Chapter 53
At that time, except for a very small number of people with wealthy families, everyone's living standards were limited. How could they have any spare money to buy art?
Even if you have spare money, you may not have the leisure time or appreciation level.
Even if she used the money earned by her father and Pei Ze to invest in herself, she could not achieve the same results as in her previous life.
This became a source of worry for her.
She didn't want to rely on her parents anymore, nor did she want Pei Ze to spend so much money on her, but the investment in this business was too huge.
First of all, she needs to have a studio, then she needs to participate in exhibitions, do various publicity, mix in the cultural circle, and build her reputation. She will go to wherever the cultural industry is developing well across the country.
Qingzhou has an art academy, and its resources seem to be relatively good at the moment. Perhaps the resources in the capital are even better?
There are many newsstands and televisions in the city, and Zhong Miao has collected a lot of information recently.
If she wants to develop in the capital in the future, what will happen to her father? Her father is going to open a factory in Qingzhou and he will definitely need her for a while.
What about my mother-in-law, Pei Ze, and An An? What should I do then?
In the past, she could still think about divorce, but now, her mother-in-law gave her all the ancestral property, and Pei Ze also invested all his money in the factory for her and bought a house.
She didn't want so much at first, but now it seems that she has unknowingly become the darling of the family and the center of the family, dominating the joys and sorrows of the family.
Everyone in the family has done a lot for her, but she has been living her life in a muddle and never thought she could achieve this kind of result.
How could she let go of this family? The thought of leaving her father, mother-in-law, Pei Ze and An An, and struggling alone in a strange city, how painful that would be. She had only recently relied on TV to adapt to life without her mother-in-law. She was afraid that she would go crazy by then.
Living her life over again, the times are different and the difficulty has increased. She can no longer take things one step at a time. If she doesn't plan her future in advance, it will be difficult for opportunities to come to her.
There are quite a few well-known contemporary writers, but not many well-known painters. As for the cultural circle, alas, I can’t think of any good prospects.
Before she knew it, she had been thinking about this for the whole morning and was feeling hungry.
Zhong Miao picked up the keys and went out, carrying a thermos and a basin in her hands, wanting to buy some food at the entrance of the alley.
There are not many stalls at the entrance of the alley, only four or five. She hasn't eaten there yet. Pei Ze has been cooking recently and always saves food for her.
She usually eats two meals a day, breakfast at nine or ten in the morning, and a snack in the afternoon, which is equivalent to afternoon tea in her previous life.
She wouldn't be able to eat three square meals a day.
I had breakfast today at 5:30 in the morning. It was too early, so I was hungry at this time.
Twenty minutes later, Zhong Miao came back, put the food on the dining table, and took out a bottle of sparkling water from the refrigerator.
When the thermos was opened, a pungent aroma wafted out. It was a bowl of spicy hot pot.
The basin next to it contains two mixed chicken racks. These chicken racks are smoked and are particularly fragrant after smoking. When you buy them, the boss will disassemble the chicken racks, throw away the chicken butts, add some chopped green onions, coriander, chili peppers and a little special soup, and mix them together. The smell makes people drool.
There was half a tendon pancake in the oil-paper bag, with some meat and some vegetables on it, which made her very happy.
Take a piece of bean curd from the spicy hot pot. The surface is covered with chili oil and sesame seeds floating on the soup, and the inside is also full of soup. Take a bite, it is spicy, salty and fragrant, a favorite for heavy taste.
This spicy hot pot doesn't require any high-tech ingredients, and the ingredients are not very rich. There are only bean skin, bean sprouts, a few seasonal vegetables and vermicelli, but it is delicious, especially delicious.
She pulled off a small piece of the gluten cake and put it into her mouth. Hmm, it was chewy and a little salty. The cake also had some layers. It was delicious.
She bought a little too much and still had two chicken racks left, which she couldn't finish. But she really couldn't help it. When she was hungry, she wanted to eat everything she saw.
She tried her best to finish the spicy hot pot and eat the rest in the evening.
Chicken racks are a famous dish to go with wine. We don’t have wine at home, but we have sparkling water, which is so refreshing when it’s icy cold.
As soon as Pei Ze entered the house, he saw his wife staring at him with her two beautiful big eyes, wondering why he came back.
The little hands were greasy and held a chicken bone.
He said nothing, glanced at the table, and laughed angrily, "Haha, you bought so much, why don't you usually like it when I cook?"
"Well, I've never eaten it before, so I want to try a new flavor." Zhong Miao explained.
"So, are you thinking about changing your husband someday so you can have something new and fresh?"
"You're just being argumentative when you say that. I can't finish it. Why don't you sit down and join us? Go get yourself a bottle of soda. It's really refreshing."
"Hmph, let's go together."
"Why are you back?"
"I'm worried that you won't have anything to eat, so I thought I'd come back and make you something simple. I'll go back in the afternoon."
"I'm not a child. If I'm hungry, I can go out and buy something. I've eaten enough at the stalls at the door. There are other foods in the market, and there are restaurants. Don't do this in the future. The furniture store is not close."
The furniture factory and the furniture mall are in two different directions, and her home is in the middle. However, the furniture mall is a little further away, and it takes more than half an hour to drive there.
“Eat less food from outside, and make it yourself, it’s cleaner.”
"Yeah, isn't today a special occasion? I don't usually eat it."
"I don't think so. Can you resist being so greedy?"
"Hehehe, that's a bit difficult."
"Don't just eat vegetables, eat more meat." Pei Ze picked a piece of meat with more meat for her.
"Mmm, delicious."
"What have you been doing this morning?"
Zhong Miao seldom told him about her daily life, and Pei Ze became a little curious.
"I was watching TV and daydreaming."
"Then tell me, what are you thinking about?"
"Alas, it's because the cultural industry is underdeveloped. To be in this circle, you need money and connections. The future is worrying."
Zhong Miao expressed her troubles. That was just the way she was. She didn't like to hide anything and would just say whatever she wanted to say. Pei Ze treated her the same way. Both of them were talkative and were very frank with each other.
"In a circle? What circle?"
"Did you see the actors on TV?"
"Um."
"My line of work is pretty much the same as theirs. The entertainment industry is called the entertainment circle, and the cultural industry has the cultural circle. Being in that circle means being in this cultural circle."
Zhong Miao stopped talking and took a sip of sparkling water.
"Just keep eating and talk slowly."
Pei Ze saw that she was just talking and not eating. This was not acceptable. He came back just to give his wife a good meal.
He was worried this morning that Zhong Miao would get hungry and eat too much snacks and get an upset stomach, but he never imagined that she had actually bought a lot and was enjoying them.
However, he really missed his wife. He had been too busy recently, and the effect of their world of two was not ideal. It was far from what he had imagined. He really couldn't help but always wanted to run home.
He had restrained himself before, thinking that he could spend more time with his wife if he finished these tasks earlier. But today, he just couldn't hold it in anymore, and his heart felt like it was overgrown with weeds.
Zhong Miao took a sip of soda and organized his words. Pei Ze was too difficult. How could anyone talk while eating? How could he explain clearly or understand while eating?
"It's similar to a celebrity's debut. Others make their name by filming TV dramas and commercials, while we participate in art exhibitions, expand our network, publish books and picture albums, and have them published in magazines. These are all investments in ourselves, but they also cost a lot of money, so it's quite tiring."
"But look at how many people buy paintings now, and how many collect them? The overall environment is so bad, and the return on investment is limited, so it's not easy to develop."
"I thought you only knew how to draw. But isn't it a bit early for you to think about these things now? You haven't even started college yet."
"It's not too early at all. I can use the school's resources and information while I'm in school, but it won't be so easy after I graduate. I have to think about the future, right?"
"I don't understand this aspect. In your opinion, what are Qingmei's resources like?"
"Of course it's good, but if you compare it to the capital, it's hard to say."
Pei Ze paused, "Where do you want to develop in the future?"
"I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet."
"I have an idea for you. Perform better in school and try to stay on to teach after graduation. That way you'll always have access to resources and won't have to struggle on your own. You'll also get a salary."
Pei Ze originally didn't think that Zhong Miao could work. She was suitable for painting. He wanted to buy a bigger house for her to use as a studio after he made money. He didn't expect that there were so many twists and turns in this industry.
Considering the free environment of the art academy, she wouldn't be too tired even if she went to work, and she would also have a place to paint, which would also be beneficial for her future development.
Going to the capital? Haha, he doesn’t want to be in a different place.
Zhong Miao thought about it for a full three minutes and stopped eating. Why didn’t she think of this? My God, Pei Ze is really smart.
Although she was not interested in education in her previous life, that was because the overall environment was good and there was room for development anywhere. But now it is not a question of interest or not, but a real development path that concerns her life trajectory.
"Have you figured it out?" Pei Ze found her silly look so adorable that he was intrigued.
"Yeah, I hadn't really thought about it that way. This is indeed a good idea."
"Then can you do it well?"
"I'll definitely be able to do it if I learn more about education."
"I see there are a few art studios near Qingmei. What are they for?"
“Teaching painting is like a cram school for preparing for school exams.”
"Okay, got it."
"You want me to open a cram school?"
Zhong Miao's eyes lit up. This was also a way out. He could make money from tutoring classes. Wasn't this also a contribution to his family?
"No, I know cram schools are too intense and take up a lot of energy. If I don't work hard, I'll be sorry for the students and parents. If I work hard, the pressure will be too great. You should focus on your own development. Staying in school will be easier. At least the students will have a foundation."
"Yeah, that's right."
Pei Ze was right. Tutoring classes were not suitable for her. She still had to prepare for her works for the exhibition and really didn't have time to make that quick money.
With Pei Ze around, there was nothing left over from the meal. Pei Ze cleared the table and Zhong Miao went to the kitchen to wash her hands.
Pei Ze put down the pots and pans, held Zhong Miao in his arms, and stretched out his big hands to wrap around her fair and tender little hands. The water from the faucet was too cold, so he turned off the faucet and carefully rubbed the oil off her little hands with soap bubbles.
"Who did you learn this from?" Zhong Miao felt a little uncomfortable. She had never had her hands washed by anyone since she grew up. Was he being too considerate?
"Do I need to learn this?"
"Okay, you're awesome."
"Hehe, wife, your ears are red." Pei Ze lowered his head and held her ears, and his laughter, with heat, reached Zhong Miao's ears.
"Let go, isn't your mouth full of oil dirty?"
"It's dirty. I'll help you clean your ears later."
His voice was low, and Zhong Miao could feel the vibration as he spoke.
"It's time to go."
The smooth touch on her hands made Zhong Miao feel a little overwhelmed. This kind of intimacy was a little different from that at night.
She and Pei Ze have been getting along quite well recently. Except for the first few days when she was a little uncomfortable, everything has been the same as usual since then.
After moving to the city, the two of them did become closer.
Pei Ze turned on the faucet, grabbed her little hand and rinsed off the foam, then took a towel from the shelf next to her and wrapped it around her, kneading it again and again.
"Okay, clean up and go to work quickly. Isn't the opening coming soon?"
"Throw it away after use. You've figured it out."
"Who wants to use you?"
"Okay, I'll wash the dishes and leave."
Damn it, this bastard, didn’t you say you would wash the dishes and leave? This bastard even brushed his teeth and said he wanted to wash her mouth, and then he started acting like a hooligan, which really pissed her off.
Just kiss her if you want, but you insist on saying it's about washing her mouth. How is she supposed to look directly at the person brushing their teeth in the future?
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