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Due to the enthusiastic invitation from the director, Bai Tang had dinner at the orphanage. Three children from the orphanage caught a half-foot-long grass carp from the river and made fish soup. The soup was milky white, with the fish meat and bones completely dissolved in the broth, topped with vibrant green scallions, making it visually appealing and delicious. Five pounds of pork were used to make only three pounds of braised pork, while the remaining two pounds were mixed with cabbage to make dumplings.
There were a total of fifty-one people, including staff and children at the orphanage. Three pounds of braised pork was simply not enough for everyone; each person could only have two pieces. However, the children were already very satisfied, and each received a bowl of fish soup and dumplings, which brought smiles to their faces. These satisfied smiles deeply moved Bai Tang. She decided that after returning home, she would ask Tian Yuan to help find the orphanages in the country that were in the worst condition and needed help the most, sending them ten thousand yuan each month so that the children could have more meat to eat.
Bai Tang did not eat the braised pork or dumplings; like the director, she had a bowl of fish soup noodles. Although there were few seasonings, Bai Tang felt it was the best noodles she had ever eaten, bar none.
After dinner, Bai Tang left the orphanage amidst the warm send-off from the director and children. The director had initially suggested that another male staff member, Uncle Zhao, drive her to the city on an electric cart, but Bai Tang declined. After walking for quite a while until the orphanage disappeared from view, Bai Tang scanned her surroundings with her spiritual sense and found no signs of people. She immediately activated her "Thousand-Mile Movement" skill. In the next second, Bai Tang returned home in City D.
There was no one at home; Xing Xiaokang was still at school, and Wu Xuemei was at her own shop—after Bai Tang closed her online store, Wu Xuemei naturally lost her job. However, she was now a millionaire and didn't have to worry about making a living. It was just that Wu Xuemei had become accustomed to working hard; without work, she felt uncomfortable all over. So she opened her own Rice Noodle Shop. Although she worked long hours, it wasn't too tiring. Bai Dad and Bai Ma had taken Ai Wanxi out traveling; both were in great health and didn't feel tired at all while playing. Just yesterday they were at Qingcheng Mountain, and today during a phone call, they had already reached Emei's Golden Summit. They wouldn't be coming home anytime soon as Bai Dad planned to travel around all of China's beautiful sights within six months.
Bai Tang opened the refrigerator and took out a box of milk. After heating it in the microwave and adding sugar, she drank it while turning on her computer. A penguin icon in the bottom right corner kept jumping around; Bai Tang clicked on it to find a series of messages from Sheng Qingxi.
Field of Hope: Are you there?
Field of Hope: Big sister, big sister, I urgently need help!
Field of Hope: Haven't come online yet?
Field of Hope: Can't get through on the phone; big sister, what's going on?
Bai Tang pulled out her mobile phone and saw that it was dead. She quickly took out her charger and connected it to her mobile phone.
Field of Hope: Have you gone into hiding? Or have you been abducted by aliens?
Candy Store: I was invited by aliens for tea; just got back.
Field of Hope: Big sister, you finally appeared! Help!
Candy Store: What's going on?
Field of Hope: Do you have any good embroidery pieces left? I need about twenty or thirty.
The online store is closed, and Sheng Qingxi can only go directly to Bai Tang to buy things. Bai Tang does have some pieces left, but twenty or thirty is too many. Even though Sheng Qingxi is her friend, she doesn't want to sell all her embroidery to Sheng Qingxi; she needs to keep some for herself.
Candy Store: I don't have twenty or thirty; at most, I can give you ten.
Field of Hope (with starry eyes): Can't you spare a few more?
Candy Store: The embroidery master I know has stopped working, and won't be doing embroidery anymore. The ten pieces I'm giving you are from my collection, out of our friendship. Others who want them won't get even one!
Field of Hope: I knew Sister Bai was the most loyal. Sigh! Ten pieces it is then; I'll find other embroiderers for the rest.
Candy Store: You need that many embroidery pieces? Are you filming another historical drama?
Field of Hope: It's not a historical drama; it's a female legendary drama.
Candy Store: A female legendary drama? It wouldn't be about Wu Zetian, would it?
Recently, the hottest show on television is "The Legend of Wu Meiniang," starring a powerful woman from the entertainment industry. Even Bai Tang, who doesn't watch much TV, knows one or two plot points.
Field of Hope: I wish I could direct it, but unfortunately, the leading lady looks down on me as a director.
Candy Store: You're still a director? How do the other directors who lost to you feel about that?
Sheng Qingxi has directed several films that have made an impact, and "Reversal" even won him the Best New Director Award at a film festival. His reputation in the entertainment industry is growing; how could he still be just a director!?
Field of Hope (with a proud expression): Hehe, one must remain humble.
Candy Store (with a disdainful expression): Hmph! By the way, what is your new drama about? It's not about Wu Ze, is it? Is it about fictional characters?
Field of Hope: It's not about fictional characters; it's the story of the legendary embroiderer Shen Xuezhi during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.
Candy Store (with a puzzled expression): Shen Xuezhi? Is she famous?
Field of Hope: Of course she's famous! She's known as the Empress of Embroidery! Have you heard of her?
Field of Hope: Shen Shou is actually Shen Xuezhi. Her original name was Xuezhi, and her courtesy name was Xuehuan. She learned to read and write from her father. By the age of sixteen or seventeen, she became a renowned embroiderer in Suzhou. In the thirtieth year of Guangxu, her embroidery was presented as a birthday gift for Empress Dowager Cixi's seventieth birthday, and Empress Dowager Cixi praised it greatly, personally writing the characters "Fu" (blessing) and "Shou" (longevity) to give to Shen Xuezhi, who then changed her name to “Shen Shou.” In 1911, Shen Shou embroidered a portrait of Italian Queen Elena, which was presented as a national gift to Italy, causing a sensation in Italian society.
Candy Store: I've learned something new.
Field of Hope: How do you know about Shen Xuezhi? Many people don't know her!
Candy Store: Hehe, I read about her in celebrity anecdotes. It seems that Shen Shou had an affair with the last top scholar of China, Zhang Jian! After Shen Shou passed away, Zhang Jian wrote an elegy that said: "A true expert in fine arts, longevity for oneself, not for fame; talents are rare, indeed; also learning from poetic women, treating the rest as father; I am treated as a son; my wife mourns for me, mourns for me." Later, he even wrote "Forty-Eight Couplets of Remembrance" in memory of her. I remember one line: "Once pointed to the pavilion on West Mountain, by the pavilion cutting earth to bury the graceful figure; how can we bear that our promise becomes a new prophecy, when the red banner comes, the grass is still green."
Field of Hope: Haha, in my TV drama, Zhang Jian is the male lead.
Candy Store: Poor Shen Shou, her husband's hat must be turning green.
Field of Hope: When I researched information about Shen Shou, I saw that her husband had a fierce argument with Zhang Jian after she died. Not long after Shen Shou passed away, Yu Zhaoxiong accused Zhang Jian of having "soft confinement during her life and domineering burial after her death," slandering him mercilessly. Zhang Jian also abandoned his dignified demeanor as a scholar and hurled many disgraceful words at Yu Zhaoxiong, who came from a scholarly family. Both sides engaged in a heated exchange of insults, and major newspapers joined in, making it one of the biggest jokes in southeastern China during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China.
Candy Store: Yu Zhaoxiong must have had no common language with Shen Shou. I heard that Zhang Jian founded a women's embroidery training institute and made Shen Shou the director and instructor. They shared similar interests, so that's why Shen Shou might have had an emotional affair?
Field of Hope: Not at all. Yu Zhaoxiong came from a scholarly family; he was skilled in calligraphy and painting and had good financial conditions. After marriage, they complemented each other—one used a brush instead of a needle while the other used a needle instead of a brush. The characters "Fu" and "Shou" written by Empress Dowager Cixi referred to Yu Zhaoxiong. How could they have had no common language? It's just that matters of the heart are too complex for us later generations to fully understand. However, dramas often have wild imaginations, so they created an intense love triangle.
Candy Store: Is this the main plot of the TV drama you want to shoot?
Field of Hope: Yes! Are you interested in taking part in my new drama? I want you to play Empress Dowager Cixi!
Candy Store: Your Cao Xue is more suitable for the role of Empress Dowager Cixi.
After Cao Xue's script was adopted by Sheng Qingxi, the two gradually became familiar with each other, and they hit it off. Now, while Cao Xue is auditing a screenwriting course at the film academy, she is also brainstorming scripts and follows Sheng Qingxi around whenever she has a break. They are in sync, and good things are on the horizon; it's just that no one knows when they will tie the knot.
Field of Hope: She is like the Empress Dowager in our family.
Candy Store: Haha! Should I call you Shengzi from now on?
Field of Hope: Absolutely not! This concerns your friend's happiness!
Candy Store: So, are you saying we should get on the bus first and buy the ticket later? Aren't you afraid of causing a disaster?
Field of Hope: If it happens, it happens! After all, we've already decided to get married.
Candy Store: Wow, you guys are moving fast! You've known each other for less than six months, and now you're getting married!
Field of Hope: That's fate!
Candy Store: Isn't your fate thanks to me playing matchmaker? Shouldn't you give me a Matchmaker Red Envelope?
Field of Hope: Definitely! When A Xue and I get married, I'll give you a big red envelope with nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine yuan. How does that sound?
Candy Store (starry-eyed): Sounds great, of course! Rich person, please accept my admiration.
Field of Hope: No way, you're the real rich person here! Every antique my uncle buys from you is at least three million. You probably have more money than my uncle now! Having made so much money, shouldn't you treat us?
Candy Store: Please go on a trip to Mars, are you going?
Field of Hope: Mars is too close, I want to see if there’s a Weaver Girl on Vega, is that possible?
Sheng Qingxi jokingly typed, unaware that Bai Tang could actually take people on interstellar travels.
Candy Store: Not enough energy, the Spaceship can only wander around the solar system!
Field of Hope: Wow! Such a serious explanation made me think you really are an alien!
Candy Store: I'm not an alien, but I have a cosmic Spaceship!
Field of Hope: Come on, can you stop joking around?
Candy Store: ╮(╯_╰)╭, why does no one believe the truth?
Field of Hope: …My A Xue is calling me home for dinner, I’m logging off, bye! Oh, big sister, remember the ten embroidery pieces I wanted, don’t forget!
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