Chapter 55 Sisters, hello

  On Sunday, Du Xiaohu drove and Lu Zhong arrived at the county workers' club. The crew of Dream of Red Mansions borrowed the small square and auditorium to do some pre-shooting warm-ups. The actors changed into their costumes, gathered in groups of three or five, rehearsed lines, performed skits, and did other preparatory work.

  Outside the Workers' Club, a cordon had been set up, and members of the public security defense team with red armbands were maintaining order and persuading onlookers not to get too close.

  In fact, many local people from Guangning had already mixed in the club, mostly club staff, family members and some people with county bureau leaders' notes, bringing their families to watch the excitement.

  The crew and actors do not reject the onlookers, as long as they do not interfere with their normal rehearsal. Some people watch from the side, and for some performers who have a stronger desire to perform, they can actually perform better and get into character more easily.

  Du Xiaohu parked the car in the empty space outside and followed Lu Zhong into the club's courtyard. At the gate, several police officers from the Public Security Bureau were standing guard. Seeing Lu Zhong and Du Xiaohu approaching from a distance, they quickly raised the green warning tape high, then lowered it again after the two entered.

  Lu Zhong waited, Du Xiaohu ran to find several laps, and finally found Tong Susu under a tree shade, where the surrounding audience was the most, because the people who were practicing in a row were all big beauties, characters from Dream of the Red Chamber.

  Du Xiaohu strode forward, pushing the people surrounding him to both sides with a sweep of his arm, clearing a path for Lu Zhong. Lu Zhong couldn't help but scratch his head, wondering why it seemed like Hu Zi, Tan Qiang, and Hou Jianjun were all acting like bandits in the Guangning area?

  Ke was squeezed in, couldn't help but praise, close-up appreciation of these national colors and fragrances classical beauties, much more beautiful than on TV, also more shocking.

  Then I saw one beautiful woman after another, with light makeup and elegant eyebrows, their faces as lovely as paintings, their figures slender and refined, with a subtle and understated elegance.

  It is said that "the lamp in front of the eyes, the foot under the bed, and the sound in the account" can only be understood when facing these charming ancient beauties.

  Lu Zhong immediately recognized Tong Su, who was wearing a beautiful silk dress and had a delicate and lovely face. She truly embodied the description "her skin was smooth and lustrous, her movements were elegant and refined. Her lips were red without needing to be painted, her eyebrows were green without needing to be drawn, her face was like a peach blossom, and her eyes were like apricot kernels." At this glance, wasn't she Xue Baochai, the most youthful beauty in the Red Chamber?

  The "Lin Meimei" who played with her, although tender and lovely, but if it's said that she is beautiful, then it's slightly not enough.

  Lu Zhong hugged her chest with both arms, smiling as she watched. Tong Su seemed like she was born to be on stage, and from a distance, it felt like one had really entered the Red Chamber, watching the vivid and lively ancient women competing in beauty and talent.

  ……

  At noon, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, and the crew staff began to distribute boxed lunches to the actors. The actors gathered in threes and fives, some sat down on the ground, and started eating like that.

  The current crew life is very hard, but the production is extremely delicate and rigorous, and it cannot be compared with the popular film and television that relies on hype to attract attention in later generations.

  Tong Su seemed to still be immersed in her role, walking and muttering to herself as she passed by Lu Zhong who was greeting her, but instead walked towards a middle-aged woman. The middle-aged woman held her hand and sat down on the steps of the flowerbed.

  Winter sunshine, the flower bed is bare, with a few evergreen cypress trees behind.

  The middle-aged woman sitting with He Shu and Tong Su was about forty years old, rich and dignified, although she was dressed simply, but at a glance, it could be seen that she had experienced great scenes and had an elegant demeanor.

  Lu Zhong scratched his head, having heard that the actresses who played the roles of Hong Lou Jin Chuan were still deeply immersed in their characters after filming was completed, and the most typical example was Lin Mei Mei, who later became a nun.

  Su Su, don't be so stubborn.

  Tong Susu seemed to ignore Lu Zhong, but Du Xiaohu was unwilling and shouted loudly: "Tong Susu! What's wrong with you? Just because you're a broken actor, you don't recognize people anymore?"

  Lu Zhong turned his head and glared at him, and Du Xiaohu finally shut up. His shout had attracted many gazes, all of which were disapproving looks from the crew members.

  Lu Zhong also followed Du Xiaohu and became the target of public criticism, surrounded by angry stares.

  Lu Zhong coughed, this life, he himself might as well give up being a good person. Once out the door, he was a bandit and a tyrant, and in official circles, he was labeled by some people as a greedy and corrupt official like a snake guarding its territory. It's really helpless.

  Tong Su-su rushed over with joy and excitement, shouting: "Sister, you're here!"

  Lu Zhong's face was thick enough, but even he almost made a big red face in front of everyone. A staff member not far away spat out the rice from his mouth and followed with severe coughing, almost unable to breathe. It turned out that he had just noticed the two young men who were pushing their way through the crowd, giving people the feeling that Lu Zhong was like a local thug, very rough and with some gangster air about him. Who would have thought that he would be called "sister" by a delicate girl?

  Lu Zhong waved his hand like he was driving away flies and said in a low voice: "Don't shout randomly!"

  Tong SuSu smiled mischievously, with a hint of ill intent, "What's there to be afraid of?" She pulled Lu Zhēn's arm and arrived in front of the middle-aged woman, saying: "Mom, this is Zhēnzi, I've often told you about her, my sister! Zhēnzi, this is my mom."

  A middle-aged woman glared at Tong Su: "Getting crazier and crazier, not afraid of being laughed at." Then she smiled at Lu Zhong: "Zhongzi is right, my daughter has this kind of temperament that offends people, don't take it to heart. I heard that you helped her a lot." She carefully sized up Lu Zhong, thinking that adding flowers to the brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in snowy weather is hard. Su had cried and told her that during her active period in the city, some of her husband's old friends, even her uncles, had shamelessly proposed indecent conditions, which was simply shameful. Lu Zhong, on the other hand, was just someone her daughter knew when she was young, not even a friend, yet he helped Su wholeheartedly. Such a man with good conduct is really rare to see.

  Although I just saw Du Xiaohu's arrogance, I had a feeling that the young man in front of me also had a hint of that kind of intimidating and overbearing aura, but even if he was a street thug, his character was still much better than those hypocritical pseudo-gentlemen.

  Tong Su's mother had also seen Lu Zhong when he was a child and still had some impression of him, knowing that Lu Zhong was a lovely and mischievous kid back then. Therefore, it was only natural for her to think of Lu Zhong as a street thug.

  "Auntie, hello." Lu Zhong greeted Tong Su's mother, and the awkwardness brought by Tong Su's "sisters" gradually dissipated.

  "Lu Zhēn, come sit down." Tóng Sùsù's mother pulled Lu Zhēn to sit beside her, benevolently sizing him up and smiling as she said: "Still fighting every day, huh?"

  Tong Su's mother was a very considerate woman. Being a street rascal isn't exactly a good profession, but if she didn't mention it at all, it would seem like she looked down on him. So she brought it up herself, with a joking remark, and that way the young man in front of her wouldn't be too embarrassed to mention his profession.

  Lu Zhong is not a local, so he didn't understand her good intentions, thinking she was talking about the police station, and smiled: "Recently, I haven't been collecting people." His position has changed, and he basically no longer sets foot in the interrogation room.

  Tong Su's mother nodded and said, "Su has been talking about your goodness all the time. She didn't ignore you just because she became an actress." As she spoke, she glanced at Du Xiaohu.

  Lu Zhong smiled and said, "Auntie, don't I know Su's personality? Don't listen to Hu Zi's nonsense." Du Xiao Hu had already snickered and said, "Zhong Ge, I'm going to buy some food."

  Watching Du Xiaohu leave with a big smile on his face, Tong Susu's mother also felt a bit helpless. This child is really careless and scatterbrained.

  Tong Su-su sat on the steps with a piece of white paper under her to prevent her costume from getting dirty. She sat on the other side of her mother, with a beautiful face and elegant eyebrows, looking like a classic beauty, truly delightful to behold.

  "Zhuangzi, haven't you been up to any mischief lately?" Tong Susu asked with a blink of her beautiful eyes, the pearls on her head lightly jingling. At this moment, conversing with this stunningly beautiful classical beauty, one can't help but feel a sense of time and space intersecting.

  Lu Zhong helplessly shook his head. When he hadn't seen Tong Su, he actually missed her a bit. Now, however, he couldn't wait to find a way to discipline her properly. This landlady was getting more and more arrogant! But the landlady's mother was sitting right next to him, so it wasn't convenient for him to say anything.

  Tong Su said: "My mother is not used to staying in Beijing, she has to move back and live in Wushan. When I'm filming, she has to follow me, right? And she doesn't want to stay in the reception room either. Yesterday, I just rented a house for her in the county town, but then I heard that the people living in that area are all outsiders who come to Wushan to do business, it's very chaotic and I'm a bit worried."

  Lu Zhong nodded slightly and said: "I'll take care of Auntie, you just focus on filming."

  Tong Su suddenly stopped joking and looked at Lu Zhong, saying seriously: "Zhongzi, thank you so much. I will never forget your kindness to me for the rest of my life."

  Tong Su's mother felt a little dizzy, what is this child saying? I'm right here by your side! However, Tong's mother knew that her daughter had gone through great changes and her personality had changed a lot. Sometimes she was quite playful and irreverent, thinking about it made one feel sorry for her, so she could only quietly sigh in her heart.

  Lu Zhong smiled: "Aren't we sisters?" Unaccustomed to someone being serious and expressing gratitude towards her, Lu Zhong also made a joke.

  Tong Su Su burst out laughing: "Really? You also think that way and want to be sisters with me? Then you're the little sister, I'm the big sister?"

  Lu Zhong was speechless, coughed once, and no longer continued this conversation.

  Tong Su turned her head and said to her mother: "Mom, Zhēngzi is the deputy director of the county bureau. With him taking care of you, I can rest assured."

  Tong Su's mother let out a surprised "ah", so that was it, the bad aura on this child was because of his work in public security?

  Lu Zhong smiled and said: "Now it's the director."

  Tong Su Su rolled her eyes and said: "Isn't that different? Deputy director of the political committee, deputy director of the bureau, they are all at the same level. Zhenzi, you're also infatuated with officialdom?"

  Lu Zhong coughed and said, "It's Director Zheng."

  Tong Su suddenly let out an "ah" and looked at Lu Zhong in surprise: "Promoted again?"

  The child's mother was even more surprised, looking up and down at Lu Zhong. This kid is only 4 or 5 years older than Su Su, right? The head of the Public Security Bureau? The old man in our family was much better-looking when he was young.