Chapter 00199: A Pair of Beauties
# A Pair of Beauties
Chapter 199
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 199: A Pair of Beauties
In the end, "The Legend of Tianyun Mountain" and "Night Rain in Bashan" tied for the Best Feature Film award.
No one found this problematic.
Following that was a cultural performance.
Chen Qi went up on stage to recite a poem, doing so in a rather perfunctory manner.
Afterward, he sat down to watch Gong Xue dance for the first time.
Gong Xue didn’t change her outfit.
She wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a long white skirt, with only a bamboo hat on her head.
She performed a traditional folk dance from Zhejiang called the "Tea Picking Dance."
"The stream is clear, the stream is long, the scenery on both sides is so beautiful..."
She had learned dance before but stopped practicing after an injury.
However, her basic movements were still intact.
Her gestures were precise, graceful, and full of flexibility.
Her white skirt twirled on stage, captivating the hearts of many in the audience.
Especially since she had just won two awards, a strong sense of confidence supported her dance moves, making them elegant and self-assured.
"My sister is so talented, but it’s a pity I can’t see her clearly..."
Chen Qi clapped his hands from below.
The distance was far, and the lighting was dim, so he couldn’t make out her facial expressions.
He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "Hmph! I’ll make her dance for me alone when we get back! And with Li Jianqun too!"
Around ten o’clock, the award ceremony, which everyone considered a great success, came to an end.
Everyone returned to the guesthouse.
The work wasn’t over yet; there would be several days of discussions, research, and some sightseeing.
News of the event began to appear in the newspapers.
Gong Xue not only won two awards but also had impressive box office numbers to back her up.
She excelled in both art and commerce, undoubtedly becoming the top star in the country, surpassing even Liu Xiaoqing and others.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of May, the day before their departure.
On the first floor of the hotel, Chen Qi sat waiting.
Before long, the chubby He Qing arrived first, carrying a large luggage bag.
Chen Qi stood up to help her and asked, "Have you settled everything with your troupe? Why didn’t your parents come to see you off?"
"I’m already 17! I can take the train by myself. But I told them, and when they heard I was going to film 'Tai Chi 2,' they couldn’t wait to send me off!"
He Qing sat on the soft sofa, acting both carefree and cautious.
She knew this was a high-class guesthouse for the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards, a place she wouldn’t normally have access to.
She secretly glanced at Chen Qi, who sat with his legs crossed, relaxed and natural, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
He was completely different from the rigid and serious men she was used to, exuding an indescribable charm.
If she had access to the internet, she would know this kind of attraction was called "the school belle being swept off her feet by the bad boy from outside!"
"He’s so handsome and so young..."
He Qing stole a few more glances, feeling quite satisfied.
Men love to look at beautiful women, and she loved to look at handsome men.
It was the same kind of visual feast.
After a while, three people entered through the door.
Two adults led a teenage girl inside.
They glanced around and quickly approached, saying, "Sorry, sorry, our car broke down halfway, and it took a while to fix."
"No problem, no problem. Since you’ve come in person to escort her, let’s just sign the contract."
Chen Qi took out a prepared contract and explained, "For the film 'Tai Chi 2,' with the consent of her guardian and the Yue Opera Troupe, Tao Huimin will participate in the collaboration. During the filming period, we will pay her the same salary she receives from the Yue Opera Troupe, with an additional daily filming allowance of 2 yuan..."
"Both get 2 yuan?"
"Yes, she also gets 2 yuan!" Chen Qi pointed at He Qing.
"Will she be acting with Jet Li and Gong Xue?"
"Yes, Gong Xue is upstairs. Would you like me to take you to see her?"
"No, no, we trust you!"
The parents signed the contract, essentially "selling" their daughter to Chen Qi.
The 15-year-old Tao Huimin shyly hid behind her mother, not saying a word, occasionally stealing a glance at Chen Qi.
She wasn’t as straightforward as He Qing and was still in a daze.
"Minmin, listen to the organization. The country values you and has given you a task. Don’t let them down!"
"Yes, yes, remember to serve the people!"
"We’re leaving now. Be good!"
"Mom, Dad..."
Tao Huimin reluctantly bid farewell to her parents.
When she turned back to look at Chen Qi, she immediately became shy again, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
She was from Rui’an, Wenzhou, and her Yue Opera Troupe was also from Rui’an, so she had never been far from home.
Now, as a young girl alone in a strange place, it was natural for her to feel scared.
"..."
Chen Qi had met her before.
Now, as he observed her, he noticed that even at such a young age, she already had the makings of a beauty.
With her delicate eyebrows and soft, gentle demeanor, she exuded the charm of a southern belle.
Her voice was soft and sweet, very pleasing to the ear.
If there was any flaw, it was that her head was a bit large, her face round, and her neck short.
When she was thin, it wasn’t noticeable, but if she gained weight, she might appear a bit stocky.
"Did you bring everything? Just this one bag?"
"Yes... Mr. Chen!"
Mr. Chen?
It felt a bit awkward for a minor to call him that.
"You don’t have to call me Mr. Chen. Just call me 'brother' from now on!"
"You too!"
Chen Qi said the same to He Qing, then personally carried the two large bags and led them upstairs.
Thanks to his connections with the organizing committee, he managed to get an extra double room.
Since they were only staying for one night, they first put their luggage away, and then Chen Qi took them to meet Gong Xue.
"Hello, Sister Gong Xue!"
The two girls were thrilled to meet the big star.
"Hello... Oh, you’re both so beautiful. Girls from the south are truly extraordinary... I heard one of you studies Kunqu Opera, and the other studies Yue Opera?"
Gong Xue was very warm and friendly, chatting with them like family, making them feel even more starstruck.
"Do you know what roles you’ll be playing?"
"Yes, yes, the fairy of the Red Lantern Sect!" He Qing said.
"That’s called the 'Dual-Faced Bodhisattva.' You two are twin entities, just below the Yellow Lotus Holy Mother, used to deceive people... It’s okay if you don’t understand now. You’ll come with us to Beijing, attend meetings, and learn some basic martial arts."
"Okay, okay!"
The two girls were completely won over by her kindness and nodded vigorously.
Gong Xue chatted with them for a while longer before letting them return to their room.
"So, what do you think? They’re good, right?" Chen Qi asked.
"It’s amazing how you picked them out. They’re really good," Gong Xue nodded.
Wang Haowei, who had been observing, also chimed in, "These are two great prospects. They have the looks, the figure, and the opera background. With some training, they’ll be two rising stars in the film industry. If I had a suitable script, I’d fight you for them!"
"Then you’d have to make a martial arts film. How about 'Romance on Lushan Mountain: Martial Arts Tournament'?"
Chen Qi joked with Wang Haowei, while Gong Xue listened with a smile.
However, her mind was on the two young girls—one 15, the other 17, both still minors, but with such striking features.
In the future, they would undoubtedly be a pair of beauties.
…………
On the other side.
He Qing and Tao Huimin were chattering away in their room.
Tao Huimin was less shy around someone her own age and could talk more freely.
"Sister Gong Xue said we’ll have to learn martial arts and do fight scenes?"
"Of course, it’s a martial arts film. Are you scared?"
"I’m afraid I won’t do well."
"Yeah, you look so delicate, like a gust of wind could knock you over..."
He Qing walked around her, shaking her head, "You probably can’t even beat me. How are you going to fight men? But Mr. Chen—oh, I mean, Brother Chen—is so capable. He’ll definitely have a plan."
"You’re so confident. You’re much stronger than me."
Tao Huimin admired her mental fortitude and said, "He Qing..."
"Call me 'sister'!"
"Sister He Qing, don’t you miss your parents when you’re away from home?"
"Do you?"
When Tao Huimin nodded, He Qing looked at her in disbelief, "You’re 15 years old. Why are you still acting like a child? Don’t you understand the situation?"
"Situation?"
Tao Huimin looked confused.
"I don’t know about your situation, but mine in the Kunqu Opera Troupe isn’t great. It’ll take 20 years to get anywhere. When an opportunity comes, you have to seize it. Isn’t making movies better than singing opera?"
As He Qing spoke, she busied herself arranging her belongings and making her bed.
She then jumped onto the bed, lay down, and crossed her legs, "What we need to do now is focus entirely on making the film well."
"Focus entirely..."
Tao Huimin sighed, pushing aside her homesickness.
She thought about it and realized it made sense.
This was a task assigned by the organization, and they were even paying her a salary and giving her an allowance.
She really needed to take it seriously.
2 yuan a day!
The thought suddenly made her excited.
That was 60 yuan a month! If they filmed for three months, that would be 180 yuan!
She couldn’t earn that much in the Yue Opera Troupe.
The more she thought about it, the more she looked forward to it.
Money was something people were shy to talk about in those days, but who wouldn’t be happy to receive it?
...
The next day, the group returned to Beijing with honors.
...
Also at the end of May, Madame Soong Ching-ling passed away in Beijing at the age of 88.
It was said that the mainland had specifically invited Soong Mei-ling to return for the funeral.
It was also said that she sent back eight words through an intermediary: "Though flesh and blood are dear, the greater cause takes precedence."
She lived to be 106 years old and left behind a possibly apocryphal anecdote: she had watched "Happy Camp."
(End of Chapter)