Literary Master 1983

Chapter 239 New, New, New

"Teacher Yu, Teacher Yu!"

On Gulou Street, Jiang Wen excitedly knocked on the door.

It's already May, the best time to visit Yanjing, neither too hot nor too cold. Looking out along this street, there are quite a few people, mostly tourists from other parts of the country, including university students; the nearby Yandaixie Street is also packed with tourists. There are also many stalls selling pastries, candied hawthorns, and bean cakes. Jiang Wen grabbed two skewers of candied hawthorns and was eating them with great relish.

Because Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" was permitted to film in Beijing, a group of foreigners came to inspect the site. Coupled with the good weather, even locals were happy to come out and stroll around. It was in the same year these foreigners arrived that riding motorcycles recklessly on Chang'an Avenue was banned—it had a negative impact!
When Luciano Pavarotti, one of the Three Tenors, came to China, he, a man weighing over 200 pounds, rode a small bicycle along Chang'an Avenue, his large, fat buttocks getting stuck in the small seat...

The legendary writer Yu riding his motorcycle through Chang'an Avenue is now a thing of the past. This same writer Yu has recently become a homebody, unwilling to go out for walks.

Like Buffett, he bought a big house, became a collector, and waited at home every day for people to come to him!
As soon as Yu Qie opened the door, Jiang Wen said, "Teacher Yu, our 'Children of Heaven' crew is going to Kashgar to film. Some of the equipment has already been transported there... Some of the main cast and crew are still here. We'll finish filming the indoor scenes in Yanjing. Some people are already leaving. This is our farewell dinner!"

"These are candied hawthorns I bought, feel free to eat them."

Yu Qie didn't stand on ceremony and ate the candied hawthorn, but didn't accept the offer: "I'm busy lately, so I won't be participating in the gathering."

“It’s a farewell dinner!” Jiang Wen said. “You have to understand, our crew was filming this primarily for a fundraising campaign. Gong Xue… such a beautiful actress, a big star from Shanghai, she’s been promoting our fundraising efforts everywhere, without asking for a single penny, and she even donated her salary. How could we not go?”

makes sense!

Yu Qie hopped on his motorcycle and tossed a helmet to Jiang Wen: "Let's go. I originally had three of these helmets, but then I only had two left. I don't know which bastard stole them from me—I'll find them one day and I'll have to beat him up! I bought a few more and left them there."

Why are you buying so many? Isn't that a waste of money?

"I'm using a sting operation. I deliberately leave people outside to steal, and I'm watching them. Whoever makes a move is the one who stole last time too!"

Jiang Wen nodded upon hearing this. "No problem. We have to ask him how many helmets he stole. If someone ate noodles, we have to dig them out and see how many bowls of noodles they ate."

Jiang Wen has a big head, so the helmet doesn't look good on him. With his head covered by a helmet, he said, "Your motorcycle is cool, it looks dashing, but can I not take off the helmet? It doesn't look good!"

"Then what do you want?"

Jiang Wen pulled out a large pair of sunglasses and put them on. "I've had my eye on your motorcycle for a while now, a heavy-duty motorcycle... When can I borrow it for a spin?"

"You think beautifully."

Throughout the journey, Jiang Wen kept talking non-stop.

A lot has indeed happened recently; everything is becoming new and familiar at the same time.

The Guangxi Film Studio initiated the production of "The Battle of Taierzhuang," which tells the story of the Kuomintang's victory in the Battle of Taierzhuang. This was the first time in history that the National Revolutionary Army had defeated the Japanese army on the main battlefield. Previously, there had been little publicity about this, let alone making a movie specifically to tell the story of the Kuomintang's positive deeds.

The film adaptation of "The Battle of Taierzhuang" faced numerous difficulties in its production. It was first proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai in 65 when Li Zongren returned to mainland China. However, due to a series of events, filming was shelved. Director Cheng Yin always remembered this and in 82 requested a reshoot from the Guangxi Film Studio, which was refused. Later, with the support of the director of the Guangxi Film Studio's literary department and director Yang Guangyuan, government permission was obtained, and the studio acquired the script from the August First Film Studio, bringing filming back to the forefront.

Even so, the script alone underwent seventeen revisions, casting was extremely difficult, the lead actors were afraid of being praised for their "perfect portrayal," and the director's creative process was hampered... Nevertheless, the film was still approved for production. When the news spread, the Hong Kong media were astonished, sensing something amiss.

Why does Yu Qie never touch this type of novel?
It was simply because the time wasn't right before. But this turning point marks the beginning of the right time.

Jiang Wen said, "This is the same principle as the emergence of football hooligans and Italian directors in Beijing! We are opening up to others, and others are opening up to us... In the future, it will be easier for Chinese people to win foreign literary awards and film awards."

"From now on, your novels will have to conquer the last piece of land in the Chinese world, and then stand in front of Cha Liangyong. You will be the same then."

Yu said, "What if we make a movie about it, and they don't appreciate it?"

What do you mean by being ungrateful?

"I always give in to you, but instead of being grateful, you hate me and curse me."

Jiang Wen shouted from behind the car, "If you don't appreciate it, then let's not play together. We can't let others treat us like dirt!"

Yu Qie burst into laughter.

The cast and crew of "Children of Heaven" had their dinner at Fengzeyuan, another reopened old-established restaurant. Since most of the main cast members couldn't eat spicy food or large amounts of meat, they decided to go to a Shandong cuisine restaurant.

Jiang Wen started showing off again: "This Shandong cuisine is a national dish. Even foreigners can taste how good it is. I heard that this was what they ate during the Sino-British negotiations."

“Jiang Wen, you found out again?” Yu Qie said.

Jiang Wen patted his chest and said, "I love to inquire about people. I like to see what they eat and what they do... Don't listen to what they say. There are many things that are said in history, but when you look into them closely, you feel that they are impossible... The truth should not be like this."

"So what kind of person do you think I am?" Yu Qie asked.

Jiang Wen rubbed his chin, looking unfathomable: "I can't say for sure, I've never met someone like this before."

"Gong Xue, what do you think?" Jiang Wen asked Gong Xue.

Without hesitation, Gong Xue said, "Yu Qie is a great man."

She was referring to the fundraising. And possibly the Laoshan relief efforts as well.

The crew fell silent instantly. Jiang Wen raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yu Qie's expression—he had no expression.

Does this great writer Yu not understand, or does he truly not understand?

A row of Shandong dishes were served: premium tofu, sweet and sour carp, braised sea cucumber with scallions, and shredded shark fin soup... all dishes that everyone could eat. So, the group started discussing literary works over these Shandong dishes.

For example, martial arts novels are like Shandong cuisine, which everyone loves to eat. Traditional literature may be like some niche dishes, but if done well, it can also represent a certain level of sophistication.

Coincidentally, there is a famous dish in Chinese cuisine called Boiled Cabbage in Broth, which is a Sichuan dish. It is served as a simple cabbage dish, but behind it is a dish made by simmering chicken, duck and pork ribs, seasoning it with a clear broth made with minced chicken and minced pork, and finally drizzling some chicken oil into the broth when pouring it over the soup... It looks simple, but there is a lot of ingenuity behind it.

Doesn't Yu Qie write traditional novels?

This is similar to boiled cabbage in clear broth. Jiang Wen intentionally compared the two: "If we're talking about high-end, this kind of dish is the most high-end. I also love this kind of story. It's very ordinary to read, but you'll be in tears after you finish it. 'Children of Heaven' is such a work."

Yu Qie listened from the side, thinking to himself: The movies you made later were not like that at all.

"My favorite food is still my hometown cuisine!" Xie Jin said, indicating that he wasn't interested in what everyone else was eating. He then took out some "fermented tofu skin" and shared it with everyone. This is a local dish from his hometown of Shangyu, a fermented bean product that he personally loves. However, it has a very strong flavor, like a bomb when you eat it, and the texture is quite unique.

Yu Qie was persuaded to take a bite, and Xie Jin asked him if he liked it.

Yu Qie nodded and said it was delicious, but he wouldn't touch it even if he were offered another bite.

Xie Jin then urged the others at the table to eat some, and everyone took a bite. Everyone said it was good, but Xie Jin laughed and said, "Once, in the sweltering summer, I brought some fermented bean curd sheets from my hometown to Shanghai. As soon as I got off the train, I squeezed onto a bus and casually took out the fermented bean curd sheets and hung them on my wristband… The whole bus could smell that aroma…"

Jiang Wenqi asked in surprise, "Director Xie, you weren't kicked out?"

"How could that be? They all said it was pretty good later, and I even recommended it to them."

really?
Little Yingzi took a bite of the fermented bean curd sheet and her face scrunched up: "It's not tasty, it's really awful!"

Gong Xue also took a bite, but then refused to eat any more.

Xie Jin found it strange: "Hey, everyone says it's delicious, so why don't they want to eat it?"

"I have plenty of fermented bean curd sheets here. If you like them, I have as many as you want."

Yu asked Xie Jin, "Did you say on the bus that you were Xie Jin, a director from the Shanghai Film Studio?"

Xie Jin's face immediately turned red, and he blurted out things like "Directors are just ordinary passengers" and "They just like Michelle Chen."

Everyone couldn't hold back anymore. Jiang Wen gave Yu Qie a thumbs up, and Gong Xue blinked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Yu Qie. When Yu Qie met her gaze, Gong Xue immediately made a vivid, distressed expression, indicating that the moldy tofu skin was terribly unpalatable, which amused Yu Qie.

This reminded Yu Qie of a novel called "Boule de Suif," written by the French author Guy de Maupassant. The story is set after the Franco-Prussian War, where ten people from all walks of life in France flee to a port in a carriage. Most of them are noblemen and bourgeois gentlemen and ladies. Because they are busy packing their valuables, they forget to bring food, and they soon become very hungry.

The last prostitute, named "Boule de Suif," generously shared her food with them. Initially, the gentlemen and ladies praised Boule de Suif after eating, but once they discovered her identity as a prostitute, they immediately began to slander her, and even the food she brought became considered worthless.

This is somewhat similar to what happened to Xie Jin on the bus. He was a famous director, so naturally all his works were good.

If Xie Jin were still an unlucky fellow in a cowshed, his moldy tofu sheets would naturally be unwanted.

Xie Jin also said, "When I was down on my luck, people wouldn't touch anything related to me, as if they were avoiding a plague god... I also felt that fate was unfair to me. My child has some intellectual problems, and my parents both passed away during those years. I think I was really a jinx..."

"That's why I always want to prove myself!" Xie Jin said sincerely. "Some of Yu Qie's novels are a treasure trove for us directors. I should toast him!"

Yu Qie took it and drank it all in one gulp.

I never imagined that Xie Jin's life story would be so bizarre!

He made an excuse to go out for a walk, and soon Gong Xue also came out. Gong Xue was wearing a little dress with a blue checkered gauze scarf tied around her neck. She took off the scarf and helped Yu Qie wipe his sweat.

Yu Qie said, "I misunderstood you on the phone before, and I should apologize to you."

Gong Xue comforted him instead: "I've read every one of your novels, and I know what kind of person you are. You definitely didn't do it on purpose."

"Gong Xue, don't you think I'm swearing at people?"

"Why would you lose your temper for no reason? You are Yu Qie, and you have already donated a lot of money."

These words made Yu Qie feel quite ashamed, but they also made him think: How much of Gong Xue's impression of him came from the halo outside of this person? Among Yu Qie's female friends, Gong Xue had relatively little contact with him, but she trusted him a lot because Gong Xue only saw Yu Qie's shining moments.

Gong Xue happens to be a literary and artistic woman, and she's particularly susceptible to this kind of thing.

Chen Xiaoxu was also a female literary youth, but the two of them were completely different.

Yu Qie said, "You've come here to act and promote polio prevention, I don't really know how to thank you..."

Gong Xue disagreed: "Then remember this. When I'm down on my luck, I'll come back to you. Even someone as capable as Director Xie Jin had his downfalls. Nobody knows what will happen in the future."

Does this mean "let it go"?
Gong Xue probably doesn't know that she will really face a difficult situation in the future.

After the farewell dinner, the "Children of Heaven" crew left Beijing the next day, and Yu Qie still came to see them off. Jiang Wen was also among those seeing them off, as she had to stay in Beijing to film.

Xie Jin implied that Jiang Wen often hung around Yuqie to get acquainted with him.

Jiang Wen said, "Yu Qie is already my good brother. Putting everything else aside, just look at his motorcycle, I have to admire him. Even if he doesn't come looking for me, I will go looking for him!"

Everyone cheered and took a group photo. Yu Qie and Xie Jin stood in the middle, and Gong Xue, as the most famous actress in the crew, naturally stood next to them. "Little Yingzi" looked left and right, then ran over and took the hand of "Gong Xue," the homeroom teacher.

"Kacha!"

Jiang Wen was the one taking the photo. He thought from this angle, hey, it looked like a family of three. But Jiang Wen didn't say anything, just kept snapping away. "If I get this photo developed, can it be published in any film magazine?"

"Why would you appear in a film magazine? You're not a professional photographer," Xie Jin laughed.

Jiang Wen examined the camera with dissatisfaction. "This is the only family photo in the entire series. Doesn't it deserve a copy of 'Popular Cinema'?"

Xie Jin rolled his eyes at him. "Getting published in that bullshit 'Popular Cinema'? That's a national-level film magazine!"

After taking this photo, Yu Qie was about to be featured in "October" magazine again. Xie Jin's "Moldy Thousand-Layered Sheet" on the bus, his thoughts on the French novel "Boule de Suif," and perhaps the story of the Wanxian migrant relocation, all inspired him to write a novel called "Returning to One's Roots."

(End of this chapter)