Chapter 8

The entire audience burst into applause, like a heavy summer rain that never ceased. When the lights came on, many women in the audience were already sobbing uncontrollably.

Everyone understood that the movie had been a huge success.

After the premiere, as Li Tingxiang saw off the various guests, Jin Zhongming found her: "Aunt Li, this is my phone number. I hope you can remember it."

Li Tingxiang laughed: "Wu De, I've had your number for a long time."

Jin Zhongming replied very seriously: "Aunt, that's different. That number is for my parents and their seniors. This one is for my director. I hope I can participate in more movies like this as an actor in the future."

The next day, almost all the critics and journalists who attended the VIP premiere of "Grandma's House" lavishly praised the film. Some newspapers even claimed that at least one of the three major film awards at the end of the year had already been reserved.

The review in the entertainment section of the Central Daily was considered the most fair and appropriate. The exclusive film critic and renowned director Jeong Ji-yeong commented as follows:

In a movie market dominated by computer special effects and violence, the story of Grandma can be considered a unique and somewhat fairy-tale-like narrative. However, in the film, fairy tales can exist. "Grandma's House" tells a simple, plain, and pure story without any trace of fabrication, and it avoids falling into the trap of childish sentimentality. It offers hearty laughter and warm, touching moments, which is exactly what "Grandma's House" aims to achieve.

In the film, Grandma's silent dedication and care gradually make the spoiled young grandson Xiangyu understand the meaning of love, and a touching relationship is formed between them. The conflicts between the grandmother and grandson, which are both funny and frustrating, also evoke a deep, moving love.

Director Li Tingxiang aimed to create a film that fully embodies the meaning of life. Her film vividly captures the unique experiences of a female director, paying great attention to detail and atmosphere, and is emotionally rich and touching. I can confidently affirm here: Director Li Tingxiang has the qualifications to be one of the best directors in Korean cinema.

The actors in the film are also impressive. The actress playing the mute grandma, Kim Eun-fen, has lived in a mountain village all her life and has never seen a movie. The young actor playing the grandson, Jin Zhongming, grew up in the United States and had no acting experience. Yet, these two people, who had never been in front of a camera, along with two other equally impressive young actors and several local villagers, completed this masterpiece in just twenty-five days. It is truly remarkable.

Similar comments were abundant. However, despite the high praise for the film, everyone seriously predicted low box office numbers. A heartwarming film without star power is unlikely to achieve great box office success. The highest estimate from a magazine suggested that the film might attract 1.5 million viewers, while most media predicted around 1 million.

However, just two weeks later, the media that attended the premiere were proven wrong, and the main force behind this was other media.

In the first week, the film was only shown in about thirty theaters, mostly in the afternoon. However, what the media didn't expect was that their praise would attract many of their peers.

Thus, word of mouth began to spread. Starting from traditional media, by the third day, the newly emerging online media and netizens began to discuss the film extensively on forums.

From the third day onward, people started to inquire about the film at cinemas, and the number of such people grew. Cinemas were happy to screen such a film to meet their quota for domestic films. As a result, more screens were added, and the screening times were gradually adjusted.

On one side, there was the media's praise, and on the other, the word-of-mouth from the audience. By the end of the first week, "Grandma's House" had become the main topic of discussion in the film community. The unique nature of the film's theme created a new viewing pattern: during the last three weeks of summer, grandparents and great-grandparents brought their grandchildren, and even entire families, to watch the film multiple times.

By the end of the second week, the film had attracted 1.98 million viewers, and in the third week alone, it drew 3.34 million viewers. By the end of the summer, within a month, "Grandma's House" had a total of 8.72 million viewers.

Of course, this trend continued until the end of October, when the film's total audience reached over 4 million. The film was considered a landmark in Korean heartwarming films.

The film's success not only doubled the investment in Jin Zhongming's family but also brought him significant trouble. On the street, he would often encounter elderly people who would pat his head and praise his cuteness. This reached its peak after he started school, where the troublemakers were not older people but a group of teenagers. If it was just for autographs or asking about his acting experience, it would be manageable, but in just two months, he had received dozens of love letters.

In Korea, parents often approve and even encourage their children to have a relationship during middle school. Honestly, if it were a goddess-level girl, like Kim Tae-hee, he might have considered it. But at least, the girls should be at that level. However, the level of Korean middle school girls in this Hanyang University-affiliated middle school was a disgrace to Korea.

These love letters not only annoyed Jin Zhongming but also worried the boys in the school, who feared that this young star might start a harem in their school. If it weren't for the fact that Jin Zhongming always brought a dozen baseball team members with him, he might have been dragged into an alley and beaten up by the older boys.

Life was so boring and bleak. From the start of school until November, apart from practicing with the "Hate" baseball team, he only participated in a cookie advertisement and otherwise returned to the normal life of a seventh-grader.

However, in early November, Sica scolded him over the phone and proudly told him that she would visit Seoul on the second weekend of November, and he should prepare to welcome her.

Jin Zhongming never admitted to being a "sister complex" person, but after hearing Sica and Crystal's voices on the phone, he excitedly struck out Jung Joon-ho the next day.

PS: The childhood plot will soon end, and the story will officially begin in 2005. Also, thank you to Ji Yi for the support. To add, this book has always placed Sica and Crystal in the role of sisters, and the true main character is yet to be determined. I welcome everyone's suggestions.

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