The journey of film and television world is endless

#523 - Chapter 10 Friendly Neighbors

Five days later, in front of a white house, a real estate agent in a suit was giving a non-stop introduction: "Edenhurst Street, adjacent to Gainsborough Avenue, offers convenient transportation. The commercial street is just two blocks away, where you can buy everything you need. There are parks to the south and east, where you can take a walk in your leisure time. This house may not look very eye-catching, but the main structure is a rare brick and stone construction. Although it has been built for more than twenty years, the quality is very good, which can save you a lot of maintenance costs. ..."

Liu Yuan finally decided to buy an ordinary house; he did not choose the more familiar Chinatown. Edenhurst Street is a relatively quiet street, and this neighborhood is also very close to Hollywood. The street is lined with common American two-story buildings, with similar styles and ages of over twenty years, but all are well-maintained.

The house introduced by the real estate agent is indeed very good. The brick and stone structure looks very solid and heavy, with two independent courtyards and a large garage, as well as a private swimming pool in the yard. The security here is also very good; the three nearby blocks have their own community security.

Liu Yuan directly paid for the house. Buying a house in Los Angeles is very simple. Real estate agents with quality resources can easily handle it. Since Liu Yuan paid in cash, there was no loan process, which was very convenient. Professional personnel from the brokerage company provided house inspection and evaluation, and the contract was drafted on the spot. The transfer contract can be signed on the spot, of course, there are two necessary steps: purchasing house insurance and opening utility accounts. As long as you are willing to pay for errands, they are happy to provide door-to-door service.

Liu Yuan completed everything in just one afternoon. The furniture and facilities in the house were complete. He just made a few phone calls to have brand new household appliances delivered from the mall, and he could move in with his bags.

The moving was a big event, with people coming and going. The neighbors on the same street naturally knew that a new resident was moving in. Some full-time housewives came to watch the excitement, and Liu Yuan greeted them kindly. The surrounding neighbors were also very friendly and introduced themselves to each other. These middle-class families pay great attention to privacy; even the closest neighbors are thirty meters apart.

According to American customs, new residents should bring some gifts to visit their neighbors. The family next door was very polite; the hostess, named Judy, was very enthusiastic. Seeing a new neighbor moving in, she directly brought over her own baked cookies to say hello.

Mrs. Judy was very talkative, and Liu Yuan quickly learned from her words that this family's surname is Witwicky, who are third-generation Russian immigrants. The male host, Ronald, is an insurance broker, and they also have a son named Sam, who is in high school.

According to Chinese customs, moving requires starting a fire to cook. Liu Yuan thought for a moment and naturally invited the Witwicky family to have dinner at his house in the evening.

Mrs. Judy happily agreed to the invitation, saying that she would definitely visit in the evening. People always reciprocate kindness with kindness. Liu Yuan could feel that Mrs. Judy's attitude was not fake; she was a good person, and the atmosphere in the Witwicky family must be very good.

The food in Liu Yuan's small world has long been nourished by spiritual energy. He wondered how people in this world would react after eating it. So, he selected some fresh vegetables and meat from the supermarket on the next street and planned to make some modified Chinese dishes.

"Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine, I'm leaving my life in your hands. People say I'm crazy and that I am blind, risking it all in a glance. How you..."

He hummed a little tune and cooked himself. Several exquisite dishes were prepared, and to suit American tastes, he made them more sweet and sour. He also showed off his carving skills, using radishes and other vegetables to create some carvings for plating.

At seven o'clock that evening, the Witwicky family arrived. Ronald also brought a bottle of Merlot from Harlan Estate (Merlot, known as Merlot in the early days in China, is not a brand, but refers to a type of purple grape, wine brewed through a special process). Merlot produced by Harlan Estate generally costs more than one or two hundred dollars, which is already a very valuable gift for a casual visit from an ordinary neighbor.

Liu Yuan welcomed them into the dining room. The Witwicky couple were amazed by his craftsmanship.

Judy exclaimed: "Oh, my god. Mr. Liu, your cooking skills can rival a Michelin chef! Can this be eaten?" She pointed to a peony flower.

Liu Yuan waved his hand and said, "Thank you for the compliment. We Chinese people can cook a little bit. That is a carrot, of course, you can eat it. Please, everyone, take a seat!"

Liu Yuan also met their son, a seventeen-year-old boy named Sam Witwicky. This young man looks refined, but his eyes reveal a hint of shyness. In a few days, Sam will be finishing his eleventh grade, which means he is about to enter his final year of high school.

Here, it is necessary to explain that the American education system is slightly different from that in China. Elementary school is five years, junior high school is three years, and high school is four years, divided into 1-12 grades. According to this calculation, Sam in the 11th grade is equivalent to a high school sophomore in China.

However, Sam did not seem to show the vitality and confidence that a teenager in puberty should have. On the contrary, his personality is more introverted, with a bit of a nerdy air, although his academic performance is also average. This kind of temperament is called '闷骚' (men sao, outwardly reserved but inwardly passionate) or '屌丝' (diaosi, loser) in China.

At the start of the meal, perhaps seeing that Liu Yuan did not seem to be a believer in Jesus, and the Witwicky family was not very devout either, everyone did not pray.

Ronald, after all, was an insurance broker, with considerable eloquence and a good understanding of how to get closer to others. Especially when facing a Chinese person like Liu Yuan, he lowered his posture very much, occasionally throwing out a few Chinese phrases, making people feel very cordial.

Liu Yuan also talked with him about some financial matters. In recent months, the stock market has been somewhat stagnant, and Liu Yuan felt that he could appropriately enter the market to make money. Ronald naturally knew some friends in finance who worked in the stock exchange and promised to introduce some to Liu Yuan.

At the dinner table, Sam seemed a little restless.