Chapter 00277: Josephine Siao
# Josephine Siao
Chapter 277
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 277: Josephine Siao
As Hong Kong's economy rapidly developed, especially with the meteoric rise of its stock and property markets, the first wave of middle-class citizens emerged by the late 1970s.
Their incomes weren’t low, but their living spaces were tiny—just 500 square feet (less than 50 square meters) was considered standard.
To truly reach the level of "living in a Western-style house and keeping a foreign dog," one had to be part of the wealthy elite.
The direct reason for the birth of so-called urban films was the rise of this middle class.
Before, Hong Kong cinema was dominated by Republic-era dramas and period pieces, with very few urban films.
But now, some had begun to notice this market and were slowly testing the waters.
Chen Qi’s version of *Ghost* used supernatural elements as a wrapper, but at its core, it was an urban romance.
In the original, both the male lead and the antagonist were elites in the financial world.
The male lead was older and held a higher position.
The antagonist secretly helped launder money, and when the male lead caught wind of it and tried to investigate suspicious accounts, the antagonist hired thugs to stage a robbery—hoping to steal the access codes from his wallet.
Unexpectedly, they failed to get the codes but accidentally killed him instead.
The male lead became a ghost, while the antagonist approached the female lead, sweet-talking her to try and seduce her, all to extract the password from her...
This was the main storyline.
Chen Qi made some adjustments based on the actors.
Since Andy Lau was younger than Tony Leung, he changed their dynamic to that of a senior and junior.
Andy’s character was a rookie, upright and honest, who directly discovered Tony’s money-laundering scheme.
Tony’s character begged pitifully, pretending to repent, only to turn around and hire someone to kill him.
Unexpectedly, Andy’s character left a piece of evidence among his belongings.
The female lead hadn’t discovered it yet, so Tony’s character began wooing her to destroy the evidence—and, as a bonus, get both the girl and the money...
The original film ran for two hours, but that wouldn’t fly for a Hong Kong movie.
If a Hong Kong film went over two hours, it was doomed—audiences simply didn’t have the patience.
Chen Qi made many changes to streamline the pacing, wrapping everything up within 110 minutes.
In the original, neither the male lead nor the antagonist stood out much.
Demi Moore, with her short black hair and soulful eyes, left a lasting impression as the female lead.
But the most memorable character was actually the psychic, played by Whoopi Goldberg, who later starred in *Sister Act*—a born comedic star, the kind who left her mark on film history.
Chen Qi’s version also needed someone who could carry such a role.
Hong Kong had many actors famous for playing ghosts or spirit mediums, like Helena Law Lan, who starred in over a hundred horror films and was dubbed the "Queen of Ghosts."
But she couldn’t play this part—her comedic chops weren’t strong enough.
The character had to be eccentric, delightfully quirky, and instantly captivating the moment she appeared.
After much deliberation, Chen Qi settled on one person.
But he didn’t approach her himself—he left that to Shek Hui.
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Restaurant.
Fu Mingxian was devouring a plate of food while Shek Hui wiped her mouth, occasionally glancing at the entrance as if waiting for someone.
Before long, the sound of the doorman greeting guests was heard, followed by the click-clack of high heels.
A tall woman in her thirties walked in.
She had an oval face with high cheekbones, giving her a somewhat sharp appearance, but her eyes were incredibly lively—unlike the vacant stares of most starlets, hers sparkled with a unique charm and poise.
As she approached, she called out, "Sister Hui!"
"Fong Fong, it’s been so long!"
Shek Hui stood and gave her a light hug, then pulled Fu Mingxian over with a smile.
"This is my daughter—just call her Chi Chi... Chi Chi, say hello to Auntie Fong Fong!"
"She looks like a sister, why call her auntie?"
Fu Mingxian had clearly rehearsed this line at home, delivering it without a hint of embarrassment.
Josephine Siao burst into laughter, utterly delighted, and hugged the little girl tightly before slipping a bracelet off her wrist and giving it to her.
The girl glanced at her mother.
Shek Hui, familiar with the old-fashioned customs of their generation, nodded.
"Since she’s giving it to you, take it."
With her mission accomplished, Fu Mingxian rolled away to continue stuffing her face.
Josephine watched her with a touch of nostalgia.
"So many years have passed. Not just you—even I have a daughter now."
"Indeed. Back then, you were just a little thing. I used to carry you around the set all day."
They chatted for a bit.
Josephine smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear, took a sip of tea, and finally asked, "Sister Hui, what brings you to meet me today?"
"There’s a film I’d like you to act in," Shek Hui said bluntly.
"I left Great Wall when I was eight and haven’t worked with leftist studios since. Why approach me now?" Josephine asked, puzzled.
"Because you’re the perfect fit for this role. Would you like to read the script first?"
"No..."
Josephine shook her head.
"I’m doing very well now. My career is successful, I have a husband and child—I don’t want any complications."
"That’s true. I often see news about you in the papers. You seem very happy these days."
Shek Hui didn’t press further about the film.
Instead, she changed the subject.
"I heard you’re going to the U. S. to study again? What’s the focus this time?"
"Psychology! Well, child psychology, to be precise!"
At the mention of studying, Josephine’s face lit up.
"After having my daughter, I realized I was afraid of being a bad mother. When I learned about this field, I worked hard to get accepted."
"That’s what I admire most about you. You never had a proper education, yet you never gave up—always striving to learn. By the way, what did you study last time in the U. S.?"
"Mass communications!"
"Wow, so you’ll have a double degree when you return!"
"Don’t tease me. I’m just a late bloomer."
"I mean it. But this time, at least your mother isn’t around to stop you."
Shek Hui’s words might have seemed impolite, but Josephine froze for a moment.
Then Shek Hui added softly, "Ah, you’ve suffered so much."
Those four words made Josephine’s nose sting, her eyes nearly welling up with tears.
Her mother was a Shanghai socialite—her first husband was the notorious womanizer Liu Haisu, and her second was a banker, Josephine’s biological father.
Her mother was also the goddaughter of Zhang Shizhao and a disciple of Fu Lei, coming from a deeply influential family.
They moved to Hong Kong in 1949. Her father’s business failed, leaving them drowning in debt before he passed away early.
Josephine began acting at seven to support the family.
She started with Great Wall but was later poached by right-wing studios for a higher salary, with her mother tearing up contracts to switch sides.
Her mother was domineering, controlling her life for thirty years.
She treated her daughter as a cash cow, forcing her to take on film after film.
From 1953 to 1968, Josephine starred in 209 movies.
She never attended school but always dreamed of studying abroad.
Her mother refused until finally relenting—on the condition that Josephine pay her own tuition.
So Josephine went to the U.
S., performing in Chinatown theaters to earn money.
Just as she was about to pay her tuition, her mother claimed she’d been scammed in a business deal and demanded Josephine send money back...
That was the kind of mother she had.
Now, Josephine was a success—running her own company, transitioning brilliantly into comedy.
Mainland audiences knew her best from '90s works like *Fong Sai Yuk* and *Summer Snow*.
Hong Kong had several brilliant comedic actresses—like Deanie Ip, Teresa Mo, and Sandra Ng—but Josephine was the first and the best, breaking the mold of women in Hong Kong comedy being mere eye candy.
Born deaf in her right ear, she eventually lost her hearing entirely.
Her romantic life was also fraught with hardship.
In short, hers was a life of suffering.
(End of Chapter)