Chapter 00014: When the Mountain Flowers Bloom
# When the Mountain Flowers Bloom
Chapter 14
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 14: When the Mountain Flowers Bloom
Liang Xiaosheng was from Harbin, 30 years old this year.
He had an older brother, two younger brothers, and a younger sister.
His family was not well-off.
After graduating from middle school, he went to work in a production and construction corps, hauling wood.
Though the work was tough, he earned 40 yuan a month to help support his family.
It was during this time that he began writing, becoming a key figure in the corps' cultural activities.
In 1974, a teacher from Fudan University came to recruit students.
There were only two spots in the Chinese department, and Liang Xiaosheng, thanks to his writing talent, secured one of them and went on to study at Fudan University.
After graduation, he was assigned to the literary department of the Beijing Film Studio.
With decent looks and a good job, finding a partner shouldn’t have been a problem.
But Liang was an honest man.
Every time he went on a blind date, he would say, "My family has a heavy burden. My parents are in poor health, and I have to send most of my salary to them every month. I also have an older brother who suffers from mental illness..."
So, by the age of 30, he was still unmarried.
Though not as famous as Mo Yan, Yu Hua, or Jia Pingwa, Liang Xiaosheng was still a representative writer of his time, having written works like Tonight There’s a Snowstorm and The Ring of Years.
In later years, a TV series called The World, starring Lei Jiayin and Yin Tao, was adapted from one of his novels.
Of course, at this point, he wasn’t yet famous—just a rookie editor.
"Who did you say you were?"
"From the literary department of the Beijing Film Studio!"
Liang Xiaosheng’s sudden visit left Chen Jianjun and Yu Xiuli stunned for a good five seconds.
Chen Qi was also surprised.
He hadn’t expected Liang Xiaosheng to show up.
Hurriedly, he said, "Hello, Teacher Liang! I’m Chen Qi!"
"..."
Liang Xiaosheng was even more surprised.
He sized Chen Qi up and asked, "If I may ask, how old are you this year?"
"Nineteen!"
"Remarkable talent at such a young age!"
Liang sighed.
At 30, he was already the youngest editor at the Beijing Film Studio.
He hadn’t expected to meet someone even more prodigious.
In the film industry, experience was everything.
Older age usually meant more experience.
For a 19-year-old to write a script was almost like a joke in the capitalist world.
"Hello, hello, nice to meet you!"
He shook hands with Chen Qi and sat down.
"We received your script a few days ago. We’ve been discussing it, which is why it took some time to get back to you. Overall, we’re quite impressed, but there are still some areas that need improvement. That’s why I’m here today—to invite you to come and revise it."
"Uh..."
Yu Xiuli opened her mouth but held back, quietly listening to their conversation.
Ha!
The guesthouse was finally coming into play!
Inside, Chen Qi was ecstatic, but on the surface, he wore a mix of surprise and awkwardness, not knowing where to put his hands.
"Really? Teacher Liang, you’re really letting me revise the script? My script actually passed?"
"Well, it passed the first round of review!"
"That’s already more than I could’ve hoped for! I’m completely fine with it. I can leave right now!"
"No need to rush. Revisions aren’t done in a day or two. It could take a month, or even a year. Even after the revisions, when the film crew is assembled and shooting begins, the screenwriter needs to be present for communication. Our studio has a guesthouse for accommodations."
"Ah? So my son can’t come back?" Yu Xiuli finally asked.
"Oh no, he’s free to come and go as he pleases. He can manage his own time."
"Dad! Mom!"
Chen Qi turned to his parents, his eyes glistening with innocence and hope—yuck!
Though his parents were still confused, they could guess that their son had written something that caught the attention of the Beijing Film Studio.
This was a huge opportunity.
As parents, they weren’t going to hold him back or dampen his spirits.
They were secretly thrilled—this was his good fortune!
Chen Jianjun said, "Teacher Liang, it’s an honor that you’ve taken an interest in his work. We fully support him."
"That’s good to hear!"
Liang Xiaosheng nodded.
"You’ll probably need some time to pack. How about this: tomorrow at 5 PM, I’ll pick you up at the entrance of the Beijing Film Studio."
"Alright, thank you for coming all this way."
After seeing Liang Xiaosheng off, Chen Qi’s parents closed the door and cornered him, as if preparing for a full interrogation.
"Spill it! What’s going on?"
"How did you get involved with the Beijing Film Studio?"
"How much more have you been hiding from us?"
"Mom, don’t get worked up. Let me explain... I mean, let me tell you the truth!"
Chen Qi could spin a tale out of thin air.
He began, "I started writing this about half a month ago. Back then, I wasn’t sure if I’d end up selling tea. Even though I didn’t have a job, I wanted to do something meaningful. I’ve always loved literature, so I secretly racked my brains and came up with this script. I sent it to the Beijing Film Studio. I didn’t know if it would work out, so I didn’t tell you—I was afraid of embarrassing myself! But who knew it would actually get selected?"
When parents discover their child has talent—or even genius—what do they think?
In the case of Yu Xiuli, she was first shocked, then overjoyed.
She immediately accepted this new reality and exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew it! Our son was never meant to sell tea. This is what they call ‘silent but deadly’—or whatever that saying is. Someone once said he was good at writing essays as a kid, but it got buried because of the countryside life! Oh, I think I still have his old essay notebooks somewhere!"
"Alright, the kid’s leaving tomorrow. Hurry up and help him pack," Chen Jianjun said.
"What’s the rush? I’m going to spread the news first!"
"..."
Chen Jianjun sighed helplessly as Yu Xiuli marched out like a triumphant general.
Soon, voices could be heard outside.
"Xiuli, why are you still up? What are you doing out so late?"
"Oh, how did you know my kid wrote a script? The Beijing Film Studio, he’s going there tomorrow! Honestly, if you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have brought it up. Where else would I even talk about this..."
Chen Qi didn’t make a big fuss about it.
He only told Aunt Wang and Huang Zhanying.
Aunt Wang was already numb.
She hadn’t even processed the whole plastic factory thing, and now he was jumping to the Beijing Film Studio.
For a grassroots neighborhood official, the Beijing Film Studio felt like a world away.
Huang Zhanying was happy for him but also a little sad.
"Comrade Chen Qi, our tea stall hasn’t been open for long, but you’ve already contributed so much. Business is picking up, and just when we should be celebrating, you’re off to the cultural front! I’ve heard the cultural front can be a bit... morally loose. Don’t let it corrupt you!"
"Don’t worry, Comrade Zhanying. My commitment to serving the people will never waver!"
"Enough with the slogans, let’s talk practical matters..."
Aunt Wang couldn’t take it anymore and cut straight to the point.
"Xiao Chen, are you coming back after this? What about your job?"
"I’m just going to revise the script. It’s not a transfer. I’d like to keep my job at the cooperative, but I won’t take a salary since I won’t be working there."
"That works. What about the plastic sandals?"
"The plastic factory already agreed to sell them when it gets hot. They can’t rely on me for everything. I’m not the boss. Besides, I trust Comrade Zhanying’s abilities."
"Don’t worry, I’ll hold down the fort for everyone!" Huang Zhanying declared firmly.
To be honest, Chen Qi didn’t want to give up the tea stall.
He figured it could grow over time.
Who knows, it might even become something big someday.
After giving his final instructions, he clasped his hands and said, "When the mountain flowers bloom, we’ll meet again!"
"Speak plainly!" Aunt Wang snapped.
"Let me know when the leaders come to inspect. I’ll come back!"
(To be continued...)
(End of Chapter)