The Way of Heaven Rewards Diligence in Film and Television

Chapter 88 Red Bean's Beloved

Xu Hongdou nodded in agreement, then couldn't help but ask, "So, before you reunited with your father, you must have had a tough time, right?"

"They're just cattle and horses, how easy is that?" Lin Yang smiled noncommittally. "However, if one person is full, the whole family isn't hungry, so it's not that difficult."

"So I've always been very open-minded. I live the kind of life I want to live, and I pursue the people I like. If I get them, I cherish them. Life is short, so I can't let it slip away easily, because I don't get many chances to miss out."

Lin Yang said, squeezing Xu Hongdou's soft hand tightly: "Hongdou, I've made up my mind. If you're willing, we can stay here and run a bed and breakfast. I'll do some live-streaming e-commerce and occasionally do some live-streaming to help farmers."

"Perhaps, seeing my reputation here, they might even make me a tourism ambassador. At the very least, Mr. Xie and the others should be willing to let me be the tourism ambassador for Yunmiao Village in the future."

"When you're ready, we'll go meet your parents and sister, and then we'll consider getting married."

Xu Hongdou didn't say much, but looked at Lin Yang with bright eyes and nodded and smiled slightly.

In the afternoon, they continued picking plums, and after everyone got busy, they all assumed they didn't have much energy left to talk.

As evening fell, on their way back, everyone was listless and lethargic, except for Lin Yang and Xie Zhiyao, who was using serving tea and water as an excuse to slack off. They didn't want to talk.

Xie Zhiyao was still in the mood to film a video, and even asked them if they were tired and if they wanted to go to the orchard to pick plums again tomorrow.

Hu Youyu declared he would never come, while Master Ma was going to Fujian to inspect tea plantations.

"You've found a partner?" Xie Zhiyao asked with a surprised smile.

"My bunkmate in college," Ma Ye laughed, "didn't mind that I was poor!"

"You're so annoying, yet she doesn't mind you. You should cherish her," Xie Zhiyao said.

"What you're saying is true. As the saying goes, a dog doesn't despise its mother for being ugly, and a child doesn't despise its home for being poor," Master Ma said.

Hu Youyu then said, "As the saying goes, you're just wasting your breath."

"Alright, stop bickering," Lin Yang said with a smile. "Brother Ma, now that everything is ready, let's give it our all! I wish you success! And don't forget your brothers when the time comes!"

"If we become rich and powerful, let's not forget each other!" Nana said repeatedly.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't forget," Master Ma said with a smile.

Back in the courtyard that evening, after a simple dinner, everyone went to bed.

The next morning, as soon as Lin Yang got up, he saw Master Ma and Da Mai meditating together.

After preparing breakfast and having it with Master Ma and Da Mai, Lin Yang originally planned to personally take Master Ma to the airport.

Xie Zhiyao and Huang Xinxin were going to the ancient city to meet the former owner of the guesthouse in the village, so they took Ma Ye there on the way.

It was past nine o'clock when Xu Hongdou, Da Mai, and Hu Youyu got up and gathered in the kitchen for breakfast. Then, together with Lin Yang, who had finished writing and sold some stocks, they went to help Aunt Feng pick plums.

In the evening, on his way to pick up Lin Yang and the others from the orchard and take them back to the courtyard, Xie Zhiyao talked about the homestays in the village.

The original owners, a married couple, had planned to quit their jobs in Shenzhen and move here to live a quiet retirement life running a guesthouse.

Unexpectedly, his wife was suddenly diagnosed with cancer, and his father-in-law suffered a stroke and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The money was flowing out like water, and they simply had neither the money nor the energy to continue building the village's homestays.

"Alas, good fortune never comes in pairs, but misfortunes never come singly," Xu Hongdou sighed.

Seeing Xie Zhiyao turn to him after speaking, Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh and say, "Alright, no need to bother looking for other suckers. I'll invest, but Mr. Xie will have to put in more effort in the future."

"It's not easy for outsiders to do business. I'm sure Mr. Xie understands this all too well. Not everyone in a village is honest and kind. What if we do well with our guesthouse and some people get jealous, or some people deliberately cause trouble..."

"Lin Yang, don't worry! You've been so generous in helping us, and with the wood carving workshop and the village's tourism promotional video, you've helped us a lot. In any case, since I introduced this matter, I'll definitely take full responsibility for it," Xie Zhiyao quickly assured him.

Lin Yang nodded: "Okay, I'm relieved to hear that. Actually, it doesn't matter whether this guesthouse makes money or not, the main thing is that I don't want Hongdou to suffer any injustice in the future."

Touched by these words, Xu Hongdou retorted, "What do you mean it doesn't matter whether I make money or not? I'm investing too. Why should I bother if I can't make money?"

"Yes, yes, you've worked in five-star hotels, you're very experienced. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to manage a guesthouse with star-rated service," Lin Yang said with a smile.

Xie Zhiyao, Da Mai, and Hu Youyu couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this; Lin Yang was indeed quite doting on Xu Hongdou.

In the courtyard, after dinner, Xu Hongdou took the initiative to lead Lin Yang to his room upstairs.

"What's wrong? You've been busy all day, aren't you tired?" Lin Yang asked with a smile.

Xu Hongdou rolled her eyes at Lin Yang and went to get a few black and white photos pasted on a wavy frame. They were all photos of the same young girl.

"Who is she?" Lin Yang asked, feigning confusion.

"Her name is Chen Nanxing. She is the love of my life, my best friend, and always will be," Xu Hongdou said as she sat down on the sofa with Lin Yang.

"She's the love of your life, so what am I?" Lin Yang couldn't help but ask.

Xu Hongdou looked at Lin Yang and remained silent for a moment before smiling and saying, "You are... a source of joy, a little sun!"

"Alright!" Lin Yang nodded and smiled, then asked, "She... passed away?"

"Yes, cancer," Xu Hongdou nodded, then asked, "How did you know?"

"Last time at Damai's birthday party, I saw how sad you were, and I knew there must be some indelible pain in your heart," Lin Yang said. "Besides, the photo was black and white..."

"Can you tell me about you and her?" Lin Yang continued.

Xu Hongdou nodded slightly: "We were classmates and best friends. We worked together in Beijing and went through a lot together. Then, she was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and passed away a few months later."

"When someone your age, someone you've journeyed alongside, suddenly encounters a great misfortune, your heart trembles. It's like being caught in a nightmare, like taking a wrong step on a high staircase, like a plane disappearing from radar, like being lost in the desert, or like a polar bear sitting on melting ice, unable to find land..."

When she reached the end of her description, Xu Hongdou suddenly laughed and said, "My unease, fear, and doubts about life are all too difficult to express. What am I? Even my best friend's departure didn't change anything in my life. I still go to work, come home, go shopping, and watch movies..."

"I only think of her when I'm really sad. Her parents lost everything when they lost her, and I don't think I have the right to grieve for so long because of her."

As Xu Hongdou spoke, she couldn't help but cry, her eyes welling up with tears.

Lin Yang reached out and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Hongdou, from now on, with me here, you won't have nightmares anymore. Even if you stumble, I'll catch you. I'll be your guiding light. I'll go wherever you want to go. Even if we're busy, shopping, or watching a movie, it'll be just the two of us, maybe even three or four in the future..."

"I think her departure really changed your life. Otherwise, you might not have come here, at least not at this time, and we wouldn't have met. It seems like there was some kind of guidance or destiny at play. They say that when God closes a door, he opens a window. I hope I can be the sunshine outside that window, illuminating and warming you..."

Hearing this, Xu Hongdou couldn't help but hug Lin Yang tightly, tears streaming down her face.