Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 219 Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao's Future Plans

Having learned from An'an's experience of getting into her dream university by luck, despite her score being close to the cutoff, Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao have become noticeably more serious about their studies since the start of the new semester.

Not to mention daydreaming in class, they don't even waste time during breaks, trying their best to consolidate their knowledge. I don't know how much pressure this kind of enthusiasm puts on other students, but the teachers are certainly very happy.

The two children already had very good grades, after all, they had a lot of tutoring at home, and as long as they weren't stupid, their grades wouldn't be too bad. But after working even harder, at least their knowledge gaps have been reduced a lot.

Because Lu Xiaoxiao had the idea of ​​applying to film school, she consulted a teacher not long after the start of the semester. Unexpectedly, film school is an arts institution, and students need to apply for an arts and sports qualification certificate from the school a year before the college entrance examination.

Next came the provincial exam. Only after obtaining the written exam certificate were you eligible to participate in the college entrance exams for art students in February or March of your senior year of high school. In short, the process was quite complicated.

Just listening to it made Lu Xiaoxiao a little hesitant. "Teacher, is it really that complicated?"

The teacher smiled gently: "Actually, it's not too bad. The school recommends that you pass the provincial exam easily, since you can sing, dance, and play instruments. You don't need to worry about that. It's just that the most well-known film academies in the country are in Beijing..."

Going there in February or March during your senior year of high school is indeed quite far, and you'll need a parent to accompany you. If you want to study acting, you actually have an advantage; you're beautiful, have a great figure and excellent presence.

As long as you can sing and dance, and perform a short skit, that should be enough. But our school has never had any art students; the information I have is from other universities.

Lu Xiaoxiao nodded, thanked the teacher, and returned to the classroom. Zhizhi was engrossed in doing practice problems. She knew Xiaoxiao was back, but after finishing two problems, she noticed that Lu Xiaoxiao wasn't studying as usual. Curious, she pulled her attention away from the problem bank.

Looking at Lu Xiaoxiao, who was deep in thought, he nudged her with his elbow and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you?"

Lu Xiaoxiao snapped out of her reverie and sighed, "I just asked my homeroom teacher about applying to the film academy. I didn't expect it to be so complicated. First, I have to pass the provincial exam, which is around the end of senior year. Then, in February or March of that year, I have to go to Beijing for the art exam. Finally, there's the national college entrance examination."

Just hearing about it makes me feel exhausted. And the trip to Beijing for the art exams followed by the national college entrance exam is so far, requiring a parent to accompany me. Do you think my mom would agree to go with me? If my dad were to go, I'd rather not go at all.

Zhizhi sighed and thought for a moment: "How about I take the art exam too? That way I can go with you. It shouldn't be a problem for Mom to come with us. She sent Brother Ci'en to Beijing back then, so she'll be better off than us."

Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, but then she shook her head: "Being an actress is my dream, but not yours. I know you have no interest in acting and will not pursue this path in the future. Accompanying me to take the exams is a waste of time. I can't delay you because of myself and trouble Yan's mother."

Zhizhi flicked her head: "Silly girl, we promised to stay together forever. I really have no interest in acting, but acting isn't the only major. Can't I choose directing or cinematography?"

Do you remember the movie *The Eternal Wave*? I heard the director was a woman. If I ever get the chance to direct, I'll definitely include you in all my films.

Lu Xiaoxiao laughed happily: "Hey, why don't you make me the female lead in all the films you direct? You only reserved a role for me, are we still best friends?"

Zhizhi glared at her: "You wish! When I direct movies in the future, I also care about box office and reputation, okay? My lead actress may not be pretty, but she must have acting skills. As you are now, I really don't dare to make such a big promise to you. But when I think you really have the ability to be the female lead, I will definitely choose you first."

During their youthful and impetuous years, the two sisters already harbored ambitions to make a name for themselves in their vision of the future.

After returning home from school, Zhizhi had a rare serious and deep conversation with her parents. Jingyan looked at her daughter, whose eyes were firm and whose logic was clear, and saw a moment of confusion in her eyes. It was as if in just a moment, the child had grown from a newborn baby into a young woman with clear goals.

She knew nothing about these things; she mostly just watched dramas and listened to comedy sketches. In this completely unfamiliar field, she couldn't offer advice, much less make any judgments. She turned to He Zhijun, who took her hand and whispered:

“The child is growing up. Since she wants to try her luck, let her be. If she can’t make it one day, she can come back. Our family won’t starve her. And if things get really bad, there’s always her brother.”

An'an, who was studying in Xi'an, felt an itch in her nose and sneezed twice, bringing tears and snot to her eyes. After cleaning herself up with a tissue, she muttered, "Do I have a cold? In this weather, it shouldn't be that bad."

Jingyan was a woman of action; the next day, she went to school with Zhizhi. Zhizhi went to class, while Jingyan went to the teachers' office to find the homeroom teacher. The teacher warmly welcomed Jingyan.

There was no way around it; this family had produced four college students, all of them from top-tier universities or first-tier colleges. At Changxing Island High School, Jingyan and He Zhijun's reputation was far greater than they thought.

The teacher was genuinely surprised to learn that Jingyan had come to inquire about the film academy's application process. After all, most parents don't want their children to enter such a world of fame and fortune. However, her respect for her child's wishes was something the teacher found rare.

After finding out all the procedures, Jingyan said goodbye and left. When the homeroom teacher went to the school to help the two children apply for arts and sports student qualifications, she couldn't help but sigh:

"Now I finally understand why Mr. He's children are so successful. The parents are very tolerant and respectful of their children's wishes and ideas, and are willing to support them. No wonder all the children are so hardworking and successful. Parents who like to make decisions for their children should learn from them."

The head of the teaching department laughed and said, "If all parents were this open-minded, it wouldn't be our country. The ingrained thinking passed down from our ancestors is that parents should make decisions for their children, and children should listen to their parents. The He family is a very small minority. Changing this ingrained thinking is difficult."

Over the weekend, Jingyan explained the application requirements for film school to Shen Runze. The following weekend, Mr. Shen would provide targeted tutoring for the two children.

Since learning about his two children's future goals, Shen Runze has been using all his connections to inquire about news in the entertainment industry. He watched his children grow up and didn't want to let them venture out on their own.

He had a good plan: once the children graduated and were about to enter the entertainment industry, he would apply for medical retirement and accompany them throughout the process. With an elder by his side, at least their safety would be guaranteed. He never imagined that one day, because of Xiaoxiao's fame, he would also become a top agent. Of course, that's all in the future.

Winter break arrived quickly, and He Jin'an bought a ticket through the school and returned home early. Arriving home, he felt so warm and welcome. He had only been away studying for half a year, and aside from the initial two months of excitement and the freedom of being away from home,

Then he faced the problem of missing his family and relatives. He would call home occasionally, but he couldn't call all the time. Before, because he was the only one in the whole dormitory who loved to contact his family the most, his roommates teased him for being unable to live without his mother.

To save face, he explained that he frequently called home because he had two younger sisters in their second year of high school and he was worried about their studies and future college applications.

His roommates didn't believe him at first, but when they saw the photo of Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao in his wallet, they all fawned over him, thinking the two girls were very pretty and asking him if they could be his brother-in-law. Because of this, An'an beat him up a few times before he finally calmed down.

After arriving home, He Jin'an spent only three days with his family before being forced back into the kitchen to cook. He felt that the love his family gave him only lasted three days, and he cried.

However, after learning that his two younger sisters were preparing to apply to film school, his first concern wasn't whether they would get in or whether it would be safe for them; he was only worried about whether the family had enough money to buy his sisters beautiful dresses.

Although he didn't care about these things, he knew that actresses should avoid wearing the same clothes twice when going out, as the cost of clothing alone was a considerable expense, which made him even more eager to make money.

During winter break, Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao didn't have a chance to relax either. Singing, dancing, painting, and musical instruments, which they had mostly given up during high school, were now being picked up again.

Fortunately, they had only been away from school for less than a year, so they weren't completely out of practice. In addition, with Shen Runze providing intensive tutoring and advance preparation for the next semester's academic courses, these two children were much busier than Ci'en, Xiao Li, and An'an.

Even during the New Year period, there was none of the anticipation and joy of the festival as in previous years. Indeed, after the sea of ​​questions, there are various extracurricular classes. Practicing these as hobbies occasionally can be a way to cultivate one's character, but when they are compulsory, they become a source of pressure.

But there was no other way; they were determined to get into film school, so they had to give it their all for their goal!

As soon as the New Year was over, the news that the government would abolish welfare housing was officially confirmed. Suddenly, the hopes of employees who were waiting to be allocated welfare housing were dashed. There were already few private houses for sale, and now that the allocation of housing by work units has been abolished, young people who were planning to get married are in a dilemma.

Haishi itself is densely populated, and there are many families with more than ten members living in a house of sixty or seventy square meters. Families with many sons are almost driven to despair by the lack of separate rooms. What daughter would be willing to marry into such a family?

Those with some savings are already preparing to buy a house, since there are commercial houses available on the market. Although the prices are exorbitant for most people, they have to use all their savings for the sake of family inheritance. If that's not enough, they have to borrow some from relatives and friends, all for the sake of buying a house.

Where there is demand, there is a market, and the real estate industry has also benefited from this trend. Yuan Xiaoling and her husband, who have always been in the decoration business, were naturally not going to be left behind. Before the Lantern Festival was even over, the couple brought gifts to visit.

When friends come to visit, we should treat them well. He Jin'an showed off his cooking skills again. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the children were sent to the study to study, while the adults gathered in the living room to chat. Jing Yan looked at Yuan Xiaoling and smiled: "Sister Yuan, it's rare for you to come during the New Year. Did something happen?"

Yuan Xiaoling nodded: "Jingyan, have you heard the news that state-owned enterprises will no longer provide welfare housing starting this year?"

Jingyan shook her head. She had her own house to live in, so she didn't care much more, but she knew that this was the trend of history. "What do you think, Sister Yuan?"

“Our renovation company is doing a great job. I was thinking of taking this opportunity to get involved in the real estate industry, but we don’t have enough funds. So I thought I’d ask you if you would like to continue our cooperation?” Yuan Xiaoling asked with a smile.

Jing Yan asked in confusion, "How do you want to cooperate?"

"It'll be the same as our renovation company. You invest money to take a share, and when we make money, we'll split it according to the agreed-upon ratio."

Jingyan shook her head: "Sister Yuan, I only put in a portion of the initial capital for the decoration company, holding a 35% stake. Over the years, we've made over 400,000 yuan. I didn't do anything; it's like sitting at home collecting money. That's multiplied so many times over. I'm satisfied."

However, the profits in real estate are much greater. If I not only contributed money but also put in effort, I don't think there's a problem with receiving dividends. But I really don't understand these things. If you run a real estate company and I still distribute profits this way, I'll feel guilty.

"Hey, Sister Yuan, see how much money you're short for the office. I'll try to help you out if I can. You can borrow from me at the highest interest rate available on the market. Once your building is finished and sold, you can pay me back with interest, how about that?"

Yuan Xiaoling glanced at Liu Qiang, her eyes filled with shock: "Jingyan, are you sure you don't want to invest? Judging from the current situation, this industry is very profitable."

Jing Yan asked, "How much capital do you need to start a company? How much are you short?"

“The registered capital is at least one million. My wife and I have 700,000. The brothers who were with us before have already separated. They went back to their hometown to start a decoration company, so…” Liu Qiang said.

He Zhijun nodded: "We come together when fate brings us together, and we part when fate separates us. Everyone has their own destiny. So, are you planning to keep the decoration company and the real estate company separate, or will you integrate them together?"

“Let’s split up for now. We’re not sure about the real estate situation right now, but at least the renovation company can help cover our losses,” Yuan Xiaoling said.

"Don't you have confidence in this real estate company? You're only short 300,000 yuan right now. Do you want to borrow money or do you want us to invest? Once this decision is made, you'll have to accept the consequences even if you suffer losses. You know that my husband and I know absolutely nothing about this area and won't be of any help to you." He Zhijun confirmed with them again.

Yuan Xiaoling smiled wryly: "To be honest, neither of us is very confident about the real estate market. We just know it's an opportunity, and I wouldn't be willing to give it up like this, so we need partners to share the risks..."