Huayu97: Starting with Wu Song Fighting the Tiger

Kang Honglei nodded repeatedly, his eyes wide with amazement: "Director Zhang, Liu Xiang's acting is absolutely superb! Those subtle expressions and movements are just too perfect!"

This scene was filmed in one take and was done.

The moment the "cut" was called, Teacher Zhao strode over to Liu Xiang, grabbed his hand, patted his arm, and exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement, "Young man, your acting was superb! I've been acting my whole life, and I've rarely seen such a talented young man!"

Liu Xiang scratched his head, a simple and honest smile appearing on his face: "Teacher Zhao, you flatter me. It's all thanks to your excellent teaching."

The surrounding staff also gathered around, praising him enthusiastically. A stagehand handed him a bottle of orange soda, smiling and saying, "Brother Liu, that look you gave me just now was absolutely brilliant! I thought you really were Wu Song who escaped from Qinghe County!"

Liu Xiang took the soda, unscrewed the cap, and took a big gulp. The sweet orange flavor spread in his mouth, and he felt a surge of joy. He knew that his efforts had not been in vain.

With the filming of "Chai Jin Hosts Guests in Heng Hai County" successfully completed, Director Zhang immediately began preparing for the scenes of fighting the tiger on Jingyang Ridge. This is Wu Song's battle that made him famous, and it is also a highlight of the entire "Water Margin" series. Director Zhang was determined to create something different from what he had done.

He made the decision immediately: "For the scenes at Jingyanggang, we won't build a set at the film studio; we'll go to Wulei Mountain! The natural beauty of the mountains and forests there is exactly as described in the book!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the entire production crew. Transportation in the 1990s was nothing like it is today. To get to Wulei Mountain, you had to take a slow train, then transfer to a long-distance bus, and finally hike a section of mountain road – it was quite a hassle. What made things even more difficult was that the adult male Siberian tiger used in the tiger-fighting scene was borrowed from the Wuxi Zoo, and they couldn't very well have such a big guy squeezed into a hard-seat carriage with people.

Director Zhang had connections; he used his influence with the railway department to charter a freight car specifically for the film crew. Half of it was used to carry props and equipment, while the other half was reserved for the tiger and its two keepers. Before setting off, the keepers gave the tiger a thorough check-up and even prepared a sturdy, specially made iron cage, with thick layers of straw placed between the gaps to ensure its safety throughout the journey.

On the day of departure, before dawn, the entire crew was woken up by alarm clocks. Everyone carried props and luggage, yawning as they hurried to the train station. Liu Xiang, carrying a military green canvas bag containing her script and a few changes of clothes, walked at the front of the group.

He deliberately went around to the freight car to take a look. The tiger in the iron cage was lying lazily, its head resting on its front paws, dozing with its eyes closed. When it saw Liu Xiang approaching, it suddenly opened its eyes, a hint of curiosity flashing in its amber pupils. It flicked its tail, but did not show any ferocity.

Two zookeepers sat on small stools next to the iron cage, holding iron buckets full of raw meat, chatting. Upon seeing Liu Xiang, one of the zookeepers, surnamed Li, smiled and offered him a cigarette: "Brother Liu, want one? This big guy seems to have a special connection with you. We both heard about how you tamed it and saved Old Wang from the tiger's jaws! Look, it's much more docile than usual since it saw you."

Liu Xiang smiled and politely declined the cigarette, then squatted down to chat with the zookeeper for a few moments: "Brother Li, you've had a long and tiring journey. Does it usually eat a lot? Does it get grumpy?"

Brother Li grinned and said to Liu Xiang, "This big guy can eat ten pounds of raw meat in one meal, but once it's full, it'll be too lazy to move."

Liu Xiang nodded, chatted with the zookeeper for a while about the tiger's habits, and then returned to her seat in the passenger carriage.

This was his second time riding a green train from the 1990s. The first time, he wasn't in the mood for the experience, but this time he was finally able to properly enjoy the atmosphere on the train.

The carriage was packed like sardine cans, the aisle was piled with burlap sacks and carrying poles, passengers speaking in various dialects chatted at the top of their lungs, and the sounds of children crying and vendors hawking their wares mingled together, creating an unbelievably noisy scene.

An elderly woman selling sunflower seeds and peanuts squeezed through the crowd, her basket gleaming with cellophane-wrapped candies. Her voice was loud and clear: "Sunflower seeds, peanuts, mineral water, cigarettes, beer, sausages—make way! Make way!"

Liu Xiang peered out the window, her eyes wide with astonishment. The train clattered along, and the scenery outside the window slowly receded. An old farmer led his ox along the ridge of a field, the ox's tail swishing back and forth to shoo away flies; wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of the white-walled, black-tiled village, the blue smoke slowly dissipating in the morning mist.

Occasionally, you can see ducks flapping their wings in the river, quacking and creating ripples. A rustic charm washes over you, a completely different experience from the fleeting scenery seen from the high-speed train window in later generations.

Kang Honglei, sitting next to her, was cracking sunflower seeds, spitting the shells all over the ground. He patted Liu Xiang on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Liu Xiang, back in the day, when I was with the film crew, we could ride this thing all the way from Beijing to Guangzhou. We'd sit for two days and two nights straight, and our legs would swell up. When we got off, we could barely walk."

Liu Xiang turned to look at Kang Honglei, her eyes full of curiosity: "Director Kang, was it particularly tough working with the crew back then?"

Kang Honglei smiled nostalgically, "It was really tough back then, we didn't have much money!"

Liu Xiang nodded, deeply moved. Although conditions were tough in the film crews of the 1990s, everyone put in their best effort, wanting to create a great production.

The train swayed for three days, stopping at several small stations along the way. Each time it stopped, Liu Xiang would go to the freight car to check on "Mountain King." The big guy adapted quite quickly, spending most of his time sleeping except for occasionally standing up and taking a few steps. The two keepers were also relieved, sitting on small stools, eating sunflower seeds and chatting.

Finally, they arrived at a small station near Wulei Mountain. By the time Liu Xiang got off the train, his legs were numb from sitting. He followed the film crew, carrying their luggage, and squeezed onto the swaying long-distance bus.

The car wound its way up and down the mountain road, the jolting so badly it felt like everyone's insides were about to shift. Liu Xiang, sitting in the last row, felt like her stomach was about to come out. But the scenery outside the window was getting more and more beautiful.

The mountains and fields are covered with lush green bamboo, and sunlight filters through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows.

The mountain spring flows down the rocks with a tinkling sound, and the air is filled with the fragrance of grass and soil. Taking a deep breath makes one feel refreshed.

By evening, the film crew finally arrived at the village at the foot of Wulei Mountain. The village was small, with only a few dozen households, all living in houses with white walls and black tiles. When the villagers heard that the film crew had come to shoot "Water Margin," they all gathered around to watch the excitement, carrying oranges and chestnuts they had grown themselves, and insisted on stuffing them into the crew members' hands, their enthusiasm was too much to bear.

The village party secretary, a man in his fifties surnamed Wang, smiled and led the film crew to the village primary school classroom, saying, "Teachers, please bear with us for a few days. This classroom is spacious; you can pitch your tents here tonight. Our village canteen has prepared dinner, all wild game from the mountains; I'm sure you'll love it."