Chapter 00130: The Old Lecher and the Young Lecher
# The Old Lecher and the Young Lecher
Chapter 130
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 130: The Old Lecher and the Young Lecher
Li Hanxiang had a free-spirited personality, and when it came to naming his children, he gave his daughters names like Margaret, Mary, and Merisa, and his son was named Michael—all starting with the letter "M."
Being a true northeasterner, he loved to curse with phrases like "Damn it all!"
He even taught the kids to sing risqué songs, walked around shirtless in the summer, and wore a thick gold chain around his neck—very much the image of a northeastern tough guy.
It was clear that the genes of a northeasterner ran strong in him.
At this moment, he insisted on seeing a chair, and Chen Qi had no choice but to take him and Wang Yang to room 302.
"This is a great find!"
As soon as he entered, Li Hanxiang spotted the Ming Dynasty huanghuali round-back armchair.
He strode over, crouched down, and began to examine it with a gentleness that surpassed even how one might caress a woman.
He muttered to himself, "The 'Ruyi' openwork carving with the dragon motif, the qilin, the treasure gourd, the mountain rocks, the lingzhi... Even the footrest is so well-preserved, and it's inlaid with copper. What a fine chair! What a fine chair!"
He turned around and immediately changed his tone, "Young friend, are you willing to sell it?"
"If it were yours, would you sell it?"
"I'd offer a high price!"
"I don't need the money."
"Ah, what a pity, what a pity..."
Li Hanxiang shook his head in regret, then glanced at the rosewood stool nearby.
It was of average quality, so he quickly lost interest.
Instead, he became fascinated by the pile of old books scattered on the floor and started chatting with Chen Qi about them.
Wang Yang, who didn't understand any of this, stayed for a while before leaving.
Seeing this, Chen Qi suddenly pulled out a half-torn old book from the pile and said, "The factory director is here, so I can't take it. But since you're an expert, could you give me your opinion?"
"Just by the look of it, I can tell it's a banned book..."
Li Hanxiang was sharp.
He took the book, glanced at it, and burst out laughing, "The Monk with the Lantern Grass! Haha, I never thought I'd see this kind of book on the mainland."
"I bought it by weight, and when I flipped through it, I found this. Unfortunately, it's missing a lot."
"This should be a lithographic print from the Republic of China era. Not much value. I have a set from the Guangxu period—now that's a treasure. The best one is the Qing Dynasty plain white paper manuscript, but damn it, the British stole it!"
Li Hanxiang was clearly well-versed in this field, speaking like a true connoisseur.
Chen Qi chimed in with a few flattering remarks, which hit just the right spot.
"Your copy of The Monk with the Lantern Grass is missing half, but it's not worth reading anyway. It's just about a monk entering the Yang household and engaging in endless debauchery with the lady of the house, her daughter, and the maids. It's all just vulgar nonsense. In the realm of classical erotic literature, The Monk with the Lantern Grass is nothing special. The Plum in the Golden Vase is the real masterpiece!"
"Is it because it's a novel about human relationships and society?" Chen Qi asked with a smile.
"You're quite knowledgeable, young man!"
Li Hanxiang patted his butt and naturally tried to sit on the armchair, but Chen Qi stopped him.
Unfazed, he sat on the bed instead and continued, "Classical erotic literature can be divided into three tiers. The first tier is The Plum in the Golden Vase. It portrays a complete social world, from the highest-ranking officials to the lowest scoundrels. Men and women are deeply entangled in it, twisted, struggling, and falling into depravity. That's what makes it worth reading—the eroticism is just a garnish. The second tier is Li Yu's The Fragrant Companion. It tells the story of two women who meet through poetry, fall in love, and strive to stay together. It's a remarkable piece of thought. The third tier includes works like The Monk with the Lantern Grass and The Carnal Prayer Mat. They're purely about lust, filled with vulgarity, and only tack on some moral about karma at the end. Their themes are shallow."
"So the erotic films you make follow the first-tier standard?" Chen Qi continued to flatter.
"Erotic films focus on the inner psychology of the characters and the essence of ethics. They should be sensual but not vulgar, elegant but not crass. Through the lens of romantic affairs, they should employ humor and wit. Amidst the laughter and scolding, what I'm really conveying are traditional morals and ethical concepts, meant to guide society! Unfortunately, Hong Kong audiences only see them as porn. Sigh..."
Li Hanxiang let out a long sigh, feeling the loneliness of being misunderstood.
"Listening to you, I feel like writing a story myself. But the mainland environment doesn't allow it. Forget eroticism, even a kiss can cause an uproar."
"Oh? You're interested in this too?"
"Not exactly, but I find it quite fascinating. I'd like to give it a try if I get the chance."
Chen Qi paused, then said, "Recently, I've been reading some unofficial histories and came across a woman from the Tang Dynasty named Yu Xuanji. She was incredibly talented, associated with Wen Tingyun, became a concubine, then a Taoist nun, and even killed her own maid. She once wrote a line of poetry: 'It's easier to find a priceless treasure than a man of true love.' I think if I could write her story, it would be quite compelling."
"..."
Li Hanxiang's eyes lit up.
He prided himself on his literary talent and mostly wrote his own scripts, including The Burning of the Old Summer Palace and Reign Behind the Curtain.
Even when others wrote drafts, he would rewrite the final version himself.
He had already filmed many classical legends and folk tales, like The Plum in the Golden Vase, Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai, and The Amorous Adventures of Emperor Qianlong.
But he had never thought of Yu Xuanji—she was too obscure.
Hearing Chen Qi mention her, he became intrigued and said, "If you really write it, make sure to show it to me."
Li Hanxiang was in a good mood.
He had come to the mainland for an event and unexpectedly met a like-minded young man.
The guy seemed like a virgin, but the way he talked didn't match that at all, which puzzled Li Hanxiang.
"Well, I should be going now!"
"Let me see you out!"
Li Hanxiang walked a few steps, then turned back and asked, "Are you really not selling that chair?"
"If you have something to trade, I might consider it. But selling it outright is out of the question."
"Ah, you're a clever one for your age!"
Li Hanxiang went downstairs, bid farewell to Wang Yang, and left in his car.
As a big Hong Kong director, of course, he stayed at the Overseas Chinese Hotel.
...
Chen Qi felt pleasantly surprised.
He had unexpectedly connected with Li Hanxiang.
The Burning of the Old Summer Palace and Reign Behind the Curtain wouldn't start filming for another two years.
Li Hanxiang had already written three drafts of the script, and the final version would be based on those.
Chen Qi couldn't interfere, nor did he want to.
All he wanted was to sell a script to Li Hanxiang, make some money, and build a relationship to keep him close.
Li Hanxiang himself was the most important, and as a bonus, he came with Tony Leung.
Once they were on board, Chen Qi's team and allies would be officially formed.
Li Hanxiang, Tony Leung, Bruce Leung, Tsui Siu-Ming, Liza Wang, and left-leaning actresses like Liu Xuehua, along with mainland stars like Jet Li, Ge You, Gong Xue, and Ji Chunhua—men and women, scholars and warriors.
In that moment, Chen Qi felt like a brave warrior leading a small mercenary group to challenge the dragons of Hong Kong and Taiwan, and even venture into Europe and America!
"I'm getting all fired up!"
He washed his face, sat down at his desk, and started writing the script for Yu Xuanji.
Writing this was purely to cater to Li Hanxiang's tastes—other themes might not interest him.
The film would be called The Amorous Woman of the Tang Dynasty, a 1984 production starring Pat Ha and Alex Man.
Even though it had erotic scenes, it was still a decent film.
Chen Qi wrote scripts for three Hong Kong parties.
For Great Wall, he used his real name.
For Yuen Woo-ping, he used a pseudonym he made up on the spot: Dongfang Ren.
For Li Hanxiang, he naturally had to use a pseudonym too.
The mainland was strict, but Hong Kong didn't care.
Those guys had all sorts of weird pen names, like Jeffrey Lau's "Ji An" and Wong Jing's "Not a Woman."
And now, the pen name Chen Qi had been dreaming of finally made its grand appearance:
"Rainy Night with a Knife but No Umbrella!"
(End of Chapter)