Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 778 Returning Home
Chen Fan spent several days writing the movie script, and the six cameras sent by Zhou Yali also arrived at Jiangnan Film Studio.

Factory Director Wu called immediately, his excitement conveyed even though they were thousands of miles apart.

This is the most advanced camera in the world right now. I'd only ever seen it in newspapers before, I never imagined I'd actually see a real one.

1972年，德国的ARRI公司发布了第一款自带隔音装置的“影棚静音”35毫米胶片摄影机ARRIFLEX35BL，将原来80磅重的同类产品减轻至33磅重。

Weight is not the key factor; the key factor is the invention and application of "studio silence" technology, which eliminates concerns about affecting the recording of synchronous sound and greatly improves shooting efficiency.

(ARRIFLEX 35BL camera)
Representative films shot using the 35BL during this period include *Taxi Driver*, *Days of Heaven*, *Apocalypse Now*, and *The Shining*. This camera sold well worldwide, becoming a favorite among many filmmakers, with some even calling it the best camera of its time.

At this time, what was displayed at the Jiangnan Film Studio were four ARRIFLEX 35BL cameras and two ARRIFLEX 16SR cameras, which were known as the best and most widely used 16mm professional cameras at the time and were said to dominate the news and documentary field.

If you're using it in the field, this kind of lightweight camera is more convenient.

Chen Fan didn't know much about photography equipment, since the information he could find was somewhat outdated. Some magazines even praised the old-fashioned cameras that Panasonic launched in 67, but there was almost no introduction to the newer models that had been launched in recent years.

But he knew one thing: if he asked Zhou Yali to buy equipment, she would definitely buy the most expensive ones, and the most expensive ones on the market were generally the best.

Sure enough, she not only chose the most expensive one, but also bought two more machines suitable for outdoor use.

This makes shooting outdoor scenes much more convenient.

With the script and equipment already in place, Chen Fan didn't delay any longer.

On the last day of July, I flew to the provincial capital with Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili.

After the plane landed, the first thing to do was to settle down in Wenyi New Village.

As usual, after leaving the airport, he went straight to the parking lot, where his little Jeep was parked. It was parked there after the Chinese New Year in February when he flew to Shanghai, and he hadn't been back since.

After not moving for almost half a year, Chen Fan thought the car would be covered in dust, but to his surprise, the car was still quite clean.

He walked around the car, then stood in front of it, looking at the license plate with some confusion. "This is my car. Who would wash my car in the airport parking lot?"

The two sisters stood on either side of him, their faces also filled with confusion.

Who is this?

Doing good deeds anonymously.

After thinking for a while without figuring it out, Chen Fan gave up on thinking about it. He took out his keys, opened the car door, and after letting out some pent-up frustration, Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian found rags to wipe the center console and seats inside.

People outside can help with cleaning, but since the door can't be opened inside, it can't be cleaned.

The old GAZ-69 was not well sealed to begin with. Although Chen Fan had made modifications that made it better than many modern cars, even cars of the future would have a layer of dust inside after six months of not being used, let alone cars of today.

They wiped the car down, while Chen Fan checked the fuel tank and refilled it with gasoline.

Fortunately, there wasn't much dust, and the two sisters quickly finished wiping it up. They stuffed the dirty rag under the seat, planning to take it out and wash it when they got home.

The three of them then got into the car together, closed the door, and drove away.

As he was leaving, Chen Fan paused, took out a pack of cigarettes, handed it to the security guard at the gate, and asked with a smile, "Brother, can I ask you something?"

The security guard had just taken the cigarette from the guardhouse when he saw Chen Fan clearly. He suddenly ran out of the guardhouse, carefully examined the license plate, then rushed back, handed the cigarette back, and said with a smile, "Writer Chen, right? You want to ask why the car is clean?"

Chen Fan was somewhat surprised, "You know me?"

She then pushed the cigarette in his hand, saying, "It's just a pack of cigarettes, take it and smoke it, don't be shy."

The security guard then put away his cigarette and laughed, "Thank you, Writer Chen. I didn't know you before, but after your deeds of rescuing people and fighting in the southwest were exposed, our unit leaders knew that you often parked your car here, so they contacted our security department and logistics department to ask them to keep an eye on it."

You saved so many people on the battlefield and made so many contributions, which we all admire. So when the logistics staff cleaned up every day, they would also wipe down your car. Our security staff also checked the car's condition every day.

"I can't do anything else, so I can only do small things."

Chen Fan quickly clasped his hands in thanks, "Thank you very much."

At this moment, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart that he hadn't done much, yet he received care everywhere, which showed that the people still recognized the most lovable people.

However, he absolutely refused to believe that the work of the Jiangnan Provincial Writers Association was not involved.

Heroes are everywhere on the battlefield, but if no one publicizes them, even if a hero stands in front of you, you won't know who he is.

Only organizations like the Jiangnan Writers Association, which can directly intervene in the propaganda field, can make more people aware of themselves.

That makes sense, though. He's already the vice chairman of the Jiangnan Writers Association. It's normal for his organization to be proud of him and promote him so much.

However, this security guard still needs to work harder and study diligently every day.

When your own deeds are exposed, is that exposure? It's clearly a public exposure!

After exchanging a few more polite words, Chen Fan saw a car approaching from behind and then stepped on the gas to get back on the road.

The two sisters sat in the back, their expressions somewhat complicated.

Chen Fan glanced at the rearview mirror and couldn't help but laugh, "What's wrong? You're not happy that others respect me?"

Jiang Lili pouted and said, "Of course I'd be happy, but the thought that you risked your life on the battlefield to earn this makes me not happy at all."

Jiang Tiantian leaned forward, gripping the back of the chair in front of her, and whispered to Chen Fan, "Xiao Fan, I know we can't stop you, but if there's a next time, I hope you'll think of us. A wise person doesn't stand under a dangerous wall. If... if something happens to you, we won't be able to bear it."

Chen Fan glanced back, reached out and patted her head, and said with a smile, "Okay, I promise you, there won't be a future, okay?"

Jiang Tiantian's eyes lit up immediately, "Really?"

Jiang Lili also came over, "You're not lying?"

Chen Fan touched her face with his other hand and laughed, "More real than real gold, absolutely no lie."

It's true, after this war, there will only be rotational warfare starting the year after next, and Chen Fan won't get involved.

Although rotation warfare results in greater casualties than counterattack warfare, it is also a rare opportunity for training, so he doesn't need to participate. However, he could cooperate with the military through the freight company where Wang Jianguo and his colleagues work, for example, by assisting in the transportation and supply of materials, which would also be a form of support.

Another plan was to wait for the right time to introduce pagers and mobile communication technology to China through Wanmuchun Company.

If all goes well, it can help the troops build a field communication network, making up for the shortcomings in our logistical communication.

These are all ways to provide support; there's really no need for me to personally take the stage again.

Hearing his words, the two sisters finally breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back and sat up straight, their faces full of happy smiles.

When he spoke again, even his voice was filled with joy.

Having not returned to the provincial capital for half a year, Chen Fan noticed some subtle changes upon his return.

The houses are still the same houses, the streets are still the same streets, but there's none of that feeling of profound change that comes with being away for half a year and not being able to find your home after more than twenty years.

However, there are significantly more street vendors now, and you can often see elderly farmers selling vegetables under the shade of trees near some residential areas.

There were also some young people carrying large bags who would approach anyone they saw, occasionally opening their bags to show people something.

Even though Chen Fan had never seen them before, he could tell that these people must be the legendary "itinerant vendors" who operated in the gray area during the early days of reform and opening up.

Some call them peddlers, others call them middlemen; they are simply people who get some goods through connections and then sell them to make a profit.

In Guangzhou and Shenzhen, these vendors are now daring to openly set up stalls on the street.

In inland China, in provincial capitals south of the Yangtze River, and even in Shanghai, where they had just left, openly doing business was still a taboo subject. ...The secure direct selling network had obtained certificates from the school and the municipal government, which was fundamentally different from these itinerant vendors. Moreover, those vendors didn't set up stalls directly but sold through acquaintances using invoices, making them more discreet.

However, compared to last year and even earlier, the emergence of these mobile vendors is a step forward.

Although they are often chased to the point of exhaustion by market supervision teams wearing red armbands, it's still much better than loitering around on the streets.

To put it another way, our private economy started with these small street vendors.

Chen Fan observed and marveled along the way, and after more than half an hour, he arrived at the literary and artistic new village next to Xinghu Lake.

When Vice Chairman Chen returned to his post, the security guards in the gatehouse naturally wouldn't sit still.

He immediately pressed the door open button, and a retractable gate slowly closed to clear the way. At the same time, he smiled and waved, "Vice Chairman Chen is back."

Chen Fan had already seen the retractable gate, which also bore the logo of Yunhu Machinery Factory, indicating that the factory was doing quite well.

After the man greeted him, he handed him a pack of cigarettes and said with a smile, "Same as always, thanks for your hard work."

"Of course, of course."

The security guard thanked him politely and backed away, watching the car slowly drive in, while calling out, "Don't worry, the cleaning staff will be there soon, it won't delay anything."

By the time the words were finished, the car had already driven far away, and only one hand was waving outside the window to indicate that it had heard.

After watching the car turn right and drive into the island in the lake where the leaders lived, the security guard coughed, looked around, and walked into the guardhouse with his head held high and his hands behind his back.

When I get home tonight, I can brag to my son: "Your dad has spoken to Vice Chairman Chen, a war hero, and even received a pack of cigarettes."

This is something I can brag about for a year!
When I drove to the gate of my house, the gate was not closed, but just ajar. Through the one-meter-high wooden fence, I could see that the yard was very clean, which showed that someone cleaned it regularly.

Once the car came to a stop, Jiang Lili immediately got out of the car, opened the gate, and waited for Chen Fan to slowly drive the car in before closing the gate.

Chen Fan parked the car and got out, then looked next door and saw He Qingsheng walking out of the room, holding a large bowl in his left hand and chopsticks in his right.

Before Chen Fan could speak, he laughed and said, "I saw the car looks like yours. Have you eaten yet? If not, come over and grab something to eat."

Chen Fan was somewhat surprised, "You didn't go to work?"

Today is Tuesday, July 31st. Given He Qingsheng's workaholic habits, he should be at work at this time.

He Qingsheng first waved to the two sisters who greeted her in response, then glared at Chen Fan and said, "How many days have you actually worked? I haven't been to work a single day, and you still have the nerve to criticize me?"

Chen Fan handed the key to Jiang Tiantian and asked her to open the door. He then walked to the fence, offered He Qingsheng a cigarette, and said, "In this respect, I'm a laggard, and you're an excellent student. How can an excellent student take the initiative to compare with a laggard?"

He Qingsheng stuck his chopsticks into his rice, took the cigarette and tucked it behind his ear, then picked up the chopsticks again before saying, "You just have a lot of twisted logic. But to be honest, I really have been busy these past few days and haven't been to work."

Before Chen Fan could ask, he continued, "It's still about the literary and art congress. It doesn't concern you much, so I won't say much. But you, are you back this time to officially start making a movie?"

He paused for a moment, feeling that something was amiss, then turned and pointed to his house, saying, "Why don't you all come over and have a bite? It feels a little strange to see me eating while you watch."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "It's alright, you eat yours. I'll go fishing later, preferably a river catfish, and then we'll make a pot of rice. It's very simple."

Despite being the chairman of the Writers' Association, He Qingsheng still relied mainly on rationing for food. At that time, negotiated grain prices weren't available in urban grain stores yet; it would be several more years before cities began selling negotiated grain that didn't require ration coupons and had fluctuating prices.

In Beijing, starting in 1985, negotiated grain counters were set up in grain stores.

In fact, by that time, we had basically achieved food self-sufficiency and there would be no food shortage problem.

But there isn't any right now, so He Qingsheng's family has limited food supplies. Plus, his family is large, so Chen Fan really can't bear to eat their rice.

On the contrary, every time Chen Fan went out, the Lujiawan and the Machinery Factory and Yunqi Factory would prepare a large number of national grain coupons for him. He had so many grain coupons that he could open a small grain store, so naturally he would not take advantage of others.

He Qingsheng felt a little depressed when he heard Chen Fan's words. "My family eats only vegetables and radishes, plus a few pieces of dried meat. You want to go fishing?"

Thinking about Chen Fan's cooking skills, he suddenly felt that the rice in his bowl didn't taste good anymore.

He sullenly ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then turned and went inside to put the bowl down.

Chen Fan was thinking that now that he had left, should he also go back to his room?

Then He Qingsheng came out again, put the cigarette from his ear into his mouth, and leaped over the one-meter-high wooden fence into Chen Fan's yard.

(End of this chapter)