On Monday, December 15, 2003, the weather in Jingcheng was so cold it could freeze a person into a popsicle.
The windowpanes were covered with frost flowers resembling ice cracks, and the old cast-iron radiators hummed hollowly, yet they couldn't dispel the bone-chilling cold in the room.
"Chen Ge, Songri, get up! It's time for class. Today, Lao Mu is going to talk about the lighting and cinematography of 'Braveheart's' Scottish outdoor scenes. If we're late, we'll have to clean lenses for three weeks!"
Xiang Zhuo stood in the center of the dorm, seeing two lumps of cotton quilts still snoring loudly on the beds. He unceremoniously patted the quilts, shaking Wu Chen and Pu Songri awake.
"It's fine, we're going to the Performance Department to be coolies. Their rehearsal won't start until after 9 o'clock at the earliest!" Wu Chen yawned, then turned over and continued to sleep.
"Damn it, you two are too sneaky! Why didn't you bring Tian Shu and me along for such a benefit!"
"Yeah, Chen Ge, we want to go too!"
The two grumbled as they packed their things, preparing to rush to class.
"I wish I could, but only two people were needed. Lao Mu personally picked them, so there's nothing I can do!" Wu Chen explained in a muffled voice, his words sounding as if they were coming from under three layers of cotton padding.
"Got it. Remember to set your alarm, don't oversleep later."
The creaking sound of rusted door hinges cut through the morning mist. Before Chu Tianshu closed the door, he didn't forget to remind him. Wu Chen vaguely heard the sound of the door closing.
Then the dorm fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Pu Songri's voice broke the tranquility of the space.
"Chen Ge, did we get the time wrong? I think being a coolie starts on Tuesday!" Pu Songri said, unsure.
The next second, Wu Chen sprang up from the bed.
"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier!"
"Uh, I got confused for a moment too." Pu Songri scratched the back of his head, his chubby face instantly clear, his eyes full of panic.
He couldn't compare to Wu Chen. If he really missed class, Mu Deyuan would surely scold him mercilessly.
And so, to Wu Chen's shock, the little fatty Pu Songri displayed a agility he had never shown before.
One minute for washing up was more than enough.
"Damn it, are you even clean after washing like that? Is that brushing your teeth or drinking paint?" Wu Chen said, a chunk of foam from his mouth dropping onto the sink.
"It's better than drinking Lao Mu's spit! Why are you still fussing over so much at a time like this, Chen Ge, hurry up! You'll be fine, but I'll be skinned alive."
Pu Songri urged while pulling on his down jacket, his ample body making the zipper tremble.
Seeing this, Wu Chen also had to speed up. After spitting out a mouthful of water, he quickly wet a towel, wiped his face lightly, and was clean and neat.
His face, however, was frozen red.
The two rushed out of the dorm. The moment they stepped out, their hands instinctively pulled their clothes tighter, their hands crossed, and they ran quickly towards the teaching building.
"Damn it, why am I suffering with you? At most, I'll just skip Lao Mu's class." Wu Chen was also grumbling at this point.
"Chen Ge, are we brothers or not?"
"Alright, alright, hurry up." Wu Chen was retorted by Pu Songri's single sentence.
...
In front of the teaching building, three guys from the Director department leisurely strolled, blocking Wu Chen and Pu Songri's path.
Fortunately, there was still enough time, so the two could only dawdle behind them, eavesdropping on the three pretentious guys' whispers.
"I heard that Zhang Yimou's 'house of flying daggers' crew was ambushed by the media. Have you heard about this?"
"I heard about it early, but I'm still more focused on Feng Xiaogang's 'cell phone.' The premiere is tomorrow in Jingcheng, but the all-star New Year's greeting event was moved to places like Magic City, Pengcheng, and Shancheng. His New Year's films have always focused on our audience here. This time, it seems he wants to make it big, but I wonder if people in the south will pay attention to him!"
"Don't you guys just stare at these domestic trifles all day long. Do you know Peter Jackson? His 'Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King' has been released globally. We are future great Directors, so we should pay attention to major events in the international film industry!"
"Don't you feel uncomfortable if you don't act pretentious for a day!"
"......"
Wu Chen and Pu Songri followed behind, holding back their laughter until their stomachs hurt, almost unable to keep a straight face.
The Director department was still dawdling at the corridor corner. The two seized the opportunity and quickly darted into their own classroom.
Mu Deyuan was already on the podium, glancing at the two, then tidying up some of the content he would be teaching later.
Chu Tianshu and Xiang Zhuo looked at the two in confusion.
"Cough, we got the time wrong." Wu Chen explained awkwardly.
Immediately, both of them couldn't help but laugh.
In an instant, all eyes converged. There were only a few people in the class to begin with, and with Mu Deyuan, there were only eleven people in total. The commotion was like a small firecracker going off, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"Tian Shu, Xiang Zhuo, what funny thing did you two talk about? Why don't you come up to the stage and tell everyone, so we can all have a good laugh?"
Mu Deyuan didn't even lift his head, and his tone was unusually relaxed. However, Chu Tianshu and Xiang Zhuo immediately shut their mouths, lowered their heads, and didn't dare to breathe loudly.
"Two cowards, if it were me, I'd go up."
"Chen Ge, you're awesome, you go!" Xiang Zhuo whispered with his head down.
"Alright, today we'll talk about the lighting and cinematography of 'Braveheart's' Scottish outdoor scenes. After I finish, you'll each have at least 5 minutes in the third and fourth periods to analyze and come up to the stage yourselves!"
As soon as Mu Deyuan announced this, nine bitter faces turned simultaneously towards Wu Chen.
"Why are you looking at Wu Chen?" Mu Deyuan said irritably, "Can he help you analyze it? When you go to the crew in the future, do you have to carry Wu Chen with you to help you out?"
"Hahaha!"
Mu Deyuan's words instantly swept away the gloomy atmosphere, and everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, focus on class!" Mu Deyuan, seeing his goal achieved, quickly began to enter teaching mode.
...
Mu Deyuan's class was four consecutive periods.
And during the break of the first period, Wu Chen clearly felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.
"Hmm?" Wu Chen took out his Motorola in confusion, pressed it, and the blue backlit screen showed a message preview: "ICBC reminder... 52,300 yuan deposited!"
Pu Songri leaned over and glanced, his sharp intake of breath condensing into white mist in the air: "Holy cow! Chen Ge, did you take on a private job?"
Before he finished speaking, the cell phone rang.
Wu Chen quickly pressed answer, then got up and walked towards the corridor.
"Dad!"
"Xiao Chen, did you receive the money? I originally planned to transfer it the day before yesterday, but your mom and I both forgot. The bank isn't open on weekends...
I heard your mom say you want to make a movie. I don't understand movies, but a man can't be without money in his pocket, especially when you're trying to do something now.
The school can help you a bit, but based on my life experience, if you're truly going to be a Director, you'll have to put in some of your own money.
And this is your first work in life. Sometimes, its significance is even greater than those big blockbusters that come later. Don't feel pressured, just do it steadily."
"The factory side..."
"Don't worry, I didn't use the factory's working capital. I'm not stupid; that's the foundation of our family's survival.
I used the money I saved for your future wife. I thought that when you graduate, you'll still be so young and it will be hard to earn money quickly. This money is to give you a foundation. Now that you need it, take it and use it, just don't waste it."
"Dad!" Wu Chen's eyes were slightly red, his throat tight, and he couldn't help but call out.
"Alright, are you going to class? I still need to go buy leather. Oh, by the way, when you're free, call your mom more often, okay?"
"Mm!" Wu Chen nodded. Seeing that he was about to hang up, he quickly added, "Dad, smoke less, it's not good for your health!"
"Hey, got it!"
"......"