radicalducati Chapter 7 Finding a Venue
Chapter 7 Finding a Venue
Zigong Railway Station wasn't large, and Lin Ruiyang quickly followed the flow of people out.
It's similar to the old-fashioned train station I remember from my previous life; the first impression is that it's old, the kind of old that has been worn down by time.
The plaza in front of the station was dusty and grimy, with a few motorcycle taxis and bread carts parked on the side. The drivers were shouting to attract customers as they approached the crowds coming out of the station.
He ignored it, just stood there and looked around before slowly walking away.
The air outside was damp, but also felt a bit stuffy, and seemed to have a slight smell of coal ash mixed in.
He didn't stay long. After leaving the station, he took out a piece of paper at a quiet intersection and hailed a motorcycle taxi.
"Get to this position."
The driver glanced at it and waved, saying, "Get in the car."
Lin Ruiyang didn't have much interaction with the driver along the way; the motorcycle ride was truly bumpy all the way into the city.
The streets in the city weren't very wide, lined with low shops on both sides. The signs looked old, and some were even handwritten. Video arcades, VCD shops, and internet cafes were crammed together densely.
These things, which have gradually disappeared in Yanjing, are still very vibrant here.
About twenty minutes later, the motorcycle stopped at the entrance of an alley. Better than expected, I wasn't overcharged; the price was normal.
After getting out of the car, Lin Ruiyang walked into the alley. The further he went in, the quieter it became, like the prelude to a horror movie.
He carefully examined every house he passed, comparing it with the planned site conditions, especially the unique sense of space under the fixed camera position.
After looking at several courtyards, he felt that they were either too small, had a messy structure, or had been renovated, none of which met his requirements.
What is needed for "Condolences" is a semi-enclosed courtyard that allows people to enter and move around, but where the line of sight can be controlled.
He stopped at the door of the next house and peeked inside.
"What are you looking at?"
An old woman's voice came from inside.
Lin Ruiyang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Grandma, I'm a film student, and we're looking for a suitable old courtyard to complete our assignment."
The other person stared at him for two seconds, their eyes filled with wariness.
"What are you going to film?"
Before Lin Ruiyang could answer, the old lady closed the door a little further inside. Her attitude was clear: she didn't welcome strangers.
With a sigh, he had no choice but to turn around and leave, continuing his search.
He looked at a few more places, and one of them had a nice courtyard layout and the lighting seemed suitable. But when he asked about the price, the landlord was very direct:
"We have a lot of people living in our house. If students like you come to film, we should pay you at least 500 a day."
Lin Ruiyang didn't pursue the matter further; the price was far beyond the production team's budget. And this didn't even include hidden costs such as communicating and coordinating with local residents.
He stood at the alley entrance, his legs showing signs of giving out. This is reality: it's not about whether there's a suitable location, but whether there's a suitable place for the film crew.
He took out his notebook, marked the addresses he had looked at, and then drew a big X on each one.
After finishing his recording, he paused, a sense of frustration creeping in: if things continued like this, the entire short film's production schedule would have to be put on hold.
Composing himself, Lin Ruiyang prepared to leave the alley. Just as he was about to step out, the old man lying in front of the first house spoke:
"Little one, the kind of houses you're talking about are hard to find. These days, they're either demolished or renovated. It's not easy to find one like that."
The old man said it casually, but Lin Ruiyang's eyes lit up after hearing it.
Either they've been demolished or modified, so are there still some that need to be demolished?
"Grandpa, could you please tell me if there are any areas around here that are slated for demolition?"
The old man thought for a moment, then pointed and said, "The area over there by the river is going to be moved, I heard from the people in the team."
Lin Ruiyang looked in the direction he pointed, and could vaguely see a cluster of low houses in the distance.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
Without further hesitation, he rushed over there.
After many twists and turns, it took almost half an hour to arrive. One wrong turn and we were lost.
The river water here is quite murky and flows very slowly.
The opposite bank is a noticeably older area, with low and densely packed houses, some of which have collapsed corners of their roofs.
There was a crooked sign standing by the roadside that read "Area to be demolished".
Lin Ruiyang stood on this side of the bridge for a while, but did not go over immediately.
From a distance, this place met many of the standards, and was even more suitable than he had expected.
The space is open, with houses enclosed together and an open area in the middle. This semi-enclosed structure frames the view at a glance.
The image of "Condolences" in my mind seemed to overlap with the scene before my eyes.
But he also knew very well that such places didn't like outsiders causing trouble. Without a stable place to settle down, no one wanted to cause any trouble.
The bridge wasn't long; it only took a few steps to reach the other side.
As soon as you enter the alley, you can clearly feel that the atmosphere is different. There aren't many people here, but every pair of eyes looking over is full of scrutiny.
Unlike the old town we just visited, this place feels more "raw," especially since it naturally carries an air of something that doesn't belong here.
Lin Ruiyang didn't look around; he continued to peek out from house to house as before.
The first house had its gate open; the courtyard inside wasn't large, but the structure was fairly intact.
He stood in the doorway and politely asked, "Is anyone home?"
Footsteps came from inside the house, and a middle-aged woman came out.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Ruiyang briefly explained his purpose for coming.
After listening, the other person's expression didn't change much, and they quickly shook their head:
"No, that won't do. It's too chaotic here. If anything happens to you students here, we can't take the responsibility."
The tone wasn't harsh, but it was decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Okay, thank you."
The second one.
The door was closed, and he peeked inside.
Someone inside responded, but after hearing the purpose of the visit, they only said, "It's not convenient for us here. Go ask somewhere else."
The third one.
This courtyard is a bit larger.
This time, the other party didn't even let him finish speaking before waving his hand in refusal: "What are you kids filming for? Don't bother us."
His tone was already a bit impatient.
Lin Ruiyang stood still, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.
He clearly felt that things were more difficult here than they had been before, not just because of money, but because no one wanted to get into trouble.
He continued walking, and the further he went, the narrower the path became. In some places, it wasn't even a proper road, just a dirt path worn into the ground by people.
The houses deeper inside are getting older and older, with peeling exterior walls, crooked wooden doors, and some even have temporary sheds erected on them.
He mentally assessed the situation of the house: too fragmented a space wouldn't do, too many dark corners wouldn't do...
Lin Ruiyang stopped walking ahead, as he had almost reached the end of the road.
At the very back there is a wall, and next to the wall is a neighboring house.
The gate was half open, and the yard wasn't very big, but it was surprisingly tidy compared to other people's houses.
They didn't put too much clutter there, leaving a relatively clean open space in the middle.
Lin Ruiyang stood in front of the door for a while and felt that this place was worth a try.
A man in his thirties wearing an old T-shirt came out; he didn't look like a local resident.
He looked Lin Ruiyang up and down: "What are you doing at my doorstep?"
Lin Ruiyang repeated his previous explanation.
After he finished speaking, he did not immediately add anything, but waited for the other party's reaction.
The man didn't answer immediately, but turned to the side and glanced into the yard, as if he was thinking about something.
After nearly half a minute, he finally spoke: "How many days are you going to film?"
Lin Ruiyang's heart skipped a beat; the other party had not refused.
"At most five days."
The man paused for a moment, then said, "Why don't you come in and take a look?"
The gate was fully opened, but Lin Ruiyang didn't go in immediately. He glanced at the courtyard and then at the person in front of him.
It seems he finally hit the mark this time.
Lin Ruiyang stepped through the gate. The courtyard looked very clean, with several stacks of bricks in the corner and a half-dead tree against the wall.
The courtyard wasn't very large, but with a fixed camera positioned at the entrance, the shot perfectly framed the entire courtyard. The open space was the foreground, the door to the main room was the midground, and a mottled wall was the background.
The light came down from above, not too bright, just right.
Lin Ruiyang mentally tried to fit the imagery of "Condolences" into his mind, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt it made sense.