1990: Starting from Baojia Street

When Zhou Yan returned from taking the flute, Yu Hua and Shi Tiesheng were each holding a cucumber and chewing on it.

You went...to borrow cucumbers again?

How can I do that in broad daylight? Yu Hua pointed to the bamboo basket on top of the stone mill next to him, The chef in the kitchen sent it to me.

Zhou Yan walked over and stretched his head to take a look, and sure enough, there were about seven or eight cucumbers in the bamboo basket, and they looked like they had been washed.

Why did the people in the kitchen bring cucumbers? Zhou Yan asked doubtfully.

However, his hand unconsciously touched the inside of the basket and selected the longest and greenest one.

Director Wu should have told people that Yu Hua is interested in cucumbers, Shi Tiesheng said.

During lunch and dinner yesterday, Yu Hua asked about cucumbers. Seeing that Wu Ziniu was interested in cucumbers, he asked the chef to buy more and delivered them to Yu Hua and the others.

Yu Hua gnawed half of the cucumber in his hand, and then said, But there is one thing to say. Although the cucumbers here are relatively original, but in terms of deliciousness, the cucumbers on the edge of the North Third Ring Road are the most delicious.

Next to the North Third Ring Road?

Yu Hua nodded, Well, there is a large farmland right next to Yanjing Studio. The cucumbers there are really delicious.

Next to Yanjing Studio... Zhou Yan twitched his lips. If he remembered correctly, the fields there should belong to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Good guy, Yu Hua even stole the cucumbers grown by the Academy of Agricultural Sciences?

How vicious.

Yu Hua finished chewing a cucumber, clapped his hands, and asked Zhou Yan, What music are you playing for us today? This is our first time hearing your solo.

Zhou Yan jumped to sit on the stone mill next to him, We'll talk about it after I finish eating.

Yu Hua nodded, dragged a wooden stake from the side to serve as a bench and sat down, then stared at the general in the distance.

Jiangjuntuo is not a high mountain, but it has many ridges. Coupled with the blue sky, white clouds and morning sunshine, it is refreshing. Occasionally, a few birds fly out of the mountain forest, chirp a few times, circle around a few times, and then fly away.

Where Zhou Yan and the others are, there is a large field between Jiangjun Tuo. There are already villagers working in the fields. Wu Ziniu and the others are at the west end, about forty or fifty meters away, and are discussing the next scene. How to shoot.

After finishing the cucumber in his hand, Zhou Yan tried the flute in his hand.

The quality of this flute is really average, but there is an advantage to the poor quality, that is, it doesn't hurt. There are a few good flutes in the courtyard, but they are all kept in boxes and are rarely used.

On the other hand, these low-quality flutes can be thrown into the trunk casually, and it doesn't matter if they break.

In fact, according to Zhou Yan's current net worth, you don't need to cherish a flute worth several hundred yuan. Even if you change one every day, it won't cost much. But this thing is not just about money. Seeing that a good flute is broken, Zhou Yan will not care about it no matter what. It is to be distressed.

After a brief try, Zhou Yan started to play formally.

The first song he played was Forever Together. He had been revising the score of this piece in the past two days and was familiar with it, so he played it casually.

The song Forever Together is suitable for soloing on the flute, and the melody is melodious and relaxed, which fits the pleasant scenery in front of me very well.

Yu Hua and the others had all heard Forever Together, but this was the first time they heard the bamboo flute solo, and they all found it unique.

Listening to the music and looking at the general Tuo in front of him, a sentence suddenly appeared in Shi Tiesheng's mind: If the sun rises, the forest will bloom, and the clouds will return and the cave will be dark. At sunrise, the fog disperses, the clouds are misty, and the notes float out of the bamboo flute. , as the ridge of Jiangjuntuo floats leisurely, it adds a lot of interest to the already beautiful scenery.

Just now, Yu Hua said that the scenery in front of him lacked music. Shi Tiesheng didn't feel much about it. But when the sound of the bamboo flute really sounded, this feeling suddenly emerged.

Music is really a magical thing. It alone can express emotions and cause inner resonance, and when it is put together with other things, it can always produce wonderful reactions.

The villagers working in the fields rarely heard the sound of silk and bamboo. Now they suddenly heard the melodious sound of bamboo flutes. They all stopped working, holding hoes or shovels, and looked in the direction of Zhou Yan and the others.

There are actually musicians in their village. There is an old scholar in the west of the village who likes to play the erhu.

The old scholar was not really a scholar, he just studied in high school for two years and was considered a cultural person in the village, so he got the nickname Old Scholar.

This old scholar didn't know how to play the erhu since he was a child. He only learned it for a few years and usually could only play a few pieces of music. But in the eyes of the villagers, he was already a musician.

As for the bamboo flute, most villagers have only seen it on TV.

The straight-line distance from Tiananmen here is only more than 30 kilometers, but it is a completely different world from the city.

Another magical thing about music is that it is highly tolerant. Even ordinary people who are not usually exposed to music can still resonate when they hear the music played by Zhou Yan.

Wu Ziniu and the others, who were leading people to set up the scene, heard the sound of music and looked towards the east end of the village. Many people in the crew knew that Zhou Yan was a musician, but not many people had seen Zhou Yan's performance. Even Wu Ziniu only listened to it on the radio. Just passed the tape.

Assistant director Xu Zhiyan said with a smile, You are blessed to be able to hear Director Zhou's live performance. I heard that one ticket for his concert can cost several hundred yuan.

Ge You said, Isn't that right? We made hundreds of dollars early in the morning. When we hear the sound of the flute, we feel comfortable.

It's not uncommon to go to a concert, because you can still do it if you have money, but it's very rare to hear Director Zhou perform in the mountains and fields, and you can't hear it even if you have money.

Indeed.

Field manager Xiao Liu said, This song is similar to Anita Mui's Stay with Me.

This song is Forever Together, and Anita Mui's song Stay with Me was adapted from this song, said Chen Hong.

Wu Ziniu glanced at Chen Hong and said, Xiao Chen, you quite understand.

I have listened to all Director Zhou's songs. As she spoke, Chen Hong felt a little proud.

Wu Ziniu clapped his hands and said, Everyone listen to Director Zhou's performance, and don't delay the work at hand. Come on, get moving.

There was no need for him to ask, and everyone in the crew did not delay their work. On the contrary, they became much more relaxed when listening to the music.

While others were working, Wu Ziniu pulled the deputy director Xu Zhiyan and said, Go and ask Yang Wei to turn on the machine.

Xu Zhiyan was stunned for a moment and asked doubtfully, It will take some time to prepare for the scene. Will it be started so early?

Wu Ziniu pointed in the direction of Zhou Yan, Ask Wei Yang to film Director Zhou playing the flute.

Xu Zhiyan understood immediately, Okay, I'll go tell Yang Wei right now.

Xu Zhiyan then ran to find photographer Yang Wei.

When the second song played, Ge You asked Chen Hong, What is the name of this song?

Chen Hong was not stumped, This song is Nightingale.

Pros and cons. Ge You gave a thumbs up.

Every time a new song appeared, Ge You would ask Chen Hong, and Chen Hong would always answer correctly.

…

After Zhou Yan played four tunes in a row, he put down his flute and asked Yu Hua, Do you want to hear new tunes?

Yu Hua was immersed in the scenery in front of him and the melodious flute sound. When he heard Zhou Yan say this, he said with bright eyes, Do you have any new songs?

Well, it just came out in the past two days and has not been publicly announced yet. Zhou Yan said.

That's good. We should listen first.

Then Zhou Yan didn't say anything more, took a deep breath, then raised his bamboo flute and played a new tune.

As soon as this piece of music started, Yu Hua was shocked. The new piece of music was a little different from the ones Zhou Yan played just now. It was full of history from the beginning, as if the aftertaste of the Han and Tang Dynasties traveled through the years and came to this mountain wilderness. Forest.

A long sigh hovered among the clouds along with the sound of the flute.

Yu Hua looked at Zhou Yan. He was clearly right in front of him, but because of the sound of the flute, it made people feel like he was far away in the clouds.

On the other side, Ge You asked Chen Hong again, What is the name of this piece of music?

Chen Hong shook her head blankly, I don't know.

Don't know? Ge You smiled, It seems that not everyone knows Director Zhou's music. This music gives people a sense of the vicissitudes of history, grandeur and pathos. a feeling of.

I feel the same way. Chen Hong nodded.

While Wu Ziniu was looking at the storyboard in his hand, he was also paying half of his attention to Zhou Yan's song.

Before, he had only heard that Zhou Yan was very good at music, but now that he has seen it with his own eyes, the feeling is completely different. No matter how great the soundtrack in the movie is, the first thing that comes to his mind is the scene of the movie. Unlike now, Zhou Yan is right there with them. Not far away, the impact of the picture far exceeds that of a movie.

After Zhou Yan finished playing the music, Yu Hua clapped and asked, What is the name of this music?

A long journey.

Yu Hua said with some regret, It's a good name, and the music is really nice. It's a pity that I didn't bring my Walkman. Otherwise, I would record a version and listen to it later.

It's okay. I will lead the orchestra to rehearse this piece of music in a while. You can come and listen to it then. If you want to take it back to listen to it, I will just record a version for you. It will definitely be better than what you recorded on your Walkman.

Yu Hua waved his hand and said, That's different. Although the effect in the concert hall is good, the artistic conception cannot be compared with what is in front of you, and this is still your solo.

Hey, if we didn't record it, wouldn't it make the memories even more precious? Shi Tiesheng said.

I think this is a fallacy. Yu Hua curled his lips, then saw Zhou Yan putting away the flute and asked, Is it over?

Well, it's over. Zhou Yan nodded.

Yu Hua raised his head and sighed, I didn't hear enough.

Zhou Yan thought for a while, then raised the flute again, I can give you a song.

Send me a song?

Well, the last song is just for you.

Is there such a good thing?

Zhou Yan smiled, said nothing, and started to play.

This piece of music is quite pleasant at first. It sounds like flowing water on a small bridge or a chat in the village.

The first verse ended, and by the second verse, the tune became brisk and joyful, with a little bit of expectation and excitement, and it felt like a young man going to see his beloved.

The emotions in the third episode changed again. There was no hope or joy, but the excitement rose to a higher level. It was like a young couple being caught on a tryst by their parents. The boy ran away in a panic, and the listener felt his heart beat faster.

In the end, I finally ran away. The fourth section has a feeling of rebirth after a disaster, and the tune becomes relaxed again.

This piece is very short, only two or three minutes, but it is rich in emotion and complete.

If compared to a novel, the story is complete with the beginning of the first paragraph, the development of the second paragraph, the climax of the third paragraph, and the end of the fourth paragraph.

After the song ended, Yu Hua applauded, Yes, yes, in this song, I heard the confusion, excitement, and worry about gains and losses of a young couple in love. It's beautiful, it's really beautiful. Oh, I suddenly thought When I was in middle school, a girl in my class gave me a note. The note was stacked in many layers. It took me more than 20 minutes to open it, for fear of tearing the note into pieces and missing it. Some beautiful words…”

Yu Hua vividly talked about his ignorant feelings in middle school, because he felt that the song just now was about love.

In fact, what Yu Hua shared couldn't be considered a love story. A girl in his class handed him a note. The content was just accusing Yu Hua of borrowing her book and not keeping it well. She said she would forgive Yu Hua this time.

After sharing the story, Yu Hua asked Zhou Yan enthusiastically, What is the name of this piece of music?

Zhou Yan said calmly, Steal cucumbers.

...

...

Not only Yu Hua was stunned, but Shi Tiesheng was also caught off guard. They had no idea that Zhou Yan composed a song about stealing cucumbers last night.

This is a bit outrageous.

Especially Yu Hua, he was completely embarrassed. Fortunately, he had just vividly described his ignorance in middle school. He thought this song was about love, but he didn't expect it to be this.

But if you think about it carefully, this song does perfectly describe the whole process of stealing cucumbers last night, and it is from Yu Hua's perspective.

At first, they were playing cards, which was very leisurely and comfortable. Later, Yu Hua went to steal porn, and he must have been looking forward to and happy in his heart.

When he stole the cucumber and heard the barking of the dog, he was so frightened that he ran away, and then he spent the rest of his life enjoying the fruits of victory.

Shi Tiesheng shook his head and sighed, It's nothing to write an article with a pen to curse people. It's really powerful to curse people with music. The key is that some people are scolded and don't know it.

Yu Hua spread his hands and said, I just went and borrowed a cucumber. This is not my crime.

Zhou Yancong advised Ruliu, Then change the name to Borrowing Cucumber.

Shi Tiesheng nodded seriously, Well, after changing it like this, I suddenly feel like there is no three hundred taels of silver here.

The three of them were chatting blindly when Xu Zhiyan and Yang Wei came over.

Director Zhou, we have recorded your performance just now.

Zhou Yan was surprised and said, Did you record us just now?

Well, Director Wu thought the scene was rare, so he asked us to record it.

Zhou Yan lamented that it was indeed easy to go from frugality to luxury. Wu Ziniu, who was so economical on film, had been wealthy for a while and was willing to waste film to shoot behind-the-scenes footage.

Yu Hua glanced at the camera, Did the songs Zhou Yan played just now also be recorded?

Xu Zhiyan nodded and said, Well, we have sound pickup, and the live music is recorded simultaneously.

Okay, bring me a copy of this video. I'll go back... Yu Hua suddenly remembered that he didn't have a video recorder at home, and even if he had a video tape, he couldn't play it.

Xu Zhiyan smiled and said: We can't give this now. We have to wash and cut it when we get back. After it's done, we will make a few copies.

Well, when you go back and finish it, just give it to me. Zhou Yan said.

OK.

Oh, is the last piece of music I played recorded? Zhou Yan asked again.

Yes, it's all recorded.

That's good.

Not long after Xu Zhiyan and the others left, Chen Hong came over again and said, Director Zhou, are the last two songs new?

Zhou Yan nodded, Well, what's wrong?

Chen Hong laughed when she heard that it was indeed a new song. She shook her head, It's nothing, I just haven't heard it before. I've listened to your two albums many times. I thought it must be a new song.

In fact, Zhou Yan has many songs that were not included in those two albums, such as the songs written for movies such as Three Kingdoms and Farewell My Concubine, as well as songs like Morning·First Snow·Red Sun and Eternal Night , Flow·Wind and other songs.

If all his songs were made into an album, there wouldn't be enough room for ten of them.

Chen Hong then expressed her feelings about these two pieces of music. When talking about Distant Journey, she said she heard a sense of historical vicissitudes, which is actually quite relevant.

When it came to the second song, she said, The last song made me feel a pure love, passionate and hesitant...

She said it very seriously. Zhou Yan and Shi Tiesheng couldn't help but smile, but Yu Hua's expression was very strange.

Seeing the expressions of Zhou Yan and the others, Chen Hong asked doubtfully, Director Zhou, am I right?

Zhou Yan waved his hand, There's nothing wrong with it. Everyone can have their own feelings about a piece of music. It's what you hear, and you and Yu Hua feel the same way.

Really? Chen Hong looked at Yu Hua, Brother Yu Hua and I have the same view?

Yu Hua tugged at the corners of her lips and said, Well, that's about right.

Chen Hong smiled and said, I don't know much about music, so I just talk based on my first impression.

Well, you feel very good. Zhou Yan nodded, and then said, This is an improvised piece of music that I will put into the concert program in the future.

When I heard that Zhou Yan was going to put Borrowing Cucumber into the concert program, Yu Hua's expression became even stranger, and the smile on Shi Tiesheng's face became even brighter.

Chen Hong was very interested in the concert, Director Zhou, are you going to hold another concert?

Well, I'm planning to go to Neon to hold a few shows, and I'm getting ready now.

Wow, going abroad is really awesome.

Chen Hong's skill in flattering people is very average, and she is not even qualified to carry Zhou Yan's shoes, but she is a beauty, which is her natural advantage. She doesn't need any flattering words, she just needs to say You are so awesome with a pure expression. It can make most men happy.

No wonder Chen Kaige likes Chen Hong. People like Chen Hong are a big killer for Chen Kaige.

…

After watching the scenery with Yu Hua and the others for a while, Zhou Yan went to see Wu Ziniu and the others' on-site filming. This morning's plot was filmed after yesterday morning. After Yao Xiang finished throwing the stones, he was held down by other people in the same village, and then the villagers took him to The village chief's family said he was crazy.

After the morning scene was finished, we had a quick meal at noon, and then the afternoon shooting started.

Until the evening, when the whole scene was over, Wu Ziniu arranged a final ceremony for Zhou Yan and the three of them.

The closing banquet was skipped because it was getting late, so Zhou Yan and the others hurried back to the city.

Although the distance in a straight line is not far, it would take an estimated two hours to send Yu Hua and Shi Tiesheng home.

On the way back, Yu Hua kept mumbling about the song Borrowing Cucumber. He resented Zhou Yan deeply for adding this song to the program of the neon concert.

Shi Tiesheng found it very interesting, and said that apart from the movie Alive, this is the most promising time for Yu Hua to go abroad.

Yu Hua said that he did not want to go abroad in this way.

…

On Monday morning, Zhou Yan went to Ganjiakou. The crew rented many houses in the nearby community. Some were provided for the crew to live in, and a few were used for filming. The male protagonist and the young male protagonist’s homes were arranged here. .

Zhou Yan came here today mainly to look at the scenery.

Zhou Yan had already designed most of the settings for the male protagonist and the young male protagonist's home. When he was drawing the storyboard, he roughly sketched the scenery. Now that Liu Qing and the others are here, they are making modifications based on Zhou Yan's drawings. That’s it.

When Zhou Yan arrived at the scene, Liu Qing was leading people to clean the room.

Liu Qing was very happy to see Zhou Yan, They are all wondering when they can meet the director.

The people who came with Liu Qing from the Chang'an Factory this time were all Zhou Yan's acquaintances. The team from the previous filming of Antfly had already arrived except for Zhao Fei and the lighting engineer.

In fact, Liu Qing and the others can come over later. The filming will start in late June and the reading meeting will be held at the end of May. They can wait until late May to come over. The preliminary work for The Sixth Sense is not complicated. It is enough to come one month in advance. .

However, Liu Qing and the others at Chang'an Factory have no other projects to be busy with recently, and it is impossible to enter other new projects at this time, so they simply came here.

Mainly because Liu Qing and Jiang Mengfei were in a hurry. When Zhou Yan was filming The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly, they were not able to come because they were on other crews. They had been talking about it, so they came to the crew of The Sixth Sense this time. They are all in a hurry.

Zhou Yan gave Liu Qing a cigarette and said, You just came here, so there is no need to be in such a hurry. You can rest for two days.

That won't work. We still have to do things well first. We are not tired anyway. The early design of the set work is one thing, and the final effect is another matter. If you do it in advance, you can also leave more time for more work. More time to revise.”

Zhou Yan nodded. It must be a good thing to prepare early. He asked again, Where is Mengfei?

This guy is in the production office, discussing props with Director Wang and others. He probably won't come over today.

I'll spare my time today. If you come over, I won't pick you up. I'll treat you all to a meal tonight, and just treat it like I'm here to pick you up.

Hey, how could we be so polite before?

Zhou Yan said with a smile, Long time no see, you don't want to have dinner with me.

Liu Qing also laughed, If you want to say that, then you must eat this meal tonight. You are also a rich man now. I don't have any psychological burden at all if you eat like a rich man.

There is no need to be mentally burdened. Just eat in the evening. In the afternoon, you should finish early and tell Mengfei and Xiaojuan about the meal. You will gather in the crew office in the evening. I will inform you of the place to eat later. .”

No problem, let me work first.

You guys get busy first, I'll go around the area later. Zhou Yan nodded, said hello to a few other people, and left.

When Zhou Yan left the room, the steward Hong Ben came up to Liu Qing and sighed, Zhou Yan is still the same as before, without any airs.

Call Director Zhou. Liu Qing reminded.

Yes, yes, I made a slip of the tongue.

Only then did Liu Qing light up the cigarette that Zhou Yan had just given him, and then said with a smile, Director Zhou has no airs with us, but we can't handle it ourselves. He respects us because he is well-educated, and we must also respect him. .”

He didn't just say it, he also did it because he knew Zhou Yan didn't smoke, so he didn't light the cigarette in front of Zhou Yan.

Although Liu Qing looks rough, he is very considerate. The key to getting along with others is to have the right appetite. If he doesn't have the right appetite, he won't have a good face, but if he has the right appetite, he can dig out his heart and lungs.

Hong Ben nodded and said, Brother Liu is right, Director Zhou respects us, and we must also respect him.

Liu Qing blew out the smoke and said, The best respect is to do things well. Director Zhou specially transferred us from Chang'an Factory this time. It is also our opportunity. We must try our best to help him do things well. At least we can’t hold back.”

I understand this.

Although filming behind Zhou Yan may not be of much help to their promotion in the factory, the treatment will be much better than in other crews. When filming The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly, everyone received salary in addition to their salary. Additional subsidies.

Since these subsidies are not included in wages and are given privately, they do not need to be turned over to the factory.

Most of the people behind the scenes don't have much room for advancement. Many of them may work in a handyman position until retirement. Just like Liu Qing, he has been in the factory for so many years and his position has basically not changed.

Therefore, being able to get financial subsidies is the most attractive to them.

The key point is that this kind of extra money is legitimate and there is no need to worry about it.

…

After wandering around the community for a while, Zhou Yan went to tell Jiang Xia to find a table at a nearby restaurant.

How many people are there? Jiang Xia asked.

Zhou Yan wasn't sure how many people there were, mainly because he didn't know if anyone from Yanjing Factory had come over in the past few days.

Go ask Li Hong.

OK.

After handing the matter over to Jiang Xia, Zhou Yan went to Yanjing Studio and met with Senior Lu again.

Xu Feng has already read the script of Grown Up. She is very interested in it and is willing to fund the filming with Yanjing Studio.

Xu Feng knew that it was difficult to make money with Grown Up. Although she did not make the movie to make money, she would not waste money casually. The reason why she was so happy was because of Zhou Yan.

The income brought to Tomson by The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly has far exceeded Xu Feng's initial expectations.

This film, which cost only a few million, has so far earned Tomson more than 20 million, not including the income from subsequent video tapes and TV screening rights.

So for Xu Feng, investing one or two million to help Senior Lu make a movie is nothing.

In fact, even if The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly did not make so much money for Tomson, Xu Feng would still be willing to invest in Grown Up as long as Zhou Yan was really optimistic about it. She believed in Zhou Yan's vision.

Just like she believes in Chen Kaige, even if Farewell My Concubine does not do well at the box office, she will continue to believe in Chen Kaige, because what she wants is not the box office, but to really make a good movie.

Senior Lu also knew that Tang Chen was able to invest in his script entirely because of Zhou Yan's help.

So he was very grateful to Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan, thank you so much for helping me so much.

Senior Lu was in poor health. After major surgery, although his body recovered, he still had little energy. Although he said words of gratitude, he was very calm, as if he was in standby mode.

Zhou Yan also pays more attention to his body, How do you feel now? If your body can't bear it, you can postpone the filming of the movie.

It's okay, I'm like this now, no matter how long I put it off. I'm different from you, I can't fight, so I can only take my time. I've been writing the script for Grown Up for a long time, and I'm afraid the subsequent filming will also take more time. It’s a long time.”

It doesn't matter. You can take your time and shoot. But for this co-production, Tomson will not provide any technical support except money. The personnel and equipment are all produced by your factory, Zhou Yan said.

I know this. It depends on whether Director Chen can approve the project later.

Zhou Yan smiled, What do you have to worry about? Can Director Chen push the money out because he needs people and equipment?

Co-productions do not occupy the studio's shooting quota, so there is almost no pressure on the studio. They only need to consider the personnel and equipment arrangements in the factory.

You should ask more people in the factory this time. The same goes for the machines. It won't be a problem if the shooting takes a little longer.

Wouldn't this delay the plans in the factory?

You will worry about others, so worry about your own affairs first. You also know that you are not in good health. If you don't get more people, how can you survive on your own?

Senior Lu was also convinced by Zhou Yan, What you said makes sense. My body can't endure it.

Hey, that's right. Making a movie is like fighting a war. You have to know how to ask for a gun from the leader. You have now obtained two million in filming funds for the factory. There is nothing embarrassing about asking for a gun from the person in the factory. Yes. You have to think about it, if Tomson trusts you so much, you can’t let Mr. Xu down, right?

I see.

Seeing that Senior Lu was enlightened, Zhou Yan said with a smile, Our crew is having a dinner tonight, and there are many people from your factory. You can go there too, and everyone will be familiar with it. When you make a movie later, it will be simpler.

Okay, I'll go there tonight. (End of chapter)