"China Television Production Center and China Central Television are preparing to film the TV series 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' Dai Dunbang discusses how to select Bao, Dai, and Chai."

Chapter Three: Childhood Friends

Brian Clark didn’t want to tell storytelling performances.

Or rather, he hadn’t figured out what he wanted to do in the future.

In this special era, it seemed that nothing was very reliable, especially business activities. In fact, in 1981, the state officially recognized urban individual businesses, but overall the attitude was conservative, with endless hassles.

For example, the famous Fool’s Melon Seeds was considered a case of capitalist restoration just because it hired more than seven workers. In the end, it alarmed the central government, which said, “Let’s wait and see.”

There was also the case of the Eight Kings of Wenshi, eight guys who got rich first, who were treated as major economic criminals and severely cracked down on, causing society to waver about individual businesses for a time.

So, small-scale ventures were fine, but if you tried to go big, it was hard to know the boundaries—if you weren’t careful, you’d be accused of speculation and profiteering.

In his previous life, he was born in the late 1980s. After being reborn, he was in a state of confusion for a while, desperately searching for familiar traces in all sorts of things, just to gain a sliver of security.

This state lasted until today, when he saw the news about 'Dream of the Red Chamber' published in 'Popular TV.' As a key member of a media company with an entertainment focus, he admitted his heart skipped a beat, because this was the field he was most familiar with and interested in.

As people say: since you’re here, you might as well have some fun!

And at this moment, when he voiced his idea, the dinner table fell into a subtle silence.

David Clark and Emily Bolton had heard about this hot news. Their thoughts were similar—their first reaction was, “You definitely can’t do it.” They knew their own son well: idle, unambitious, good-looking but nothing else.

But subconsciously, they also thought, “It wouldn’t hurt to try. What if he actually gets picked?”

Caught in this dilemma, the two didn’t know how to respond for a moment. It was Henry Reed who finally spoke up: “David, Emily, it’s rare for the kid to be this motivated. I think you should support him. After all, it’s not a bad thing.

The boy may not be good at storytelling, but he’s not bad-looking. For acting, looks come first. Besides, the kid’s an adult now—he should go out and see the world. Even if he doesn’t get picked, it’s no loss for us…”

With the eldest brother’s encouragement, the couple’s thoughts loosened up, and once they made up their minds, they were even more eager than the person involved.

“Alright! Write the letter tonight, and include a few photos. Didn’t you still have some from last time? Mail them out tomorrow.”

“If you can’t play Jia Baoyu, any other role is fine. As long as you get picked, it’ll make us proud.”

“That’s 'Dream of the Red Chamber'!”

“Yes, 'Dream of the Red Chamber'!”

Brian Clark looked at the dinner table, which had quickly become lively, and couldn’t help but feel emotional. Never mind the money—for people of this era, being able to participate in a classic was already a tremendous honor.

Come to think of it, 'Journey to the West' has probably started filming too. If he’d come last year, maybe he could have landed a small role like Little Whirlwind.

Suddenly, he felt a bit sentimental. Although the “Six Studies” had already declined, he would always remember those passionate years, full of energy and blossoming everywhere.

Alas, gone forever.

……

After dinner, night fell, and the alley gradually became lively again.

TVs were still rare, and leisure life was very dull. The men gathered to play chess and chat, the women visited each other, mending clothes and talking about family matters.

The children ran from one end to the other and back again, having fun for no reason at all.

Tonight was a bit stuffy. Brian Clark wiped himself down inside and out with a wet towel, put on a vest and shorts, slipped on his slippers, and wandered into the inner room.

He took out a sheet of letter paper and sat thinking with his pen.

He had watched the 1987 version of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' countless times, including all kinds of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. If he remembered correctly, the 'Dream of the Red Chamber' crew should have set up a preparatory group this February, a scriptwriting group in May, and an advisory committee in August, which included big names like Cao Yu, Shen Congwen, Zhou Ruchang, and Qi Gong.

At this stage, ordinary people were recommending themselves, and at the end of the year, the crew would go to various places to select actors. After much thought, he decided to be a bit high-profile, so he picked up his pen and wrote:

“Respected leaders and teachers:

My name is Brian Clark, I am eighteen years old, and I am a storytelling performer with the Ancheng Quyi Troupe. I have loved reading since childhood, especially classical masterpieces. Upon learning that the crew is selecting actors, I have been filled with thoughts and, after much hesitation, finally mustered the courage to write this letter…”

The content was quite long, mainly expressing two points: first, that he had read 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' and second, that he had some in-depth views on the novel.

Because, as far as he knew, most of the young people selected by the crew hadn’t read the original work. So he had an advantage, plus he was young and good-looking—basically, that was enough.

He folded the letter, found an old photo of the original owner and put it in, and since the glue was finished, he used some rice grains to stick it shut, then pressed on a stamp.

It was a zodiac stamp issued at the beginning of the year, featuring a dark brown chubby pig with a longevity peach on its back, very much in the style of folk paper-cutting. On the left were the words “Year of the Guihai.”

The designer was Han Meilin, whose most famous works are the Fuwa mascots and “Monkey King is Awesome.” Hmm…