Chapter 181

Chapter 181

After her rise to fame, job offers started pouring in for Yang Huan.

Companies that had initially been waiting for Xia Lin to finish filming *The Swordsman* now flocked to Da Ming Film Company, specifically asking for Yang Huan to star in their ads, paying her as much as Xia Lin, if not more.

This clearly shows how much they valued Yang Huan.

Noble Consort Yang was stunningly beautiful, yet her life evoked deep sympathy.

Perhaps because, unlike Xi Shi’s strategic beauty or Wang Zhaojun’s voluntary journey to the frontier, especially in Wang Zhaojun’s case, she sought a marriage for peace to escape the solitude of the palace.

Noble Consort Yang, however, was entirely compelled to leave her home and enter the palace, even though she later enjoyed immense wealth and luxury.

Who wouldn’t feel for her?

Out of sympathy, they bought the products she promoted.

After getting Lu Mingzhu’s input, Wang Tao told Yang Huan’s team to pick the best offers and turn down the rest.

Still, she ended up with dozens of ad deals.

Lu Changgen, on behalf of Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store, contacted Wang Tao, offering a big paycheck to invite Yang Huan to shoot a series of advertisements for the store, thinking she was perfect for showcasing their luxurious gold pieces.

They had a stunning gold piece they’d struggled to find the right model for.

Xia Lin was too slim and didn’t fit the bill.

Yang Huan jumped at the chance and even offered to do it for free.

She knew Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store was owned by the Lu family, with Lu Mingzhu as a major shareholder.

Lu Changgen wasn’t the type to skip out on paying for the ad, but seeing Yang Huan insist on not accepting it, he gifted her the gold set from the ad on behalf of Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store.

Though it wasn’t as lavish as the diamond jewelry Xia Lin got from Mr. Lu, it was still made of tens of thousands of gold, luxurious and precious.

Yang Huan still said no, turned, and bolted, leaving Lu Changgen both chuckling and frustrated, who then had to call Lu Mingzhu to inform her.

After that, Yang Huan was swamped, constantly on the go.

But she was all in, showing up at the ad shoots every day with a smile, more diligent than anyone else, very responsible, and never throwing tantrums.

Because the advertising fees she received after the company’s share could turn a flat she intended to buy into a thousand-square-foot luxury apartment!

The location could change from a remote area in Kowloon to Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island.

Happy Valley was a wealthy area with better environment and security, and her younger siblings could attend better schools.

Previously unaffordable, now it was within reach.

*Yang Guifei* was still in theaters, and Yang Huan visibly slimmed down. A month later, she brought gifts to thank Lu Mingzhu, already a stunning beauty with a well-proportioned figure.

Her features became more refined, with a straight nose and red lips, and a distinct contour.

At this point, she looked even more beautiful than Xia Lin.

Xia Lin was a classical beauty with an oval face, elegant and refined, while Yang Huan was a radiant beauty with a round face and thick eyebrows, exuding grace and grandeur.

Lu Mingzhu was extremely surprised: “Yang Huan, you must have lost thirty pounds, right?”

Yang Huan straightened her posture with a bright smile, "Not thirty pounds, I've slimmed down from 145 pounds to 125 pounds. No one at the company calls me 'Fat Huan' anymore! It's all thanks to your support, Miss Lu."

Lu Mingzhu compared their heights.

She was in slippers, while Yang Huan wore white low-heeled shoes.

They were nearly the same height.

Yang Huan smiled, "My height is 5 feet 5 inches."

It is said that Noble Consort Yang was about this height.

"Then I am 1 inch taller than you," said Lu Mingzhu, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall, about 1.68 meters, and weighs about the same as Yang Huan, at 124 pounds.

Not too heavy, not too light, just perfect.

The saying that a good woman shouldn’t weigh over a hundred pounds doesn’t matter to her.

Yang Huan respects Lu Mingzhu and likes her very much.

She’s beautiful, of high status but not arrogant, kind-hearted, and didn’t turn her away even though she was just a small-time actress.

When she rang Lu Mingzhu’s doorbell, she was especially nervous.

"Miss Lu, my mother is very grateful for the opportunity you gave me to film 'Noble Consort Yang' and for your willingness to protect me, so she specially embroidered a painting for you. Please don’t look down on it," Yang Huan took out the gift she had brought.

A round fan with a small-leaf sandalwood frame.

Lu Mingzhu exclaimed in surprise, "Suzhou embroidery?"

One side was embroidered with a peacock, and the other with a fierce tiger, one strong and one soft, so stunning it took your breath away.

The embroidery surface was smooth, and the peacock and tiger were both vivid.

If you didn’t touch it, it looked as smooth as a painting.

Yang Huan smiled shyly, "Yes, it’s Suzhou embroidery. My mother and my sister embroidered it together, starting from before I played Noble Consort Yang. The frame is movable and can be detached and installed on a small table screen, so it serves two purposes."

"So beautiful!" Foreign luxury goods can’t hold a candle to traditional Suzhou embroidery.

This is truly a work of art.

Lu Mingzhu thought of what Wang Tao had said about Yang Huan’s family situation and asked Yang Huan, "Your mother and sister are such skilled embroiderers, would they be willing to take on some embroidery work?"

Yang Huan was overjoyed, "Are you going to offer work to my mother and sister?"

"I’m worried they might be too busy to take on my projects," Lu Mingzhu’s eyes were fixed on the round fan in her hand, showing an unmistakable fondness.

Famous paintings, cheongsams, screens, handbags, pouches, fan surfaces, wedding dresses, there’s enough work to keep Mother Yang and Sister Yang busy forever.

However, Lu Mingzhu did not intend to let them embroider for a lifetime. Once Yang Huan made it big, she wouldn’t let her mother and sister work so hard, as it is bad for the eyes.

Yang Huan shook her head, "Back home, it was fine—no housework, just embroidery. The fees for my dance and music lessons were earned by my mother, because the family didn’t agree with me learning these things. After coming to Hong Kong, my mother couldn’t find much work. The cheongsam makers have their own in-house embroiderers and rarely hire others. My mother could only take on some simple embroidery work, and the money she made wasn’t enough to support our family of four. Later, she had to do housework, her fingers became rough, and she didn’t dare to take on work anymore, afraid of damaging the silk and having to pay for it. Now I have a salary to support the whole family, my brother does the housework, and she and my sister have taken great care of their hands to restore them. If you have any work for her, she can calmly and slowly embroider for you. Good embroidery takes time and attention to detail."

"I’m not in a hurry, I like slow work and fine detail," Lu Mingzhu particularly admired Yang Huan and her mother, who did not collapse after being abandoned by Yang Huan’s father, but worked hard to live.

From Yang Huan’s speech and demeanor, it can be seen that she has received a good education.

"Miss Lu, what kind of embroidery do you want? Single-sided embroidery or double-sided embroidery? Single-sided embroidery has a pattern on one side, double-sided embroidery with different colors has the same pattern on both sides but different colors, double-sided three-variation embroidery has the same outline on both sides but different designs, like this round fan, it requires two people to work together, a bit more complicated," Yang Huan explained in detail to Lu Mingzhu.

Lu Mingzhu thought for a moment and said, "My godfather's birthday is in early December. I want to embroider a double-sided three-dimensional embroidery for a screen ornament, with a pattern like 'Longevity with Pine and Crane.'"

Yang Huan replied without hesitation, "Sure, I can do that."

Her mother often embroidered birthday wishes and could do it with her eyes closed.

As for her younger sister Yang Yan, she had an extraordinary talent for embroidery since childhood. Although a year younger than Yang Huan, her skill was almost on par with their mother's.

Lu Mingzhu invited Yang Huan to stay for dinner and instructed the bodyguards to buy the materials needed for embroidery, emphasizing, "Get the finest silk threads, embroidery fabric, and tools, specifically for Su embroidery."

Yang Huan felt a little awkward but kept quiet.

However, their family couldn’t afford much, and some top-quality materials weren’t available to regular folks.

During dinner, Lu Mingzhu learned that Yang Huan had two younger sisters: one was eighteen, named Yang Yan, who had embroidered the fan with their mother, and sixteen-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

The younger sister was named Yang Wan, and the brother was named Yang Gang, both still in secondary school.

It wasn’t until Yang Huan started working at Da Ming Film Company that they could go to school.

Yang Huan didn't mention her father, and Lu Mingzhu didn't ask. When the bodyguards returned with the embroidery materials and handed them to Yang Huan, Lu Mingzhu also handed her four sets of toiletries, skincare products, perfume, and lipstick.

Additionally, she gave a set of the Four Treasures of the Study to her brother.

"Your mother and sister are working on this embroidery for me, so they should take good care of their hands," Lu Mingzhu insisted, not allowing her to refuse. "I love the gift you gave me, so it’s only fair to return the gesture."

Yang Huan felt ashamed.

The round fan only required a small amount for the embroidery cloth, threads, and frame, while the gifts Lu Mingzhu gave in return were quite expensive.

Yang Huan had seen those skincare products at Wan Gu Department Store—Chanel, no less.

To ease her burden, Lu Mingzhu smiled and said, "I didn’t pay for these. They were birthday gifts. I have way too many to use before they expire. It would be a waste, wouldn’t it? You’re stunning, and I’m sure your mother and sisters are too. These are perfect for you."

Yang Huan thanked her repeatedly, vowing to repay her kindness.

Lu Mingzhu escorted her to the door and arranged for a bodyguard to drive her home and then take her back to the company. "Don’t argue. I can’t have a young girl like you going home alone. I wouldn’t feel safe."

When she first arrived, Lu Mingzhu didn’t even dare to go out alone without covering her face.

Yang Huan was so beautiful and had no backing, making her an easy target for troublemakers.

Her family’s living conditions weren’t the best.

As Lu Mingzhu expected, when the bodyguard had to abandon the car and take a ferry at the Star Ferry Pier, he saw that the Yang family's living conditions were indeed poor.

The streets outside were cramped, bustling, and grimy, with old tenement buildings with dark, damp staircases and peeling walls.

Amidst the noisy surroundings, the Yang family lived in a 200-square-foot room on the second floor, divided into two sections. The younger brother slept in the smaller section, while their mother and two sisters slept in the larger section on bunk beds.

If Yang Huan returned home, she would have to share a bed with her mother.

The kitchen and bathroom were shared with other tenants on the same floor, located outside the room.

The rent for a room like that was 80 dollars a month!

In Hong Kong, that was considered pretty good.

They avoided living in remote or rundown slums, since the mother and her three daughters were all quite beautiful and could easily invite unwanted attention.

When Yang Huan got home, only her mother was present, since her younger siblings had gone to work as waiters at a restaurant. With their exceptional looks and poise, they secured jobs at a relatively upscale restaurant, earning daily wages and occasionally tips.

Seeing a tall, well-dressed man in a suit trailing Yang Huan, her mother exclaimed, "Huanhuan!"

"He’s Miss Lu’s bodyguard, sent to escort me home, and later he’ll take me back to the company," Yang Huan explained, handing her mother the gifts from Lu Mingzhu. "These are from Miss Lu—I couldn’t refuse."

Yang’s mother, who had wanted to scold her for accepting the gifts, held her tongue.

She boiled water to sterilize a cup and offered it to the bodyguard. "Thank you for going out of your way to bring Huanhuan home."

"No trouble, I’m just following Miss Lu’s orders," the bodyguard replied, accepting the cup without any sign of disdain. "Once you’re done talking, I’ll take Miss Yang back to the company."

With that, he stepped outside to wait by the door.

The room was so small it was hard for him to breathe. Being tall, he felt there was no room to turn around. Though small, it was spotless.

Yang Huan laid out the four sets of skincare products on the bed, each in a paper bag. "One for me, one for you, and one for each of my sisters. Mom, look, the names are written on the bags! This one is yours, and that one is for my second sister. You and my sister should take care of your hands, especially for embroidering a screen for Miss Lu."

She pulled out the embroidery materials and tools, explaining Miss Lu’s instructions to her mother.

Yang’s mother immediately said, "Don’t worry, my second daughter and I will do our best with the embroidery. I’ll keep her home from the restaurant tomorrow."

Yang Huan nodded, opening her own skincare package. She found a small box that wasn’t skincare. Opening it, she suddenly widened her eyes and stared in shock. "Mom!"

"What is it?" Yang’s mother leaned over to look and couldn’t help but gasp.

It was a jade bracelet!

The jade was fine and smooth, uniformly green throughout, and when set against black velvet, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Lu Mingzhu had attached a thank-you card in the box, thanking Yang Huan for shooting an advertisement for Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store for free, and specially sending this jade bracelet.

For her own people, Lu Mingzhu was never stingy.

Yang Huan’s skin, not having been carefully maintained, wasn’t as translucent as hers, but it was equally fair, matching the jade bracelet perfectly. Although the bracelet wasn’t of the highest quality, in fifty or sixty years it might be rated as ice jade.

It was valued for its good color and sufficient water content, making it quite expensive in the market.

Due to poor mining techniques, jade of this quality was extremely rare at that time.

Yang’s mother whispered, "Miss Lu is so generous! A jade bracelet like this, because of its rare material, might have cost tens of thousands of silver dollars ten or twenty years ago, and only the very wealthy could have seen it. It wouldn’t be cheaper now. The bracelet your father took from my dowry only had half a circle of green, and my parents spent tens of thousands on it back then."

Yang Huan’s eyes moistened. "Miss Lu is really kind."

She carefully took out the bracelet and slipped it onto her left wrist, where it accentuated her snow-white wrist beautifully.

From then on, except for filming and shooting advertisements, Yang Huan never took off this bracelet, until the end of her life.

This is a later story and will not be mentioned for now.

As the mother and daughter were expressing their gratitude to Lu Mingzhu, they suddenly heard the voice of the second sister, Yang Yan, asking from outside, "Who are you? What are you doing standing at our door?"

She spoke in a harsh tone.

Contrary to her delicate appearance, Yang Yan had the worst temper in the family.

She was fiery and headstrong.

Yang Huan quickly walked out, "Second sister, mind your manners. This is the bodyguard our boss sent to escort me home. We'll be heading back to the company soon."

Yang Yan was taken aback and quickly apologized to the bodyguard, "I'm sorry, my tone was bad earlier."

Actually, she was scared.

A tall, burly guy like him didn’t seem trustworthy.

They had lived here for several years. Back when they were skin and bones, it wasn’t an issue. But since her sister started working and earned a handsome salary every month, they ate well and gained weight. Their beauty became more noticeable, and no matter how they tried to cover it up, it was impossible to hide. Often, sleazy men would hang around outside, catcalling her, her mom, and her sister with crude remarks.

They kept it from her to avoid worrying her.

The bodyguard seemed to understand. "It’s fine," he said.

Yang Huan quickly pulled her sister in, "Aren’t you supposed to be at work at the restaurant?"

"Ugh, don’t even bring it up—it’s such bad luck!" Yang Yan looked annoyed, "What did I do to deserve that as a waitress? Some creep groped me. I got so angry that I quit on the spot, so I won’t get paid today."

If she weren’t worried about paying damages, she’d have dumped the soup on his head.

Yang Huan didn’t scold her but instead agreed, "I’ve told you before not to work at the restaurant, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you see how dangerous it is out there, don’t you? Stay home, do embroidery with Mom, make a screen ornament for our boss, and help Mom buy a house in Happy Valley. We’ll move immediately."

A thousand-square-foot luxury flat in Happy Valley has already hit 60,000 Hong Kong dollars. If we don’t buy it now, it will surely rise again.

She’s been working around the clock this month, filming twenty-three ads, and occasionally attending some product promotion events. The pay was great, and after splitting it with the company, she saved 50,000 dollars. Adding to her previous savings, it was just enough to buy an apartment.

After giving her instructions, Yang Huan headed back to the company with the bodyguard, bringing a set of skincare products given by Lu Mingzhu.

Once the bodyguard’s job was done, Wang Tao exchanged a few words before heading home.

After learning about Yang Huan’s family situation, Lu Mingzhu gave a slight nod, "I’ll write another script and have her star in it."

Her work is the foundation of everything.

What kind of story should I write?

Lu Mingzhu hadn’t figured it out yet when she saw He Yun coming in from outside, "Mingzhu, accompany me to Macau."

Lu Mingzhu, who’d just stood up, was taken aback, "What are you going to Macau for?"

He Yun smiled slightly, "Didn’t you agree to lend some oil exploration talents and equipment to Zhang Zhenxing? The people and equipment have arrived in Macau and are resting. The news has already reached the capital, and Zhang Zhenxing should arrive at the Pearl River Dock tomorrow or the day after."

This was too important for Zhang Zhenxing to leave to anyone else.

After all, both the talents and the equipment were prohibited from coming to the mainland, so they could only proceed secretly.

He Yun decided to bring Lu Mingzhu along.

Not to let her handle the handover with Zhang Zhenxing, but to have her name and face appear, which would be beneficial in the future.

Lu Mingzhu was overjoyed, "I’ll go!"

With the help of these talents and equipment, the oil field should be discovered a few years earlier, right?

Having our own oil supply means we won’t constantly depend on imports.

Thinking of this, Lu Mingzhu called Xie Junyao to inform him, packed a few belongings, brought her bodyguards along, and accompanied He Yun on a boat to Macau. However, they didn’t stay at the Xie family’s hotel but instead stayed at one of He Yun’s luxury mansions in the Peak in Macau.

Since he and Nie Congyun co-founded a company, they naturally own their own properties.

And not just one.

Noticing Lu Mingzhu inspecting the house after stepping inside, He Yun smiled and said, "What if I gave this mansion to you?"

"Ah?" Lu Mingzhu turned to look at him, "To me?"

He Yun said, "I advised your brother to establish the grain and oil company’s warehouses and transfer hubs in Macau because it’s much more convenient to transport goods to the mainland from Macau than from Hong Kong. The Portuguese government isn’t as heavy-handed with blockades as the British and Americans, and the previous transfer of supplies through Macau is proof of that. In this case, you will definitely come to Macau more often than before, and you can’t always stay in hotels."

"I can just buy one myself—how could I accept yours?" Lu Mingzhu had made up her mind.

Can she afford it?

She calculated.