“Brother Sheng, Director Little Han came all this way to see you. Does he need something again?”
Liu Xiaoli’s question echoed what the whole family was curious about.
Chen Fusheng didn’t keep them in suspense. He explained the purpose of Han Sanping’s visit straightforwardly.
“What? Director Little Han is that impressive? He actually managed to send Cowherd to an international film festival?!”
“Yes, he really is impressive!” Chen Fusheng had to admit as much, even though he’d just been poking fun at the man in his head, calling him a child of fate.
Besides, wasn’t luck part of one’s ability?
No wonder Old Han would later become the head of China Film Group, the Mountain Vulture of the entertainment industry.
“Fusheng, him sending the film abroad… he isn’t going to take you along too, is he?”
“Yes, Mom. I’m the screenwriter of the film and also the lead actor. Since it’s being submitted to an international festival, of course I need to go along. So Old Han came from Beijing this time, partly to congratulate me on becoming a father and partly to tell me to gather in Beijing before the 25th of this month, then fly with the crew to Italy.”
“That’s cutting it awfully close. Is the news reliable?” Old Chen asked, sounding a bit worried.
“It is a bit rushed. We actually missed the registration deadline for the Venice Film Festival. Old Han said that the deputy director of the Film Bureau, someone he knows, got a leader at the news agency to help, and that’s how we were granted an exception to compete.”
Han Sanping hadn’t mentioned who that news agency leader was when relaying the message to Chen Fusheng. He probably wasn’t clear on it himself, which meant Chen Fusheng knew even less.
But when he told his parents and parents-in-law, all four of their faces changed at once.
This time, even his father-in-law couldn’t help but interject: “Fusheng, did you say a news agency leader helped?”
“Yes, that’s what Han Sanping told me. Is there something wrong, Dad?”
“Do you know who leads the news agency?”
Chen Fusheng shook his head, but judging from the reactions of the four elders, he could tell it must be someone important.
“It’s Elder Liao.”
Old Chen, seeing that his son didn’t know, filled him in: “The news agency Elder Liao oversees mainly handles foreign affairs. Since he helped contact that Venice Film Festival in Italy, it all makes sense.”
So it’s this veteran revolutionary comrade!
Chen Fusheng hadn’t made a point of learning who led the news agency during this era, but once Old Chen mentioned Elder Liao, he recalled a thing or two.
A true big shot!
And with a backer like that, the family felt much more at ease about his upcoming trip abroad.
Only his wife was a little put out.
“You’re leaving before the 25th? Then you’ll miss our daughter’s one-month celebration!”
Later, Chen Fusheng went back to the bedroom to lie down for a bit. He’d had quite a few beers with Han Sanping that afternoon and, while he wouldn’t call himself drunk, he definitely had a buzz. But he’d barely laid down when his wife followed him in.
“Nothing we can do. How about we hold the celebration early? It’s just a one-month party anyway, just our family celebrating together to mark the occasion,” Chen Fusheng said after some thought.
“What else can we do? I guess that’s the only way.”
Liu Xiaoli shot her husband a look, then gathered up the clothes he’d taken off and carried them out to wash.
A little later, when Liu Xiaoli came back with some dry clothes, she found her husband sprawled out on the bed, already snoring.
She folded the clothes and put them away, leaving a clean set on the nightstand. When she was done, instead of leaving, she leaned down and planted a kiss on Chen Fusheng’s cheek.
She used to think her husband didn’t know how to manage a household, always spending money like water.
But ever since she got pregnant, he’d changed. He’d become more and more like the pillar of the family.
In the living room, the mother-in-law saw that dinner was almost ready and her eldest daughter still hadn’t come out of the bedroom, so she sent her younger daughter to check.
Liu Xiaowei knocked but got no answer. When she opened the door, she discovered her older sister had fallen asleep in her brother-in-law’s arms.
For this trip to Beijing, Chen Fusheng had used connections to buy a plane ticket in advance.
The day before departure, he and his family held their daughter’s one-month celebration early. Among relatives, only his older sister’s family was invited. By this time, the father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law had all gone back home, leaving only the mother-in-law still staying with them.
Jiangcheng was overcast that day, neither sunny nor rainy. Liu Xiaoli, who hadn’t been out in ages, figured since they’d already held their daughter’s celebration early, she might as well end her postpartum confinement early too.
It happened to be the day of Chen Fusheng’s flight, so she brought the baby to the airport to see him off, taking the chance to get some fresh air.
“Qianqian, say goodbye to Daddy…”
Chen Fusheng had just handed their daughter to his wife when, right before leaving, he saw the little one flash him a tiny smile. His old-man heart melted all over again.
So he took her back from her mother’s arms and gave her a couple of kisses.
“Alright, sweetheart, Daddy really has to go work this time. When I come back, I’ll buy you presents, okay? But you have to be good at home.”
The little one thought her daddy was playing with her. Full of energy, she kept grinning at Chen Fusheng.
Seeing this, Chen Fusheng genuinely couldn’t bear to leave. But his flight time was approaching, so he could only steel himself and hand their daughter back to his wife.
“Thanks for everything, honey.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Liu Xiaoli took their daughter and offered her husband a wish: “Brother Sheng, have a safe trip. It would be wonderful if you could bring a trophy back from abroad.”
“Sure. I’ll do my best.”
Chen Fusheng waved to his family one more time, then boarded the plane, looking back every few steps.
Yes, airport security was still fairly lax back then. Family members could come right onto the tarmac to see people off.
Though there were still barrier lines drawn on the tarmac.
“Fusheng, over here!”
As soon as Chen Fusheng landed in Beijing, he spotted Han Sanping standing outside the arrivals gate, waving at him. Next to Han Sanping stood a familiar face.
Chen Fusheng didn’t have many acquaintances in Beijing, just one, and they’d met through acting.
That’s right. It was Siqin Gaowa.
As the female lead of Cowherd, Siqin Gaowa’s screen time couldn’t compare with Chen Fusheng’s role as the male lead, but she too had earned the right to travel with the crew to the Venice International Film Festival.
Chen Fusheng walked over with his luggage, greeted Han Sanping first, then turned to Siqin Gaowa and said:
“Comrade Siqin Gaowa, it’s been a while.”
“It has been about two months. I heard from Director Han that your wife gave birth to a daughter at the beginning of the month. Congratulations on becoming a father.”
“Thank you.”
Meanwhile, the news that Cowherd would be the first Chinese film to “campaign in Europe” since the reform and opening up, while not actively publicized, had already spread through the industry.
On the set of Du Shiniang, the actress playing the title role, Pan Hong, had been in a fine mood. But when she overheard the crew discussing how Cowherd was being sent to the Venice Film Festival, her mood soured instantly.
“How did Cowherd end up being sent to an international film festival?”
If I hadn’t turned it down back then, would…
