Immersion (1)

Guling Town was still an administrative commune back then, home to just about ten thousand people. It seemed quiet enough for now, but once the tourism industry kicked off in the years to come, tens of millions of visitors would flood Mount Lu annually, putting an overwhelming strain on Guling's land and housing. Toward evening, a gentle drizzle swept across Mount Lu. Having finished his dinner, Chen Qi went out for a stroll. They were staying along Hexi Road. A short walk to the northeast brought him past a cluster of villas closed to the public, and continuing past those led straight to the cinema. He loved sitting out front by the entrance, though he had never once gone inside. In the original timeline, after the release of *Romance on Mount Lu*, the cinema would be renamed the Romance on Mount Lu Cinema. For decades, it screened only that single film once or twice a day, eventually setting a Guinness World Record. "Xiao Chen!" "What are you doing out here?" Coming from the other end of the lane, Gong Xue and Zhang Jinling strolled toward him beneath a small patterned umbrella, laughing and chatting as they took their evening walk. "Just helping my digestion. Are you two wrapping up your walk?" "Yeah. Why aren't you carrying an umbrella? Do you want to borrow ours?" "No need. Walking in the rain feels nice." "My, you cultured types are so romantic! We certainly can't compete." Gong Xue merely offered him a quiet smile, while Zhang Jinling did all the talking, adding, "Hey, what act are you putting together for the gala?" "Telling a story, what else?" "No storytelling allowed! If you tell a story, I'll give you a piece of my mind! We all agreed—this time you're singing or dancing, no exceptions. Even poetry recitals are off the table!" "Come on, don't make things so difficult. Since when are there restrictions on performances?" "Haha, well, we're doing a women's ensemble chorus. You figure out your own act, but don't go embarrassing the male comrades. See ya!" Having rattled off her piece, Zhang Jinling tugged Gong Xue away. *Tch! Your face is wider than Gao Xiaosong's!* Chen Qi grumbled to himself once they were out of earshot. Everyone was looking forward to the celebration, teaming up and working out routines with great earnestness. Even Tang Guoqiang had come bugging him, insisting on a men's duet. Duet my foot. The only "twofold" he knew anything about was a double realm of fire and ice. Chen Qi wandered around a bit longer before heading back to the hotel. Before he even reached his room, he spotted Tang Guoqiang in the hallway. "I say, Old Tang! With so many people around, why are you fixated on me?" Now that they were well acquainted, they had dropped the formal "comrade" address. Tang Guoqiang gave a laugh with his distinctive resonance. "Their appearance isn't quite up to par; standing next to them looks mismatched. But you look great, and we're the exact same height. Teaming up is just common sense." "Fine, fine, come on in!" Chen Qi unlocked the door. Tang Guoqiang pulled a cassette from his pocket and murmured, "Don't you have a tape recorder? I specifically borrowed a tape from the hotel manager so we can practice." "I give up. Do whatever you want, I'm washing my face." "Where's the recorder?" "On the desk!" Chen Qi grabbed the thermos and poured half a basin of hot water, splashing it vigorously over his face. Tang Guoqiang called out again, "Does this take batteries?" "Don't waste batteries, plug it into the wall!" "This outlet doesn't seem to work." "Use the one by the bed!" "Is it inserted?" "..." Tang Guoqiang paused, looking over with a puzzled frown. "Why did that sound so strange?" "Well, did it go in?" "Is it all the way in?" "Did you finish?" "Stop, stop, stop!" Tang Guoqiang was twenty-seven and getting married soon; he wasn't some untouched innocent like Ge You who knew nothing about the world. He shook his head. "Xiao Chen, your mind is stuffed with the weirdest things. It's downright alarming!" Clicking the button, he let a familiar melody drift into the room. *"The fine wine is fragrant and the singing takes flight, friends, raise your cups and drink deep tonight..."* The song, "Toast Song," had been created in 1976. For decades afterward, it would remain a timeless classic sung across the nation. "Come on, let's run through it!" "Just a quick rehearsal!" "At least make sure we don't flub the lyrics and make fools of ourselves." Tang Guoqiang was brimming with enthusiasm. Chen Qi had no choice but to stand there in the middle of the room like an idiot and take performance notes from him. "Chest out, head high, keep your posture open and project full, vibrant warmth... When we hit this line, throw in a gesture. A sweep of the arm like this will make it much more dynamic..." "Should I dance with my eyebrows too?" "That would be overdoing it, but your eyes must be focused and full of spirit." Chen Qi rolled his eyes. Who knew he was such a dramatic performer? Then again, how introverted could a celebrity who later endorsed excavators really be? * * * In his previous life, Chen Qi had been born in 1980. To be an eighties child was to witness a truly bizarre arc of history: reading by kerosene lamps in childhood, encountering computers in adolescence, leaping straight to smartphones in youth, and facing an even wilder middle age with pandemics, Sino-American geopolitical rivalries, lunar landings, and a wave of American youth movements reveling in absolute 'liberty'... It felt like living through the shifts of two whole centuries. Ever since the founding of the nation, events in each era had been judged differently over time. Like many people, Chen Qi's perspective on this stretch of history had evolved from youthful ignorance and misunderstanding to cynical sarcasm, then deliberate study, and ultimately a renewed understanding. Take 1979 alone—it was a year packed with monumental events. The establishment of diplomatic ties with the United States, the issuance of the *Message to Compatriots in Taiwan*, the founding of the Shekou Industrial Zone, the border war with Vietnam, the emerging deliberations over family planning as a basic national policy... Every single one was a historic milestone. In the blink of an eye, October 1 arrived: National Day. The Guling Hotel was decked out in lanterns and festive banners. Red cloth and satin ribbons were draped everywhere as if they cost nothing; even without a film crew on the premises, a large state-run hotel could hardly neglect such an occasion. The dining hall had long been rearranged, with tables and chairs pushed against the perimeter to leave an open space in the center as a makeshift stage. On the front wall hung a portrait of the current leader, above which hung a large banner reading: *Romance on Mount Lu Film Crew and Guling Hotel Staff Joint National Day Celebration Gala!* Everyone sat upright like well-behaved school pupils. Chen Qi looked over the offerings on the tables: a few scattered fruits and candies, plenty of melon seeds to fill out the plates, and, rather miraculously, a few boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes. "All right, settle down, everyone!" "We're getting started!" Director Wang Haowei and the hotel manager served as the co-hosts, their voices filled with stirring passion. "Thirty years ago today, our Chairman solemnly proclaimed the birth of New China from the Tiananmen Rostrum! Thirty years later, we gather here on Mount Lu to celebrate the birthday of our great motherland!" "..." Chen Qi leaned over and whispered, "Who wrote the opening remarks?" "Director Wang penned them herself," Tang Guoqiang whispered back. "Not bad at all!" "I thought you were about to mock them!" Tang Guoqiang looked at him in surprise. "What kind of person do you take me for? This is the motherland's birthday!" Chen Qi shot back, even more astonished. *Can't I be earnest when the moment calls for it?* Up front, Wang Haowei concluded the introductions and announced the opening act: several hotel waitresses performing a Loyalty Dance. The dance had largely fallen out of practice by this time, but the young women knew no other choreography, and it filled the slot well enough. Next came Peking opera excerpts and poetry recitations, performed mostly by the older attendees. When it came to the younger crowd, the tone shifted. Gong Xue, Zhang Jinling, and several other female comrades delivered an ensemble rendition of *The Spring Water Tinkles*, a popular tune released just the year before. *"Tinkle-tinkle, the spring water tinkles, leaping down the hillside and crossing through the meadow..."* "Whoo!" The hall immediately livened up as the audience clapped along to the beat, Chen Qi joining in. These were true classics, songs that would echo through the decades, soon to be joined in the coming years by *Camel Bells*, *The Sea, Ah, My Homeland*, and *Young Friends Gather Together*. "For our next performance, I know everyone has been waiting eagerly. While he's known across our crew as a master storyteller, today we'd like to see him show off a different talent. Please welcome Tang Guoqiang and Chen Qi performing 'Toast Song'!" Applause thundered across the room, louder than for anyone before.