My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 31 Movie
If he had known this would happen, he would have come earlier. But who could have predicted these things?
Since we're already here, let Lin Ying have dinner before we go back together. Zhou Jiye handed Lin Ying the teacup containing the food, and Lin Ying took it and started eating. Zhou Jiye stood by, watching the bustling crowd at the movie theater entrance, and couldn't help but ask curiously what was going on here today, since there were usually not many people.

"A new movie was released, and everyone came to see it, so naturally there were more people."

"A new movie? What new movie?" Zhou Jiye asked curiously.

Lin Ying pointed to a poster on the left wall: "The Gunshots of the Secret Service. I heard it's a really good movie, and quite a few people come to see it."

Zhou Jiye racked his brains, the name seemed somewhat familiar, but he remembered it was probably from a TV series.

Moreover, it's an old TV series, I think it aired around 2007 or 08. Zhou Jiye was still very young at that time. And this TV series wasn't as popular as "Bright Sword" or "Lurking". Zhou Jiye had never seen it except for the name, and he didn't know anything about the content.

As for the movie, he knew even less. But seeing so many people at the cinema today, all there to see this new film, could it be that the movie is really popular?
"I don't know, I haven't seen it. Have you seen it before?"

Lin Ying shook her head: "This movie is so old, it's almost the same age as my dad, how could I have seen it? But people coming out of the movie theater this afternoon were talking about it, saying that the movie seemed pretty good."

As Lin Ying spoke, a hint of curiosity crossed her face. Seeing her expression, Zhou Jiye suddenly had an idea and whispered in Lin Ying's ear, "How about we buy tickets and go in to watch a show?"

"Does this count as you asking me out first?"

"Of course it counts! Watching movies, shopping, and...aren't those the three things that are popular in relationships these days?"

"What else?"

"Of course we'll go into the woods," Zhou Jiye whispered with a sly smile in Lin Ying's ear.

"Get lost! You're never serious!"

Lin Ying was both amused and exasperated, but to be honest, even after being in Shanghai for so long, the two of them hadn't had a moment's rest.

First, they had to find a place to stay, and after much difficulty, they finally found a place to live now. Next, they started thinking about how to make money. It's not easy to live in Shanghai, and they don't have Shanghai residency. They also don't have any relatives or friends here. They've already spent most of the money they brought with them, and if they don't make any more money, they'll starve.

To earn money, they've been working tirelessly from dawn till dusk these days, without a single day off. Now, one sells tea eggs outside the movie theater, and the other sells old hens at the market. They've finally escaped poverty and have some savings now.

Even so, because they had to set up their stall every day, they had no time to go out or do any entertainment. Being constantly on edge, and then having to prepare for the next day's work after helping Lin Ying pack up at night, would be unbearable even for someone made of iron!
Since we're closing up early today, going back will only mean getting some rest earlier, so why not watch a movie together to relax?

After Zhou Jiye made this suggestion, Lin Ying thought about it and agreed, which shows that she was also very interested in the movie.

Buying movie tickets wasn't difficult. Lin Ying's stall was right at the entrance of the ticket office, and she had already become familiar with everyone at the cinema these past few days. There was no need to queue up; she simply went inside, said hello, and bought two tickets for the next showing.

With about ten minutes to go before the movie started, Lin Ying quickly finished her dinner and then, together with Zhou Jiye, pulled the tea egg cart into the cinema. After telling the staff, they locked the cart in a corner with a chain lock, planning to push it home after the movie, saving themselves the inconvenience of going back and forth.

After finishing all that, Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying took their tickets and went to the theater. Once inside, they found their seats and sat down, waiting for the movie to start.

Cinemas today are different from those decades from now. Cinemas decades from now will have small screening rooms, and even if there are large screening rooms, the seating capacity will be limited. At most, a screening room can seat dozens or a hundred people at most.

The theaters of today are several times the size of the halls of the future. The theater they were in had only one hall, but if it was full, it could seat nearly a thousand people, making it almost indistinguishable from a large auditorium.

Because they knew someone, they bought good seats, right in the middle with the best view. When they entered, the theater was already nearly half full. After they found their seats, more people gradually came in, and by the time the lights dimmed and the movie was about to start, the entire theater was almost full.

Watching such an old movie in this era was a first for both of them. Many people in rural Northwest China had never seen a movie in their lives; even when work teams came to the countryside to show films, it was extremely rare. Besides, their original rural village wasn't a large place, and it was far from the county seat.

As the lights on the screen came on, the movie finally began.

This was a black-and-white film, and for the two men, accustomed to blockbusters, the initial viewing experience wasn't great. However, they were soon drawn into the plot. Although the filming techniques were somewhat outdated, and the theater equipment was far inferior to what they were used to, the plot and pacing were undeniably excellent. It created a tense atmosphere from the very beginning, and the story, set in the familiar metropolis of Shanghai, immediately showcased the glitz and glamour of the Paramount Ballroom. The tension, built up gradually amidst cheerful music, was captivating.

At 113 minutes, it would be considered a very long film by today's standards. As the movie nears its end, the story reaches its climax, with the two sides engaging in a battle of wits and courage. At the most dangerous moment, the third agent suddenly shoots and kills the main villain, Zhang Zhongnian, revealing his identity to the protagonist. It turns out that this third agent was actually his comrade.

The mystery was revealed, and with the help of the third brother, the protagonist Liu Xiaochen successfully completed his mission, bringing the film to a perfect close. As the credits rolled and the theater lights came on, the movie finally ended, but everyone was still reluctant to leave, whispering and discussing it amongst themselves. Some even said they would come back to see it again tomorrow, saying things like, "It's truly a great film."

"I didn't expect this movie to be so well made."

On the way back, even Lin Ying was excitedly discussing the movie plot with Zhou Jiye.

Although this film may have some shortcomings from their perspective, it is still quite innovative compared to other films, especially those of this era. The plot twists are unprecedented in previous films, making it a truly rare and excellent film. Besides, didn't they enjoy watching it tonight?

"Yes! This movie is really good, well-made, and the actors acted very well. By the way, is the Paramount Ballroom in Shanghai really like the one in the movie?" Zhou Jiye couldn't help but ask.

"How would I know?" Lin Ying rolled her eyes at him. "When I was a child, the Paramount Ballroom was converted into a movie theater. The Paramount Ballroom in the movies is what it looked like before the liberation. I've never seen what it looks like now."

"How about we go check it out sometime?" Zhou Jiye suggested, as he had a unique viewing experience and was immediately drawn to the Paramount Ballroom in the film.

"Look what you're planning to do?" Lin Ying asked Zhou Jiye with a half-smile. "You're not thinking of going to the Paramount and finding a dancer to have some fun like in the movies, are you? Don't dream about it. The Paramount doesn't have that anymore. If you're thinking of doing that, you'd better be careful. You might end up going in standing up and coming out lying down."

"Holy crap!" Zhou Jiye exclaimed in surprise, "You're something else! You're putting your knowledge to use! You're using movie lines to curse your husband like that?"

Lin Ying chuckled, her eyes narrowing like a little fox that had stolen an egg: "Scared already? There's something even tougher coming."

"what?"

Lin Ying straightened her chest, made an "eight" gesture with her right hand, placed her hand on her waist, and glared at Zhou Jiye with a cold look: "Zhou Jiye! You dare to sneak off to Pengchacha behind my back? I, on behalf of the people, sentence you to death!"

*Bang!* Lin Ying mimicked a gunshot, and Zhou Jiye instantly clutched his chest, his eyes widening in shock, swaying as if in pain: "You...you..."

Then, he stumbled back a few steps, just like the traitor Huang Xiancai in the movie, and turned to grab at the curtains in front of him. Unfortunately, there were no curtains for him to grab, so he could only grab at empty air. Then, he pretended to tilt his head and deliberately stuck out his tongue at Lin Ying.

Zhou Jiye's funny appearance made Lin Ying almost burst out laughing. She didn't expect Zhou Jiye to have such a talent for acting, his pretentious mannerisms were so lifelike.

For a moment, they looked at each other, then burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs and nearly choking on their laughter. Just as they were laughing heartily, an angry roar suddenly came from a second-floor window on the street: "Who's so inconsiderate! What time is it? Why aren't you asleep? What's with all the yelling? Everyone has to go to work tomorrow!"

"broken!"

They had all forgotten that it was already nine o'clock. Nowadays, there's practically no nightlife, let alone much entertainment. Most people go to bed around 8:30 pm. Although they closed up shop early today, they had watched a movie, and since it was a long movie, they left the theater late. On the way back, they chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, it was late. Plus, they hadn't been paying attention to their playful antics earlier, which disturbed the nearby residents' rest.

The two exchanged a glance, both making faces as if they'd gotten into trouble. Suppressing their laughter, they quickly pushed the cart back home. Once they got home, they pushed the cart into the kitchen on the first floor, closed the door, and then they couldn't help but chuckle. But they didn't dare to laugh loudly, afraid of disturbing Aunt Wang's family who were already resting. They were really struggling to hold it in.

A movie helped Zhou Jiye relax a lot after being under pressure for days. He slept better than ever that night and felt refreshed the next day.

In the days that followed, as the movie became a hit, many people flocked to the cinema every day to watch it, and as a result, Lin Ying's tea egg business also boomed.

Thanks to Zhou Jiye's efforts in collecting old hens, he now goes to the suburbs every morning before dawn, resulting in a much more abundant egg supply than before. Otherwise, based on previous sales, Lin Ying's tea eggs would not have been enough to meet demand. Even so, Zhou Jiye has increased the amount of eggs he collects each day, barely making up for the shortfall. The tea egg business has been booming lately; what used to be just over 120 tea eggs a day has now increased to just over 200. Thanks to the recent popularity of the movie, Lin Ying has made a fortune.

(End of this chapter)