Liang Xiaosheng was a native of Harbin, thirty years old this year.
He had an older brother above him, and two younger brothers and a younger sister below him; his family was in rather difficult financial straits. After graduating from middle school, he went to the Production and Construction Corps to haul timber. Though the work was hard, he earned forty yuan a month to help support his family. He began writing back then, serving as a core member of the corps' cultural troupe.
In 1974, an admissions teacher from Fudan University went there to recruit students. There were only two spots in the Chinese Department, and thanks to his gift for writing, Liang Xiaosheng was successfully admitted to Fudan University.
After graduation, he was assigned to the Beijing Film Studio's Literary Department.
He was good-looking and had a fine job, so by rights finding a partner shouldn't have been a problem. But he was an honest, straightforward man. Every time he went on a blind date, he would say upfront, "My family is a heavy burden. My parents are in poor health, so I have to send more than half my salary back to them every month, and my older brother at home suffers from mental illness..."
So at thirty, he was still unmarried.
His fame might not match the likes of Mo Yan, Yu Hua, or Jia Pingwa, but he was still one of the era's representative writers, having penned *There is a Blizzard Tonight*, *Tree Rings*, and more. In a later era, there would be a television series titled *A Lifelong Journey*, starring Lei Jiayin and Yin Tao, adapted from his original novel.
Of course, right now he was not yet famous, just a rookie editor.
"You said you're...?"
"Beijing Film Studio's Literary Department!"
Liang Xiaosheng's unexpected visit caused Chen Jianjun and Yu Xiuli's brains to freeze for five seconds. Chen Qi was also quite surprised—he hadn't expected the visitor to be him. Chen Qi hurried to say, "Hello, Teacher Liang! I'm Chen Qi!"
"..."
Liang Xiaosheng was even more astonished. Sizing him up with a few glances, he asked, "Pardon me for asking, but how old are you this year?"
"Nineteen!"
"Young and promising!"
He couldn't help letting out a sigh. At thirty, he was already the youngest editor at the Beijing Film Studio, yet here was an even bigger freak of nature. In the film industry, every single post relied heavily on experience; older age meant deeper experience. Writing a screenplay at nineteen sounded like some kind of capitalist joke.
"Hello, hello! Nice to meet you!"
He shook hands with Chen Qi, sat down on a chair, and said, "We saw your screenplay a few days ago, but because we've been constantly discussing it, things got delayed a bit. On the whole, we approve of it, but there are still a few shortcomings. I've come today to invite you over to revise it."
"Uh..."
Yu Xiuli opened her mouth, held back from speaking, and silently listened to their conversation.
*Ha!*
*The guesthouse is finally here!*
Inwardly, Chen Qi was beating gongs and drums, but on the surface, he put on a look combining pleasant surprise and flustered helplessness, acting as if he didn't know where to put his hands. "Really? Teacher Liang, are you really asking me to revise it? Did my script really pass?"
"I can only say it passed the first review!"
"Passing the first review is already cause to thank Heaven and Earth! I have no problem at all, I can leave right now!"
"No need to rush. Revising a script isn't a matter of a day or two. At shortest it takes a month, at longest a year. Even once it's revised and the crew is being assembled for shooting, the screenwriter has to be on hand for constant communication. Our studio has a guesthouse specifically for room and board," Liang Xiaosheng said with a smile.
"Ah? Does that mean my son won't be able to come home?" Yu Xiuli finally piped up.
"Oh no, he's free to arrange his own time."
"Dad! Mom!"
Chen Qi turned to his parents, his eyes moist, looking innocent and full of anticipation—*blech!*
Although his parents were totally in the dark, they could guess their son had written something that caught the eye of Beijing Film Studio. This was a tremendous opportunity! As a kid, if your parents didn't hold you back or pour cold water on you, you should count your blessings and laugh all the way to the bank!
Chen Jianjun said, "Teacher Liang, it's his honor that you've taken a liking to his work. We'll definitely support him."
"That's wonderful!" Liang Xiaosheng nodded. "You probably need time to pack. How about this: tomorrow at five in the afternoon, I'll meet you at the Beijing Film Studio entrance."
"All right, all right. Thank you so much for making the trip."
After seeing Liang Xiaosheng off, his parents stepped inside, latched the door, and made Chen Qi squat in the corner—they were just short of bringing out his great-grandmother's portrait for a full joint tribunal.
"Out with it! What on earth is going on?"
"How did you get mixed up with Beijing Film Studio?"
"How many more things have you been hiding from us, you little punk?"
"Mom, don't rush, let me make up a—no, let me explain!"
Chen Qi could blow a tune on a single strand of hair; lies rolled effortlessly off his tongue: "I started writing roughly half a month ago, back before it was decided I'd sell tea. Even though I didn't have a job, I always wanted to do something meaningful. It just so happened I like literature, so secretly and by racking my brains, I came up with this script and submitted it to Beijing Film Studio. I didn't know if it would work out, so I didn't tell you—I didn't want to lose face! Who knew they'd actually pick it."
When parents discovered their child had talent—perhaps even enough to be called a genius—what went through their minds?
Hard to say for other families, but Yu Xiuli was shocked first, then wildly ecstatic, instantly buying into the premise. She kept repeating, "Didn't I say so?! Didn't I say so?! Our son was never destined to just sell tea! This is what they call 'soaring to the skies at the first cry'! Whoever said it was right—he wrote great essays as a kid, he was just held back by being sent down to the countryside! Oh, right, I remember I still kept his old essay notebooks!"
"Alright, the kid is leaving tomorrow. Hurry up and help him pack," Chen Jianjun said.
"What's the hurry? I'm going to visit the neighbors first!"
"..."
Chen Jianjun wore a helpless expression, watching Yu Xiuli swing the door open and march out like a victorious general. Immediately after, dialogue drifted in from outside.
"Xiuli, not asleep yet so late? What are you strolling around for?"
"My, how did you know my boy wrote a screenplay?... Beijing Film Studio! He's going tomorrow! Ai, it's so late, if you hadn't asked, I'd have been too embarrassed to mention it. Can you believe it..."
…………
Chen Qi didn't make a big fuss about spreading the word; he only told Auntie Wang and Huang Zhanying.
Auntie Wang was already numb. She hadn't even climbed out of the basket of the plastics factory affair before things leaped straight to Beijing Film Studio. To a grassroots sub-district cadre, Beijing Film Studio was a bit too far removed from reality.
While Huang Zhanying was happy for him, she couldn't help feeling sentimental: "Comrade Chen Qi, although our tea stall hasn't been open for long, you've made immense contributions. Right now, business is getting better and better, and just as it's time to raise our glasses and drink celebratory wine, you're heading off to the cultural and artistic front! I hear people on the cultural and artistic front easily fall prey to improper lifestyles. You must never let your eyes be dazzled!"
"Rest assured, Comrade Zhanying, my stand of serving the people will never waver!"
"Quit quoting slogans back and forth at each other, talk about something practical..."
Auntie Wang couldn't bear to listen anymore and asked point-blank, "Xiao Chen, when you go, are you coming back? What about your official employment ties?"
"I'm only revising a script, not transferring to a new post. I'd like to keep my employment ties with the cooperative. As for wages, I won't take any, since I won't be working here anyway."
"That works too. What about the plastic sandals?"
"Didn't the plastics factory agree? Once the weather turns hot, sell them. You can't come to me for every little thing, can you? I'm not the leader. Besides, I believe in Comrade Zhanying's capabilities."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely hold this post for everyone!" Huang Zhanying said resolutely.
Truth be told, Chen Qi genuinely didn't want to abandon this tea stall. Why not let it develop slowly? What if it amounted to something in the future? Having finished his instructions, he cupped his hands in a salute: "When the mountain flowers bloom in full brilliance, we shall meet again!"
"Speak like a normal human!" Auntie Wang said.
"Let me know when the leaders come to inspect. I have to come back!"
Chapter 13