Times of Our Lives - Chapter 49
This time, Xiong Baobao came to Suzhou to shoot a low-budget art film. When he handed the script to Ji Qinyang, he seemed very proud: “This is my masterpiece after ten years of work.”
Ji Qinyang wore a skeptical expression. He flipped through a few pages and then rolled up the script to tap it against his palm.
“Come to my place for a drink tonight?” Ji Qinyang stood up. “We’ll discuss the music style after I finish reading.”
Xiong Baobao made an OK gesture and added, “The male lead is Zheng Ming.”
Ji Qinyang spent the entire afternoon reading the script. Xie Meng didn’t disturb him and instead sat in the courtyard peeling broad beans. When he looked up, almost finished, he found Ji Qinyang leaning against the door watching him.
“?” Xie Meng smiled, “Finished?”
Ji Qinyang replied with a simple “Mm,” and squatted down to take the half-peeled beans from Xie Meng. “It’s a good story.”
Xie Meng cleaned up the bean shells, washed his hands, and asked Ji Qinyang upon returning, “What’s it about?”
“About two boys,” Ji Qinyang rolled up Xie Meng’s sleeves. “They’ve been together since school days, then moved to the big city to struggle and support each other, finally returning home successful.”
Xie Meng had a “…” expression.
Ji Qinyang laughed and kissed his temple. “It’s a great story, isn’t it?”
That evening, Xiong Baobao did bring the alcohol, all of it white spirits. Zheng Ming accompanied him, the actor fearlessly unmasked, seemingly unconcerned about paparazzi.
“Is it safe for you two?” Ji Qinyang pretended to look outside. “Don’t bring trouble to my place.”
Xiong Baobao opened the liquor and motioned Zheng Ming to sit, saying to Xie Meng, “He’s allergic to alcohol, so regular tea is fine.”
Xie Meng responded, “I just bought a case of milk yesterday; he can have that.”
So, two drank alcohol while two drank milk, chatting and eating peanuts in the courtyard.
“Have you read the script?” Xiong Baobao asked Ji Qinyang.
Ji Qinyang popped a peanut in his mouth. “I have. Speaking of which, shouldn’t you pay us copyright fees? This is clearly based on real people.”
Xiong Baobao said, “Oh come on, don’t be so petty. That’s why I’m asking you to handle the music. I’ll aim for the Oscars, you aim for the Grammys. See, I’ve got it all planned out.”
Ji Qinyang gave him a sidelong glance.
Xiong Baobao coughed. “I’m serious. You’ll follow the entire shoot. Wherever we film, you get inspiration and write. How about that?”
Ji Qinyang held his wine glass, thinking for a while. He exchanged a glance with Xie Meng, who smiled and nodded.
“Alright then.” Ji Qinyang lazily smiled. “I just have one condition—meals must be included.”
Because it was a low-budget art film, after finishing the scenes set in Beijing, the main scenes were filmed in Suzhou. The youth scenes took more than half a year to film. Xiong Baobao specifically waited until summer to shoot in Suzhou, and early in the morning, the actor playing young Zheng Ming began makeup.
Due to his short stature, Xiong Baobao habitually squatted on a chair while watching the takes. He sat barefoot, looking serious. Zheng Ming sat next to him, watching him repeatedly make the actors redo the scene.
“Cut.” Xiong Baobao wasn’t a particularly strict director but was very persistent. The scene of the protagonists’ first meeting had been reshot more than twenty times. “Again.”
The actors obediently repeated the scene. Ji Qinyang was somewhat impressed. “You’re pretty tough.”
Xiong Baobao, still squatting, pointed at Zheng Ming. “His record is 50 takes, and I made him redo it over and over. The Best Actor is right here.”
Ji Qinyang raised an eyebrow. “So you’re using someone else’s authority?”
“Wrong!” Xiong Baobao said sternly. “This is called ‘killing the chicken to scare the monkey.‘”
As time passed, it became evident that Zheng Ming’s temperament was the opposite of his acting persona: honest, even somewhat dull, and very clingy.
Xiong Baobao was like his personal nanny. They were often seen applying face masks together in the middle of the night, wandering around the set.
Xie Meng worked during the day and visited the set at night to accompany Ji Qinyang, who had brought various musical instruments. Xiong Baobao supported this so much that he insisted on listening to a piece every night before sleeping, calling it “hypnotic.”
Initially, Ji Qinyang’s inspiration flowed well, and his compositions progressed smoothly. But when the story reached the part where the protagonists returned home successful in middle age, he hit a creative block. To accommodate him, Xiong Baobao deliberately slowed down the filming, but Ji Qinyang remained stuck for days.
Xie Meng didn’t say much; he simply took time off to stay with him.
Suzhou’s summer heat was unbearable. The entire crew filmed at Xiangcheng District’s Lotus Pond Wetland Park. The actors sweated profusely under the scorching sun. Ji Qinyang rented a small boat from the park management and rowed with Xie Meng to the center of the lake.
Rippling water, lotus leaves stretching endlessly towards the horizon, a sea of refreshing green.
Xie Meng lay on the deck, casually plucking a lotus leaf to shade his head. Ji Qinyang sat cross-legged across from him, playing with a bamboo flute.
He played intermittently, and when he looked up, he saw Xie Meng smiling at him through the gap in the lotus leaf.
“Why did you stop playing?” Xie Meng lifted the leaf a bit to block the sunlight.
Ji Qinyang said, “I just learned it, so I’m not very good. I’m embarrassed to play in front of you.”
Xie Meng laughed, “We’ve been together for so long, what’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“Has it been that long?” Ji Qinyang pretended to think hard. “Why does it feel like I just met you?”
Xie Meng made a face, muttering, “What were you like when we first met?”
“Just like now.” Ji Qinyang gazed into his eyes. “I remember the first time I saw you, I said, ‘My name is Ji Qinyang.'”
Xie Meng looked at him without speaking.
Ji Qinyang continued, “You said your name was Xie Meng.” He paused and repeated the name, “Xie Meng.”
Xie Meng placed the lotus leaf over his face, then leaned in and kissed Ji Qinyang through the leaf.
The melodious flute sounds filled the air all afternoon among the lotus leaves. In the distance, Xiong Baobao finally smiled as the session was wrapping up. Zheng Ming cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting from the wooden bridge, “Wrap up! Time to come back!”
After a while, Xie Meng replied, “Got it!”
From mid-summer to the end of autumn, Xiong Baobao’s art film finally concluded. He added a few more shots at the end and got so drunk at Ji Qinyang’s house before leaving.
Ji Qinyang, also drunk, sat with Xie Meng in his arms, listening to Xiong Baobao’s grand ambitions.
Director Bear seemed to feel inadequate in height and presence, so he stood on the table. Zheng Ming nervously stretched out his arms to protect him, afraid he might fall.
“Let me tell you!” Xiong Baobao waved his arms. “This film! Oscars! Grammys! Definitely! Your music! Amazing!”
Ji Qinyang, resting his chin on Xie Meng’s shoulder, mumbled, “You’re not a big director yet…who knows. It doesn’t matter…as long as it’s fun.”
Xiong Baobao seemed to find some sense in that, giggling, “Yes! Fun!”
Xie Meng, held too tightly to move, signaled Zheng Ming to help Xiong Baobao down.
The Best Actor coaxed gently, “Baby, come down and talk. Come on, be careful, let me hold you.”
Xie Meng, helpless, asked, “Are you coaxing a child?”
Zheng Ming honestly replied, “He usually coaxes me like this too.”
Xie Meng: “…”
When Xiong Baobao was finally lifted down by Zheng Ming, he continued to pester Ji Qinyang, “You have to come to the Grammys in February and the Oscars in March next year… What else?” He turned to ask Zheng Ming but didn’t get the answer he wanted, “Doesn’t matter, just come to all of them!”
“I’m not going.” Ji Qinyang waved impatiently. “I’m going to Huangshan with Xie Meng in February, who cares about awards.”
Xiong Baobao: “…”
Among the wave of New Year’s films, Xiong Baobao’s art film was finally released. Such films generally don’t attract much attention, but with Best Actor Zheng Ming on board, the box office still exploded. Similarly explosive was the virtually zero negative reviews online.
Major film critics wrote lengthy praises for this low-budget art film, calling it a magnificent yet refreshing end-of-year symphony.
Xiong Baobao and Zheng Ming remained quiet on Weibo, revealing no sign of entering any awards. Some industry insiders praised the perfect soundtrack, and paparazzi exposed photos of Zheng Ming and Xiong Baobao visiting a mysterious person’s home late at night.
However, Ji Qinyang and Xie Meng were completely unaware of this.
On New Year’s Eve, they visited Mo Suyuan and Ji Shanrong. The fireworks kept them awake all night, and early in the morning, they had to rush to Qi Fei’s house. Han Dong and Zhang Ganggang had already arrived, and Zhuo Xiaoyuan, who worked the New Year’s Eve shift, was catching up on sleep there.
Gu Meiyan was busy packing, while Zhang Ganggang held a camera. “Qi Mom, smile!”
Qi Fei, brushing his teeth, with toothpaste foam in his mouth, yelled, “Smile my ass! Go wake Tie Nan, he can sleep more on the train!”
Zhuo Xiaoyuan, looking pale, climbed out of bed, grumbling as he dressed, “Going out instead of staying home for New Year… You city folks really know how to have fun, trendy travel for the holidays.”
“We planned to go to Japan,” Han Dong said, eating Gu Meiyan’s pancakes, “but Qi Mom’s passport expired, so we had to change plans last minute.”
Gu Meiyan sighed, “My makeup is useless now… Whatever, Huangshan has hot springs too. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
Qi Fei wiped his mouth and came out, excitedly saying to Ji Qinyang and Xie Meng, “Boss! Do you know you’re famous now?! Who would’ve thought that, uh, whatever his name is, Xiong Baobao? Turns out he’s pretty good at making movies!”
Xie Meng laughed, “We’ve been so busy we haven’t had time to check the news. It might just be hype. It’s not that easy to get famous.”
Ji Qinyang was noncommittal. “We’re going on vacation, no work talk. Are you guys ready yet? The car’s been waiting downstairs for ages.”
The seven of them decided to visit Huangshan on their own without a tour group. Among them, only Zhuo Xiaoyuan was single. Iron Man joked, “I’ve evolved from Pikachu to Raichu.”
Zhang Ganggang aimed his camera at him, “Our Iron Man is so handsome, going to Huangshan for a romantic encounter. You’ll have no trouble attracting anyone, be it man or woman!”
Zhuo Xiaoyuan gave a sideways glance, annoyed, and clicked his tongue.
The driver, a young man, shared plenty of tips for mountain climbing, such as bringing walking sticks and raincoats. Gu Meiyan diligently noted everything down in a notebook.
The drive was only about five hours. Once they arrived, they all agreed to catch up on sleep first and explore the next day with full energy. Zhang Ganggang, unable to sit still, dragged Han Dong out to take photos.
Xie Meng lay on the hotel bed while Ji Qinyang hugged him through the blanket.
“Did Xiong Baobao call you?” Xie Meng asked, poking his head out of the covers.
Ji Qinyang replied, “Yes, just to wish us a Happy New Year. He didn’t mention anything about awards, probably didn’t win.”
Xie Meng was silent for a moment. He touched Ji Qinyang’s face, “It’s okay, there will be other chances. We’ll take it slow.”
“You think I care?” Ji Qinyang raised his eyebrows with a smile. He lowered his head and kissed Xie Meng on the lips, “Even if we win nothing, I still have you.”
The next day, they all climbed Tian Du Peak. In mid-February, it was freezing cold. From the base, they could see snow halfway up the mountain. Everyone quickly put on their windbreakers, and Gu Meiyan wore Qi Fei’s large woolen hat, leaving only her eyes visible.
“If I had known, I would’ve brought a backpack!” Qi Fei shouted as he climbed, “It’d be warmer with a load!”
Han Dong turned back to pull Zhang Ganggang, “Give it a rest! We haven’t even climbed far yet. If you had a backpack, you’d be dead tired by the time we reach the Carp’s Back!”
Ji Qinyang led the group, with Xie Meng following close behind. When they reached the summit, they lined up, each holding onto the next person to cross the Carp’s Back. Zhuo Xiaoyuan grabbed Xie Meng’s waist rope and felt a vibration. He frowned and called out, “Is that your phone ringing?”
Xie Meng didn’t look back, “Seems like it is. I’ll answer it when we reach the top.”
“But it’s been ringing non-stop!” Zhuo Xiaoyuan insisted.
Ji Qinyang reached the summit first and helped pull Xie Meng up. His phone was still ringing as Xie Meng hurriedly took off his gloves to answer it.
“Why did it take you so long to answer?” Xiong Baobao’s voice was energetic, and unusually quiet on his end, echoing slightly.
Xie Meng laughed nonchalantly, “We’re climbing Tian Du Peak in Huangshan. Why are you calling?”
Zhang Ganggang gestured with his DSLR for them to pose, “Who’s calling? It’s photo time!”
Xiong Baobao laughed, “I’m on the Grammy stage, who told you guys not to come.”
Xie Meng: “…” He glanced at his phone and joked, “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Xiong Baobao sounded even happier, “I’m on speaker, so don’t say anything wrong.”
Thinking Xiong Baobao was just joking, Xie Meng played along, “Alright, what award did you win?”
“Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media,” Xiong Baobao replied. “And by the way, it wasn’t me who won, it was Ji Qinyang.”
Xie Meng laughed generously, “Alright, you keep it for us. We’ll come get it later.”
Xiong Baobao readily agreed, “Alright, don’t forget to tell Ji Qinyang and make sure to repost it on Weibo later.”
Xie Meng hadn’t fully processed what he needed to repost on Weibo when Xiong Baobao hung up. He stared blankly at his phone until Ji Qinyang walked over.
“Who was that?” Ji Qinyang asked as he helped Xie Meng put his gloves back on. “What was so urgent?”
Xie Meng opened his mouth but took a while to speak. “Xiong Baobao… he said you won a Grammy and that we should check Weibo later?”
Ji Qinyang was skeptical, “Now? Just now?”
Xie Meng nodded. The two of them stared at each other in silence.
In the distance, Gu Meiyan’s excited scream could be heard. The beautiful lady was waving her arms, jumping and laughing, “Yi Mei Dada! Check Weibo! You’re trending!”
Ji Qinyang hadn’t brought his phone and had left it in the hotel, so he had to use Xie Meng’s to log into Weibo. Before they had set off, he had posted a photo of the mountain range from the hotel entrance with the caption: “New Year vacation, Huangshan.”
The post had already been shared and commented on tens of thousands of times, with comments like: “Yi Mei Dada, you’re amazing. Winning a Grammy but skipping the ceremony to climb a mountain…”
“Yi Mei Dada, you’re my hero, the most unrestrained music producer in the world!”
“Yi Mei Dada, are you dissing the Grammy? No worries, there’s still the Oscars!”
“Yi Mei Dada! Beat the Grammy! Conquer the Oscars!”
Weibo’s top three trending topics were “Ji Qinyang,” “Most Unrestrained Grammy Winner,” and “Beat the Grammy! Conquer the Oscars!”
Xiong Baobao had reposted a video of the award ceremony call to Xie Meng, and Zheng Ming had immediately reposted it, playfully tagging all three trending topics.
Ji Qinyang stared at his overwhelmingly popular homepage with a look of disbelief.
Xie Meng facepalmed, “We’ve really stirred things up this time.”
Ji Qinyang exhaled and put the phone away. The first thing he did was pick up Xie Meng and spin him around three times.
Xie Meng laughed helplessly, “What are you doing?”
Ji Qinyang held him tightly, “Not going was the right choice.”
Xie Meng: “…”
Ji Qinyang continued, “In times like these, standing on a stage means nothing. Sharing it with you is what I want the most.”
Xie Meng was speechless. Finally, he cupped Ji Qinyang’s face and kissed his forehead forcefully.
The Grammy topic trended for three days, causing a significant stir in the music industry. Someone dug up Ji Qinyang’s early experiences in Beijing, declaring him a hidden gem in the domestic music scene. But it didn’t end there.
On the fifth day, a band’s Weibo account with tens of thousands of followers revealed that Ji Qinyang had written songs for them back in the day. They exposed the truth about Qian Mo going solo and Sen Mao covering up the original songwriter’s identity.
A small account listed all of Ji Qinyang’s original handwritten sheet music, sadly commenting, “OM Band with Ji Qinyang was at its peak, classic and unbeatable, but someone ruined it, covering up true talent. It’s the biggest heartbreak in the music industry!”
Qian Mo, who hadn’t fared well after leaving OM, was bombarded with online criticism. People compared his recent works with OM’s early songs, finding numerous instances of plagiarism.
Sen Mao eventually succumbed to the pressure, shelving Qian Mo and issuing a public apology, offering substantial compensation for Ji Qinyang’s past losses.
Xiong Baobao retaliated on Weibo, “Compensation? The guy won a Grammy and might get an Oscar soon. Can you afford his current worth? Even if you gave him the company, he wouldn’t want it [add a cat face].”
Zheng Ming reposted Xiong Baobao’s Weibo, adding four words: [add a cat face].
When Xie Meng saw this, he burst out laughing, “They really know how to have fun.”
Ji Qinyang was indifferent. He and Xie Meng had already returned to Suzhou, and his Weibo followers had surpassed five million in just a few days.
Ji Qinyang reposted Sen Mao’s apology with a single sentence: “Walking on the ground, dust will always stick to your shoes. I bend down, dust off my pants, and continue striding forward in the sunlight.”
Xie Meng read Ji Qinyang’s words twice and smiled at him, “Is that it? Aren’t you letting them off too easily?”
“They’re insignificant people,” Ji Qinyang replied, carrying his guitar and moving a chair into the yard, pushing Xie Meng out.
“What are you doing?” Xie Meng asked with a smile, sitting down and watching Ji Qinyang stand before him.
The yard was bathed in pleasant sunlight, and Ji Qinyang smiled.
Xie Meng suddenly noticed that over the years, soft and tender lines had formed at the corners of Ji Qinyang’s eyes.
He couldn’t help but reach out and touch them.
Ji Qinyang closed his eyes and softly said, “In a few years, I’ll be forty.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Xie Meng said, looking at him. “I’ll be with you.”
Ji Qinyang’s eyes reddened slightly. He lowered his head to hide it, cleared his throat, and said seriously, “Now it’s Mr. Xie’s exclusive celebration concert. I will always love you, Mr. Xie.”
Familiar and moving melodies flowed from Ji Qinyang’s fingertips. After a while, Xie Meng understood and joined him in singing.
“The fleeting years never stop, time slows and meanders, gradually, gradually, time no longer lingers.”
“Your smile, like sand and snow, gathers in my heart, gradually, gradually, covered by the passing years.”
————————————————————————–
The End
The phrase “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” is a Chinese idiom (杀鸡儆猴, shā jī jǐng hóu) that means to make an example out of someone to serve as a warning to others. It involves punishing or disciplining a minor offender in a very public way to deter others from committing similar offenses. The idea is that by showing the consequences faced by one individual, others will be intimidated and will avoid similar behavior.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
cherry 🍒
I’m tearing up this is probably the most beautiful story in terms of characters and their mindset I’ve read in a long long time they’re truly written to show how enchanting the human experience can be.
thank you for translating I’ll be grateful forever