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

Director Yang Jie and the local driver he had temporarily assigned walked at the front, their steps steady and firm, their faces revealing no emotion, until they stopped at the entrance of the small mountain village.

The other four people arrived one after another.

The script supervisor, Li Chengru, was panting the most. He was carefully protecting an oilcloth bag in his hand, which contained scene sketches.

Old Xiao, the graphic designer, plopped down at the village entrance, took out a tin cigarette box from his pocket, carefully opened it, and thankfully the cigarettes inside were only slightly damp and not completely soaked.

As soon as the group stopped at the village entrance, several figures rushed over from the direction of the dilapidated shed, with Old Zeng leading the way.

He called out from afar, "Director Yang! You're finally back! Oh dear, what happened to you?"

Running closer, I could see that the six men's trouser legs looked as if they had been pulled out of the mud.

"Where's the Jeep? Is it in danger?" Old Zeng asked instinctively.

"No, I was in a hurry. I abandoned the car halfway and couldn't worry about it." Li Chengru patted the oilcloth bag in his arms and laughed.

"The babies are all here."

"Okay, okay, it's alright, as long as we're safe and sound!"

Old Zeng didn't rush to ask for details. He quickly called to the people behind him, "Quick! Don't just stand there! Take Director Yang and the others inside! Hot water, towels, and find them some dry clothes to change into!"

The jeep carrying the six people was a BJ212, a standard five-seater model.

Vehicle resources were extremely precious. Cars were the most critical means of transporting goods and moving people at the time, and the carrying capacity of each vehicle was squeezed to the limit.

Despite the fact that this is in a remote mountain area, and that such overloading would seriously affect driving safety, they still take this approach.

Old Zeng led five men into the ancestral hall, where a charcoal brazier was lit, which dispelled some of the dampness from them.

"It's so stuffy and humid here. I'll change my clothes first and warm up. We can talk about other things later."

He closed the door most of the way to block the curious stares from outside, and then personally brought over hot soup.

Director Yang didn't insist on starting the meeting immediately; it was indeed uncomfortable to have wet clothes sticking to his body.

When she arrived at the ancestral hall, everyone had changed into dry clothes. Although they didn't fit well, the dryness was a relief.

As the steaming soup went down, a warm feeling rose from my stomach, and my tense expression relaxed slightly.

Old Zeng then spoke up, asking, "Was the Moon Cave destroyed? How is it?"

The graphic designer, Lao Xiao, immediately perked up, his eyes shining.

"No! Old Zeng, I'm not bragging, but that cave is absolutely amazing! I've already figured out how to set it up."

Let me tell you, some places are natural stages, no scenery needed! Like this road…”

He shook his head, his excitement fading, replaced by a worried expression.

Production supervisor Li Chengru nodded in agreement: "This road was fast before it rained, but it turned into a muddy road after the rain, and trucks couldn't get through at all."

"Yes, there was a section where even a jeep couldn't get through; the road conditions were terrible," said cameraman Wang Chongqiu.

Yang Jie added, "The cave is still full of rubble, just like before. The local cultural bureau director said he couldn't come because of something and told us to make our own arrangements."

These are minor issues; we just need to be careful during filming...

The problem is, the road is really difficult to travel; the middle section is passable even for a tractor…

She thought for a moment and continued speaking.

"I plan to have the art department take the main props and go back the way they came to set up the set, while the others will find another way."

Finding another route was one problem, and getting the supplies there was another.

Old Zeng looked worried after hearing this.

"We booked our train tickets a long time ago to save time, planning to return to Beijing immediately after filming. Now, should we film or not? If we do film, will we still be able to catch our train?"

Assistant director Ren Fengbo muttered, "How are we supposed to film this?"

You wouldn't believe it, Brother Wang just drove, he couldn't understand what we were saying, and we couldn't understand what he was saying, he just laughed like an idiot the whole way.

Whatever he says makes us laugh, and whatever we say makes him laugh. How do we find a new path? Just keep laughing like an idiot.

As he spoke, he smiled at the driver, Brother Wang. Brother Wang, seeing them chatting, suddenly smiled back at him...

After hearing this, Old Zeng leaned forward, lowered his voice, and put on a mysterious and admiring expression.

"To be honest, since we settled here, we've encountered some minor troubles, and we've been very fortunate to have a young man help us. Otherwise, being unfamiliar with the area, we would have been completely lost trying to deal with the locals."

"We were in trouble, but we were fortunate to have a young man help us," he emphasized again.

"Oh? Who is it?" Yang Jie became a little interested. She knew that Lao Zeng was a capable person and not the type to praise people easily.

"His name is Zhou Fangyuan. This young man is quite something! Don't let his young age fool you; he carries a lot of weight in the village."

It's not about seniority; he's genuinely capable! He's fair and helpful, and I've already hired him as our temporary external liaison.

Old Zeng then recounted everything that had happened in the past few days in one breath, his eyes full of admiration.

Yang Jie listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the pottery jar.

When filming on location, what the crew needs most is an assistant who is rooted in the local area and has coordination skills.

She did indeed develop a great interest in and anticipation for Zhou Fangyuan, whom she had never met.

Yang Jie asked directly:

"In that case, could we ask him to come over and help us figure out a solution? Right now, we still need to move some equipment, and we desperately need someone who is familiar with the local conditions and has the ability."

"Haha, I'll send someone to find him right away."

Everyone present began to look forward to this young man.

Not long after, Zhou Fangyuan had resolved his inner conflict, and he walked into the ancestral hall with high spirits.

The production assistant quickly stepped forward to explain the situation and led him to the map.

Everyone began to scrutinize Zhou Fangyuan.

That little guy is quite good-looking.

Zhou Fangyuan looked at the map and began to ponder, while Director Yang Jie, who was standing next to him, also turned his gaze to his face.

This young man had a clear face and a calm demeanor, unlike the typical mountain lads.

After a moment, Zhou Fangyuan shook his head and drew a path on the map with his finger.

"Director Yang, Production Assistant Zeng, it just rained heavily, and the roads that trucks need to pass through are basically washed out, but this road is still passable for jeeps..."

"My suggestion is to leave the big truck at the village entrance first, and have the rest of the crew, costumes and props go around via this road. Although it will take more time, it is safer. The crew's equipment is valuable, so this is the safest route."

He looked up after he finished speaking, his tone resolute.

Director Yang didn't respond immediately, instead observing the route.

"ah?!"

Li Chengru was getting anxious: "But if we don't want trucks, then what about all this equipment..."

Zhou Fangyuan turned to look at him, his eyes shining brightly.

"My idea is this: we need to prioritize things."

The most valuable filming equipment is transported in jeeps for stability; these are the lifeblood of the crew, and we can't afford to take any risks.

We'll hold off on shipping the rest for now and bring the important items so we can start preparing for filming.

Once the sun has hardened the original road surface, we'll have a truck haul over the rest of the supplies that aren't urgently needed. We have people in our village who can help keep an eye on them.

The others present began to ponder after hearing this.

Fearing that the leaders might not approve, he looked up at Director Yang again.

"If we force our way through this bad road now and get stuck, the losses will be even greater. Besides... I have another idea."

Director Yang gestured for him to continue.

"How far is our jeep that's stopped halfway from here? Is it still moving?"

"It's not too far, we can still drive there."

"Okay, I can have the uncles in the village drive the oxcart. Although the road conditions are not good now, it is a bit difficult to get to Boyue Cave by oxcart, but it will be more than enough to get to the jeep."

The oxcart is sturdy and can carry some set materials, so the jeep on the way won't be idle either; it's making the best use of everything.

Upon hearing this suggestion, everyone present looked at Zhou Fangyuan with surprise, then turned to look at each other.