Exciting 1979!

Chapter 388 Return to Beijing Film Academy, Wei Ming Commands His Troops

Just a few days ago, Gu Jianfen and her second disciple recorded the legendary song "The Clanging Rose". Although the physical cassette tape has not yet been sold, it can already be heard on car radios. As expected, it caused a nationwide sensation and was sung by everyone. The spirit of the women's volleyball team is now completely associated with the four words "The Clanging Rose".

"Through wind and rain, rainbows and resilient roses, bearing all sorrow and pain alone..."

Li Hanxiang crossed his legs and said, "Hmm, this song is very energetic."

Wei Ming: "This is what I wrote."

Li Hanxiang laughed and said, "No wonder you're so energetic."

The next song played was "Lupin Flower." Li Hanxiang asked, "It's very touching. Could it be that you wrote it too?"

"correct."

"Oh, you must be Teacher Wei Ming? Hey, I didn't expect to run into you! I was wondering why the magpies were chattering so loudly this morning..."

When the driver in front spoke up, Wei Ming knew that the person in front would inevitably dominate the conversation in the car from now on.

This is the driver from Yanjing Hotel. Wei Ming told the driver to just drop him off at the Beichizi Courtyard, so he wouldn't have to go into the alley. Li Hanxiang could go to China Film Group to sign the contract himself in the afternoon.

Wei Ming was carrying a backpack, a duffel bag in his left hand, and a heavy cardboard box in his right.

Old Wei left a motorcycle in the courtyard, and Wei Ming also wanted to check on the health of the two cats and dogs.

He was opening the door when a voice calling "Teacher Wei" made him pause, then continue.

"Chengru, come in and talk."

Li Chengru pushed the car into the yard, and Ginkgo was still as enthusiastic as ever, like a lapdog.

Perhaps because he hadn't seen his family in a long time, even the sheriff rubbed against Wei Ming's legs, and Wei Ming, flattered, touched them back.

Having understood, the sheriff immediately scrambled back up the tree.

"What's this?" Li Chengru asked, pointing to the box Wei Ming was carrying.

Wei Ming chuckled: "Honey! This is for your crew. How far have things progressed?"

Li Chengru said, "We've already decided which stories to film. Next, we'll scout locations based on the clues you left behind, and we'll also meet with several of the main actors. The two screenwriters are starting to write the scripts simultaneously in Beijing. We'll be leaving in two days, and I estimate we'll be spending the Spring Festival away from home."

Wei Ming praised, "Your spirit is commendable, and you're very efficient. I'll go to your workplace with you this afternoon."

Seeing that Li Chengru showed no sign of leaving, Wei Ming put down his things and said, "You haven't eaten yet?"

"I just got off work, and my mom said she's making me noodles with soybean paste."

Wei Ming sighed, "Nothing beats my mother's fried noodles with soybean paste. It's the taste of my mom."

“Yes, yes.” Li Chengru.

"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, I'll come to your place for a meal, so I don't have to start a fire myself."

Li Chengru: "..."

My name is Li Chengru. I never expected that not only would I not be invited by Teacher Wei, but I would also be given a bowl of noodles.

However, the whole family felt honored and proud when Teacher Wei came to visit. The other neighbors in the courtyard were envious, even more so than when Li Chengru joined the TV station.

Moreover, Wei Ming didn't come empty-handed; he brought back some pastries from Hong Kong, and the packaging was exquisite, clearly indicating they weren't cheap.

"Teacher Wei, what's this pancake called? It's quite delicious," said Li Chengru's mother.

Wei Ming: "Auntie, this is called wife cake."

"What, wife cake? This..." Li Chengru's mother peered into the cake, as if trying to see a wife inside.

Li Chengru: "Mom, stop looking! There really is a wife in a wife cake! Teacher Wei, can you tell us the story behind it?"

"This wife cake originated in Chaozhou, Guangdong. Legend has it that it was first created by the wife of a Chaozhou pastry chef, hence the name wife cake. Actually, it doesn't have any deep meaning."

Li Chengru's mother seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "When are you going to get a wife, Daru? You're already so old."

Li Chengru is 27 years old this year, which is indeed quite old.

He even argued, "Haven't you seen the news? People are now advocating for later marriage and later childbirth."

“The news says it’s good to only have one child, why don’t you have one?” the old lady retorted.

After finishing his noodles with soybean paste, Li Chengru quickly wiped his mouth and slipped away. Luckily, they were about to embark on a nationwide tour, which was wonderful.

Li Chengru didn't ride his bike at all; instead, he carried Wei Ming's suitcase and hitched a ride on Teacher Wei's motorcycle to CCTV.

After gathering director Yang Jie, cinematographer Wang Chongqiu, and deputy director Hong together, Wei Ming opened the box and introduced it: "It's a Nissan Ikegami HK-323 three-tube camera, weighing 12 kilograms, and operated by shoulder carrying. 'The Legend of Huo Yuanjia' was filmed with this thing. In addition to HK$100 million, Mr. Qiu Degen also donated one of these machines specifically for filming 'Journey to the West'."

Only then did Li Chengru realize that Teacher Wei had actually secured a sponsorship of one million Hong Kong dollars!
Yang Jie asked, "How much does this machine cost?"

"Fifty thousand dollars, I guess."

"Great, great! Two cameras will make things so much easier!" Yang Jie held Wei Ming's hand. In her eyes, this camera was more important than the one million Hong Kong dollars. Two cameras would not only speed up the filming process, but also save money and effort.

Wang Chongqiu tried it out and, as a professional, was delighted. The camera the station had previously assigned him was a Hongqi brand 35mm movie camera, weighing about 20 kilograms. He needed someone to assist him when shooting many shots. This Japanese camera was far superior in every way.

Deputy Director Hong Minsheng reminded, "Don't make a fuss about this machine yet. Take it out when filming starts, so that no one will have their eyes on it or find an excuse not to provide you with another camera."

Where there are people, there is struggle. Yang Jie nodded: "Yes, hide it, don't show off to anyone, understand?"

"understand!"

She then said to her husband, "Xiao Wang, pick another photographer later and add them to the shoot."

"Ok."

Wei Ming asked, "Have you decided which episode to film for the test shoot?"

Yang Jie said, "It's settled, 'Exorcising Demons in Wuji Kingdom'."

"Okay, I'll find you stuntmen in Hong Kong then."

The pilot episode is crucial; its success will determine whether CCTV will actually provide the 300 million yuan.

In fact, the pilot episode filmed in the original timeline was barely passable. Later, in order to match the style of the other episodes, it was reshot, wasting the 10 yuan spent on the pilot episode. Due to a lack of experience, the Journey to the West production team did indeed waste a lot of resources, but there was nothing they could do about it.

Wei Ming thought he would keep a close eye on things, since he was a veteran in the film and television industry with decades of experience, far more than the entire crew combined.

After delivering the equipment, Wei Ming prepared to leave. On his way out, he ran into Uncle Jin, who was muttering to himself about spring and mating.

He's doing voiceover work for "Animal World," a famous program that's about to air.

The program is basically made up of raw material extracted from the BBC's "Life" documentary series, NHK's "Earth Journey" and documentaries from National Geographic and ZDF. After being re-edited and paired with Jinye's magnetic voice, it has become a natural science enlightenment for countless Chinese children.

Afterwards, Wei Ming rode his motorcycle to Nanluoguxiang to see how the renovation of Sister Xue's two-courtyard house was going.

"Teacher Wei, are you satisfied with what you see?" Lei's apprentice, Xiaoyu, led Wei Ming to take a look. They had just finished the work the day before yesterday. Since Wei Ming's whole family was away, Xiaoyu was asked to wait for Wei Ming here.

Wei Ming carefully inspected the work, and if there was anything he was not satisfied with, Master Lei could immediately redo it.

The wall is very high, and it's difficult to climb over without unconventional tools. However, the gate is very understated, and the stone lions are not very big. They can be replaced when the understated design is no longer needed.

There's a space reserved for a garage door on one of the walls, but there's no need to open that door now.

After entering, you'll find the first courtyard, which is also the outer courtyard. It contains a screen wall, a reception room, a garage, guest bathrooms, and staff living quarters.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, the first thing you see is a small swimming pool, all tiled, with a retractable canopy that you have to manually operate. The pool isn't filled with water yet; we'll have to wait until summer. Right now, the only place you can fill it with water is for ice skating.

Hey, ice skating would be good too, I'll get some later.

Xiaoyu highlighted the water inlet and drainage system, which is unique among traditional residences in Yanjing, but the residents have to clean it themselves.

Wei Ming asked, "Won't the sewage and wastewater backflow in?"

"Teacher Wei, look at what you're saying. How could we do such amateurish things? We're using drinking water, so please don't worry."

Xiaoyu continued to explain that the inner courtyard was larger, and even the trees were newly transplanted. In a few years, they would be able to eat pomegranates and walnuts.

He highlighted the main house and the east and west wing rooms, noting that each bedroom had a bathroom with a toilet, and the lighting fixtures were all very beautiful and novel. Unfortunately, it was daytime, so the full effect couldn't be seen.

Some of the furniture was difficult for Master Lei to buy, so Wei Ming approved some foreign exchange certificates for him in advance, which cost a lot of money.

The house looks like a traditional courtyard house from the outside, but once you open it up, you'll find it's furnished with modern furniture that Wei Ming is more used to.

After looking at it for more than an hour, and it was almost dark, Wei Ming finally said with satisfaction, "Okay, I'll call your master later to settle the balance."

"Okay, Teacher Wei, I'll be going now."

"Walk slowly."

This place is still relatively empty. We'll need to fill it with furniture and appliances, which will cost a lot of money. Nowadays, Teacher Wei only buys the best things, and the best things can't be cheap.

Wei Ming plans to leave Lin Jie's apartment in Houhai untouched for now. It's not that he doesn't have enough money for renovations—in fact, he has plenty—and renovations are cheaper right now. It's just that Lin Jie already has a house in Tuanjiehu, which is enough for her, and if all else fails, she can stay with Xue Jie.

Therefore, Wei Ming wanted to wait until the area was more open and the technology was further improved, so that the renovation could be completed in one step, the underground space could be fully developed, the walls could be raised, and barbed wire and cameras could be installed.

This large house, with three courtyards and over a thousand square meters, might become the place where our descendants gather every year. We need to plan it out carefully.

Finally, Wei Ming changed the lock to his own newly bought one before returning to his home in Beichizi.

Thinking that Xiaohong was probably still at school, he didn't go back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment and stayed here instead.

However, I first called Uncle Ping'an's house to tell him that I was back.

“Okay, then come over for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll also invite Xiao Hong. You can tell us about what happened in Hong Kong.”

"Ah."

After hanging up the phone, he started writing a script for Jackie Chan. One million, one million, um, maybe even two million.

To work on this project, he talked with Li Hanxiang about the early Hong Kong police on the plane the whole way, and obtained a lot of first-hand information.

The sheriff was sitting upright on Wei Ming's desk, its two paws tucked in, looking quite adorable. As long as it didn't use its valuable antique furniture to sharpen its claws, Wei Ming was happy to share a room with it.

"Hey, isn't it time for a new season of 'Black Cat Detective'?"

However, it's already time for the evening news, so there's definitely no more.

When Wei Ming's hand ached and his eyes were tired from writing, the sheriff also got impatient. He let the cat out to play with the dog and go to sleep.

~
Wei Ming was woken up by Biaozi.

"Ming-ge, you're back!"

Wei Ming got up: "How did you make that judgment?"

"The motorcycle's location has changed," Biaozi said, standing outside. "Is it convenient for me to go in?"

"Come in, there's no one else here." Wei Ming, wrapped in a blanket, was still caught off guard by the chill of late December in Yanjing, having just returned from Hong Kong.

"Would you like me to get you a down jacket?"

Wei Ming: "It's in the cabinet. I'll find it later. Everything's fine at home, right?"

"That's great, my daughter can roll over now!"

Wow, you've already turned over in just four months!

"Yes, a martial arts prodigy!" Biaozi said proudly.

After chatting with Biaozi about his child and family for a while, Wei Ming quietly put on his long johns and pulled out his winter clothes.

"Go ahead and get busy at the shop, I still need to go to the Beijing Film Studio."

"They're filming again!?"

"Ah~" Wei Ming looked at Biaozi and smiled, "You have an idea?"

Biaozi said reservedly, "I wouldn't do it if it were the male lead. I don't have that much time. I still have to take care of Yanzi's child."

Wei Mingxu kicked him: "Male lead? You're dreaming."

However, Wei Ming really thought of his brother. "The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan" and "The Empress Dowager" were two films shot together, and he reserved a role for him in "The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan".

"Have you heard of Senggelinqin?"

"I've never heard of him. He was a Mongolian prince, and he was considered quite capable in battle during the late Qing Dynasty, but he still died from the foreigners' guns and cannons."

"Your knowledge is too mixed up. Senggelinqin did fight with foreigners, but he didn't die at their hands. He was killed by a nobody named Zhang Pigen while pursuing the Nian Rebellion. He didn't even know that he had killed such a big shot."

Wei Ming gave him a history lesson to help him portray the character: "Although Senggelinqin is a military general, there aren't many action scenes this time, so your acting skills need to be up to par."

This role was just for him to have some fun and get a feel for the character.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell Xiaomei to watch the shop today, and I'll come with you," Biaozi said.

"Okay, let's go to the Yanjing Hotel now."

When Li Hanxiang met Biaozi at the Yanjing Hotel, he was quite satisfied: "He has the feel of a Mongolian warrior. There are still six months left for filming. During this time, you need to learn more about Senggelinqin's life. He was more than just brave."

"Don't worry, Director. Ming gave me a reading list, and I'll read it all."

"That's good, let's go to the Beijing Film Studio."

The Beijing Film Studio provided specific assistance with the filming, and Wei Ming met with Director Wang Yang again; the old man had a big smile on his face.

Nearly two months after its release, "Mom, Love Me Again" is still raging in theaters with unstoppable force. Coupled with "Heroes Have Always Been Born Young," he, as a leader of the Beijing Film Studio, was naturally happy.

However, this achievement is only on par with Shanghai Film Studio, which also has two phenomenal films, "The Legend of the White Snake" and "Joyful Reunion".

The struggle between the north and the east will continue in 82.

Although these two Qing Dynasty dramas do not occupy Beijing Film Studio's quota, they can still be considered as works of Beijing Film Studio.

Liu Xiaoqing had been waiting for the car to arrive, and when she finally heard the factory manager calling for her, she took one last look in the mirror. She looked sharp and presentable before jogging over.

Empress Dowager Cixi selected Liu Xiaoqing for two reasons: firstly, another important candidate, Zhang Jinling, was about to give birth; and secondly, Wei Ming strongly recommended her.

Although Liu Xiaoqing acted somewhat inhumanely during filming, abandoning the crew to go out and earn money, the Hong Kong investors in the co-production also did not treat mainland employees like human beings, and Liu Xiaoqing was just expressing her dissatisfaction.

It's rare to see a mainland actor so assertive in the face of Hong Kong investment at this time, so we should acknowledge that.

Upon entering, she first glanced at Wei Ming. Until the day actually came, she wouldn't have dared to be sure whether Wei Ming was playing her or not. Now she was certain that Teacher Wei was her benefactor!
Li Hanxiang glanced at Liu Xiaoqing, chatted with her for a few words, and found her to be a very assertive and sassy woman!
No wonder Xiao Wei speaks so highly of her; I even thought the two of them were having an affair. It seems she's really putting her heart into casting for him.

Li Hanxiang also wanted to see the actresses who would portray Empress Dowager Cixi and Consort Li, as these two female characters were second only to Empress Dowager Cixi in importance.

Empress Dowager Cixi and Consort Li, Wei Ming, are quite considerate of Shanghai. The Chen Ye they chose for Lao Li is from the Shanghai Film Studio, and the Zhou Jie is from the Shanghai Opera House. They are on their way from Shanghai.

"Then we'll be going now. We're going to visit the Film Academy this afternoon," Old Li said.

Wang Yang urged him to stay, saying, "Why don't you have a meal in the cafeteria?"

Li Hanxiang looked at Wei Ming with a troubled expression. He was also a glutton, but there was hardly any savory food in the government canteens these days, while Wei Ming had promised to treat him to Quanjude.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "We plan to eat out and chat about the filming details. Director Wang, why don't you come along too, and Xiao Qing as well?"

Liu Xiaoqing readily agreed, while Director Wang needed Wei Ming and Liu Xiaoqing to persuade him together before he finally agreed.

However, one vehicle couldn't hold them all, so after looking at each other, everyone decided that Comrade Zhao Debiao would ride Liu Xiaoqing's bicycle to the destination.

Watching the car drive away, Biaozi pedaled furiously. If he slowed down, they might have already finished eating over there. He had to pedal hard!

Cai Ming, who was passing by, saw it and was almost swept away by a gust of wind. He thought that he was riding Liu Xiaoqing's bicycle, not Liu Xiaoqing's bicycle.

Fortunately, on the way back, Liu Xiaoqing rode her beloved bicycle to go for a stroll, while Wei Ming and the others took Director Wang back to the Beijing Film Studio and then went to the Beijing Film Academy.

Li Hanxiang kept praising Quanjude throughout the journey; after all these years, he still has a northern palate.

Before leaving, Wang Yang notified the film academy that the famous Hong Kong director Li Hanxiang was going to visit some students to select actors for his new film.

The film academy attaches great importance to directors from Hong Kong, which involves foreign affairs.

Upon arrival, we first met with the leaders before finally arriving at the 78 performance class.

The students were notified well in advance, and before the person arrived, the students were already in an uproar, speculating whether they were going to Hong Kong to film a movie and what Hong Kong was like.

Xie Yuan: "What are you thinking? If we're casting actors in mainland China, we'll definitely film in mainland China. Otherwise, why not just cast them in Hong Kong?"

Zhang Fengyi laughed and said, "How can that be the same? We've all received professional performance training. Does Hong Kong have that kind of opportunity?"

Zhang Tielin shook his head and said, "Hong Kong's performance training is definitely more professional than ours. Their film and television industry is so developed."

Liu Jia joined the discussion: "I heard that they train for a year and then directly put them into filming. It's a crash course in acting, but later they hone their acting skills through a lot of filming."

They were having a lively discussion when they heard the counselor cough.

Then we saw Mr. Wei Ming, whom everyone is very familiar with. He had come to their class to select roles before, but he was not selected that time.

It's him again this time, followed by the main villain from "Heroes Have Always Been Born Young", and finally, a tall, dark old man with glasses.

As soon as he entered, Wei Ming whispered to the old man in black, and then pointed at Zhang Tielin.

Zhang Tielin's heart pounded. Was he going to be chosen? Teacher Wei had such good taste!
Then Wei Ming pointed at Zhang Fengyi. Zhang Tielin's heart pounded even faster. What? He wasn't the only candidate? Did he have to kill Zhang Fengyi?

"Zhang Tielin, come out here for a moment," Wei Ming finally called out.

Then he and Wei Ming and his group went to the empty classroom next door.

Li Hanxiang examined Zhang Tielin's features closely. Hmm, they were indeed very gentle. He nodded in satisfaction: "You're the one. Can you give me your schedule after August?"

"Sure, no problem, thank you, thank you Director Li!"

Li Hanxiang affirmed to Wei Ming, "You have a good eye."

Zhang Tielin: Same as above!

Wei Ming said to Zhang Tielin, "Call Zhang Fengyi over here again."

"Huh? Oh." Zhang Tielin was a little puzzled. They've already decided on me, so why are they looking for Zhang Fengyi?

He wanted to interfere, but the other person was in the next room, so he couldn't do anything and could only tell Zhang Fengyi the truth.

After Zhang Fengyi came in, Wei Ming said a few words: "He plays Xiangzi in director Ling Zifeng's 'Rickshaw Boy,' which will be released next month. If you want to see his acting skills, you can watch the film in advance at Beijing Film Studio. In addition, he also starred in an action movie, right? Experience is not a problem."

“Yes, yes, Phoenix Pictures’ ‘Treasure Hunt Beyond the Great Wall’,” Zhang Fengyi replied, somewhat bewildered.

Zhang Fengyi showed a tough guy temperament at a young age, and Li Hanxiang felt that an actor with a contrast to Liang Jiahui was needed, and Zhang Fengyi was very suitable.

"Okay, I need a second male lead for my movie. Would you like to take the role?"

"What kind of show is it?" Zhang Fengyi asked, finding the other party being too mysterious.

Li Hanxiang: "It is a story about Empress Dowager Cixi from a young girl to a tyrannical empress. The most important man in her life was Emperor Xianfeng, and the second most important man was probably Emperor Tongzhi and Emperor Guangxu. But I think Prince Gong Yixin was equally important. He was the man who changed Cixi's fate, and I want you to play this role."

"Oh, sure, I can act."

"Then I'll reserve my slots after June next year. I'll need to undergo some training beforehand."

Zhang Fengyi nodded blankly. As he was about to leave, he asked, "Is my classmate Zhang Tielin playing the male lead, Emperor Xianfeng?"

Wei Ming: "Oh no, he plays a eunuch, a minor supporting role~"

……

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(End of this chapter)