Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 250 Filming a TV Series
In the dormitory, Liu Zhenyun heard Liu Yimin's words, gritted his teeth, suppressed the urge to "kill" him, and asked how much it would cost to eat Western food at Lao Mo.

Liu Yimin thought for a moment, and considering the rising prices, told him that he couldn't enter without a ten-yuan note.

"Wasn't it just five or six yuan a moment ago?"

"It would cost at least ten yuan for two people!"

How do you know there are two of me?

"You can't bear to go alone?"

"That's true!"

Liu Yimin recalled something that Liu Zhenyun later mentioned: he invited Guo Jianmei to a Western restaurant, but was dumbfounded when he saw the bill and brazenly told the waiter that he didn't have enough money.

Judging from his expression, he was planning to take Guo Jianmei out for a Western meal.

Liu Yimin was afraid that he would be embarrassed to ask for money, so he pulled him out of the dormitory. Under Liu Zhenyun's surprised gaze, Liu Yimin took out twenty yuan from a stack of ten-yuan bills and handed it to him.

She whispered to him, "When you're going out to treat a female classmate to dinner, it's better to bring more money. You can't be too short on cash. Of course, it would be even better if you brought enough money, but if not, use this first!"

Liu Zhenyun was tempted, but still stubbornly insisted, "No need. It's only a dozen yuan. We can skip this Western food. It's only a dozen yuan. Our monthly allowance is only thirteen yuan!"

Liu Yimin stuffed the money into Liu Zhenyun's pocket, said nothing, and went straight back to the dormitory.

After a while, Liu Zhenyun came in from outside the dormitory, his eyes slightly red. He leaned on the railing of the upper bunk and said, "Yimin, thank you. I will definitely pay you back as soon as possible."

"It's alright, it's just a little money. You don't need to fight for me, risk your life, or do whatever I say. We're from the same hometown!"

Liu Zhenyun nodded, moved, and said, "Don't worry, Yimin, from now on, if anyone dares to insult you, I'll be the first to rush to their aid!"

"Really, I don't need it!"

"Let me tell you something in secret. I was the one who posted the 'Angry Poets' poster in the Triangle area last time!" Liu Zhenyun said in a low voice.

Liu Zhenyun was referring to the incident where Liu Yimin criticized several young poets in the poetry world, and someone at Yenching University posted a big-character poster satirizing that group of people as "angry poets."

One label can make many people feel suffocated!

"You already knew?" Liu Zhenyun asked.

"Almost, I guessed a little from the handwriting, but you concealed it very well!"

"Haha, I can't let you treat me for nothing. Besides, I am really angry, and it's not entirely because of you, but also because I was just being silly."

Liu Zhenyun said frankly. This feeling is roughly equivalent to throwing rotten eggs into the air among a group of people, except the eggs are being thrown at the other side.

"Anyway, thank you!"

"What are you two whispering about?" Li Xueqin and Chen Dazhi asked.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Let's talk about the thesis!"

"Then you two, speak louder, so we can all hear you!"

"We're done talking!"

Liu Zhenyun returned to his bed, and Liu Yimin wiped the mat with a damp towel and also prepared to sleep.

After class in the afternoon, Liu Zhenyun slipped away before anyone could react. Liu Yimin and Li Xueqin went downstairs and saw Liu Zhenyun riding Li Xueqin's bicycle off to another location.

Li Xueqin angrily cursed a few times in Zhejiang dialect, and Liu Yimin smiled and said to them, "Maybe something urgent came up and I forgot to tell you."

"Forget it, when he gets back, we'll definitely give him a good beating!" Li Xueqin said helplessly.

It was past nine o'clock at night when Liu Zhenyun finally walked back to the dormitory with a satisfied look on his face. Li Xueqin thought that this guy would tiptoe back after stealing his bicycle, but he didn't expect him to walk back to the dormitory like a crab.

Back in the dormitory, Liu Zhenyun kept his head up for a long time before the two realized that he was showing off that he had gone out for a nice dinner that night.

"Isn't it just Lao Mo? Dazhi and I will go tomorrow too!" Li Xueqin snorted.

Chen Dazhi immediately chimed in, "Old Li is treating, I definitely have to go!"

"."

The publication of Zhu Lin's interview sparked heated discussions. Many were moved by Zhu Lin's dedication to acting over accepting awards, praising her as a true actor!
Mr. and Mrs. Zhu bought several copies of the China Youth Daily and placed them in various corners of the office early in the morning. After arriving at work, they asked everyone they met if they had seen their copy of the China Youth Daily.

"Isn't the China Youth Daily here?"

"Really? Is this the version with my Linlin in it? I won't watch it if it's not!"

The authority of newspapers convinced readers that those who appeared in them were powerful or important figures, and that it was a widely publicized honor.

"Director Wang, come to my house sometime to admire the Golden Rooster Awards. That trophy is very beautiful."

"Linlin is amazing! You could tell she was extraordinary from a young age, and she won two awards right away!"

"You mean the Hundred Flowers Awards? We can't watch the Hundred Flowers Awards right now, it's with Linlin's boyfriend!"

"Linlin has a boyfriend? I was thinking of introducing him to someone. My nephew is a great guy; he works at the Cultural Palace!"

"Yeah, it's new, which saves you the trouble of introducing it, hahaha!"

Laymen see the spectacle, experts see the details. Many people from the Ministry of Culture and the Dramatists Association have taken notice of this drama award.

Regarding the establishment of a drama award, the Ministry of Culture initially did not pay attention to the related articles, but later more and more related articles appeared.

Many people inside and outside the theater world are discussing this matter, so the department can't ignore it.

So Zhou Yang and Xia Yan discussed it privately a few times, but only superficially, without going into any depth.

Zhu Lin's report had a significant impact, leading to even more discussion.

That day, while Xia Yan and Zhou Yang were discussing this matter, they received a letter from Cao Yu in Beidaihe, in which he believed that it was very necessary to establish awards for directors and actors in the drama industry.

I've recently read a lot of comments, and some of them perfectly express the sentiments of my colleagues in the theater world.

If we don't establish this system soon, I think it will discourage some comrades!

After reading Cao Yu's letter, the two agreed with his views. With the increasing number of awards being established, it's understandable that the theater community would want to create its own award.

The two reached a preliminary consensus, but while it's easier said than done, actually establishing such an award is quite difficult. For example, should it be a professional award like the Golden Rooster Awards or one based on audience voting like the Hundred Flowers Awards? What level should it be? National or association-level? Which organizations will be the organizers, and who will provide the funding? These are all questions.

However, taking into account everyone's wishes, the Ministry of Culture instructed the Dramatists Association to issue an article in the association's name, stating that it had taken note of the relevant discussions, that the leaders attached great importance to them, that it was necessary to establish such an organization, and that a special study would be conducted.

Despite the lengthy official document, the entire theater community was excited. Major theater troupes sent telegrams to the Dramatists Association to express their support and offer suggestions on award categories and selection methods that they considered reasonable.

When the leader saw this, he realized that he had only said he was considering it, but this group was already discussing the specifics of the awards.

The torches from various drama troupes came together, turning the establishment of the drama award into an impending imperative.

Ouyang Shanzun smiled and looked at Liu Yimin, saying with satisfaction, "Yimin, you are a hero behind the scenes. All of us in the drama world should thank you!"

"No need to thank me, that's why I'm thanking you!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"Haha, Yimin is right. Jiabao wrote that the ministry is preparing to establish a drama award, modeled after the Golden Rooster Awards, with the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Dramatists Association as the organizers. This is just a preliminary idea and has not yet been discussed."

Yu Shizhi chimed in from the side. Yu Shizhi was also the vice dean, in charge of daily work. Cao Yu usually kept him informed about many things.

Zhu Lin was overjoyed, just like Ouyang Shanzun and the others, when he heard that things were looking promising.

Zhu Lin, standing nearby, speculated about who would be the first winner. If such an award were to be given out, Ouyang Shanzun would definitely be one of them.

As June arrived, the sweltering heat made Liu Yimin miss Beidaihe.

Liu Yimin handed the screenplay for the film "Mountains High and Rivers Long" to Wang Yang. After reading it, Wang Yang praised it highly, but then regretted not listening to Wang Yan's advice and getting the screenplay sooner.

Liu Yimin smiled but didn't say anything. There are no "what ifs" in life!
Wang Yang handed the script to Zhu Dexiong, asked him to take a look, and inquired which director was capable of undertaking such an important task.

Although he failed to secure special funding from the Ministry of Culture and the title of a national-level filming project, he dared not slack off in the slightest and instead had to make the filming excellent.

"I think we should study this carefully!" Zhu Dexiong said cautiously, without offering any advice.

Wang Yang agreed and said he would hold a meeting to discuss it later.

Just then, a man burst in. He was wearing a green military uniform, and his black and gray hair, along with the four pockets on his chest, made him look like a high-ranking officer.

"Old Liu? What brings you here?" Zhu Dexiong stood up and gave an awkward smile.

"What? Can't I come? Old Wang, do you think I can or can't come?"

Wang Yang said with a smile, "Of course you can come! We're all looking forward to your visit!"

"Yimin, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Liu Peiran, the deputy director of the August First Film Studio!"

Liu Yimin looked at Liu Peiran, no wonder the voice and appearance seemed familiar: "Director Liu, hello, I am Liu Yimin!"

"Comrade Yimin, hello, hello! I came here for you, otherwise I wouldn't have come!" Liu Peiran looked at Liu Yimin with a smile, and then looked him up and down.

"Old Liu, we've already secured the script for 'Mountains High and Rivers Long'," Zhu Dexiong said.

"Oh? You got it? No problem, we can still make it, just like the movie 'Xu Mao'. We'll make it, you can make it, let's have a competition and see who makes it better. The bureau wants some competition, but I think just competition isn't enough, we need to intensify the competition!"

Liu Peiran smiled at Liu Yimin, but her expression changed the moment someone else appeared.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly became incredibly awkward. Liu Yimin thought to himself that Liu Peiran had come for revenge!

"Old Liu, don't act so impulsively. Pay attention to the unity among the film studio staff!" Zhu Dexiong advised.

Wang Yang stared at Liu Peiran with a dark expression, wondering if he really wanted to film "Mountains High and Rivers Long".

If they really do film it, there's really nothing we can do. We should do what the August First Film Studio did: go to the bureau to complain, and then the August First Film Studio will ask the bureau why they can film our scripts but we can't film theirs?

That doesn’t make sense!
Wang Yang's mind raced as he tried to find a solution.

Liu Peiran sat on the sofa, constantly showing concern for Liu Yimin and even calling out to his fellow villager.

"Old Liu, Yimin is from Henan Province, and you're from Hebei Province. How can you be fellow townsmen?"

"We are all one family from Hebei, Shandong and Henan, what's wrong, Lao Zhu? You don't think it's okay?"

Seeing Liu Peiran's anger, Zhu Dexiong stopped talking. If their factory's notebooks were stolen, Zhu Dexiong would be even more furious than him.

After a while, Wang Yang offered many solutions, but Liu Peiran rejected them all.

Liu Peiran suddenly smiled: "Old Wang, Old Zhu, look at you two. We soldiers are much more magnanimous than you. Let's just let this matter go and not let it happen again."

I came here specifically because I heard Yimin was here. Did he really think I had so much free time to bother you guys?

Wang Yang and Zhu Dexiong were relieved and warmly poured tea for Liu Peiran, thus clearing up the misunderstanding with a few words.

In addition, Wang Yang thought to himself that there was a traitor in this factory. Yi Min had just arrived, and Liu Peiran had come from the August First Factory.

"Director Liu, who are you looking for?"

"We want to film the script for 'The Flames of War in Beiping,' so what do you say? Let's film it in our studio!"

As Liu Peiran spoke, she glanced at Wang Yang. Seeing that Wang Yang was about to speak, she snorted, "Director Wang, you're not going to film this script too, are you?"

Wang Yang wanted to say yes, but then added, "We wanted to film it, but we felt the budget was too high, so we didn't make up our minds!"

“Your Beijing Film Studio isn’t the military, so it’s understandable!” Liu Peiran said sarcastically, then turned to Liu Yimin and said, “We originally wanted to make it into a movie, but then we thought, there are more and more TV shows now, but there are very few programs on TV, so we decided to make it into a TV series!”

To truly make art and literature serve the people!

After Liu Peiran finished speaking, she looked at Wang Yang and Zhu Dexiong with a smug look in her eyes.

"You're making a TV series? You have that much budget?" Wang Yang asked.

These days, the money spent on making TV dramas is more than that spent on making movies!
"We co-produced this with the TV station. Lao Wang, Lao Zhu, what do you think of the result?"

After getting Liu Yimin's address, Liu Peiran left the Beijing Film Studio, agreeing to give him the script once it was finished. He said it should be ten to twelve episodes, not too long because of insufficient funding.

Wang Yang said to Liu Yimin, "It would be better to make it into a TV series!"

Finally, the studio's finance department gave Liu Yimin two thousand yuan as a script fee, and Liu Yimin left the Beijing Film Studio.

The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon. Zhu Lin has a day off today, so she came early this morning to pick up Liu Yimin to go to her house to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

(End of this chapter)