☆ 40. Extra

After the wedding, Ji Meng and Su Cheng were both a bit tipsy.

It turned out that while they could still restrain themselves in public or in front of others, after that night, they became inseparable, like conjoined twins, deeply in love.

Except for the unavoidable time spent apart for work, they were always seen together. When there weren’t many people around, their fingers were intertwined, tightly clasped together, even while helping the little ones with their homework at home, they were inseparable, with Ji Meng focused on Mengmeng and Su Cheng on the task at hand.

Ji Qinghe and Fang Aihua, seeing their affectionate behavior, instinctively tried to avoid them. Even Qiuqiu and Qingyu consciously made sure not to disturb their dad (uncle) and mom (aunt) when they were being affectionate, completing their homework promptly every day after school.

If the few people in the family knew the term “dog food,” there was no doubt they would shout in unison and loudly say three words—”too full!”

The couple’s relationship was as strong as ever, and the kids at home were understanding. Their careers were also flourishing.

After Su Cheng became the factory manager of the machinery factory, he spent some time in hiding before boldly implementing reforms, introducing new technologies. In five years, the Provincial Capital’s First machinery factory had developed into the country’s top heavy machinery factory, with the number of employees growing from over 5,000 to more than 10,000.

When Qiuqiu turned ten, due to cadre policy promotions, Fu Shiyan was transferred north, and Su Cheng was promoted to become the second-in-command of the provincial capital, while at this time, Ji Meng’s career also soared.

The large collective completely separated from the textile and garment factories, establishing the men’s brand Hongshan and the women’s brand Yunxi. That year, almost every man owned a Hongshan shirt and red pants, stepping into Hongshan meant stepping into a man’s wardrobe.

Yunxi women’s clothing was even more popular, with the dedicated Yunxi store rarely having a moment of downtime, often leading to long lines at the checkout.

When Qiuqiu turned thirteen, a director from the film factory in the provincial capital noticed her and Qingyu, inviting them to act as a pair of sisters.

They were very sincere, having found out about them and visiting in person. Qiuqiu was quite interested in acting, and Qingyu went along with her sister’s wishes. However, at that time, Su Cheng and Ji Meng were both away on business and not at home. Ji Qinghe and Fang Aihua did not dare to make decisions for the two children without consulting the family, agreeing to discuss and give a response after family deliberation.

On the same day Ji Meng and Su Cheng received the news, they quickly wrapped up their respective tasks and hurried home.

The two met at the airport and took the car sent by the driver back home together. Su Cheng was about to carry the luggage, while Ji Meng stepped into the house first.

Upon opening the door, the two children were in the yard—one practicing leg stretches and the other painting. Seeing Ji Meng, they both stopped what they were doing, rushed forward, and hugged her around the waist from either side.

“Mom (Aunt), you’re finally back!”

Qiuqiu is thirteen this year, and Qingyu is almost fifteen. The two girls have been well-nourished over the years, and they are taller than their peers—one is at Ji Meng’s ear level, and the other is nearly as tall as Ji Meng. They’ve bloomed into graceful young ladies, looking even more beautiful and charming like angels, with big eyes, fair skin, and delicate faces with a bit of baby fat. When the sister flowers rushed over together, Ji Meng felt an immense sense of satisfaction in her heart.

“I’ve only been away for a few days, and you two already miss me this much? It seems I need to go on business trips more often, usually, when you see me, you both wish I would interfere less!”

Ji Meng raised her arms to embrace the two girls and gently stroked their heads as she laughed.

“No, we don’t!” “No, we don’t!”

Having lived together for so long without separation, the sisters, despite their different clothing styles, spoke and acted almost like twins. Often, they were surprisingly in sync, just like now when they replied to Ji Meng in unison.

“Of course you do! Who was happily celebrating while I was on my business trip and even offering to help me pack my bags?” Ji Meng released the kids and playfully pinched the tips of both their noses, insisting.

Qiuqiu, feeling unconvinced, pouted: “That was just us being considerate! Mom has to twist it around, it’s really a bit excessive!”

As Qiuqiu spoke, she noticed Su Cheng dragging two suitcases and carrying a bag. She went over to help her dad with one of the suitcases and called out to him, “Dad, you judge for yourself! Didn’t we offer to help you pack your bags because we wanted to share the burden?”

“Auntie,” Qingyu also stepped forward. She was more reserved in front of Su Cheng than in front of Ji Meng, just greeting him and wanting to help carry the other suitcase, but hesitated a bit. Su Cheng noticed and handed Ji Meng’s bag to her, and she quickly reached out to take it.

“I don’t know, whatever your mom says is what goes,” Su Cheng replied, now holding only one suitcase. He switched hands, stepped forward, and wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, smiling as he led her inside.

Behind them, a somewhat exasperated voice from Qiuqiu exclaimed, “Ah, I can’t take it anymore! These two are starting again!”

Over the years, Ji Meng and Su Cheng have become increasingly skilled at balancing work and family. Even when they had to go on business trips, they would try to coordinate their schedules, and every time they returned, it felt like a reunion that surpassed the joy of a new marriage. Their closeness, almost inseparable, made everyone else feel a bit envious.

Ji Meng and Su Cheng, however, didn’t mind and continued as usual.

While others might experience a “^[1]“seven-year itch” refers to a popular belief that couples or marriages tend to experience a period of dissatisfaction or desire for change around the seven-year mark. It’s often … Continue readingseven-year itch,” this couple enjoyed their love day by day, like a finely brewed wine that only became richer and more fragrant, oblivious to the world around them.

After putting away their luggage and resting for a bit, Ji Qinghe and Fang Aihua returned from grocery shopping.

In recent years, Ji Qinghe has managed the clinic well and even hired two retired traditional Chinese medicine practitioners from a Chinese medicine hospital to run the clinic. Ji Qinghe has relaxed and no longer has to go there every day. Occasionally, he helps with grocery shopping or goes out for a stroll or hiking with his in-law, Fang Aihua.

“You’re back? Come over quickly, let’s discuss the matter of Director Chu wanting Qingyu and Qiuqiu to film,” Ji Qinghe called out to his daughter and son-in-law as they came out of the house.

Ji Meng and Su Cheng had compressed their week-long schedule by half to rush back for this matter. Upon hearing this, they exchanged serious glances and headed to the main room.

“How did that person come to us? Qiuqiu and Qingyu didn’t even visit the film studio, how did he notice them?” Once in the main room, Su Cheng started to prepare tea, while Ji Meng sat down next to Ji Qinghe on the leather sofa and asked.

Su Cheng and Ji Meng are now considered hot commodities in the provincial city. Since Ji Meng’s men’s brand Hong Shan was featured on television, she has participated in several interviews. Su Cheng is more low-key, but everyone knows that a formidable leader has emerged in the provincial city.

Ji Meng doesn’t oppose her daughter acting in films, but she fears it might give others an opportunity to exploit.

At Su Cheng’s position, everything has to be approached with caution. Even when Ji Meng is out and about, she would never touch projects she shouldn’t get involved in.

“A few days ago, I took Qingyu and Qiuqiu to class at the Cultural Palace, and I ran into him there. I thought he was a scammer and chased him away, I didn’t expect him to come looking for us,” Fang Aihua said, taking out apples and bananas she bought that morning from the fridge and placing them on the table. After a moment, she looked at Ji Qinghe and said, “Let’s hear the specifics from our in-law, I didn’t really understand it at the time.”

“Regarding Director Chu, I asked around, and it turns out that the two dramas currently airing on television were directed by him, and they have a pretty good reputation. He met Qiuqiu and Qingyu by chance. According to him, he was visiting a photographer friend at the Cultural Palace and happened to see Qingyu and Qiuqiu. He thought they fit the roles he was casting for his next project and approached their family to say hello.”

“Later, he realized that he had acted too hastily. He stayed at the Cultural Palace for two days, gathered information about Qingyu and Qiuqiu’s backgrounds, and contacted them through the school.”

“This drama he is working on is a family drama, and coincidentally, Qiuqiu and Qingyu play roles where one is a classical dancer and the other is a painter. He feels it’s fate, and he is very sincere, the salary and other arrangements will be proposed by us.”

“The filming will take quite a while, more than a year. I’m not sure what your plans are for the children’s future and whether you agree with them pursuing this path, so I didn’t give a definite answer.”

“What are your thoughts? Should the kids go?”

Ji Meng really didn’t know what plans to have for the kids. She only supports whatever they like, as long as they don’t go down the wrong path. She couldn’t help but look at Su Cheng.

Over the years, they had discussed the content of the books, but Su Cheng hadn’t given a specific answer, he only said that they would decide based on the children’s situation when they got a bit older.

Su Cheng had just gotten the coals in the stove red hot, and the water wasn’t boiling yet. He wasn’t in a hurry, so he sat down next to Ji Meng. Noticing the look she gave him, he reached for a banana, peeled it, and handed it to her. Then he looked at Qiuqiu and Qingyu, who had moved two small stools in front of them to sit down, knowing they were the topic of discussion.

“What about you two? Do you really want to go?”

Unlike his usual gentle demeanor when interacting with his daughter and niece, Su Cheng’s expression was serious when he asked this question. The pressure of his position, even if just slightly apparent, was enough to make the two teenage girls feel tense.

“I can go, it depends on my younger sister,” Qingyu replied softly, slightly intimidated by her uncle, avoiding his serious gaze and rubbing her palms on her knees.

Qiuqiu, on the other hand, was more determined. Although she also felt a bit apprehensive around her father, she looked firmly at her parents and said, “Dad, Mom, I want to go.”

“I’ve already participated in competitions out of the province with my teachers, and I’m quite familiar with the stage. I really love the feeling of standing on stage. Since we study classical dance, and this role is also related to classical dance, I feel it suits me perfectly. Plus, it’s a good opportunity to promote our classical dance.”

It was clear that Qingyu supported her younger sister’s wishes. She had always been like that, whatever her sister liked, she supported wholeheartedly.

Qingyu was very talented in painting, and one of her paintings had already fetched a good price in the art world. Logically, she should be focusing on learning from her teacher at this time, but she often accompanied her sister in the dance studio so her sister wouldn’t feel lonely practicing alone.

Their home had a dance studio and an art studio set up in the attic on the second floor, but the art studio often remained empty. Most of the time, she stayed in the dance studio with her sister, drawing while her sister danced.

Sometimes, she drew things inspired by her outings, other times, she painted her sister in motion, capturing her dancing figure.

As for Qiuqiu, her purpose was more straightforward. Ji Meng sensed that while Qiuqiu loved dancing, it was more about her desire to be on stage. So when she heard about the opportunity to act in a TV show, she was eager to participate.

But should they let their daughter enter the entertainment industry as an actress?

Ji Meng hesitated a bit. Currently, her funds were mainly tied up in two malls and a mining site excavated by Su Cheng’s comrades in the north, everything else was still in her hands. At this moment, investing in the film industry seemed a bit premature.

The development momentum over in Hong Kong was stronger, where a few companies held most of the power, and she couldn’t possibly let her daughter develop there.

Maybe she could let her daughter try it out first, see how it goes after filming, and then evaluate the situation?

If her daughter really liked it, it wouldn’t be too late for her to pursue a career in acting afterward.

However, she could start cultivating connections in that field now.

With a lot on her mind, Ji Meng eventually tossed the banana peel into the trash can by the coffee table and turned her head to look at Su Cheng. “If our baby wants to go, why not let her give it a try?”

After all, she was still young, and it was okay to explore new experiences. Filming for a year would only make her fourteen afterward, so she could choose whether to continue dancing or become an actress.

Only by trying different things could she figure out what she truly wanted.

Now that Ji Meng had spoken, Su Cheng understood his daughter’s thoughts and didn’t oppose her decision.

“Then let her try it out.”

His daughter had the capital to take risks and make mistakes, she could live freely in this life as long as she didn’t violate morals or the law—she could do whatever she wanted.

So it was decided. However, joining the film crew wasn’t that simple. Filming would last a year, and they needed to find a way to balance her studies. In addition, both children had painting and dance classes with teachers who were currently accepting them as their exclusive students, so communication with those teachers was essential.

Moreover, the kids were still young, so someone would need to be specifically arranged to take care of them. Fang Aihua was getting older and couldn’t keep up with them every day.

Ji Meng could reach out to arrange someone for that. As for their studies, she would communicate with the kids about it. Su Cheng would let the children approach their teachers themselves.

Respecting teachers and valuing education was very important to Su Cheng, and he placed great emphasis on this.

When Qiuqiu and Qingyu heard that their dad (uncle) wanted them to discuss this matter with their teachers on their own, they suddenly realized they had underestimated the situation.

They couldn’t stop their daily dance and painting lessons, joining the crew would definitely cause delays, and it was unlikely that their teachers would agree to that.

Their teachers thought very highly of them, and aside from the compulsory academic classes, they would love for the girls to report to them every day.

But Qiuqiu really wanted to experience what acting was like, so what could she do? She could only muster the courage to go for it.

The two girls were indeed talented and endearing. Although both teachers had tried to dissuade them, the kids insisted, and the teachers ultimately agreed—just with the condition that they couldn’t neglect their studies.

This meant that the two girls would have to work even harder every day.

However, Qiuqiu and Qingyu were not aware of this yet, they were too busy being excited and urged their parents to contact Director Chu quickly.

Ji Meng and Su Cheng truly pampered their children. When their daughter insisted, they didn’t hesitate and arranged a meeting with him.

For the contract, Ji Meng asked Sansan to draft a version that was favorable for them.

Perhaps because Ji Meng and Su Cheng were sitting together, their presence was strong, and the contract was signed smoothly.

Afterward, Ji Meng personally arranged for two people to accompany Qiuqiu onto the set.

At this time, acting was still a government job, there wasn’t much pay, and it could be quite hard work, but Ji Meng and Su Cheng didn’t care about that.

To her, this film was just an opportunity for her daughter to gain experience.

But she didn’t expect that Qiuqiu and Qingyu would become incredibly famous because of this drama, turning into the nation’s beloved little girls, the nation’s sister duo.

In the early 1990s, there weren’t many television dramas airing, and every day, you could see the two girls on TV. This continued for two years, and Qiuqiu and Qingyu had already become ^[2]“Household names” refers to people, brands, or things that are very well known by the general public, often to the point that almost everyone is familiar with them. household names.

The two girls became famous, and soon more opportunities for acting came their way, not just from the provincial station but also from Hai City and other places outside of Beijing.

That year, Qiuqiu was sixteen and Qingyu was eighteen, and they began to face the choice of whether to continue with dance, painting, or pursue acting.

Qingyu, being more introverted, although reluctant to see her sister go it alone, ultimately chose to return to her roots and seriously study painting with her teacher.

However, Qiuqiu was different, she still wanted to pursue both dance and acting.

But how could one have that much energy? She also had to prepare for school, yet she insisted on splitting her time to stay busy with multiple activities. During this time, she even found a chance to get someone to help her release a tape!

Ji Meng and Su Cheng had no idea about this beforehand. It wasn’t until they went to a video store and saw their daughter’s face on the cover of a tape that they realized their not-yet-seventeen-year-old daughter had accomplished something so significant.

Listening to their daughter’s songs playing in the store and touching the cover featuring her, Ji Meng’s eyes narrowed into crescent moons, and her lips curled into a high smile. She turned to Su Cheng and said:

“I’ll tell you, the person I admire the most before was you, I thought you were amazing, whether in your career at the factory or in the province, you were really impressive. But from today on, my idol has changed!”

“Our Qiuqiu is the best, and I won’t accept any rebuttals! From now on, the star I’m going to support is my daughter!”

Su Cheng: “……”

During a winter interview, Su Cheng was asked: What’s it like to be defeated by your own daughter and no longer be the first in your wife’s heart?

Su Cheng: Smiles.

The End

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Translated By JustMeow18

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