Hear this life

As they were talking, they arrived at Ci Xin Hospital. Huang Yuanshan bought a bunch of supplements and went in to visit Wen Desheng despite Wen Tingli's objections.

As soon as Huang Yuanshan left, Wen Desheng immediately asked Wen Tingli with caution: "What does that person do? She doesn't look like a student, nor a teacher. She also wears weird sunglasses on her face. She doesn't look like a serious person at all. How did you get to know her?"

Wen Tingli did not mention Huang Yuanshan's plan to ask her to make a movie. She only said, "She is an external professor of our school's drama club. She happened to be passing by here. She heard that you were ill and came to visit you. She has good intentions. Why do you think so badly of her?"

Wen Desheng still looked alert: "The social atmosphere outside is very chaotic now, and my father is sick now. You are so young, don't be fooled by the bad guys in society with fancy tricks."

Wen Tingli sat down and spread out her textbook: "Dad, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Wen Desheng raised his head with difficulty and was about to give a few more instructions, but when he saw the look in his daughter's eyes, he was stunned. His daughter's eyes were still dark and clear, but he didn't know when a bit of determination had been added to them.

This kind of composure is usually only seen in adults who have experienced ups and downs. When did my daughter start to have this kind of look...

He thought bitterly for a while, and then fell into sleep again in a daze.

After Zhou's wife brought Xiao Taozi back from the public washroom after washing her hands and feet, Wen Tingli took out the chocolate that Yan Zhenzhen gave her from her schoolbag and gave it to Xiao Taozi: "Our Xiao Taozi has been very sensible these days. I've wanted to reward you for a long time. This was bought from Belgium by the father of my classmate. Try it and see if it tastes good."

She patiently helped her sister peel off the tin foil on the chocolate, and discussed moving house at the weekend with Mrs. Zhou.

The house that Mrs. Qiao rented was very shabby. It was an old dark grey house with moss all over the walls and iron pipes. There were many residents of varying sizes. Mrs. Qiao rented the first floor for the Wen family, while several other families were crowded on the other floors.

The only advantage is that the house is very close to Shiwu Middle School, and it only takes seven to eight minutes to walk to school. I think Mrs. Qiao did this on purpose to make it easier to monitor Wen Tingli.

On the day of moving, Mrs. Zhou sat on the edge of the bed, panting, carrying a lot of bags.

"Miss, is this house too..."

This kind of place is too crowded for daily life, let alone opening a tailor shop.

"The rent is cheap enough." Wen Tingli opened the closet door and put clothes in it. "Besides, our family can't open a clothing store now, so we don't need to live in such a big house. Sister Zhou, you take Xiao Taozi to live in this big room. I'll live in the room next to it, and the room opposite will be for my father to live in after he is discharged from the hospital. You see, it's so convenient to buy groceries here."

Mrs. Zhou was infected by Wen Tingli's optimism and started to clean up the house with joy.

She was originally worried whether the Wen family would continue to employ her after the move, but she didn't expect that Wen Tingli paid her this month's salary in advance last night and said to her, "Mrs. Zhou, just take care of Xiao Taozi. From now on, as long as I have a bite to eat, you will be indispensable for my food and clothing."

Mrs. Zhou held the silver dollars in her hands, feeling mixed emotions.

She was a helpless woman. She had been married in her early years, but her husband was in poor health. The couple had no children after marriage. Her husband died a few years ago, and her in-laws insisted that she was unlucky and cruelly drove her out of the house. She followed her fellow villagers to Shanghai by train to find a job, and first found a Japanese spinning mill. The Japanese foreman was accustomed to treating the workers harshly. Not only were they forced to work for more than ten hours a day, but the food was also very poor.

Once she got pneumonia and wanted to ask the factory workers' committee for money for medical treatment. However, the Japanese suspected that she had tuberculosis and drove her out.

It was raining heavily that day. She had a fever and cough and fainted on the road. Wen Tingli's mother happened to come back from the fabric market and saw her, a lonely woman lying in the rain. She hurriedly sent her to the hospital and brought her meals every day. After she recovered from her illness, Zhou Sao stayed wholeheartedly to help the Wen family.

Mrs. Wen treated her very well. Not only did she provide her with food and lodging, but she also paid her a reasonable amount of salary every month.

Unfortunately, good people don’t live long. Mrs. Wen died not long after giving birth to Xiao Taozi two years ago. Now Mr. Wen…

Fortunately, she observed that the eldest daughter was more thoughtful than the adults in the family. She had no children, and had long felt a motherly concern for Wen Tingli and Xiao Taozi. When Wen Tingli gave her wages yesterday, she stuffed them back without saying a word: "With the eldest daughter's words, Sister Zhou is relieved. If you hire Sister Zhou for one day, Sister Zhou will help you take care of the family for one day. The husband is still sick, and money is needed everywhere right now. You don't have to rush to pay the wages. Wait until you have more money."

Wen Tingli insisted on giving the wages to Mrs. Zhou: "Just accept it with peace of mind. No matter how difficult it is, I can still afford your wages."

It was already evening when they finished moving. In order to express her gratitude to the neighbors in Ping'anli, Wen Tingli treated everyone to a meal at a small restaurant near the alley. After the meal, she held Xiao Taozi's hand and said goodbye to the uncles and aunts one by one.

After talking for a while, the two sisters left the old alley where they had lived for many years, looking back every few steps as their neighbors watched.

***
At noon the next day, Wen Tingli was having lunch with Yan Zhenzhen and others in the restaurant when the janitor came to look for her.

"Student Wen, there is a Miss Huang looking for you outside."

When I came out, I saw that besides Huang Yuanshan, Meng Qiguang also came. One of them was leaning against the car, while the other was sitting in the car with his head down, looking at something.

When I got closer, I saw that Meng Qiguang was flipping through a large book. He didn't have the cynical smile he usually had on his face. On the contrary, his expression looked a little strange.

Huang Yuanshan saw Wen Tingli coming out and proudly raised a pile of official documents in his hand.

"Look, once other schools heard that Shishi Middle School was taking the lead, they also signed one after another."

Wen Tingli was delighted and took the official letter to read it carefully.

Then he nodded to Meng Qiguang implicitly: "Mr. Meng."

Huang Yuanshan looked pleased: "The next step is up to Miss Wen. Tomorrow the Film Association will jointly issue a statement with our company. In a few days, the school will notify the members of your drama club to participate in the competition. In order to expand the influence, I will also ask several newspapers to publicize it. I don't worry about not being able to stimulate the interest of young people in Shanghai in movies. I declare in advance that the competition will be absolutely fair and just. If someone performs better than Miss Wen, I will not give you more points because we know each other."

"I'm afraid Sister Huang is looking out for me! I want to win based on my own strength. If it's not fair, I won't participate."

Huang Yuanshan laughed and knocked on the car window: "Qiguang, listen to this, listen to this, I said Miss Wen is interesting. No wonder Xingchu--"

She spoke for a moment.

Meng Qiguang said nothing. He lowered his head to light a match and was about to light a cigarette. He glanced at Huang Yuanshan and Wen Tingli beside him, then threw the cigarette back into the box.

Huang Yuanshan rubbed his hands awkwardly and picked up the wide book on Meng Qiguang's knees.

"I brought the script of 'Southern Beauty'. Miss Wen, you can take a look at it first before filming starts in the next two months. I still have to go and arrange a venue for the drama competition. Let's stop here for today."

Meng Qiguang looked at the script in Wen Tingli's hand, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say a word.

Wen Tingli turned around and walked into the school gate. On the way, she thought of Meng Qiguang's strange expression and couldn't help but open the script.

The title of the script is "Beauty of the South".

It’s okay if you don’t look at it, but once you look at it, your brows will be tightly furrowed.

The protagonist was indeed a female high school student as Huang Yuanshan said, but she was soon forced to become a prostitute due to various changes.

Startled, Wen Tingli slammed the script shut. She couldn't accept it, after all, she was just a student.

Huang Yuanshan's movies were so popular that if she really played such a role, no matter where she went in the future, people would associate her with a prostitute. After experiencing what happened to her mother, she was already quite aware of how harsh today's society is when it comes to looking at such poor people.

No, no, no, she couldn't take the risk. She still had to go to college, she had to take the medical exam, and she had to be a skilled and compassionate doctor like Dean Deng Yi.

If the class bell hadn't rang, Wen Tingli would have almost rushed out to find Huang Yuanshan.

However, after returning to the classroom and thinking calmly, she realized that refusing to perform was not an option.

The reason why Huang Yuanshan organized this drama competition was partly because he accepted her proposal that day and partly to get her to agree to perform in his movie.

Huang Yuanshan mobilized all his social connections for this matter. Now that the competition has been arranged, she suddenly refused to participate in her script. She simply couldn't imagine how Huang Yuanshan would react at that time.

Therefore, whether she was willing or not, she had to play this role. After class in the evening, Wen Tingli rushed to Cixin Hospital. As soon as she arrived at the hospital gate, she unexpectedly saw Director Deng. She seemed to have just got out of the car, holding a black briefcase in her right hand. In front of her stood a fashionable lady, Mrs. Qiao.

Mrs. Qiao held Dean Deng's hand and said in a friendly tone, "You are an old friend of the Qiao family. I should personally send you the invitation for my son's wedding."

Seeing Wen Tingli coming over, Mrs. Qiao's smile froze. She glanced coldly at Wen Tingli's practical school uniform, then smiled at Dean Deng again.

"It was held at the Grand China Hotel. It was a Western-style wedding. We invited the ambassador of the American Embassy and the president of the Shanghai Commercial Port Association to be witnesses. Two hundred tables were tentatively scheduled. Considering the different tastes of the guests, Liyun ordered three menus: Chinese, French, and American. Xingchu was also busy these days, helping Liyun choose her wedding dress, wedding ring, and engagement shoes. She was so busy that she even chose Liyun's favorite lily for the wedding bouquet... This child's heart and eyes are now full of Liyun. That's right, the upbringing in Liyun's bones is absolutely incomparable to those shabby things outside."

Wen Tingli sneered in her heart, pretending that she was not familiar with Dean Deng, and walked past them without looking at them.

***
As soon as I arrived at the ward, I learned that Director Deng had changed my father's medication regimen during the day. In the evening, under the care of the nurse and Mrs. Zhou, my father drank some porridge and his spirits improved significantly.

Mrs. Zhou said to Wen Tingli, "Director Deng is really attentive. When she came to check on the ward in the morning, she personally checked every wound. She could tell at a glance which dressing was not changed in time. She remembered changes in some of the patient's indicators better than Dr. Thompson, who was in charge of the ward."

The nurse chimed in, "Director Deng is always like this. Previously, one of our fellow villagers had his toe crushed by a machine. When he was sent to Cixin Hospital, the wound was rotten. The smell filled the entire ward. The doctor in charge couldn't help vomiting several times during the examination. In the end, it was Director Deng who personally gave him medicine."

Wen Tingli listened attentively and observed her father's expression. After dinner, she urged Mrs. Zhou to take Xiao Taozi home to sleep, while she stayed to read a book.

She waited until nine o'clock, went out to buy supper and went to see Director Deng. The hospital was much quieter at night than during the day. She found the door of the office on the fourth floor and was about to knock when she suddenly heard low voices coming from inside.

It seemed that Dean Deng had other guests. She was about to turn around and leave when the door opened from the inside.

"Who?" A middle-aged woman in a coarse cheongsam stood inside the door and looked out cautiously.

Wen Tingli stopped in surprise and said, "I am a relative of the patient. I came to see Dean Deng to inquire about my father's condition."

Then Dean Deng responded from inside the room: "Oh, it's Xiao Wen, Cheng Ying, let her in."

The woman named Cheng Ying opened the door a little: "Miss Wen, please come in."

When Wen Tingli walked in, Cheng Ying was already carrying a briefcase and ready to come out: "Then I'll take my leave first, Dean Deng, you should get some rest early."

There was nothing unusual about the woman's dress and appearance, but her eyes were sharp and clear, and her posture was as straight as a pine tree, which made her very attractive.

As soon as the woman came out, she took the initiative to shake hands with Wen Tingli: "Hello." Her words were kind, as if she knew her.

Wen Tingli smiled puzzledly and shook her hand: "Do you know me?"

Cheng Ying smiled but didn't answer, and when she left, she didn't forget to close the door again. Wen Tingli put the midnight snack on Dean Deng's desk.

"Dean, who was that just now?"

"What a wonderful woman. If there is a chance in the future, I will formally introduce her to you."

Wen Tingli was very tactful and stopped asking: "Today I'll give you a different taste: pigeon egg dumplings and mung bean and lily soup. There is mint in the dumplings, and lily can calm the nerves. You are too tired from working during the day, so drinking some lily soup will help you sleep better at night. You still have something else to do, or I won't disturb you while you work."

"No, sit down. I have something to tell you."

Wen Tingli happily sat on the sofa: "What do you want to tell me?"

"Qiao Xingchu and Bai Liyun are getting married this weekend." Deng Yi hesitated for a moment and pointed to the invitation on the table. "I think you already know."

Wen Tingli said "hmm" lightly.

"Does Mrs. Qiao's words make you feel bad?" Deng Yi looked at Wen Tingli. "I don't feel bad at all. On the contrary, I feel sorry for her."

"Oh?" Deng Yi smiled, "Why do you feel sorry for her?"

"It is said that Mrs. Qiao is also educated." Wen Tingli said cheerfully, "But now she has become so sarcastic. I think she must have had some valuable qualities, but they seem to have been worn away by that feudal family and her husband over the years. Her husband's investments have failed repeatedly, and she has suffered as a result. In order to win back the old man's trust in the eldest house, she can only pin her hopes of a comeback on her children's marriages. She makes herself look aggressive, but in fact she is very weak inside. Otherwise, why would she care so much about a little girl like me who poses no threat? It's really ridiculous."

Deng Yi remained silent for a long time. Wen Tingli glanced at Deng Yi quietly and said, "Do you think my idea is a bit naive?"

"No, I'm glad you have your own opinion on this issue."

She paused with a smile. Mrs. Qiao's limitations in thinking involved very complex social issues. When the child was exposed to more progressive ideas in the future, he would have a more thorough understanding of such issues.

So he changed the subject amiably: "I asked you to come here tonight because I have several things to discuss with you. The first one is something I discussed with Bai Liyun yesterday."

Wen Tingli's expression tensed.

Deng Yi raised his hand and pressed it down: "Don't be nervous. The conversation was short and subtle. There is no need to worry about it reaching Mrs. Qiao's ears. I know you have always wanted to remind Liyun of the risks of this marriage, but you couldn't say it clearly because of your position. Now that I know about this, I naturally want to persuade Bai Liyun from the perspective of an outsider. Unexpectedly, Liyun was very sober from beginning to end.

"She told me: She knew very well that Qiao Xingchu didn't love her, but this marriage involved the interests of both families. As the eldest daughter of the Bai family, she had no room to fight back. She had weighed the pros and cons very clearly, and she knew what she was doing."

Wen Tingli was speechless.

"As outsiders, we have no right to make any decisions for her."

"Since she knows what she is doing, I don't need to risk being beaten to death by Mrs. Qiao to remind her, so as to avoid being caught in the middle."

Deng Yi couldn't help laughing.

"In addition, I have helped you contact some friends in the legal field these days." She leaned over and handed a business card to Wen Tingli, "This is Bao Yaming, a lawyer from Shanghai Shuguang Law Firm (note). I told him about your father's situation and he is willing to help."

Wen Tingli was shocked. This lawyer Bao obtained a doctorate in law in the United States. After returning to China, he opened an independent law firm. He became famous for winning several sensational lawsuits in Shanghai. But it was said that his fees were very high. If it weren't for President Deng's face, he might not be willing to take cases from ordinary people like them.

Deng Yi gave her a comforting look: "Don't worry about the expenses. Bao Yaming is my old friend, and he is willing to help. By the way, I may have to go to Peking for a meeting in a few days. If you have any questions, you can call Shuguang Law Firm directly. They are very prestigious in the local area, and the White Dragon Gang has to be wary of them."

Wen Tingli held the business card in both hands and remained silent for a long time: "Thank you."

Dean Deng sighed in his heart, picked up the bowl of pigeon egg dumplings with great interest, took a sip, and praised: "It tastes really good, where did you buy it from?"

"A Guan Sweet Water Shop." Wen Tingli was refreshed and ran to the bathroom nearby to wring out her handkerchief. "The boss is from Guangdong. I know them very well. If you like it, I will buy it for you every day. Here's the handkerchief for you. Be careful not to make your hands sticky."

Deng Yi was touched by the child's sweet and cheerful smile, and said lovingly: "You have been studying in Shishi for a few days. Are you adapting well?"

"I've adapted! I couldn't be more adapted!" Wen Tingli patted her chest. "My classmates and teachers are all very friendly to me, and I can keep up with my studies."

She had already decided to report good news to Dean Deng instead of bad news. Dean Deng always helped them without expecting anything in return. How could she be willing to trouble him again for such a small matter as Michelle making things difficult for her? After thinking for a while, she said, "It's just that - there is something I want to ask for your advice."

Then he took out the script from his bag and said, "Director Huang Yuanshan wants me to make a movie, but after reading the script, I found out that the protagonist is a poor prostitute. I am a little undecided now, and I would like to hear your opinion."

"Are you worried that playing such a role will have a negative impact on you?"

Wen Tingli nodded in distress: "Miss Huang said that we can start filming after I take the joint entrance examination at the end of August, but I have to go to college right after that. I don't know how the teachers and classmates in school will look at me after they know that I have played such a role. You know, there is still a deep prejudice against prostitutes and actors in today's society."

Deng Yi took the script from Wen Tingli, lowered his brows and looked at it, and said in surprise: "The moon shines on the water?"

"Do you know this writer?"

"I met her in Peking." Deng Yi adjusted the frame of his glasses. "She is a very humorous, lovely and talented lady. She has a lot of ideas and a strong writing style. If she wrote this script, I think it would not just be a shallow story about love and romance. It would probably have some social significance."

"You mean, you support me in acting?"

Deng Yi raised her eyes and saw the child looking at her nervously, as if he attached great importance to her opinion.

"As far as I know, there are many young actors with progressive ideas." She changed to a softer tone, "At least I will never discriminate against actors. Recently, a number of new films with profound ideas have emerged in Shanghai, which have caused a shocking effect on all walks of life. If you can interpret the suffering of the protagonist well, the effect of criticizing the dark side of society may be greater than you think, and you as an actor will benefit a lot. If you ask for my opinion, I support you in acting."

Wen Tingli's eyes gradually became firm: "I will consider your opinion carefully."

He looked up at the clock on the wall and said, "Oh, it's already ten o'clock. I got so carried away chatting with you that I disturbed your work again."

She hurriedly got up to pick up the food box on the table. Deng Yi smiled and picked up another bowl of mung bean soup: "Don't worry, wait until I finish this bowl of soup before taking it away."

Wen Tingli patiently handed over handkerchiefs and tea, and for the first time she realized that the old man under the lamp was very lonely.

I heard that President Deng's original surname was Zhou, and she was the daughter of a wealthy man in Jiangnan. She also had an elder brother who was a high-ranking official in Peking.

In his early years, President Deng went to study abroad in the UK, studied hard for several years, obtained a doctorate in medicine, and went to work at the Red Cross Hospital as soon as he returned to China.

But at this time, Director Deng suddenly broke with her family for unknown reasons and changed her surname to Deng. Soon after, she opened an independent clinic under the name of "Deng Yi". Because of her superb medical skills, she quickly became famous in the local area. After decades of unremitting efforts, she finally established the well-known Cixin Hospital. It's a pity that every time people mention Director Deng, in addition to praising her character and medical skills, the most talked about thing is that she never married. In the eyes of many people, this is a shocking thing.

Wen Tingli felt that Dean Deng had been very determined on this path. While thinking, Deng Yi had already finished a bowl of mung bean soup, and picked up the documents on the table with vigor and energy: "Okay, now I have the energy to read one more document."

Wen Tingli laughed at herself in her heart. Why did she wishfully think that Dean Deng was "lonely" just now? The old man's eyes had seen all the suffering and injustice in the world, and he had long cultivated a broad and tough inner world.

"I'm leaving." She picked up the lunch box.

"Have you thought about the movie?"

"Hmm! I've got an idea."

***
After ten o'clock, the lights in the ward were turned off on time. Wen Tingli had just returned to her father's ward when the nurse came up to her and whispered, "Just now a girl called and said she had something urgent to talk to Miss Wen about, and asked Miss Wen to call back to this number."

Wen Tingli guessed that it was an old classmate of Xiu De's who called, so she took the note, but the number was unfamiliar. She went to the nurse's station to borrow a phone and called, but it was a man on the other end: "Hello."

"I'm Wen Tingli. May I ask who was looking for me just now?"

The man smiled and said, "Miss Wen, I'm Xiao Gao, Mr. Meng wants to see you."

Wen Tingli looked at the clock on the wall in surprise. It was so late.

"Excuse me, what is it?"

"You'll know when Miss Wen comes out." Xiao Gao hung up the phone simply, as if he had never considered that Wen Tingli would reject Meng Qiguang.

Wen Tingli was holding the microphone in a daze. Meng Qiguang had helped her several times before, and it seemed a bit unreasonable to ignore him, so she went back to the room, got a German flashlight, and tiptoed out of the ward.

Just as they reached the hospital entrance, a black car drove over from the shadows on the opposite street. Wen Tingli leaned into the car window and said, "Mr. Meng."

Meng Qiguang pushed the door open and got out of the car, telling Xiao Gao: "Drive over there, I'll say a few words to Miss Wen on the side of the road and then leave."

Two people stood facing each other on the street. It was a windless and moonless night, with a silvery-white street lamp shining right above their heads.

Meng Qiguang put his hands in his trouser pockets and looked at the surrounding scenery, then glanced at her casually: "I guess Miss Wen has read the script Huang Yuanshan gave you?"

Wen Tingli nodded.

"Huang Yuanshan is a movie fanatic, but he's not stubborn. If you really don't want to take on a role like that, I'll tell her that it's just a drama competition, it's no big deal."

Wen Tingli was stunned. Was such a small matter worth him making a special trip in the middle of the night?

She suddenly felt a dry and itchy throat and quickly turned her head to the side. Even though she was slow, she finally understood what was happening.

The key is that all this is done so naturally that people don't notice his intentions at first.

What is Qiao Xingchu, what is entrusted by someone...

This person is truly unfathomable.

At this point, she was just glad that she had gone to see Dean Deng tonight. After asking for her opinion, she had a completely different view on acting.

If it were an hour ago, she might have really asked Meng Qiguang for help, in which case she would have owed him a favor.

But her intuition told her that Meng Qiguang was definitely not a kind-hearted person.

I have to repay his kindness in the future.

She had nothing, what could she give him back?
Meng Qiguang didn't wait for Wen Tingli's answer for a long time, and glanced at her: "Do you want to act? If you don't want to act, no one can force you to act."

Wen Tingli lowered her head: "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Meng, but I have decided to act."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings became unusually quiet.

For a moment, Wen Tingli could feel that her whole body was firmly controlled by Meng Qiguang's static gaze, and the air around her became sticky.

She could hardly bear his gaze and even her breathing became cautious.

But she was determined not to give in.

Unexpectedly, he quickly spoke as if nothing had happened: "Since Miss Wen has made up her mind, I don't need to interfere."

There was no discomfort in his tone. Wen Tingli breathed a sigh of relief and looked up and smiled, "But I still want to thank Mr. Meng for your help."

Meng Qiguang walked down the stairs and whistled towards the corner of the street. Xiao Gao came back in his car.

"It's getting late, Miss Wen, please go in." Meng Qiguang got into the car.

Wen Tingli took two steps back and waved politely to Meng Qiguang: "Goodbye, Mr. Meng."

She turned and ran into the hospital gate, and walked forward for a long way before she heard the sound of a car starting across the street.

Wen Tingli covered her chest with her hands, slightly stunned and let out a long sigh.

(End of this chapter)