Chapter 726: Needs a Yang Zongbao
Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi slowly shuffled over to Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi.
Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi were currently blanching luncheon meat slices in their pot. Seeing Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi approach, Zheng Gouzi instantly shielded his bowl. "Even if you're high-ranking officials," he declared, "I'm still not sharing my food with you."
Shi Jian, however, smiled and waved them over. "Sirs, come join us! I have plenty to spare."
Zheng Gouzi whispered, "Wow, you're actually being so generous?"
Shi Jian lowered his voice. "We're operating behind enemy lines. We need to be flexible, not rigid. Necessary expenses must be made; the Heavenly Lord taught me as much."
"I see," Zheng Gouzi replied.
With Shi Jian's invitation, Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi joined them. The four gathered around a single pot, fishing out slices of luncheon meat. The moment they popped a piece into their mouths, Chen Qiyu and Luo Xi's expressions became a sight to behold.
The luncheon meat was truly delicious!
During World War II, soldiers from various nations salivated profusely over American soldiers' luncheon meat cans, and for good reason.
As a governor, Chen Qiyu naturally had to maintain some decorum. Although he found it delicious, he didn't express it with such an undignified display. He merely smacked his lips and hummed softly. "Garrison Commander Shi," he remarked, "your household troops truly have excellent logistics."
Shi Jian smiled. "Just passable, really."
"Your family seems quite wealthy?" Chen Qiyu pressed.
Shi Jian's heart skipped a beat. This fellow was fishing for information about him.
Of course, he couldn't tell the truth directly. However, he already had a pre-arranged plan, with all parties having coordinated their stories, just waiting for such a question.
Shi Jian smiled faintly. "My family wasn't wealthy originally; I was just an impoverished military man. Fortunately, my paternal uncle earned some money, struck it rich, and funded my placement in court circles."
"Oh? And who might your paternal uncle be?" Chen Qiyu asked.
Shi Jian chuckled. "Shi Laosi. He wrote a book called *Gao Piao*. It became a massive bestseller, and that's how my uncle grew wealthy."
When Chen Qiyu heard the title *Gao Piao*, a lightbulb went off in his head. "Ah! I remember now!"
He had encountered Gao Shan's caravan at the Huangqiu Terrace Tunnel entrance and had browsed through a few books then. One of them was *Gao Piao*, written by Shi Laosi. To him, that book was far more appealing than others like *Tapo Tianqiong*, *Quandong Xuankun*, or *Fanren Xiuzhen Zhuan*.
"So, Shi Laosi, the author of that book, is your paternal uncle," Chen Qiyu said, as if a sudden realization had dawned on him.
The Shi clan, it seemed, had originally been poor, but then someone named Shi Laosi in their clan struck it rich. Once a person gains wealth, they inevitably desire power. It was quite common for them to fund young family members to enter officialdom and climb the ranks.
With this explanation, Shi Jian's peculiar military expenses were finally understood.
Chen Qiyu couldn't help but sigh. "Publishing books is actually so profitable? It makes me want to publish one myself. But I don't care for light fiction like *Tapo Tianqiong*. I want to write meaningful books, like *Gao Piao*."
Shi Jian smiled inwardly. *Easier said than done!* he thought. *Writing a book is easy, but making it a bestseller is hard! You might think your writing is excellent, but readers might not even bother to glance at it. That much is clear from your disdain for *Tapo Tianqiong*; you simply don't know what most readers enjoy. If *Gao Piao* hadn't been appreciated by the Heavenly Lord and granted special permission for printing back then, it would have died in its infancy. Even now, it's not a particularly well-selling comic book; it entirely relied on the Heavenly Lord's funding, a mix of sales and giveaways, mainly serving a propaganda purpose.*
*To assume that what one likes is what all humanity likes—that is arrogance and folly.*
*But never mind. These thoughts were best kept to himself, no need to say it out loud!*
—
As dawn broke...
The "Flower World Star Agency" began preparations for filming.
The female stars still had plenty of practice ahead for the action scenes, but they were already ready to perform the dramatic scenes.
Miss Cai Lin donned a suit of armor.
It wasn't the flashy, banner-laden costumes worn on stage, but a genuine female general's armor, a set borrowed directly from Xing Honglang.
The moment she put on the suit, Cai Lin felt completely overwhelmed.
Dozens of pounds!
However, female stars of this era were different from those of later generations. A later generation star would drop a project at the slightest disagreement or difficulty, demanding a stunt double.
But in this era, female stars had low status and were incredibly tough. Although the armor was heavy, she gritted her teeth and bore the weight.
Walking a bit slower was fine; after all, today was for dramatic scenes, just chatting within the "Tianbo Residence." A minor issue.
The entire cast was in position, with all "Twelve Widows of Tianbo Residence" assembled.
Li Daoxuan, outside the box, turned on all cameras, aiming them comprehensively at the women.
The comic books had virtually no dialogue.
But movies required dialogue, so this part couldn't entirely rely on the comic books. The women had also thoroughly read the story of *Mu Guiying*, and even invited a professional storyteller to provide guidance and help them improvise lines on the spot.
At this moment, the storyteller had just finished outlining a small scene. He turned to Miss Cai Lin. "Miss Cai, here you need to perform a scene expressing longing for your husband, Yang Zongbao... you'll gaze at the sky, muttering a few words, perhaps asking your deceased husband's spirit to protect you..."
Cai Lin nodded. "Understood."
Just as they reached this point, the Heavenly Lord, test-03, who was enjoying the spectacle from the side, suddenly interjected, "Hold on, hold on. You're not just putting on a play; you're filming a movie. So... this part can't simply be Miss Cai Lin performing alone. Movies can incorporate flashback scenes, and here, to enhance the performance, a flashback scene of Mu Guiying and Yang Zongbao as a married couple should be inserted."
The crowd chorused, "Huh?"
"So," Li Daoxuan continued, "we need someone to play Yang Zongbao here."
The words had barely left his mouth when everyone instantly turned, looking at Lao Nanfeng.
Lao Nanfeng pointed to his own nose. "Why are you all staring at me?"
Someone murmured, "Brother Nanfeng would be perfect for Yang Zongbao, wouldn't he?"
"I think so too!"
"Won't he be a bit too roguish to portray Yang Zongbao's heroic aura?"
"Well... perhaps he can manage?"
Li Daoxuan laughed heartily. "Excellent, you're the one! Lao Nanfeng, go quickly and get made up as Yang Zongbao. You'll act out a flashback scene with Miss Cai Lin."
When the Heavenly Lord spoke, it was a divine decree, and Lao Nanfeng had to comply whether he liked it or not.
Half an hour later...
Lao Nanfeng, clad in a suit of armor, stood before Cai Lin.
Cai Lin's face was flushed pink. "My husband... I pray your spirit will protect this humble wife, that I may return safely from this expedition."
"Cut!"
Li Daoxuan leapt to his feet with a sudden burst of energy, furious. "Mu Guiying can't speak so meekly! What's with 'My husband' and 'this humble wife'? Are you trying to infuriate me? You need to drag Lao Nanfeng over and declare powerfully: 'Zongbao, your old lady is off to war! You stay home and dutifully wait for your old lady to return victorious, understand?'"
Everyone was speechless.
Cai Lin's sweat poured down. "This lowly one cannot do it."
Comments