Reborn in 1977

Chapter 289: Extra Screening Today

At 4 PM, Chen Fan returned to the educated youth spot after work, and Jiang Lili and the others had already prepared dinner, just waiting for him to come back and eat.

Seeing the food on the table, Chen Fan was a little puzzled, "Why are we eating so early today? Is there something going on?"

Huang Ying immediately jumped out and laughed, "We're watching a movie today, so we need to go early to grab a spot. If we go late, there won't be any seats left."

Yang Ju said expectantly from the side, "I saw people walking towards Team 10 on the embankment at noon. They must be from other places, going to grab a spot early."

Liu Dan nodded vigorously, "That's right, that's right."

Chen Fan held his forehead, feeling a little dizzy, "Didn't they say it starts at 6 PM? People are going at noon?"

Huang Ying nodded, "People from out of town won't save spots. It's first come, first served. Only people from our own brigade will save space, but if you go late, you can only stand in the back and won't be able to see the figures clearly."

If it weren't for waiting for Chen Fan to eat dinner, they wouldn't even have eaten dinner and would have gone to Team 10 to grab a spot already.

While they were talking, Jiang Lili had already brought Chen Fan a bowl and chopsticks, just waiting for him to take his seat.

Chen Fan didn't delay and started eating as soon as he picked up the bowl.

Today was probably the fastest time he had ever eaten. Chen Fan originally wanted to ask a few questions, but he found that the four girls were all buried in their food, so he couldn't help but shake his head and smile, speeding up his eating.

In less than 5 minutes, he finished dinner. Then they quickly cleaned up, and Huang Ying was still urging Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, you have a horse, you can ride the horse over first. We'll take Grandpa Liu's mule cart over later."

Chen Fan shook his head, "Forget it, I won't ride the horse today. I'll take the cart with you."

Who knew how many people would come today, and whether there would be any petty thieves among them. He decided to travel light.

Although the possibility of the horse being stolen was small, what if?

There were many talented people these days, and petty thieves emerged endlessly. They knew the rules of the countryside well and were prepared to be beaten before they took action. Anyway, they would only lose half their lives at most, neither dying nor being crippled, so they naturally dared to go all out.

Chen Fan himself had several ways to steal a horse silently. The simplest way was to use some herbal medicine to sedate the horse. For example, there was a kind of "Rhododendron japonicum", which bloomed in April and May. Eating the flowers and leaves would make the horse drowsy. Then, load it onto a flatbed cart with baffles and pull it away while it was dark. Everyone would be watching the movie, so it would be guaranteed to be silent and undetectable.

At the very least, he could remove the saddle and take it away, making him suffer a loss. In short, it was better to be careful.

Thinking of this, he tied his two hunting rifles and the saber given by Uncle Lin with cloth strips and hid them on the roof beam. He didn't take his backpack, but put all his belongings in a small waist bag tied around his waist, covered by his clothes.

After finishing, he went to the backyard to hold a collective meeting for the animals at home.

"Before I come back, none of you are allowed to sleep. Eurasian hobby, if you have nothing to do, stay on the highest branch, responsible for the first line of defense. If you see a bad person, come back and land on the horse's head, peck it twice to sound the alarm."

Eurasian hobby, "Chirp chirp."

Then it flapped its wings and flew high, landing on top of a tall metasequoia not far away, hiding under a cluster of branches and leaves, looking around like a double-headed eagle.

Chen Fan continued to assign tasks, "Duo Duo, Qiu Qiu, you are responsible for guarding the front yard. If someone breaks in, hide far away and bark loudly."

Duo Duo and Qiu Qiu immediately responded, "Woof woof."

Chen Fan looked at the two dogs, feeling a little regret in his heart. If they were a little bigger, they could directly carry out the task without having to hide far away and rage in vain.

Losing face for the senior dogs.

Turning his face, he also instructed the little mare, "You are responsible for guarding the back door. If a bad person comes in, greet him in the face and kick him, damn it!"

The little mare raised its head, "Neigh."

The little foal ran around happily beside it, "I want to kick too, I want to kick too…"

The two little sheep ran along as soon as they saw it running, regardless of what it was calling, and the stable was immediately in a mess.

Chen Fan asked the little mare to discipline her son, and by the way suppress the two little sheep, before going to set up an outer defense line.

He went to the forest next to him and called out the oriental rat snake. Just as he was about to speak, he couldn't help but be stunned, "Why have you gotten fat?"

The oriental rat snake spat out its tongue, "The mice and birds that the bird brother caught were not eaten, but were fed to me."

Chen Fan couldn't help but be speechless. Are you here to enjoy yourself?

He shook his head and said, "Pay attention, if someone breaks into the yard, you should quickly go over to help. Anyway, you are not poisonous, just bite."

The oriental rat snake straightened up half of its body, "Okay."

Chen Fan still wanted to say a few more words, when Jiang Lili and the other three ran out.

Each of them was carrying a canvas bag, looking serious, as if they were going to do something big.

Huang Ying ran in the front, "Teacher Chen, we are ready."

Jiang Lili closed the courtyard door and quickly followed behind.

Chen Fan looked at them, then at their bags, "Do you need to bring so many things to watch a movie?"

Huang Ying immediately laughed, "Dry food and water. We ate dinner early today, and I'm afraid we'll be hungry later. I brought you meat buns. If you're hungry, ask me for them."

Chen Fan opened his mouth wide and nodded woodenly, "Oh, thank you."

Bring meat buns? Won't they be cold later? A steamed bun would be fine too.

No, why bring me things? Am I short of food?

Yang Ju also quickly said, "I brought a water bottle. If you are thirsty, ask me for water."

Liu Dan didn't want to be left behind, "I brought you melon seeds, peanuts, and a few pieces of rice candy."

Jiang Lili fell behind, her face a little strange, "I, I didn't bring anything."

Huang Ying and the other three glanced at her in unison, secretly feeling 120% relieved.

She didn't bring anything, which means she doesn't have any thoughts about Teacher Chen, very good, very good.

But Jiang Lili was thinking about what Chen Fan had said to her this morning, "You don't need to bring anything to watch a movie. Yesterday, the militia squad leader told me during the militia spring training that we should prepare some side dishes and drink while watching, so don't worry about not having anything to eat. If you're hungry or thirsty, ask me, and I'll get it for you."

So she didn't bring anything for Chen Fan, but only stuffed her own teacup into her bag. This was only because she saw that Huang Ying and the others each had a bag, and she brought it specially in order not to look different.

But I didn't expect… emmm, forget it, I'd better pretend I don't know.

Just as they were talking, a mule cart came swaying over. Master Liu flicked his whip, making a crisp sound, "Get in the car and let's go. Everyone else has already left, only waiting for you."

The four girls each shouted "Grandpa Liu" before climbing onto the flatbed cart one after another, sitting on the baffle.

Chen Fan handed a cigarette over, helped the old man light it, turned around and sat next to Master Liu, and smiled, "Won't people from the entire brigade go today? Can that place accommodate so many people?"

Master Liu waved his whip, the mule neighed, and pulled the flatbed cart westward, which was to go from the main road in the village.

When the cart started moving, Master Liu said, "No. Many people are going, but not everyone will go. Like my old woman didn't go, and there are many who are too lazy to move and are sleeping at home."

He chuckled twice, "No matter how good the movie is, not everyone will like to watch it. I remember the most people who went to watch it was only over three thousand. Later, when a movie was shown, it was considered a lot if there were two thousand people from this village, and sometimes there were only a few hundred. There will definitely be people from other teams, but not many, probably at most two or three hundred, and sometimes only a few dozen.

And Team 10 is too remote, almost the northernmost part of the South Lake Commune, too far from the other four brigades. I estimate that all in all tonight, it will be almost enough if there are over a thousand people."

Chen Fan suddenly nodded, thinking in his heart, this is normal. If thousands of people gathered every time a movie was shown, that would be too much?

So Secretary Yang and Captain Zhang are talking big?!

Master Liu let the mule run on its own, smoked his cigarette and said, "When they show a movie in Gan Village Brigade one day, you go and see, that's really lively. I guarantee that people from several brigades in the entire commune will go. That scene, I estimate, will not be less than 5,000 people."

Chen Fan's eyes turned slightly, "Is it in the place where the market is held?"

Master Liu nodded, "That place is big, and people can spread out. When the loudspeaker is turned on, the opposite bank of the lake can hear it. Plus, it's almost in the middle of the South Lake Commune and close to the town. When they show a movie that day, many people will take the opportunity to go to town to stroll around, those who buy things buy things, and those who watch the excitement watch the excitement.

Going to the streets during the day and ‘listening’ to movies at night, chatting with people from the same village, time flies by, and then going home together, that's what you call happiness.”

Before long, they reached the main road, and at this time they would encounter some people who were late. Master Liu and Chen Fan were both prominent figures in the team, and people kept greeting them.

The mule cart swayed, and the four girls sat in the cart, watching Chen Fan greet others familiarly. Whether they knew them or not, they could chat for a few words, and they couldn't help but admire him secretly.

In the countryside these days, being able to deal with people is also a skill. Those without the ability can't get anything out of even acquaintances, but those with ability are like Chen Fan, who can chat for a few words whether they know them or not.

Relying on this skill, they can also make a living in the team. For example, if a family is holding a wedding or funeral, they will inevitably invite one or two such people to be responsible for entertaining guests. If there are relatives who can do it, that would be best, but in most cases, there are none, so they can only invite people from outside.

Inviting people means giving money and cigarettes, so there are a few people who make a living from this. The key is that these people have a high reputation in the team, and occasionally when there are conflicts between neighbors, they will also be invited to mediate.

So at this time, Master Liu couldn't help but say, "Even if you are uneducated, your life won't be too bad. With your skills, I'm afraid this Lujiawan can't keep you."

As soon as these words came out, the girls behind him felt a thump in their hearts, and looked at Chen Fan nervously.

Chen Fan himself didn't care, and laughed, "Those who want to leave can't be kept, and those who want to stay can't be driven away. Whether you have the ability or not doesn't matter much. What do you think, Old Master?"

Master Liu laughed loudly as soon as he heard this, "Not bad, not bad, that's right."

Huang Ying and the others looked at each other in the back, what does that mean?

… …

The mule's pace was faster than a human's. Even though it was pulling a cart with six people on it, it gradually overtook the pedestrians. In less than an hour, they arrived at Team 10.

Chen Fan had been here several times before, but he had only stopped at the "Lujiawan CBD" at the foot of the slope, and had never been up the slope.

The mule cart stopped here, and a militiaman came up to greet them loudly, "Teacher Chen, Master Liu."

After a pause, he reached out and pointed to the side, "Master Liu, please hand the mule over to me, and I'll put it away for you."

Master Liu didn't hesitate, jumped off the cart, and handed him the reins, smiling, "Then I'll trouble you."

As he said that, he was about to take out a cigarette.

But Chen Fan had already taken out a cigarette and handed it to the man.

The man thanked him, took the cigarette, turned around and pointed to the slope, "Teacher Chen hasn't been here before, right? The village school is up there. The captain has reserved a spot for you, just go straight up."

After saying that, he waved his hand and led the mule cart away.

At this time, another donkey cart entered the village entrance, and the man immediately waved his hand, "Drive the cart to the side, don't block the road."

Chen Fan looked back and found that he didn't recognize him, so he and Master Liu walked up the slope together, and the four girls followed closely behind.

The higher they went, the more people there were. Most of them were from Team 10. They had the advantage of being on their own territory and were not afraid of anyone taking their seats, so they were not in a hurry. A small number were acquaintances from other teams, sitting at the door of people's houses, drinking tea and talking. When they saw Chen Fan, there was naturally another round of greetings.

With great difficulty, they reached the top of the slope, and Chen Fan saw a large open space. On the edge of the open space, there were three brick houses, two large and one small. Needless to say, this was the Lujiawan Primary School. It was a bit small, but the environment looked pretty good, at least it had everything it should have.

On the huge playground, there were 12 areas, about three or four meters wide, similar to running tracks, marked with lime powder, with “Team 1, Team 2, Team 3…” written in front and behind respectively.

Obviously, these were the viewing positions designated for each team.

As for seats, sorry, please bring your own!

In the middle area, there was a two-meter-wide space left, with several Eight Immortals tables already placed inside.

One table was slightly behind, with three boxes next to it, and a group of people surrounded it, but they didn't dare to get close.

Just a guess and you'll know, the projectionist was doing preparatory work, and the Eight Immortals table was used to place the projector.

In front of the projector were two Eight Immortals tables placed side by side, with several long benches next to them.

Chen Fan guessed that this was the place to "drink and watch movies."

As soon as their group arrived, it immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding people, and someone immediately shouted, "Captain, Teacher Chen is here."

Master Liu smoked his cigarette and couldn't help laughing, "Did you hear that? Now you have more face in the team than I do."

Chen Fan shook his head and said in a low voice, "That's not true. The main thing is that the people of Lujiawan are hospitable. I haven't been here for long, and they still treat me as a guest. Also, I'm tall, so they must have seen me first."

Master Liu couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, "What did I say just now? With your mouth, you can eat anywhere!"

Just as he was speaking, Su Yujun, the captain of Team 10, walked over in a hurry, saying from a distance, "Teacher Chen is here, come and sit here, I've reserved a spot for you."

Before he finished speaking, he saw Master Liu and invited him, "Master Liu, why are you here so late? I've been waiting for you for a long time, let's go, let's go, go and sit over there."

Master Liu waved his hand repeatedly while holding his cigarette, "No, no, I'll just go to Team 6's position to watch."

Then, without waiting for Su Yujun to speak, he walked towards Team 6's position. He wasn't coming to watch a movie for the first time, so of course he knew what the situation was in the middle position. It was for the leaders of the brigade to sit and accompany the projectionist, so that they might bring two new films or show one more movie next time they came.

He had never been invited before, so Su Yujun was clearly just being polite, and he wouldn't join in the fun.

As soon as Master Liu left, Huang Ying and the four of them waved to Chen Fan and followed him over.

Chen Fan definitely couldn't escape, and he didn't want to run away. Su Yujun dragged him to the middle table.

When he walked to the front, he realized that Secretary Yang and the others had already arrived, standing aside with their hands behind their backs, talking to the projectionist.

Su Yujun brought Chen Fan over and immediately introduced him to the projectionist, "Director Xu, this is our great writer from Lujiawan…"

Before he could finish speaking, the projectionist in his thirties threw away his cigarette butt and stretched out his hands with enthusiasm, "Oh, oh, I know, I know, Teacher Chen, right? I've heard so much about you. I also bought the latest issue of "Jiangnan Literature". The article you wrote was good, really good. Our leaders and the leaders of the county's Cultural Bureau are praising you."

He was enthusiastic, and Chen Fan was even more enthusiastic than him.

Everyone in the arena says polite words. This kind of thing is just a piece of cake for Chen Fan, "You're too kind, Director Xu is too kind. I just write a few words, and I don't deserve the leaders' praise. On the contrary, Director Xu is so hardworking, coming all the way from the county to bring us movies to watch. That's really hard work and great merit…"

The two had a round of commercial mutual flattery. Xu, a primary school graduate, couldn't stand the flattery from decades later, so he waved his hand and said to Su Yujun, "Captain Su, let's not wait any longer. Find someone to pull up the curtain. We'll have an encore today. Let's not have any appetizers, let's just go straight to three full-length films!"

Su Yujun was overjoyed when he heard this, and waved to the people in the militia squad, "Hurry up and pull up the cloth, we'll show three full-length films today."

It wasn't even 5:30 yet, but the sky was already getting dark, and the picture could be seen when the movie was shown.

A film is about 90 to 120 minutes long, and three films will take 5 or 6 hours. Tonight, we will probably have to fight until midnight.

However, except for people who come from other places, no one will think it's late. It's rare to have a movie to watch. Let alone watching until midnight, even if they watch all night, there will be people to keep them company.

Under Su Yujun's greeting, the militia comrades quickly took action, pulling a rectangular curtain on a wooden frame and fixing it, while Xu carefully assembled the projector.

Su Yujun's words had already been heard by the surrounding people, so many villagers ran back to inform their families who were still sitting firmly at home, and soon a dark crowd of people poured in here.

As for Chen Fan, he had already been pulled to the table and sat down. Ye Shubao smiled so hard that he couldn't close his mouth, and patted his arm, "It's still you!"