Exciting 1979!

Chapter 421 Golden Rooster Award Winner and Hundred Flowers Award Winner
It was a task assigned to Wu Tianming by Xi'an Film Studio to give Wei Ming a lavish welcome, so Wu Tianming even used the studio's jeep. He sat in the passenger seat, while Wei Ming, his younger brother, and the two beauties sat in the back.

Wu Tianming felt the cash in his pocket. It should be enough. He really hadn't considered Wei Ming's friends beforehand.

Gong Xue wasn't familiar with Wu Tianming, nor was Zhu Lin. However, she had a connection with Xi'an Film Studio, and when talking about her friends from the crew of "The Traitor," she and Wu Tianming had something to talk about.

Wu Tianming said, "This awards ceremony is being held in Xi'an, so our Xi'an Film Studio will definitely have to put in a lot of effort. During the cultural performance, Naren Hua will be the announcer."

Zhu Lin said, "I really miss Xiao Na. She said she wanted to apply to film school, but I don't know..."

"Hey, I've passed the professional assessment. I'm now in the Acting Department of Beijing Film Academy. All that's left is the college entrance exam in two months," Wu Tianming said.

Wei Ming thought for a moment and realized that the class of '82 at Beijing Film Academy seemed to be the same one as Zang Jinsheng and Lin Fangbing.

Zhu Lin was genuinely happy for her little sister, while Gong Xue was more envious. After all, Sister Lin was a worker-peasant-soldier college student, and Xiao Wei was a correspondence college student. Was her own education level too low? Would her children laugh at her when they grew up?

She's thinking quite far ahead.

The place where Wu Tianming treated them to a meal wasn't too far away. They were staying at the Xi'an People's Building on Dongxin Street in Xi'an. It was just a few minutes' drive to the neighboring Dongda Street, where an impressive sign appeared before them—Xi'an Restaurant.

This is a long-established restaurant that is highly regarded by the people of Xi'an. It has a long history. This is the newly completed store, which will later become the main store.

When Wei Ming and the others came in, the manager personally came out to greet them, because Director Wu had given instructions and knew who they were to entertain today.

However, the guests were more distinguished than the manager had imagined. In addition to the renowned teacher Wei Ming, there was also Gong Xue from the South and Zhu Lin from the North. His words, "It is an honor to have you here," were not an exaggeration at all.

The manager arranged an elegant private room for them, and Wei Ming was given the task of ordering the dishes.

There were four adults and one child, and Wei Ming didn't order much. They ordered Shaanxi's traditional famous dishes: gourd chicken, fish in milk soup, warm-mixed pork loin, and hot and sour pork tripe.

"These will do."

Wu Tianming checked his money and found he had enough. He then ordered a dish of three kinds of shredded pork and a bottle of Xifeng liquor. Xifeng liquor was still very popular these days, and it was well-known even in Beijing.

During the meal, Wu Tianming brought up the TV series "The Empress Dowager" that Li Hanxiang was currently filming, which he had seen on the news.

Originally, it needed to be kept secret, but later, when Run Run Shaw revealed that Li Hanxiang had come to Beijing to film, Li Hanxiang was directly blacklisted in Taiwan, so there was no longer any need to hide it.

"Yes, I helped him revise the script. The mainland side provided a lot of support, and they are currently filming on location at the Forbidden City."

Wu Tianming sighed, "Why didn't the Film Bureau provide this much support for our co-production project, 'A Terracotta Warrior'? It was such a waste of your script."

Wei Ming shook his head: "It's different. This one is led by Hong Kong funds, and Beijing Film Studio is just cooperating and making some foreign exchange. It doesn't matter if this film is not released in mainland China. But you want Xi'an Film Studio to lead it, so the censorship will definitely be stricter."

Wu Tianming couldn't forget "A Terracotta Warrior's Tale" from ancient times to the present. He asked Wei Ming, "You live in the People's Building, have you seen any foreigners?"

Wei Ming shook his head, and Zhu Lin said, "We've met before. Xiaoxue even greeted them with hello."

Gong Xue said embarrassedly, "I just wanted to practice my spoken English. They are a family of Americans."

Wu Tianming laughed and said, "Most of them come to see the Terracotta Warriors. I've also heard that some foreign guests have come to Xi'an after reading the novel 'The Terracotta Warriors and the Ancient Warriors.'"

Gong Xue: "Huh? Foreigners know about this novel too?"

Wei Mingdao said: "The English version was just released last month, but it is currently only available in the UK."

His two girlfriends looked at him with admiration again. This could even contribute to Xi'an's tourism industry; it could be considered earning foreign exchange!
Wu Tianming said, "Professor Wei, do you think this project can continue if it is led by Hong Kong capital, just like in 'The Empress Dowager'?"

Wei Ming could see that Lao Wu genuinely wanted to make this happen. This would not only earn foreign exchange for Xi'an Film Studio, but also improve its production capabilities. Xi'an Film Studio later became one of the top film studios in China. This was certainly due to the contributions of the new generation of talents such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, but it was even more inseparable from Wu Tianming's ability to recognize talent and his courage.

Wei Ming took a sip of Xifeng liquor and laughed heartily: "You old Wu, no wonder you were willing to treat us to a meal at such a fancy restaurant. You were waiting for me here."

Wu Tianming chuckled and said, "Look at what you're saying. Even if there's no such thing, I would still invite you. I, Old Wu, was able to become the deputy factory director without the success of 'Niu and Niu Er,' and the success of this movie was inseparable from your and Brother Jiefang's help."

Xi Zi was taken aback: My uncle's affairs are involved here?

Wei Ming said, "In that case, I'll have to go to Hong Kong again when I have the chance. I'll help you find funding then, but don't get your hopes up too high. According to my plan, the cost of this movie will probably be even higher than that of 'Reign Behind the Curtain.' Without the Taiwan market, the risk of breaking even is very high, and Hong Kong film producers may not be willing to take that risk."

Wei Ming didn't rule out the possibility of a definitive answer, but Wu Tianming was already very grateful.

After dinner, Wu Tianming's car took the four of them back to the People's Building. Once inside, Wei Ming took Xizi and separated from Zhu Lin and Gong Xue. It was better to be careful outside, with so many people watching.

The next day, more and more people came here, and even a number of local reporters appeared outside. Actors were caught and interviewed whenever they came in or out.

This reflects both the importance that Xi'an attaches to this event and the fact that Xi'an has been neglected by major cultural and artistic events for a long time, making this a rare opportunity for Xi'an to showcase its talents.

Wei Ming took Xizi upstairs to visit Gong Xue and the others.

"The awards ceremony and performance aren't until tonight, so how about we go out for a walk later?"

Zhu Lin said, "You take Xizi shopping, I've made an appointment with Narenhua."

Gong Xue: "I also discussed with Zhang Jinling and the others that we would act together with the Beijing Film Studio."

This is to avoid suspicion, okay?

Wei Ming took Xizi with him and headed straight to the Provincial Writers Association, where he would make use of his connections in the Shaanxi literary scene.

As a result, Jia Pingwa is here. He now works at the Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles, mainly writing short and medium-length stories. He is very famous locally, but not at the national level.

Upon meeting Wei Ming, he excitedly discussed Lu Yao's novel "Life" with him. This novel had brought great honor to the Shaanxi literary scene and sparked nationwide discussion in just a few days.

The three literary giants of Shaanxi are Lu Yao, Chen Zhongshi, and Jia Pingwa. Wei Ming likes Chen Zhongshi's "White Deer Plain" the most, but Lu Yao's novella "Life" was the first to achieve national influence.

Wei Ming told Jia Pingwa, "Yesterday I recommended this novel to Wu Tianming, the deputy director of Xi'an Film Studio, and I believe it will be shown on the big screen soon."

Upon hearing this news, Jia Pingwa slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "It's a pity Lu Yao isn't in Xi'an, otherwise I would definitely make him treat us!"

Wei Ming laughed and said, "It's alright, you can treat me." Jia Pingwa didn't refuse. There were only two of them, including a child, so they could afford it. At noon, he took Wei Ming and the others to Lao Sun's Lamb Stew Restaurant to eat lamb stew.

Wei Ming said, "Should we invite your sister-in-law to come and eat with us?"

"Don't worry about her, she's taking care of the child. Let's eat our own food."

Wei Ming thought to himself, "I just want to see that child; he's a future poet."

After dinner, Wei Ming took Xizi and headed back. They didn't go back to the hotel, but went directly to the Shaanxi Gymnasium.

The newly decorated stadium was adorned with colorful flags, and many onlookers gathered around, as if it were a festival.

Wei Ming and Xi Zi both had badges issued by the organizers, which allowed them to enter the stadium and even get seats near the front.

They wouldn't be in the first row; the first row was for provincial and provincial capital leaders, and Comrade Xia Yan was also in the first row.

Wei Ming and the judges were in the second row, while Gong Xue and Zhu Lin were further back.

Next came 2,500 people from various sectors in Shaanxi.

Because Wei Ming is Xizi's temporary guardian, he sat with Wei Ming, next to director Xie Fei, who is a Golden Rooster Award judge, both last year and this year.

Wei Ming hurriedly asked, "Teacher Xie, did I win an award?"

Xie Jin, who was not far away, immediately made a "shh" gesture to Xie Fei.

Xie Fei laughed and said, "You'll find out in a little while."

Next to Xizi was film critic Zhong Dianfei, and Wei Ming greeted him as well, since he was acquainted with Zhong's son, Acheng.

However, the promise of "you'll find out soon" is a complete lie; after the leader's speech comes a grand cultural performance.

Most of them were theme songs and incidental music from movies that were popular last year and this year. Last year, the most popular song was "Mom, Love Me Again". So Wei Ming saw several familiar faces. He should have applied to let Lele come over too, so that she could perform on stage. Anyway, it's the same whether you take care of one child or two children.

Wei Ming also heard some very catchy Qinqiang opera and Shaanxi folk songs. He couldn't help but think about adding a Shaanxi storytelling segment to "Journey to the West", such as "Huangfeng Ridge, eight hundred li, was once a rich land outside the pass" or something like that.

Wei Ming hasn't finished the theme song and ending theme for "Journey to the West" yet, nor is he in a hurry. The pilot episode doesn't need them, and the finished product should be available on CCTV in a few days.

After a performance lasting more than two hours, the awards ceremony officially began, starting with the simpler Hundred Flowers Awards.

After the Golden Rooster Awards diversified the award categories, the Hundred Flowers Awards no longer needed to have the audience vote for those technical awards, so it was streamlined to only three categories: Best Feature Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, and there were no supporting actor awards.

First up was the Best Actor award. Seven-year-old Xizi straightened her back immediately, and then she heard Wang Xingang's name. The award went to "Zhiyin" magazine.

Wei Ming quickly stuffed a piece of chocolate into his mouth, and Xizi ate it on the spot. He was in a great mood and grinned at the camera with his big black teeth.

Then came the Best Actress award. Wei Ming looked back and saw that, besides Gong Xue and Zhu Lin, Li Xiuming and Zhang Yu also seemed quite nervous.

Li Xiuming has "Xu Mao and His Daughters," which is also a very popular art film, while Zhang Yu's chances are slim. Her two films, "Zhiyin" and "Xiaojie," have split the votes, and of course, combining them wouldn't help.

Gong Xue won the Best Actress award at the 5th Hundred Flowers Awards for Popular Films for her role in "Mom, Love Me Again"!
Since the Hundred Flowers Awards were reinstated, the three winners of the Best Actress award have been Chen Chong, Zhang Yu, and Gong Xue. Coincidentally, they are all from Shanghai. I don't know if it's because Shanghai people love to vote or what.

The Best Feature Film award also continued the tradition with three films: "Joyful Reunion," "Mom, Love Me Again," and the drama "The Legend of the White Snake," two from Shanghai Film Studio and one from Beijing Film Studio.

Wei Ming and Wang Haowei, the director of "Mama", went on stage together to receive the award, but there was only one trophy, so director Wang Haowei held it.

Zhu Lin, representing the cast of "Joyful Reunion," also went on stage. Since he didn't receive a trophy, he touched Gong Xue's hand after stepping off the stage.

From now on, Sister Xue will be a movie queen, which will be a buff for Wei Ming.

The Hundred Flowers Awards came out relatively quickly, followed by the second Golden Rooster Awards, which had more awards.

Wei Ming won an award right away; "Mom, Love Me Again" won Best Music. The award here is for the soundtrack, and Wei Ming's winning work is his heart-wrenching masterpiece "Xiao Xiang Zi," which was a bit of a pleasant surprise.

However, there's only one such award. After that, the other awards will basically be given out to everyone, one for each person.

"Xu Mao and His Daughters," "Midnight," "Xi'an Incident," "Seagull," "Regret for the Past," and "Neighbors"—these works, all of which were quite significant last year, won awards, though not major ones.

Soon it came to the acting awards, and the Best Supporting Actress award went to He Xiaoshu for "The Corner Forgotten by Love," a film produced by Emei Film Studio. The lead actress was Shen Danping, a student from the 78 class of the Beijing Film Academy.

The Best Supporting Actor award went to Sun Feihu for his role in "The Xi'an Incident," who is known for playing Chiang Kai-shek.

Next up is the fiercely competitive Best Actress award, with Li Xiuming, Zhang Yu, Zhu Lin, and Gong Xue vying for the title. In the previous life, the biggest winner of this year's competition was Li Xiuming.

In this life, the honor belongs to Gong Xue!

Before Wei Ming could react much, Xi Zi jumped up and clapped when he heard the name "Gong Xue".

Xue's mother has won two awards, and she deserves half of the credit. I wonder if she can give herself an award so that she and Xiaomei can have something to show for it.

Gong Xue was also a little carried away. After hugging Zhu Lin, she went on stage to accept the award, almost bursting into tears of joy. She was not surprised to win the Hundred Flowers Award, after all, she could see the popularity factor, but she did not expect that the expert judges would also recognize the role she portrayed.

In the future, I must demand even higher standards of myself in my performances!

And there's more to come! In the Best Actor competition, seven-year-old Wei Xi beat out a host of veteran actors and won this precious honor.

It is precious because although the Golden Rooster Awards have been held for the second time, this is the first time that the Best Actor award has been given out.

Wei Xi – the first Golden Rooster Award-winning actor!
Given the prestige of this award, Wei Ming felt that since his cousin had won it and his girlfriend had also won two Best Actress awards, he had nothing to say even if he hadn't won Best Screenplay.

And then he really didn't get it...

(End of this chapter)