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

When it was Zhou Fangyuan's turn, he was simply patted on the shoulder gently and said, "Learn from the crew, there's a long road ahead."

There were no extra gifts or deep conversations, but this simple entrustment, coming from a respected senior, was already weighty enough.

Zhou Fangyuan nodded solemnly.

With Teacher Zuo gone, life on set quickly returned to its original hectic pace.

For Zhou Fangyuan, this brief encounter left behind something intangible.

A confidence that is remembered and affirmed by industry veterans.

This is an example of how top actors work closely with the director, lighting, and other departments when filming special effects scenes, along with the encouragement to "learn from them."

He silently kept these feelings in his heart and transformed them into a more focused dedication to his work.

The script exercises assigned by Elder Dai, the coordination tasks entrusted by Li Hongchang, and the final polishing of the details of his hometown "proposal".

He knows that all recognition and attention must ultimately be based on his real growth and the things he can accomplish.

Zhou Fangyuan's gaze remained firm, always fixed on the path beneath his feet and the path ahead that he would soon need to climb.

Zuo Dabing's appearance was like a bright light on his journey, illuminating his path and giving him warmth and direction, but ultimately, he was the one walking the path himself.

The convoy left the city and drove back onto the winding mountain dirt roads. At first, the weather was fine, though a bit cloudy.

The further into the mountains you go, the steeper the mountains become on both sides, with lush forests and the fresh scent of vegetation and soil filling the air.

Zhou Fangyuan, along with the props team, costume team, Dai Lao, and Li Chengru, rode in a minibus.

Dai Yinglu sat by the window, watching the scenery rushing by outside, occasionally jotting something down in his notebook.

Liu Zhihan sat quietly, holding a roll of silk thread that needed to be sorted.

Li Chengru, on the other hand, was feeling somewhat drowsy.

The car slowed down at a sharp bend, and Zhou Fangyuan caught a glimpse of a white mist rising from the valley ahead.

Before I could take a closer look, the minibus jolted violently, and a series of crackling sounds came from outside.

"Oh dear, it's raining!" Li Chengru woke up with a start, looking at the car window that was instantly covered by rain.

The rain came suddenly and violently, with large raindrops pounding down, accompanied by the earthy smell of the wind blowing into the open window.

Visibility dropped sharply, and the taillights of the car in front became a blurry patch of light in the rain.

The passenger window of the lead car rolled down, and someone leaned out, waving their arms vigorously at the cars behind them in the pouring rain. Then they pointed to the side of the road and made a "stop" gesture.

"It's Director Li! We've been told to stop up ahead! Let's find somewhere to take shelter from the rain!"

The minibus driver understood the hand signal, immediately slowed down, and slowly moved to the side of the road following the vehicle in front.

The convoy managed to stop at a slightly elevated, open area with a makeshift sunshade.

This shelter appears to have been set up by nearby villagers for passersby to rest temporarily; it's very simple, but at least it can keep out the rain.

Everyone got off the bus and crowded under the shade of the canopy, looking worriedly at the white curtain of rain outside.

Yang Jie also got out of the jeep in front, her hair and shoulders were a little wet. Ignoring the rain on her face, she scanned the weather and terrain, her brows furrowed.

"This rain isn't going to stop anytime soon."

Master Han squatted by the shed and rolled a cigarette.

Dai Yinglu remained calm, took out his water bottle, took a sip, and said to Zhou Fangyuan:

"That's how the climate is in the mountains, right? Every ten miles is a different story. It's a good time to rest and enjoy the scenery, it's like a painting."

He pointed to the misty mountains opposite.

Zhou Fangyuan followed the gaze.

The heavy rain fell like a curtain, washing the distant mountains and nearby trees until they were a vibrant, verdant green.

Deep in the valley, clouds and mist gather and rise, flowing slowly like white cotton wool, occasionally revealing a corner of the dark green mountain ridge, truly giving off an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere.

"Teacher Dai, look over there."

Zhou Fangyuan pointed to a spot where the fog was thickest and the reflection of a stream could be faintly seen.

"When the sky clears, with the clouds and mist partially obscuring the view, doesn't that place look remarkably like a celestial abode or the entrance to some secret realm?"

Dai Yinglu squinted and looked carefully, while Wang Chongqiu nodded quickly after hearing this:

"You have a good eye! The combination of this terrain and the clouds and mist is more natural and impressive than many artificially created landscapes."

"Unfortunately, we can't go over there. We can only admire such a chance encounter... Or should I go take a look?"

As they were talking, footsteps came from the rain.

A figure wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat walked briskly along the path.

He paused for a moment when he saw so many people and vehicles crowded under the canopy. He walked to the other end of the canopy, took off his straw hat and shook off the water, revealing a face that was dark red from the mountain wind, and he looked to be about fifty years old.

Seeing this, Li Hongchang stepped forward and politely offered him a cigarette: "Fellow villager, sorry to bother you."

"The rain is too heavy; we'd like to take shelter here."

The old man took the cigarette, lit it with Li Hongchang's light, took a puff, and waved his hand.

"It's alright, this shed is just for everyone to rest in."

"Are you guys... filming a movie?" He saw that Wang Chongqiu had already picked up his camera.

"Fellow villager, we're the crew filming the TV series 'Journey to the West,' and we're going to Mount Emei," Li Hongchang explained with a smile.

"Oh! Sun Wukong!"

My uncle's eyes lit up, and his voice became louder.

"I know, I know! Good stuff!" He seemed very interested. "This rain looks heavy, but it doesn't last long. That's how it is in the mountains."

The sea of ​​clouds will be even more beautiful once the sun comes out! Are you going to take pictures at Emei Mountain? That place is great, but there are a lot of tourists and many rules.

"Our back hill is fine too! It's quiet!"

He casually mentioned a few places in the nearby mountains, where there was a deep pool with crystal-clear water.

There is an ancient forest there, with trees that have strange shapes.

There is also a steep cliff that is often shrouded in clouds, which the locals call "Cloud-Entwined Cliff".

He does not mean that.

Zhou Fangyuan and Dai Yinglu exchanged a glance.

Old Dai said in a low voice, "Little Zhou, this is a living map."

Zhou Fangyuan memorized "Entangling Cloud Cliff".

Seeing that the old man was talkative, he moved closer and politely asked, "Uncle, is the 'Cloud-Entangling Cliff' you mentioned far from here? Is the path up there easy to walk?"

"It's not far. It's an hour or so to walk up this path."

The uncle glanced at Zhou Fangyuan and the other workers behind him who were clearly not doing manual labor, and shook his head.

"The road is a rough one. It's fine when it's not raining, but it gets very slippery when it rains. You people probably won't be able to walk on it."

Just as my uncle had said, the rain gradually subsided, turning from a torrential downpour into a light drizzle.

As the sky brightened, the clouds and mist in the valley became even more magnificent and turbulent, creating a myriad of changing scenes as the sunlight occasionally pierced through the gaps in the clouds.

Seeing that the rain had lessened, Li Hongchang immediately raised his voice and shouted to the cars in front and behind him:

"Everyone, quickly check the car! We're about to leave!"

He then said to Director Yang, "Director Yang, the rain has stopped. Let's hurry over this section before the road gets too wet."

Yang Jie nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the ever-changing sea of ​​clouds.