Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Zheng Nan never expected that she would have such a connection with greenhouses.

I can run into him when I arrive at noon, and I can also run into him when I leave in the evening.

Could this be a match made in heaven?

bah bah bah!

I've been overusing my brain lately, and my thinking is getting too scattered!

"What a coincidence, you just got off work at the greenhouse?"

"I just tidied up the script and am getting ready to go home. What about you?"

Dapeng's main job at Sohu was the program "Dapeng Debade".

"Dapade" is an old program that started airing in January 2007 and has been running for more than four years now.

Although the show's data is still good and it has a group of loyal fans, producing show content has become increasingly difficult.

To maintain the quality of the program, the studio staff spend their days editing, conducting interviews, and managing operations, and their nights working overtime to record and edit the program. Leaving at 8 pm today is considered early.

"I just had a heated argument with your boss all day, so I'm going to find a place to have dinner." Zheng Nan rubbed his stomach; he was young and got hungry quickly.

I had been so focused on the discussion in the meeting room that I didn't feel particularly hungry.

Now that I've come to my senses, I'm starving.

"You haven't eaten yet? That's perfect, I haven't eaten either, let me treat you." The greenhouse owner extended a warm invitation.

"Your boss gave me a 20,000 yuan allowance, so I'll treat you."

"Guests are welcome, how can I let you treat me!"

"Stop tearing it apart! These two people from Northeast China haven't even gone to eat yet, and they're already arguing about paying the bill."

"Zheng Nan, are you from Northeast China?"

"What, can't you tell from my accent?"

"Your accent isn't very noticeable. Where are you from?"

"Fengtian." Fengtian is one of the places with the strongest Northeastern accent. When Zheng Nan first went to the Shanghai Theatre Academy, people could tell he had a Northeastern accent as soon as he opened his mouth.

Later, he became a teacher in the Shanghai Theatre Academy's acting class. He felt that Zheng Nan's acting was not good, so he focused more on her lines and forced her to speak Mandarin.

"Fengtian is a big city, I'm from Ji'an, but you probably haven't heard of Ji'an, it's a small place."

"I've never heard of it, Ji'an Big Guitar?" Zheng Nan blurted out subconsciously.

"A big guitar? There aren't any big guitars in Ji'an. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Da Peng asked, somewhat puzzled.

Zheng Nan then realized that his impression of Ji'an Big Guitar came from the movie "Sewing Machine Band" filmed in Dapeng in 2017, which is not yet available.

"I misremembered. I've been talking all day, and my brain isn't working properly. Let's go eat first."

"I know a Northeastern Chinese restaurant that serves good food."

…………

The place that Dapeng brought Zheng Nan to was a small, home-style restaurant located in a residential building.

It's not a large space, with about a dozen tables and two small private rooms.

Judging from the signs of age on the facade, it must have been open for quite some time.

Neither Da Peng nor Zheng Nan are celebrities anymore. This small restaurant mainly serves middle-aged and elderly customers, so the two of them just randomly found a table to sit at.

"I come here often, the food is good, but the portions are a bit small. I'll order a few of their signature dishes for you to try later." This restaurant still uses handwritten menus, which customers write down themselves and hand to the kitchen, where the food is cooked directly.

"I understand. It's Northeastern cuisine, the portions are large." Zheng Nan had already told him to pay the bill beforehand, so the two of them wouldn't argue about it later.

Seeing Zheng Nan's resolute stance, and knowing that Zheng Nan was there to sell copyrights and was considered a wealthy person, the farmers didn't fight over the right to pay.

Zheng Nan's mouth watered as soon as the dishes were served: sweet and sour pork, braised pork slices, stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant, and mixed salad.

After finishing a bowl of rice, he finally commented, "It's really good. I've been away from home for a long time, and this is what I crave."

"Hey, kids from Northeast China can't get good jobs even if they don't come out here," Da Peng said with a touch of bitterness.

If given a choice, how many people would be willing to leave their hometown?

"Things will get better." Zheng Nan knew that in the future, China might not have done everything perfectly, but it was slowly getting better.

Where are you staying tonight?

"I'm planning to stay at a hotel nearby for a few days. Where are you staying? Have you bought a house yet?"

"I didn't buy one; the housing prices in Beijing are simply unaffordable. I rented a place in Tongzhou."

"Tongzhou isn't close, how do you commute to get off work every day?"

"For subway commuting, take the Batong Line and transfer to Line 1."

"You must have had a tough time." Zheng Nan recalled how she used to squeeze onto the subway during rush hour when she was a beast of burden in her past life.

That's not really leaving, it's just moving around with the crowd.

"It was tough when I first moved to Beijing, but it's much better now. Last year I became an apprentice, and my master has been very kind to me." Dapeng spoke of his master with heartfelt gratitude.

In 09, Dapeng first met his mentor Zhao Benshan backstage at the Spring Festival Gala. At that time, Zhao Benshan remembered Dapeng, a sensible and hardworking young man from Northeast China.

He then personally selected Da Peng to host Liaoning TV's "Celebrity Spin," and even sent a special car to pick him up.

The show "Celebrities Spin" paid Da Peng a huge hosting fee, far exceeding his salary at the time.

Sohu's internal rules state that when employees take on outside jobs, the company takes a cut of the income, with the majority going to the company.

The greenhouse owner was terrified and brought Sohu's leaders to his door to try and get a refund.

Zhao Benshan said to Sohu's senior management on the spot:

"I know it's tough being a child in a greenhouse. Tell Zhang Chaoyang that I got this money for him, and your company shouldn't share it with him."

The greenhouse will remember this for a lifetime.

"I know, it's Teacher Benshan who I'm talking about. If you have the chance, please ask Teacher Zhao for an autographed photo."

Zhao Benshan holds a special place in the hearts of Northeasterners.

Many people from Northeast China don't follow celebrities, but they still want to take a photo with Zhao Benshan.

Since they were all from Northeast China, Zheng Nan's relationship with the greenhouse improved considerably after the meal.

Knowing that Zheng Nan wouldn't have much to do for the next two days, Da Peng offered, "I'm also planning to rest tomorrow, so I'll bring a few friends to show you around Beijing."

"Won't this be too much trouble? I don't want it to interfere with your work."

"No trouble at all. I can't stand my old job anyway. I'll contact you tomorrow."

They exchanged phone numbers, and Dapeng took the subway back to Tongzhou. Zheng Nan found a budget hotel nearby to stay in.

The next day.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

Zheng Nan, who was still sleeping in, heard her phone ring.

I took a look and it turned out to be a greenhouse.

"Hey, Peng-ge, what's up?"

"Not up yet? I'm downstairs. Come on, I'll take you to experience a typical Beijing breakfast."

Given that it is currently 8:00 AM and the greenhouse is located in Tongzhou, what time does the greenhouse get up?

Solution: Take the Batong Line to Guomao Station, transfer to Line 1 and take it to Yong'anli Station, then walk over. You'll have to get up and wash up at 6:30.

Having reached this conclusion, Zheng Nan felt too embarrassed to stay in bed any longer.

"Five minutes, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and took a shower." Zheng Nan sprang to her feet in one easy motion; youthful backs are truly amazing!

"You still need to practice. I can do this routine in three minutes," the greenhouse commented.

Five minutes later, Zheng Nan went downstairs and saw the shed where people were squatting at the entrance smoking.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that someone was squatting next to the greenhouse.

This looks so familiar!

Judging from his back, Zheng Nan felt that he should know the person next to him in the greenhouse.

He quickly walked over and asked, "Is that you?"