Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 750 Let's go see a movie

Editor Li closed the door from the outside. Chen Fan pulled out a chair, sat down, took out a cigarette, lit it, and was about to speak.

Suddenly, Mr. Ba picked up the tea leaves on the table and asked curiously, "Tea leaves can be blessed?"

This completely disrupted Chen Fan's train of thought.

He blinked, came to his senses, and said, "Sure. As the saying goes, everything can be consecrated. You could even take a piece of meat and give it to a Taoist priest from the Zhengyi sect, and they could consecrate it. They don't discriminate between meat and vegetables, so there's nothing they can't consecrate."

Old Ba nodded in realization, then asked, "Will meat that has been blessed taste especially good?"

As she spoke, she held up the tea leaves in her hand and said, "Doesn't tea smell especially good after it's been blessed?"

Chen Fan: "Uh... I haven't had it before. How about I make you a pot now?"

As a result, Mr. Ba decisively opened the drawer, stuffed the tea leaves inside, and said, "Next time, brew your own."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly as he prepared to get down to business.

Old Ba closed the drawer, tapped his pipe, and then asked mysteriously, "Did you see the news report from Sichuan in March about the person who can read with their ears?"

Chen Fan pondered for two seconds. He hadn't expected that even Ba Jin would react to this kind of news. No wonder it caused such a stir in society, and suddenly many people were engaged in human body science research.

Before the Lunar New Year, Director Yang and his colleagues had mentioned this matter to him, treating it as a lighthearted conversation. However, a few months later, it unexpectedly made it into a major Sichuan newspaper, and quickly became a hot topic of discussion across the country.

However, there aren't many examples like this yet; everyone is just discussing it. But it won't be long before more and more "evidence" emerges, and then human body science will become widely accepted.

After a two-second pause, Chen Fan looked at Ba Jin and asked softly, "Lu Xun wrote an essay called 'Friends.' Have you read it?"

Old Ba raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue. "So, it really was a magic trick."

Chen Fan shrugged slightly. "That's how it is."

In this essay by Lu Xun, there is this description: "When I was in elementary school, I watched my classmates perform small magic tricks, such as 'hearing words in one's ears' and 'paper figures bleeding,' which I found very interesting. At temple fairs, there were people who taught these tricks, charging a few copper coins for each one. Once I learned them, I lost interest in them. When I entered middle school in the city, I was very interested in watching large-scale magic shows, but later someone told me the secrets of the tricks, and I stopped being happy to go near the circle. Last year, when I came to Shanghai, I finally found a place to pass the time, which was watching movies."

So, the special abilities that swept through the 1980s were actually well-known low-class tricks back in the Republican era. But unexpectedly, half a century later, they were able to make a comeback, even more popular than before.

Old Ba was already half-believing, but after hearing Chen Fan say this, he finally completely dispelled his illusions.

Who is Chen Fan?

If he were merely a writer, a skilled doctor, or a highly competent physician, Mr. Bach would naturally not have asked him this question.

Yet he was still the abbot of Chaoyang Temple, the renowned Qinglian Daoist in the capital. Rumors circulated that the abbot of Qinglian Temple possessed profound Daoist skills. On the day of the opening ceremony of Chaoyang Temple, he moved with graceful steps and performed skillful incantations, appearing every inch the master of his art.

Later, he fought against three of the top masters in the capital without a single defeat, and was regarded by the martial arts community in the capital as the number one master in the capital.

If someone like that doesn't have any special abilities, then it's probably true.

Chen Fan had no idea that Ba Jin would view him this way, nor did he know that what happened at the opening ceremony that day had already spread from Beijing to Shanghai.

He had no idea about the three great masters or the number one master in the capital.

He's just three old men who hang out in the same park. One of them has practiced a few Tai Chi moves, one has been practicing swordsmanship his whole life, and the other has chopped enough bricks to build a big house. He fought them to a draw and became the number one master.
It's nothing.

After waiting a while, seeing that Ba Jin did not ask any more questions, he coughed and flicked off his cigarette ash... and then he heard Ba Jin say, "If you're thirsty, pour yourself some water."

Chen Fan's face fell. He turned around, went to the corner to get a teacup, poured in some tea leaves, brewed it, and then sat down with the cup in his hand. He said seriously, "Old Ba, you see, you can even read words with your ears. I think I can write a novel about a Taoist priest coming down from the mountain, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ba Jin was taken aback. He looked at him for a moment, then seemed to understand. "You want to write the story of Chaoyang Temple into a novel?"

Chen Fan nodded. "Is it appropriate?"

As one of the leaders of the Writers' Association, Ba Jin certainly has the right to determine whether or not something can be written.

Without hesitation, Mr. Ba replied, "Of course it's suitable."

He pointed outside and said, “The ‘Story Collection’ next door has already published countless folk legends, not to mention that what you wrote is about the old hero Zhang. If you can’t write about this, then you have nothing to write about.”

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I'm just afraid that if I write it down, some people will say that I'm setting a bad example."

Old Ba snorted twice, "Who dares to say it and try?"

He felt that Chen Fan, this young comrade, was sometimes overly cautious.

He is clearly of impeccable character and has achieved considerable success, making him the undisputed leading figure among the younger generation of writers in the literary world today.

Not to mention he has a very strong backer. As long as he is not lawless and does something that harms the country and the people, who would be foolish enough to provoke him?
Yet, she is always very cautious in her conduct and actions. This was true of the novel she wrote that was very popular abroad, and it's true of her now.

Could it be that the trauma from my youth hasn't been completely erased?

Chen Fan had no idea that Ba Jin had so many ideas, and asking whether "The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain" could be published was indeed not his main purpose.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "If it could be published publicly, I would also like to adapt this novel into a television series..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ba Jin paused again, immediately interrupting him, "A TV series? Not a movie?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, then shook his head. "My idea is to let more people know about the deeds of Chaoyang Temple, so that everyone knows that Taoist cultivators not only meditate and chant scriptures, but also go down the mountain to help the world and resist foreign aggression."

If it's just a novel, the audience is limited; people who don't like reading won't know about it.

Therefore, it would be best to make it into a movie or TV series, so that more people would learn about these things.

Ba Jin opened his mouth wide, "Movies and TV series? You'll make both?"

Seeing Chen Fan nod, he clicked his tongue slightly, "Then this matter will not be easy."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Actually, it's not too bad. I've thought about it. After I finish writing, I can find Shanghai Film Studio or Beijing Film Studio to cooperate on the film. If they don't have enough funds, I can find a way to get the money and pay in advance. After the film is finished and the copies are sold, the filming funds will be returned to me. If there is any surplus, it will all belong to them, and I will not take a penny."

But the TV series…

He spread his hands and said, "I'm out of ideas. Do you know anyone in this field?"

Hearing this, Old Ba understood and couldn't help but laugh, "I'm afraid this is the main reason you came here today, isn't it?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "I've come to visit you, and I also hope to get your help."

Old Ba grunted twice, picked up his pipe, added a wad of tobacco, lit a match, took two puffs, and exhaled them directly without inhaling. After a moment of contemplation, he looked up at Chen Fan, "Regarding the film, your idea does have some merit; you must have done some research. But whether it will actually work remains to be seen until your work is finished."

Chen Fan nodded. "Yes, I understand."

Actually, he was also worried, wondering if filmmakers these days could achieve the effect he wanted.

Seeing that he didn't say much, Ba continued, "As for the TV series you mentioned, that would probably be even more difficult."

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you mean?"

Old Ba leaned back in his chair, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said seriously, "I don't understand why you want to make a TV series. Obviously, more people watch movies."
Although more and more families are buying televisions now that society is stable and people's incomes are rising, there are only a few TV channels available, and they are still mainly focused on 'education' and 'news'. Even the TV stations themselves don't produce many dramas.

Take Shanghai Television as an example. Since its establishment in 58, it has been producing TV dramas. Back then, they were all live broadcasts, and they are still producing live broadcasts now. They are actually similar to stage plays, with actors performing on one side and the drama being broadcast on the other.

Can this kind of performance style compare to a movie?
It would be better to wait until the movie is finished filming and then switch to television broadcast.

Hearing this, Chen Fan realized he had been making assumptions.

Most importantly, he knew almost nothing about the television industry at that time. At most, he knew some basic common sense, such as the first long-running TV series, "Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp," which was broadcast by CCTV in 81, and the establishment of a TV drama production center a few years later.

That's it.

He knew nothing about the current state of television drama production, its processes, methods, and so on.

That's why I came here today to ask Mr. Buffett for information.

The result was very disappointing.

Seeing Chen Fan deep in thought and silent, Old Ba didn't say much either. He tapped his pipe and laughed, "As I just said, there's absolutely no need for you to be thinking about these issues so early."

It would be better to write the book carefully first, and then show it to Lao Xia to see if it can be adapted into a movie. Maybe, like the previous three, you won't need to think too much; the Shanghai Film Studio will just put it into their production plan themselves.

Chen Fan hummed twice, took out a stack of manuscript paper from his bag, and placed it in front of Ba Jin. "The first part of 'The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain,' a total of 32 words. Please take a look."

Ok?
Ba Jin grabbed it and looked at him in surprise, "You've already finished writing it?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "It's not finished, it's the first one."

Mr. Ba, "How long did you write that?"

Chen Fan blinked. "It started last year. I wrote a little bit whenever I had time, and it slowly accumulated."

It definitely started last year. After I met Zhang Xuansong last year and learned about the reconstruction of Chaoyang Temple, I began to consider writing this story.

Then, just a few days ago, I finally started writing and spent several days finishing the first part.

Ba Jin really thought he had been writing for more than a year, and nodded slightly. "Although it is a popular novel, he has written 32 words in just over a year. He is indeed a role model for the younger generation of writers and is very diligent."

Chen Fan accepted Ba Jin's praise without question.

Because he's incredibly diligent. Putting everything else aside, just look at his word count – who in the world is as diligent as him?!
Ba Jin waved the manuscript over his shoulder and said, "Alright, leave the draft here. I'll talk to you after I've read it."

Chen Fan didn't say much, "Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

After saying that, he stood up and left.

……

When I got home, it was almost evening.

He first went to the textile institute to pick up Jiang Lili, and after taking her home, he rushed to pick up Jiang Tiantian.

When Jiang Lili returned home, she had already prepared dinner.

Tomorrow is May Day, and Shanghai is at its most comfortable temperature right now, neither too hot nor too cold.

The weather was nice today, so Chen Fan moved a table to the courtyard, and the two sisters brought out the dishes to eat outside.

As usual, Jiang Lili poured Chen Fan a glass of wine first, then returned to her seat and asked softly, "Xiao Fan, what did you write today?"

Jiang Lili can compete with her sister for everything else, but there's one thing she secretly insists on being number one for: Chen Fan's "first reader".

No matter what works Chen Fan wrote, she would insist on being the first to read them. If her older sister dared to snatch them, she would tickle her sister until she begged for mercy!
Chen Fan, of course, knew about her habit and chuckled, "I didn't write anything today, just the same content as yesterday. But I went to the Writers' Association this afternoon and chatted with Mr. Ba for a while."

He suddenly turned to look at Jiang Tiantian and said, "Today in Ba Jin's office, I happened to run into Editor Li from Harvest magazine. I recommended your book, 'Where Flowers Bloom,' to her. She was very interested. Next time you go there, take some of the drafts you've written with you and let her take a look. She can also give you some pointers."

Jiang Tiantian held her rice bowl, looked up, and exclaimed with wide eyes, "Harvest Magazine? Me... can I do it?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Of course it can work. I've read what you've written. The writing is fluent, and the word choice and sentence structure surpass most new authors. The plot is also rich and vivid, and the characters are distinct. If even articles of this quality cannot meet the standards of Harvest, then Harvest can forget about receiving many qualified articles."

Hearing Chen Fan say that, Jiang Tiantian's eyes curved into crescents. "I believe you. I'll bring it next time I go."

Jiang Lili asked curiously, "Xiao Fan, what are you going to see Old Ba for? Is it something important?"

Chen Fan briefly explained the situation, then smiled and said, "Anyway, the manuscript is already there. We'll know whether it's suitable or not in a few days."

Just as Jiang Tiantian was about to speak, Jiang Lili said, "Of course it's suitable. You already have three novels that have been favored by Elder Xia, how could it not be suitable?"

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian's eyes darted around, and she simply put down her chopsticks and asked, "Isn't 'Love in the Clouds' showing tomorrow?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment, "I think so?"

He couldn't remember exactly whether it was true or not, but he didn't buy a ticket anyway.

At this moment, Jiang Lili suddenly put down her chopsticks and ran into the house.

When he came out again, he walked over slowly with his hands behind his back and light steps, grinning foolishly at the two of them.

Chen Fan's eyes darted around as he looked at her and said, "Lili, you didn't go and buy movie tickets, did you?"

Jiang Lili's eyes widened. "How did you guess?"

She took out the movie tickets she had hidden behind her back, waved them at the two of them, and said with a smile, "I asked Brother An to help me buy these. There are exactly three tickets. Let's go see a movie tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)