Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1367 Peking Opera

No sooner said than done, the next day Xiaohong and Chen Xiao dragged Qin Xuemei to the power hospital.

They knew the people there, so they arranged for an expert to give Qin Xuemei a thorough examination.

Xiaowei's family is busy preparing for their baby's one-month celebration. They've sent out notices and invitations, and the banquet is booked at the Mei Mansion, with all four halls reserved for the entire day. (The food is delicious, but a bit pricey.)

Mei Mansion is the former residence of the famous Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang. It's a private restaurant located in Daxiangfeng Hutong, not far from here. It's about a ten-minute walk from here by strolling through the network of hutongs.

Back in the Republican era, Master Mei was known as "Mei Half City," and many houses in Houhai and even in Beijing originally belonged to him.

Back then, it cost ten silver dollars to see one of his plays. At that time, a small building in Shanghai cost only thirty silver dollars, making it one of the most expensive places in the country.

The value of the silver dollar was quite high; ordinary people rarely saw more than a few throughout the year.

Don't watch TV dramas, they're full of nonsense. In period dramas, people casually throw around twenty taels of silver, which is like going to a roadside stall and spending 100,000 to buy two skewers. If people in ancient times knew this, they would strangle these screenwriters.

Back then, Master Mei earned hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single performance, which he had to carry home in bags. You can imagine how much money he had.

After the liberation, his entire family, except for the old house, was handed over, including antiques, calligraphy and paintings, valuables, and houses—essentially giving away most of his assets. This is why he became a master of his generation, supported and promoted by the state. Peking Opera benefited from his fame.

Think about why Peking Opera became a national treasure? It's only been around for a few years from its formation to its development. It started in 1860 and took shape in 1918, by which time the October Revolution had succeeded and communist ideology was spreading rapidly throughout the country.

In 1927, the Shuntian Times of Beijing selected the four great Dan (female role) performers: Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu, and Xun Huisheng. At the same time, there was also the martial arts master Yang Xiaolou, and the four great male roles: She, Gao Yan, and Ma Yan. Each had their own style and established their own school. Why did so many different schools of performers emerge from one genre?

These people were just beginning to take shape; they were, in fact, the first generation of Peking Opera performers.

The so-called Peking Opera before this, including those predecessors who performed in the palace, were actually "Anhui Opera", which is AH local opera.

The arrival of the Anhui opera troupes in Beijing is regarded by modern Peking opera artists as the origin of Peking opera, and Shipai Town in Anqing is the ancestral home of Peking opera.

At that time, four opera troupes came to Beijing: excerpts from traditional operas, Kunqu opera, martial arts opera, and child actors. They then gradually merged with other opera genres to form "outer troupes"—troupes outside of traditional opera troupes.

The outer troupes were a hodgepodge of Xipi, Erhuang, Huizhou opera, Qinqiang, and Han opera, including some techniques from Kunqu opera. It was through the continuous fusion and integration of these elements that Pingju was born. Pingju then developed further, eventually forming the Peking opera we know today.

Peking Opera reached its peak of maturity in 1936, and then it was liberated in 49. How many years is that? Among all the mature and popular opera genres in China, it is the latest to emerge.

Street-side crosstalk performances are older than it.

……

With the full moon celebration arranged here, Wang Jiwei's family moved over there.

It's been over two months since I went back home during the summer vacation to sort things out, and it's finally all done. Wang Xiuli, full of resentment, was left at school while her whole family came over with their household registration documents.

They sold everything they could and gave away the rest. Although the old couple were a little reluctant, they felt that their son and daughter were right. They were now in Beijing and would be Beijingers from now on.

My wife's family is so capable; they have everything we need and no shortage of money. These old things from the past are useless there and would only embarrass my eldest son.

Wang Jihong called Wang Jiwei before boarding the train in Fengtian, without going through the company or taking a plane.

Qin Xuemei accompanied Wang Jiwei to the train station to pick up the person, and Xiao Wei followed along. Their family had to send a representative to welcome them.

Unlike airport terminals, train stations don't allow passengers to simply wait in the crowd at the exit, enduring a barrage of noise, shouts, inquiries, and hawking. Fortunately, Zang Yuanwei and his companions created a small space for them amidst the throng.

The train was delayed, by about twenty minutes, but thankfully not by several hours.

Mr. and Mrs. Wang both changed into new clothes. Although they still couldn't shake off the rustic style, it was a huge improvement. This can only be done little by little.

The so-called "rustic" or "uncool" thing is more about mindset. Is an old man in Beijing wearing a vest and shorts more fashionable than an old man in the countryside wearing the same thing? It's just a difference in mindset, perspective, experience, knowledge, self-confidence, and other comprehensive factors.

A piece of clothing that costs 200 yuan looks worth 20,000 yuan on Andy Lau, but only a few dozen yuan on a farmer.

"Dad, Mom, Jihong." Qin Xuemei went to greet them first, smiling as she took Wang Ma's arm.

Aunt Wang's eyes almost disappeared from her smile: "Oh, oh. It's so cold outside, why go all that way? Just let Jiwei come and pick you up."

Wang Ma was extremely satisfied with her daughter-in-law. She was beautiful, had a good personality, was hardworking, could do any kind of work, and had none of the quirks of a rich person. She was also considerate and filial.

I don't know where my son got his good fortune from, he just stumbled upon such a lucky break.

However, the two elders also had a concern: how would they find a wife for their second son?

Xiao Wei then greeted the two elders, and Wang Jiwei took the bag from his father's hand. The group then left the square, got into the car, and went home.

First, I went to see where the Wang family would live.

The courtyard has been completely renovated inside and out, restored to its original appearance, and is full of antique charm and historical atmosphere.

Because there are few people and it's mostly elderly people living there, it wasn't made too complicated. There's just an old tree in the yard with a stone table and benches underneath. The house was directly restored, with some tiles replaced. The interior, like the bathroom and kitchen, is modernized, with all the necessary appliances.

The heating is provided by an electric boiler, and the kitchen has been converted into a living room.

The kitchen in northern houses is quite spacious, and it wouldn't feel cramped at all if used as a living room.

The elderly couple had their luggage, bedding, household items, clothes, and shoes all prepared, and they were quite satisfied after taking a tour of the place.

"Chickens, geese, and dogs can be kept, but you have to keep the yard clean and tidy. The yard is a bit small. Pigs and ducks cannot be kept here."

These three shops next door have been converted into stores. Grandpas and grandmas, take a look. Running a convenience store isn't tiring. The company has people here to handle the sourcing and replenishment. You can just give them a call.

When the business opens, we'll hire a local girl to collect the money, and you two can just come and take a look around. The main thing is to help you find something to do.

If I feel like it, I'll go for a stroll by the lake, visit my sister's shop, or sit in the courtyard over there for a while; they're all nearby.

We got a phone at home, so we call whenever we need to. I've written down all our phone numbers in this notebook, which is right next to the phone.

Xiao Wei showed the elderly couple the yard and storefront, and Wang Jiwei then explained the various appliances inside. It's not something you can remember all at once; you have to learn gradually.

"Why would you need to hire someone to collect money if you run a shop?" Wang Ma quietly asked her youngest son.

"Mom, running a shop is different now than before. There are more things to do, and we need to use a machine to collect money. You and Dad can't handle it, so just listen to Xiaowei."

To be honest, the elderly couple were a little unaccustomed to coming here all of a sudden; it's too crowded here.

The alleyway is narrow and you can't see the end of it. There are densely packed houses on both sides, and you can only see a sliver of sky when you look up. It's a completely different concept from the big courtyards and fields of the countryside.

To put it bluntly, it feels like I can barely breathe here.

If the garage hadn't been renovated, there wouldn't be enough parking spaces; once a car stops, the entire road would be completely blocked.

(End of this chapter)