novelraw Chapter 677 It's good that you're by my side
Chapter 677 It's good that you're by my side
Sichuan Province.
Chengdu.
Dusk descended upon the streets and alleys.
As soon as Zhao Lushi stepped into her home and put down her things, the first thing she did was go downstairs to the old beef tallow hot pot restaurant that had been open for more than ten years.
This is the taste she longed for day and night after studying in Taiwan for a year.
The beef tallow hot pot broth in the restaurant was bubbling away, with bright red chili oil coating fresh tripe and goose intestines. Sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn powder, the aroma instantly filled the nostrils.
The familiar taste of home.
If my roommates from Taiwan eat this, they'll be overwhelmed by the spiciness.
During her year in Taiwan, she tried many local dishes but could never get used to them.
Taiwanese flavors tend to be light and sweet, and even the so-called spicy flavors are only mildly sweet and spicy.
It lacks the rich and intense aroma of Sichuan hot pot, and it doesn't have the satisfying numbing sensation or the intense spiciness.
She grew up in Sichuan.
Having grown accustomed to the strong flavors of savory, spicy, and numbing hot pot, and the aroma of bubbling beef tallow in a hot pot, I prefer every bite to be infused with the fresh numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns.
I'm used to the refreshing taste of chili oil in cold dishes.
Those bland, sweet flavors could never fill the void of her longing for the taste of her hometown.
I'm especially happy tonight.
It wasn't just because her good friend Yang Chaoyue and others' drama "Fighter of the Destiny" had started airing, but also because she could finally sit down with her parents and quietly watch a show together.
She didn't grow up with her parents much.
Her parents were busy working away from home, so she grew up with her grandparents in the old alley.
Throughout the year, the time I can spend with my parents is very limited.
Even though she wasn't in the show and was never on screen, she felt very happy just being able to watch her good friend's show with her parents and listen to them read a few lines from the plot.
The living room was brightly lit.
Dad leaned back on the sofa, while Mom peeled an orange, popping a segment into her mouth every now and then.
Zhao Lushi leaned against her mother, her legs curled up on the sofa, holding a freshly cut slice of watermelon in her hands, her eyes glued to the TV screen.
On the coffee table was a fruit platter she had prepared in advance. The red-fleshed watermelon was cut into neat squares, and the mandarin oranges were peeled neatly. She had done it all.
Before we knew it, the first episode of "Fighter of the Destiny" had finished airing.
The cast and crew list scrolls across the screen.
Zhao Lushi sat up straight, nudged her father next to her, and said excitedly, "Old man, the actor who plays Qiushan Jun, Jiang Yang, did you see his name? He's my boss."
"Is that the young man who took you to the Mars Intelligence Agency?" Dad asked with a smile.
“He’s the top scholar,” Mom added.
She specifically sought out and watched the variety show her daughter was on.
Despite the noise and confusion, and her inability to understand the process, she carefully edited every moment of her daughter's appearance and saved it on her phone, looking at it whenever she had free time.
"Is he also the acting director?" Dad looked at the credits very carefully.
"Yes, Lu Han and Gulinazha's performances were all directed by him, as were Yang Chaoyue who played Mo Yu, Liu Haochun who played Xiao Heilong, and Tian Xiwei who played Nan Ke. All three of them were supporting actors and were artists signed by Jiang Yang. They were all directed by Jiang Yang alone."
"That's great, your boss. They're doing a good job teaching them to act."
"Right, it's mainly because Jiang Yang is amazing. Really, Chao Yue learns things very slowly. If I were to go up there and let Jiang Yang guide me, I would definitely be able to perform better."
"Why didn't Jiang Yang give you a role?"
Dad suddenly asked a question.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Lushi was taken aback.
She was still smiling, but the corners of her mouth subtly turned down.
There was a sense of loss in her eyes.
"Hey, Ruth, I was just kidding." Dad laughed, then realized he'd misspoke: "I was just saying."
“The main reason is that I signed with Jiangyang Company late. If I had signed earlier, I might have been able to get on this show.” Zhao Lushi said seriously, “Jiangyang treats me very well. He doesn’t favor anyone. The resources he gets are shared among everyone.”
Zhao Lushi said this, but it would be a lie to say she didn't care.
Even Bai Lu, Ruo Nan, and Zhou Ye have special roles in this drama, allowing them to appear on screen.
She, however, didn't even get a single second of screen time.
Just by scrolling through the internet and seeing how popular it is, you can tell this show is definitely going to be a hit. Just like when Jiang Yang took her to "Mars Intelligence Agency" before, Jiang Yang has made the right bet again.
In other words, Chaoyue, Xiwei, and Haochun can all gain more popularity and be remembered by more viewers through this drama.
It will be easier for me to get acting roles and endorsements in the future.
She's different. Although the first episode of "Mars Intelligence Agency" allowed many netizens to see her and know that there is such a person as Zhao Lushi.
This kind of hype comes and goes quickly.
Before long, netizens will forget about her.
Ruth knows that variety shows and TV dramas are different.
Variety shows rely on the artists' on-the-spot reactions and personalities to attract fans. The popularity is mostly temporary. What netizens remember is often a certain segment or a certain joke from the show, and it is difficult to remember the artist himself.
In film and television dramas, as long as a character is played well and the drama becomes a hit, that character will become deeply ingrained in people's minds and remain in their memories for many years. Even after a long time, when the character is mentioned, people will immediately think of the actor who played him.
It allows you to accumulate more industry resources, gain recognition from more directors and producers, and subsequently receive better roles, gradually establishing yourself in the industry—something that variety shows cannot provide.
Thinking of this, Zhao Lushi took out her phone, quickly tapped the voice message button, and immediately cursed: ["Jiang Yang, I'm watching 'Fighter of the Destiny' with my parents, and it's making me jealous! When the hell are you going to get me a role?"]
The moment the words left his mouth, the living room fell silent for half a second.
Ruth's father immediately turned his head to look over, his brows furrowed tightly, and his lips moved slightly.
Imagine, like before, sternly reprimanding Ruth and forbidding her from swearing again.
But the words, though on the tip of his tongue, were ultimately swallowed back down.
He knew better than anyone that he bore a great deal of responsibility for Ruth's habit of swearing.
Rather than blaming Ruth for being immature, it's more accurate to blame himself, the father, for not spending enough time with his daughter and for not teaching her properly.
When Ruth was little, she was a lively, active, and sensible girl. She would greet everyone she met, speak gently, and was reasonable and polite. Whether it was her grandparents or other relatives and friends, they all praised her for being well-behaved.
But ever since he and his wife were busy working hard outside and focused on their business, they gradually stopped taking care of their daughter.
Ruth was left in the care of her grandparents, and they could count the number of times they came back to see her throughout the year on one hand.
Even when Ruth was beaten up in junior high, he didn't find out until a month later from a phone call from his grandmother.
At that moment, he felt both guilty and angry.
She felt guilty for not being able to protect her daughter.
He was angry that his daughter had suffered such a great injustice, yet she hadn't even asked him for help.
He rushed home, and before he could find out what had happened, he gave Ruth a sum of money and scolded her severely, saying that she was immature and didn't know how to protect herself. He also ordered her not to cause trouble again, to study hard, and to be well-mannered.
At that moment, Ruth just kept a straight face, her head down, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, and she didn't say a word in defense no matter how much he scolded her.
He patiently asked her what had happened, but Ruth refused to tell him.
I only said one thing to him, something he still remembers to this day:
"Dad, I just want you to be here with me... When you're with me, I've never envied anyone."
He felt heartbroken when he heard that.
Speechless for a moment.
I don't know what to do, and I feel a bit helpless.
She later learned from her teacher that the other person had started the fight and bullied her. Ruth hadn't fought back until the teacher came and educated the other person, who then apologized, and the two made up.
Not long after, the girl, who hadn't provoked Ruth, got into an argument with another classmate.
Ruth, for some reason, suddenly rushed over.
“What does it have to do with you if it’s someone else’s business? Ruth, how could you hit me first? How rude of you! Even the teachers have told me about you.” He was so angry that he was trembling all over, and he cursed Ruth again.
“I just have no manners, and I don’t want to be any more manners. If you don’t have time to teach me, I’ll teach myself.”
This was the first time Ruth had talked back to him; she was incredibly stubborn.
He still remembers that Ruth was quite short back then, and she looked up at him.
The grievance, anger, and helplessness in her eyes were like a needle piercing his heart, leaving him speechless with heartache.
Ruth continued, "The person she insulted had parents who got divorced, and the divorce came to the school. Everyone in the class saw it, and she kept using it to mock that person. That person was originally the top student in the class, but their monthly exam ranking dropped to the middle. When the person wanted to copy their homework, they refused, and the person said, 'No wonder their parents don't want them. I can't stand it.'"
“I didn’t mean to slap her. Why should I blame her for my unhappy family? My parents aren’t around either, and I’m not happy either. Is it my fault? What can a child like me do? If anyone bullies those classmates who study hard, I’ll beat them up. I have plenty of money. I’ll pay for their medical expenses.”
He was completely stunned when he heard this.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Looking at the stubbornness and grievance in his daughter's eyes, he felt guilty but there was nothing he could do.
It was his and his wife's absence during their daughter's upbringing, their failure to provide her with sufficient companionship and guidance, that led her to develop this personality of using a tough exterior to mask her true self.
From then on, "Damn it, Gobi!" became Ruth's catchphrase.
It became her armor to protect herself during her student days.
In his presence, Ruth would try her best to restrain herself and work hard to get rid of this habit.
Throughout the year, he and his wife can only spend a few days during the Chinese New Year.
Ruth grew up with her grandparents and gradually became silent, keeping everything to herself and no longer telling him anything.
In high school, Ruth inexplicably became popular on QQ Space. Many people used Ruth's photos as their profile pictures. After a while, she was criticized by netizens as a delinquent.
She was subjected to malicious abuse from many people, and had no choice but to transfer schools, leaving her far away from her familiar environment.
Ruth's temper gradually calmed down after she went to college.
He's no longer as impulsive as before, and he hasn't gotten into fights anymore, but he still hasn't completely gotten rid of his swearing habit.
Until last time, when he took the initiative to apologize to Ruth, admitting his dereliction of duty and guilt as a father, Ruth finally dropped her pretense and said that she understood his and her mother's hardships, and the relationship between the father and daughter finally eased.
Now, when he hears his daughter sending a voice message to her boss and casually swearing, he instinctively wants to scold her, but he stops himself from saying it.
He feared that his scolding would anger his daughter again and ruin this precious moment of warmth.
He was also afraid that his daughter would close her heart again and stop paying attention to him.
The silence didn't last long; Ruth's phone vibrated.
It was a voice message from Jiang Yang.
Ruth quickly picked up her phone and tapped the play button.
Jiang Yang's stern voice rang out: ["Zhao Lushi, try saying 'damn it' to me again!"] (End of Chapter)