Actor: Thank you.

Chapter 69 Regrouping
What is home?
This problem is very complicated.

For Zhang Yuan, home is a place where he can gain a sense of existence and meaning in life.

When his parents are around, he knows that he is a child.

When his wife is around, he knows he is the husband.

The child is there, and he knows that he is the parent.

If these family members are gone, the home is gone, and he also loses his connection with the world.

This is what Yu Qian is like now.

Brother Qian was born in 69. In 82, when he was 12 years old, he was admitted to the crosstalk class of the Imperial Capital Academy of Opera.

After graduation, I came to work in the Imperial Capital Opera Troupe, and have been working there for more than ten years.

It can be said that Brother Qian’s youth was spent with the Imperial Capital Quyi Troupe.

Now, the Imperial Capital Opera Troupe has disbanded and his youth is over.

"Well, I entered the school in 82 and started taking classes with Mr. Wang Shichen." Brother Qian drank half a bottle of beer, burped, and said sadly.

“Just after I finished laying the foundation, the old man retired in 85.”

"Mr. Wang passed away at the end of last year, and all of us who were kids back then went to the funeral." Brother Qian's eyes gradually turned red as he mentioned the old man.

"Later, I learned clapper talk from Mr. Gao Fengshan."

"Mr. Gao is the founder of the Gao style of clapper talk, and he is also good at playing the ox bone rat. This skill is almost lost, and he is the only one who can do it."

"I just kept pestering him and learned from him."

"But I only learned half of it. In 93, the old man passed away."

"Later, I studied with Mr. Zhao Shizhong."

"This guy is a master of supporting roles. I used to stand outside the table, that is, the funny role."

"It was only after I followed Mr. Zhao that I started standing inside the table. He said that my personality and performance style made me suitable for a supporting role."

"The old man is gone too?" Zhang Yuan asked cautiously.

"Still alive."

"Then he is in good health."

Zhang Yuan had the impression that Mr. Zhao Shizhong also passed away in 07 or 08.

Brother Qian had three teachers, two of whom have passed away. Zhang Yuan has reason to doubt this Master Ke.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuan calmly moved back, a little further away from Brother Qian.

I should move away, in case he kills me again...

"Oh, now some old gentlemen have passed away, some classmates have changed their careers, and even the folk art troupe has collapsed." Brother Qian lifted the hem of his hurdle vest and wiped away his tears.

Zhang Yuan glanced at Brother Qian's exposed belly and thought that Teacher Guo was right, it was really white.

Yes, Brother Qian is only in his early 30s now, and he has spent more than half of his life in the folk art school and the folk art troupe. This place is his second home!

Although the Didu Quyi Troupe has long been in decline like traditional quyi, apart from distributing some grain and oil during festivals and a few performances occasionally, Brother Qian can only get a salary of about 150 yuan from the company every month, and that's before tax.

A son does not despise his mother's ugliness, and a dog does not despise his family's poverty.

No matter how bad it is, it is still home and it gives me something to think about.

Now that his home is gone, Yu Qian feels that his last connection with the art of crosstalk has also been severed. He feels empty inside, as if someone has taken a large part of him away.

"My father is a geological engineer, and my mother also works for Dagang Petroleum. Together with me, our family of three originally had permanent employment. But now... ah."

Is your family so obsessed with the system... Zhang Yuan even began to wonder if Brother Qian had Shandong ancestry.

But Brother Qian still kept his words to himself, because his grandfather was not just an engineer, but the chief geologist of Dagang Petroleum!

He is a chief engineer-level figure. Not only does he have a high income, but he also has a high status in the industry.

Otherwise, why are Guo and Yu, both of whom are crosstalk performers, so different in temperament, personality, and life interests?

Because Brother Qian’s family is rich.

Only a happy and prosperous family can raise optimistic and cheerful children.

But because of this, Brother Qian had never encountered any major difficulties since he was a child, but he unexpectedly encountered one when he reached middle age.

"Brother Qian, do you still want to perform crosstalk?" Zhang Yuan asked, but he knew the answer in his heart.

"Of course I do. I've learned this craft for half my life. It would be a shame to throw it away. Besides, I love it." Brother Qian opened another bottle of wine and took out a pack of Zhongnanhai from his pants, took out one and lit it.

Where did you take this out from... Zhang Yuan looked for a long time and saw that Brother Qian was just wearing a pair of boxer shorts. Where did he hide the cigarette?

"Since you like it, this matter can actually be resolved, but it has to be done step by step."

"Do you still understand this?" Brother Qian kept talking, drinking bottle after bottle, his cheeks glowing red.

"What you need now is actually a place to stay, so that you can feel at ease."

"Once I have a place to stay, I will find a place where I can perform crosstalk. Whether I can make money and become famous is another matter."

"That's right." Brother Qian handed a cigarette to Zhang Yuan, but he refused.

"But it's not that easy to get a job. The folk art troupes are not doing well now. People are trying to get out of here. There's no place for me."

"Don't worry, you never know, I might be able to help you solve it." "That's what you said. If I can't solve it, I'll smash your door every day!" Brother Qian shook his body and replied with a smile.

He didn't take Zhang Yuan's words seriously at all.

The next day, Zhang Yuan didn't get up until noon.

I had already drunk a lot at the farewell party the night before, and after returning home I drank five or six bottles of beer with Brother Qian. I still have a headache now.

After washing up and leaving the house, Zhang Yuan rubbed his eyes and was stunned.

The yard that was messy and smelly last night has now returned to its former glory.

"Did the snail girl come to our house last night?"

The Snail Girl doesn’t have one, but the Curly-haired Uncle does.

I saw Brother Qian holding a broom and a mop, with a sweat towel draped over his shoulders, wearing black rubber shoes, and washing the floor with a pipe.

The wine bottles all over the yard disappeared, and the garbage and dirt on the ground were cleared away. Not only was the strange smell gone, but there was also a fresh scent of grass and trees.

"Yuan, wake up." Brother Qian saw him get up and turned to greet him: "You can't drink that much. You fall asleep for half a day after drinking so little."

"Are you feeling refreshed?" Zhang Yuan came to Brother Qian with a smile on his face, somewhat surprised.

"Be careful not to hurt you... I talked to you last night and I feel much better. But we have to live our lives and some things are in the past." Yu Qian returned to his usual generous state.

"Is it really over?"

"Then what else can be done?"

"I'm still thinking about helping you find a unit and organization."

Zhi! ! !
When Brother Qian heard this, he squeezed the rubber water pipe in his hand hard and flattened it, causing the tap water to splash out several meters away.

"Are you serious?" Brother Qian turned around and Zhang Yuan quickly hid behind him.

"Water, water, my goodness, it's all over me, luckily you're not peeing!"

"I, I thought you were just drunk and bragging." Brother Qian turned off the water valve and handed Zhang Yuan a dry towel.

Brother Qian has been drinking a little bit of wine a day and a lot of wine every three days since he was thirteen or fourteen years old. He has participated in countless drinking parties.

He knew very well that nine out of ten words spoken at the dinner table, even if they were just patting one's chest and calling each other brothers, were irrelevant.

When Zhang Yuan said that last night, he thought he was joking.

But even if it was just a joke, it made him feel better and he recognized this buddy.

"Let's go, we've contacted you, let's go take a look."

Brother Qian changed into a decent set of clothes and followed Zhang Yuan out the door.

Along the way, his mind was confused.

Could this cheap roommate of mine, who is in his 20s, really help me so much?

I hope you won't take me to some small crosstalk theater where no one goes.

The two of them walked and did not take a car.

Pi Tiao Hutong is close to Dazhalan, in the Xicheng District of the imperial capital, and Zhang Yuan’s destination is also in Xicheng District.

After walking for about half an hour, Zhang Yuan led Brother Qian to stop in front of a solemn and rather spacious building.

"Brother Qian, we're here."

"This..." Yu Qian looked up and was so shocked that he was speechless when he saw the plaque hanging high.

"Erqi Theater"

Where is this place?

The Railway Art Troupe’s base in the imperial capital!

"Can you find me a job here..." Brother Qian's eyes widened, but then he thought about it.

correct!

Didn’t Director Yang Tao come to our house for dinner last time? He is the deputy director of the Railway Art Troupe.

Although the Imperial Capital Opera Troupe is considered a large troupe locally, compared with the Railway Art Troupe, it is like leg hair compared to thighs.

There are a total of seven major art troupes in the country, five of which are affiliated units of the military, and the remaining two are the Coal Mine Art Troupe and the Railway Art Troupe.

This troupe has more than 400 full-time actors and more than 600 regular employees, and there are thousands of extras and temporary workers.

"Great, that's great!" Brother Qian's cheeks trembled with excitement.

"This is much larger than the Imperial Capital Opera Troupe."

"If I can get in, even if I start from the bottom, it will be much better than drifting around."

"Zhang Yuan, I don't know what to say..." Brother Qian held Zhang Yuan's hand, tears welling up in his eyes, and he was extremely excited.

[Received thanks from Yu Qian, crosstalk basics +8, stand-up crosstalk skills +10, allegro skills +6, breath control +9! ]

"Don't worry, you don't have to start from the bottom."

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked quickly towards the two of them from the theater gate...

(End of this chapter)