Chapter 273: Mind your own business

The next day, Shen Ci got up early to help her mother pack.

She had already bought the plane ticket for noon; today, she would bring her mother back to Longcheng.

"These can still be worn; it's a pity to throw them away."

Shen Jingjing picked two pieces of clothing out of the "trash" her daughter had sorted out, saying she wanted to fold them up and take them along.

As a result, her daughter snatched them away and threw them back into the cardboard box: "Mom, you were already wearing these two pieces when I was in elementary school. How many years has it been?"

"They aren't broken yet, and I quite like the style," Shen Jingjing said, caught between laughter and tears, but she knew her daughter didn't want her to be too frugal, so she didn't insist further.

"Once we get to Longcheng, I'll add more clothes for you. The climates in the two places are too different; you'll have to buy new clothes when you get there anyway."

Shen Jingjing nodded, letting her daughter have her way.

"I had originally planned to go over next week."

"I hadn't planned on rushing you either," Shen Ci said, looking up at her mother helplessly. "But in the current situation, I'm afraid the Fu family will harass you again if they can't find Shen Xing. I definitely can't rest easy without knowing what their goal is."

"Yes, Mom knows. Anyway, if there's anything here I've forgotten, I'll just let your aunt know when the time comes."

Just as they were talking, Shen Yingying and He Bin arrived.

Both of them were carrying things—dried abalone, vacuum-packed dried scallops, sea cucumber, and other seafood. Even in a coastal city like Shengang, these things were not cheap.

"Oh my, why spend money on these things?"

Seeing this, Shen Jingjing couldn't help but complain: "Such expensive things, what is this for?"

"Take them for Shen Ci. Now that you're going to Longcheng, I'm the only one who can mail these to you if you want to eat them again. They sell for even more in Longcheng, and the quality might not be as good as in Shengang," Shen Yingying said.

He Bin also handed over what he was holding: four boxes of high-quality tea leaves.

Although they were both from out of town, after living in Shengang for a long time, they had gotten used to drinking a little tea every day; otherwise, they felt their mouths lacked flavor.

Shen Ci didn't refuse, looking at the two of them and smiling: "Thank you, Aunt, Uncle."

Shen Yingying also twitched the corners of her mouth, but before she could speak, tears spilled out. She hurriedly turned away to wipe them.

"Didn't we agree not to cry? Look at you..." He Bin stepped forward to soothe her softly, but everyone understood Shen Yingying's personality. She appeared strong and spicy on the outside, but she was actually the most soft-hearted and sentimental on the inside.

The person Shen Ci had seen cry the most since she was a child was her aunt; she would even cry along with Ziwei while watching "My Fair Princess."

Seeing her sister cry, Shen Jingjing felt very uncomfortable as well. Through all the storms over the years, the two sisters had huddled together for warmth to carry on; the bond between them was something no one else could compare to.

"Alright, whether you want to go to Longcheng in the future is a matter for later. After Guangrong finishes the college entrance exam, your family can come to Longcheng to play for two months first," Shen Jingjing said, stepping forward to pat her sister's shoulder.

Shen Yingying wiped her tears and pouted: "With the score he's going to get, do I still have the mood to travel?"

"It's a normal performance if he does poorly, and an extraordinary performance if he does well. What do you have to be angry about?" He Bin looked at her with a matter-of-fact expression.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yingying didn't get angry; instead, she nodded: "That's true. I never counted on him getting any good grades anyway."

"Then come, come right after the college entrance exam," Shen Ci said.

Shen Yingying finally smiled and nodded: "Fine, we'll all go then and stay in Shen Ci's big villa!"

Honglin Village, film crew.

Early this morning was Shen Li's morning scene.

She was holding a wooden basin made of solid wood, scooping water from the icy river in the early morning to wash clothes. This scene was extremely difficult for Shen Li.

Because she had never washed clothes on a stone slab by a river, this was already something outside her life experience, and it wasn't a skill she could learn just by watching videos.

The small river in the village flowed gently, and the water quality was very clear, but the morning river water was bone-chillingly cold. Shen Li only tried it once, and her hands were already numb and had lost all sensation.

"It's not quite working, Director. The movements are still unfamiliar, and the performance is too heavy-handed."

Before Director Xiang Tian could call cut, Sui Yu on the side spoke up first. She had offered many opinions on Shen Li's performance before, and the director hadn't responded, but this time Shen Li was just not doing well, and she knew the director definitely wouldn't use this take.

Sure enough, Xiang Tian sighed lightly, but he didn't get angry because of it, because he knew this was a bit too hard for Shen Li, and she had tried her best.

"Cut!"

He stopped Shen Li's performance and shook his head at her from afar.

Shen Li was also very disappointed. She herself clearly felt the strain while performing this segment. When a performance feels strained, it must be wrong.

"Director, Shen Li's hands are frozen red. Why don't we let her rest for a bit?" At this moment, another actress beside her felt heartache and tried to suggest it to the director.

Shen Li walked over at this time and heard Sui Yu looking at her and asking: "Shen Li, you've never done this kind of work before, right?"

Shen Li looked at her but didn't make a sound.

The performance had already disappointed herself, and the moment Sui Yu opened her mouth, a wave of irritability inexplicably surged in Shen Li's heart.

Unlike the film and television base in Hengdian, the crew for this movie was very small, and everyone had to be together almost every day. Shen Li had heard a little about what Sui Yu had said about her in front of the director, and coupled with Sui Yu's attitude toward her on the day she joined the crew, her first impression of this person was already very bad.

But this person seemed to lack self-awareness, always rushing to speak before the director every time she finished performing.

"Can you still shoot?"

Xiang Tian looked at Shen Li and asked tentatively.

Shen Li didn't try to be brave; she shook her head: "Director, can we postpone this scene? I'm too unfamiliar with it, but this kind of thing can definitely be mastered with practice. I'll learn it if I practice more."

She understood very well that forcing a retake wouldn't satisfy the director, so there was no need to waste everyone's time.

"Director, why don't we find a body double for Shen Li in the village? There are plenty of girls in the village with a similar build to her," Sui Yu spoke up again, thinking she was being clever.

Who knew that upon hearing this, Shen Li suddenly looked at her with a cold expression: "When did I say I wanted to use a body double?"

Shen Li, who had always been good-tempered and gentle in everyone's eyes, suddenly turned cold, which made everyone freeze.

Sui Yu widened her innocent eyes and blinked, then chuckled: "I was just afraid you couldn't act it out, wasn't I?"

"How do you know I can't act it out?" Shen Li stared at her, her voice light but clearly questioning the other party.

Seemingly not expecting Shen Li to have such an aggressive side, Sui Yu sneered after realizing it: "You, I was being kind!"

"Not needed!" Shen Li said coldly: "Mind your own business!" ===== CHAPTER 274 =====