My Wandering Swordsman

On the deserted street, I was left all alone, bewildered.

What to do now? The matter of the three moles is still unresolved, and I'm thinking of going to my aunt's place, but I don't even have an address...

After much thought, I decided to settle down first.

To put it bluntly, I just need to find a job to make ends meet. The expenses in Hengdian are just too high; at this rate, my wallet won't be able to keep up.

So where can we make money?

It's hard to say about other places, but in Hengdian, there's basically only one place to go—

Film and television city!

In 1999, Hengdian World Studios was at its peak.

The films "The Founding of a Republic" and "Princess Pearl," which were shot here a few years ago, became popular all over the country, and the place became famous as a result. Film crews of all sizes flocked here to rehearse.

The film crew arrived, and young people eager to pursue their dreams also gathered there. For example, two young caregivers from our welfare home quit their jobs, saying they wanted to try their luck here.

After asking around at a few breakfast stalls, I easily made my way to the film studio.

To be honest, this place is much more impressive than I imagined.

The ancient-style city walls stand tall and imposing, the city gate towers are grand and imposing, with green bricks and gray tiles, red pillars and vermilion gates. On both sides of the street, various signs and banners flutter in the wind. Tea shops, cloth shops and pharmacies, in a daze, it feels like you have been transported back to ancient times.

Besides the scenery, what caught my attention even more were the people.

It was just past five o'clock, and the entrance to the film studio was already packed with people.

Among this group of people were lean men, heavily made-up girls, teenagers, and elderly men.

Many people held up signs with crooked and messy writing on them, such as being good at killing corpses, being able to do somersaults, or being able to ride horses.

Several signs also clearly state the prices: 21 days for any job, 25 days for any job without meals provided...

I'm wondering what this is all about; it's like a gathering place for abnormal people.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here?" I grabbed a slightly more normal-looking young man.

The young man rolled his eyes at me after hearing that, looking at me like I was an idiot, and left without saying a word.

At this point, I was completely confused and wanted to ask again...

"Beep beep beep!"

A dusty, large Jinbei van pulled out of the film studio gate. Before it even came to a complete stop, the door opened, and a man with a megaphone jumped out and immediately started shouting:

"We need ten extras, any job is fine, lunch provided!"

The phrase "boxed lunch" is like a starting gun.

As soon as he finished speaking, the people who had been scattered around rushed over.

"Me! Me! Me!"

"Big brother, I... I can act in anything."

what?

Now I understand. So all those people holding signs at the entrance of the film studio are looking to be extras?

I never imagined that the film studio would become so popular that even extras are finding it hard to get in; they're all like street vendors selling their wares.

The man with the megaphone beamed with delight as the extras swarmed around him, and spoke again.

"Don't push, everyone! There's work for everyone, hehehe!"

"Oh, I forgot to mention, our crew's pay is... eighteen yuan per day!"

The moment the number was announced over the loudspeaker, the previously crowded throng quieted down considerably.

I could clearly see that the smiles on the faces of several men who had been pushing and shoving forward like they were robbing someone of money just moments before froze completely.

"Eighteen? Isn't that bullying?"

"Exactly, the lowest market price is twenty, how can you give a beggar eighteen?"

"Let's go, let's try asking at another film crew."

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of voices, and the area around the car door, which had been packed with people just moments before, suddenly dispersed.

People carrying cardboard signs walked back in twos and threes. Some simply tucked the cardboard under their armpits, squatted back in the corner, and continued smoking.

The man with the loudspeaker visibly panicked and added, "I'm telling you, we provide boxed lunches! One meat dish and two vegetable dishes for lunch, and unlimited rice!"

One meat dish and two vegetable dishes, plus unlimited rice.

These words caused a few slow-moving people to pause, turn their heads to look at the Jinbei van, hesitate for a moment, and finally bury their heads and crawl inside.

I stood on the periphery of the crowd, watching this scene unfold before me, my mind racing with calculations.

At eighteen yuan a day, that adds up to more than five hundred yuan a month.

In those days, the average wage was only six or seven hundred yuan, which wasn't too outrageous, especially since it included a boxed lunch.

However, not all salaries are the same.

This is paid daily. Not every extra has scenes to film every day. I reckon you'd be lucky to make three or four hundred yuan a month.

The problem is... I only have this much money in my pocket, and I haven't even found a place to stay. I have no clue about the three moles, and my aunt doesn't have an address. I can't really sleep on the streets, can I?

How about trying it out for one day?

Anyway, it's not a loss; at least it covers one meal.

I spent half a day mentally preparing myself, then gritted my teeth, stomped my foot, and raised my hand high.

"I!"

The man with the loudspeaker glanced at me casually, grinned, and said, "Get in!"

Without further ado, I shoved myself into the Jinbei van.

In no time, the van was full. It seemed that I wasn't the only one short of money. I didn't bother to look at the other people in the van; I turned my head to calm myself down.

Outside the car window, the antique-style streets receded frame by frame. We passed several sets under construction, and figures dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes flashed by. There were also a few workers carrying cameras squatting by the roadside eating boxed lunches.

The car bumped along for about ten minutes, passing the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, government compounds, and the site of the Eighth Route Army's resistance against Japan. Finally, after many twists and turns, it stopped on an ancient street.

Looking up, one sees a cluster of Ming and Qing dynasty-style buildings, with shops lining both sides, displaying plaques such as "Imperial Kitchen" and "Imperial Hospital".

I was engrossed in watching when the Jinbei van slowly came to a stop, and the electric horn stood up and announced:

"We've arrived. Everyone, keep up."

Everyone got off the bus one by one. I wasn't in a hurry, and waited until everyone had disembarked before quietly following behind. We turned past a screen wall, and suddenly the view opened up before us.

This is a courtyard the size of a basketball court, with numerous side rooms on the left and right.

The courtyard was filled with photography equipment, and the surrounding area was packed with people, many of whom were holding scripts and reciting them.

I noticed a plaque that read "Hall of Supreme Harmony" hanging in the main hall in the center, and I could see a golden dragon throne inside from afar.

It's obvious that this is a Qing Dynasty drama.

The loudspeaker was used to everything and led the newly hired extras straight to a man wearing a vest.

"Hey, production assistant, I've found the guy for you, hehehe..."

The man called "Stage Manager Niu" nodded upon hearing this, glanced at us out of the corner of his eye, and froze instantly. A second or two later, he burst into a tirade:

"I'm awesome! You better find me some good extras!"