Chapter 00034: The Younger Generation
# The Younger Generation
Chapter 34
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 34: The Younger Generation
Fang Shu was 22 years old this year.
Her father was a leader in the Ministry of Culture, and her mother was from the Central Conservatory of Music.
At the age of 7, she played the role of Little Radish Head in the movie "Eternal Life in the Flames."
Little Radish Head, as you might know from textbooks, was the youngest martyr in China, having sacrificed his life at the age of 8. In 1978, Fang Shu was admitted to the Beijing Film Academy and had already starred in "Look at This Family."
Tall, beautiful, and with a prestigious family background, she was like a princess in her class.
She was extremely popular in the 1980s, but unfortunately, she was a bit of a romantic and later married Tu Honggang, only to divorce and retire early.
Zhou Lijing was 25 years old this year.
Handsome and dashing, he was one of the most popular young actors of his time, having starred in TV dramas like "Life," "New Star," and "The Wreath at the Foot of the Mountain."
He was from the Gansu Drama Troupe and was still on their payroll while studying.
With his good looks, talent, and a proud, straightforward personality, he looked down on most of the boys in his class and even some of the teachers.
But his talent was undeniable, and the teachers indulged him.
Both Fang Shu and Zhou Lijing sat calmly, clearly confident in their abilities.
Sure enough, soon the teacher walked in and called out, "Fang Shu, Zhou Lijing, Wang Yue, Zhang Tielin, Shen Danping, Liu Dong, come with me!"
The classroom buzzed with excitement.
Zhang Fengyi and Xie Yuan were so envious that they tried to hold onto Zhang Tielin, who quickly pushed them away, saying, "Let go, let go! Don't ruin my chance to become a big star!"
Wang Yue was pleasantly surprised and stood up quickly.
On the girls' side, Shen Danping and Liu Dong were even more excited, practically skipping out of the room.
Shen Danping had acted in many works, most recently playing Aunt Cui in "The Knockout."
Liu Dong had a smaller role, having played Ning Zhongze in the CCTV version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer."
The teacher led the six students out of the school.
They didn't need to take a car; it was just a short walk.
Along the way, the teacher advised, "Today is our special session. Tomorrow is the Central Academy of Drama's turn. I heard they only picked one person, so your chances are good. Make sure to give it your all."
"Zhou Lijing, be polite. The Beijing Film Studio is full of big directors and senior figures. Don't let them dock points for your attitude."
With that, they entered the Beijing Film Studio and headed straight for the main building's conference room.
...
Wang Haowei and others were already waiting.
Chen Qi, the screenwriter, had also managed to secure a seat.
As the seniors, they sat at the far end of the table.
In those days, casting actors was all about resemblance.
For example, if the male lead was supposed to be honest and upright, they had to find someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes.
If the female lead was supposed to be delicate and pitiful, they had to find someone soft and fragile.
The physical resemblance came first, and only after that did acting skills come into play.
But this method also limited the pool of candidates.
In later years, this changed.
Physical resemblance was no longer as important; capturing the spirit of the character was enough.
For example, Gu Yue's portrayal of Chairman Mao was about physical resemblance, while Tang Guoqiang's portrayal was more about capturing the essence.
Of course, the final performance had to be convincing.
It couldn't be like the new "Dream of the Red Chamber," where Lin Daiyu was played by a burly actress, or the new "Three Kingdoms," where Cao Cao was portrayed as a jokester, completely ruining the character.
So, the first batch of candidates had to be young and attractive—handsome men and beautiful women.
"Hello, director! Hello, teachers!"
"My name is Fang Shu!"
Fang Shu was the first to enter.
She had already worked with Wang Haowei on "Look at This Family," so she introduced herself confidently and then recited a line from the script written by Chen Qi.
"I still want to see the Yangtze River, the Great Wall, Huangshan Mountain, and the Yellow River!"
"Sister Ying, isn't this all love?"
Chen Qi played the role of a judge seriously, jotting down a few notes.
After Fang Shu left, Wang Haowei asked for everyone's opinions and finally turned to Chen Qi, "Xiao Chen, what do you think?"
"She's very beautiful and has good skills, but her appearance doesn't quite fit our traditional aesthetic. She has a certain aggressiveness about her, making her seem like a strong woman."
"Aggressiveness? That's an interesting way to put it!"
"I think she's quite good. Should we move her to the second round?"
"Sure, why not?"
One by one, the young actors came in to audition.
Chen Qi remained calm throughout, only nearly losing his composure when he saw "Emperor Qianlong" (Zhang Tielin).
In the 1980s, Zhang Tielin was also a popular young actor.
He later went to the UK to get a master's degree and then moved to Hong Kong to develop his career.
He played Cao Xiong in "The Magic Crane" and almost had a scene with Rosamund Kwan.
Then came "My Fair Princess," which led to a lot of legal troubles.
"..."
Chen Qi silently drew a big cross in his notebook.
It wasn't personal; it was purely an objective judgment.
Finally, it was Zhou Lijing's turn.
Though proud, he wasn't foolish enough to act out in the Beijing Film Studio.
He auditioned obediently.
Chen Qi gave him a checkmark.
...
After the auditions, they held a brief discussion.
"Wang Yue's skin is too dark; it's hard for him to look handsome. Let's drop him for now."
"Zhou Lijing and Zhang Tielin are both good; they can move on to the next round."
"Personally, I think Zhang Tielin has a bit of a frivolous air about him. He can't play shy or timid roles. Zhou Lijing seems fine. As for Fang Shu, I still hold my previous opinion. I have reservations," Chen Qi said.
"What about Shen Danping and Liu Dong?" Wang Haowei asked.
"Do you want the truth?"
"Of course!"
"They're too ordinary."
Chen Qi shook his head.
"Honestly, I think so too. They're beautiful compared to the average person, but for 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' they're not enough, far from it! I expected the female lead to be hard to find, but I didn't think it would be this difficult. We'll have to keep looking," Wang Haowei sighed.
...
At that time, the entire country was facing power shortages, and Beijing was no exception.
A whole neighborhood shared one electric meter, and every household kept candles on hand.
This situation didn't improve until the 1990s.
Chen Jianjun had been listening to a single-deck tape recorder for a few days, but the batteries were running out, so he reluctantly let Chen Qi take it to the Beijing Film Studio.
The studio had a special status, so its power supply was relatively stable.
In other words, they could freeload.
That night, Room 302 was tightly shut.
Liang Xiaosheng and Ge You lay back in their chairs, eyes closed, listening to "Once Again, the Smoke Rises, the Dusk Covers the Earth, I Want to Ask the Smoke, Where Are You Going..."
They were so immersed, so entranced, that anyone who didn't know better might think they were high.
"..."
Chen Qi sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to mend a pair of pants, needle in one hand and thread in the other.
The older generation used to say: when the thread won't go through the needle's eye, lick it straight, and it'll go through.
"You guys have had enough. The tape's been rewound three times. Time to leave!"
"Just a little longer, just a little longer!" Ge You pleaded.
"I have to be a judge tomorrow. I don't have time to play around with you!"
"How's the casting going?" Liang Xiaosheng asked.
"There are plenty of guys who can play the male lead, but it's hard to find the right girl."
"So what kind of girl are you looking for?"
"It's a kind of... goddess, you know?"
"No, we don't."
Both shook their heads.
"She has to be not just beautiful, but also inspiring. After watching the movie, every man should envy the male lead and think, 'If I could meet a girl like that, I'd die happy!' That's the feeling we're going for."
"..."
Ge You and Liang Xiaosheng looked at each other.
It was all too subtle.
(Thanks to Yishen for reaching Silver Patron status, and thanks to Ice Slime for another Patron.
Thanks to everyone for the monthly votes! During the new book period, it's just two chapters.
I'll add more after the book is released.
After all, my last book earned the "Habitual Burst" badge.)
(End of Chapter)