Reborn in 1977

Chapter 704 Original

On the third floor, a room occupied half the level, yet Chen Fan had arranged it fully.

This place served as a study, a room for musical instruments, and a corner was arranged with a large bed.

The bed was originally prepared by Chen Fan for himself, so he could rest here when tired from reading or relaxing, without having to climb up and down. However, every time Zhou Yali came, she would stay here, thus it also served as a guest room.

In a corner opposite the large bed, stood a second-hand Steinway grand piano bought for 220 yuan.

Chen Fan sat on the aftermarket piano stool, his eyes half-open, half-closed, his fingers dancing on the strings, playing a series of beautiful melodies.

The two sisters stood beside the piano, nestled together, their eyes full of intoxication.

A few minutes later, after the music faded, they were still immersed in the sound, unable to extricate themselves.

Until a voice sounded.

"Huh, no one is 'blooming with flowers' today?"

Jiang Lili came back to her senses, first stunned, then saw Chen Fan looking out the window, and asked puzzledly, "What 'blooming with flowers'?"

Where would there be flowers in the dead of winter?

Chen Fan turned around, "I said, if it were in Guangdong, there would be flowers even in winter."

He didn't think about it; he used to practice musical instruments in the afternoon, when people were taking a nap. It would be strange if they didn't 'bloom with flowers' when he was playing the piano and flute.

At this time, Jiang Tiantian also woke up from the music and said with emotion, "No wonder you didn't dare to let Xiaofan play this piece before. This kind of light-hearted style is completely different from serious music now, but it's a bit similar to the Teresa Teng songs circulating privately, very light and lively.

It's only this year that many songs have been unbanned, and foreign tapes have flowed in. Many young people like this kind of music, otherwise, they really couldn't let people hear it."

This is not the mobile internet era of decades later, where a hit can be created overnight through a mobile platform.

The inconvenience of communication and transportation determines that all the current overnight successes are not achieved overnight.

The person and the song were indeed popular in '79, but there were already signs in '78.

In the second half of this year, people who went to Guangdong on business secretly brought back some tapes from Hong Kong, the most of which were Teresa Teng's songs.

Subsequently, these tapes spread rapidly through young people's 'recorder dance halls', and the most popular was Teresa Teng. People borrowed from each other, and if there weren't enough tapes, they tried every means to ask people to bring them back from Guangdong.

By next year, her songs will explode nationwide, and her popularity will be terrifying. Big cities like Beijing and Shanghai will be the first places to explode.

As a result, in 1980, some musicians held the "Xishan Conference" in Xishan, Beijing, defining Teresa Teng's songs as decadent music, criticizing them for destroying social morals. Some experts even wrote articles saying the lyrics were lewd.

With this as the keynote, coupled with some provocative actions from the other side of the strait, a pattern of popular among the people but not mentioned by official media was formed. It was not until the 1990s that she was unbanned, but by that time she had gradually left the stage due to health reasons, and ultimately failed to come over for a performance, which is a pity.

After her sister finished speaking, Jiang Lili nodded lightly, then looked at Chen Fan, her eyes with a hint of hope, "Then, will you perform this song at the literary and art gala?"

Chen Fan pressed a few notes on the keys, his face with a smile that was not a smile, "This kind of style is only accepted among the people, the 'musicians' may not necessarily accept it."

He didn't forget that next year, a song "Homesickness" would become popular all over the country with the broadcast of the TV scenic film "Legend of the Three Gorges", but what the people liked was rejected by some so-called "musicians", who insisted that Li Guyi's use of breathy singing was decadent music, which was simply absurd.

Even though Li Guyi herself had a strong foundation, and the stick didn't hit her head, her songs were still banned.

There was no way, things that seemed extremely absurd in later generations were perfectly normal in the present, and could even be said to be a part of the "mainstream".

Therefore, in these years, there was both the "reform" of drinking and fist-guessing in restaurants, and the "conservatism" of hostility towards pop songs.

Later, some people criticized this time's "crossing the river by feeling the stones" as irresponsible, but only those who have been through it know that if they didn't "cross the river by feeling the stones" at that time, I'm afraid this road would be even more difficult and tortuous.

After all, the purpose of the superiors was reform and opening up, not changing the flag.

Many fundamental things are reflected in the details of life, and are also a part of turning the wind.

Of course, Chen Fan wanted to move forward along the direction of historical development, but he was unwilling to become a stone being "felt" by others, causing trouble for himself, so naturally he would not do those "earth-shattering" things.

The road that others have walked and nothing happened is the safest road.

Hearing Chen Fan say this, Jiang Tiantian seemed to understand, "So, we can't play this song."

Jiang Lili pursed her lips, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Then what program should we perform?"

If it was an ordinary song, Xiaofan wouldn't be so outstanding. In her heart, her man is the most outstanding person in the world. Since he is going to perform on stage, of course he must be a blockbuster.

Moreover, he is so talented and created a song like "Castle in the Sky", but it is a pity that more people cannot know about it.

Of course, if it causes trouble because of this, then she would rather Xiaofan not be outstanding. After all, peace is the most important thing.

Chen Fan thought for a while and smiled, "It's okay, I'll think about it again."

Then he spread his hands, "At worst, I'll be like you and sing the Yellow River Cantata, or sing a song like 'Why Are the Flowers So Red'."

Jiang Tiantian took her sister's arm and said with a smile, "If you want to sing this song, you have to sign up early, otherwise someone else will snatch it first."

Jiang Lili also giggled and laughed, "This song is very popular. Our class originally wanted to sing this song, but when we went to sign up, we heard that several classes wanted to sign up, so we signed up for the 'Yellow River Cantata'. This was still because the class monitor went early, otherwise, we wouldn't even get this song."

Jiang Tiantian nodded repeatedly, then suddenly lowered her voice and whispered, "After all, no one wants to sing 'model operas' anymore."

The "model operas" here naturally do not refer to the eight operas, but to those overplayed "model songs".

Speaking of which, few people remember these model songs decades later.

Looking at the two sisters, Chen Fan pretended to be surprised, "Is that so? Then I have to sign up quickly."

The two sisters smiled at each other, Jiang Tiantian suddenly turned her eyes slightly, her pretty face blushing, and said to Chen Fan, "Xiaofan, can you play 'Castle in the Sky' again?"

Jiang Lili also nodded quickly, her eyes sparkling, "I want to listen."

Chen Fan made a gesture, turned around and sat upright, the temperament of an artist arose spontaneously, "Next, please enjoy, piano solo, 'Castle in the Sky'."

… …

Yesterday it was a fiery sun, but today it snowed again.

Sitting on the sofa in Ba Lao's living room, Chen Fan wrapped his fur coat tightly and said, "Why don't you even burn a charcoal basin here? It's too cold."

Ba Lao nestled on the sofa, with a thick cotton coat under him, holding a dry tobacco pipe in his hand, and took a beautiful puff, "I'm an old man and I'm not afraid of the cold, are you young people afraid of the cold? Your body is a little weak."

Chen Fan's old face turned black, "What do you mean I'm afraid of the cold? I have no problem with winter swimming, I'm afraid you're cold. You have to pay more attention to your health at your age. If you accidentally catch a cold, it'll be terrible."

Ba Lao turned his head and glanced at him, "You little brat, stop cursing me. This old man is in good health. If you're afraid of the cold, just be afraid of the cold, why do you have to be stubborn? Winter swimming? Go perform a jump into the Huangpu River if you have the ability."

Chen Fan's face was speechless, "I just came to get a certificate, why do I have to jump into the river?"

The national membership card had long been tucked into his pocket. There was nothing much to see, just a small booklet. It only provided some extra benefits each month, like cigarettes, alcohol, and sweets.

Many older writers were quite looking forward to it, but he didn't care much.

Now, both sisters had learned to buy groceries at the foreign exchange stores. Whenever he came over, and they didn't have ration coupons or the菜市场 (cài shì chǎng, traditional wet market) didn't have everything, they would take the foreign exchange certificates he gave them or the US dollars from their uncle and head straight to the foreign exchange store, not holding back on spending.

However, everything they bought ended up feeding him.

So, Chen, the great writer, no longer cared about these benefits and subsidies.

Thinking back to the days of hardship in Lujiawan, it really filled him with emotion.

Seeing his face suddenly turn sentimental, Ba Lao couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly. "It was just a joke, I didn't really ask you to jump. If you're feeling weak, then so be it. Didn't you say you bought tiger bone and ginseng from the Northeast? Drink more ginseng tea and soak some tiger bone in alcohol. It'll be good for your health."

Chen Fan snapped back to reality and quickly looked up, saying seriously, "I'm not weak."

Ba Lao nodded absentmindedly, "Not weak, not weak."

He then quickly changed the subject, "Have you decided what kind of program to submit?"

Chen Fan looked at Ba Lao blinking repeatedly, feeling like he wasn't trusted.

After a two-second pause, he asked, "Which organizations are participating in this literary and art gala? What kind of programs have they submitted?"

Ba Lao squinted, took a puff of his cigarette, and said as he thought, "Quite a few organizations are participating. The Writers Association, the Dramatists Association, the Musicians Association, and the Artists Association were the earliest established. They will all participate.

In addition, there are the Shanghai Chinese Calligraphy and Seal Carving Research Association, the Filmmakers Association, the Quyi (Chinese folk art forms) Workers Association, and the Photographers Association. That's about it.

Then there are some leaders from the cultural and propaganda departments. Oh, right, the TV station will be there to record it, and it might be broadcast on TV later."

Chen Fan nodded slightly as he listened.

Currently, these are pretty much all the literary and art industries with associations. The Writers Association, the Dramatists Association, the Musicians Association, and the Artists Association were basically established in the 1950s, while most of the others were established in the 1960s.

For example, the Shanghai Chinese Calligraphy and Seal Carving Research Association is actually the later Shanghai Calligraphers Association. However, there is no national Calligraphers Association yet. Calligraphers in various places are still sticking together for warmth. It will only be reorganized into the provincial branches of the Calligraphers Association after the national Calligraphers Association is established in a couple of years.

As for the later member units of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, such as the Folk Literature and Art Workers Association, the Dancers Association, the Acrobats Association, the Television Artists Association, and the Translators Association, these were all established in the 1980s and are not yet in existence.

Ba Lao took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "Of course, the various subordinate units of these associations will also be included. As for whether they come or who comes, it's all decided internally."

Chen Fan nodded secretly. For example, he had been drafted in. The so-called literary and art gala was both a celebration and a competition, comparing which unit had stronger strength and more outstanding talents.

No wonder Ba Lao had drafted him in. Although there were many middle-aged and elderly people in the Writers Association who could play the harmonica or the piano, they were not comparable to professionals.

Who exactly made me so outstanding?!

A锥处囊中、其末立见 (zhuī chǔ náng zhōng, qí mò lì jiàn) (a cone placed in a bag will inevitably have its tip poking out)!

Ba Lao glanced at him, wondering why this kid suddenly sighed. Could it be that he was feeling the pressure?

But according to Xiao He, his harmonica and accordion playing were even better than the music performance artists in Jiangnan Province. A writer performing an instrument at a literary and art gala didn't need to surpass them, just not be too embarrassing. He wasn't really going to try to slap their faces, was he?

This kid was just too ambitious, not good, not good.

Regaining his composure, he continued, "The units are just these units, and the people are just these people. As for the programs, they are nothing more than songs, dances, instrumental performances, and poetry recitations.

The most outstanding will definitely be the people from the Musicians Association, the Dancers Association, the Dramatists Association, and the Filmmakers Association. In addition, the people from the Calligraphy and Seal Carving Research Association can also write some calligraphy, which is not a big concern.

So, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. Just go up there and show off a couple of skills, shock the people from the other associations, and let them know that our Writers Association is not without talent. That's all."

Chen Fan looked up, "I'm not feeling any pressure."

Ba Lao laughed, "It's best if you don't feel any pressure. So, what kind of program do you plan to perform?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment and said, "'The Spring Water is Gurgling,' has anyone signed up for that?"

Ba Lao looked at him in shock, "You're signing up for a children's song?"

Chen Fan, "Is that not allowed?"

Ba Lao shook his head, "That has already been signed up for by the children from the Youth Palace under the Cultural Bureau."

Chen Fan's face stiffened slightly. Was he really going to compete with children for a program?

He immediately said, "Then how about 'By the Butterfly Spring'?"

Cough, cough, this is not the song sung by Huang Yali, but the theme song from the movie 'Five Golden Flowers', which goes "The scenery of Dali in March is beautiful, by the Butterfly Spring is a good place to dress up, butterflies fly to collect honey, what is the girl dressing up for?"

Ba Lao shook his head, "Such a good movie theme song, someone must have signed up for it already."

Chen Fan pondered for two seconds, "Then how about 'Toast Song'?"

This song was composed by Shi Guangnan, with lyrics by Han Wei, and sung by Su Fengjuan, a colleague of Li Guangxi, and premiered on the album on January 1, 1978.

But it was Li Guangxi who made this song popular. He sang this song at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 1979, and it became an instant hit. This song also became one of the most popular songs of 1979.

The other song was naturally 'Nostalgia for My Hometown'.

Chen Fan thought that since this song hadn't become a hit yet, no one should be competing with him for it, right?

The result was very disappointing.

Ba Lao curled his lips and looked at him, "The people from the Musicians Association have already signed up for this song and will be performing it as the opening song."

Chen Fan's eyes twitched slightly. Was it really such a coincidence?

After that, he signed up for a few more songs, but Ba Lao rejected them one by one, "Someone has already signed up for all of them."

Chen Fan was a little strange, "Did all the units sign up for their programs at the first possible moment?"

Hearing this, Ba Lao was a little embarrassed, "Actually, it was decided to hold the gala a long time ago, but at that time I didn't know you had this skill. I heard about it from Xiao He at a meeting in Beijing, and then I came back and looked for you immediately."

Chen Fan tried hard to maintain a smile, "So, I was only pulled in to save the day after everyone else had signed up."

Ba Lao coughed twice, "Well, how about I go to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles tomorrow and get a list of the programs for you, and you can avoid them?"

Chen Fan sighed deeply, turned his head to look at the increasingly heavy snowflakes outside, and felt that his heart was as cold as the outside, "Everyone wants to perform good and classic songs, how can I avoid them?"

Then he gritted his teeth, "There's no other way, I'll just perform an original program."

Ba Lao was stunned at first, then looked at him suspiciously, "You can also write songs? Lyrics or music?"

Chen Fan slowly straightened his body and said with a serious face, "Can't I write both the lyrics and the music?"

Ba Lao chuckled twice, "Of course, I hope you have that ability, but I'm a little worried."

Chen Fan, "Worried about what?"

Ba Lao smacked his lips, "Don't show your face and end up exposing your flaws."

Chen Fan's mouth twitched slightly, and he reached into his pocket and took out a harmonica, "If that's the case, then I can only ask you to guide me on the spot and see if this song is qualified to be on stage!"

Ba Lao looked at the harmonica in his hand, and was silent for two seconds, "Looking at you, it's clear that you've already completed the composition, but how can you sing while playing the harmonica?"

Chen Fan's hands trembled slightly, and he got up and walked out, "I'll go change to an accordion."