1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

"May I ask, screenwriter Cheng, how old are you this year?"

After a moment of amazement, Yuan Heping still wanted to ask the young man just how young he was.
Judging from their youthful appearance, the Yuan brothers actually had some guesses in their hearts, but these days there are also old monsters with youthful faces and huge bodies.

They'll definitely lean more towards the old monster, even though it's equally absurd and unbelievable. But if you're going to convince them that such a young screenwriter is more than just a genius; they're a prodigy!

"Thank you for your kind words, Master Yuan. I'm just turning twenty this year!" Cheng Xuemin nodded and smiled through the rearview mirror.

"Twenty?"

"Amazing! Teacher Cheng is truly... truly... a prodigy!"

Yuan Heping was amazed, and he didn't know how to describe it except that it was amazing. In the end, he could only exclaim that this was a monster!

At only twenty years old, he actually wrote such a good script for them. Yuan Heping couldn't help but admire him!

They then began discussing the script for "Tai Chi." Upon learning that the script was also written by the young man before them, the Yuan brothers were once again amazed, thinking to themselves that they had really gotten a good deal on this trip north at a friendly price.

Putting everything else aside, just getting to know a promising and imaginative young screenwriter like Cheng Xuemin is a considerable asset.

With the collaboration on "Tai Chi," their relationship with him has been strengthened. Will Peace Pictures still lack good scripts in the future?
"Xuemin, the entire crew is basically all here now. How did you arrange things?!" After arranging for the Yuan brothers to go to the Yanjing Hotel first, the old factory director Wang Yang asked on the way back.

"Old factory director, you are a senior expert and veteran. What do you think we should do next?"

Cheng Xuemin has always been a domineering figure, personally handling almost everything in the Tai Chi production team, which has given the employees of Yan Film Studio a very domineering image.

So if director Huang Jianzhong asked him this question, Cheng Xuemin would definitely follow his own ideas and immediately start filming.

However, since the old factory director had personally inquired about it, even if the old man's remarks were just a polite remark, Cheng Xuemin still felt obligated to reciprocate and show him at least some respect.

In other words, you must have the right attitude.

It's definitely the old factory director who should speak first if he has an arrangement. As for whether Cheng Xuemin will carry it out or not, that depends on his own mood.

"Yes! What I mean is, although they agreed to a friendly price to go north, which greatly reduced our costs!"

"But what I mean is, for our action film, we should try to schedule the action scenes for others first, and the dramatic scenes can be filmed slowly in our Yanying Studio!"

The old factory director, Wang Yang, nodded. He knew Cheng Xuemin's personality; he had his own way of making movies, but he still had to be careful about saving on necessary expenses.

Whether the kid listens or not doesn't really matter, since everyone only cares about the result and not the process.

“Old factory director, you’re right. Director Huang and I were planning the same thing!” Cheng Xuemin nodded in agreement with the old factory director’s arrangement and continued, “The action scenes in our Tai Chi script are mostly focused on the challenges and battles in Beijing. It just so happens that the factory is preparing to film Camel Xiangzi and has already built the Sijiupailou Street scene!”

"Director Huang and I plan to go there and borrow a set, and complete the most important parts of the film in Beijing entirely in the studio!"

"That's great! I'll go and say hello to Lao Xie on Loupai Street later!" Wang Yang nodded repeatedly, very pleased.

"Actually, Director Cheng, our dramatic scenes are quite resource-intensive. We have to go to different locations to film, which is a bit of a hassle!" Cheng Xuemin added, making his own request.

"Location shooting is a must for every film!" The old factory director didn't mind. In fact, location shooting, although it seems troublesome, is actually more cost-effective.

Putting everything else aside, those two brothers from Hong Kong were treated to meals at the Yanjing Hotel, costing them hundreds of dollars a day.

If you stay for a month or two, it will cost two or three thousand yuan.

However, when filming on location, the accommodations won't be as good, and the expenses will definitely be reduced significantly.

Of course, Yan Film Studio wasn't stingy with such a small amount of entertainment expenses. They adhered to the fine tradition of thrift and tried to save as much as possible. After all, it was the country's money, and they couldn't be generous to the country at the expense of national interests.

"By the way, Xuemin, where did you choose for location shooting?" the old factory director asked with concern.

When the topic of filming locations came up, Cheng Xuemin perked up and said, "Old Director, it's like this: you know that Director Xie from the Shanghai Film Studio is also filming my movie 'Romance on Lushan Mountain.' Director Xie has been inviting me to help out and provide guidance on set!"

"You also filmed on location at Mount Lu?" The old factory director nodded. He must have known about the simultaneous filming of "Romance at Mount Lu"!
Moreover, the old factory director knew that Xu from the Shanghai Film Studio was determined to challenge his own Yan Film Studio.

They decided on the romance film "Romance on Lushan Mountain" written by Cheng Xuemin!
Xu Sangchu of Shanghai Film Studio was one of the few people who knew about the production of "Tai Chi" on the Yan Film Studio's side.

So it's a battle of ace against ace, they have to compare and see who's better.

to this end!

Their Yan Ying Factory is not warlike, but they are absolutely not afraid of war either. They will have a final showdown with Xu Sangchu.

After all!
Wang Yang and Xu Sangchu were actually veteran filmmakers of the same generation. They had been competing with each other their whole lives, and in the end, when they were both about to retire, they still hadn't come to a conclusion.

Who knows, this coincidence might just be the perfect opportunity for them to finally settle their lifelong rivalry with a fair and square showdown.

We've won!
Even if Wang Yang, the director of Yanying Film Factory, retires, he will not be content if he cannot defeat Xu Sangchu.

Therefore, in addition to giving Cheng Xuemin as much leeway as possible, former director Wang Yang also paid close attention to the progress of Xu Sangchu and his team at the Shanghai Film Studio's "Romance on Lushan Mountain".

Knowing that they filmed on location, they chose Lushan, the place where the story takes place.

Now that Cheng Xuemin has said this, the old factory director guessed that he had also chosen Lushan as the location for filming, which would facilitate communication and exchange between the two film crews.

It's easy to guess!

Anyway, the old factory director now has only one thought: he must win this military order, and win it well, so that he can give the higher-ups an excellent foreign exchange earnings result, and at the same time make Xu Sangchu admit defeat.

After all, both "Romance on Lushan Mountain" and "Tai Chi" were written by the same screenwriter, so there is no difference in quality between the scripts themselves.

His "Lushan Romance" broke the blockade by being the first romance film, and his "Tai Chi" was also a success, being the first martial arts film in China.

The next question is whether love will triumph over martial arts, or martial arts will prevail over love.

Moreover, whether it's love or martial arts, Xu Sangchu made the first choice and had the upper hand. If he still loses, wouldn't he be completely convinced?
"Yes!"

"There's a Chenjiagou village in Ruichang County at the foot of Mount Lu. I heard it's a branch of Chen-style Tai Chi, so they have a solid foundation in martial arts. Director Huang and I think it's pretty good!"

This address wasn't something Cheng Xuemin made up randomly. He consulted several martial arts masters, including Yu Chenghui and Yu Hai. They have a traditional way of exchanging ideas in the martial arts world, so they recommended several suitable locations, one of which was Chenjiagou, located at the foot of Mount Lu. What a coincidence!

Therefore, Cheng Xuemin immediately made the decision to use Chenjiagou at the foot of Mount Lu.

Furthermore, in order to conduct a site visit, Cheng Xuemin specifically called Xie Jin, who had already joined the "Romance on Lushan Mountain" film crew in Lushan, and asked him to help him investigate Chenjiagou and take some photos of the site for reference.

Xie Jin, who was already in Lushan, heard Cheng Xuemin's wish that this kid also wanted to come to Lushan, so how could he not be enthusiastic?
During the National Day holiday, Cheng Xuemin received photos of the actual site from Xie Jin, which were indeed very good.

After discussing it with Huang Jianzhong, they decided to go to Chenjiagou at the foot of Mount Lu.

However, Cheng Xuemin did not reply to Xie Jin. He figured he could contact him later when he got there.

This can be considered a surprise for Gong Xue. Judging by the time, Gong Xue will soon be back from her performance in Northeast China, and then she will head south to Lushan to join the cast of "Lushan Love".

It's probably not a good idea for them to travel south together. Cheng Xuemin and his Tai Chi team are busy filming their action scenes at the factory, which could take a month or two, so they can't all go together.

Speaking of Gong Xue!

This Gong Xue is now showing her talent in the world of literary and artistic revolutionary songs!

Previously, I sang "The Bloodstained Glory" with Cheng Xuemin. After "The Garland Under the High Mountain" was published, the government called on the whole nation to read.

In particular, the use of the title "The Bloodstained Glory" as the epigraph for the standalone edition of "Garland Under the High Mountain" instantly propelled Cheng Xuemin's revolutionary song to new heights.

So even though Cheng Xuemin, the original singer-songwriter, stopped singing, Gong Xue continued to sing in the performing arts troupe.

In addition to songs like "The Moon on the Fifteenth," "Sending Off Comrades," and "Night at the Military Port," a new song specially written for Gong Xue by Cheng Xuemin, Gong Xue has already become one of the most popular singers today.

Anyway, these days, the only radio broadcasts are recitations of "Garland Under the Mountain" and Gong Xue singing.

"That's perfect, then I'll make another pair with Xie Jin!"

"That's good. After all, you and Jianzhong are still too young. If there's anything you're unsure about, you can consult Xie Jin!"

"Even though we're competing with them, we'll still show our respect to Xie Jin!"

Cheng Xuemin's thoughts wandered for a moment, but the old factory director's words brought him back to reality, and he nodded repeatedly in response.

Because Yuan Heping and his family had an afternoon flight, by the time they had settled the two brothers in and sent the old factory director back to the factory, it was almost time to get off work.

The car was also given to his brother-in-law, Feng Jiazhao, to drive and pick up his sister-in-law from get off work so they could go home together.

Reunions are always too short!
After the National Day holiday, the cheerful atmosphere at home turned melancholy because my aunt, Gu Qiuna, was also leaving.

The mother-in-law and grandmother were definitely reluctant to let her go, but the carefree aunt was already eager to leave.

The culprit is Cheng Xuemin!
After his aunt's repeated pleading and cajoling, Cheng Xuemin finally pulled out his trump card: his new English song "Yesterday Once More," which he gave to his aunt so she could take it to the United States to make money in the US.

This is a repeat of yesterday!

When this English pop song was released, it was a game-changer, garnering countless views and awards.
Anyway, if my aunt uses it to boost the rankings, I'll definitely win the million-dollar prize for the monthly champion.

If she can't get it, it means her aunt hasn't done a good enough job.

After all, this is "Yesterday Once More," which is on a much higher level than the previous "My Heart Will Go On."

Moreover, Cheng Xuemin had repeatedly confirmed that when he handed the lyrics and song to his aunt, he sang it several times, and his aunt did not show any surprise or doubt. She also did not mention that the song had already been released and become a hit in the United States.

Just as Cheng Xuemin understood, whether in China or abroad, his transmigration and rebirth caused a slight butterfly effect.

Because "Yesterday Once More" was actually released in the United States back in the 1970s, it became an instant hit and has remained popular for decades.

According to Cheng Xuemin's understanding, there is no English song called "Yesterday Once More" in the United States. Perhaps the song title is not that. So Cheng Xuemin sang it to his aunt several times in person and still had no doubts. He was just amazed.

This is the perk of being a time traveler; he has to be the one to ignite the ultimate bomb. How awesome!

As soon as my aunt got her hands on "Yesterday Once More," she realized it was bound to be a huge hit, so she immediately booked a flight and couldn't wait to fly back to the United States that very day to help her nephew-in-law get started.

"Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother-in-law... I'm not going to leave and never come back!"

"Now that the policy has been relaxed, I no longer need to hide outside all year round, and I can come back to see you all anytime!"

"Happy Chinese New Year! How about it?!"

"Mom and Dad, I promise you, I will definitely come back for Chinese New Year this year and spend a reunion with you!"

"Furthermore, I'll try to call my older brother and sister-in-law back as well, so we can have a family reunion for the New Year!"

My aunt was indeed leaving early this morning. Cheng Xuemin drove her to the airport, and she's currently at the gate with her family, reluctant to part.

"Alright, alright, come home often. Your brother-in-law and I are looking forward to seeing you at home!"

A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles. The one who is most reluctant to part with her son is of course the grandmother, who keeps wiping away tears. Although the grandfather can be a little ruthless, his eyes are also red and full of reluctance.

"Xuemin, your movie is scheduled to be shown in the United States, right?" Auntie asked Cheng Xuemin on the way to the airport.

"Don't ask me how I know, just tell me if it's true or not?"

Seeing Cheng Xuemin's surprise, his aunt Gu Qiuna asked directly.

“There is indeed such an arrangement. Aunt, do you think we can do it?” Although Cheng Xuemin’s expression was surprised, he was not actually that surprised.

The movie "Tai Chi" that he's currently making is aimed at generating foreign exchange and earning US dollars. In fact, not many people know this, and it's still a classified project.

Only a few family members know about it, and although I haven't emphasized it to them, it's best not to tell my aunt directly yet.

After all, this concerns a national foreign exchange earning project, and my aunt's status as a recent returnee is quite sensitive, so it's definitely not good to leak this information to her!

But the aunt is the biological daughter of the maternal grandparents, the younger sister of the mother-in-law, and the aunt of the daughter-in-law. Even if she doesn't take special care of him, as the aunt gradually begins to look at Cheng Xuemin, her nephew-in-law, with new respect, how could she not know?

Moreover, as far as Cheng Xuemin knew, his aunt had known about it on the second day after she arrived.

However, due to the sensitivity of her position, her aunt never took the initiative to mention it to Cheng Xuemin, nor did she ask Cheng Xuemin to take her to Yanying Film Studio. After all, given her aunt's personality, if it weren't for avoiding suspicion, she would have gone there out of curiosity long ago.

Cheng Xuemin was quite pleased with this, knowing that although his aunt seemed as carefree as her sister-in-law Feng Jiamo, she knew what was important.

"Want to hear the truth?" Auntie asked with a smile, her face beaming.

"It must be the truth!"

"Are you not very optimistic, so the truth might be discouraging?" Cheng Xuemin smiled and asked in return.

"If it were any other Chinese person trying to open up the American film market with movies, I definitely wouldn't be optimistic. After all, the inherent cultural differences give us an inherent disadvantage!"

"But Xuemin, you're different. Your aunt really believes in you! I hope you can come to the United States, overcome this weakness, and create a miracle in the export of our Eastern culture!"

……

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