I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Uncle Benshan once said that the national audience is being educated 365 days a year, and the last day should be spent making them happy and laughing. That's the right thing to do.

The Spring Festival Gala's dumpling-making routine is off-putting.

In another world, someone conducted a survey on the viewership ratings of the Spring Festival Gala and found that the ratings have been declining since the beginning of this year.

2006年34.70%，2007年31.40%，2008年32.29%，2009年34.82%，2010年38.26%，2011年31.04%，2012年32.75%……2022年21.93%，2023年27.00%。

The original intention of the Spring Festival Gala was to bring a smile to the faces of people across the country during their New Year's Eve reunion.

The format doesn't need to pursue a glamorous stage or a large number of stars, but rather to be interesting and have genuine emotions.

As a shared memory of Chinese people worldwide, even if it is to be "valued," it should be combined with the real changes in society at that time—using forms such as skits, dances, crosstalk, and magic to express the imprint of the era.

Against the backdrop of hardship, the Spring Festival Gala was originally intended as an entertainment feast for the general public; if it brought laughter after watching it, it was considered a success.

Time quickly came to eleven o'clock.

After all, Cheng's parents were getting old and their energy was failing, so they could no longer stay up all night with Cheng Sheng and Zeng Li.

Cheng Sheng and Zeng Li watched as the two elders went back to rest.

Cheng Sheng and Zeng Li didn't plan to sleep, because they needed to watch the Spring Festival Gala, chat with friends on QQ, and post some New Year's greetings on Weibo.

Ding dong.

The clock struck twelve.

Cheng Sheng and Zeng Li immediately updated their Weibo accounts with their blessings to their fans.

Most of their fans are young people, and at this time, most of them are still awake.

Upon seeing Zeng Li and Cheng Sheng's Weibo updates, fans immediately flooded the comments section with well wishes.

Of course, many celebrities in the industry also posted their blessings on the couple's Weibo accounts.

Cheng Sheng Company has a dedicated QQ group chat, which is full of Cheng Sheng Company employees, and everyone is discussing tonight's Spring Festival Gala program.

Someone even tagged Cheng Sheng, asking him which program from this year's Spring Festival Gala was the best.

The first thing Cheng Sheng thought of wasn't Uncle Benshan's "Talking About Things," but rather the song "Auspicious Three Treasures," which showcases the charm of grassroots people.

It's quite interesting that from 2004 to this year, talent shows have become very popular, making "grassroots stars" the darlings of the screen.

This year's Spring Festival Gala was no longer a show for big stars; a large number of grassroots celebrities gathered at the gala, resulting in many hit programs.

The humorous and entertaining "Charming Sunset" combines traditional shadow puppetry and dance, and its refreshing form became a hit that year. The performers are all elderly people and children from grassroots communities.

The actors in "Charming Sunset" appear in silhouette, accompanied by lively Chinese-style music, making it almost identical to a real shadow puppet show.

But when the lights came on, the audience was surprised to find that it was a group of elderly women performing.

It is said that Chinese people like to enjoy their later years. This elderly dance team with an average age of 62 has taken the enjoyment of the elderly to the extreme. Overnight, "Charming Sunset" became a grassroots star that swept the country.

Another performance from the grassroots level was "The Auspicious Three Treasures".

This warm and happy Mongolian folk song, in the form of a dialogue, is as natural as an everyday conversation between family members. Its simplicity contains boundless harmony and beauty, making it an exclamation point for the Spring Festival Gala.

The cheerful tambourine sounds and Ingema's carefree and pure voice evoke memories of childhood days spent with parents, filled with endless questions, and one is unconsciously moved by this simple and refreshing happiness.

Both are "grassroots" individuals, but Niu Li's portrayal of the beautiful "daughter-in-law" failed to make her a star; she still needed to go to the city to work as a nanny to earn money for her mother-in-law's medical treatment.

The skit "Following My Wife as a Nanny" highlights the "simple and honest" characteristics of rural people and criticizes the view that "city people" look down on "rural people".

The current Niu Li is too young and unremarkable, with average looks. It's the older Niu Li in the future who will be much more captivating, exuding a mature and sophisticated aura that will leave even younger men in awe. Cheng Sheng already knew this from another world.

Celebrities in the entertainment industry pay a lot of attention to their appearance and age, especially female celebrities. As they age, various problems become more apparent, so many female celebrities like to cultivate an image of being ageless goddesses, and it is quite common for them to try to look younger.

However, not all female celebrities are like this. Take Niu Li, for example. While others worry about getting old, Niu Li becomes more and more charming and feminine with age!

The refined elegance that comes with age exudes a captivating charm, much like fine wine.

Niu Li has maintained her figure very well; her figure has hardly changed at all, and she doesn't look like a 46-year-old at all. People would believe she's 26.

It's a pity that Niu Li appeared on the Spring Festival Gala eight times starting in 2003, playing the role of "wife" for Huang Hong, Guo Lin, Feng Gong, and others.

Her pairing with Guo Lin, in particular, left a deep impression on the audience, earning her the title of "National Daughter-in-Law".

Perhaps because Niu Li's performance on the Spring Festival Gala was so dazzling, many people overlooked the fact that she is actually a very excellent film and television actress.

For example, characters like "Na Wen" in "Crossing the Guandong" and "Deng'er" in "The Old Farmer".

Niu Lidu demonstrated solid acting skills and exceptional character portrayal abilities.

But she remained lukewarm in popularity.

It's such a pity to waste such a good actor.

Cheng Sheng chatted with everyone for almost an hour before ending the conversation.

Then he turned off the TV and took Zeng Li back to rest.

New Year's Day.

Cheng Sheng had just finished breakfast and accompanied Zeng Li for a walk.

After returning home, Cheng Sheng's phone rang.

"Brother Sheng, Happy New Year... Something terrible has happened..."

The caller was Qiao Shan.

He started by offering New Year's greetings, and just as Cheng Sheng was about to reply, he heard Qiao Shan shout that something terrible had happened, leaving him completely dumbfounded.

What the hell do you mean?
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, they told me something terrible was going to happen. How could they be so unlucky?

Cheng Sheng really wanted to hit someone, but he still patiently asked, "What's wrong? Did you break up with your girlfriend?"

"Brother Sheng, stop joking. It's your affair with Zeng Li that's been exposed by the media. Go online and see for yourself."

"I can't wait to hear it," Qiao Shan said urgently.

Cheng Sheng was stunned. Had his affair with Zeng Li been exposed?
That's not right!
She and Zeng Li were in their hometown, and no one there recognized her. How did it get exposed?
Ring!

Zeng Li's phone also rang.

"Big Pear, when did you go home with Director Cheng?"

The person who called Zeng Li was Ma Yili, one of Zeng Li's best friends.

"No, I'm still in Kyoto..."

Zeng Li was initially stunned, then tried to refute, but was interrupted by Ma Yili, who said, "Big Pear, stop making excuses. The news about you and Director Cheng is all over the internet now."

"What!" Zeng Li exclaimed in shock, her face turning pale. (End of Chapter)