Chapter 348

In the closet, Snow Sister, positioned lower down, looked up and glared fiercely at Wei Ming—this little rascal only knew how to torment himself—but she had grievances she could not voice, and nothing to say.

Just as Gong Yu had gradually grown accustomed to maneuvering in the cramped space, becoming more fluid in her dodges and shifts, a woman's voice suddenly came from outside: "Brother, I'm going to sleep now."

Gong Yu's eyes widened in terror, and she shuddered all over.

The operation paused; Wei Ming told her: "Xiao Hong insisted on staying over; her classmates all went back to school."

After the shock, Gong Yu worriedly asked: "Then what should I do?"

Wei Ming pulled her out of the closet: "Of course you come out of the closet."

After emerging, Snow Sister angrily slapped Wei Ming, who laughed and took it: "You just stay in your room tonight; I'll bring in the chamber pot later."

"And tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning she's going to watch the flag-raising ceremony; she leaves before dawn and returns to school afterward for National Day events."

Hearing this, Gong Yu felt slightly relieved; Wei Ming smiled: "Shall we continue?"

Gong Yu swung her arm away, pouting: "Continue your head! Go to sleep!"

But once in bed, unable to bear having Wei Ming point his gun at her, Snow Sister ultimately did a good deed and saw it through to the end.

Early the next morning, while Gong Yu was still in Wei Ming's arms and the sky had not yet lightened, sounds came from outside.

Gong Yu had slept lightly; she heard Wei Hong had left, so she closed her eyes and finally got a proper rest.

When Wei Ming woke, he didn't disturb her; he had indeed held out longer last night, and his wife had endured with patient words.

After stepping out, he first locked the door from the outside, then went to the kitchen to get something to eat, and finally returned to the study to read a book about Germany.

In less than a week they would depart; he ought to familiarize himself with Germany, but this book was written over a decade ago and couldn't be fully trusted.

In the morning, the Daguan Building Cinema was already packed with queues; the manager, watching the crowd, felt it rivaled the frenzy of the ten or so tribute films in 1979.

This year wasn't an anniversary year, and there weren't many high-profile tribute films; the most famous work at this time was "Mother, Love Me Once More."

This film had several appealing points: first, the original was by Wei Ming; though the original was in script form, its popularity was still considerable, with at least a million readers.

Second, it was rumored to be adapted from a real event, which made people even more curious.

Third, it starred Gong Yu; films like "Good Things Come to Those Who Wait" and "The Herdsman" had made her a quasi-top-tier actress in China, though she still fell slightly short of the absolute peak.

After all, while "The Herdsman" had excellent reviews and strong industry recognition, its audience numbers still lagged behind films like "Little Flower," "Lushan Love," and "Joyful Family," which had sparked nationwide moviegoing frenzies.

So Zhu Lin, entering later, had overtaken her; his current fame might even be slightly stronger.

But because she was beautiful, Gong Yu's fans were extremely passionate; when Wang Qiankun opened the cinema doors, he felt at least half the crowd were single young men.

The other half were mostly family audiences, especially mothers with children.

This film had been prominently featured in publications like "Masses' Cinema," and with its title, it was clearly a film about family affection—very appealing to parents.

Seven-year-old Pan Ying was brought by his parents to see this film today; he was quiet-looking, a boy who loved drawing.

Already in elementary school, he had complaints about his name, feeling it sounded too feminine, but his parents never took it seriously; he grumbled to himself: I'll change it someday.

Pan Ying's father, Pan Zhiguang, was a police officer from Guangdong Province; his mother, Tian Runxiang, was a teacher with a bright future; they lived in Dazhalan, just a few steps from Daguan Building.

But on the way, Pan Ying kept thinking about this month's "King of Fairy Tales," wondering if the one-eared Black Cat Detective felt lonely, and worrying about the Gourd Brothers after their grandfather was arrested.

He was a loyal reader of Wei something, but didn't care much for Wei Ming.

Inside the cinema, the family seated in front of them consisted of four: a mother and father, and two children of similar age—likely twins, both younger than Pan Ying.

Today, Wei Anping had brought his wife and children into the city for fun, and took the chance to see his son's new film.

Lü Xiaoyan had long awaited this day; she had accompanied her son throughout the entire filming process and knew this film would be excellent—she had cried multiple times on set, let alone the finished film with its score, theme songs, and cinematic techniques.

If she and Wei Anping hadn't both been working yesterday, she would have taken the child to Beiyingchang for an early screening.

After waiting a while, the theater was about three-quarters full; the film began.

The original version was a flashback story, beginning with the grown son returning to China and encountering his mad mother in an orphanage, then recalling the past.

Wei Ming's version began with a pair of parents losing their son and reporting it to the police; but this couple was strange—the father was anxious, while the wife seemed indifferent.

For viewers unfamiliar with the original, this was a mystery.

At this moment, a very cute little boy was hiding atop a truck's cargo bed.

Lü Xiaoyan immediately pointed excitedly at the screen, nudging Lele and pinching Xizi.

In the scene, Xizi had already been on the truck for a while; his face was dirty, but his cuteness still shone through, and many viewers recognized him as Gong Yu's son from "The Herdsman."

Pan Ying immediately recognized the young actor as the little boy in front of him; he was startled and nudged his mother, pointing ahead.

In the dark, Pan Ying's mother couldn't see clearly; she whispered: "Pay attention to the movie; don't disturb others."

Too sleepy, the boy gradually fell asleep, and faintly heard his mother's distant call.

"Little Gourd, wake up~"

The scene shifted; the boy awoke, now in a different setting—sunlight bright, Little Gourd lying on a cool mat, beside him his mother fanning him with a reed fan, and outside the window, gourd vines heavy with fruit.

Seeing this, Pan Ying perked up—so many Gourd Brothers!

The female lead, Gong Yu, made her official entrance; the story returned to two years earlier.

At this time, Gong Yu portrayed a young mother: her hair tied up, her face delicate and refined, perfectly suited for close-ups, delighting the audience.

The story began in the second year after the restoration of the college entrance exam; her husband, Hu Wanqian, had failed the exam for a year and was taking it again—only by passing could he return to his beloved Shanghai.

Male lead Ma Xiaowei appeared for the second time; he looked refined and gentle, but viewers had already figured it out—he would later remarry, and the woman who reported the boy missing was his stepmother.

With over a month left until the exam, Hu Wanqian returned from school holding a letter.

It was from his parents in Shanghai, urging him to return to prepare there, where educational resources were richer and he could find renowned tutors to increase his chances of passing—clearly, Hu Wanqian's parents had influence.

"But then it'll just be you and the boy at home," Hu Wanqian worried; at this point, he still appeared as a good husband.

His wife, Hehua, told him to go to Shanghai without worry—she could take good care of Little Gourd.

The plot unfolded, characters deepened: Hehua was a village girl with an unknown father and deceased mother, of poor class background; Hu Wanqian was a sent-down youth from Shanghai.

Though Hehua was despised in the village because her grandfather—a landlord—had been executed, she was stunningly beautiful, and Hu Wanqian, ignoring his parents' warnings, settled down in the countryside for her sake and fathered the lively, adorable Little Gourd.

Next came the scenes between mother Hehua and her son Little Gourd; Hehua was not as frail as she appeared—she could climb trees to pick fruit, dive into water to catch fish, weave grass into toys, and was skilled in carpentry; in Little Gourd's eyes, his mother could do anything.

This mother character was radically different from Gong Yu's previous roles and from classic cinematic portrayals of mothers.

She was younger, more beautiful, livelier, more vibrant—more like Little Gourd's friend and playmate; the children in the theater instantly loved this Hehua-mother, wishing they could swap their own mothers for her.

Seeing the audience's reaction, Lü Xiaoyan knew Xiao Xue's character had been brilliantly and endearingly crafted.

Though Hehua seemed uneducated, she was deeply sensible; she had sent her son to school early, and sometimes, passing by the classroom door, she would pause to listen intently to the teacher's lessons, her eyes filled with longing for knowledge.

In the next scene, after Little Gourd fell asleep, Hehua lit a kerosene lamp to write a letter to her distant husband; though her handwriting was crooked, the content was sweet, and her smile made viewers feel as if they had returned to the days of first love.

While performing this scene, she thought only of Xiao Wei.

A month later, Hu Wanqian returned to take the exam; when he received his acceptance letter, as Hehua and Little Gourd both rejoiced for their husband and father, Hu Wanqian's face grew grim as he pulled out money to buy two pounds of meat for celebration—but Little Gourd didn't sense anything wrong, thinking it was just a celebration.

When Little Gourd happily ran home, swinging the meat tied to a grass rope, the house was suddenly in chaos; Hehua held a pair of scissors, her eyes vacant.

But when she heard Little Gourd's childish cry of "Mama," she panicked, threw the scissors aside, knelt down, and hugged him tightly, tears streaming down instantly.

Seeing his mother cry, Little Gourd cried too, comforting her with tears, wiping away her tears.

This scene struck many in the audience; some already had red-rimmed eyes, and this was only the tiniest beginning.

This moment left some space for interpretation, but adult viewers understood clearly: a sent-down youth who passed the college exam abandoned his rural wife and child—a trope emerging in recent sent-down youth literature.

Even those who didn't grasp it were shown a scene where Hu Wanqian, back in Shanghai, discussed marrying another woman of noble lineage with his parents.

From the home's furnishings, Hu Wanqian's family was clearly distinguished; yet the match they arranged for him was even more prestigious—though the girl hadn't attended university, her family background surpassed Hu's, greatly benefiting his future; only because Hu Wanqian had passed the Fudan entrance exam was the match possible.

Meanwhile, Hu Wanqian still worried about Hehua and Little Gourd; he stared blankly at the lavish dishes on the table, wondering what they were eating at home.

The scene shifted: a wooden table brought forth a dish of bright red braised pork.