Chapter 00039: A New Idea
# A New Idea
Chapter 39
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 39: A New Idea
In 1895, a British missionary named Edward Selby Little obtained a permanent lease for a 4,000-acre plot of land on the mountainside of Mount Lu through illegal means.
He named it "Cooling," and later, the place came to be known as Guling.
Guling quickly became a summer retreat for Westerners in China, and it developed rapidly.
By the time of the Republic of China, Mount Lu had become the "Summer Capital" of the Nationalist Party, with Chiang Kai-shek visiting 77 times.
By then, Guling already had churches, cinemas, libraries, hospitals, schools, tennis courts, bathhouses, photo studios, banks, and newspapers—completely different from the outside world.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mount Lu's status remained unchanged.
Chairman Mao held central meetings here three times, and many high-ranking officials also came here for recuperation.
Thus, Mount Lu carried a strong political significance.
The story of "Romance on Lushan Mountain," which involved a union between the Nationalists and Communists, fit perfectly here.
At noon, in Guling Hotel.
Chen Qi was exhausted from the train ride and had slept soundly for most of the day.
He yawned, pulled open the curtains, and saw the small town of Guling nestled among the mountains.
The mountain breeze was refreshing, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Beijing.
"What a great place! No wonder everyone comes here."
After washing up, he opened the door and stepped out.
In those days, making movies was a national task, and most places provided full cooperation.
The local administration was very enthusiastic and offered great support to the film crew.
As usual, Chen Qi had a single room, as did Wang Haowei, while the others shared double or multiple rooms.
He strolled downstairs to the dining hall, where Tang Guoqiang, Gong Xue, and others had just woken up and were having lunch.
A chef sat nearby, talking animatedly.
"It was September 1970, just after a big meeting here. Suddenly, we were all called out. I didn't know what was going on, but when I went out, guess who I saw?"
"Who did you see?" Chen Qi chimed in as he sat down.
"I saw him! The great man himself!"
The chef was pleased with Chen Qi's response and slapped his thigh.
"Right there in the open space, at 2:14 in the afternoon, I remember it clearly. He was tall and even waved at me, saying something like thanking me. But I was so stunned, I forgot to reply..."
"Did you take a group photo?"
"Yes, yes! It's hanging on the wall. I stood right behind him... His voice and face are still vivid in my memory. I'll never forget it. How could he be gone? It's already been three years..."
"Don't be too sad. He wouldn't want to see us crying. We need to stay strong. The revolution will succeed!"
"Right, right! You're quite enlightened, young man. Oh, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Let me get you some food."
"Thank you!"
The chef, having received a great emotional boost, happily walked away.
The others gave Chen Qi sideways glances.
What are you, a comedian? Can't you let a sentence drop without picking it up?
Chen Qi didn't mind.
He looked around and asked, "Where's Director Wang?"
"He went to scout locations."
"So, we have nothing to do?"
"We need to study our characters. You're free for now," Tang Guoqiang said.
"Oh, so have you figured it out?"
Tang Guoqiang frowned.
"Xiao Chen, I've noticed that everything you say has a bit of a mischievous tone to it."
"People who are serious see me as serious. Those who aren't see me as not serious. That's not my problem."
"Uh..."
Tang Guoqiang was left speechless, while Gong Xue stifled a laugh.
The chef personally brought over the food—steamed buns, rice, a stir-fry, and some soup.
Chen Qi ate while chatting with his colleagues.
As the on-set screenwriter, he really didn't have much to do most of the time.
Almost every film crew encounters last-minute script changes.
In less professional crews, the director and actors might handle it themselves.
But in more professional ones, the screenwriter has to make the changes.
The role of an on-set screenwriter back then was different from later years.
In the future, on-set screenwriters were often treated poorly, hired as personal writers by big stars.
Some stars even brought their own screenwriters to tweak the script, not to make the overall production smoother, but to highlight their own roles and cut out parts they didn't like.
For example, a supporting character might have a long dialogue, but if the star felt it didn't serve their performance, they'd just cut it out.
This often left the film a mess, and the production team would have to hire someone else to re-edit it, adding narration to make the story somewhat coherent.
This was common in the entertainment industry.
So, Chen Qi felt deeply respected by the director and the entire crew, which moved him and made him willing to contribute more.
...
In those days, there was no tourism industry.
Domestic travel was only open to foreigners and overseas Chinese.
Ordinary people could only visit scenic spots if they happened to be on a business trip.
That counted as tourism.
Mount Lu had no tourists and was exceptionally quiet.
The rolling mountains and lush greenery were soothing.
After lunch, everyone strolled around the small mountain town of Guling, feeling as if they were enveloped in a giant ink painting.
They also visited the Meilu Villa on the outskirts.
Meilu Villa was where Chiang Kai-shek used to live, and later, Chairman Mao stayed there as well.
Chen Qi was very interested, comparing it to his memories.
In his past life, this area was full of guesthouses and sanatoriums.
As he walked, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he ran up to a building.
The building was made of stone and clearly had a long history.
A sign read, "Guling East Valley Cinema."
"This used to be a church built by foreigners, but we turned it into a cinema. Back then, Chiang Kai-shek and his wife often walked along this street. I was just a kid then, and they even gave me candy. Now that I think about it, my awareness was low, and my thinking was poor. That was counter-revolutionary candy!"
The accompanying staff member spoke with indignation, condemning Chiang Kai-shek.
Everyone understood—he had probably been criticized for that candy.
"Let's take a photo. We might not get another chance like this!"
Chen Qi looked at the cinema and suddenly suggested.
"Great! I brought a camera just for this!"
A crew member eagerly responded, opening his bag to reveal a Seagull camera.
"Old Tang, stand in the middle!"
"Zhang Jinling, you're tall, don't stand in front!"
"Xiao Chen, stand next to Gong Xue!"
"Ready!"
With a click, the group of over a dozen people took a commemorative photo.
Everyone was excited—it was rare to have such a chance to travel.
...
Nighttime.
The mountain breeze blew in through the window, circled the room, and slipped out through the door crack.
There was no need for a fan—the natural draft was the coolest.
Chen Qi, wearing a tank top and shorts, sat at his desk with paper and pen ready.
With nothing urgent to do, he decided to write something.
Since "Romance on Lushan Mountain" was rushed, he hadn't had time to research it.
Now, with no pressure, he could write whatever he wanted.
"Maybe I'll write a novel first, then adapt it into a script. That way, I can earn twice."
"Novel royalties aren't much, but every bit counts."
"What should I write?"
The popular "scar literature" of the time?
He shook his head.
He hated that stuff.
His conversation with Wang Haowei on the train wasn't just for show.
He genuinely liked serving the people and creating things they enjoyed.
It would also pave the way for his future.
Coming to this era, his thoughts were inevitably different from those of the time.
If he just went with the flow, what was the point of being here?
"Hmm, maybe I'll write a martial arts story?"
"Martial arts stories are considered lowbrow literature now. I wonder if any magazines would accept them. If..."
"Knock, knock!"
Just as he was forming an idea, he heard a faint noise from upstairs.
It paused, then started again, irregularly.
"..."
The sound wasn't loud, but Chen Qi hated being disturbed when he was thinking.
After enduring it for a while and seeing that it didn't stop, he pulled on a pair of pants and hurried upstairs.
(End of Chapter)