Actually, this era was most suitable for doing business, especially in their kind of small, n-tier city. Many people were still immersed in the old thinking that speculative trading would get them thrown into jail, so there were few sellers, but many buyers.
This is also what later generations would say, that in the eighties, one could become a millionaire just by setting up a street stall.
And she also had an ancient perfume recipe.
In the past, whether it was she or her master who made the perfume, a single bottle could be sold at sky-high prices, which goes to show just how popular the perfume really was.
But doing business required capital.
The Xia family's rice jar was nearly empty, let alone capital.
It seemed she had no choice but to follow the old path and earn some initial funds by acting.
But her body was now only eight years old, which meant limited roles and no fame. She estimated that not even extras would want her.
While Xia Ningxing was worrying so much her hair might start falling out, today's newspaper was delivered by the postman.
Originally, subscribing to the newspaper wasn't something the family did, but Xia Ningxing had ordered it with the pocket money she saved up over time in order to understand this world better.
After all, in this era, mobile phones and computers were not yet widespread, and news could only be obtained through television and newspapers.
Xia Ningxing casually flipped through the newspaper, and coincidentally, on the back page, she stumbled upon a casting call for actors.
Moreover, the age requirement was just 5 to 10 years old, which she fit perfectly!
This was just like having a pillow thrown at you when you're dozing off!
Xia Ningxing quickly sat up straight and began to read carefully.
The title of the drama was "Childhood Sweethearts," telling a beautiful story of childhood love.
The role they were casting was for the female lead as a child.
Girls aged 5 to 10 with beautiful appearances and a certain level of acting skills were welcome to audition, with priority given to those with experience, and remuneration would be negotiated.
The director was a man named Xu Tian.
This person...
Xia Ningxing felt he looked very familiar. After thinking carefully, she couldn't help but gasp. This director had appeared in a novel she read; although he had no fame now, in the future, he would win the Academy Award for Best Director, which spoke volumes of his directorial skill.
This was a major opportunity not to be missed!
If she could leave a good impression on him, it would be a great help to her future acting career.
So, whether it was for the capital to start a business or for her future, she had to attend the audition!
The audition date was set for early July, taking into consideration that the children would be on summer break.
As soon as summer break started, Xia Ningxing could hardly wait to prepare for the audition, but considering her young age, she had to report and get approval from her family before going out.
Mrs. Xia had already left for work early in the morning, so only her five older brothers were at home.
As the saying goes, 'an eldest brother is like a father,' so the little girl went straight to her oldest brother, pinched the hem of his clothes, and blinked her innocent eyes, "Big brother..."
"What is it, Bao'er?" The eldest brother, who was feeding the chickens in the courtyard, stopped his work and smiled as he tenderly rubbed her soft cheeks.
"Brother, I want to go out," Xia Ningxing blinked.
"Where does Bao'er want to play?" the eldest brother asked subconsciously, "Is it okay if your brother takes you?"
Xia Ningxing knew that if she really went to act, she wouldn't be able to hide it from her eldest brother, so she simply said, "Brother, I actually want to go to an audition, to act and earn money."
Expecting that her brother would not stop her after hearing "earn money," and might even accompany her, she was surprised to find that not only did he try to stop her, but he even got angry.
"You can't go!"
His normally soft and young face became stern with widened eyes, furrowed brows, and tightly pursed lips. Even his tone was scolding, "Bao'er, no fooling around. You're too young to go out and make money. Don't worry about the money; mom has already found a job washing dishes."
"And your eldest brother, I've already planned to learn a craft from the master. That way, I can make forty or fifty yuan a month."
How could she, a girl, go out to make money? They would rather dote on her!
"But big brother, are you really content with this kind of life?" Xia Ningxing remained quiet for a moment after hearing his words, then lifted her doe-like eyes and questioned him from the soul.
It wasn't that she looked down on craftsmanship, but she was clearly in a position to change the Xia family's situation. So why should he give up his future?
"I..."
The eldest brother opened his mouth to say he was content, but his throat felt as if it was seized by an invisible hand, rendering him unable to speak.
If he asked himself, could he truly be content?
No! Of course not!
But what could be done about it?
As the eldest brother of the family, how could he not be aware of their circumstances?