In a county that was neither big nor small.

It was just past 11 AM when Dong Shanshan, who was now back at her family home, was still lying in bed in her rather cramped room. On the wall were some old and dog-eared posters which looked pretty aged with a yellowish tint. The layout of the room was also from the time when Dong Shanshan was still in middle school. It was clear that this was where she was born and stayed at but also a place she hadn’t come back to often in many years.

Dong dong.

The bedroom door was being knocked on very lightly.

Dong Shanshan raised her head and said, “The door’s not locked.”

Mother Dong opened the door and looked in, asking, “Why are you still not up yet?”

“I’ve been working too hard on my shows recently, so I’m a little tired.” Dong Shanshan smiled and stretched herself in bed, moving her feet like a spoiled child. She said to her mother, “Mom, help me massage my legs please?”

Mother Dong sat down on her small bed and started lightly massaging her daughter.

“How comfortable, my mom is the best in the world,” Dong Shanshan said with a big smile.

Mother Dong looked at her and said, “Tell me honestly, did you come back this time because something happened at work?”

“No, work is going very smoothly and the leader also takes very good care of me. I came back because I was worried about you and Dad, and wanted to come home to visit the both of you. I will be going back in some days when I start working on my new program. Right now, I have a break since my old show has already finished its broadcast. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” Dong Shanshan explained.

Mother Dong shook her head and said, “I gave birth to you and raised you. Wouldn’t I know if you were really fine? Everytime I ask, you always say that everything is good and that you are safe. The more you say it like that, the more worried your dad and I become, because we don’t know which of your words are the truth and how you are really doing. Compared to hearing that, we prefer to listen to you tell us what is really going on. So tell Mom now, did you meet with some trouble this time?”

Father Dong also came into the room from the outside. “If you are really having some problems, you can always come home. Don’t go away anymore. Just because you majored in broadcast doesn’t mean that you must be a host. Of all your classmates, how many really ended up becoming hosts? This industry is too murky with its unspoken rules. Our family are just ordinary people. We can’t compare to those who can pull strings with their relatives.”

Dong Shanshan said, “But I want to develop my career as a host. This has always been my ambition and my thoughts have never wavered. Besides, I am not doing too bad either now. My career has just taken off. Even though an online television station is still not as influential or has as many audiences as a traditional television station and can even be considered several levels lower as a platform, but one can’t accomplish great things with just one single effort, can they? We have to do it step by step. I have just made some results for myself and you want me to give up now? Hur hur, that’s not going to happen.”

Father Dong said, “Then why did you come back this time?”

Mother Dong also said in worry, “Shanshan, can you just be honest with us for once?”

After a brief silence, Dong Shanshan stroked her ponytail and said, “Alright, I’ll tell you both. I had a quarrel with the online television station and submitted my resignation this time. I’ve also sent out quite a number of résumés to the television stations in the country who were looking to recruit television hosts. But the larger television stations and satellite channels totally ignored a minor thing like me, like my résumé was simply thrown into the ocean. They all think that my qualifications are too little and that I am not popular enough. The smaller local television stations I submitted my résumés to did consider me for a position, but after communicating for a while, it all came to nothing. As they are all small local television stations that do not attract much viewership, they did not and also could not plan for a variety program, so they definitely did not require a host like me. This is why I came back. The rental for the apartment in Shanghai was too expensive at several thousand a month. I could no longer afford to stay there. So, I decided to come home to work things out.” After explaining the situation, Dong Shanshan laughed a little. “Well, that is the truth that you both insisted on hearing.”

Father Dong said angrily, “Why did they not want you? Didn’t you do quite well when you were still working at the local channel back then?”

“They didn’t think they had a suitable show for me.” Dong Shanshan shrugged and continued, “Although I’ve already said that I was very willing to try out any new shows even if it wasn’t a variety-based one. It could be a cooking program; I would still be willing to give it a shot. But then, they still maintained their stance and told me that they had their own considerations as well and did not want to take the risk.”

Mother Dong said scornfully, “Employing you would be a risk? It’s their loss that they didn’t get to employ you!”

Dong Shanshan laughed gently and said, “Well, that is…what I think too.”

“How can you still laugh like that now.” Mother Dong who was already feeling very anxious for her daughter, asked her, “Then what will you do now? Are you going to continue sending out your résumé?”

Dong Shanshan nodded and said, “I’ve sent them out to whichever places have put up hiring notices for hosts. I’ve even tried for other online television stations as well. Right now, all I can hope for is to get a good program that I can work on since it hasn’t been easy to get to the popularity that I have now. I can’t just let it go to waste like this. I must get a long-term contract as a host, otherwise when this popularity declines, I will have to start all over again in the future. That is just how cruel the entertainment industry can get.”

Father Dong immediately said, “It’s OK, your mom and I will take care of you, so just stay at home.”

“Thanks Dad, but I have no problem taking care of myself. At most, I would take up more commercial hosting to feed myself even if the pay is unstable.” Dong Shanshan rolled across the bed to her mother’s lap and said, “But that won’t be my long-term plan, right now…” She yawned and continued, “I just hope to find a good enough hosting job.”

Mother Dong stood up.

“Where are you going?” Dong Shanshan’s head slid off her mother’s lap back onto the bed.

Mother Dong said, “I will go and burn some incense to pray for you.”

Dong Shanshan smiled and said, “Sure, then I am going to depend on Mom for this.”

Father Dong was almost at a loss for words. He remarked, “Such blind superstitions!”

Mother Dong turned a deaf ear to it and just walked out to the altar and lit the incense, and then started chanting almost inaudibly with a muttering of words.

Father Dong said to his daughter, “You should have stopped her. All she knows is to burn incense every time until the house is full of the smell of sandalwood.”

“That’s all that my mother likes to do, so just let her be. If you don’t allow her to burn the incense, she would definitely take it up with you,” said Dong Shanshan when her cell phone suddenly rang.

The phone was ringing and vibrating!

She had a look at the caller ID. It was an unknown number calling.

Dong Shanshan flipped over and sat up against the headboard wondering who could be calling. She accepted the call and said: “Hello, who is this?”

On the other end was the voice of a young man who sounded like he was in his twenties, but of course he could be thirty or so as well. “Hello, may I know if this is Teacher Dong Shanshan’s number?”

Looking for me?

There was a response to my application?

Dong Shanshan immediately said: “Yes, that’s me. Who is this?”

Father Dong was also listening closely beside her.

The youth said cheerfully: “I am from the HR Department of Beijing Television Station. You can call me Liu.”

When she heard his introduction, Dong Shanshan was slightly taken aback. Beijing Television Station? She did not remember sending in her résumé to them.

Then the young man continued: “It’s like this, Teacher Shanshan. Beforehand, I would like to ask if you are currently contracted to any television station?”

Dong Shanshan said honestly: “No, I’ve already left my previous job.”

The young man said: “Then your management agency…”

Dong Shanshan said: “I don’t have one either.”

The young man said: “Alright, that makes things much simpler then.”

Dong Shanshan was still clueless as to what was going on, so she asked: “Tell me about it.”

“Sure, as long as there’s no contract involved, I will just speak directly. Our Beijing Television Station’s satellite channel, also known as BTV-1, would like to invite you to join us!” said the young man, whose words surprised her!

Beijing Television Station?

And it was even the satellite channel??

How could this be possible!?

Dong Shanshan hesitated for a bit, wondering if the other party was making a scam phone call to her. “Mr. Liu, if I remember correctly, I don’t think I submitted my résumé to your station?”

“Résumé?” The young man said: “I don’t know about that, Teacher Shanshan. We did not contact you due to any résumé, and as the overall situation is a little complex, I’m not too sure either. All I know is that the program team from the satellite channel got us to contact and inform you regarding their intent to work together with you. As for what kind of program and its details, perhaps you can discuss it directly with the program team’s manager or the related personnel. I don’t have all the information with me since I am just handling the contract.”

Dong Shanshan asked in disbelief: “Beijing Television?”

The young man said: “Yes.”

Dong Shanshan asked again: “Could you tell me in general what kind of program we are talking about?”

The youth: “It’s a large-scale variety singing program.”

Dong Shanshan: “What time slot?”

“Friday…” The young man said: “…Friday’s primetime slot at around 9 PM.”

Friday?

Satellite channel?

Large-scale variety program?

And it’s even at a primetime slot?

How could something so good be true!

Dong Shanshan was a little befuddled by this and was beginning to feel that this really was a scam phone call. She made up her mind that as long as the person started asking for money or to make a credit transfer to them, she would hang up immediately!

“Then what do you need me to do?” Dong Shanshan asked.

The young man answered: “You…you don’t need to do anything. I would like to understand if you have any requests before I proceed to let you know about the details.”

“I have no requests whatsoever!” Dong Shanshan said.

The young man laughed and said: “Alrighty then, it should be easy to discuss. The general situation right now is that we have a new program segment that urgently needs to take over a current program slot, so the recording schedule is also quite urgent because of that. The team has already started prepping today and will start with the production tomorrow. So if you are fine with it, it’s best we have a face-to-face meeting today to settle the contractual agreements. If it’s convenient, could you make a trip to the television station today?”

“To Beijing Television Station?”

“Yes.”

When she heard this, Dong Shanshan was pretty sure that this was not a scam phone call.

Dong Shanshan immediately replied: “I am out of Beijing at the moment, but if I set out immediately, I should be able to get to Beijing by the afternoon.”

The young man said: “That would be great. Since we’re on this issue, let me give you the details about the contract. We are preparing a 1+1 contract for you, with an annual salary of 200,000 RMB excluding bonuses, welfare, and other standard payments. This contract will offer whatever is expected, yes, so you can make your decision on the way here. If there are any parts of this offer you’re not satisfied with or have any special requests, we can talk about them when we meet later. As long as it is related to the contract, I am in charge of it and we can negotiate. As for any program-related requests that you might have, the program team will go through the details with you later as well.”

Free to negotiate?

Everything can be discussed?

Aren’t they being too polite!?

Dong Shanshan finally asked, “How many hosts will there be?”

“Two, a man and a woman.”

“The other person is?”

“It has not been confirmed yet. At the launch of this program, only two things has been confirmed. One, the program’s name will be called Do You Remember, and the other is the choice of the female host!”

The program details were still being worked on!

Yet the designated female host is me??

Translator’s note: Some news update for everyone, I’ve started my Patreon, so you can check it out here

For every $50 increment in total pledges, there will be 1 chapter accumulated for release in the following month. Thank you for your support!

On top of this, until the end of April, for every increase of 10 patrons, up to 80 patrons, regardless of amount pledged, 1 chapter will be released within the day of hitting the milestones. This will run concurrent to item 1. (The next is the 30 patrons milestone/6 more to go!)

There are plans for advanced chapters sometime next month, so watch out for the announcement!