"I felt extremely guilty about this, and from then on I honestly focused on writing books. 'Phoenix Plays with Dragon' had become a cash cow for that publishing house, and I couldn't just end it abruptly, so I gritted my teeth and continued writing."
"Later, she also started writing books. And she became quite famous as soon as she started writing—I don't know if it was due to talent or the inspiration and skill she cultivated over many years as an editor. In any case, it took me more than a dozen books to build up the fame I had, but she achieved it with just two books."
"Am I jealous? Of course I am. Writers always look down on each other, it's always been like this. Our relationship gradually drifted apart. I continued writing my books, and she continued writing hers. But we gradually lost touch. I even wrote a villain in one of my books, based on her..."
At this point, Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng laughed and waved his hand, saying, "Shameful things from my youth, shameful things indeed!"
Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng's movements at this moment showed no signs of old age; instead, she resembled a young girl. Time seemed to have turned back in this instant, reversing the passage of time in this old woman's life to the last century, to that youthful era.
Shang Yechu gradually became engrossed in listening. She had no friends with whom she had experienced breakups and reconciliations, nor had she ever felt jealous of others. The equal, close, yet ambiguous relationship that Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng described was almost mysterious to Shang Yechu.
"Later she got married and invited me to the wedding. She got married very late, which is considered late by today's standards, and even later in those days."
"On the eve of the wedding, we were having tea and chatting together. I felt guilty and deliberately blamed her for not contacting me for the past few years—guess what she said?"
Shang Yechu leaned forward slightly: "What?"
Jiang Shang Nongchao laughed loudly, "She's jealous of me! She said, 'I've only written two books and I already feel like I've run out of ideas, like a lamp running out of oil, unable to write another word! How come you've been writing over a dozen books and are still writing? Just thinking about it makes me angry! Seeing you annoys me!'"
“I’m jealous that she became famous after writing only two books, but she’s also jealous that I have a continuous stream of ideas and have written more than a dozen books and still have loyal readers.”
At this point, Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng paused, raised his hand, and wiped the corner of his eye: "We are a pair of self-important fools."
Shang Yechu pursed her lips slightly, and for some reason, a little envy arose in her heart.
Looking out the window at the sky, Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng sighed, "Later we made up, and our relationship became even closer than before. A few years later, I finally finished writing 'Phoenix Playing with Dragon.'"
“I was very happy back then. My husband was hardworking and good at managing the household; my daughter was filial, smart, lively and lovely. She also gave birth to a smart son. We often joked that if my daughter hadn’t been born so early, we would have arranged a marriage between our children.”
"At the happiest time of my life, 'The Phoenix Plays with the Dragon' came to its finale. By then, I was no longer as radical and indignant as I was in my youth, and I had long forgotten the absurd things I had done."
“I thought that since I am so happy, Xiao Fengque, who has been with me for more than 20 years, should also be as happy as I am. So when I wrote the ending, I couldn’t help but feel tender and couldn’t bear to see her suffer in the second half of her life.”
Shang Yechu realized her lapse in composure and slowly sat back down in her chair: "Xiao Fengque's ending was indeed very good."
Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng turned his gaze to Shang Yechu's face and slowly smiled: "Thank you. After she passed away, no one was willing to listen to me ramble on about these old stories anymore."
A genuine sense of guilt flashed through Shang Yechu's heart, and she smiled and said, "Please tell me, I'd love to hear it."
Jiang Shang Nongchao waved his hand and said, "You know what happened next. My daughter got sick and died, and my husband followed her. Not long after, she also passed away."
“That period was the darkest time of my life,” Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng said with emotion. “Raising Li Yi was just to give myself a way to make a living, so that I wouldn’t collapse. I never expected that seven or eight years would pass and things would slowly get better.”
Shang Yechu said against her will, "Li Yi is also very filial to you! He often mentions you on set."
"Don't flatter me," Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng laughed. "I know that kid very well. I didn't call you here today to talk about him."
Shang Yechu knew that what followed was the real topic: "Teacher Jiang, please say whatever you want to say."
“I’ve been thinking about this ever since I watched your movie yesterday.” Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng took out a ticket stub from his pocket and gently stroked the words “The Mute Woman” on it.
Is family the most important thing to a person?
Shang Yechu hadn't expected the topic of "River Riders" to veer so deeply, and was momentarily caught off guard: "Are you referring to Xiao Fengque? Or me?"
“Yes, they are,” said Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng. “Tell me about them.”
Shang Yechu hesitated for a moment. If it were her, she certainly wouldn't think family was that important. After all, her family members all had that kind of smug look about them; it would be good enough if they didn't try to leech off her.
“As for Xiao Fengque, I think family is still important to her,” Shang Yechu affirmed. “Xiao Fengque initially joined Tianji Tower to avenge her family.”
"And what about you?" Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng asked meaningfully.
"..." Shang Yechu's smile was flawless. "I think it's fine."
Shang Yechu could neither go against his conscience and praise the Shang family for being disgusting, nor could he act like a cold-blooded monster in front of Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng.
“A cunning answer.” Jiang Shang Nongchaosheng shook his head. “Your answer just shows how important your family is to you.”
Shang Yechu couldn't help but want to argue, but after figuring out the key point of the sentence, she was speechless.
Jiang Shang Nongchao poured himself another cup of tea: "I watched 'The Mute Woman' twice. The first time, I saw myself in it. The second time, I saw you in it."
Shang Yechu's grip on the teacup tightened slightly: "What do you mean by that?"
Jiang Shang Nongchao raised his eyelids, and through the rising steam of the tea, the eyes behind his round glasses revealed a surprisingly compassionate look.
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