The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1626 Independent
"You know I really love Jue Wei's duck products. I'm not a local, but I've heard a lot about Jue Wei and have wanted to interview them for a long time. I even applied for an interview, but I was rejected."

Ye Xiaolang continued to add his explanation while stealing a glance.

Qiao Yicheng said, "Wang Yan doesn't like giving interviews. The interviews he's given in the past few years have all been unavoidable. Also, when I first started working, he happened to be at the company, so I had to interview him."

"Besides, the current general manager of Juewei is Erqiang, and the manager of Jinling is Simei. Wang Yan doesn't really manage Juewei anymore. How about I talk to Erqiang and you interview him?"

“Wang Yan is more legendary, you can just talk to him about it, it’s not a big deal.” Ye Xiaolang hugged Qiao Yicheng’s arm, her tone sweet.

She spoke with ease and naturalness, as smooth as the evening breeze. It was a small matter, a small matter that Qiao Yi should agree to once she mentioned it.

But Qiao Yicheng was in a dilemma.

Even when he is immersed in happiness, he will become clear-headed when it comes to Wang Yan.

He had forgotten how long it had been since he had felt troubled. The troubles of not having enough to eat, his younger siblings being sick, his father being a worry, and the family's uncertain future all seemed to have disappeared from his life.

But he would never forget that feeling of despair that rose from the depths of his heart; it was the source of his motivation and gave him boundless courage.

He knew that all that sadness had disappeared because of Wang Yan's appearance. Ever since Wang Yan started appearing at Old Qiao's house when he was thirteen, Erqiang had been playing with him, Simei had been eating and drinking with him, Sanli had received tutoring in her studies, and even Old Qiao had been drinking more wine. Back then, when he got sick or had a cold, he didn't even need Wang Yan to prescribe medicine; he would just add some medicinal herbs to the dishes, and after a couple of meals, he would be fine...

Not to mention that things have come to this point now. Erqiang is the legal representative of Juewei and serves as its general manager, Simei is the manager of Jinling, Ma Suqin is the manager in charge of other duck products, and other relatives and friends have all risen to prominence and are living a good life.

Therefore, Qiao Yicheng was grateful to Wang Yan, so he never caused Wang Yan any further trouble. He also kept a close eye on his younger siblings in private, with Old Qiao being a key target of his surveillance.

So he shook his head: "Xiao Lang, let's forget about it. There are so many things worth reporting, it's not necessary to interview Wang Yan. There are many things about Jue Wei that can be reported, such as employee benefits, the company's development philosophy, the construction of the industrial chain, etc. These are all business thinking and operating models that Wang Yan has formulated, which are leading the country and in line with the world."

“But there are too many reports like this, it’s not original at all,” Ye Xiaolang said. “Yicheng, I know you don’t want to rely on Wang Yan or cause him trouble, but it’s just an interview, it’s not a big deal, is it? He can play marbles with kids all afternoon, my interview will only take an hour, we’re all family, it’s not that big of a deal, is it?”

Qiao Yicheng frowned and looked at her: "Xiao Lang, you said it yourself, it's just an interview, so it's not a big deal if we don't do it."

Noticing Qiao Yicheng's seriousness, Ye Xiaolang waved his hand considerately, even though he didn't think much of it. "Why are you so serious? If you don't want to accept it, you don't have to. I just wanted to take advantage of this convenience, I didn't mean anything else. Don't overthink it, Yicheng."

As she spoke, she hugged Qiao Yicheng's arm even tighter, and at the same time increased the force of her lean, causing Qiao Yicheng to involuntarily lean to the right...

“I know you’re not that kind of person, Xiao Lang.” Qiao Yicheng nodded, silently keeping his distance from the curb. “You might be curious about Wang Yan. Indeed, not just you, I’m curious about him a lot. Let me tell you from the beginning. It was 1983, Sanli had just started junior high, and she and Wang Yan were classmates…”

The two walked unhurriedly down the road. As Qiao Yicheng explained, Ye Xiaolang also understood Wang Yan's miraculous help to the Qiao family in changing their fate...

"Xiao Lang, you already know that Wang Yan has helped our family so much over the years. We can't cause him any more trouble."

Ye Xiaolang smiled brightly: "I think you're overthinking it. Yicheng, Wang Yan has been in your family since he was thirteen. You're all family now. He gave you material things, and you reciprocated with spiritual support. No one helped anyone else, and no one owes anyone anything. Why be so clear about it?"

"No." Qiao Yicheng didn't argue, he just shook his head in denial.

Seeing Qiao Yicheng's even more serious expression, Ye Xiaolang breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, alright, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. Let's just live our own lives, without any ties, okay?"

"It's impossible to be completely independent."

Qiao Yicheng, of course, saw Ye Xiaolang's "Are you crazy?" look. He then explained his situation at the TV station, "This is already a connection, a 'connection' or 'assistance.' Liu Xiaomeng jokingly said I was low-key, and I think your colleagues at the newspaper know that, right? It's good for you too. But that's all. Don't bother Wang Yan unless absolutely necessary. That's what I wanted to say."

We'll just live our lives as they are, and we're already doing very well. We lack nothing, we have nothing to worry about, and we can strive for our ideals without any concerns. This is the greatest help Wang Yan can give us; we can't greedily ask for more. Do you understand, Xiao Lang?

"Yes, yes, I understand." Ye Xiaolang's tone was full of doting. "Just don't mention interviews anymore."

"None of the others will do!"

"Okay, okay, no, no, none of these are acceptable."

"I'm not kidding you."

"Oh, I know, I'm being very serious, okay?"

After turning the page, their conversation became much more pleasant, like a couple deeply in love, their eyes only for each other. Thus, Qiao Yicheng completely overlooked Ye Xiaolang's little scheme…

The Qiao family really mobilized a lot for Qiao Yicheng's wedding. Erqiang found a car fleet and video recording equipment, while Simei often took Ye Xiaolang shopping to buy clothes and cosmetics, choose a wedding dress for Ye Xiaolang, and order a suit for Qiao Yicheng. Sanli, along with Lao Qiao, was busy notifying relatives and confirming attendees.

Only Wang Yan was relaxed; he arranged for the hotel to prepare a menu for the wedding banquet.

His restaurant, named Hongyun E, is a proper, large restaurant with a very strong kitchen. It mainly serves Jiangzhe cuisine, supplemented by other cuisines. A level 5 master chef is the head chef, leading a level 5 chef and several level 4 apprentices to ensure a high level of culinary skills.

At the same time, it trains new talents, cultivates master chefs with considerable skills, and organizes activities to exchange ideas with other famous chefs regularly, promoting mutual progress and improvement.

Despite the restaurant's reputation, Wang Yan didn't charge a high price. After initially lacking fame and customers, Hongyun Restaurant's business improved day by day as word-of-mouth spread.

Regular tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Private rooms, however, require advance reservations, with the longest wait being three months in advance. Most of those waiting in line for private rooms are people who have become wealthy. As for their social standing, that's another matter. Meanwhile, to accommodate Old Qiao, he was given a regular table. After all, Old Qiao goes every day, and even with friends, one regular table is enough.

The private rooms reserved for small and large gatherings are always reserved and are given to people with connections when they are not in use. If they are needed, they are confirmed in advance so as not to affect the normal operation of the restaurant or offend people who think they have connections.

Such a hotel would naturally have no problem hosting Qiao Yicheng's wedding banquet.

It's only because Qiao Yicheng gets married so many times that Wang Yan occasionally cooks in the kitchen when he's really free. After all, he's only just broken through to level five, and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. He also needs to solidify his skills, so people often get to eat his cooking, though the diners are unaware of it…

Two months later, Yicheng's wedding was held at the Hongyun Hotel.

Besides relatives and friends from both the Qiao and Qi families, there were also Yicheng's classmates and friends, as well as his colleagues from the TV station. The most important person present was the deputy director of the TV station, who came to officiate at Yicheng's wedding. The host was the station's top male host, a familiar face to everyone, so it was quite a prestigious occasion.

Wang Yan received the deputy director, the director's secretary, and the host, etc., who were showing him respect. They sat at a table in a corner and ate and drank together with Qi Weimin and Song Qingyuan.

"Delicious, so delicious. Wang Yan, Yi Cheng's wedding was just so-so, but this banquet was really good." Song Qingyuan was spitting out chopsticks and shoveling mouths, still grumbling about his resentment towards Yi Cheng for insisting on marrying Ye Xiaolang.

Qi Weimin slapped him: "Stop talking! It's a big day for them, you can't act like this."

“I’m really doing this for Qiao Yicheng’s own good. You guys don’t have much contact with Ye Xiaolang, so you don’t know much about him… Oh well, Wang Yan will understand later. He’s no pushover.”

Song Qingyuan is a true and good brother, and he doesn't dare to say anything that might spoil the mood. Of course, he's not stupid enough to say it in front of Qiao Yicheng and Ye Xiaolang, nor would he speak ill of Qiao Yicheng in front of others.

Only after confirming that it was indeed the few people sitting there did they feel comfortable speaking...

Wang Yan chuckled, happily munching on a chicken leg: "Whether he's a good guy or not doesn't matter. In the end, it's still Brother Yicheng who's going to live. As long as he can handle it, that's fine. You said you're here to cover his bottom line, so it doesn't matter what happens."

He waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Brother Weimin, hurry up and get it done. Just do it here with me."

"Don't get me into trouble, Wang Yan. I work for the government, so it's not appropriate for me to have such a grand celebration."

"Oh, what's the big deal?" Song Qingyuan said nonchalantly. "There are so many banquets and invitations these days. Many people are just waiting for this opportunity to expand their connections. Your leaders receive countless gifts. What problems could you possibly have in organizing this?"

“But we can’t let the superiors set an example for the subordinates. If the leaders don’t stick to their principles, then the leaders have a problem. I can’t not stick to my principles,” Qi Weimin said righteously.

He was similar to Qiao Yicheng. He was not a pedantic person, but also a person with principles, which were excellent qualities.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Then let me host a few tables of food and drink here, and treat our acquaintances to a meal. All the dishes are on me, consider it my gift to you. Hey, Lao Qi, there's no need to argue about this. I'm such a big boss, and you're arranging a few tables of food for me, what's the big deal?"
Serving the people, upholding principles, and adhering to bottom lines are all good qualities for state cadres. But there's no rule that says being a cadre means you can't make friends. If you don't trust your other friends, they might ask you for favors, but what favors could I possibly ask them to do? The disciplinary inspection officials can't find fault with that either.

So Qi Weimin stopped refusing: "Then I'll thank you first, my big boss. Come on, Xingyu, let's have a drink with the big boss first. He's the sponsor of our wedding."

At this moment, Wang Yan saw from afar that Qiao Yicheng, who had left for the restroom in a daze, was much more energetic and walked back with a preoccupied look on his face, followed by his father-in-law.

The father-in-law was very happy. He walked over to the table, sat down, and gave his wife an approving look. The couple were both delighted. Seeing them like this, Old Qiao assumed he had done a good job entertaining them, and immediately began to toast them even more enthusiastically.

Although he and his eldest son never get along, and they have a small argument every time they meet, and he gets scolded every time, Old Joe is very happy on his eldest son's big day.

Perhaps he wasn't happy about his eldest son's wedding, but rather the grand spectacle and the attention it generated made him, Old Joe, even more resilient.

Song Qingyuan also noticed Wang Yan's gaze and saw Qiao Yicheng, who was clearly looking somewhat sullen, and his father-in-law, who was beaming with joy behind him.

"Why do I get the feeling that Yicheng isn't very happy?"

"I can hear the schadenfreude in your voice," Qi Weimin rebuked, having seen it himself.

"Qiao Yicheng brought this trouble upon himself. You all saw it, right? It's obvious that his father-in-law is making things difficult for him. There are only two things that can put him in a difficult position: either he needs money or he needs a favor. They've only just gotten married, and trouble has already come knocking on their door. Who knows how much more trouble he'll face in the future?"

Song Qingyuan was a discerning man who knew how to flatter women. Moreover, as an outsider, he could see clearly that Ye Xiaolang was scheming.

The group wasn't gossipy; they only exchanged a few words, with Song Qingyuan being the main speaker, expressing his resentment that Qiao Yicheng wouldn't listen to good advice.

He only mentioned it to Wang Yan and Qi Weimin. In the original drama, although he showed his strong dislike for Ye Xiaolang, he didn't say anything else. The reason he brought it up now was, of course, because everyone shared a common topic of conversation and expressed their disapproval of Ye Xiaolang; he was desperately seeking validation.

But as mentioned before, ultimately it's Qiao Yicheng's own fault. As a friend, if you feel that your good friend has fallen into a trap, you can just complain a bit and that's it. It's not like you have any deep-seated hatred for him.

So everyone enjoyed eating and drinking together.

Today is the Qiao family's day, and Erqiang, Sanli, and Simei are all very busy, constantly worrying about things on both sides. This time it's not as simple as in the original drama; it's not just Ye Xiaolang's parents who came, but also a lot of relatives and friends from the other side. Erqiang and the others wanted to make things perfect, so they spent money to hire a bus to bring them over, and arranged accommodation and food, which cost a lot.

So it wasn't just Old Joe who couldn't stop smiling; Ye Xiaolang's smile was equally wide open.

Ye Xiaolang was certainly pleased with her moment in the spotlight, but that was only one aspect. Another was that she had truly become Qiao Yicheng's legal wife, and could now openly and legitimately benefit from Wang Yan's influence...

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the kind readers who have given me generous support through tips, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and those who have been reading quietly!