1979: The child's mother is a celestial being.

Chapter 23 Audition
Last year, Emei Film Studio hired a renowned director from Beijing Film Studio to direct a film.

The play is called "Remnant Snow". It tells the story of a patriotic overseas Chinese woman who, due to her father's historical issues and her own overseas background, still encounters deep-rooted prejudice, discrimination and exclusion in the seemingly thawing society of early spring. In the end, her ideals are shattered and she is forced to leave.

The renowned director is Ling Zifeng, who, along with Cui Wei, Shui Hua, and Cheng Ying, is known as one of the four most handsome directors at Beijing Film Academy.

The returned overseas Chinese woman, who is also the female lead in the film, is named Zhang Xiuyun, and is played by Siqin Gaowa.

Siqin Gaowa is probably familiar to everyone. She has won numerous awards throughout her life, and her representative works include "Rickshaw Boy", "Woman Sesame Oil Maker", "The Grand Mansion Gate", and "A Woman in New York"...

However, it was 1980, and Siqin Gaowa, who had just turned thirty, had only acted in two dramas. No, two and a half. Her first drama, "Ode to Occupation," which she starred in in 1976, was abandoned halfway through filming due to certain historical reasons.

The second film was called "Longing to Return Home," produced by the August First Film Studio, and she was again chosen as the female lead. As a result, she was transferred from her original unit, the Inner Mongolia Song and Dance Troupe, to the August First Film Studio to become a film actress.

Later, after "Longing for Home" aired, she was selected by Emei Film Studio for her outstanding performance and was temporarily transferred to film "Remnant Snow".

Actually, filming for "Remnant Snow" was completed at the end of November last year. However, during post-production, it was discovered that some of the sound recording for the female lead was not done properly. So recently, Siqin Gaowa was invited back to record some additional audio.

"Comrade Siqin Gaowa, thank you for your hard work during this time."

"It's not hard work for you, it's hard work for you."

After removing the equipment, Siqin Gaowa confirmed again, "It's all set up, right?"

"Yes……"

"Do I need to come back this afternoon?"

"No need to come, but you can come if you want to hear how it works."

Siqin Gaowa nodded. In that case, she didn't plan to come over that afternoon.

She had heard a rumor at the Emei Film Studio that the movie adaptation of Fusheng's novel "Bullfight" was holding open casting calls at the studio today. Since she didn't have any film contracts at the moment, she decided to go and join in the fun this afternoon.

If I manage to land a role, I won't have to go back to my old workplace right away.

Because Siqin Gaowa knew that the several plays her old workplace had been preparing for in the first half of the year had already been snapped up by other actors in the factory, so even if she went back now, she wouldn't have any roles to play.

In the afternoon, when Siqin Gaowa arrived at the audition studio for the film "Cow", she found that after a morning of auditions, there were still people queuing up outside the studio waiting to audition.

She went up to one of the actors in front of her and asked:

"Hello comrade, is this the casting set for 'Cow'?"

"Oh, who are you? I don't think I've seen you at the factory before." The actor who spoke was a local, so he spoke with a slight Sichuan accent.

Fortunately, Siqin Gaowa could understand, but she couldn't speak. She could only reply in Mandarin: "My name is Siqin Gaowa. I am an actress from the August First Film Studio. I heard that there are auditions here, so I came to take a look."

"What? You're from the August First Film Studio? How did you know we were having an audition here?" the man asked curiously.

But before Siqin Gaowa could explain, someone in front of her recognized her and stepped forward to explain on her behalf: "Old Mo, Comrade Siqin Gaowa is the female lead in 'Remnant Snow,' don't you even know that?"

"Oh, I see... Hello comrade, my name is Mo Gaoyuan, they all call me Lao Mo. Are you here for an audition too?"

Siqin Gaowa smiled and nodded.

At that moment, the audition room in front of everyone suddenly opened, and the actors who had been called in earlier walked out looking dejected.

Someone familiar with the situation quickly asked, "Old Zhou, how's it going?"

Old Zhou just shook his head and didn't say anything.

Behind him, Chen Fusheng also came out. His gaze swept over the people waiting for their auditions, lingering for a couple of seconds on Siqin Gaowa at the very back.

But he didn't ask Siqin Gaowa to cut in line. Instead, he said to all the people who hadn't auditioned yet, "All five of you, come in."

Previously, auditions were conducted one by one, but now that Chen Fusheng has called all five people into the audition room at once, it has caused some people to hesitate.

"Comrade, you mean we should go in for the audition together?"

"Yes, all of you together."

Chen Fusheng nodded, turned around, and went into the house first.

In the audition studio, besides director Han Sanping, there were two other people: one was the producer assigned to their production team from the factory, and the other was the film crew's cinematographer.

When the three of them saw Chen Fusheng call in all the remaining actors waiting for auditions, they weren't surprised at all, which was obviously something that had been discussed beforehand.

After Chen Fusheng brought the people in, he didn't answer and go to his seat. Instead, he turned to face the five people and first addressed the four male actors:
"The current situation is this: 'Cow' is still missing a male lead. But as those who have read the novel should know, the role of Niu Er, the male lead, is not easy to play. However, for the sake of the film's quality, we cannot lower our casting standards."

Seeing that the four of them looked tense, Chen Fusheng suddenly changed the subject and said, "Given that all the actors who auditioned for the male lead position failed, we have decided to change the audition rules to lower the difficulty for everyone."

The four male actors waiting for their auditions were all immediately impressed by his words.

Then Chen Fusheng said, "The rules are very simple. I will randomly perform a scene as the male lead, and all you have to do is observe my performance and then imitate it."

If previous auditions were like closed-book exams, then the current auditions are like open-book exams.

The difficulty level has dropped significantly. If they still can't find a suitable actor even with this method, Chen Fusheng might really have to consider looking for one from other film studios, as Han Sanping suggested.

Meanwhile, upon hearing that it was just an imitation, the four of them were quite confident in themselves.

Instead, they questioned whether this young man, Chen Fusheng, actually had any acting skills.

In fact, it wasn't just them who were curious; Han Sanping and the other two sitting in the examiner's seats were also very curious.

After all, they knew Chen Fusheng's identity better than others, knowing that although he was the author of "Bullfighting," he was just an ordinary university teacher before.

Chen Fusheng didn't care about the gazes of others, but since he was the one who came up with the idea, he was certainly confident in it.

He walked to the table, randomly selected a scene of moderate difficulty, and handed it to Han Sanping, saying:

"Old Han, could you read the narration for me?"

"No problem, leave it to me."

As he spoke, Han Sanping glanced down at the lines Chen Fusheng had chosen and asked him, "You want to perform this scene?"

Chen Fusheng nodded and then walked directly to the middle of the audition room.

The five auditionees, including Siqin Gaowa, automatically stood on both sides, staring at him with curious, expectant, and slightly skeptical eyes.

Chen Fusheng paused for a moment, then gave Han Sanping an OK sign.

Seeing this, Han Sanping picked up his lines and began reading the narration.

"Japanese soldier Shibuya knelt on the ground, his hands trembling as he pulled a family photo from his pocket and handed it to Niu Er, saying in a tearful voice: 'I have elderly people and children at home too. I don't want to die. I want to go home...'"

Chen Fusheng instantly got into character, as if a Japanese soldier was kneeling before him, begging for mercy and wanting to live.

He reached out and took the photo handed to him, while in his other hand he gripped a machete tightly—actually a table leg—so tightly that the veins were clearly visible. At the same time, the flesh on his face contorted with anger and pain, and his eyes instantly turned red.

At this moment, even before Chen Fusheng had uttered a single line, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned as he instantly got into character, not daring to even breathe loudly.

At this moment, when Chen Fusheng's emotions had accumulated to a critical point, he finally erupted.

He growled at the non-existent Japanese soldier in front of him:

"You said everything was fine, who upset you? Don't show me this, it's useless! You think you're the only one with family? You think you have old and young people in your family, while I don't?"

“Your second aunt was pregnant with a child… in her belly, and you just picked her out!” As he said this, a tear rolled down Chen Fusheng’s cheek.

He wiped it away casually and continued staring at the Japanese devils. His expression and tone suddenly became murderous. "So don't say anything more. An eye for an eye!"

After saying that, he raised his machete high, but looking at the Japanese devils in front of him who were kowtowing and begging for mercy, his kindness made him hesitate to kill them.

But just then, the horrific scene of the village being slaughtered flashed before his eyes, as did Jiu'er's voice and smile, and his second aunt's unborn child... When he thought of these things, the hatred in his heart surged like a raging tide. Niu Er shouted and slashed down with his knife.

Of course, in the original story, Niu Er let the Japanese soldier go at the last moment because of his soft heart. Perhaps the director wanted to express Niu Er's kindness, highlight his identity as just a farmer, and show his disgust for and transcendence of the cycle of hatred, as well as his compassion for humanity. Anyway, there are many reasons to interpret this.

However, in Chen Fusheng's script, he wrote that it was Niu Er who swung the knife.

His reasoning was simple: the crimes committed by the Japanese devils were countless. Even if this Japanese soldier was forced into it, even if he had never killed a Chinese person, he was guilty from the moment he appeared on Chinese soil with a weapon, a crime for which he would not be innocent even if he died a hundred times.

Moreover, when Chen Fusheng was changing the plot, he put himself in Niu Er's shoes. If he were Niu Er, he would not have been able to forgive a Japanese devil on behalf of the dead villagers.

Therefore, kill.

Must kill!

Even if it means getting my hands stained with blood!

Back to the present, after he finished performing, the room was still so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

But Chen Fusheng saw that everyone stood up.

Before anyone could react, Chen Fusheng composed himself and said to the four dumbfounded actors who were waiting to imitate him, "It's your turn."

"Well, I might not be suitable for playing the male lead." Some people immediately backed out.

Then came the second one: "Me too!"

The third one: "You're amazing, I admit I can't do that."

The fourth: "The third brother also said what I said."

Chen Fusheng: "╯□╰"

(End of this chapter)