Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 514 The Purest Love in History (Thanks to Fireworks and Flames for the bonus chapter)

A fully loaded bus swayed and bumped its way into Yuanshan County, the cobblestone road glistening with dew as it wound its way to the entrance of Xiping Village.

The film unfolds with a panoramic overhead shot, with layered mountains, winding paths, and gray-green tones and fog creating a sense of oppressive time and space, hinting at the closed social environment of the 1970s.

The audience's sense of immersion wasn't very strong, since the majority of people present, besides industry insiders, were Liu Yifei's fans, who were also the main contributors to the film's box office.

Romance films and art films have too little appeal to male audiences.

As the car pulled into the station, an elderly man from Benshan, whose face looked somewhat malnourished, held up a red paper that read "Welcome to No. 8 Middle School."

The subjective camera follows his gaze to the bus. Jingqiu, carrying a patched cotton bag, steps off the creaking long-distance bus, with a faded slogan behind her that reads "Grasp revolution, promote production."

This high school girl, whose eyes were always downcast because of her father's identity as a painter and her family's political background, came to collect revolutionary stories for the school's textbook writing team.

"Wow~~~"

Xiao Liu's appearance caused a stir and murmurs in the theater.

Even though we had already seen Liu Yifei's period look with two braids in the poster, it was only when she actually walked out in the film, accompanied by the film's gray color tone and realistic, noisy train station background music, that everyone gained a deeper understanding of her appearance.

The once ethereal and radiant beauty, Liu Yifei, now has her slender figure elongated by the light at the car door.

As Jingqiu, she lowered her neck, her slightly worn gray-blue short-sleeved jacket swaying on her slender body.

The camera pans down, revealing that the dark trousers are noticeably shorter, exposing the mud-splattered uppers of the canvas shoes on the bony ankles.

After intensive "aging" treatment, Xiao Liu's facial details are clearly visible in the camera lens:
Her weathered, sun-kissed face, her malnourished lips, and the fear and shyness hidden beneath her downcast eyes—the gasps in the entire theater stemmed from the sense of the era's hardship emanating from every pore of her body.

The director uses a subjective shot to let the audience put themselves in the eyes of Grandpa Benshan and stare at this "outsider" who has broken into the closed mountain village, and then switches to a close-up shot from Jingqiu's perspective.

Her gaze lingered only on the edges of her patched backpack and short, narrow trousers. In the hazy scene, only the mottled slogans behind her and the harsh sounds of the train station environment confirmed the true texture of the high-pressure era, allowing Liu Yifei to completely melt into the character of Jingqiu.

At this moment, she has lost all her star power; all that remains is the shell of a young girl, worn down by the times, a life of sorrow and despair.

For some reason, the previous scene didn't draw the audience in, but the close-ups and action details of actors Zhao Benshan and Liu Yifei actually calmed the moviegoers down.

The teachers from No. 8 Middle School greeted everyone, and Zhao Benshan, who played the village chief, warmly led them back to the village.

Jingqiu carried a patched canvas bag and walked at the back because of her timid nature; the frayed backpack straps were digging into her shoulder blades.

Throughout, she maintained a posture with her shoulders and neck turned inward, like a startled bird avoiding any eye contact. Even when adjusting the slipped backpack strap, she only dared to quickly hook it with her fingertips before retracting her thin, bony wrist.

It was precisely these timid details of action, combined with the costumes and props, that completely concealed the Liu Yifei that everyone had in mind.

From her very first appearance, the character's tone for the entire film was already established.

The camera zooms out, showing the village chief leading the teachers and students into the village, until they reach the large hawthorn tree, the central image of the entire film.

"This is the famous hero tree."

The students all looked towards the hawthorn tree.

Teacher Luo stood up and looked at it: "Oh! I know this hawthorn tree. It is called the Hero Tree because it witnessed the heroic sacrifices of countless revolutionary martyrs for the motherland and the people during the raging War of Resistance Against Japan."

The village chief smacked his lips, wanting to continue explaining: "The Japanese devils are in this place..."

Teacher Luo interrupted, "From the moment the first anti-Japanese hero was shot and killed under this tree, countless anti-Japanese fighters followed one after another, sacrificing their lives under this tree. The blood of these martyrs has irrigated the land beneath this tree..."

"That's why it has red flowers, instead of the white flowers of other hawthorn trees."

In the end, Teacher Xiao from No. 8 Middle School didn't give the village chief, played by Zhao Benshan, a single word.

In the footage, the old village chief's pipe is suddenly broken, and he grips it tightly. His arm, which was pointing at the tree scar, freezes in mid-air, and then his shoulder slumps.

"Yes, that's what everyone says." He muttered to himself, unconsciously tapping his shoe with his pipe, the brass pipe making a dull thud against the rubber sole.

Old Han, who was in the audience and had lived through that era, knew that the character played by Zhao Benshan was actually a symbol of that era. He was an interrupted rural narrator, carrying the silent historical trauma.

What a great actor!

It can be said that all the characters who have appeared so far:
Teacher Luo, who firmly grasps the power of the grand narrative, the timid and ordinary Jingqiu, and the honest and simple village chief are all vividly portrayed.

The village chief led the students and teachers to assign accommodations. Jingqiu was the last one standing. When it was her turn, all the other houses were already full, so she was assigned to the village chief's house.

Sarina, who plays the village head, introduces Huanhuan, the daughter of her eldest son and daughter-in-law, to the young actress who connects the male and female leads in the later plot, as well as the second daughter Changfang and Changlin, played by Wang Baoqiang.

While cooking lunch, Chang Lin, who was smiling at the girl from the city, went to fetch water. Jing Qiu wanted to help, but was instructed by the aunt to take Huan Huan to find her "third father".

The fans in the audience were secretly looking forward to the start of Jingqiu and Lao San's story.

Zhang Yimou's grasp of the film's narrative rhythm is very ingenious. During Huanhuan and Jingqiu's search for Lao San, the most "bright" color tones in the film so far are interspersed.

While it may be described as the most vibrant, it actually utilizes all natural light to maintain the film's pure, rustic, and vintage feel.

Huanhuan's little hands tightly gripped Jingqiu's cool fingertips, like a tireless little sparrow, pulling this "city sister" to hop and skip on the ridge of the field.

The midday light subtly spreads out, unlike the gray and oppressive atmosphere of the station and mountain roads. At this moment, the greenery between the hillsides and streams is filtered through the clear sunlight, revealing an almost transparent verdant green. Even the hot dust floating in the air becomes soft and clear.

Jingqiu stood on high ground, watching Huanhuan walk smoothly to the geological exploration team's camp under the bridge. The audience's anticipation was heightened by this scene.

In particular, Liu Yifei's slightly forward-leaning inquiry made the audience eagerly anticipate the first meeting between the male and female leads.

Finally, Lu Kuan, who plays the third brother, makes his first appearance.

The camera cuts back to Jingqiu's curious, low-angle perspective:

Backlit, the figure's outline appeared somewhat blurry.

His slender yet well-proportioned figure, with sunlight outlining his shoulders and damp short hair, exuded an aura of labor, youth, and innocence.

The water shimmered behind him, enveloping the man in a bright, warm halo.

This created an almost dreamlike contrast with the gloomy environment Jingqiu had seen before. It wasn't a piling up of colors, but rather the vitality and warmth brought by pure sunlight, ignited instantly.

The film's visual language and color palette at this point contrast sharply with the previous twenty minutes, instantly drawing viewers who were expecting a pure love story into the film and making them feel happy and touched by the visuals.

The tall third brother picked up Huanhuan and walked closer. Jingqiu, played by Liu Yifei, wanted to look but was too embarrassed to. She only responded briefly and promptly when the former joked, "This must be a student writer from the city."

“I’m not a writer, I’m a student from No. 8 Middle School. I’m here to collect and write about the village’s history so I can compile textbooks when I get back.”

Shy yet eager.

The third brother grinned, showing his big white teeth: "You're definitely going to write about that hawthorn tree, right?"

"how do you know?"

"I guessed." He took out a White Rabbit milk candy and handed it to Huanhuan, then took out another one and handed it to Jingqiu.

The latter was no stranger to sugar, but still politely declined, saying, "Give it to the child."

Lu Kuan, who plays the third brother, has a pure smile: "Just because you're not a child doesn't mean you can't eat candy?"

Huanhuan mimics: Does that mean kids can't eat candy?

Jingqiu smiled and took the milk candy from the third brother's hand.

As if without any warning, and without any sense of abruptness from the audience, it seemed that the mutual attraction that arose between the man and woman during this special period upon their first meeting was so smooth and natural.

This is an effect that is very difficult to achieve in film storytelling.

A novel requires hundreds of thousands of words to describe the budding feelings between the male and female protagonists. How can a movie achieve this in just one minute?

First, there's the poetic expression achieved through the director's omissions and use of blank space.

In this initial encounter scene, Jingqiu's dialogue is compressed into "short responses" to avoid lengthy lines that would disrupt the subtlety of emotions within the historical context.

Secondly, the film's composition and color palette are destined to be praised. The gray and oppressive atmosphere at the beginning gives way to natural brightness now, and the contrast in environment naturally becomes a catalyst for the emergence of emotions.

Finally, and most importantly, is the performance of the two actors.

Lu Kuan's portrayal of Lao San's cheerful and sunny personality, and Xiao Liu's portrayal of Jing Qiu's shyness and curiosity, have almost broken free from the usual acting patterns, using only a few lines of dialogue to provide logical support for the emotional plausibility.

The audience doesn't need to think at all, let alone question it:

Why did they develop feelings for each other?

Because in this first encounter scene, which lasts for just over a minute, the director's high-density insertion of symbols of the era, the emotional metaphor of color tone and composition, and the actors' use of micro-body language to replace dialogue create a perfect triple intertextuality.

It makes people just stare and laugh, without any desire to think.

The big sound is loud, the elephant is invisible.

Jingqiu and Lao San chatted about the hawthorn tree at the entrance of the village. Jingqiu was very curious whether the tree really had red flowers.
“My father was a painter, and I have been looking at his paintings since I was a child. I know that hawthorn trees do not have red flowers.”

"Who told you it was a red flower?"

"Teacher Luo from No. 8 Middle School."

The third brother pursed his lips and smiled, "What he says is fine, but I suggest you come and see for yourself next May or June to see what kind of flowers the hawthorn tree actually has."

In this world, there are far too many people who lie, whether willingly or unwillingly.

He suddenly seemed to remember something: "Oh right, don't easily tell others that your father is a painter."

Jingqiu was slightly taken aback, but nodded with her jaw clenched, her cheeks slightly flushed.

She suddenly realized that her mother had said the same thing to her, but today, facing her third child whom she was meeting for the first time, it seemed that she had said too much.

At this point in the film, through the mutual understanding and dialogue between the male and female protagonists, the background of Jingqiu, played by Liu Yifei, has been revealed.

Her life, marked by a painter father and a teacher mother, and the dramatic change from heaven to earth, fostered a timid personality in her, yet she occasionally revealed the innocence and purity of a young girl.

This is a completely different family background from the previous version of Jingqiu, who was a little yellow duck who knew the hardships of life from an early age, and it also matches the classical temperament that actress Liu Yifei exudes.

Even though she and her makeup artist did their best, some things just can't be hidden.

This approach, tailored to individual circumstances, is quite reasonable.

Students from No. 8 Middle School in the city began their lives in the countryside, interviewing, writing, and searching for materials. Labor is something they should experience, and this is the most correct thing to do right now.

Jingqiu clearly had more unfamiliar and awkward movements and mindset than the other students. She was unable to complete the task well and could only rely on the village chief for help and guidance.

As the days went by, she had more and more contact with the third brother.

At dusk that day, Jingqiu, her shoulders hunched, leaned over the faded wooden table, the tip of her pencil scratching across the yellowed manuscript paper.

The rustling sounds of play outside the window suddenly broke the silence.

She seemed to sense something; the pencil tip suddenly stopped, and her hesitant fingertips parted a corner of the curtain.

The camera cuts in with a warm, backlit shot, showing the third child lifting Huanhuan high and spinning her around. The child's giggles echo in the twilight. Jingqiu's lips unconsciously curl into a very faint smile. Her ankles lightly touch under the table before she quickly curls back into the shadow of her short trousers.

Without warning, the third brother suddenly put Huanhuan down and seemed to walk into the house.

The wooden door creaked open, and the third brother's shadow loomed obliquely over the manuscript paper. Jingqiu's knuckles, gripping the pen, suddenly turned white, and her gaze was fixed on the line "the hawthorn tree with red flowers".

The third brother, quite unabashedly, exclaimed, "Are you going to add illustrations to the textbook?" He pointed to the hawthorn tree on the textbook draft.

"Um……"

Jingqiu thought for a long time, then quietly turned her head to explain: "This is allowed by the school. My mother said it's fine. I should draw well, as it will help me stay at the school next year."

Amy, the author of the original novel "Under the Hawthorn Tree" in the audience, nodded secretly. The characters' backgrounds and personalities in this work have been modified based on the rationality of the plot.

Including the most criticized aspect of Zhang Yimou's previous work, namely the process of the budding romance between Lao San and Jing Qiu, Lao San, due to his wealthy family and prestigious job, constantly expressed his love through material gifts.

This initial premise was too utilitarian, so the adaptation, while maintaining a pure romance tone, focused on the shared interests of the two main characters.

Liu Yifei plays Jingqiu, who loves to paint, so the third geologist collects minerals that can be ground into pigments for her.

This was also one of the reasons why the third child eventually developed leukemia.

Thus began the conversation that took place inside the room, with the third brother remarking, "Your painting is beautiful, but it's missing color. I'll take it."

"You? Do you have a solution?"

“Of course, I’ve collected a few pretty stones now. Your father…” the third son said cautiously, “You should know that stones can be used as pigments, right?”

"Mmm!" Jingqiu showed a pure and unrestrained smile for the first time in the movie, like a quietly blooming lily, which stunned Lao San.

Unable to withstand the man's involuntary gaze, she swallowed hard for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a barely audible explanation: "I need to continue writing my report..."

"Oh! Right!" The third brother came to his senses, unscrewed the light bulb and replaced it with a new one: "Writing reports is hard on the eyes, and the light can't be too dim."

He was naturally aware of his earlier lapse in composure, and in the close-up shot, he quickly left like an embarrassed young man.

The audience burst into laughter and applause, and Zhang Yimou, Han Shanping and others whispered and joked among themselves.

It's not that this scene has a strong comedic element, but rather that the contrast between this innocent and shy pure love and the actor Lu Kuan's real personality is too strong!
Who is he? He's the undisputed number one body double in the entertainment industry! Even the first law named after him is starting to become popular.

Was the washing machine actually successfully modified, or was his acting just too good?

I can’t tell the difference, I really can’t tell the difference!
At this moment, Da Tiantian in the audience couldn't help but look at Xiao Liu next to her. Seeing the sweet satisfaction written all over Xiao Liu's pretty face, she felt an itch in her heart, like being scratched by a cat!

Isn't this a case of marrying one husband but having several relationships?
He is the ruthless business tycoon, the free-spirited and romantic artistic wanderer, and the innocent and pure lover in the movie!

Jing Tian is truly filled with hatred! She wishes she could take her place!
I wonder who Teacher Lu's child will look like...

If you can't beat them, join them! Sweetie has already started pinning her hopes on the next generation. Surely she can kiss, hug, and lift the kids up high!

……

After that light bulb change, the third brother didn't come back for several days.

The day before Jingqiu was to temporarily return to school to participate in the rehearsal of the song and dance about the great man's thoughts, the third brother finally appeared again.

The girl was writing materials when she suddenly heard him call Huanhuan's name, and she immediately straightened her shoulders and neck.

The camera gave a low-angle close-up: the pencil tip hovered on the manuscript paper, trembling slightly.

The shout of "Huanhuan" from outside the window pierced through, and the tip of the pen suddenly poked out a dot of ink.

This can be considered a natural performance by the innocent and pure-hearted Xiao Liu; this is the path she has taken.

Jingqiu sensed that the third brother was about to push the door open and hurriedly slumped back onto the wooden stool. The chair legs scraped against the muddy floor with a sharp sound, and she twisted her body to face the doorway.

The wooden door creaked, and the camera followed a close-up of the third brother's rubber shoes from a low angle, his footsteps as light as if afraid of breaking thin ice.

"Still writing about hawthorn trees?" The voice was slightly hoarse, like sandpaper.

Jingqiu's body stiffened. Under the over-the-shoulder lens, Lao San's broad back overshadowed her thin, curled-up profile.

The girl's gaze only dared to fall on the collar of his washed-out work clothes, which was stained with a few oil spots: "Where...did you go?" Her voice was weak, with a rapid rise at the end, like a kite with a broken string.

I thought you had been transferred!

"The second team's diesel engine broke down... they left in a hurry." The third brother spread out his hand with distinct knuckles, his palm, stained with black engine oil, holding a new fountain pen.

"Here, you can borrow this. Return it to me before you go back to school next year." His words were very tactful.

Jingqiu lowered her eyes, her eyelashes obscuring the color of her pupils.

The camera pans down, revealing her left hand resting on her lap, stained with ink and with blue-black grime embedded between her fingers.

What a meticulous man! He noticed his pen was leaking ink last time, didn't he?

“I…” Jingqiu, who had once come from a well-off family, instinctively felt inferior, but was quickly interrupted.

"This is to save ink for the revolution. Please accept it; it's not a gift for you."

Liu Yifei, who plays Jingqiu, finally looked up and met his gaze. Stray hairs swayed gently in her bangs, revealing her cute, delicate white ears: "I have to go back to the city for rehearsals tomorrow..."

The third brother's heart sank: "Leaving tomorrow?"

He sounded a little disappointed: "Go see the hawthorn tree? The paint I gave you is in my bag, go try it?"

"Okay!" Jingqiu's eyes sparkled as if they pierced through the dim indoor light, shining with a unique brilliance in this special era.

"I... I mean I need to practice hard so I can draw illustrations for the county annals."

The third brother grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth: "Yeah, you're right. You should say that to everyone."

Jingqiu winked playfully. The tacit understanding in this little world made her feel at ease, as if a warm, private emotion was hidden beneath the cruelty of the times.

Lu Kuan's portrayal of Lao San's hearty laughter and Xiao Liu's portrayal of Jing Qiu's mischievous winks are both symbols of life that shine brightly in the darkness.

And the paint he mentioned, wasn't it also the paint that added more color to the two young lives?

The two arrived under the hawthorn tree, an image that becomes the core symbol of the budding romance between the two and runs throughout the entire film.

The hawthorn trees, bare and unattractive as winter approaches, are a sight to behold. The third brother, however, has a broad smile, his white teeth gleaming in the setting sun. He takes off his military-green geological bag and carefully removes a few stones from inside.

These ores are not the heavy, vivid hematite or azurite required for revolutionary themes, but rather those with softer, more elegant colors:
One piece is a feldspar with a light pinkish hue, another is a chalky stone as smooth as solidified cream, and there are also a few small pieces of shale with pale golden mica shimmering on the edges.

Jingqiu suddenly thought of her father, whose life had been full of hardships, and the man in front of her was just as kind and gentle as him.

Actress Liu Yifei did not use a stunt double for the painting scenes; Lu Kuan gave her a month of special training, which enabled her to handle the painting scenes of this film's difficulty.

In the medium shot, the girl's lowered, focused face and the man's profile as he grinds paint create a soft, warm curve.

In this version, Xiao Liu's portrayal of Jingqiu is given a more beautiful and romantic background. Fans are captivated by her well-defined, slightly rough fingertips, which are made from long hours of labor, as she carefully holds the pen.

The worn-out brush tip, dipped in mineral pigment, slowly spreads across the rough, yellowed paper, depicting branches and trunks.

"Wouldn't it look better if we added something like this here?" The third brother leaned closer to look, not daring to point, but only whispering tentatively.

His warm breath almost brushed against Jingqiu's slightly reddened earlobe.

Jingqiu didn't look up, but a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips: "Mm..."

She obediently dipped her brush into the white paint mixed with tiny mica particles and dotted it in the center of the flower cluster.

Tiny golden specks of light peek out from among the white flowers, as if capturing the essence of the setting sun shining obliquely on the real petals.

Zhang Yimou designed a meaningful contrast in shot and composition here—

In the panoramic composition, the camera zooms out to the gray-blue sky, where the bare branches of hawthorn trees, like withered claws, pierce the leaden-gray sky, and the withered grass shivers in the cold wind.

But what about the world depicted by Zhong Jing?

In the painting by Jingqiu, played by Xiao Liu, the camera is positioned at a low angle close to the paper, with a soft-focus lens focusing on the pink and white flower clusters that flow under Jingqiu's brushstrokes.

The blurred background outside the edge of the drawing paper is the withered tree itself, creating a cruel juxtaposition of "realistic withered branches" and "flowers in the drawing".

In particular, Jingqiu's bony fingers gripped the worn-out pen, yet the tip lightly touched out the curves of the petals, creating an intertextuality between her rough hands and delicate paintings, showcasing the resilience of life.

At that moment, Han Shanping suddenly remembered the scene at the beginning of the film where Teacher Luo and the village chief argued about the hawthorn tree's flowering, and then looked at the screen in front of him:
The withered tree branches are framed in the lens as a "natural easel," with Jingqiu's painting paper covering them. When the wind blows and the painting paper rustles, the white flowers in the painting seem to sway on the real withered branches.

The desolate and withered branches of reality come alive in the girl's writing.

The director used visual deception to subvert the official narrative instilled by Teacher Luo, making the pure white in Jingqiu's writing a silent resistance against historical lies.

Of course, this was also a fantasy of hers, foreshadowing an imperfect ending.

Lao Han knew that this collaboration with Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei, as well as the inspiration drawn from the Olympics, made Zhang Yimou's cinematic language even more memorable.

If there were another "Coming Home" in this life, it would be an even more stunning work than the one in the previous life.

These are memories deeply buried in the hearts of directors who lived through that era; they are experiences bestowed by time.

Even if later generations are geniuses, it is difficult for them to truly empathize.

"It's so beautiful..." The third brother in the movie, looking at Jingqiu's painting, expressed the sentiments of all the viewers.

When the third brother's fingers inadvertently brushed against the petals in the painting, the camera zoomed in on the back of his scabbed, frostbitten hands. Those wounds from collecting paint were tiny gaps that pierced through the iron curtain of the times.

As Amy, the original author, watched these moving adaptations from the audience, a warm current seemed to flow through her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily. Compared to the previous version of "Under the Hawthorn Tree," the film's improvements and transformations not only filled many logical loopholes but also, through Jingqiu's entirely new family background, achieved the purpose of conveying pure love in a new era and offering a silent condemnation.

When young people turn their hands from mining the nation's minerals to grinding the pigments of love, a generation's spiritual breakthrough—from being tools of governance back to being "human beings"—is completed.

Young viewers, through the contrast between frostbite and flower petals, are struck by the wild vitality of love that can flourish even in the most barren soil.

……

The film unfolds at this gentle narrative pace, shifting its perspective to Jingqiu's life.

When she returned to school, her classmate Wei Hong, played by Tong Liya, found her a folk remedy to treat Jingqiu's mother's chronic illness.

Jingqiu's home was very dilapidated and small, but the girl's mental state was obviously much better than before when she returned this time.

"Mom, this is a recipe Wei Hong found. Just eating walnuts and rock sugar won't work. Why don't you try it?"

Xi Meijuan, who plays the mother, has a sallow complexion, dry hair like firewood, and looks sickly.

She glanced at her daughter with some surprise, but didn't answer her question: "I heard there's a new policy regarding staying at the university to work, but I don't know how it is going."

Jingqiu was optimistic: "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Mothers are naturally connected to their children, and Xi Meijuan had some hidden worries: "You must do your best. One wrong step can lead to many more. Don't end up like your father."

"Hmm." Jingqiu's eyes dimmed slightly, and after a while she muttered, "My dad isn't bad."

Before Xi Meijuan could even raise her eyebrows, she pushed open the door and left.

Jingqiu stayed at school for a few days before returning to Yuanshan County. When she arrived at the station at night, she saw Lao San under the streetlights, and for a moment she almost forgot all of her mother's words.

In a wide-angle aerial shot, the gray county station is bathed in the dark, inky cold of a winter night. Several figures wrapped in bulky cotton-padded coats hunch their necks and hurry across the muddy ground, splashing mud onto the frost-covered tire tracks.

The long, bumpy journey made Jingqiu's face even paler. Her malnourished lips were tightly pursed, and her shoulder blades were clearly outlined beneath her swaying, old gray-blue cotton-padded coat.

Just like the "skin and bones of a young girl" crushed by the heavy pressure of the times when she stepped off the bus at the beginning of the film.

But she had a smile on her face at that moment.

The actress Liu Yifei's smile is full of purity and anticipation, revealing her undisguised teeth. Combined with her makeup, it looks even more real, giving the audience a sense of shock and a time-space tearing as they rush from darkness to light.

In the center of the dim yellow light of the streetlamp, the third brother's figure stood alone.

Jingqiu started running, and the light from the streetlights scattered like gold fragments on her running figure, illuminating her eyes, which suddenly became bright, no longer looking away, and staring straight at Lao San.

It contained an unreserved joy, dependence, and an almost reborn eagerness that came after weathering the storms of a journey.

At this moment, the drooping and timidity imprinted by "fatherhood and family background," and the somber undertone of "everything is sad," were diluted by this pure rush.

This is both a tragedy of our times and a testament to the warmth of humanity.

The audience smiled as they watched this heartwarming scene on a winter night, and some were reminded of their own youth when they waited on the platform or at the school gate.

A stylish young female college student instinctively tightened her grip on her boyfriend's hand, her eyes sparkling with empathy.

Those images, transcending the dust of time, instantly struck a chord with all those who, under unfamiliar landmarks, in the cold night and wind, had run with all their might towards a warm embrace.

That anticipation of meeting after waiting, that eagerness to shorten the distance regardless of the surrounding gaze, is a youthful sentiment that resonates across the world.

At this moment, this pure love, born more than 30 years ago, is no different from the love we have today.

Jingqiu finally stopped in front of Lao San, her chest rising and falling slightly with her breath.

A faint blush spread across her cool nose and cheeks. After the impulse to run, a familiar shyness crept back into her eyes. Her gaze lowered slightly, but she couldn't help but lift it again, meeting the warm gaze of the third brother.

The cold night at the train station, the indifferent passersby, and the cold iron curtain of the era are all clearly revealed under this beam of light;
Before two young figures, relatively silent yet with intense gazes, the scene briefly loses focus and fades.

At this moment, Jingqiu is experiencing her own youth, a struggle to bloom.

The tiny budding of emotions began to grow strong on this winter night, so unstoppable, seemingly able to break through the barriers of the times.

But is it really possible?

Readers who have read the original novel have begun to worry, fearing that the unbearable ending might suddenly arrive at any moment.

……

Jingqiu returned to Xiping Village, and Lao San also started to find various excuses to come to the village chief's house for meals, creating opportunities for "reasonable encounters" with her, and on behalf of the exploration team, he brought minerals and pigments to the female comrade in charge of drawing illustrations.

While gathering inspiration near their lodgings, the two inevitably began to confide in each other.

When Jingqiu talked about her mother, the third brother just smiled and didn't say anything. Only after being pressed did he finally speak up: "My mother committed suicide by jumping off a building four years ago."

Jingqiu suddenly stopped, and Lao San stopped as well.

"She loved beauty when she was alive. Before she committed suicide, she washed her face, combed her hair, and changed her clothes. In the end, she jumped off the building and smashed her face. This must be her fate!"

The silence was suffocating.

The third brother turned around, his cloth shoes crunching over the withered grass. Jingqiu followed with her eyes downcast, her thin body slightly hunched, as if weighed down by an invisible burden.

In a panoramic aerial view of the winding riverbank, two figures stand one behind the other, tiny against the oppressive gray-green backdrop of the sky and earth.

As the two were about to cross the river, the third brother turned around and stretched out his hand, covered in engine oil and mud, directly toward Jingqiu.

The latter instinctively backed away, seemingly unprepared for any physical contact. The third brother smiled, picked up a half-dried branch from the shore, and handed over the clean end.

Jingqiu gripped the withered branch tightly. The third brother slowly slid his hand behind the branch, and finally simply threw the branch away and grabbed the girl's hand.

A warm smile spread across the man's lips, and his eyes shone brighter than the murky river water.

Jingqiu's lowered eyelashes trembled violently. She didn't break free, her head drooped even lower, but the corners of her mouth curved into a small, pure, almost escapist arc.

The wind still blows, the mountains remain silent, and the slogan "Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture" remains faded.

The camera slowly pulls back, revealing two tightly clasped hands that, in the desolate and cold wilderness of the era, become the only warm and persistent landmark.

Around the 55-minute mark, even an art film should be approaching its first minor plot twist.

This prelude to the tragic ending begins with a small misunderstanding between the young man and woman—

While studying in the county, Jingqiu overheard some classmates from well-off families mentioning that the third brother already had a marriage prospect.

She didn't know that this was the third brother's excuse to keep other girls away. In that instant, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. This was a betrayal that was far too serious for her.

It's like a father being reported by his students.

When the innocent young man saw the third girl again, he could only silently endure her sharp tongue.

He brought over paints, but Jingqiu simply refused, saying, "I've already painted very well, and I don't need any more. Please leave."

"Then take the rock sugar back with you; it will help relieve your mother's pain."

Jingqiu, who had already rejected many kind offers, finally shed tears. Even though she didn't want to "lower herself" in front of him anymore, she couldn't bear to see her mother suffering in pain.

At that moment, she felt that this world could truly tear out people's hearts.

Jingqiu, played by Liu Yifei, was almost heartbroken, but her pride prevented her from asking to verify the truth of the matter.

People in this era don't have much extra energy to think about such pure love.

She couldn't resist her heartache for her mother in the end, silently accepted the rock candy, and made a vow: "I'll make more envelopes this month, and I can return them to you next month."

“I earn a high salary working in the field, and I don’t spend any money normally, so don’t worry about it.”

The girl remained sharp-tongued: "Yes, my dad isn't a high-ranking official, but I do care."

"If you care, then add interest, after you start working."

Jingqiu scoffed, "What kind of job could someone like me have? I'll have someone bring you the money. Anyway, I'm leaving, so let's not have anything to do with each other anymore."

The third brother's smile faded slightly as he watched Jingqiu leave in the oxcart.

There are always some unspoken misunderstandings and setbacks between young men and women. These are small pains that everyone experiences, and they remain fresh in our memories many years later.

Unless one can no longer recall it.

The third son and Jingqiu have been going through a lot of hardship lately. When the latter returned home this time, her mother, Xi Meijuan, just sighed inwardly, as if she already knew something.

One day, Chang Fang came to visit her. The two women were naturally happy to see each other. Jing Qiu took her for a stroll around the city, looking left and right, and only stopped in front of an ice pop stand.

The two found some steps to eat popsicles and even tasted each other's, showing a very close relationship.

Chang Fang pondered for a moment, then took out a package made of a handkerchief from her bag, inside which was a hundred yuan.

"What is this doing?"

"Here you go, the village raised money for you because your mother is seriously ill."

Jingqiu's face suddenly darkened: "Tell Sun Jianxin to stop doing this. I'm not such a shameless girl."

She paused, still unable to suppress her grievances: "His girlfriend will be unhappy if he does this."

"What kind of girlfriend does Third Brother have? He rejects everyone he meets, and he even uses his sister's photo..."

"What!?" Jingqiu suddenly stood up, no longer listening to any further words.

She suddenly regretted her coldness that day; those words must have pierced his heart like knives.

"Xiao Fang... could you please pass on a message to him for me?" Jingqiu's ears turned slightly red.

"of course can."

“I…I play volleyball at the school stadium tomorrow.” The girl swallowed hard. “It’s inconvenient for him to come to me, but he can see me from outside the fence.”

Chang Fang, who was as honest and simple as her father Zhao Benshan, covered her mouth and laughed: "I know, don't worry, about the money?"

“Take it back.” Jingqiu smiled. “Oh, and the money and interest I owe him, I’ll give them to you.”

"Ok."

The following day, Jingqiu repeatedly let the ball go out of bounds amid complaints from her teammates, which was completely unbecoming of a tall girl like her.

Then the girl happily went to the railing to retrieve the ball, and exchanged a smile with the man.

A minor setback for a secret couple comes and goes quickly.

But it wasn't entirely a useless, sentimental love story. At least it made Lao San see Jing Qiu's extraordinary self-respect and self-love, and it also made the latter even more fascinated by the man's broad and gentle heart.

It has nothing to do with romantic love stories, but rather the spontaneous breathing rhythm of life under the high-pressure iron curtain.

When their eyes briefly met across the railing, it was in reality two young souls, trapped within their confinement, using their purest emotions to carve out a breath of fresh air.

Days passed by like this, and Lao San often worked overtime in the second team in exchange for a break to see Jing Qiu.

These clandestine dates continued until the following summer.

Finally, her best friend Wei Hong also boarded a truck full of students to go to the countryside. Her family came to see her off, and a band also came to give her a send-off.

Wei Hong herself was happy. She secretly pointed out a dark-skinned young man to Jingqiu. In the blink of an eye, Jingqiu, who had also fallen in love, understood what she meant.

Jingqiu was genuinely happy for her, and she also cherished her own feelings in her heart, hoping that one day they would blossom and bear fruit.

In the sweltering summer, the girl received two unexpected messages.

Her probationary period at the university has officially begun. Jingqiu excitedly expressed her desire to participate in the renovation of the school's basketball court, and the director, played by Wang Jingsong, smiled with satisfaction.

But at the same time, her mother's condition worsened, and the pressure of the whole family had to fall on the girl's shoulders.

A year ago, Jingqiu was still a novice when she first arrived in Xiping Village, but now she is already skillfully participating in heavy physical labor despite her thin body.

The third brother often came to see her, but because she was in the probationary period at school and couldn't date, the two could only meet secretly.

That day, the third brother finished work early and secretly took Jingqiu to the riverbank. The setting sun shone like gold, pouring onto the turbid river surface.

"Try it?" He suddenly handed Jingqiu a neatly folded dark red swimsuit, the fabric rough and stained with faded revolutionary slogans.

The girl's face flushed, and her eyebrows furrowed: "I don't know how..."

"As the great man said, we must be tempered in the face of great storms!" The third brother smiled warmly, and his work jacket was slid off, revealing the lean and well-proportioned lines of his shoulders and back from his labor.

Jingqiu looked at the beads of sweat rolling on his tanned skin, glistening with the glow of the setting sun, and suddenly blushed, causing the female audience members below the stage to gasp in surprise.

The girl quickly lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on her mud-stained canvas shoes: "This swimsuit is so ugly..."

Despite saying that, Jingqiu, who finally had a chance to be intimate with her lover, still mustered up the courage to change her clothes. Only her fair shoulders were faintly visible in the shot, which drew another gasp from the audience.

The much-anticipated scene of the male and female leads showering each other with affection and "sell sex appeal" has arrived.

"Come down!" The third brother slapped the water's surface, splashing water onto her bare legs and clothes.

Jingqiu, dressed in a conservative swimsuit, screamed and suddenly kicked out in retaliation!

As the camera cuts to the shimmering water, the river suddenly becomes noisy.

The girl in the dark red swimsuit kicked clumsily, her slender arms sending up streaks of silvery water, while the gray and oppressive background briefly melted away amidst the laughter and splashing water...

The silhouettes of the young men and women playing in the water gradually blurred, and what reappeared in the shot was a mottled earthen wall.

As the sunset faded, the two stood side by side against the wall, soaking wet. Jingqiu curled up, her wet white coat clinging to her thin frame, water droplets sliding down her bony collarbone.

The third brother leaned against her thin shoulder, breathing heavily, before suddenly waking up and meeting Jingqiu's bright eyes.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked, sounding both annoyed and embarrassed.

Jingqiu's thin face was bathed in the warm light of the setting sun, with a soft, lingering sheen of water: "You were sleeping so soundly, why should I wake you?"

The third brother rubbed his temples, looking tired and apologetic: "I finally got to see you, and you just fell asleep like that. I've been so tired lately, and once I fall asleep, I can't wake up."

Da Tiantian, sitting in the audience, paused for a moment. Her pretty face, which had been wearing a motherly smile, suddenly tightened, and her nails almost dug into her palms.

The implications of this plot are obvious; the groundwork for a tragic story has been laid, so how far away can the turning point be?
The pacing and narrative of "Under the Hawthorn Tree" are very ordinary. Neither the misunderstandings between the male and female characters nor the "hints" that can now be considered explicit are particularly clever plot arrangements.

However, the audience was already deeply immersed in the storyline of Zhao Benshan and Xiao Liu's appearance in the first act and the pure love story played by Lu Kuan.

This viewing habit has caused everyone to overlook too many other elements of the film. The director successfully used composition, color, and the actors' performances to draw everyone's attention to the main theme of "the purest love".

There is always an irreconcilable contradiction in literary and artistic works: emotional climax and absolute plot rationality.

Jingqiu's life passed by day by day, filled with both joy and sorrow. Her family's financial difficulties and her mother's illness worried her, but her secret meetings with Lao San brought her comfort.

But secrets can't stay hidden forever, and the secret relationship was finally exposed when Jingqiu had a work accident on the basketball court.

In those days, she was still very carelessly mixing lime with her feet and injured herself. Jingqiu was painfully bandaging herself at home when her third brother rushed over upon hearing the news.

He rushed in through the door in a panic, and before Jingqiu could ask any questions, he explained, "I came after your mother left."

The third brother brought snacks for the girl's younger siblings, and the children always liked him. The older sister took the hawthorn fruit and left the room with her younger brother, all smiles.

The man knelt down, gently took Jingqiu's foot in his hand, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears: "How did you get hurt like this?"

He then took out a pair of pink rain boots from the box that had been on the table.

Jingqiu was a little excited and smiled, revealing Liu Yifei's dimples that couldn't be erased by makeup: "How did you know I hurt my foot!"

“I hid outside the wall and watched you for a long time yesterday. Even an iron man’s feet would be burned by lime and mud! You should wear this from now on.”

As their relationship grew closer, the girl didn't have much of a negative reaction to the gift; she was just worried about what others would think.

The third brother hardened his stance: "Are you going to wear it or not? If you don't, I'll run in there tomorrow and burn my feet!"

"I'll wear it! I'll definitely wear it!"

The next day, Jingqiu's pretty rain boots were unsurprisingly pointed at and whispered about, but the girl didn't care at all. At noon, she met with her third brother, who was worried about her.

The latter rode his bicycle over today: "Let's go to the hospital, we need to get my foot treated."

Jingqiu was instinctively afraid: "I'm not going. I'm afraid of injections, and I'm also afraid of white coats."

"And what if we run into someone we know? Jianxin, you should go back."

The third son always acted like his uncompromising military father when it came to these matters: "Go to the military hospital, you won't run into anyone you know."

"Forget it, I won't go. I'll be fine on my own in a couple of days."

The man had long been aware of her stubbornness, so he pulled out a knife and slashed his arm, drawing blood immediately.

"Okay, now you can come with me, right?"

"Are you crazy?!" Jingqiu was incredulous, but in the end she obediently gave in.

The emotions between men and women in special times seem to confirm the law of emotions that erupt after repression: either they are repressed to death, or they are so impulsive and resolute.

The blood of the third brother and the tears of Jingqiu's eventual compromise together form the most dazzling bright spot of life against the gray background.

At this moment, many audience members couldn't help but recall a line from a song—

Not knowing how to express tenderness, we thought that dying for love was just an ancient legend...

In the military hospital, Jingqiu's foot injury healed quickly, but it took a lot of effort to stop Lao San's bleeding.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

The third brother, having gotten his wish, smiled broadly: "What does it matter? Losing more blood means you're healthy."

This further hint at what's to come in the most brutal part of the film.

The audience below the stage was already on tenterhooks, but before such cruelty arrives, works of art will always continue to create beautiful dreams for everyone.

The more beautiful the dream, the more painful it is when it shatters.

Following the classic love scenes in "Under the Hawthorn Tree," such as "holding branches to cross the river," "playing by the river," and "the train station on a winter night," another classic bicycle scene has been born.

In a close-up shot, an old-fashioned 28-inch bicycle bounces briskly through the air, the crisp sound of its wheels rolling over pebbles carried on the wind.

Xiao Liu's portrayal of Jingqiu, paired with male actors of average build, makes it difficult for her to convey a sense of petite elegance.

But at this moment, the girl was sitting on the front beam, and "Lu Laosan's" broad chest enveloped her slender shoulder blades, which was so sweet that it made the fans in the audience who were shipping the couple dizzy.

Jing Tian excitedly grasped Liu Yifei's hand beside her, almost blurting out that she wanted to ask her what it felt like.

She watched the big screen with envy as the man's long arm wrapped around Jingqiu's front, gripping the handlebars, his chin resting on her shoulder where her loose braid hung loosely.

The smiles on their faces were as pure as freshly melted spring water in the mountains. Jingqiu's former shyness and sensitivity had vanished, leaving only a bright and almost reborn expression.

Fine beads of sweat glistened on her nose, and her malnourished lips seemed to glow with a faint blush of joy.

The over-the-shoulder shot focuses on Lao San's warm smile from behind Jing Qiu, creating a stunning composition in the sunset.

It's as if the purest and most beautiful love of that era, untouched by any impurities, quietly flows into the hearts of the audience.

However, the camera suddenly switches to a close-up of Jingqiu's perspective:
Following the gap in the crook of Lao San's arm as he adjusted his coat, her gaze passed over his shoulder and landed quietly under a solitary tree by the roadside.

The mother's gaze was like a cold lens, precisely focused on her, and also on the third son's fingers, which hadn't yet retracted and still carried the warmth of intimacy.

Behind her is a wall with the slogan "Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture," its grayness serving as the coldest and most jarring frame to this heartwarming scene.

The wind rustled through the withered grass, the leaves swayed slightly, two people stood beside the car, and the mother sat beneath the tree—

A panoramic composition frames the three people, forming a triangle full of oppressive tension. The mother is the unmoving judge, while Jingqiu and Lao San are the fragile and uneasy subjects of the trial.

Jingqiu's smile froze instantly, her face drained of color, and her lips moved slightly before returning to a familiar, chilling paleness.

The air, which had just been filled with laughter, quickly froze into a deathly silence under the gaze of the slogan wall, perfectly replicating the suffocating feeling at the beginning of the film.

(End of this chapter)