Chapter 00262: 1979 golden age 262
#
Chapter 262
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 262
On the last day of December, Yang Jie came to visit Chen Qi.
Deep down, she was a literary soul.
After offering some appreciative remarks about the courtyard, she took a seat inside and got straight to the point.
"Two things. First, *Justice Bao* will premiere on New Year’s Eve!"
"Great news!"
"Second, the studio is preparing to adapt the Four Great Classical Novels, and I’ve been assigned one."
"*Dream of the Red Chamber*?"
"No, *Journey to the West*!"
Yang Jie still couldn’t help sighing in regret.
"Didn’t you say before that if they ever filmed the Four Great Classical Novels, you’d volunteer? Well, here I am. So, what do you think? Will you write the script or...?"
"Of course I’ll write the script. But I’m swamped right now—I can manage one episode at most."
"One episode is fine. I’m completely lost at the moment anyway. Preparations won’t officially start until after the Spring Festival, so take your time."
The old lady was decisive in her ways.
Having said her piece, she was ready to leave.
Chen Qi stopped her.
"I’ve got another suggestion. If you’re filming scenes with characters flying through clouds, you’ll probably need wirework—using steel wires to make people ‘fly.’ If you decide to go with it, you must come to me. No one else in the country knows how to handle this except me."
"..."
Yang Jie gave him a surprised look before chuckling.
"Alright! I’ll consider it when the time comes!"
With that, the old lady left.
Chen Qi felt a swell of self-satisfaction. *I’ve poured my heart and soul into the cultural arts of our motherland!*
Among CCTV’s adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels, *Journey to the West* was the most unique—because it was filmed and aired simultaneously.
Preparations would begin in February of the following year.
By October, the pilot episode, *Subduing the Wuji Kingdom’s Demon*, would be released.
Though it received some criticism, the overall consensus was that it was well-made, exceeding expectations with strong audience reception.
Riding this wave of enthusiasm, *Journey to the West* would air a few episodes every Spring Festival, though not in chronological order.
For instance, *Stealing the Ginseng Fruit* aired in 1983, while *Taming Zhu Bajie* didn’t air until 1984.
By 1986, 11 episodes had already been broadcast.
With production techniques maturing, the opening theme had become *Yun Gong Xun Yin*, and the appearances of the main characters were finalized—hence why it became known as the "1986 version" of *Journey to the West*.
"Ah, which episode should I write?"
"Of course I’ll write *Passing Through the Land of Women*! This will go down in history—future netizens will enshrine me, worship me like a god..."
Chen Qi, having transmigrated here, was addicted to leaving his mark on classics.
He absolutely had to get involved.
Plus, he wanted to sneak in all those lovely ladies for cameos, leaving little Easter eggs for future internet users.
"Should I ask Sister Xue to join?"
He pondered.
Gong Xue was already a huge star—he wasn’t sure if there was a suitable role for her.
He’d figure it out later.
......
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Day.
Chen Qi realized he had been transmigrated for three years now.
He considered his achievements modest but decent.
He had also grown a year older, turning 22—the legal age for marriage.
"Pfft!"
On the first morning of the new year, Chen Qi spat out his mouthwash after brushing his teeth, shivering in the empty backyard.
It was the coldest time in the capital.
The two trees had long shed their leaves, leaving the courtyard bleak and desolate.
Gong Xue wasn’t home—she had been rehearsing for a performance yesterday.
Being part of a major studio like Beijing Film Studio meant there was a grand New Year’s gala, and Gong Xue, as a representative actress, had been asked by the union to perform two acts.
She chose singing and dancing.
"Lonely desert, cold and dreary..."
Too lazy to cook, Chen Qi meandered to the side gate, unlatched the bolt with a clatter, and stepped into a narrow U-shaped alley.
Turning past the side rooms, he suddenly found himself surrounded by life again.
Li Jianqun hadn’t even bothered with a coat—just a blanket draped over her shoulders like a Romani woman.
She greeted him with a smile.
"Teacher Chen, here to mooch food again?"
"I can’t cook. What’s good today?"
"Steamed buns, porridge, pickles... oh, and eggs."
"Eggs sound great! I’ll try some!"
In the main hall of the front courtyard, Liang Xiaosheng and Ji Chunhua were also having breakfast.
Halfway through the meal, Liang suddenly asked, "Will anyone come today?"
"*China Youth Daily* has massive reach. With half a page dedicated to advertising us, people will definitely find their way here."
"Brother Qi, you even advertised for the magazine?" Ji Chunhua mumbled through a mouthful of steamed bun.
"Of course! I spent tens of thousands to book a whole month—they’ll run the ad every few days!"
"Wow, then people will definitely come! I can help out."
"Actually, I might need you. If anyone causes trouble, just throw them out."
Chen Qi grinned.
The 30,000 copies ordered by bookstores nationwide had already been shipped.
Today was the official release date, and the *China Youth Daily* ad would also go live.
Just after breakfast, they heard noise outside—the four junior editors had arrived.
"Why’d you come in on your day off?"
"Heh, we couldn’t relax at home. Might as well sit in the office!"
"Yeah, yeah! If anything comes up, we can help out."
Chen Qi was impressed.
Such initiative! In the future, they’d be the kind of workers who voluntarily clocked overtime—saints of the grind.
They tidied up, carefully wiping the *World Fantasy* signboard before propping open one side of the gate, nervously and eagerly awaiting the day.
......
At nine o’clock, the sun finally broke through Beijing’s smog, casting thin rays of light.
At a bus stop in Xicheng, the doors of a bus opened, and 23-year-old Feng Xiaogang stepped out awkwardly in a military overcoat and hat.
He was on leave today, planning to visit home.
His parents had divorced when he was young, and he lived with his mother and sister.
After finishing middle school, he joined the military.
Thanks to his love for art, he later became a set designer in an art troupe, handling stage backdrops and equipment.
The troupe had many beautiful female comrades, but he had little interaction with them.
Still, he often fantasized about a particular scene: female soldiers fresh from the showers, their hair still damp, slipping into their uniforms with bare necks, tucking their caps into their bags as they walked out of the barracks...
Later, he would film this very image in *Youth*.
After walking a stretch, he entered the vast compound of Xinhua Printing Factory.
Deeper inside lay rows of single-story houses—the staff dormitories.
His mother was the factory’s health officer.
"Mom!"
"Gangzi’s back! Aren’t you cold?"
"Freezing! Got anything to eat? I’m starving!"
"Just got home and already thinking about food? Hold on, I’ll make something!"
Feng Xiaogang grinned, revealing a set of crooked teeth, as he shed his coat and sat by the small stove to warm himself.
His family was ordinary.
When he hung out with Wang Shuo’s crowd, he’d claim he was from "Northern Artillery," making the Beijing arts circle—filled with literary families and military brats—assume he was one of them.
Only later did they realize he meant "Beijing Lightbulb Factory"...
Now, as he warmed himself, he idly picked up a stack of newspapers.
"Central leadership states: ‘One country, two systems.’ Two systems are permissible—they must not undermine the mainland’s system, and we won’t undermine theirs... Oh, Hong Kong gets ‘one country, two systems,’ Taiwan gets peaceful reunification. Not bad!"
"They’re playing New Zealand soon. Wonder if we’ll make it to the World Cup?"
"Huh?"
His gaze landed on a half-page spread with a bold headline:
**"Exclusive Secrets of *Tai Chi*! Behind-the-Scenes Photos Never Before Seen!"**
(End of Chapter)