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

In the autumn of that year, half of the leaves on the old locust trees along the street turned yellow.

The air was filled with the aroma of fried dough sticks from breakfast stalls.

Zhou Fangyuan carried a heavy cloth bag on his back and a small stool in his hand.

I arrived near the school where Ma Yang studied before the sounds of bicycle bells and the noise of school children drowned out the streets.

He didn't crowd around the main entrance, but instead found a bright and unobstructed spot at the base of the wall.

He spread out a blue cloth, placed a stool on it, and then carefully took out the wood carving from his bag.

He didn't display the most exquisite "high-end" item priced at 1.5 yuan, as that would be too conspicuous here and would exceed the budget of most families.

There are two types of stalls. The one on the left is the "small" one. Although the wood carvings are small, you can tell who is who at a glance by their posture of wielding sticks and carrying rakes.

The one on the right is "medium grade," which is not only a size larger, but also has more detailed features.

The style of Wukong's clothing, Bajie's rake teeth, and even the folds on Tang Sanzang's cassock were all carved out, and a touch of red and yellow color was carefully added with the tip of a brush to make them look even more spirited.

The price list for cardboard stands to the side: small size 3 cents, fine size 6 cents.

Everything was set up, and it was almost time for the school to open.

Zhou Fangyuan cleared his throat, not with a hoarse shout, but with a smile and a clear voice.

"Look, take a look! Sun Wukong wearing a tiger-skin coat, Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West! There's Pigsy with big, protruding ears, and Sandy carrying a load!"

They also have the Golden Cudgel and everything else you could want!

Wooden figurines, fun and durable, bring good fortune to your child!

The novel term, coupled with the recent airing of the pilot episode of "Journey to the West," immediately captivated the children's attention like a magnet.

The little ones, carrying military green satchels or floral backpacks, either holding their parents' hands or running on their own, couldn't help but slow down and stare wide-eyed as they passed the stalls.

"Mommy! Look! It's Sun Wukong from TV!" A little girl with pigtails screamed, pointing at the blue cloth.

"Dad! I want that Pigsy from TV! As fat as he is on TV!"

The little boy tugged at his father's clothes.

Zhou Fangyuan smiled and casually picked up a small Sun Wukong figure, twirling it nimbly so that light and shadow from different angles danced on the wood:

"Look, the Monkey King! He can travel 108,000 li in a single somersault! For just three cents, you can bring him home to protect your house and ensure peace, and to give your child more energy for studying!"

This remark amused several parents nearby.

Three cents is a significant amount for many families, representing one or two days' worth of breakfast money for their children.

But looking at my child's longing eyes, and thinking about those lifelike monkeys on TV a few days ago...

After weighing it again, I realized that these wooden figures from Journey to the West were indeed quite interesting.

Moreover, it's sturdy. Zhou Fangyuan demonstrated this by gently tapping it a couple of times, which made many parents interested.

"Alright, let's have one, this Sun Wukong."

A father dressed in overalls, looking like he was rushing to work, took out crumpled bills and counted out three.

"I want Pigsy!"

"I want Pigsy too!" another child shouted quickly.

"Okay, okay, we have them all."

Some parents picked up the mid-quality items to examine them closely and asked about the price.

At 6 mao, the parent hesitated noticeably, looking at the more intricate carving several times.

In the end, I put it down and chose a simplified version of Sun Wukong by Sanmao:

"My child is small, and I'm afraid he'll break it if I make anything too delicate. This is perfect; it's very lifelike!"

Just as the business was going smoothly, a serious-looking old man walked over with his hands behind his back and his brows furrowed.

He stopped a few steps away, squinted, and scanned the wooden carving on the ground and Zhou Fangyuan as if inspecting them.

That scrutinizing gaze didn't seem like that of a customer; rather, it carried the air of authority of a street office or city management team.

The surrounding noise subsided involuntarily, and several children looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and timidity.

Zhou Fangyuan looked up and met the old man's gaze, sensing that the visitor was up to no good.

With a smile still on his face, he greeted her naturally:

"Good morning, sir. Take a look? These are all hand-carved wooden sculptures of Journey to the West. They were just shown on TV."

The old man gave a noncommittal "hmm," took two steps closer, still with his hands behind his back, leaned slightly forward, and carefully examined the wood carvings on the stall.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice not loud, but with a hint of criticalness:

"Hmph, what you've carved... is that Sun Wukong? It doesn't look like him."

The monkeys on TV have such bright, expressive eyes! Yours just has two holes in it, and the face doesn't even look like it! You've made it too fat!

This prompted a few children nearby to quietly retort, "It looks just like it! It's exactly like it!"

The old man's opening remarks made the parents waiting to buy things feel that he was a bit serious and didn't seem like they were there to buy anything.

Zhou Fangyuan listened without being impatient or annoyed. Instead, he nodded, casually picked up a "medium-grade" Sun Wukong, and gently brushed his fingertips across the monkey's eyebrows and eyes. His tone was calm yet clear:

"Sir, you look closely. Wood is a still object, so it's not easy to completely capture the 'divine light' of a dynamic character."

We pondered the angle of the head's twist, the lines of the golden cudgel's upward movement, and the slight upturn of the corner of the mouth.

Zhou Fangyuan gently touched the slightly upturned monkey lips with his fingernail.

"Take another look at how he conceals this cleverness and arrogance in his posture and details."

The old man seemed surprised by his response; instead of pointing out the flaws, he steered the conversation towards the creative considerations…

He paused for a moment, then took a closer look at the composed young man in front of him.

He glanced at the wooden monkey in the young man's hand, and snorted again, but this time the snort wasn't as loud.

A subtle hint of scrutiny and interest crept into his discerning gaze.

He ignored Zhou Fangyuan's comment about "medium grade" and instead bent down to precisely pinch the cheapest three-hair Sha Wujing.

He weighed it in his hand and said, "This Sha Wujing is even easier; all he knows is to carve a simple, clumsy image of someone carrying a load?"

Zhou Fangyuan laughed, this time with a hint of candid self-deprecation:

"Oh, you are wise. This is really rough. It's simple and sturdy, so the child can recognize a character and play with it without feeling bad."

Three cents, mainly to earn enough for the labor and the cost of the timber.

He spoke frankly, without exaggeration or self-deprecation, making him pleasant to listen to.

After listening, the old man glanced at Zhou Fangyuan, then changed the subject, his tone slightly mocking, as if he already knew the answer.

"Are you allowed to set up a stall here in front of the school? Did you ask the people in charge of this area?"

The atmosphere suddenly became a little tense, and the question seemed to be heading towards trouble again.

A mother who was about to pay next to her clutched the money back in her hand.

Zhou Fangyuan was quick-witted; these days, the regulation of individual businesses is indeed sometimes tight and sometimes loose.

But he was prepared and calmly took out a piece of paper with a red stamp from his pocket.

This was actually a temporary certificate he obtained a couple of days ago to facilitate his purchase of odds and ends for the props team.

Zhou Fangyuan calmly handed over a small piece of paper; the handwriting was blurry, but the red seal on it was legible to the old man. His voice rang out:

"Sir, I'm from the 'TV Drama Production Center,' I work in props. These are little trinkets carved by our crew's craftsmen using high-quality wood."

These related souvenirs are also part of the promotional campaign for the series and to enrich the cultural life of the public. You see, there's a certificate from the organization here.

His tone was calm, as if he were stating something perfectly natural, which both explained the legitimacy and provided a justifiable reason, making it difficult for anyone to continue making a fuss about it.