Chapter 309

Zhu Lin called Gong Xue, but two heads popped out, looking somewhat similar, so Gong Ying was also invited by her.

Gong Ying only thought Zhu Lin was a good friend of her sister in Beijing, and was surprised by the quality of her sister's friends. Sure enough, the friends of big beauties are also big beauties.

"Sister Zhu Lin, how did you and my sister meet?"

Zhu Lin: "We met on the same bed."

Gong Xue was very embarrassed. What a foul-mouthed Beijing female hooligan, and she is also a medical worker.

The shy Xiao Xue hurriedly made up for it: "I stayed at Sister Zhu Lin's house in Beijing before, so we gradually became familiar. We met at the Beijing Er Yingchang at the earliest. She also filmed movies at the Beijing Er Yingchang."

"Is it today's movie?" Gong Ying asked again.

Zhu Lin smiled: "No, the Beijing Er Yingchang filmed 'Regret for the Past,' which was filmed long ago, but it has to wait for the 100th anniversary of Mr. Lu Xun's birth to be released. Today's one is Shanghai Er Yingchang's 'Happy Reunion,' a rural theme."

Although it is a rural theme that is rare and not popular at the moment, when China Film held a screening, the response to this movie was excellent. Film companies in various provinces placed orders for copies one after another. It is the movie that sold the most 35mm copies in the first half of the year.

The people in charge of watching movies in these film companies all have sharp eyes. The number of copies has already indicated the hit potential of "Happy Reunion."

When it was officially released in Beijing, the movie had already been popular for several days in the "origin" Shanghai and the "filming location" Shandong. The response was very enthusiastic, almost every show was full, and many newspapers mentioned it.

However, hearing is believing. After the three of Zhu Lin entered the cinema, the audience who had already finished watching a show of "Happy Reunion" were communicating with each other, praising it as a good movie.

At this time, someone suddenly shouted "Shuilian," and then the eyes of the audience were all focused on Zhu Lin, full of curiosity and kindness.

Shuilian is her role in "Happy Reunion." She was stunned for a moment, and then was pushed by Gong Xue: "They are calling you."

Gong Xue also came from this stage. When "Good Things Come After Hardships," the audience called her Liu Fang, and when "The Herdsman" came, more and more people began to call her "Gong Xue."

The movie's heroine chatted with the audience who liked her. Learning that the actor of Shuilian was actually a local in Beijing, the old Beijingers were very happy, saying directly that she played the virtuous second sister-in-law, hey, really authentic!

Their show was about to start. After waving goodbye to the fans, Zhu Lin happily entered the venue with the Gong sisters.

Only then did other audiences react. Did they just see Gong Xue just now?

The movie started with the wedding of the heroine Shuilian and Renwu. Since then, she has been the second daughter-in-law of the Chen family. Above her is a sister-in-law, below her is a younger sister-in-law, and there is also a grandfather and a mother-in-law.

The main contradictions and joys of the movie revolve around the relationships between mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, and sisters-in-law.

This is the second time Lao Mao has gotten married in a movie, and he is familiar with it.

The first time with Gong Xue was relatively simple and hasty. This time it looked like something, blowing, pulling, playing, and singing, lively and noisy.

Although the rural wedding cannot be called grand, Zhu Lin felt that if she and little Wei could have such a wedding, she would be content.

Gong Xue, who was staring at the big screen, said: Me too!

Not long after the movie started, laughter began to appear on the scene, sometimes small laughter, sometimes big laughter.

The movie is not a comedy type, but there are many funny points. The lines were polished by the screenwriter and director for many years, concise and interesting.

It has been a long time since such a movie that makes people laugh and think at the same time has appeared in mainland cinemas.

After walking out of the model opera era, movies are actually still an extension of politics, either reflecting or criticizing, and the themes are mostly related to those years.

That stuff has an audience, but it's not easy. Profound things often cannot harvest the widest audience.

Although the story of "Happy Reunion" takes place in the countryside, it is essentially about the relationship between people. Relationships like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and sister-in-law also exist in the city, and supporting the elderly is a problem that most people will eventually face.

For example, the eldest sister-in-law Qiangying is the opposite of Shuilian in treating the elderly. Cooking dumplings and hiding them from grandfather, letting the old man eat corn buns can be said to be a famous scene of this era.

Many people watched it with anger and laughter, but some audiences lowered their heads in shame after watching it.

Gong Ying whispered to her two sisters that this part was filmed really well, laughing and crying.

At the end of the movie, relying on a dream of the eldest sister-in-law Qiangying to make her know her mistakes and repent, there is a suspicion of forced family reunion, but since the movie title is called "Happy Reunion," why bother to add blockage to the audience?

This movie has touched the mystery of family reunion movies, but this kind of movie has always been a minority in Chinese films.

After the movie ended, Zhu Lin pulled the Gong sisters out of the cinema for the first time. She was afraid of being surrounded.

Immediately, Gong Ying parted ways with them. Oriental New World has an employee dinner today, and she, an extra, is also on the invitation list.

"You treat me to a movie, I'll treat you to dinner," Gong Xue proposed.

Zhu Lin readily agreed. She also wanted to ask Gong Xue what to pay attention to after a female actor becomes popular.

She has a premonition that after "Happy Reunion" is spread on a large scale across the country, she will likely be popular. She doesn't dare to say the Golden Rooster Award next year, but she can at least get a nomination for the Hundred Flowers Award.

And what Gong Xue actually wanted to tell Zhu Lin was Wei Ming.

"Yesterday A-Long sent a telegram to Xiao Ying, saying that little Wei had already gone to England, and A-Long also had to handle some work matters in Hong Kong."

"A-Long? A-Long who draws?"

"Yes, he is Xiao Ying's boyfriend," Gong Xue said.

Zhu Lin opened her mouth slightly, full of regret. It's a pity that her sister is already married, and there are no extra single brothers around little Wei.

"Finally, I have to go to England," Zhu Lin sighed, "I hope he can withstand the sugar-coated shells of foreigners."

Gong Xue's requirements are not that high: "Even if the sugar coating is eaten, the shells can be hit back."

In an apartment in London's West End, Wei Ming is peeling off Melinda's sugar coating, and the shells are eaten by Melinda with fiery red curly hair.

Wei Ming took a ten-hour flight and rested in the hotel for three hours. Seeing that it was dark, he couldn't wait to find his way according to the correspondence address with Melinda, giving Melinda a big surprise.

Then there were another three hours, and the physical strength restored by resting for three hours was exhausted.

This is a battle between equals, and both are very enjoyable.

Wei Ming exclaimed: "After flying for more than ten hours, having this encounter, even if nothing else is accomplished, it's not a wasted trip."

"Can that good sister of yours in China compare to me?" Melinda asked provocatively.

Wei Ming: "There are two, two good sisters."

She only knows Zhu Lin but doesn't know there is another Gong Xue.

Melinda turned to the side, her eyes full of thirst for knowledge: "Leonardo, you let me look at you with new eyes, expand and talk about it."

Wei Ming is a person with a sense of shame and has no intention of using two kind sisters to show off his charm. He knows this is wrong, but he just can't help it.

He rejected the proposal to expand and talk, but asked: "When did you arrange for me to meet Webber?"

Melinda: "Thursday. There is a performance of 'Cats' on Thursday. You can meet Mr. Webber and Sarah after watching the musical. Before that, you need to go to our company with me first. The head of the children's book department really wants to see the mysterious Mr. Why from the East. In addition, we need to talk about the new share of the new book."

After the accumulation of two best-selling children's books, "Jumanji" and "The Lion King," Wei Ming is already an internationally renowned children's book writer, and naturally should have the treatment of a famous writer.

"Okay, I will bring my lawyer then. What does your supervisor think of 'Jurassic Park'?"

"This novel hasn't been translated into English yet. He understands a hammer. I am very optimistic about it, but this is a sci-fi adventure novel with too many professional terms. I have already found a suitable candidate for the translation work."

Wei Ming is very happy that Melinda didn't try to be brave. Translating this novel without some knowledge of paleontology is indeed difficult.

"In addition, I think this novel can focus on the United States. Americans with no historical background like these big guys from hundreds of millions of years ago the most. This perfectly pokes the preferences of the American book market," Melinda analyzed.

After Melinda finished speaking, the topic turned: "Where did you find a wild lawyer? Don't you trust me?"

"How could that be? My work is your work, but this lawyer is free, so why not use it."

"What lawyer? Man or woman, how old?"

"Woman, about your age, Chinese-American, and beautiful too."

"Could it be the second good sister?"

"Not a good sister, but a good aunt, my father's half-sister." Wei Ming only said to this extent, and didn't explain the rest. ~

The Goring Hotel, London.

When Wei Ming's good aunt, Wei Lingling, adjusted her jet lag and prepared to take her nephew out to visit the London night scene, she found that no one responded in the room.

Needless to say, he must have gone to find his ex-girlfriend. Hmph, I shouldn't have come here!

So Wei Lingling went back to her room to sleep after eating a British meal that was better not to eat. At this moment, how she wished the old ghost could open Holiland in the UK, even if it was McDonald's or Burger King.

The next day, Wei Lingling was woken up by Wei Ming knocking on the door.

"Back." A woman in pajamas with messy hair said.

"Do you know I went out?"

"Talk about business."

Wei Ming: "Melinda knows you are here, and it's your first time, so she proposed to take us around London today."

As for the arrangement to meet with the senior management of Macmillan Publishers, it was postponed.

Wei Lingling's dull eyes instantly had light: "Where is she?"

"Waiting in the lobby."

"You guys have breakfast first, I'll change my clothes."

Gong Xue and Zhu Lin changing clothes is really changing clothes. Vivian Chow changing clothes also has to count the time for clothing matching and makeup. And Wei Lingling changing clothes has to start from taking a shower.

So Wei Ming and Melinda had a leisurely hotel breakfast.

The Goring Hotel is also a well-known hotel with a long history in London, providing French breakfast, so Wei Ming and Melinda ate very happily.

When they returned to the hotel lobby and drank tea for a while, they waited for Wei Lingling, who, although not dressed up, was very exquisite and elegant. The key is that the clothing style matches London very well.

Her two large suitcases were not taken in vain.

Seeing Wei Lingling, Melinda, who knows Eastern aesthetics well, rejoiced. Fortunately, they are aunt and nephew, otherwise, the person this guy matched last night would definitely not be herself.

Wei Lingling also appreciates Melinda, especially her naturally curly fiery red hair. Although this hair color is synonymous with Northern Barbarians in the eyes of the British, Wei Lingling likes it very much. Chinese people like bright red from the bottom of their hearts.

She even suspected that the reason why her nephew's first love was Melinda was because she symbolized Chinese-style celebration.

Melinda first regretted: "If you had come a few days earlier, I could have invited you to Cannes. The film festival there just ended."

Wei Lingling: "Isn't that Cannes in France?"

Melinda: "The British want to go to French territory, do the French dare to have an opinion?"

Wei Lingling and Wei Ming, aunt and nephew, looked at each other. It's here, it's here! The traditional French-bashing project is still here!

It was just a joke just now. It is mainly because it is simple to go to and from Britain and France, which is about the same as going out of the province in China. Although the EU has not been established yet, the EU's predecessor, the European Community, has already been established, and Britain joined it in '73.

Movies are a topic everyone is interested in, more worth chatting about than London's weather.

Melinda drove the two straight to the British Museum. On the way, she also mentioned that the award-winning work "Possession" by this year's Cannes Film Queen Isabelle Adjani had just been released in the UK.

"It's quite a special work. If you have time, you can watch it."

Wei Lingling: "I quite like French movies. The most impressive one in recent years is 'La Boum'."

Melinda: "Starring Sophie Marceau."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Listening to them discuss two generations of French national treasure-level actresses, Wei Ming couldn't get a word in and couldn't keep up.

However, when they arrived at the British Museum and saw those Chinese cultural relics, they reached Wei Ming's field of expertise.

Although he doesn't engage in antique collection himself, there are a lot of old objects in the family's courtyard, and because he writes novels and scripts, he has a lot of involvement in history, and his knowledge in this regard far exceeds that of the two little women.

Looking at those numerous Dunhuang murals and scriptures that can only be displayed selectively, Wei Ming sighed: "Bought by Stein in the late Qing Dynasty."

Chinese historians who want to study Dunhuang culture have to come to London.

Seeing the Shang Dynasty bronze double sheep zun, Wei Ming sighed: "Taken away from the Old Summer Palace by the Anglo-French Allied Forces."

And it is the kind with inscriptions. Whether there are characters on bronze ware can be said to be a world of difference in value.

Wei Ming walked to the front of the Tang Dynasty copy of "Admonitions of the Court Instructress" again. Wei Ming, who likes paintings, couldn't help but observe carefully and sighed: "It's the Old Summer Palace again."

In addition, you can also see the jade cong of the Liangzhu culture, the Xuande cloisonné dragon pattern jar, the Eastern Zhou cast gold bronze sword hilt, etc.

Seeing these cultural relics from his hometown on display here, Wei Ming had more regrets, but Wei Lingling felt that it was nothing. It is quite good to put it here for the whole world to appreciate.

"If these ancient objects went to Taiwan with Old Chiang, they might become the private collection of the powerful and have no chance to be displayed. It is even worse to stay in the mainland. Maybe they can't be seen now. And look, aren't they protected quite well?"

Wei Ming was speechless for a while. It would be fine if she was unreasonable, but the key is that there is a little truth, which makes people feel even more uncomfortable.

Afterwards, Melinda acted as a guide to take Wei Ming and the two to visit the Egyptian Pavilion, and then Wei Ming's psychology was instantly balanced.

Our ancient objects were just robbed. The Egyptian old iron even had the ancients moved over. I heard that they were also used as medicine and eaten a lot. These are what were left over.

Of course, in the end, there must be the Greek Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon sculptures.

Almost all the most precious cultural relics in the British Museum were plundered and purchased from the three ancient countries of China, Egypt, and Greece.

Chinese people who come to London find it difficult to resist not coming here to see the treasures of their ancestors. It is very angry to rob your things and still want to earn your ticket money.

So Wei Ming also wants to earn some money through the British Museum to balance his psychology. Of course, robbing directly is definitely not appropriate.

You can't finish visiting the British Museum in a day. Considering that they won't stay here for a long time, they only looked at the most essential parts in a flash, and then they took the subway to see Big Ben and the Tower of London, and the day passed.

In the evening, Melinda moved directly into Wei Ming's hotel room, next to Wei Lingling's room. She listened for a long time and didn't hear any movement.

Thinking that these two people were quite subtle, as a result, in the second half of the night, Wei Ming and Melinda, who had recovered from shopping, began to toss and turn. Wei Lingling could hear the faint creaking sound, and her sleep quality was greatly reduced.

The next day, the three came to the headquarters of Macmillan Publishers in London.

This family business, headed by a former British Prime Minister, can be considered a publishing giant in the world.

Just say one point, the famous "Nature" magazine in the academic world is under Macmillan Publishers.

Following Melinda all the way, looking at those covers and book titles, Wei Ming and Wei Lingling truly felt the strength and heritage of this old international publisher.

"Alice in Wonderland," "The Little Prince," "The Jungle Book," "Lost Horizon," etc.

Children's books are also Macmillan Publishers' flagship category, with many million-selling works under its banner and long-term cooperation with many children's book writers.

And although Wei Ming's "The Lion King" has not yet officially launched global marketing, its sales in the UK have exceeded 100,000 copies, and it is considered a work with the potential for million sales.

Of course, they are referring to "The Lion King Picture Book" published by Macmillan. In the future, whether it is a French version or a German version, it will be developed based on this version.

The new contract and new share discussed today are not just referring to "Jurassic Park," but also "Rubik's Cube? Anyone Can Play," which has completed translation and illustration work.

And because of the recent global Rubik's Cube craze, and the preliminary work of this book has been completed, today's focus is actually on this book.

The head of the children's book department also sincerely invited Wei Ming to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair in October this year. At that time, both "The Lion King" and "Rubik's Cube" will be key promotional works of Macmillan.

Can I go abroad again? Wei Ming agreed verbally and asked Melinda to send him an invitation letter at that time. As long as he has time, he will definitely go. He also wants to taste German sausages and beer.

Finally, the issue of the share of the new book was discussed. The most intuitive point is that Wei Ming's royalty share increased by five points...

(End of chapter)