Chapter 00045: The Storyteller
# The Storyteller
Chapter 45
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 45: The Storyteller
"Storytelling? He tells you stories?"
"Yes! Little Chen often tells us stories, and everyone loves listening to them."
"What kind of stories does he tell?"
"Oh, there are so many! Sun Wukong, Wu Song, Lin Daiyu, Mu Guiying... You'll understand once you meet him. Oh, by the way, are you here to stay?" the attendant asked.
"Uh, yes. Do you have any rooms available?"
"You're in luck, there's one left. Let me see your introduction letter."
He Chengwei handed over his introduction letter and work permit, and soon checked in.
This was one of the reasons why tourism wasn't flourishing at the time.
Ordinary folks found it hard to travel.
You needed an introduction letter just to take a train or stay at a hotel, not to mention the need for national food coupons.
For many, the farthest they'd ever been was the county town.
A trip to the provincial capital was something to boast about for three months, and a journey to the capital? That was a whole other level of achievement...
After settling into his room, He Chengwei took a moment to rest, eagerly anticipating the upcoming meeting.
…………
As the poem goes:
"Born from a celestial cave, boundless beauty lies atop perilous peaks."
The Celestial Cave was a natural sandstone cave on Mount Lu, where it was said that Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, cultivated and achieved immortality.
In later years, the cave became adorned with wooden prayer plaques, each bearing wishes for wealth, love, safety, or success in imperial examinations.
In his past life, Chen Qi had also hung one there.
Next to the Celestial Cave stood the Laozi Temple, dedicated to the revered Taoist deity, Laozi.
Two-thirds of the film Romance on Mount Lu was shot on location, with the camera following the footsteps of the male and female leads, showcasing the breathtaking scenery of Mount Lu.
However, having just the two of them on screen would have been too monotonous, so director Wang Haowei decided to add some tourists and locals to the scenes, even though there were no actual tourists around at the time.
These "extras" were all played by the crew members, and Chen Qi had taken on the role a few times.
While he didn't mind goofing around, he had no interest in serious acting—it just wasn't his calling.
Today, he was once again playing a background character, sitting at a stone table near the Laozi Temple, playing chess with another crew member.
The scene involved the female lead running over to them.
"Let's do a run-through first!"
"3, 2, 1, action!"
Chen Qi sat leisurely at the stone table, legs crossed, looking like a retired official with a hefty pension, casually moving his chess pieces.
Gong Xue, the female lead, approached from the left, trying to enter the Laozi Temple.
She pushed the door, only to find it locked.
Just as she was about to turn around and ask, she heard Chen Qi's voice:
"Jump!~"
"Zhaocang jumped, Tangta jumped too, why don't you jump?~"
"Ah!"
She burst out laughing.
Director Wang Haowei immediately scolded, "Little Chen, what nonsense are you spouting now?"
"I thought he was going to move his knight. If he did, I'd win. I couldn't help myself, sorry, Director!"
"You volunteered to act, so take it seriously. Why are you adding your own lines? That's called stealing the scene, understand? You're the supporting character, she's the lead. You need to highlight her!"
"Got it, I'll make sure the audience sees her face!"
"Let's do it again!"
Wang Haowei rolled her eyes.
She had already figured out this kid's personality—full of nonsense, always joking around, incredibly funny, but he knew his limits and never crossed the line.
At the same time, he was undeniably talented.
The lines he had just spouted were from the movie The Pursuit, delivered with perfect timing.
It was a shame they didn't fit the scene, or she might have actually kept them.
"3, 2, 1, action!"
Gong Xue ran through the scene again, pushing the door.
This time, she wasn't interrupted.
She turned around and asked, "What's going on?"
"It's closed!" Chen Qi replied without looking up.
"Why?"
"Four Olds!"
"Cut! That's good. Little Chen, come here!"
Wang Haowei called Chen Qi over and said, "In the next scene, she peeks through the door and sees the statue of Laozi, then bows to it. I think it's a bit dull. Can we spice it up?"
"Are we allowed to include Christian elements?"
"This year, yes."
"Then let her make the sign of the cross..."
Chen Qi demonstrated by touching his head, chest, left shoulder, and right shoulder, mimicking the Christian gesture of blessing.
"She starts doing this, then stops halfway, realizing she's supposed to be bowing to an Eastern deity, and switches to clasping her hands together."
"But isn't clasping hands a Buddhist thing?"
"She's a foreigner, she wouldn't know the difference!"
"Good point!"
Wang Haowei was very pleased.
This kid had a wealth of knowledge, worked quickly, and always had an answer ready.
He was a joy to work with.
After some time, the crew had become more efficient, no longer spending an entire day on a single shot.
They could now film three scenes in a day.
Soon, it was time for lunch, and the crew's caterer arrived with a cart carrying several large buckets.
Everyone, regardless of rank, lined up with their aluminum lunchboxes to get their food.
After eating, they washed the boxes and reused them the next day.
"Radish and cabbage again?"
"There are so many wild vegetables on this mountain. If you stir-fry them with a bit of beef, blanch them, then mix in some vinegar, MSG, minced garlic, and sesame oil—hot and cold together, oh, the aroma!"
"Do I look like a piece of beef to you? Hot and cold? What kind of capitalist joke is that?"
The caterer scooped a large ladle of food into Chen Qi's box and eagerly asked, "Master Chen, are you telling stories today?"
"Of course!"
"Then wait for me, I'll get you an extra ladle of soup."
Radish and cabbage soup over rice, though meatless, at least had some flavor.
Chen Qi took his lunchbox, found a rock to sit on, and soon a circle formed around him, everyone eager to listen.
Even the caterer, after finishing his duties, hurried over to grab a spot.
It was like a gathering at the Purple Cloud Palace, listening to the Dao.
If they had placed a few meditation cushions in front, sitting there might have been enough to achieve enlightenment...
Chen Qi took a big bite of his soup-soaked rice and began, "Picking up where we left off..."
"After Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the southern regions, Shen Wansan offered his goodwill, first by helping to build the city of Nanjing, personally funding a third of the project. When Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to reward his army, Shen Wansan again stepped forward to cover the expenses. Zhu Yuanzhang asked him, 'I have a million soldiers. Can you reward them all?' Shen Wansan replied, 'Giving each soldier one tael of silver is no problem at all.'"
"He must have been incredibly rich! A merchant with a million taels of silver?" During the break, Wang Haowei, no longer as stern, also enjoyed listening to the stories.
"More than a million! Shen Wansan was one of the wealthiest men in the world. No one knew exactly how much he had."
"How did he make all that money?"
Gong Xue held her lunchbox in her left hand, spoon in her right, eating small bites as she listened.
"Well, that's a long story. Shen Wansan was from Shenjia Village, where he owned nine hectares of farmland and employed over a dozen workers. One year, there was a severe drought, and even the grass was dying. But one of his workers managed to bring back a bundle of fresh grass every day. Shen Wansan secretly followed him and discovered a round, lush patch of grass on a hill. The strange thing was, no matter how much they cut, the grass kept growing back, as if it was endless. Shen Wansan brought a Taoist priest to examine the area. The priest said the hill was originally called Phoenix Mountain, and where the phoenix lands, treasure is sure to be found..."
At this point, Chen Qi took another big bite of his food, followed by another.
"Keep going!"
"Nope, the next part involves feudal superstition!"
"Ugh!!!"
The group collectively groaned.
If this were a comedy club, he'd have been booed off the stage.
Unbeknownst to them, the crew had been on Mount Lu for over twenty days, and almost everyone had grown fond of Chen Qi.
He was generous, helpful, humorous, and always had a story to tell.
After years of watching the same eight model operas and three war films (Tunnel Warfare, Mine Warfare, and The South Campaign), people were starved for something new.
Now that the political climate had relaxed, people were eager for fresh content.
They'd listen to anything, even a story about a cat catching a mouse.
But Chen Qi had a habit of stopping at the most exciting parts, claiming it was "feudal superstition," and then starting a new story.
It was infuriating...
In truth, Chen Qi wasn't trying to be difficult.
It was just that, in those times, someone might actually report him for spreading "superstitious" tales.
…………
As usual, they wrapped up around five in the evening.
The group returned to Guling, and as soon as Chen Qi entered the hotel, the attendant rushed over.
"You're finally back! Someone's been waiting for you."
"Who is it?"
"He says he's an editor from Story Magazine."
"He came all the way here?"
Chen Qi hurried upstairs and knocked on the door.
He Chengwei had been waiting for a while.
Seeing a young man, he asked, "Hello, comrade. Can I help you?"
"Are you the editor from Story Magazine? I'm the one who submitted the story."
"You're A Qi???"
"Yes, my name is Chen Qi."
He Chengwei was stunned.
The kid was way too young.
Still unsure, he asked, "You're also a screenwriter?"
"Yes, we're in the middle of filming."
"You're truly a prodigy! Please, come in, come in!"
He Chengwei ushered him inside, poured some water, and took another look at him before smiling.
"If my colleagues knew, they'd be even more shocked than I am. We've all read your The Cotton Cassock. The editor-in-chief specifically sent me to meet you and become friends."
"You've come such a long way, that must have been exhausting. Did you like the story?"
"It's fantastic! We've decided to publish it in the next issue, which will be out early next month. How's the second half coming along?"
"It'll be done in a few days, around 30,000 words."
"Could you give me a preview?"
Chen Qi happily agreed and invited He Chengwei to join him for dinner.
After the meal, they returned to the room, where Chen Qi began to elaborate.
He recounted the second half of The Cotton Cassock: Ding Mo, saved by Lin Ying, grew closer to her as they spent their days together.
By chance, he learned a peerless martial art, returned to Shaolin Temple to seek revenge, and defeated the main antagonist.
However, the Shaolin Temple suffered heavy losses and was on the brink of collapse.
Only Ding Mo could shoulder the responsibility, so he decided to officially become a monk.
"During the abbot's inauguration ceremony, Ding Mo, draped in the cotton cassock, knelt before the Buddha. Lin Ying stood outside, watching him. Though separated by just a door, it felt like an entire lifetime... As the saying goes, 'How can one have it both ways? Neither betraying the Buddha nor the one you love.' Sigh..."
Chen Qi finished the story, feigning a deep sigh.
When he looked up, he was surprised to see He Chengwei in tears.
(End of Chapter)