Chapter 00138: Reunion
# Reunion
Chapter 138
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 138: Reunion
"Blue skies, white clouds, the gentle flow of water by the shore..."
In the recording studio of the Beijing Film Studio, 17-year-old Li Lingyu nervously sang the first line of the song before being abruptly stopped by Hu Weili, who said, "Your Yue opera accent is too strong. Tone it down a bit!"
"Okay, teacher!"
"Stop! I said tone it down, not completely eliminate it. You still need to carry a hint of that operatic tone to make it more graceful."
"Got it, teacher!"
Li Lingyu blinked her big eyes, feeling a bit wronged by the scolding, but she didn’t want to give up this rare opportunity.
She gritted her teeth and continued to adjust.
Originally from Shanghai, Li Lingyu had been recruited by the Beijing Red Flag Yue Opera Troupe during their visit to Shanghai.
With her tall stature, bold eyebrows, and striking eyes, she was assigned to play male roles, as Yue opera was predominantly performed by women, with female actors often taking on male roles.
This had led to many famous pairings, such as Mao Weitao and He Saifei, and later Chen Lijun and Li Yunxiao.
This song was originally meant for her to sing, and Chen Qi had brought her in to give it a try, asking Hu Weili to coach her.
If it didn’t work out, they could always find someone else.
In contrast, finding a singer for "Who is the Hero" was proving to be much more difficult.
Liu Huan and Han Lei were still too young at the time, and the song required a powerful, resonant voice with a bold and commanding presence.
Back then, there were no pop singers—most vocalists were trained in classical or folk singing.
Chen Qi was at his wit's end until Hu Weili introduced him to a singer who specialized in northwest folk songs, the kind that sang about the blooming red flowers of the mountains.
That style fit the bill.
"How many times do I have to tell you? This part needs to be softer! Softer! If you can’t do it, just leave!"
"I’m sorry, teacher. Please give me one more chance. I’ll get it right this time!"
"How are you going to get it right? Do you understand that you’re wasting time?"
Hu Weili was generally patient, but as a teacher, he sometimes lost his temper.
Just as Li Lingyu was on the verge of tears, Chen Qi stepped in to play the good guy, saying, "Let’s take a break. She’s still young. Don’t be too harsh on her."
"You’re the one who brought her in, saying time was tight. Now you’re not in a hurry anymore?"
"Pushing too hard won’t work. You need to balance pressure with relaxation."
"Oh, so I’m the bad guy now?"
Hu Weili rolled his eyes, while Chen Qi, with a thick-skinned grin, handed Li Lingyu a pear, saying, "Here, have this to soothe your throat. Take a break."
"Thank you, Teacher Chen!"
Li Lingyu held the pear in her hand, too shy to eat it at first.
Only after Chen Qi urged her did she take a small bite.
The sweet juice brought relief to her parched throat, and she immediately felt better.
"I think you’re just too nervous and not performing at your best. You’re from the south, right? Try thinking of this song as one of your Jiangnan folk tunes. Hum it casually, like you’re by a small bridge with flowing water, singing about young lovers."
"Okay, okay!"
She nodded repeatedly, thinking how gentle this young man was compared to that grumpy old man.
After a short break, she continued to endure Hu Weili’s relentless coaching.
Chen Qi watched her from outside, already planning to bring this talented girl into his fold.
In the 1980s, two queens of music emerged—one was Zhang Qiang, the disco queen, and the other was Li Lingyu, the sweet-voiced singer.
For the next 20 years, making music would be a lucrative business.
Chen Qi realized he had a bit of a collecting habit.
Whenever he felt his team was missing a certain type of talent, he would go out of his way to find one.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease.
"Xiao Chen, the director wants to see you!"
"Okay, got it!"
Just then, someone came in to inform him.
Chen Qi quickly explained the situation to Hu Weili and hurried out.
When he reached the main building, he noticed an extra car parked outside, and his heart leapt with joy.
He knew exactly who had arrived.
Climbing the stairs to the director’s office, he found Fu Qi and Shi Hui sitting on the sofa.
"Fu..."
He was about to greet them when a small head popped out from behind Shi Hui.
It was a little girl with big eyes, a ponytail, wearing a pretty padded jacket and a pink hair clip—a very stylish little girl.
"Xiao Chen!"
Shi Hui spoke first, smiling.
"We’re all familiar now. No need to keep calling us ‘seniors.’ There’s quite an age gap between us. If you don’t mind, just call us Uncle and Auntie."
"Uncle, Auntie!" Chen Qi readily complied.
"Ah!"
Shi Hui looked pleased and pulled her daughter forward, introducing her.
"This is our youngest daughter... and this is Brother Xiao Chen!"
"Hello, Brother!"
Fu Mingxian looked at him curiously.
The little girl, being a bit of a face enthusiast, was immediately satisfied with his appearance.
Chen Qi, however, remained calm.
Since coming to this world, he had already encountered several little girls, and one more didn’t make much of a difference—if you stretched the definition, even Cai Ming was only 19!
"It’s not easy for you to bring your child all the way here. Why not stay a few more days and explore the city? Have you been to Tiananmen Square yet?" Wang Yang seemed to really like Fu Mingxian, treating her like a granddaughter.
"We just went this morning and also paid a visit to the Memorial Hall. We’ll take her to the Great Hall another day," Fu Qi replied.
"That’s good. Now that everyone’s here, let’s eat. I specifically asked the canteen to prepare two extra roast ducks," Wang Yang said with a smile.
"That’s great! I’ve been craving your factory’s roast duck!"
With that, the group headed downstairs to the canteen.
The canteen had a private room reserved for guests.
Joining them were director Li Wenhua and the lead actress, Gong Xue, making a total of seven people.
Though the Beijing Film Studio wasn’t a large state-owned enterprise in terms of scale, it had the amenities of one, being a bureau-level institution.
It often hosted leaders and overseas guests, so the canteen chefs had to be top-notch to keep their jobs.
The round table was set with eight dishes, the centerpiece being the roast duck, sliced even better than Quanjude’s—at least compared to the Quanjude of later years.
"Such extravagance in a time of hardship!"
Chen Qi sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of concern for the nation and its people.
"Wow, is this Beijing roast duck?"
Fu Mingxian, at 10 years old, was quite mature for her age.
She could sit on a chair with her feet touching the ground, knew to run home when it rained, and would call for her mom if someone chopped off Yang Guo’s arm.
She had a bright future ahead.
"This isn’t from a famous old brand, but it’s made in a similar way. The chef here is amazing. Do they have roast duck in Hong Kong?" Chen Qi asked.
"They do, but Dad says it’s not authentic. They have more roasted meats and geese, and even roasted suckling pigs. The skin is crispy, but I don’t think it’s very tasty," Fu Mingxian explained, gesturing with her hands.
"Wow, you really know how to use the word ‘authentic’ authentically! Let me tell you, in old Beijing, there are no roads—just tunnels. And you always add a little exclamation, like ‘Hey! Authentic!’"
"Are you doing a tongue twister?" Fu Mingxian looked puzzled.
"Haha! Brother Xiao Chen is just teaching you some local customs. Go ahead and eat," Shi Hui said with a laugh, rolling a duck pancake for her daughter.
Fu Mingxian took a big bite, her eyes lighting up as she nodded enthusiastically.
"..."
Gong Xue, sitting nearby, shot him a sideways glance.
This guy really enjoyed teasing little girls.
With the only child happily eating, the adults turned to more serious matters.
Wang Yang said, "The Film Bureau has approved ‘Tai Chi’ for the Berlin Film Festival. They’ve also selected ‘Swallows Return’ to compete. It’s about the Anti-Rightist Campaign and supporting the border regions."
"What’s the point of sending such a film abroad?"
Fu Qi was puzzled.
"I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the film itself, but when it comes to international film festivals, where we’re trying to build cultural bridges, it’s not the best choice. Since the central government has decided to open up, why are we still stuck in old ways of thinking? Either change or don’t change, but this halfway approach is frustrating!"
He had his own stance but ultimately had to follow central directives.
The current state of confusion was deeply unsatisfying to him.
"You’re being too radical again. Reform doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to work from the top down," Shi Hui said.
"I think we’re just not approaching it the right way..."
Chen Qi chimed in, "We want to showcase China’s values and the spirit of the times, and that’s fine. But given our current situation, there’s not much we can really show."
(End of Chapter)