Chapter 171: A single glance at dinner time, and she moved in...

They were lucky, really. As they passed by the door of Granny Qian's house, which was rumored to be particularly fierce in the building, they suddenly saw the handsome older brother who had recently appeared on TV through the half-open window.

Children are probably the most direct group of people when it comes to aesthetics. In their eyes, there is no sense of atmosphere, temperament, or any kind of transformative acting skills. To "amaze" them, the primary condition is that you must look very standard and be subconsciously good-looking at first glance.

The character Yang Si, played by Luo Xuan, was perfectly suited to the costume design, which greatly amplified the characteristics of his appearance, which perfectly matched the ancient costume style, making him instantly attractive.

So much so that even now, children who may not yet understand what "aesthetics" means watch "The Romantic Swordsman" with their older siblings who love watching TV—they're too young, sometimes they don't even understand the plot, they just stare at that particularly pleasing-to-the-eye face...

At this time, the inland areas were experiencing a period of rapid economic development, and Hujian TV was targeting the coastal region of Fujian Province. Therefore, the current television penetration rate was relatively good. Even if people couldn't afford color TVs, black and white TVs had already entered thousands of households.

It was precisely because they saw the television penetration rate in their own region that the executives of Hujian TV were willing to contact TBL and spend money to purchase some of TBL's dramas in an attempt to improve their own television station.

In this trial situation, period dramas are more easily accepted by the audience than modern dramas. Although most people have a positive view of Hong Kong as a pioneering international metropolis, if we were to actually import those modern dramas from TBL that are considered "out of line" by the conservative mindset in the mainland, it is estimated that before we even get any ratings feedback, controversy would definitely break out.

So after some discussion, Hu Jiantai decided to buy TBL's highest-rated period drama of the year, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes": The original novel by the old man was popular in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for a period of time. As a classic martial arts remake, with the plot of the original novel as a foundation, plus the fact that this drama has already proven its ratings in Hong Kong, it seems like a sure thing.

This version of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" lived up to the TV station's expectations. After only two episodes aired following the trailer, the ratings data was already making them extremely happy. Businesses that used to beg for advertising slots have changed their arrogant attitudes after seeing the surge in the TV station's ratings, and are now vying for advertising time in this time slot.

If large businesses are operating like this, small businesses are even more active, especially vendors near schools, who are seeing the most...

With a TV series becoming so popular lately, they've hastily commissioned and printed a batch of low-quality notebooks, postcards, and other small items, continuing their style of flaunting copyright infringement...

Teenagers are naturally the group most fond of following trends. They will try whatever is popular among the people around them, even if they have no interest in it, just to "fit in." Well, this is exactly what happened. "The Romantic Swordsman" is the one in the Romantic Swordsman trilogy that is closest to a modern wish-fulfillment novel. Many teenagers who tried it with the mentality of fitting in were easily overwhelmed by its beautiful visuals and exciting plot.

Following the example set by their parents, the children also started discussing this TV series featuring a "handsome older brother," feeling sorry for Yang Si who was ostracized and bullied, and clamoring to help the older brother fight off the bad guys...

But the TV series is broadcast episode by episode, which makes the audience scratch their heads: Yang Si was bullied so badly in Chaoyang Palace, how will the plot turn tomorrow?

Unlike their older siblings who could directly rent or buy the original novels, the children argued all day during recess, and in the end, the main argument was that Huo Sheng discovered Yang Si was being bullied and came to Chaoyang Palace to rescue him—the idea that if you're bullied outside, you should call your family for help was a consensus among the children…

Ah Fa and Ah Hui, two good brothers living in the same tenement building, are staunch supporters of this argument.

After school, while their family was still cooking, the two kids dropped their schoolbags and went on a "last hurrah": they would start doing their homework after dinner, so they could play a little longer while the sun was still high in the sky.

Unexpectedly, when passing by Grandma Qian's house upstairs, I saw the scene from the TV series I had been longing to watch.

It's the TV drama playing on Granny Qian's house, and the voices are a bit strange...

“I heard that Grandma Qian is from Guangdong Province, and her dialect is different from ours.” Ah Hui is about ten days older than Ah Fa, so he usually refers to himself as the older brother in front of Ah Fa. When he said this, he had a smug look on his face, as if he knew more because he was the older brother.

"This TV series is said to have come from Guangdong Province, so this should be their original audio, while what we heard was a 'translated' version!"

"Wow, you're so amazing! You even know this!" Children always have a special fondness and respect for those older than themselves. Ah Fa has always admired Ah Hui, his "older brother," and believes everything he is told.

Ah Hui is so amazing! Not only did he dare to break into the window of Granny Qian, the fiercest woman in the tenement building, but he also took her to watch Granny Qian's TV.

He saw the new episode ahead of time!

Seeing Ah Fa's admiring gaze, Ah Hui felt relieved: In fact, he only had a superficial understanding. He had only heard the translation from his sister and classmates on the phone. His sister was planning to ask the owner of the video arcade to go to Hong Kong to buy the film so that they could watch the plot of "The Love of the World" before others and have something to talk about in their small circle that would be admired and envied by others.

As for the videotapes that were imported from Hong Kong, they were all in Cantonese?

It's okay, there are still subtitles at the bottom of the screen, and they also speak a little Cantonese, so don't worry, it's perfectly fine!

Compared to Ah Hui's sister and her classmates who read the subtitles, Ah Hui treated it more like a moving comic book when she peeked at it: the plot was not hard to understand, that is, Yang Si finally couldn't stand the bullying of the Taoist priest of Chaoyang Palace and subconsciously used the Golden Toad Skill taught to him by his adoptive father to fight back and accidentally injured his opponent in the competition. Then he fled elsewhere in a panic and was rescued by the kind-faced Granny Xuan.

Seeing this, Ah Fa seemed to hear Ah Hui's mother calling out, which is why he asked the question earlier.

But Ah Hui was engrossed in watching the show, and even though he heard his own mother calling him, he couldn't bear to leave. He lied through his teeth and fooled the easily deceived Ah Fa.

As Granny Xuan gently comforted Yang Si, Ahui was daydreaming about Granny Xuan standing up for Yang Si when, unexpectedly, after a few unintelligible words of conversation between the two, the scene suddenly shifted to the moving stone chamber door.

Many years later, Ah Hui, now an adult, could never forget that white-clad figure that suddenly entered his sight and quietly became etched into his heart during the most carefree time of his childhood.

No amount of lengthy praise can compare to that one thought in that instant: Oh my god!

One glance, and it took root in my heart for a lifetime.

He even tried to find a wife who fit this mold, and then... nothing happened.

Because Grandma Qian, who had been watching TV with her back to them, suddenly came to the window and chased them away in a very fierce manner, the two of them could only go back to their own homes to find their own mothers, have dinner, and do their homework.

Unaware that she had influenced a generation of children's aesthetics and mate selection from across vast distances, Li Sishi actually went to a duck farmer's place halfway after visiting her cousin and bought two big, fat ducks. She had the duck farmer slaughter and process them for her, and then had Shang Hanyou carry them back to their rented apartment.

Are you sure you can handle it?

While stir-frying the duck meat, Shang Hanyou frowned and glanced at Li Sishi's busy hands.

The situation of the feet being disordered.

Li Sishi looked like a virtuous wife and loving mother with her hair tied in a side ponytail, but her actions showed no sign of that; her movements were even more clumsy than his.

“Neither Lily nor I are very good at using this kind of earthen stove…” Li Sishi argued softly.

The kitchen on the first floor is quite spacious, enough for the four of them to stay together, so the two of them are now working on their own stoves, working together to prepare dinner for tonight.

Li Sishi was in charge of making the soup, while Shang Hanyou volunteered to take over the cooking. He first sent his assistant to cook rice, and then quickly chopped up his duck and put it in the wok to stir-fry over high heat. His movements were swift and clean, showing the demeanor of a master chef.

In contrast, Li Sishi, who was not used to the earthen stove, looked like a complete kitchen novice. Even with Zuo Lili's help, she still made a mess of the surroundings.

When the stir-fried duck meat, which looked quite appetizing, and the duck soup, which didn't look so appealing, were both served, Shang Hanyou spoke first, saying, "The soup is still a little hot, let's eat first and then drink the soup."

Zuo Lili and Shang Hanyou's assistants were overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly started eating with their chopsticks.

Li Sishi slowly picked up a piece of duck meat, which was covered in sauce and exuded a rich aroma, and put it in her mouth without any suspicion—but she almost spat it out because it was so cloyingly sweet…

After barely managing to swallow the excessively salty and dry duck meat, Li Sishi looked up at the person opposite her with a look of accusation that her feelings had been deeply betrayed: How could he, with such a confident and effortless demeanor, make such a culinary disaster that could only be described as "edible"?!

Perhaps it's true that people are always exceptionally confident in areas they're not good at. Seeing Li Sishi swallow the duck meat, Shang Hanyou immediately displayed an expression even more confident and domineering than when he was singing: "How does it taste?"

"Very unique." Li Sishi was determined not to suffer alone with such bizarre cuisine, so she decided to let him try it out himself.

"Really? This is my first time stir-frying duck, and I was worried it wouldn't be flavorful enough, so I added extra salt..." Shang Hanyou, without suspecting anything, picked up a piece of duck and stuffed it into his mouth, then immediately looked troubled.

Swallowing hard the bitter pill he had committed, Shang Hanyou instinctively picked up the soup bowl beside him and sipped it, hoping to dilute the salty, fishy taste that exploded in his mouth.

"Huh?!"

The broth is perfectly seasoned, with a delicate, savory flavor followed by a refreshing and lingering aftertaste. Not only is there absolutely no gamey taste, but the duck meat, soaked in the soup, seems to have absorbed all of its flavor.

The essence of the soup, the tender skin and juicy flesh, just one bite is enough to make you feel the rich and unforgettable flavor.

To put it bluntly, this incredibly nourishing soup, paired with the beautiful woman in front of him, smiling and tilting her head slightly, made him momentarily think about what to name his future children...

⑦

"So, isn't it worth writing the word 'I admire'?" Li Sishi asked with a smile.

"Worth it, absolutely worth it!" Shang Hanyou nodded vigorously in praise of Li Sishi's cooking skills, and then, taking advantage of the moment when he looked down, he secretly blew on the fried duck in front of him.

Seeing that he seemed to want to quietly blow away the salt that had melted into the duck meat, Li Sishi stood up with a wry smile: "Alright, alright, I'll take this duck meat over and fix it again, and then fry a few eggs."

"I'll help you..." Knowing that his overconfidence had ruined dinner, Shang Hanyou guiltily picked up the plate and followed him into the kitchen.

"Watch out, don't touch anything!" Li Sishi said, picking up a spatula to "remind" him, afraid he would cause trouble again.

"No, no, I'll do whatever you say..." Shang Hanyou lowered his head obediently.

This scene in the kitchen, seemingly filled with bickering but actually a playful argument, perfectly mirrored his memories of how his parents' generation interacted...

Shang Hanyou stood with his head down and hands hanging limply, looking every bit the devoted, henpecked husband.