1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 530 Who's unhappy?

Jiang Xian looked at it very carefully.

I hadn't paid attention before, but now that I've dealt with so many directors and screenwriters, I understand that every shot in these films should not be watched casually.

Let's start with the first shot. Why is the first shot in "Dream of the Red Chamber" a sunset?

These days, domestic directors spend several days thinking about a single shot. The first shot in the opening sequence is certainly not something that was just shot randomly and then used; it all has a deeper meaning.

What does that mean?

The Jia family in "Dream of the Red Chamber" has been magnificent for a hundred years, but the mansion is about to collapse, and this is just a last gasp before it dies down.

As the commentary states: The author's original intention was only to depict the end times.

So the first shot, with its depiction of a setting sun over the western mountains, sets the tone for the entire film:
The sunset is infinitely good, just near dusk.

"Where did you take that picture of the big rock?" Rao Yuemei asked Jiang Ke.

Jiang Ke shook her head. "I don't know."

Rao Yuemei was referring to the background with the three red characters "Dream of the Red Chamber" floating out, and the large stone behind those three characters.

Anyone who has read "Dream of the Red Chamber" knows that this stone must be a stubborn rock from Qinggeng Peak.

In the novel, it says, "He has no talent to mend the heavens, and has wasted many years in the mortal world."

Nuwa refined colored stones to mend the sky, refining one stone neither too many nor too few, leaving only the "stubborn stone" as a spare, which was left behind at the foot of Qinggeng Peak, in a desolate place, where there was nothing but loneliness.

The novel *Dream of the Red Chamber* uses this stubborn rock from Qinggeng Peak as its narrative starting point, connecting the tragedy of "lamenting the loss of gold and jade" through the story of monks and Taoists leading it into the world.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ke was only responsible for the performance and had no idea where these shots came from or where they were edited from.

"In Huangshan."

Jiang Xian came out to clarify, "The stone in question is the Flying Stone in Huangshan, Anhui."

Cao Xueqin wrote in the opening of "Dream of the Red Chamber": "Nuwa refined stones to mend the sky, leaving behind a stubborn stone that she did not use, which she abandoned at the foot of Qinggeng Peak."

What is Qinggeng Peak? Scholars of "Dream of the Red Chamber" have speculated that Qinggeng Peak in the book should refer to Huangshan Mountain, and the "spiritual jade" is naturally the Flying Stone.

Therefore, Wang Fulin directly photographed this stone when he was bidding.

Jiang Xian had been to Huangshan and seen the Flying Stone, which is located between Bright Summit and Paiyun Pavilion. You can see it by following the scenic route. It has been polished to a shine by tourists touching it.

At this time, this stone is not very famous.

Half of its fame can be attributed to the 87 TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber," as it was used as the opening sequence, which made it a household name and brought it fame.

"The paper is filled with nonsense, a handful of bitter tears, everyone says the author is crazy, who can understand the meaning behind it?"

The opening scene features a middle-aged man reading four lines of poetry, his voice trembling slightly when he reads the word "heartache".

After reciting the poem, the man began reading the narration in a highly accented, bubbly voice:
"It is said that this is a story carved in stone."

"Due to the erosion of time, dynasties, eras, geography, and states have all been lost to history."

"The inscription on the stone says that two immortals once happened to pass by the foot of Qinggeng Peak on Wuji Cliff in the Great Wilderness Mountain. They took a stubborn stone that Nuwa had discarded after mending the sky into the mortal world, where it experienced all the joys and sorrows, the vicissitudes of life."

"These two immortals transformed into a bald-headed monk and a lame Taoist priest, acting crazy and frivolous, laughing and joking as they entered the mortal world."

"This poignant and heart-wrenching story begins here."

"Huh? Isn't that Tang Sanzang? How did he end up in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?" Zhu's mother, watching in front of the TV, was quite surprised.

What she said was indeed correct. In the scene, a monk and a Taoist priest in a yellow robe were walking and chatting, and the monk was wearing the classic red cassock suit worn by Tang Sanzang.

"Well, they're all from CCTV, and the budget is limited, so we just borrow clothes from each other to save money," Jiang Ke explained from the side.

The camera turned.

Ten-mile street, Zhen residence.

Zhen Shiyin, a middle-aged man dressed in rich clothes, was pruning flowers and plants in his house.

"Father, Father."

"Hey."

Zhen Shiyin's daughter, Yinglian, looked only a few years old. After calling her name a few times, she was held in his arms.

"Good girl, what are you doing?"

The little girl was innocent and carefree; she was clearly a well-bred young lady who was pampered.

"Yinglian? Who is Yinglian?" Rao Yuemei was a fan of Yunshu (a type of Chinese novel). "Isn't 'Dream of the Red Chamber' about Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu? Who are these people?"

"It's all in the works."

Jiang Ke rolled her eyes. "It's Xiangling in the back."

"Xiangling? Who is Xiangling?" Rao Yuemei followed up with a question.

"."

Jiang Ke was utterly exasperated. "You can keep watching."

There are many characters in the Grand View Garden. Rao Yuemei knew about "Dream of the Red Chamber" and had read it a few times, but she only knew that the novel was famous and that it was about Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu.

As for the plot, all I know is that Lin Daiyu uprooted the willow tree and Granny Liu experienced love for the first time. I don't know much more.

Xiangling?

This person's name doesn't sound as familiar as Lu Zhishen's.

"Oh, so later, the simple-minded Xue Pan killed someone for her, and she became Xue Pan's concubine, listed in the secondary register of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, and was also one of the souls that were saved." Jiang Xian explained to his mother.

“Alas, Yinglian, what a pitiful person she is, her fate is as pitiful as her name,” Professor Zhu, who is well-versed in “Dream of the Red Chamber,” said from the side.

"How can your fate be determined by your name? Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand." Dr. Liu didn't understand.

"Actually, Dad is right."

Jiang Xian smiled and said, "Actually, her fate is written in the character's name."

"The character's fate is in their name?" Rao Yuemei suddenly remembered Jiang Xian explaining the name "Lin Bei" to her a while ago. "How can it be in the name?"

“Think about it, her father’s name is Zhen Shiyin, so her surname is Zhen and her given name should be Zhen Yinglian.”

"Zhen Yinglian?"

Seeing that Rao Yuemei still didn't quite understand, Jiang Xian reminded her again, "Think about it, if you change three words, it becomes: 'truly deserving of pity'."

"Ouch."

Rao Yuemei suddenly understood, as if struck by a thunderbolt, "You novelists, from ancient times to the present, have always hidden riddles in the names of your characters."

"It's not just her, look at that maid over there."

"what."

"Her name is Jiao Xing."

"Jiaoxing, Jiaoxing. A lucky break?"

"Correct."

Jiang Xian said, "The 'young lady' in the title of the second half of the first chapter, 'Jia Yucun's Love Amidst the Dust,' refers to her. 'Jiaoxing' is a homophone for 'lucky,' implying that this girl has a good life. Later, she luckily escaped the disaster in the Zhen family and became Jia Yucun's wife."

As they were talking, the camera had already turned to Jia Yucun, the man Jiang Xian had mentioned.

He was writing calligraphy for others to sell, his handwriting was flamboyant and arrogant. After finishing, he flicked his brush, which showed that he was feeling unappreciated and was somewhat frivolous.

“This director is really skilled!” Zhu’s father chatted with Jiang Guoqing. “Look, in just a few shots, less than a few seconds in total, the characters’ personalities are fully revealed.”

"Yeah yeah."

After hearing what he said, Jiang Guoqing began to admire the director of the show, Wang Fulin.

However, as a man, he couldn't say that he hadn't noticed it, so he still maintained a "I was thinking of saying that too" expression.

What follows is a classic scene from "Dream of the Red Chamber":

Zhen Shiyin encountered Jia Yucun on the street. Yinglian had a rouge mark between her eyebrows, and Jia Yucun praised her for having a lucky face.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, Zhen Shiyin went to stay with Jia Yucun, who was living in a temple, and they drank together. Jia Yucun recited a poem, lamenting his unfulfilled potential.

Zhen Shiyin praised him, saying he would surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors in the future.

Upon hearing this, Jia Yucun mentioned the lack of travel expenses, and Zhen Shiyin immediately provided financial assistance.

The next day, Jia Yucun left the temple and set off without saying goodbye to his benefactor.

After passing the imperial examination, Jia Yucun offended his superiors by embezzling and accepting bribes, and was dismissed from his post in less than a year.

Later, through a recommendation, he became a teacher at the home of Lin Ruhai, the Salt Commissioner.

The Lin family only has one female student, so who could it be?
Daiyu!

"I'm coming!"

Upon hearing that Daiyu was about to make her appearance, everyone in front of the television became excited.

Although there are two actors from "Dream of the Red Chamber" in the family, one is Qin Keqing and the other is Shi Xiangyun.

It can be said that "Dream of the Red Chamber" is the most popular novel.

It's definitely Lin Daiyu!
When Jia Yucun heard that the imperial court was going to reinstate some dismissed officials, he was excited but also frustrated that he had no way to do so.

At this time, Lin Ruhai told him that his daughter's maternal grandmother was worried that no one would take care of her after her mother's death, so she sent a boat to pick her up.

Lin Ruhai then had Jia Yucun travel on the ship. He also wrote a letter to Jia Zheng, the brother of Lin Daiyu's mother, asking Jia Zheng to recommend Jia Yucun.

Jia Yucun quickly thanked him and then inquired about the matter:
"May I ask what official position your brother-in-law holds?"

Lin Ruhai then began his introduction with a smile:

"My elder brother-in-law, Jia She, is now a first-class general."

"My second brother-in-law, Jia Zheng, is currently an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works."

After so much buildup, Jia Yucun and Lin Daiyu are finally about to embark on their journey.

The originally densely packed dialogue suddenly slowed down, revealing sails, egrets, babbling green water, and a clear blue sky—each scene more beautiful than the last.

The sound of the flute began.

With such high prestige, such long build-up, and such a grand scale, it even comes with its own exclusive background music.

The whole family watching TV knew and could sense that an important scene was about to appear!
next second.

The whole family held their breath for a fleeting moment.

The camera was pointed directly at the face of an actress.

Her eyes were lowered, and tears welled up in the corners.

If we were to describe the current state of affairs using poetry, it would be:

"Two arched eyebrows, seemingly frowning yet not frowning, like wisps of smoke; a pair of eyes, seemingly weeping yet not weeping, filled with dew."

"A sorrowful air lingered on her cheeks, and a delicate illness clung to her body."

"Tears glistening in her eyes, her breath coming in soft gasps."

"Quiet as a beautiful flower reflected in water, graceful as a willow swaying in the breeze."

"His heart is more insightful than that of Bi Gan, and his illness surpasses that of Xi Shi by three points."

Lin Daiyu!
Even Jiang Ke, who usually disliked Chen Xiaoxu the most, couldn't help but glance at her again.

Is this still Chen Xiaoxu?

She and Chen Xiaoxu never got along on set.

But now we have no choice but to admit it.

Although Chen Xiaoxu was usually a chatterbox with a lot of mischief, she was quite different in front of the camera.

Wow, he really does seem like a celestial being descended to earth.

Especially beautiful.

The rest of the first episode is about Daiyu's first arrival at the Jia family mansion, which everyone is familiar with. Zhu Lin and Jiang Ke did not appear. The family just watched it like a TV show. When the maid appeared, she told the old lady, "Master Bao has arrived."

Lin Daiyu craned her neck to look, as if she were about to meet her sworn enemy from several lifetimes. The camera paused, and the background music suddenly started playing.

Episode 1 is over.

"Hey, at least let them see each other."

In the living room, Rao Yuemei complained, "Your director is really mean, he didn't let us see the whole scene of Daiyu and Baoyu meeting."

"Isn't that the only way to keep things looking forward to?"

When will the next episode air?

"I must say, it's really well filmed. Oh my, when I read 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' this is exactly what I imagined on TV."

Dr. Liu praised from the side, "No, no, even what I thought was better than what the director filmed. It's amazing."

"The director is quite skilled, and the actors he found are all good," Professor Zhu acknowledged.

"It's really good."

Jiang Guoqing agreed, "How come I never thought Chen Xiaoxu was so beautiful before?"

Rao Yuemei agreed, "Yes, I didn't think she was that pretty, but today she looks like Lin Daiyu brought to life."

"Maybe he's just the right person for the role," Jiang Xian said with a smile.

Meanwhile, similar scenes to Jiang Xian's family were happening in countless other households, but most people were watching TV at other people's homes because they didn't have one at home, so the whole house was filled with people talking about it.

Even if you haven't read "Dream of the Red Chamber," don't underestimate the level of knowledge and culture among the masses these days.

People these days are particularly driven by a desire for progress.

The streets and roads are filled with discussions about Russell, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Freud.
No exaggeration.

So we may not have read the novel "Dream of the Red Chamber", but we can definitely understand what's shown on TV.

"It's beautiful! Look at how well the director arranged it."

"How should I choose?"

"First came Zhen Shiyin, then came Jia Yucun, then came Lin Daiyu, and then Jia Yucun showed the unparalleled status of the four great families. You see, it's all connected, logically rigorous, and fast-paced. Oh my, it's impeccable!"

"Yes! That's exactly right, and I'll explain it in detail!"

Is there any left tonight?

"Let's air another episode so that Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu can meet."

"Yes, we've only seen Lin Daiyu so far, we haven't seen Jia Baoyu yet."

"Make a call, call CCTV."

The whole room was clamoring to call CCTV, but they couldn't get through at all.

The operators on CCTV were extremely busy, just as bustling as when "Journey to the West" was being broadcast.

There were both criticisms and praises, and the criticisms were quite numerous.

But
Getting attention is a success!
"It's done! This TV is really done!" an excited director in the office reported to the deputy director.

Before he could finish speaking, he heard a shout from outside:
"Director, Director."

"what happened?"

"A newspaper came to interview Wang Fulin, preparing to write a report on 'Dream of the Red Chamber'."

"Sure! That's great!"

As subsequent episodes of "Dream of the Red Chamber" aired, television discussion reached its peak. Regardless of criticism or praise, the feedback from all sectors of society made CCTV very happy.

Who's unhappy?

Ahem, speaking of the Beijing Film Studio...
(End of this chapter)