Chapter 122

The fact that the British BBC took the initiative to reach out for cooperation this time pleasantly surprised the main leaders of the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang, and it also allowed them to see another way to earn foreign exchange.

Previously, the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang could also earn foreign exchange for the country, basically relying on their own works going abroad to participate in competitions, winning awards, and then selling them to other countries.

However, although they brought back many honors, the profits were not high, and no one felt that cultural products could shoulder the heavy responsibility of earning foreign exchange for the country.

Last year, the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang traced and colored over 7,000 frames for the *Space Battleship Yamato* series of works by Japan's Toei Company.

This cooperation was just an attempt under the general environment of China-Japan friendship, and it did earn some foreign exchange, but that was all it did; the work belonged to the Japanese, there was not a shred of honor, and it even delayed their own production plans.

But this cooperation with the British, if things go well, could be a double harvest of fame and fortune!

Britain provides the foreign exchange, the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang provides the personnel and technology, and it is a traditional Chinese mythological subject; if the British side can successfully promote it internationally, then they would truly have both substance and face!

Therefore, Director Te Wei urgently convened a high-level meeting, and even invited Mr. Wan Chaochuan, the third of the Wan brothers, over.

Before he retired, he was the technical deputy director of the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang, while his two twin older brothers, Mr. Wan Laiming and Mr. Wan Guchan, were already 80 years old.

This meeting first confirmed that cooperation was possible and that there were no policy issues; if successful, they could explore a path of using foreign capital to shoot their own films while expanding their international influence.

But there was one point.

"The quality absolutely cannot be sloppy; our Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang must occupy absolute dominance in terms of content," a deputy director said, "Currently, many foreign animations focus too much on efficiency and are produced crudely; we cannot smash the signboard of the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang."

"Everyone," Director Te Wei said, "Let's take a look at the script first. This was translated by people working overtime; some places might not be very accurate, so everyone please pass it around."

However, after they started reading the script, the several main leaders at the meeting fell silent. What, what kind of nonsense is this written here!

Sure enough, expecting foreigners to understand Chinese mythology is a pipe dream.

The screenwriter who created this script probably wasn't completely ignorant; they might be a foreigner who has done some research on Chinese mythology, or a Chinese person who hasn't stayed in China for long.

The script starts directly with Nüwa patching the sky, mixing in myths and legends from various eras, and even involving the *Legend of the Demon-Slaying*, a god-and-demon novel with low popularity. But, this thing is just too unfocused; how is one supposed to watch this if it's filmed?

In the end, everyone unanimously decided that cooperation was fine, but this script wouldn't do; the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang had to rewrite a new script.

Of course, since the British side wanted to film a mythological subject, and the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang was good at this, they would still start from this aspect.

So the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang contacted the BBC and discussed it, and the other party agreed to the proposal for the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang to rewrite the script.

Thus, the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang began to discuss it in meetings large and small again.

Little child, little child, don't be greedy; after Laba, the New Year is here.

January 25, 1980, Laba Festival, all the canteens at Peking University were supplying Laba porridge in limited quantities.

Wei Ming and Yang Hao ran out of school to cover the news about pork not being rationed this Spring Festival, and by the time they returned, it was all gone.

Yang Hao complained: "Pork isn't rationed anymore, but Laba porridge is still rationed, hmph!"

However, Wei Ming soon got to eat Laba porridge.

After returning to the dormitory, Feng Ge called him: "Xiao Ming, come here. Your sister-in-law made Laba porridge; let's eat together."

"Sister-in-law sent you porridge from so far away; how could I have the nerve to drink it?"

"It's not a matter of having the nerve or not," he picked up a pot from the ground, "It's that I can't finish it at all by myself!"

"Oh my, why is there so much?"

Northern Qiao Feng: "She forgot that Xiao Mei and Biaozi aren't here. I told her before. Otherwise, as the old saying goes, one..."

Wei Ming waited while serving the porridge, but Feng Ge got stuck.

"How does the old saying go?"

Northern Qiao Feng racked his brains frantically: "You can't make two kinds of meals in one pot. Look, actually I wanted to drink millet porridge, but she only had Eight-Treasure porridge in the pot."

Wei Ming laughed while eating: "Feng Ge, your request is a bit excessive." Eating two things from one pot—unless it's a mandarin duck pot.

Now there were only the two of them in the dormitory, and it seemed very empty, and sometimes Feng Ge didn't come back to spend the night.

However, the benefit of this was that Wei Ming's writing efficiency had improved.

He usually wrote the outline in the office and returned to the dormitory for formal creation.

That evening, Wei Ming was called to Uncle Ping'an's home again to eat and drink Laba porridge. He saw Aunt Xiaoyan had also soaked several jars of Laba garlic in canned bottles, saying that Director Wei loved to eat it.

Director Wei laughed: "Yes, yes, yes, I love to eat Laba garlic; the rest belongs to your aunt."

What's left?

Vinegar, of course.

Lu Xiaoyan immediately pinched him.

Xile hadn't realized that their parents were flirting, but Wei Ming, who was already very sensible, was greatly hurt.

I just finished a heart-wrenching first love!

"By the way, Xiao Ming, how is your preface coming along?" Then Aunt Xiaoyan dealt Wei Ming a second blow. Wei Ming hurriedly used his bowl to cover his expression; he had forgotten because he had been busy writing his novel these past few days.

"Almost, almost, it definitely won't delay things." He brushed it off first.

When he returned to the dormitory, Feng Ge was indeed not there again, and he worked overtime to write his novel.

This was another novella, and he had already written over 50,000 words, just a little bit left; it was also the longest piece he had written so far.

This time he divided the novel into several chapters.

The first chapter was called "Where Is Spring."

Now he was writing the last chapter, named "On the Field of Hope."

The next day, Wei Ming saw Teacher Gu Jiahui; she had come to say goodbye to Wei Ming.

Because the students were busy with final exams and then it would be winter break, she, as an off-campus music instructor, had nothing to do for the time being, so she simply went home to prepare for the New Year.

Before leaving, she gave Wei Ming a musical score she had composed for "The Little Girl Picking Mushrooms."

!

Wei Ming could already read scores now, and he sang according to the music: "The little girl picking mushrooms, carrying a big bamboo basket..."

Teacher Gu was a bit dismissive; you, a young man over 1.8 meters tall, still singing "barefoot in the early morning, walking all over the woods and hills"—Xiao Lele should have been the one to sing it first.

Wei Ming was very satisfied; although it was two years early, it was exactly the same as the original version. He would also apply this song to his new novel as a chapter.

Previously, Wei Ming had already published these lyrics in *Lyric Journal*, along with the earlier "Where Is Spring."

Now he had written two more, one called "Little Grass" and one called "Planting the Sun," both of which were works from three or four years later, and both had been submitted.

Wei Ming took out the lyrics and handed them to Teacher Gu: "You take a look first; another day I'll go to your house, and we'll discuss how to compose the music together."

Teacher Gu sighed: "Your speed of writing songs is too fast! And the styles are so varied; this "Little Grass" is too bitter, while "Planting the Sun" is so sunny."

Wei Ming: "Writers are the same as musicians; emotions are very complex and changeable. I'm writing a novel recently, and when I write about bitter plots, I get "Little Grass," and when I write about positive and sunny parts, I get "Planting the Sun.""

Gu Jiahui was very curious: "What kind of novel is this?"

Wei Ming explained briefly: "It's a story about a music teacher and a group of children; music is also an important part of this novel."

"No wonder you came to me to learn music; I thought it was just out of interest."

"It is indeed out of interest; otherwise, there wouldn't be this novel, or I would have set the male lead as a teacher of another subject. I think music is very powerful."

Teacher Gu asked: "Then what kind of power does music have in your novel?"

Wei Ming said leisurely: "Soothing pain, nourishing the soul."

He was very confident in this novel and planned to finish it before the end of the month and submit it to *People's Literature*. He had received their request for a manuscript long ago, and an editor even came by a while ago, saying he was just passing by to see him.

When the other party heard the theme of the novel Wei Ming was creating, they were very interested and said, "If there's enough time, we'll arrange it for February, just in time for publication after the Spring Festival!"

When he got off work in the evening, Wei Ming had just returned to the South Gate post when he saw Aunt Xiaoyan bringing Xile over. Needless to say, she was definitely looking for him.

Isn't it just a preface? I'll risk it and finish it tonight!

As it turned out, that wasn't what she was talking about.

"Xiao Ming, great news!" Lu Xiaoyan grabbed Wei Ming's shoulders excitedly.

"Aunt, no matter how great the news is, let go first; I still need my arms tonight." No wonder Xizi was so afraid of her mother; her grip was truly strong.

"Oh, oh, oh, let me tell you, you definitely won't expect it. This afternoon, the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang called our editorial department to discuss the adaptation of *The Legend of the Sealed Book* with you!"

Wei Ming asked: "Don't they have no money?"

Lu Xiaoyan: "That's right, they don't have money, but this time it's not them paying; it's foreigners paying. It seems to be called something... oh, right, the British Broadcasting Corporation is paying."

Speaking of this, she paused: "You really have a connection with Britain!"

However, this BBC reaching out definitely had nothing to do with Melinda. In the original timeline, the *The Legend of the Sealed Book* project was able to be initiated and promoted because the British side took the initiative to seek cooperation.

"Aunt, tell me more; what's going on?"

Lu Xiaoyan: "Basically, the British side provided a script, and the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang wasn't satisfied, so they thought about changing it. While changing it, they discovered that a segment in their script from *The Legend of the Demon-Slaying* was written quite well. Then someone suggested that *The Legend of the Sealed Book* was adapted from *The Legend of the Demon-Slaying*, and then several directors and deputy directors read your novel and all said this story was good. Why not just film it? Then the British side heard the story outline and agreed. Now they are just waiting for you to write the script!"

Wei Ming nodded. In his past life, he heard A Long say that later the British side withdrew their investment for some reason, but the script was finished, and it wasn't wasted, so it was filmed. Therefore, it was still a pure domestic animation, and its style was in the same line as *Havoc in Heaven* and *Nezha Conquers the Dragon King*.

His brain was spinning frantically. Although the Shanghai Animation Er Yingchang didn't earn foreign exchange in the end, could he take this opportunity to earn some foreign exchange to spend?

(End of chapter)