Years: Salted fish life since going to the countryside.

Chapter 1638 Meeting old friends in a foreign land

"Han Li, Teacher Han, Teacher Han."

Han Li was taken aback when he suddenly heard someone call his name in Mandarin, knowing that this was Hong Kong.

However, when Han Li turned his head to look in the direction from which the sound came, he saw Liu Xiaoqing, whom he had met once before. She was shouting and waving incessantly from the window of a van.

(Everyone knows what a minivan is, but the name originated in Hong Kong. After the reform and opening up, it spread to Guangzhou, and then to the north, eventually becoming the common name for this type of vehicle.)
When Liu Xiaoqing saw Han Li turn his head to look at her, half of her body was almost sticking out. The other people in the car were also looking in this direction.

In this situation, Han Li didn't have time to think about why Liu Xiaoqing was in Hong Kong. He quickly rolled down the car window and spoke to her.

"Hello, Comrade Liu. But what brings you to Hong Kong?"

Of course, Liu Xiaoqing wouldn't mention that she happened to learn that Han Li was currently a professor in Hong Kong during a movie promotion, nor would she mention that she specifically inquired about Han Li's home address, let alone that she made a special trip to Houhai before coming to Hong Kong, only to ultimately not knock on the door.

Liu Xiaoqing would never say that if she hadn't failed to find out Han Li's address in Hong Kong, she probably would have made a special trip to visit him when she first arrived here a couple of days ago.

Even though Liu Xiaoqing had a lot on her mind, as an actress, controlling her expression was the most basic skill. So she kept her expression unchanged and still had a pleasant smile on her face as she spoke.

"I came to Hong Kong with the film crew to shoot a movie, and I never expected to meet Teacher Han."

At this point, the cars in front started moving. Most roads in Hong Kong only have two lanes. If Han Li and his group didn't move, the cars behind them would start cursing. So he said to Liu Xiaoqing.

"When you meet an old friend in a foreign land, you should definitely have a good get-together. But we can't block the way. Your car goes first, and I'll turn around and catch up."

After Han Li finished speaking, he followed the car in front, as did the van that Liu Xiaoqing was in.

At this moment, the people in the van who had come to Hong Kong with Liu Xiaoqing to film a movie asked her curiously what was going on and who that person was.
Liu Xiaoqing never dreamed that she would "bump into" Han Li here, let alone that he would recognize her, which made her very happy.

However, all the information about Han Li was from her personal sources. She wouldn't tell these colleagues that she had met Han Li by chance in a courtyard in Beijing, let alone that the old people there valued Han Li highly.

However, since her colleagues had asked, Liu Xiaoqing couldn't remain silent. Otherwise, if they told their superiors, she would inevitably be summoned for questioning by a certain department.

So Liu Xiaoqing briefly recounted Han Li's situation, cutting out a few details and attributing it to how she happened to meet Han Li when she went to a university to promote something.

There are so many benefits to getting to know someone from Hong Kong at this time. Putting aside everything else and the long term, just the fact that they can help you exchange some Hong Kong dollars would allow you to buy a lot of rare items from mainland China.

Liu Xiaoqing and her colleagues were naturally dissatisfied with this vague answer, but in this situation and occasion, they couldn't press for an answer.

Moreover, at this moment, Han Li had already driven past their van and was using his turn signal to guide them to an open space ahead.

After the two vehicles were parked on the open ground by the roadside, everyone in the van except the driver got out.

Han Li offered a cigarette to the male comrades present and a handful of Italian chocolates to Liu Xiaoqing and the other female comrades.

Since most of the people present were from China, Han Li didn't make any further moves. Throughout his conversation with them, Han Li maintained a smile on his face, showing no signs of anything amiss, and kept a certain distance from Liu Xiaoqing at all times.

Because Liu Xiaoqing and her group had to rush to film and complete their tasks for the day, they didn't have much time to chat, and the two sides parted ways after a short conversation.

However, during their brief conversation, Han Li learned that Liu Xiaoqing and the others had come to film the drama "The Empress Dowager," and also learned about the unfair treatment they had received on set.

As for accommodation, Liu Xiaoqing and the others just need a place to sleep.

The most disgusting thing is when they eat. Those people in Hong Kong have special food carts with all kinds of abundant ingredients, such as chicken, duck, fish and meat.

People like Liu Xiaoqing who came from China could only eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables.

Liu Xiaoqing had a big argument with the crew over this, and afterwards the crew agreed to let Liu Xiaoqing, the female lead in the drama, eat the same food as the people from Hong Kong.

But others can't; if they want to eat, they have to pay for it themselves, and they only accept Hong Kong dollars, even if Chinese dollars are worth more.

Of course, Liu Xiaoqing couldn't do that, otherwise her reputation would be ruined. When she got back, she would not only be scolded by her superiors and forced to write a self-criticism, but she would also be targeted by others in her future work.

Although the crew members really wanted to get on Han Li's good side, they didn't ask for anything else, they just wanted him to help them exchange some Hong Kong dollars so they could buy more things to take home.

However, they also knew that this was due to Liu Xiaoqing's connections, and when the driver shouted that he was leaving, these people gave the two of them a little time to talk alone.

Han Li and Liu Xiaoqing had nothing to say to each other, especially in a situation where it was necessary to avoid suspicion.

Han Li simply told Liu Xiaoqing that he would find someone to change the way they ate on set, and that he wanted to do his part as a host by treating her and her colleagues from China to a meal.

At this point, Han Li learned from Liu Xiaoqing that getting a meal would not be easy.

Because people like Liu Xiaoqing cannot go out freely, even when they are not using the venue or filming. They need the leader's permission and must be accompanied by a local.

However, Han Li didn't mind. He simply said that if his connections couldn't go out, he would bring the food with him.

At this point, the driver honked his horn again to urge them on, and the two hurriedly ended their conversation.

Han Li waved and watched the van from which Liu Xiaoqing had stuck her head out drive away, wondering to himself whether he should let her experience it.
When fellow villagers meet, they either shoot each other in the front or in the back.

The former was all smiles, while the latter was in tears.

However, Han Li quickly dismissed the idea. Not to mention that Liu Xiaoqing didn't have much free time in Hong Kong, even if she did, such things required mutual consent.

At this moment, Han Li thought of Liu Xiaoqing and the others eating on set, and wondered how to help them out without revealing his wealth.
(End of this chapter)