My Wandering Swordsman

Manager Zhang left with the file folder.

The sound of the eldest prince cursing came from the ward: "You can't even do the most trivial things properly... Get out, get out of here, don't disturb my sleep."

Sun Xiaohu and the other two bowed their heads and responded repeatedly, each retreating to a corner.

Soon, the ward became completely quiet.

Seeing that my chance had passed, I was too lazy to hide any longer. I pushed open the door to the stairwell and walked straight out.

Sun Xiaohu rushed over, taking three steps at a time, and asked in a low voice, "Big brother, how's the situation?"

I nodded, then shook my head.

A senior care service company has stockpiled more than 17,000 videotapes... I have a vague feeling that there is something wrong here, but what exactly is the problem?

I really can't say.

So I didn't say anything at the time, I just reached out and patted Sun Xiaohu on the shoulder:

"Brothers, you've suffered, this guy is really hard to please. Hang in there for a few more days, I won't shortchange you on your wages. Once we're done here, you can all go back to the film crew and continue acting."

Sun Xiaohu's eyes were slightly red as he gripped my hand tightly:

"Big brother, understanding is everything..."

The other two brothers also came over and gave me grateful looks.

I didn't linger any longer and turned to leave.

......

By the time we returned to the film studio, it was already getting dark.

When I pushed open the door of the tin-roofed dormitory, I was completely stunned.

An uninvited guest appeared in the house.

There she was, Ruan Tang lying on the bed, legs crossed, cracking sunflower seeds, looking quite content.

The monk Hua and Liu Zi surrounded her, some fanning her, others swatting away mosquitoes... just like Sun Xiaohu and the others were taking care of the eldest prince during his afternoon nap.

I raised an eyebrow. What were these three up to?

Seeing me come in, Ruan Tang didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. She lazily spat out a sunflower seed shell and said, "Oh, you're back?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

What do you mean "I'm back"? Anyone who didn't know better would think this was Ruan Tang's dorm room.

I ignored her and turned to Monk Hua and Liu Zi: "Are you two out of your minds? She's just someone who manages salaries, why are you two so eager to fawn over her? You might as well fawn over me, I'm her boss!"

The monk glanced at me and snapped, "What do you know?!"

"Sister Ruan is no ordinary person. You didn't see it today, but the moment she stood on the set, she glanced around, and none of the extras dared to slack off. She can tell at a glance who's acting and who's just fooling around; she's incredibly accurate."

I frowned.

That's incredible? No way.

Seeing my disbelief, Liu Zi fanned himself as he spoke, "Brother Ji, you don't know. Today there was an argument scene, and the female extra was wailing her heart out. Miss Ruan immediately called a stop, saying her crying was too fake. The extra wasn't convinced, so Miss Ruan demonstrated it for her right there and then, guess what?"

"What's wrong?"

"The female extra cried after watching it. Not only did the person involved cry, but even the cameraman and the lighting crew cried."

My lips twitched a few times: "Isn't that an exaggeration, Liu Zi?"

The Flower Monk chimed in, "Exaggeration? No, no, no. Go out and ask around. Who in the entire crew doesn't listen to Sister Ruan? Her comments are spot on, and not a single one of them disagrees."

I listened with a skeptical look, then turned to look at Ruan Tang and sized her up.

"You...worked as a director before?"

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes and spat out a sunflower seed shell: "Have you ever met a director who was a teenager?"

Now I don't understand.

If what the monks said is true, then Ruan Tang's sharp eye is absolutely unparalleled. Could it be innate? Does such a genius really exist?

Seeing my puzzled look, Ruan Tang shrugged and said nonchalantly, "Well... I guess it's because I watch a lot of movies. Comparing the two, I can spot the flaws in their acting."

Seeing more? Is seeing more necessarily better?

I frowned deeply and asked, "By the way, you weren't watching that kind of colored television...?"

Before I could finish speaking, a pillow flew over and hit me squarely in the face.

Ruan Tang sat up abruptly, glaring at me fiercely: "Ji Xiaosong, if you bring this up again, I'll kill you!"

I paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter: "Tangtang, are you trying to murder your husband again?"

"roll!"

Ruan Tang grabbed the blanket and was about to throw it.

The monk, quick-witted and agile, stopped her, saying, "Young Miss, Young Miss, calm down. These are all my bedding; if they get dirty, they'll have to be washed..."

Liu Zi also stepped in to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, stop fighting, the food's getting cold."

As he spoke, he moved a small table from the corner, which was covered with food.

A few side dishes, a pot of braised pork, a few bottles of beer, and a pot of noodles with soybean paste that hadn't been mixed properly.

There were four sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, clearly indicating that the three people were waiting for me.

My heart warmed, and I sat down.

"Such a lavish spread for no holiday or festival?" I joked.

The Flower Monk chuckled: "Sister Ruan made it. She asked me what you liked to eat, and I just randomly named a few, and she brought them over."

I paused for a moment, then looked at Ruan Tang, my gaze softening slightly: "Tang Tang..."

Ruan Tang waved her hands repeatedly: "Get out of my way, don't look at me, you're faking your death, disgusting, pervert, lecher..."

The monk scratched the back of his head, not understanding what the "couple" were up to.

The beer is opened.

The four of us sat around a table.

"To my brother!" I raised the first glass.

"Let's enjoy the food!" The Flower Monk brought a second bottle of wine.

"Respectfully yours, wage!" said Liu Zi, leading the third one.

"To...freedom." Ruan Tang brought the last drink.

I paused for a moment, glanced at Ruan Tang again, but didn't ask anything more.

The tin shack was simple, without even a proper stool, but this meal gave me a taste of home that I hadn't felt in a long time.

To be honest, I suddenly felt that Hengdian was not so unfamiliar anymore.

Having brothers... is so good.

After dinner, I kept Ruan Tang around a little longer and asked seriously, "Tangtang, how's the film crew doing today? I'm talking about the extras' fees."

Ruan Tang sat up straight, took out the account book from her bosom, opened it, and said in a serious tone:

"Today, our crew used a total of 45 extras. As for wages, since no outdoor scenes were filmed, everyone was paid 21 yuan per day. In addition, 4 people who met the acting standards received an extra 12 yuan bonus; 16 people who cheated or gave sloppy performances were fined 48 yuan; the rest were decent and received neither bonus nor deduction. In addition, two other companies experienced significant changes and were paid in full."

After she finished taking inventory, she looked up at me:

"So, for today, we have a surplus of 208 yuan in extras fees."

I was dumbfounded.

Is that all left?

I was thinking that I would be lucky to save ten or twenty yuan a day, but I ended up saving more than 200 yuan.

I couldn't help but feel a little worried:

"Won't the extras have any objections?"