Chapter 40 Wenxi

Zhang Li didn't know much about Taoism, but he also knew that the issue of faith had to be considered.

He scratched the back of his head. "How about we go ask the crew?"

The main thing is that the screenwriter and director of the crew both seem to like Jun Qiulan very much, so maybe they can make some minor changes?

Jun Qiulan hesitated for a moment, "Shall we go now?"

Zhang Li nodded. "Go early. Whether it's suitable or not, we should get to know the situation first. If that doesn't work out, we can always find other work."

Jun Qiulan thought that last time Zhang Li wanted to introduce him to a contract, he was rejected. This time the situation was different, as he wanted to introduce him to a job.

"Then let's go take a look first."

The foundation of the house is still being dug, so there is no rush to buy cement.

"Okay, let's go, come on, by the way, what are you going out for today?"

Jun Qiulan: "Just going shopping and buying some things."

"No rush, no rush," Zhang Li said. "Making money is more important. Look, you haven't found a suitable role since your last one ended. You're just playing extras every day. How can you earn as much as a role?"

Nowadays, in the work groups of extras, sometimes the person in charge will specifically mention when recruiting people that those who came yesterday should not come today.

I'm still afraid of being exposed.

It’s impossible that the extras in a drama are always the same people.

Special roles and foreground actors are generally only used once. Once the character is offline, they will not appear on camera a second time.

This film and television base has been open for quite a long time, but due to the film and television downturn in recent years, there are indeed not many crews.

Secondly, there are still not many experienced extras. Those who work in those old film and television bases are doing well and are not very willing to come here. Many times, we have to recruit more local uncles and aunts, or part-time students.

For someone like Jun Qiulan, who has played small roles before, it should be no problem for her to play a special role.

The problem is that he is too good-looking. When the crew is hiring people, they have to consider whether he will overshadow the male lead.

You may occasionally hear the second or third male lead overshadowing the main character, but fans may not be happy if a guest actor overshadows the main character.

After all this, Jun Qiulan seemed to have become a rather awkward presence in this film and television base.

He analyzed it in detail to Jun Qiulan.

Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Take your time."

He really doesn't care.

The main reason I decided to come to this world was to make money and solve the problem of food and clothing for my family.

Now we don’t have to worry about these things at all, and the situation in the border town is not as precarious as it was before.

Making money is not so urgent anymore.

In addition, he also has a fan stall business. Even though a fan costs thirty or fifty yuan, he hardly uses the money here to invest in costs, and the costs in the border town are negligible.

You can make a lot of money in one night, and you can actually support your family with this.

As for his career ambition, of course he does.

But he had also seen those talented young people who were praised highly since childhood, but ended up falling badly.

He is now no different from those talented people who have been praised since childhood.

Having lived in modern times for such a long time and made friends, I have come to understand a lot.

For someone like him, if he doesn't have any solid works to his name, his traffic and popularity will be no different from smoke and dust.

In addition, he didn't have a team, and he didn't plan to sign with an agency at this time.

If we continue to waste his enthusiasm and talent now, one day he will end up with a bloody head.

By that time, it would be a joke for him to come back and act as an extra.

However, his current abilities are simply not enough to support a good role, and no particularly good role or crew will find him. He knows that he is far inferior to professionally trained actors.

There is nothing wrong with slowly settling down, learning, and starting from the bottom.

Thinking of this, Jun Qiulan paused.

Yan Jing's crew and role should be the best in the industry, right?

Feeling a little guilty, he refused.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Li saw his subtle expression.

Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "Nothing, I was just thinking about the character."

In the crew.

When Jun Qiulan and Zhang Li arrived, filming was in progress.

The director was too busy, so screenwriter Si Wei received them.

"How is it? You've heard what Zhang Li said, right? This character has a total of six scenes, and then he dies and is offline." Si Wei talked non-stop, "Oh, by the way, this is a costume suspense drama, solving crimes, it's considered a unit series, and the playboy you are going to play is the victim of one of the cases."

This sounds pretty good.

Jun Qiulan seemed to be lost in thought, then added, "Teacher Si should have heard that I'm a Taoist priest. So, regarding the setting of this playboy, I wonder if there are any scenes where I get too intimate with women?"

This time, Si Wei also choked.

He asked tentatively, "A normal arm around someone, is this acceptable?"

Jun Qiulan was silent for a moment, then asked another question, "Is this playboy the type who appears to be well-mannered? Or is he the type who appears to be vulgar?"

There are many playboys in the capital who are philandering. They have seven or eight beautiful concubines at home and often go to brothels to have fun. But when they go out, they are still well-dressed and considerate in their interactions with others.

This is the basic cultivation of children from aristocratic families.

However, he has also seen playboys who appear to be very vulgar, and even rape women in the street. For such people, some frivolous actions are more in line with their personality.

After listening to this, the screenwriter was thoughtful.

At this moment, the director also came over. He was a young man in his twenties.

"How was the chat?" the director said with a smile. "Don't look at me as not as talented as Director Chen, but we're a young crew, so communication is easier. This role was originally slated for a younger actor, but he had other work commitments and dropped out. He was the one who recommended you to me."

Jun Qiulan was surprised.

Apart from Qu Feng and a few actors in Strategy of a Bastard, he seems to have no other familiar actors of the same age.

When I was acting as an extra before, I didn’t have much contact with other actors.

What's going on?

"Excuse me, which friend is this?"

Director Su smiled and said, "Wenxi, that kid is very well behaved and speaks softly. He recommended you to me."

He was originally someone pushed in by investors, and was an 18th-tier actor. His image was too well-behaved and not suitable for the role of a playboy, and he was not very satisfied with it. However, precisely because of Wenxi's well-behaved appearance, even without any representative works, he has gained a lot of mother fans and sister fans.

As a result, Wenxi withdrew first. He was very polite and recommended Jun Qiulan, a more suitable candidate, to them.

A good-looking guy is called a playboy, and an ugly guy is called a creep.

It just so happened that Zhang Li was an extra in the crew yesterday, and I heard that they have a good relationship.

Jun Qiulan seemed to be lost in thought.

Wenxi gave him a strange feeling.

After adding the contact information, there has been no contact.

I helped him find a job, but didn't even send him a message. Doing good deeds without leaving your name?

No, that's not right.

He and Wenxi should still be in a competitive relationship now.

Jun Qiulan quickly brainstormed.

Si Wei then said, "Other intimate scenes, like hugging and kissing, can be slightly modified, or even replaced with a different location. However, this character's death was caused by the courtesan. This scene cannot be changed at all. After all, it involves the logic of solving the case later. If it is changed, the rest of the plot will have to be changed as well."

This is impossible. Screenwriters are not willing to change the script, let alone make major changes.

What's more, the leading actor has had the script for a long time.

How can the leading actor justify changing the script for a minor supporting role?

Director Su also said: "This is acting, so it shouldn't be a big problem. Besides, you will have higher development in the future. You can't always avoid intimate scenes, right?"

Jun Qiulan had basically figured it out. "I'm sorry, Director Su and Teacher Si, because of my personal beliefs, I'm afraid I'm not very suitable for the role of Playboy. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity."

His apology was so sincere that there was nothing wrong with it.

Personal beliefs should indeed be respected. Otherwise, if the show is seen by viewers with minority beliefs after it is broadcast, the crew will be criticized.

Both Si Wei and Director Su felt a little regretful.

His image is really likable.

Zhang Li next to him was even more nervous and regretful. Although this was a small crew and even the leading actor was only a slightly famous newcomer, it was also a rare opportunity for him.

However, he also keenly noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with Wen Xi.

Si Wei flipped through the script again and said, "There's another role you should be able to play. It doesn't conflict with your beliefs. It's only three scenes, but the pay won't be too high."

Director Su also remembered such a role. "You mean the guard who saves the protagonist? This one is really not well cast. A guard needs to be good at fighting. He is just a supporting role. There are only three episodes in the play, and two of them are fighting scenes. I can't find a double for such a small supporting role, right?"

It would be better to just find a stunt double to play this role.

The reason why we have to find an actor with good skills is because the death of this guard became the fuse of a case. The guard only lived for three episodes, but the subsequent development of the case was related to his death.

They had also seen the video of Jun Qiulan fighting in the hotel before, and several strong bodyguards were no match for him.

Playing this role should be easy, there are not many lines, and it does not require advanced acting skills.

Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "Thank you, Teacher Si and Director Su, for giving me this opportunity. No matter how big the role is, even if it's just an extra, I'm fine with it. Just give me a chance to learn."

He is polite and sensible.

Si Wei and Director Su are only a few years older than Jun Qiulan.

"Let's not get into those polite words. We're a small crew. I, the director, and Si Wei, the screenwriter, are both new to the industry. We can't get big investments, and the crew can't afford big-name actors. We're looking for you because we think your image is suitable, and we also want to take advantage of your popularity. Don't you agree, Mr. Folding Fan?"

Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing.

Mr. Folding Fan is the nickname given to him by those lovely netizens.

When I heard it for the first time, I was a little surprised and also a little happy.

He still has a long way to go as an actor, but his calligraphy has been recognized by many people.

Calligraphy was what he had learned in that world before, and he was happy that it could be put to use.

Once the matter was agreed upon, the contract was signed directly.

Jun Qiulan had a part, and Zhang Li also had a part, but Zhang Li's role was a playboy, and his pay was more than twice that of Jun Qiulan.

Zhang Li was surprised and delighted, "No, this director, I..."

The agreement was that if he could persuade Jun Qiulan to take on the role of Playboy, he would be given a small role.

As a result, Jun Qiulan was unable to play such a role. He felt sorry, but he couldn't force it.

Unexpectedly, there was such a sudden turn of events. How come he got the role of the Playboy?

This character is much more important than the mute slave who was with Master Qiwu before. In this ancient costume detective case suspense, he is one of the victims.

Director Su laughed heartily. "We were looking for someone for this role anyway. You look pretty good. You've been an extra for so many years and have done a lot of special roles. It shouldn't be hard to play a small role."

"It's not difficult, it's not difficult." Zhang Li was very excited. "I will definitely perform well."

Director Su waved his hand and said, "Alright, I still have to go direct a play. If you have anything to do, please leave first. The work list will be sent to the group, so remember to pay attention."

Just as he finished speaking, Jun Qiulan's phone rang.

It was the person in charge on Director Wang's side who called, and Jun Qiulan quickly picked up the phone.

He was asked to go for a second interview.

this……

Jun Qiulan was a little embarrassed. If the roles of the two sides conflicted, it would be inappropriate.

This cell phone was given to him by Master Qingheng, who said it was a gift from a pilgrim. Perhaps the pilgrim took into consideration Master Qingheng's old age, and chose a cell phone with a particularly loud volume, so that everyone present could hear it.

Director Su waved his hand and said, "You only have three episodes to shoot, so just concentrate on shooting for two days. Just take the role if you need to."

He also likes to shoot fly pages.

It just doesn't follow the development of the plot.

In fact, it is also to save money.

For example, he basically shot all the scenes in the same place together.

Many crews do this.

Jun Qiulan breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Director Su."

"Come on, get busy."

Jun Qiulan replied to the person in charge here and the second audition was scheduled for three days later, at the same place.

Walk out of the crew.

Director Su and Si Wei chirped again.

"I said that Wenxi suddenly withdrew before and strongly recommended a newcomer. This must be wrong."

"No matter what he's planning, we're a small crew and can't afford to offend investors. Wenxi asked us to keep the people, so haven't we accomplished our mission?"

You have a plan, but I have a ladder to climb over the wall.

Just tell me, did you manage to keep it?

I just don't know when Jun Qiulan offended Wen Xi.

To be honest, if this playboy role is played well, it might actually affect his popularity with the audience.

No girl would like a philandering and vulgar man, even if you are good-looking.

Especially for a banished immortal like Jun Qiulan, his image will be greatly damaged after playing such a role.

For this role, an actor with an honest look, unremarkable features, and no memorable points would be more suitable. He would be very suitable for the role, but he is not famous, so I didn't consider him before.

This time, they are bound to be able to take advantage of Jun Qiulan's popularity, and Zhang Li's role is just a favor.

Not to mention that Jun Qiulan’s popularity has almost dropped, but in fact, as long as Jun Qiulan doesn’t do anything weird, he is bound to be popular.

When he becomes famous in the future and his fans come to dig up more information, won’t their drama become popular again?

There is no way around it. For the sake of their own works, the newcomers in the two industries will do anything they can, even if it means doing so in a clear conscience.

Director Su: "You specifically mentioned that sex scene. Was that intentional?"

Si Wei: "Why? No, we just want to take advantage of the popularity, we don't have any grudge against Jun Qiulan. I think this little brother is quite well behaved, most likely there is some resource conflict with Wenxi."

They all thought of the phone call Jun Qiulan had just received.

Si Wei: "You mentioned Wenxi on purpose when you arrived. Isn't that your plan?"

Director Su gave a thumbs up, saying that old partners like them have better understanding of each other.

As for Jun Qiulan, after leaving the crew with Zhang Li, she was thinking about how to separate from Zhang Li.

Zhang Li was so happy that he didn't notice that Jun Qiulan was in trouble. At the same time, he was curious, "When did you go to audition for another crew?"

If an audition is required, it has to be a good role.

Jun Qiulan didn't hide it. "Teacher Ji Hong recommended me to go there before. They only gave me an audition opportunity. However, the competition was fierce. Hundreds of actors auditioned. I was not sure. I didn't even know what kind of drama it was. I only got a small part in the audition."

Zhang Li was grateful to Jun Qiulan today, so he naturally said something nice: "Generally speaking, a second audition means you've passed the initial screening. The second time you audition, you might know what role it is, and you'll also have Teacher Ji Hong's recommendation."

Jun Qiulan thought so too.

Zhang Li continued chattering, "By the way, is there such a thing as a Taoist priest like you returning to secular life? If you want to develop in this industry and play the leading role in the future, unless it's a male-dominated drama, there's no need for a female lead. Otherwise, in idol dramas and the like, intimate scenes are inevitable."

Jun Qiulan also sighed about this problem.

In fact, what troubled him was not a question of faith, but he knew that he was a fake Taoist priest.

It was he himself who couldn't get over that hurdle.

Sure enough, he is still an old feudal.

"Let's talk about this later," he said.

Zhang Li didn't try to persuade him any further. "By the way, aren't you going shopping today? I'll go with you and help you bargain."

Jun Qiulan couldn't help laughing, "No, I'm just going for a stroll."

After a pause, he said, "Brother Zhang Li, if you are free tonight, let's have dinner together."

This job was introduced to him by Zhang Li. Although Wen Xi had his own plans involved, it was not important.

If Wenxi did this, it was probably because there was a conflict between the roles on Director Wang's side.

Jun Qiulan actually wanted to laugh. The calculations in the court in the past were much more clever than Wenxi's. The moves made by those court officials were all aimed at taking his life. Wenxi's tricks were nothing compared to them.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

Zhang Li was also happy when he heard Jun Qiulan said that she would treat him to a meal. "Let's go, let's go now. Let's go eat some noodles. If you want to go shopping alone, I'll go back this afternoon to see if there's any work."

They both like to eat this fried noodles.

It's neither early nor late, and there are not many people in the noodle shop.

The two of them slurped noodles and chatted about the new play for a while.

Zhang Li was not a fool, so he naturally noticed something.

Still a little apologetic, "If someone approaches you through me again in the future, I should just reject them directly, right?"

"No need." Jun Qiulan said with a smile, "Didn't I get a good role today by chance? Don't worry about their intentions. We'll just deal with them as they come."

In a society ruled by law, the incident with that rubbish director last time can only be a very small probability.

It is normal for most ordinary people to have their own selfish desires and calculations, and so does he.

However, we cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater.

"Master Qiulan."

Jun Qiulan didn't even need to look up to know it was Yan Jing.

His expression was a little strange. "Are you here to eat noodles with soybean paste too?"

Yan Jing was wearing a formal suit today, with his jacket held in his arms.

His eyes seemed to smile: "It's not time to eat now. I just happened to see you when I passed by here, so I said hello."

Jun Qiulan said "oh" and that's what he said.

It was actually hard for him to imagine Yan Jing coming to such a small shop to eat, just as the court officials of the past could not imagine that he actually quite liked the sweet rice cakes sold by a shop carrying a shoulder pole.

In his conventional thinking, Yan Jing should be like the overbearing CEO in TV dramas, who only goes to high-end restaurants.

How could he end up in this small noodle shop with smoke all over the walls?

"The mixed noodles here are amazing, do you want to try it?" Jun Qiulan was eager to recommend it to him.

It smells quite nice, but Yan Jing still pays great attention to his body management, so he basically doesn't eat this kind of sugar and oil mixture.

"Next time."

Jun Qiulan didn't force it, "What are you holding in your hand?"

Why do I feel like something is moving inside my clothes?

Yan Jing looked at Jun Qiulan and thought for a moment, "Is your place suitable for raising cats?"

He opened his suit jacket, revealing a chubby little kitten inside, humming and kneading milk in the lining of his suit.

Maybe because he never cut his nails, his suit was tasseled from being stepped on.

"Your cat?" Jun Qiulan liked it very much. It had a round head, orange hair, and white gloves. It was so cute. It was a little dirty, though, and its eyes seemed to be oozing pus.

Yan Jing tutted his words and said, "Just now when I passed by the alley over there, a female cat held it in its mouth and put it in front of me, then ran away."

It was obviously a scam.

This kitten must be sick.

Yan Jing said, "I'm going abroad in a few days, and I'm worried that the kitten won't be able to bear it if I ship it directly back home."

Jun Qiulan was a little confused. "My place is a rental house, and I'm not sure if I can keep a cat. Let me ask."

"Okay." Yan Jing also found a stool and sat down. "If it's convenient, I can temporarily foster the cat with you, or you can send it back to the Taoist temple. I'll come back later, and if you don't want to keep it, I can take it away. During this period, I'll cover all the expenses of raising the cat."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

How much does it cost to keep a cat?

Jun Qiulan is now very wealthy.

Uncle Hua replied quickly, saying that as long as I kept the room clean, I could keep a cat.

Jun Qiulan breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay to keep it, but the kitten might be sick. Can it be cured?"

"Don't worry." Yan Jing stood up again. Perhaps he was not used to it either. "I'll take this cat to be treated. I'll bring it back to you before I leave."

"I have to go to the hotel where you're staying for an audition in three days. Can I bring him back myself then?"

"Okay." Yan Jing looked at the time, "I'll be leaving first. You guys take your time eating."

"Take care."

Zhang Li let out a breath only after Yan Jing had walked a distance.

This is Director Yan Jing. He didn't even dare to breathe just now.

"Are you so familiar with Yan Jing?" There was a hint of caution in his tone.

Jun Qiulan brought out the same excuse again, "His grandfather and my master are old friends."

As for the rest, he did not explain.

Zhang Li didn't ask any more questions, but was just more surprised.

Isn't that just a Taoist temple in the deep mountains that was previously inaccessible? How could it be related to someone like Yan Jing?

Although there is no information about Yan Jing's family background on the Internet, judging from his demeanor and dress, he is not an ordinary person.

Or is it that Jun Qiulan's Taoist temple is some kind of secret metaphysical Taoist temple?

"I'll find time to go to your Taoist temple and burn incense some other day?"

Jun Qiulan was confused. "Sure, the cable car will be open soon, and we'll be able to receive tourists then."

After dinner, Zhang Li returned to the film and television city.

Jun Qiulan took a taxi to the building materials market.

Jun Qiulan broadened his horizons again, but he didn't spend much time strolling around. Uncle Hua just sent him a message saying that he was acting today, and that he was playing the role of an old man practicing Tai Chi.

He had to get the things back before Uncle Hua got off work.

Find a cement seller and explain your purpose.

He looked up information and found that there is a difference between cement used for building houses and cement used for paving roads.

Then……

The boss asked, "How many tons do you want?"

How many tons???

He had just learned a few days ago from the textbook Uncle Hua gave him that one ton is two thousand kilograms.

Jun Qiulan was shocked. He really didn't know how much to buy.

And it is not suitable for him to buy too much at one time.

The idea is to buy less at one time, and if there is not enough, he can just come back to buy more.

Seeing his bewildered look, the boss teased him, "Young man, you've never done this before, have you? Are you building your own house in the countryside?"

Self-built house in rural area?

That's true.

Jun Qiulan nodded.

The boss continued, "If it's a two-story building, about 300 square meters, it would be about 50 to 70 tons. You can estimate it roughly."

Jun Qiulan: "..."

Wouldn’t it be possible to flood Uncle Hua’s house if we pull it back?

He hadn't considered it enough before.

He originally thought that he was not stupid, but he still suffered an IQ Waterloo.

He is not building the small cement and red brick building here. The main structure of the house still has a lot of wooden materials, so it should not require so much cement.

But a few dozen packs probably won't be enough.

I did a quick calculation.

"Boss, give me ten packs today. I don't know if I made any mistakes, so I'll try them first."

This bag weighs 100 jin, and ten bags weigh 1,000 jin.

"Ten bags?" The boss looked at it curiously and said, "If it's ten bags, I can't deliver it here. Go find a tricycle over there."

"OK."

Pulled ten bags of cement back.

Jun Qiulan paid more money stealthily and asked the tricycle driver to help him carry it up.

The tricycle driver didn't say much, but instead bared his teeth and said honestly: "Please take good care of me when you need to pull things in the future."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Jun Qiulan looked at the pile of cement and felt troubled.

You can't always bring it back so carefully and secretly, right?

There is also surveillance downstairs.

But it’s still the same. Unless something happens, Uncle Hua won’t just watch the surveillance camera for no reason.

Home surveillance usually covers the entire situation within a few days.

But he didn't dare to gamble.

We have to find another way.

Jun Qiulan first transported the ten bags of cement back.

Outside the house, the workers digging the foundation were working hard and shouting slogans.

Jun Qiulan opened the window and took a look.

"father."

Jun Yu hurried back, "What happened?"

Jun Qiulan pointed at the cement and said, "To build the house, I estimate that thirty tons of cement will be needed."

The price has been cut in half from the amount mentioned by the cement boss.

Jun Yu: "How about we burn it ourselves?"

My son said before that earth cement can be made, but the quality is slightly lower.

Jun Qiulan shook his head. "It takes a lot of manpower and resources to burn cement. It's not worth it just to build a house."

"Then why don't you rent a place over there that's suitable for receiving goods? Just say it's a warehouse, and they probably won't say anything."

Jun Qiulan also thought about this problem.

But when he brings back dozens of tons of cement, the villagers will be curious about where it came from.

Since the quantity is small, I can use the excuse that my cousins ​​got it.

He had indeed thought too simply before.

Jun Yu thought for a moment, "Then don't buy this cement. Use it to reinforce the exterior wall. If it's not enough, you can buy some less."

Although this cement is good, the adhesive they originally used for construction is also not bad.

Usually, once a house is built, it does not need major repairs for the first few decades unless it experiences an earthquake or heavy snow. With a little maintenance every year afterwards, it is not a problem for a house to last for hundreds of years.

Jun Qiulan hesitated for a moment.

"Dad, I have an idea that will allow us to use cement for free."

The cement here is cheap nowadays, but the quantity needed is too great. To buy so much cement, he would have to empty his family's savings.

If you’re going to do it, do it big.

It's just a little bit risky.

He is still hesitating.

Jun Yu still understands his son very well.

"Or, why don't we go discuss it with Mr. Su?"

Jun Qiulan hesitated, "Wait a little longer, there's no rush, we're still digging the foundation."

"It's good that you have a plan." Jun Yu sighed, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We can build our house even without cement."

"I know, Dad."

Jun Yu continued, "Lan'er, your mother and I discussed some things last night. That world holds too many unknown possibilities for us, and it also comes with various risks. Your mother was always worried about Lan'er traveling there alone. Now... we're slowly getting back to our normal lives."

Is it possible to reduce the frequency of going there?

They can also choose not to eat fruits, new things, or daily necessities that are convenient to use.

Jun Qiulan smiled and said, "There's really no danger over there. I have their legal identities and am protected by the law. Besides, I have to make money so that my parents can live a good life in the future."

Jun Yu looked at his son and said, "I guessed you would say that. I think what your mother is really worried about is what will happen if you go there one day and suddenly can't come back?"

This question really stumped Jun Qiulan, and he didn't know how to answer it.

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The author has something to say: There are only 8,000 today, please send out red envelopes in the comment section.

Don't be polite to the author.

Also, the rabbit before is not a bug, it will be discussed in the next chapter.