Translator: Lan_ Editor: Efydatia

  Although Qin Guan’s mother was mentally disturbed, he was a smart boy. He was actually really good at Zhusuan. His calculation speed was even faster than a senior staff member’s of the most popular bank at college.

  Things were simple for Qin Guan. He expected to see the twists and turns of human nature, moving emotions and complex human ugliness in Jiang’s film, so that he could refine his acting skills. The plot was like a start-from-scratch novel on Qidian’s website though. It just described the lives of common people.

  The plain boiled water, which was slightly sweet, was the perfect refreshment.

  The difficulty of the scene was Zhusuan, which was a required basic skill. The actor had to be good at basic finger counting and able to work out the correct result on the abacus.

  In modern times, few people could do that, but fortunately, Qin Guan was one of them. That skill was a must for an accounting student. It was also a basic skill for any Chinese accountant, including Qin Guan, who was a field professional.

  Using a large abacus borrowed from an old villager, the award-winning actor showed off his unique technique before everyone.

  He performed a simple addition from one to 100. His dancing fingers and the cracking sound of the beads elevated his skill to a higher level.

  Jiang Wen turned on the camera to film the scene silently. The young man in the white clothes was sitting by the table in the spring breeze. A soft cloud was floating in the air. He smiled as he heard the sound of the beads. This was a memory of his youth.

  Jiang Wen rested his jaw on his crossed fingers. This was his trademark gesture. He had been working on this script since 2000, so he didn’t want to see it suffer the same fate as the previous ones.

  They had all won international awards, but they had been banned by the SARFT at home. As soon as he expressed the intention of making a movie or finding a producer, someone would invite him for a cup of tea and explain to him the importance of China’s international image.

  After he had worked on it for a long time, the script had finally been approved. The best parts had to be kept in the dark though, so he had added a lot of metaphors and secret clues to the common story. Nevertheless, he had slowly realized that it was another internationally-orientated film.

  The box office would be a disaster. This was okay with the Emperor Group. They could cover the expenses. What he was worried about was his reputation and the actors’ image.

  Especially Qin Guan. Will his fans laugh at him?

  Jiang Wen sighed, but Qin Guan’s smile reassured him. This was only the beginning. Qin Guan was like a storm. Thanks to him, the film would do better.

  The movie had gone a different way ever since Qin Guan had joined the crew.

  Jiang Wen kept working with determination. Qin Guan’s mother had dug up a hole under the tree and found an underground hot spring. This attracted Qin Guan’s attention, who rushed to the pit immediately and jumped down, yelling at his mother, "Stop causing trouble for me!"

  He sat down in the pit and threw a cobblestone out with force. The young man was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

  His mother didn’t care though. She just squatted down and kept doing the same thing. Qin Guan sat down at the mouth of the spring in an effort to stop her.

  It’s so hot! My butt must look like a monkey’s.

  Zhou slapped him for disturbing her.

  Qin Guan did not cry out or leave. He just stuffed her into a basket. In the mountainous areas of Southwest China, this was a traditional way of carrying kids.

  Qin Guan would carry his mother on his back instead.