Chapter 2

"WHAT?"

Zhu Qing thought he had heard wrong.

"Do you want to make a movie?" the man repeated.

Zhu Qing asked suspiciously, "Who are you?"

"I'm from the Film Academy, and I'll graduate in a few months. I want to make a movie as a keepsake. Oh, my name is Jia Zhangke." He then pulled over the man with glasses, "This is Wang Hongwei, my classmate."

"How much?" Zhu Qing asked.

"WHAT?" This time, Jia Zhangke was stunned.

"How much will you pay? It's not for free, right?" Zhu Qing said.

"Oh, of course not." Jia Zhangke quickly replied, he had never met someone so straightforward and felt a bit depressed, "Don't you want to know what kind of movie it is and what role you'll play?"

Zhu Qing said, "As long as it's not a pornographic film, I can do it. How much will you pay?"

Jia Zhangke and Wang Hongwei exchanged a glance, and the latter spoke up, "This is a low-budget film, but the script is great, and you'll be the lead actor..."

"Stop, just tell me how much!" Zhu Qing interrupted.

The two men smiled bitterly, and Jia Zhangke pondered for a moment, "One thousand."

Zhu Qing asked, "How long will it take, and where will it be filmed?"

Jia Zhangke replied, "About two months, or a bit over a month if everything goes smoothly. The entire film will be shot in Fenyang."

"Where is Fenyang?" Zhu Qing was confused.

"In Shanxi."

"Will food and accommodation be provided?" This was what he was most concerned about.

The two men were speechless, and Wang Hongwei said, "Yes, but the conditions might not be very good."

"Oh, that's fine." Zhu Qing thought, one thousand yuan, two months, with food and accommodation provided, this job was worth it!

However, he still tried to negotiate, "Two thousand, okay?"

Jia Zhangke thought for a moment. The film's budget was only 200,000 yuan, but paying the lead actor 2,000 yuan was acceptable. He countered, "One thousand five hundred."

"Two thousand!" Zhu Qing insisted.

"Deal!" Jia Zhangke agreed readily.

"Introduce yourself, then." Jia Zhangke felt a bit sad, thinking he had to haggle like a street vendor for his own movie.

"Oh, I'm Zhu Qing, 21 years old, from Northeast China, but I won't say where exactly, you probably haven't heard of it. I've been here for four years, picking up scrap."

When he said he picked up scrap, he sounded very natural, with no hint of embarrassment.

Jia Zhangke was somewhat surprised. Looking at his messy hair and stubble, he thought Zhu Qing must be around 27 or 28, but he was actually so young.

The three of them shook hands, and they were acquainted.

Zhu Qing asked, "What do we do next? Don't directors usually have auditions? Do I need to act out a scene? Just so you know, I can't act."

Jia Zhangke was speechless, thinking he should have remembered the audition after negotiating the price!

He ignored these details that gave him a headache and said, "No need, we're using non-professional actors. We still need a few days to prepare. Leave your contact information, and we'll notify you."

"Okay, I don't have a pager, just come here to find me." Zhu Qing gave the address of his rental house, and Wang Hongwei wrote it down.

"Alright, I'll be off." Zhu Qing didn't mention the money, thinking it was normal to get paid after the job was done.

"Ah, okay, see you then."

Jia Zhangke was speechless, he had wanted to take the three of them to a small restaurant to build rapport, but this guy was so straightforward.

"Bye."

Zhu Qing waved, completely calm, as if he had just fixed a pair of shoes, not just taken on a movie role.

This calmness left a lasting impression on Jia Zhangke. Many years later, he still often mentioned how Zhu Qing looked so ready for a beating at that moment.

This also made him realize that not everyone saw the greatness of movies, not everyone was willing to sacrifice everything for it like he did.

Some people saw it as a part of life, others just as a job.

...

Night.

In a dilapidated courtyard, a few shabby houses were haphazardly arranged.

When Zhu Qing returned, he casually picked some large pieces of coal from the pile under the landlord's window and put them in his small stove.

Soon, the fire was burning brightly, and the room warmed up.

Zhu Qing took out a lunch box, which contained leftover noodles from the morning, now solidified. He added some water and heated it on the stove.

The room was only ten square meters, with a bed and a table and chair, besides the iron stove.

He had few belongings, just a few old clothes on the bed. In the corner were several flattened cans and a few glass bottles.

These were valuable items that could be sold, ensuring he wouldn't have to worry about his monthly cigarette money.

Zhu Qing took off his leather jacket, revealing a gray sweater, which might have originally been brown or orange. The quality was good, but the thick wool had been worn thin.

"Ah!"

Zhu Qing lay on the bed, stretching his long legs, feeling a sense of relief.

The thing he liked most about this place was the large bed. At 1.83 meters tall, he was strong and needed a big bed.

A long wire hung from the ceiling, with a dim light bulb providing enough light for the entire room.

He felt today had been quite peculiar, not because someone wanted him to make a movie. He didn't think making a movie was a big deal; he saw it as a way to earn some extra money.

What made it peculiar was his choice.

In his previous life, he had never actively chosen to do anything. Everything seemed to happen naturally and end naturally.

Poor grades meant he couldn't go to college, so he took over his father's shoe repair shop. Good skills meant good business, and he bought a house and saved some money. In his twenties, he naturally got married, introduced by relatives, to a woman who was average in appearance but had a good personality. They didn't date, but they lived happily. Later, they had a daughter, and the family of three was very happy.

Everything was so smooth and natural, without any ups and downs.

But today, he felt that choosing to make a movie would lead him down a completely different path.

"Boil, boil!"

The lunch box started to bubble.

Zhu Qing came back to his senses, picked up the lunch box without fear of burning himself, and moved it to the table. He then brought out a bowl of salty and strong egg sauce, scooped a spoonful, and mixed it with the noodles, eating it quickly.

He wasn't picky about food; as long as it was filling, it was fine. Besides, he found the sauce delicious.

Zhu Qing could cook, and he was quite good at it, but this sauce wasn't made by him; it was a gift.

"Clang!"

The courtyard gate made a noise, followed by the sound of a bicycle being pushed. Zhu Qing looked at the old clock on the wall; it was 8:30.

It must be the girl coming back.

He had a neighbor named Huang Ying, who was a year younger than him and lived alone in the city. She worked at a textile factory, which was far away, so she cycled to and from work every day.

Two years ago, when she moved into the courtyard, she had a lot of luggage and struggled to move it. Zhu Qing, feeling sorry for her, helped her. They became friends, and Huang Ying, being kind-hearted, often made food for him and helped him with his clothes.

After his rebirth, he continued to visit her, treating her like a younger sister.

After finishing his meal, he boiled some water and washed the lunch box.

In any era, the entertainment life of the poor was always limited. Zhu Qing, having eaten his fill, was about to go to bed.

At this moment, he heard someone knocking on the door.

Zhu Qing knew from the shadow outside that it was Huang Ying. He opened the door, and sure enough, the girl was standing there.

"Brother Zhu Qing."

"What's wrong?"

Huang Ying looked flustered, "Brother Zhang came to my place earlier. He didn't say anything, just sat down and wouldn't leave. I couldn't kick him out. What should I do?"

Brother Zhang, whose real name was Zhang Biao, was the landlord and lived in the best room in the courtyard. He was in his thirties, married, and usually very timid, but he acted tough in front of others.

It turned out this guy was not only a show-off but also a pervert.

Late at night, a man entering a girl's room and refusing to leave could only mean one thing.

"I'll go check it out." Zhu Qing said.

"Brother, please be gentle!" Huang Ying followed, worried, not about him getting beaten, but about him beating up the landlord.

The girl was pretty and often came home late, inevitably attracting some perverts. Zhu Qing, having caught them, had quickly dealt with them, leaving a strong impression of his fighting skills on Huang Ying.

"It's fine."

Zhu Qing reassured her, lifted the cotton curtain, and entered the room.

Huang Ying's room was slightly larger than his, with a small outer room and a bedroom inside.

The light was on, and a fat man was sitting on the girl's bed, picking his teeth.

"Hey! Brother Zhang is here too! Have you eaten?"

Zhu Qing smelled alcohol as soon as he entered. Zhang Biao, with a red face, saw him and greeted him, "Little Zhu, what brings you here so late?"

"Nothing much, just feeling full and restless, came to see if anyone else is more restless."

Zhu Qing didn't sit down, standing and saying, "Is your wife not at home?"

Zhang Biao, hearing his tone, frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I just thought if your wife was at home, you wouldn't have the guts to come here." Zhu Qing smiled.

Zhu Qing didn't want to waste time with this guy, "It's late, Brother Zhang, go back to sleep."

"Hey! This courtyard is mine, I can go wherever I want. You, what are you doing..."

Zhu Qing walked over and grabbed his collar, pulling him off the bed.

"What are you doing! Let go! Let go!"

Zhang Biao flailed his arms, trying to break free.

Zhu Qing's thin arms were like iron clamps, holding him tight.

"Let go! I'm telling you, I won't rent you the house anymore! Get out of here! Let go, or I'll make you pay!"

Zhang Biao, like a pig being led to slaughter, kept screaming but couldn't break free.

Zhu Qing dragged him to the courtyard and threw him a meter away. He followed up with a kick to his tailbone.

Zhang Biao let out a pig-like scream, feeling half his body go numb. The alcohol wore off, and he looked at Zhu Qing with fear.

The other two tenants, hearing the noise, peeked out but quickly retreated, glad to see the landlord being beaten.

"Can you walk on your own, or do you need me to help you back to your room?" Zhu Qing asked.

The pain had subsided, but Zhang Biao was still trembling, "No, no, I can walk on my own!"

He scrambled to his feet and stumbled back to his room, slamming the door shut.

Zhu Qing shook his head and told the stunned Huang Ying, "It's fine, go back to sleep and lock your door."

He turned to leave, but Huang Ying called out, "Brother Zhu Qing!"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Zhu Qing asked.

"Can you stay with me for a while? I'm scared." Huang Ying's voice was low, avoiding his gaze.

Zhu Qing, thinking he couldn't sleep anyway, agreed, "Sure, let me get some water first."

He went back to his room, brought out his large teacup, and the two of them entered Huang Ying's room.