Rebirth of a star - Chapter 3

Susu knew that it was difficult to get on such a stage only by knowing the Kunqu Opera, because it was only a quintessence of the Chinese culture. There was no mistake that it had fans, but these fans were too old. To get applause on the stage, the Kunqu Opera wasn’t the only way. The younger generation had more fans, but they didn’t listen to the Kunqu Opera as it had already passed its peak.

In the entertainment circle there was a diversification. The singing itself was divided into different genres like rock, pop, jazz and so on. There were also many kinds of dances, such as rumba, Latin, national standard and so on. Susu wanted to stand on the stage, but she was confused and didn’t know what to learn.

She was online when she saw the most famous movie of all times, the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’. She recalled that it was the fourth movie, and the first ones were blurry in her mind, but the impression she felt was so deep.

She clicked on the link.The story was talking about a person who searched for the fountain of youth. The male lead role was played by Johnny Depp who had a variety of characters and style. He was also sexy and enchanting. Captain Jack was a heroic man, and Angelica was wild and mysterious, while mermaids were pure in appearance but dangerous.

That night, Susu tossed around on her bed.The spring mattress that usually felt comfortable to sleep on couldn’t help her much. Kunqu Opera, acting, hosting, having fun, stage, singing and so on were the thoughts that hovered in her mind. When her mother came to see her the next morning, she found her with eye bags.

“You couldn’t sleep yesterday because you knew you were leaving the hospital?” Du Hanaju laughed. “No.”

Susu hesitated for a long time before she asked, “Mom, if I go to the Central Academy of Drama after a year, will that be alright with you?”

“The Central Academy of Drama?” Du Hanju checked her daughter’s temperature, and found that it was normal. Susu bowed her head. She was uncertain if such a powerful family would allow their daughter to become an actress.

Du Hanju saw that her daughter was a little depressed and pitiful which made her think that she was serious about the matter.

“Do you know what the Central Academy of Drama test would be about? Do you know what the college is teaching? What do you want to do after graduation?” Du Hanju got serious as well.

Susu whispered, “I know what the test is about. I checked it on the Internet yesterday. To take some professional courses, we need to take the first, second and third examination, as well as oral examination. I want to learn acting. Mom, I want to be a star.” Du Hanju was silent.

Being a star was a hard dream for most families in China. For their family, it wasn’t difficult to rely on their abilities. It may be her daughter’s dream to be in the entertainment industry. But she knew that it wasn’t such a bright place to be in, as it was a circle that entertained everyone.

“Mom,” Susu saw that her mom was silent and knew that she was worried. But she really wanted to be on stage, she wanted the attention that anyone gets on that said stage.

As the lyrics of a song said, 

“You can say I’m exaggerated

I only do it because I’m scared 

If I stood like a statue

would anyone notice me?

I’m scared of being forgotten

So I’ll be dramatic.”

“If we don’t help you, would you still want to be a star?” Du Hanju stared at her daughter, waiting for an answer. She didn’t want her to feel unfavored because of her family background. For her, her daughter was still young.

“Yes.” It was clear from Susu’s face that she was serious, but it didn’t last long as is collapsed the next second, “As long as your dad doesn’t deny you such a request.” Du Hanju’s rigid face finally relaxed. It was her daughter’s choice; she only hoped that it wasn’t the wrong one.

When the family knew that Susu had to apply for the Central Academy of Drama, they all reacted in different ways. The older generation, of course, strongly opposed it.

Her older male and female cousins wanted to watch from the sidelines. To decide which side would be better to take, which side to stand by, to watch passively and have a great time. Susu was awfully sad that they didn’t enter the examination and began acting.

The relatives of foreign countries were all very busy. The second cousin who lived in the United States said, “What’s the meaning of Chinese opera? Go to New York Film Academy.”

Her fourth cousin in Canada said, “Come to Canada to study music. I know you speak English well, so there won’t be any communication barriers.” 

Her third uncle in Japan asked her if she wanted to come to Japan, as literary and artistic movies and ghost movies were well developed.

Susu was holding a rabbit pillow while she was in the family meeting on the phone. 

Whoa! Who was going to Japan? Just after the earthquake, full radiation, who was going to shoot ghost movies there? Hate the third uncle, hate!

Finally, the parents spoke. Yu Dingtong said, “Have you decided yet? During school, you are not allowed to talk to your parents or relatives. We won’t help you. If you give up halfway, you will obediently go to the civil service exam, and then your parents would help you. It will be okay to eat ordinary food.” Susu listened to her family and nodded like a chick pecking rice. 

Yu Dingtong said, “If you can pass the exam with your own ability, then you can learn. Don’t come back crying. Find your own teachers and classes one year before the exam.” 

Susu was only waiting for her father to speak. And when she heard his words, her eyes turned red. She threw the pillow aside and jumped into her father’s arms. Like a kitten, she rubbed her head hard and said, “Dad, you’re so kind.” 

She was there for three months which included two months of coma. Susu had fully adapted to this identity: a serious father, a gentle mother, lively relatives, and a large family.

That was a great thing!

The final outcome of the meeting phone call was based on the dad’s decision. Relatives hung up one after another when it was over. 

Susu was enthusiastically searching for classes. There were many classes in the summer vacation. All kinds of acting classes were too numerous to see. Although her dad said he would not use his relationships to help her find a class, that didn’t stop him from using his life experience as a reference for his daughter. Susu signed up with the money she owned.  As a wealthy young woman with many relatives who gave her money on Chinese New Years, she wasn’t under pressure about money. Her final decision was to pick the class at the Magic Du Theater Academy. 

Goal: Entrance to Central Academy of Drama next year, Fuel charge!

After she selected the class, Susu found the review materials of the college entrance examination. Culture class can’t be dropped because to her, it was a way to revise.

Her schoolwork had always been at the top of the class. This time, because of the car accident, she couldn’t participate in the college entrance examination. The school teachers were sighing. The child was so smart and talented, how can such a thing happen to her? 

After a time of study and review, Susu had basically restored the cultural level of the college entrance examination. But English was hard. After all, the Chinese characters had not changed much since ancient times. It was great for her to see the traditional characters, but English was a new language. Although she got memories deep inside her mind, it felt like it was separated by a layer of something, which can’t be flexibly invoked.

The little girl watched Hollywood blockbusters all night every day, even though it was really hard for her to accept the scenes of violence and intimacy. Since the accident, she had put some hot pants and small slings away because she couldn’t wear them.

It was hard to improve her level in English, but she found a British website where she could talk to native people every day. And finally, one month after the beginning of her course, she could speak in English fluently.

Speaking of this, her Internet friend Katherine had devoted much. She was a British housewife who usually stayed at home. She just looked on the web page and chatted. The forty-year-old housewife had a good family. Because her husband and son were busy working, she finally found a friend on the other side of the world.

Being a good teacher is probably a natural quality of human beings. For this little girl in China, Katherine basically knew everything.

“Katherine, I’m going to class tomorrow. Maybe I can’t talk to you every day.” (For readers, Chinese is still used here.) Susu was very sorry.

“Oh, baby, it’s okay. I have been studying the Chinese recipes you gave me in the past two days. It’s really mysterious. How can there be such a strange way? China is really amazing. It’s a pity that I didn’t come to China to enjoy during the Expo.” Katherine smiled clearly.

“All right,” Susu smiled. “When you come to China, I’ll treat you to a Chinese meal. But if I come to England first, you must treat me.”

“Of course, my child, I can introduce you to my son. you will become good friends.” Katherine said.

From downstairs came her mother’s voice, “Susu, your classmates came.”

“I’m sorry, Katherine. My mother called me. Let’s talk about it next time. Bye-bye.”

“Okay, Susu, bye-bye.”

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