War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 1866 Spy
As the guitar melody came to an end, Wei Ran and others also applauded, and the He girls bowed to them earnestly, bowing to the exceptionally clean grave not far away.

"This song is really good. Who wrote it?" asked Sui Sui.

"Chihiro wrote it," the twins said in unison.

"The song was also composed by Chihiro," Chizuru added.

“We composed it together.”

Chihiro said modestly, and then glanced at Hirano Aoi's tombstone which was almost surrounded by the roots of the locust tree not far away, "I hope they will like this song."

“They will love it.”

As Wei Ran spoke, he had already taken out the Rollei twin-lens reflex camera from the metal notebook under the cover of his backpack. "It's rare to listen to an anti-war concert here. Although this is a cemetery, if you don't mind, let's take a group photo."

Naturally, no one had any objection to this proposal. Under Wei Ran's command, everyone sat on the ground with He girl as the center.

Out of respect, no tombstone or grave appeared in Wei Ran's viewfinder, but the Guan Gong and Bodo dolls on the small stone table, as well as the thick trunk of the locust tree, were captured.

After placing the camera on his backpack and pressing down the selfie lever, Wei Ran immediately ran to sit next to Sui Sui and gently put his arm around her shoulders.

As the shutter was automatically released, the old camera once again took a group photo of those people.

"Everyone is together again. They are all here. You will probably feel relieved too."

Wei Ran took one last look at Zhang Taichuan’s tombstone, then once again put away his camera under the cover of his backpack.

Without staying here long, Li Yi Zhong carried his girlfriend on his back again, and with the support and protection of everyone, they walked towards the small village outside the mountain, chatting about the elders in the stories, their respective professions, the old camera that Wei Ran had just used, and the camera lens that Li Yi Zhong accidentally broke in order to protect his girlfriend.

They also talked about Zhang Yanzhou's experience studying abroad in Guangdong Province and how he met his girlfriend, the scenery Li Yizhong and his girlfriend had visited over the years, and the performances of the He Girls that did not make any money at all.

Of course, they also talked about the different beautiful girls around a certain historian, and the embarrassment of Li Yi Zhong and Zhang Yanzhou after their secret envy was discovered.

As these young people chatted, they were getting closer and closer to the quiet village that had nurtured so many unsung heroes. They also heard more and more clearly a female voice singing a traditional Henan opera with clear pronunciation through a speaker microphone, accompanied by a drummer:

Three cannon shots outside the camp were like thunder.
I walked out of Tianbo Mansion and I am a national minister.

Wearing a golden crown on the temples

The iron armor of the past is put on again
The handsome flag is floating like a cloud
During this singing segment that drew rounds of applause, Wei Ran and others walked step by step to the parking lot next to the stage and joined Marta and Lu Xinda who were already waiting there with medical kits.

By the way, they also saw from afar Lin Mingxiang's daughter-in-law, the ordinary rural woman, the aunt who once asked Jesus to reincarnate in Zhumadian Maternal and Child Health Hospital while cleaning the courtyard.

She was standing on the stage at that moment, walking in square steps without any stage fright, singing a classic song "Mu Guiying Takes Command".

"The Red Blood Origin by the He Girl is nice, and this one is nice too."

Sui Sui looked at the aunt on the stage who was obviously called up to perform at short notice and said with admiration.

“Yeah, this one sounds good too.”

Wei Ran sighed, "Do you remember? We found a lot of clothes in the small western-style building last year."

"Remember, why don't you remember?"

Sui Sui glanced at Marta, who was helping Lu Yue treat the scratches on her body beside the car, and at several middle-aged people who came after hearing the news. Then she hugged her man's arm and said happily, "How about we set up a drama troupe too?"

"Establish a theatre troupe?" Wei Ran smiled. "Why do you come up with so many plays?"

"I've already voted for He Girl, what else do I need?"

Sui Sui was actually interested. "When I have time, I'll ask those seniors to see how much money it costs to support a troupe!"

"Are you really planning to raise one?" Wei Ran asked with interest.

“I feel like I can keep it”

Sui Sui said, "Let's not talk about anything else. We have so many businesses. If we schedule a few of them, it can keep an entire theater troupe going non-stop. How can we still lose money?"

Sui Sui said this with her hands on her hips proudly, "Besides, I have money, plenty of money!"

"Well, just keep it, it's not bad."

Wei Ran smiled and found that he also began to like listening to these traditional dramas.

"Hehe! Then I'll support a Yue Opera troupe, a Henan Opera troupe, and a Peking Opera troupe!"

Sui Sui habitually began to daydream, "Then send them abroad to perform! To earn money from those stupid foreigners!"

"Okay, raise one. If you raise another Hebei Bangzi, grandma and grandpa will be very happy." Wei Ran echoed the other party's words.

However, neither he nor Suo Su noticed that after Chihiro, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, exchanged a glance with Chizuru beside her, the two sisters winked at the silly twins.

Under the pretext of putting their musical instruments back in the car, the four girls quietly blended into the bustling crowd, leaving only a strand of red hair on each of their heads, which was blown away by the cool breeze from time to time in the bright sunshine.

After Marta treated the wound of the girl named Lu Yue, Qin Qi also rushed over after hearing the news and took the girls straight to the seats reserved for them.

Wei Ran, on the other hand, continued to hold his outdated Rollei twin-lens reflex camera and followed Li Yi Zhong, who was invited to be the photographer. He would raise the camera from time to time to take a picture and continue chatting with Li Yi Zhong.

It was also from this casual chat that Wei Ran vaguely guessed that this photographer, who was of similar age to himself and was considered a well-known figure in Wan Island, was already the great-grandson of Xiaowu.

“About 20 years ago”

Li Yizhong said as he took photos of the opera artists on stage, "My father moved my great-grandfather back to the mainland to bury him. That was also my first time to the mainland."

"how do you feel?"

Wei Ran asked with a smile. The film in his old camera was limited, so he had to be frugal.

“I don’t want to say how I felt at that time.”

Li Yizhong said as he raised his SLR camera again and pressed the shutter towards the crowd not far away. "But in these 20 years, I have grown from a child to where I am now. I have witnessed the different changes in the mainland every day."

At this point, Li Yizhong shook the camera in his hand and said, "You won't believe it, but sometimes I feel like a spy."

"Why do you say that?" Wei Ran asked casually.

"I used my camera to capture everything I saw on the mainland, and then brought it back to show people around me."

After saying that, Li Yizhong quickly added, "Of course, what I filmed are all content that can be filmed, but I can't exchange it for 50 yuan."

"I almost took out my phone," Wei Ran made a joke that the other party could hear.

“I never judge whether the mainland or the island is good or bad.”

Li Yizhong said with a smile, "I like to act like a spy, taking photos of everything I see in the mainland and showing them to my friends on the island, and also taking photos of everything I see on the island and showing them to my friends on the mainland.

As for whether it is good or bad, let the friends on both sides judge it for themselves. They will always find the answer themselves. "

Wei Ran smiled and said, "Yes, I can always find the answer myself."

"I've actually heard of you," Li Yizhong changed the subject.

“The ones on the Internet.”

"no no no"

Li Yizhong waved his hand. "Those are the photos in your library. I saw them posted online by people who have been there. Those photos are very shocking."

“They are mostly ordinary people.”

As Wei Ran spoke, he raised his camera and took a photo of Zhang Mingxiang, Lin Mingxiang and other old men who were sitting under the stage listening to the opera. Then he continued, "When they were born, their parents gave them names.

Then they became nameless people, but were fortunately photographed by cameras, dug out from old papers, and their names were rediscovered. "

“Will their pictures also hang in your library?”

Li Yizhong asked, "I mean, Mr. Zhang Taichuan and Miss Hirano Aoi and the others."

"Yes, of course."

Wei Ran replied as a matter of course, "It is an honor for my library."

“It’s theirs too”

"No," Wei Ran corrected before the other party finished speaking, "Like you, I am just a spy, so this can only be an honor for me and my library."

"Really?" Li Yi Zhong smiled, obviously listening to Wei Ran's explanation.

“Like a spy, I dug out the stories of those unknown people from the pile of old papers, and also dug out their names, and showed their stories and names to the people of our time.

Like you said, I don’t judge whether their stories are good or bad, but those who have read those stories will always find the answers themselves.”

"So you actually have a role in the story of Mr. Zhang Taichuan and Mr. Hirano Aoi?" Li Yi Zhong asked almost with certainty.

"What does it mean to have a share?" Wei Ran said with a smile. In a sense, he did have a share.

“I thought it was Mr. Xia.”

“He and I have been friends for many years.”

Wei Ran explained with a smile, "Just like a photographer needs an assistant, we also need to cooperate with each other to investigate something."

Hearing this, Li Yizhong nodded in sudden realization, and the two continued chatting while filming in this lively open-air banquet hall.

Before lunch, the four old people invited the whole family to go on stage and asked Li Yi Zhong and Wei Ran to help take a group photo for them.

In addition to Zhang Mingxiang's family and Lin Yihua's family, this group photo also includes Lin Mingxiang from Zhengzhou, Zhao Fengyou and their family. Even the He girls were invited.

"You two, come up and take a photo together!" said old man Zhang Mingxiang.

"You go up first," Wei Ran called out without further ado.

Li Yi Zhong seemed to know something. He nodded and did not refuse. He handed his camera to Wei Ran with extra confidence and then ran onto the stage.

He first pressed the shutter button of the other party's camera towards them, and then Wei Ran raised his Rollei twin-lens reflex camera, returned to the original position, and took a group photo engraved on silver halide film for the family with one more person added, but finally complete.

"Mr. Wei, Mr. Xia, and Mr. Qin, please come up as well." Zhang Mingxiang made another invitation.

This time, Wei Ran did not refuse. He happily handed over the camera that belonged to Li Yi Zhong and his own twin-lens reflex camera to the Kajianka sisters respectively. Then he took Sui Sui, Xia Shushi, Qin Qi, the lonely Qin II and the girl named Lu Yue onto the stage.

Under the personal arrangement of Mr. Zhang Mingxiang, they stood in the center position behind the four old men - standing together with Li Yizhong and the He girls.

After the Kajianka sisters pressed the shutter button respectively, the banquet scheduled for noon began.

However, four old gentlemen led by Zhang Mingxiang and Lin Mingxiang stopped Wei Ran and Sui Sui, and behind them stood the four young girls.

"Mr. Wei, Miss Suisui, could I take up some of your time?" Zhang Mingxiang asked.

"Don't waste time, we are always available." Wei Ran said quickly.

"In that case, come with us."

Zhang Mingxiang waved his hand and let Qianxun support him. He walked down the stage with the other three old gentlemen who were supported by the He girl, walked into a nearby house, and sat down in the living room.

"I heard from Miss Qianxun that Miss Sui Sui is planning to set up a drama troupe?" Zhang Mingxiang asked directly.

"I just eavesdropped on your conversation," Chihiro admitted frankly, in a manner that was consistent with her train of thought.

“We do have this plan.”

Sui Sui nodded and said, "I was thinking of asking you for advice when the old gentlemen are not busy."

“There is no question of asking for advice”

Zhang Mingxiang smiled and waved his hands, "My family has lived in Southeast Asia for a long time, and I don't even know a few words of Shengzhou dialect.

The Zhang family's Mingxiang opera troupe also gradually fell into decline when I was your age. Now the children in the family can only dance the lion dance during festivals and have lost even the basic skills. "

"Our Lihua Opera Troupe is not that great. Fewer people listen to opera these days, and even fewer are willing to work hard to learn it.

If a little girl like you can take the lead and support a troupe, it will be a great deed!" Lin Mingxiang from Zhengzhou also said.

Perhaps it was because of this simple sigh with a strong local accent that Sui Sui, who was originally just saying it, got excited.

"I really want to set up a theatre troupe," said Sui Sui, "Do you old gentlemen have any suggestions?"

"Kid, what do you want to do by setting up a drama troupe?" Lin Yihua asked with interest.

"As a troupe, of course they perform for others."

Sui Sui said as a matter of course, "Sing for foreigners, let them have a taste of the fine bran, and make some money from them at the same time."

Her straightforward and honest answer made the four old men smile.

"In that case, I'll give you this seal."

As he spoke, Zhang Mingxiang handed to Sui Sui the seal that Wei Ran had handed to him last night on behalf of Hoshino Hayato, along with the jewelry box.

"Give it to me?" Sui Sui asked in surprise.

"It's rare to find young kids who are still interested in watching a play right now, so I'll leave this thing with you as a keepsake!
Anyway, these girls are the ones in charge, and the troupe has finally found its master!"

"So this means that the Mingxiang Opera Troupe is being passed on to me?" Sui Sui asked in surprise.

“Look at yourself”

Zhang Mingxiang smiled and said, "This seal is only left for you as a souvenir. We, the unfilial descendants, are sorry to our ancestors. If this seal is left in our hands, it will just end up being locked in a safe and never see the light of day.

In this case, it would be better to give it to Miss Sui Sui. When Miss Sui Sui's opera troupe is established, even if we just keep it in a corner, at least it can let it listen to some operas."

After Zhang Mingxiang finished speaking, Mr. Lin Yihua, who was sitting next to him, also spoke up, "In addition to this seal, if Miss Sui Sui really plans to set up a troupe, we would also like to give her a full set of costumes and musical instruments.

Some of these costumes, musical instruments and opera boxes were handed down from the Mingxiang opera troupe.”

"We are just old farmers digging for food in the rammed earth. We dare not compete with you two old brothers in appearance."

Zhao Fengyou, who also came from Zhengzhou, laughed and said, "This stage really needs to be erected, it's time to put some corners and some tricks together.

Our straw stack team is ready to gather the straw and put it together. We can handle both setting up and dismantling the stage. We guarantee that we can put together a full palace and a full tune for you!"

This time, this dialect finally made Sui Sui and Wei Ran look confused.

Fortunately, at this moment, Zhao Fengyou's grandson came over and translated while refilling tea for everyone, "My grandfather said that if Miss Sui Sui's troupe is short of people, the makeshift troupe that my grandfather manages can recruit people at any time and will always be able to gather enough people for you."

"If you say so, old gentlemen, I will not be polite when the time comes." Sui Sui smiled and accepted the kindness of these old people.

"If your troupe succeeds, we should thank you."

After Zhang Mingxiang finished speaking, he smiled and changed the subject, "Well, the banquet outside should start soon, let's take a seat."

Hearing this, everyone stood up and followed the four old men out of the temporary house.

For this buffet to entertain the neighbors, Wei Ran, Sui Sui and others naturally did not need to sit at the same table with the elders from Zhang Mingxiang. What's more, they alone were enough to fill up two large tables.

"I heard that Her Majesty the Queen is planning to set up a drama troupe?" While the dishes were being served, Qin II asked curiously, holding a glass of wine.

"Did it spread so fast?" Sui Sui subconsciously looked at the He girls who were sitting at the same table with Kajianka and others.

"I just overheard"

Zhang Yanzhou's girlfriend Chen Xi apologized and took the initiative to admit, "When Yanzhou and I were talking about this, Mr. Qin heard it again."

"it's okay no problem"

Sui Sui nonchalantly raised her glass and clinked it with the other person's. "I do plan to set up a theatre troupe."

"If you need any support, tell me later."

The exceptionally open-minded Qin II said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Whatever you want, I will give you my full support, Your Majesty the Queen."

"Are you planning to get involved as well?" Wei Ran asked with interest.

“My grandfather also likes to listen to opera”

Qin II said as a matter of course, "If Her Majesty the Queen can really put together a troupe, I will at least give my grandfather a ticket on his birthday."

"We're starting to get business now," Sui Sui boasted to Wei Ran with a smile on her face. She became even more determined to set up a drama troupe.