March 27, 2022

Chapter 115: Variable

Before New Year’s Eve, Zhang Yansheng returned with Zhang Heling. Because the old lady is still alive, the Zhang family still spends the New Year together every year.

But this year, it seems that her aunt and eldest cousin are very happy, and they specially told everyone: “They will start broadcasting the drama before the start of the new school semester. The promotion team has done very well and it is now being discussed on the internet.”

It turned out that the TV series invested by Zhang Qi was about to be released soon, for the Spring Festival.

Zhang Qi asked, “How is the movie that Yanyan invested in? I heard that it was originally scheduled to be released during the Chinese New Year this year, but it was moved again? This is the second time already, right?”

Hearing her tone, you’ll know that she was quite concerned.

“That’s right.” Zhang Yansheng had predicted it a long time ago, so she said indifferently, “Isn’t that what movies are like? They are much more troublesome than TV series.”

“Therefore, investment still has to be carefully considered and measured in many ways.” Zhang Qi said earnestly, “You can’t listen to others fooling around and pay out when your mind is hot. In this case, our family will not be able to lose even if we have a lot of money. Don’t you think so?”

Zhang Yansheng nodded inwardly: “Elder sister is right.”

Zhang Heling raised her eyes and looked at Zhang Qi, then at Zhang Yansheng, without saying a word.

At night, she quietly asked Zhang Yansheng: “Sister, are we going to lose money?” Standing in line and standing correctly, she knows who is included in the word ‘we’.

Zhang Yansheng patted her on the head: “I’m not sure.”

Zhang Heling was worried.

Zhang Yansheng was speechless: “What makes a child like you worry about this?”

Zhang Heling said unhappily: “If we lose money, aunt and Sister Qiqi will have to say something unpleasant again.”

When she was growing up, she didn’t understand the meaning behind those eccentric words.

Zhang Yansheng clasped her head and said with certainty: “I won’t lose, so don’t think about it.”

Zhang Heling became happy. She grabbed Zhang Yansheng and asked quietly: “What about Sister Qiqi’s TV series?”

Zhang Yansheng: “How would I know?”

Since she was not able to get a straight answer from Zhang Yansheng, Zhang Heling was really scratching her heart and lungs.

So, she really guarded the time to watch the TV series.

“The characters are very good-looking.” She commented in a pertinent manner.

Zhang Yansheng didn’t watch it. The title of that drama is《A Man who Holds the Sky》. Zhang Yansheng didn’t want to watch it when she heard the title. She asked, “How was it?”

Zhang Heling: “The characters are very good-looking.”

“…” Zhang Yansheng, “Then what?”

“There was this one man who was not good at first, then he became more and more powerful, more and more difficult to deal with, and in the end, no one could beat him. All the people who bullied him ended up very badly, and those who said bad things to him also ended up very badly.” Zhang Heling concluded, “Then there were a few women, but there’s only one man. A woman kissed him today, and another woman will kiss him tomorrow. A woman misunderstood him today, and another woman will misunderstand him tomorrow. Anyway, no one is willing to explain the matter well, so they just keep misunderstanding and getting angry with each other. When the misunderstanding was resolved, they would kiss again. Also, there is a person who always fights with others, while talking to a few women who don’t understand him clearly, but in the end these women still admire him very much.”

Zhang Yansheng: “…okay.” Sure enough, it’s not a show she would like to watch.

Before the start of school, Mo Lin called Zhang Yansheng and told her two pieces of good news.

“The first one is regarding《A Man who Holds the Sky》, you said that a relative of yours has invested in this drama.” She said, “Looking at it now, it’s okay, basically giving an assurance that you won’t lose. If it is stable in the later stage, it will make a small profit.

“Oh.” Zhang Yansheng is not interested in this. She has nothing to do with Zhang Qi’s profit or loss. She asked: “What about the second one?”

“The second one,” Mo Lin told her that《Leaving the Solar System》is set to be released for the upcoming summer vacation.

The news really surprised Zhang Yan, “Really?”

“Of course.” Mo Lin smiled and said, “Everything is all set.”

It’s more than half a year earlier than in her previous life.

Zhang Yansheng thought about it seriously, and felt that this might have something to do with Mo Lin’s later financing process. Among other things, Mo Lin raised almost 150 million yuan just from K City alone.

As long as the funds are in place, it will not affect the progress of the movie. Therefore, it is logical to be ahead of schedule compared to when it was released in her previous life.

“Then I’m looking forward to it.” Zhang Yansheng said.

“You will not be disappointed.” Mo Lin said, “I watched it in Old Xie’s place in advance. Although it is a version that has not been edited yet, but seriously, you will really not be disappointed.”

“Of course.” Zhang Yansheng said with a smile. “I believe in the quality of this movie to make money.”

Zhang Yansheng told Xu Lichen the good news, but Xu Lichen said, “I already know.”

“Hey, did Big Sister Mo call you first?” Zhang Yansheng asked.

“No, Big Brother Hai told me.” Xu Lichen said.

Zhang Yansheng: “…who?”

“He’s an assistant director,” Xu Lichen said, “Guess what I did during the winter vacation?”

“You either say it or I’ll hang up.” Zhang Yansheng said, “I don’t want to guess.”

“Tsk!” Xu Lichen flaunted, “I went to act.”

Zhang Yansheng: “…huh?”

Xu Lichen triumphantly said, “Big Brother Yangzi introduced me.”

Zhang Yansheng: “…who?”

Xu Lichen: “He’s another assistant director, casting director.”

She then understood, it’s the group who hooked up and drank together with him.

Xu Lichen’s excitement hasn’t passed yet: “Zhang Yansheng, let me tell you, acting is very interesting.”

Zhang Yansheng listened to him for a while, and was speechless: “Okay, stop it, school is about to start. Have you finished your winter vacation…”

“Zhang Yansheng!” Xu Lichen said loudly, “If we don’t mention the winter vacation homework, we will still be brothers for life!”

The rhythm of life in the second semester of second year in high school has become more stressful.

As the weather is getting warmer, the school has advanced the time to arrive at school and delayed the time of the end of school. It is said that some students who cannot afford the rent nearby have to get up at 5 o’clock in the morning and go out. It is past 10 o’clock when they get home at night, and then they still have to continue to study until midnight.

Zhang Yansheng is much better. She can take a break and take a nap in the car on the way to school and home.

But she must sleep late on weekends! Basically, the energy consumed during the week must be replenished during the lazy sleep on weekends.

And she usually wakes up in a terrible mood.

One weekend morning, Zhang Shuocheng didn’t know why he got up so early. He ran into the backyard which woke her up by him yelling frantically just below her window. Zhang Yansheng wrapped herself in a nightgown and rushed down to beat him up.

Zhang Shuocheng burst into tears and snots in front of Zhang Huan.

It was so tragic that Zhang Huan shed a few tears with him, sighed, and advised him: “On weekends, you should go to the front yard to play, and don’t ever go to the backyard to play, so as not to disturb your eldest sister, okay? She is approaching the college entrance examination and is under a lot of pressure.”

Zhang Shuocheng wiped away tears and said with a crying voice: “Okay!!!”

Under this kind of boring and fulfilling pace of life, in April, she suddenly knew that Xu Lichen had taken a week off. She heard it from his classmates.

Two boys came to find Zhang Yansheng together, one wearing glasses, and the other claimed to be the monitor of Class 5.

“We heard Xu Lichen say that he is buddies with you.” The monitor said, “I just want to ask if you know when he will come back to school. He has taken a week off. He didn’t reply when we sent him a text message, and we were a little worried that he would not be able to keep up with his studies.”

Zhang Yansheng was surprised that she didn’t speak for several seconds.

This life is very different. She and Xu Lichen both got rid of the Class 8, got rid of the life of absenteeism from school, and took a different path. So, what happened to Xu Lichen now?

“We don’t know.” The glasses brother pushed his glasses. “The teacher didn’t know, but she said that there seems to be something wrong with their family, and his father was sick or something.”

Father Xu is sick?

Zhang Yansheng’s heart suddenly beat violently for some reason, and an uneasy feeling arose in her heart.

After she finished talking with the two boys in Class 5, she hurriedly got into her car and took out her cellphone to call Xu Lichen.

It was connected, there was a ringing tone, and then Xu Lichen dropped the call.

Zhang Yansheng called his number twice more, and both calls were dropped.

Zhang Yansheng felt even more uneasy in her heart.

She thought for a while and called Zhang Huan: “Dad, I have something to ask you… No, I just got in the car and will arrive home in a while! Yes, I’ve eaten… you let me talk first, I have something to ask you!” She asked: “My classmate Xu Lichen… yes, that one you call Xiao Xu, yes, do you know what has been going on in their family recently? …No, it’s not that, is there anything new?”

Zhang Huan: “How do I know that I still have to watch the divorce of the couple every day? …Hey, don’t worry, I’ll inquire about it for you.”

Zhang Huan hung up the phone and went to inquire about the couple for Zhang Yansheng.

After about 20 minutes, he called her: “Something is f*cking wrong!”

Zhang Yansheng said in a calm voice, “Tell me.”

“How should I say this…“ Zhang Huan’s tone was full of endless feelings, “Xiao Xu’s father… it was said that he is mentally ill.”

The news made Zhang Yansheng’s head explode.

Zhang Huan said, “I went to the Provincial Development and Reform Commission for a meeting last month and saw him there. But now, his wife, Xiao Xu’s mother, is saying that he became mentally ill and is already in a mental hospital.”

“This f*cking… I just met him and now, he is in a mental hospital.” Zhang Huan rubbed the goose bumps on the back of his neck, “It’s terrifying to think about it.”

Zhang Yansheng heard the buzzing in her head!

She already understands it all!

What Mother Xu wasn’t able to do in her previous life, she has done it in this life! She controlled that scumbag man, Father Xu!

But how could this happen?

The Xu family’s husband and wife had a fierce divorce battle and even physically fought a few times. The two of them were very wary of each other.

In her previous life, Mother Xu also set up a Hongmen Banquet1鸿门宴 – “Hongmen Banquet” was used as a metaphor for a banquet that hid murderous intentions and attempted to harm guests. to ambush Father Xu. But because Father Xu was wary of her, he brought enough bodyguards, and finally escaped alive.

How could this happen in this life?

Zhang Yansheng felt that she had to sort out her thoughts.

The road at 10 o’clock in the evening was very empty, the driving was unimpeded, and the electric poles on the side of the road retreated quickly.

Why can《Leaving the Solar System》be released more than half a year in advance? Because the financing went smoothly. Because Mo Lin met Zhang Yansheng at the forum in Shuizhen, and then took away almost 150 million from K City that had not appeared in her previous life.

In the final analysis, it is because of one variable, which is Zhang Yansheng.

As for the Xu family… Xu Lichen is the only one who has changed. Xu Lichen is the only variable in the Xu family.

There is such a big difference between this life and the previous life, only because of Xu Lichen’s role in it.

Seeing that her home is almost in front of her, Zhang Yansheng suddenly patted the back of the driver’s seat vigorously: “Driver Zhou, turn around!”

Zhang Yansheng went to Xu’s house.

The huge house is all black with lights, and it has a ghost-house atmosphere. Zhang Yansheng rang the doorbell for a long time before an aunt hurriedly opened the door. It looked like she had already fallen asleep and got up again.

But Xu Lichen was not at home.

Mother Xu is not there either. There is no owner in that house now. The master was admitted to a mental hospital. The madam was disgusted with that house, which was full of traces of the master, and would not come back to live there at all. Xu Lichen was not there either. There are only a few aunts in the house. They live freely every day. They are happy that no one cares about them, and at the same time, they worry about whether they will be unemployed if the family members make troubles like this.

“I don’t know where he went.” The aunt said, “He said he was going to film.”

“Oh, he always likes filming.”

***The complete translation of this novel is available on my Patreon account. Please support. Thank you! ^^

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    鸿门宴 – “Hongmen Banquet” was used as a metaphor for a banquet that hid murderous intentions and attempted to harm guests.