Global Film Emperor

Chapter 435 Family (8500 words)
From Fengtian to Lühua, it takes two and a half hours by highway. After getting off at the highway exit and merging onto the national highway, he was far away from the steel forest and integrated into nature. The willow trees by the roadside swayed in the wind, and the willow leaves fell, were crushed by vehicles, and were then lifted up by the wind from the rear of the vehicles, rising into the sky again, dancing once more, and saying hello to the next car coming from the opposite direction.

Since the country advocated for green new rural development, the scenery in the countryside has become better year by year, just like when Lu Ze was a child, with breathtaking beauty in every season.

The endless cornfields were already turning golden, and in the dense wheat fields, farmers would occasionally stand up, rub their backs, bend down again, and disappear back into the wheat, though this scene always reminded Lu Ze of whack-a-mole.

The river, which had been haphazardly mined for sand, has been smoothed over by time and people. Although the water volume is not as abundant as when Lu Ze was a child, and the deepest part is only about knee-deep, it is still better than when it was almost dried up a few years ago.

With children playing in the river, parents no longer need to worry about danger. They squat on the stone piers under the train bridge where Lu Ze had squatted as a child, fishing for very agile fish with simple fishing rods.

For some reason, fish in clear rivers always react quickly, while fish in polluted water seem silly and don't even move when people pick them up with a net.

If they weren't rural kids who often fished for small fish, it would be really difficult for the average person to catch a fish that could leap a meter away with a flick of its tail. Judging from the way these kids were dressed, they must have come back from the city. Lu Ze estimated that their catch today was basically zero.

I turned the music down, rolled down the car window, and a cool breeze accompanied by the croaking of frogs blew into the car. I watched the children busy for a while with great interest before stepping on the gas and heading into the village.

The road that Lu Ze paid for to repair had been repaved with a new layer of asphalt. It was probably newly laid and still had a shiny sheen. At midday, there were no elderly people sitting in the shade at the village entrance. Only villagers who had finished their lunch early were carrying hoes and walking towards their fields. When they saw an unfamiliar vehicle entering the village, they stopped and peered out. Through the windshield, they saw that it was Lu Ze and waved to him warmly.

"Daze is back?"

"Yes, Uncle Li, going to the fields?"

The village has fewer people. According to Li Yumei, the death rate to birth rate in the countryside is now about 10 to 1. Few of the older generation are still alive, and the younger generation has all gone to the city to make a living. Even if they have children, they no longer register them in the village.

There used to be more than 300 households, but now only about 70 households still live here. There are more abandoned houses than inhabited houses. Apart from the few elderly people in the Lu family whose children are successful, who stay in the village purely for retirement, the others who haven't left have basically no way to leave.

Occasionally, I would see someone my age, mostly a man, who wasn't dressed very neatly or cleanly. They had a kind of simple-mindedness about them. In the words of the older generation, they were either lazy and didn't want to leave, or they were timid and didn't dare to leave. They relied on their small plot of land to make a living and wait to die, and even finding a wife and having children became a problem.

Coincidentally, Lu Ze had a relative who was like that. Of the four brothers, he was the only one who stayed at home with his parents. He didn't farm and made a living by running a small grocery store, selling cigarettes and popsicles and drinks for 50 cents or 1 yuan.

He wasn't single, though. His parents used their money to buy him a wife in North Korea. The woman gave birth to a boy and then ran away. She didn't return for about two years. Now, his parents take care of the child, while the couple just stays on the kang (a heated brick bed) watching TV, sometimes for the whole day. They've become the object of everyone's disdain in the village.

Now, the car has just pulled up in front of his house. The house is still the same, it hasn't changed since Lu Ze was twelve years old when it was renovated. Now it just looks more dilapidated. There are no more birds chirping in the yard, so he probably doesn't keep any animals anymore.

Lu Ze bought a lot of gifts, and naturally there was a share for his family, but after hesitating for a while, he didn't go in to give the gifts. He couldn't stand the couple's slovenly appearance, and he had no right to say anything. He decided to just ignore it and have Lu Nan deliver them later.

Lu Nan was still asleep at this time. She hadn't woken up the whole way and was unaware that Lu Ze had silently assigned her a difficult task. She was sleeping soundly until they arrived at the door of her house, when Lu Ze woke her up.

"Get up, we're home."

"Good~"

She stretched, not caring that her short T-shirt revealed her fair belly, and got out of the car to help Lu Ze open the front door so he could park the car inside.

The house is still the same, a three-story building, but it has a more homely feel than when it was first built. A beautiful glass canopy has been built over the steps in front of the house, which is convenient for drying clothes or drying goods. More importantly, it is especially warm in winter.

At this moment, the ivy has already spread up to the top of the building along the scaffolding that has been set up, and it has been trimmed so that it does not obstruct the light at all. The NIO that Lu Ze bought is still parked in the garage. Although it has not been driven for more than half a year, there is not a speck of dust on it. It seems that his parents cleaned the car a lot when he left.

The red brick granary above the garage no longer stores corn; it has been converted into a pavilion with several Nangong chairs and a tea table, making it convenient for villagers to play cards with Lu Weiguo, so as to prevent the walls inside the house from turning yellow from smoke.

There was no one in the pavilion at the moment. Instead, a jet-black ugly cat poked its head out from under the armrest of the chair and looked down at the two people who had just parked their car. Its eyes met those of Lu Ze, who was looking up at the two.

"Crippled man, do you still recognize me?"

He greeted the cripple, but it only glanced at Lu Ze indifferently before shrinking back and disappearing from his sight. Helpless, Lu Ze could only walk up to the pavilion, only to realize that the cripple could no longer be called a cat. If he had to find a word to describe it, a pile of cats would probably be more appropriate.

"How did you get so fat? Have you been eating too well?"

He held the chubby cripple in his arms, feeling its weight. It was quite a struggle to lift it, especially heavy. The cripple didn't struggle, obediently lying in Lu Ze's arms, opening its mouth wide and yawning vigorously. Unfortunately, no matter how Lu Ze talked to it, it didn't respond at all, too lazy to pay attention to this completely incompetent human. It wasn't until Lu Ze said, "You should lose weight," that the cripple suddenly bristled and slapped Lu Ze.

It was well taken care of. Every month when Lu Nan came home, he would take it for a physical examination. Lu Ze was at ease with the cripple's health, but if he continued to neglect it like this, no one could guarantee its health in the future.

He carried the cat and walked home, thinking about whether to change the pavilion steps to electric ones, but then he rejected the idea. Lu Weiguo's leg injury was serious, and although walking was difficult, he could still manage a few steps by holding onto the handrail. If the steps were changed to electric ones, it would only make Lu Weiguo unhappy.

Upon entering the shed, the temperature instantly rose several degrees. Opening the door, Li Yumei was cooking in the kitchen. Seeing Lu Ze enter, she smiled, looked him up and down, and then said with a chuckle, "It's dark."

There was no warm hug, no joyful hand-holding, not even a "Welcome back!" She simply saw his dark yet rosy complexion, healthy and safe, and her heart was at ease.

"Yes, Mom, don't feed the cripple so much in the future. It's not good for him to be too fat, Dad."

He put the lame dog down, watched it limp away, turned to Li Yumei and gave her some instructions, then greeted Lu Weiguo, who had just come out of the room.

"It's sturdy now, that's good."

Lu Ze has lost some weight, but you can tell from his two well-defined arms that he has lost fat and become more toned, which is a good thing.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Before he knew it, Lu Ze's stomach growled. He took out slippers from the shoe cabinet and put them on. He turned his back to his mother and asked, "When are we eating?"

"We should be able to eat in half an hour. Daze and Xiaohai have called a few times before, and they sent over a lot of things yesterday. They probably have something to do."

"His mother came back too?"

"Ah, you're back. You sat at our house for half a day yesterday, asking me with a hidden meaning when you would be back. I gave you a vague answer and didn't tell them."

Xiao Hai is Lu Ze's cousin. Their grandfathers were brothers, so their relationship wasn't too distant in Lu Ze's generation. It's just that Lu Ze became too successful, which caused the two brothers to have less contact.

He found a loose T-shirt and shorts, went into his parents' bedroom, where there was a pack of cigarettes on the table. He picked one up, lit it, took off his socks while smoking, and asked, "Didn't he say what was wrong?"

"They've been trying to please you for the past six months, always saying they're waiting for you to come back. I guess it's about the two kids at home."

Xiao Hai is older than Lu Ze and runs a building materials business in Fengtian. Although his business isn't huge, he's definitely quite wealthy. After working hard day and night for so many years, he must have accumulated a lot of wealth. Because he got married early, his twin daughters are probably already in high school. Lu Ze really can't think of any reason why Xiao Hai would need his help.

"Call Xiaohai this afternoon and tell him I'm back. Let's have them come over for dinner tonight. Uncle Si just passed away not long ago, and the whole family is missing someone. It's hard for them to celebrate the holiday. Let them come over, Dad, what do you think?"

"That's good, it's more lively with more people."

Normally, given Lu Weiguo's personality, a nod or an "um" would be enough. But this time he said so much, which shows that Lu Weiguo was happy. That's why Lu Ze asked Lu Weiguo.

Grandpa Lu's brother went to the battlefield and never came back. Therefore, Xiao Hai's father often came to Grandpa Lu's house for meals and took good care of his younger brother, Lu Weiguo. This affection has been passed down from generation to generation, and he has come to regard Xiao Hai as his own son.

Of course, it depends on who you compare him to. He can't compare him to his own son, which is why he didn't make a final decision but agreed to help Xiao Hai on behalf of Lu Ze. Lu Weiguo knew this in his heart.

Just as Lu Nan came out of his parents' bedroom, he changed his clothes and came downstairs to help Li Yumei cook. With an extra helper, the food was soon on the table. Lu Weiguo sat in the main seat, and Lu Ze sat next to him. It was midday, so they didn't drink any alcohol.

Braised pork knuckle, stewed pork belly with green beans, stir-fried yellow cabbage, stir-fried garlic sprouts with pork, romaine lettuce, and a mixed cauliflower salad—it had both meat and vegetables, even soup. Perhaps because he was poor when he was young and rarely saw meat, Lu Ze developed a habit of eating skin from a young age, and the skinny parts were all eaten by Lu Nan…

Dip a piece of pork knuckle skin in some sauce, add a chopstickful of potato shreds from cauliflower, stack them up, place them on a glistening, oily rice, and take a big bite. The aroma is wonderful but not greasy. It's a very rustic way of eating, and southern kids might not be able to accept it, but once you try it, you're guaranteed to love it. However, according to local dining etiquette, whether you get a beating or not is another matter.

"Xiao Nan, deliver the mooncakes later. As for Xiao Liang, give him five hundred yuan. Don't give him more than that. Keep it a secret from his mother."

Xiao Liang is the child of Lu Ze's cousin and a North Korean woman. Perhaps because she was bought as a wife, her heart is not with that family. It is said that she has a habit of saving money behind her cousin's back. Perhaps one day she will leave after saving enough money.

Whether the couple is doing well or poorly has nothing to do with Lu Ze, but Xiao Liang is surnamed Lu after all, so he has to call Lu Ze "Grandpa". He is a child of the Lu family and deserves Lu Ze's care.

“I don’t want to go… I don’t even know what to say if I go to his place. Brother, why don’t you go, Xiao Liang? I’ll go to any other place.”

"Just go when I tell you to, leave some money and go, don't waste your breath."

After scolding Lu Nan, she finally behaved herself and silently ate her rice. Lu Ze served himself another bowl of rice and just sat down when he saw the little mountain of flesh squatting next to him, staring intently at him. It was clear that it was craving it.

Lu Ze ignored it, after all, it had eaten earlier than people and had already eaten. If it wanted to eat more, it would have to wait until mealtime. Lu's mother was a little reluctant and picked up a piece of pork knuckle to hand to the cripple, but Lu Ze quickly stopped her.

This angered the lame man. He took two steps back, trying to jump onto Li Yumei's lap, and charged! He jumped high! He didn't make it, but crashed into the edge of the stool, fell to the ground, meowed twice, and then angrily turned and walked away.

This action amused the whole family, since it was rare to see the cripple suffer a setback. As a member of the family, it had been spoiled by the elderly couple. They would always leave some food for the cripple, whether it was before or after meals, which is how it grew into such a chubby creature.

Lu Ze could only repeatedly emphasize the terrible consequences of the cat's obesity, which made the two old people, who only knew how to feed, drink, and play well for the cripple, realize the seriousness of the problem.

After dinner, an old friend invited Lu Weiguo to play cards. The meeting place was not at Lu Ze's house, but Lu Nan accompanied Lu Weiguo to the designated location. Afterwards, they began to distribute Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to various relatives.

Li Yumei began preparing the ingredients for the dinner party, while the leftovers from lunch would be eaten the next day. It seemed that every ordinary family did the same thing: during the festival, they would eat and drink to their heart's content, and from the next day onwards, they would eat the leftovers, eat the leftovers, eat the leftovers, until everything was gone.

Lu Ze also had work to do. He changed into the long clothes and trousers he had worn many years ago, carried yellow paper money, candles, wine and offerings on his back, and slowly climbed the mountain to pay respects to his ancestors.

The mountain road was rugged, and it had rained the day before. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the soles of his feet were covered in yellow mud, greatly increasing the weight on his shoes. Even with Lu Ze's current physical strength, he was panting heavily. He walked for a while, then rested for a while. By the time he arrived at his destination, it was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon.

These twenty-odd graves belong to the ancestors of the Lu family. Some contain remains, while a small number contain clothing and accessories. Other branches of the family have already visited the graves. Lu Ze's grandparents also received donations from other families. The ashes did not scatter but gathered together. Picking up the branches left by others, I turned over the pile of ashes. It was burned very cleanly, leaving no sparks.

He poured some water, wiped the tombstone clean, poured wine, placed offerings, lit cigarettes, and lit one for himself. He wiped his sweat, took a few sheets of yellow paper, placed them under his knees, kowtowed three times to his grandparents, and lit the first sheet of yellow paper.

"Grandpa, Grandma, your eldest grandson is late. We have to burn offerings at our own grave later than at theirs. Your grandson is unfilial. It's a festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and the whole family is here."

This wasn't a solitary grave, but it was still quite desolate. Lu Weiguo couldn't go up the mountain, Li Yumei wasn't supposed to according to custom, and Lu Nan was too afraid to go. The ancestral worship could only rely on Lu Ze. If he was too busy with work to come back, he could only burn some paper money at the crossroads. Fortunately, the other branches of the family helped out, preventing the grave from becoming overgrown; otherwise, Lu Ze would have no face to step into the ancestral grave again. From the age of seventeen to thirty-four, whenever he returned home, he would always come up the grave. From initial anxiety to current indifference, everyone said that one shouldn't go to the grave alone, but besides going with someone, the only person the Lu family could offer was Lu Ze. There was really no other way.

He talked a lot with Grandpa Lu, reporting on the family's situation over the past year. In fact, he was closer to Grandpa Lu than to Lu Weiguo and Li Yumei, since it was Grandpa Lu who raised him from childhood. Lu Ze felt most sorry for Grandpa Lu.

When Lu Ze was a child, it was Grandpa Lu who would cover for him during fights. It was Grandpa Lu who, despite being so poor, would always manage to give Lu Ze candy. It was Grandpa Lu who taught Lu Ze how to conduct himself in the world. It was Grandpa Lu who, when he was suffering, didn't say anything and only became so thin that Lu Ze realized he was sick. It was Grandpa Lu who passed away before a week had passed. It was Grandpa Lu who was always thinking that he wouldn't see Lu Ze go to university.

In short, a large part of Lu Ze's happy childhood memories came from his grandfather. He may not have been able to treat Lu Ze and Lu Nan equally, and he clearly favored his grandson more, but he was no worse to Lu Nan. He was a good grandfather, but Lu Ze forgot his voice and could not even recall his appearance.

After all, it's been more than twenty years.

So I feel bad.

After burning all the paper money for Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu, he repeatedly checked it to make sure it was completely burned. Then he picked up a small shovel, scooped up some loose soil, and compacted the ashes to ensure they wouldn't reignite and cause a forest fire. Only then did he get up to visit the graves of the other uncles.

As he descended the mountain, the sun was almost setting. The village elders, returning from the fields, greeted Lu Ze warmly upon seeing him covered in mud, inviting him to their homes. In the distance, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of hundreds of houses, like white ink painting a peaceful and serene scene on an orange-yellow canvas.

Following the aroma of food from every household, I finally found my way home. Looking through the iron gate, I saw that Xiao Hai's family had already arrived and were helping to set out the dishes. The food should be almost ready, but Lu Ze hadn't returned yet, so they hadn't started eating.

"elder brother."

She squatted at the door, teasing the lame dog with diced ham. When it stood up, it pawed at her wrist with its chubby paws, opened its mouth wide, and its eyes were full of longing. This made her squint and chuckle softly. When Lu Ze returned, she fed the lame dog a piece of ham the size of her little fingernail, ran over, and took the bamboo basket that Lu Ze was carrying.

Why don't you come inside?

"I'm waiting for you to come back."

"Have you delivered all the items?"

"Not only did I deliver them all, but I also brought back quite a few. It's been exhausting."

Holding the cat, she accompanied Lu Ze into the house. Lu Ze's second grandmother was in good health and was helping Li Yumei in the kitchen with Xiao Hai's wife. Xiao Hai was chatting with Lu Weiguo when he saw Lu Ze come home. He stood up and greeted Lu Ze warmly.

"elder brother!"

"Hey, mistress, do you still need to do the work? Xiao Nan, don't you have any sense? You're just sitting here doing nothing while your mistress does all the work? Hurry up and hand over your shift. Xiao Hai, wait a few minutes. I'm all dirty. I'll take a shower later."

With a word, he went upstairs to take a shower, washing off the mud all over his body. When he came downstairs again, the two children appeared. They had been playing on their phones in Lu Weiguo's bedroom. Before they could come out to greet him, Lu Ze went upstairs.

The two children were a little shy. They stood at the door, leaning against the shoe cabinet, bowed to Lu Ze, and said, "Hello, sir."

Lu Ze responded and looked at the two children. The last time he met them, they were only a few years old. Now they were both big girls, fifteen years old, and quite tall, at least 1.65 meters. They would grow even taller in the future. The two children looked alike and were very pretty, inheriting the Lu family's genes.

These two girls were probably the people who knew Lu Ze best, besides Lu Nan. However, when they saw Lu Ze, they didn't show much excitement; instead, they were more apprehensive and apprehensive.

"Please sit down, don't stand. Sister-in-law, don't bother with anything else."

Apart from the three elders, everyone else waited for Lu Ze to give the order. When Lu Ze told them to sit, they sat down according to their seniority. The two children were also quite perceptive and placed the beer at the feet of Lu Ze and the others.

Today is a holiday, so naturally we should drink good wine. The old Fenjiu is older than Lu Ze, and it's not easy to find. If it weren't for the fact that Old Master Chen and the general manager of Fenjiu are old acquaintances, Lu Ze wouldn't have been able to get his hands on it. But since it's opened, it's best to finish it in one go. He poured half a glass for Lu Weiguo, and filled his own and Lu Hai's glasses. He took the lead and raised his glass.

From the moment he took his first sip of wine, Lu Hai started talking non-stop. However, as a businessman, he was not at all annoying and his words were quite pleasant to hear. But his main target was not Lu Ze, but Lu Weiguo.

He knew in his heart that he couldn't talk to Lu Ze. The two were not on the same level. Flattery would easily backfire. It would be better to get closer to Lu Weiguo. After all, Lu Weiguo had always been good to him and was not broad-minded, so he was more likely to accept his sweet talk. Unfortunately, although Lu Weiguo was not broad-minded, he was not stupid. Although he was very happy to be coaxed by Xiao Hai, he still made it clear that Lu Ze was in charge now and everything was up to Lu Ze.

Lu Ze listened with great interest as he watched as Lu Weiguo gradually shifted the topic away from Lu Ze and towards him, beginning the second part of his plan: reminiscing about childhood.

From climbing trees to steal birds' nests to catching fish in the river, from cutting grass together to feed pigs to fighting with the kids from the neighboring village, the happy childhood they shared was like a not-so-greasy ledger, which he turned over little by little. Sometimes Lu Ze would follow his memories and recall a funny thing, and couldn't help but smile.

Even the two children couldn't help but prick up their ears to listen. Their father and the bigwig in the entertainment industry had such a good childhood relationship; it was quite a story if word got out.

“Brother, I’ve always felt that my two daughters don’t look much like me, except for their noses. But people in the Lu family all have high nose bridges. Then I remembered Xiaonan and realized that these two girls really look like their aunt. Even though they don’t talk much here, they’re naughty at home, just like Xiaonan when she was little.”

"No, Xiao Nan was a real troublemaker when she was little. Even teenagers weren't as energetic as her. Xiao Jie and Xiao Jun are doing just fine."

"No way, you haven't seen what they're like at home. They can lift the roof off the house. I really don't know what to do with them. Unlike Xiaonan, you raised her well. She's naughty, but she's also really smart. She became a student at a prestigious university and is even a law graduate student. Unlike these two little rascals, I can't control them at all. As for their studies... with my elementary school education, if I say a few words to them, they'll argue with me. I can't win against them. Later, I started thinking about how to change their personalities so that they won't be unable to find a partner when they grow up."

He got down to business, and Lu Ze didn't refuse. He listened and followed his lead, asking what the man had been working so hard for the past six months wanted him to do.

“That’s just how kids are, how can you change them? It’s not like when we were kids, we could slap them if they misbehaved. You can’t hit kids these days.”

Lu Hai was delighted to hear this. Sometimes, when trying to bring up a topic, the other person's attitude would be somewhere between a question and a statement. If the other person was interested, they would usually respond with a question, indicating that they were willing to listen and looking forward to what would follow.

If it were a declarative statement, such as if Lu Ze were to give a response like, "That's how it is, it'll be better when you grow up," it would shut down the conversation and leave the main point stuck in Lu Hai's throat.

In Chinese, the concepts of asking and responding both exist within questions and affirmative sentences. It sounds simple, but anyone who can understand it is quick-witted. If the other party politely declines with an affirmative sentence, your subsequent requests will most likely be fruitless.

"I thought I'd let them learn art and cultivate their temperament."

Lu Ze nodded, picked up a piece of food and chewed slowly before replying, "Studying art is tough, no easier than studying general education. It also requires talent. If you want to make a name for yourself, you need some talent. If you want to go far, it's hard."

"Brother, as the old saying goes, 'No pain, no gain.' I didn't expect them to become famous. I just hope they can get into good universities and become art teachers after graduation. Then they'll be set for life."

What do you want them to learn?

"Initially, I wanted them to learn dance, but I also inquired and found out that dancing, like piano, requires starting from a young age and is based on early training. Now that the two children have already reached their developmental stage, it would be too late to start learning. As for art, the two children are not interested in it. They do have a special fondness for music, although it is also late, but with extra lessons from a teacher, they can still catch up. At least that's what the vocal teacher I consulted said, and the teacher also said that they are quite talented."

Lu Zexin, although teachers would definitely praise a student beforehand to get them accepted, who would dare to lie about a child who is tone-deaf? The parents aren't deaf, are they? Since the child is tone-deaf, starting high school isn't too late, and with a good teacher, the chances of success are still very high.

Lu Ze took a sip of wine, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. The whole family looked at the two children, making them quite nervous. They stared at Lu Ze expectantly, as if waiting for his answer.

"There are many kinds of music. What do you plan for them to learn?"

"I think folk music is a good fit. If you want to learn pop music, it's said that the best way is to study at the same time and become a trainee in a music company. But I've heard that music companies don't treat trainees very well. If you want to learn bel canto, you have to go abroad to study. Bel canto isn't popular in China, so I think folk music is a good fit."

It seems that Lu Hai has really thought it through. Of course, he wouldn't have come to ask Lu Ze for help before things were settled. Lu Ze also felt that learning folk music was the most suitable option. He nodded, thought for a long time, and then asked.

What difficulties are you facing now?

"Well... I've heard that many famous teachers don't easily take on students. First, you need to have some basic skills, and most importantly, you need to have connections in that area. If you don't have those connections, the teacher won't take your money. What I mean is, do you have those connections, brother? Even if we find an ordinary teacher to learn some basics first, and then take classes with those famous teachers, we can't lower your status, right?"

"It's not a matter of losing face. As long as the child is dedicated to learning, and since they've said they have talent, they'll definitely see results after a period of study. Here's my suggestion: since the child has no foundation right now, find a teacher to teach the basics first. Once they're ready, they can directly enroll in classes taught by professors from Yangyuan University. We definitely can't delay the child's progress. Also, are you planning to send both of them to the music academy affiliated with Fengtian University?"

"Correct."

Lu Hai breathed a sigh of relief, and even his wife beside him couldn't hide her joy. Although he was mentally prepared, he didn't have a particularly clear understanding of Lu Ze's connections. He could casually arrange for his daughter to have lessons with famous teachers from a top music academy. You know, out of so many art students in the country, how many can study with such masters? Let alone high school students, even for graduate students in vocal music, it's extremely rare.

As for the exorbitant fees of several thousand yuan per lesson from famous teachers, it's nothing at all. The wealth he has accumulated over the years is enough to support his two daughters in pursuing their dreams, and he would be willing to give it all away.

How many families with art students are short of money? A few thousand yuan per lesson isn't like several lessons a day; many families can afford it. So why don't they study under famous teachers? Isn't it because they lack connections? Compared to connections, money is not a problem at all.

Upon receiving Lu Ze's promise, the couple felt completely relieved, their vision blurred, as if the acceptance letters from top music academies were slowly beckoning to their two beloved daughters. This almost made Lu Hai shout the slogan, "My darlings, fly bravely! Your dad will always be there for you."

But before they could even rest, Lu Ze dropped another bombshell that was a major blow to the couple.

"The music high school affiliated with Fengtian University is not good enough. Go to Yangyuan High School instead. You can study there temporarily. I'll find someone to write you a recommendation letter. Don't worry about the duration of your temporary study."

Temporary enrollment is usually limited to one semester or one academic year. Unless you are the child of an elite or a soldier, it is unlikely that the affiliated high school of such a top university will allow you to study there for three consecutive years. However, a recommendation letter from a teacher within the school makes a difference. For example, a recommendation letter from Professor Zhuang Xue of the piano department might not even be necessary; a word from her would suffice.

"Go to the capital? Isn't that too far? The child is still young, and she's a girl. I'm a little worried."

At this moment, Lu Hai's wife suddenly interjected. She seemed a little hesitant, as she was indeed reluctant to let her daughter go so far away, even though she knew that there was a better learning environment and better teachers there.

“If you can’t bear to part with them, then you have to be prepared to commute between Beijing and Fengtian every week for classes. That would be really tough, and you can’t guarantee your child’s study habits.”

“Brother, no need. Just go to the capital to study. I started working as a laborer when I was fifteen. My daughter is just going to school. I believe they can be independent. Go! I'll take care of the formalities when we get back.”

Compared to his wife's hesitation and indecisiveness, Lu Hai agreed readily. For the sake of the children, experiencing separation earlier might not be a bad thing. At least in the capital, the two children would receive a better education. He raised his glass, toasted Lu Ze, and showed a relieved smile, expressing his gratitude to Lu Ze.

"Thank you for your trouble, brother. I've caused you trouble again."

"It's alright, they're from the Lu family, so of course I have no reason not to help them. Come on, cheers."

"..."

Requesting votes! My goal this month is to be in the top 100 of the monthly vote ranking and the recommendation vote ranking. I hope my wishes can come true, and I'll work hard to update regularly! Keep it up!

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(End of this chapter)