The Old, the Young, the Sick, and the Weak

Given Ge You's temperament, he had originally planned to mull things over for a few days before paying a visit. He never expected that the very next day, Chen Qi would take the initiative to invite him over for a small dinner. Ge You took it quite seriously and even washed his hair. Come dinnertime, he knocked on the door of Room 302 with a hint of nerves. Chen Qi opened the door. "Yo, just in time! Come on in, come on in! I went home during the day, and my mom packed me some food. Figuring I couldn't finish it all myself, I asked you guys over to share it. Don't look down on the spread!" "Don't say that at all, I'm the one imposing... Oh, hello, Teacher Liang!" Ge You was still being very courteous. Liang Xiaosheng smiled and said, "Spend enough time with him and you'll find out he doesn't stand on ceremony at all. Being all stiff and formal just tires you out. Come, come, sit here!" Liang Xiaosheng helped set things up, opening several aluminum lunchboxes. "I begged the cafeteria chef to heat these up especially. Little Chen went to a joint outside and had a pot of liquor drawn. Can you drink a bit?" "I can manage a few cups!" Ge You's eyes lit up; he was a fan of good liquor. And when he caught sight of the food, his eyes shone even brighter—there was actually meat and dumplings! The table had been turned sideways. Two sat on the bed and one on a chair, using enamel mugs as cups, with each poured about two liang. Chen Qi grinned. "Speaking of which, I'd saved up nearly forty yuan, and today was the first time I spent any of it. That little shop is an educated youth cooperative that sells bulk liquor and things like that. Not sure how it tastes, though. Come on, don't be shy, dig in!" In these times, having a good meal was no easy feat. Even Chen Qi only received such royal treatment because he lived away from home and had gone back for a visit. For Liang Xiaosheng, things were even tougher; his family was in dire straits, and he scrimped every penny he possibly could. And so, for a while, all three of them were completely absorbed in devouring the food. Only after eating a bit did their appetite for conversation perk up. Bolstered by the liquor, they shot the breeze about this and that. It had no real substance, but for men, drinking and shooting the breeze was one of life's great pleasures. As they chatted, the talk drifted to Ge You's job situation. His mood instantly plummeted, and he said dejectedly, "I've tested for so many work units and failed every single one. The commune where I was sent down even wants me to go back, saying I fed the pigs well and that the big pigs and little pigs miss me terribly. Sigh, twenty-two years on this earth for nothing—only pigs care about me." "Don't say that. 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a man, it first tests his mind and spirit.' Didn't you say your parents were looking for something for you?" Liang Xiaosheng chimed in. "The ACFTU Art Troupe is recruiting, but that also requires an exam. My dad is teaching me how to act step by step right now, and he even picked a piece for me called *Feeding Pigs*, saying it's true to real life. But deep down, I know the truth: I don't know how to do anything else. All I know how to do is feed pigs." "Then why don't you perform a bit for us and let us see?" "No, no, that won't do at all! I'd be too embarrassed!" Ge You waved his hands repeatedly. "We only just got to know each other, but if you don't mind me saying something..." Chen Qi remarked. "I think there's an issue with your mindset. If you feel embarrassed performing in front of the two of us, how are you going to act in front of the judges? You haven't let your inhibitions go, and subconsciously you think of it as something shameful. How could you possibly pass like that?" "I... I..." Ge You wanted to defend himself, but soon gave up, saying crestfallenly, "Maybe you're right. And besides, I get nervous. It goes great when I rehearse at home, but the moment I get there, I freeze up." "Then try to ease it. Take deep breaths, for example. Deep breathing always relaxes me," Liang Xiaosheng suggested. "Tried that. Doesn't work." "Then... then..." Liang Xiaosheng scratched his head. He was a writer, not an actor. "Everyone gets nervous for exams; there's really no avoiding that," Chen Qi said, but then shifted tack. "Though you could try forcing yourself to relax—through exercise. March in place, do calisthenics, jog a few laps, anything to get moving." "Does that really work?" Ge You asked dubiously. "You've run before, right? Every time you finish running, tired as you are, don't you feel a deep sense of relief, even satisfaction?" "Come to think of it, yeah!" "So give it a shot. It ought to help take the edge off." In reality, exercise stimulated endorphins and dopamine, which made the body feel more comfortable and produced a sense of accomplishment. But Chen Qi couldn't be bothered to explain the science. Raising his enamel mug, he said, "Come on, let's toast to your exam success first!" "You've got this!" Liang Xiaosheng joined in. "..." With the alcohol rushing through him, Ge You's eyes welled with tears, his emotions surging. "From your mouths to Heaven's ears! I'm definitely going to pass this time. If I fail again, I won't even be able to face the two of you!" The three of them took a sip together. Relationships were built over time. Chen Qi was deliberately cultivating these bonds. He had been at the Beijing Film Studio for a while now, and though he was smooth and adaptable, he hadn't made many actual friends. The others were all veteran seniors, middle-aged men like Jiang Huaiyan, or ruthless operators like Liu Xiaoqing. He was just too young; everyone treated him like a kid. Liang Xiaosheng and Ge You were decent picks, as was that little girl. Tsk! Taking another sip of liquor, Chen Qi glanced at this motley bunch—a veritable gathering of the old, the young, the sick, and the weak. * * * Chen Qi had arrived in mid-April, and in the blink of an eye, it was early May. That meant it was time for him to have the screenplay revised. Today was Tuesday. Tuesday afternoons were designated for political study across all work units: work stopped, factories paused production, and schools suspended classes. This routine persisted for many years; later, when televisions became widespread, broadcast stations also chose Tuesday afternoons for routine maintenance. Consequently, there were no programs on Tuesday afternoons, and a "colored disc" would appear on television screens, known formally as the "PM5544 test card." Afternoon. The sunlight grew stronger, heralding the arrival of early summer. Chen Qi took a short nap, picked up the screenplay—which had swelled into a thick brick of pages—and headed over to Jiang Huaiyan's office. Stepping inside, he saw that Jiang Huaiyan wasn't there; instead, his daughter sat inside, cracking sunflower seeds while doing her homework. "Brother Chen!" "Where's your dad?" "He went to a meeting. He'll be done in a bit." Jiang Shan looked at what was in his hands and said, "Is that the screenplay you wrote? My dad told me it's a love story. Can you let me take a look?" "What does a little kid like you know about love stories? That's all bourgeois stuff." "Bourgeois, hmph! I'm even studying English—does English count as bourgeois?" She waved her textbook, which was indeed an English primer. "You guys have English classes already?" "Our school is a pilot school!" The previous year, the Ministry of Education had advocated introducing foreign language classes starting from third grade in primary school, but it had not yet been rolled out nationwide and remained in the pilot stage. Chen Qi didn't know much about that, so he could only express mild surprise. Sitting in a chair to wait for Jiang Huaiyan, who still hadn't appeared after a while, he grew thoroughly bored. Glancing at the girl hunched over her homework, he suddenly asked, "Have you learned the word for 'pig'?" "Of course! Pig!" "What about 'dog'?" "Dog!" "And 'chicken'?" "Chicken... oh, chicken!" "How do you say 'beautiful'?" "Ha, you can't stump me! Beautiful!" "Can you translate 'chicken is beautiful'?" Jiang Shan furrowed her brows and ventured, "Chickens are beautiful?" "Hey, translation demands faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance. This sentence could be translated as..." Before Chen Qi could indulge his urge to troll, Jiang Huaiyan stepped through the door. "Oh, Xiao Chen, you're here. The whole studio had meetings this afternoon, and each department had one too. We just wrapped up." "I just got here myself. Here, take a look at the script." "Shan Shan, go outside and do your homework for a bit." "Okay!" Jiang Shan reluctantly gathered up her schoolbag and walked out. Jiang Huaiyan took the screenplay and flipped through it carefully. After a long while, he nodded. "A fine revision. Your additions and changes are very precise, addressing every point we raised. Personally, I think it meets the standard. However, studio regulations require all editors in the Literary Department to conduct a joint review, followed by a final review by the deputy studio director in charge of this area to decide whether to approve it. Don't worry, it shouldn't be a problem. Leave the script with me for now." Smiling, Jiang Huaiyan added, "Xiao Chen, your age makes it far too easy for people to misjudge you. I never expected you to have such a sharp grasp of the written word." "It's all thanks to the teachers' excellent guidance. At most, you could say I have strong execution." "'Strong execution'? Now there's a novel phrase. All right, you head back for now. I'll reach out to you." "Sounds good!" Leaving the office, Chen Qi spotted Jiang Shan out in the corridor, leaning over the windowsill to do her homework. She was twelve this year, not especially tall, with a rather large frame. Still just a kid who hadn't blossomed yet, she didn't look particularly remarkable. Yet Chen Qi knew what she would look like in the future: a broad face, prominent features, completely devoid of any petty narrowness. Actresses of this type were exceedingly rare, and in later eras, they became virtually extinct amid a sea of tiny faces and pointed chins. He crept up stealthily and let out a sudden shout: "Boo!" "Mommy!" Jiang Shan jumped a foot in the air. By the time she spun around to scold him, Chen Qi had already vanished without a trace. She returned to the room, complaining indignantly, "Dad, that guy is so annoying." "He's not that much older than you; he's just teasing. He's very skilled at writing, so you should learn from him when you have time." In Jiang Huaiyan's eyes, nineteen-year-old Chen Qi could indeed still be called a kid. "Who wants to learn from him? I'm going to the Foreign Studies Institute in the future!" Jiang Shan huffed and went back to her homework. After writing for a while, Jiang Huaiyan had business and stepped out again. Suddenly she heard sneaky sounds outside. That annoying guy had come back! He didn't enter the room, but simply tossed in a few pieces of candy—extras Yu Xiuli had packed for him. "Have some candy, and study hard!" With that, he took off once more. Jiang Shan looked at the candy. It was local Beijing Red Shrimp crispy candy: thin and flaky on the outside, with distinct layers of filling and a delightful texture. Pausing for a moment, she unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth anyway. "Hmph! Free candy is free candy!"