House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 113 – The Story of Wuwei Bookstore

“Brother Yang, are you here to record songs again?”

In several commercial buildings in the west square of the main entrance of Jiangzhou Media University, there were many recording studios like WYN. After all, here was Jiangzhou Media University, where there were many talented people. There were often students and teachers who came to record demo and songs. If there was a demand, there would be a market. This was perfectly normal!

However, these recording studios were also a mixed of good and bad, the price was cheap, the recording effect was poor, and the equipment was not complete, while the WYN recording studio that Yang Yi chose was a top-level recording studio with relatively large scale and advanced equipment. Of course, the price was also not cheap!

Yang Yi has been here several times before, and the boss, Wang Canghai, recognized him and immediately come up to greet him.

“Brother Wang, I want to rent the recording studio that I used previously for one day.” Yang Yi nodded to the opposite party and then began to pay, 1,200 yuan. He counted 12 large banknotes and handed them over.

“Rent it for a day? So fierce?” Wang Canghai used to play music, but he couldn’t play up to the standard. He chose to start a business in order to make a living. After he got married and had children, he smoked and drank alcohol. So, now his voice was full of vicissitudes of life.

He also mocked himself that he used to sing soft and lyrical campus folk songs, but now he could only sing rock and roll with his voice. Naturally, he has long given up on the so-called music dream.

Yang Yi smiled and said, “I haven’t come to play for a long time, so why not I enjoy the recording?”

In fact, he also took advantage of Xixi being taken home by Mo Fei to live for a few days, then sneaked out to record the songs he promised to write for Mo Fei. It seemed that he was a little too cautious, but who made him an assassin in his previous life. He could ignore the law, but he couldn’t be careless.

Wang Canghai gave him a thumbs-up, then counted the stack of banknotes, took two of them and pushed them back: “Summer vacation big sale, and you reserved a whole day. 1,000 is enough!”

Yang Yi smiled as if he didn’t mind. Instead of picking it up, he pointed to the back of Wang Canghai and said, “Then change it to tea for me. I want your exclusive tea that soothes the throat!”

With that, Yang Yi directly took the key and went straight to his recording studio.

“Hey, 200 is too much!” Wang Canghai shouted at Yang Yi’s back, but Yang Yi didn’t look back, so he murmured and put it away.

Today’s workload was very heavy. For 10 new songs, Yang Yi not only has to record the soundtrack according to different musical instruments, but also record the demos.

Since Mo Fei knew what his voice was like, Yang Yi had to use professional equipment in the studio to alter the demo, before he could send it to Mo Fei.

So, after entering the recording studio, Yang Yi immediately turned on all kinds of equipment skillfully, and began to bury himself in his work.

…….

Near Liulichang in Beijing, an ordinary-looking old man wearing a felt hat walked into a small bookstore called Wuwei Bookstore[1].

Yes, this bookstore was small in scale. It has a small facade of more than 20 square meters, which can be seen at a glance from the door. Not only was it small, it was probably one of those old bookstores. It didn’t have any gorgeous decoration, nor did it have display shelves. It was crammed full of bookshelves filled with books that a person would have a hard time moving around.

Of course, there were only books in it!

The old man in a felt hat walked in and habitually looked up at the wall hanging behind the cash register. There were also some age-old plaques: “There are all kinds of people in the world, and have mixed feelings.”

This was the origin of the name of the bookstore. The old man has seen it countless times, but each time, he couldn’t help admiring it. Of course, the calligraphy of the line on the plaque was also a work of his own!

“Old Chen, you’re here?” A middle-aged man was taking care of the bookstore today. When he saw the old man, he greeted him respectfully.

“And your father?” The old man, known as Old Chen, nodded slightly and asked.

“He wasn’t feeling well the other day. I asked my wife to take him to the hospital.” The middle-age man didn’t stop his work. While sweeping the dust on the bookshelf with a feather duster, he said with a smile, “But it’s no big deal. it’s just that the old man had an upset stomach.”

Old Chen nodded, relieved, then picked up a book and flipped through it and asked casually, “Are there any good books recently?”

In the past, when he came, the old shopkeeper recommended books to him. The old shopkeeper was also a book-loving person. He ran his own shop, but he was always never without a book in his hand and was always happy to recommend his favorite books to his guests.

Old Chen liked such old bookstores. If they were like big state-owned bookstores and some chain bookstores, they only cared about selling expensive books for profit, or the clerks were cold. He didn’t want to go to that kind of bookstore!

“You ask the right person!” The middle-aged man laughed and said, “Recently, there are two best-selling books that are very good. Just a moment, I’ll get them for you!”

Old Chen frowned and said unhappily, “What I want are good books. What are you doing getting me the bestsellers?”

The middle-aged man poked his head out from the other side of the bookshelf and said with a smile, “Old Chen, relax. You think I still don’t know your habits? Of course, the books I recommend to you must be good books!”

With that, he brought two books over. Old Chen took it and looked at it. One was called “Soldier Assault,” and the other was “Drawing Sword.”

The middle-aged man explained, “Old Chen, don’t belittle these two books. They are very popular with young people and have high sales. However, the author wrote quite well, both the story and the writing are first-class. My father read these two books and forgot to eat and sleep, which made his stomach uncomfortable.”

“Ha ha, of course, I don’t mean to recommend these two books to you so that you, too, will have an upset stomach.” The middle-aged man himself found the fault in what he just said and laughed.

The old shopkeeper also liked these two books?

Old Chen became interested. He took the two books and went straight to the cashier’s desk. Dove occupied the magpie’s nest[2]. He placed one on the table, while looking through the other one.

The middle-aged man looked at Chen’s casual appearance and laughed silently. He shook his head, stopped paying attention to him, and continued to sweep the dust with the feather duster.

There was indeed no other place to sit in the shore, but with Old Chen’s status, the middle-aged man didn’t think that the other party will do anything bad.

It was unknown how long it has passed. It was almost noon and his stomach was hungry. Old Chen reluctantly put away “Drawing Sword” and stood up.

The middle-aged man had just stood at the door to smoke. When he saw the movement, hurriedly pinched the cigarette and came back.

“I’ll buy these two books! Your recommendation is good. You have 70% or 80% of your father’s skills.” Old Chen gave a rare compliment.

The middle-age man quickly gave the change and said with a smile, “Old Chen, is your next TV series about the story of these two books?”

It turned out that this Old Chen was Professor Chen Fengchen of the Beijing Theater Academy, and he was also a famous TV drama director. Almost every year, CCTV broadcasts his TV dramas. He was a prolific but demanding director.

Of course, there were many people who write screenplays for Old Chen, but Old Chen himself would also dig out some excellent works to adapt them into TV dramas. In the past, the old shopkeeper recommended a buried good book to Old Chen. As a result, Old Chen asked someone to buy the copyright. After shooting, it became CCTV’s opening drama the next year!

Although this allusion was not known to outsiders, the old shopkeeper still enjoyed talking about it at home.

Old Chen, in a serious expression, glanced at the middle-aged man and said, “Who knows?”

The middle-aged man knew Old Chen likes to keep secret. He laughed and said, “Ha ha, I still want to look forward to it. To be honest, I really hope to see Li Yunlong on TV!”

[1] Wuwei – is translated as Five Flavor or Mixed Feelings. So, the store could also be called as Five Flavors Bookstore.

[2] Dove occupied the magpie’s nest is a Chinese idiom that means occupy other people’s residences. More explanation on the comment area.