Black-bellied Movie Emperor's Clever Wife Chapter 5 part2

Though Xiaoxiao was located as far away from the crowd as possible, the hustle and bustle of the mass actors dressed in costumes still reached her.

Mass actors in China are divided into two categories, general actors and extras. The average actor is recruited to play the role of a “passerby”, earning several tens of dollars a day, some of which are good enough to buy a lunch box.

For example, the role of a woman who is carried in a coffin and plays the dead is a role that no one wants to play, so the pay is quite low, usually 5 or 10 yuan. Many extras who are in good physical condition play characters such as those being beaten. The crew often punches the soles of their fists for realistic shots, which costs about 30 yuan.

Because of the taboos involved, some of the more “sophisticated” crews will give extra red envelope rewards for actors who carry coffins, the mourners, or play dead, which are only an additional 5 yuan or 10 yuan.

A small number of actors who have passed the Putonghua level and are physically  attractive can become "contracted mass performers." And when they reach this level, they are paid between 500 and 1,000 yuan a day, with relatively more lines, but no daily performance. With any luck, these actors may encounter good dramas and movies, and they'll be famous once the show is broadcasted, but it's usually short-lived.

Xiaoxiao wasn't fond of living in a world under public's scrutiny. It's too glamorous and bright. She prefers to live anonymously for a lifetime, at least, lots of things won't happen.

After a while, An Hui and a 40-year-old middle-aged woman came into view. Looking at the way the woman was dressed, she should be the martial arts instructor that An Hui was talking about who looks down on her.

Martial arts instructors are mostly men and it's rare to have a woman.  An Hui once mentioned that she is very famous in this circle. Now, she instantly understood why she looks down on An Hui.

Martial arts instructors do not look at the face, they look at strength and skill. They play a very important role behind the scenes of action films. They can create a unique world in the play, which must have cost them unspeakable diligence and hard work. For An Hui, who is regarded as a vase in the entertainment industry, a male instructor may be forgiving towards her. But for a female instructor, An Hui may be the person she most despises.

In the distance, Xiaoxiao could hear An Hui begging while they were walking, "Lin jie, can you please show me that move again for the last time? You don't need to break it down, let me just have a look again.”

Lin jie scoffed, "You haven't learned even after I demonstrated it to you a dozen times before. How can you be enlightened in just a day?"

An Hui clearly heard her contempt, but she didn't argue, "I have my own way!”

At this moment, Xiaoxiao was hiding behind a tree and could hear their conversation, but Lin could not see her.

An Hui kept grinding her lips, but Lin jie was still looking down on her, and even waved her hand to interrupt. "If you want me to teach you, it's fine, but this is the last time. If you still can't get it, just ask the director and resign. I don't want to waste a good set of moves on you.”

It would be too undignified to beg for anything more, so An Hui promised, “Deal!”

Putonghua level – Modern Standard Chinese, or Standard Mandarin

Chapter end