Actor: Thank you.

Chapter 1189 The Lunar New Year

Another year of good New Year celebrations.

Lunar New Year's Eve has arrived in the blink of an eye.

A day in advance, Zhang Yuan personally distributed red envelopes and gifts to the housekeeper and uncle in his household.

He also bought a Bosideng down jacket for himself.

Everyone in the family went out, the door was closed, and he still spent the New Year alone.

It's the same old problem.

Cheng Hao asked him if he wanted to accompany her back to Shandong.

Liu Shishi asked him if he wanted to have New Year's Eve dinner with Mr. Liu.

Yang Mi didn't look for her, because she was still working on New Year's Eve and couldn't stop making money.

Sisi is fine; she went back to her maternal grandmother's house and only made a phone call to him.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "If I ever learn how to use Shadow Clone Technique, I might consider using it."

Let's forget about it for now; it might cause trouble.

It's better for me to stay home alone.

He also finds peace and quiet.

It's bustling all year round, but I'm actually drawn to this rare tranquility.

Even when I come home on weekdays, there's always a nanny around, no matter where I am.

There's absolutely no one here now.

He had his aunt buy some meat for him in advance, and a bunch of vegetables were delivered directly from Tianjingdihua Horse Ranch.

It was all fertilizer applied by Brother Qian himself.

As in previous years, Sister-in-law Qian brought some dumplings she had made herself.

Zhang Yuan recalled that the young marshal had said that his family had more than eighty cooks.

During Chinese New Year, we make so many dumplings that we can fill the whole house.

Yes, a whole room full.

Ordinary families make dumplings by the piece, by the plate, by the basket, or at most by the refrigerator.

Zhang Xueliang's family made dumplings by the house itself, and it was a large, single-story house.

That package contains tens of thousands of items. Whoever comes over for the New Year can just pick them up and eat them right away. It's very convenient.

Moreover, in the weather of Northeast China, you don't even need a refrigerator; things just freeze indoors—it's a natural cooling system.

After much thought, he realized that even though they shared the same surname, Zhang, the gap between him and others was still significant.

Thinking of Zhang Xueliang and dumplings reminds me of the saying "Nothing tastes better than dumplings, nothing's more fun than your sister-in-law," and then I think of the story of Zhang Xueliang and his cousin's wife.

As the old saying goes, nothing's more fun than your sister-in-law.

Especially since the cousin-in-law was played by Liu Yan later on, which makes perfect sense.

Zhang Yuan had met Teacher Liu Yan before; she was quite fair-skinned.

Thinking of this, he went and cooked some dumplings that Aunt Qian had made for lunch.

If you eat ten, cook ten more; otherwise, they won't taste as good. I, Old Zhang, am particular about these things.

I brought out a hot pot of mutton to cook dumplings.

Crunch... He had only eaten the third one when he felt something hard against his teeth.

I spat it out and took a look.

"Wow, a happy start to the year! What a good omen!"

A shiny gold 50-cent coin.

It may seem like a small matter, but it put him in a great mood.

Little did he know that that very night, his apprentice, Yu Siyang, ate dumplings like crazy, almost throwing up, but ultimately failed to find the coin and cried half the night…

Sister-in-law Qian was careless and delivered the food she had prepared for her son to him.

He essentially stole his apprentice's luck.

However, he didn't make any money, since he had kissed girls, his apprentices had kissed girls, and even those he hadn't kissed, Guo Xiaobao had kissed.

After eating dumplings, I watched some news programs.

Pay special attention to the Beijing TV station.

Good, you kept your word and didn't report on my affair with the Japanese woman.

Old Han has probably informed other media outlets as well, and the news has temporarily subsided.

I just wonder if this will be dug up as a "dark history" many years later.

I turned off the TV and threw down the remote.

Back in the study in the backyard, I pushed open the piano lid, which hadn't been used for a long time.

Normally, she doesn't let anyone touch her, and when she's not using her, she covers her with a velvet white blanket.

I raised my hand to try it out, and it worked perfectly.

You get what you pay for. Even after not using it for so long, the sound is still crystal clear and perfectly balanced.

I opened the sheet music and played all the pieces, from Chopin to Mozart, from Vivaldi to Beethoven.

It has a certain air of self-admiration.

After finishing practicing the piano, she covered herself up again and went to the kitchen.

This year he plans to cook himself a meal.

After all, I picked up some professional cooking skills while filming overseas.

Stir-fried beef noodles and sweet and sour pork are a must; these are his specialties.

As long as you don't use lighter fluid or epoxy resin, it's fine.

They also ordered a stir-fried pork kidney dish; this dish is not easy to make.

But he felt that he needed to take supplements occasionally.

Especially since the battle with Zhang Yuqi a few days ago was too intense, I need to take care of myself.

Southern-style scallion oil chicken uses fresh scallions mixed with oil, and the chicken must be tender. When served, the bones must still be bright red. This is how it's eaten in Shanghai and Guangdong.

Four-delight braised gluten and sweet and sour spare ribs are also common cold dishes in Shanghai, and they are sweet.

He reduced the amount of sugar appropriately.

There's also the Old Capital Mustard Greens, made with tender white cabbage given by Brother Qian. One taste of the sauce, and it goes straight to the top of your head, so refreshing.

Stir-fried shrimp, braised carp, and deep-fried meatballs.

When making fried meatballs, you have to eat them right in front of the stove.

It smells best when it's so hot you have to toss it around in your hand.

Zhang Yuan ate a few, but felt something was still missing.

Looking around, I realized there was no one to compete with me for food, and I didn't have to sneak around eating, which made life a little less interesting.

He cooks for himself not only to hone his skills, but also to find some warmth in everyday life.

One cannot always live a life of luxury, where food is served to one's mouth and clothes are provided without lifting a finger; otherwise, one will become detached from reality.

Prepare the ingredients so you can eat them anytime, and cook them whenever you want.

After washing my hands, I returned to the restaurant and took out several plates of melon seeds, peanuts, White Rabbit milk candy, and Hsu Fu Chi nougat.

They also secretly hid a bag of Want Want gift packs.

I want stickers!

Cooking takes quite a bit of time; just preparing it took half a day.

The Spring Festival Gala had already started when I sat down.

As usual, things are getting worse year by year.

The number of hosts has increased to include two "newcomers," Ouyang Xiadan and Ren Luyu.

Ren Luyu is not that Luyu; he is a man.

The same old comedians are still performing crosstalk and sketch comedy.

Although Mr. Ma Ji is no longer with us, his disciples and their descendants are still a prominent family.

Let alone Feng Gong and Jiang Kun.

This year, both Jia Lin and Bai Kainan appeared on the Spring Festival Gala.

It's always easier to get things done if you have connections in the central government.

Xiao Shenyang was the same; he was so busy that he didn't even have time to attend the Spring Festival Gala rehearsals, which drew criticism from CCTV.

But the production team still insisted on the principle that "the Spring Festival Gala cannot be without Zhao Benshan", so he could still perform even if he didn't come to the rehearsal.

Mr. Benshan's skit "Donation" is far less funny and less reflective of contemporary society than his previous works.

This year, the magician Liu, who "witnessed miracles," also participated, but the effect was far less amazing than in previous years.

The show was poorly received and was even exposed for being fake.

On the contrary, when she participated in the Lantern Festival Gala and performed again, she asked Zhao Benshan to cooperate with her.

When Teacher Zhao was called out, she immediately said, "Why don't you ask someone else? I'm the kind of person who always tells the truth."

"The greatest pain in my life is keeping other people's secrets."

It was a way of teasing him.

After performing on the Spring Festival Gala, Liu the magician was first criticized by Han Han, who said that his performances were all done by stooges and that it was not close-up magic but "drama".

The two had a heated argument on Weibo, but they didn't get too worked up.

But after the New Year, a woman suddenly appeared, saying that Liu Qian had deceived her feelings and even revealed a bunch of text message "evidence".

In the end, both sides stuck to their own versions of events, and the matter remained unresolved.

Liu Qian's reputation was damaged, but the woman gained some attention.

Just as Zhang Yuan felt, the world is becoming increasingly impatient, and people are becoming more and more unscrupulous in their pursuit of fame.

The only pleasant surprise at this year's Spring Festival Gala was Wang Fei's return to the stage, where he sang "Legend".

Li Jian writes well, and she sings well too. Just like Zhao Benshan, the strength always lies with the person, not the work.

Zhang Yuan heard that Lao Wang was going to make a comeback.

After several surgeries, her daughter's condition stabilized somewhat, but at the same time, her relationship with Brother Li began to experience some problems.

There's a rumor that Li Yapeng lost all his money in business, which is why Lao Wang started working.

That statement is inaccurate; it's half right and half wrong.

Li Yapeng always lost money no matter what he did, but Lao Wang learned from his mistakes and made sure the finances were properly separated before the wedding this time.

I ate some snacks and nibbled on a few Want Want Rice Crackers, but didn't actually start cooking.

I glanced at the wall clock; it was almost midnight.

He got up and went to the entrance of the courtyard.

In the distance, a figure carrying a small bag and not very tall walked forward.

Upon noticing him peeking out, they immediately quickened their pace and jogged over.

"No tails this year, right?"

Of course, it was Shu Chang who came.

Just like last year, I brought dumplings.

I specifically waited for her to arrive before cooking, so we could eat something hot together.

"No, I've already given her a red envelope, she won't come along."

After all, last year, Nezha followed them all the way and almost witnessed their "live broadcast".

Zhang Yuan locked the door, being quite cautious.

"Wow, Brother Yuan, you can cook too!" Changchang exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked at the kitchen full of prepared ingredients.

"I just learned this, have a taste."

"let me help you."

"Okay, go put on your apron."

Shu Chang put it on right away, but Zhang Yuan shook his head.

"wrong."

"Wearing the wrong clothes?" Changchang can't cook at all; she's the type who can only eat instant noodles or ready-made meals.

“You didn’t wear the wrong thing.” Zhang Yuan smiled, his eyes narrowed. “But what I meant was, you should put on an apron.”

"It means wearing only an apron."

Otherwise, why would I lock the door if I asked you if it had a tail?

Before long, under his "coercion," or rather, half-hearted resistance, the naked apron-clad version of the fox Xiaoyu appeared.

Zhang Yuan let her turn around a few times, and after she had looked at it enough, he put down the spatula.

Let's do one first, there's no rush to cook.

This has been a long-standing tradition; she's usually the first one to post in the new year.

They quickly came in and out, and finished cooking in no time...

Shu Chang, still only wearing an apron, sat in his lap and fed him with chopsticks.

It gave him a taste of what it was like to be King Zhou.

Moreover, the emotional value she provided while cooking was very high, with all sorts of praise, surpassing that of an entire cheerleading squad.

"It's really well made, even better than what you get in restaurants."

"I'm still a bit short. I haven't learned enough, no, I haven't done enough." Zhang Yuan was very self-aware.

“It’s the best in my heart,” Changchang emphasized.

"However, I'm still a little shy about whether I can put on some clothes now."

"Why don't we just not wear any of them..."

They worked until almost dawn before finally taking a break.

Zhang Yuan hugged the sweet and soft Singing Singer and thought to himself that a clean and pure girl would be better.

Zhang Yuqi's approach is too playful; although it's exciting, there's absolutely no emotional connection.

Pure biological instinct.

It still takes some mutual understanding to succeed.

After the "New Year's Eve ceremony" ended, the two slept until after noon.

After eating some dumplings and leftovers, we cleaned up the pots and pans together.

She became unhappy when asked to wear an apron while naked.

It was dark at night yesterday, but now it's broad daylight, and I'm afraid of being seen.

A short while later, Shu Chang put on her pink-rimmed glasses and began her work report.

"The Spy Who Loved Me" sold for 120 million.

"A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella" sold 1 million copies.

Both films, which were invested in by film companies from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, made over 100 million NTD in profits.

On Yu Zheng's side, "Locking Up the Autumn" was sold to four TV stations, and after deducting costs, it earned less than ten million, which is not much.

But the real masterpiece, "Beauty's Rival in Palace," is about to be released!

On Fan Bingbing's side, "The Golden Era" sold very well, with four satellite TV channels and even being sold to Malaysia and Singapore.

Thanks to "My Fair Princess," Southeast Asian audiences also recognize her.

Big Dog Brother's "I Am a Special Forces Soldier" is not finished filming yet, and "Reign of Assassins" is also in preparation.

He himself made a fortune by investing in "New Three Kingdoms".

Guo Jing was much more efficient; "Iron Pear Blossom" had already been filmed and sold out.

Director Guo is still awesome; the premiere was broadcast on four satellite TV channels at the same time.

Other crosstalk troupes, drama companies, and talent agencies also earned considerable revenue, maintaining a gradual upward trend.

We should be able to get a lot of money back after the New Year, but Shuchang still needs to contact each person to collect the debts.

After all, even though they earn a lot, the dividends alone amount to hundreds of millions.

But his expenses are also incredibly high!
"By the way, Brother Yuan, there's something I need to tell you." After finishing their business, Changchang took off her glasses.

"My cousin, Qingqing, is going to study in North America."

"Going to school at such a young age?" Zhang Yuan calculated that the girl was only 13 or 4 years old.

"She wants to go abroad herself; she's young but has a big mind," Shu Chang said helplessly.

Even teenagers want to "gild their resumes".

Doesn't Zhang Yuan understand Nezha? He's just impatient and thinks things are better abroad.

Children are quick-witted and exposed to society too early, so they actually believe some adults' claims that the air in foreign countries is sweet.

Moreover, Shu Chang's family has a systemic problem with their understanding of schooling.

If I hadn't stopped her, she wouldn't have gone to study at the Central Academy of Drama.

Now my little cousin is the same. After going abroad for a while, she didn't get into any prestigious universities, and she still doesn't have a degree to back her up after returning to China.

Sisi also went abroad at a young age, but what were her family's circumstances and connections like?

After traveling abroad, I came back and enrolled at Beijing Film Academy ahead of schedule.

You're just a nobody with no connections, what are you doing playing this game...?

"Don't you dare give her any subsidies," Zhang Yuan warned sternly.

If you spoil them and they get sick, I'll eat you alive.

"I just gave her a little more New Year's money." Although Changchang didn't understand why Zhang Yuan didn't like his cousin, she toned down her "saintly heart" a bit because of it.

"I just wanted to say that you don't always go to North America to film."

"If you happen to pass by in the future, please visit her for me."

"Whether you're doing well or not, you're still alone out there."

Zhang Yuan had a headache.

Why should someone else clean up the mess I made?

But since it was Changchang who made the request, he agreed.

"Why don't you arrange some resources for her, so she doesn't have to go abroad?" Shu Chang tentatively suggested.

"It's a good thing for children to go out and broaden their horizons," Zhang Yuan immediately changed his tune.

Shu Chang: ...

Another year has passed quickly.

He is safe and sound.

The leisurely days lasted only a few days. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, right after welcoming the God of Wealth, it was time to go out and run around for announcements again.

He didn't call back Brother Long and his assistant, who were still celebrating the Lunar New Year; he drove himself to record the show.

He has a driver's license; it's the one that Teacher Benshan bought for him in Northeast China.

The show I went to record was called "Super Interview," which was very popular back then.

Li Jing and Dai Jun hosted the event.

He had been on it before, but only with the film crew.

This time it was a solo visit.

The other party kept extending invitations, and they were quite surprised to see that he was willing to undertake such an important task as a solo interview during the Chinese New Year, and it wasn't even for promoting a drama.

It was a great joy.

Zhang Yuan's active involvement was mainly for a woman.

That's Li Jing, the host of this program.

(End of this chapter)