Chapter 00049: A Sense of Immersion (1)
# A Sense of Immersion (1)
Chapter 49
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 49: A Sense of Immersion (1)
Guling Town was still a commune at this time, with a population of about ten thousand.
At present, it didn’t seem like much, but in the future, as tourism developed, millions of visitors would flood into Mount Lu every year, putting immense pressure on the land and housing in Guling.
In the evening, a light rain began to fall on Mount Lu.
Chen Qi, having finished his meal, went out for a stroll.
They were staying on Hexi Road, and a short walk to the northeast would take them to a cluster of villas that were closed to the public.
Further northeast was the cinema.
Chen Qi liked to sit by the cinema entrance, though he had never actually gone inside.
Historically, after the release of Romance on Lushan Mountain, this cinema would change its name to Romance on Lushan Mountain Cinema, and for decades, it would only show this one movie, once or twice a day, setting a Guinness World Record.
"Xiao Chen! What are you doing here?"
From the other side of the path, Gong Xue and Zhang Jinling walked over, sharing a small floral umbrella, chatting and laughing.
It seemed they were also out for a stroll.
"Just digesting my meal. Are you two done with your walk?"
"Yeah, why aren’t you using an umbrella? Do you want to borrow ours?"
"No need, getting a little wet is nice."
"Wow, you intellectuals are so romantic. We couldn’t do that."
Gong Xue just smiled at him without saying a word, while Zhang Jinling kept talking.
"Hey, what’s your plan for the talent show?"
"Just telling a story."
"No stories allowed! If you tell a story, I’ll get mad at you! We’ve all agreed that this time you have to sing or dance. No poetry recitals either!"
"Come on, don’t make it so hard. Are there really restrictions on what I can perform?"
"Haha, well, we’re doing a girls’ choir. You better think carefully and not embarrass the guys. See you later!"
After rambling on, Zhang Jinling pulled Gong Xue away.
"Tsk! Your face is bigger than Gao Xiaosong’s!"
After they left, Chen Qi muttered to himself.
Everyone was looking forward to the talent show, forming groups and planning performances.
Even Tang Guoqiang had pestered him to do a male duet.
A duet? He knew a thing or two about the "fire and ice" contrast, but that was about it.
Chen Qi wandered around a bit more before heading back to the hotel.
Before he even reached his room, he ran into Tang Guoqiang in the hallway.
"Old Tang! Out of all the people, why are you so fixated on me?"
Now that they were familiar, they no longer addressed each other as "comrade."
Tang Guoqiang, with his distinctive voice, laughed and said, "The others don’t have the right look. We’re the same height, and you’ve got the looks. It’d be a waste not to team up."
"Alright, come on in!"
Chen Qi opened the door, and Tang Guoqiang pulled out a cassette tape from his pocket, whispering, "You’ve got a tape recorder, right? I borrowed this tape from the hotel manager. Let’s practice."
"You’re something else. Go ahead, I’m going to wash my face."
"Where’s the tape recorder?"
"On the table!"
Chen Qi picked up the thermos, poured some water into a basin, and started splashing his face.
Meanwhile, Tang Guoqiang asked, "Does this thing run on batteries?"
"Don’t waste the batteries, just plug it in."
"Is this power outlet working?"
"Use the one by the bed."
"Is it plugged in?"
"..."
Tang Guoqiang turned his head, frowning.
"This is weird."
"Is it plugged in?"
"Is it in?"
"Is it?"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Tang Guoqiang, who was 27 and about to get married, wasn’t some clueless virgin.
He shook his head and said, "Xiao Chen, your knowledge is too eclectic. Sometimes it’s downright scary!"
He pressed the play button, and a melody floated out.
"The aroma of fine wine, the sound of singing, my friend, let’s raise a glass, let’s raise a glass…"
This song, Toast Song, was born in 1976 and would be sung by countless people for decades to come, never losing its charm.
"Come on, let’s practice!"
"Just a quick run-through!"
"At least let’s not mess up the lyrics and embarrass ourselves."
Tang Guoqiang was full of enthusiasm, and Chen Qi had no choice but to stand in the room like a fool, listening to his instructions.
"Chest out, head up, open your chest, emotions full, brimming with enthusiasm… When you get to this part, add a gesture, like this, it’ll make it even better…"
"Should I also wiggle my eyebrows?"
"That’s too much, but your eyes should be focused, full of light."
Chen Qi rolled his eyes.
Who knew you were such a drama queen?
Well, a celebrity endorsing excavators couldn’t be that introverted, could they?
…………
In his previous life, Chen Qi was born in 1980.
The life of someone born in the 80s was truly fascinating.
Childhood spent under kerosene lamps, adolescence with the advent of computers, young adulthood leaping straight into smartphones, and middle age dealing with pandemics, U.
S.-China rivalry, moon landings, and the chaos of American youth… It felt like living through two centuries of change.
From the founding of the nation, the events of this period were viewed differently at each stage.
Like many, Chen Qi’s understanding of this history was a mix of ignorance, misunderstanding, sarcasm, active learning, and reevaluation…
Just looking at 1979, this year had many significant events.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.
S., the release of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, the founding of the Shekou Industrial Zone, the war against Vietnam, and the beginning of discussions on the one-child policy… Each was a milestone.
In the blink of an eye, it was October 1st, National Day.
The Guling Hotel was decked out in red decorations, with red cloth and ribbons hung everywhere as if they were free.
Even without the film crew, as a large state-owned hotel, they couldn’t afford to slack off.
The dining hall had already been set up, with chairs and tables arranged along the walls, leaving the center open as a stage.
On the wall at the front was a portrait of the current leader, with a banner above it that read: "Romance on Lushan Mountain Crew and Guling Hotel Staff Celebrate National Day Together!"
Everyone sat down like schoolchildren.
Chen Qi glanced at the items on the table: a few pieces of fruit and candy, mostly sunflower seeds, and oddly enough, a few boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes.
"Alright, quiet down!"
"Let’s get started!"
Wang Haowei and the hotel manager, one man and one woman, took on the role of hosts, full of enthusiasm.
"Thirty years ago today, the Chairman stood on the Tiananmen Gate and solemnly declared the birth of New China! Thirty years later, we gather here on Mount Lu to celebrate the birthday of our great motherland!"
"..."
Chen Qi leaned over and whispered, "Who wrote this script?"
"Director Wang wrote it himself," Tang Guoqiang whispered back.
"Not bad."
"I thought you’d make fun of it!" Tang Guoqiang was surprised.
"What do you take me for? It’s the motherland’s birthday!" Chen Qi was even more surprised.
When it’s time to be serious, I’m always serious, okay?
Over there, Wang Haowei finished the opening remarks and introduced the first performance: a group of hotel waitresses performing the Loyalty Dance.
By this time, the Loyalty Dance had largely fallen out of fashion, but they didn’t know any other dances, so it was better than nothing.
Next came performances of Peking opera and poetry recitals, mostly by older folks.
When it was the younger generation’s turn, things got more lively.
Gong Xue, Zhang Jinling, and a few other female comrades performed a small choir of The Sound of Spring Water, a song that had come out the previous year.
"The sound of spring water, the sound of spring water, the sound of spring water, jumping down the hillside, crossing the meadow…"
"Oh!"
The atmosphere instantly heated up, with everyone clapping along.
Chen Qi joined in the applause.
These were all famous songs, ones that would still be heard often in the future.
In a couple of years, there would be Camel Bells, Oh, My Homeland, the Sea, Young Friends, Let’s Meet Again, and many other great songs.
"The next performance is one I know everyone is looking forward to. He’s the crew’s famous storyteller, but today, everyone wants to see him do something different. Please welcome Tang Guoqiang and Chen Qi performing Toast Song!"
"Clap clap clap!"
The applause was especially enthusiastic.
(End of Chapter)