Returning to the 82 Mountain Village: An Encounter with the Journey to the West Film Crew at the Beg

Zhou Fangyuan paid the bill, picked up his luggage, took a deep breath of the cool and familiar "film crew air," and strode towards the bungalows.

A staff member at the entrance recognized him and greeted him with a smile.

"Comrade Fang Yuan is back? You must be tired from the journey! Go over there and report for duty. Director Yang and the others may have already gone up the mountain to enjoy the scenery. Please settle in first."

"Okay!" Zhou Fangyuan replied and walked into the courtyard.

Everything here gave him a strange sense of familiarity, especially the corner of the costume hanging outside the makeshift dressing room.

The props piled up in the corner, and the special atmosphere in the air that mixed a sense of urgency and creativity, instantly put him back in the zone.

He first went to the temporary dormitory to put his luggage down, and carefully placed the bag of dried sweet potato leaves with fish-fragrant leaves that his mother had given him on the bedside table.

Then, he took out his notebook and turned to the latest page.

In addition to the ideas from last night, I added a few more lines of keywords I noted down after talking with Pan Hong: "dignity of survival", "glimmer of light", and "universal theme".

He closed the notebook and carefully put it away.

Then, he washed his face, tidied his clothes, and went out to find the production crew to report for duty.

Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting dappled shadows. Faint voices could be heard in the distance, perhaps the advance team was scouting the scenery on a cliff.

A new job and new studies await him in this misty, sacred mountain.

His mind had settled down, and his steps were steady and swift.

Zhou Fangyuan pushed open the slightly mottled wooden door. The production team's temporary office was crammed into a corner of the bungalow, filled with wisps of smoke and the smell of paper and teacups.

Production manager Li Hongchang was looking down at the location map spread out on the table when he heard the voice. He looked up and saw Zhou Fangyuan. His face immediately lit up with a smile, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened.

"Fang Yuan's back! You came back pretty fast!" Li Hongchang's voice was loud and clear, filled with joy. "Did you take care of everything at home? Was the journey smooth?"

"Director Li, everything's done, it went very smoothly," Zhou Fangyuan said with a smile as he walked in.

There were several other producers and production assistants in the room who looked up and greeted him, creating a very familiar atmosphere.

"Sit down and tell me," Li Hongchang pulled over a chair and pushed over an enamel mug. "Have some water. You've had a lot to say about your trip back home, haven't you?"

Zhou Fangyuan wasn't reserved. He sat down, took a sip of water, and began to recount his experiences over the past few days.

He didn't speak in generalities, but focused on the key points: how the village worked hard for the medicinal herb planting project, the support and considerations of the commune leaders, and the complex expressions of the villagers, which were a mixture of anticipation and concern.

He spoke vividly, covering both macro-level "major events" and heartwarming details.

Li Hongchang listened intently, forgetting even to smoke the cigarette between his fingers, and nodding approvingly from time to time. "Good, good!"

He exclaimed, "Yes, it's down-to-earth, it's real life! We artists are like trees without roots if we don't connect with these living, breathing people and events. This vacation of yours was worth it!"

As Zhou Fangyuan spoke, he took out several oil paper packets from his bag and placed them on the table: "Director, teachers."

These are local specialties the villagers made to thank the film crew, a small token of their appreciation. There's also some made with a special fragrant leaf from our area; it has a unique flavor, so please try it.

He took out the notebook again, flipped to the pages where he recorded his hometown experiences and the inspiration that came to him on the train, "and this one, where I jotted down some things that I thought were interesting, some of the scenes, I always feel like I can get into a movie."

"Haha, no need to thank me." Li Hongchang picked up a piece of ordinary dried sweet potato, tasted it, and nodded: "Hmm, authentic, chewy."

Curious, he opened the small oil paper package, took out a piece of slightly dark-colored, fish-fragrant sweet potato jerky with a special aroma, and put it in his mouth to chew slowly.

After a moment, his eyes widened slightly as he savored the taste: "Hey? This taste... is interesting!"

The aroma is indescribable, and it goes quite well with the sweetness of the sweet potato. It doesn't taste strange at all; on the contrary, it adds layers of flavor. Is this a unique snack from your area?

"No, I just figured it out myself and tried it out," Zhou Fangyuan said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"You guys are so skillful! Your minds are so quick!" Li Hongchang praised, then called to the other colleagues:

"Come on, everyone, try these 'innovative products' from Fangyuan's hometown!"

Everyone laughed as they shared the food, saying that the unique aroma was unforgettable.

Zhou Fangyuan then handed over his notebook.

Li Hongchang took it with one hand and picked up a dried sweet potato with the other.

As she flipped through the pages in the windowlight, noting the beautiful scenery captured in the photos, her smile widened. Looking up at Zhou Fangyuan, her eyes were filled with satisfaction and encouragement.

"Fang Yuan, you really lived up to the leave I granted you!"

Not only did you take care of the household chores, but you also remembered the tasks I assigned you!

"Comrade Xiao Zhou is too honest."

Everyone in the room laughed and agreed, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

Zhou Fangyuan felt a warm glow in his heart and stepped forward to explain to Li Hongchang.

Li Hongchang listened intently, his body leaning forward unconsciously, his eyes fixed on the simple drawing Zhou Fangyuan had drawn, as if trying his best to imagine the scene through those simple lines.

"Green gauze mist... dark green camphor leaves as the base... golden outline..." he murmured repeatedly, tracing a line on the table with his finger.

"The idea of ​​capturing this moment of light and shadow is brilliant! It has detail and dynamism, and the key is that the gold edge appears in a 'whoosh,' which is dramatic."

Write this down, you absolutely must write this down! Later, take this note and go talk to Yang Jie and Chong Qiu about it.

"Yes, Director."

After chatting for a while about the crew's recent schedule and the situation on the mountain, Zhou Fangyuan asked, "Director Li, where are Director Yang and the others now? How's the scenery on the mountain?"

"She and Lao Wang, along with their colleagues from the art department, went to 'Chanyun Cliff' early in the morning."

Li Hongchang pointed to a location on the map.

"You know that place is dangerous. When the sea of ​​clouds rises, the scenery is ever-changing. They went there to try their luck and see if they could capture a suitable shot."

"What? You just got back, you haven't even caught your breath yet, and you're already thinking of going to find them? Don't you want to rest for a bit?"

Zhou Fangyuan stood up, patted off non-existent dust from his clothes, and laughed, "Just got back to the set, can't sit still. I'm thinking about work, and I also want to see the locations that Director Yang and the others chose."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongchang laughed heartily, pointed at him, and said to the others in the room, "Look at that! That's the spirit of the young people in our group!"

This remark drew another burst of laughter from the entire room.

Li Hongchang smiled and nodded appreciatively, "Alright, I knew I couldn't stop you."

Be careful on the road. The road to Chanyun Cliff is difficult to travel. Ask Xiao Liu from logistics to give you directions.

It would be best to find someone who knows the way to accompany you for a while, so you can take your notebook with you to show them.

"Thank you, Director!" Zhou Fangyuan perked up and turned to leave.

From the warmth of his hometown to the creative passion of the film crew, he seemed to seamlessly connect. His heart, yearning to learn and to immerse himself, had already flown to the "Entangling Cloud Cliff" deep in the clouds.