Zhou Yang and Xu Yao also grabbed their bowls and chopsticks and joined the group eating.
I have to say, the food I made myself tasted absolutely amazing, and it was really delicious with the rice steamed in this big pot.
It was all swept away in a whirlwind.
After dinner, Zhao Si and Lin Yue, along with several other young people, took the initiative to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. They did so quickly and efficiently, clearly having done it before.
Lin Chuan then led Zhou Yang and Xu Yao to an open space outside the tin shed, where several plastic stools and tables had already been set up.
"Come on, everyone! Get ready to hand out scripts!"
Lin Chuan clapped his hands and pulled out several stacks of printed papers from a worn-out backpack. "Script, pick it up according to the role, the corresponding parts for the roles are all marked in red!"
Zhou Yang and Xu Yao also received a copy; the paper was rough, and the ink was even uneven in shade.
Zhou Yang opened his copy, the cover of which was written in bold black font as "Hilarious Daily Life in the Palace," with the screenwriter listed below as Lin Chuan.
His lips twitched again.
Goodness, he's directing and writing the script all at once?
I quickly flipped through a few pages and found my character—the fifth male lead, the imperial chef "Zhou Dashao".
There aren't many lines; most of the dialogue consists of scenes of people working in the kitchen or showcasing their culinary skills.
That does fit his identity as a "royal chef"... just kidding!
He scrolled down and quickly found the key scenes highlighted in red.
[Scene: Imperial Garden]
[Characters: Lin Yue (playing the Empress), Zhou Dashao]
[Zhou Dashao (gazing affectionately at the Empress): Your Majesty, this "Hibiscus Flower Pastry" is something I specially prepared for you...]
[Empress: Big Spoon, you're so thoughtful...]
...
[Scene: Imperial Kitchen]
[Characters: Zhou Dashao, Zhao Si (playing the Emperor)]
[Zhou Dashao (sadly): She...in the end, still married you. So be it. I don't want to be the imperial chef anymore! I'm resigning! I'm going to go out into the world and open my own little restaurant!]
puff--
Zhou Yang almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
A short comedy set in the imperial court?
This is supposed to be a nonsensical comedy!
How dare a head chef of the imperial kitchen have a secret crush on the empress?
He even tried to steal a woman from the emperor?
The most outrageous thing is that, feeling completely disheartened, he quit his job without hesitation and decided to venture out into the world to open a restaurant?!
He resisted the urge to smear the script on Lin Chuan's face, raised his head, and looked at Lin Chuan with an extremely complicated expression.
"Director Lin... isn't this script a bit... too unrestrained?"
He paused, carefully choosing his words, trying to express his doubts as tactfully as possible.
"I remember that in ancient times, imperial chefs couldn't just quit their jobs, right? If this job goes wrong, it might implicate nine generations of their families, sending them to the execution ground."
This isn't just about having a scar the size of a bowl on your own neck; it's about the whole family getting a scar the size of a bowl!
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan waved his hand dismissively.
"Hey, Brother Zhou, are you taking this too seriously? This is a light comedy, you know? It's all about having fun!"
"Logic, history? Can you eat that stuff? What do audiences watch for? Handsome men and beautiful women! Lighthearted humor!"
"Your imperial chef, just lick him! The empress, just be beautiful! The emperor, just be handsome! Nothing else matters! Nothing at all!"
Zhou Yang's lips twitched violently, feeling himself rendered speechless by the other party's twisted logic and fallacies.
Well, it's his fault for trying to reason with an artist who can't even afford to pay the lead actor's salary.
Just then, Xu Yao, holding the script, hopped over like a happy little bird, her face flushed with excitement.
"Brother Zhou Yang, look at my role! The Empress's personal maid! The script says I can hit people and even slap them! Hehe, it's so much fun!"
Zhou Yang's eyes twitched again, and he almost choked on his own saliva.
Wow, that's quite a unique focus.
While others care about how many scenes they get and whether they can become famous, she's all about the thrill of beating people up right from the start...
He rubbed his forehead, glancing at her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "You enjoyed hitting people, didn't you? What about your lines? How many are there? Can you even memorize them?"
Sure enough, as soon as the lines were mentioned, Xu Yao's excited face instantly fell, like a wilted eggplant. "Ugh, so many lines! They're so dense, just looking at them gives me a headache..."
However, when she thought about the money, Xu Yao felt she could persevere!
"Cough cough!"
Lin Chuan seized the opportunity to comfort Xu Yao, saying, "Miss Xu, having many lines is a good thing. It means you have a significant role and are more likely to stand out!"
"Just think about it, if our show becomes a hit, you, a complete nobody, might just rise to the top overnight and become a popular young actress!"
"By then, you'll have tens of millions of fans and endorsement deals galore! Wow! That won't just be a matter of ten thousand a day!"
Lin Chuan's skill in making empty promises was clearly top-notch; with just a few words, he had Xu Yao completely bewildered, as if she could already see her bright future leading to the pinnacle of her life.
"Come on, come on," Lin Chuan said, seizing the opportunity to pull out two more printed contracts from the worn-out backpack. The paper was also rough.
"Sign the contract first! Don't worry, it's absolutely legitimate, and we'll treat everyone fairly!"
Zhou Yang took the contract and quickly scanned it.
The terms and conditions were excessively simple, except for the agreed roles (male lead number five, Zhou Da Shao, and female lead number three, the personal maid).
Aside from the pay (10,000 RMB per day, 5,000 RMB per day for trial days), the shooting period (tentatively half a month), and some confidentiality clauses, there are basically no special restrictions.
He looked at Xu Yao, who was also staring blankly at the contract, clearly not seeing anything wrong.
Although this makeshift team is unreliable in every way, so far, he has only worked for free to cook a meal and has not suffered any losses.
After weighing the options in his mind, Zhou Yang thought that it might be worth a try for the sake of the 10,000 yuan daily wage and to help Xu Yao find a high-paying job.
"Okay, sign it."
Zhou Yang nodded.
The two of them quickly signed their names at the end of the contract.
Lin Chuan carefully put away the contract, his smile widening even further.
"Alright! That's all for today. You two go back and familiarize yourselves with the script and figure out your roles. We'll take your costume photos here at 2 PM the day after tomorrow."
He paused, rubbed his hands together, and looked at Zhou Yang with a slightly embarrassed yet expectant gaze.
"After the costume photos were taken, I had to come to the set every afternoon from that day on. We would all read the script together, and I would give you some acting training. After all, you are newcomers and have no experience."
"Oh, by the way, you'll still get paid during the training period, but it'll be calculated at 5,000 per day."
At this point, Lin Chuan's tone suddenly became somewhat subtle, even carrying a hint of flattery.
"Well... hey, Brother Zhou, you see, we've all been working really hard during the training, so could you maybe help us with lunch while you're at it?"
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