American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 2 The essence of the problem is a lack of money.
Patisserie Valerie is a very famous British chain of dessert shops, but its establishment was actually an accident.

The founder, Miss Valerie, was Belgian and settled in London with her British husband after marriage.

Since I couldn't get used to the food here, I had to cook for myself.

Her British friend tasted her cooking and thought it was quite good, especially the desserts, so he suggested that she open a small shop.

Then, in 1926, she appeared on Frith Street.

Perhaps it was because Miss Valerie's cooking skills truly suited the British aesthetic, or perhaps it was because places that produce stargazing simply don't have much good food. In less than a year, Miss Valerie opened a branch, and ten years later, PV's presence was felt throughout Britain.

There are two signs in the store:
One is a strawberry cake;
According to locals, fresh cream paired with refreshing fruit brings great pleasure.

The other one is Fruit Tart;

If I had to describe it, it's a bit like an egg tart, except instead of egg custard, it's topped with fruit.

Perhaps Isabella brought her taste buds with her when she traveled through time? After taking a couple of bites, even though she felt that PV's desserts were almost exactly the standard of not being sweet, they were still a little bit cloying after eating too much.

With a slight frown, Vivian put down her dessert spoon, and the barely concealed bitter expression on her face made her want to laugh.

"Honey, have you had enough to eat?"

"Yeah~"

"Not feeling well today? You used to be able to eat a whole one."

"Oh~Mom~ Maybe it's because I've grown up? Because I suddenly realized you're right, PV's stuff is a little sweet too."

"Hahaha~"

Vivian covered her face and chuckled, then pushed the red tea in front of her toward her beloved daughter.

"So I guess you need a cup of black tea without milk or sugar to rinse your mouth?"

"Of course!"

Isabella very naturally picked up her mother's cup and took a small sip.

The next second, she felt the warmth of home.

This is Qihong tea.

British tea culture began in the 17th century when a Portuguese princess married the King of England. A tea enthusiast, she introduced tea to the English court, and tea drinking subsequently became a sophisticated social activity.

Currently, Britain consumes one million tons of tea annually, and the best quality tea comes from mainland China.

The fruity aroma that clung to her taste buds made Isabella close her eyes comfortably, but her joyful and contented expression was rather irritating to Catherine, who glanced at her with disdain and turned her gaze to her mother.

"Mom, about this afternoon..."

Before Catherine could finish speaking, Isabella, leaning back in her chair, sighed inwardly. This was truly a case of bringing up the very thing she didn't want to talk about!
Having composed herself, Vivian looked back at her eldest daughter and said with a smile:
“Oh, Keisha, the situation at the theater is a bit complicated. The Lanxin Theater is indeed hiring this year, but they found suitable candidates a month ago, so the information we have is actually outdated.”

"But that's not important."

“Lanxin Theatre is just a preferred choice, not the only one. Other theatres are also hiring. I’ll go check out the other theatres tomorrow. Don’t worry, Mom won’t be defeated by small difficulties…”

When Vivian didn't give a direct answer as to why she was celebrating, her failure in the job search that day became obvious.

Therefore, in Isabella's view, there was no need to confirm such a thing at all.

If Vivian wanted to say it, she definitely would.

If she doesn't want to talk about it, then it can only prove one thing: she's not feeling well.

"Mom, I'm done eating. I want to go upstairs to practice the piano."

"Okay, go ahead. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Not wanting to linger in an awkward atmosphere, Isabella made up an excuse and slipped away.

They made a thumping sound as they went up to the second floor; the original owner's house was very large.

Although her father lost all his money in gambling, he didn't squander the family fortune. He still had some assets to support them. Isabella now lives in a four-story villa that Vivian and Eric bought when they got married.

The first floor has an open-plan layout connecting the living room, dining room, and kitchen, along with a shared bathroom and two maid's rooms on the west side. Because Vivian disliked live-in maids and only hired a cleaning company for weekly cleaning, the maid's rooms became storage rooms.

The second floor has a music room, a dance studio, a gym, and a guest room, all with private bathrooms. Vivian has indeed left the stage, but she has never given up her figure and dance skills. The music room is for Isabella's exclusive use.

The third floor has three bedrooms, one large and two small. The large one is for Vivian and her family, while the other two are for Isabella and Catherine.

As for the top level?

The room on the west side was Eric's meditation area; he liked to think and look at reports in his study. The room on the east side was Catherine's art studio, where she dabbled in oil painting, watercolor, and sketching.

The building has four floors plus a basement, totaling 6500 square feet, or approximately 600 square meters.

This area would be beautiful in any first-tier city in the world, but what's even more beautiful is its location.

Mayfair.

Passing through two doors designed like a recording studio, Isabella found herself in the center of a large practice room with a Steinway grand piano. Sitting on a stool in the corner and lifting the lid, she was delighted to see the 88 hand-polished keys.

Isabella was delighted by the light touch of her fingers and the velvety, pearl-like tone.

With a slight lift of the wrist, the lively notes of "Turkish March" emerged from the dancing white fingers.

The original owner of this body loved music, so she learned to play the piano, and Isabella...

She actually had an artistic flair in her past life.

Her family is involved in the arts, and she practiced the erhu from a young age. After starting school, she developed an interest in the piano, so she specialized in this Western instrument. She entered one of the top four art schools and has been working in the industry ever since.

He has acted and taught.

In terms of income, it certainly can't compare to those famous celebrities, but they still live a pretty comfortable life with enough to live on every month.

After finishing the piece, feeling refreshed, she was about to continue when the antique wall lamp on the front wall suddenly lit up with a gas light. This was a call bell that the original owner's father had specially installed when decorating the house.

She got up, opened the door, and there stood Catherine.

Isabella's tense face prompted her to speak first, "Is something the matter?"

“Do you have time? I’d like to talk to you.” Catherine’s tone was somewhat firm.

“Of course, please come in.” Isabella pulled out a chair for her older sister.

After sitting down, Catherine got straight to the point, "Isa, I want to ask you, do you know what the situation is like at home right now?"

"Uh... I don't know..."

"what?"

"I said I knew because I understood that my father was gone, which meant we couldn't be as carefree as before. I said I didn't know because I didn't understand why you were asking me this question. How could I not know about the family situation?"

"Oh my God!"

As soon as Isabella finished speaking, a whoosh was heard and fire erupted from Catherine's head.

"Isha! Since you know all this, how could you be laughing and eating PV while drinking tea just now?!"

Looking at her sister's serious answer, Catherine just wanted to punch her a few times. "You know Father's gone! You know the peace and tranquility of the past is gone! But don't you know that after Father left, all the responsibilities in the family fell on Mom's shoulders???"

"Nowadays, moms not only need to take care of us, but also need to think about their future!"

So! Tell me!

"Isha! Don't you feel any pity for your mother?"

Don't you even have the slightest thought of sharing the burden?

Catherine stared intently at Isabella.

Perhaps it was an emotional surge, or perhaps she had just finished yelling and was still a little out of breath.

Isabella pursed her lips at the lion-like questioning. To be honest, she could understand Catherine's feelings. The sudden disappearance of the family's breadwinner was a devastating blow to those who depended on him for a living.

but……

"Keisha, would you like some water?"

"I'd rather splash water in your face than drink it."

"Oh, you can totally do that, but please don't splash it here. I'll be heartbroken if it gets on the piano. This is a piano that Dad bought especially for me. To get it up to the second floor, Dad even tore down the windows in the hallway and the walls in the room."

"..."

"Okay, since you don't want to drink water, I won't go out to get it... You asked me if I feel sorry for Mom? Before answering that question, I want to ask you a question first. I know you care about your family, but can things at home be changed by rushing?"

Isabella looked at her sister and said, "I know you want to share the burden with Mom, but what Mom needs right now is a job."

"No, our family's biggest problem is a lack of money, and a large amount of money at that."

“Because we need money to live, and we need money to study. Even if we are lucky enough not to get sick, we still have to pay thousands of pounds in council property tax every year for the house we live in. And is that something that Mom can earn by acting?”

"No."

"So, since we all know how it will end, why should we cry in front of our mothers?"

"Is it pointless for us to constantly remind Mom to work hard?"

"Why don't you smile at your mom more often and make her happy?"

Catherine remained silent.

Yes.

The biggest problem their family is facing right now is not a lack of income, but that no one can replace Eric in making money like crazy.

Or perhaps it's because their family's basic expenses are simply too high.

Take education expenses as an example. Catherine attends St. Paul's Girls' School, where tuition alone costs £20,000 a year, not to mention other expenses. For example, equestrian lessons cost £200 per class, and the equipment is not covered by the student.

A Sherland pony costs half a year's tuition.

Of course, there's a reason why it's expensive. St. Paul's Girls' School has a 1000% chance of getting into top-tier universities, which are often referred to as the G5, and a 40% chance of getting into Oxford or Cambridge.

To put it bluntly, this is essentially pre-screening in a capitalist society.

To get his daughter into Oxford or Cambridge, Eric spends at least £100,000 a year on Catherine's education.

And this money...

How many operas does Vivian have to sing to earn that much?

Of course, as the saying goes, life is life no matter how you live it.

There are ways to live when you're rich, and there are ways to live when you're poor, but...

People are naturally inclined to strive for improvement.

Who can accept the decline of social class?
Eric couldn't accept it, so he jumped.

Vivian couldn't accept it either, so she pretended to try.

Indeed, in Isabella's view, her mother is not looking for a job right now, but rather for emotional comfort.

She knew she couldn't get her life back on track, but she had to put on a show for her daughter that she could.

After staring at her sister for a long while, Catherine sighed heavily.

"Isa... so that's what you were thinking..."

"This is a fact, not imagination."

“I could actually have dropped out of school in São Paulo.”

"But will Mom be able to accept it?"

Catherine fell silent again.

At that moment, her expression also turned forlorn.

So, are we doomed to a slow death?

She hung her head, looking somewhat like a deflated beagle.

But Isabella, leaning against the piano, smiled.

"Keisha, even if you don't come to me now, I will come to you tonight."

"Ok?"

“You’re right, Mom shouldn’t have to shoulder all the responsibilities at home.”

"What do you mean?"

"It's very simple. I think I have a way to make money, a way to make a lot of money, but you have to cooperate with me."

"What??"

Catherine was somewhat surprised. "Isa! Do you know what you're saying? Our family is short of more than just a little money!"

"Of course, I am perfectly sober right now, because of this."

Isabella reached into her pocket and pulled out the newspaper she had 'stolen' to buy that afternoon.

Once unfolded, the front page featured a photo of J.K. Rowling, with a bold, black-and-white headline above it.

The main title is:

[Is the film adaptation of "Harry Potter" facing production difficulties? Casting has been underway for months with no results]

The subtitle is:

Warner Bros. can no longer tolerate the slow progress and demands that the film project begin work immediately.

(End of this chapter)