novelraw Chapter 675 It's been a long time since I've seen my daughter smile so happily.
Chapter 675 It's been a long time since I've seen my daughter smile so happily.
In the courtyard, Jiang Yang squatted down next to the dining table, holding a rag in his hand, and wiped the table until it shone.
Yang Chaoyue, wearing a floral apron just like her father's, squatted on the ground picking vegetables, carefully removing any with yellow leaves or rotten roots, her movements were very nimble.
The aroma wafted from Chaoyue's father's stove.
I've prepared several dishes.
There were freshly stir-fried razor clams with garlic, so fresh they were practically steaming hot.
Golden and crispy fried yellow croaker, with a fragrant outer skin and tender inside.
There was also a plate of stir-fried clams, with a clear broth and bright green scallions, and another plate of tender kelp and pork rib soup, bubbling away, its aroma filling the whole yard.
When he was almost done with his work, Jiang Yang wiped his hands and leaned over to Yang Chaoyue: "Chaoyue, Boss Mai said he wants you to play the lead role in the next movie. How much do you want for the role?"
Yang Chaoyue paused in his work, glanced up at him, and pouted, saying, "How could I possibly play the lead role? Only a big star like Sister Nazha deserves to play the lead role. With my level, I'd be lucky to even get a supporting role."
"That's what Mr. Mai said."
"Oh, Mai Mai."
Yang Chaoyue realized what was happening.
Mai Mai is in Jiangyang's company group. Not satisfied with being a vice president, she's now eyeing the jobs of director and producer. She can't stay idle.
"How much do you want for the lead role? Boss Mai is urging you to tell him quickly." Jiang Yang leaned closer again.
Yang Chaoyue put down the vegetables in his hand and said without thinking, "Ten billion."
Sure enough, I knew it would be this number.
Much more powerful than Xiwei.
They're incredibly audacious, completely clueless, demanding exorbitant prices and refusing to budge.
Jiang Yang sent Zhao Jinmai a message: [“Chaoyue needs 1 billion.”]
Within two seconds, MaiMai's message popped up: ["Young Master Duo?"]
[“1000000000, if you don’t believe me, come out and ask yourself. Hurry up, dinner’s ready, sit down at the table with the kids.”] Jiang Yang replied cheerfully.
"Get lost, Chaoyue! You're kidding me."
Mai Mai replies to messages instantly.
I know that Chaoyue is greedy for money.
It's one thing to covet Xiao Jiang's money, but he also wants to covet hers.
Yang Chao is greedy!
Jiang Yang typed: [“Get lost” is your Northeastern dialect, it won’t hurt Chaoyue much, she’s not that educated, she won’t understand it. You have to learn from your mother, you have to curse her with more force.”]
Jiang Yang regretted sending the message as soon as it was sent.
Isn't he setting a bad example for Mai Mai?
My sister-in-law is just a swearer; she never utters a clean word. If Mai Mai gets used to it and can't change, wouldn't Teacher Hu Lin hate her to death?
He quickly long-pressed the message and clicked "recall".
late.
Mai Mai pushed open the door and came out of the room, yelling at Yang Chaoyue, "Chaoyue, your mother..."
As soon as Mom spoke, she caught a glimpse of Chaoyue's father turning to look at her with a smile on his face, calling out to her, "MaiMai, time to eat."
Zhao Jinmai quickly swallowed back the three words "Legobi" that she was about to say.
He put on a grinning face and said, "Here I am, Daddy! I can smell the delicious aroma from the super room, it's making me so hungry!"
As she spoke, she took the initiative to help out.
Pick up the bowl and chopsticks next to you and place them on the dining table.
I picked up the dish that Chaoyue's father had just cooked and carefully placed it on the table, afraid of burning my hands.
"MaiMai, why did you call me Mom just now?" Yang Chaoyue asked, carrying the dishes over.
Zhao Jinmai leaned close to Yang Chaoyue, lowered her voice, and said irritably, "Chaoyue, do you think your mother would ask for a billion yuan for the lead role? How dare you even think about that!"
"Huh? What's wrong? Am I not good enough?"
Yang Chaoyue raised his chin, speaking with self-righteousness: "Anyone with a dream is remarkable, can't I even dream?"
"You really dare to think that way."
"What's there to be afraid of? I can't act in it anyway, so can't I just vent my frustrations?"
Yang Chaoyue pointed to the small table next to him and said to Mai Mai, "This table is for adults. You should sit at the children's table and not join us."
"Sit down, you motherfucker..."
Zhao Jinmai instinctively wanted to curse.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.
It's not just because Chaoyue's dad is here, it's mainly because I'm not used to it.
She didn't get to curse as freely as she did in her hometown.
She stuck out her neck and immediately started cursing: "Get lost! I'm on my period! I'm all grown up now, I'm a grown woman! Why should I sit at the kids' table?"
"Sometimes when I hear Mai Mai talk, it's really grating on my ears, I don't even dare to listen," Jiang Yang muttered from the side.
"Xiao Jiang, get lost too, and stop spouting nonsense." Zhao Jinmai immediately retorted.
Before they knew it, all the dishes had been served.
A table full of food.
In addition to the previously prepared garlic razor clams, fried yellow croaker, stir-fried clams, kelp and pork rib soup, there was also steamed swimming crab.
The crab shell is bright red, and the meat is tender and juicy.
Cold jellyfish salad is crisp, refreshing, and helps to cut through the richness of other dishes.
Stir-fried greens with dried tofu is light and refreshing.
A large bowl of mixed grain rice, served with seafood, is both refreshing and filling.
The main seat here is the one facing the main gate, and it's where distinguished guests and elders are received. Chaoyue's father pointed to the main seat and said to Jiang Yang with a smile, "Mr. Jiang, please sit here."
Jiang Yang knew, of course, that Chao Yue’s father was referring to the main seat. He quickly waved his hand and offered Chao Yue’s father the main seat, saying, “Father, please sit down. You are the elder, so you should sit in the main seat. I will sit next to you.”
Yang Chaoyue stood silently to the side, a warm smile in his eyes.
One was her boss who pulled her off the assembly line, led her onto the path of acting, and gave her hope.
One is her father, who raised her with great difficulty, worked hard to earn money, and always felt guilty for not giving her a good life.
Whoever it is, is of great importance to her.
It doesn't matter who sits in the main seat.
It's not like we're discussing business or socializing; there's no need for such formalities.
"It's just a seat, why are you making such a fuss about pushing it around! I'm sitting here!"
Zhao Jinmai exclaimed and plopped down in the main seat, urging, "Let's eat! I'm starving, the food will get cold if we don't eat soon."
Jiang Yang and Chao Yue's father burst into laughter at her boisterous manner.
Jiang Yang took out the Moutai he had brought, unscrewed the cap, poured a glass for Chao Yue's father, handed it over with both hands, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Uncle. This is a toast to you."
"What hardship do I have to endure? Mr. Jiang, you are the one who has worked hard."
Chaoyue's father quickly took the cup with both hands, deliberately placing the rim of the cup lower than Jiang Yang's, and gratefully toasted Jiang Yang: "My daughter Chaoyue has caused you so much trouble, Mr. Jiang. If it weren't for you, I don't know which factory she would be working in now."
When Chaoyue's father smiled, his face was covered with deep wrinkles.
The marks left by years of labor.
He was a typical middle-aged man from a rural seaside village, his skin tanned and rough from the sea breeze and sun, with a few faint scars on his face. He wasn't tall, but he was very sturdy.
His back was slightly hunched, his hands were calloused, and his knuckles were large; he was clearly someone who had worked hard all year round.
He served in the army when he was young, and after being discharged, he couldn't find a stable job, so he went to work as a laborer on construction sites.
Later, I learned to be an electrician and started taking on electrician jobs in my village and the surrounding villages to earn a meager living.
Chaoyue's father knew very well that although President Jiang was young and only a few years older than his daughter, he had achieved a great deal. In the past year, Chaoyue had earned more money than he had earned in his entire life.
He knew everything.
All the old furniture in the house was refurbished, and the superb room was also renovated, making it bright and spacious.
In addition, Chaoyue donated a lot of shoes to her sister's village, and the people there praised Chaoyue for her success, and her reputation spread.
When the villagers heard Chaoyue say that when she makes another movie, she will do something for the primary school in her village, buying books and stationery for the children to ease the burden on her family, everyone was very happy.
Although Jiangsu has been a rich land since ancient times, Wanggang Village is located by the sea, and in the past, people mainly relied on fishing and farming for a living, resulting in unstable income.
Many families are indeed poor. For example, when Chaoyue was a child, her family simply couldn't afford to send her to school, so she had to drop out early and work.
More than a decade ago, many families felt that going to university meant you'd still end up working anyway, so it was better to start working early and maybe you'd make a lot of money if you were lucky. They thought there was no need to waste time and money studying.
Even more than a decade later, in some mountain villages in Guizhou, the hometown of Chaoyue's mother, many parents still felt that education was useless and were focused on raising sons to provide for them in old age. If they didn't have a son, they would keep having more, believing that having a son meant that he could contribute to festivals and chores and would not be easily bullied.
These ideas cannot be changed by leaps and bounds; they can only be gradually transformed by the times.
If I can use some of my savings to help the children in my village get a better education, that's something.
"Xiao Jiang, let's have a toast too. I'll drink baijiu, all in one go, you can drink whatever you want." Zhao Jinmai tilted her head back and chuckled.
Jiang Yang downed a mouthful of Moutai and frowned.
He really couldn't get used to this kind of liquor; it was spicy and had a strong kick, making his throat feel like it was burning when he swallowed it.
Wild boars cannot appreciate fine bran.
He prefers to drink something a little rough.
Erguotou, one sip and you feel exhilarated, or Snow Beer, icy and refreshing, that's what makes it so enjoyable. I just can't get used to Moutai, which is all about taste.
Jiang Yang put down his wine glass and said with a smile to Chao Yue's father, "Father, if you have time next time Chao Yue's drama has its opening ceremony, I'll pick you up and we can go together to see how Chao Yue acts."
Chaoyue's father was taken aback when he heard this, then grinned, his face crinkling with wrinkles.
They had absolutely no idea what a launch ceremony was.
I just feel that the words "transcendent drama" carry a lot of weight.
I was so happy to be able to go and see my daughter filming.
Jiang Yang had just called him "Dad," and he knew that this was just following Chao Yue's way of addressing him, not that he actually recognized him as his father.
Jiang Yang is his junior, so there's nothing wrong with calling him that; they're all acquaintances.
But I still felt a little embarrassed.
Feeling that he was just a country bumpkin with little education and unworthy of being addressed so respectfully by President Jiang, he quickly nodded and replied, "Okay, okay, that's great!"
Chaoyue's father pursed his lips. Regardless of whether Jiang Yang's words were just polite, he listened very carefully and added, "President Jiang, just let me know anytime. I will definitely have time. No matter how busy I am, I will go and see my Chaoyue!"
"Just call me Xiao Jiang, Daddy. Don't call me President Jiang, it's too formal," Jiang Yang said with a smile.
Zhao Jinmai immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right, just call him Xiao Jiang, that's what I usually call him, Father, don't be so polite with him!"
Zhao Jinmai continued, "Xiao Jiang, let's have another toast. I'll drink baijiu, don't be a coward."
Done.
Another bottle of Wahaha was downed.
"I'm really scared by what you're doing," Jiang Yang replied.
“It’s alright, Father. We’re all family. You can call him Xiao Jiang; he won’t mind,” Yang Chaoyue said to his father, his eyes full of smiles.
"Okay, okay, Xiao Jiang." Chao Yue's father replied happily, and then put another piece of fried yellow croaker on Jiang Yang's plate: "Xiao Jiang, try it, it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Chao Yue liked to eat this when he was little."
Yang Chaoyue picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of steamed blue crab leg into Jiang Yang's bowl, saying with a smile, "Little Jiang, try it, it's what I made, see if it's good."
Jiang Yang glanced at her, his face stern: "What did you call me? I'll deduct twenty yuan from your salary."
Yang Chaoyue immediately corrected himself: "I'm calling you Brother Yang, Brother Yang, slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue!"
"It's too late. The twenty yuan in wages for this month has been deducted from Bailu's pay. If you want it back, go ask Bailu."
Chaoyue's father sat to the side, a smile on his face, quietly listening to Jiang Yang, Mai Mai, and his daughter chatting.
Listen to a few people talking about the White Dew solar term and the faint light of dawn in the fields.
When talking about Huang Lei's cooking skills, they said it was like Schrödinger's cooking skills, sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes so delicious that it was amazing, and sometimes so bad that it was impossible to swallow.
When we were recording "Mars Intelligence Agency," there was a junior agent named Yang Di who was particularly witty and got a lot of screen time. He always managed to make everyone laugh.
There's another guy in the education industry named Zhang Xuefeng, who gets all worked up and turns pale whenever the topic of filling out college applications and choosing a major comes up.
Chaoyue hasn't even gotten into university yet, so Zhang Xuefeng is advising her to take the postgraduate entrance exam in the future, so she can learn more and ask him if she has any questions about the exam.
Upon hearing that Zhang Xuefeng wouldn't take her money, Chaoyue nodded vigorously and said she would definitely study hard and get into Tsinghua or Peking University in the future.
Zhang Xuefeng burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Liu Haochun is an honest and unassuming man who usually doesn't even dare to speak loudly, but if he gets provoked, he will swear, and he does so quite fiercely.
The timid and submissive Zhang Ruonan only dared to stand up for herself when Hao Chun was scolding her.
My mom has been studying in Taiwan for a year now. She says that the swear words there aren't very powerful. She keeps using the same four words, and there's nothing new about them.
Chaoyue's father didn't recognize any of these names and had never seen them before, but he felt very satisfied watching the group chatting and laughing together.
We don't need money at home anymore.
With renewed hope, Chaoyue's life is getting better and better.
It's been a long time since our house has been this lively.
Most importantly, I haven't seen my daughter smile so happily in a long time.
The meal was a lively and enjoyable affair.
After a satisfying meal, it's time to clear the table.
Yang Chaoyue stacked the empty plates and bowls together and carried them to the kitchen.
Jiang Yang then took a rag and wiped the table, gathering the scattered chopsticks and spoons together.
"Xiao Jiang, why are you doing chores at Chao Yue's house? I've never seen you clean up the dishes when I visited your house before," Zhao Jinmai said.
“Chaoyue’s father is getting old, how can you bear to let him clean up after him?”
“Your dad is getting old too. Last time at your house, you just watched him tidy up.”
"Why are you talking so much? Get to work, hurry up."
Zhao Jinmai didn't sit idle; she worked alongside them.
After it was all over, I followed behind Chaoyue's father, wanting to hear him talk about his time in the army.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Yang, Yang Chaoyue quietly pulled him into her room and closed the door behind him.
Locked from the inside. (End of Chapter)