Volume 4: The World of Great Conflict Chapter 0496: Unexpected Incident
Nan Yi really had no intention of actively flirting with Gong Xue. The pocket crime of hooliganism still existed. Messping around in the country was not just a matter of reputation and word of mouth, it was a direct crime.
Gong Xue is beautiful, but not enough for Nan Yi to take risks for her.
In other words, there has never been a woman who can make Nan Yi determined to get her and do anything to get her.
He actually wanted to try that kind of stupidity of being heartbroken and even committing suicide for a woman, but unfortunately, his values didn't allow it.
If Gong Xue cried and shouted that she wanted to be killed alive, Nan Yi would not refuse hypocritically. He would definitely accept it calmly and send her abroad directly.
After a while, the ordered dishes were served.
"You eat, I've already eaten. Just have a bowl of beetroot soup, the rest is yours." Nan Yi moved the bowl of vegetables on the table towards Gong Xue and said.
"Um."
Gong Xue looked at the dishes on the table. It was more than enough for one person but not enough for two. She also understood that Nan Yi must have eaten, otherwise he would not have ordered so little.
She didn't think that Nan Yi would feel stingy about spending money on a meal. How could someone who let her live in such a big mansion in Shanghai for free be so stingy?
In other words, Nan Yi couldn't hear Gong Xue's inner thoughts, otherwise he would have told her frankly not to think too much. The Fang Mansion couldn't be left vacant. Someone had to live in it. A house without anyone living in it would deteriorate quickly.
If Gong Xue doesn't live there, Nan Yi will have to arrange for someone else to live there. Not only will he have to give the house to someone else for free, but he will probably have to pay them a salary. That would be a huge loss.
In Shanghai, the old villa plan has slowly begun to be implemented. Chunshen Construction already owns some old villas, and it has taken a lot of effort to rent them out to reliable people.
Landlords and tenants are opposing groups. Landlords wish their tenants would crash to death, while tenants wish their landlords would fall to death. It is rare for these two kinds of people to get along with each other. There are very few who can get along well with each other. One hopes that the tenants will not come to collect the rent, while the other hopes to pay the rent as soon as possible. Their interests are so contradictory that they are like cold water and boiling oil, which are difficult to reconcile.
The old houses owned by Chunshen Construction were renovated as quickly as possible. Those that needed to be renovated were renovated as soon as possible, and those concealed pipes that had a long lifespan were buried as soon as possible. Holes for electrical wires, water pipes, floor heating, water supply and drainage, and even network cables have been reserved.
Just with these invisible efforts, the price difference can be tens of millions when the house is sold in the future.
The old villas can be moved now, but in a few years they will not be allowed to be moved. Even hammering a nail into the wall requires approval. In a few years, other old villas only look bright on the outside, but are a mess on the inside; the old villas in Chunshen are bright both inside and out. People who really want to buy an old villa for their own use will be willing to grit their teeth and pay hundreds of millions more just to live comfortably.
Those who are unwilling to pay or unable to pay cannot become potential target customers.
"Oh, I was stunned just now. Didn't you say you wanted to shoot a drama in a mountainous rural area? Why did you choose to shoot it in Beijing? Shouldn't you go to the mountainous area in the north?"
"The director of this play has been to Xiangkeng and studied with the crew there. He said he wanted to experiment with the setting for filming. The interior scenes in the house were built in the Beijing Film Studio and they are all fake." Gong Xue said while eating.
"Setting up scenery is nothing new, right? Didn't the film companies in Shanghai do the same thing before liberation?"
"The purpose is different. In the past, we built sets that didn't exist or were inconvenient to film. Now, we build sets to save money, so that the crew can travel less. When the crew is away from home, it costs a lot of money to eat and drink every day."
"That's true. I can travel less."
Nan Yi thought to himself, when the use of stage sets and cutouts becomes popular, bad movies like this will surely follow.
"Is this your first time in the capital?"
"This is the second time. The last time was also because of filming. I went to Beijing to meet up with the crew. I only stayed for one day and didn't have time to walk around Beijing. This time is almost the same. Except for today, I haven't had time to go out during the day. I haven't even watched the flag-raising ceremony yet."
"If you are free someday, I will go with you to see it. In the next two months, if there are no emergencies, I should be relatively free. Since you are in the capital, I should also do my part as a good host."
"Are you available?"
"It's not inconvenient."
"Then I will ask about the crew's arrangements tomorrow to see which day I don't have a scene so I can take a day off." Gong Xue said happily.
"Um."
The two of them ate and chatted at the same time. No matter how slowly they ate, they finished in an hour.
Nan Yi raised his hand and called the waiter over.
"Bill, please."
"Sir, 106 dollars."
The waiter showed Nan Yi the bill.
The three words "so expensive" almost slipped out of Gong Xue's mouth, but fortunately she swallowed them back. However, she couldn't stop the look of surprise on her face.
"Today's beetroot soup is not good. The beetroot was not stored well and is a bit spoiled." Nan Yi took out money from his pocket and said this, waiting for the waiter to take the initiative to round off the price.
"Sir, I'm so sorry. It's almost July now and the beets have been stored for a long time. But new ones will be available soon. You will definitely be able to drink the best beetroot soup next time you come."
"oh."
Nan Yi glanced at the waiter and handed over the counted money.
"let's go."
As soon as the two of them walked into the courtyard, Gong Xue couldn't help but say, "This place is too expensive. One meal costs me a month's salary."
"It's a bit expensive. Most people here are foreigners. Not many of us can afford it. I'm only here for the second time. There won't be a next time. Even though I said that, they didn't even give me a dollar off."
"This meal costs more than a hundred dollars, and you only care about one dollar?"
Gong Xue was a little confused about Nan Yi's thoughts. She didn't care about the big head, but was very fussy about the small head.
"It's over a hundred dollars, and the price is clearly marked. We are not overcharging. Since we are here, we should accept the price by default. But the one dollar is their apology to me, and they didn't give it to me. I will definitely come again."
“Hehehe.”
Gong Xue covered her mouth and smiled. She found Nan Yi's cursing very funny.
"This is a tourist attraction with many foreigners. Taxis are easy to find. Find one to take you back. We'll take a short detour on the way to Tianfuhao to buy you some pork elbows in soy sauce and tripe with pine nuts. Take them back and save some for yourself. Also, give some to the people you know well in the crew."
"Okay, I'll pay for it myself."
Gong Xue felt a little embarrassed to let Nan Yi pay after having just eaten such an expensive meal.
"Okay, you can do it yourself."
After seeing Gong Xue off, Nan Yi returned to the old villa.
When I got off the car at the gate of the courtyard, I happened to meet Yi Jinru who was riding a bicycle. There was a bamboo child seat on the backpack rack of the bicycle, and Nan Ruochan was sitting on it.
"Mom." Nan Yi called Yi Jinru, clapped his hands at Nan Ruochan in the car, and said sweetly: "Ruochan, come to uncle."
"What have you been doing?"
"Nothing, I just went out for a walk and chatted with someone." Nan Yi held Nan Ruochan in his arms and answered Yi Jinru's question.
"Let's have dinner at home. Your sister-in-law will be here soon."
"What's up?"
"When the person arrives, you can talk to her yourself." Yi Jinru's face was cold. She kicked the stand, took the basket from the handlebars and walked into the yard.
"Is Jin Yan causing trouble?" Nan Yi muttered.
It can only be Jin Yan's fault, not the Nan family's.
The Nan family’s affairs generally don’t involve Nan Yi. Even if Jin Yan and Nan Tieli are getting a divorce, they will not let Nan Yi get involved. They will handle it themselves.
The Nan family is Yi Jinru’s Nan family. As long as she is in charge, no one dares to act rashly.
Yi Jinru's attitude towards Nan Yi is that she will never take the initiative to approach him. If Nan Yi gives her some benefits, she will give Nan Yi a good face. If not, she will not come over to ask for it.
Coming to help with cooking is a family disgrace. Outsiders don't know who gave birth to Nan Yi. The daughter-in-law is pregnant and the son is not around. If the mother-in-law doesn't come to help, wouldn't that be a joke?
Of course, the courtyard house and restaurant that Nan Yi gave away were also important factors.
"Ruochan, are you happy in the Yuhong class?"
"Happily, there are many fun things to do."
"Oh, what are they?"
"Slides, stacking blocks, and skipping rubber ropes."
"So many, do you like spinning tops?"
"I like it, uncle, but I don't have any at home." Nan Ruochan grabbed Nan Yi's face and said, "Uncle, do you have any at home?"
"Uncle doesn't have any at home, can I make one for you?"
"Okay, okay, uncle, when can you help me? I want to play now."
"Uncle doesn't have any wood at home. Tomorrow, I'll find some and help you make it."
"Tomorrow, why not today?"
"No, uncle will take you to watch cartoons."
Nan Yi realized that he had made a mistake. Nan Ruochan was just an ordinary child. She would ask for something on the spot and would make a fuss if she was not given it. He should not make a promise that could be fulfilled immediately.
So he immediately used cartoons to divert Nan Ruochan's attention. Otherwise, if the little girl started crying, he would be in big trouble.
He carried the little girl into the living room, turned on the TV and VCR, put the tape of "The Story of Afanti" into the VCR, fast-forwarded it, and skipped the opening credits.
When the cartoon starts, Nan Yi can kneel down and pay his respects, and Nan Ruochan will not have time to pay attention to him.
At that time, apart from the news broadcast, the TV station had almost no fixed programs. Everything was changing at any time. Even if you bought a copy of "TV Weekly", what it said might not count. The programs would be changed at any time, and if there were no new programs, videotapes would be played. The schedule was guaranteed to be fully scheduled.
It can also be seen that the TV stations at that time were deeply subject to administrative intervention. Most of the programs were not friendly to teenagers and children, but were more suitable for the tastes of middle-aged and elderly people.
In 1983 and 1984, there was a peak in the retirement era. A large number of people who were “now ordinary people” suddenly appeared in the parks in Beijing, and the television programs were more in line with their tastes.
Fortunately, Nan Yi himself likes to watch cartoons, and Nan Ruoyin and Fan Hongdou also want to watch them when they come, so there are many classic cartoon videotapes at home. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find cartoons on TV at this time.
After glancing at the TV for a few seconds, Nan Yi turned to look at Nan Ruochan. Seeing that her forehead was covered with sweat, he turned on the table fan and blew it towards the direction of the door.
Time passed quickly and it was half past five. The sound of Yi Jinru placing the basins could be heard, and Liu Zhen's footsteps could be heard into the house. There was also the sound of a bicycle colliding in the yard.
This sound didn't belong here. Nan Yi pricked up his ears and thought it was Jin Yan coming.
Sure enough, before he could finish his thought, the sound of conversation in the yard rang out, and 2.75 people filled the hole in the gate.
"Sister-in-law, you're here, are you eating here?"
"If mom is going to make it, I'll eat it here. If she's not, I'll go back to the store to eat it."
Jin Yan's expression was similar to Yi Jinru's, calm with a little suppressed anger, but she still showed Nan Yi a smile.
This smile made Nan Yi feel that Jin Yan's mischief would involve him.
"How could I not have done it? I must have done it, sister-in-law, please sit down first."
Nan Yi said a polite word, then stepped forward to support Liu Zhen and helped her up to the second floor to relieve herself and wash up.
"Where did you meet him?"
"It's right at the gate of the yard. Guess what happened?" Liu Zhen wiped her face and handed the towel to Nan Yi.
Nan Yi rubbed the towel in the sink and wrung it dry. "It shouldn't be Jin Yan's family's business. Her family doesn't have too many troubles. I guess she either wants to go to the south to do other business or go abroad. Otherwise, there is no need to come to our house to talk about it."
He can contribute to both possibilities mentioned by Nan Yi, which are also the two popular trends at the moment.
"The family is not short of money, why go out and suffer that?"
Liu Zhen herself did not suffer when studying abroad, but she had eyes and could see what kind of life other international students lived. If it was not for studying, she didn't see any point in going abroad.
"I haven't been there, so it's normal to want to go. Haven't you seen that the outside world has spread the rumor that the Kingdom of Qin is a paradise? Who doesn't want to go to heaven? It's normal for people to want to go out."
"If that's the case, what are you going to do? My calves are a little sore, can you help me massage them?"
Nan Yi helped Liu Zhen sit on the sofa outside, put her legs on his thighs and kneaded them gently, "There is only one principle, whether it is exchanging US dollars or simply giving her some money, I don't care about anything else."
"Don't you want to persuade him?"
"I can't persuade you, and there's no need to persuade you. We are all adults, and we have to be responsible for our own actions."
"But if she really wants to leave, what should I do, brother?"
"It's OK. If you're willing to wait, then wait. If you're not willing, then take the initiative to file for divorce. Well, we're talking so enthusiastically, and we don't even know what's going on. Are you feeling better? Let's go down and listen first."
"Much better. I went out twice today and climbed up and down." Liu Zhen moved her legs and felt much better. "Your massage is more comfortable. Help me up."
Nan Yi helped Liu Zhen downstairs, pressed her down at the dining table, then went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of sparkling wine, and took out a bottle of room temperature soda from the wooden frame next to it.
"Mom, sister-in-law, it's time to eat."
As soon as Yi Jinru sat down, she said to Jin Yan with a cold face: "Go ahead, Nan Yi is here."
"Nan Yi..."
"Sister-in-law, let's talk later." Nan Yi interrupted Jin Yan who was about to speak and put some food into Nan Ruochan's bowl, "Ruochan, eat quickly and watch after you finish eating."
When Nan Ruochan was eating, she kept staring at the TV with her head tilted. Nan Yi turned her head back and supervised her to finish her meal before letting her return to the sofa to continue watching TV and turning up the volume.
After returning to the dining table, Nan Yi lowered his voice and said, "Sister-in-law, you can tell me what's going on now."
"I want to go abroad."
Well, Nan Yi guessed it right.
The main reason is easy to guess, there aren't many strange things happening these days.
There is no need to ask for the reason for going abroad, it is just one of the following reasons. Nowadays, people who want to go abroad are basically the same.
"Can't get the formalities done, or do you lack a guarantor?"
The easiest way to go abroad is to study abroad. To study abroad, you need a guarantor from the country where you are studying. Liu Zhen was sent by the government, so naturally he didn't have to worry about this issue.
"guarantor."
"Go to the Kingdom of Xian?"
"Yes, Nan Yi, can you help me find a guarantor?"
Nan Yi turned to look at Yi Jinru. Her face was still cold, but she did not interrupt. It seemed that although Yi Jinru disagreed, she had been convinced by Jin Yan.
"Sister-in-law, I can help you with this matter, but I won't help you. You are not short of money. Go to the service center for overseas personnel and ask around. There are people doing this kind of business. Just spend some money."
"You won't help?"
Jin Yan originally thought that finding a guarantor was a piece of cake for Nan Yi, and that he could do it with just a wave of his hand. Nan Yi was so smooth that he would definitely help with such a small matter. But who would have thought...
"Yes, I don't want to help you with this. As for the reason, you will understand it in two years, maybe one year or even faster. Sister-in-law, there is something to say. It may be a little early to say it now, but I will still say it first, because I don't know whether I will be in the capital when I should say it."
"Go ahead."
Nan Yi was unwilling to help. Jin Yan was already dissatisfied with Nan Yi in her heart. The fact that she could continue to sit there showed that she had a good temper.
"Ruochan's surname is Nan."
"Nan Yi, what do you mean?"
Jin Yan almost understood what Nan Yi wanted to express, but she found his words very harsh.
"I don't have any other meaning, I just want to tell you this in advance."
Nan Yi is certain that Jin Yan and Nan Tieli will divorce in the near future, which is still a good thing. They will go their separate ways and no longer have any contact with each other. He thinks that with the existence of Nan Ruochan, they can still treat each other as relatives. The most troublesome thing is that after staying abroad for a few years, she will be exhausted and hurt, and then she will remember that she has a husband in China, who is a peaceful harbor for her.
In this harbor, the branches are lush green, the sky is emerald green, the water is emerald green, the okra on the dining table is tender green, and the Chinese happiness characters on the wall are yellow and green.
“…”
Jin Yan wanted to say something back, but then she changed her mind and gave up. She slammed the chopsticks on the table, walked to the sofa, hugged the unwilling Nan Ruochan and left.
"Nan Yi, are you really not going to help her?" Yi Jinru asked after Jin Yan left.
"Mom, I can't help you with this. If I help you today, you'll scold me someday. Overseas is not as good as you imagined. If you want to live a good life, you have to pay a lot and suffer a lot. There's nothing good about being abroad."
When Nan Yi spoke, he kept a lot of things to himself, such as the argument that a woman will follow whoever treats her well. If Jin Yan encountered something in the country of Xian, and Nan Tieli in the country was unable to help her, and at this time, a man appeared and helped her, a romantic love story might have begun.
For example, Jin Yan is almost in her prime and is in a foreign place. The possibility that she can stay with Nan Tieli and not cheat on him is very small. Combined with the above situation, the probability of a happy ending is no more than 0.9%.
After hearing Nan Yi's words, Yi Jinru didn't ask any more questions. She didn't agree with Jin Yan going abroad in the first place. If Nan Tieli hadn't come forward to speak for Jin Yan, she would not have tacitly agreed.
She didn’t care whether Nan Yi helped or not. She would be happier if Jin Yan couldn’t go abroad.
Although she didn't know that most couples who went abroad ended up getting divorced, she had never seen a couple who were separated from each other and still be in love.
Distance creates beauty, but this does not apply to the relationship between husband and wife. When young couples no longer create negative distance, their marriage can be said to be dead in name only.
After Yi Jinru left, Nan Yi and Liu Zhen sat on the sofa. Liu Zhen rested her head on a pillow and leaned in Nan Yi's arms, talking to him.
"Nan Yi, you didn't have to say what you said just now. You could have just found an excuse to say that you couldn't do it. That way you wouldn't have to offend Jin Yan."
"Why, do you think we can have it all our own way in this situation? If Jin Yan is unhappy, let her be unhappy. Who knows when she will have nothing to do with us anymore."
"Aren't you afraid that she will still hate you after she becomes successful?"
"Hate her. She is so petty and can't understand what I said. The chances of her getting ahead are close to zero. The mosquito I killed yesterday was threatening to kill my entire family. Look, I've killed its son too."
Nan Yi stretched out his hand and pinched a mosquito that wanted to land on his arm to get blood.
"Tomorrow I'll go buy some mosquito nets, take them apart and use them to block the windows and doors."
"It can't be blocked. There must be mosquito eggs in the house."
"I'll try my best to find a lover who is willing to serve you and catch mosquitoes for you in the next two days."
"You idiot, can you find a lover like this?" Liu Zhen said, glaring at Nan Yi.
"Who knows, maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a devoted man who not only doesn't mind that I have other women, but is also willing to serve you, the big sister."
"Nan Yi, you've become thinner."
"Really?" Nan Yi looked at his belly and said, "It's okay. I won't float up even if I'm thinner."
"You still say you haven't floated? I see you've floated to the sky. You really think you're a gold nugget. Do women treat you as a treasure when they see you?"
"Hmph, you really underestimate me. You may not believe in my handsomeness, but you should not doubt the charm of money. Give me power, I am Xirui." Nan Yi raised his hand and shouted in a very childish manner.
"You are so frivolous. How come you are the same as Ruoyin? You are still young."
"A man stays young until he dies. Haven't you heard of that?"
"Okay, okay, boy, which cartoon are you shouting about? Why haven't I heard of it before?"
"How many cartoons have you watched? It's normal that you haven't heard of it."
"Don't underestimate me. I have watched all the videos here. Although I didn't finish them, I know the names of the main characters. Astro Boy, Ksai, I know them all, but I didn't see She-Ra." Liu Zhen said with a pout.
Liu Zhen said so, Nan Yi did not evade her, and answered seriously: "She-Ra is the protagonist of "Extraordinary Princess - She-Ra", and this cartoon is still in production. Pan American has shares in Westinghouse Electric, and Westinghouse Electric acquired Speech Script in 1981, and Speech Script has a Filmation studio under it that was acquired in 1969."
"Oh, a work by Filmation?"
"Heard of it?"
"Well, I watched Zorro when I was in China. This cartoon was also made by them, right?"
"right."
"Nan Yi, you like cartoons so much, why don't you think of starting a comics company?"
"Well, I can only read, but I don't understand this industry, and I don't have a forward-looking vision for this industry. Investing in this industry is likely to be a waste of money. The return rate of comics is not too high, so there is no need to take the risk."
"Hmm? Didn't I see you looking at information about Marvel Comics last year? Didn't you want to acquire it?"
"There is an idea of acquisition, but not for the company, but for the protagonists of the comics. You see, Captain America, Spider-Man, Superman and other comic characters are characters that several generations of Chinese have watched growing up. The base of the audience is huge, and they are almost the childhood memories . If we shoot a few live-action movies around these comic characters, we can make a lot of money even if we just sell the sentimentality."
“Using childhood memories to make money?”
"No? Do you know that a man's knees are made of gold?"
"I know, why change the subject?"
"If my enemy asks me to kneel down and kowtow to him, and offers me 10 million U.S. dollars for each kowtow, please don't stop me, I will immediately cash in the gold under my knees."
Liu Zhen laughed, "You are so beautiful, but you are so shameless. You can bankrupt others by selling them for 10,000 yuan a head."
"Hahaha, you still understand me." Nan Yi laughed and looked at his watch. "It's almost time. I'll help you go to the shower. You should go to sleep."
"Um."
