Another job?" Chen Mo suddenly became interested.

"Well, it's hard to find dedicated veteran actors like me in our circle these days, so I have a lot of work to do," said the person on the other end of the phone.

"Is he going to be a son, a grandson, or a son-in-law this time?" Chen Mo was amused and asked with a smile.

"Being a grandson! How about it? Are you coming?" The person on the other end of the phone said it with pride instead of shame.

"Come, of course, or the same place?" Chen Mo asked.

"Yes! Where else can you go? If you're not with me, why should I be someone else's grandson?" The person on the other end of the phone said righteously.

After hanging up the phone, Fan Binbin looked curious.

"Who is it? Why do you laugh so weirdly?" Fan Binbin couldn't help but ask.

"An old friend, childhood friend!" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"What do you mean by being a grandson or a son?" Fan Binbin became even more curious.

"You also know what business my family is in, right?" Chen Mo asked back.

Fan Binbin nodded: "It's the Baishi family, I understand."

"I asked him whether he wanted to be a grandson or a son. What I meant was whether he wanted to be a filial son or a virtuous grandson." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Crying?" Fan Binbin asked.

"Not only that, my buddy has a wide range of business and provides one-stop service. He is very famous in the funeral circle here." Chen Mo said.

Thinking of this gentleman, Chen Mo couldn't help but shake his head. He could only say that there are really all kinds of people in this world.

"Are you going? Take me with you. I have never seen such a scene." Fan Binbin suddenly became interested.

"Uh, let's forget it. It's a funeral after all, and what will happen if a big star like you goes there?" Chen Mo quickly refused.

"Hmph, you bastard, you weren't like this last night. Can I disguise myself? I'm really curious and have never seen him before. Just take me with you." Fan Binbin immediately got hold of Chen Mo's handle.

What can Chen Mo do?
The two quickly got up, washed, changed into suitable clothes, drove off and prepared to go.

"By the way, tell me about it." In the car, Fan Binbin was very curious.

"My childhood friend, how should I put it? His family is a bit like mine. Three generations have been in the funeral business. The difference is that my family sells graves, while his family organizes funeral ceremonies. His name is Du Qi, and we usually call him Lao Qi."

"As you know, in this business, it's common to find people to cry at funerals and act as filial sons and grandsons. My childhood friend has been assigned a lot of mourning jobs by his parents since he was a child. Over time, he has become famous for crying at this level.

Many people like to look for him.

"What about him? He refused at first, but he was a poor student and couldn't get a good job. After working for half a year, he realized that the job he had always despised was actually very attractive!" said Chen Mo.

Speaking of which, this person is somewhat similar to Chen Mo's predecessor.

They were all very resistant to the family business, but the seventh brother was quicker to realize it.

"In the funeral circle, Lao Qi can be said to be truly star-level, and his business is particularly wide-ranging. Others can only take on the job of crying at funerals, but he has directly expanded his business to provide care for the dead and send off the living. He provides a one-stop funeral service with excellent services and has received five-star praise." Chen Mo explained.

"I can understand seeing a living person off to the grave, but what does it mean to provide for the dead in their old age?" Fan Binbin looked confused.

"Hey, actually it's a bit abstract. In fact, it means that for some elderly people who are widowed and have no children, or whose children don't want to live with them, he can take care of them in the final stage, which can be regarded as providing for their retirement. Although it's only the last part of the journey." Chen Mo said.

"That business is really quite extensive!" Fan Binbin felt like he had broadened his horizons.

"If it were just that, it would be fine. The key is, do you know why I call him an old actor?" Chen Mo asked back.

"Why?" Fan Binbin, who knew how to play the supporting role, asked immediately.

"Because, whether he is taking care of people in their old age or seeing them off to the end of their lives, he is very devoted and professional. To be honest, even some real children may not do as well as he does. This is why he is famous in the funeral circle. Of course, his appearance fee is not low, and ordinary people really can't afford him. Don't underestimate their business. Tens of millions a year are really nothing to him." Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh, there really are top talents in all 360 professions.

In the past, according to the original owner's memory, Old Seven actually looked down on him.

After all, other people would feel disgusted watching such things, but he enjoyed it and remained consistent.

But Chen Mo now definitely doesn’t see it that way.

As the saying goes, nothing matters more than death. Many people avoid the thought of death, but what about him? He treats it as a real career. Don't be fooled by his nonchalant attitude, as if he doesn't take it too seriously. In fact, he is extremely dedicated and conscientious every time.

Simply put, everyone who has used it says it’s good!

Soon, Chen Mo drove Fan Binbin to the destination, which was the funeral shop run by Lao Qi's family.

The two walked in together. The mourning hall had already been set up inside, with a black and white photo hanging in the middle. Chen Mo was stunned for a moment.

Fan Binbin also found that Chen Mo's expression and reaction were a bit strange, but at this time, the dead are the most important, so she naturally wouldn't say anything.

Chen Mo saw the seventh brother in mourning, and walked over and bowed to the photo hanging on the wall with Fan Binbin.

Then Chen Mo walked up to Lao Qi, looked at him with a complicated expression and said, "My condolences!"

"Thank you!" replied Lao Qi.

Fan Binbin became a little suspicious. How could Chen Mo act so similarly?
"What's going on?" Fan Binbin asked in a low voice after walking to the side.

Chen Mo looked at the expressionless Old Seven with a complicated expression and said, "That's his grandfather!"

"Dear grandpa!" Chen Mo added.

Now it was Fan Binbin's turn to be surprised.

Chen Mo actually didn't expect the result to be like this. However, when he thought about it carefully, he realized that Lao Qi and he had not been in contact for a long, long time, many years.

He called me suddenly and invited me to attend the ceremony. I thought, if his grandfather hadn't passed away, he really wouldn't have called me.

Chen Mo was not familiar with Lao Qi's grandfather, but in his memory, Lao Qi had never particularly liked his grandfather, and even had some hatred towards him.

Even though the seventh brother is doing very well in this business now, he still hates his grandfather because the grandfather has always hoped that he can inherit the family business. He has been training the seventh brother since he was young, letting him learn to be a filial son and grandson and get involved in this kind of things.

But in fact, most people are very taboo about this kind of thing, so when he was a child, Lao Qi was often laughed at and fought with others because of this.

But Chen Mo had never expected that when Lao Qi talked about being a grandson, he would actually be a grandson this time. Isn't he a grandson? The one who died was his grandfather! The funeral process was still quite complicated. I don't know why, Chen Mo had seen Lao Qi act as a filial son and grandson before. At that time, he thought Lao Qi was really dedicated and acted really well. But this time, it was obviously his biological grandfather, but Chen Mo always felt that every time Lao Qi cried, even every tear he shed, it was more like a formality, more like acting.

"Big director, how was it? My acting was okay?" Lao Qi finally had time to talk to Chen Mo. Although he didn't smile, there was no sadness in his tone.

Chen Mo frowned and said, "That's your real grandfather!"

"So what? He probably wouldn't have thought that I actually wanted to have a good cry, but I couldn't do it! Isn't it ironic? I really can't do it. If I don't act, I can't even cry, and I even want to laugh!" Lao Qi showed a weird expression.

"But this is all his fault!" Lao Qi took a look at the photo of the mourning hall and said with a smile that was uglier than crying.

Chen Mo didn't know what to say. As the saying goes, one should not advise others to do good without experiencing their suffering. Although Chen Mo's family sells graves and sometimes takes care of some funeral business, but in comparison.

Chen Mo could go to college, study acting, and become an actor, but what about Lao Qi? He had been raised to be a filial son and grandson, and was often laughed at by his playmates.

Is it wrong for him to hate his grandfather?

Chen Mo didn't know.

"You still hate him? The dead are the greatest!" Chen Mo said with a sigh.

"Hate? Not really, but he died, and I really didn't feel sad. Maybe this is the sadness of our job. I cry so much that I don't know when it's real and when it's fake. When someone else's grandfather dies, I can cry very sadly and scream to the sky, but when my own grandfather died, I couldn't cry at all and had to act. Don't you think it's ridiculous?" Lao Qi said expressionlessly.

"Actually, I've always envied you. No, I should say I envy you the most! I'm even a little jealous of you!" Lao Qi said suddenly.

"Why?" Although Chen Mo had a vague guess, he still asked.

"Because your family is also in the funeral business, but your family has never forced me to do these things like my family did. You can be an actor or a director, but what about me? I can only guard this family business that they care about so much." Lao Qi said.

"Didn't you say you enjoyed it?" Chen Mo asked.

"I used to think that it doesn't matter how much money you make. At least this job is better than screwing screws in a factory, and the money comes quickly. But my grandfather passed away, and I can't even cry!" he said.

"Do you think it's ironic or funny? Today's drama is quite exciting and tortuous, isn't it? You wouldn't dare to shoot a movie like this, right? Haha." Lao Qi said again.

Chen Mo shook his head, patted his shoulder and said nothing.

He knew that Lao Qi just wanted to speak and didn't want to hear what others said.

On the way back, Chen Mo was a little silent. As the saying goes, there is nothing more important in life than death, but what happened to Lao Qi today made him sigh.

"Are you okay?" Fan Binbin asked.

"It's okay. How about I make a movie like this?" Chen Mo suddenly asked.

"What? Lao Qi's story?" Fan Binbin was a little stunned.

"It's not the story of the seventh brother. The seventh brother's story is too special. There is probably only one other family like him in the whole country. After all, which grandfather would let his grandson become a filial son and grandson since he was young?" Chen Mo shook his head.

"I'm talking about a movie about the funeral industry and death," Chen Mo said again.

"Like the Japanese movie 'Departures'?" Fan Binbin immediately remembered and asked.

"Yes and no! The Japanese flavor of "Departures" is too strong." Chen Mo shook his head.

He thought of a film about funerals and death that received mixed reviews, called "Life Events"!
However, the script of that movie was rather poorly written. When Chen Mo watched it in his previous life, the first ninety minutes were indeed quite good, but the last half hour felt a bit like a poor imitation.

It seems to be sensationalism for the sake of sensationalism.

Very controversial!

Moreover, several funeral events in the film are a bit too deliberate and coincidental.

As someone in the funeral industry, I actually had personal interactions with several of the bereavement families, which seemed a bit too "domestic film-like."

If Chen Mo were to shoot the film, he felt that "Life Events" was full of the flavor of fireworks, which was an advantage, but the disadvantage was also obvious, that is, it did not have the perspective of "Departures".

From the perspective of an undertaker or a funeral practitioner, in other words, it is fundamentally a family film using death as a gimmick.

The greatest strength of "Departures" is that it portrays the burial as both the final farewell of the living and the free and easy departure of the dead. There is a solemn feeling between life and death.

But "Life Events" is obviously a bit superficial.

Of course, Chen Mo hasn’t figured out how to write the script and how to shoot it yet.

Embalmers are primarily responsible for the "minor coffining" portion of the funeral process. Simply put, this involves the final preparations for the deceased's appearance and clothing, and also serves as the "major coffining" (detailed burial). Generally speaking, those of us living in major cities rarely have the opportunity to witness the embalmers' grooming. Our role is to select the deceased's favorite clothing and hand it over to the funeral home staff.

What people like Lao Qi do is not the job of an undertaker at all.

Chen Mo believes that the greatness of "Departures" lies in the fact that it breaks the convention of Eastern culture that "if you don't know life, how can you know death", and never mentions the impact of death on people.

While there are many themes and methods of depicting life and death, "Departures" stands out primarily for its approach to the subject, focusing on the emotions of the living facing the separation of loved ones, and through this, it explores people's perspectives on life and death. At its core, it emphasizes the process of accepting death.

But "Life Events" seems much more "noisy".

The reason why Chen Mo suddenly thought of making this kind of movie was, on the one hand, because Lao Qi's story brought him inspiration and touch, and on the other hand, because the subject matter was indeed very interesting.

It can be said that this industry has always been a taboo in China, and people rarely talk about this industry in their daily lives. Most people do have stereotypes about people working in the funeral industry, and even have strange looks and voices.

People mostly hear or see some negative news about this.

It can be seen from the seventh brother that misunderstandings and grudges from the outside world have always accompanied them. Coupled with local customs, the word "mortician" has made people reluctant to mention it, and even their children are often excluded due to prejudice.

But in fact, Chen Mo knew that being a funeral director was a respectable profession. In daily understanding, major events in life were not only about getting married and having children, but also a decent farewell was the last and most important event in one's life.

The theme of "funeral" is indeed a theme that is easy to shine. Just as the father in "Life Events" said, death is the top priority in life.

And based on this eternal passing, if we are willing to explore, then no matter whether it is beautiful, ugly, comforting or sad, it can find a place in the story of life and death.

What is more important is the attitude of people in the funeral industry towards life and death. As people who guard the road to the underworld to send the deceased on their final journey, they can have a deeper understanding of life in the process of recreating the spirit of each deceased person before his death.

To be honest, Chen Mo doesn't really like the style of "Life Events". He prefers "Departures", which truly feels death and the things that death brings from the perspective of a professional.

However, for now, although we have a goal, we are not so urgent about how to achieve it.

Moreover, for Chen Mo, he has unique advantages in making this kind of movie. After all, his family also makes this kind of movie, and there is also the prototype character of Lao Qi.

As a popular star, Fan Binbin was actually very busy at the end of the year, and Chen Mo also had new goals, so the two said goodbye quickly.

"Make a movie about funerals?" When Chen Mo mentioned this, his father Chen Shouxin was a little surprised.

He looked at Chen Mo with some surprise.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Chen Mo scratched his head.

"It's nothing, it's good to shoot funeral themes!" Chen Shouxin said with relief.

"But why did you suddenly think of this? Our family's business does not have a very good reputation. Will anyone watch it after it is filmed?" Dad asked worriedly.

"Didn't I go to attend the funeral of Lao Qi's grandfather? Seeing Lao Qi like that, I felt a little emotional." Chen Mo said.

"Seventh Brother's grandfather? Mr. Du? His family affairs, eh." Dad obviously knew about Seventh Brother's family affairs, and couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"Is there anything you need help with at home?" Dad asked again.

"I'll tell you if you need me!" Chen Mo said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)