Chapter 190 190

She started crying while laughing, and then started laughing again while crying.

Jiang Xi had not been in Wucheng for more than a year, and she had not seen Jiang Xi again. She wanted to call her or write to her, but writing letters required stamps, and calling was expensive. Many times she held the phone in her hand, thought about it, and put it down. She was afraid that Jiang Xi had forgotten her, or that she was busy, and her phone call would disturb her.

Although Jiang Xi was not there, she always remembered what Jiang Xi had said to her at the beginning, to study hard, even if it was just to get into a normal university, as long as she could get out.

She really wanted to go to Beijing like Jiang Xi, but her grades, even the best in the three mock exams, were still far from the scores of Beijing Normal University and Capital Normal University.

In 1998, they still filled out their applications first and then took the college entrance examination. She looked at all the universities near Beijing, but they all seemed very far away from her.

Xu Xiuli didn't understand her dilemma, so she leaned over and asked her, "You haven't filled it out yet? Haven't you always been thinking about your Normal University?"

He Xiaofang looked at the application form, then looked at the codes of the corresponding schools, and finally filled in the English major of the Normal University in the provincial capital.

During the three years of high school, her spoken English was no longer the mute English she used to be, under the training of Teacher Wang. She used to be afraid to speak, but now she has been trained by Director Xiao Wang, who is now the deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office, to be proficient.

She had no other skills, only rote learning, reading over and over again, reciting over and over again, practicing over and over again, and her efforts finally changed her English scores, and also changed her now. She was originally tall, but now she has grown to 1.72 meters, and her figure is still plump and fit, but she has no inferiority complex at all. She is no longer like she was in junior high school, deliberately hunching her back to hide her good figure, but her back is straight and her smile is bright.

Qingqing said she is beautiful, and Qingqing is definitely right!

But because of this flood, her going to college has become a luxury.

Her house was flooded, where can she get the money to support her college?

Even though her second sister had been paying for her tuition, she usually carried food from home to school. But now, where could she get food? This year, the entire grain crop was lost, and everything was flooded.

If Jiang Gui hadn't sent disaster relief grain and supplies, it would have been a problem whether their family could have food after the autumn harvest. Now, if they saved a little, and added last year's grain from the family, they could barely survive this year and wait for next year's spring ploughing.

Their village had lost electricity, and the people in the brigade found an electrician to set up a wire with a light bulb on the highest point, in front of the brigade gate that had not been flooded yet.

Even though a 100-watt light bulb had been installed, there was still only a dim light in the dark summer night, and the only thing that was illuminated was the section at the entrance of the brigade.

The black-and-white TV in the brigade was playing TV.

At this time, it was broadcasting the news.

Recently, every day, news about flood control and disaster relief was broadcast, and the same was true for TV news across the country.

These days, people from the county TV station and the city TV station sent reporters to follow the disaster relief volunteers to the front line of the disaster relief, and truthfully recorded the news about Jiang Qing and the volunteers' disaster relief work.

They focused on Jiang Qing, a student who was admitted to Jingcheng University from No. 1 Middle School last year.

Because there are disasters everywhere and many disaster victims are displaced, there is a great need for some encouraging news to comfort these disaster victims.

Jiang Xi's news and actions of donating supplies to her hometown to provide relief to the disaster victims are a very good way to comfort the disaster victims.

In the worst-hit areas of the two cities, the victims have received the food and supplies she donated.

Reporters tried their best to exaggerate that Jiang Xi was not afraid of the wind and rain, and returned to his hometown to distribute supplies in the flood. They were really good at exaggerating the atmosphere, and the victims who were watching TV in front of the TV were crying. Some people thought of their flooded houses and couldn't help crying.

But while crying, they thought that the country and the government had not given up on them, and that there were so many kind-hearted people like Jiang Xi who were still helping them. They saw a glimmer of hope in the disaster.

He Xiaofang pointed at Jiang Xi on TV and said to her parents with both tears and laughter: "Mom, did you see that? She is Jiang Xi, the Jiang Xi I told you about. She is my good friend. She said that if I get admitted to the Normal University, I will be a state teacher and have a stable job in the future. Mom, I will definitely pass the exam. Mom, can you let me continue to study? I don’t want to get married now. I want to go to college!"

He Xiaofang's mother also cried. She hugged her young son and said to He Xiaofang while crying: "Xiaofang, it's not that mom doesn't let you study. Look at what our family has become like now. We have nothing. What can we use to study?"

What she said was the reality.

The villagers nearby saw the mother and daughter crying and said, “Why can’t she study? The child has passed the entrance exam, how can we stop her from studying? Look at Jiang Gui, she is so promising. She just got into college last year, and she is so promising this year, and she is going to be a college student!”

The brigade secretary said, “That’s enough, stop crying. She has already finished three years of high school, how can she still miss this last chance? If it’s not possible, our brigade will send her to high school.” The government will pay some, you can pay some from your families, and the villagers can chip in some more. Just write an IOU and pay it back slowly!"

He Xiaofang had tears on her face, but she smiled and nodded, saying to He's parents, "Yes, yes, yes, I've applied for the English major, so I can do some translation work for others in the future. I'll work part-time during the winter and summer vacations, and it won't cost much! Oh, and there are scholarships!"

She thought of the student loans that Jiang Qing had mentioned.

He's parents looked at Jiang Xi on TV, and then looked at their tall, strong and somewhat naive daughter. They thought for a while and said, "If you want to go to school, go ahead. I know how stubborn you are. You have persisted for three years." He's mother said, "But you are already 20 years old. You should also pay attention to your own affairs."

He's mother thought, if you don't like the village, then you should pay attention to school. If you can marry to the city, He's mother will naturally not hinder her daughter's future.

She didn't know that He Xiaofang didn't look down on the countryside. She was afraid of marriage and the oppression that marriage brought to women that she had seen since she was a child.

But at that time, she didn't know what she was afraid of. She just looked at her sister and the marriages around her and felt inexplicably afraid. However, after reading, she became wise and gradually realized what she was afraid of.

He Xiaofang hugged her mother and nodded vigorously: "I know, I know everything."

On the day He Xiaofang returned to school to estimate her grades, Teacher Wang from the Academic Affairs Office suddenly called her and Xu Xiuli and told them that Jiang Xi had called them.

July and August were the worst flood months. She and many other volunteers, including Song Peifeng, were at the forefront of flood control and disaster relief. She also forgot that the college entrance examination month this year was not June, but July. When she remembered, it was already July. She thought it was too late, but it turned out to be the perfect time.

In the past year, she had not contacted He Xiaofang, Xu Xiuli, and Teacher Wang except for calling them and giving them her phone number in Beijing.

Firstly, she had arranged her study life very full, and secondly, He Xiaofang and Xu Xiuli were also in the final sprint stage of their senior year, and it was not appropriate for her to disturb their studies during this period.

But she will also be officially enrolled in school in September, and the rented house may be returned by then, and the contact information may change. He Xiaofang and her friends will leave No. 1 Middle School and go to a new school, and the contact information will also change. If she can't remember it, forget it. When she remembered it, she called Teacher Wang, intending to tell Teacher Wang the new contact information, but unexpectedly He Xiaofang and Xu Xiuli were also there.

Xu Xiuli and He Xiaofang didn't expect Jiang Xi to call them at this time, and excitedly ran to Teacher Wang's office to answer the phone.

After not seeing each other for more than a year, He Xiaofang and Xu Xiuli were a little unfamiliar with Jiang Xi. They didn't expect that Jiang Xi would dispel this alienation as soon as she spoke. Her voice was a little tired, but she seemed very energetic. She asked them: "How did you do in the exam? Have you filled out the school application?"

He Xiaofang's nose was sore, and she held back her tears and asked her: "Xixi, where are you? Why do you sound like you have a cold?"

Xu Xiuli was more alert: "Are you still in the disaster area?"

Jiang Xi's return to his hometown to help with the disaster relief was now known to everyone in his hometown. Xu Xiuli, who had just finished the college entrance examination, naturally knew about it. For some reason, she suddenly had an impulse and wanted to participate in the front-line flood control and disaster relief operations like Jiang Xi.

She also said so.

Jiang Xi smiled softly, "Do you have money? If you have money, then support us and get more supplies. It's very dangerous here. If you are not familiar with the water and the place, you need us to take care of you when you come here."

She herself grew up by the river. Even if children who grew up by the river have not learned to swim systematically, they can swim faster and better than others by dog-paddle style.

Xu Xiuli, a girl who grew up in a town, really has never learned to swim.

Jiang Xi called them for another matter. She asked He Xiaofang, "Do you want to work during the summer vacation?"

He Xiaofang's heart trembled. She dug her fingertips on the office table and nodded, "Yes."

During the summer vacation, she couldn't stay at home completely. She only relied on her second sister to give her tuition and living expenses. Her second sister was dating someone now. If it was fast, she might get married by the end of the year. If it was slow, it would be at least two years. Otherwise, she would be considered an "old maid" by others.

She also had to go out to work to earn tuition and living expenses.

But she didn't know what she could do. All she could think of was to serve dishes and wash dishes for others.

Jiang Xi's voice came from the other end of the phone, saying, "I know a sister. She has a play being filmed and is in need of some extras. The pay may not be much per day. Do you want to give it a try?"

The sister Jiang Xi was talking about was Huang Lan, the producer of "The King's Guard". After several drafts, the script of "The King's Guard" was finally completed, and then the casting process began.

Yan Yichang, who was recommended to them by Jiang Xi from the Performance Department of Shanghai Theatre Academy, was also invited to audition.

When Yan Yichang received the audition invitation from the "King's Guard" crew, he was confused because he had never acted before. He didn't know the crew or the crew, and didn't know why they knew him and found him through his school to notify him to audition. He

was afraid of being a scammer, so he naturally asked them how they knew him. They said that the original author of "My Years as the Commander of the King's Guard" recommended him.

Of course he knew about the article "The Royal Guards" and followed it every issue. Everyone in his dormitory had read it and knew that the first two works of Xi Meng were so popular and "White Snake" had such a high box office that "The Royal Guards" would be filmed sooner or later. However, he did not expect that "The Royal Guards" had not only been approved, but also invited him to audition.

The problem was that he had never met Xi Meng. By the way, wasn't Xi Meng a student at Kyoto University? No matter how he thought about it, he felt that Xi Meng and he should be two people who had nothing in common. He didn't know why the other party recommended him.

He didn't know whether this was true or not, but since the other party contacted him through the school, the opportunity was rare, so he didn't tell his classmates in the dormitory. After asking for leave from the school, he went to the crew for an audition.

As soon as the director saw his face, which looked like it was carved by a knife and an axe, he knew why Meng said he didn't know him, but still recommended him to play the fourth male lead, the leader of the evil cult.

He didn't even need any acting skills. When he put on the costume, he looked exactly like the evil and crazy leader of the evil cult.

In addition to Yan Yichang, Jiang Bai, who had a summer job, also brought Tong Jingang with him. Jiang Bai auditioned for the second male lead, the cold-blooded and loyal guard, while Tong Jingang played a background board Jinyiwei with a few lines, the kind of person who does things very aggressively.

Originally, the show was ready and should have started filming soon, but the actors for the second and fourth male roles had been found. The first male role, the grandson of the emperor, the third male role, the Jianghu hero, and several important female supporting roles were all easy to find, but the only suitable female lead, the commander of the Jinyi Guard, who had to be beautiful, heroic, and domineering, was not easy to find.

The director found many people, and he always unconsciously compared them with Jiang Wu in his mind. After watching many of them, he always felt that they were not good enough.

The face was good, but the temperament was not good. The temperament was also good, but the momentum was not good. He wanted to contact Jiang Wu and beg her to play the role. He called countless times but could not find her. It was only by chance that he learned from Jiang Bo that Jiang Wu had actually gone to the disaster area to help with disaster relief.

She was willing to suffer so much and take the risk to go to the disaster area for disaster relief, rather than be his leading lady.

Although Jiang Xi was on the front line of flood control and disaster relief, she called Grandpa Jiang at a fixed time every week to report her safety. Director Zhang contacted Jiang Xi through Jiang Bo and wanted Jiang Xi to play his leading lady. Although Jiang Xi refused, she recommended a Hong Kong actress who she thought might be quite suitable. At the same time, she also asked if she could recommend a classmate to come over to play a minor role or work as a summer job.

These were just easy things for Jiang Xi, but for He Xiaofang, they were a life-saving straw that came to her during the most important and difficult period of her life.