Chapter 02: Coming Clean to Mom and Dad
I only had 1 yuan left. X﹏X
Now I had to go home.
It was also a good time to tell Mom and Dad about my plan to test into Beijing Film Academy, discuss it in advance, and avoid scaring the old couple by telling them only after getting the acceptance letter, like in my previous life.
Although he had come back once, he wasn't anxious about going home; after all, in his previous life in 2024, Mom and Dad were in good health, and the old couple were still living well after he passed away.
Yang Jian's family lived in a small county town below Lin City, Guizhou Province, called Kaizhou County.
The small county towns of this era were truly small; you could walk across one in about twenty minutes, comparable in size to some small towns later on.
His house was on the edge of the county town, a two-story building with a decent-sized yard. Mom and Dad made full use of every inch of land in the yard, planting vegetables and filling it with the atmosphere of life.
There were 5 people in their family. Dad Yang Zhenhua was a Chinese Teacher at a middle school in the county in earlier years.
Due to some special policies of that era, he lost his job after Yang Jian was born.
Later, with the support of relatives and friends, he bought a small truck specifically to transport coal for some factories in the city.
His income was quite good for Guizhou Province, but he was often away from home.
Mom Lin Xiulan worked at the county's department store, with stable working hours and salary.
Older brother Yang Rui was the eldest of the three siblings, 25 this year.
After graduating from university, he got a job in a city government agency.
He never caused Mom and Dad much worry from school to work.
Older sister Yang Zhen was the second child, 23 years old this year.
She was also very good at studying, was studying medicine, and was currently pursuing postgraduate studies.
The older brother and sister's grades were very good, but when it came to Yang Jian, they were a bit lacking.
Out of over 700 students in the entire grade, he ranked over 200th.
It's important to know that while Kaizhou No. 1 Middle School was the best middle school in the county, in a less developed province, only one or two students actually got into Tsinghua or Peking University each year, which shows how poor the teaching resources were.
Yang Jian was among the group in his grade who, with a little carelessness, could only get into a junior college.
Returning home, it was already 7 PM.
Mom was cooking in the kitchen, and Dad was nowhere to be seen.
"Mom, where's Dad?" Yang Jian grabbed a cucumber and asked casually.
"He hasn't come back from delivering coal yet? Huh! Xiao Jian, why are you back?" Mom Lin Xiulan turned to look at him.
"Did you skip evening study again?"
"No, I took leave.
I came back to discuss something with you and Dad," Yang Jian said while munching on the cucumber and talking to his Mom.
"The college entrance exam is in two months.
Pay more attention, don't let your Dad scold you when the time comes."
"Got it... Mom, I'll watch TV for a bit."
Yang Jian casually turned on the TV.
The show playing was the TV series "Feng Yun," starring Zhao Wenzhuo and He Run Dong.
The character designs, which he had found particularly handsome and beautiful back then, now seemed absolutely hideous to him, especially since he had worked on countless historical romance drama sets in his previous life and was somewhat influenced, making his aesthetic taste a bit picky.
Although historical romance dramas became rampant later on and the actors' skills weren't great, their costume, makeup, and props were well done.
After watching for a while and finding it boring, he simply thought in his mind about how to persuade Mom and Dad to support him going to Beijing Film Academy.
Although Mom and Dad had some traditional ideas, they weren't stubborn old-fashioned people.
He needed to pay attention to his approach and method, and if he could present a clear case, they should still agree.
Just as he was thinking of a plan, Dad Yang Zhenhua came back, with a tired look on his face.
It was clear he had made several trips today.
Every morning, Yang Zhenhua had to go to the countryside to load coal, then rush non-stop to the factories in the city, making several round trips a day.
Moreover, the roads of this era were not like the highways everywhere over a decade later.
The road conditions were very poor at this time, and he had to concentrate highly while driving, making this job very tough.
"Dad, you're back.
Mom is cooking in the kitchen, it should be ready soon.
Wash your face first."
Yang Jian saw Yang Zhenhua return and quickly got up to get water for him to wash his face.
If it were before, he wouldn't have had this awareness; he simply didn't understand Mom and Dad's hardships.
But after he went to Crossroads and struggled for a few years, he learned how difficult it was for ordinary people to make money.
It took him many years to go from not understanding to understanding.
After washing his face, Yang Zhenhua asked him, "Why didn't you go to evening study?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you I have something to discuss with you and Mom?
Let's eat first, we can talk after dinner, I'm hungry."
Yang Jian was no longer as afraid of Yang Zhenhua as before.
Mom's cooking skills were quite good; even if she opened a restaurant, she'd probably have good business.
The father and son cleared the dishes on the table.
After eating, Yang Jian suggested that Mom rest and he would clean up.
Lin Xiulan looked at him with some surprise and asked, "Did you get into some trouble?
I've never seen you this diligent normally!"
"What trouble could I get into?
Nothing like that.
Isn't it right for your son to help you with some chores!"
Yang Jian said while washing dishes and chatting with his Mom.
After a moment's work, he finished cleaning up and came to the living room.
Mom and Dad were watching a TV show.
Mom saw that he had finished and asked, "Didn't you have something to discuss with us?
What is it?"
Yang Jian hesitated for a moment and said, "It's about going to university.
Please don't get angry when I tell you."
Yang Zhenhua and Lin Xiulan seemed a little nervous hearing him say this, thinking he didn't want to go to university.
They both stared at him intently.
Facing their somewhat oppressive gazes, he felt a bit unaccustomed.
What's going on?
Is this the legendary bloodline suppression?
So he quickly replied, "Don't look at me like that, it's scary."
"I just want to tell you both that I secretly applied for the Beijing Film Academy performance major's art exam.
I passed the art exam, and for the college entrance exam application, I want to fill in Beijing Film Academy performance major."
"What school is the Beijing Film Academy performance major?" Mom said this.
"Is it an undergraduate program?" Dad said this.
"It's Beijing Film Academy, an undergraduate performance class.
The Beijing Film Academy performance major trains actors.
Look, Zhao Yanzi is from Beijing Film Academy, if I go there, she'll be my senior sister."
Thanks to "My Fair Princess," Yang Zhenhua and Lin Xiulan both knew that group of actors.
"If you go to Beijing Film Academy, will you become as famous as Xiao Yanzi?" Lin Xiulan asked eagerly.
Hearing Mom's question, Yang Jian felt a bit awkward.
In his previous life, he often saw a saying online: Becoming a minor success depends on being promoted, becoming a major success depends on fate.
Even though he had been reborn and knew which projects would be popular before 2024, he didn't remember the specific details.
And why would others use him?
Just because he was handsome?
The entertainment industry has no shortage of handsome guys.
In the non-traffic era, you still had to rely on professional ability to speak.
Furthermore, releasing works that didn't originally belong to this era wouldn't necessarily guarantee huge success.
Pfft, what excuses am I making?
The main reason is I don't remember the specific details! ~(´•︵•`)~
Also, Zhao Yanzi in these few years was considered a top star of this era, and the kind with actual works, not just relying purely on marketing.
Furthermore, up until she was blacklisted in 2021, despite some major scandals, she always managed to "turn misfortune into blessing," and her life in the industry was very comfortable.
"It's probably a bit difficult.
To become as famous as Zhao Yanzi would likely require some luck, but it's not impossible.
If I can get to know some Teachers and senior brothers and sisters, I might get a chance to act, and then I'll have a chance to become famous."
"And even if I can't act, I can still find a stable job to support myself after graduation."
In his previous life, Yang Jian didn't say this to Mom and Dad; he just kept saying he wanted to be a star and make a lot of money, without any method or approach.
"Also, with my current grades, I'm only at the level for an ordinary undergraduate program, and there aren't any particularly good schools for that.
Plus, I passed the Beijing Film Academy art exam.
As long as I perform normally this time, I can definitely get into Beijing Film Academy," Yang Jian thought for a moment and continued.
"The tuition is a bit expensive, but don't worry, I already have a way to solve the tuition problem."
Yang Zhenhua didn't speak after listening.
After pondering for a while, he said, "You'll be 18 soon, you're already considered an adult.
It's good that you have your own ideas.
Originally, your Mom and I discussed having you repeat a year if you didn't do well on the exam this year.
Now that you have a plan, we won't object.
But once you've made your choice, don't regret it.
Your Mom and I support you three siblings going to school, not asking you to become famous people, but just hoping you can have more knowledge and experience, choose the life you want, and live a little easier in the future.
Do you understand?"
Before Yang Jian could answer, Yang Zhenhua continued, "As for the tuition fees, that's something your Mom and I will consider.
You don't need to worry about that.
Alright, it's getting late, you have school tomorrow, go to bed early."
Yang Jian was very happy.
After having a big fight with Mom and Dad in his previous life, he didn't understand anything back then.
He was not only foolish but also very stubborn.
In a fit of anger, he ran off to become a Crossroads extra and didn't go home for several years.
Now that he could gain Mom and Dad's support, that knot in his heart was also untied, and he felt completely relaxed, a relaxation he had never experienced before.
"Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom!
I'm going to sleep now!"
At this moment, he was as excited as when he received New Year's money as a child, bouncing and skipping upstairs to sleep. (*^▽^*)
He slept very soundly this time!
He had a dream, a very real dream.
In the dream, he became a Best Actor at the European Three major film festivals, he became a household name male actor, he became a male singer loved by everyone.
Every movie he made was a bestseller, every drama became a hit, every song became a classic.
His influence not only spread across Asia, but even Europe had legends about him!
But in the end, he died of lung cancer, and his passing was a bit uneasy.