Golden Years in the World of Film and Television

"That's good to know. Do you think this is possible?"

On the phone, Fan Shengmei's mother Liu Meilan's voice was filled with anxiety and fear.

Fan Shengmei gritted her teeth and said, "There's nothing much to say. He hit someone, and he hit his immediate superior. Whether he's fired, compensated, or detained, it's all what he deserves."

"Xiao Mei, don't say that. He is your brother after all. Now he has been taken away by the police. He might even go to jail.

You said your sister-in-law wanted to divorce him even though he had a job. Now he has lost his job and is going to be detained, so why doesn’t your sister-in-law divorce him?

If your sister-in-law takes Lei Lei away, won’t that mean the death of us two old people?”

On the phone, Fan Shengmei's mother Liu Meilan cried and begged with tears in her eyes. This was her usual trick, and it always worked well against her daughter.

But now Fan Shengmei already wants to change the status quo. She talked a lot with Han Tao and Andy the other day and listened to some of their suggestions, so she replied:

"Mom, you don't need to call me. I've already said I won't care about Fan Shengying anymore. He can't keep his wife because he's incompetent. Who can he blame?

If you have any regard for our mother-daughter relationship, I hope we can treat each other equally in the future. I will be responsible for your retirement, including Lei Lei, and I can help take care of him, but I will never take care of Fan Shengying. He is a hopeless case.

I spent a lot of money and asked for help to find him a job, but it was ruined just like that. Now my classmates are also implicated. How should I help him?

Over the years, you have treated me like toilet paper. Whenever something happens to Fan Shengying, I am the one who cleans up his mess. Have you ever considered my feelings?

He is your son, but am I not your daughter? Ask yourselves, have you ever cared about how I am doing? Do you still treat me as your daughter?

I've been in Shanghai for so many years, and I haven't made any progress. Don't you know why? I can only take care of your retirement, not your son.

If you think it's not possible, then chop me into pieces and use them to fill your son's bottomless pit. There's no point in me living like this anyway."

Feeling the determination in her daughter's tone, Liu Meilan cried out, "Xiaomei, Xiaomei, don't say that. I am your mother and you are my daughter.

I'm begging you just this once, just this once, okay? If you help your brother this time, I'll never bother you again. Just think of it as pity for you, isn't that enough?

After hearing what her mother Liu Meilan said, Fan Shengmei felt very disappointed. Her mother was hopelessly biased towards boys, and she would hesitate even to push herself away for her brother's sake.

Thinking of this, Fan Shengmei said with a dead heart: "Mom, I am calling you Mom. I know that asking you to ignore Fan Shengying is undoubtedly impossible. That would be like digging into your flesh.

But I was born by you, too. Is it my fault that I'm a girl? Did you give birth to me just to fill the hole my brother left behind? Do you really want to force me to die so that you can be happy?

In that case, don't call me in the future, and I won't go home. I will transfer your living expenses to your bank card every month.

As for whether you are willing to give flowers to Fan Shengying, that is your business, I will not interfere. But I will not give you a cent more, even if you starve to death, that is your own choice, so that's it, I am hanging up. "

Fan Shengmei forced herself to say these words cruelly, then hung up the phone, slumped in the corner, covered her mouth, and cried silently.

About a quarter of an hour later, Fan Shengmei finally adjusted herself a little better and hurriedly got up and returned to 2202.

In fact, in her heart, if Fan Shengying was really put in prison, it might be a good thing for her family.

The crime of assault this time is punishable by a prison sentence of one or two years at most. Fan Shengying has not received parental discipline since childhood, and her thoughts have not been severely beaten by society. It may not be a bad thing to teach him a lesson this time.

But she could bear to be cruel to her brother, but she really couldn't bear to be cruel to her parents. That's why her brother was able to suck her blood for so many years.

Her brother Fan Shengying paid the down payment for his family's mortgage by himself, but Fan Shengmei herself does not have a house of her own, not even ten square meters.

My brother lives in a spacious and bright house, and a large double-door refrigerator costs him half a month's salary, but my mother says he can't even afford living expenses. Is this possible?

It seems that Han Tao is right. I am sick and I really need to see a psychologist sometime. Otherwise, sooner or later I will be dragged down by this family, or I will give up and be forced to go down a path of no return.

........................

Chapter 416 Fan Shengmei's Complete Collapse

At this time in 2202, Guan Juer had just taken a shower and was drying her hair with a towel. Qiu Yingying was sitting on the sofa looking at the photos on her phone and said excitedly:

"Guan Guan, I checked the champagne we drank today, and the collector's edition really costs over 30,000. Now that I think about it, it feels like such a shame that we just treated it like a drink!"

"Yeah, I think so too."

Guan Juer nodded slightly, looking at Qiu Yingying who was editing her Moments, and sighed, "It's all Xiaoqu's fault. Wouldn't it be nice to just chat and drink some water? Why did they have to drink such expensive wine? I don't think it tastes that good either."

Qiu Yingying nodded vigorously. "That's right, that's right. You can buy as many donuts as you want with that much money. Qu Xiaoxiao is the most troublesome, and so is Brother Han. We shouldn't pay attention to her."

Fan Shengmei, who opened the door and came in, also heard what the two little sisters said. She forced a smile and nodded, her eyes full of envy.

"This is the class gap. A rich second-generation like Qu Xiaoxiao can easily spend tens of thousands on a bag. Not to mention Han Tao. Just opening a bottle of good wine wouldn't cost the three of us sisters a month's salary."

"Sister Fan, you're back." Guan Juer looked up at the door and greeted with a smile.

Qiu Yingying, who was standing by, saw Fan Shengmei coming back and put down her phone, counting on her fingers:

"My current monthly salary at the coffee shop is 4,500 yuan. Guan Guan's salary has increased to 5,800 yuan in two months. Sister Fan, you make 10,000 yuan, and the three of us combined make over 20,000 yuan. It's really not as good as Brother Han opening a bottle of wine. We're just too miserable, aren't we?"

"Silly girl, this is how society is. There are class distinctions, just like a pyramid. We are at the bottom, Andy and Qu Xiaoxiao belong to the upper-middle class, and people like Han Tao are at the top.

You think a bottle of wine that costs half a year's salary is expensive, but in the eyes of those rich people, you only spend a little over a thousand yuan a month on food, which is incredible."

As she spoke, Fan Shengmei gently touched Qiu Yingying's hair and continued to smile reluctantly, "But it doesn't matter, you and Guan Guan are still young.

Isn't Han Tao planning to invest in a coffee shop project? As long as you work hard to get on board this big ship, you won't end up like Sister Fan, who's still unmarried in her thirties and has struggled in Shanghai for so many years, only to have a bunch of high-end imitation clothes and bags and nothing else!

Seeing Fan Shengmei's eyes reddening and growing increasingly sad as she spoke, Qiu Yingying asked worriedly, "Sister Fan, what's wrong? Aren't you going to participate in this coffee shop project too? Brother Han is so generous, he won't treat us unfairly."

"Sister Fan can't compare to you guys. At least you have family support and start-up capital, but Sister Fan has nothing. I can only think of myself as working in a different environment."

It was the first time that Fan Shengmei showed her weak side, and she cried like an ordinary girl. Guan Juer beside her also showed a surprised look and said worriedly:

"Sister Fan, why are you crying? Did you encounter any difficulties?"

Seeing Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer looking at her with worry on their faces, Fan Shengmei wiped her eyes and said, "No... Sister Fan just spoke from the heart. I'm happy for you guys thinking that you can have your own careers in the future.

When I think about how I came to Shanghai to work alone, helpless and helpless, hiding from others every day, eating steamed buns and pickles, and living in the company dormitory, why didn’t I meet someone as good as Han Tao who I could rely on?

Moreover, you are all the only children in your family. Your parents have given all their love to you and give you living expenses every month when you work. Now you must seize this opportunity.

Sister Fan tells you that Andy has approved of this coffee project, and Qu Xiaoxiao and others have also said that they are willing to be the party that raises the A round of financing. This shows that it is very promising and you must seize it firmly. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This is better than working for any big company. Even if it means having your family support you should still participate. If you can grasp this kind of opportunity, you will soar to the top and become a phoenix. If you can't grasp it, you will be at the bottom of society for the rest of your life. Do you understand?"

"I see, Sister Fan, you don't have to think that way. As long as you're willing, we can be together forever. Didn't you say we should open a few pilot stores first? You can invest as much as you can. Brother Han won't disagree."

Seeing Fan Shengmei so sad, Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer looked at each other, then nodded in agreement with his meaning, and encouraged and comforted her.

Looking at the two cute little sisters, Fan Shengmei burst into laughter, opened her arms and embraced them, sighing from the bottom of her heart:

"Sister Fan is so happy to have you two sisters around. I envy you guys for being carefree. You can say whatever you want and do whatever you want without worrying about other people's opinions. In this respect, you are much happier than Sister Fan."

"Sister Fan, we're not as well off as you say. I'm also under a lot of pressure. I wanted to go back to my hometown and find a job, but my father wouldn't agree and insisted that I stay in a big city like Shanghai.

But what's so good about a big city? I only make a little over 4,000 yuan a month, which is barely enough to support myself. When will I be able to settle down in Shanghai and own a house of my own? I don't have high expectations, even a place in the suburbs would be fine."

After Qiu Yingying finished speaking, Guan Juer nodded in agreement without waiting for Fan Shengmei's response:

"Me too. My parents used all their connections to find people and finally got me an internship at this company. Not only does it take a year, but there's also a dropout rate of over 50%. I'm really worried.

My colleagues all graduated from prestigious universities, but I am the only one who graduated from an ordinary university. I am so worried about being rejected, so I have to work very hard and overtime. I often fall asleep in front of the computer because I am too tired. It is so difficult!

As for the coffee shop project, I just wanted to learn from Brother Han and Sister Andy and gain some experience.

I don’t think my parents would agree with me investing. I don’t want to become rich, nor do I want to rely on my family for everything.

Otherwise, I would stay in my hometown and find a job as a civil servant. I would have a house and a car ready for me, and I wouldn’t have to work so hard. It would be so comfortable.”

Looking at the inexperienced Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer, Fan Shengmei couldn't help but laugh and said, "Little earthworm, it sounds like you still want to buy a house in Shanghai?"

"Of course!" Qiu Yingying nodded vigorously, her face full of longing, "It would be even better if we could buy an apartment in our Ode to Joy. Then the three of us can each have a room and we don't have to worry about the landlord's mood anymore.

The most important thing is, if I have a house, I can bring my parents over to live with me.”

Hearing this, Guan Juer also nodded: "Well, I also think our community is good and suitable for living. The most important thing is that the environment is good and it is close to the subway. If I could really have my own house here, it would be like a dream!"

Seeing Qiu Yingying and Guan Juer looking at her, Fan Shengmei shook her head and said, "Houses in our neighborhood aren't particularly expensive. If you buy a small apartment, the down payment is only over one million yuan, and you can get a bank loan of three or four million yuan. You're young and can afford the loan for about 25 years. With a monthly mortgage of around 20,000 yuan, you can pay it off by the time you're fifty."

Hearing Fan Shengmei's words, Qiu Yingying said dejectedly, "Forget about the loan. My family can't even come up with the down payment, let alone me. It seems that I can only rent a house in this life and will never be able to buy one."

"Haha, silly girl, renting an apartment isn't cheap. Take the apartment we live in now, for example. The rent is paid every three months, and we still have to pay the property management fee ourselves, which is an average of 9,080 per person..."

As she was speaking, Fan Shengmei's cell phone rang again. She quickly took it out and took a look. The caller ID showed that it was her sister-in-law. Fan Shengmei's expression changed slightly, and then she said:

"I'm going to answer a phone call. Little Earthworm, go take a shower. Guan Guan should also go to bed early."

"I understand, Sister Fan. Go answer the phone quickly. It must be something urgent if you're calling so late at night!"

"Well, I'm closing the shop now. Good night!"

After saying that, Fan Shengmei walked back to her room, closed the door, and answered the phone. A moment later, a harsh voice rang out from the other side:

"Xiaomei, I'm your sister-in-law. You're the only sister your brother has. You can't just ignore him. Now those people came to our house and threatened to either pay compensation or break his legs and put him in jail.

I tell you, if your brother becomes disabled or goes to jail, I will take Lei Lei back to my parents' home and divorce your brother."

"Whether you want to divorce or not is your business, don't tell me. As for others wanting to break his legs, I can't do anything about it.

Besides, it was Fan Shengying who deserved it. Why didn't he think about me being his sister when he beat me up? Now that he needs money, you two are all trying to kill me because I'm his sister.

I'm telling you, I'm out of money too. I borrowed money from others to pay for this month's living expenses. You guys can figure it out on your own."

"Xiaomei, why didn't you say that earlier? I'm worried too. You know the situation at home. We don't have any money. Now they want compensation for medical expenses before they agree to release your brother. Don't let us get into trouble."

"I don't have any money right now. Someone must have come to my door. Give them your phone number."

After Fan Shengmei finished speaking, a man's voice came on the line and said, "You are Fan Shengying's sister, right? He beat my brother so badly that he had to be hospitalized.

"Now, for the medical expenses, hospitalization fees, and lost wages, you should first come up with 50,000 yuan, and we'll see what happens next. Otherwise, we'll break his legs or put him in jail."

"I'm just an ordinary worker. Where did I get 5 yuan to give you? Who should I ask for this money from? Let me tell you this: if you break one of his legs, I'll thank you.

If you beat him to death, I'll give you 1 yuan. If you don't, you won't get a penny. Think of your loved ones lying in the hospital bed. Please beat him to death, so that no one will ask me for money.

After saying that, Fan Shengmei hung up the phone, hid in the corner of the room, tried her best to suppress her voice, and cried alone.

.....................

Chapter 417 Qu Xiaoxiao's Speculation

Fan Shengmei cried while turning on the screen of her mobile phone. She thought for a long time but still didn't know what to do. In an instant, she felt ridiculous. She had given so many years, but no one cared about her. Moreover, all her family members just treated her as an ATM.

Thinking about it this way, Fan Shengmei felt that this was a good thing, as it would help Fan Shengying learn a lesson and know what to do and what not to do.

But when she thought about her parents' personalities and her mother and brother's indifference towards her, she felt very sad and her mentality completely collapsed.

Just like that, Fan Shengmei sat on the ground, crying and laughing, not knowing whether she should cry or laugh.

Outside the room, Qiu Yingying put her ears to Fan Shengmei's door and listened for a while, then pulled Guan Juer into her room, closed the door and said:

"Guan Guan, I heard Sister Fan crying so hard, and she was crying and laughing at the same time. She even said she wanted to beat someone to death. Did something happen to her?"

"Ugh!"

Guan Juer sighed, adjusted her glasses, and said, "Sister Fan must have encountered some difficulties. I overheard her mother calling her when I was taking out the trash, and Sister Fan was crying very sadly.

Now her sister-in-law is calling too, and she's calling so late at night. Maybe something happened at home."

Hearing Guan Juer say this, Qiu Yingying nodded slightly and said, "Guan Guan, I've analyzed it and it might be related to her brother. Sister Fan is very angry and sad. Can we help Sister Fan? Seeing her like this makes me feel sad!"

"Hmm, it sounds like their family is very son-in-law-gender-biased. I used to be annoyed by my parents' constant phone calls, but now it seems I'm pretty happy."

After saying that, Guan Juer pondered for a moment and specifically reminded: "As for helping, let's think about it later. Sister Fan is such a strong and face-saving person. She hid in the house and cried because she didn't want others to know her difficulties.

Besides, the two of us can't even take care of ourselves, and we have to ask for help from our family every month. How can we help Sister Fan? So remember, if Sister Fan doesn't take the initiative to say it, you must never let it slip. "

"Well, you're right. We even need support from our families, so how can we possibly help? And even though Sister Fan is so capable, she can't solve it. I guess we two can't help even if we want to."

But at this point, Qiu Yingying's eyes suddenly lit up and she said, "Guan Guan, we can find someone else. How about we ask Brother Han to help Sister Fan tomorrow? He's so powerful and so rich, he must have a way and the ability to help Sister Fan!"

Hearing this, Guan Juer rolled her eyes at Qiu Yingying, shook her head and said, "Yingying, could you please stop giving me such blind advice?

Sister Fan herself didn't say anything, so what is our status in asking Brother Han for help, and what is Brother Han's reason for rushing to help? "

Hearing Guan Juer say this, Qiu Yingying pondered for a moment and could only try to say, "Guan Guan, what you said makes sense, but we can talk to Brother Han and ask her for any good ideas. More people means more solutions. It doesn't mean that we must ask Brother Han for help."

Guan Juer hesitated for a moment, nodded slightly, and said, "Yingying, I know what you mean. Although it's inappropriate, you are right. We can't just watch Sister Fan suffer so much and feel helpless. I'll talk to Brother Han while we're running tomorrow."

"Well, that's settled then. We'll just talk about it. You can even ask Andy. We'll just get their opinions, not ask for help."

"Okay, then I'm going back to sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow, so you should go to bed early too!"

"Got it, good night Guanguan!"

"Yingying, good night!"

..............................

At the same time, Qu Xiaoxiao was also discussing Fan Shengmei with Andy, but they were talking about Wang Baichuan renting a car, and she was video chatting with Andy while taking a bath.