Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 281: Just a Little Bit of Weather
On the way home from the Cultural Palace, it started raining. Lin Chaoyang walked home in the rain and his clothes were all wet when he got home.

"Why is it suddenly raining out of nowhere?" Lin Chaoyang complained while taking off his clothes.

"It's Grain Rain! Time to plant the fields!"

Comrade Lin Erchun looked at the spring rain outside the window, feeling extremely melancholy, like a sentimental girl in the south of the Yangtze River.

Lin Chaoyang whispered to Zhang Guiqin who was cooking, "Why don't we let him go back home? I think he's going crazy!"

"Don't worry about him! He's so pretentious. He's going to have his grandson soon, but he's still not satisfied." Zhang Guiqin said unhappily.

"What grandson!" Lin Chaoyang corrected.

Zhang Guiqin immediately realized that she had spoken out of turn again, and looked towards the east wing, "Yushu has been able to eat and sleep well these past few days, I think it must be a boy."

"Stop, stop, stop." Lin Chaoyang interrupted the old lady's eagerness to hold her grandson. He went to the east wing and saw Tao Yushu half lying on the bed and asleep with a manuscript beside him.

Lin Chaoyang walked over and picked up the manuscript, startling Tao Yushu who was sleeping lightly.

After she woke up, her eyes were blurry and she asked Lin Chaoyang, "Did I fall asleep again?"

"It's raining, it's a good time to go to bed."

Hearing this, she stood up and looked out the window, with an annoyed look on her face, "Since I had this little guy, it's OK that he can eat, but why has he become so hungry?"

"Being able to eat and sleep means you are in good health and have good nutrition. Look at you now, you are radiating the radiance of motherhood."

Tao Yushu rolled her eyes at him coquettishly, "You just said I'm fat?"

"I'm not fat, I'm plump and smooth. Don't you find that your skin is really good now? It's as white and delicate as the finest white jade.

Her plump cheeks are like the gentlest clouds in the sky at dawn, and her every move exudes an indescribable elegance, showing the gracefulness and nobility of a woman. "

Lin Chaoyang spoke sweet words fluently, which made Tao Yushu's eyes bloom with joy.

While the couple was talking, Lin Chaoyang heard some noise in the yard. He went out and saw that it was Du Feng who came with many gifts.

"Brother-in-law, I heard that my sister is pregnant, congratulations!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Du Feng first greeted the elderly couple Lin Erchun and then went to the east wing to talk to Lin Chaoyang and Tao Yushu.

"Why did you come here on a rainy day?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

"Oh! I'm busy. I only have time today."

Du Feng spoke with high spirits, and his every move showed more momentum than before. If he had to be summed up in three words, it would probably be "nouveau riche".

Tao Yushu couldn't stand his arrogant look, "Keep a low profile!"

"Low-key, low-key, always low-key." Du Feng said with a smile.

When Lin Chaoyang asked about his recent situation, Du Feng couldn't help but show his joy and gave a brief account.

He started traveling back and forth between Yanjing and Guangdong in September last year. In the first few trips, he was dealing in frog-eye glasses. Later, he found that customers bought frog-eye glasses too infrequently. Many people would not buy a second pair after buying one.

So I exchanged the frog-eye glasses for bell-bottom pants and a floral shirt. Clothes are definitely more practical than frog-eye glasses. Although they are now classified as weird clothes, at least they can be worn out.

"Brother-in-law, what you said to me at that time was so right. Business is all about buying and selling. I already have the channels for purchasing goods. I purchased less goods before, so I just found two friends to distribute them.

Now it’s not possible. Not to mention how many we can sell, just the battle of wits and courage with the investment office is exhausting.”

Du Feng chatted for a while and then started complaining again.

But Lin Chaoyang looked at him and he didn't look like he was going to complain, but rather he seemed to be in need of a supporting actor.

"What are you going to do?"

Lin Chaoyang's words really hit the spot for Du Feng. He looked a little smug and said, "I have two stalls in Xiushui, one selling clothes and the other selling handicrafts."

Xiushui Street was originally called Choushui Street. In the early years, there was a river there, but it was actually a drainage ditch, which was probably dug in the Qing Dynasty and had no name.

Later, due to lack of management and residents often throwing garbage into the ditch, the river became silted up. During the rainy season, drainage was insufficient and the smelly river water overflowed, causing the houses on both sides to be flooded. Therefore, it was commonly known as the Stinky River, and the name of Xiushui Street was refined.

After being cleaned up in the 1960s, the environment there is much better than before the founding of the People's Republic of China. Because it is next to the diplomatic apartments and embassy area, there were some speculative vendors in the early years.

After the reform and opening up in 78, those small vendors became bolder and set up stalls on the ground, specifically doing business with foreigners.

There is even a saying that goes: "If you want to get rich quickly, first sell fake goods and second cheat foreigners."

Because foreigners often appear on this street, as long as the vendors don't cheat the foreigners too much, the Anti-Votes Office and the Public Security Bureau will turn a blind eye to the existence of this place.

"I heard that there are quite a few stalls in Xiushui now, and the things sold are expensive?" Tao Yushu asked.

"Sister, that place is full of foreigners, how can it not be expensive? But what you said is old news. Now there are some shops selling daily necessities and clothes. This is the first one I have."

Du Feng looked smug when he said this.

After talking about business, Du Feng thought of something else.

"By the way, brother-in-law, I've contacted the fellow villager you asked me to find before.

I told him that being a trader is not bad now, but he is a bit slow-witted and says he doesn’t know how to do business.”

During the Chinese New Year, Lin Chaoyang asked Du Feng to go to Shenzhen and check on Er Maitai when he had time. Although the two had been communicating in the past two years, it was all on paper. He could feel at ease when he asked Du Feng to go and help him in person, after all, they were childhood friends who grew up together.

"Everyone has his own luck. It's enough if he lives a good life."

"Very good! He has a great physique, as strong as a bull. I treated him to a meal, and it cost me nearly 40 yuan."

"He does have a big appetite."

After chatting for more than half an hour, Zhang Guiqin had already prepared the meal. After dinner, Du Feng left the courtyard.

After he left, Tao Yushu sighed, "It's only been half a year, and he has changed a lot! Last year, he and Yumo were still two little kids." "After leaving their parents' wings and traveling around, they naturally matured quickly."

"Hey, do you think his business is really that profitable?" Tao Yushu asked curiously.

In the conversation just now, Du Feng did not say how much money he made this year, but from what he said, it seems that he makes about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a month, which means 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a year.

"Why? Are you moved too?"

"No, we are not short of money right now. I am just curious. It seems too easy to make money this way."

"We are now transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy. It is indeed not difficult for those who are foresighted to make money. However, in business, there are gains and losses. You can't just watch the thief eat the meat while ignoring the thief's beating. They also have to bear risks."

A few days later, as May Day was getting closer, Lin Chaoyang received a call from Li Hanxiang, asking him to help with the crew's casting.

A year later, we met again at the Yanjing Hotel. Li Hanxiang looked much older than last year.

Li Hanxiang first exchanged greetings warmly with Lin Chaoyang, and then introduced the preparations for the crew.

"The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" and "The Last Emperor" were two films that needed to be shot in succession. The crew spent more than a year preparing for the shoot, and the set construction also took nearly a year. During this time, Li Hanxiang traveled all around Yanjing.

As a director, Lin Chaoyang might spend several days conceiving and verifying a casual stroke in his script. He visited all the places where he could get materials, including the Capital Library, the Qing History Institute, the Lama Temple, and the Guanghua Temple.

He also interviewed many Qing history professors, folk artists, and veterans from the capital.

Listening to Li Hanxiang talk about his work over the past year, it is no wonder that a historical blockbuster of this scale would have been a huge drain on the director's energy. It is no wonder that he looked so visibly tired.

However, although Li Hanxiang was tired, he was in high spirits.

"Movies, especially historical films like ours, are bound to have troubles in the early stages of preparation. No matter which aspect of our film is easy."

After talking about the preparations for the film, Li Hanxiang talked about the casting of the film.

Li Hanxiang is a man with his own opinions. Even though he was so angry with Lin Chaoyang when he was writing the script, he almost had the sole power over casting. He had already selected several major roles in the movie, so what he said about "considering it" was really just considering it, for reference only.

"You asked me to come and see the actors, and when I came you showed me pictures to tease me, right?"

Lin Chaoyang was familiar with Li Hanxiang's temper, and the two spoke without restraint.

"You just came early. The actors haven't arrived yet. I have arranged for everyone to have dinner together tonight. It's considered a formal meeting."

As Li Hanxiang was speaking, there was a knock on the door. He went to open the door and saw a gentlemanly young man walking into the room.

"Look, how about this handsome guy playing Emperor Xianfeng?"

After the young man entered the room, Li Hanxiang did not introduce them to each other, but instead pointed at him and asked Lin Chaoyang.

Now in his early twenties, Tony Leung has a handsome face that is so tender that water can be pinched out of it. He has an elegant temperament and can be described as a gentleman like jade.

When he entered the room, he only greeted Li Hanxiang. Seeing that there was a strange man sitting in the room, Li Hanxiang said this, and he couldn't help feeling a little nervous. There was some uneasiness in his eyes when he looked at Lin Chaoyang, and a feeling of youth came over him.

Lin Chaoyang looked her up and down and nodded: "Not bad, not bad, very noble."

Li Hanxiang was very proud when he heard this, "Of course the person I chose is right."

He said and whispered in Lin Chaoyang's ear: "My daughter's boyfriend."

Lin Chaoyang joked: "You are using your power for personal gain. Tell your boss that you are done!"

"Pull! Can you see my boss?"

The two of them joked without restraint. Li Hanxiang said to Tony Leung Ka Fai, "Taipei, this is screenwriter Mr. Lin Chaoyang."

"Hello, Mr. Lin!" Tony Leung greeted politely.

Lin Chaoyang shook hands with Tony Leung and exchanged a few words. Li Hanxiang then talked about Tony Leung's situation, saying that he was originally studying at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Two years ago, I signed up for TVB's Artist Training Class and played a few supporting roles during the training class. Later, TVB required these trainees to sign a contract with the company, and the contract was for eight years with low salary.

Tony Leung felt that he saw no future, so he rejected TVB's contract and naturally could not continue to stay at TVB.

After leaving TVB, he started his own magazine, and through this he met Li Hanxiang's daughter Li Dianxin.

During the Chinese New Year, Li Hanxiang returned to Hong Kong to celebrate the New Year. His daughter brought Tony Leung to have dinner with him, and he had a good impression of this handsome young man.

It just so happened that the movie was looking for a male lead, and he had been thinking for a long time but couldn't think of a suitable candidate. But when he saw Tony Leung Ka Fai, he thought he was quite suitable for the image of Emperor Xianfeng in the script, so he brought Tony Leung Ka Fai to the mainland.

Li Hanxiang was very courageous in casting an actor who was almost a blank slate to play the leading role in a historical blockbuster. What was even more commendable was that facts proved that his decision was not reckless, but a result of his keen eye for talent.

After the release of "The Burning of the Summer Palace", Tony Leung successfully won the Best Actor Award at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards for his outstanding performance in the film, and his acting career reached its peak right from the start.

With famous works and awards to his name, the setbacks that followed were nothing more than minor hardships.

The three of them chatted in the room for a while, and Li Hanxiang became so happy that he wanted to drink a glass of whiskey.

While he was pouring wine, Tony Leung asked Lin Chaoyang in an uncertain tone, "I've read a book before, published by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, called The Death of Van Gogh. The author's introduction says..."

Lin Chaoyang smiled and said, "I wrote it."

Liang Jiahui showed a surprised look on his face and shook Lin Chaoyang's hand again, "I've heard a lot about you. I really like your novel."

"Thank you!"

"Eh? What are you talking about? Why is it so lively?" Li Hanxiang came out with a glass of wine and asked the two of them.

Tony Leung took the initiative to say: "I have read Mr. Lin's novel, The Death of Van Gogh, which was published in Hong Kong."

Li Hanxiang understood and said, "The one published by the Chinese University, right? I bought it once. It's not easy to get it published in Hong Kong."

"It's just a coincidence."

(End of this chapter)