Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

During the three months of filming, Liu Xiang perfectly captured Wu Song's boldness, fierceness, and righteous indignation. When he was suspended by wires and leaped off the roof of the mountain temple, he did it himself without a stunt double, landing steadily and powerfully. In the scene where he fought the tiger on Jingyang Ridge, his punches to the tiger were so realistic that the sound engineer on set couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

Even the subtle, complex emotions he conveyed in his scenes with Pan Jinlian were perfectly captured. The veteran actors in the crew praised him, saying, "This young man, though not formally trained, acts better than those who have!"

Liu Xiang herself was also holding back a lot of energy, and this fighting spirit was seen and remembered by the production manager.

So when the final scene, "Blood Splattered at the Mandarin Duck Tower," was filmed, Liu Xiang's hands trembled slightly as the production manager handed him that thick brown paper pay bag.

"Liu Xiang, your portrayal of Wu Song was spot-on!" The production manager patted him on the shoulder, his face crinkling with laughter. "Once this show airs, you're guaranteed to be a star!"

Liu Xiang nodded repeatedly, clutching the pay bag in her hand, and ran back to her room. Only after closing the door did she dare to carefully pour out the money.

A stack of brand-new 100-yuan bills was neatly stacked on the table. I counted it three times and it was exactly eight thousand yuan, no more and no less.

Liu Xiang sat on the creaking wooden stool, looking at the pile of money, her eyes welling up with tears.

The original owner of this body, let alone eight thousand yuan, would have had to save up for several months by scrimping and saving. Back then, he would eat five-mao steamed buns every day with free pickled vegetable soup, watching others eat and drink well. The feeling in his heart was indescribably painful.

Liu Xiang counted the three thousand yuan performance fee that Han Lei had given her again, and there was still two thousand two hundred yuan left.

Eight thousand plus two thousand two equals ten thousand two hundred.

Liu Xiang counted on her fingers and realized that in an era when the average monthly salary was just over three hundred yuan, this was definitely a "ten-thousand-yuan household"!

With this huge sum of money in her hands, Liu Xiang began to make her own calculations.

Filming for Wu Song's scenes in "Water Margin" was completely finished, and he didn't need to worry about the subsequent dubbing and editing. He figured he might as well take advantage of this break to go to the "Princess Pearl" production team.

During the exchange activities between the two film crews, director Sun Shuping had already taken a liking to him.

At this moment, the crew of "My Fair Princess" is filming at the Chengde Mountain Resort. Director Sun Shuping is a well-known talent enthusiast; as long as you have ability, he dares to use you.

Liu Xiang temporarily bid farewell to Director Zhang and Kang Honglei, and even bought some jewelry for Lan Xiaoling, but still resolutely embarked on the journey to Chengde.

He first went to the post office and deposited seven thousand yuan into a fixed deposit account.

This was his backup plan; he kept the remaining 3,200 yuan in his inner pocket as travel expenses and "clothing allowance."

Liu Xiang left the Wuxi Water Margin City Film and Television Base as the "Water Margin" crew finished their work in the last rays of the setting sun, carrying her canvas bag.

The journey from Wuxi to Chengde was truly arduous and exhausting. Liu Xiang first bought a hard-seat ticket on a slow, green-skinned train, and after more than twenty hours of bumpy travel, she finally arrived in Beijing.

After getting off the train, Liu Xiang took a deep breath, enjoying the mixed smells of coal smoke and food in the air. He felt quite pleased with himself. However, he hadn't forgotten his main purpose: he had come to Beijing to transfer to Chengde and to buy a new outfit. After all, he had a little money, and the suit that Kang Honglei had given him wasn't suitable for Chengde.

Liu Xiang found the famous Wangfujing Department Store in Beijing. As soon as he entered, the warmth from the heating system dispelled the chill from his body. He went straight to the men's clothing counter, where several woolen overcoats were displayed. The material was thick and felt excellent to the touch.

The saleswoman, a sharp-eyed woman, noticed Liu Xiang's robust build, handsome features, and impressive demeanor despite his simple attire. She immediately greeted him warmly: "Young man, buying clothes? Take a look at this navy blue one, it's brand new, pure wool, a great fit, it'll look absolutely dashing on you!"

Liu Xiang picked up the navy blue wool coat and held it up to his body. The coat's length just reached his knees, and the cut was indeed quite good, making his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more upright. He touched the money in his pocket and said decisively, "I'll try this one on."

The fitting room wasn't large. Liu Xiang took off his faded old jacket, put on a wool coat, and stood in front of the mirror. Even he was stunned for a moment. The person in the mirror was clearly a tall, handsome young man with an indescribable heroic spirit. He possessed the ruggedness of Wu Song, yet also had a touch of refinement.

"This one will do!" Liu Xiang said with satisfaction.

The saleswoman smiled even more broadly: "Young man, you have excellent taste! This dress looks like it was tailor-made for you!"

Liu Xiang then picked out two pairs of dark blue cotton trousers, a dark gray wool scarf, and a pair of shiny black leather shoes. Wearing the new clothes, trousers, and shoes, and with the scarf around his neck, his entire demeanor changed. Walking down the aisle of the department store, even passersby couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

After paying, Liu Xiang walked out of the department store carrying the bag of old clothes, feeling extremely proud of herself.

He suddenly remembered Han Geng, who should not have gone to South Korea yet and should still be helping out at his mother's dumpling restaurant.

Following the address Han Geng had given him, Liu Xiang navigated the winding alleys of Beijing and finally found "Han's Dumpling Restaurant." The storefront was small, consisting of only two rooms. A red lantern hung at the entrance with the four large characters "Han's Dumplings" written on it, and a long string of dried chili peppers hung below the lantern, giving it a lively and down-to-earth feel.

When he pushed open the door, there weren't many customers in the store. Han Geng was wearing an apron and carrying a plate of freshly cooked dumplings to the table, with some flour still on his forehead.

Hearing the door open, Han Geng looked up and nearly dropped the plate in his hand when he saw Liu Xiang. He paused for a moment, then exclaimed with delight, "Brother Xiang? What brings you here?"

Liu Xiang smiled and patted his shoulder: "I was passing through the capital and remembered that your home is here, so I came to visit you and your aunt."

Han Geng's mother also came out of the kitchen, wearing a floral apron and with flour still on her hands. Seeing Liu Xiang, her face immediately lit up with a smile, and she warmly pulled Liu Xiang to sit down: "Oh, it's Xiangxiang! Please sit down! Auntie often hears Han Geng mention you!"

Han Geng quickly placed the freshly cooked dumplings in front of Liu Xiang, and then grabbed a pair of chopsticks: "Brother Xiang, try my mom's dumplings, they're pork and scallion filling, they're so delicious!"

Liu Xiang picked up his chopsticks, took a dumpling, and put it in his mouth. The dumpling skin was thin, and the filling was generous. One bite, and piping hot broth overflowed, the delicious flavor spreading in his mouth – truly the taste of Beijing. He couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "Auntie's cooking is amazing!"

Han Geng's mother smiled so broadly her eyes narrowed into slits: "Eat as much as you like! Auntie will make more if you're still hungry!"

Liu Xiang ate dumplings while chatting with Han Geng. Upon learning that Liu Xiang was going to work on the set of "My Fair Princess," Han Geng's eyes lit up with envy: "Brother Xiang, that's a huge production! I heard there are lots of big stars there! You're really amazing!"