The birth of an actor

Chapter 89 Return

In my past life, after graduating from university, Anxin was chatting with her roommates at a class reunion about something that happened during her university days.

Well, it's not quite right to call it a single event. It's that his teacher back then was related to him, and during a holiday gathering, they started talking about their classmates after drinking.

When discussing reassurance, his teacher defined it as follows:
"Anxin is actually not suitable for journalism majors."

The reason is that he lacks curiosity about any news... or "things".

Anyone who studies journalism knows that this major requires a thirst for knowledge to uncover the truth.

More precisely, it requires a kind of unwavering determination, like not giving up until the very end.

The primary job of news media is to uncover the truth and make it public.

But it doesn't give me peace of mind.

During his internship, when faced with an interview, he would prepare the questions in advance, and when others spoke, he would take notes, but he would never elaborate or delve too deeply.

So much so that the magazine where he interned kept many of his fellow interns, but he was rejected outright.

The reason was that the editor felt his manuscript was shoddy.

But in reality, it wasn't a lie. It was just that after becoming a shamanic disciple from a young age, he gradually came to understand many principles in that kind of upbringing.

For example, "What others say may not be true."

This aligns perfectly with the spirit of journalists and media professionals.

However, the idea that "everyone has their own unspeakable difficulties, and if he doesn't want to talk about it, then we shouldn't force him" goes against the spirit of media professionals.

But there was no other way; he had been telling fortunes to people since he was a child.

I saw... so many things.

Some children fail to fulfill their filial duties to their parents, resulting in a sharp decline in the family business after the parents pass away. The people who come to them to look at the feng shui of ancestral graves and relocate them keep talking about benevolence and morality.

There are also those who are brave and ruthless, who speak of loyalty and righteousness but betray their relatives and friends, doing the most insidious things and asking the gods and Buddhas for protection.

The human heart is the most complex and unknowable thing, like Schrödinger's cat.

Anxin didn't understand at first, and still didn't understand later, but she did learn to instinctively dodge, just like seeking advantage and avoiding harm.

Just listen to what others say and that's it.

Let him say it, if you believe him, you must be crazy.

This experience instilled in him a personality that was not meddlesome, not questionable, and not talkative from a very young age.

So much so that everyone likes to share secrets with Anxin.

I also know that he has a very down-to-earth personality.

They only focus on their own affairs and are completely indifferent to the affairs of others.

To put it more broadly, after witnessing the coldness and warmth of human relationships, he had already seen through the illusions of the world.

Some classmates joked that he shouldn't have studied journalism; instead, he should have studied math, physics, or chemistry, focused on research, and would surely have achieved great things.

In short, no matter what happened to Feng Xiaogang, Wang Shuo and his group's film "In a sorry state", it did not arouse his curiosity at all.

I didn't even bother to think about it; after leaving Good Dream Company, I went straight back to my dormitory.

When he returned, he only glanced at the seven empty bed boards and the things left behind. After cleaning them up, he paid no more attention to them.

On the contrary, the senior students who often visited the other dormitories in the evenings, seeing that no one was in the room, asked Anxin, the junior student, if he wanted to apply for a change of dormitory. After receiving a clear no, they discussed whether they could put their things in the room and move them in when the freshmen came in next year.

Anxin readily agreed, and as a result, the room contained some luggage that did not belong in the dormitory.

Some people even jokingly asked if Anxin was afraid of being haunted while sleeping alone...

Anxin was dumbfounded.

He thought to himself that if it were really haunted, the ghost would be more afraid of him than he was of it.

He chuckled and shook his head, then saw the senior students off and turned off the lights.

Nothing happened that night, and there were no ghosts.

The next day, he finished his morning exercise despite the cold wind and continued to go to school.

It's snowing again in Yanjing.

When classes ended at noon, many students were already having snowball fights on the playground.

Unfortunately, the kids who grew up in Northeast China scoffed at their soft, fluffy snowballs that hadn't even been properly soaked.

He doesn't even have the strength to hit someone, yet he tries to mingle with others in society?

Then I quickly ran to the cafeteria to eat.

I have two long classes this afternoon, so I need to go back and rest after lunch.

……

The days that followed were peaceful.

Christmas will soon be over, and the New Year's Day holiday is just around the corner.

That day, Anxin received a very unexpected call:
"Don't worry, this is your brother Feng. Call me back."

Feng Xiaogang?
He was somewhat surprised, and then used his break time to dial the other party's phone number.

"Hello? Hello, who are you?"

"Brother Feng, it's me, An Xin."

"Oh, that's reassuring."

Feng Xiaogang's voice still carried the sound of exhaling, as if he were smoking.

"Yes, Brother Feng, is there something you need?"

"Yes, don't worry, do you have any whole deer antlers?"

"Uh……"

An Xin was taken aback for a moment, then said:

"Have."

"...Let me ask you something else. When it comes to deer antlers, is appearance also important? I mean the whole antler."

"Yes, two bars are best. The kind with forks is the best. The rest are just about size and weight."

"Does soaking that stuff in alcohol require a recipe?"

"It's usually paired with ginseng and lingzhi. It replenishes qi and blood, and strengthens muscles and bones. But it also depends on who it's for... Brother Feng, what do you want to use it for?"

"..."

After a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, the voice said:
"It's for relatives. The kind of medicinal wine you mentioned, is it already prepared and brought over? Or..."

"Normally, we'll take the prepared medicinal herbs, and you can brew whatever wine you want at home."

"I see... You can get it, right?"

"can."

"How's the effect? ​​Immediate results?"

"Pretty much. After all, it's the real deal, unlike those cheap knockoffs on the market. Anyone who knows how to drink will feel the effects after just one glass. If you drink it long-term, it won't necessarily prolong your life, but it will definitely boost your energy, replenish your blood, and nourish your kidneys and heart. After all, the effects of these medicinal herbs are there for all to see."

"That's great. I'll take... ten deer antlers, along with the ingredients for the infused liquor... Oh right, you said there's ginseng in it? Is it wild?"

"..."

Anxin's lips twitched.

At first, when he heard that Feng Xiaogang was talking to a relative, he thought it was just an excuse that he was embarrassed to say.

But they brought out ten right away...

Well, it's almost the end of the year.

It must be a gift, right?
He thought for a moment and said:
“Brother Feng, wild ginseng… can be obtained, but it’s very expensive. Let alone five leaves, even three or four leaves, one root would cost ten or twenty thousand. I’m not referring to forest-grown ginseng or bird seed ginseng, those are semi-cultivated and not expensive. But if you want the kind of effect that’s immediate and tangible, only wild ginseng can do it.”

"...How much does this set cost?"

"It's hard to say. It depends on what quality of ginseng you want. Lingzhi is easy to get, and deer antler isn't difficult either, but if you want wild deer antler or wild ginseng... let's say ten catties of wine, one deer antler would cost at least one catty, and the ginseng would need at least three leaves. This whole set would cost at least twenty or thirty thousand yuan. The exact amount depends on the quality of the goods."

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, the voice said:
"Money is not a problem. I've heard about you from your brother Wang, so I trust you. I want... three sets of wild ginseng, and the remaining seven sets will be the regular kind. How much will it cost in total? Give me an approximate figure."

Anxin thought to herself, "This is really a big order."

Unfortunately, he hadn't asked Li Jun and wasn't quite sure, so he could only say:

"I can't give you a specific estimate, since the price of those three sets of good stuff is hard to say, but I think... 120,000 to 130,000 should be enough."

"Only 120,000 or 130,000?"

A hint of surprise crept into Feng Xiaogang's voice over the phone:
"you sure?"

"Yes, that's for sure. A set of ordinary deer antlers with bird ginseng seeds only costs a few thousand yuan. If you want three sets of purely wild ones, one set would cost at least 30,000 yuan."

"..."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before the question was asked:
"Are you sure? It's real?...Are you sure?"

"……Ha ha."

Now that he understood, he smiled and said:

"Don't worry. If you want it, I'll hand it over to you once it's ready. You can compare it with anyone you like and have someone check it."

"No, no, that's not true... How about this, you do it first, and contact me when you're done, okay?"

"Uh……"

An Xin was somewhat speechless and asked:

"Brother Feng, I can bring you seven sets of common medicinal herbs in the next few days. But if they are wild... you'll have to wait. I'll go home and get them myself. If I don't go back, I can't guarantee the quality, and secondly... if they don't see me in person, they might not give them to me."

"How long will that take? I need it as a gift for the Chinese New Year."

Hearing this, Anxin calculated the days and smiled:
"There's still time. Isn't the Spring Festival in February this year? We should be on holiday around January 10th."

"Then you go back to Northeast China?"

"Yes, I'll call you if you knock it over, and then we'll see if we need someone to deliver it or what..."

"That works too. Then just get me those regular sets first." "Okay, I'll ask now."

"Okay, write down my phone number..."

After giving his contact number, Feng Xiaogang suddenly said:
"Oh right, don't tell Brother Wang about this. It's for family and relatives, so it's not appropriate to tell other people."

"Yes, I know. If you need anything in the future, just come to me. I'm not related to Brother Wang."

After understanding his subtext, Anxin gave her own response.

"Haha, okay. Then hurry up, I'll wait for your message."

"Ah."

After hanging up, he immediately called Li Jun.

Li Jun also gave us a very honest price.

A set of two-piece deer antler, plus ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms, weighing exactly what it was, was priced at four thousand five hundred.

Anxin didn't ask for more money, because she knew the cost. Putting aside other things, a pound of sika deer with two strips costs almost two thousand yuan back in her hometown.

Even if wild ginseng is worthless, isn't it still ginseng from Changbai Mountain?

So when the price was mentioned to Feng Xiaogang, the other party immediately agreed.

Seven sets are needed.

Ask a friend to pick it up.

Upon hearing this, Anxin gave Uncle Li's address, arranged a time, hung up the phone, left the school, and headed towards Jishuitan.

When he arrived at the location, Sui Xi had already prepared the goods and was carefully packing them with packaging boxes.

Deer antler is fine, but ginseng is something you have to be extremely careful with, otherwise even a single broken ginseng root will ruin its quality.

An Xin was even more professional than Sui Xi in handling these things. The two divided the work and worked together. When they were packing the last gift box, a woman walked in through the door.

Her hair was just past her shoulders, and she had big eyes.

As soon as Anxin walked in, she looked up and immediately realized that she looked familiar.

I just can't remember where I've seen it before.

The woman also noticed An Xin; her eyes lit up at first, then she asked:

"Safe?"

"Yes, it's me. And you are?"

"My name is Xu Fan. Your Brother Feng asked me to come and pick up a gift."

"Oh~~~"

Anxin immediately knew who she was.

She's Feng Xiaogang's wife.

The one with short hair.

I saw it on a short video platform in my past life.

So, quite naturally, he shouted:

"Hello, sister-in-law."

"Uh... ha."

Xu Fan was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared on his face.

This kid... is not only even prettier than my boyfriend described, but he also has a sweet tongue.

It looks so appealing.

So he came in:

"all these are?"

"Yes, seven boxes. Sister-in-law, please take a look."

"Ah."

Xu Fan responded, looked at the several solid wood boxes in front of him, examined them for a moment, then opened the lids and asked, looking at the neatly packaged contents:
"You can soak this in alcohol directly?"

"Yes, the effect isn't as good as the wild kind, but it's not bad either. However, you have to go back and tell Brother Feng not to drink too much. One or two cups a day is the maximum, and it will accelerate blood circulation. Drinking too much, especially for older people, can be dangerous for the heart. So you absolutely cannot drink too much."

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Xu Fan nodded and closed the lid.

"Where in Northeast China are you from?"

Fusong is located at the foot of Changbai Mountain.

Is the scenery at Changbai Mountain beautiful?

Anxin smiled and said:

"Liu Bowen slew nine dragons, leaving only one at Changbai Mountain. What do you think?"

"Ha, you're so bookish..."

Xu Fan chuckled, then asked:

"Hey, I heard you can do feng shui?"

"Uh……"

An Xin paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded:
"Well, it is."

"Can you tell fortunes?"

"……good."

"Can you tell my fortune?"

"I can't calculate it. This is inside the Great Wall, I can't do it. I have to go back to the Northeast."

“Oh~~~~”

Xu Fan had just agreed when Sui Xi said:
"It's really reliable. Our boss said that everyone in the whole county in his hometown knows him."

"what?"

"..."

Anxin's lips twitched.

I thought to myself, "Why are you saying this?"

He's usually so quiet he's practically unresponsive.

Why are you feeling so good right now?
So he quickly shook his head:

"No no."

As he spoke, he quickly closed the last gift box and said to Xu Fan:
"Sister-in-law, shall I put it in your car?"

"Okay, who should we give the money to?"

"Just give it to her..."

That was the end of that topic.

Finally, after loading was complete, An Xin watched Xu Fan's red Jetta drive away, then said speechlessly to Sui Xi:

"Sister Sui, please don't tell anyone that I know these things anymore."

Sui Xi was taken aback, seemingly puzzled. But seeing An Xin's serious expression, she nodded.
"Okay, got it."

……

After that day, Anxin's days at school returned to normal.

Time flies, and 1996 has become a thing of the past.

After New Year's Day, Renmin University also announced the date for the final exams, which were set for January 10th.

The holiday will begin on January 17th.

Li Jun used his connections to buy An Xin a train ticket back to the city early on, and although An Xin had taken a month off on the 10th, she managed to make up for it.

I passed all the exams and failed no subject.

After the results were announced, the family got together for a meal on the 16th, and then on the afternoon of the 17th, they took their train tickets and officially embarked on their journey home.

Leaning against the lower bunk, he watched the train slowly begin to move, his heart filled with emotion.

Time flies! In the blink of an eye, half a semester has passed.

Reflecting on his achievements over the past six months, he marveled at how quickly time had passed, truly showing no mercy.

At that moment, the pager vibrated.

He took it out and glanced at it, discovering it was sent by Fan Bing:

"Are you on the bus yet? Let me know you got home safely, Fan."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

I thought to myself, "This little brat is quite nosy, even letting you know he's safe..."

Just stay in Yantai and enjoy your crabs.

He put the pager in his bag, leaned back on his pillow, and took out the book "That Dog".

Before the holiday, he made a special trip to the Beijing Film Academy and borrowed several books with Lu Shiyu's library card, enough for him to read throughout the winter break.

As for the book "That Dog," it's because Sister Hua said that auditions for the movie will begin next spring.

Now that he has been sparked by the acting industry, he doesn't want to miss out.

So, amidst the swaying of the train, he looked at the book he had filled with all sorts of feelings and insights, and completely immersed himself in the world within it.

The train gradually moved further and further away from the somewhat dirty snow-covered roadside at Yanjing Station, heading towards its destination in the boundless black soil and white snow of the north.

Huffing and puffing, hot water, bowls of noodles, drinks, melon seeds, and a cacophony of voices.

What a beautiful scene!

(End of this chapter)