1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

When Cheng Xuemin returned to Yanying Film Studio, it was just as the factory was closing time!
"Professor Cheng! Professor Cheng! You're finally back! There's a call from Mr. Wu's office in the ministry, asking you to call back as soon as you get back, it's urgent!"

Upon seeing him return, Liu Xiaoli, the secretary of the Eastern Depot, quickly reported this!

Mr. Wu?
Cheng Xuemin's heart skipped a beat. Hadn't he just come from his place this morning?
Without a second thought, he quickly walked to his desk, grabbed the black crank phone, took a deep breath to calm himself, and dialed the dedicated line to Mr. Wu's office.

The phone rang twice before being answered; it was Secretary Yang's voice!

"Secretary Yang, this is Cheng Xuemin. I heard that Elder Wu was looking for me?"

"It's Comrade Xuemin. Please wait a moment, Old Wu is waiting!" Secretary Yang's voice was very calm, and you couldn't tell anything was wrong.

Soon, Wu Lao's familiar, slightly hoarse but powerful voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Xuemin, is the meeting over?"

"Reporting to Elder Wu, it's just finished! The working group has been established, and the division of labor and the next steps have been clarified!" Cheng Xuemin gave a brief report.

"Hmm, very efficient!" Old Wu seemed to chuckle on the other end of the phone.

Then, changing the subject, his tone became noticeably excited, and he said, "I'm not here for the work group, but for another piece of good news, it's urgent!"

Cheng Xuemin's fingers tightened slightly around the receiver: "Please speak!"

"The TV station has just given it final approval! The news report about you, about 'Redemption,' about the Palme d'Or and the fifty million dollars in foreign exchange earnings will be broadcast tonight at 7:30 on the evening news!"

"It's quite long, and it's ranked relatively high!"

Old Wu's voice came through the telephone line, carrying a slight static noise, yet it struck Cheng Xuemin's eardrums with crystal clarity.

In that instant, Cheng Xuemin felt as if his heart had skipped a beat!
Despite being mentally prepared and knowing that Mr. Wu was pushing for it, the impact of the news broadcasting these words together at 7:30 pm tonight was still beyond imagination!

That wasn't ordinary media reporting; it was the nation's highest-level news window, the most powerful voice reaching hundreds of millions of viewers!

This signifies a breakthrough for him personally, for the Eastern Depot, for the Yan Film Studio, and even for Chinese cinema!
It will be recognized by the state and announced to the world in the most formal and authoritative way!

"Old Wu...this...so fast?"

Even the usually composed Cheng Xuemin couldn't help but let out a barely perceptible tremor in his voice at this moment.

This wasn't nervousness, but a complex mix of excitement, relief, and a great sense of responsibility!
"Fast? I think it's too slow!" Old Wu's voice rose a little on the other end of the phone, filled with delight. "Such good news should be shared with the whole country as soon as possible! It should boost morale and inspire everyone!"

"Xuemin, this is an honor you deserve, and it is also a glory for our entire film industry and even the cultural industry!"

"Remember to tune in tonight! And tell everyone at the factory so we can all have some fun!"

"Yes! Thank you, Mr. Wu! I will definitely watch it on time and notify the factory immediately!" Cheng Xuemin calmed himself down and answered solemnly.

"Okay, that's settled then. Working group, proceed according to plan, and report any developments promptly!" Old Wu gave a brief instruction before hanging up the phone decisively.

The receiver was busy!
Cheng Xuemin slowly placed the telephone receiver back onto the fork spring, the metal striking the other side with a crisp click.

The office was silent, but he could hear the strong thumping of his heart in his chest.

He stood still, not making any immediate move, letting the shock of the news settle and dissipate within him.

Then, he walked to the window and opened it!

A refreshing summer breeze swept in, dispersing the stuffy air in the office and calming his burning face and mind!

"Teacher Cheng, what did Mr. Wu say?! I think I heard something on the news!" Secretary Liu Xiaoli asked with a curious and puzzled look.

Cheng Xuemin looked at her, his eyes filled with excitement, and nodded, saying, "Yes! Old Wu just called specifically to say that our Yan Film Studio will be broadcasting the news at 7:30 tonight..."

Before Cheng Xuemin could finish speaking, Liu Xiaoli was so excited that she almost jumped up.

He tried to suppress his emotions, but his voice still trembled, "Teacher Cheng, is this true? The evening news? Tonight? They're reporting on us? Reporting on the Palme d'Or and fifty million US dollars?"

“It’s absolutely true, Old Wu called me personally!” Cheng Xuemin nodded affirmatively. Seeing her excited expression, he was also infected by her excitement and said, “Xiaoli, you should go and tell everyone!”

"Tonight at 7:30, the evening news will feature exciting news from Yanying Film Studio about the film 'Redemption'!"

"I'm going to find the old factory director!"

"Okay! I'm going right now!" Liu Xiaoli replied crisply, turned around and ran out, her steps as light as a deer's, the notebook dangling in her hand!

Cheng Xuemin smiled as he watched her cheerful figure disappear into the distance, then turned and walked toward the factory director's office.

The door was ajar. He knocked, and the old factory director's booming voice came from inside: "Come in!"

Pushing open the door, I saw the old factory director wearing reading glasses, looking at a document under a desk lamp, his brow slightly furrowed.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Cheng Xuemin. His brows relaxed, but his eyes held a hint of inquiry.

"Xuemin? How did the meeting go? Over there..."

He pointed upwards, indicating the working group and higher levels.

"The meeting is over, the working group has been launched, and I am the deputy leader!"

Cheng Xuemin spoke concisely, then changed the subject, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement, and said:
"Old factory director, I just received a call from Old Wu. The news will be on at 7:30 tonight, reporting on our Palme d'Or award and the $50 million in foreign exchange earnings!"

"What?!" The old factory director's pen fell onto the document with a clatter, and he looked up abruptly.

His reading glasses slipped down to his nose, his eyes widened, and a flush instantly rose on his face as he asked, "The evening news? Tonight? Is it confirmed? So soon?!"

"It's confirmed! Old Wu personally notified us that it has been approved!" Cheng Xuemin walked to his desk, picked up a cigarette from the table, and offered one to the old factory director.

The old factory director took the cigarette, his hand seemed a little shaky, and it took him a couple of strikes to light it.

He took a deep breath, smoke billowing from his nostrils, and after a long pause, he exhaled heavily, his voice slightly hoarse: "Good! Good! News Broadcast..."

"Now, everyone in China with a television connection will know! Our Yan Film Studio has really made a name for itself this time!"

He stood up excitedly, paced back and forth behind his desk a couple of times, then suddenly stopped and looked at Cheng Xuemin. "Xuemin, this is great news! Huge good news!"

"We can't be the only ones who know this; we must let all the factory workers, no, all the factory workers and their families, share in this glory!"

"That's what I came for," Cheng Xuemin nodded and said, "I just had Xiao Liu go and inform everyone. I was thinking, since only a minority of families in our factory own televisions, perhaps..."

"Move it! Move the TV out!" The old factory manager waved his hand decisively, his face flushed with excitement. "Move it to the playground! Move the biggest color TV in the factory out!"

"Connect the loudspeakers! Let everyone in the factory, anyone who wants to come, see this!" "At a time like this, who cares about 'your' or 'mine'? This is the glory of the entire Yan Film Studio! Everyone must witness it!"

The old factory director's words carried an undeniable sense of pride and collective honor belonging to the older generation of revolutionaries and entrepreneurs.

"And another thing!" The old factory director thought of something else and said thoughtfully, "Just watching TV isn't enough!"

"This is a joyous occasion, a great joyous occasion for our factory! So, tell the canteen—no, the logistics department—to prepare an extra meal tonight!"

"Plenty of meat! And some peanuts, melon seeds, fruit, and candy too. Let's have a little celebration after we finish watching the news!"

Cheng Xuemin laughed: "Old factory director, isn't this a bit too much?!"

"Absolutely!!" The old factory director turned around, his eyes sparkling. "How many lifetimes would it take to get such a prestigious opportunity?"

"We should celebrate! We need to let everyone know that working for the factory brings hope and honor! I'll have someone arrange it right away!"

Before long, the factory's loudspeakers began to broadcast the factory announcer's clear and excited voice, echoing throughout the entire Yanying factory:
"Fellow employees! Fellow employees! We have some fantastic news to share!"

"At 7:30 PM tonight, CCTV's News Broadcast will feature a special report on the film 'Redemption,' directed by Comrade Cheng Xuemin, the director of our factory's Dongfang branch. The film won the Palme d'Or, the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and achieved a remarkable foreign exchange earnings of US$50 million!"

This is a source of pride for all factory workers! It's a great victory for the reform and opening-up policy! The factory management has decided that tonight at 7 PM, a large color television will be set up in the central playground of the factory area for everyone to watch it together!

"Please inform all employees and their families to be on time and witness this glorious moment together!"

"In addition, the factory's logistics department has prepared some simple celebratory refreshments for everyone. They will be distributed in the canteen after the viewing! I'll repeat that again..."

The broadcast echoed over the factory area, penetrating every window and every corner!
The entire Yanying Film Studio was instantly set ablaze!

More and more lights came on in the various workshops, studios, and dubbing rooms, and figures appeared behind the windows of the family quarters.

Soon, a cacophony of voices, footsteps, and excited chatter began to gather.

People poured out from all directions, their faces filled with curiosity, excitement, and disbelief, converging towards the central playground.

"Really? It's the evening news? They're reporting on our factory?"

"The Palme d'Or! Fifty million dollars! My God..."

"This young Factory Manager Cheng is amazing! He really made our factory manager proud this time!"

"Hurry up, hurry up, or we won't get a good spot!"

"Mom, hurry up, the evening news is about to broadcast Brother Cheng's movie!"

……

At the same time, on the other side of Yanjing City, at Cheng Xuemin's home near Yenching University, a completely different scene unfolded.

As dusk fell, the aroma of dinner wafted through the alleyways from each household!
Teacher Gu, wearing an apron, brought out the last dish from the kitchen and placed it on the square table where several other dishes were already laid out.

"Jiayou, has Xuemin not come back for dinner yet?" Feng's mother asked as she untied her apron and looked into the inner room.

Feng Jiayou came out from the inner room, holding her son, Little Squirrel, in her arms, and said softly, "Mom, don't wait for him!"

"When my older brother came back, he said that the ministry had just held an important meeting and established some kind of working group, and he was the deputy leader of the group."

He'll be extremely busy next week, so he asked his older brother to tell him not to wait for him for dinner, as he might be back very late tonight.

"A working group? The deputy leader?" Madam Feng was taken aback for a moment, then a look of pride and heartache appeared on her face as she said, "Xuemin, he really is capable of doing a lot of work!"

"I just came back from winning such a big award in France, and I haven't even caught my breath yet, and I've already taken on a new responsibility."

"Sigh, how can my body take this?"

As she spoke, she walked to the table and looked at the food. "Well... shall we eat first? Let's leave some for him and keep it warm in the pot!"

"Okay, let's eat first! Big brother, sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, grandma, grandpa, Jiamo, dinner's ready!" Feng Jiayou called out to the house.

Then, carrying her son, she went to the backyard to call her sister-in-law and brother-in-law!

After dinner, Cheng Xuemin still hadn't returned, so the whole family sat in the main room to cool off and watch TV!

"The evening news is about to start!"

As the solemn music played, the familiar animation of the Earth rotating appeared on the screen!
"Good evening, viewers." The announcer's clear and articulate voice rang out.

The whole family instinctively stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the small screen.

Watching the news broadcast is a habit for many families in this era.

Staying informed about national affairs has become a daily ritual!
The first few news items, as usual, were important political events and the spirit of meetings.

The old man watched very attentively, occasionally whispering a few words to Feng Jiazhao.

While coaxing her grandson in her arms, Feng's mother listened to the conversation in a disjointed manner.

Feng Jiayou was also holding her son, Little Squirrel, but her thoughts drifted to her husband.

I wonder what he's busy with right now, whether he's eaten, or if he's watching the news too.

"...The following is a news report that our station has just received!"

The male announcer's voice seemed slightly higher than usual, and more captivating.

Screen change!

The serious backdrop of the broadcasting studio has been replaced by a scene in a foreign land!
Azure coastline, palm trees, red carpet, flashing lights, and a close-up of the golden palm leaf trophy gleaming under the dazzling lights!
Feng Jiayou gently patted her son's hand, then suddenly stopped.

"At the recently concluded 33rd Cannes International Film Festival, the film 'Redemption' was released. It was directed by Cheng Xuemin, a pioneer of reform and opening up and a pioneer of foreign exchange earnings, and co-produced by Yanjing Film Studio and Oriental Film Studio."

After fierce competition, it stood out from many participating films and won the festival's highest award: the Palme d'Or.

This is the first time a Chinese film, and indeed an Asian film, has received this top honor in the world of cinema, achieving a historic breakthrough!

……

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