Chapter 00179: Peaceful Days
# Peaceful Days
Chapter 179
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 179: Peaceful Days
Evening.
It was dinner time, and the apartment building buzzed with activity.
The long hallway was filled with the aroma of cooking oil and the mixed scents of various dishes wafting through the air.
"Sizzle!"
Gong Xue, wearing an apron, was cooking for the first time in this place.
She was making a simple stir-fried green vegetable.
She heated the pan, added cold oil, and continuously stir-fried the vegetables until the leaves wilted.
She sprinkled a bit of salt, then picked up a small jar and scooped a third of a spoonful of sugar into the dish.
"Xiao Gong! You add sugar to stir-fried greens?"
A neighbor happened to see this and exclaimed as if she had committed some heinous crime.
The neighbor was a clothing designer at the factory.
Gong Xue smiled and said, "Teacher Zhang, I like a bit of sweetness in my food."
"After all these years in the north, you still haven't gotten used to it?"
"I’ve gotten used to it, and I can eat it without sugar, but sometimes I still add a little."
"Tsk tsk, I can’t imagine what that tastes like, sugar in greens…"
Teacher Zhang shook her head and went inside.
Gong Xue finished stir-frying the greens and made a simple egg soup.
She served herself a bowl of rice and brought it into her room, placing it on the newly bought small table.
This was the first meal she had cooked herself since moving in.
Her grandfather was from Changzhou and later moved to Shanghai.
His eating habits had a big influence on her mother.
Changzhou cuisine often used wine lees, sweet and sour sauce, and light soy sauce for seasoning, specializing in poultry and seafood dishes that were rich and slightly sweet.
That’s why her mother had such a habit of adding sugar.
Gong Xue, having lived in the north for a long time, had a more balanced palate and could enjoy both sweet and salty flavors.
The room was about ten square meters.
As you entered, you faced a window, and below the window was a bed—bigger than a single bed but smaller than a double bed, covered with a floral-patterned bedsheet.
Next to it was an old sofa gifted by Zhang Jinling, with a small coffee table in front.
Behind the door was a washbasin stand, and near the entrance, against the wall, was a set of tables and chairs piled high with books and calligraphy tools.
On the floor were several large bags filled with clothes.
"All I need now is a wardrobe and a storage cabinet, and it’ll be complete…"
After finishing her meal and washing the dishes, Gong Xue walked around the room with her hands behind her back, suddenly smiling, "This is my home now!"
The factory had assigned this as her single dormitory, but given her current fame, there was no way someone would break in and take over the place while she was away filming.
So, this was her home.
In those days, homes were usually assigned by work units, with a small monthly rent.
After years of living away, Gong Xue finally had a place to call her own.
Overjoyed, she couldn’t help but walk to the table, prepare some ink, and quickly paint a traditional Chinese painting of a magpie perched on a branch.
She signed it with "Painted by Gong Xue in early spring of the Xinyou year in the capital," in beautiful clerical script.
In the blink of an eye, it grew dark.
She washed her feet, got into bed, and lay down on her new bed, feeling both fresh and delighted.
Under the bed was an enamel spittoon—actually a chamber pot for nighttime use.
The apartment building only had a shared bathroom, but having grown up in the alleys of Shanghai, where every household used chamber pots, she was already used to it.
In those days, screening for time travelers was simple—just make them empty a chamber pot or use dirt to wipe!
"Ah… ah…"
At some point, Gong Xue was almost asleep when she faintly heard a soft moaning sound.
She listened carefully, and sure enough, there was a sound, seemingly coming from all directions.
A woman was moaning, both joyful and tearful.
"Ah, my goodness!"
Gong Xue’s eyes widened.
Her first thought was Teacher Zhang, but that couldn’t be—Teacher Zhang was in her fifties.
It must be the young couple next door, both ordinary factory workers.
She thought it would end soon, but the woman’s moans grew louder and more passionate.
The seductive sounds seemed to penetrate the walls, and for some reason, Gong Xue felt a warmth spreading through her body.
She curled up, clutching the corner of her blanket, her mind wandering to who knows where, her body curling tighter, and a strange, restless feeling stirring within her.
But this fleeting impulse was quickly interrupted by a knock on the door.
It was Teacher Zhang’s voice: "What time is it? If you’re not sleeping, we older folks still need to rest. Why don’t you nail a quilt to the wall to muffle the sound…"
The surroundings quieted down.
Would nailing a quilt to the wall really block the sound?
Gong Xue learned a strange piece of knowledge.
She suddenly felt embarrassed.
Oh heavens, will I have to do this in the future? How mortifying!
Of course, she didn’t know that in the future, after winning dual Best Actress awards for *Under the Bridge*, the Shanghai Film Studio would assign her a proper apartment—one with a flush toilet, in the Shanghai Film Studio’s residential complex.
…………
Meanwhile, Chen Qi continued to rest and assist with official propaganda, giving reports.
He knew the higher-ups were likely discussing his situation, but he wasn’t in a hurry.
One day, Director Yang Jie came to him with good news.
"*Judge Bao* is about to start filming!"
"Really? Is the crew all ready?"
"Ready, ready! They’re staying at the guesthouse. I’ve arranged for them to undergo intensive training, with Song Dynasty experts giving lectures. We can’t afford to be careless. Filming starts in ten days. I’m here to ask a favor—can we borrow your studio?"
"You should ask the higher-ups. I don’t have the authority to decide."
"Come on, everyone knows you’re the big shot now. This script is yours, after all."
Yang Jie was being a bit cheeky, but she had no choice.
The television industry was just starting out, and resources were scarce.
For *Yearning*, they had rented two basketball courts and built their own sets. *Journey to the West* was even more extreme, with sets built directly on the CCTV studio stage.
"Alright, I’ll put in a word, but no promises!"
Chen Qi agreed as a favor, then asked, "By the way, who’s playing Bao Zheng?"
"Li Po from the August First Film Studio. He’s a former Eighth Route Army soldier and has acted in *The Hui Detachment*, *The Red Sun*, and *Tracks in the Snowy Forest*. He’s very experienced. Plus, he has that imposing, stern look—perfect for the role. The costume tests went really well."
Pfft!
Chen Qi burst out laughing.
Li Po was the voice actor for Zhu Bajie in *Journey to the West* and played Dong Zhuo in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.
By the time *Three Kingdoms* was filmed, he was already old and wrinkled, but now he still had some flesh on his face.
The thought of Judge Bao delivering impassioned, righteous speeches while Zhang Guangbei (who would later play Lü Bu) glared menacingly in the background was too much.
Since Yang Jie was in charge of *Judge Bao*, Chen Qi didn’t plan to get too involved.
He’d just make sure Li Jianqun stayed on the team.
……
Two days later, it was International Women’s Day.
Gong Xue received a bunch of gifts—mugs, towels, shampoo, and the like. *The Tai Chi Master* hadn’t been released domestically yet, but thanks to its success overseas, she was awarded a certificate of merit and a 100-yuan bonus.
Yes, 100 yuan.
That was a lot of money back then!
Chen Qi accompanied her to order a wardrobe from a furniture-making cooperative run by educated youths.
The wood was from Chen Qi’s own stock, used for building houses and making furniture.
Gong Xue paid a processing fee of 45 yuan.
"I heard they can earn over 90 yuan a month. They’re quite famous in the cooperative, and their orders are booked until the end of the year."
"Yeah, if it weren’t for Auntie Wang, we wouldn’t have gotten a spot. But the wardrobe you want is so big—it’ll take up all the space in your room. Maybe get a smaller one?"
"No, I want a big wardrobe! I have more and more clothes. How can I manage without a big one?"
Gong Xue was being a bit stubborn.
Without anyone teaching her, she had started paying attention to her appearance after becoming a movie star, even learning how to do makeup.
These little details of life brought her joy, giving her a sense of peaceful, contented days.
Unfortunately, peaceful days never last long.
Just after they finished ordering the wardrobe and returned to the Beijing Film Studio, Chen Qi was called away again.
"Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you. Comrade Liao wants to see you!"
"Now?"
"Yes, right away!"
"You go on ahead…"
Chen Qi waved to Gong Xue and left with the messenger.
Gong Xue watched his retreating figure, that feeling of "not being able to keep up" resurfacing.
She didn’t know where this young man’s limits lay or how far he would go.
(End of Chapter)