Chapter 161 As a model, Guan Lixin stared wide-eyed: "No, Mingxi..."
Guan Lixin stared wide-eyed: "No, Mingxi, what are you saying? You think...you don't mean you think I..."
He pointed at Lin Xi, then at himself, and looked at Ming Xi with an incredulous expression.
Mingxi belatedly realized that she must have misunderstood something.
Before she could speak, Guan Lixin interrupted, "Mingxi, Mingxi, we've known each other for so many years, don't you know what kind of person I am? Or do you think I'm such a despicable person? You actually think I have inappropriate thoughts about women other than my wife? You, you, you really disappoint me!"
Guan Lixin clutched his chest and said exaggeratedly.
Mingxi rolled her eyes without hesitation: "Stop pretending!"
Guan Lixin: "Who's pretending? I'm really injured. How could you think..."
Mingxi: "Alright, stop joking. Tell me the truth, why were you staring at Lin Xi like that?"
Upon hearing this, the others also looked over.
Lin Xi had actually noticed Guan Lixin staring at her a long time ago, but she was too embarrassed to say anything.
Guan Lixin scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, I was just looking for a female model, and I thought this Comrade Lin was quite suitable, so I couldn't help but take a second look."
Guan Lixin realized that his behavior just now was impolite and could easily be misunderstood, so he quickly bowed to Lin Xi to apologize.
"Comrade Lin, I'm so sorry, I was rude and offensive just now."
Lin Xi waved her hand. She was quite interested in what Guan Lixin was talking about about being a model, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What do you mean by being a model?"
Guan Lixin: "Oh, well, it's like this. I've rented a shop on the pedestrian street to sell women's clothing. It's scheduled to open on the 8th of next month. For the opening promotion, I'm planning to find a female model to wear our new products and shoot posters."
"Oh, I see." Lin Xi understood what was going on.
Seeing that Lin Xi didn't seem to object, Guan Lixin thought there was potential and immediately seized the opportunity to introduce her: "So, Comrade Lin, are you interested in this job? It's quite easy, and you don't have to do anything. You just need to wear the clothes we've put together for you in the store, stand there, strike a few poses, and let us take some photos."
As Guan Lixin spoke, he gave Mingxi a meaningful look.
Guan Lixin: Don't just stand there! You're close to her, can you say a few words to her for me?
Mingxi cleared her throat and said, "Linxi, I think you should consider this. Guan Lixin is indeed looking for someone to be the model. He was talking to me about it before you guys came. And I've known him for so many years, I know him well. I can guarantee that the photos he'll have you take will be legitimate, you don't need to worry about that. So if you're interested, you can give it a try."
"Oh, right, this kid is in a hurry to find a model. If you're really considering agreeing to this, don't agree too readily. Make him spend some money. He's not short of cash."
Mingxi winked, openly hinting at Linxi.
Lin Xi nodded, suppressing a laugh.
Guan Lixin: "Hey, Mingxi, what's wrong with you? We've been childhood friends, how come you're getting outsiders involved to make me bleed money?"
Mingxi: "It's true we're childhood friends, but who told you Linxi is an outsider?"
Mingxi snorted and put her arm around Lin Xi's shoulder, saying, "Lin Xi is my good friend!"
Guan Lixin waved his hand, and when he turned to look at Lin Xi, his face was less playful. He said in a serious tone, "Comrade Lin, don't worry, I definitely won't shortchange you on your compensation. How about this, eighty a day, how about it?"
eighty?
Lin Xi's eyes widened instantly. How much? Eighty?
That's no small amount!
Not to mention Lin Xi, even Meng Dongchun and Lin Hai couldn't help but widen their eyes. Eighty yuan? That's half a month's salary for Meng Dongchun.
You should know that Meng Dongchun is a level seven worker, and even the factory director of the machinery factory doesn't earn as much as she does.
Even so, eighty yuan is almost half a month's salary for Meng Dongchun.
Now Lin Xi doesn't have to do anything; he can earn eighty yuan just by going with Guan Lixin to take photos all day.
How could this not shock everyone?
Lin Hai opened his mouth in a daze and said, "This...is this a proper photo?"
Meng Dongchun, who was standing nearby, quickly raised his hand and elbowed Lin Hai, saying, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Lin Hai realized he had misspoke and quickly corrected himself, explaining, "No, that's not what I meant, I just..."
Guan Lixin didn't hold Lin Hai's mistake against him at all. He waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's okay, buddy, I understand what you mean."
He gave a wry smile and said, "But I still have to explain. I'm seriously looking for someone to take posters, not some random guy. The reason I'm charging such a high price is because I can't find anyone, it's hard to find anyone. I need to hire pretty girls to take the posters for my store's promotion, so that the clothes in my store look good on me. But where am I, a grown man, supposed to find any pretty girls? Pretty girls are afraid of me when they see a grown man coming to my door, they don't trust me, and I can't explain it to them no matter how much I try."
Guan Lixin spoke in a pitiful and unwelcome tone, as if he were truly in an extremely difficult situation.
However, Mingxi could tell that Guan Lixin's words were only half true.
He was indeed anxious to find someone, and it was indeed difficult to find someone at this time.
With his clothing store scheduled to open on the 8th of next month, which is only about twenty days from today, and so many things to prepare before the opening, he can't possibly spend all his time and energy on finding models to shoot posters. Of course, he wants to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
With the Lunar New Year approaching and everyone on holiday, it was indeed difficult for him to find someone.
Normally, if he were really out of options, he could go to film school or the entrance of a film studio and maybe find someone who specializes in this field to shoot posters.
But since it was Chinese New Year, film schools and studios were closed for the holidays, and he really had no choice.
To be honest, Guan Lixin has really had a tough time.
Mingxi rarely spoke up to say a few words in Guan Lixin's defense: "Guan Lixin is indeed having a tough time. His shop is opening next month, and the renovations have just been completed. There are still many things to take care of, and he's in a hurry to find models, so it's really not easy to find people."
After listening to Guan Lixin and Mingxi's explanation, Meng Dongchun and the other two understood why Guan Lixin could offer such a high fee.
The opening date is difficult to change. Even if it were them, they would be willing to pay a high price to hire models as long as they could make it in time for the opening.
After confirming that Guan Lixin was going to take serious photos, and not some random stuff, Lin Hai and Meng Dongchun both breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Lin Xi.
Guan Lixin is looking for Lin Xi. Whether or not Lin Xi agrees is her business. As her brother and sister-in-law, they shouldn't interfere too much as long as they're sure there's no danger in the matter.
Guan Lixin's hopeful gaze also turned to Lin Xi.
He genuinely thought Lin Xi was suitable. Lin Xi had a great figure, tall and long legs, proportions perfect for a model. Lin Xi was also beautiful, and her beauty was understated. Ming Xi was also beautiful, but her features were too sharp, especially her eyebrows and eyes, too aggressive. As a model, it would be easy for people to overlook the clothes and focus directly on her face. But Lin Xi's appearance wasn't as aggressive as Ming Xi's. Her beauty was silent, her features were grand but not flamboyant, and her eyebrows and eyes were soft.
If Mingxi were to describe it, Lin Xi's appearance would be considered the pinnacle of natural beauty and a goddess of bare skin in later generations.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lin Xi slowly nodded: "I agree."
Guan Lixin: "Okay, great! There's no time like the present. Comrade Lin, are you free tomorrow? If not, I'll contact someone right now so we can finish shooting the posters early and get it over with as soon as possible. What do you think?"
Lin Xi: "Okay."
She's free tomorrow.
Guan Lixin was overjoyed and quickly said, "Okay, I'll go and contact the person now. See you tomorrow morning, Comrade Lin."
Guan Lixin left after saying this in a hurry.
Seeing Guan Lixin disappear in an instant, He Li chuckled twice and said, "I'm sorry, my husband is too busy preparing to open the shop. He finally found a suitable model today, so he was a little impatient."
"Sigh, I understand, I understand."
Meng Dongchun wasn't one to dwell on such trivial matters, and Lin Hai was also perceptive and knew how to handle things. Instead of dwelling on Guan Lixin leaving first, they continued chatting.
Because of Guan Lixin's store opening, everyone couldn't help but talk about work. Meng Dongchun, having somehow heard about Ming Xi's commendation on New Year's Day, said: "I heard that you were commended at work recently, didn't you? You're really amazing! You just joined the Women's Federation this year, right? You're already an outstanding member of the unit right after starting work. You have a bright future ahead of you!"
Mingxi clasped her hands in a humble manner: "No, no, it's just that my superiors appreciate me."
Meng Dongchun: "Don't be modest."
Mingxi: "I'm not being modest. If anyone's being modest, it's you. You're the one who's being modest. You're the youngest level seven worker in the entire North City."
Meng Dongchun raised an eyebrow: "Hey, how did this bring me up again?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
And so, the conversation eventually turned to Lin Xi.
Mingxi remembered that Meng Dongchun had previously said that he would transfer Linxi to the film studio and stop working at the department store. So she asked around to find out how the job change was going.
Meng Dongchun shook his head and said, "Sigh, that didn't work out."
Mingxi: "Hmm? What's wrong?"
Meng Dongchun sighed and explained, "It's my fault for not finding out clearly back then..."
After listening to her explanation, Mingxi understood that Meng Dongchun had pulled a lot of strings and finally found out that the film studio was going to run an actor training class, interview child laborers, and that those who graduated from the actor training class could enter the film studio as actors.
Film studios are highly sought after.
Although actors in film studios in those days did not receive the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan in pay that would be common in later generations, being an actor in a film studio was equivalent to having a job, and a secure one at that. Even if they did not have any roles to play, they still had a guaranteed minimum wage.
If there are roles to play, the pay and subsidies are calculated separately.
So, getting into a film studio is really not bad.
Meng Dongchun also put in a lot of effort on this matter, giving gifts and using connections, but in the end he found out that the film studio's actor training class did not recruit students from outside, but only recruited people from its subordinate folk art troupes and drama troupes.
It's considered an internal admissions process; it has nothing to do with outsiders.
All of Meng Dongchun's previous efforts were in vain.
After hearing this, Mingxi couldn't help but feel sorry for Linxi.
Meng Dongchun really put his heart into this matter, but it's a pity that the film studio doesn't recruit from the general public, so Lin Xi still couldn't get an interview and join the studio.
Lin Xi, on the other hand, comforted Ming Xi: "Actually, I'm doing quite well at the department store. There's no such thing as a superior or inferior profession. Every profession can produce an expert. I can be the best salesperson at the department store!"
Mingxi gave Linxi an approving look.
Meng Dongchun and his two companions did not stay at the Ming family's house for long. After agreeing on a time to meet the next day, they left quickly.
He Li, on the other hand, stayed at Ming's house until the afternoon.
In the afternoon, Wei Ning also came to the Ming family, saying he was there to wish Zhao Sulan a Happy New Year. He was carrying some things, but his eyes kept glancing at Ming Xi. When Ming Xi saw Wei Ning's gaze, she deliberately ignored him with an air of arrogance.
In the end, Zhao Sulan couldn't stand it anymore and suggested that Mingxi escort Wei Ning out so that the two of them could have a chance to be alone together.
Mingxi saw Wei Ning off. Actually, she had calmed down by now and wasn't so angry with Wei Ning anymore, but seeing Wei Ning reminded her of how she had acted unreasonably yesterday, and she felt very ashamed.
Mingxi buried her face in her collar, the only half of her face that was exposed was flushed.
Wei Ning knew Ming Xi's personality well and knew that Ming Xi was embarrassed to face him because of what happened last night.
He deliberately avoided mentioning what happened last night and looked at Mingxi to ask.
"I heard there's a temple fair in Changdian tomorrow. Would you like to come with me and join the fun?"
Mingxi: "There's a temple fair this year?"
Mingxi's eyes lit up.
Since she had a dream all night, her memories of her past and present lives have become much clearer. Right now, she can clearly recall the scene of Zhao Sulan carrying her to the temple fair when she was a child.
The temple fairs back in the 1960s were incredibly lively, with stalls selling balloon toys, snacks, and even performances of swordplay, monkey shows, dragon dances, and lion dances...
Since the late 1960s, no temple fairs have been held in the northern part of the city.
Hearing Wei Ning's words, Ming Xi was indeed tempted.
However, facing Wei Ning's expectant gaze, Ming Xi still shook her head: "No, I have something to do tomorrow."
Fearing that Wei Ning might misunderstand, Ming Xi added a special explanation: "I'm not just making excuses for you, I really have something to do. Lin Xi is going to help Guan Lixin shoot a poster tomorrow, and she's worried about not having anyone with her, so she asked me to come and keep her company."
She also took the opportunity to explain to Wei Ning why Guan Lixin wanted to shoot a poster, and how the poster shoot was related to Lin Xi.
Actually, Mingxi didn't necessarily want to go, but Linxi wasn't familiar with Guan Lixin, so she subconsciously asked Mingxi, an acquaintance, for help.
As for Mingxi, she considered herself a middleman, since Guan Lixin wouldn't have approached Lin Xi without her matchmaking.
So I agreed to accompany Lin Xi to shoot the poster.
Wei Ning: "Then I'll go with you."
Mingxi: "Are you coming with me?"
She tilted her head and looked at Wei Ning: "What are you doing with me?"
She went along for two reasons: firstly, because she was the middleman who introduced Lin Xi and Guan Lixin; and secondly, because she owned one-tenth of Guan Lixin's clothing store, and she could only make money if the clothing store made money, so she was very concerned about this matter.
But what does this have to do with Wei Ning?
What was he going there for?
Wei Ning turned around, his fox-like eyes staring straight at Ming Xi. He didn't say anything, just stared at Ming Xi with a pitiful and disdainful look.
Mingxi couldn't resist his gaze and waved her hand, saying, "Alright, alright, you can come with me tomorrow too!"
After she finished speaking, she pushed Wei Ning's face away and said, "Now that you've finished talking, you should go back quickly."
She didn't want to be stared at by Wei Ning anymore.
This person's eyes were so captivating. She hadn't wanted to bring Wei Ning along, but under his gaze, she couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Wei Ning chuckled and said, "Okay, see you tomorrow."
After Wei Ning finished speaking, he turned and left. Once his figure disappeared from sight, Ming Xi quickly raised her hand to rub her itchy ears.
The next morning, Mingxi took Weining to find Guan Lixin.
Before seeing Guan Lixin, Mingxi was mentally preparing how to explain to him that she was bringing Wei Ning with her today.
When they met, Guan Lixin saw Wei Ning behind Mingxi, gave him a meaningful smile, and said nothing more.
They didn't even ask why Wei Ning was there, as if Wei Ning was supposed to be there.
Mingxi scratched his head and leaned closer to Guan Lixin to explain, "Well, Wei Ning also wanted to join in the fun and see how we shoot the poster, so I took the liberty of inviting him along. Is that alright?"
Guan Lixin smiled knowingly: "It's alright, it's alright, I understand!"
With a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, he said, "I was like that when I first started dating He Li. I would feel terrible if we were apart for even a short while. If it weren't for that, I would have wanted to go into the classroom with He Li during class."
Mingxi: ...No, who's in love?
Mingxi said helplessly, "You've misunderstood. Wei Ning and I are not in a romantic relationship. We are just friends."
"Oh, I get it, I get it, we're just friends~"
Guan Lixin's voice was punctuated with tildes, and it was unclear whether he truly understood or had misunderstood something.
Mingxi felt that he must have misunderstood again, but when she looked up, just as she was about to explain something, she saw Guan Lixin wink at her with a look that said, "You don't need to say anything, I know everything."
Mingxi: ...
How could she possibly explain this?
Forget it, she doesn't need to explain anymore.
Just as they were talking, Lin Xi arrived. As soon as she turned into the alley, she saw Ming Xi and her group. She immediately raised her hand and waved in Ming Xi's direction, then ran over to them.
The wind tousled her hair, and a blush crept onto her face. "I'm sorry I'm late."
Mingxi waved her hand: "It's not late, it's not late either. We just came out."
She looked at Lin Xi: "Have you had breakfast?"
Lin Xi bit her lip and gently shook her head.
Mingxi guessed that she hadn't eaten yet. It was only seven o'clock. The Lin family's house was a bit far from here. Lin Xi walked here, so she probably left home at six-thirty. She definitely hadn't eaten yet, since it was so early.
Mingxi took a bag of biscuits out of her pocket and stuffed it into Linxi's hand: "Eat some biscuits to fill your stomach first."
Lin Xi waved her hand shyly, intending to refuse, but Ming Xi didn't give her the chance. He tore open the bag and stuffed a cookie directly into Lin Xi's mouth.
"Just eat. You'll have a lot to do all day. If you don't eat now, you'll go hungry all day."
After being intimidated by Mingxi, Lin Xi didn't dare to be polite anymore and obediently started chewing the biscuit in her mouth.
As it turns out, Mingxi's words were not an exaggeration.
Once everyone was gathered, Guan Lixin immediately led them off. He led them through a maze of turns for quite some time until they arrived at an inconspicuous little courtyard. Pushing open the gate, they saw a man with a stubble beard and a ponytail.
Guan Lixin introduced the man with the long braid to the people on both sides, explaining that he was Xu Fei, the photographer for the day.
Guan Lixin: "Don't underestimate my buddy. He's a professional. He's a college student majoring in photography, and his dad is a famous director. He used to refuse to take small jobs like shooting posters. I had to rely on my connections and beg him to do it."
Xu Fei and Guan Lixin had a good relationship. When he heard Guan Lixin say that, he rolled his eyes and said, "Instead of flattering me, you might as well give me more payment for my services."
Guan Lixin: "Hey, look at what you're saying. Why are we talking about money? Talking about money makes us feel distant."
Xu Fei ignored him and turned to Mingxi and the other two. He pointed to the east wing of the courtyard and said, "That room is the photography studio. There is a changing room and a makeup area next to it. You can go and get ready."
Guan Lixin stopped joking around and led Mingxi and the other two to the east wing. The east wing served as a film studio, and its windows were completely sealed with thick black cloth, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Similarly, the interior was completely devoid of sunlight.
Guan Lixin turned on the light before leading the three people into the room. Inside, a lot of things were scattered haphazardly, including tripods, lamp stands, and reflectors made of aluminum foil...
Although it looks messy, it has everything it should, and it still looks quite decent.
Upon entering the house, Guan Lixin brought out a stack of clothes and said, "Let's go in order today. Lin Xi, you can change into the first set of clothes first."
Lin Xi took the clothes, said nothing, and immediately went to change.
Mingxi glanced around the room and saw a dressing table. She turned to Guan Lixin and asked, "Where's the makeup artist?"
Guan Lixin rubbed his hands together, grinning obsequiously, and said, "Well, Mingxi, look, it's the New Year, where am I supposed to find a makeup artist? Perfect, aren't you pretty good at makeup? I'll trouble you to help me out today. Don't worry, I won't let you work for free today. We'll keep things on track, I'll pay you like a proper makeup artist, forty forty a day, how about that?"
Mingxi snorted and glared at Guan Lixin with her clear black and white eyes.
"You planned this all along, didn't you?"
She could tell that Guan Lixin had clearly calculated that Lin Xi would be worried and ask her to come over, so she had already planned to have her be the makeup artist, saving Guan Lixin the trouble of finding a makeup artist.
Guan Lixin smiled obsequiously and said, "Alright, Mingxi, just do me a favor for the sake of our jointly owned shop."
Mingxi waved her hand: "Alright then."
She wasn't doing this to help Guan Lixin; she was doing it for her own share of the stock.
Putting everything else aside, Xu Fei had a pretty complete selection of cosmetics and such. As soon as Lin Xi came out, Ming Xi immediately started applying makeup to her.
Mingxi isn't a professional, so she can only try her best to make it look decent. Fortunately, Linxi has a good foundation, so Mingxi doesn't have to put in too much effort.
After the makeup was done, the filming officially began.
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Author's Note: I took the past two days off due to a migraine and feeling really unwell. I'm back to normal updates today. The story is nearing its end, and I'm working hard to finish it quickly.
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