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

Zhou Fangyuan thought of those letters again.

Uncle Zhao's and Little Sister's were neatly folded and still in their luggage.

Polygonatum, Paris polyphylla, Bletilla striata, red handprints, villagers watching from the sidelines, and the words, "Everything is safe and sound at home."

He also thought of Fu Jian, whom he was about to face. Even in his previous life, he had never been there. He had heard Lin Zhiqian say that it was by the sea and the scenery was completely different from here.

I don't know where the location is, what we're going to film, or how long I'll be staying.

The train continued on its way.

The sky outside the window was still dark, but Zhou Fangyuan knew that dawn would eventually break, and when dawn came, the train would arrive at the next station.

……

The train arrived in Fujin on the afternoon of the third day.

Zhou Fangyuan opened the car window and leaned out; the scenery outside was completely unfamiliar.

The mountains are shorter, the trees are different, and the air carries an indescribable dampness.

Lin Zhiqian was packing his things nearby, and thinking that Zhou Fangyuan was getting impatient, he casually said, "Don't rush, we'll be there soon. Let's get ready first."

The car slowly came to a stop.

Outside was a small platform, where people were already waiting to pick up passengers.

Zhou Fangyuan got off the bus with his luggage. When his feet touched the ground, he felt that the air was sticky. Compared to that, the air on Mount Emei was quite dry.

"So this is Fujian..." someone nearby said.

No one answered; everyone was busy moving luggage, looking for people, and checking things.

After more than an hour of chaos, the dispatched trucks finally started moving.

As the truck drove towards the camp, Zhou Fangyuan sat in the back, looking at the scenery along the roadside.

The houses are different, the trees are different, even the color of the soil is different.

The further you walk, the more humid it becomes. The wind blowing on your face isn't particularly cool, but it's very wet, even making you feel sticky.

The accommodation was a rather old guesthouse, two stories high, with gray walls and some unfamiliar trees growing in the courtyard.

As soon as everyone got off the bus, they started assigning rooms, and sure enough, they were divided by department.

The actors were in one group, the props group was on the other side, the art department was upstairs, the costume department...

Zhou Fangyuan looked around but didn't see where the costume team went.

After moving my luggage in, I found the room was small with three beds, and two people were already living there.

Besides him, there were two other young actors, both of whom were extras in the show. They had met before, but weren't particularly close.

After a brief greeting, everyone started packing their things.

Zhou Fangyuan put down his luggage, and instead of making the bed, he went out to find Zhang Qiang.

The props team is located in several rooms at the other end of the courtyard.

When he found Zhang Qiang, Zhang Qiang was squatting on the ground, opening the several large packages he had brought from Mount Emei and taking things out.

"Brother Qiang."

Zhang Qiang looked up at him and said, "You're here? Perfect timing. Help me get my vest out; I want to see if it's damp."

Zhou Fangyuan squatted down and helped him take the vests out of the package.

Zhang Qiang touched the canvas with his hand, then leaned closer to smell it, and frowned.

"It's a bit damp... It's only been half a day and it's already a bit damp. This place in Fujin is even more damp than I thought."

Zhou Fangyuan recalled the method they had discussed earlier: "What about lime? Have you found it?"

"Not yet." Zhang Qiang said, then stood up and looked at Zhou Fangyuan.

"I'll try to find out where I can get some tomorrow..."

He glanced out the window again and continued, "This place is by the sea, and the humidity is getting worse every day. We need to fix it quickly."

Zhou Fangyuan nodded.

The two checked the new ropes again; thankfully, they were wrapped tightly and hadn't gotten damp.

Zhang Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, put the things away again, and dusted off his hands.

"Have you settled in properly over there?" he asked.

"alright."

"Okay, go ahead and get busy. I'll call you if I need anything."

Zhou Fangyuan responded and walked out.

As he walked to the door, he looked back one last time. The vests were neatly stacked on the headboard, and Zhang Qiang was squatting beside them, staring at them blankly, lost in thought.

After leaving the props department, Zhou Fangyuan did not go straight back to his dormitory.

He walked slowly around the courtyard, looking around this new place.

The house is old, and the plaster has peeled off in some places, revealing the red bricks underneath.

There were several trees in the yard with thick, glossy leaves, completely different from the trees in his hometown.

The air was still the same, damp and sticky.

As he walked, he suddenly saw a familiar figure ahead.

It's Liu Zhihan.

She stood next to a row of faucets, bending over to wash things. Next to her was a basin containing several theatrical costumes.

She washed it very carefully, scrubbing it a few times, picking it up to look at it, then scrubbing it a few more times...

Zhou Fangyuan stood there, unsure whether to walk over or go around.

He remembered what happened in the clothing department last time; he ran out, then ran back to close the door...

My face still feels a little hot when I think about it now.

But it doesn't seem quite right to leave without saying goodbye.

He stood there for a few seconds, then finally walked over.

"Comrade Zhihan."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Liu Zhihan abruptly raised her head.

When he saw that it really was him, he was stunned for a moment and stopped rubbing the clothes in his hands.

Then she lowered her head and continued washing, but her ears turned a little red, and her movements became unnatural.

"Have you...have you all settled in?" she asked, her voice low.

"Alright..." Zhou Fangyuan said, standing two or three steps away from her, "And you?"

"That's all." She kept her head down; the more shy she was, the more she wanted to do something, so she continued speaking without stopping her hands:

"I'm washing a few costumes now; they got wrinkled on the way here. I need them for tomorrow."

Zhou Fangyuan nodded, unsure of what to say.

The tap was running loudly.

Someone walked by, glanced at them, and walked on without saying a word.

"Then...you go ahead and get busy?"

"Um…"

Zhou Fangyuan turned around and walked back. After a few steps, he looked back again.

Liu Zhihan was still washing clothes there, without looking up.

The sunlight shone on her, on the costume in the basin, and on the gurgling water.

He walked quickly back to his dormitory and paused in front of the dormitory door.

When he entered, the two young actors were packing their things. Seeing him come in, one of them smiled and asked, "Brother Fang Yuan, went out for a walk? How was the place?"

"Ah, it's alright, but it's too damp."

"Great! I heard Fujian Seafood has a lot of seafood." Another chimed in, "Let's go try it sometime."

Zhou Fangyuan smiled and didn't say anything more. He walked to his bedside, sat down, and stared blankly out the window.

Outside the window is that courtyard, those few trees, and that row of faucets.

The figure was still busy...

The two actors who shared a dormitory with Zhou Fangyuan were still packing their things.

One is named Xiao Chen, and the other is named Xiao Liu. They are both young actors who have not been in the crew for long. They usually play minor roles or supporting characters. They are from the same period as Zhou Fangyuan.

"Comrade Fang Yuan, I heard that the safety vest you and Brother Zhang Qiang made is pretty amazing?" Xiao Chen asked while stuffing things under the bed.