When Chen Qi transmigrated here last year, the capital was busy finding placements for youth awaiting employment.
This year was no different. This massive undertaking would continue for four or five years before finally drawing to a close, having placed a total of 750,000 people.
The results were notable: commercial outlets multiplied, and snack shops, retail kiosks, goods stalls, and repair stands rapidly spread across every street and alley. Naturally, most of these were cooperatives; it wouldn't be until the second half of this year that the capital saw the birth of its first true individual business—a restaurant owner.
The ancient city was regaining its vitality.
"Zhu Lin! Have you read that newspaper?"
"Oh, you go ahead."
"No need, no need. Just pass it to me when you're done."
That morning, at a health research institute near Tianqiao, Zhu Lin came to work as usual. She was a chemical analyst.
She was twenty-eight this year. Her father was a university professor and her mother a doctor. In 1970, she had been accepted into an art troupe, and later pursued advanced studies at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Upon graduation, she was assigned to a research institute under the academy.
Last year, when Xi'an Film Studio was preparing to shoot *The Traitor*, there was a role for a young female medical student. The director came to the capital for casting and picked her, which was followed by nine months of grueling filming.
After shooting wrapped, she returned to her work unit, but having seen the wider world, a yearning for cinema had blossomed in her heart.
Right now, she pulled out today's *China Youth Daily*, leaned back casually, crossed her legs, and began reading. Her colleague shook her head; despite possessing the dignified, serene beauty of a nation at peace and prosperity, Zhu Lin was completely unpretentious in daily life, loved joking around, and had a bit of a tomboyish temperament.
"..."
As Zhu Lin read, she suddenly let out a soft exclamation. There was an article: "Longing Across the Pacific: A Preview of an Outstanding Film, Reflections on *Romance on Mount Lu*!"
"Recently, Beijing Film Studio organized a screening. This writer had the good fortune to attend and see a film titled *Romance on Mount Lu* ahead of time, and would like to share some impressions with everyone.
"The film vividly depicts the beautiful scenery of Mount Lu—Pillow Stream Rock, Dragon Pool, Immortal's Cave... It immerses the viewer completely, leaving one intoxicated with its beauty.
"Never before have I seen such a chic, fashionable heroine. Every time she appears, she changes into a new outfit. I actually counted: a full forty-three outfits! That's right, she changes outfits forty-three times!
"One is the son of a mainland general, and the other is the daughter of a Kuomintang general. How could they come together? By the end, tears betrayed my eyes. I was moved by their sincere love, and cheered for the heroine's passionate boldness and the hero's steadfast devotion!
"'The moon grows bright over the sea; from afar we share this moment together!' Overseas Chinese share flesh and blood with the mainland, longing for it day and night. This profound love and ardent devotion to the motherland touched me even more deeply..."
Below was a brief summary:
*Romance on Mount Lu*, directed by Wang Haowei, written by Chen Qi, starring Gong Xue, Tang Guoqiang, and so on.
Yu Jiajia had penned this advertorial in an operatic, effusive style. Zhu Lin read it with keen interest and called to her colleague, "Come here, quick! There's a romance film here!"
"They're always hanging a sheep's head while selling dog meat. What real romance films could there be?"
"It's for real!"
Zhu Lin strode over and slapped the newspaper down. "Look! It clearly says the heroine is passionate and bold, their love is genuine, and she even changes into more than forty outfits!"
"More than forty outfits?!"
Her colleague was stunned, quickly read through it, and said, "What kind of movie could that be? Once it's in theaters, I'm definitely going to see it."
"I'll call you when the time comes, let's go together!"
Zhu Lin was fascinated by the film. Looking down at her white lab coat, she couldn't help wondering: *What kind of woman wears more than forty outfits? Must be the daughter of some capitalist. Two outfits are enough for me—one with the lab coat, and one without.*
* * *
Marketing was a craft requiring real technique.
The worst mistake was spreading efforts across multiple angles, which only left the public with a blur of an impression. You had to seize one single point and hammer it relentlessly—like Jia Ling losing a hundred pounds.
Under Chen Qi's guidance, Yu Jiajia's article latched onto a focal point far ahead of its time: those forty-plus outfits. One had to realize that women in this era had no "chests"!
Because ninety percent of women didn't wear bras. Accentuating one's curves was considered an offense to public morals. They wore vests, undershirts, chest wraps, or even traditional dudou bibs. What passed for bras were made of simple cotton without underwire support, failing entirely to accentuate any shape.
In such a climate, one could easily imagine what a massive stir forty-plus outfits would cause.
Chen Qi also took the lead in fanning the flames, penning an impassioned letter of criticism:
"Although this film has yet to be released, judging from the review you wrote, it hardly seems like a film worthy of praise.
"If what you say is true—specifically regarding the heroine changing into over forty outfits—then I have a few thoughts that I feel compelled to voice.
"Our motherland has just embarked on reform and opening-up and still faces many hardships. Everything demands our hard work and struggle to maintain a simple and thrifty style of living; we are far from the stage of indulging in food, drink, and pleasure.
"Yet, for the sake of a mere motion picture, they actually procured over forty outfits! What an inversion of priorities!"
Good grief—he had scolded himself in advance!
And wouldn't you know it, quite a few people actually wrote in to agree. The transition between the new era and the old was the period when ideology wavered the most: some leaned left, some leaned right, while others pretended to lean left while actually leaning right...
Before it was even released, *Romance on Mount Lu* became a sensation, its buzz surging.
Seeing this, the Film Bureau grew even more cautious about making a hasty decision, continuing to hold meetings to discuss—or rather, adopt a wait-and-see attitude.
The leader from the municipal propaganda department was delighted, believing he had secured the masses' support, and sought out Wang Yang again to insist on opposing the release of *Romance on Mount Lu*. At a moment like this, the value of having a boss with deep connections who could shoulder the burden became abundantly clear.
Wang Yang withstood the pressure and submitted the film to the Ministry of Culture for review.
In this era, cinema was under dual administration by the Film Bureau and the cultural apparatus. After *Romance on Mount Lu* was submitted, the Ministry of Culture quickly assembled a group of people for a screening. Because of the enormous fuss that had erupted, they specially invited a heavy hitter to deliver a definitive opinion.
"..."
In the screening room, *Romance on Mount Lu*, which had already been shown numerous times purely for censorship review, was screened once again.
"How could it be as terrible as the newspapers say? It's clearly a good movie!"
"This is what a new film for a new era should be! In the past, romance wasn't permitted—men and women weren't even allowed to hold hands. That went against basic human nature and natural reason! In my view, we ought to make more films like this!"
"Comrades, we cannot go back to the past!"
Why Chen Qi was so certain *Romance on Mount Lu* would pass was precisely because of people like them. Those in cultural circles were different from those in propaganda; they yearned most deeply for the dawn of a new era and dreaded returning to the past more than anything. Of course they would support it.
After the discussion, everyone turned their eyes toward the heavyweight.
One of the foremost figures in the nation's literary and artistic circles, currently Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles: Xia Yan!
Xia Yan was eighty years old. Sitting there, he had the imposing, serene presence of deep waters and towering mountains. Coming from a background in film and theater, he was consummately professional, and offered a serious appraisal:
"I think it is acceptable. There are no places that cross the line. The director handled it with great restraint, and the visual style is innocent and beautiful. It combines grand love with personal romance quite well. The story is a bit thin, but in the end, it expresses the overarching theme of hoping for the reunification, prosperity, and flourishing of the motherland.
"This concept is what we need; it is correct."
With these words, he effectively settled the nature of *Romance on Mount Lu*: its political direction was sound!
Pausing, he added another remark: "Certain comrades nowadays are simply making a fuss over nothing!"
Chapter 91