Chapter 162: The Year-End Approaches

Zhang Tan gathered with his classmates in Hefei.

After returning to Beijing, the apartment in the second phase of Guanyuan Apartments had already been renovated. The interior design was handled by a Beijing-based decoration and design company, featuring a casual style with light color tones. All necessary household appliances, including air conditioners, televisions, and computers, had been moved in, and his mother had already cooked several meals in the kitchen.

The master bedroom belonged to Zhang Tan. His parents refused to take it, saying that since Zhang Tan bought the apartment and they would only occasionally stay in Beijing, the second bedroom would be more than enough. There were two second bedrooms: one for his parents and one for his elder sister, which was just right.

Writing in a brand-new room felt remarkably different.

Next to the desk facing the balcony stood a bookshelf, completely filled with books—all of which were Zhang Tan's own works.

There were three copies of *The Four Great Constellations Shaking Guandong*, featuring Simplified and Traditional Chinese editions published by Xianxian Culture, Hunan People's Publishing House, and Sinya Culture respectively.

There were eight copies of *The Four Great Constellations Meeting in the Capital*, consisting of three Traditional Chinese volumes published by Xianxian Culture and Sinya Culture, and two Simplified Chinese volumes published by Hunan People's Publishing House.

There were eighteen copies of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, consisting of eight Simplified Chinese volumes published by Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House, and ten Traditional Chinese volumes published by Sinya Culture.

There were thirteen copies of *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, consisting of six Simplified Chinese volumes published by Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House, and seven Traditional Chinese volumes published by Sinya Culture.

The rest consisted of a large stack of *Legends of Jin and Gu: Wuxia Edition* magazines, along with one issue of *Legends of Jin and Gu: Story Edition* and two issues of *Wuxia Stories*.

In the two issues of *Wuxia Stories*, he had published two short stories under the pen name Jin Su.

As for the Traditional Chinese editions, because Taiwan's Chen Shui-bian had proposed the "One Country on Each Side" theory the previous year and passed the so-called "Referendum Act" that year, Taiwan independence sentiments were running high, and cross-strait relations were becoming increasingly tense. Consequently, cooperation with Xianxian Culture had long been canceled, and all Traditional Chinese publishing rights had been transferred to Sinya Culture in Hong Kong.

Zhang Tan was a person driven by fame and fortune. The bookshelf in his bedroom was exclusively dedicated to displaying his own works, and no other books were placed there. At most, a few books on film directing rested on the bedside table.

The Chinese New Year was about to pass, which meant the annual art examinations were approaching.

Although Zhang Tan had secured a guarantee from the leadership of the Beijing Film Academy that he could enter through the back door and that the art examination would merely be a formality, going through the motions still required a baseline level of preparation. He could not afford to be completely clueless and stumble blindly through the preliminary, secondary, and tertiary rounds of the directing department examinations. At the very least, he needed a certain foundation, so he occasionally took time to read up on the subject.

However, it was rumored that the directing department's exams covered everything from astronomy to geography, ranging from international political winds down to celebrity gossip. They might use anything as test questions, examining whether a student possessed a vast reserve of knowledge and a meticulous observation of life.

If Zhang Tan had to rely solely on his own genuine ability to take the exam, he probably wouldn't even pass the preliminary round.

Yet this did not shake his determination to become a director in the slightest. His confidence as a director was different from ordinary directors; as long as he mastered directing skills and understood how to manage a film crew, he was certain he could replicate the great films of his past life.

Therefore, Zhang Tan did not feel particularly guilty about using the back door.

"Well, the art examinations take place right after the New Year. The content will likely revolve around the hot social phenomena of 2003. SARS, floods, administrative detention, mine disasters, anti-Japanese sentiment, SARS, the Shenzhou spacecraft, Taiwan independence, and hepatitis B discrimination are all major events this year. They might even show up in the written test."

"Oh right, BitTorrent is also a major phenomenon this year. Once BitTorrent comes out, it's 'one for all, and all for one,' and no one will ever be able to stop little movies again!"

BitTorrent was a file-sharing protocol based on the principle of "one for all, and all for one" for downloading—meaning users were both downloaders and providers. As long as a seed existed, the more people downloading, the faster the download speed. Once the BitTorrent protocol was released, those film websites trying to charge subscription fees immediately crashed and burned.

Countless film company executives wished they could hack Bram Cohen, the father of BitTorrent, into a million pieces, keeping their eyes on him at all times. Because BitTorrent was suspected of facilitating pirated content distribution, Cohen didn't even dare to watch pirated DVDs at home, terrified of being sued by anti-piracy organizations, let alone using BitTorrent to download movies.

The father of BitTorrent couldn't even use BitTorrent to download movies; Cohen was depressed to the extreme.

...

Right before the New Year, the crew of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* officially wrapped up filming.

There was no wrap party, no champagne, and no celebratory ceremony. The crew was directly disbanded, and all cast and crew members went home to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Meanwhile, Zhang Tan's family was discussing whether to stay in Beijing for the New Year or return to their hometown for a lively celebration.

Zhang Tan favored staying in Beijing for the New Year. Although he quite liked lively atmospheres, returning to his hometown meant facing too many older relatives. Coupled with his prominent reputation nowadays, he would inevitably be pressured into drinking round after round by his elders. This was not a scene Zhang Tan wished to experience. If he were an ordinary person, he could easily blend in and enjoy the carefree atmosphere.

With a great reputation comes a heavy shadow; nowadays, wherever he went, he was treated as an honored guest, which was truly tedious.

However, they ultimately did not stay in Beijing.

As the old saying goes, while one's parents are alive, one should not travel far. Currently, his grandfather Zhang Henong was still in the hometown, and as descendants, wandering away and refusing to return home violated traditional ethics. Therefore, as the year drew to a close, they returned to Hefei, issued year-end bonuses to the employees of Luzhou Studio, had a gathering meal, and the family headed back to their hometown in Gangji Town.

Under the care of his grandfather Zhang Henong, the small Western-style villa in the hometown was filled with blooming flowers and lush plants, presenting a rather picturesque scene.

The Audi A6 stopped in front of the small villa, and family members who had already received notice rushed over.

Especially the younger children, who were overjoyed beyond words. Every time Zhang Tan's family returned to the hometown, they always brought back various treats.

"Xiao Sizi, come over here, take the desk calendars, melon seeds, and small candies out of the car and distribute them to everyone," Zhang Quansun said as he got out of the car, immediately instructing Zhang Tan's younger cousin.

As the New Year approached, publishing houses, writers' associations, magazine offices, and government departments all sent plenty of year-end benefits. Additionally, countless unrelated enterprises sent numerous gifts to Zhang Tan, the celebrated figure of Hefei.

Desk calendars, wall calendars, and daily calendars piled up so high they couldn't fit in the house.

Local specialties such as melon seeds, small candies, and pastries came in bag after bag.

There were also countless varieties of fine cigarettes, good wine, and premium tea sent in massive quantities.

Zhang Tan's family could simply never use up so many things, so they brought them back to distribute among their relatives.

After carrying down a large stack of wall calendars and hauling out a pile of melon seeds and candies, Zhang Quansun called out to Zhang Tan again: "Come on, two bottles of wine, two boxes of pastries, and two bags of candy per household. Yangyang, go deliver these to your eldest uncle and the others."

The trunk of the Audi was completely packed to the brim. Before long, more than half of its contents were removed and distributed among the households of his eldest uncle, third uncle, and fourth uncle. Meanwhile, Zhang Henong accepted the finest tea presented by his children and grandchildren as an act of filial piety. The old man was indifferent to ordinary cigarettes and alcohol; his greatest appreciation was a good cup of tea.

Not only was the trunk stuffed, but the back seats of the car were also packed so tightly that passengers barely had room to sit.

After unloading the New Year goods, Zhang Quansun tossed the keys of the Audi to Zhang Tan: "The cigarettes and wine inside the car have already been sorted. Drive over and deliver them to your maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, and your paternal aunt."

"Got it." Zhang Tan ignited the engine, drove the Audi, and set off smoothly.

Since he didn't have a driver's license, he didn't dare drive in Hefei, but he could satisfy his craving for driving in the rural towns. Upon arriving at his maternal grandfather's place, it was another lively scene. The family on his mother's side had even more members than the Zhang family; they were a prominent local clan. Although mostly farmers and workers, in a place that valued kinship, a large family meant strength, and ordinary people dared not mess with them.

"You're staying for dinner tonight!" Zhang Tan's eldest maternal uncle declared in a tone that allowed no room for refusal.

Zhang Tan winced: "If we're not drinking alcohol, I'll stay and eat. If we're drinking, I'm heading back. I'm driving, and drunk driving easily leads to accidents."

"Then we won't drink, but you must eat."

...

Driving was a good excuse, so indeed, no alcohol was consumed during dinner.

After finishing the meal and chatting with his maternal grandparents for a while, Zhang Tan bid farewell and returned home. Upon getting back, the family hadn't even finished eating yet. Zhang Quansun and three of his elderly brothers, along with Zhang Tan's aunt's husband and his eldest uncle's two sons, were drinking and boasting while enjoying themselves. The indoor air conditioner was running, keeping the room warm and cozy without a hint of chill.

Meanwhile, several aunts and female relatives sat nearby, gossiping about local family matters.

Zhang Quansun waved his hand with a flushed face: "How did it take you until now to get back? Come and have a couple of drinks with your aunt's husband." Here in Hefei, a paternal aunt's husband wasn't called *gufu*, but rather *guye*, sounding somewhat like an old-fashioned term of address.

"Yangyang has grown taller again! He wasn't this tall back in the summer," Zhang Tan's uncle by marriage also remarked, his face glowing red from alcohol.

Zhang Tan sat down, picked up a clean glass, and poured himself a drink.

Tan Mingxia felt sorry for her son eating cold dishes, so she stepped out of the gossip circle, walked over, and inspected the plates of stir-fried dishes on the table: "Are you guys still drinking? Be careful not to be able to walk tomorrow if you drink too much. Yangyang, what do you want to eat? Mom will go heat up some dishes."

Zhang Quansun was currently helping manage Zhang Tan's business affairs, signing documents on his behalf. Having witnessed plenty of social scenes, he increasingly carried the air of the head of the household, and promptly ordered his wife: "Drinking naturally requires drinking properly. We're all family here, so there's no fear of drinking too much. Heat up the pig's stomach, heat up these two stir-fried dishes, and cook some noodles as well."

Such a patriarchal demeanor.

In front of outsiders, Tan Mingxia gave him face and refrained from acting out, merely asking Zhang Tan: "What else do you feel like eating?"

"Mom, don't go to the trouble. Just heat up whatever Dad said. I can't eat much anyway, I'm already fully stuffed from eating at my eldest maternal uncle's place."

"Drinking without eating food hurts your stomach. I'll go heat up the dishes, don't rush to drink just yet."

Tan Mingxia carried the plates away to heat them up. The family had bought a microwave, making it very convenient to warm up food.

After toasting his uncle by marriage, Zhang Tan asked curiously, "Where's Grandpa?"

His eldest cousin, Zhang Qiang, replied, "Grandpa had a couple of extra drinks, went to his head a bit, so he went to sleep first. Come on, Yangyang, let the two of us brothers have a round."

...

The countdown to New Year's Eve.

The Zhang family household was bustling with visitors.

Friends, relatives, and old acquaintances seized the opportunity to send numerous New Year goods. The most abundant offerings were rural salted vegetables, game meat, chicken, fish, meat, and eggs, piling up an entire room—enough food to last an entire year without finishing it. In Gangji Town, Zhang Tan's family couldn't be considered wealthy—rumor had it that the richest person in Gangji was worth hundreds of millions—but when it came to fame, Zhang Tan was definitely number one.

Even the county party secretary, taking advantage of the New Year greeting visits, came to Zhang Tan's home to sit down and chat about everyday matters.

He repeatedly praised Zhang Tan as a shining name card for Changfeng County.

"Truly..."

Looking at the calendar pages being torn off one by one and recalling his past life, Zhang Tan felt an inexplicable surge of emotion: "Human sentiments are as thin as paper sheet by sheet, worldly affairs are like a chessboard game by game. Live in poverty in a bustling market and no one asks after you; grow rich deep in the mountains and you'll have distant kin. If you doubt this, just look at the wine at the banquet; every single cup is first poured for the wealthy and honored..." (To be continued.)