Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 858 In-depth Investigation
February 17th, the second day of the Lunar New Year, Sunday.

Early in the morning, Chen Fan took Jiang Lili to the Jiang family to pay New Year's respects to his father-in-law and mother-in-law. After that, he ran away with his sister-in-law.

Oh, he took his wife and sister-in-law, met up with Zhou Zhengdong and the others, and then they all got into the car and drove off.

The men sat in the front row and the women sat in the back. Fortunately, the GAZ-69's carriage was not small, and the modified back row was almost comparable to a sofa. Four women sat in a row, and it wasn't too crowded.

As for the little guy Zhou Jincheng and the two little monkeys, they could only be carried, while the two grizzly gyrfalcons naturally flew in the sky.

Jiang Tiantian stroked the monkey head on her younger sister's leg with one hand, looked at Chen Fan's head, and said with a smile, "When my dad went to work yesterday, a lot of people asked him if he knew the song you sang on TV. Even the leaders from the city's armed forces department called to invite you to give a speech, but my dad directly refused on your behalf."

And yesterday's Yunhu Daily devoted an entire page to reporting on this song; many people are discussing it.

As soon as she started, Zhou Yali immediately said, "Just yesterday, the night before last, on New Year's Eve, we received calls at home, from the provincial capital and Beijing, all asking about that song."

He then looked at Chen Fan and said, "Brother, you're going to be a sensation this time. If this were in America, you'd definitely be a superstar, the kind everyone knows."

Chen Fan snorted twice and laughed, "Don't be silly, it's possible for everyone to know. But do you think if this happened in America, I'd definitely become a big star and not something else?"

Zhou Yali made an "uh" sound, blinked, and stammered, "Anyway, there will definitely be some people who like you."

Seeing her appearance, Jiang Lili couldn't help but wonder, "Does America not like heroes?"

"On the contrary, the United States has a particular cult of individual heroes, the kind of people who can save the world by themselves."

Zhou Yali spread her hands as she spoke, “But this does not include war. In particular, the shadow of the Vietnam War had not yet faded, and coupled with the economic downturn, the entire 70s was almost entirely about anti-war sentiment.”

At this point, she gave an embarrassed smile and said, "If this song were released in the United States, it would indeed cause a lot of people to condemn it."

He then explained, "But that's always how it is in America. If some people like something, there will always be some people who oppose it, and it's hard to bridge that gap."

After she finished speaking, Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian both felt it was unbelievable. The older sister frowned and said, "Even soldiers who fight for their country are opposed? I can't understand it."

Although Chen Fan has released several popular songs in the past, none of them have had the same impact as this song at this time. This is the special nature of the times.

Even if Chen Fan had no other works, this song would have propelled him to a very high position, and even now, it would have added another halo to his fame.

Therefore, they simply could not understand why Zhou Yali would be condemned in the United States.

Chen Fan, who was driving, heard her words and said with a smile, "Actually, it's not hard to understand. Our ancestors in the Spring and Autumn Period said that there are righteous wars and unrighteous wars."

Our soldiers fought to defend the country, and every drop of their blood was shed for the lives of the people. This is a righteous war, and the people will naturally support it.

American soldiers fight on the soil of other countries, destroying their homes and occupying their land, which is unjust.

Since it is unjust, naturally righteous people will condemn it.

He glanced at Zhou Yali in the rearview mirror and laughed, "You're using this song as an example from America, which is a misattribution. The nature of the two songs is completely different, so there's no basis for comparison."

The two sisters behind them suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

Zhou Yali pouted and stuck out her tongue, "Okay, I guess I misspoke."

Zhao Wanru, however, seemed thoughtful. "Xiao Fan, your point of view is very powerful. It also aligns with the Confucian principle that those who follow the Way will find many supporters, while those who stray from it will find few. When I return to the United States and establish a newspaper, I can use this as a topic to discuss in the newspaper. It should generate a certain social impact and give the newspaper a good start."

Zhou Yali took her arm and sighed, "Mommy, can you please not work so hard? It makes me look so incompetent."

Zhao Wanru was furious. "You heartless bastard, who am I working for?"

Zhou Yali blinked, then pointed decisively at Chen Fan, "Brother!"

Chen Fan ignored her and turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong, saying, "It snowed a few days ago and hasn't melted completely yet. I estimate we'll arrive in the provincial capital quite late today, and we'll probably miss our flight to Shenyang. We'll have to wait until tomorrow to go."

Zhou Zhengdong nodded slightly, "Anyway, the ceremony is on the fifth day of the lunar new year. Today is only the second day, so there's still time."

He looked at Chen Fan and asked, "What you're talking about, inviting thirty-six highly accomplished Taoist priests to chant scriptures, is that alright?"

Chen Fan nodded. "I called the capital yesterday. All the personnel are in place: thirty-six high priests, and each high priest will bring two flag bearers, for a total of one hundred and eight people."

He chuckled as he spoke, "Only someone from overseas would dare to do this. I doubt anyone in China would dare to do it."

Zhou Zhengdong twitched the corners of his mouth, which could be considered a smile, but his mood was quite heavy. "When I went back to my hometown the year before last, I saw that the ancestral land had become like that. At that time, I wanted to repair it properly and hold a grand ceremony to comfort the spirits of my ancestors in heaven."

However, considering that you are in mainland China, it would be bad if you were too high-profile, so we only paid for the local government to help rebuild the cemetery and ancestral hall.

Now that the Zhou family has an heir, and you and I have a firm foothold, coupled with the policy changes in the mainland that allow religious activities, I dare to hold such a grand celebration.”

As he spoke, he took off his glasses, took out a handkerchief to wipe the lenses, wiped his glasses, put them back on, and turned to smile, "Unless it's a violent death, Chinese people generally believe in making funerals into celebrations, let alone ancestor worship, which is an even more joyous event."

This time I don't plan on a big event, just something decent enough to satisfy our ancestors. Didn't you say you wanted to build an even bigger Chaoyang Temple later? Well, let's wait until this new Chaoyang Temple is completed. It should be more open then, right?
"You should preside over the ceremony and organize a grand religious festival; that would be truly magnificent."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan was startled and quickly asked, "Uncle, do you know what a grand sacrificial ceremony is?"

Zhou Zhengdong snorted lightly, "Of course I know. The Universal Grand Ritual is a higher Taoist ceremony than the Zhou Tian Grand Ritual and the Luo Tian Grand Ritual. It is the highest Taoist ritual and requires the worship of 3600 deities. What, my Zhou family is not worthy of it?"

Chen Fan wiped away a cold sweat and said, "This isn't a question of whether I'm worthy or not. Although the Universal Ritual used to be the highest Buddhist ceremony ordered by the emperor and presided over by the Celestial Master, that's no longer the case."

The key point is that, given the level and capabilities of Chaoyang Temple, they might not even be qualified for a grand Taoist ritual, let alone a grand Taoist ritual for all under heaven or a grand Taoist ritual for the entire universe.

Zhou Zhengdong looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"

Why else?

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He strongly suspected that the man didn't understand these things at all and had only heard a few words from elsewhere before deciding to go for the "most expensive" one. But there was nothing he could do; this was his uncle, and he couldn't be rude. He could only patiently explain, "Taoist rituals aren't something you can just do whenever you want. In ancient times, it was a top-down process, meaning the higher-ups would issue the order, and only then would the lower-ups comply."

Apart from the emperor, only the Celestial Master and the leaders of various sects are qualified to decide to hold a grand Taoist ritual. They must also invite at least three other Taoist temple lecture groups to discuss scriptures and pray for national peace and prosperity, as well as favorable weather.

Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to gather enough Taoist priests to hold the ceremony.

He pointed to himself, "Although I am now a True Person of the Qingwei Sect, with a status equivalent to that of the sect leader, I cannot represent the Qingwei Sect in deciding to hold a Dharma assembly, let alone a grand universal ritual."

At most, once the new Chaoyang Temple is completed, we can apply to the Taoist Association, and after obtaining approval, extend invitations to well-known Taoist temples at home and abroad to hold a minimum-level Luotian Grand Ritual, the kind that enshrines 1200 deities.

"This can't even be called a ceremony to worship the Zhou family's ancestors..."

He turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong and laughed, "To be disrespectful to our ancestors, they probably couldn't bear such a ceremony. At most, we'll place their ancestral tablets below or behind the altar, hoping to get a little bit of good fortune. Don't even think about anything else."

Zhou Zhengdong was taken aback. "Huh? Is that so?"

Zhou Yali immediately followed up, "Dad, where did you hear this rumor? Is it more accurate than my brother's?"

Zhou Zhengdong smiled awkwardly, "I only got this idea when I was at the New York Tianhou Temple, overheard Taoists chatting and saying that the Taoist community around the world hadn't held a Luotian Grand Ritual for many years, let alone the highest Universal Grand Ritual.

Chen Fan pursed his lips and nodded, "It's true that it hasn't been held for many years. With the turmoil of modern times, it's normal that it hasn't been held."

He looked at Zhou Zhengdong and said, "If you ask me, this ancestral worship ceremony, with thirty-six high priests, seventy-two Taoist priests, and myself as the 'True Person,' is already the grandest of the grand. Back in the day, even the royal ceremonies were only this scale. There's really no need to make it so big."

Zhou Zhengdong hummed twice, "I didn't know, but since you put it that way, then we won't do it."

Then he laughed and said, "However, once your new Chaoyang Temple is completed, if you are interested in holding a grand Taoist ritual, you might as well let me know. I will also sponsor some incense money and put your maternal grandfather and great-grandfather in the back so they can get a little soup."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue. "We'll see."

As a lay-down master, he didn't have the time to organize any grand Taoist rituals. If he really wanted to, he would have encouraged Master Liu to let Baiyun Temple do it.

How can a branch altar hold a grand Dharma assembly when the main altar hasn't even held one? Isn't that just letting him make a mistake?

……

The road conditions were extremely poor, and the car swayed and bumped along. Even with few other cars, it still took more than ten hours to drive, twice as long as it would have taken on a sunny day with good road conditions.

It wasn't until six or seven o'clock that the car drove into the Wenyi New Village.

Since everyone had arrived, they naturally couldn't escape the harassment from He Qingsheng and Tan Yong.

The problem still lies with the song I sang the night before last.

Zhao Wanru, along with her daughter, Jiang Lili, and Jiang Tiantian, entered the room where the kang (a heated brick bed) was heated. Inside the living room, He Qingsheng, with a cigarette between his fingers, talked at length about his analysis and insights into the song.

Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen occasionally chimed in, displaying the enthusiasm of holding a symposium.

Chen Fan and Zhou Zhengdong sat in the main seats, yawning and smoking, while still having to put on a smile... Chen Fan often gave a cold shoulder, only to be glared at by his uncle, after which he would put on a perfunctory smile again.

If it were an outsider, seeing his sour face, they wouldn't have been able to sit down.

However, He Qingsheng and his group were not ordinary people; they were the kind of people who could easily take money from his pocket, so they wouldn't care about such a trivial matter as a sour face.

Every time He Qingsheng makes a statement, he asks if it's right or wrong.

If Chen Fan dared to say something was wrong, Chairman He would put on the airs of a senior figure, pull Tan Yong along, and criticize his thinking, saying, "You must think this way, you can only think this way, then you are right."

Xu Qizhen chimed in, "Comrade Vice Chairman Chen, do you know how much of a reaction this song has caused? Even Grandpa Xiang, the gatekeeper, cried like a baby after hearing it."

At times like this, you must demonstrate a lofty level of thought, and then... *babbling*

Chen Fan took a drag of his cigarette, flicked off the ash, and looked at the three of them. "So, the current requirement is to reach a consensus?"

He Qingsheng stared at him with wide eyes, "You only just realized? I told you as soon as I walked in that this special work was born under special circumstances, and that song of yours is about you."

Regarding this song, I can't say for sure about others, but the Writers' Association and the Musicians' Association will definitely hold a symposium. Furthermore, the Armed Forces Department will certainly delve deeper into the heroic deeds and launch another nationwide publicity campaign to ensure that this spirit of supporting the military and loving the country is thoroughly implemented.

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. After a couple of seconds of contemplation, he suddenly stood up and moved closer to He Qingsheng, plopping down on the bench next to him and squeezing him in. He whispered, "Uncle He, didn't you say that I'm too dazzling right now and need to hide myself? Why are you suddenly making such a big fuss?"

He Qingsheng was also helpless. "I wish you could keep it a secret, but can you really? It's been such a long time since we last met, and suddenly you're on TV singing this song. The provincial government and the Writers' Association have both issued statements calling for a thorough investigation into the heroic deeds. What am I supposed to do?"

Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen exchanged a glance, then turned and called out, "Hey, what little secrets are you two talking about?"

He Qingsheng waved his hand, "It's none of your business."

Chen Fan simply ignored him, clicked his tongue, and said in a low voice, "Then just dig up the deeds, and don't mention me."

He Qingsheng frowned deeply. "The core issue is this song. How can we not mention it?"

After a two-second pause, he suddenly realized and muttered, "Right, I told you to keep it under wraps because your contributions to the Writers' Association are too great, and you're trying to push it up. But this is a song, it should be attributed to the Music Association, what does it have to do with my Writers' Association?"

The next second, he patted Chen Fan on the shoulder and laughed, "You all remembered what I said about unifying our thoughts, right? Don't give the wrong answer if anyone asks."

Then he stood up and waved his hand, "Let's go. They have to catch a flight early tomorrow morning. They have no sense at all. They should hurry up and leave."

After saying that, he walked out with his hands behind his back, thinking to himself, "Didn't this kid join the Film Association, the Musicians Association, and the Artists Association? I'll talk to the higher-ups about whether to send him there to contribute to them."
Otherwise, there really wouldn't be enough room for him to climb higher in the Writers' Association.

Watching the three figures leave, Chen Fan and Zhou Zhengdong exchanged glances. A few seconds later, they threw away their cigarette butts, washed up, and went to bed to get some rest.

(End of this chapter)