Chapter 43 Why don’t my childhood friends come?
"Qiao Yuwei, she snores very loudly." Zhu Zhixuan was displeased.
"You've never slept in the same room with her before?" asked the coordinator.
"No," Zhu Zhixuan replied. "If I had slept in the same room with her, I would have said not to put her and me in the same room. They should sleep in the same room as the snorers, instead of disturbing others' rest."
Zhu Zhixuan didn't want to sleep in the same room with Qiao Yuwei. If others knew that Qiao Yuwei snored, they would definitely not want to change rooms. After changing rooms, they might also have complaints.
The coordinator was wondering why Zhu Zhixuan was asking for a room change when Jiang Moli hadn't even mentioned it. They were all on a business trip together, so couldn't they just be more patient? If not, they could just pay for a single room.
"Let me check." He had to see which room had a vacant bed. If there wasn't one, that wouldn't work. He was in a difficult position. He had heard someone say that Zhu Zhixuan hadn't been feeling well recently. Sure enough, wasn't this asking him to change her room?
The coordinator had a table showing which rooms everyone was staying in. There was indeed a vacant bed in one room, but it was occupied by the makeup artists. They had a lot of stuff to do, and they had to get up early. The makeup artists weren't just applying makeup for one performance group, but for all the performance groups in the unit, so their workload was quite heavy.
During normal rehearsals, we don't need to put on makeup; we just practice in costume. But for a performance, there are many people who need makeup, and everyone has to put on makeup in order. It's not just whoever arrives gets to put on makeup first; it also depends on the order of the performance.
"There's a bed available over there for the makeup artist. If you go there, don't even bother asking for a change," the coordinator said. "Our unit doesn't have that many rooms booked, so having a free bed is already a great bonus."
"Change. After changing, I won't ask to change again." Zhu Zhixuan thought that as long as she didn't share a room with Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli, it would be fine. Qiao Yuwei snored and Zhu Zhixuan didn't want to see Jiang Moli. If the other two didn't leave, Zhu Zhixuan would have to go to another room.
So, Zhu Zhixuan went to sleep in another room, and Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei shared a room. No one else wanted to stay there.
When Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei returned home after lunch, they found that Zhu Zhixuan's things were missing, and they knew that Zhu Zhixuan had moved to another room.
"She moved out?" Qiao Yuwei was surprised. "Did she upgrade her room herself, or did she move to someone else's place?"
"It's fine either way." Jiang Moli said, "Let her do whatever she wants."
"I really don't know if I snore at night. I fell asleep by myself and didn't feel anything." Qiao Yuwei said, "She moved out and no one lives here. I'll take the bed near the door, a little further away from you. If I snore and you wake up, tell me tomorrow. If I snore, I guess you'll have to bear with it."
Qiao Yuwei had no choice. She couldn't afford to upgrade her room herself; that would cost a fortune. Qiao Yuwei's salary was so meager, and with the money from her performances, it wasn't much more. If she had to upgrade her room and sleep alone, she wouldn't have earned any money these days. That wasn't an option.
"Put in earplugs." Jiang Moli said. It was hard to talk about those things when she was away from home and sleeping in the same room with her colleagues.
Jiang Moli's group did not have a performance today, they will have to wait until tomorrow.
In the evening, Qiao Yuwei asked Jiang Moli, "Do you want to go out for a walk?"
"No, I'll go someday during the day. I won't go at night." Jiang Moli said.
"This is the capital. The capital should be safe at night." Qiao Yuwei wanted to go out for a walk at night.
"It will be much safer." Jiang Moli tugged at the quilt. "I have a performance tomorrow, so I won't go out today. I'll go out later when I have time. Didn't the leaders of our unit say that those of us who have never been to the capital can go out for a walk?"
The unit leaders knew they couldn't stop these people's curiosity, so instead of letting them sneak out, they decided to let them report before leaving, so that they would know where they went. Otherwise, they wouldn't have to wait for a long time before finding out that they were missing, and then it would be difficult to find out where they were.
"You seem to be very dedicated to this performance." Qiao Yuwei sighed.
"This is our first performance in the capital, so we have to put in some effort," Jiang Moli said. "We have to perform well. There are other kinds of plays tonight, and I plan to go and see them."
"I know, I know, there's Huangmei Opera," Qiao Yuwei said. "The birds in the trees are in pairs, and the couples are returning home together."
Qiao Yuwei could sing a few lines, "And that one, pairs of them come to the ridges of the fields."
"You sing pretty well." Jiang Moli nodded.
"I almost went to learn Huangmei Opera," said Qiao Yuwei.
"Why didn't you go to study later, but instead studied Yue Opera?" Jiang Moli wondered.
"Drawing lots." Qiao Yuwei was speechless at the thought. "My parents are from two different places. One wanted me to sing Huangmei Opera, the other wanted me to sing Yue Opera. Learning two things at once would be too much for one person and it would be hard to learn them both. So they both refused to give in, so they asked me to draw lots, and I drew Yue Opera. My mom always said that my dad cheated, saying that he wrote Yue Opera on both pieces of paper. My mom said she should have looked at the other piece of paper."
"Your mother didn't go to see it." Jiang Moli was surprised.
"Yes, she said she regretted not going to see it," Qiao Yuwei said. "My dad said he didn't cheat, that he wrote two different plays, and that my mom saw him write them. Whenever they quarrel, they always bring this up."
"Your parents don't have other children?" Jiang Moli wondered.
"Yes, but my brothers and sisters didn't learn opera, but I did," Qiao Yuwei said. "I'm playing small roles now, right? My mom said that if I had learned Huangmei Opera, I might have become a famous actor by now. My mom really thinks highly of me. How could I have such great ability?"
"Your parents have a good relationship." Jiang Moli said.
"That's right." Qiao Yuwei said, "It's just hard for me. My brothers and sisters are fine. Sometimes I think, if my brothers and sisters also learned it, and we each learned a different type of opera, and there were people learning opera from my mom's side and my dad's side, wouldn't my parents let us compete to see who can achieve greater success first?"
"It's possible." Jiang Moli nodded. "You're doing pretty good now. You've been accepted into the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers Academy and have participated in performances. How great."
"I haven't played an important role yet, and I don't know if I will ever get one in my lifetime." Qiao Yuwei said, "But I'm very satisfied. Being able to enter the Provincial Little Hundred Flowers is a kind of affirmation for me. There are so many talented people in this world, and I can't possibly surpass them."
"Well, yes, just think it through." Jiang Moli said.
In her previous life, Jiang Moli watched short videos and saw others designing missile and electromagnetic guns, becoming academicians at a young age. Jiang Moli was envious, but then she looked at herself and knew she couldn't reach that level. First, she didn't have the talent, and second, she couldn't devote herself to such research. Her brain wasn't strong enough, and even if she had to keep researching, she wouldn't be able to produce a single flower. Whenever Jiang Moli saw short videos of those great people, she was filled with sincere admiration.
This is great too!
Jiang Moli just wanted to be an ordinary person. There was really no other way. If there was a way, she would also be a great person.
"I'm not going out tonight." Qiao Yuwei said, "Are you going to see an opera?"
Seeing Jiang Moli nodded, Qiao Yuwei also said, "I'll go with you, I'll go too, but I don't know if the tickets are expensive."
Zhu Zhixuan moved to a new room. The other two makeup artists weren't there; they were out applying makeup to performers and hadn't returned yet. When the show was over, the makeup artists would help remove the makeup for the important guests. The regular employees, if they could, did so themselves, and some even helped each other remove their makeup.
After taking the medicine, the girl is feeling much better today. She doesn’t have a runny nose all the time, but it’s still a little runny.
Niu Cuihua went to pick up Da Niu as usual. Da Niu sniffed and said, "Mom, I'm not well yet."
"You still want to eat meat." Niu Cuihua knew what her daughter was thinking as soon as she saw her. Everyone wants to eat meat, but it depends on whether you have money. "You have run out of meat, so you can eat taro cakes. The meat your grandma gave you is gone, and there is no more."
"Is there no more?" The big girl thought there was still meat and she could eat it. Her illness had not been completely cured yet, so she wanted to eat meat.
"No more!" Niu Cuihua said, "You can't eat meat every day. If you do, it will get stuck in your teeth and ruin them."
"Oh..." The big girl still wanted to eat meat.
Niu Cuihua didn't buy any meat. There wasn't much money at home, and she had spent it too recklessly before.
"Wait until your father gets his salary, then buy some more." Niu Cuihua said.
"When will Dad pay the salary?" asked the big girl.
"I told you, but you don't know. Your father gets his salary when everyone else does." Niu Cuihua said, "Why do you have so many questions?"
Niu Cuihua held her youngest son and took her eldest daughter back home.
Jiang's mother didn't help Niu Cuihua take care of the child, but Niu Cuihua did a good job raising the child. Previously, Niu Cuihua had behaved poorly, and Jiang's mother wanted to see if she could perform better in the future and if she could take care of the child herself.
When Zhao Guodong returned home, the girl ran to her father and asked, "Dad, when will you pay me?"
"Do you want to buy stationery?" Zhao Guodong asked.
"She's craving meat," Niu Cuihua said. "She wishes her illness would never heal, hoping she could always eat meat. Meat, meat, that's all she wants. Where can she get so much meat?"
"She hasn't fully recovered yet. Even if she does, she needs some nourishment." Zhao Guodong said, "We should buy some meat tomorrow."
"You only know how to spoil her." Niu Cuihua saw the money Zhao Guodong handed over and glanced at the girl. The girl was really lucky. "In our country, many people don't care about girls. They let girls do more work and eat less. And you give her meat to eat."
"Gender equality." Zhao Guodong said the same thing. "Give her food. She is our biological daughter."
"Eat, eat. Since you said so, how can I not let her eat?" Niu Cuihua was treated well when she was at her mother's house. She treated her eldest daughter worse than her youngest son. She learned that from the villagers.
Girls in the countryside were worthless. Some were thrown away as soon as they were born, and some were even drowned. Drowning a child is murder, but such behavior really exists, and people do it secretly, without anyone knowing.
If those girls were lucky enough to be picked up by a better family, they could still make a living. If they were not picked up, some of them would freeze to death on the roadside.
There are very few girls like Niu Cuihua who are treated better by their parents in the countryside.
In the evening, Jiang Moli and Qiao Yuwei watched Huangmei Opera together. After the show, when they were walking back home, they met other people from the unit. Other people from the unit also came to listen to other operas, and some of them could even sing a few lines after listening.
Jiang Moli could imitate the singing, but she hadn't received systematic training and didn't understand Huangmei Opera very well. Each opera style has a different singing style, some with the breath at the front and others at the back, and the movements are also different.
For example, although both are about "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", there are differences between Huangmei Opera and Yue Opera, and it's not just the lyrics.
"Our unit is also going to perform 'The Butterfly Lovers'. I wonder what the effect will be?" said Qiao Yuwei.
"Each side has its own unique characteristics, so there's no need to compare," Jiang Moli said. "This story itself is well-known to everyone. What matters is the process."
"Indeed." Qiao Yuwei nodded.
A new day dawned, and the play "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Birthday" was performed in the afternoon. Jiang Moli took the stage. The response was enthusiastic, with some people even walking to the edge of the stage and throwing money onto it, while others even tried to get on stage. The performers didn't let the audience's actions interrupt the performance; they continued on.
After Jiang Moli finished her performance, she went backstage to remove her makeup. When she came out, Jiang Moli was talking to someone when she saw a bouquet of flowers in front of her.
Jiang Moli looked over. At first, she thought it was Sheng Jiahao running over, but she didn't expect it was someone else.
"Brother Shi Nan." Jiang Moli was surprised.
Shi Nan and Jiang Moli were from the same street. He was two years older than Jiang Moli and had been admitted to a university in the capital. Shi Nan saw a Yue Opera performance and saw some actors' names written on the poster, so he took a closer look.
Although Shi Nan was not in Nancheng, he thought that Jiang Moli was so capable, and Jiang Moli must have had a better development, such as entering the provincial Xiaobaihua. Shi Nan asked his family about Jiang Moli's news, and his family said that Jiang Moli had a partner, but he didn't believe it.
When Shi Nan was admitted to university, his family told him not to get too close to Jiang Moli, saying that they were both older and would cause misunderstandings among their future partners. Shi Nan liked Jiang Moli and wanted to be with her, but he knew his family disagreed. They thought that Shi Nan was a university student and should be with other female university students, and they looked down on Jiang Moli.
A few years ago, some people joked that Shi Nan and Jiang Moli were a good match. At that time, the Shi family didn't say anything. When Shi Nan was admitted to university, the Shi family said that they were like brother and sister, brother and sister who grew up together.
"Brother Shi Nan, why are you here?" Jiang Moli asked, "I didn't even tell you."
Jiang Moli didn't write to tell Shi Nan, nor did she call. Jiang Moli wasn't stupid. The Shi family didn't want Shi Nan to have much contact with Jiang Moli, and Jiang Moli didn't rush to do so. We were all grown up, not children anymore, and we really had to keep some distance.
"I saw it on the poster." Shi Nan chuckled. He handed the flowers to Jiang Moli and wanted to reach out and rub Jiang Moli's head, but Jiang Moli subconsciously dodged.
"Brother Shi Nan, I'm not a child anymore." Jiang Moli didn't want Shi Nan to rub her head. That would be too intimate. Jiang Moli wasn't someone who didn't know everything. She had to avoid him when she needed to.
"Yes, you are not a child anymore." Shi Nan asked, "Do you have anything else to do later? I will treat you to a meal."
"It's okay." Jiang Moli said, "Then I want to have a big meal."
"Okay, I'll treat you to a big meal. Just tell me what you want to eat." Shi Nan said with a smile.
"Okay, don't say you don't have enough money and let me pay." Jiang Moli said.
"Of course not." Shi Nan said, "Do you think I'm one of those brats?"
Jiang Moli and Shi Nan's friends were like this. Someone said he was the one who was treating them, but he didn't bring enough money, so others had to pay. After one or two times, everyone told him not to treat anymore. Every time he treated someone else had to pay, and no one believed he could save up enough money to treat.
Jiang Moli reported to her boss, who said, "Come back early."
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded. Of course she had to come back early.
Jiang Moli asked Qiao Yuwei to help her take the flowers back, so she would not take the flowers with her to dinner with Shi Nan. Shi Nan was a gentle and refined man with a scholarly temperament. He was not bad looking and quite handsome.
Shi Nan and Sheng Jiahao are two different people. Shi Nan's temperament is more reserved, or should we say he has the temperament of the brother next door. Sheng Jiahao has a good family background and is engaged in business, so his momentum is stronger. He is more restrained in front of Jiang Moli, but he still looks more noble and more eye-catching.
Jiang Moli suggested eating Peking duck from the capital, which is particularly famous. Shi Nan took Jiang Moli to eat Peking duck, just the two of them, no one else.
"Brother Shi Nan, you went to the opera alone, not with anyone else?" Jiang Moli joked, "Even if you didn't go with your partner, you should have gone with your roommates."
"I wanted to come alone, so I could have dinner with you and chat more." Shi Nan said, "If you bring your roommates with you, you won't be able to enjoy your meal with a stranger."
"Why is it so uncomfortable?" Jiang Moli snorted.
"In front of strangers, you have to pay attention to your image." Shi Nan said, "Also, I don't have a partner."
"Not now, but there will be one in the future." Jiang Moli said, "I'm dating someone, my teacher's son."
"..." Shi Nan originally wanted to test Jiang Moli, but he didn't expect Jiang Moli to talk about her boyfriend herself. Shi Nan lowered his head slightly, his eyes slightly changed. He hadn't graduated from college yet, and his parents didn't like Jiang Moli anymore. It was really not a good time for him to do anything else. "You haven't reached the legal age for marriage yet."
"It's not the right time yet, and we're not married yet. It's still okay for us to be together and have a relationship." Jiang Moli took a bite of the roast duck. Shi Nan wanted to roll it for her, but she didn't want to, as she preferred to do it herself. "If it's suitable, we can get the marriage certificate when we're old enough."
"Dating... dating is good." Shi Nan's lips curled up slightly and smiled faintly. It was just dating, and maybe this love would fade away with the wind. "When you are young, have more relationships and compare them more. What kind of person is he? Is he good to you?"
"Okay." Jiang Moli nodded. "He's doing very well at the moment. He also studied at a university in the capital before and was one of the first batch of college students after the college entrance examination was resumed."
Shi Nan thought that it must be an old man, who must be older than him, and he was younger.
"You are all very outstanding, all college students." Jiang Moli sighed, "Unlike me, I only graduated from junior high school and went to art college."
"I asked you to go to high school, but you didn't want to." Shi Nan said, "Your grades were so good back then. If you had gone to high school, you would have definitely been admitted to a top-tier, prestigious university. When I was in junior high school, my grades weren't even as high as yours, and I didn't get as high scores."
"Everyone has different pursuits," Jiang Moli said. "Girls may have better grades in elementary and junior high school, but they may not be able to compete with boys in high school. Some boys' academic performance in high school improves by leaps and bounds, and they suddenly become very impressive. It's hard for us girls to catch up no matter how hard we try. There are many examples like this, but not all girls can be easily caught up by boys. It's just that I have my own pursuits."
Jiang Moli wanted to sing opera, not necessarily go to high school or college. When asked if she regretted her decision, she said no, believing everyone should be responsible for their own choices. Jiang Moli's middle school teacher also persuaded her to pursue high school and college. Her passion for opera was so strong that she enrolled at Nancheng Art College.
In her previous life, Jiang Moli attended high school and college. In this life, she wanted to live differently. In her previous life, when she was in high school, she met a tall, thin boy. Their grades were similar at first, but then his grades suddenly improved and remained stable, even though he didn't work hard. No matter how hard Jiang Moli tried, she couldn't catch up, and she felt completely powerless. This wasn't about gender inequality, but rather about the different timing of physical development between men and women, just like how boys suddenly grow taller in high school.
Growth and development are natural physiological phenomena that no one escapes. It's just that individual experiences differ from the general phenomenon. Fortunately, girls are willing to work hard, and some are very talented. In some universities, there are more girls than boys, and the number of girls admitted to universities is no less than that of boys. There are even female top scorers, women admitted to the National University of Defense Technology, and women who have become academicians.
In fact, Jiang Moli had some suspicions. It might be because in her early years, girls weren't as valued as boys, and their nutrition wasn't up to par. This was especially true in high school, when some boys lived on campus and had their parents accompany them and took plenty of nutritional supplements. Girls ate less, and their parents assumed they were obedient and didn't bother accompanying them through high school. Back then, teachers often said things like, "Boys will start to develop strength in high school" or "They'll start to develop strength in the third year of junior high." This was often said by female teachers, and not just one. Perhaps this was their experience, but it was also a form of discrimination and injustice.
By the time Jiang Moli had worked for a few years, everyone's nutrition had improved, and more girls were admitted to universities than boys. There were also so-called experts who wanted to suppress girls. When Jiang Moli saw such news, she would curse inwardly. Girls went to universities based on their own abilities. Women had been oppressed by feudalism for thousands of years. Now it was no problem for more girls to go to universities. If those boys had the ability, they would get higher scores than girls.
"It's not that I'm timid or afraid that I can't compare to them. Studying is always like this, there are always people who are better than me." Jiang Moli said, "It's just that I have something I like, and I want to do what I like early on."
Men and women each have their own strengths, and Jiang Moli also wants to seize her strengths and develop them. She wants to live a different life. Rather than traveling through time and living the same life again. In this life, when Jiang Moli hadn't recovered her past life memories, her choices would be different. She would be determined to move forward and not let herself regret. Perhaps she subconsciously wanted to make up for the regrets of her past life in this life, which is why she made such a choice.
"Then do what you like!" Shi Nan supported Jiang Moli, "There's a night market nearby. I'll take you there later."
Shi Nan didn't say anything else, he didn't express the love deep in his heart.
Jiang Moli was carrying a small crossbody bag. She didn't have that much stuff, just a few things. Jiang's mother was afraid that Jiang Moli would lose her money, so she sewed a small pocket inside her clothes so that Jiang Moli could put her money in the small pocket. This way, even if the money outside was stolen, the money close to her body would not be stolen.
Before, Jiang Moli was performing in a city near the south city, and her mother was not so worried. But when Jiang Moli went to the capital to perform, her mother became a little worried.
This morning, Jiang Moli called Jiang's mother to insure her safety, and also called Sheng Jiahao to say a few words.
At this moment, Jiang's father and mother were sitting in front of the TV, watching TV together.
CCTV reported that the provincial Xiaobaihua troupe would be performing in the capital, and also briefly mentioned some of the plays, such as "Five Daughters Paying Homage to Their Parents" and "Butterfly Lovers".
"I don't know how many people will go to see it," Jiang's mother said. "Many people here will go to see it, but I don't know if those people from other provinces will go to see it."
"I will." Father Jiang said firmly.
"Yeah, they should be watching. If no one was watching, why would they travel so far to perform?" Jiang's mother said, "The TV is just reporting the news, why isn't there any footage of the performance?"
Jiang's father was about to say these words when Jiang's mother said them.
"Look more closely, maybe you will find it." Jiang's father said. He also wanted to see his daughter.
Around nine o'clock in the evening, Shi Nan sent Jiang Moli to the hotel. At the hotel entrance, Shi Nan said again, "I'll come to see you when I'm free another day."
"It doesn't matter. Studying is important." Jiang Moli said, "Brother Shi Nan, you are a college student. You must study hard. The most important thing for students is to study. And I have graduated."
"You can be a happy little butterfly now." Shi Nan handed the things he bought to Jiang Moli. They were all some local snacks so that Jiang Moli could eat them when she was hungry when she got home.
Jiang Moli waved to Shi Nan and went back first. Shi Nan looked at Jiang Moli and clenched his fists. He originally thought that Jiang Moli would not fall in love so quickly, but he did not expect that Jiang Moli actually fell in love.
It's okay, it's okay, Shi Nan told himself, this is just love, he is just temporarily giving Jiang Moli to someone else. Jiang Moli is so beautiful, so charming, how could there be no one pursuing her? There are always people who drive away those crazy bees and butterflies when he is not around.
Jiang Moli didn't know what Shi Nan was thinking. She only thought that she had told Shi Nan that she had a partner, and the other people in the Shi family also knew about it. So the Shi family should not think that she, Jiang Moli, was thinking about Shi Nan.
Qiao Yuwei originally thought that Jiang Moli would come back late, but she didn't expect Jiang Moli to come back so soon.
"Come, have something to eat." Jiang Moli smiled and invited Qiao Yuwei to eat.
"Is that person your boyfriend? Oh, no, isn't your boyfriend in South City?" Qiao Yuwei quickly covered her mouth and looked at her mouth, wondering why she was talking nonsense.
"He's kind of my neighbor. He's older than me, but we've been playing together since we were little," Jiang Moli said. "He's attending university in the capital, and I didn't go to high school or take the college entrance exam. Instead, I went to the South City Art College."
"So he's your neighbor. You know quite a few college students." Qiao Yuwei said, "I heard your boyfriend is also a college graduate."
"It's just a coincidence." Jiang Moli smiled.
When Nan returned to school, he saw the note posted by the dormitory supervisor, saying that his mother had called him. Shi Nan contacted the time when Jiang Moli came to the capital, and after thinking about his mother's call, he chose to call her back. Shi Nan's family was well-off and had a phone at home, so it was no problem for him to call home no matter how late it was.
"Mom, you called me, is there something wrong?" Shi Nan asked.
"It depends on where you're going. When you're in college, you have to study hard," said Shi's mother. "Don't neglect your studies."
"No delay." Shi Nan replied.
"Um..." Shi's mother thought for a moment and said, "Jiang Moli and her colleagues are going to the capital to perform. Did you already know? The TV even mentioned their performance time."
Shi's mother felt that this matter could not be hidden from Shi Nan, and Jiang Moli would have to stay in the capital for many days.
"I know. There are posters on the roadside and people are talking about it at school," said Shi Nan.
"She's just our neighbor. If you want to go see the opera, then go. It's a way of showing support for your neighbor," Shi's mother said. "Besides... Jasmine already has a partner, and you're a man, so don't get too close to her. Don't let her partner misunderstand you."
"Her boyfriend is not in the capital." Shi Nan smiled.
"Just because she's not in the capital, can she have two relationships at the same time?" Shi's mother blurted out.
"She's not two-timing. She just treats me as a brother." Shi Nan said, "Mom, do you have anything else to say? I have classes tomorrow morning."
"Okay, go and rest, go and rest quickly." Shi Mu didn't say much.
Shi Nan hung up the phone. If he didn't call back, his mother would call again, and she might even do something else. Shi Nan couldn't let his mother do unnecessary things, and couldn't let the relationship between him and Jiang Moli reach an irreversible point. Shi Nan was still in college, in the capital, not in South City.
When filling out his application, Shi Nan chose a university in the capital. There were many good universities in the capital, and he wanted to see the world. Shi Nan thought about it and decided to return to South City after graduating. With a good university diploma, he would have a good starting point. After graduating, he wouldn't have to worry about what his mother said.
When Shi Nan returned to the dormitory, his roommate teased him, asking if he had met someone he liked.
"Yes." Shi Nan answered. He did not say that she was not the person he liked. Jiang Moli was indeed someone he liked and loved very much.
Zhu Zhixuan was asleep when she heard a noise and was woken up. The makeup artists came back late and woke her up. Zhu Zhixuan felt that she had finally fallen asleep and was finally getting a good night's sleep, so how could such a problem occur? This made her very unhappy.
"Sorry to bother you," one of the makeup artists said. "We have no choice. We have to wait for the teachers to finish their performances and remove their makeup. We'll be back late."
The makeup artist came back late and had to wash up, so there was a lot of noise.
When Zhu Zhixuan slept with Qiao Yuwei and Jiang Moli, she was the last one to wash up that day, and it took her quite a while. Now, Zhu Zhixuan shared a room with these two makeup artists, so she had to listen to the sounds of others washing up, as they were not as fast.
The coordinator had previously told Zhu Zhixuan that she was busy and might go to bed late and get up early, but Zhu Zhixuan said that as long as she and Qiao Yuwei didn't sleep in the same room, it would be fine. The coordinator then moved Zhu Zhixuan to this room. Zhu Zhixuan couldn't ask the coordinator to change rooms now, nor could she ask others not to come back so late.
You have to know that these makeup artists are only busier during the performance period, and it will be a little better at other times.
On the day of He Jingxian's wedding banquet, some people from the company attended. Some people received invitations but didn't go, citing family matters as reasons. Zhou Yiran went to join in the fun. Since she had received invitations and was specifically asked to come, she had to go and take a look.
He Jingxian's parents had come, along with her maternal uncle, but not many people had come. The Qi family had already told He Jingxian to hold the banquet at her parents' home and not to have them come to South City. Travel expenses and food were expensive, and the Qi family didn't have that kind of money. If the He family was willing to pay, then He Jingxian would let them come.
He Jingxian's parents naturally couldn't afford such a large sum of money, so they didn't invite those people over. They just waited to hold a banquet at the He family another day, and the Qi family would still pay for the banquet.
Zhou's mother did not come to the wedding banquet. He Jingxian asked her to come, but she did not want to come. Zhou's mother did not want others to think that she valued He Jingxian. When He Jingxian was competing with other contestants, she commented on He Jingxian, saying that He Jingxian's performance was not good and did not vote for He Jingxian.
"Not all the people you invited are here." Qi's mother went to He Jingxian, "What's going on?"
"My colleague has something to do and can't come." He Jingxian said.
He Jingxian had also invited Teacher Lu, but she didn't come either. Teacher Lu wasn't stupid; if she came, she might end up endorsing He Jingxian. It would be better for her not to come.
Some ordinary employees of the company came if they wanted to, but they wouldn't come if they had to pay a membership fee.
"Do those people really have something to do? They just don't want to come." Qi's mother said, "You still insist on inviting them and asking them to come."
"..." He Jingxian didn't dare to say more, for fear of making Qi's mother even more unhappy.
Today was He Jingxian's wedding day, so she should be happy, but she felt a little sad. He Jingxian imagined a lively and festive wedding, where her mother-in-law and the others wouldn't say anything about her. Her mother-in-law didn't care whether today was a wedding day or not, and she would still express her dissatisfaction in front of her.
Zhou Yiran glanced at He Jingxian a few times, urging her to invite the company's people and the leaders. Aunt Qi's presence with a leader was a sign of honor from the company. He Jingxian herself had relied on connections to join the Nancheng Theater Company, and to hold a wedding banquet, she had to let everyone at work know how powerful her in-laws were.
"Hasn't the wedding banquet started yet?" asked someone from the unit.
"Wait a minute, maybe it will start soon." Zhou Yiran said, "Eat peanuts and melon seeds, it will start soon."
The other guests haven't arrived yet, so the wedding banquet has to start and we can't keep waiting.
Typically, weddings prepare extra tables. If one or two extra people come to a family's house, there will be more seats. With fewer people, there will be more empty seats. That's fine; the empty seats are empty. At this point, there's no other way.
After the wedding banquet, everyone dispersed. He Jingxian and the others returned to the Qi family, while He Jingxian's parents and others stayed in a hotel near the Qi family. When Qi's mother talked about He Jingxian at the banquet, the He family members didn't dare to say much. They all knew that the Qi family was much more powerful than the He family, so it was better for the He family to say less. It was He Jingxian who was wrong in the first place.
"Even though there are so many empty tables, you still have to pay. You can't not pay. They have already prepared the ingredients long ago."
"It's not easy to ask them to put more food on other plates, since they already put more food on them."
"I can only let some relatives take the food away. They are all good food and cannot be wasted."
"If the restaurant gives us a discount because of our family's reputation, that would be even more extravagant and wasteful."
"What will others say about our family? What will they say about how extravagant you, the deputy factory director, are?"
…
When Qi's mother returned home, she told Deputy Director Qi this in front of He Jingxian. He Jingxian's elder brother and sister-in-law had already taken the children back to their own rooms. This matter had nothing to do with them, so they naturally didn't want to get involved in it. They had to let He Jingxian and her husband deal with it themselves.
"Mom, I don't know if they'll be willing to go. I didn't invite many people, only about ten or twenty," He Jingxian said. "There are quite a few people in our group, and I also invited some of my former teachers from school..."
He Jingxian originally thought that those people would give her and Aunt Qi some face. She didn't ask for any money, so they could just come and eat and drink. He Jingxian even wanted people from her unit to bring their families with them. That would be fine. She thought that if she had a few tables, it would be no problem for those who brought their families.
As a result, those people did not bring many family members with them, and some did not come at all.
They were all colleagues, and they were also competitors. Those people didn't want to take advantage of others and not be criticized by He Jingxian later. It was just a meal. Even if it was a feast, it wasn't worth having them come over. They had enough food to eat at home.
"How many of your teachers came?" Qi's mother asked, "When you gave out the invitations, didn't you tell them they had to come?"
"I said it." He Jingxian said.
"You said it, but they still don't come. That means they don't give you face." Qi's mother said, "You have to know whether they will come or not. Why do you have to invite them?"
"They are capable." He Jingxian said that some people can still have a say in this circle.
"That's their ability, not yours. Just because you invite others, does that mean they'll come?" Qi's mother said, "You're too naive. If your second aunt hadn't brought the leaders from your unit with her, you'd be even more embarrassed."
Today, someone asked Qi's mother why there were so many empty tables. Qi's mother couldn't say that the people He Jingxian invited didn't come, but said that some relatives didn't come. Qi's mother felt that He Jingxian was too embarrassed. He Jingxian wanted to climb up, which was not wrong, but was there something wrong with the way He Jingxian climbed?
"Mom." Qi Shixin looked at his mother. Seeing that she had almost finished speaking, he said, "Today's affairs are over. The wedding banquet lasted a long time and it was quite tiring."
"Then go and rest." Qi's mother said, "Talk to your wife more and don't always think you are so great. She is not that great. Others will not listen to everything she says."
"Yeah." Qi Shixin said, "Mom, don't worry, I will tell her."
Qi Shixin tried to comfort Qi's mother. He glanced at He Jingxian and told her not to worry. They still lived with their parents, so they should make them happy and not go against them. Seeing Qi Shixin's gesture, He Jingxian could only calm down. Ever since He Jingxian married Qi Shixin, she had always been like this in her husband's family, wanting to lose her temper but not daring to.
"Come on, this is South City, not her hometown." Qi's mother was still unhappy. "Don't always think of us as her hometown and think about those trivial things all day long. If you have that time, you'd better think about getting pregnant and having a baby as soon as possible. That's the most important thing, don't you understand?"
He Jingxian was still standing nearby. When she heard what Qi's mother said, she really wanted to refute it, saying that her existence was not just about giving birth. However, she had not yet demonstrated her own value, so no matter what she said, it was useless. Qi's mother could suppress her.
After arriving in the room, He Jingxian felt very aggrieved. "I really didn't expect so many people wouldn't come, only a few of them did. Zhou Yiran is here, so why aren't the others here?"
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