The literary era since 1979

After spending a long and pleasant travel holiday in Japan, the negative emotions that Fangyan had left over from observing and researching the coffin ceremony had completely disappeared, and half of the credit went to Keiko Matsuzaka's gentle love, but he did not intend to stay any longer.

Before the two parted, Fangyan asked Keiko Matsuzaka to pass the script of "Departures" to Shochiku and Kadokawa Pictures.

As for the novel, he took it with him on the flight back to China, but the destination was not Hong Kong, but Shanghai.

Now that we have established a bridge between SAI and Studio Ghibli, and Studio Ghibli has already settled the matter, it is SAI's turn next.

When the plane appeared over Shanghai, Fangyan looked down through the window. This city, which was undergoing massive construction, was full of vitality.

After getting off the plane and walking out of the airport, he hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him straight to Gong Xing's home.

"Ding dong, ding dong."

A sudden doorbell ring immediately attracted the attention of Mr. Gong, Mrs. Gong and others.

"Who?"

Gong Ying walked briskly to the door while chewing an apple.

The moment the door was opened and Fangyan's face came into her eyes, she was stunned and her head went blank.

"Why, it's been so long since we've met, you don't recognize me?"

Fangyan looked at her sister-in-law with a smile. After starring in "Dream of Red Mansions", her star path has been opened. Although compared with her sister Gong Xing's achievements and fame, her fame may not be one tenth of hers, but she is still an actress of Shanghai Film Studio and can appear in movies frequently.

"Brother-in-law!"

Gong Ying screamed, scaring her father, who was reading a newspaper in the living room, but he quickly reacted and hurried over.

Gong's mother, who was cooking, also poked her head out of the kitchen, her face full of surprise and joy as she said, "It's really Yanzi!"

"Dad, mom."

Fangyan was warmly welcomed into the house carrying his luggage and gifts.

"Kid, why didn't you call first when you came so that we can pick you up at the airport."

Although Gong's mother was complaining, her happy expression had already betrayed her.

Fangyan smiled but did not answer. "These are the gifts I brought from Japan. Please accept them."

"Come if you want to. You brought so many things with you." Father Gong was very surprised. "Didn't Xiaoxiang come back with you?"

Fangyan explained that Gong Xing was filming "In the Mood for Love" in Bangkok, Thailand some time ago. Now that the film has been completed, he is editing the film in Hong Kong.

"Mom, Xiaoxiang asked me to apologize to her..."

"Why apologize? Just get busy!"

Father Gong raised his hand.

Gong Ying popped her head out from behind him and asked in a quirky way, "Brother-in-law, will the movie I'm making this time also win as many international awards as Farewell My Concubine?"

Fangyan smiled and said, "We will have to wait until the Venice Film Festival in October to find out."

Gong's mother's focus is obviously not here, but she is more concerned about her son-in-law's future residence in Shanghai.

When he learned that Fangyan was going to stay at the Peace Hotel, he immediately shook his head and said:
"Since we're already home, why are you still staying in a hotel? I'll go clean up Xiaoxiang's room for you and you can stay here tonight!"

"Yanzi came to Shanghai on business this time, and he must have a good rest. The conditions here are not as good as those at the Peace Hotel..."

Gong's father had a different idea. "It's okay, Dad, just do as Mom wants."

Fangyan's answer made Gong's mother smile, and she called Gong Ying to help clean up the house for her good son-in-law.

Father Gong invited Fangyan to sit in the living room, and the father-in-law and son-in-law chatted with each other, and gradually they started talking.

"Dad, since you think this house is too small and too old, why don't you just buy a new one?"

Fang Yan said that at the beginning of this year, Yanjing publicly sold commercial housing for the first time, breaking the traditional housing distribution system and setting off a wave of housing commercialization.

By the 90s, all kinds of real estate projects such as "commercial and residential buildings", "development zones" and "garden communities" were launched across the country, from the south to the north and from the east to the west. The process of housing commercialization developed rapidly across the country, and slums and tube-shaped buildings became history.

"I think so too. A few days ago, a real estate policy was published in the newspaper."

Mr. Gong found the Wenhui Daily which published the news from the pile of newspapers with ease.

Fangyan took a closer look and saw the "Interim Provisions on Registration of Newly Built Commercial Housing" clearly written on it, which clarified the property rights of commercial housing.

His mind couldn't help but become active. Over the years, he has bought dozens of courtyard houses. If it weren't for the policy blocking him, he would have extended his hands to the Shanghai Stock Exchange long ago. Of course, the value of these houses is the same as the courtyard houses. What he wants is the demolition compensation and the desire to "demolish a generation".

Of course, the demolition compensation in the 90s could not make you “get rich overnight”.

Regardless of whether you choose a house by choice or choose money to buy a house by yourself, the final result is that all people in the city will move to the suburbs. Apart from improving the living environment, they cannot actually get an extra house or a large sum of money as they think.

The myth of getting rich through demolition in Shanghai did not appear until the issuance of "Order No. 2006" in 61. Once this regulation was introduced, the focus of demolition in Shanghai shifted from "counting bricks" to "counting heads", and many people could indeed "get rich through demolition".

When he thought of this, a hint of barely perceptible greed flashed across his eyes, and he asked a seemingly casual question.

"Dad, do you have a map of Shanghai at home?"

"Have!"

With the idea of ​​buying a house in mind, Mr. Gong bought the latest map early on.

As the Shanghai administrative area map unfolded, he said in a serious tone: "Yanzi, you can also help dad with some advice. When a real estate project is opened, where is the best place to buy a house?" He pointed to the Puxi area and said, "Your mother means to get as close to the Bund in Puxi as possible."

"Dad, if I had to choose, I would choose Pudong."

Fangyan, however, offers a contrary suggestion.

"Pudong? How can people live in such a hellish place?"

Mr. Gong said that even if the houses in Pudong were given to people to live in, not everyone might be willing to move in.

Just because of the Huangpu River in Shanghai in the 80s, it drew an invisible "rich-poor dividing line".

The international buildings on the Bund in Puxi are brightly lit, while Pudong, across the river, is a countryside of farmland and shanty towns. There is a saying among the people that "I would rather have a bed in Puxi than a room in Pudong", which fully describes the desolation of Pudong and the prosperity of Puxi.

"Dad, we can't just focus on the present, we also have to consider the future."

"If you think about it, if you think about it carefully, if Shanghai wants to develop into an international metropolis like Hong Kong and New York, it cannot just develop Puxi. That is totally putting the cart before the horse. Only by breaking the natural barrier of the Huangpu River, building a bridge between Puxi and Pudong, and thoroughly stimulating Pudong, can we inject new vitality into Shanghai and even the Yangtze River Delta." Fang Yan vowed, "Only by developing and opening up Pudong can Shanghai enter the fast lane."

"Yanzi, what you said makes sense."

Mr. Gong thought for a while and said, "But buying a house in Puxi is much safer than buying one in Pudong..."

"Dad, I think this risk is worth taking. I don't know if you believe it or not, but this sentence will definitely be spread in the future."

Fang Yan said faintly: "Shanghai is Pudong, and Pudong is Shanghai." (End of this chapter)