A Shanghai Family

A *longtang* can simply be understood as a lane or alleyway. At the mouth of a *longtang*, there is usually a large iron gate. Beyond it lies a narrow lane lined on both sides with row houses known as *shikumen*. A single *shikumen* residence contained seven or eight rooms, including bedrooms, wing rooms, *tingzijian* mezzanine rooms, kitchens, and so forth. Much like the courtyard houses of Beijing, the *shikumen* had become bustling hubs of everyday life, where multiple families of all ages lived squeezed together. Shanghai, North Chongqing Road. Early this morning, a particular *longtang* had already grown noisy. Neighbors poked their heads out from small windows, calling down greetings to the family walking below. "The whole family went out so early in the morning... Oh my, your Xiaoxue is back! Haven't seen you in a year, and you've grown even prettier!" "Yes, indeed! We just picked her up... Xiaoxue, look, it's your Auntie Wang!" "Auntie Wang!" "Good, good! Come over to our place for a meal another day!" Under curious gazes and a dense canopy of bamboo drying poles, the travel-worn Gong Xue was escorted into a *shikumen*, surrounded by her family. Although the crowded tenement courtyards of Beijing also housed multiple families, the individual rooms were separate structures. A *shikumen*, by contrast, was a single integrated building. Three households lived here, each allotted two rooms, sharing a kitchen and having no private toilet. The neighbors were all colleagues of Gong Xue's father, and they got along passably well. The moment she entered, she was greeted warmly by the other two families, exchanging polite pleasantries back and forth before she finally retreated into her own family's quarters. The small rooms instantly felt cramped. Father Gong was past fifty, with a lean, refined face and remarkably spirited eyes. Her mother, surnamed Zhuang, had delicate features and bore a strong resemblance to Gong Xue. Formerly a government cadre, after retiring she did some assisting work at the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House. Gong Xue's maternal grandfather had been named Zhuang Xianshi, a native of Changzhou and a minor official in the late Qing dynasty. He had studied in Japan around the same time as Lu Xun, and after returning, founded a women's normal school, becoming one of the pioneers of modern education in Changzhou. Later, he worked in the Ministry of Education under the Nationalist government. During the Japanese invasion, Zhuang Xianshi turned down invitations from the puppet government in Nanjing and chose instead to be an ordinary schoolteacher. After the founding of the People's Republic, he served as a research fellow at the Shanghai Research Institute of Culture and History, on good terms with figures like Lü Simian and Ba Jin. Zhuang Xianshi passed away in 1965. While not nationally famous, he was an esteemed local scholar who could be found in historical records. Yet for that very reason, Gong Xue's family home had been ransacked during the political campaigns, and many of the old gentleman's collected paintings and calligraphy had been confiscated. Gong Xue had an older brother and an older sister; her brother did art design at a publishing house, and her sister worked in a factory. Below her was a younger sister, Gong Ying, who later also became an actress, appearing in productions like *The Bao Father and Son* and *Ji Gong*... Such was her family. With Gong Xue home, the family naturally had an abundance of longing to pour out. Talking gave way to tears, and tears turned into laughter. After quite a commotion, Mother Zhuang finally got up to cook. Today the family was welcoming their daughter back from afar, so the other two households were considerate enough to vacate the shared kitchen without being asked. Her older brother and sister were already married with homes of their own; after dinner, they took their leave. Gong Ying was still young and lived with their parents. Now that Gong Xue was back, she shared a bed with her. ... In the blink of an eye, night fell. After two days on the train, any physical and mental exhaustion Gong Xue might have felt was entirely swept away by the joy of being home; she did not feel tired at all. Leaning against the headboard under the dim, yellowish lamp light, she leafed through the manuscript Chen Qi had given her. This material was truly bizarre. Beyond the eerie "jar person," there was a "mural of flowing water where the sound of the stream could be heard and the water flowed straight into one's mind," "candle flames painted on paper that caught fire at a touch," "a roast chicken that could fly," and "chicken noodle soup eaten on the spot by using a hand as a blade and drawings as noodles." It was downright feudal superstition! In the Mainland, this would definitely get the script rejected and banned on the spot—shot dead for five minutes straight. But Gong Xue knew Chen Qi never crossed lines carelessly; he had to have some other purpose for it. "Sis!" Gong Ying walked in after washing up and pounced onto the bed. Gong Xue lifted the quilt to bundle her in. The two looked about seventy to eighty percent alike, a striking pair of sisters. "What are you reading? Eek, what is this jar person? It's so weird and creepy!" "I don't understand it either. A friend asked me to help him illustrate it." "He asks you to draw it and you just do it? Aren't you afraid of getting caught? You'd be in serious trouble!" "I kept it hidden while I was with the troupe; I only brought it home to draw." Gong Xue set down the manuscript and hugged her little sister with a smile. "When I was shooting *Romance on Mount Lu*, this friend helped me out immensely. Now that he's asked me for a little favor, how could I refuse? I'm only worried I won't draw it well and will hold up his plans. Tomorrow I'll consult Mom and Dad." "Hmm..." Gong Ying studied her with a teasing grin, shaking her head. "Different. You're completely different." "What's different?" "You're not the same as when you came back last year. There's this... indescribable feeling about you." "What do you know, little girl? Stop talking nonsense." "Oh please! It's like you're in full bloom! I've never seen you care so much about anyone before, even asking Mom and Dad for help. Just who are you blossoming for?" "Say one more word and I'll smack you!" Flustered and embarrassed, Gong Xue lunged at her. The two sisters wrestled and giggled, rolling into a heap on the bed. Perhaps the noise grew a bit too loud, for their father's voice called out from the adjoining room: "Xiaoxue, not asleep yet?" "No, I'm not tired yet." "Your mother isn't asleep either. Why don't you come over and chat for a bit?" "..." Gong Xue shot her sister a glare, draped an extra layer over her shoulders, and walked into the other room. Her father was already out of bed, sitting in a chair, while Mother Zhuang reached out with a warm smile. "Come quick, don't catch a chill!" "Hehe!" Before her parents, she slipped naturally into the demeanor of an affectionate little girl. Scurrying into the covers, she asked, "Dad, what did you want to talk about?" "That letter you sent us earlier—your mother and I discussed it for a long time," Father Gong said in his characteristically scholarly manner. "The reason we didn't write back was that we wanted to wait until you came home to have a proper talk. After all, it concerns a major turning point in your life. "Even though our family knows a few people at Shanghai Film Studio, and your Auntie Zhang Ruifang has put in a word on your behalf, the studio is a large, complicated place. It isn't run by any single person's decree. Arranging your transfer will still be no easy feat." Zhang Ruifang was an actress at Shanghai Film Studio, renowned for films such as *From Victory to Victory* and *Li Shuangshuang*, and was one of the twenty-two great movie stars of New China. "The main issue is that you haven't starred in any Shanghai Film Studio productions," Mother Zhuang added. "Their leadership doesn't know you, and they won't transfer someone in out of thin air. Didn't you say *Romance on Mount Lu* turned out very well? Will it be released this year?" "If all goes smoothly, it should be in theaters this summer." "Then let's do this: once *Romance on Mount Lu* comes out, we'll ask people to speak for you again and see if we can get you transferred in. If that doesn't work, we advise you to choose Beijing Film Studio. Aren't they quite keen on you?" "But I want to stay by your side!" Gong Xue pursed her lips. "Silly child," Mother Zhuang said, "your primary goal is to become a full-time film actress. You need to get your foot in the door at a film studio first; where you go is secondary. Once you're at Beijing Film Studio, your schedule will be much more flexible. When there's a role, you film; when there isn't, you can come home to visit us. It's practically the same." One had to admit, her parents saw things with great clarity. Only by entering a studio could one break into the film circle, and only with that platform could one climb higher. Gong Xue had previously been stubborn, fixated solely on returning to Shanghai. Hearing this now, she realized it made a lot of sense. "All right, I'll listen to you two. Whichever studio takes me, I'll go. When I return after the Spring Festival, I'll be doing the voice dubbing for *Romance on Mount Lu*." "Good. Be sure to let us know as soon as it's released!" Mother Zhuang ruffled her hair, and after chatting a little longer, Gong Xue finally headed back to her own room. Gong Ying was already asleep. Gong Xue slipped quietly into bed, her mind tangled with thoughts, which ultimately boiled down to a single resolution: *First things first—get these illustrations drawn properly.*