Chapter 432: Effective Methods to Repel Mosquitoes
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Using air conditioning to repel mosquitoes was a stupid way to deal with them, and it was unnecessary to use the AC in early summer or early autumn. Besides, the AC should not always be turned on. People should open windows for ventilation from time to time, or else the indoor air quality would be poor for their health.
In addition, Sphynx cats were rather special because they had no hair to cover their bodies, and unlike bulldogs, they did not have abundant fat to keep them warm during the cold. They were very sensitive to changes in the temperature, and if they were directly exposed to the cold air from the AC, they would catch a cold and get diarrhea easily.
Zhang Zian thought for a moment and suggested, "Then you can get a few flower pots and plant some catnip indoors. Catnip naturally repels mosquitoes, and it causes no harm to cats or humans. However, cats also like eating catnip and are easily addicted to it, so you should plant the catnip somewhere where the cat can’t reach it, or else it will have been gnawed away completely by your cat before the catnip can repel any mosquitos!"
"Really? That’s a good idea!" Xu Junyu was overjoyed upon hearing this. Not only did catnip possess a mosquito repellent effect, but it could add a touch of greenery indoors. So, why not?
"Yes, catnip has a variety of effects. In addition to repelling mosquitoes, you can also make cat toys from them. Grind dried catnip into a powder and put it in a bag. Cats will play with it all night. If you can’t play with your cat, you can use the toy to attract its attention so that it won’t disturb you for the time being," said Zhang Zian. "Of course, some cats are immune to catnip, so you can try other plants too."
"Xiao Zhang, you are so resourceful! I wish I had known you earlier!" Xu Junyu regretted they hadn’t met sooner. "By the way, what is your WeChat account? Add me, I will ask you for advice if there are any problems with my Charlotte."
Zhang Zian was so delighted that things were going exactly as he wanted. Not only had he exchanged WeChat accounts with a few people, but he had even promoted the public account of his pet shop. His painstaking explanation was not futile. These people were in the showbiz industry, and though they were less influential than the top movie stars, they could still spread news quickly and widely. He had witnessed just how lucrative the showbiz industry was.
"There's also another effective method," he grasped the opportunity and said. "As you know, a lot of cats like catching mosquitoes and bugs. If there are too many mosquitoes in your house for one cat to get them all, you can raise one or two more cats. I assure you that the mosquitoes will be completely gone. If you are interested, you can come to my pet shop to buy cats. I give good, honest prices for my customers!"
The crowd was speechless, but was not averse to his obvious advertisement. Not only did cats like to catch fish and mice, but they liked to catch a variety of insects, too. Many cat owners might have experienced their cats suddenly extending their paws and then dropping the dead bodies of some insects. Although some owners would feel nauseated by it, this was the way cats expressed their affection for their owners—by sharing their prey with them. In addition, thanks to their agility, cats were also very good at capturing mosquitoes. When a mosquito landed on a wall, before a person could fetch a swatter, a cat may have already killed the mosquito, driven by its hunting nature.
In addition to cats, many people present, especially the men, also liked dogs. When they were little, what man was not envious of other people’s dogs? When Zhang Zian was speaking, they noticed that Famous was quietly squatting without barking, sniffing, or running around. Even when some people took out some snacks to lure it, Famous did not make the slightest movement. It was just like a taciturn soldier as good as the two police dogs next to it.
Feng Xuan's cell phone rang, the dressing room was too noisy, so he squeezed through the crowd and went outside to answer the phone. When he hung up the phone, he noticed that it was almost time to shoot, so he clapped his hands and said, "Stop playing around. Everyone please take your place. We will start today's shooting immediately." As the person in charge of the crew, he was glad that everyone was getting along, but they couldn’t delay the shooting.
Within the blink of an eye, the crowd scattered at a speed faster than they had congregated, and then there was only Lin Feng, Xu Junyu, Zhang Zian, Feng Xuan, and the three dogs left in the shed.
Feng Xuan glanced at them and asked, "Have you read the script yet? Let me explain it to you." He was not talking about the story that was about to be filmed today, but rather he was focusing on what kind of emotions would be expressed through the story. The main content to be filmed was the training scenes. During the training, the leading role played by Lin Feng would place strict requirements on Lightning, played by Famous. Lin Feng would not only train Famous by the montra, "more sweat in usual time, less bleeding in the wartime", but also would display his caring and tender love for it during their training intervals by secretly buying extra meat for it with his own money.
Feng Xuan was originally addressing Lin Feng and Zhang Zian, but as he spoke, he found that Famous was more concentrated than anyone. Its eyes stared at him as if scared it would miss a sentence. In contrast, though Lin Feng did not have the pretentious attitude of a star, he was obviously somewhat absent minded. Was it because he had sufficient confidence in his acting skills, or was he affected by his recent scandal?
Lin Feng was not a superstar, nor could he take a firm stand as an A-list star. He barely landed somewhere in between the A-list and B-list. After all, the real protagonist of this movie was a dog, and from the outset, the policy of the crew was that they would rather spend money on the setting and special effects than hire big stars. The crew couldn’t afford A-list stars. Even if they could, the stars were not willing to come. However, nowadays even the C-list stars dared to be pretentious, so Lin Feng's attitude was pretty good.
Nevertheless, in his heart, Feng Xuan somewhat distained Lin Feng. Because you are not focused enough in shooting films and are vulnerable to external influences, you can never become an A-list star. Your self-righteous attitude makes you less than a dog.
Zhang Zian was just listening casually. His tasks were to make the three dogs obey orders and cooperate with training and filming. As for how to make Famous display affection for Lin Feng in the film, he didn’t need to worry about that.
A bystander could see through everything. Zhang Zian noticed that the script in Feng Xuan’s hands was very worn, so that the edges of the pages started to curl up. And between the lines, there were more handwritten notes that Feng Xuan wrote when he studied the script. In contrast, Lin Feng's script was much cleaner and tidier.
Xu Junyu had done her job, but she also needed to be with the crew during the filming to re-apply makeup to the main characters. Since she did not listen to Feng Xuan’s explanation, she was just gently stroking the backs of Famous and the other two dogs. She felt good touching them.
When the explanation was about to be wrapped up, the assistant ran in and whispered, "Director Feng, we are ready. We can start filming at any moment."
"Well, let's go, we shouldn’t keep everyone waiting for a long time." Feng Xuan greeted the others and reminded Zhang Zian, "Xiao Zhang, you are the newcomer to the crew, but don’t be nervous, try to relax. I’m confident in your abilities."