The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1616: Divorce

Compared to the original drama, Sanli's fate has long since taken a different turn.

Originally, she went to a vocational school after graduating from high school to learn a technical skill and became a worker. There, she met, fell in love with, and married Wang Yiding. Now, however, because of Wang Yan, she studies hard and strives for excellence, attending high school alongside him. Their lives have already taken completely different paths.

Sanli's diligent study was mainly motivated by Wang Yan. Because Wang Yan didn't study at all, didn't listen in class, didn't do his homework, and often skipped school, yet he always got top grades in exams, and occasionally even ranked first in the whole school.

Sanli was frustrated by Wang Yan's intelligence, but it also fueled her determination. She wanted to go to university too, and didn't want the gap between her and Wang Yan to widen. With hard work, there would be results, and with Wang Yan's occasional tutoring, getting into university was quite a possibility. She just had to wait for next year's college entrance exam.

Their relationship naturally evolved into one of partnership over time, without any unexpected twists or turns...

After the laughter subsided, Wang Yan got back to the main topic and agreed to the task: "I'll ask around later and see if there's anything suitable. But don't get your hopes up too high. After all, I'm just a recent high school graduate, I don't have that much ability."

“It’s better that you know more people than I do, because maybe one of them will be able to help you,” Qiao Zuwang said, placing high hopes on his future son-in-law.

"Then I'm counting on you, my good brother-in-law." Si Mei smiled.

"I just said not to get your hopes up too high, it's really hard to say. Just relax and have some fun, there's no rush."

Wang Yan waved his hand, saying that Si Mei really didn't want to study; going to school felt like torture to her. Even if she found a job, Si Mei wouldn't go; she just wanted to play.

Sure enough, Si Mei chuckled and said, "I've wanted to stay here for a long time. Doing nothing and thinking about nothing every day would be wonderful."

Yi Cheng said, "Keeping yourself at home doesn't mean you can run wild. Keep the house clean, wash your own clothes, and don't go out and hang out with shady people. If I find out, I'll teach you a lesson."

"I'll just stay at Brother Yan's house, play with the cats and dogs, and look at the photos he's taken over the years. Oh, by the way, Brother Yan's study is full of books. I can read some novels, isn't that nice, brother?"

"You'd better be!" Yi Cheng wasn't at ease with his younger sister; she was just too wild, unruly, and impossible to control. Only Wang Yan could manage her; Wang Yan's words carried more weight than those of her own older brother.

Sometimes, he was jealous of Wang Yan. But he was also grateful to Wang Yan because since Wang Yan appeared, things at home had gone very smoothly, and he hadn't had to worry about anything. Even financially, things had actually become more comfortable.

Yi Cheng had a good habit of keeping accounts. He estimated Wang Yan's expenses, which far exceeded the compensation Wang Yan received and the damages from the fights he'd been involved in. Wang Yan's deficit was almost catching up with his income. And there were many other expenses he was unaware of. Wang Yan's money always seemed inexhaustible; he wondered if it was obtained through some kind of magic…

He didn't dare ask, but whenever he saw Wang Yan, he would remind him to be thrifty and law-abiding...

This is truly the biggest misunderstanding of Wang Yan.

After dinner, they cleaned up the dishes and chatted briefly before Old Qiao went out to play cards. Yi Cheng went back to school; he rarely rested except when he was home, spending all his time studying and reading. The remaining three—Er Qiang, San Li, and Si Mei—stayed at the Qiao family home.

Sanli was doing her homework inside, asking Wang Yan questions when she encountered difficulties, which was why Wang Yan hadn't gone back. Erqiang had nothing to do, so he stayed with him. Simei was playing with the cats and dogs; she had specifically asked Wang Yan to bring them over, and she was happily looking at her posters and photos.

In the courtyard, Wang Yan and Er Qiang were smoking together. Er Qiang was completely shameless now; Qiao Yicheng cursed him a couple of times but then said nothing more. As for Wang Yan, Qiao Yicheng only offered some advice about the health risks of smoking, and nothing more. After all, compared to Wang Yan's fighting, smoking and drinking seemed like normal...

Erqiang smoked, glancing at Wang Yan every now and then, opening his mouth but then closing it dejectedly, silently taking another drag of his cigarette. A few moments later, he did it again…

Seeing this, Wang Yan took the initiative to ask, "Brother Qiang, if you have something to say, just say it. If you don't want to say it, go stay over there. I find your dawdling annoying."

Erqiang chuckled, then moved his stool closer and whispered, "My master is getting a divorce..."

"Want a divorce? What's wrong with that?"

"That gambler disagreed and went to the factory to cause trouble again."

"Did I hit you again?"

"No, no, he wouldn't dare. He hasn't dared to lay a hand on my master all year." Erqiang then said in an even lower voice, "It's just that he said I was having an affair with my master at the factory, and he threw a tantrum there..."

Wang Yan crossed his legs and smiled, "You seem pretty happy, Brother Qiang..."

“I’m a grown man, so I certainly don’t care, but it’s not good for my master’s reputation. However, my master didn’t say anything. She said to let others say what they want. If she tried to explain, it would only make things worse. Those people who love to watch the drama would definitely say even more outrageous things. It’s better to ignore it.” Erqiang’s lips were hard to suppress.

Being paired with someone you like is a joyful thing for anyone. For example, being ranked one above or below someone else on an exam report card, taking synchronized actions, or occasionally making eye contact. These often exert a so-called 'destiny' influence, amplifying one's feelings.

"And what about their attitude towards you?"

"Or maybe I'm just too young and they're telling me not to overthink things..." Erqiang was a little dejected again. He knew what Wang Yan wanted to ask, so he said to himself, "I've figured it out. I like my master, and I want to be with her!"

"You were right."

"Accurate, absolutely accurate. Brother Yan, you have to put in a good word for me with my older brother, otherwise I'm afraid he'll beat me to death."

"Aren't you afraid of your dad?" Wang Yan asked knowingly with a smile.

"I don't care about him, I wouldn't even care if he got so angry he died."

"It's not that bad. Uncle Qiao is indeed unreliable and hasn't taken good care of you siblings, but he's still spent money on you all these years. He's made sure none of you starved to death. You've always had food to eat and clothes to wear, and you've all grown up healthy and strong."

"I don't care if he's angry or not, as long as my older brother is alright!" Erqiang rarely spoke with such toughness, especially towards his own father...

The three Qiao siblings usually obey their father's every word, even when scolded, just mumbling and agreeing. But when it comes to a serious matter, they only listen to their eldest brother, Qiao Yicheng. Their father is useless to them; they don't care if he lives or dies…

Erqiang didn't want to say more about this matter, and instead chuckled and said, "Wang Yan, I'm not going to do that money-making plan you mentioned. You can do it yourself after you graduate from university."

“You have to do it too. These past two years, the old working-class system isn’t as effective anymore. People don’t envy us as much, and we don’t have the same confidence as before. People with ten thousand yuan in income have become a thing of the past. We’re such good brothers, I’ll make sure you make a fortune.”

"I don't want to get rich, I just want my master..."

"That's well said, simple and direct, expressing your true feelings." Wang Yan nodded with a smile, giving his approval. "What bra?" The four beauties heard the noise and looked like they'd been caught red-handed. "Brother Yan, Second Brother, are you two talking about something inappropriate for children? Why are you even talking about bras?"

"Go away, go away, don't you understand the importance of speaking your mind? You only have a junior high school diploma, you have no culture at all."

"That's still better than you! At least I learn something, but you don't learn anything at all!" Si Mei fiddled with the kitten's two front paws in her arms. "Scratch him, scratch him to death!"

Amidst laughter and playful banter, Wang Yan asked the four beauties, "What kind of work do you want to do?"

"Brother Yan, I don't want to work, I don't want to work at all." Seeing Wang Yan's smiling but silent expression, Si Mei leaned closer and rested her head on Wang Yan's shoulder. "If you really have to work, can you find me a job that's easy, close to home, and pays well? Although you said you weren't sure, I know you can definitely find one, right, Brother Yan? Hey, say something, say something."

Erqiang chuckled and said, "No matter how capable your brother Yan is, he can't stop you from daydreaming."

"High pay, low workload, and close to home. Wait until Brother Yicheng becomes a leader, he can arrange things for you."

"Forget it, who knows when my brother will become a leader? Besides, with his personality, even if he really becomes a leader, we shouldn't even think about getting any special privileges."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and slapped Erqiang on the shoulder: "Brother Qiang, you're really right about that. Brother Yicheng really is that kind of person."

“That’s my older brother.” Erqiang said, speechless.

"Hey, Yan-ge, we're talking about work, we're talking about work, is it going to work or not...?"

Wang Yan seemed to think for a moment, then took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out five ten-yuan bills, and handed them over: "You can stay home and play for now. If you need money, ask me for it, but don't run around. If you do, you have to report it. Otherwise, I'm afraid Brother Yicheng will fight me to the death."

"Tch, you could kill my brother with one hand, what could he possibly fight for?" Si Mei, who had taken the money, remained steadfast in her stance.

"Then you really are Brother Yicheng's good sister."

"Oh, Brother Yan, I'm your dear sister, we're best friends."

"Get lost, girls should keep their distance from boys as they grow up, don't be so lovey-dovey with me." Wang Yan reached out and pressed her face, pushing her away.

"What's the big deal?" Si Mei, who had been pushed away, curled her lip indifferently, then squatted down on the ground, grinning, "Brother Yan, how much money do you actually have?"

"Four Beauties!" Sanli's shout came from inside the house.

Erqiang glared at his younger sister and said, "Don't ask around."

"It's nothing," Wang Yan waved his hand dismissively. "Tell me what you want to do."

"Buy a TV, then I can watch it at home."

Si Mei smiled and said, "Besides, buying a camera isn't cheaper than buying a TV. I saw that the camera you had Niu Ye bring back from the south last year was imported. I guess it must have cost more than buying a TV, right?"

"Oh, sister, second brother, don't glare at me. It's not like I'm making Yan buy it himself. I wanted Yan to chip in. Eldest brother and second brother both have money, and I'll ask Min-ge for donations too. That way, we can buy it! We'll leave it at Yan-ge's house!"

Sanli's expression softened: "You wish! You're only thinking about spending money without earning a single penny. Don't think I didn't see Wang Yan give you money. Give up now, we'll talk about it later."

"Um... I think it's pretty good..." Erqiang said weakly.

"Look, look, even Second Brother agrees." Si Mei laughed heartily, slapped the fifty yuan she had just received into Wang Yan's hand from her pocket, and then quickly pulled one back: "Anyway, you've given me the money, so don't worry about how I spend it, Brother Yan. Consider this forty yuan as my contribution."

Seeing Sanli looking at him, Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Buying a TV is a big deal. We'll have a meeting when Brother Yicheng comes back next time and hear his opinion. The TV definitely can't be put in my house. Let Uncle Qiao contribute some more money and put it here. After all, I'm here often."

Qiao Erqiang laughed and said, "If you ask me, it's better to put it over there."

"That way you can watch TV, right?" Si Mei pouted, with an expression that said, "I've figured you out," and then said, "Actually, it's really good to put it over there, Brother Yan. Then I can watch it every day."

If this were at home, my dad would definitely fight me for it. Even though he's never home, he'll definitely be back early if there's a TV. He says we watch TV outside, but besides playing mahjong, he watches just as much.

Wang Yan ignored the laughter and commotion of Erqiang and Simei, and followed Sanli into the house.

"Thank you, Wang Yan."

Wang Yan took her hand and stroked it, grinning, "We'll be family sooner or later, no need to thank me after all these years."

Although Sanli blushed, she chatted with Wang Yan for a while before starting her studies. Wang Yan patiently guided her, determined to get into university…

A week later, Erqiang returned home as usual for a family reunion and a nice meal. Simei, who had been eagerly anticipating buying a television, proposed a motion and chaired the meeting regarding the Qiao family's purchase of a television set.

After discussion, it was decided that Yicheng would contribute 100 yuan, Erqiang 70 yuan, Simei 40 yuan, Lao Qiao 150 yuan, and Wang Yan would make up the remaining amount. Wang Yan would also be responsible for purchasing a 14-inch black and white television set, which would cost approximately 400 yuan, meaning Wang Yan would have to pay a little over 100 yuan.

Old Qiao really went all out. This old guy hardly ever saves money; he's always eating, drinking, and gambling. Even getting 150 yuan is something he has to borrow. Of course, he wasn't initially willing, thinking he could just squeeze money out of Wang Yan. But the moment he opened his mouth, everyone from Yi Cheng to Si Mei got angry. The old guy was like a dog that had suddenly bared its teeth and then been slapped, only able to whine helplessly to himself…

As expected, Wang Yan finally bought a 17-inch black and white TV, which cost over 600 yuan. He didn't buy a color TV, as even the cheapest ones cost over 1,000 yuan. It wasn't that Wang Yan didn't want to buy one, but the camera that Si Mei mentioned was a Hasselblad medium format camera, and with a bunch of lenses, tripods, and other accessories, the total cost would exceed 10,000 yuan.

The main problem is that after the purchase, even the most quarrelsome of the Qiao family members, except for Qiao Zuwang, were not happy.

The TV was naturally put at Old Qiao's house after it was bought, and just as Si Mei had said, Qiao Zuwang spent more time at home, constantly fighting with Si Mei over who could watch the TV. So Si Mei brought the cats and dogs back, and wouldn't listen to her own father no matter what he said...

Overall, the Qiao family's business is booming...

　I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the kind readers who have given me generous support through tips, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and those who have been reading quietly!

　　(End of this chapter)