"Yes, I'll arrange that after the holiday."
Carlos listened intently to their conversation, his attention divided. Ever since Zhang Hongmei started buying land, Carlos had suspected something was amiss. And it turned out to be true.
Huang Meihua invited the three of them to dinner. Annie always eats Chinese food, but today her family made steak, which she liked.
"That means you want to eat it, and the chef is still the same one."
"Mom, do you think it tastes good? Why do you want it fully cooked?"
"Hehe, I can't stand eating food that's undercooked."
"But it's a bit too tough when fully cooked."
"I think it's great."
"Would you like a glass of red wine? This wine is from twenty years ago."
"Godfather, I don't drink alcohol."
"You're not going to enjoy something this good?"
"You and your stepmother enjoy yourselves, I really won't drink."
After dinner, the family sat in front of the TV. "Godfather, why don't you and Carlos make movies?"
“Our family has never been involved in this area before, and I have no plans to do so now. Hongmei, do you have this idea?” Carlos asked Zhang Hongmei.
"I just suddenly thought of this while watching TV. I know absolutely nothing about it."
Carlos laughed. "I'm not too sure about that either, but the Wyatt family has this project. If you'd like, we could give it a try?"
Zhang Hongmei shook her head. "I don't know. Let's talk about it when the three of us have a chance." Zhang Hongmei knew that the McCann family had no intention of going into this line of work. That's why Carlos suggested that she do it herself.
Zhang Hongmei had never really thought about this line of work, but she thought it must be very lucrative.
"Mom, you can start a movie company. When I grow up, I can make movies."
"Heh, Annie has this idea? Why?"
"I just think they are very beautiful on TV."
Zhang Hongmei noticed that Beth and Huang Meihua were a little dissatisfied with Annie's words. "Annie," she said, "let's wait until after Christmas. We'll call Uncle Wyatt. If they're filming, we'll go check on them."
"Great! I've never seen a movie filming before!"
"Okay, it's settled then. Go call him!"
After sending Annie away, Zhang Hongmei looked at the heavy expressions on the faces of the three of them.
"Godfather and Godmother, don't worry. I'll take Annie to see it. Once she sees it for herself, she won't have this idea anymore."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble. I hate actors the most. How could our young lady be allowed to act in movies for others to watch?"
"Godmother, don't worry. I'll guide her slowly."
"Having been with you for so long, how come I haven't learned your composure?"
"Wife, she's still young."
"Mom, she's still young."
The father and son spoke in unison. Huang Meihua sighed. "As long as I live, no one in the McCann family can be an actor."
Zhang Hongmei really wanted to say that it was a profession, but seeing Huang Meihua's gloomy face, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. This was a traditional idea of the older generation, and it couldn't be explained in just a few words.
Annie ran over and said, "Mom, Uncle Wyatt wants you to answer the phone."
"good."
Wyatt didn't have anything specific to ask Zhang Hongmei; he was just puzzled as to why she was interested in movies.
Annie didn't come over, and Zhang Hongmei told him what had just happened.
"My idea is to take her to see things and let her get rid of this idea herself."
"Alright, there's a scene at six o'clock tomorrow morning. You can bring her over. But, never mind, I'll pick you up. It's been a long time since I've been to a film set."
"Okay, what time will you be arriving?"
"Let's arrive at five o'clock, Hongmei. I don't think this will be effective."
"Not necessarily. Annie is more mature than most children, so it's good for her to see the darker side of things."
"Alright, since you think it's possible, I'll take you to try it out. Darkness isn't something you can see all the time."
“I know that. First, let her experience the hardships, and then we can take it slow. If that doesn’t work, we can start a film and television company. While I’m still here, let her follow up on everything.”
"Hongmei, it seems like you also discriminate against this industry!"
"I don't know either. I don't think so. It's just a profession, but it's also a very corrupting influence. Of course, that's true of any industry. It's my stepmother who's strongly opposed it, and from my heart, I don't want Annie to enter that circle either."
"Understood. Let's get together sometime, Carlos, and discuss the film company."
"Okay, I'll write a script in the next few days."
"You can do this too?" Wyatt asked curiously, shifting his position on the sofa.
"Give it a try, okay, I'm done talking now. Let's talk again after Christmas."
"Okay, I'll pick you up tomorrow."
Zhang Hongmei hung up the phone and noticed that the family of four was acting strangely. "Godfather and Godmother, Wyatt will pick me and Annie up at five o'clock tomorrow morning to go to the film set."
Huang Meihua paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, you can go and take a look. Why so early?"
“Being an actor is a very demanding job. They can only sleep for two or three hours a day because they are always working.”
"Isn't that terrifying? Those female celebrities don't get enough sleep, won't they age faster?"
"Probably. The human body has its limits. They get little sleep, have a heavy workload, and wear makeup every day. I don't think they'd look that good without it. They may look glamorous in public, but who knows what they look like underneath? If we arrive early tomorrow, we should be able to see what they really look like."
"Sure, I just don't want to disrupt my sleep. Maybe I can go check it out with you."
"Hehe, it's the same if Annie and I tell you after we finish watching it."
The two spoke in unison, and Annie's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.
The two men didn't interrupt; in fact, they weren't particularly opposed to Annie wanting to enter the film industry. However, since their wives and mothers were against it, they didn't want to upset her.
Zhang Hongmei was lying in bed telling Annie a bedtime story when the little girl suddenly opened her eyes and asked, "Mommy, do you and Grandma not like celebrities?"
"No, Grandma just doesn't like it. I don't really have any opinion on it."
“I felt that my grandmother became very unhappy after I told her that I wanted to make a movie.”
“I could sense that too. My grandmother is a very traditional and conservative person, and she doesn’t want you to be burdened by fame in the future. Also, this profession is very demanding.”
"I'm not afraid of hard work."
“Okay, let’s give it a try. After Christmas, your Uncle Wyatt, your dad, and I are planning to open a film company. We’ll have you working on it after school and during holidays. Go and experience it for yourself. If you still think you like it, Mom will go with you to explain to Grandma.”
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