Make Her a Star

Gong Xue hadn't expected the question to be directed at her. She considered Zhang Jinling a good friend, and among people she knew well, she opened up more. "I haven't really thought about it," she said. "I've always wanted to go to the Shanghai Film Studio so I could live with my parents." "You're all grown up and you still want to live with your parents?" "I left home in my teens and have been drifting around ever since. Of course I want to go back to Shanghai." "Is it hard to get into the Shanghai Film Studio?" Chen Qi asked. "Very hard. I've never worked with them, and they don't know who I am. Why would they take a complete unknown out of nowhere?" Gong Xue sighed, looking rather dejected. *Don't do that, elder sister! It'd be so great if you stayed in the capital—you need to share a frame with Zhu Lin...* Chen Qi pondered for a moment before speaking. "Here's what I think: since you want to be an actress, you should seize whatever opportunity is in front of you. Don't end up empty-handed on both ends. Director Wang appreciates talent. If *Romance on Mount Lu* turns out well, he'll definitely apply to have you transferred. Just look at Liu Xiaoqing—how much did they pay to get her again?" "Eighty thousand!" Zhang Jinling held up fingers to gesture the number. "See? An eighty-thousand-yuan transfer fee. By the time it's your turn, double it—it won't cost a cent less than two hundred thousand!" "You make it sound like we're commodities! Besides, how could I possibly be worth two hundred thousand?" Gong Xue shot him a sidelong glance, taking it all as nonsense. At the same time, she felt a twinge of melancholy. *Romance on Mount Lu* would wrap up in December, and after that, she would have to return to the military troupe. She was deeply grateful for this opportunity and loved the atmosphere of the film crew, soaking up experience like a sponge. She hated the thought of leaving. If she didn't want to go back, she would need another role lined up. Yet making a movie was never that simple. They had to pick a subject, write a script, hold meetings and discussions, cast actors... What were the odds that they would pick her again out of sheer coincidence? That would be far too lucky. "Burp—" Chen Qi picked up his large bowl, drained the wonton soup, and let out a satisfied belch. "All finished?" "Finished. Let's go!" He stood up, pulled out some fractional bills adding up to two yuan, and arranged them neatly on the table. "Comrade Zhanying, mind if I borrow your tricycle? I need to take some things home." "Take it and ride! Why are you paying?" "We might be brothers from different mothers and fathers, but business is business between brothers." The crew at the tea stall were already used to this. The veterans even filled in the newcomers: this was Teacher Chen, a slacker who'd never done an honest day's work here, whose only contribution had been teaching them to nod "yes" and shake their heads "no"... They were Kong Yijis who had already shed their scholar's long gowns. Chen Qi was not. He wasn't willing to endure that kind of hardship, so when he had first transmigrated and saw how bad things were, he had hitched up his long gown and sprinted away. The tea stall had a cargo tricycle, and after borrowing it, he headed south until he reached the Qianmen trust shop. A trust shop was a place that bought and sold second-hand goods, and it could also sell items on consignment for a small handling fee. Cameras, watches, handicrafts, clothing, furniture—they had everything. Many people came here hunting for treasures, commonly known as "finding hidden gems." In most people's minds, finding a hidden gem meant spending a couple of yuan and walking away with a piece of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain. Things like that really did happen, but a person might not run into such luck once in a lifetime. Who didn't know good things were good? But they were expensive, too! People in this era were poor, and only a tiny minority was willing to spend money collecting antiques. Take Ma Weidu in the 1980s: he spent two thousand yuan on a set of folding screens—money originally meant for a color television. Who among ordinary people could bear to part with that kind of cash? So when people talked about finding hidden gems, it really meant that at this time, fine items were plentiful and competition was scarce, giving you a huge chance to get your hands on them. Of course, if you were like the female elder, backed by powerful connections, shipping antiques by the truckload to sell in Hong Kong—now that was truly formidable. Or like Li Chunping, spinning a tale about being kept by a Hollywood starlet and inheriting a fortune of hundreds of millions... All of these were quirks of the era. Chen Qi had already browsed the trust shop that morning. Going in now, he carried out a gramophone, several old vinyl records, and two chairs, loaded them onto the tricycle, and pedaled toward home. He turned into Menkuang Hutong and stopped at the courtyard entrance. Zhang Jinling helped him carry the chairs while Gong Xue held the gramophone, curiously inspecting the courtyard compound. "So this is the Xinhua Bookstore dormitory?" she asked. "Yep, the place that bore and raised me!" "That room over there is my home." Chen Qi unlocked the door, brought the items inside, and said with a smile, "Thanks for your help, both of you. Making two female comrades carry things for me... but I really saw something good and just couldn't resist." "Listen to you! Women hold up half the sky—what's wrong with carrying a few things?" Zhang Jinling replied nonchalantly. *Sigh! If she said that a few decades later, the internet princesses would roast her alive.* "..." Gong Xue merely looked around the small house. It was tidy and neatly kept, packed with belongings, several of which appeared quite valuable. An improvised bed was set up in the outer room. Taking a look at the bed, she pressed her lips together and smiled. "You sleep here? Is it long enough?" "I sleep like this, with my feet right here..." Chen Qi dragged over a long bench and set it at the foot of the bed, manually extending its length. "The bed's a bit short, but it's wide across—no problem fitting three people." "Now that sounds rather ambiguous, young comrade!" Zhang Jinling was already married and understood everything, so she scolded him on the spot. Without even stopping for a sip of water, they stepped back outside after standing around for just a moment... There was no helping it: one man with two women, at her age and his age—gossip could twist anything, words could crush a person, and once rumors started, not even jumping into the Yellow River could wash away the stain. He had to be mindful of that! Chen Qi patted his cheeks. Heading out, he hurried over to the Xinhua Bookstore and called out to Yu Xiuli, "Mom, I bought some things and dropped them off at home!" "What did you buy? Hey, you're leaving already?" "A gramophone and chairs... Those chairs are huanghuali rosewood, so don't you go chopping them up for firewood!!!" ... Dusk. Having finished dinner, Gong Xue took her usual stroll in the courtyard. With the crew not filming, her days were rather dull; meals were like recess in a prison yard, and otherwise she cooped herself up in her room reading books. She had few friends and wasn't naturally inclined toward socializing. After being out all day, she felt a bit tired, but also quite happy. "Comrade Gong Xue?" A call came from behind. She turned around, searched her memory for a second, and then spoke. "Director Huang, out for a walk too?" "Yes, a hundred steps after a meal does wonders for one's health!" Huang Jianzhong smiled as he caught up. "Your crew hasn't resumed filming yet, right? It's all because of that congress. In filmmaking, the worst thing is an interruption midway through; it's so easy to lose momentum, and once it's gone, getting it back is tough." "Um, I'm doing fine..." She had originally intended to stroll a bit longer, but now she wasn't in the mood anymore. "I'm heading back to the guesthouse. Thank you for your concern." "Oh, all right. I'm going to do a few more laps!" Huang Jianzhong watched her receding figure and compared her with his own wife; there truly was no comparison. Twenty years in the future, he would be sleeping around with actresses, but in the current climate, he wouldn't dare make any indecent moves. He had merely found her pretty and come over for some awkward small talk, and she had treated him with polite courtesy. "Pretty boy!" Huang Jianzhong curled his lip, cursing who knew whom. ... Gong Xue returned to her room, and before she knew it, darkness had fallen. Sitting at the desk, she found some letter paper and began writing to her parents. "Today, Sister Jinling mentioned that I might have a chance to join the Beijing Film Studio, but I've never considered the idea. Having been away from home for ten years, I yearn so deeply to return to your side and keep you company. Even now, Shanghai Film Studio remains my true goal. "*Romance on Mount Lu* will wrap up next month, at which point I'll have to return to the military troupe. I'm so reluctant to leave everything about the crew behind, and I can only confide this in you. Please don't blame me for acting like a child again..." ... "Aaargh!" Meanwhile, Chen Qi was venting his frustration in Room 302, his hand aching and his rear sore from writing *Invincible Dual Kicks*. "A computer! I need a computer! Even a typewriter would do! "I'm a guy used to writing eight-hundred-word school essays, and now you want me to handwrite tens of thousands of words?!" He muttered complaints while scribbling away. When he finally hit his daily word count target, he sprang to his feet, overcome with relief. By the time he finished washing up, it was past eleven at night. Lying down on his bed, he thought about those two huanghuali chairs—ah, those lines, that texture! What a shame they could only be crammed into his humble little house. Then the daytime conversation came to mind: transferring to Beijing Film Studio, Shanghai Film Studio, and all that... He didn't think much of it. "It's simple enough. All I have to do is make her a star!"