Reborn in 1977

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fan explained, "Ba Lao called. CCTV contacted him, wanting to invite me to record the Spring Festival Gala and broadcast it on New Year's Eve, as a New Year's Eve feast for the people. But I refused."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. "If it were like the Jiangnan literary and art circles, recording before the Little New Year, I could go and join in the fun. But their recording time is the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month. It's almost New Year's, and it's fine for the actors in the capital, but I'm in Jiangnan Province. Even if I take a plane, it'll take two days for a round trip. I don't have the time to go there to perform."

As everyone knows, CCTV's first Spring Festival Gala was in 1983. Actually, strictly speaking, that can't be considered the "first." If you have to count it, you must add a qualifier in front: "live"!

The 1983 Spring Festival Gala was the first live televised Spring Festival Gala.

And the first televised Spring Festival Gala was in 1979 during the Spring Festival.

Going further, when was the first Spring Festival Gala?

Answer: The 1956 Spring Festival Grand Gathering.

That year's Spring Festival Gala was China's earliest Spring Festival Gala.

This Spring Festival Grand Gathering event was organized by second-rate newspapers and Xinhua News Agency, and recorded by the Newsreel Film Studio, the same unit that recorded major national events. Then, on New Year's Eve, it was broadcast through the then-Beijing Television channel.

The participating guests included Lao She, Ba Jin, Zhou Libo, Mei Lanfang, Qian Xuesen, Hua Luogeng, and dozens of other well-known figures from all walks of life.

To be honest, with Chen Fan's current status and achievements, whether he could get in and find a place to sit is a very real question!

At that time, there was no such thing as a host; they were uniformly called reporters. Among them, the male reporter was Guo Zhenqing, a household name from the older generation. His role as "Double Gun Li Xiangyang" in the film *Guerrilla on the Plain* was a sensation, even more popular than today's Nezha.

Who were the performers?

Mei Lanfang, Zhou Xinfang, Guo Lanying, Xu Yulan, Wang Wenjuan, Fan Ruijuan, Lü Ruiying, Xin Fengxia, Bai Yang, Zhao Dan... basically, they were all performing artists.

Hou Baolin and Guo Qiru's crosstalk performance was unremarkable.

Combat heroes appearing on the Spring Festival Gala also started in that year.

It's just that when this grand gala was broadcast on New Year's Eve, very few families across the country had televisions, and even families with radios were rare.

As a result, more people "listened" to this gala through radios.

Therefore, this first Spring Festival Gala of New China was also known as the Spring Festival Gala in the "speaker."

Next was the gala in 1979, more than twenty years later.

That year's gala was also very grand, named "Welcoming the New Spring Literary and Art Gala." The directors were Deng Zaijun and Yang Jie, yes, the same female comrade who later filmed *Journey to the West*.

The photographer was Wang Chongqiu, who was also Yang Jie's husband.

Before the Spring Festival Gala's gold content declined, there was always a song that became a hit, and it started from this Spring Festival Gala.

And the song that became popular was Li Guangxi's *Toast Song*.

In 1979, almost all celebrations had the sound of this song. ... Absurdly, some rural areas even played *Toast Song* at funerals, not knowing what they were toasting to.

Chen Fan recalled this Spring Festival Gala, thinking that there should be two songs that will become popular this year.

Then he heard Jiang Lili say, "You refused Ba Lao's invitation?"

Although it was Ba Lao relaying CCTV's intention, what was the difference between Ba Lao personally calling and inviting him?

Chen Fan raised his head and saw the two sisters staring wide-eyed, looking shocked.

He couldn't help but chuckle, "Ba Lao won't eat people, why can't I refuse?"

The two sisters looked at each other, the shock not disappearing, but adding a bit of speechlessness.

Xiao Fan wasn't such an unsociable person before, was he?

That's Ba Lao!

Seeing their expressions, Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you. Just now, I told Ba Lao that I wanted to go home for the New Year, and there wasn't enough time. Ba Lao also expressed his understanding. He also suggested that I authorize CCTV to arrange for singers from the China Musicians Association to perform, and I agreed. He won't have any objections."

Hearing this, the two sisters breathed a long sigh of relief. Jiang Lili pouted, glaring at Chen Fan for the first time, "You didn't say so earlier, you scared me to death."

Chen Fan understood their feelings. It had nothing to do with whether there would be retaliation or anything like that; Ba Lao wasn't that kind of person. How to describe this feeling? It's a bit like a hardcore fan suddenly offending their idol. No matter what the idol's attitude is, they themselves will be very worried.

Having confirmed that everything was okay, the two sisters went back to the kitchen to busy themselves.

Chen Fan picked up his teacup, took a sip, leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and squinted his eyes, wondering whether CCTV would use this song to promote a new talent or give it to a famous singer?

… …

Time passed day by day. In the blink of an eye, a week passed, and Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian were about to start their final exams.

January 15th, Monday, the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Chen Fan got up early this day and personally... went out to buy breakfast and brought it back.

The two sisters had also gotten up early, lit the fireplace in the living room, and were studying hard with their books beside them.

Chen Fan came in carrying the basket of breakfast. Seeing their appearance, he was a little speechless, "Cramming at the last minute?"

Jiang Lili put down her book and immediately got up to help, smiling at the same time, "It's okay, I've memorized the knowledge points in the textbook, but I'm a bit nervous and want to take another look."

Jiang Tiantian also followed closely behind. After her younger sister took the basket and put it on the dining table, they both took out the breakfast together.

Chen Fan plopped down on a chair, first drank a mouthful of hot water, and then smiled, "Today, you can eat or not eat anything else, but each of you must finish one fried dough stick and two eggs."

Jiang Tiantian sat across from him, her face both speechless and amused, "Are you treating us like elementary school students?"

Jiang Lili peeled an egg and handed it to her, giggling, "Then will you eat it or not?"

Jiang Tiantian took it and took a light bite, "I'll eat it."

Chen Fan looked at the giggling sisters and then at Jiang Lili, who had placed a bowl of red oil beef noodles and glutinous rice cakes in front of him, and smiled at her, "Do you remember what day it is today?"

Jiang Lili was holding a fried dough stick, about to take a bite. Hearing this, she immediately stopped, looked at him, and blinked, "What day is it?"

Chen Fan took out the jade pendant of a puppy with a red string from his pocket, but didn't unfold it. Instead, he held it in his hand and extended it to her, "Open your hand."

Jiang Lili looked at him, then turned to look at her sister. Suddenly, she realized and exclaimed excitedly, "Ah, today is my birthday!"

Then she stretched out her palm under Chen Fan's fist, "Is it a birthday present for me?"

Chen Fan smiled and released his hand. The jade sculpture fell into her palm, and it was surprisingly similar in color to her palm.

Jiang Lili carefully held the puppy, bringing it close to her face, her eyes sparkling, "What a beautiful puppy."

Seeing this, Chen Fan was very satisfied.

This is what a 19-year-old girl should be like. Look at her usual self, always buried in studying or bending over doing chores, not even going shopping. Only now does she have a bit of a girlish air.

Jiang Lili looked at it for a while, until she heard her sister say from the side, "You've already got the gift, you can look at it slowly later. Breakfast will get cold if you don't eat it."

Only then did she react, carefully lifting the red string and putting it around her neck, tucking it inside her thermal underwear before breathing a sigh of relief.

Picking up a fried dough stick and preparing to take a bite, she suddenly thought of something and abruptly turned to look at her sister, "Sis, last week was your birthday, right?"

As she spoke, she wrinkled her nose, "I'm sorry, Sis, I forgot."

Jiang Tiantian deliberately wrinkled her nose at her, "You only remember Xiaofan's birthday, not to mention mine, you almost forgot Mom and Dad's birthdays too."

Chen Fan laughed from the side, "She didn't even remember her own birthday just now."

Jiang Lili turned her face, just about to speak, when she saw Chen Fan's smiling face, her eyes suddenly lit up, "You didn't forget my sister's birthday, did you?"

Before Chen Fan could speak, Jiang Tiantian took out her little sheep, gently shook it, and smiled, "It's the same as yours."

Jiang Lili immediately giggled, "Xiaofan gave it, so it's the same as me giving it, so Sis, you can't say I forgot."

Jiang Tiantian helplessly glared at her, "You're only good for this."

After laughing and joking while eating breakfast, Chen Fan drove them to school.

Then he turned the car around and went to the Number One Department Store.

The ingredients at home were insufficient, so he had to buy a batch to bring back.

But he didn't need to buy too much. Once they finished their final exams, they could start their winter vacation and fly back to Jiangnan Province.

It was just that he still had to stay in the provincial capital for two days, but it didn't matter, it was a good opportunity to let them see his new dormitory.

Chen Fan walked around the Number One Department Store, carrying large and small bags onto the car, and returned home.

Shanghai had not snowed recently, and the weather was not bad. The previous snow had already melted, and the journey home was smooth.

Before the car even reached the entrance, he saw two people standing at the gate of the courtyard, with several suitcases beside them.

Chen Fan took a closer look and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, accelerating to drive over.

Before the car even stopped, Zhou Yali pulled down her scarf, revealing her face, and shouted at him, "Old bro, where did you go? You're not staying at home, not a shut-in at all."

She invented the word "shut-in". Because Chen Fan said last time that she didn't go out shopping after arriving in Shanghai, except for visiting Father Ba, she stayed at home all day long, a veritable shut-in.

Then Zhou Yali retorted that he was a shut-in.

Chen Fan parked the car facing the courtyard door, without getting out, took out the key and handed it over, "Quick, open the door."

Zhou Yali pouted, but didn't say anything, took the key and went to open the door.

Chen Fan turned to look at Zhou Zhengdong, who was chuckling beside him, "Uncle, where did you come from? Why did you arrive at this time?"

This time was neither early nor late, it was 10 a.m. If they came from the capital, it would either be noon or afternoon, the time didn't match.

Zhou Zhengdong pulled up his scarf and said, "We flew from Hong Kong to Guangzhou last night, and then from Guangzhou to Shanghai early this morning."

As he spoke, he stomped his feet, "Shanghai is much colder than Guangzhou and Hong Kong."

Chen Fan laughed, "Shanghai is at a higher latitude and close to the sea, so it must be cold. It can't compare to the temperature in the south."

Not to mention the south, in terms of perceived temperature, the Yangtze River Delta is not as good as inland areas at the same latitude. This is also the earliest area in the 'south' to spontaneously build residential heating.

At this time, Zhou Yali had already opened the lock. While pushing the door, she said, "Old bro, your door is too heavy, and you have to get out of the car to open the door every time you come back, it's not convenient at all."

Chen Fan lightly stepped on the clutch, passed in front of her, and asked, "Then what do you say we should do?"

Zhou Yali puffed out white air, picked up a suitcase with one hand, followed him inside, and said, "Install an automatic door. America had electric automatic doors in the 1960s. I'll have Mommy send one over later."

Chen Fan parked the car, picked up the things he had just bought, and quickly went to open the gate. Hearing her words, he couldn't help but say, "It's just an automatic door, it's not very complicated. I'll have the Yunhu Machinery Factory make one, there's no need to send it from America."

He couldn't help but complain in his heart, this girl is worthy of being from a wealthy family, she really doesn't treat US dollars as money.

But this reminded him.

Automatic doors are a good thing. Convenience is secondary. The main thing is that with the arrival of reform and opening up, more and more units are beginning to value face-saving projects. A door that can open and close automatically can make the common people, who haven't seen much of the world these years, think highly of them.

And this thing is indeed very simple technically. It doesn't need remote control, just install a control button in the guard room... Of course, remote control is more high-end. Infrared remote control technology was invented as early as 1936. It is very common abroad. Chen Fan doesn't know the specific year it was introduced to China.

But this doesn't have much impact, he'll just have Zhou Yali pay attention to it later.

At this moment, Chen Fan was marveling at the good fortune of the Yunhu Machinery Factory.

If he hadn't chosen that file and gotten involved with the Yunhu Machinery Factory, how could they have picked up so many cheap deals? One Yunhu Automobile Factory is enough to make many peers envious, as well as the Yunhu Household Appliances Company, and the original Yunhu Machinery Factory.

All kinds of products, those are all huge profits!

When the wave of state-owned enterprise restructuring rises across the country after 1993, it wouldn't be right if they didn't give him a few percentage points of shares!

How many percentage points would there be?

Chen Fan was a little expectant.

Carrying things inside, Zhou Yali immediately dropped her suitcase and ran towards the two little monkeys that were lying not far from the fireplace, warming themselves, "Ah, little darlings, I missed you so much!"

The two golden monkeys were innocently grabbed and changed their posture to lie down.

Chen Fan had no choice but to throw the things he bought aside and carry her suitcase upstairs.

Coming down a while later, Zhou Zhengdong had already put his luggage in the guest room on the first floor, changed his clothes, and made a cup of tea, sitting on the rocking chair next to the fireplace, humming comfortably.

Chen Fan looked at these two father and daughter and felt that their impression was completely different from when he first met them.

Back then, they were social elites and ladies of noble families, what are they now?

He complained in his heart, pulled a chair over and sat down, and asked, "You came back from Hong Kong, have you completed the preparations over there?"