I just want to sell products, but you're forcing me to perform talents.

Chapter 82 Dreams Need to Be Written Word by Word (3rd Update, Please Subscribe)

Having memories of his past life, having watched the original TV series, and having seen the performances of the veteran actors from back then, Ye Xian was confident that he could recite these lines well.

But once he had built up his emotions and officially started, he discovered that he either couldn't fully express himself, or his emotions couldn't be integrated, or his emotions were misplaced.

His tendency to focus on the immediate problem while neglecting the details made Ye Xian suddenly realize what it meant to be all talk and no action.

Knowing something is one thing, but actually doing it is another.

Ye Xian is a persistent person; if he doesn't succeed the first time, he'll try again.

After several attempts, there was little improvement; instead, he became increasingly confused.

Teacher Hu shook his head and said, "I read your script for the scene about Jia Yucun last night. He comes from a poor family that has fallen on hard times. So his character should be a mix of embarrassment, resentment, and pride. When Zhen Shiyin treats him to a Mid-Autumn Festival feast, he feels grateful, inferior, and proud, because he believes his talent is worthy of it."

"Personally, I think he is a very contradictory figure. He has both the pride and bad habits of ancient literati."

He considered himself to be exceptionally talented, yet he lived under someone else's roof;

He makes a living by writing, yet he always dreams of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Admiring beauty, yet feigning modesty;

He fell in love with a maid who glanced at him a few more times;

He wanted to ask to borrow money again, but he was afraid of losing his pride as a scholar, believing that he could definitely achieve something with his talent.

He can accept help from others without hesitation, but he can never make it big in life...

"I don't know what your final version will look like, but from your simplified version, this is the kind of person I see Jia Yucun as."

He may be talented, but he is definitely insecure. He becomes unrestrained and arrogant when drunk, and writes such verses because of his discontent, strong desire for fame and fortune, great ambition, and greed.

He would never be a grateful person, and is even very likely to repay kindness with enmity, because great kindness can turn into enmity, and he is extremely opportunistic.

Even without reading the rest of the story, I can tell that this person won't have a good ending!

……

Ye Xian listened to Teacher Hu's comments, his mouth agape, almost at a loss for words.

It should be noted that Teacher Hu only had the first ten episodes of the manuscript, and she had only had it for one night, yet she was able to accurately comment on Jia Yucun's future. Her understanding of the character was far beyond what I, a beginner, could match.

This shows just how solid the veteran actors' basic skills were back then.

Ye Xian felt ashamed that even though he had read the original novel, watched the TV series, and seen the teacher's performance, he still couldn't understand it as thoroughly as Teacher Hu had in one night.

"Teacher Hu, I'm truly convinced!"

Ye Xian bowed deeply to Teacher Hu, expressing his respect: "This Jia Yucun's final fate was exactly what you predicted!"

When Teacher Hu realized he had guessed correctly, he didn't seem too happy. He just smiled and nodded, then said, "Now that you've explained it clearly, think about the character and do it again."

Having a teacher makes a real difference.

You might find a way by figuring it out on your own, but it will definitely take a lot of time and effort.

A renowned teacher can tailor their instruction to individual needs, pointing out key points and providing sudden enlightenment.

Ye Xian gradually understood. This was something he loved, so he naturally took it to heart. He pondered it for a long time before taking a few steps in place and placing his left hand in front of his abdomen.

With a touch of drunkenness, a touch of arrogance, a touch of resentment, and a touch of hidden grief and indignation, he recited this poem.

Finally, Ye Xian turned back to look at Teacher Hu, just as Jia Yucun looked at Zhen Shiyin. Teacher Hu immediately replied, "A fine poem!"

Ye Xian's smile became more smug.

This smugness is not Ye Xian's smugness.

This was Jia Yucun's pride.

Teacher Hu clapped his hands and said, "You have a very good understanding; you've made great progress in this scene."

Ye Xian quickly shook his head: "Teacher, I'm still far from good enough."

Teacher Hu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Come on, let me demonstrate it for you, and then you can try it."

……

For the entire morning, Teacher Hu and Ye Xian went back and forth rehearsing the poem, from the emotions, tone, and breathing techniques of the lines to the body posture and facial expressions. Teacher Hu broke it down step by step for Ye Xian until Ye Xian could perform it about 70-80% accurately, and only then did Teacher Hu leave satisfied.

Ye Xian let out a long sigh; this morning was more tiring than running a marathon.

……

After having lunch with Qiu's mother and Ding Zhan, Ye Xian started practicing the piano again in the afternoon. When he had a spare moment, he stood up and practiced his basic dance skills under Qiu's mother's guidance.

Qiu's mother was very pleased that Ye Xian, who now has 40 fans, is not arrogant. Instead, he still practices his singing and stretching at the same time as when he was a child.

Singing, practicing instruments, practicing martial arts—she hasn't missed a single one of them over the years.

She excels at everything: cooking, writing books, and making money.

Now he even takes the initiative to learn acting.

Such a good child should not be given away to outsiders!

While diligently instructing Qiu Qing, Qiu's mother also considered calling her.

When exactly is this girl planning to go back to China?

They won't even give me a definite answer, it's infuriating!

Such a good son-in-law, if it weren't for me keeping an eye on him, he would have been devoured by that pack of hungry wolves, Li Xin, Duan Fei, Sun Li, Wang Feifei, and Wang Yin, long ago!

You're so carefree!

……

For Ye Xian, the past month has been an experience unlike anything he had ever had in his previous life. Driven by his own adventurous spirit, Ye Xian has thoroughly enjoyed these different experiences.

It was a very fulfilling time.

Moreover, an idea slowly began to take root in his mind.

Ye Xian liked all four classic novels, but this world was different from the other world. The Tang Dynasty lasted for more than a thousand years. Writing "Journey to the West" would be suicidal, and writing "Water Margin" would require a complete rewrite. Therefore, the only novels he could write were the fictional "Dream of the Red Chamber" and the historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

Both books can be developed into long-term IPs, but "Dream of the Red Chamber" is more suitable for my fans than "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" because my current fans are mostly female. I can put "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" aside until "Dream of the Red Chamber" is finished.

So Ye Xian started by talking about "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Of course, there are many classic books from his previous life that he could use to tell stories, such as "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and the popular online novel "Ghost Blows Out the Light". These are all very suitable for storytelling, but Ye Xian's first consideration is the issue of intellectual property.

The individual stories in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" are very suitable for telling, but not for building an IP. They are suitable for solo performances, but not for long-term projects because they are too scattered.

Although "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is a good story to tell and quite captivating, the success of its otherworldly adaptations has left Ye Xian somewhat lacking in confidence. He's afraid of ruining the IP.

More importantly, the historical background of "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is incompatible with the Tang Dynasty. If you want to tell the story, you have to make major changes. Once you make changes, "Ghost Blows Out the Light" will lose a lot of its charm. So Ye Xian thought about it again and again and decided to give up on this book for the time being.

Later on, books like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" will definitely be discussed in the live stream, since the TV series version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" only has 36 episodes in total.

After finishing the lecture, I'll definitely need to change the book.

……

However, it will probably take a long time for "Dream of the Red Chamber" to become a classic again, because the times are different, the background is different, and it does not have 200 years to settle and ferment.

However, I can build this IP step by step.

A simplified version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" was produced, and then a TV series was made to give the public a basic understanding of the story. The TV series format was used to promote the story.

Publishing the original version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" allows the general public, who love the story, to gain a deeper understanding of it.

The topic of conflict between the simplified version and the original version is used to generate buzz.

They released a comic book version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and produced related merchandise, using commercial means to expand the influence of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

A dance drama version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" could also be produced.

Teacher Hu is a professional acting teacher, and Qiu's mother is a professional dance teacher. They are also professionally trained. So, wouldn't they be able to recreate the dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber"?

The dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber" in another world was sold out every time, and it became a hot topic on Kuaishou. With more than 20 offline performances throughout the year, tickets were hard to come by!

Once young people love it, promotion becomes much easier.

Aunt Qiu has always wanted to do square dancing. Wouldn't a folk dance drama be better?

Teacher Hu can also be reborn on stage.

How can the performances of veteran actors be overshadowed by young idols?

Thinking about this, Ye Xian felt that this was feasible even more.

However, we can't rush things now. Let's wait until the simplified version of Dream of the Red Chamber is released and see how the market reacts.

Without market cultivation and audience recognition, let alone the dance drama "Dream of the Red Chamber," even the simplified version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" might flop.

Even if he used modern methods and some online novel techniques to explain "Dream of the Red Chamber", he was not sure if he could shorten the 200-year process of "Dream of the Red Chamber" becoming famous in another world.

This is probably going to be very difficult!

Ye Xian, however, found it quite enjoyable.

……

With a goal in mind, Ye Xian became more motivated. After a long day, he would sit in front of his computer and continue writing.

Even the best dreams come from the ground up.

Live-streaming e-commerce is a must.

"Dream of the Red Chamber" had to be written out word by word in order to realize one's dream.

Yeah, it's a bit grueling.

This is the simplified version.

When it comes time to write the original version, will I still have time to type it out word by word?

The first eighty chapters alone are nearly 700,000 words long!

Ye Xian suddenly felt a little guilty.

……

P.S.: Today's Recap

Haizhou aged liquor inventory: 7731 bottles.

The plot development is solid and not just filler. The previous book explored some IPs too superficially, which didn't live up to the protagonist Lin Fan's name. This book aims to be more substantial while maintaining a reasonable foundation.

Some viewers felt that discussing "Dream of the Red Chamber" in the live stream was a bit dry, which was indeed an oversight on my part. So, in this chapter, I've added a sentence to make up for it. I'll use some techniques from online novels to explain the story and give a general overview of Ye Xian's plans for entering the entertainment industry. I've also mentioned the highly requested references to "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." However, the overall plot development still needs to focus on establishing "Dream of the Red Chamber" as a stepping stone, given the large female fanbase. Please forgive my slight insistence. Also, "Dream of the Red Chamber" is just a stepping stone into the entertainment industry and won't be discussed extensively. If you don't like it, you can skip it without affecting the plot.

(End of this chapter)