Chapter 12: The Birth of an Actor

They say people fear fame just as pigs fear getting fat. Gu Lanxi’s first serious attempt at "entrepreneurship" quickly drew the disapproval of her elders due to her becoming "famous" too fast.

Even though she never "ate the grass by her own nest" and avoided the district where the Gu family lived, Guangzhou was only so big. The Gu family had many relatives, and many of them were like her grandmother—experts at marathon phone calls who had nothing to worry about regarding food or clothing. Aside from playing mahjong and getting beauty treatments, their favorite pastime was gossiping.

Soon, the Gu family members received the news one after another.

Many in the Gu family ran thriving businesses, and even the least successful among them owned several buildings to collect rent. Yet, their own kin was acting like a little beggar, going everywhere to "beg for food." Especially given her family’s specific circumstances, it wasn't long before countless people were whispering behind the Gu family’s backs.

A massive, wealthy clan, yet they couldn't even support one orphaned girl.

Tsk.

The rumors grew more intense, and everyone found them unbearable. However, because her mother’s death had been so violent, people were afraid to interact with her during that time, fearing they might catch her bad luck.

Some even secretly spread rumors that her fate was too harsh, nearly cursing her entire family to death.

As a result, the pressure immediately fell upon the clan leader.

The clan leader was cunning and held his ground, knowing that if he didn't take this opportunity to temper her spirit, she would be even harder to discipline in the future.

Thus, he frequently invited old friends over for tea, taking every opportunity to lament the misfortune of his family in front of others.

He had assumed that since the girl had been raised in her hometown since she was little, she wouldn't be corrupted by her terrible father. He hadn't expected her to be rotten to the core.

She insisted on working in those "low-class" trades, competing for work with the *dida-lao* (suona players). No matter how much the elders wore out their tongues trying to talk her out of it, it had absolutely no effect.

The clan leader’s wife even wiped away tears while chatting with her old friends, claiming that she had cooked for Gu Lanxi for so long, only to never receive a single kind look in return.

She also claimed Gu Lanxi was unfilial, saying that not only did she start eating meat and fish as soon as the funeral ended, but she also played "Xi Yang Yang" (a cheerful, festive tune) at home every day.

Gu Lanxi was only twelve; she didn't yet know how to hide her emotions, nor did she have the conscious intent to manage her image. Most of the time, she acted on instinct.

She didn't have much love for the three elders; in fact, she harbored hatred for them, so it was impossible for her to act like a filial descendant.

It was the first time she had witnessed how sinister human hearts could be.

After biting into her tattered quilt and crying for several days, Gu Lanxi finally understood the meaning of "I am weak, therefore I am right."

So, she quickly draped herself in the skin of a "poor little thing," embarking on a path of acting and beginning her own image management.

The world is never short of busybodies.

Every time they saw Gu Lanxi, people would stop her and ask in a teasing tone how her business had been lately.

Gu Lanxi was going through a growth spurt at the time, but her weight couldn't keep up. She looked tall and thin, as if a slightly stronger breeze could blow her away.

Whenever this happened, she would clutch the corner of her clothes in embarrassment, lower her head for a few seconds, and then look up with reddened eyes.

Then, with tears welling up but not falling—more dramatic than a Qiong Yao novel—she would speak in a soft, gentle voice

"Grandpa and Grandma were both angered to death by my father. If I starve or freeze to death, there will be no one left to burn paper for them during the Qingming Festival next year."

It was late autumn, and the temperature was in the low teens (Celsius) morning and night, yet Gu Lanxi was still wearing thin, old clothes. Standing in the chilly morning wind, she was visibly shivering, yet her words were exceptionally heartwarming

"Fortunately, the elders in the family treat me very well. They often buy me clothes and daily necessities, and invite me to their homes for meals. But I’m grown up now; I have to learn to rely on myself to live. Going out to work and earn money is something I insisted on doing myself; it has nothing to do with the elders. Don't listen to the rumors outside."

Others would ask her, "Then why aren't you wearing new clothes? You look like you've lost a lot of weight lately."

She would tremble her lips, holding onto her last shred of dignity, and stubbornly tell them

"I have plenty of new clothes, I’m just saving them to wear for the New Year. I haven't lost weight, look, I’ve actually gained a lot! I eat three bowls of rice every meal!"

The crowd wasn't blind. Whether she had lost weight or not, anyone with eyes could see.

And who knew if she was telling the truth? If she were well-fed, who would eat three bowls of rice a meal these days?

Other children her age might still be pestering adults to watch more TV, yet she was so sensible.

Even if they had stopped her initially just to watch the Gu family’s drama, after a few words, they couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Some neighbors wanted to provide for her, but she refused. Every time, she would lie through her teeth, saying the elders in her family treated her very well.

Gu Lanxi was likely born to be in the entertainment industry. At that time, she didn't understand what "crisis public relations" was, but she could handle things perfectly just by using her brain a little.

She could drive people half-mad without them being able to utter a single word of complaint.

If Gu Weihao’s methods were ten streets behind hers, these people were at least three streets behind her.

Slowly, the Gu family discovered that no matter what they said to others, no one believed them. Sometimes, they were even pointed at and scolded for having no conscience.

At first, they didn't know the situation, but after hearing what others relayed, even the most callous among them were left speechless.

Compared to Gu Lanxi, they, as elders, really did seem quite rotten. Being scolded was truly not an injustice.

Perhaps out of genuine guilt, every household bought things for Gu Lanxi—food, clothes, everything—and they made sure to carry them around the neighborhood a few times before giving them to her.

Some even offered her a house to move into.

But she didn't want to owe them favors, didn't want to play along with their charade, and certainly didn't want to make them feel better, so she refused them all.

Since she had already made her stance clear at home, she couldn't be bothered to waste the effort.

Every day after school, she would stake out the Zhang family’s old-fashioned seafood restaurant, and whenever she encountered a wedding or celebration, she would go to conduct her business.

That restaurant was only two streets away from the Gu family ancestral hall.

The clan leader endured and endured. Seeing that her business hadn't failed, but instead, people were sympathizing with her plight and hiring her legitimately when they held family events, he finally decided he wouldn't endure it any longer.

One day, when Gu Lanxi was passing by the clan leader’s house on her way home, he finally walked out, leaning on his cane and trembling, and called out to her.

Gu Lanxi turned slightly, lowered her head in feigned fear, and listened to his lecture.

His words were not subtle, and his meaning was clear. Because he was hard of hearing, he spoke very loudly; not only did Gu Lanxi hear him clearly, but everyone passing by heard him too.

It was nothing more than him saying she was a disgrace for doing this work and telling her to stop.

Facing the clan leader’s aggression, she tried hard to keep her voice steady, doing her best to avoid any hint of negative emotion.

She said she had to learn to live independently so that Grandpa and Grandma could rest in peace.

She said that relying on others to get by was not a long-term solution.

What was even more infuriating was that she added this: "Thanks to you teaching me these principles early on, Great-Uncle, when I see our ancestors in a few years, they will surely thank you properly!"

Her words were righteous and upright, and her tone remained steady from beginning to end, yet it infuriated the clan leader so much he nearly fainted!

*Dida-lao*, known in the Northeast as *laba-jiangzi*, are the people who play the suona at weddings and funerals. In the old days, it was considered a low-class profession.

The Gu family had a long history and considered themselves "upper-class," looking down upon these low-class trades. The whole family felt it was a great disgrace for the Gu girl to do such work.

But she was someone who looked toward money and didn't think there was anything wrong with doing this.

She was young now and couldn't find a proper job. The occasional handouts from relatives felt like charity. Her strong self-esteem was one thing, but on the other hand, this random income was unstable.

Some people know how to calmly and rationally consider their future and strive for it at twelve, while others know nothing at twelve and only care about cartoons every day.

A person’s growth is related to their individual aptitude, as well as their living environment.

This question is too complex, and I don't have much insight into it.

(End of chapter)