As National Day approaches, online discussions are mixed. On one hand, there's complaining about the holiday schedule adjustments, while on the other hand, there's anticipation for the long holiday. Many people want to reward themselves and their families for their hard work during this rare break. Some choose to travel, while others, unable to bear the crowds, choose to stay home with their families or sleep and rest.

As the holiday approached, Song Xia and her team became less busy, as they had already done all the necessary promotional work. However, if the box office and word-of-mouth were good during the release, they might do a few more roadshows, but if it wasn't ideal, they would have to accept the loss.

However, thanks to Song Xia's good connections, many friends in the industry spontaneously promoted her, such as Lan Mengfan, Wen Tian, ​​Gu Xueyi, Zhang Xian, Sui Kai, Zhong Yi, and Guo Yi. They even booked out venues to show their support for her, and Song Xia and Song Xinghe replied to each of them to express their gratitude.

On the morning of the 1st, the mother and daughter chose a less crowded cinema to buy tickets and enter. They had seen the original film before, but had not yet seen the finished product. Since they were going to a cinema in the city center for promotional activities in the afternoon, they wanted to see the audience's reaction in the morning.

Perhaps because it was the first screening in the morning, or perhaps because their film wasn't aimed at a mainstream audience, the audience in their theater wasn't very full. Song Xia counted, and there were only about a dozen people, including her and her daughter.

Compared to the scene next door where people still had to queue to get in, it was quite a sight. But what could they do? It was released during the National Day holiday, so there were bound to be good and bad things.

Song Xing looked worried, and Song Xia gently patted her hand: "It's okay, wait a couple of days, after the movie's reviews come out, Mom believes the box office will gradually rise, just like with 'Escape from the Cage,' the second week's box office was higher than the first week's, have you forgotten?"

Song Xinghe certainly hadn't forgotten, but this was National Day, which was different. Moreover, when "Escape from the Cage" was released, it had almost no competitors, but "The Family" was different. Even if the word-of-mouth improved a week later, by then everyone would be back at work, and with the post-holiday syndrome kicking in and people having to make up for lost time, how many people would deliberately go out to watch another movie?

“Worrying won’t help.” Song Xia shrugged. “Even if there’s no box office, there’s still word of mouth. You should trust Director Qu.”

Song Xinghe relaxed, but not because of Director Qu, but because of her mother. Her mother wrote and starred in the play, so why wouldn't she trust her mother?

When the movie officially started and the credits showed Song Xia as the screenwriter and lead actress, Song Xing and Weiwei straightened their backs with very proud expressions.

The story begins with suspense and horror: a woman hangs herself in her home in a secluded mountain village. The police who come to investigate initially think it's just a simple family dispute, a moment of despair that led to her suicide. However, the newly arrived police chief keenly senses something is amiss, and the case gradually becomes more complicated.

As the investigation deepened, the police chief discovered that a junior officer in the bureau had been collecting information about cases related to Xiaoliu Village. He was surprised to find that the number of deaths in Xiaoliu Village over the years was abnormal.

Not only do people die every year, but many of those who die are young and middle-aged people, which does not conform to the social pattern of death.

Logically speaking, in such a secluded mountain village, the highest mortality rate should be among the elderly, baby girls, and women, not young adults. Although it was a woman who died this time, her husband's evasive answers, coupled with the village elders' eagerness to bury her and their resistance to investigation, all seem abnormal.

So the police chief forced two of his subordinates to stay in the small mountain village, determined to thoroughly investigate the secrets of this village.

In the film, Song Xinghe plays a young policewoman whose dedication to the case and the recurring childhood memories she experiences while investigating add a layer of suspense to the movie.

Song Xinghe noticed that the audience members occasionally gasped in surprise, and even the sounds of them eating became quieter, as if they were completely immersed in the plot.

A slight smile appeared on her lips. Even she, who had been involved in the filming and had seen the original footage, couldn't help but feel surprised and uncertain, let alone the first-time viewers.

Director Qu's skill is indeed profound, and the pacing is very tight. However, this is also due to my mother's excellent script, which made the film so wonderful. In addition, my mother's acting skills are truly amazing every time. Under my mother's guidance, my acting skills in this film have also made great progress.

The movie is a standard 90 minutes long. The truth is finally revealed in the last 15 minutes, and the last 15 minutes are a showcase of the acting prowess of Song Xia and Song Xinghe.

When the movie ended, Song Xinghe was still somewhat disoriented, let alone the other audience members.

It wasn't until the staff turned on the lights that some audience members slowly got up to leave. Song Xinghe overheard some audience members discussing, "It's been a long time since I've seen such a high-quality movie. I was a little worried when I heard that Song Xia was the screenwriter, but I didn't expect that she not only acted well but also wrote well."

"Although the truth is somewhat cruel, it is very real. Women living in the past had a very difficult life, especially those in closed-off areas, where it was even more difficult."

"This is what motherly love is all about. She would give up everything for her daughter. My mom did the same for me."

"However, I'm a little worried. The subject matter is too realistic, and I'm concerned that Song Xia might get criticized."

"If someone is going to be criticized just because the subject matter is realistic, then they must have a very weak mentality. I must recommend this movie to everyone around me."

"Wait a minute, do those two look familiar?"

Song Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, and then the people who had just been talking came over and cautiously asked, "Are you Song Xia and Song Xinghe?"

Just as his companion was about to say, "How could that be? This is just a small movie theater, and it's the first day of the film's release. Why would she come here without any assistants?" and was about to pull them away, Song Xia took off her mask and smiled at them.

"It's us. Sorry, we overheard your comments about the movie. Thank you for your appreciation."

The two immediately became excited: "No, no, how can this be considered eavesdropping? We were just talking too loudly."

"But the movie is really good. You put a lot of effort into making it. We haven't seen such a high-quality movie in a long time."

After the two finished speaking, they hesitated for a moment. Song Xia noticed their hesitation and took the initiative to ask, "Would you like a photo and autograph?"

"Yes, yes." The two nodded hurriedly, but were afraid that their reaction would be too strong and attract the attention of others, which would then cause trouble for Song Xia and the others, so they tried their best to restrain themselves.

After Song Xia and the others left, the two were still a little dazed. They had actually met them in person! And Song Xia really had such a great presence, and Song Xinghe was so beautiful! They weren't even photogenic; they looked even better in person than in the movies. They absolutely had to post it on their WeChat Moments and online to show off!