1978: Female educated youth, don’t want an illiterate husband

The flight to Shanghai went smoothly.

However, after transferring at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, Cheng Xuemin's flight experience was completely different.

Even in the international departure hall, there was a faint scent of perfume in the air, which was obviously sprayed on purpose, and was completely different from the coal smoke smell in the domestic flight area of ​​Yanjing.

However, for Huang Jianzhong and others who were going abroad for the first time, there was actually no difference.

"Little Li, are all international flights like in the movies?" Zhu Lin asked Li Lianjie quietly, her voice tinged with nervousness.

Zhu Lin was still at Yan Film Studio when she watched some internal reference films from Hong Kong, which sparked her curiosity about international flights.

The atmosphere at the start of boarding was completely different from that when we flew in from Yanjing.

I've heard Li Lianjie brag a lot before, about how many times he's been abroad and how much worldly experience he's had.

Moreover, Zhu Lin knew that apart from Li Lianjie, the others accompanying her—Cheng Xuemin, director Huang Jianzhong, and Gong Xue sitting next to her—had definitely never been abroad.

Director Hu Jian, who was leading the delegation from China Film Group, said that this was not his first time traveling abroad.

Hu Jian, a member of China Film Group, has the opportunity to represent the group almost every year to send films abroad for exchange, mostly to Japan and South Korea.

I heard that he also visited the United States once. That was a few years ago when diplomatic relations between China and the United States were officially restored, and a cultural exchange visit was conducted the following year. He accompanied China Film Group on that trip.

However, Zhu Lin wasn't familiar with the people from China Film Group, so she certainly wouldn't strike up a conversation rashly. Instead, she mostly talked to Gong Xue and Li Lianjie, who were standing next to her.

Cheng Xuemin accompanied Xie Jin in front, but also paid attention to their conversation behind them, knowing that Xiao Li had finally seized the opportunity to start showing off.

as predicted!

Li Lianjie was adjusting her tie in front of the mirror when she heard this. She turned her head, a knowing smile playing on her lips, and said, "Sister Lin, this is different from domestic flights."

He paused deliberately, waiting for Huang Jianzhong to come closer, before slowly saying, "There's free Moutai on international flights."

"Moutai?" Huang Jianzhong almost dropped his boarding pass. "That's a special-supply liquor. We can't even buy it normally. You can just drink it on a plane?"

"Do you have Moutai?" This time, not only Zhu Lin and Gong Xue were surprised, but Xie Jin in front also turned around in surprise. He liked Moutai, but he couldn't afford it.

"Not only can we drink as much as we want," Li Lianjie popped a fruit candy into her mouth, her tone deliberately nonchalant, "we also give everyone a bottle, which we can take off the plane."

Huang Jianzhong's eyes widened instantly, and he asked in surprise, "Really? How much does a bottle of Moutai cost?"

Huang Jianzhong recalled that last year during the Spring Festival, his father asked someone to buy a bottle of Moutai, which cost him three months' salary, but in the end he couldn't bear to drink it and gave it to his father-in-law as a filial gift.

Cheng Xuemin stood aside, watching Li Lianjie's feigned mystery, and couldn't help but laugh.

Actually, my wife's aunt had told me this funny story when she came back from visiting relatives in the United States.

It is said that in order to open up the international market and increase more channels for foreign exchange earnings, the government has provided a lot of "hard currency" as gifts for international flights, including Moutai and Zhonghua cigarettes, which are said to be "part of cultural export".

Unexpectedly, this has now become Li Lianjie's capital to "show off" in front of everyone.

When the boarding announcement came on, Li Lianjie was the first to stand up, walking proudly towards the jet bridge, looking just like a victorious rooster.

Huang Jianzhong quickly followed, muttering, "They really give you a bottle? We'd better be careful not to break it."

Zhu Lin tugged at Cheng Xuemin's sleeve and whispered, "Xuemin, is what Xiao Li said true?"

Because of that kissing scene, Gong Xue is now too shy to talk to Cheng Xuemin, especially since this time she has to bring that kissing scene to Bolin to embarrass herself. To be honest, Gong Xue has very mixed feelings.

She didn't want to go this time, but the department had informed the General Political Department, and their leaders in the General Political Department had also given instructions, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.

However, he consciously kept his distance from Cheng Xuemin throughout the journey. Apart from briefly conveying the news of Pacific Company's album release at the Capital Airport, he did not say another word.

They were all walking together with another woman in the group.

Now that Zhu Lin has caught up with Cheng Xuemin, Gong Xue wanted to take a few steps after him, but hesitated.

Furthermore, it's unimaginable what Zhu Lin will think when she sees the shocking kiss between her and Cheng Xuemin on camera after "Romance on Lushan Mountain" is screened at Bolin Film Festival.

“Go up and see for yourself!” Cheng Xuemin smiled, but he was also looking forward to it. Although he knew there were free gifts, he had never seen such a “luxurious” scene in person.

The cabin of the Boeing 747 is much more spacious than that of domestic flights, and the dark blue seats are covered with white headrest covers.

When the flight attendants pushed the beverage cart over, Huang Jianzhong stared wide-eyed.

The flight attendant in the lead was a blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl who spoke fluent Chinese: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard this flight. We are now serving you beverages."

Behind her, on the cart, besides cola and juice, there was indeed a row of Moutai liquor wrapped entirely in cotton paper, which immediately caught Huang Jianzhong and the others' eyes.

"A glass of Moutai, please!" Li Lianjie said first, her tone as natural as if she were ordering mineral water.

The foreign flight attendant smiled and poured him a small half-glass, then took out an unopened bottle and handed it to him: "Sir, this is for you."

You're really giving it away?!
Huang Jianzhong stared in disbelief until Cheng Xuemin nudged his arm, at which point he stammered, "I...I'll have a glass too. No, I want a bottle too."

His fingers trembled as he took the bottle, quickly stuffing it into his canvas bag as if he were hiding some treasure.

Zhu Lin hadn't intended to drink, but looking at the exquisite bottle, she couldn't resist her curiosity: "Excuse me, may I have a bottle too?"

It's not that women are greedy for small gains, but rather that the free Moutai liquor is just too tempting.

This is Moutai liquor, which is not considered high-end in the country; you can't even buy it anywhere else.

Now, if you take an international flight, you can get a whole bottle of Moutai liquor for free. If you bring it home, it would be a special honor.

Otherwise, when you go back, people will ask, "I heard that Moutai is given as a gift on international flights. Zhu Lin, why didn't you give any when you went to Bolin this time?"

So Zhu Lin couldn't help but ask a probing question.

Since she's a lesbian, it's hard to say whether she'll give away a free bottle too.

When Zhu Lin asked, the slightly shy Gong Xue blinked her beautiful eyes repeatedly, waiting for the foreign flight attendant's reply.

"Of course, ma'am!" The foreign flight attendant nodded with a smile and handed over a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes. "These are complimentary too." "More cigarettes?" Huang Jianzhong almost jumped up from his seat. "This...this pack of cigarettes is worth several days' wages for me!"

He carefully took the cigarette case, smelled it, and then quickly put it back into his inner pocket, as if it were some kind of magic potion.

Then, almost everyone got a share, and the flight attendants started distributing them in large quantities, which surprised Xie Jin and Deputy Factory Director Zhao, who were traveling with them.

Hu Jian from China Film Group, on the other hand, seemed quite unfazed and naturally put all the Moutai liquor and Zhonghua cigarettes into his bag.

Seeing Huang Jianzhong and the others' bewildered expressions, Li Lianjie took a sip of her wine and deliberately said loudly:

"What's so special about that? The last time I flew to New York, besides Moutai, I also got chocolate and perfume."

He glanced at Cheng Xuemin and saw that the other man was just smiling and didn't seem to care to say anything. He added, "But our Moutai is still the most precious. Foreigners love to drink it and think it's more potent than whiskey."

Huang Jianzhong leaned closer to Cheng Xuemin and whispered, "Xuemin, this...this is too extravagant! How much money must the country have spent?"

He recalled arguing with the props team for a long time when he was filming "Tai Chi" in order to save five yuan on film stock.

"This is to open up the international market." Cheng Xuemin nodded slightly and explained, "Foreigners' impression of China is limited to kung fu and Moutai. Sending these things is more effective than advertising in newspapers."

He remembered what his aunt had said: Moutai in American supermarkets was priced as high as fifty US dollars and was often out of stock.

So, we don't actually lose money from this kind of freebie advertising.

Zhu Lin held the cigarette box in her hand and looked at it repeatedly. Suddenly she smiled and said, "My dad loves smoking and drinking. I'll give it to him as a gift when I get back. He'll definitely be happy."

She carefully placed the cigarette case into her makeup bag, and then stuffed the Moutai into the bottom of her suitcase, as if she were hiding a rare treasure.

After the plane took off, Huang Jianzhong couldn't contain his excitement and kept asking Li Lianjie all sorts of questions:
"Leo, is the airport in Hong Kong this grand? And does the film festival at Bolin also send such nice gifts?"

Li Lianjie was getting a little impatient with the question, but she still patiently answered:

"Bolin doesn't send Moutai, but they should send champagne. However, in terms of class, our Moutai is still superior."

He proudly shook the bottle in his hand, "When we get to Bolin, I'll treat you to this as a way of wishing our 'Tai Chi' a great success and that we win the grand prize."

Hearing this, Hu Jian, who was sitting in the front row, rolled his eyes. He was just a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

And you even wish their Tai Chi would win a big prize? I didn't know their Tai Chi couldn't even get into the main competition. This time they were just there to cooperate and be a foil for "Romance on Lushan Mountain".

Hu Jian still can't understand why Yan Film Studio was so determined to send Tai Chi abroad.

Even if it's just for some peripheral promotion, we still have to go?
Unable to figure it out, it was finally Ding Daming who pointed it out: their Tai Chi group just wanted to go out and gain experience, then come back with a gilded reputation.

Just imagine!

When they sell Tai Chi copies during the Chinese New Year, they'll promote how brilliantly Tai Chi shines on the international stage at Bolin. Won't those copies be snapped up in a frenzy?
Ultimately, no matter how much they boast, it doesn't matter, because no one will bother to check how their Tai Chi actually performs on the international stage.

Cheng Xuemin leaned back in his chair, watching the city outside the window gradually shrink, and suddenly found the scene somewhat comical.

A bottle of Moutai and a pack of cigarettes brought such childlike surprise to comrades who were used to grand occasions.

But he also understood that this was not just a free gift, but a microcosm of an era.

In this era, China is cautiously showcasing its resources to the world, hoping to present a different side of itself in the simplest way.

Huang Jianzhong was still discussing with Zhu Lin and Gong Xue how to brag to their families when they got back, while Li Lianjie closed her eyes to rest, a faint hint of smugness on her lips.

Cheng Xuemin thought of his Tai Chi. Perhaps this trip to Bolin would really be like this bottle of Moutai, seemingly ordinary, but able to give the world a surprise unexpectedly.

"Ahhh, we've crashed! We've crashed!"

When the flight arrived in Hong Kong, it landed at Kai Tak Airport, which startled Zhu Lin and Gong Xue, who were taking an international flight to Hong Kong for the first time. They were so frightened by what they saw that they screamed repeatedly.

"It's alright, it's just a visual shock!" Cheng Xuemin thought to himself that he had completely forgotten about this and should have reminded the two women in advance!
This wasn't Cheng Xuemin's first time flying to Hong Kong; he had visited quite a few times in his previous life.

If the plane is going to land at Kai Tak Airport, then it's definitely something to be prepared for if it's your first time flying there.

Because Kai Tak Airport is quite unique, it is not only located by the sea but also backed by mountains, and the surrounding area is entirely residential. Due to the angle...

Ok!

The most direct and intuitive thing right now is that the plane just cut in from low altitude over Victoria Harbour, right next to the buildings in Kowloon City. Because this residential area is very dense, the plane is only a few hundred meters away from the residential buildings at its narrowest point.

Looking out the porthole, passengers feel as if skyscrapers are "rushing towards them," creating a visually oppressive atmosphere and even giving them the illusion that they are about to crash into a building.

Gong Xue and Zhu Lin had just heard the announcement that they had arrived in Hong Kong, and when they looked out the window, they were both terrified by the imminent impact of the plane collision.

"Haha! Director Huang, you must have been quite frightened too, right?" Li Lianjie, who was standing next to him, didn't want to make fun of the two female comrades, Zhu Lin and Gong Xue, but that didn't stop him from teasing the director, Huang Jianzhong, in a very informal way.

Actually, Li Lianjie had been to Hong Kong before, and the first time she was in the same situation as them now, she was quite shocked.

So he deliberately didn't warn me beforehand, just waiting to see me make a fool of myself now.

The only downside was that Li Lianjie actually wanted to see his brother Cheng Xuemin make a fool of himself, since his brother Cheng had been too calm all the way.

The Moutai he just drank didn't surprise him at all; he remained completely calm, as if he had known about it all along.

So they were waiting for this final trump card, because Li Lianjie was certain that his brother Cheng had never been to Hong Kong before. If it was his first time, he would definitely be shocked by the sight of the plane landing.

But in fact!

The moment the plane landed, Huang Jianzhong, Zhu Lin, and Gong Xue were terrified, but Cheng Ge was not scared at all.

Brother Cheng acted like he already knew, so calm and composed!
This made Li Lianjie wonder if it was Cheng Ge's first time in Hong Kong, since he wasn't flustered at all even though they were about to have a plane collision!

"Little Li... what happened?" Huang Jianzhong was indeed terrified. Still shaken, he looked at Li Lianjie and asked, "I really thought I almost bumped into something just now. It scared me to death!"

……

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