Chapter 00206: 1979 golden age 206
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Chapter 206
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 206: Men and Women Working Together Makes the Job Lighter
The guesthouse.
Li Jianqun finished washing up and combed her hair in front of a small mirror.
Her hair was thick and silky, requiring careful grooming every day.
After combing, she put on a white blouse and a long white skirt that draped down to her ankles.
She loved white clothes.
Normally, long skirts were paired with high heels, but she didn’t like those.
Instead, she chose a pair of slightly vintage cloth shoes with embroidered flowers on the uppers—her own handiwork.
As an art student, she enjoyed DIY projects and had her own unique sense of style, not to mention a somewhat free-spirited personality.
Take this room, for example—it wasn’t exactly tidy, with sketches and books scattered everywhere.
She went downstairs, had breakfast in the canteen, and then headed to a warehouse where costumes were stored.
Inside, there was also a small makeup room and changing area.
"Good morning, Boss Chen!"
"Mn. Let me introduce you."
Chen Qi was already there and had called over He Qing and Tao Huimin.
"The only thing missing now is their outfits. Today, I’ve brought them here to try things on in person—it’ll give us a clearer idea of the effect."
Turning to the two girls, he said, "Call her Teacher Li!"
"Hello, Teacher Li!"
The two girls greeted her sweetly, but Li Jianqun quickly waved her hands.
"How can I be called 'teacher'? Just use my name."
"They’re younger than you—it wouldn’t be right to call you by name," Chen Qi said firmly.
"I’ve already made a rule: from now on, all technical staff are to be addressed as 'teacher.' It’s more convenient that way. Alright, let’s get started!"
Picking up one of her design drafts, he frowned.
"What I’m looking for is an eerie kind of beauty. This version falls far short—it feels too old-fashioned."
"Old-fashioned?"
"Yeah, like something from twenty years ago. There’s no freshness to it. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries—the bolder, the better."
"But I really don’t understand this kind of feeling. What exactly is 'eerie beauty'? How can something be both holy and seductive at the same time?"
"Let me think…"
Chen Qi rolled his eyes, then brightened.
"How about this? The warehouse is right here. You pick an outfit for He Qing, and I’ll pick one for Tao Huimin. We can discuss the details as we go?"
"Great idea!"
Li Jianqun’s eyebrows lifted—the competitive spirit of a professional art student flaring up.
And so, the two of them entered the warehouse and each selected an outfit.
Chen Qi had countless film references stored in his mind, scenes from classics lingering in his memory, but he didn’t know the technical terms for design and couldn’t articulate them well.
Hands-on work suited him better.
He Qing and Tao Huimin, poor things, were reduced to mannequins as Chen Qi called in two makeup artists to assist.
Li Jianqun was one of the core team members he had in mind, so she was worth this level of effort.
After half a day of work, Li Jianqun finished first.
She styled He Qing in a traditional opera-inspired look—after all, she was playing a bodhisattva, and everyone knew what a bodhisattva looked like: a tall white cloth draped over the head.
This white cloth was actually a shrine, enshrining Amitabha Buddha.
Guanyin Bodhisattva, in gratitude for Amitabha’s prophecy, carried him atop her head as an offering.
He Qing now wore this exact look.
When the two of them turned to look at Chen Qi’s side, they were instantly startled.
Chen Qi had also given Tao Huimin a similar cloth—but his was bright red, evoking the feeling of an ancient wedding veil.
The earrings he paired with it were daring too: strings of glass beads hanging from her delicate earlobes.
Her makeup was striking—eyes like autumn waters, cheeks flushed like peach blossoms.
Tao Huimin was still young, but dressed like this, she exuded an undeniable charm.
Yet her delicate features and pure aura created a strange, mesmerizing contrast.
(Couldn’t find a proper red cloth reference, but you get the idea.)
"I don’t know much about clothes, so I’ll leave that to you."
"The makeup needs to be more refined."
"Later, we’ll find eight strong women to carry a lotus pedestal, and the two of them will stand back-to-back on it…"
Chen Qi dusted off the rouge from his hands.
"This is the kind of feeling I’m going for. Understand?"
Li Jianqun circled Tao Huimin a few times, slightly disbelieving.
Her technical skills were solid, but she lacked experience and had been too restrained in her designs, afraid to push the boundaries of imagination.
A bodhisattva!
Who would dare dress one like this? It should be like Zuo Dafen’s portrayal—solemn and dignified.
"……"
After a moment of thought, she said, "I think I understand the feeling you’re after now. The red cloth should be soft and light, like a veil that half-conceals the face, creating a sense of mystery."
She hesitated before continuing, "When you say 'eerie beauty,' do you mean something primal yet enigmatic, with a kind of… um… sexual allure?"
The last few words came out in a whisper.
In these times, anything related to sex was taboo, and even Li Jianqun felt a little embarrassed—though she was still far more open-minded than most.
After all, she was an artist.
She had dared to venture alone to Beijing in the mid-80s and had chosen never to marry or have children.
Beneath her gentle appearance lay a sharp, independent spirit.
Smack!
Chen Qi clapped his hands together, suddenly invigorated.
Talking to someone smart was always a pleasure.
"Yes, yes! That’s exactly the feeling!"
"Then you’re making me feel ashamed!"
Li Jianqun shook her head with a sigh.
"You’re clearly an expert, yet you pretend not to know anything. Now I’m losing confidence in this job."
"No, no—I just have ideas but can’t execute them. I can provide inspiration, but the actual work has to come from you. Just design based on this feeling… Oh, and you also have a small role in the film. Don’t mind it being minor—here’s your script and character details."
He pulled a few more pages from his bag and asked, "At the guesthouse, who are you sharing a room with?"
"Just myself for now."
"Ah. If it gets uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll arrange a change. If you have any other problems, don’t hesitate to speak up. You’re part of my team, and it’s my duty to take care of everyone. Alright, clean this up and then head to class."
"Mn. Goodbye, Boss Chen!"
He Qing and Tao Huimin went to wash their faces and change, while Li Jianqun looked over the simple script: she would play a lower-class woman whose husband fell ill.
With no money for treatment, she turned to the Red Lantern Society, only to be killed by foreigners in the end…
With just a few strokes, the character stood vividly on the page.
"He really is so talented!"
In these times, when money was scarce, talent and position were what drew people in.
"I heard he’s close with Sister Gong Xue. That’s nice…"
A pang of envy struck her, and she thought of her own partner.
There was no term like "straight man" back then, but the way she saw him, he was the epitome of one—so oblivious that when she was sick, she still had to take care of him.
But after years together, she wasn’t ready to walk away yet.
It was complicated.
Twenty minutes later.
Li Jianqun arrived at the studio, where Li Wenhua was giving a lecture.
Spotting her, he smiled and announced, "Let me introduce everyone to our costume designer, who will also be playing a role… Let’s give her a welcome!"
Clap clap clap!
Amid the polite applause, the crowd’s expressions turned subtly curious as their eyes flicked between her and Gong Xue—comparing them.
The reason was simple: they were wearing the same outfit!
Both had on white blouses and white skirts—the only difference being that one wore high heels, the other cloth shoes.
Li Jianqun stood around 167 cm, tall and slender with long flowing hair, exuding the trendy artistic vibe of the time.
Gong Xue was more petite, her features more delicate, and her fame added an undeniable glow around her.
Startled, Gong Xue immediately waved.
"Jianqun, come sit here!"
"Sister Gong Xue!"
Delighted to see her, Li Jianqun hurried over and whispered, "Xiaoying went straight back to Shanghai. She told me to say hello and remind you not to forget about her thing—or else she’ll tell Mom and Dad."
"Hmph! That little brat, daring to threaten me with our parents? I will leave her hanging for a few months!"
Gong Xue knew this was about getting her sister a role in a film, but she brushed it off.
"What’s your character?"
"A woman from the Red Lantern Society. About a dozen scenes."
"Will you be sticking around the whole time?"
"Boss Chen said I probably should."
"That’s great! The outfit you designed for me fits even better than the one in the first film…"
The two chatted quietly for a while before turning their attention back to the lecture.
Meanwhile, the men in the room were in high spirits.
The first film hadn’t been like this! Back then, it was just a bunch of martial arts-trained guys bonding over training, with Gong Xue as the only woman around.
But the second film was a whole different story!
Gong Xue, Li Jianqun, He Qing, Tao Huimin—though some were older, some younger, they were all undeniably beautiful.
After all, men and women working together made the job lighter!
(End of Chapter.)