On February 15, 1999, the last day of the lunar calendar of 1998, Zhang Chengyuan's father, Zhang Donghu, finally returned home, nearly a month later than Zhang Chengyuan expected. However, Zhang Donghu, who was concerned about his son, asked his colleagues to send back a sum of money early as soon as possible, as Zhang Chengyuan's living expenses and the cost of purchasing old and genuine supplies.

The old Zheng, that is, the Lunar New Year, is called the Spring Festival by the Chinese orthodoxy of the Han nation. It is said that the peoples of the Korean Peninsula copied the Spring Festival from the Tang Dynasty, the suzerain, from the Silla era until the Japanese colonial rule of Korea. Because Japan pursued a policy of assimilation in Korea of "integration of Japan and Korea" and wanted to eliminate the entire Korean nation from its cultural roots, Koreans were forbidden to celebrate their own festivals, and the Spring Festival became extinct on the Korean Peninsula. After Japan's surrender, South Korea did not reinstate the Spring Festival at the national level, and it was not until 40 years later, in 1985, that it reappeared under the name "Folk Day".

And this year's old jeongs are the first old jeongs after the Korean government officially restored the festival of "Kojeong". Therefore, it is highly valued by the Korean people, who have a strong respect for traditional culture. And Zhang Donghu, who is known as a descendant of the Korean Zhang family and extremely upholds the family tradition, how could he miss such a major festival, no matter how far away he was, he still rushed home in time. If he hadn't been too busy with work to take a break, he would have come back a long time ago.

According to Zhang Donghu's own claims, the ancestors of the Korean Zhang family are the descendants of a certain Zhang surnamed Zhang who once married into the Mongolian princess of the Yuan Dynasty in Goryeo, and the family was also two classes of nobles in the Joseon Dynasty, with far more noble blood than ordinary Koreans.

Zhang Chengyuan was very suspicious of this, because the memory left by his predecessor clearly told him that his parents were from orphanages, how could his father Zhang Donghu know so much about the origin of his ancestors? Since Zhang Chengyuan was not interested in learning about these for the time being, he put his doubts in his heart.

After the father and son ate the dinner of the last day of the lunar calendar, Jang Sung-won took out the contract he had negotiated with Park Byungyeol and handed it to his father. Zhang Donghu thought it was something like a transcript issued by the school, but when he looked at it, he was immediately startled and asked, "This is an artist contract, what are you showing me for?" Do you want to be a drama to entertain the public? ”

Although Korean stars are beautiful on the surface and are warmly sought after by young people, their status is not very high in the adult world, and even some more traditional people look down on stars very much, especially those families who think they are famous families are even more despised. And it has become an almost impossible task for male stars to marry wealthy women.

Zhang Chengyuan said lightly: "Yes, I want to be a star." ”

Hearing Zhang Chengyuan's affirmative reply, Zhang Donghu was very annoyed, and he objected without thinking about it: "No! I don't agree with that! ”

Zhang Chengyuan's face remained unchanged, and he said calmly and very firmly: "Father, this is my choice after careful consideration, please consider it carefully." ”

If it was more than half a year ago, Zhang Donghu would have picked up the spoon on the side of the bowl and smashed it on Zhang Chengyuan's head, and now seeing Zhang Chengyuan's calm and serious expression, for some reason, he just couldn't stretch out his hand to teach his son a lesson, stared at Zhang Chengyuan and observed a few times, and suddenly realized that his son had finally grown up, and he was more pleased than the previous submissive appearance, or the current appearance.

Zhang Donghu sighed and said, "Cheng Yuan, have you thought about it clearly?" Isn't it so easy to be a star? ”

"I know this very well and I am fully prepared for it."

Zhang Donghu said: "In this case, then our father and son have a good talk tonight, as long as you can convince me, I will sign this contract." ”

Zhang Chengyuan: "Please also show the reasons for your objection first." ”

Zhang Donghu said: "You are still young, and you are easily confused by the prosperity on the surface, but you don't know that the stars are only bright on the surface, but they are actually living a very hard life." ”

Zhang Chengyuan said: "I know this, but if you have gains, you must lose, and if you want to get something, you always have to pay some price." However, your son and I are now strong and energetic, and we can bear it no matter how hard and tired we are. Besides, haven't I been suffering for so many years? ”

Zhang Donghu said in his heart: "If you really can stand it, you won't run to commit suicide." Although I complained so much in my heart, I also knew that this time was different from the past, and I don't know where my son learned the ability to exercise his body and will, and now he is indeed much stronger, so he nodded reluctantly, and continued: "Even if you work very hard as a star, what you get is far less than what you pay, and the money you earn not only has to pay high taxes, but also has to be wantonly squeezed by economic companies, often working for five or six years, and you can't afford to buy a cheap house." ”

Zhang Chengyuan said unhurriedly: "Compared with ordinary white-collar workers who can't afford to buy a house for ten years without eating or drinking, those who are celebrities can still buy a house after at least a few more years of hard work." As for the fear of being exploited by economic companies, this matter depends on people, I am still very sober-headed, and I will not blindly sign unreasonable agreements in order to be a mere little star, and entrust my fate to black-hearted people. If you don't feel at ease, check for me, take a closer look at the contract in your hand, and see if I have been cheated. ”

"Even if what you say is right, so what, celebrities are not what you want to be, every year I don't know how many people give everything to be a star, but there is no one in ten thousand who succeed, you, and what Logosfilm advertising agency can ensure that you can become a star? If you can't become a star, then it's better to sell roasted sweet potatoes on the street than to be in the entertainment industry! Seeing that Zhang Chengyuan couldn't be persuaded by Zhang Donghu, he couldn't help but be a little annoyed and angry, pointing to the contract and shouting.

Zhang Chengyuan said: "Father, since there are advertising companies that can sign contracts with me on preferential terms, it means that I have the potential to succeed in the advertising industry. I am also confident that my current external conditions are not inferior to most film and television stars, and the only thing I lack is acting skills and experience. However, I am still young, and I believe that through unremitting efforts in the future, I will succeed sooner or later. ”

Zhang Donghu: "Do you want to be a star so much?" Is it because being a star is very beautiful? ”

Zhang Chengyuan: "Father, I don't care how beautiful a star is, what I care about is that being a star is faster and easier to make money than other legitimate ways to make money, and we don't need to invest our own original capital." ”

Zhang Donghu shouted: "Did I tell you to make money?" As long as the money earned is enough, happiness in life is not just money. ”

Zhang Chengyuan secretly complained: "If you give me enough money to spend, who has nothing to do to work, I have such a large amount of food, I will starve to death if I don't go to make money." Also, without money, how can I have enough money to return to my homeland and go to Wangwu Mountain to find out what is going on in the door; Without money, how can I gain a foothold in this world...... I really need money so much, and although I would like to say 'money like dung' in my previous life, I would have withered without it. Zhang Donghu, my father, you have to understand me as a hard-working man! ”

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Chengyuan said: "Father, in today's world, if you don't have enough money, you don't have enough strength, and you can only be bullied. I used to be cowardly, thin, and often abused and beaten, and I have endured enough humiliation, and although no one of my peers dares to be rude to me now, there is no guarantee that it will be the same in the future. Now I just want to take a gamble to change my future destiny and ask my father to do it. In order to impress his father, Zhang Chengyuan did not hesitate to take out the tragic incident of his predecessor as an example, hoping that Zhang Donghu would be soft-hearted.

Zhang Donghu sighed: "Cheng Yuan, my father and mother never expected you to soar, they only hoped that you could grow up peacefully and live as ordinary as the people around you." However, now that you have grown up and have your own ideas, I can't force you, and since you have chosen this path so firmly, I can only support you. However, I have one condition. ”

Zhang Chengyuan: "Please speak!" ”

Zhang Donghu didn't say the request directly, but asked first: "I remember that the results of the monthly exam in the past few months were: September, the 53rd place in the whole grade; October, 21st; November, 5th place; So what is your final grade? ”

Zhang Chengyuan said indifferently: "First place, what are you asking for?" Zhang Chengyuan has no interest in the school exam at all, if it weren't for the comfort to his father, he wouldn't have the heart to do the trick of "gradually improving his academic performance through hard study", if he wants, he can take the first place in the first monthly exam. Relying on the supernatural powers, if Zhang Chengyuan wants to become the most outstanding student in an ordinary high school, it is not as simple as digging into the bag.

Zhang Donghu was pleasantly surprised: "First? First? My son is actually the first in the school, what a manifestation of the ancestors, God forbid! I was ecstatic for a while, and then I continued: "If you want to shoot an advertisement, I will support you for the time being, but you must ensure that your academic performance will never fall below the top ten of the year, can you do this?" ”

Zhang Chengyuan chuckled in his heart, and said solemnly on his face: "A word is a certainty!" For Zhang Chengyuan, Zhang Donghu's conditions are simply the same as no conditions.