Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune, I became a legend in the entertainment industry by avo

Chapter 93 The Debate Between Expressionism and Methodism

22:00

He felt much more awake.

He stood up from the sofa, walked to the desk, took out a blank sheet of paper, picked up a pen, and stared at the blank paper in silence for a long time.

Then he wrote: "My name is Xiao Shunzi, I'm from Beiping. I don't have any great skills, all I know is to clean the car and pay the car rental fee —"

After he finished writing, he stopped writing.

Looking at the crooked and messy words on the paper.

If Xiao Shunzi could read, he would probably write it down like this.

He folded the paper and set it aside.

I walked to the window, opened it, looked out at the night sky, and said to myself:

[Little Shunzi, let's go!]

He didn't make a sound.

But he felt something slide off his shoulder.

The farewell ceremony has ended.

He sat back on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Recalling my days on Earth and everything that happened after I came into this world.

Those real memories surged back like a tide, gradually squeezing out the traces left by Xiao Shunzi from his consciousness.

Then, he opened his phone's music player and played a fast-paced modern song.

The cheerful melody echoed in the room, and he swayed gently to the rhythm, feeling the vitality and passion of modern music.

At that moment, he seemed to have rediscovered his own rhythm.

Time slips away unnoticed.

5:00

Zhang Qilin sat up in bed.

I feel like my way of thinking has finally returned to the real world.

He stretched and went into the bathroom.

After washing up, he changed into clean and tidy clothes and went out of the house.

I passed by a breakfast stall.

The vendor worked quickly and efficiently, brushing on the sauce, sprinkling on scallions, and flipping the food—all in one smooth motion.

Looking at those hands, a thought popped into Zhang Qilin's mind.

If this hand were to grip the handlebars, it would be able to hold them firmly.

Zhang Qilin was taken aback, then smiled.

He stepped forward and called out, "Boss, I'd like a purple rice one, two eggs, no crispy crackers or cilantro, plus a side of savory tofu pudding."

This is his habit.

5:20

Zhang Qilin pushed open the door to the rehearsal hall and went inside.

I saw that Teacher Feng Yuanzheng was looking towards the door.

His gaze swept from Zhang Qilin's face to his feet.

He was about to greet him when Teacher Feng Yuanzheng spoke up: "Tell me a tongue twister."

Zhang Qilin blurted out instinctively, "Eight hundred soldiers rushed up the north slope—"

Upon hearing Zhang Qilin's standard theatrical voice, Feng Yuanzheng's tense face relaxed.

After Zhang Qilin finished reciting it once, Feng Yuanzheng smiled and nodded: "Not bad, you haven't neglected the basic training."

Zhang Qilin smiled.

He knew that Teacher Feng was testing him because she was worried that he wouldn't be able to get out of character.

Feng Yuanzheng continued, "The afternoon rehearsal has been changed. The art committee experts and the institute leaders will come to watch together."

Zhang Qilin was taken aback.

He's only been gone for a day, and things have changed so much.

Originally, this rehearsal was just a way for director Gu Wei to determine the roles based on the performances.

Now that the experts and leaders of the college's art committee are here, doesn't that mean they've already reviewed it?

"Professor Feng, are the college leaders coming too? What about the afternoon's rehearsal—" Zhang Qilin asked.

Feng Yuanzheng's tone was somewhat reassuring: "Don't be nervous, just do it as usual. The experts mainly look at the overall presentation, they won't nitpick at any one actor."

He couldn't help but be nervous, as this rehearsal was crucial for the subsequent role assignments.

After the roles were confirmed, everyone rehearsed for more than ten days to build rapport before undergoing review by the institute's leaders and art committee experts.

It's only been a little over ten days since the initial rehearsals started, the actors haven't been finalized yet, and they haven't developed any chemistry with each other.

The review process by the institute's leaders and art committee experts will put a lot of pressure on many people.

He understood that the nature of this joint effort had changed.

It has escalated from the director's initial assessment of the actors to the theater's vetting of them.

Fortunately, he used the Qingyi reincarnation technique to get into character the night before last and experienced the feeling of Xiao Shunzi for a few days.

Otherwise, his chances of winning would be too low.

The reincarnation of Qingyi is indeed wonderful, but its aftereffects are too severe.

If you cannot collect all the destiny charts as soon as possible, you need to use them with caution.

1:00 pm

The atmosphere backstage at the Capital Theatre was unusually tense.

The actors either silently memorized their lines in a corner or repeatedly adjusted their expressions and movements in front of the mirror.

Everyone had a serious expression on their face.

Zhang Qilin sat in front of the makeup mirror, imitating Pu Cunxin, drawing each stroke of his makeup and then examining himself in the mirror for a moment.

He wasn't putting on makeup; he was using it to try and recreate the feeling of Xiao Shunzi.

Xiao Shunzi is a rickshaw puller. His skin is exposed to the wind and sun all day long, so it's not smooth and delicate.

He used foundation to cover his original skin tone, not just to darken it, but to give it a rough texture that had accumulated over the years, a mixture of sun and dust.

Fine lines at the corners of the eyes shouldn't be too deliberate; they should resemble the natural wrinkles that form from years of pulling a cart against the wind.

The lips should be drawn to have a dry, cracked texture.

As he painted, he recalled every detail of Xiao Shunzi when he was immersed in the role.

13:20

Zhang Qilin finished the last stroke.

The face in the mirror is both himself and not entirely himself.

There was a layer of grayish stuff between his eyebrows and eyes, the dullness that is common on the faces of people from the lower class, worn down by life.

He pursed his lips in front of the mirror, and the corners of his mouth naturally stretched to the sides, revealing a flattering smile.

1:40.

The stage lights came on one by one as the setup crew made their final checks.

Director Gu Wei walked around each dressing room: "There are still twenty minutes left. Those who need to go to the bathroom should go, and those who need to memorize their lines should memorize them. You all know who is sitting in the audience today. No matter how you usually perform, you all need to be on your best this time."

At 13:50, the stage manager's voice came through the loudspeaker: "The art committee teachers and college leaders have entered the venue. Please go backstage and wait. The rehearsal will begin in ten minutes."

The actors got up one after another to check their costumes and makeup, making final preparations for going on stage.

Occasionally someone would clear their throat, the sound standing out starkly in the quiet.

Just a few meters ahead was the edge of the stage, with the curtain hanging down, isolating the lights and voices on the other side.

The art committee experts and institute leaders entered the venue one after another and took their seats in the front row of the audience, their expressions serious.

His eyes revealed both anticipation and scrutiny of this first rehearsal.

Zhang Qilin stood behind the side curtain of the stage.

In this rehearsal, he played the role of Xiao Shunzi in the second half of the story.

He looked down at the audience.

As expected, Pu Cunxin, Lin Zhaohua, and Yang Lixin were all there, along with a few other people he didn't recognize.

14:00.

The rowing officially began.

The lights dimmed, leaving only a few work lights to illuminate the outline of the stage.

"The first rehearsal of 'Rickshaw Boy' is now beginning!" The stage manager's voice rang out.

The deep red curtain slowly opened to both sides.

On the stage is a reconstructed corner of the Xizhimen city gate, with mottled gray walls and lingering snow.

The sound effect of the howling wind gradually increased in intensity.

Yu Zhen, who plays Xiangzi, stands in the center of the stage.

His shoulders were slightly hunched, as if he were facing the wind, and he took a step.

Yu Zhen's portrayal of Xiangzi, every step he takes on the stage.

The film vividly portrays Xiangzi's initial high spirits upon arriving in Beiping, as well as his gradually heavy heart under the weight of life's pressures.

The art committee experts and institute leaders in the audience all showed satisfied expressions about the performance.

After the opening, the stage changes, and the first act begins.

Tiger Girl was cooking by the small coal stove under the eaves outside the door, amidst the commotion of the cart drivers' noise, laughter, and shouting.

Chen Mo, who plays Xiao Shunzi, tiptoes from the left door to the entrance.

Every movement he made seemed to be meticulously designed, and his stride was measured with a ruler with perfect precision.

"Little Shunzi, what about yesterday's delivery fee?" Tiger Girl called out.

"What shipment?" he asked, his voice loud and clear.

Every syllable was delivered fully to the last row of the theater, while the actor feigned ignorance.

The limbs are like furtive glances, everything is precise, like a meticulously drawn traditional Chinese painting.

His performance was impeccable, and several experts in the audience nodded slightly, which was indeed a testament to his solid performance skills.

The character is broken down into a series of external features and typical actions, and then accurately reproduced.

One word.

stable.

Time flows on the stage.

The arguments between Tiger Girl and Xiangzi, the commotion in the rickshaw depot, all passed by.

Chen Mo's Xiao Shunzi mingled among them, passing on messages and making jokes, his movements clean and efficient, leaving no room for error.

His every reaction was perfectly timed, and every expression was kept within reasonable limits.

When Tiger Girl started yelling at the drivers, he took a half step back, his face showing an innocent expression.

When Master Liu got angry, he shrank his neck and looked away, his movements precise to the centimeter.

The leaders of the institute also watched the stage intently, their expressions gradually relaxing, seemingly very satisfied with the opening of this rehearsal.

On stage, Chen Mo continued his performance.

Zhang Qilin had already turned around and gone backstage to sit down.

He closed his eyes and immersed himself completely in the role of Xiao Shunzi.

"Zhang Qilin, it's your turn to go on stage," Zhang Qilin slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the stage manager's reminder.

Stage change.

Zhang Qilin was holding a rag in his hand, pretending to wipe the handlebars.

His eyes kept glancing towards the door, a hint of anticipation in them. What was he waiting for?

Waiting for work.

A rickshaw driver has no food if he doesn't pull his rickshaw; it's an instinct ingrained in his bones.

"Shunzi, what are you looking at?" the big guy called out to him.

Zhang Qilin chuckled, revealing half a tooth: "Let's see if there are any big spenders today, so we can grab a front-row seat."

He kept wiping the handlebars as he spoke.

But the wiping motion wasn't a real wipe; it was a subconscious, habitual action. The car was already clean, but he still wanted to find something to do.

These are details he extracted from the character Xiao Shunzi when he was getting into character.

Your hands can't be idle.

The person pulling the cart feels uneasy when their hands are idle.

The big guy laughed at him: "Even if you polish your beat-up car to a pulp, it still won't be able to carry any rich people."

Zhang Qilin wasn't annoyed at all; instead, he laughed even harder: "Then I'll polish it a bit more, just in case the rich man goes blind?"

This remark amused the surrounding drivers, who all laughed.

The play continues.

Tiger Girl enters and talks to the drivers.

Zhang Qilin squatted there, listening to Hu Niu's sharp voice, his shoulders slightly hunched.

This is Xiao Shunzi's attitude towards Hu Niu: a mixture of fear, respect, and a desire to watch the spectacle.

An hour later, the curtain fell and the performance ended.

The leaders and experts from the Arts Committee got up and left to go to the conference room for a discussion.

Roles like Zhang Qilin's, whose fates are uncertain, are all anxiously waiting for news backstage.

I wonder which type of performance the leaders and the experts on the arts committee prefer.