Fortunately, a longer reaction ti doesn’t hinder his filmmaking; indeed, the movie turned out quite well.
At first, Lin Nianhe was sowhat doubtful, thinking that those breathtaking shots were a result of Sie Yufei’s fluke.
But as those stunning shots beca more frequent, her doubts vanished into thin air.
Sie Yufei has been in a bad mood these past couple of days, but when facing his first movie, he still perked up, anxiously glancing between the screen and Lin Nianhe.
He looked just like a student being graded by a teacher right after a test.
Because the film hadn’t been edited yet, there were many repetitive shots, and the storyline was fragnted, swinging from chopping trees one second to chit-chatting the next.
Though the shots were beautiful, they could easily scatter one’s focus.
Wen Qingqing and Wen Ruannuan watched for a bit before leaving, as they had to go back to the Cultural Troupe for rehearsal and couldn’t afford to waste ti with them.
After watching more than half of it, Lin Nianhe rubbed her eyes: "It’s quite good."
Sie Yufei waited.
Lin Nianhe glanced at the ti: "Let’s call it a day, my parents will be off work soon."
Sie Yufei continued to wait.
Lin Nianhe: "Aren’t you leaving?"
Sie Yufei said: "I’m waiting for your critique."
"I told you, it’s quite good."
"Anything else?"
"That... exceptionally good?"
Lin Nianhe, treating him as recently emotionally fragile, kindly gave a higher appraisal.
Sie Yufei: "...?"
"Xiao He, are you sure that’s all? You’re not going to nitpick and scold a few sentences? This way, I’m scared."
Sie Yufei sat still, giving Lin Nianhe a look she couldn’t comprehend.
Lin Nianhe: "..."
Eagerly seeking criticism, is that so sort of special preference?
Lin Nianhe, holding her temples, urged: "Really, there’s nothing else. Let’s go, I’m hungry."
Sie Yufei packed up the tapes and followed Lin Nianhe out of the screening room.
After riding their bicycles for a couple of miles, Sie Yufei finally figured it out—
Lin Nianhe had gone mad.
Just as this thought arose, he heard Lin Nianhe’s voice ahead:
"I won’t watch the rest; get the film edited as soon as possible. By the tenth day of the lunar new year at the latest, I want to see the finished piece."
This unreasonable demand made Sie Yufei breathe a sigh of relief.
The familiar formula, the familiar attitude of setting work—she was still that Lin Nianhe.
Sie Yufei’s movie wasn’t long; after editing, it would probably be half an hour, which would be considered a short film in the future, and wasn’t unusual for the ti—most art films were around twenty to thirty minutes in length.
Sie Yufei didn’t care about the length issue, nor did he mind clashing with the art films popular with children.
If push cos to shove, he’d just screen it in the compound, going from door to door; or go back to Lan County and show it to every production team; or else, wait until Lin Nianhe went back to school and show it in every classroom at Peking University.
He was not worried about lacking an audience at all!
What he was worried about—
"Xiao He, are you really making sure I can never have a peaceful New Year?"
Lin Nianhe looked back at him: "Comrade, with all those fragnted shots, how could you be in the mood for New Year?"
"I..."
"You’re young; you have many New Years ahead to celebrate. But if you don’t get the final film ready soon, I’ll be starting school."
Sie Yufei thought about it; the start of Lin Nianhe’s school term was indeed not far off.
It wasn’t until he got ho that he realized, belatedly:
"Wait, what does your school starting have to do with editing the film?"
This remark was overheard by Mr. Sie, who, upon clarifying, explained the necessity of the matter to him using elaborate gestures.
Sie Yufei, although he hadn’t heard clearly everything his dad had said, knew that if he didn’t comply soon, the heart-wrenching Black Tiger heart extraction would happen again.
Sie Yufei had a tough year.
Every day, aside from learning film editing from the master at the movie factory, he was trying to catch a glimpse of Guan Manling through the hospital window.
The new nurse even complained to the head nurse for a while about "why there is a need to place a sculpture in the corridor."
It turned out that work helps to cure heartache—Sie Yufei was so tired each day that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, with no ti left to feel sorry for himself in the quiet of the night.
Compared to him, Lin Nianhe had it much easier.
Because she didn’t co ho for Chinese New Year last year and got great results in the college entrance exams this year, with the substantial Trade Fair deals from Lan County Textile Factory and Beijing Machinery Factory added, Comrade Xiao Lin was the darling everywhere she went.
The important matters that were delayed last year were now on the agenda.
"Old Lin, you set the date, and I’ll go all out to comply!"
"You an I’m the main force? That doesn’t seem right."
"What are you talking about? What I an is, you’re the commander-in-chief, and I’m the one who charges and takes the lead in the trenches!"
"That’s more like it..."
Aunt Lin rubbed her temples with a headache: "You two take a break, we’re discussing Yuncheng’s and Xiao He’s engagent, not commanding you two to go to war."
Mrs. Su also pursed her lips: "You two describe such a joyous occasion as if you’re about to storm the enemy headquarters."
Mr. Lin and Mr. Su both closed their mouths, relinquishing command and action rights.
"Yuping, I think we shouldn’t make a big fuss about it. It’s just an engagent, and they have to wait to get married after they graduate anyway. It’s just about setting a formal relationship, no need to be extravagant."
"But this seems a bit unfair to Nianhe," Mrs. Su gently shook her head, "I think it should be more grand."
"There’s no need, really," Aunt Lin grabbed Mrs. Su’s hand, "I’m not just being polite, given the relationship between our two families, there’s no need."
"Well, now is also not suitable... When it cos to the wedding, by that ti, Zirui you must listen to ."
"Alright, we’ll talk about it then."
Aunt Lin and Mrs. Su started drafting the guest list, also discussing the nu and the wine and sweets.
Old Lin and Old Su were left out, trying to interject but getting glare down by their wives before they could speak.
More idle than either of them were the two people directly involved.
Lin Nianhe chewed on orange gummy candies, listening with squinted eyes to Su Yuncheng reading the newspaper to her in a low voice.
Lin Huaizhou looked at the two of them, and suddenly spoke up: "Mom and Dad, is it really okay for Xiao He to get engaged before ? I seem to rember the older brother should get married before it’s the younger siblings’ turn, right?"
Lin Nianhe stopped eating candy.
Su Yuncheng stopped reading the paper.
The parents stopped discussing.
Everyone looked at Lin Huaizhou.
Lin Huaizhou said seriously: "Really, I rember there’s such a rule."
Aunt Lin gave him a chilly glance: "Wait for you? You’re dragging your feet not looking for a partner, should your sister have to wait with you?"
Mr. Lin, who also rarely found an excuse not to agree this ti, cleared his throat and said: "Indeed, our family doesn’t have such a rule, especially with you kids... Isn’t Yuguo also without a partner? And didn’t both his sisters get married?"
Lin Huaizhou thought his mother would object but didn’t expect his father, who always looked down on Su Yuncheng with him, to suddenly switch sides.
The unexpected betrayal caught Lin Huaizhou off guard.
Su Yuncheng gave him a glance and then lowered his eyes back to the newspaper, saying unhurriedly, "I hear the Cultural Troupe has a social gathering in a few days, why not go?"
Lin Huaizhou: "...!"
"Sie Yufei, why don’t you go to such a great event?"
This guy was truly rotten to the core!
Of course, he knew about the social gathering at the Cultural Troupe!
But he had no intention of going!
Su Yuncheng: "I’m seeing soone."
Lin Huaizhou: "..."
"I’m getting engaged."
"..."
Reviews
All reviews (0)