361 [The Story of Yan Litong]
Beiping, Tsubaki Hutong. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it belonged to a high-end cultural residential area, and people who first went to Beijing to become officials came to live here (transitional housing). After a few years of being an official, he had money to change his house, and then sold the real estate in Chunshu Hutong, and most of the people who bought second-hand houses were literati and scholars.
For example, Wang Youdun, the official of Yongzheng's ministry, lived in Chunshu Santiao Hutong, and then sold it to the great poet Zhao Yi.
During the Republican period, Chunshu Hutong became a place where literati and artists gathered.
Gu Hongming died of illness in East Chunshu Hutong, and Peking Opera master Xun Huisheng and monk Xiaoyun lived in Chunshu Shangshangshangs, three alleys and Xiaoertiao alleys, respectively.
Yu Shuyan, on the other hand, lives in two alleys on the Tsubaki tree. He has the habit of hanging his voice in the middle of the night, and in order to listen to his voice, hardcore theater fans often come to the courtyard in the middle of the night wearing quilts to wait, becoming a lively scene in the small alley.
"Bang bang bang!"
Zhou Hexuan knocked on the iron beast ring.
"Who? Early in the morning. The one who opened the door was Yu Shuyan's 17-year-old apprentice Li Shaolou.
Zhou Hexuan smiled and hugged his fists and said, "Please let me know, Zhou Hexuan and his wife Meng Xiaodong came to visit Mr. Yu Shuyan." ”
Li Shaolou looked at Zhou Hexuan in surprise: "You are Mr. Zhou who invited Einstein to China a while ago?" ”
"Exactly." Zhou Hexuan said.
"You wait a minute," Li Shaolou didn't leave, he stood behind the gate and opened his throat and shouted, "Master, Mr. Zhou Hexuan and Zhou are here!" ”
In less than a minute, Yu Shuyan came quickly and greeted him warmly, "Mr. Zhou, please come in." He suddenly saw Meng Xiaodong again and said with a smile, "Xiaodong is here too." ”
"Good morning, Master Yu." Meng Xiaodong saluted respectfully.
Zhou Hexuan shook hands and said, "Boss Yu, take the liberty to visit and look at Haihan." ”
"It's okay, it's okay, Mr. Zhou, please come inside." Yu Shuyan left the door open.
Everyone went to the living room and sat down, Yu Shuyan's apprentice quickly served the tea, and then stood next to him and looked at Zhou Hexuan curiously.
Yu Shuyan belongs to the type of middle-aged handsome uncle, with a small head, glasses, and a bit like the famous actor Chen Daoming. He speaks very loudly, and even has a little lack of energy, and his voice talent is far inferior to that of other Peking Opera masters. But relying on hard work and superb skills, Yu Shuyan made up for his congenital deficiencies, and his singing voice was like two people who usually spoke.
"Xiaodong, are you friends with Mr. Zhou?" Yu Shuyan asked curiously.
Meng Xiaodong smiled shyly and did not answer.
Zhou Hexuan said: "Xiaodong is my wife. ”
Yu Shuyan suddenly realized, and then smiled: "Congratulations, the two of you are really talented and beautiful." ”
Zhou Hexuan did not directly explain his intentions, but issued an invitation: "Boss Yu is a master of Peking Opera theory, and I have a newspaper in Tianjin called the supplement of "Popular", which has a page dedicated to affirming the content of drama. If possible, I hope to publish Boss Yu's article. ”
"Well said, well said." Yu Shuyan agreed.
Due to health reasons, Yu Shuyan has been bidding farewell to the stage for two or three years, and has been studying Peking Opera theory at home all day long, involving various aspects such as rhyme and musical instruments. He is not only recognized as the first veteran of Peking Opera in the world, but also has the status of the chief master of Peking Opera theory.
After the 30s, almost all the old schools of Peking Opera were influenced by Yu Shuyan's theory, so they carried out reform and development to a greater or lesser extent.
If you can invite Yu Shuyan to write for a long time, it will also be of great benefit to the "Popular" supplement.
Both of them never mentioned the matter of apprenticeship, chatting and chatting, and gradually talked about Mei Lanfang's performance in the United States.
Yu Shuyan asked: "I heard that Brother Heming has performed very successfully in the United States?" ”
"It's not just success," Zhou Hexuan said with a smile, "Boss Mei has become popular in the United States, nearly 10 American universities have invited him to give lectures, and several universities have hired him as an honorary professor." ”
Yu Shuyan was surprised: "Can American audiences understand Peking Opera?" ”
Zhou Hexuan explained: "At the beginning, while performing on stage, English translation cards were played offstage. Later, I felt that the effect was not very good, so I changed it to telling the general plot in English before the performance, and after the audience understood the background of the story, Boss Mei performed on stage. ”
Yu Shuyan nodded and said, "This is a good way." ”
Zhou Hexuan said with a smile: "Boss Mei also made changes to various details of Peking Opera according to the taste of American audiences, so that it can be more accepted by American audiences." ”
"It's also great to do as the locals do." Yu Shuyan praised.
Zhou Hexuan said: "Newspapers in the United States have praised Peking Opera to the sky, and every time Boss Mei goes to a city, there are fans who raise funds for his performance in advance. ”
Yu Shuyan was somewhat envious, he said: "Heming has done a great thing for the spread of Peking Opera, and if possible, I will also organize a performance in the United States." ”
Zhou Hexuan smiled: "I can help contact you when the time comes." ”
"Thank you Mr. Zhou for your kindness." Yu Shuyan hugged his fists.
The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Hexuan finally said: "Boss Yu, Xiao Dong admires you very much, and has always wanted to worship the entrance wall to learn skills, please consider it." ”
"Well...... this" Yu Shuyan was a little embarrassed, he didn't want to accept female disciples.
Meng Xiaodong got up and knelt down directly: "Please also ask Master Yu to teach skills." ”
"Hurry up, please," Yu Shuyan hurriedly helped, he couldn't wipe Zhou Hexuan's face, and said with a wry smile, "I promise you, don't kneel." ”
"Thank you, Master!" Meng Xiaodong was overjoyed.
Yu Shuyan had a headache, he rarely accepted apprentices, let alone female apprentices. Moreover, this female apprentice still has a husband, so she can't live at home and teach as usual, so she can only come here every once in a while.
Since he agreed to accept the apprentice, he must be responsible for the apprentice, Yu Shuyan decided to invite a few friends another day to do this apprenticeship.
At noon, he stayed at Yu's house for a meal, and Meng Xiaodong happily left with Zhou Hexuan. She is an extremely studious woman, and has been communicating with famous teachers and famous tickets in the past few years, and now she worships the first person in the world to be a teacher, and her heart has blossomed.
The two took a rickshaw to the three alleys of the East Temple, Meng Xiaodong chattered non-stop along the way, and even planned to come to Beiping for two days a week in the future, so that she could learn to sing with Yu Shuyan.
The rickshaw stopped in the three alleys of the East Temple, and the No. 25 and No. 26 courtyards were bought by the Meng family, and the whole family lived extremely lively.
Just as Zhou Hexuan was about to get out of the car, three more rickshaws suddenly came.
"Sister Mintong, aren't you preparing to get married in Tianjin? Why did you go back to Peking again? Meng Xiaodong said in surprise.
Wang Mintong's eyes were a little red and swollen, and she looked like she was crying red, and she said sadly: "My marriage contract has been dissolved, and the man is a little inappropriate." ”
Meng Xiaodong didn't want to ask again, and the atmosphere was quite embarrassing.
Zhou Hexuan remembered the big news in Tianjin a few days ago, a descendant of the Luo clan who loved Xinjue had an affair with a singing opera, and finally made trouble at home, and splashed all his foreign appearance in public.
This Wang Mintong most likely broke off the marriage contract because of this.