The Meeting

The Vice Minister of Culture in charge of cinema was Chen Huangmei. Already sixty-nine years old, he possessed even deeper seniority than most. He was in the middle of reviewing documents at his desk when he looked up and saw Wang Yang enter. "Old Wang, what brings you here today?" "To deliver an application!" Wang Yang handed over an official portfolio with a chuckle. Having lived in the same government compound years ago, the two knew each other exceptionally well. Chen Huangmei slipped the papers out, glanced through them, and smiled. "You certainly are proactive. Reluctant to step down from the director's chair?" "How can you put it like that? I took over as studio director back in '51 and have run it for thirty-one years. Stepping down just like that naturally leaves a pang of reluctance. But if there's truly a fitting successor, I'll step aside without a single word of protest." "The trouble is, there isn't one. And since you're still hale and hearty, we're keeping you on for a bit longer." "What about you, then? You're even older than me." "I'll probably step down to the second line sometime around May." "Oh? Who's taking over your post?" "Ding Qiao, the deputy director over at the Film Bureau." "Ding Qiao?" Wang Yang nodded. He naturally knew him. After a beat, he added, "Are you playing it safe on purpose just because you're about to retire?" "Hm?" Chen Huangmei set down his fountain pen and turned toward him. "Old Wang, speak your mind!" "That kid's script. I hear you folks have held discussion after discussion, and you even hauled him all the way back from Hong Kong. Just what are you planning to do?" "Is he your grandson? Are you his grandfather?" Chen Huangmei felt both exasperated and amused. "There are major problems with that script, and internal opinions are sharply divided. Since I oversee this portfolio, I naturally have to hear out all sides." "Give me a break. Hear out all sides? Doesn't the final decision rest with you?" Wang Yang didn't buy it in the least. "I know what that script is about, and I think it's fantastic. We're in a new era now. Cinema is supposed to be the cultural vanguard—how are we going to break new ground if everyone tiptoes around in fear? You used to be the strongest supporter of young talent. Back when *Little Flower* ran into censorship trouble, you stepped in to mediate. You were far more progressive than me back then!" "*Little Flower* was *Little Flower*. *Life Is Beautiful* is an entirely different matter!" "Well, if that kid wants to shoot it, he has my full backing!" Having stated his stance in no uncertain terms, Wang Yang spun on his heel and left. "..." Chen Huangmei sighed. He truly was a kind and generous elder. Even after stepping down, he would provide immense support to the country's film industry. For instance, the Fifth Generation's *One and Eight* and *Yellow Earth* would both be considered avant-garde in their day and run into censorship hurdles, only making it through thanks to his mediation. Yet *Life Is Beautiful* truly was different. *** The following day. A light rain in the early morning had already stopped. The sun peeked out, filling the courtyard with the chirp of birds and the fragrant freshness of grass and blossom. Woken by the chirping outside her window, Gong Xue slowly stirred from her slumber. She reached beside her, found the bed empty, and knew Chen Qi had already gone to cook breakfast. She rolled over, pulled her knees up, and chuckled softly beneath the quilt. This was what she adored most about him, something that set him apart from every other man. In these times, what man took it upon himself to cook at home? Or rather, in these times, when a woman was on her period, how many men would actually take care of her like this? Gong Xue climbed out of bed, slipped into a set of pajamas sent back from Hong Kong, and walked out of the main bedroom. As she stood on the steps, the winter jasmine trembled gently in the corner. Right then, Chen Qi poked his head out of the kitchen with a grin. "You're awake? Wash your face, breakfast is ready!" "Mhm!" She went to freshen up. By the time she returned, breakfast was already laid out on the table. "Oh, eight-treasure porridge!" Gong Xue's eyes fell on the pot. Sliced red dates, goji berries, peanuts, and silver ear fungus were mixed into the soft, glutinous rice porridge. Beside it sat a side dish of freshly harvested Chinese toon. "Not quite eight treasures—call it four-treasure porridge." "Where did you get the ingredients?" "It's just food. Is there anything I can't get my hands on?" Chen Qi ladled a bowl for her and playfully teased, "Just look at you. While other women are still using menstrual belts, you're already using sanitary pads..." "Hey! Don't bring that up!" "What's wrong with saying it?" "It's embarrassing! You're a grown man, and you go around talking about... about that sort of thing without a shred of shame?" "That's feudal thinking talking. It's a normal biological function—what's there to avoid?" "I don't care, you're not allowed to say it..." Gong Xue felt deeply embarrassed. How could anyone talk about such things out in the open? In truth, Chen Qi's nonchalance and broad acceptance of certain topics frequently left her shocked and baffled. In future generations, of course, these were trivial matters. Pouting slightly, she scooped up a spoonful of porridge and tasted it. Her eyes instantly lit up. "It's sweet!" "Tastes good, doesn't it?" "Mhm, very!" "Told you. I knew you'd like it. Eat up. Once we finish, I have to head over to the Ministry of Culture." He ate the porridge as well. His dietary habits were quite distinct: dishes inherently meant to be sweet—like squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, or eight-treasure porridge—he could happily eat. But when it came to stir-fried greens, stir-fried meat, noodles, and the like, they had to be savory. He wolfed down two bowls in quick succession. Ignoring her flailing hands and feet, he planted a firm kiss on her cheek. "I'm off. Not sure when I'll be back, so leave me a note if you go anywhere." "Okay, ride carefully!" Gong Xue called after him. She finished her breakfast at a leisurely pace, washed the dishes, and flopped back onto the large bed to watch television in blissful comfort. Whenever they were together, Chen Qi felt relaxed, and she felt thoroughly at ease. Before she knew it, the morning slipped away. Chen Qi had yet to return, so Gong Xue left a note on the table, planning to head back to the studio first. Feeling physically uncomfortable, she opted not to ride a bicycle. Slipping quietly through the corner gate, she walked toward Shichahai to catch a bus. Shichahai in spring was at its finest, with willows swaying along the banks and rowboats already gliding across the water. As she strolled along the lake, a voice suddenly called out, "Sister Xue!" "Huh?" Startled, she spun around to see Li Jianqun sitting amid an array of art supplies, dressed in her usual bohemian, gypsy style while sketching. Li Jianqun gave a teasing smile. "All the way from Beijing Film Studio just to take in the view?" "Oh, stop teasing me!" "So you didn't come for the scenery? Then what did you... wait, when did you get here?" "Jianqun! When did you get so sharp-tongued? Here I thought we were good friends!" Feeling thoroughly caught, Gong Xue flushed crimson. Seeing the other woman about to speak again, she stamped her foot in mock exasperation. "Go back to your painting! I'm leaving!" "Safe travels!" Li Jianqun bobbed her head, clearly finding the whole encounter thoroughly amusing. *** "Xiao Chen!" "Xiao Chen!" "Oh, Xiao Chen is here!" "Hey, long time no see!" Arriving at the Ministry of Culture, Chen Qi stepped into the conference room and exchanged cheerful greetings with familiar faces. Before long, several others filed in whose attitudes were distinctly colder toward him. Whenever people gathered in a collective, there could never be just a single mindset. Human beings weren't robots, after all. Plenty of people still looked at him with displeasure, but with all his achievements on display, there wasn't much they could say. Moments later, Chen Huangmei walked in and took the head seat. Gathered in the room were officials from the Ministry of Culture, representatives from the Film Bureau, as well as several invited theorists and scholars, convened specifically to deliberate over *Life Is Beautiful*.