Chapter 64: Touching the deer's horns. (Shen Qingqing's ending)
1
At the end of November, Shen Qingqing's crew was forced to finish filming in the south.
By mid-month, the epidemic was no longer preventable; people in the village began to show symptoms. Shen Qingqing said every day that she would leave early, but she never finished filming. She never knew which road would be blocked again. There were times when Shen Qingqing, camera in hand, stared at the iron fence in front of her door, feeling as if she were in the middle of a biohazard scene. The streets were deserted, and you never knew which zombie would suddenly pop out from any corner.
The producers were also overwhelmed. The budget had to be prepared daily, with quarantine costs and ever-changing airfares, each of which was different. The crew's budget kept rising, rising, and rising. Chen Qingqing remotely controlled Sun Ziyi and Sasa in Beijing, going to her closet to buy clothes and jewelry, and then going to Xianyu to buy them.
But at the end of 2022, who has the money to buy it?
The final shoot was originally scheduled for Hunan, and she had originally planned to return to Northeast China for the Lunar New Year after finishing there. However, circumstances kept changing, and Shen Qingqing couldn't rush to go. When she called her client in Hunan, they explicitly refused to allow the crew to return, saying the village was sealed off and a return would likely be fruitless. Shen Qingqing asked her client, "Do you need help? Can you divorce now? Or, do you have any new ideas for resolving your marital problems? Our core mission is to help you solve your problems. Do you need a lawyer to speak with you?"
The client said that in the current situation, just staying alive is enough.
Then the other party hung up, leaving Chen Qingqing with a very long beep; in fact, she still wanted to try again, she wanted to take her own DV to Hunan to shoot.
The crew said their final goodbyes at the airport, and she booked the last flight back to Dalian. She watched as each person boarded, pulling red envelopes from her bag before boarding, wishing them a Happy New Year. She told them they'd been through a lot with her this past year, traveling extensively, sometimes even being quarantined. The producer booked a ticket for the flight before her, at the gate below ground level.
For some reason, there were so many people on the underground floor today that the only words that came to Shen Qingqing's mind were "densely packed." The aisle selling braised food on the underground floor was packed with people. The producer's flight was delayed, and the flight attendant handed out lunch boxes. The moment she received the lunch box, Shen Qingqing's stomach growled, but with the noise everywhere, she didn't know if the other party heard it. However, the producer still untied the rubber band on the transparent lunch box, opened the disposable chopsticks, and even thoughtfully rubbed the chopsticks against each other, saying to Shen Qingqing, "Director Shen, eat. You've worked hard this year."
Shen Qingqing didn't hesitate and took it and buried her head in eating. It was just an ordinary meal, but she ate it with great relish. After she was full, the producer said, "Director Shen, I still have to say that the current material is not enough. What are you going to do?"
Shen Qingqing said: Let’s eat first, I’ll think of a way when we get back.
The producer added that, in fact, once a crew is separated, it is difficult to put it back together again. After today, you may have to figure out what to do next on your own.
Chen Qingqing groaned and took another bite of shredded potatoes.
The broadcast called for boarding again. Shen Qingqing was eating in a hurry and wanted to stand up to see the producer off, but the other party held her down and said, "You eat, you eat, I'll leave first."
Shen Qingqing said, OK, see you when I get back to Beijing.
The producer said yes.
She finally stood up and looked back at where the producer was boarding the plane. She held her lunch box in one hand and said goodbye to him with the other, shouting, "You've worked hard this year too! Check your coat!"
The producer was surprised to find his red envelope in his coat pocket. The distance was too far, so he stood at the boarding gate. Finally, he put his hands together and bowed to Chen Qingqing.
2
Before Shen Qingqing landed, Shen Qiwen had booked a room at Grand Hyatt for her. Originally, Shen Qiwen wanted her to live in the old house, but was worried that she would eat takeout every day. Living in a hotel, at least she could eat and drink well every day. When Shen Qingqing arrived, she saw the message sent by her biological father.
"The key is next to the trash can outside Gate 8. I've asked the cleaning lady to help keep an eye on it so no one can take it. But please be careful to stay away from the cleaning lady. We'll try not to cause any trouble for them. Also, Dad has booked a room for you at the Grand Hyatt. The reservation is made by Mr. Shen. Go to the front desk to pick up the room card. We're worried that you'll be isolated in the old house and eating takeout every day. We've also arranged three meals a day."
Chen Qingqing suddenly felt that her father could also be a good stagehand in the crew. He was really good at making arrangements. After she got the car, she drove to Xinghai. Before going upstairs, Chen Qingqing was still downstairs looking at the sea with a mask on. This year was too magical for her. Because Chen Qiwen raised her so well, others would say that they were stepping out of the greenhouse when facing the cruel society, but Chen Qingqing's situation was called stepping out of the cradle by Sun Ziyi... Thinking of this, Chen Qingqing reported her safety to the group. There were not many people on the beach, and it was not against the policy for her to get some fresh air downstairs. So she lingered until it was almost dark before going upstairs. Dinner was already on the desk. There were dumplings with Chuangeyu, cold cauliflower, jelly with sauce and braised pork liver. There was a glass of orange juice with granules in it. They were all her favorite foods. She opened the menu and found that there was no dish available at Grand Hyatt. After taking a bite, she immediately realized that it was made by her grandfather's aunt.
There were bath balls and a full set of bathing equipment in the bathroom, which should have been prepared by Shen Qiwen. When she had almost finished dragging her clothes and was about to jump into the bathtub, the doorbell rang.
Shen Qingqing would never have thought that the person outside would be Wang Shu... She was wearing a bathrobe and a mask. She originally thought that it was just a staff member and they could communicate through the door, but she didn't expect Wang Shu to want to come in pushing a Rimowa suitcase.
"Long time no see!" Wang Shu stood at the door with a smile.
"Why are you here..." Shen Qingqing was a little surprised.
"I'm here to quarantine with you. Husband and wife can be together, as long as we don't go out."
Shen Qingqing stretched out one foot across the doorway, not knowing how to advance or retreat.
There were new footsteps on the porch, and Shen Qingqing quickly stretched out a hand to wear the mask tighter. Wang Shu took the opportunity to push the suitcase forward and came in directly.
“Then you can stay on the sofa tonight.” Shen Qingqing said.
The sofa at Grand Hyatt is very small.
"I want to sleep in a bed," said Wang Shu.
She originally wanted to scold him for being a hooligan, but after all, they had not divorced yet. Chen Qingqing walked towards the bathroom again, thinking to herself, why should you come to my territory and I have to accommodate you? She opened the bathroom door, stripped naked and went in, opened a facial mask and put it on her face. After looking at the sky for a few minutes, she felt really bored, so she asked Wang Shu to drag a chair over for her, and she wanted to watch the show on the pad.
After Wang Shu dragged the chair over, he took out a few bottles of wine.
"I just bought it at Ole in Pavilion, and also bought some snacks. I remember you loved the Tanggu duck products sold all over the streets, but he's not selling them anymore. I think he went back to his hometown for the New Year."
“Really?” Shen Qingqing applied a facial mask and spoke without moving her lips.
When she turned around again, she saw Wang Shu holding the plate of dumplings and eating with her chopsticks.
“I’m a dangerous person and need to be isolated. Don’t you know how to be careful?” Shen Qingqing called him.
"I've already moved in, so I'd better be careful, isn't it a bit too much of a show of respect?" Wang Shu said.
Shen Qingqing was too lazy to argue with him, so she continued watching the TV series on the pad.
Wang Shu was full, so he came over and sat in a corner of the bathtub. He reached into the tub filled with bubbles and directly pulled her legs out. This was a common move they made at home. What followed was some bad things, but this time Shen Qingqing was of course unwilling. She reached out and scooped up a handful of water.
"Why? We are getting a divorce."
Wang Shu dodged her shower and instead began to massage Shen Qingqing's calves.
"Dad said your flight was delayed, and you haven't had enough rest lately. Don't you get swollen if you don't get enough rest?"
Shen Qingqing exclaimed. "Sure enough, I got the information from my dad."
Wang Shu pressed the button for a while, and then the phone rang. Shen Qingqing tilted her head and looked at the pad, ignoring her. Seeing that Shen Qingqing didn't want to talk, he whispered, "I have to have a meeting later. Will you come with me?"
Shen Qingqing was puzzled by his question, looked at him doubtfully, and asked, "Why should I work with you? I don't understand your work either."
Wang Shu walked out of the bathroom with a playful smile and went to the sofa to turn on his computer. "Just watch the fun."
Chen Qingqing didn't accompany him to watch the excitement. She sat on the sofa, eating the garlic shrimp chips bought by Wang Shu and watching the drama. Wang Shu ran to the desk for a meeting. As soon as he opened his mouth, Chen Qingqing couldn't hear the plot anymore. All she could hear was Wang Shu talking. Unexpectedly, she fell asleep while listening.
Chen Qingqing was woken up by the stuffiness at night. She always felt that there was something wrong with the fresh air system of Grand Hyatt. There was too much sunlight during the day and she would be woken up by the sun at eight o'clock. She felt stuffy at night. For her, the best thing about this hotel was the sea view, but it was pitch black outside at the moment and she couldn't see anything. Wang Shu, who was standing next to her, felt her move, reached out and held her hand, and asked in a daze, "What's wrong with you?"
Shen Qingqing said I couldn’t sleep because I always felt like there were little bugs crawling on me.
Wang Shu reached out and touched her back. After stroking it up and down several times, he said, "No more. I drove away the bugs."
Shen Qingqing tossed and turned for another ten minutes, but when she felt it still wasn’t working, she sat up.
Wang Shu was so tired of her that he couldn't sleep anymore. He stood up, touched her head, and took out a thermometer from his bag to measure her temperature, but it was normal.
Chen Qingqing now looks like a kindergarten child, and Wang Shu looks like a kindergarten teacher. The child says nothing, and the teacher guesses frantically.
Finally, Wang Shu asked, "Do you want to go downstairs and see the ocean? It's not like anyone's outside right now. Let's go out and get some fresh air. I think you're just bored." Then Wang Shu stood up and started looking for clothes. He opened his suitcase and pulled out an Arc'teryx jacket and a down jacket. Then he dug around in his suitcase and pulled out Shen Qingqing's mask. Then he pulled out her scarf, gloves, and even a pair of floor socks. Shen Qingqing was completely lost in thought, thinking the man in front of her was her father...
Chen Qingqing wanted to say something, but then she felt that it would sound like flirting, so she simply kept her mouth shut. It was not until she was about to leave that she told Wang Shu not to forget to bring the room card.
The two of them went downstairs stealthily, and Wang Shu suddenly asked in a low voice, "Does it feel like when we were dating, we went out to spend the night and hide from the dorm aunt?"
Shen Qingqing also felt that "it seemed a little bit."
"We were happier back then and had more energy. Now, even when I go out to see the sea, I feel my back hurt when I breathe."
The doorman opened the door for them and asked if they needed help calling a taxi.
Shen Qingqing hurriedly said no, no, then turned around and mocked Wang Shu, saying that you are not in good health because you are sub-healthy, but I am fine.
Wang Shu said, "Really? Then let's have a race to see who can run to the beach first?"
After Wang Shu said this, he shouted one, two, three, and ran down the steps of Grand Hyatt like a sword drawn.
When he turned around panting, he found that Shen Qingqing didn't accept the challenge at all... She just walked over slowly, looked down at him, and finally walked down the stairs with a pause.
"You are so boring," Shen Qingqing said.
"I don't want to play with you."
"You only talked about the competition, but not the prizes. Am I a college student? Do I need you to make empty promises?" Chen Qingqing laughed at him.
"Then what do you want? I'll buy it all for you." After Wang Shu said this, Shen Qingqing didn't want to laugh anymore.
"I don't want to go to the sea anymore, Wang Shu, I want to go climb some mountains.
They spent half the night climbing up the mountain from the path on the side of the castle hotel.
Shen Qingqing whispered, “My grandpa lived in the manor behind here in his early years. Every day after school, the driver would pick me up and take me to my grandpa’s house for dinner. I always saw sika deer on this road. I think I was twelve or thirteen years old at that time.”
Wang Shu exclaimed and said, "It seems that there are fewer deer in the past two years. I haven't seen any in the years since we fell in love and got married."
Shen Qingqing said that she had never seen him again after going to Beijing to study.
Wang Shu stretched out his arm, climbed onto Chen Qingqing's shoulders, and moved to the other end to touch her face.
Shen Qingqing didn't hide either. There was something weird between them. The atmosphere made people feel that there was room for not getting a divorce, but at the same time, they felt that if they talked about it, this marriage was wrong from the very beginning, as if they had to get a divorce.
"I had just received my admission letter from Beijing University, and I told my mom I'd done really well on the exam! She sold a sheep so I could travel. My dad told me to go to Beijing, saying I should familiarize myself with the city. But I knew it would be difficult for me to travel elsewhere given my family's financial situation, and Beijing was where I was going to study. So, I spent that time scouting the internet like crazy, looking for the best places within my budget, and I ended up here."
Chen Qingqing asked, "Then what? When you came to Dalian, did you see me flash by on the street?"
Wang Shu said shut up, this is not an idol drama.
"Then I signed up for a three-day, two-night tour that cost 500 yuan. We drove all the way from Inner Mongolia to Shenyang. We stopped at two rest stops along the way, and my butt was numb from sitting. There was a giant Coca-Cola can on the street in Dalian at the time. It was so stylish! I even took a photo with it. On the first day, we went to Sun Asia Underwater World, on the second day we went to Discovery Kingdom, and on the third day we walked the same route you and I are walking now. The tour guide said Sun Nan and Zhao Benshan both have houses nearby. My biggest thought during those three days was actually..."
Shen Qingqing was listening intently, but Wang Shu suddenly paused.
"What is it?"
"I was walking down the street and noticed that people in Dalian were very fashionable, and seemed different from the people in my area. I heard a little girl greet her boyfriend in Dalian dialect. She was very young, maybe fourteen or fifteen, and I still remember what she said. She said, 'If you don't show up in front of me in ten minutes, you're dead! You know I never take the bus!'"
"It was at the bus stop in Xinghai. The reason I remember it so clearly is that the girl's Dalian accent was very strong, but that time she spoke... You could tell she was trying really hard to imitate Taiwanese accent, but her voice still sounded like oysters."
Chen Qingqing was shocked. She always felt that it was herself... This coquettish look and tone, as well as the desperate watching of Taiwanese idols when she was fourteen or fifteen, were very similar to what she could do. Moreover, when she was fourteen or fifteen, she started to fall in love early. During that time, she also had an unconventional guy. His side bangs covered half of his face, he always said something incomprehensible, disappeared at the last minute of a date, or asked her to accompany him to take the bus, but he didn't say anything and just stared out the window, unable to recover.
But she didn't say it. She restrained herself from thinking about it. She feared that if their relationship were to become entwined with this little bit of fate, it would make her, already reluctant to divorce, even more reluctant. People sometimes let fate dictate their decisions, finding excuses to justify their lack of effort. But her parents and grandfather had worked diligently their entire lives to survive, just to prevent Chen Qingqing from becoming like that. So, she herself never believed in fate, believing her own feelings were the most important.
"My feeling is that I want to marry a girl from Dalian in the future. After all, Dalian is the first big city I have ever visited."
"So you married me because I was from Dalian?" Shen Qingqing asked.
"No, you didn't speak much Dalian dialect at that time. When I decided to pursue you, I didn't expect you to be from Dalian."
Wang Shu suddenly took a step forward, squatted down, turned his back to her, patted the ground, and said, "Come on, Brother Wang will carry you."
The two words "Wang Ge" are what they say when they are having sex. Sometimes they will say, "Wang Ge, come out with me, will Wang Sao be angry?" "Wang Ge, you must be exhausted from carrying bricks today, let Xiao Qing loosen up your muscles."
Shen Qingqing said, forget it, Brother Wang, your health is not good to begin with.
In the past, Wang Shu would sometimes respond to her with "Qing'er", but would be scolded by Shen Qingqing, because the word "Qingqing" has a seductive sound, but "Qing'er" sounds like a nickname for a masseuse.
Shen Qingqing said. Let’s go back, the way down the mountain is not so tiring.
She turned around and walked downstairs. Wang Shu squatted down and turned back, not understanding her sudden emotion, but knowing that his attempt to make peace had failed again.
Wang Shu stood up listlessly, and suddenly heard something new on the bench not far away. He looked at it for a long time and suddenly realized what it was. He happily trotted to Shen Qingqing's side and turned her around to look back. Shen Qingqing was so confused by her that she frowned and wanted to shout.
Wang Shu made a sound and whispered in her ear, Chen Qingqing, look at the deer.
He pointed to Shen Qingqing, and saw that next to a bench not far away, under a street light, there was a sika deer, like an auspicious sign, standing in the dark night, its antlers were dark brown. They and the deer were separated by a short distance, looking at each other.
No.
On the sixth day of isolation, Shen Qingqing got her period, and Wang Shu unexpectedly sold her a bird's nest pot and stewed bird's nest and five-red soup for her.
The two of them have made the hotel feel like home. Wang Shu even bought a foot bath bucket for Chen Qingqing. In order to help her take good care of her body, when she had period pain in the middle of the night, she would lie on the bed with her butt sticking out. She felt that this would make her feel better. Usually at this time, Wang Shu would ask her to turn over and sleep well. But today, after the meeting, Wang Shu turned his head and saw her like this, and suddenly found it very funny, so he imitated Chen Qingqing and ran to the bed, lying like this with her.
Shen Qingqing was lying in the quilt. When she heard the sound, she turned her head and suddenly saw Wang Shu like this. She thought he was teasing her, so she reached out and pinched the back of his neck.
Wang Shu didn't move. He lay on the pillow and forced a laugh, saying, "I just want to know how you feel."
Shen Qingqing said that you still need to grow a uterus.
Wang Shu suddenly said, I will try to understand your life in the future, and think about the problem from your perspective.
Shen Qingqing turned her head quickly and looked at Wang Shu, but he was still buried in the quilt and didn't know that Shen Qingqing was looking at him.
Wang Shu suddenly asked, will you go back to Inner Mongolia for the Chinese New Year this year?
Shen Qingqing said that in the current situation, it would be difficult to return to Inner Mongolia or even Beijing.
Wang Shu said, then why don’t we stay in Dalian and go back after the New Year?
Wang Shu was depressed for a long time, turned his head to take a breath, and saw Shen Qingqing looking at him, so he looked over too. The two of them just looked at each other with their butts sticking out, which was very humorous.
Wang Shu said, "In this atmosphere, shouldn't we say something? Then, Miss Shen, can we... not get divorced?"
Shen Qingqing didn’t answer, but asked, “Mr. Wang, 2022 was too bad, do you think 2023 will be better?”
Wang Shu laughed and said he didn’t know. One of our investors died, became yang, and then left.
Shen Qingqing said what to do then.
Wang Shu said, it’s a mess, but it can be straightened out, and in fact any difficulty can be overcome.
Shen Qingqing suddenly wanted to talk to Wang Shu, and she asked Wang Shu what to do with her project.
Wang Shu said that if you are short of material, you might as well just film your parents.
Shen Qingqing said, take pictures of your parents?
Wang Shu said that sometimes you can add some new things. Since it’s all about divorce, why can’t you film your parents? Aren’t they divorced too?
A new idea suddenly opened up in Shen Qingqing’s mind, and she said, “I haven’t thought about this, but it seems I can give it a try.”
She turned over, lay on the bed, put her hands on her stomach, and began to think.
Wang Shu turned around and the two of them lay side by side.
Chen Qingqing said, there is actually something really stupid. When I was a kid, I would make a wish every time I saw a deer.
Wang Shu said, for example?
Chen Qingqing said, from big things like going to school to small things like birthday gifts, I would make wishes to the deer, and I always felt that they were very effective.
Wang Shu said, the smart one is not the deer, but your father who arranges your education and birthday gifts for you!
Shen Qingqing pulled a long - cut.
Wang Shu said, but what I said just now was serious. Your parents were quite trendy when they divorced. Maybe you should really give it a try.
Shen Qingqing said, I am thinking about it, and I also need to discuss it with the producer.
Wang Shu suddenly came over and straddled Shen Qingqing’s waist.
Shen Qingqing said, I’m having my period.
Wang Shu said I know.
Shen Qingqing asked, what about you?
Wang Shu lowered his head and kissed her gently. Then he rubbed his face against hers. Shen Qingqing reached out and hugged him back. The two of them hugged each other on the bed for a long time. Shen Qingqing said, "Look, we can actually communicate well."
Wang Shu said, "That's right, we can communicate well, and we will support each other in the future, and there will be nothing we can't overcome."
Shen Qingqing asked, "Then is there anything else you are hiding from me?"
Wang Shu thought for a long time, but couldn't think of anything else. He said, "It seems that there are no more. If there are any more, you can punish me, okay? You can punish me in any way you want."
Shen Qingqing said, then punish...
Before Wang Shu finished speaking, Shen Qingqing’s phone suddenly rang. It was Shen Qiwen.
On the other end of the phone, Shen Qiwen said, Dalian just issued a document, completely relaxing the restrictions, you guys should drive back.
4
The producer also felt that the last pair of actors who portrayed the director's parents were good, especially the diversity of marriage, which was fully demonstrated in her parents.
Shen's mother was very happy to be on camera, combing her hair very sleekly and wearing a cheongsam and a pearl necklace. Shen Qiwen wore a suit. Shen Qingqing was waiting for them at home with a DV. Wang Shu stood behind the DV with Shen Qingqing. Wang Shu said that they were all very happy.
Since Shen Qingqing was unable to speak, Wang Shu took the outline and chatted with them as an interviewer behind the camera.
Wang Shu asked, what was the opportunity that made you want to get married.
"She was very beautiful and gentle, and she looked like she'd never had to deal with women. She was traveling in Dandong, and I was leading a tour group. She barged into our group to listen to stories about the Yalu River, and then wanted to cross the Broken Bridge. I told her it was unlucky to cross that bridge. She stood on the bridge, looked back at me, and said, 'What's so unlucky about that?' Then she ran up. I thought, 'How could this gentle girl be so bold?'"
Mother Shen interrupted him, "The host asked about marriage, not dating."
"I hadn't finished yet. Then she took me home. Yanyan's grandfather didn't agree because I was a poor boy. In the end, she told me, let's elope. You go learn hairdressing, I go learn cosmetology, and go to Guangzhou to make money. I didn't want her to live this kind of life with me. I said, what are you talking about? How can I let you live with me without money? Even if I break up with you, I won't let you live a poor life with me."
Mother Shen suddenly smiled, with a glint in her eyes.
"Then I signed a letter of commitment, promising that I didn't want anything from their family, including their car or house. It also stated that if we had a boy, he would take my grandfather's surname and call Qingqing's grandfather "Grandpa." If we had a girl, she would take the surname Chen. After I signed the contract, your mother...my wife started crying and said we would only have one child, and whatever happened would be fine."
Shen's mother sat aside, smiling and waiting for Shen Qiwen to finish. When Shen Qiwen smiled, there were deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Hiding behind the camera, Shen Qingqing suddenly realized how they got old. Even though her mother had done so many medical cosmetic surgeries, she still looked old.
Shen Qingqing couldn't help crying and sobbed. Wang Shu reached out and patted her.
Wang Shu asked again, what was the opportunity that led to your divorce?
Mother Shen began to speak. "I just felt it wasn't right. In my heart, we got married when we had nothing. I wanted him to live the life I wanted with me, but after we got married, he was too eager to pursue the standards that Grandpa Yanyan had in mind, and he would also cooperate with Uncle Yanyan in things. Later, when you got married, he asked about your marriage again. In the end, I found that all families were important to him, except for his and mine. But you took such good care of my father, and I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life." She said at the end, turning her head to say to him.
"Oh, that's my dad too. It's been more than 30 years. Don't talk about this anymore. It's unnecessary." Shen Qiwen looked at the ceiling on the side, tears in his eyes.
Wang Shu asked, if you could choose again, would you still marry each other?
"Of course," they answered simultaneously.
Wang Shu asked, "Would you think of ways to remedy your marriage to avoid divorce?"
"No," they answered simultaneously.
Wang Shu asked, why?
"We have spent so many years together and will spend the future together. We have lifted a procedure and left behind a lifelong relative," said Shen's mother.
"I think it's pretty good." Shen Qiwen added.
Wang Shu asked one last question: If the other party remarries, will you feel any resentment?
“No, I will bless you, because love is the beginning of marriage, and there is indeed nothing between us now.” Mother Shen said.
Shen Qiwen thought for a moment and said, "I will also bless you, and then tell your next husband how to take good care of our father, and then I will go wandering around the world by myself." Before he finished speaking, Shen Qiwen couldn't help laughing, and the sound echoed in the house. The atmosphere was very cheerful. No one could have imagined that this group of people were talking about a topic of disintegration.
Chen Qingqing couldn't help crying while editing the video. It took her nearly two weeks at home to get it right. She then sent the hard drive via SF Express to the platform and then to the electric car investor, hoping to finalize the deal before the end of the year. People around her were already starting to lose their composure. Chen Qiwen had a bunch of Pfizer at home just in case. The day after the lockdown was lifted, her grandfather had gone to Singapore with her uncle and brother, hoping to avoid the coronavirus pandemic. Wang Shu sat on the sofa and couldn't sleep all night. He was working from home for people in his Beijing office, and he spent his days sitting there cursing. Chen Qingqing knew her father-in-law had high blood pressure and had undergone several minor surgeries in recent years. A cold would be dangerous. Chen Qiwen had initially sent medicine to Inner Mongolia, but the package was stolen en route. Wang Shu had no choice but to tell his parents not to go out. One night, Chen Qingqing woke up and saw Wang Shu gone. She ran out and saw him smoking in the kitchen with the range hood on.
After hesitating, Shen Qingqing said, "How about I accompany you back to Inner Mongolia? My parents will definitely be fine. Shall we go back to deliver the medicine?"
They had originally planned for Wang Shu to have a good sleep and rest the next day, so they drove there early on the third day. However, while Wang Shu was sleeping, his mother-in-law called him and started crying, asking why Wang Shu didn't answer the phone.
Chen Qingqing woke Wang Shu up and said, "Let's go back to Inner Mongolia, right now."
5
On the way back, Wang Shu was very anxious. Chen Qingqing drove the second half of the journey. Wang Shu sometimes talked about what Wang Chengjun said to him when he was a child, but his words were intermittent and not complete sentences. He also had a fever and his head was very hot. Chen Qingqing was very anxious while driving. When passing the service station, she received more than a dozen messages from the producer on her mobile phone. In short, the boss of the investment side had died, and now the situation was a mess. Be prepared to not get the subsequent publicity funds. She asked Chen Qingqing if she could think of a solution.
Chen Qingqing thought that everyone was completely in a desperate situation this time.
By the time they arrived in Inner Mongolia, Wang Chengjun had no heartbeat and needed medical equipment to maintain his heartbeat, but he wasn't brain dead yet. The priority now wasn't the patient, but the emotional demands of his family. The mother-in-law cried and said Wang Chengjun had been ill for three days, but had kept it a secret from Wang Shu, believing nothing was wrong. Wang Shu had repeatedly told her to tell him if anything happened, but he had sworn he was fine. He was admitted to the ICU on the fourth day, but there were no beds available, and it wasn't until the next day that they were lined up. So by the time they rushed back to Inner Mongolia, it was already the fifth day, and Pfizer was no longer needed. Just when Shen Qingqing was thinking she could hold on, a female doctor grabbed her and said, "Prepare for your funeral."
Chen Qingqing's hands were shaking as she called the crematorium in the flag. After the call was connected, she didn't know what to say. Finally, she said, "Please help me get a number." The other party scolded her and said, "If you're dead, just bring it here. There's no need to queue up for a dead person."
The next day, Wang Mang and Yuan Xin returned. That afternoon, Wang Chengjun "saw" his two sons, his daughter-in-law, and his youngest son's girlfriend. The doctor said he could talk to him and say whatever he wanted. Wang Mang said, "Dad, you can go to Beijing when you're better." Wang Shu said, "Dad, I'll take good care of Mom from now on." Chen Qingqing said, "Dad, you, you, you will definitely make it." That night, Wang Chengjun passed away. Wang Shu was completely impotent, unable to stand. His mother-in-law burst into tears at home, refusing to accept death. She asked Wang Mang to stay with her, saying that after her husband died, she would go to Beijing to live with her sons. Chen Qingqing was distressed and needed someone to handle the funeral. But Wang Shu was completely dazed. His symptoms were severe and he couldn't speak. In the end, only Chen Qingqing remained calm. She pulled Wang Mang into the courtyard and discussed the funeral arrangements with him.
"I just walked around the village. More than ten people have passed away, and no one has held a funeral. I asked the families of those who died, and they said that even if a funeral was held, no one would come. Mom is not in good condition now, so I don't want to hold a funeral. I just asked your brother, but he was confused and told me to take care of it. What about you? Do you agree?"
"I agree, sister-in-law." Wang Meng said.
"I've already taken the death certificate to the funeral home. Dad loves you the most, followed by your brother. You've graduated from college and are already a big kid. I'll take care of them at home, and you have to go to the crematorium to handle Dad's funeral. If I handle it, Dad will be unhappy. He pays the most attention to these things. If your brother's condition is better, I will let you carry him over." Shen Qingqing said.
Shen Qingqing took out the car keys from her pocket and handed them to Wang Meng, "At least one of my sons should be present. Dad has to be respectable the most."
"Sister-in-law, can I take Yuanxin with me?" Wang Meng asked.
"If you can guarantee that you will be with her for the rest of your life, then take her with you. She likes you very much. She is still an orphan. Life and death are both serious matters. If you are going to take her to such an occasion and watch life and death together, you must be prepared to be with her for the rest of her life." Shen Qingqing said.
"I'll ask her if she's willing to go with me." Wang Mang walked into the house.
After watching them leave, Shen Qingqing realized that she could be brave. At this moment, there was no one behind her, so she had to hold on to the front.
Wang Shu still had a fever after taking the fever-reducing medicine, so Shen Qingqing wiped his body with white wine to cool him down physically. The mother-in-law lay on the kang, not saying a word. She waited for Shen Qingqing to call her to eat before she asked Shen Qingqing if she could go to Beijing to live with them. She couldn't stay in Inner Mongolia alone. She had two sons, and at least one of them had to take care of him.
Shen Qingqing said, Mom, you have to wait until Wang Shu wakes up before you talk about this. After all...
Before she finished speaking, her mother-in-law started crying again and said, "I knew you were annoyed with me. You annoy me the most. How could you possibly tolerate me?"
Shen Qingqing held the bowl and coaxed her to eat, and said, “Mom, I’m not annoying you, but you have to make these decisions with your son.”
The mother-in-law cried even harder, yelling, "Then why did your father make all the decisions about you and Wang Shu? Do you think I don't know? Your father was the one who ordered us to buy the house and the car? Shen Yanyan, you are so cruel! You don't intend to let a widow have an easy life. I gave birth to a son and now my daughter-in-law is whispering in my ear."
After saying that, the mother-in-law started crying again, and finally ran out of the yard to make a fuss, saying that Chen Qingqing didn't support herself, and that her two sons were so promising, but useless.
Shen Qingqing tried to pull her and told her not to cry, but she just sat on the ground and said that she had a miserable life and lived like this at her age.
Shen Qingqing was tired and said, “Then you can make trouble. Wang Shu hasn’t cooled down yet. I have to go take care of him.”
The next morning, Wang Shu recovered. Chen Qingqing drove them to the cemetery for burial. On the way back, the mother-in-law mentioned that she wanted to live in Beijing. Wang Shu carefully turned around from the passenger seat and comforted her, saying, "We'll talk about it later."
Chen Qingqing suddenly became annoyed when she saw them whispering, and said, "Where is the next part? It's the next part now. What are you dragging on for? If it's okay, it's okay. If it's not, it's not. Is it so difficult to give an answer?"
Wang Shu also got excited and said to Chen Qingqing, "You think everything is so simple, right? Do you think I'm like you? If I want to make a movie, I can do it by selling a few pieces of clothes. Can you please understand me?"
Shen Qingqing yelled, "I understand you. I am so fucking considerate of you that I dragged on for a year without getting a divorce. I am such a cheapskate. I sued you for divorce at that time. Why am I being bullied like this by your mother now?"
The two finally reached the final outcome in the car. They would get through this first and take care of each other's families. Wang Shu would take them back to Beijing, and Chen Qingqing would return to Dalian. After the New Year, they would return to Beijing to divorce.
6
In 2023, the economy has begun to slowly recover. In fact, at the end of 2022, many things had already begun to show signs of improvement. Deep Sea passed the review, and the Three-Body Project was successfully approved. Someone leaked the news to Shen Qingqing that the film and television industry would relax the censorship system within a year, and some things that were originally not approved would eventually pass.
Shen Qingqing had submitted her documentary for review at the end of the year, but it still hadn't passed. She'd been sent back numerous revision suggestions, but she held onto them, wanting to wait and see. In March, the platform urged her to submit her work on the "uploader" interface, hoping to receive support, but she remained silent. She couldn't forget the difficulties of filming, and how, during that process, she'd also lost her marriage. Two years had passed since the documentary's initial idea, to the actual filming, to filming her parents, to her own divorce, and finally to its final release. She simply couldn't bear to hand the film over so casually.
In June, there was finally a turning point. The Radio, Film and Television Bureau introduced a new censorship system. She submitted it for review and it was passed half a month later. Chen Qingqing cried bitterly at home and called Sun Ziyi and Sasa home and drank all night.
When Shen Qingqing was crying the most, she opened her cloakroom and said, "Look at how much I have paid for this film."
The way she looked with snot and tears running together looked so much like Cheon Song Yi, so Sun Ziyi and Sasa laughed and said, "Okay, baby, okay, baby, don't wipe your snot on your beautiful clothes."
In December 2023, Chen Qingqing's film was released. The future will be the era of women, so Chen Qingqing's film was given priority support by the platform and a media promotion was specially held. When Chen Qingqing gave the platform the names of guests to reserve seats, in addition to her relatives and friends, she also reserved one for Wang Shu.
Of course Wang Shu didn't come.
She stood in front of the cinema, holding the microphone and looking up at the audience and cameras. It seemed like a dream. When everyone was cheering for her, she was looking at Wang Shu's empty seat, thinking about a little red book she had read 22 years ago. The little red book wrote a kind of metaphysics - when you have been with someone for many years, there will be a good time before you break up. It is a last glimmer of love. When this last glimmer of love is over, it is really over.
Chen Qingqing recalled that the last moments of her life were so beautiful when she was isolated in Grand Hyatt. They were together day and night in such a vast ocean. At that time, they couldn't grasp each other's thoughts. It was like returning to the beginning of their relationship, hazy and beautiful. She didn't know whether they would divorce or reconcile in the future. In the middle of the night, they went to climb the mountain where she grew up. Wang Shu squatted down and asked her to come up. Then that night, she saw her little deer.
Chen Qingqing rented out her apartment in Sunshine Upper East. She had no plans to stay in Beijing any longer. She had no ambitions, no plans to continue working in the film and television industry. She just wanted to return to Dalian, perhaps buy a house in the development zone, because she actually preferred the mountains to the sea. As a child, she'd run down the mountains in her school skirt, jacket tied around her waist, like something out of a Japanese manga. She'd often dash from the top to the bottom. During that most vibrant and relaxed time, she'd seen many deer. Once, in a forest park, she'd secretly touched a deer's antlers. At thirty-four, she decided to return to a second-tier city and live a casual life. She'd never had big ambitions, and she was sure to meet someone new. Maybe she'd get married again, maybe get divorced again, maybe even get divorced ten times over. Who knew? But she wasn't afraid. She had always been.
She never thought about what would happen if she didn't get a divorce, because she knew that the past could not be retrieved.
She just wanted to go back to the old place. She also wanted to see the deer and touch its horns. She also wanted to love without reservation.
"Gently bid farewell to the years of obsession with you. There is no answer to what will happen tomorrow."
—— Stefanie Sun’s “The Answer”
-End of Shen Qingqing part-
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