Hurrying slowly, Ning Weimin finally failed to arrive in the capital in time to reunite with Matsumoto Keiko, and missed it again.
Even if he already has a net worth of hundreds of millions, it is useless to finally be willing to spend money to fly business class this time when he comes back.
Not for anything else, just because things have changed beyond expectations.
Due to some personnel arrangements problems at the Beijing studio, the location in Beijing has not been properly contacted, which conflicts with the needs of the "The Last Emperor" crew.
So the Nanxiang film crew, with Keiko Matsumoto as the main protagonist, encountered the dilemma of being unable to work.
If the actors and the location cannot cooperate in any aspect, the filming task will naturally not proceed.
Coupled with the government leaders of Shanghai and people from the film and television industry there, many cultural celebrities attach great importance to this co-production film.
All parties have already issued official invitations countless times, hoping that Matsumoto Keiko herself and the "Li Xianglan" crew headed by Yoshitaro Nomura can arrive in Shanghai as soon as possible to enhance exchanges with people in the film, television and cultural circles.
After discussing with director Yoshitaro Nomura, Matsumoto Keiko felt that the best way at present was to put the drama in Beijing on hold for a while and go to Shanghai to film first.
Then we turned around and came back to continue filming the scenes in the capital.
In this way, soon the entire southbound film crew packed up their things and chartered a flight to Shanghai again.
So at 7:40 in the evening on July 26, 1986, when Ning Weimin finally set foot on the land of his motherland in the dim sky and appeared in the airport hall of the capital, he was very surprised. No coincidence.
His lover has already left the capital.
At this moment, Matsumoto Keiko was at the Peace Hotel on the bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, accepting warm hospitality from celebrities from all walks of life in Shanghai, and feeling the infinite beauty of the reception banquet with stars holding the moon.
That night, she attended the dinner in a bright red dress and blinded the eyes of all the men in the room.
Both reporters and guests were attracted by her graceful and radiant image. I am afraid that when Li Xianglan was at her most prosperous in Shanghai, she was just like this.
Among them, many of Keiko Matsumoto’s old friends in Shanghai came.
Movie star Wang Xingang praised Matsumoto Keiko’s beauty with the words, “As time flies, beauty is as beautiful as ever.”
Although Chen Yifei, a painter who has returned from the United States and has become famous overseas, met Matsumoto Keiko for the first time, he is actually a fan of hers and has long admired her.
I also presented a personal painting of Keiko Matsumoto in front of everyone, and I was very excited and happy.
We all have to admit that the city of Shanghai's attitude towards overseas filmmakers is indeed more enthusiastic and positive than that of Beijing.
After all, the capital at this time was still slightly conservative and only cared about political security and policy direction issues.
Even if it is welcome and love, I dare not show it without any scruples.
Huhai, on the other hand, had fewer worries and tried its best to show its hospitality.
No wonder Matsumoto Keiko feels that Shanghai seems to be a more comfortable place to stay than the capital, and it feels much more comfortable intuitively.
But for Ning Weimin, the feeling of facing the two cities is exactly the opposite.
Because home is home.
Even if he is an orphan, even if he comes back alone this time.
But he has grown up here since he was a child, and has lived under the Qianmen building his whole life.
The smell, sound, temperature, and light of the capital have long been engraved in his memory and deeply rooted in his bone marrow.
As soon as his feet set foot on the land of the capital, he felt refreshed and comfortable.
This may be influenced by inner hints, but more importantly, it is because of the customs and customs that I am accustomed to.
As the old saying goes, a place’s climate nourishes its people.
In this world, only home can give people the most real sense of belonging.
It is an indescribable emotion that makes people feel warm and reassured.
No matter how good the other place is, if it is not home, it will not have this effect.
Of course, it is also because home is something that everyone keeps in mind, just like the faces of their parents, they are very clear and will never be out of shape.
No matter what kind of changes there are in the capital, they cannot escape Ning Weimin's eyes.
Although it was only half a year later, Ning Weimin still noticed the acceleration of the development of the capital when he came back this time.
If nothing else, the lighting is very different from the past.
When the plane landed, the lights on the ground poured into the portholes and flickered.
Ning Weimin was really surprised. He found that the Capital Airport had turned into an enlarged football field with lights.
Although no new terminal has been opened yet, the sight of the flood of lights is enough to make people excited and feel the obvious progress of the city's power infrastructure.
You must know that before this, the night in Beijing was very dark.
Not to mention the lack of street lights and insufficient wattage, even important transportation hubs such as train stations and airports have dim lights.
Moreover, due to insufficient power generation, power is always cut off to protect the industry. It is common for ordinary people to catch up two or three times a week.
So every household has to prepare white wax, and there is nothing strange about ordinary people’s children doing their homework under candles.
The only thing people are most reluctant to do is encounter a power outage during the viewing time of TV series, but other than that, it’s okay.
But now the Capital Airport can use lights so extravagantly, which is enough to prove the success of reform and opening up.
It shows that Beijing is about to break away from the shackles of electricity and is about to fully enter the era of electrification.
Objectively speaking, although this is only equivalent to Japan's development level in the 1960s, it is still a remarkable achievement after all.
And when Ning Weimin took out his luggage, he quickly walked out of the airport gate first and met up with Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao who had come to pick him up at the airport.
An unexpected surprise appeared for him.
Because this time they don’t have to worry about finding a taxi.
Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao actually listened to Ning Weimin and obtained their driving licenses by driving a car.
And they were driving their own cars.
Although their car is surprisingly small, smaller than the MINI Cooper, with a displacement of only 0.65.
It looks just like the electric cars commonly known as "Old Man Le" that will be everywhere on the streets twenty years later.
It is indeed a serious four-seater car that burns fuel.
Luo Guangliang took the initiative to help put away Ning Weimin's two pieces of luggage. One opened the front cover and stuffed it into the trunk, and the other was placed on the roof shelf.
Just seeing Ning Weimin staring at the car back and forth, he was a little embarrassed and very humble.
"Weimin, I made you laugh. Our car definitely can't compare with the ones you've driven. It almost looks like a toy, right? But the key is that it's cheap, only more than 9,000 yuan. . ”
But Xiao Tao didn’t feel embarrassed about the car. Instead, he was as proud as if he owned a private jet.
He was sitting in the driver's seat, showing off rather playfully.
“Welcome, welcome, warm welcome, welcome Brother Ning to come back to China again. How about I scare you? Brother Ning, thanks to you for persuading me and my third brother to learn driving skills. Now we can learn so much. Yes, we have become people who ride small cars. This is the first car that our brothers bought in Beijing. It is called Fiat 126P. It is a serious Italian product. It is also commonly known as "Little Potato". The manager’s connections got us..."
"Okay, you kid, stop talking nonsense and drive quickly. What an Italian product, but you still confused Brother Ning. Weimin, don't listen to him, it's just a Polish product." Luo Guangliang opened the door. He didn't like Xiao Tao being like this. He was teasing with a smooth tongue, knowing that Ning Weimin was tired, and was afraid that Xiao Tao would upset him.
But to be honest, Ning Weimin didn't feel any resentment in his heart. In addition to hearing the friendly tone of the market, he also felt unspeakable feelings about the ironing.
There is no doubt that making people around him better is one of the values of his existence, and it also gives him a sense of accomplishment.
So not only did he not mind Xiao Tao's exaggerated words, he was quite excited after getting in the car. He kept asking Xiao Tao about the performance of the car. The two of them had a lively chat, and they were very close.
Not to mention, Xiao Tao's driving skills are nothing to mention. He drives a car quite skillfully.
As soon as I hit the gas pedal, I drove onto the newly completed airport expressway.
You can’t tell he is a novice at all, but he looks like an experienced driver.
At the same time, in order to adjust the atmosphere in the car, he also turned on the radio in the car.
It was also a coincidence that at this moment, the radio that was turned on happened to be playing a song with a beautiful melody and a familiar male and female duet song.
"I am stepping on unchanging steps to accommodate your arrival. When you are in panic and hesitation, please follow me..."
"I bring dreamy expectations and uncontrollable feelings to you. When you are not paying attention, please follow me..."
Who can believe it?
It’s actually the episode “Please Follow Me” from the movie “The Wrong Ride”!
Whether it is the title of the movie or the song, it is particularly appropriate for the occasion.
The three people in the car were stunned for a moment, and then burst into hearty laughter.
It must be said that this kind of coincidence in life is itself a humorous joke.
At this point, Ning Weimin looked at the brand new highway outside the window and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Our capital is changing so fast. It's really different."
"You mean this highway, right? What the hell is this! Just wait for you to rest I'll take you around for two days. I remember that it snowed heavily when you came back before the Spring Festival last time, so you didn't go anywhere much, right?"
"It seems so."
"Don't we have a car now? There is no inconvenience anymore. Wherever you want to go, just say it. I, Xiao Tao, am always at your disposal. In your During my stay in the capital, I will be your full-time driver.”
“Thank you very much, but I don’t really have anywhere to go, it’s just the company—home, at most. Let’s go to the Temple of Heaven Park again. So I’ve agreed, you should go about your business freely and don’t worry about me.” It's cool. I'm telling you, I've traveled thousands of kilometers without any accidents. Besides, there are a lot of new things coming out of our capital now, like the ones you mentioned. 'Disco', it seems to be called Zhu... Juliana's, specializing in foreigners. And over at Longtan Lake, I heard that the first Sino-Japanese joint venture amusement park is about to open. You have to stay at home. I'm tired of it. Don't you want to go and have a look? Let me tell you, the capital is changing every day. If you stay at home for months without going out, you may be left behind..."
Xiao Tao He drove the car onto the highway and started accelerating, as if to show the flatness of the highway and to show off his driving skills.
This white Fiat 126P was like an arrow, heading straight for the East Third Ring Road.
I dragged three old men with two large luggages and ran to more than 80 miles without any effort at all.
As soon as the car arrived at the East Third Ring Road, Ning Weimin felt that Xiao Tao, who had always liked to exaggerate and brag, did not exaggerate this time.
The Third Ring Road is like a big construction site, not to mention the roads and viaducts under construction.
After passing through the Third Ring Road and entering the East Second Ring Road, with Jianguomen Bridge as the center, various construction sites to be built and under construction are endless, and it seems that construction is starting everywhere.
Based on the impressions in his memory, Ning Weimin knew that these were high-end office buildings and hotels in the future.
What was even more unexpected was that Xiao Tao changed the route halfway and actually drove the car to Di'anmen on his own initiative, claiming that he would meet Ning Weimin at a newly opened large restaurant. .
“Wait a minute, the place you want to take me to, it won’t be... it won’t be Mingzhu Seafood, right?”
Ning Weimin had an idea flash in his mind, and suddenly he thought of it Got this answer.
Unexpectedly, he guessed it right. Both Xiao Tao and Luo Guangliang were so surprised that they spoke almost at the same time.
One said, "What? You have been abroad and you actually know this place?"
The other said, "Yes, they just opened their store not long ago. Brother Ning, you would never tell me that this store Has his fame spread to Japan?”
You know, of course you know, why don’t you know?
Ning Weimin knew this restaurant for no other reason.
Just because this store is too dark, it is the first of the famous "three swords and one ax" in Beijing.
It is well known to everyone in the capital that it was one of the four most expensive restaurants in the capital in the 1980s and 1990s.
These four restaurants are Mingzhu Seafood east of Di’anmen, Da Sanyuan Restaurant next to Jingshan, Fei Niu Hotpot north of the former Oriental Hotel on Luomashi Street, and Xinjiekou Huokou Yamaka Restaurant.
Beijing people are humorous. Instead of directly saying that the prices of these four restaurants are high, they use metaphors of knives and axes.
It means that if you go to eat there, you will be brutally beaten, and you will have to spend a lot of money. It is like cutting flesh on your body.
As for why the first cut must be Mingzhu Seafood?
Mainly because in this day and age, eating seafood is something that you can’t be more awesome about.
The boss of Mingzhu Seafood is a Hong Kong native named Zhang Wanhong.
His greatest contribution to Beijing’s catering is to bring the Hong Kong catering service model to Mingzhu Seafood.
Everyone who has been here knows that in the days when state-owned restaurants were still the mainstay, it was considered good to eat without being scolded by the waiters.
The characteristics of Mingzhu Seafood's service are that it proactively lights cigarettes and pours wine for guests and serves them with a smile. These three points are enough to make customers happy.
In addition, six or seven authentic Cantonese chefs produced authentic tastes, which was in great contrast to the restaurants in the capital at that time.
As a result, it became an instant hit after its opening and became famous in the capital.
But the problem is that Ning Weimin is not someone who has never seen seafood. This is what he eats the most in Japan.
The so-called good service, can this Mingzhu Seafood have as good a service as the Japanese?
Why would he come here to be taken advantage of, so he stopped him immediately.
"Xiao Tao, I accept your kindness. It's really unnecessary. I know for sure that the owner of this store belongs to Sun Erniang, so he just chops people into meat-filled buns. Killing people, killing them very hard. Let’s forget it and don’t fall for his deception. Let’s eat somewhere else.”
I don’t know that Xiao Tao is pretty decent, “No, no, Brother Ning, don’t save it for me.” I didn’t tell you the good news. Our tricycle business was very profitable. Thanks to your blessing, my third brother and I made a fortune. It’s just a meal. No matter how expensive it is, we can’t afford it. Anyway, I won’t let you spend money.”
Look at what he said, this guy is really shocked. Ning Weimin is angry and funny,
“Why, you have to let me. You made it clear, right? As the saying goes, you can’t do anything without doing anything. If you want to treat me, you have to be happy, right? I’m telling you, I’m tired of eating seafood in Japan now. I just want to have a taste of the capital and some home-cooked food. If you really think about me, just listen to me. Take me to the bathhouse first, and then we go to Uncle Kang’s big wine tank for a bowl of noodles. Better than anything else. Why take advantage of outsiders and suffer the consequences? No matter how easy it is for you to make money, there is no point in going out, right? "
Don't say this. The words worked.
Xiao Tao also thought about it, and San Sanran felt a little embarrassed.
However, just when he knew his mistakes and corrected them, Luo Guangliang, a more practical master than him, also intervened, which made Ning Weimin's face burn.
"Hey, isn't it? Weimin, didn't you say 'four swords and one axe'? Why did you say 'three swords and one axe'?"
"Huh? Four swords An ax? This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Third brother, why don’t you tell me which one I pulled?”
“Okay, this is a knife. It’s your Tan Gong Restaurant, this second knife, and it’s the turn of Mingzhu Seafood, this..."
Hey! Just say, is it superfluous to ask this question?
God knows how much Ning Weimin hated his own mouth! (End of this chapter)