novellhall Chapter 108 The Zhang Family
Chapter 108 The Zhang Family
This morning, just as he was sitting at the agency signing documents, he received a message from Zhou Ye.
Zhou Ye said she took the initiative to contact Liu's mother and told her that her home was upstairs with many rooms, and that Xiao Tian had decided to move in. Hao Cun could live across the hall from Xiao Tian so they could look after each other.
She persuaded Liu's mother and Tian's mother with reasons such as "With me in the middle, Auntie will feel more at ease" and "I will stay at her house during the summer vacation, which will make it convenient for filming."
However, the "home" she was referring to was the one where Wang Zi'an lived, because she said that Wang Zi'an was currently living in her home.
So when Xiaotian and Haocun moved in, it was just friends helping each other out, not moving into the boss's house.
Wang Zian sensed that Zhou Ye was implying something, but he couldn't expose him.
Otherwise, if Liu's mother and Tian's mother knew there was something wrong here, they might think that the company was involved in some kind of mess and refuse to stay at the company any longer.
He placed the file folder on the shoe cabinet in the entryway, changed into slippers, and walked into the living room.
"I'm going to take a shower!"
After saying that, Wang Zian went straight into the master bedroom's bathroom.
When he walked out of the bedroom, drying his hair, the dining table was already laden with dishes.
Spicy Sichuan dishes and hearty, flavorful Northeastern dishes are crammed onto the same table. The chili peppers in the boiled fish are still sizzling slightly in the hot oil, and the golden, crispy crust of the sweet and sour pork glistens under the light.
The warmth and fragrance blended together, giving the entire living room a warm and homey feel.
Zhou Ye, Tian Xiwei, and Liu Haochun were already seated at the dining table.
Zhou Ye was setting out chopsticks for everyone. Liu Haochun sat upright next to her, while Tian Xiwei lay on the table, chopsticks in her hand, her eyes fixed on the pot of boiled fish, her mouth already drooling.
Aunt Tian stood by the table, an apron she had found in the kitchen still tied around her waist, and holding the last plate of freshly cooked twice-cooked pork in her hands.
Liu's mother stood next to her, wiping the water droplets off her fingers with a towel.
"Come and sit down!"
When Aunt Tian saw Wang Zi'an coming over, she greeted him with a smile, put the twice-cooked pork she was holding on the table, and didn't even have time to take off her apron.
"Haocun's mother and I cooked some dishes from our hometown. You've been busy filming videos and signing contracts these past few days, eating out all the time. Today, let's try some home-cooked food."
"Come quick, come quick~!" Tian tide waved her arm frantically at him, almost dropping her chopsticks. "Aunt Liu's Northeastern cuisine is super delicious!!"
Standing to the side, Mrs. Liu smiled somewhat embarrassedly, draped the towel in her hand over the back of the chair, and said softly, "It's nothing fancy, just some home-style dishes."
Prince An smiled and strode over.
One bite of Sichuan cuisine and you'll experience its intense spiciness.
Another bite, and this Northeastern Chinese food is just so delicious!
"Aunt Tian, the chef at the Sichuan restaurant we went to last time would have to come and learn from you to perfect your twice-cooked pork. It's absolutely amazing!"
Mother Tian smiled so much that the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were squeezed together. She took off her apron, wiped her hands, pointed at him, and said with a smile, "You're such a sweet talker, child."
He then turned to Liu's mother, picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it, swallowed it, and nodded solemnly, saying, "This taste reminds me of the smell I had when I came home from school as a child; it's the smell of home."
Liu's mother didn't speak, but just smiled and lowered her head. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes looked especially gentle under the light.
While chewing on her chicken, Tian tide didn't forget to add insult to injury: "You weren't polite at all with Aunt Liu. You said a lot when you were praising my mom, but you only said a couple of sentences when you were praising Aunt Liu."
"Then you can finish it." Wang Zian put his chopsticks on the table and gestured for her to finish with both hands.
"Fine, I'll make it! Aunt Liu, your sweet and sour pork is so delicious, it's better than all the dishes my mom makes combined!" Xiao Tian gestured with her hands.
Tian's mother laughed and slapped her daughter on the shoulder. Tian Xiwei covered her shoulder, pouted, and sat back down.
The whole table shook slightly from their laughter.
The meal flew by amidst laughter and chatter, empty plates were cleared away one by one, and several girls scrambled to clean up the dishes.
The sound of running water from the faucet came from the kitchen, along with Liu Haochun's soft voice asking Zhou Ye, "Where should I put this bowl?"
Suddenly, it felt very real and full of life.
···
In the afternoon, a group of people gathered again at the filming base of Starlight Film and Television Park.
This time, Tian's mother and Liu's mother also came along.
Seeing my daughter standing under the spotlight today, surrounded by a professional photography team taking photos, was a completely different feeling.
As usual, Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun had to take some photos.
Tian Xiwei has several cool and stylish outfits this time.
Several thin braids were braided next to her bun. A blue tight-fitting vest tightly hugged her upper body, outlining the girl's slender yet strong lines. A floral plaid shirt was tied around her waist, and she wore loose cargo pants and black patent leather shoes. A pair of sunglasses were also perched on her head.
When she stood under the spotlight, Old Li looked up from behind the monitor, glanced at her, and then turned back to give Wang Zi'an a thumbs up.
Xiaotian made a cool expression at the camera, pulled down her sunglasses to reveal her round almond eyes, and looked both beautiful and fierce.
As for Liu Haochun, Wang Zian made her wear a pure pink cotton dress that reached her chest.
There were no frills, no decorations, only a small section of the skirt flared out above her knees, just enough to reveal her slender calves.
She wore no accessories, her hair was simply draped over her shoulders, and Sister Su curled the ends of her hair into a barely perceptible inward curl.
She stood quietly under the spotlight, her doe eyes curving slightly at the camera. Without her having to make any deliberate movements, the camera automatically captured her pure, untroubled beauty.
While the two girls were taking photos, their mother stood by and watched.
It was the first time they had ever discovered that their daughter could be so beautiful.
Mother Tian crossed her arms, a smile she couldn't suppress always playing on her lips.
She watched as her usually thoughtless and impulsive daughter transformed into a cool and beautiful woman in front of the camera, her round almond-shaped eyes sparkling with confidence.
Liu's mother stood on the other side, quietly watching her daughter stand in the light wearing a plain dress, her eyes sparkling, her small face lightly brushed with a layer of light pink blush by the makeup artist.
She didn't say a word, but quietly raised her hand and pressed the corner of her eye.
When the afternoon shoot ended, Lao Li came over with a stack of neatly bound contracts.
This is the official contract that Zhou Ye printed out this morning.
Old Li carefully clipped the contracts together and separated them by number of people.
Old Li handed the contracts to Wang Zian and said with a smile, "They're all signed; not a single one has run away."
Wang Zian took the contract and said with a smile, "From now on, we're all completely part of the same company."
"From now on, we'll be relying on Mr. Wang for our meals!" Old Li replied with a smile.
"Don't worry, you'll definitely have a full meal!"
After another dinner gathering that evening, Lao Li drove his van to take the behind-the-scenes team away.
Wang Zian then drove Zhou Ye, Tian's mother and daughter, and Liu's mother and daughter to the airport.
Both Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Tian have booked plane tickets for tonight; one needs to catch her class early tomorrow morning, and the other needs to go back to take care of the shop's business.
The atmosphere inside the car was different from when we arrived.
I arrived with anticipation mixed with scrutiny, but now that scrutiny has been melted away by a whole day spent together, leaving only a faint sense of melancholy.
"Mom, are you really leaving?" Tian Xiwei leaned her head against her mother, half of her weight resting on her mother's shoulder.
Her bun was half loose, with a few stray hairs brushing against her mother's collar.
Mrs. Tian chuckled and tapped her daughter's head. "School starts tomorrow. If I don't go back soon, those boys will poke a hole in the school building!"
Her tone was still as crisp as ever, but her fingers were unconsciously twirling the ends of her daughter's loose hair.
Liu Haochun didn't say anything, but just held his mother's arm tightly and leaned against her.
Liu's mother also gently held her hand.
Wang Zian and Zhou Ye sat quietly in the front row, with only the low-pitched car music playing from the stereo in the car.
The car drove smoothly along the airport expressway, and outside the window was the Beijing night skyline, with countless lights densely covering the horizon.