Rebirth of Chinese Entertainment, the Diary of a 95 Flower

"Yes, we all will."

Whether it will become popular in the future is a matter for the future.

Jiang Yang is very angry right now.

Before Jiang Yang could make a further move, Meng Ziyi's phone, which was on the bedside table, rang.

I had received several WeChat messages before.

It's probably from the crew, or maybe an assistant. I'm too lazy to look at it right now, so I'll just treat it as background noise to create atmosphere.

But as soon as I heard the phone ringtone...

Meng Ziyi gently patted Jiang Yang's shoulder: "Wait a minute, I need to take this call, it's my sister Qian."

"Your sister?"

"It's not my sister, it's my mom."

Jiang Yang then remembered that Meng Ziyi's mother was named Wang Qian.

In public, Meng Ziyi calls Wang Qian "Mom," but in private, he calls her "Sister Qian."

As soon as the call connected, I heard Wang Qian's voice, which was spoken in the Northeastern accent from her hometown of Jilin: "Are you busy, Zicha?"

Why are you calling me by my old name again?

After Mencius finished speaking,

Jiang Yang was taken aback.

Whether on set or in private, Meng Ziyi always speaks fluent and standard Mandarin.

I started chatting with my family.

It has a very strong Northeastern flavor.

"What's wrong? So that name wasn't yours after all? Look at you, getting all worked up."

"No, Sister Qian, my original name was 'Zi Yi', which looks like a 'fork'. My classmates all called me 'Zi Fork'. If the media found out, it would be so embarrassing."

Wang Qian's laughter came through the phone: "Fork fork fork."

Meng Ziyi rolled her eyes: "What's up?"

“I saw your Weibo post the other day. It’s incredibly hot in Hengdian. I felt so sorry for you, filming outdoors all morning! I’m transferring 20,000 yuan to you. Or you could rent an apartment with a swimming pool near the film set. You can take a dip after filming to relax.”

"I was so exhausted after filming, I didn't have the energy to swim at all..."

"Also, Mom bought you the latest sunscreen spray, a cooling sun-protective shirt, and cooling patches. The express delivery should arrive today. Remember to use them during breaks in filming, so you don't get sunburned."

Wang Qian remembered something and continued, "Oh right! I had a relative back home vacuum-pack a whole box of those Northeastern red sausages and sticky rice cakes that you like. I also got some for your colleagues on set. Let's keep good relationships and not let people think we're stingy."

Jiang Yang lay beside him listening.

If it were Chaoyue, he would have urged them to finish quickly.

This mother and daughter have such a good relationship; they chatted for twenty minutes straight.

They've already convinced him to back down.

They all spoke in Northeastern dialect, but it was slightly different from Mai Mai's Northeastern accent.

Mai Mai speaks with a Shenyang accent, while Meng Ziyi speaks with a Jilin accent.

He sent Zhao Jinmai a message: [“Maimai, what are you doing?”]
Zhao Jinmai replied: [“I was measuring my height at home. It’s Saturday, no school today, and I grew one centimeter, hahaha. I reckon I’ll be up to your chin by the end of the year, and in two more years, I’ll definitely be as tall as you. If you dare to make me angry then, I’ll punch you to death, you believe me?”]
Jiang Yang typed back: [“I think I’ve grown a centimeter taller too.”]
A dozen seconds later, Zhao Jinmai sent a message: [“Chatting with you is so annoying, what’s the point of you being so tall?”]
"Be careful not to get killed by one punch from you."
Let's chat for a bit.

Zhao Jinmai talked about the novel she had recently been reading: "Battle Through the Heavens is such a good book, Xiao Jiang, you should check it out too. It's a pity my mom doesn't let me read novels, so I'm just reading it secretly. I haven't gotten to the part where Xiao Yan goes to the Yunlan Sect yet."

Last night, my mom came into my room to bring me milk. I was so startled I quickly shoved my phone under my pillow and pretended to memorize English vocabulary. She ended up sitting by my bed and chatting for about ten minutes. My heart was pounding; I was terrified she'd reach under the pillow!
When this topic came up...

Zhao Jinmai became particularly talkative: "After my parents went to sleep, I would snuggle under the covers and watch it. My eyes almost went blind from watching so much, but it was really exciting!"

Let me tell you, Xiao Jiang, my deskmate is even more daring. She's reading a physical book called "The Silent Shop," secretly slipping it into her math workbook. The moment the teacher turns away to write on the board, she flips through two pages in a flash. It makes me so nervous, my heart pounding, afraid she'll get caught!
Jiang Yang typed: [“Isn’t ‘Battle Through the Heavens’ a male-oriented novel? Why do you like reading it too?”]
Zhao Jinmai sent a message: [“Because fortunes change every thirty years, never underestimate a young man’s potential! Jiang Yang, you wait, one day I’ll be taller than you and knock you down with one punch!”]
Jiang Yang's lips twitched as he watched.

What was this little girl's final height again?

Can not remember.

In the end, he didn't seem to grow any taller than Haochun.

Seeing that Meng Ziyi and Wang Qian had almost finished chatting, Jiang Yang sent a message to Zhao Jinmai: ["I'm done chatting, Mai Mai, I need to get down to business."]
"What important business are you doing, Xiao Jiang?"
"They're definitely filming a movie, what else could they be doing?"
Jiang Yang reached his hand under the covers and placed it on Meng Ziyi's smooth, fair, and slender waist.

He moved upwards little by little, but Meng Ziyi slapped his hand and pressed him down.

She held her phone, glared at Jiang Yang, and whispered, "What's the rush? Let me finish talking to my mom first. Don't let her hear me; she'll think I'm filming an action scene on set."

My relationship with Jiang Yang was close, but it couldn't compare to a single phone call from my mother.

Meng Ziyi was telling the truth to her mother.

It was definitely an action scene.

Soon, Sister Qian's daughter will be thoroughly beaten by Jiang Yang.

Jiang Yang received a reply from Zhao Jinmai: [“I need to get down to business too.”]
[“What are you doing, MaiMai?”]
"It's definitely studying, what else could it be? I'm about to take the high school entrance exam."
After sending the message, Zhao Jinmai sat down at her desk in her room.

The wind picked up outside, making the notebooks rustle.

Zhao Jinmai closed the window.

There's a styrofoam box outside the window where green beans are planted. When they're ripe, I'll break off a few and stir-fry them.

Actually, we don't lack these green beans at home; every household does it.

In the distance, you can see several buildings with pointed roofs, their walls somewhat mottled.

The shouts of a tofu vendor came from the alley outside the residential area.

It happens almost every day.

Zhao Jinmai could recite it all by heart: "Tofu pudding, hot tofu pudding," drifting slowly into the room with a strong Shenyang accent.

The tofu pudding in my hometown is all savory; the essence lies in the broth and toppings.

The first time I went to the south to film a movie, I found that the tofu pudding I ate was sweet. I really couldn't understand it. How could you eat something so sweet?

Anyway, the last time she saw Jiang Yang eat sweet tofu pudding, she watched him swallow it with a frown.

I wonder what the weather is like in Hengdian, Jiangyang today.

It's a sunny day in her hometown today.

A few thin clouds hung in the sky, and sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the ground.

A gust of wind rustled the leaves, mingling with the sound of bicycle bells from the alleyway next to the residential area.

This atmosphere.

This is perfect for reading novels!!!

Suddenly I heard my mother's voice coming from the living room.

Zhao Jinmai quickly stuffed her phone into her sleeve.

I picked up a pen and scribbled a formula on the open textbook.

Although my mother isn't as strict with me now and lets me use my phone freely.

However, reading online novels is still prohibited.

She pricked up her ears and listened carefully to her mother's voice in the living room:

"Your paper has a good idea, but the evidence is not solid enough. You can't just quote from books; you have to combine it with real-world examples. Didn't I emphasize in class that academic research must be rigorous and you can't just do things half-heartedly?"

Got it.

It turned out that Mom was on the phone with a student. Just like when I talk to her, her tone is gentle yet earnest.

He said a few words to the students, his tone filled with helpless tolerance: "I know you're busy with graduation, but you can't be perfunctory. Here's what I'll do: send the revised draft to my email this weekend, and I'll take a look. Also, don't stay up all night. Health is the most important thing. No matter how busy you are with your studies, you have to eat and sleep well. I've taught you for four years, and I hope you all have a bright future."

Zhao Jinmai held her phone, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Whether it's her students or her, her mother is always this strict and worried.

Sometimes his strictness annoyed her.

When he's gentle, he makes her feel sorry for him.

Even the instructions given to people are very similar.

When she was a child, she was caught slacking off on her homework, and her mother would give her a stern lecture, ending with, "No matter what you do, you can't be sloppy!"

When I'm being lectured, I find it annoying.

Hearing my mother talk about her students through the crack in the door now warms my heart.

"Mom is right, you can't do anything half-heartedly! So now that I've started reading 'Battle Through the Heavens,' I must finish it and not just do it carelessly!"

Zhao Jinmai opened "Battle Through the Heavens" with peace of mind.

The chapter titles alone made her want to fight Jiang Yang. The chapter title read: "Xiao Yan in a Frenzy".

Jiang Yang didn't talk to Zhao Jinmai any further.

Even a fool could guess that this little girl was secretly reading a novel.

We might even see Xiao Yan force himself on Medusa, opening the door to a new world.

Meng Ziyi and Wang Qian, who were standing next to each other, had almost finished their conversation.

The room was very quiet.

Meng Ziyi could clearly hear Wang Qian's voice on her phone: "Daughter, if you're tired from filming, take a couple of days off. Mom doesn't care how much you earn; being happy and not suffering is the most important thing. Remember to rest more and don't stay up all night. Mom loves you."

"Sister Qian, I love you too."

After kissing the phone a few times, Meng Ziyi hung up.

I got up to go to the bathroom and made a point of checking that the curtains were closed properly.

Wash the bottom clean.

Back in bed, Meng Ziyi threw off the covers, snuggled into Jiang Yang's arms, and spoke in Mandarin: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"The most beautiful girl at Beijing Film Academy, can't I even take a few more glances, Zicha?"

"You call me Zicha too! My classmates used to call me that in elementary school, it sounds awful."

After hearing Meng Ziyi's explanation, Jiang Yang finally understood why Meng Ziyi had changed his name.

The fact that Meng Ziyi was called Meng Zicha does not mean that he was actually called Meng Zicha in the past.

Instead, he was called Mengzi Yi.

However, when I was a child, the character 乂 looked like a fork when it came out.

The classmates started giving Meng Ziyi a nickname, Zicha.

He later changed his name to Meng Ziyi.

She is the only child in her family.

"Is your dad really a business tycoon?"

“Yes, my dad is my boss.” Meng Ziyi laughed. “My dad is especially good at playing mahjong. Let me tell you, I learned to play mahjong from my dad.”

"Then your dad probably didn't spend much time with you when you were little, right?"

"Who said that? Before I went to college, my parents were with me almost every day. They were busy, but they still came home."

Hear the words.

Jiang Yang was taken aback.

A girl I suddenly thought of.

Zhao Lushi.

Both families are wealthy and well-off, and both have only one daughter.

Why are the ways of raising daughters so different?

Ruth was a left-behind child from a young age. She went to study in another city alone in high school, and the longest time she was separated from her parents was during that period. When she met her parents again, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

He's used to being alone and has a very strong will.

In comparison.

Meng Ziyi really enjoyed being with his friends.

Sometimes he can be a bit blunt in his speech, but deep down he's not at all assertive.

Two birds raised in the same family, one longs for its family, the other cherishes freedom. I don't understand why this is, it seems to have nothing to do with money.

"Ziyi..."

Jiang Yang had barely opened his mouth when Meng Ziyi interrupted him: "Call me Sister Meng!"

"Sister Meng, to be honest, with your family background, you might be considered exceptional..." Jiang Yang suddenly remembered what Yang Chaoyue had said when they were eating mutton soup on the street a while ago and talking about Meng Ziyi.

Chao Yue was picking at the noodles in his bowl when he said softly, "I dropped out of school before finishing junior high. It wasn't that I didn't want to study; if I didn't go to the factory, my family wouldn't be able to make ends meet."

It wasn't this hot back then.

It's past midnight again, the end of the workday.

The temperature in Hengdian is very low.

Yang Chaoyue paused, scooped up a spoonful of soup to warm his hands, and continued with a smile: "Brother Yang, actually, when I think back to the first time I entered the electronics factory, I think I was a little over fifteen years old, a bit shorter than I am now. Anyway, I wasn't as tall as the machines. I stood for twelve hours every day attaching parts. After get off work, I would go back to the dormitory and fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn't even have the strength to cry. Eight people were crammed into one room in the dormitory. In winter, there was no heating, so I would wear all my clothes to sleep, but I was still so cold that I huddled up in a ball."

Before long, they started talking about Meng Ziyi: "I envy Sister Meng. Her parents can give her whatever she wants. She even has a way out when pursuing her dreams. I can't do that. If I lose, I will have nothing."

She smiled, without any complaints, just a little wistful: "Back then, sometimes I would work overtime until midnight, and looking at the lights in the factory, I would think, if my parents hadn't divorced, if my family had some money, could I have been sitting in a classroom and studying instead of having to shoulder responsibilities so early in life?"

But I only thought about it for a short while, and there's nothing to complain about. In this life, some things are given by nature, and some things are earned by oneself.

Back then, my thoughts weren't much different from now. I just felt that it was okay to suffer a little now, to learn more skills, earn more money, so that my sister could focus on her studies and my children wouldn't have to live such a life of hardship like I did. That was enough.

That day, after eating mutton soup.

Back to the hotel.

Yang Chaoyue, wearing Jiang Yang's coat, turned to Jiang Yang and said, "Brother Yang, don't you think people are all like this? They always envy what they don't have, but they also know that envy is useless. They still have to take things one step at a time. I'm doing pretty well now. At least I have something to look forward to. It's much better than not being able to see the end in the factory."

Jiang Yang was thinking about all of this.

Looking at Meng Ziyi, who was being held in his arms and laughing heartily, he suddenly realized that Yang Chaoyue's words, though not a single one of them contained a complaint, were piercing to the heart.

That kind of helplessness when you have no choice.

That kind of resilience that makes you endure even the toughest times.

And hidden behind that envy is a down-to-earth expectation for life—who hasn't experienced that once or twice in their life?

"What did you mean by 'surpassing'? Why did you stop talking about it?" Meng Ziyi suddenly asked.

"Let's not talk about surpassing others now, let's talk about surpassing you."

He cupped Meng Ziyi's face in his hands and kissed her, not even bothering to unfasten the metal clasp on her back.

Jiang Yang ripped off Meng Ziyi's murderous clothes. (End of Chapter)