Chapter 1554: Beijing Culture is in the Hutongs

Looking at the future great director who was fawning, smiling, pouring wine, and lighting cigarettes, Zhou Andong smiled.

That's right, this future great director is Feng Kuzi; many people look down on him, believing that his success was all obtained by kneeling and begging.

Regarding such words, Zhou Andong has always scoffed. Only by knowing when to bend and when to stretch can one become a person above others.

Han Xin could endure the humiliation of crawling between legs; Feng Kuzi naturally can't compare, but everyone has a heart that wants to become a person above others.

Especially for a capable person, kneeling down when weak is nothing remarkable.

Because they know very well in their hearts that they will definitely have a day to stand up, climb to the pinnacle of the pyramid, and make those who once mocked them look up.

Later developments were indeed like this; Feng Kuzi stood at the top of the pyramid and became the most representative figure of the fifth-generation directors.

As for those who once mocked him, they were like clowns, and in the end, they became the joke themselves.

As for that writer, he is naturally the famous Master Shuo; at this time, among the new generation of writers, there really aren't many with more fame than him.

Many people say that the person he looks down on the most is Feng Kuzi; in Zhou Andong's view, this statement is a bit biased.

The status and position of the two were not equal to begin with; for example, isn't Jin Baiyin also running around him?

There are some things he lets Comrade Xiao Jin handle, and he is relatively at ease; can this be called looking down on him?

However, having said that, what the relationship between Master Shuo and Feng Kuzi is really like, and whether it's truly like the rumors, no one can say for sure.

Including him, Zhou Andong, it's all just hearsay. These things are just topics for idle chat after tea and meals.

Just like him at this moment, whether it's true or false, it must have become fodder for others' idle chatter after tea and meals.

Zhou Andong returned to his seat, picked up the teapot, refilled the tea cups in front of the others, then sat down and continued to listen to Liu Yahang.

"Before these courtyards entered Beijing, the living form of Beijingers was scattered; they lived in hutongs, forming the old Beijing street culture.

However, the appearance of the courtyards caused a living form and unique culture that had never existed before in Beijing.

In the courtyards, all kinds of facilities for clothing, food, housing, and transportation were complete; the residents formed a self-contained unit and rarely interacted with the hutong citizens outside the walls.

They were too lazy to understand the old Beijing ways of the world, and knew even less about the customs and old etiquette. They formed their own orderly system internally, while being relatively cut off from the city outside the courtyard.

The most famous one is the General Logistics Courtyard; even now, if you search all of Beijing, there are only 2 football fields with standardized lawns, one at the Workers' Stadium, and the other in the General Logistics Courtyard.

When the whole army held sports meets, football matches were basically held in the General Logistics Courtyard. And as for auditoriums, every courtyard had one, but the General Logistics auditorium was absolutely famous.

Its exterior, construction quality, interior decoration, stage three-dimensional space design, seat comfort, and sound equipment were all the best among the army courtyards, known as the Second Great Hall of the People.

And the one with the best food was the Armored Force, that is, the Armored Corps Headquarters. In the era of material scarcity, many families didn't taste meat for three months.

But the children of the Armored Corps could eat braised hairtail and red-braised meatballs in the canteen inside the courtyard every few days, and at the New Year's dinner, they could also eat sweet and sour pork ribs, red-braised pork, and braised pig trotters.

Lighted ball courts, roller skating rinks, swimming pools—these were all facilities that outsiders envied, but they were standard in the Armored Corps courtyard...

When I was a kid, I rode my '28' bicycle out to play wildly, and I would argue and insult the children of the neighboring Artillery Corps Headquarters: 'Armored Corps is always better than you Artillery Corps'..."

Speaking of this, Liu Yahang picked up his tea cup and took a sip, then smiled.

"Let's put it this way, courtyard culture is in conflict with old Beijing culture, it's incompatible, but it's also mutually influencing, mutually penetrating, and gradually becoming the master instead of the guest.

These cadres' children, living in various courtyards, their fathers were mostly from poor peasant backgrounds, but by our generation, we are already nobles, generally overbearing and looking down on everything.

In reality, it's a bunch of mud-legged people, people whose three generations were all cowherds, who came to sit on the country. I'm being a bit treasonous saying this, but this is the fact.

When I was young, fighting, playing instruments, stealing things, and chasing girls were things I thought were very prestigious. For the sake of a girl, if we disagreed, we could collectively pedal our bikes to Kunming Lake to gather people for a fight; spring locks, short sticks, and even small blades were already in our hands.

And we could also, because of the greetings and politeness between two acquaintances in each other's camps, smile at each other, and then go to the Moscow Restaurant or other strongholds to have a big meal, resolve our grudges, and turn enemies into friends..."

Zhou Xianyong listened with fascination, and even Ye Xuanzhen listened with great interest, looking very interested.

"The courtyard culture circulated outside or written in novels is not culture; it's just a crazy manifestation of poor people suddenly getting rich and not knowing how to restrain themselves.

So, if you want to talk about Beijing culture, it's not in the courtyards, but in the hutongs. Of course, if you are really interested in the courtyards, you can let Dongzi take you for a walk.

He knows quite a few courtyard children, and they are all very high-level, including his wife, who is very famous in our courtyard circle.

However, with your status, if you want to go to the courtyards to walk around and visit, you definitely have to report and apply. But with your relationship with Dongzi, as long as it doesn't involve secrets, it's not a big problem."

Zhou Xianyong was very tempted, looking at Zhou Andong with eyes full of hope.

"Put away your thoughts, I don't want to find trouble for myself." Zhou Andong snorted. "Don't you know where you come from? Applying won't work either. If you want to visit the courtyards, work hard yourself."

Zhou Xianyong was stunned. "How do I work hard myself?"

"Do I still need to teach you this?" Zhou Andong said irritably. "Use your influence to promote cross-strait exchanges and contribute more to peaceful reunification.

As long as you do it, the higher-ups will naturally see it; don't talk about just strolling in the courtyards. As long as you do your part, it's no problem even to be a guest at Zhongnanhai."

"Gulp!"

Zhou Xianyong's throat rolled. He was just a businessman; how could he participate in such a big thing?

"Look at your useless appearance." Zhou Andong smiled mockingly. "People say a tiger father has no dog son; it seems this sentence hasn't been reflected in you at all.

After you go back, have a good chat with Third Grandfather and ask the old man how he has been doing things during this period. Just follow and learn when the time comes; if you still can't do it well, I think there's no need for us to cooperate."