My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!
Chapter 370 - 246 Alma Mater

Chapter 370: Chapter 246 Alma Mater

"Slurp~"

Having poured the very last drop of soup from the bottom of the bowl into his mouth, Meng Lang put down his bowl, his face radiating happiness, against a backdrop of flowers in full bloom....

Yes! Who doesn’t have their share of hardships in life?

We all come from the same root, so why be so hasty in turning against each other?

Getting angry with oneself, who’s to blame if it makes us feel sick?

We are all brothers, aren’t we all here for each other?

What’s the big deal if you joke around with yourself occasionally? Aren’t you just entertaining yourself?

With everyone under so much pressure to survive, isn’t it normal to get a little cranky now and then?

In the end, isn’t life all about how you manage to comfort yourself?

With one bowl of soup, Meng Lang had quickly completed the entire process from being slightly irritable to completely calm....

"The ultimate delight for the taste buds!"

No wonder my brother gave it such high praise.

Today’s pork rib and lotus root soup had a rich and fragrant broth, with a pale red hue.

The lotus root was tender and soft, the pork ribs melted in your mouth, and the flavor was perfectly balanced. It was as if it hit Meng Lang’s G-spot, making him taste the flavor of home....

This deliciousness was even better than what my mom used to make by hand!

"Xiao Yu, how did you learn to make this soup? Last time it was already a rare treat, but today you’ve really outdone yourself... no, you’ve reached a whole new level!

I’m totally blown away!"

Meng Lang exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.

"Compared to that, it’s your nose that’s really surprising...." Yan Weiwei looked at Meng Lang and pouted.

"The lid hadn’t even been lifted, and you hadn’t even entered the door; how could you smell it from so far away? Are you a dog or something?"

Hey! You’re actually right!

Although that’s got nothing to do with what I am....

"Hehe! Thanks for the compliment, Uncle, but you didn’t notice, did you? I’m not the one who made the soup this time." Xiao Yu said with a smile.

"Ah? It wasn’t you who made it?"

Meng Lang paused for a moment, then quickly realized and turned his head toward the person across the dinner table.

"So it was Lawyer Lin who cooked?"

After all, Yan Weiwei’s circumstances wouldn’t allow it....

"Yes, I happened to be free today, and I still hadn’t properly thanked you for helping our band out of trouble last time. I couldn’t help you with anything else, so seeing that you liked it, I decided to cook."

Now I get it, last night’s fried rice with eggs, tonight’s pork rib soup, all my favorites, this was a thank you gift!

This resolution of the situation was absolutely worth it!

"Lawyer Lin, your cooking skills are amazing, anyone who didn’t know better would think you were from Beihu. Our local chefs probably aren’t even up to your level."

"Hehe! You’d be even more surprised if you knew this was my sister’s first time making this dish."

"What? The first time?"

Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, Meng Lang was quite surprised.

Making pork rib and lotus root soup isn’t easy; those who don’t know the dish usually end up with darkened lotus roots that look unappetizing and lack freshness in taste.

Take Mr. Meng, for instance, who also occasionally cooks, but the flavor is on a completely different plane from what his mother makes.

Even those who cook it regularly don’t necessarily do it well, let alone on the first try.

To do it this well on the first attempt....

Lawyer Lin, you are truly a culinary genius delayed by the law!

Your talent must have been misplaced, right?

"That’s an exaggeration. Maybe it’s because I used some delicacies you brought back from home as seasoning, which is why the taste seems so familiar to you," Lin Haitang said with a smile.

Hmm? Is that so?

Indeed, I did send back quite a few local specialties last time; no wonder it tasted like home....

"Slurp~" After taking a sip of the soup, Yan Weiwei couldn’t help but exclaim.

"It’s no surprise coming from my Haitang; there’s nothing that can stump you!

By the way, you seem to have a lot more free time lately; no shows in the past couple of days?"

Upon Yan Weiwei’s reminder, Meng Lang belatedly realized.

That’s right! The usual Lin Haitang was almost always too busy to set foot on the ground, seldom having time to cook.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Is it because of what happened last time, the bar owner is worried about retaliation and doesn’t dare to hire you for gigs anymore?"

"What?!"

Before Lin Haitang could respond, Yan Weiwei was already furious.

"If that bar owner is such a coward, Haitang, let me go argue with him for you!"

"No need, no need." Lin Haitang said, shaking her head with a smile.

"The owner had no choice, after all, those thugs will be released in a few days, and he still needs to run his business. It’s not possible for him to stop just for us.

Plus, he compensated us the full amount for breaking the contract; he’s done right by us."

Seeing Yan Weiwei still looking dissatisfied, she added with a smile.

"Actually, this isn’t such a bad thing for me; it’s a good opportunity to end this part-time job and spend more time with Xiao Yu. Recently I became a junior partner at the firm, and my income has increased quite a bit; I’m not so short of money anymore."

"I do feel a bit sorry for the other members of Liunian Band though..."

"Oh! That’s the case, well, that’s good then..." Yan Weiwei’s frown finally began to ease.

"That’s great, my sister won’t have to work so hard anymore!" Xiao Yu said with delight.

Meng Lang, seeing that Lin Haitang’s smile was relaxed and that she seemed to be in good spirits, truly and not forcing a smile, also felt relieved.

Amidst her happiness, Yan Weiwei started to feel a bit melancholic.

"One of you can compose and sell songs while the other gets promotions and raises, I’m just the one left collecting rent. Don’t tell me I’m going to end up the worst off among us three?"

Meng Lang couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

That’s not how Versailles syndrome works, while others are breaking their backs figuring out how to make money, you’ve already made a killing.

The moment that movie investment paid off, you had more liquid assets in your hands than the average person can earn in a lifetime...

But now that you mention it.

It seems like Lin Haitang also mentioned something similar when she ghostwrote "Ordinary Road."

[The income of a lawyer grows rapidly. In 2022, I started my own practice and cleared 1.2 million, in 2023, 1.5 million, and in 2024, 2 million.]

Well...

An advanced lawyer indeed has the potential to become a rich woman!

Lin Haitang didn’t bother with Yan Weiwei’s whimpering; she turned to Meng Lang.

"By the way, what are you planning to do with that song of yours?"

"Ah! Mr. Qu has a wide network in this area, I think we can ask him to recommend a professional to sell it," Yan Weiwei suggested.

"Oh, I’ve already decided to sell the song to a friend," Meng Lang said with a smile.

"He’s recently decided to enter the entertainment industry and just needs a song to build his reputation. Oh, right! The role you invested in that movie, I also got that for him."

Since he couldn’t keep it a secret anymore, Meng Lang just came out with it.

"Friend?" Yan Weiwei and Lin Haitang looked at each other, both with a hint of curiosity.

Here was a song sale and helping someone find a role when they were about to break into the entertainment industry...

After all, "he" and "she" were often inseparable, and they immediately began to suspect a romantic angle.

Lin Haitang didn’t probe any further.

"Is that so? I had thought you would want to be the original vocalist yourself. I was even considering if you needed it, I could introduce you to a professional recording studio.

But since you’ve sold it to a friend, it looks like that’s no longer necessary."

"Recording studio?"

Meng Lang paused, realizing... he really did need that.

After all, Gao Yuan’s film company wasn’t going to be operational so quickly, and releasing the song could actually be done ahead of time.

If Duan Xian’s reputation could get a boost from this, his participation in the movie later on would certainly be much more impactful.

"I need it! Who said I didn’t?"

Meng Lang hurriedly added.

"My friend is completely new to this, clueless about how to record songs or release them.

Since you, Lawyer Lin, are the lead vocalist of a band, you’re obviously more knowledgeable about this than we are!

So, whenever it’s convenient for you, I’ll bring my friend over to record the song, and while we’re at it, perhaps you could provide some guidance on the side!"

"Huh?" Lin Haitang was somewhat surprised.

After all, a "friend" looking to buy a song to break into the entertainment industry who was completely ignorant about the process — who didn’t even have a talent agency to arrange a song release...

Were these two just making snap decisions? Are life’s big choices this casual?

"Of course, that’s possible. Tomorrow happens to be Saturday... wait a minute!"

Lin Haitang said as she took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello! Xiao Qin, is your recording studio available tomorrow? I’ve got a friend who wants to record a song... Mhm! Mhm! Really? Great, then it’s settled, we’ll talk more tomorrow when I arrive!"

After hanging up, Lin Haitang looked at Meng Lang with a smile.

"We’re in luck, Xiao Qin is our band’s drummer and she’s working at a recording studio now. Tomorrow, the studio just happens to be available, so we can use it for a day.

Bring your friend, and I’ll take you guys there in the morning."

"That would be fantastic!"

Perhaps this is what they mean by ’fortune favors the bold’? When you need a pillow, here comes a bed!

How else to explain the importance of connections?

"Recording songs, huh? I want to go too, I’ve never seen how songs are recorded in a studio," Yan Weiwei was eager to join the excitement.

"I want to go too, I’m off work tomorrow!" Xiao Yu raised her hand to sign up.

"Sure, let’s all go! Xiao Yu, didn’t you say you wanted to see my alma mater? Tomorrow we can take the opportunity to give you a tour."

"Really?" Xiao Yu’s face lit up with joy.

Today was just too good to be true. Her sister no longer had to work part-time, meaning more time together in the future, plus a chance to visit the place where her sister once studied...

Xiao Yu felt incredibly fortunate that ever since meeting the gentleman, every seemingly bad situation turned into a good one — she was just so happy!

"Alma mater?" Meng Lang looked puzzled.

"Oh, the recording studio I mentioned is at my alma mater, Suzhou University..."

Suzhou University?!

Meng Lang: "..."