The literary era since 1979

The next day, Fang Yan, Jiang Kun and Chen Peisi appeared at Chen Rong's door on time.

After a series of knocks on the door, it was quickly opened, and a man who looked sloppy came into everyone's sight.

Fangyan recognized him immediately as "Jia Zhixin" from "I Love My Family". This role seemed to be tailor-made by Liang Zuo for his younger brother Liang Tian. He was equally idle and cynical, but also had a good heart and was quite warm and hospitable.

"Teacher Jiang Kun, you are here. My mother is reading in the house..."

Liang Tian noticed Fang Yan, Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao standing behind Jiang Kun, and almost blurted out their names.

The sound was so loud that it instantly echoed throughout the room, startling Chen Rong who was preparing tea.

Even Liang Zuo, who was busy with his creative work, hurried out of the study.

"Teacher Fang!"

"Hello."

Fang Yan greeted her and then said to Chen Rong, "I hope Teacher Chen doesn't mind our intrusion."

Chen Rong said, "No, of course not, but I didn't expect Comrade Jiang Kun to invite you as well."

"I also want them to help me adapt the crosstalk script."

Jiang Kun said that Fang Yan, Chen Peisi and the other two are the founders of sketches and have outstanding comedy creation skills.

"Everyone, stop standing and take a seat."

While Chen Rong asked everyone to sit down, she instructed Liang Zuo and Liang Tian to make tea and get some snacks.

Seeing the two brothers rushing into the kitchen, Fangyan looked them up and down. There were only Liang Zuo and his mother and son in the whole room. His father and sister were not at home. Then he saw them rushing out and enthusiastically invited Chen Peisi, Zhu Shimao and others to have tea.

Jiang Kun obviously underestimated the enthusiasm of this family. He glanced at Liang Zuo and Liang Tian who were trying to get close to Fang Yan and the others.

Liang Tian, ​​in particular, held Chen Peisi's hand tightly and tried hard to introduce to him his love for movies and various ideas on acting.

"Cough cough!"

Liang Zuo pretended to cough, signaling Liang Tian to be more reserved.

However, Liang Tian seemed to have heard nothing at all, as if he had been holding it in for a long time, and vented all his ambitions for movies and comedy to his idol. After all, Chen Peisi has become a national star through the Spring Festival Gala sketches, and has also become a household name through the movies "Look at This Family" and "Sunset Street". Naturally, he became the most suitable person for Liang Tian to confide in.

"I thought your family was all involved in literature, and your brother would be like you."

Fangyan turned his gaze to Liang Zuo.

"Teacher Fang, it's not like I haven't thought about it."

Liang Tian said disapprovingly that because he once couldn't understand what his family members discussed, he tried hard to fit in, so for a while he tried hard to read books and write novels, hoping to understand their conversations, but in the end he realized that he would never be able to be separated from literature in this life.

Liang Zuo tried every means to cover it up and said, "Liang Tian is also very good, but he just can't get motivated at all for anything other than what he is interested in, so he didn't stick to the end. But for movies and acting, he really put in 120% of his passion."

"Yeah, I think that whether it's literary creation or film performance, it's all part of the arts, so I just let him do it!"

Chen Rong also joined in and spoke for her younger son.

Zhu Shimao, Jiang Kun and others naturally heard the hidden meaning in the words, and Fangyan narrowed his eyes into slits:

“You want to make a movie?”

"I want to, I want to so much, Mr. Fang, as long as you can give me the opportunity to make a movie, I'm willing to play any role."

Liang Tian's tone suddenly became excited.

Fang Yan did not agree directly, but threw the topic to Chen Peisi, "What do you think?"

Chen Peisi hesitated for a moment, and was moved by Liang Tian's enthusiasm, and also for the sake of Chen Rong, Jiang Kun and others, so he agreed to arrange a role for him in the upcoming comedy film, "Two Sons Open a Store", "But I have to say in advance that this supporting role will not have many scenes."

"That's enough, that's enough. As long as I have a role to play, I will be satisfied!"

Liang Tian was so happy that his whole body was shaking, every cell in his body was filled with joy, and he kept expressing his gratitude to everyone.

This unreliable little son has always been a thorn in Chen Rong's side. Seeing him entering her favorite film industry, she couldn't help but laugh.

Jiang Kun, Chen Peisi and others did not realize Fangyan's intention at first. They just thought he was doing Chen Rong a small favor. But when Fangyan tactfully told Chen Rong that the novel "Ten Years Old Minus" was not suitable for adaptation into a crosstalk script, they realized that he was doing her a favor.

After all, she recommended her youngest son to make a movie, so she couldn't vent her anger on Jiang Kun, Fang Yan and others because of this matter.

As expected by Fangyan, although Chen Rong felt a little regretful, she quickly accepted it.

Liang Zuo, the good boy, did not forget to add insult to injury, "Mom, you see, I said your novel is too literary, it can be adapted into a movie, but it may not be suitable for adaptation into a crosstalk." Then he did not forget to recommend himself, "Teacher Fang, Teacher Jiang, if you want to adapt it into a crosstalk, you have to read my novel."

Jiang Kun said: "That's exactly what we meant!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Rong, Liang Tian and her son were immediately shocked and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Liang Zuo opened his mouth wide, thinking he had heard wrongly, "Teacher Jiang, are you saying that you like my novel?"

Jiang Kun explained truthfully, "Although I haven't read your works, I believe in Teacher Fang. He strongly recommended your novels to me, saying that many of your works are suitable for being adapted into crosstalk, such as the one about mice, the one about a young man falling into a tiger's den and chatting with the tiger..."

Liang Zuo was startled, "Teacher Fang!!"

Fangyan patted him as he was lost in thought and said, "Don't just stare at me. Hurry up and take out your works so we can choose from them."

Chen Rong is obviously more anxious than Liang Zuo, the person involved. If her eldest son's novel could have the chance to be adapted into a crosstalk by Fang Yan, Jiang Kun and others, and then broadcast on such a big stage as the Spring Festival Gala, it would be enough to make Liang Zuo, an unknown young man, famous in the literary and folk art circles.

"Quick! Go to your room and take out all your novels. Show them to Teacher Fang and Teacher Jiang!"

"Eh!"

Liang Zuo went in and out quickly and came back with a bunch of novels from the room.

After a quick scan of the dialect, I found the book "Fantasy in the Tiger's Mouth" in the pile of books at first glance. This novel is completely different from the crosstalk in my previous life.

It is a stream-of-consciousness novel that imitates Western style. It tells the story of a young man who falls into a tiger's den and goes through several life-and-death experiences.

From the very beginning, there was an absurd impulse to "fight the tiger", but under fear, the desire to fight the tiger disappeared in an instant.

Then he looked back on his life, which was a life without success, a career without success, and he was trembling before his death. Then he thought more and more about social phenomena, gods and religions. When he ran out of ideas, the masses just came up with the idea of ​​"unbuckling the belt". The short story is not long, and I read it quickly from beginning to end, and then recommended this story to Jiang Kun.

"Let me consider."

Seeing Jiang Kun take over the novel, Liang Zuo was quite surprised, "Teacher Fang, do you think "Tiger's Mouth Reverie" can be adapted into a crosstalk?"

"You think it's not feasible?"

Fangyan asked back with interest.

Liang Zuo hesitated again and again, but the stream-of-consciousness novel "Dreams in the Tiger's Mouth" could not be more "stream-of-consciousness".

The entire story consists of the protagonist's psychology and a few voices of the masses interspersed throughout. How can this be adapted into a crosstalk?
"Didn't you notice that you deliberately arranged a 'correction' design when you wrote 'Fantasy in the Tiger's Mouth'?"

Fangyan said seriously, "That is, whenever the protagonist thinks too far, he will find ways to correct it, and the words of the onlookers are more like your extension and foreshadowing of the protagonist's thoughts in order to advance the stream of consciousness plot..."

"This this……"

Liang Zuo understood vaguely, but not completely.

"You have never been exposed to crosstalk, so it's normal that you don't understand it."

Fang Yan said, "Crosstalk requires at least one supporting actor and one funny actor. So in your play 'Fantasy in the Tiger's Mouth', can the description of the protagonist's consciousness be given to the funny actor, and the correction of consciousness be given to the supporting actor? As for the onlookers, it can be divided between the funny actor and the supporting actor depending on the situation."

Before Liang Zuo could react, Jiang Kun's eyes suddenly lit up:
"Great, Teacher Fang, it's really great!"

Then, I re-examined "Fantasy in the Tiger's Mouth" with the perspective of Fangyan, and immediately had a different feeling: "If I were to change it as you said, as a regulator of the protagonist's imagination, I would have to design a lot of connecting words for the supporting actor so that it can be precisely coordinated with the funny actor."

Zhu Shimao and Chen Peisi also felt the same way, and even felt that this role in "The Tiger's Mouth Reverie" was tailor-made for Jiang Kun.

"I think Mr. Jiang can definitely bring out the protagonist's face-saving, mean-spirited, cowardly, and weak characteristics."

"That's right. With Lao Jiang's image and temperament, he doesn't need to act at all. Just poke him there."

"Hey, Pei Si, Shi Mao, are you praising me or insulting me when you say that?"

Jiang Kun rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Seeing the three people talking and laughing, Liang Zuo still didn't understand what was going on. He scratched his head and asked anxiously:

"Can you please explain it more clearly? I feel like I don't understand anything."

"I should explain it to you clearly. After all, you will have to work with Jiang Kun to adapt this novel into a crosstalk script."

Fangyan took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then he blurted out a punchline from "Reverie in the Tiger's Mouth".

"Teacher Fang, please slow down, slow down, I'll get a pen and paper to write it down for you!"

Jiang Kun couldn't wait to copy it down on paper.

Liang Zuo couldn't help but marvel at this scene. He had been writing novels for so many years, but if it weren't for his mother Chen Rong's relationship, any submission to a top literary journal would have been ignored. He thought he had no literary talent, but he didn't expect that he had just found the wrong journal.

For an author like him who is good at stream of consciousness and absurd humor, the suitable medium for him is not novels, but crosstalk.

The natural distinction between the funny man and the straight man in crosstalk becomes the opposing sides in the "flow of consciousness" in his novels, which gives them tremendous artistic appeal far beyond what is on paper. This way of expressing the "inner monologue" is precisely what is difficult to achieve in novels.

All of a sudden, things seemed to light up, and Liang Zuo seemed to see a completely new way out for himself in the literary and artistic career.

"It's not just crosstalk. Your creative style is more suitable for movies and TV series."

Fangyan extended an olive branch and invited him to join the editorial department of "Mystery World" if he could write "Fantasy in the Tiger's Mouth" to his satisfaction.

Liang Zuo's eyes were burning with excitement. How could the entire literary world not have heard of the name of the editorial department of "Mystery World"? Not to mention that the affiliated "Science Fiction World" publishing house had just won the right to host the 1988 World Science Fiction Convention not long ago, which caused a sensation across the country. Just the editorial department's Shi Tiesheng, Wang Shuo, Yu Hua, Lu Haiyan and others, which one of them did not have several excellent novels, movies and TV dramas.

In the past, I would never have dared to think about joining their team.

What's more, the one who leads the entire editorial department is Mr. Fang in front of me. It is a great honor for me to be his disciple!
………………

After deciding to use "Reverie in the Tiger's Mouth" as the blueprint, Jiang Kun and Liang Zuo got together and began to seriously discuss the details of the creation.

It happened that three days later, Jiang Kun and Tang Jie Zhong were going to perform in Tianjin, so they planned to draft a rough draft before leaving, and then use the break between performances to start rehearsing with their partners. It would be best if they could premiere "Tiger's Mouth Fantasy" in Tianjin to test the quality of their crosstalk.

While everyone was making the final sprint for the Spring Festival Gala, Fang Yan and Gong Xing were also preparing for the Chinese New Year.

Time passed unknowingly, and on New Year's Eve, they arrived at Nanluoguxiang early and started busying themselves with Yang Xia and Fang Yan.

As a horn sounded in the alley, Han Yuemin and his family of three slowly stopped in their Mercedes-Benz.

"Hey, brother-in-law, change the car."

Fangyan, who was pasting couplets at the gate, looked back and saw that this Mercedes-Benz W126 was the first batch of Mercedes-Benz luxury cars introduced into the country in the 80s.

"hey-hey."

Han Yuemin smiled and said that he bought it purely out of business needs. After all, clothes make the man.

Then he said eagerly, "Yanzi, you've been driving that Citroen for several years, right? Why not change it?"

“I don’t have this need at the moment.”

Fangyan thought of Gong Xing, so he asked Han Yuemin to get him a Nissan Bluebird, Audi 110 or other brand of car.

Han Yuemin assured confidently, "No problem. After the Chinese New Year, when I go to Pengcheng, I will help my sister-in-law find one."

When Fangyan heard that he had made a lot of money from the 101 hair growth liquid and clothing OEM businesses, he kindly reminded him to hire a few more personal bodyguards.

"Don't worry, I've arranged everything."

Han Yuemin said that he had set up a security company and recruited many soldiers who had been discharged due to the large-scale military downsizing to work as security guards, drivers or bodyguards.

When he heard that he was going to be given one or two bodyguards, Fang Yan waved his hand and said, "I'll ask you when I need you."

The group walked into the courtyard, talking and laughing. Soon, bursts of firecrackers rang out in the alley, announcing the arrival of New Year's Eve. (End of this chapter)