The Eternal Girl

"Your cultivation technique really did have something to it. At first I was sweating and panting, but now I was getting more and more used to it. It really felt good."

The morning sun shone brightly. Chen Qi and Liang Xiaosheng had finished their secret sparring session in the guesthouse room and went downstairs feeling refreshed. Liang Xiaosheng was eleven years older than Chen Qi, but there was no generation gap between them. He had no wife, and with nothing better to do, he kept coming over whenever he was free.

"The key was to stick with it. Keep at it for a year or so, and you'd really stretch your sinews and pull out your bones, drive away illness and strengthen your body."

Chen Qi smiled. He had already been staying there for several days, dragging his feet over the revisions each day and occasionally seeking advice from the teachers, putting on the appearance of a hardworking, ambitious, modest and careful young man.

Since the Beijing Film Studio had many film crews and many unmarried young people, its canteen served three meals a day, which was a real advantage.

The two arrived at the canteen and lined up for food. Chen Qi ordered three liang of steamed buns and a bowl of fried liver stew. Liang Xiaosheng hesitated, then ordered only one fried dough stick.

"Why are you eating so little?"

"I'm not very hungry today. A quick bite will do."

"..."

Chen Qi looked at him but said nothing. They found a place to sit, and Liang Xiaosheng asked, "How are the revisions going? Having any trouble?"

"Not bad. I'm getting into it more and more, and the teachers have all been very patient. I'll go ask them for more advice in a little while."

"Then go see Director Jiang. Teacher Shi didn't come in today."

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's that son of hers again..."

Liang Xiaosheng paused, apparently feeling that it wasn't right to gossip about someone. How could Chen Qi let the subject drop? He urged him on. "Who doesn't get talked about behind their back, and who doesn't talk about others behind theirs? I'll definitely keep it secret."

"Teacher Shi has a son. He's twenty-two this year and still doesn't have a job. The old couple are worried sick."

"Was he a sent-down youth too?"

"More or less. He was sent to Changping to work in the countryside, raising pigs. I met him once. He was ordinary-looking and timid, and he spoke very softly. After he returned to the city, he tried to get into school but failed. Then he tried to get into a drama troupe and the like, but failed those too.

"The old couple have been calling in favors everywhere. They went out again today to see what they could arrange."

"Her husband is Ge Cunzhuang, right? With all his connections, he still can't find his son a job?"

"Connections are worth less than anything else at the Beijing Film Studio. I've been here a few years, and I've seen right through that. In the capital, anyone with a name worth mentioning has a background that reaches the heavens. Never mind them, just look at you. Your parents have such good jobs. I couldn't even begin to envy you enough."

Liang Xiaosheng was deeply moved.

Ge Cunzhuang was quite well known, but his standing in the arts world still wasn't high enough. Take Chen Qiang, who was also with the Beijing Film Studio. Chen Qiang was one of the "Twenty-Two Great Movie Stars" of New China, selected by the state-one of the very top figures.

Chen Peisi had also been sent to work in the countryside back then. He had been so hungry he barely looked human and wanted to return to the city, so Chen Qiang swallowed his pride and went to ask Tian Hua for help. Tian Hua had played Xi'er in The White-Haired Girl, while Chen Qiang had played Huang Shiren.

Tian Hua helped contact the August First Film Studio. The studio looked over Chen Peisi's information and said, "We happen to need some actors to play street thugs and hooligans. If he's willing to come, let him come."

And so, that fellow who appeared only once in several thousand years was able to join the August First Film Studio.

Ge You's situation was much the same. His own qualifications weren't good, and his family background wasn't quite top-tier, so he was still an unemployed young man.

"Teacher Liang!"

They were chatting when someone suddenly called out. Liang Xiaosheng looked up. "Little Liu, what are you doing here? Got another role?"

"No, I'm here to mooch some food and drink. Oh, and I moved into the guesthouse today too!"

A particularly lively face with thick eyebrows and large eyes leaned into view beside Chen Qi. Her cheeks had an apple-red flush; one look showed that her qi and blood were abundant and her periods were regular. Smiling, she asked, "Who's this comrade?"

Liang Xiaosheng hurriedly introduced them.

"Oh, so you're Chen Qi! I heard a nineteen-year-old young talent had come to the studio. So it was you."

"Hello, I'm Liu Xiaoqing!"

She offered her hand of her own accord. Chen Qi blinked and shook it. "Hello, hello! I've heard so much about you!"

"You've heard so much about me?"

"There probably aren't many people left who haven't seen your films."

"Haha, you really know what to say. I'll go get my food first!"

She laughed loudly. Her clothes were distinctive too: she wore an old pair of leather shoes on her bare feet, their heels half pulled on, and shuffled along in them. When she appeared in the canteen, she seemed born to be the center of attention, drawing every eye.

But those looks were mostly curious, teasing, and eager to see what would happen.

That was right. This was the eternal girl, still playing young girls at seventy, a legend among legends: Grandma Liu!

"She's so free and easy, different from everyone else."

"A word of advice: keep your distance from her!"

"Why?"

Liang Xiaosheng looked a little conflicted. Very, very cautiously, he whispered, "She, well, has some problems with her conduct."

Oh!

Chen Qi's eyes lit up. Now that was a subject to wake him right up!

He insisted that Liang Xiaosheng tell him more, but Liang Xiaosheng had some standards, at least, and refused to divulge the details no matter what.

In fact, Chen Qi knew very little about Liu Xiaoqing, only that she had had an affair with Jiang Wen, evaded taxes, and always liked playing young girls. But he also knew that this woman could be called the toughest of China's female stars.

Zhang Ziyi and the like were tough enough, right?

Compared with Liu Xiaoqing, they were little witches before a great witch.

After spending several days at the Beijing Film Studio and meeting quite a few celebrities, big and small, Chen Qi was growing more and more accustomed to it. He ate until he was half full, then pushed the two buns he had saved forward. "I can't eat any more. Teacher Liang, if you don't mind, help me finish them."

"No, no, I'm full too!"

Liang Xiaosheng hurriedly waved his hand.

"Go on, eat them. Otherwise they'll go to waste, and wasting food won't do!"

"Honestly, you can't even finish two liang of buns. I've seen people your age eat a whole jin in one meal..."

Liang Xiaosheng stopped refusing, picked up a bun with his chopsticks, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Of course he wasn't full. How could one fried dough stick fill him up?

But his family was having a hard time.

Back at the guesthouse.

Chen Qi continued to pretend to revise the manuscript, sticking things onto the script with glue.

Many people at the Beijing Film Studio already knew about him. First, he was young, only nineteen; second, it was a love story. Those two things together were enough to make people marvel. Everyone was waiting to see what the script would ultimately become.

He received a daily allowance of two yuan and had already gotten ten yuan for nothing, with nowhere to spend it.

He knew perfectly well how hard up Liang Xiaosheng was. Liang had surely sent his wages home again. Chen Qi wanted to help him out but was afraid of hurting his pride, and if he brought up money directly, Liang might not accept it anyway-apparently he would have to buy four liang of buns from now on.

Liang Xiaosheng was the editor assigned specifically to him and usually had little else to do. After breakfast, he came back over a short while later, and the two played chess together.

They were in the middle of a game when someone suddenly knocked. "Is Little Chen here?"

"Liu Xiaoqing?"

Chen Qi was startled. He went over and opened the door, and sure enough, it was her. She smiled and said, "Oh, Teacher Liang is here too. Perfect. May I come in?"

"Oh, come in!"

She walked in openly, glanced around, and sat down on the edge of the bed as if they were already old friends.

Liang Xiaosheng trembled, so startled that he didn't even dare close the door. Not only did he leave it open, he deliberately left it wide open. These days, when men and women chatted in a room together, especially a lone man and woman, they had to leave the door open-just like a wholesome massage in later times.

Conduct was a serious matter!

"I heard you wrote a love story. I'm very curious. Could you tell me about it?"

"You want to act in it?"

"Yes. As long as the script is good, I don't want to give up any opportunity." She made no attempt to hide it.

"Then I'm afraid I have to apologize..."

Chen Qi neither liked nor disliked her; he felt quite ordinary about her. He said directly, "The heroine is a young woman in her twenties experiencing the first stirrings of love. She grew up in the United States. Neither your age nor your appearance is quite right for the part."

"I see. That's a real pity, but I'd still like to hear your story. You..."

Before Liu Xiaoqing could finish, her expression suddenly changed.

From the corridor outside came a sudden rush of footsteps, accompanied by a man shouting, "Xiaoqing? Xiaoqing?"

(More to come...)

(End of chapter)