Chapter 101: Cheers, Jeers, and Laughter (Part Two)

Chapter 101: Praises, Jeers, and Laughter (Part II)

The Four Scholars going on an outing with the strides of fashion models was undoubtedly a highly effective creative choice. Its appearance made the postmodern techniques within the film gradually clear to the audience. However, the mood was immediately shattered by a so-called "poem" recited by the Four Scholars:

"A flock of geese beneath the hill,
We hiss and chase them to the rill.
Catching geese, my belly growls with hunger,
Go home to play with my wife, no longer a stranger."

The fact that the Four Scholars would compose such lines left people speechless. Such a poem was truly another instance of "insulting the literary tradition." Of course, by this point in the film, the audience had already grasped its style: one should not judge anything through the eyes of a normal person.

The appearance of Ru Hua blinded countless people. Shocked, disgusted, and stunned—they were left with one lasting impression: there is a kind of "fair maiden" called Ru Hua!

The scenes between father and son, Feng Lei and Feng Yuan, were much discussed, with attentive fans discovering a metaphor in Feng Yuan's dialogue.

"I'm all ears!"

This was the last thing the two said before sinking into the river. On the surface, it meant that Tang Bohu should "listen carefully" to how he would help him infiltrate the Hua household. But think about it—falling into the water literally means "washing one’s ears!"

The "misery competition" in front of the Hua mansion was an absolutely classic sequence that left people craving more. Amidst the laughter, a despised cockroach gained an elegant name: Xiao Qiang. It also led countless dogs across the land to be renamed: Wang Cai! Naturally, it also turned this once-auspicious name into a common cliché.

By now, viewers realized that "Flirting Scholar" had nothing in common with "Crazy Stone," other than both being comedies. If one had to find a common thread, it was certainly that the supporting characters were incredibly eye-catching. However, the difference was that the supporting roles in this film were far less central than in "Crazy Stone," and their influence on driving the plot was not as prominent.

Zhu Zhishan went without saying; he was absolutely a highlight of the film. Beyond him, Sister Pomegranate was equally unforgettable, delivering several classic lines, especially: "Don't pity me just because I'm a delicate flower!"

Sister Pomegranate’s appearance also tainted two otherwise complimentary idioms. This showed the sheer influence of the character. "Peerless in elegance" and "admired by all"—after this film, anyone using these phrases to describe someone else wasn't offering a compliment, but an insult. Because whenever these two idioms were mentioned, especially together, everyone’s mind would conjure up the image of Sister Pomegranate’s lipstick-smeared mouth, thick rouge, and wildly exaggerated eyeliner.

In truth, Fan Qiongdang, who played the original Sister Pomegranate, was not ugly; it was her exaggerated performance combined with the makeup effects that made it impossible for anyone to associate her with beauty. The actress playing the role in this version was, in terms of appearance, slightly superior to Fan Qiongdang, yet Zhang Le had styled her to a level of ugliness that was truly profound. The actress nearly burst into tears after seeing the film. However, her bold performance brought her unexpected rewards. She became a hit; thanks to this film, she, who had previously been begging for roles everywhere, was now flooded with offers. Although they were still supporting roles and comedic "ugly" parts, for an actress who had been grinding at the bottom for ten years, it was like a transformation from heaven to earth. For an actor, the most miserable thing isn't playing a supporting role or a caricature—it's having no work at all.

"Let me tell you, it doesn't matter if a man is poor, but he must have backbone and talent. Otherwise, even if he studies for a lifetime, he is nothing but a waste!"

When the audience heard Yang Xin'er, playing Autumn Fragrance, say this, they suddenly felt as though it wasn't Autumn Fragrance speaking, but Yang Xin'er herself. It seemed as if she were saying that Zhang Le was poor, but he had backbone and talent, so he was not a waste. Zhang Le, naturally, was no waste.

The modern percussion performance once again brightened everyone’s eyes; in the words of Tang Bohu in the film, it was "very energetic!" The fantasies of Madam Hua and the others were interrupted by the vulgar words of the Martial Champion, pulling them back to reality—a dialogue of the vulgar versus the refined.

"Life is just about eating, drinking, and excreting." This sentiment was true enough. Isn't that what life is? But such a life is undeniably miserable, which is why we need things like art to elevate our spiritual existence.

The schoolteacher was undoubtedly a complete bit-part player, but he left a deep impression with his "Green Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right" and his line: "Which department are you from?"

The audience was fully engaged, and the laughter seemed never-ending. Of course, the film wasn't just about making people laugh. The literary duel of couplets between Tang Bohu and The Matchmaker was absolutely brilliant. This literary battle was even more exciting than the martial arts fights between Madam Hua and the Deadly Scholar, or Tang Bohu and the Deadly Scholar. It turned out that duels could be fought with words, not just weapons. This kind of competitive couplet-matching was far more exciting than any debate tournament. Moreover, Zhang Le had added several "insult-duels" he had seen on the internet.

The poison introduction, filled with advertising slogans, was another unexpected creative stroke. Such inventiveness was undoubtedly the chip that helped make this film a classic.

When the film ended, the audience was still left wanting more. There were too many creative ideas, too many classic lines, and too many unexpected plot twists. There was simply too much to savor.

The film's popularity exceeded Zhang Le's imagination. The box office soared, but critical reception was unexpectedly polarized. This was especially true among film critics.

"Crazy Stone" had also been criticized, and the criticism was well-founded, as it did contain some coarse language. But "Flirting Scholar" was criticized even more, particularly by the film critics. Many in the audience praised it, and almost no one jeered, but among the critics, the detractors far outnumbered the supporters.

Praises, jeers, and laughter—all born from this film.

The critics used one word to describe it: "Farce!"

They claimed it was a film of utter nonsense; scholars were not scholars, beauties were not beauties, and the entire film was a farce with not a single normal person in the story.

On the internet, the film received almost universal praise, while the mainstream media was filled with condemnation. The two extreme viewpoints clashed incessantly. Those critics who had harshly attacked the film in mainstream media were directly swarmed and scolded by netizens on Weibo, and their threads on message boards were flooded.

Zhang Le was caught in the crossfire, with countless people accusing him of being unable to take criticism and being narrow-minded. They claimed he had hired "internet water armies" to launch cyber-violence and retaliation against critics who were merely offering professional opinions.

However, Zhang Le paid no attention to this at the moment. He and Yang Xin'er were busy promoting the film. On the second day of its release, the two flew to Jincheng in Bashu. After promoting it there, they had to return to Zhang Le's hometown to spend the Lantern Festival.