Starting a new chapter in life

With her occasional feeding, the director paid more and more attention to her. Sometimes he would take the initiative to invite her to watch in front of the camera, and he would also say a word or two about special shooting techniques. This was much more than what she learned in the classroom, and it was also more intuitive. Zhizhi would change the notebook in her pocket every week, which shows how much she had to remember.

Although Lu Xiaoxiao is the lead actress, she doesn't have any real acting experience, so being scolded by the director is commonplace for her. At first, she would cry for a while because of the scolding, but after being tortured for a month, she was able to let the director's scolding go in one ear and out the other, and she became extremely calm. It is said that she has developed several layers of thick skin.

Because the director had high standards, her acting skills and on-screen presence improved very quickly. During the summer vacation, Zhizhi followed her around the entire film set. At first, she was just doing odd jobs, but later Zhizhi almost took over the assistant director's job.

The only difference is that she works for free, and she has to pay for the ingredients herself to cook special meals for the director. Sometimes she will also make soup, and the crew's logistics staff can also get some. So if you ask who has the best interpersonal relationships on set, it has to be He Anzhi.

The assistant director wasn't unhappy about having his work taken away; instead, he would point out and correct Zhizhi's mistakes. Although it was a tiring summer vacation, everyone had a very fulfilling time.

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao were happy, but Chu Han and Chen Bin were miserable. After more than two years of freeloading, their palates had become too picky. Now, their cooking skills were terrible, and they complained that the food outside was either too oily or not fresh enough. But what could they do? They couldn't starve themselves, so they could only make do with whatever they could find.

Chu Han, who never went home for summer vacation in previous years, returned home for the first time this summer, just to avoid going hungry. Chu Han's mother was speechless at her son's behavior. Fortunately, the child was still salvageable and took the initiative to ask the family's cook to learn cooking skills.

Over the course of the summer, I wasn't good at making complicated dishes, but I managed to make decent soups and a few quick and easy ones, so I wouldn't go hungry this time.

The filming of the TV series is progressing faster than expected. It was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of November, but it was actually almost finished by mid-October. If a few shots need to be added during the editing process, it won't take long.

Shen Runze drove to pick up Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao. When it was time to leave, the director was the most reluctant to part with Zhizhi. After all, her stomach had become too picky. This shows how important it is to have a special talent.

Zhizhi made rapid progress during this period, and her mood was more jubilant than ever before. Unfortunately, this happiness was forced to dissipate at the end of November when her grandfather and great-grandfather were admitted to the hospital one after the other.

The hospital's diagnosis was that he was old and his organs were failing. In fact, eighty years old is considered a long life in this day and age, but as family members, we still felt it was too early and we were too reluctant to let him go.

Zhizhi bought a plane ticket overnight and flew directly back to Haishi. After meeting up with her mother in Haishi, she drove to Yangshi the next day. When they entered the hospital ward, the two brothers' beds were next to each other. Even though they were having difficulty breathing, they were still smiling.

My uncle's two sons and grandsons also came with their families. The ward was full, but there was not much noise. The hospital had given us a notice that we could choose to stay in the hospital or go home to reunite with our families in our final days.

The two elderly people still wanted to go home. When they returned to their father's home, everyone knew that this period might be the last time they would meet. Even though they were sad, they tried their best to hold back their tears and force a smile, talking about the interesting things they had encountered in their work and life.

No one mentions the current situation; everyone deliberately avoids it, hoping that even false happiness can last a little longer.

Despite their family's desperate attempts to keep them alive, they could not stop the passage of time. On the third day after everyone had gathered, He Jiaoxu and He Jiaosheng closed their eyes one after the other. In their final moments, the two elderly people still had smiles on their lips.

Their children have grown up, started their own families, and are all doing well in the future. They have experienced ups and downs and all sorts of storms in their lives, and they left without regrets in the best of times. For them, this is fulfilling and without regrets.

Even before he passed away, He Jiaosheng's last words were: "Axu, the luckiest thing in my life is being your brother. In the next life, let's be brothers, and then your brother will protect you."

The elderly woman had no regrets, but the living were heartbroken, especially her aunt and Cui Hongru. The younger generation was worried that they would collapse, but thankfully they held on.

The eldest aunt had her two children and family members hire a hearse to transport her uncle's body from Yangzhou to Haishi. Afterwards, she and her children visited several cemeteries in Haishi and finally chose a double burial plot, which was intended for the couple to be buried together in the future.

After paying the fees and buying the burial plot, they began to busy themselves with funeral arrangements. Meanwhile, He Zhijun and He Zhicheng were busy with He Jiaoxu's funeral, so the two brothers were not buried together.

After Jingyan finished her work and saw the children off, the two of them arrived in Haishi and thought about visiting their aunt. However, they learned that their aunt had just finished her uncle's funeral and said she was too tired, so she sent the children home to rest. When the children came over the next day and wanted to discuss taking their mother out for a walk to relax, they found that her body had already turned cold.

Losing both parents in a short period of time is a blow that most people cannot bear. At this time, He Zhijun simply made a phone call to Cui Hongru to inform her, and the couple would handle the rest.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Cui Hongru nearly collapsed. After all, she was a medical worker and had a relatively strong mental fortitude. After recovering from her serious illness, she did recover, but she aged considerably overnight and often stared blankly into space, seemingly lost in thought.

He Zhicheng returned to work after his bereavement leave ended, but he had to spend time with Cui Hongru every day. When he found that his mother was emotionally unstable, he was at a loss and could only call He Zhijun.

Jingyan felt that taking her mother out for a walk would help her relax and not stay cooped up at home all the time, as this would only make her think of her father more often and hinder her emotional recovery.

He Zhicheng and He Zhijun were both unable to take long leave, so Jingyan took Cui Hongru out. When she suggested going for a walk, Cui Hongru did not object. She probably knew that she was not in good condition and wanted to live a few more years. She could only feel at ease after seeing An'an and Zhizhi get married.

Jingyan started taking her mother-in-law on a nationwide trip. They didn't join a tour group; they just traveled on their own. With the end of the year approaching, the north was covered in snow. Her mother-in-law had always mentioned the snow scenes she had seen when she visited the Great Northern Wilderness, so their first stop was Harbin, the Great Northern Wilderness.

The Spring Festival was very lively. Even though it was just the two of them, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, standing on the streets of Harbin, watching the fireworks in the sky and the ice lanterns everywhere, Cui Hongru finally showed her first smile in months, even though the wind was biting cold outside.

The New Year's atmosphere in Beidahuang was very strong. I stayed there until the Lantern Festival. After seeing all kinds of lanterns, I went to Beijing, visited the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall, and watched the flag-raising ceremony...

Over the course of two years, Jingyan accompanied Cui Hongru on a journey through every province and city in China. They saw the Gobi Desert, traversed the grasslands, ate spicy hot pot that made their stomachs ache, and drank the most nourishing soups.

Cui Hongru's sadness gradually faded with time. In the early autumn of 2004, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law finally returned to Haishi. Jingyan was worried about Cui Hongru living alone in Yangshi, so she left her in Haishi. Cui Hongru had been with her for a long time and had some company, so she stayed as well.

Watching Jingyan busy preparing food, Cui Hongru couldn't help but say, "I used to treat you and Zhou Jie the same. As a daughter-in-law, it's good to maintain some distance so that there won't be any family conflicts. After all, my personality isn't exactly the best."

At that time, I didn't understand why your grandmother didn't like living with me, but was willing to leave the nursing home for you. After spending time with you, I finally realized that it is really reassuring to be by your side.

You always seem to have the ability to divert the attention of those around you, making them willing to follow your lead without feeling forced. Zhijun's marriage to you is his blessing, and also our family's blessing.

Jingyan chuckled, "Mom, you're exaggerating. I'm a bit impatient and assertive, but Zhijun doesn't mind and is willing to tolerate me. It's my luck. Your family has three generations of military service; your family is really well-off."

Not only did you not mind that I'm an orphan, but you also supported me in everything I did. This kind of recognition is the most precious thing to me. So there's no such thing as being blessed or not. If I really had to say, it would just be that we were destined to be together. You've been so understanding, and I'm grateful to you all.

Cui Hongru patted her hand gently and said, "What we like about you is your clarity of mind. Grandma passed away without regrets, and so did your father. When he was alive, he always said that you acted with magnanimity. Compared to you, your older brother and sister-in-law still lacked something."

Xiao Li has been by your side for many years, transforming from a timid and submissive girl into a confident and composed senior lawyer. They say a virtuous wife brings blessings to three generations; our family's blessings from marrying you extend far beyond three generations.

These past two years have been tough on your health because of me. Zhizhi graduated a year ago, and we haven't visited her. Why don't we take some time to go to Beijing again to see how she's doing, and how An'an's company is going?"

Jingyan was actually a little worried about her own two children. No matter how much she cared about other people's children, the attention she gave them would decrease after they went to university, let alone after graduation. She wouldn't ask too many questions or have too much worry if they couldn't find her.

But Zhizhi and An'an are her own children; how could she possibly be completely at ease? No matter how carefree she might sound, in the quiet of the night, she would always unconsciously worry about her two children.

Her mother-in-law's suggestion really hit the nail on the head. Without even hesitating, she nodded in agreement and prepared to buy plane tickets. It was perfect timing, as the two of them had traveled to many places over the years but had never actually flown before. This would be a chance to experience something new and exciting.

There was no need for He Zhijun to buy plane tickets. Jingyan called An'an to ask how to buy them. An'an gave her instructions for a while, and finally sighed, "Mom, don't bother. Just take a picture of your and Grandma's ID cards, and I'll have my assistant book them for you. You can just take your ID cards to the airport to pick up your tickets and register."

Jing Yan hung up the phone with a smile: "An'an will buy the plane tickets for us, so we just need to wait for departure."

Cui Hongru looked at her with a kind smile: "You really don't understand the ticket booking process? You just want An'an to worry about it for us, and to subtly hint to him to pick you up at the airport, right?"

Jingyan touched her face: "Mom saw through it? An'an is straightforward, but he always hopes to be seen, valued, and praised by his parents. I don't have much to praise him for at other times, but this is a good opportunity to let him show off."

Cui Hongru pointed at her with her index finger: "You, you're so clever. But An'an sounded really happy on the phone."

“Kids will be kids, you have to coax them. An’an is not young anymore, he’s twenty-six, but he’s still a bit childish. It’s fun to tease him. Mom, let’s bring more changes of clothes and stay there a little longer. Let’s spend some time with the two kids. What do you think?” Jingyan asked casually.

Cui Hongru is fine with going anywhere now, as long as she doesn't go back to the old house in Yangzhou, so she readily agreed.

After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law traveled all over the country, they only stayed at home for a month before embarking on their journey again, leaving He Zhijun alone at home... He also wanted to retire early, but was it too late to forge medical records?

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law paid no attention to the man left at home; their attention was entirely focused on the children. Once in Beijing, to demonstrate the overflowing maternal love they had missed for several years, they prepared different meals for the children every day.

Lu Xiaoxiao gained fame after the campus drama became a hit. On the eve of her graduation, Shen Runze helped her choose a palace drama, in which she played a female lead who rose from an ordinary fisherwoman to a powerful and wicked concubine.

This series is quite long; by the time it finished filming, she would have already graduated from university. She originally thought she would receive many scripts afterward, allowing her to focus on choosing which ones to act in. Unfortunately, with the release of this series, her fame did indeed rise significantly.

However, most of the scripts that came her way were for characters who were all looks and no substance, which Shen Runze didn't like and rejected. Fortunately, she didn't have much desire for fame, so she managed to stay calm.

Meanwhile, Zhizhi was much busier. Ever since Director Liu met her after that campus drama, he had been extremely attentive to her. Whenever he was filming in or near Beijing during holidays, he would always call Zhizhi over to help him out.

He said he wanted to take on apprentices, but actually he missed Zhizhi's cooking skills. In addition, Zhizhi is indeed talented in filming, so he was even more willing to teach her.

Zhizhi started out working part-time for free, but now she's earning a salary as an assistant director. Sometimes when the assistant director isn't around, she'll take over as the cameraman.

Zhizhi has already shown a natural talent for filming beautiful scenery. Her camera work is very distinctive, and this ability has been further developed under Director Liu's guidance. When filming period dramas, Zhizhi has more opportunities to be the one in charge of the camera.