Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 123, Section 122: The Second Sword, Tears Flow Like a Spring!
the other side.

The night of Sunday, March 16, 1997, was slowly unfolding.

At exactly 8 p.m., just like the comedic frenzy sparked by "Crazy Lottery" the previous night, the TV movie "Wedding Dress," produced by the Film Studio Alliance, co-produced by Beijing Film Studio and Shengying Media, and directed by Huo Zhuang, premiered on the screens of more than 700 local TV stations across the country.

For most ordinary families, being able to watch a "new movie" for free on a weekend evening, especially one produced by a state-owned institution like Beijing Film Studio, is undoubtedly an audiovisual feast not to be missed.

Even if the film doesn't suit your taste, "tasting the flavor" is still a great form of entertainment.

Moreover, the name that appears frequently in the screenwriter credits—"co-screenwriter Wang Sheng"—has already made a name for himself in the minds of many viewers.

With the ability to write a lively and joyous family comedy like "Harmony Brings Prosperity" and also to create an absurd and funny street comedy like "Crazy Lottery," what kind of surprises can this young "talented man from Beijing Film Studio" bring?
Or... a fright?
Jinyang City, Drama Troupe Dormitory.

Ning Hao, as always, waited in front of the 14-inch Venus television.

Having experienced the intellectual shock of last night's "Crazy Lottery," he developed a strong interest in this "film studio alliance" and "Wang Sheng."

He wanted to see if the alliance's next work could maintain its high standards or even bring something new.

After the opening credits, there are no noisy drums or exaggerated coincidences. The narrative of "Wedding Dress" unfolds in a simple and warm manner, just like its title.

The camera focused on an ordinary hutong courtyard in Beijing, where an elderly tailor, retired for many years, wearing reading glasses, was trembling as he drew a paper pattern under the lamplight.

He was a man of few words, and had lived with his wife for fifty years, yet he still owed her a proper wedding.

To make up for this regret that had been buried deep in his heart for half a century, he decided to use all his knowledge to make a unique wedding dress for his wife by hand.

There are no intense dramatic conflicts, no melodramatic family feuds, only the old tailor's daily measurements, cutting, and sewing; the old wife's initial doubts, followed by her silent support and the tears welling in her eyes after realizing her husband's feelings; and the process of the children, amidst their busy lives, being quietly touched by this wedding dress and re-examining their family and emotions.

Director Huo Zhuang's skill is evident here; he has honed his cinematic language with subtlety and restraint.

The mottled walls, the creaking sewing machine, the sunlight streaming through the window and casting shadows on the fabric, the unspoken eye contact between the elderly couple... every detail is filled with the texture of life and the warmth that comes with the passage of time.

Ning Hao was completely absorbed in watching.

Unlike last night's "Crazy Lottery," which is an outward-flowing comedy driven by plot coincidences, "Wedding Dress" is a restrained drama that moves people through the accumulation of emotions.

It's like a pot of mellow old wine; the first taste is bland, but the aftertaste is long-lasting and rich.

As the plot reached its climax—the old tailor, without telling his wife, gathered their children and held a simple yet incredibly heartwarming "golden wedding anniversary ceremony" for her in their small courtyard. His wife, wearing the wedding dress that embodied all of her husband's heart and love, though her hair was already white, radiated a shy and happy glow like that of a young girl…

Ning Hao felt his eyes getting hot.

He subconsciously rubbed his nose, inwardly cursing, "This director... is too good at being sentimental!"

Despite his cursing, his gaze remained fixed on the screen, his heart filled with an indescribable warmth and sorrow.

This profound exploration and delicate presentation of the genuine emotions of ordinary people moved him far more than those dazzling shots or bizarre stories.

He realized that the charm of movies is that they can not only make people laugh out loud, but also bring them to tears and touch the softest part of their hearts.

"TV movies... I didn't know they could be made with such depth..." Ning Hao murmured to himself, his evaluation of Wang Sheng and this alliance rising even higher.

This Wang Sheng seems to always be able to accurately grasp different types of pulses.

at the same time.

Li family.

Li Xiaoran watched "Wedding Dress" with her mother.

Seeing the touching parts, Li's mother kept wiping her eyes with her sleeve, murmuring, "This old tailor, just like your father, has a stubborn temper... He keeps things on his mind his whole life, never saying a word, just burying himself in his work..." Li Xiaoran's eyes also reddened slightly.

……

In the temporary guest room at the Beijing Film Studio, Gao Yuanyuan sat cross-legged on the bed with a notebook and pen in front of her—this was at Wang Sheng's request, so that she could learn and take notes while watching films and television shows.

Gao Yuanyuan has already started school. To avoid her having to rush home every afternoon after training, Li Tingting talked to her family and Gao Yuanyuan decided to stay here permanently. She has a car to take her to school every day and can go home whenever she wants.

However, as the heartwarming story of "Wedding Dress" unfolded, Gao Yuanyuan quickly forgot about "studying".

The old tailor's unwavering silence, his wife's gentle forbearance, the children's changing feelings... especially the final simple yet loving "wedding," the scene of his wife in a wedding dress, embracing the old tailor tightly, accompanied by melodious yet slightly melancholic background music...

Gao Yuanyuan's tears finally broke free.

Instead of sobbing quietly, she burst into tears with a loud "waah," her tears falling like a broken string of pearls, quickly soaking her clothes.

"So touching... Waaah... How can it be so touching..."

She cried as she wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, her notebook already pushed aside.

The girl's sensitive heartstrings were completely touched. Her longing for pure and beautiful emotions and her emotion for the enduring love between two people completely immersed her in it.

In her mind, Wang Sheng's image became increasingly lofty and mysterious.

He was not only the strategist and powerful "chief strategist," but also a "great talent" who could see into the softest part of people's hearts and write such moving stories.

This talent captivated her even more than his commercial success.

That night, similar scenes played out in countless families across the country.

In a lane in Jinling, an elderly woman with white hair watched on TV as an old tailor helped his wife put on a wedding dress, and quietly held the hand of her dozing husband beside her.

In a small town in Lingnan, a middle-aged man who had just had an argument with his wife watched the tacit understanding between the elderly couple on the screen, silently stubbed out his cigarette, and got up to pour his wife a cup of hot water.

On a heated brick bed in Northeast China, the whole family sat around the table. The children, who had been chattering away, fell silent, looking at their grandparents' moist eyes with a mixture of understanding and confusion.

"Wedding Dress" is like a gentle stream, quietly nourishing the hearts of countless families.

It doesn't have the same entertainment value as "Crazy Lottery," but it brings a deeper and more lasting emotional resonance.

……

Overnight, public opinion underwent a subtle yet complete reversal.

"My God! Yesterday I was praising Wang Sheng for being talented and funny, and today he pulls this on me! I cried so much my pillow was soaked!" — This was a viewer who was laughing so hard last night at "Crazy Lottery" but was heartbroken by "Wedding Dress" tonight, complaining to his colleagues at work the next day.

“That Wang Sheng is a ‘heinous criminal’! Is he just trying to make people cry? My parents cried for half the night after watching it, and they insist that they will also order that ‘Golden Wedding Years’ from Shengying Media for their golden wedding anniversary next year!” — This is the children’s generation’s mixed feelings of laughter and tears.

"That's real skill! He can make people laugh and cry! Yesterday it was about the everyday life of ordinary people, today it's about the warmth of bygone days. This Wang Sheng is amazing! The Beijing Film Studio has really struck gold!" — This is the heartfelt praise of art lovers.

The name "screenwriter Wang Sheng" is no longer just associated with "business prodigy" and "young entrepreneur," but has also been given artistic labels such as "emotionally sensitive," "insightful," and "exceptionally talented."

That said, these people don't seem to understand what co-writing is.

The second of the eight swords of the year, "Wedding Dress," is a tender piece that touches the heart.

(End of this chapter)