This director is vindictive.

A comeback? A comeback is absolutely impossible!

What a joke, the market has become such a mess, although there are various reasons for this.

However, none of these factors can be escaped, as the entire market tends to weaken.

People have so many entertainment options.

And with so many people calling for his comeback, do they really want to return to acting? Perhaps fans do miss his promotional perks, but his competitors are definitely talking nonsense.

The market was already shrinking due to the sluggishness, and Chen Mo's return would not benefit them at all; in fact, it would take away a large portion of their profits.

So it's mostly just a gesture.

And to be honest, this industry is getting more and more chaotic. Do you even know how many hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on these movies? Yet they are withdrawn from release just like that.
Is it really for cost considerations? What the hell is going on behind the scenes? It's just fooling outsiders who don't know the industry. Insiders all know perfectly well.

At Chen Mo's home, after retiring from the entertainment industry, Chen Mo was living a very comfortable life.

Comeback? Comeback my foot! Being able to enjoy the blessings of having multiple wives every day, occasionally taking a stroll, not needing to work, and observing from the sidelines—that's life!
Right now, everyone at Chen Mo's house is discussing this topic.

Chen Mo was resting his head on Fan Binbin's plump thighs, enjoying the fruit she was feeding him and the smooth touch. On the other side, he had his foot on Gao Yuanyuan's leg, looking like a complete patriarch.

Fan Binbin peeled another rose grape, his fingertips damp as he rubbed them against Chen Mo's lips. Chen Mo opened his mouth to take it and slowly chewed it.

She looked down at him, his eyes half-closed as he lay on her lap, and couldn't help but ask again, "Your name is constantly being mentioned online, and your Weibo comment section is practically overflowing with fans. Aren't you even a little bit tempted?"

Chen Mo chuckled and nuzzled restlessly against Gao Yuanyuan's chest. Gao Yuanyuan blushed and spat at him, then grabbed him and pinched him angrily, saying, "Just talk, don't act weird!"

He then lazily spoke: "Tempted? What am I tempted by? What kind of mess is this market now? Inflated box office figures, shady scheduling, and a ton of bad movies. Films are touted to cost hundreds of millions, but then they just pull them off the show before it's even released. Do they think the audience is stupid? Everyone in the industry knows how the money disappeared."

Gao Yuanyuan squeezed his ankle and said, "But many people say that if you come back, the market will be hot for a while."

"Hot my ass!"

Chen Mo curled his lip: "The plate is only so big. If I come back and get a bigger slice, those people will be too busy cursing me behind my back. Now they're calling for my comeback, it's just to ride the wave and put on a show, to make it seem like they miss the golden age of the industry—only a fool would believe that."

Chen Mo was very clear-headed. In his previous life, he was only able to see things through a fog, but in this life, he was a top member of the industry. Shengshi Pictures had encountered similar situations before.

To be honest, if he weren't genuinely not short of money, it would be hard for him not to be tempted by such profits.

Because that stuff makes way more money than focusing all your energy on creating movie content.

But if he can earn money honestly and uprightly, without having to worry about anything, why would he take such a big risk to do something like that?
Fan Binbin twirled his hair with her fingers and said softly, "What if we organize our own party and don't play with them?"

Chen Mo opened one eye and glanced at her sideways: "Are you stupid? The entire industry chain is rotten to the core right now, from investors to cinemas, which link is clean? Unless we pay for everything ourselves, film it ourselves, and distribute it ourselves, but is that still doing business? That's charity, or the kind where we take the bullet for others."

Gao Yuanyuan sighed and gently patted his calf: "Are you just going to watch me like this, unable to do anything?"

"It's not that it's impossible to do, it's that it's meaningless."

Chen Mo shifted to an even more slumped position and let out a long sigh: "Back then, we worked so hard because we thought movies were interesting. Now? It's all business, and the dirtiest kind at that. I'd rather lie here eating the grapes you guys feed me than get involved in that murky water."

Fan Binbin and Gao Yuanyuan exchanged a glance and remained silent. One continued peeling grapes, while the other held his fidgeting feet tighter. The only sounds in the room were the faint static from the television and the smacking of someone chewing grapes.

“However, you two have recovered quite a bit. Let’s continue to contribute to the continuation of humanity.” Chen Mo said, his toes once again starting to explore the secrets with precision.

The two women exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but feel a little tempted.

Of course, it's mainly Chen Mo who's talking, but his hands and feet are never idle.

While Chen Mo was dedicated to contributing to the propagation of humankind, public opinion remained tumultuous.

Unfortunately, they never received the response they were expecting from Chen Mo.

Even without Chen Mo, the entertainment industry will still continue to sing and dance.

Time flies, and another Spring Festival is upon us.

For Chinese people, the Lunar New Year is the real New Year celebration.

Even when family members calculate my age, they always say I'm a year older after the Lunar New Year.

This year's Spring Festival seemed to have a weaker festive atmosphere than in previous years. The streets and alleys were less lively and bustling than before, and the sound of firecrackers was much less frequent.

To be honest, it's not without reason that many people miss the festive atmosphere of the past Chinese New Year.

After all, although material resources were not as abundant in the past, the festive atmosphere of the New Year was absolutely superior to that of today.

Back then, for children, the Lunar New Year meant they could play to their hearts' content, set off firecrackers, have lucky money to spend, and eat lots of delicious food that they couldn't usually afford.

But what about now?
Material things are plentiful now, and children have long been accustomed to all kinds of snacks. What haven't they eaten before?

Therefore, naturally, the Chinese New Year holds less appeal for them.

The principle of scarcity making things valuable is certainly true.

However, this fading festive atmosphere did not have much impact on Chen Mo – his home was instead filled with an unprecedentedly strong festive spirit, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, laughter and chatter filling the air, making it exceptionally warm and lively.

This was Chen Mo's first Spring Festival with several women after retiring from the entertainment industry, making it naturally special.

In fact, Chen Mo had thought about getting everyone together for the New Year many times in the past.

In his heart, the family should be together, all together, but not in the kind of complete harmony that Brother Kun mentioned!
Their custom is to gather around a stove on New Year's Eve, where the whole family sits around a table to share the joy of the festival.

But his aspirations were always disrupted by the pace of his work: he was busy filming all year round with a tight schedule;

And everyone around me is a very busy person at the peak of their career.

Even someone like Gao Yuanyuan, who has a detached personality and has already semi-retired from the entertainment industry, still has a packed schedule every year-end and rarely has a moment of leisure.

As for Fan Binbin and others, it goes without saying that behind the glamour of celebrities lies tireless work day and night. Especially during holidays, it is precisely their busiest time, with various galas, celebrations, and announcements coming one after another. For them, a so-called "holiday" is almost a luxury.

Therefore, during the Spring Festival in previous years, everyone was always busy with their own affairs, and although they missed each other, it was difficult to get together.

Even when they're not that busy, most of the time they go back to their own homes and find their own mothers.

This year, as many people gradually fade from the screen and slow down, they can finally stop their busy lives and create a complete and lively family reunion for the New Year. This hard-won gathering makes the warmth and laughter inside the house all the more precious.

On Lunar New Year's Eve, Chen Mo's house was brightly lit and bustling with activity. This large family now numbered nearly twenty people—including the soon-to-be-born Little Fairy and Little Tiger cub, plus Chen Mo's parents, making a total of nineteen.

It's only because Chen Mo's family estate is large enough that, otherwise, an average family wouldn't have enough room for so many people.

They come from all over the country, from the snowy plains of Northeast China to the water towns of Jiangnan, from the Sichuan-Chongqing Basin to coastal cities, and the New Year customs of various places intertwine and collide under this roof.

In Chen Mo's hometown, the New Year's customs include the whole family eating a New Year's Eve dinner called "surrounding the stove," and elders distributing lucky money. On the night before New Year's Eve, every household sets up a table of offerings in preparation for the New Year's Eve ceremony.
Others, like Fan Binbin and Jing Tian, ​​eat dumplings and rice cakes during the Lunar New Year.

In the living room, the adults sat in several groups, their cheeks flushed from the warmth of the heating.

Chen Mo's mother was making dumplings with her daughters-in-law while telling them about the customs of their hometown.

"Mom, is there any special story behind the rice noodles we had for lunch?" Fan Binbin asked curiously.

Customs in the North are quite different from those in the South.

“In the past, people here lived a hard life. It was considered lucky if they could eat broken rice noodles or thin noodles cooked with vegetables. Even though life has become richer now, we still insist on eating rice noodles on the eve of the Lunar New Year to symbolize that we should not forget our roots and appreciate the sweetness of the present!”

Fan Binbin, who is from Shandong, chimed in with a smile: "Where we're from, we always eat rice cakes during the New Year, which symbolize rising higher and higher in rank."

Gao Yuanyuan described the ancestral worship ceremony in her hometown in a gentle tone. The women spoke softly, sometimes lamenting the differences in customs, sometimes laughing and talking about parenting experiences, while constantly peeling nuts and handing out fruit. The air was filled with the aroma of tea and the faint scent of desserts.

The children had already caused quite a ruckus.

Several boys, not quite grown up, chased each other down the hallway, imitating the crackling sound of firecrackers; while little girls huddled in a corner of the sofa, comparing whose new clothes were prettier, their colorful hair ties glittering under the light.

The younger children wobbled around, carrying their toys, occasionally bumping into adults' legs and eliciting playful scolding.

The sound of the Spring Festival Gala on TV was sometimes drowned out by the screams of children, and candy wrappers and toy blocks were scattered on the floor.

Actually, Chen Mo and his group are watching the Spring Festival Gala less and less these days.

Chen Mo himself couldn't even remember the last time he watched the Spring Festival Gala.

The main reason is that in the south, many people don't watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Most of the time, on New Year's Eve, after dinner, we'd visit each other's homes and have a couple of drinks here and there.

The customs after the New Year are even more varied and strange. For example, Chen Mo remembers that when he was a child, he would eat Mazu noodles, which are also longevity noodles, early in the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

This applies not only on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, but also on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

In short, you only grow a year older after eating noodles.

Of course, on New Year's Eve, the meal around the stove is quite sumptuous.

The rich aroma of stewed meat wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the sweet and glutinous scent of steamed rice cakes—the flavors of the New Year from all over the country were bubbling together in the pot.

Outside the window, the occasional muffled explosion of distant fireworks could be heard, but the noise inside felt more real and intense: the laughter of adults, the playful frolicking of children, the gentle clinking of dishes, and the television's music.
All these sounds mingled together, weaving a warm and bustling net that tightly wrapped the New Year's Eve reunion within.

Looking at the group of beautiful faces sitting around him, Chen Mo couldn't help but smile.

I guess I haven't brought shame to the transmigrators, have I?
Chen Mo was quite proud of this.

After all, he openly brought a group of women home and had them all gathered together.

And a battleground? That doesn't exist!

Over the years, although there were still some chaotic scenes a few years ago, they almost never happen now.

Perhaps it's because, although Chen Mo has many women, he treats most of them equally.

Moreover, many things are divided up in advance.

They each have their own children and their own assets, so there's no need for them to scheme or calculate their own interests.

Secondly, it's because after so many years, time is often the most powerful weapon in relationships between people.

After spending a long time together, some feelings naturally develop, and the relationship transforms from lovers into family. This is the inevitable outcome for the vast majority of couples.

The happiest person wasn't actually Chen Mo, but rather his father.

Actually, my dad has always been a rather traditional person.

Passing on the family line and ensuring the prosperity of the family has always been the pursuit of their generation.

Just like the rumors circulating online about exorbitant bride prices, to be honest, many people on Chen Mo's side don't really understand it.

Why do you say that?

Because, according to the custom here, when a man and woman establish a relationship, they first get engaged, and that is called betrothal money or betrothal gifts.

Customs for marrying off daughters vary from place to place, with dowries differing in amount, and in some places they are indeed very high.

However, this is not actually a pure expense, because when a daughter gets married, the dowry is usually quite generous.

Therefore, while the saying that high bride prices are equivalent to selling one's daughter might exist in some places, it's not very common.

Getting back to the main point, my father was so worried about revising the family genealogy recently that he went bald.

The main problem is that this is really hard to write!
After all, his own son is just too damn awesome.

Seven daughters-in-law and a bunch of little ones, how do you write that?
In the family genealogy, the daughter-in-law is usually listed, such as "Ms. So-and-so", but there is usually only one!

But on Chen Mo's side, wow, there were seven! That's enough for one person to have their own page.

Of course, Chen Mo's current status and position are indeed enough to warrant a separate page in the family tree, but the problem is that dedicating a separate page simply because of his quantity is absurd.

Chen Mo still remembered the expression on his father's face when he talked to him about this time.

It's indescribable.

After all, even in ancient times, although there was talk of having multiple wives and concubines, in reality, ordinary families usually only had one wife, right? (End of Chapter)