Chapter 34: Spicy and Sour Lemon Duck

 

"Who is it? Is she came out from the depression era?"

"She looks so earthy."

"Does she think she can be selected if she is dressed like this? It's a big joke." 

When Tang Qiaoqiao entered the audition's waiting room, many people saw her. After seeing the way she dressed, people are whispering and pointing at her.

It is the cold winter for the film and television industry. Many first and second-line actors don't have any good scripts, so they could either pick their feet at home or show their faces in reality shows.

In the historical drama "Our Family", apart from the male and female protagonists and the roles for a few older generations, there are many young roles need to be auditioned. As soon as the news came out, it immediately attracted both famous and unknown actors.

After Tang Qiaoqiao got the script from Brother Qian, she went home and read it carefully. The more she read the play, the more she liked it, she really wanted to be able to play in this drama.

She even specifically asked Aunt Wang about what life was like in the 1970s and 1980s. When Aunt Wang learned that she was going to audition for historical dramas, she also contributed her clothes at the bottom of her box, which were popular in the 1980s. She had kept it treasured to this day.

In order to give the director a fresh feeling among many actors, Tang Qiaoqiao appeared on the set wearing a Qingliang-brand gray shirt and blue coarse trousers.

"Qiaoqiao, there are so many people, and they are all watching you." Fang Yuan whispered in Tang Qiaoqiao's ear.

Fang Yuan is the new assistant arranged for her by Brother Qian. Her body is round, and she smiles with two round dimples on both sides of her mouth.

"It's okay, I won't lose a piece of meat." Tang Qiaoqiao ignored those malicious eyes. She looked around the lounge, and randomly found an empty place to sit down.

At this moment, a girl with short hair sitting next to her suddenly leaned forward to talk to her.

"Hey, which role are you here to audition?"

Tang Qiaoqiao felt that there was nothing to hide, so she frankly replied, "Female number 3, Zhao Xiaozhen."

The girl with short hair curled her lips. "Then you will be okay."

"Why do you say this?" Tang Qiaoqiao asked.

She gestured with her eyes to the woman who sit on the innermost, and said in a low voice, "It is said that the female number 2 has been booked. It is that Wang Xing'er. Everyone else will be cannon fodder."

Wang Xing'er is a young flower who has been gaining momentum in the past two years. At this time, she occupied the largest makeup mirror in the lounge. Although her styling was extremely exquisite, she still asked the makeup artist to constantly touch up her makeup, pull up her hair, and make sure that there were no flaws.

Tang Qiaoqiao glanced at her and didn't care. After waiting for a while, it was finally her turn.

"Tang Qiaoqiao," the casting director shouted at the room with the list, "Go to Room 9."

Tang Qiaoqiao: "Where is Room 9?"

He casually pointed into the corridor. "Just go straight ahead and then just turn around."

Tang Qiaoqiao followed the direction he pointed and came to Room 9. Inside, there were five people sitting side by side. Director Wu in the middle was the show's director.

As soon as he saw her dress, Director Wu's eyes lit up. "You dressed up like this for the audition?"

Tang Qiaoqiao honestly said, "Yes."

 

"It's useless to engage in these little tricks." The producer couldn't help but say some ridicule.1

The director squinted at him, and said to Tang Qiaoqiao, "What are you going to perform?" 

He had auditioned several actors in a row, and he is a little numb. He is too lazy to ask any more, and will let the actors act for a while before deciding.

Tang Qiaoqiao put her backpack on the table against the wall at random, and then started her performance without any physical props.

The background of this drama will take place in the rural areas of Northern China. To show the life of that era, it is inevitable to show scenes of eating and drinking.

At that time, it was difficult for people in rural areas to eat fine grains. Most of them ate coarse pancakes, wowotou, with some porridge, wild vegetable noodle soup, and the like.

[T/N: Wowotou is a type of buns from northern China, made from cornmeal or other coarse grain. The name means "nest," they come in many shapes and usually stuffed with whatever the cook decided, i.e. pickles, meat, wild vegetables, etc.]

Tang Qiaoqiao played a scene of cooking and eating.

She imagined that there were two clay stoves and woks in front of her. After the wok was heated, she scooped a spoonful of the batter and stirred it, spreading the pancakes evenly on the pan. The other wok was not idle either. She cooked noodle soup, grabbing a handful of wild vegetables with her hands, and as if she was thinking about the remaining food before throwing it down, she grabbed some and put it back in the vegetable basket.

She made a total of seven or eight coarse grain pancakes, enough for a family to eat. Then she poured a large pot of wild vegetable noodle soup.

The food was for the family's dinner. There were not so many people sitting on the table. She broke a small piece of pancake, filled a half bowl of noodle soup, and went straight to the door to squat on the ground to eat.

The director was completely fascinated. Her demeanor and movements were so natural and skillful, as if she had really returned to the last century. A rural family was eating dinner, and there were only pancakes and noodle soup on the table.

The girl squatted at the door of her house, holding pancakes in one hand, taking a bite especially hard, and holding the noodle soup bowl in the other. The noodle soup is very watery, but the girl eats very carefully. She soaked the last bite of her pancake in the soup, and she can't bear to waste a single drop.

After Tang Qiaoqiao swallowed her last mouthful of "noodle soup", she stood up and smiled, "Director, I'm finished."

The director excitedly asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Tang Qiaoqiao."

A man beside him whispered a few words in his ear, and the director nodded thoughtfully.

"You can cook, can't you?"

Tang Qiaoqiao nodded, this is her line of business.

"Okay, Zhao Xiaoxiang is you." Director Wu made a final decision on the spot.

This character is very good at cooking, and she will open a restaurant later. Originally, he didn't include this item in the casting criteria. He planned to find a substitute for the cooking scene. But now that there is an actress who can both act and cook, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?

The producer's face changed a lot when he heard his words, and he whispered, "No, director, there are a few others that haven't auditioned."

"Don't need to audition anymore, it's her."

Chapter 34: Spicy and Sour Lemon Duck

 

"Who is it? Is she came out from the depression era?"

"She looks so earthy."

"Does she think she can be selected if she is dressed like this? It's a big joke." 

When Tang Qiaoqiao entered the audition's waiting room, many people saw her. After seeing the way she dressed, people are whispering and pointing at her.

It is the cold winter for the film and television industry. Many first and second-line actors don't have any good scripts, so they could either pick their feet at home or show their faces in reality shows.

In the historical drama "Our Family", apart from the male and female protagonists and the roles for a few older generations, there are many young roles need to be auditioned. As soon as the news came out, it immediately attracted both famous and unknown actors.

After Tang Qiaoqiao got the script from Brother Qian, she went home and read it carefully. The more she read the play, the more she liked it, she really wanted to be able to play in this drama.

She even specifically asked Aunt Wang about what life was like in the 1970s and 1980s. When Aunt Wang learned that she was going to audition for historical dramas, she also contributed her clothes at the bottom of her box, which were popular in the 1980s. She had kept it treasured to this day.

In order to give the director a fresh feeling among many actors, Tang Qiaoqiao appeared on the set wearing a Qingliang-brand gray shirt and blue coarse trousers.

"Qiaoqiao, there are so many people, and they are all watching you." Fang Yuan whispered in Tang Qiaoqiao's ear.

Fang Yuan is the new assistant arranged for her by Brother Qian. Her body is round, and she smiles with two round dimples on both sides of her mouth.

"It's okay, I won't lose a piece of meat." Tang Qiaoqiao ignored those malicious eyes. She looked around the lounge, and randomly found an empty place to sit down.

At this moment, a girl with short hair sitting next to her suddenly leaned forward to talk to her.

"Hey, which role are you here to audition?"

Tang Qiaoqiao felt that there was nothing to hide, so she frankly replied, "Female number 3, Zhao Xiaozhen."

The girl with short hair curled her lips. "Then you will be okay."

"Why do you say this?" Tang Qiaoqiao asked.

She gestured with her eyes to the woman who sit on the innermost, and said in a low voice, "It is said that the female number 2 has been booked. It is that Wang Xing'er. Everyone else will be cannon fodder."

Wang Xing'er is a young flower who has been gaining momentum in the past two years. At this time, she occupied the largest makeup mirror in the lounge. Although her styling was extremely exquisite, she still asked the makeup artist to constantly touch up her makeup, pull up her hair, and make sure that there were no flaws.

Tang Qiaoqiao glanced at her and didn't care. After waiting for a while, it was finally her turn.

"Tang Qiaoqiao," the casting director shouted at the room with the list, "Go to Room 9."

Tang Qiaoqiao: "Where is Room 9?"

He casually pointed into the corridor. "Just go straight ahead and then just turn around."

Tang Qiaoqiao followed the direction he pointed and came to Room 9. Inside, there were five people sitting side by side. Director Wu in the middle was the show's director.

As soon as he saw her dress, Director Wu's eyes lit up. "You dressed up like this for the audition?"

Tang Qiaoqiao honestly said, "Yes."

 

"It's useless to engage in these little tricks." The producer couldn't help but say some ridicule.1

The director squinted at him, and said to Tang Qiaoqiao, "What are you going to perform?" 

He had auditioned several actors in a row, and he is a little numb. He is too lazy to ask any more, and will let the actors act for a while before deciding.

Tang Qiaoqiao put her backpack on the table against the wall at random, and then started her performance without any physical props.

The background of this drama will take place in the rural areas of Northern China. To show the life of that era, it is inevitable to show scenes of eating and drinking.

At that time, it was difficult for people in rural areas to eat fine grains. Most of them ate coarse pancakes, wowotou, with some porridge, wild vegetable noodle soup, and the like.

[T/N: Wowotou is a type of buns from northern China, made from cornmeal or other coarse grain. The name means "nest," they come in many shapes and usually stuffed with whatever the cook decided, i.e. pickles, meat, wild vegetables, etc.]

Tang Qiaoqiao played a scene of cooking and eating.

She imagined that there were two clay stoves and woks in front of her. After the wok was heated, she scooped a spoonful of the batter and stirred it, spreading the pancakes evenly on the pan. The other wok was not idle either. She cooked noodle soup, grabbing a handful of wild vegetables with her hands, and as if she was thinking about the remaining food before throwing it down, she grabbed some and put it back in the vegetable basket.

She made a total of seven or eight coarse grain pancakes, enough for a family to eat. Then she poured a large pot of wild vegetable noodle soup.

The food was for the family's dinner. There were not so many people sitting on the table. She broke a small piece of pancake, filled a half bowl of noodle soup, and went straight to the door to squat on the ground to eat.

The director was completely fascinated. Her demeanor and movements were so natural and skillful, as if she had really returned to the last century. A rural family was eating dinner, and there were only pancakes and noodle soup on the table.

The girl squatted at the door of her house, holding pancakes in one hand, taking a bite especially hard, and holding the noodle soup bowl in the other. The noodle soup is very watery, but the girl eats very carefully. She soaked the last bite of her pancake in the soup, and she can't bear to waste a single drop.

After Tang Qiaoqiao swallowed her last mouthful of "noodle soup", she stood up and smiled, "Director, I'm finished."

The director excitedly asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Tang Qiaoqiao."

A man beside him whispered a few words in his ear, and the director nodded thoughtfully.

"You can cook, can't you?"

Tang Qiaoqiao nodded, this is her line of business.

"Okay, Zhao Xiaoxiang is you." Director Wu made a final decision on the spot.

This character is very good at cooking, and she will open a restaurant later. Originally, he didn't include this item in the casting criteria. He planned to find a substitute for the cooking scene. But now that there is an actress who can both act and cook, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?

The producer's face changed a lot when he heard his words, and he whispered, "No, director, there are a few others that haven't auditioned."

"Don't need to audition anymore, it's her."