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

We finished work early the next day; the sun was still hanging in the west, and there was still some time before sunset.

As Zhou Fangyuan was walking back, Lin Zhiqian quickly caught up from behind and patted him on the shoulder: "Hey! Come on, while it's still light, shall we go over there and take a stroll?"

The two hit it off immediately and turned to head towards the filming location.

Lin Zhiqian walked quickly, looking around as he went, humming an off-key tune.

Zhou Fangyuan couldn't tell what the tune was, but the melody was all over the place, sometimes high and sometimes low, sounding like Peking Opera but not quite, like a folk song but not quite.

Zhou Fangyuan followed behind, and had to be extra careful when crossing the reef, as many of the rocks were covered with moss and were very slippery.

He looked down at the road, but fortunately, he had a solid foundation and his steps were steady and composed.

As Lin Zhiqian walked, he suddenly turned back and asked him, "By the way, Fang Yuan, I heard from Sister Yang that you also came from a martial arts background?"

Zhou Fangyuan was taken aback for a moment, then looked up: "Director Yang said that?"

"Yeah, I mentioned it casually during a chat a few days ago."

Lin Zhiqian slowed his pace and waited for him to catch up before continuing, "You said you were also in a theatrical troupe in your hometown, with a background in martial arts roles."

Zhou Fangyuan nodded: "Yes, I studied it for a few years."

"So, how's your kung fu?"

Zhou Fangyuan was a little unsure how to answer his question.

To be fair, he's not exactly top-tier. But to be skeptical, he might come across as overly modest.

After thinking for a moment, he mumbled, "My kung fu... is so-so, I guess?"

Lin Zhiqian laughed upon hearing this: "Okay, so-so? That's alright then!"

He paused, looked Zhou Fangyuan up and down with a hint of interest in his eyes.

Zhou Fangyuan felt a little uncomfortable watching this scene, so he lowered his head and continued to look at the road.

Then Lin Zhiqian's voice came through: "How about we practice sometime tomorrow?"

Zhou Fangyuan looked up at him in surprise. His tone just now was as casual as if he were saying, "Let's have dinner together tomorrow."

Lin Zhiqian is the action choreographer for the production team. He is a genuine martial arts practitioner who has practiced martial arts since childhood and is well-known in the industry for his kung fu skills.

After Zhou Fangyuan joined the group, I saw him perform martial arts routines quite often. His movements, strength, and reaction speed were far beyond what I could compare to now.

He gave a vague answer: "Brother Lin, with my mediocre skills, would I be willing to learn from you?"

Lin Zhiqian waved his hand: "What do you mean by 'you'? Let's just spar! You know me, I get itchy hands when I see someone who's practiced a few moves. I feel uncomfortable if I don't get some exercise."

He grinned as he spoke, "Don't worry, I won't go all out. I'll just test your limits."

Seeing his expression, Zhou Fangyuan knew he couldn't refuse...

Besides, he was also a little curious about what it would feel like to spar with a real master.

Zhou Fangyuan nodded and replied, "Okay, then don't think I'm embarrassing myself."

Lin Zhiqian laughed heartily and patted him hard on the shoulder: "What's so embarrassing! Practice is practice. Let's find an open space to practice again first thing tomorrow morning."

The two continued walking forward.

Lin Zhiqian hummed that off-key tune again, his steps quickening even more than before, as if he couldn't wait for tomorrow's competition.

After walking for a while, Lin Zhiqian suddenly stopped, felt in his pocket, took out a lighter, and pressed it a few times... no light...

He held the lighter to his ear and shook it, then pressed it a few more times, but it still didn't light.

"The engine's out of fuel..."

Lin Zhiqian stuffed the lighter into his pocket, looked around, and saw two people squatting by the rocks in the distance, packing their things.

An old man and a young man were arranging fishing nets, with several bamboo baskets beside them.

"Let's go, let's borrow a light." Lin Zhiqian hurried over, with Zhou Fangyuan following behind.

Only when you get closer can you see clearly that the old man has dark skin, deep wrinkles on his face, deep-set eyes, and high cheekbones, which are obvious signs of years of exposure to the wind and sun.

He squatted there, his fingers rough, untying a knot in the net. He was untying it slowly, but steadily, without haste or impatience.

The young man had dark skin, was shirtless, and his back gleamed in the sun.

He was bending down to pick fish from the net, his movements were very nimble. A fish would thrash twice in his hand, then he would pinch its gills, pick it off, throw it into the basket, all in one smooth motion.

He had a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, chewing on it.

"Excuse me, sir, could I borrow a light?" Lin Zhiqian took out a cigarette and handed it over.

The old man looked up, squinted at him, didn't say anything, and took out a box of matches from his pocket and handed it to him.

When he stretched out his hand, Zhou Fangyuan saw that it was covered in cuts, some scabbed over, others still fresh.

Lin Zhiqian took the match, lit a cigarette, returned it, thanked him, and didn't leave immediately.

Are you locals?

The old man nodded, put the matches back in his pocket, and continued untying the knot.

"How many years have you been here?"

The old man thought for a moment, then paused his movements: "A lifetime."

Lin Zhiqian smiled, squatted down, and handed the cigarette forward again.

The old man waved his hand and pointed to the tobacco pipe next to him.

Lin Zhiqian didn't mind, and while smoking, he casually asked about the situation of the sea.

The old man didn't talk much, but he answered every question.

It clearly tells you when the tide rises and when it recedes, which reefs are safe and which are dangerous.

He didn't look up when he spoke, his hands were constantly untying the knot, but every word he said was to the point.

Zhou Fangyuan stood beside him, listening intently. Then, he took out his notebook and wrote down the old man's words one by one.

Make a note of the tide times, danger zones, and which places to avoid during high tide.

The old man glanced at him as he untied the knot, noticing him writing something in his notebook. His gaze lingered for a moment, but he said nothing and went back to untying the knot.

The younger one kept working without looking up, but his ears were clearly perked up as he listened to their conversation.

After picking a fish, he glanced at Zhou Fangyuan briefly before turning back to continue picking.

After chatting for a while, Lin Zhiqian stood up, brushed the sand off his pants, and said, "Alright, thanks, sir."

As he turned to leave, the old man suddenly spoke up: "I see a large group of you people gathered around the rocks every day, are you filming a movie?"

Lin Zhiqian paused for a moment, thought about it, and realized that working on a film set and shooting a TV series could be considered shooting a movie... He nodded.

The old man didn't say anything more, but simply raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

There was a large reef over there, towering above all the others, standing there all alone.

"That area is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide. If you go up there, make sure to time it right."

Lin Zhiqian glanced at it and nodded: "Okay, I'll remember that. Thank you, sir."

He turned around and walked back, but after a few steps, he realized that Zhou Fangyuan hadn't followed.

Looking back, Zhou Fangyuan was still standing there, staring at the young man.