Phoenix and Legend

Chapter 56 The Phoenix Theater

On the third day after Xu Qing returned home, she said to Bai Xueying, "Mother, I want to go back to Wutong County in the early morning of the first day of the lunar new year."

"Xu Qing, it's not easy for you to come back from vacation, why are you going back in such a hurry?"

"Mother, sister Meining and I have made an appointment to accompany brother Jinlin to celebrate the New Year on the first day of the new year."

"Didn't Jinlin go to America this year for the Chinese New Year?"

"No, he said that the weather is bad, so he won't go back. In fact, I don't think it's because of the bad weather, but because he can't let someone else go."

"Isn't it you?"

"Of course not, it's Lin Caining, sister Meining's former colleague."

"Then you still like Jinlin?"

"I just feel that I have the right to compete for love. Don't worry, after your enlightenment, I won't like him anymore." Xu Qingyan comforted his mother insincerely.

"That's good, you must pay attention to safety when driving."

"Mother, don't worry, my car's safety factor is top-notch."

"That also needs to be paid attention to."

"clear."

On the first day of the first lunar month, although it has entered the early spring, the weather is still cold, and the sky seems to be shrouded in clouds like black mist, making the small town very dark.

The people in the small town were not disturbed by the weather, and they still celebrated this extraordinary festival happily.

At 7 o'clock in the morning, Jin Lin went to Splendid Hotel to express condolences to the employees at work, and gave them holiday blessings.

At 8:[-], after Jin Lin returned home, he saw Xu Qing and Mei Ning making dumplings for him, and felt very happy and warm: "My two sisters, happy Chinese New Year!"

"Brother Jinlin, Happy Chinese New Year!" Xu Qing and Mei Ning congratulated each other.

"Xu Qing, why did you come back so soon, why didn't you stay at home for a few more days?"

Mei Ning accepted the words with a smile:

"Brother Jinlin, Xu Qing came back because of you. She really loves your good sister."

"Xu Qing, thank you." Jin Lin said sincerely.

Mei Ning heard this, but jokingly said:

"Brother Jinlin, why do you only thank Xu Qing and not me? I think you look very special to her?" Xu Qing felt very sweet in her heart after hearing this.

"Meining, Xu Qing came from the city. Besides, she is the youngest of the three of us, so we should take good care of her." Jin Lin said with a smile.

Xu Qing gave Jinlin a tender look: "Thank you, Brother Jinlin."

Jin Lin didn't care about Xu Qing's expression.

After the three of them finished eating the dumplings, Xu Qing persuaded Jinlin: "Brother Jinlin, it's not a solution for you and Sister Caining to develop in vain. You don't have to worry about your youth, but Sister Caining, she Your youth is a priceless treasure!"

Jin Lin thought for a while and said, "Xu Qing, what you said may make sense. Now I'll take you to a place where you may be able to find the answer."

"Brother Jinlin, where is it? It seems very mysterious." Mei Ning asked.

"Phoenix Theater."

"Ah! It's that place forgotten by history, it's so scary!" Mei Ning said in amazement.

"Yes, brother Jinlin, when we were in the third grade of elementary school, sister Meining and I often went there to play. I remember one time, on a rainy day in autumn, we went there to shelter from the rain after school at noon. It was very dark inside, and we were sitting on the ground chatting, when we suddenly heard a woman crying faintly, the voice was so desolate, it scared us to death at that time, we ran to Sister Meining's house hand in hand, and later , we never went there again.”

After hearing this, Jin Lin felt very strange, but he still didn't believe this unscientific statement:
"It's been so long, do you remember it wrongly, besides, there are no supernatural phenomena in the world."

"Brother Jinlin, even Sister Meining is so forgetful, she can remember everything clearly, let alone me?"

"So, you dare not go?" Jin Lin asked with a smile.

"Of course I dare to go. With you, a righteous hero, what are we afraid of!" Xu Qing said.

"Okay, I'll take you there by car," Jin Lin said.

After 15 minutes, the three of them came to the auspicious street connected to Wutong West Road. The Phoenix Theater is located in the deepest part of this small street. It was built in 1922 during the Republic of China, covering an area of ​​more than 1300 square meters, with two floors , about 13 meters high, is a theater-style building that combines Chinese and Western elements.

After the three got out of the car, they came to the gate of the Phoenix Theater and found that it was already haggard, with all the traces of history. gushes out, making this light gray building look more vicissitudes and mystery.

"Brother Jinlin, just now you said at home that this place has something to do with Sister Caining, it seems impossible?" Xu Qing asked incomprehensibly.

"I just came here to find my own feelings, and I didn't deliberately say that it was related to Cai Ning."

"Brother Jinlin, Xu Qing, let's go in quickly to find the feeling." Mei Ning said with a smile in order to ease the seemingly scary atmosphere.

The three of them walked into the theater, passed the 13-meter-long front hall, and the 52-meter-long auditorium, and came to the front of the stage. It has been soaked in the dust of the years and completely lost the brilliant colors of the past.

Jin Lin looked out the window at this time and saw a not young pagoda tree, and suddenly felt that there was a sad figure of Cai Ning under that tree more than ten years ago, Jin Lin felt very strange.

Xu Qing noticed Jinlin's melancholy expression:
"Brother Jinlin, do you feel that sister Caining has been under that locust tree?"

"Maybe." Jin Lin sighed, and then he said to Xu Qing and Mei Ning: "Okay, we don't want to worry about this anymore, let me tell you a story, maybe you will understand."

Jinlin said:

At that time, there was a Tsingyi Danjiao in Wutong County. Her stage name was Lin Xiudie. She was born in a Liyuan family. She studied Peking Opera with her parents when she was 7 years old.

In March 1919, when Lin Xiudie was 3 years old, she followed her parents all the way to Jicheng Peace Theater to perform.

When performing at the Peace Theater, although Lin Xiudie only performed "Thirteen Sisters" and "Peach Blossom with a Human Face", her delicate appearance, moving eyes, skillful performance and beautiful voice always made the audience linger.

Lin Xiudie kept only a small part of the generous rewards she received, and donated the rest to poor families. Her charity was appreciated by Long Zhenfang, the mayor of Jicheng City at that time.

Long Zhenfang had a good impression of Lin Xiudie, and Lin Xiudie also had a lot of respect for Long Zhenfang. The two often spend time together, and talk with each other. However, they are gentlemen and pure lovers. It was once a good story in Jicheng.

In September 1924, Lin Xiudie learned that after the completion of the Phoenix Theater in her hometown, her family returned to Wutong County from Jicheng because of homesickness. When they left Jicheng, more than 9 people came to see them off. Long Zhen Fang is among them.

After Lin Xiudie returned to her hometown, because she was already well-known in Jicheng and she was an outstanding person, the boss Rong of the Phoenix Theater made her the top card. As long as there was her performance, the venues were full and the applause continued.

In June 1925, when "Farewell My Concubine" was about to be performed at 6:07 in the evening, the actor who played Xiang Yu suddenly had a throat discomfort. At the suggestion of Lin Xiudie, she asked her brother Wang Xiaolou, who was 30 years older, to play Xiang Yu.

At first, the owner of Rong Theater did not agree. Although Wang Xiaolou is Lin Xiudie's senior brother, this is only Lin Xiudie's respectful name for him, because he has only studied Peking Opera with Lin Xiudie's father for less than three years, and he is still a Niche actor.

However, the eight o'clock play was about to be staged on time, and there was no more suitable candidate for a while, so Boss Rong could only agree to Lin Xiudie's idea.

When Lin Xiudie and Wang Xiaolou were playing "Farewell My Concubine", Lin Xiudie's affectionate, desolate and soft eyes, and Wang Xiaolou's admiring eyes gave people a feeling of perfection and won the audience Constant applause.

That is to say, in this performance, Lin Xiudie and Wang Xiaolou fell in love at first sight and admired each other. In their spare time, they often communicate and talk together.

In November 1927, when Lin Xiudie was performing "Human Face Peach Blossom", she was spotted by Wu Decai, the county magistrate who came to watch the play. He coveted Lin Xiudie's stunning beauty.

The next day, Wu Decai sent someone to the Phoenix Theater to deliver an invitation, inviting Lin Xiudie to a banquet at home. After Lin Xiudie received the invitation, she felt quite embarrassed. The sheep went to the wolf's mouth, but she didn't go, and she was worried that it would bring disaster to her family, so she had to begrudgingly agreed.

During the dinner, Wu Decai put drug in Lin Xiudie's water cup in advance. Lin Xiudie suspected that there was something wrong with the water in the cup, but for the safety of her relatives, she drank the water anyway. For a moment, she felt weak all over her body , the eyes were blurred, and he lost consciousness for an instant.

After Wu Decai let her do whatever he wanted, he sent a car to take her back.

Lin Xiudie returned to her room in the theater, closed the door, and cried bitterly in the room for a whole day.

In the middle of the night, Lin Xiudie, who couldn't bear the humiliation, came to the dark and silent stage of the theater and splashed blood on the curtain with the sword she used when she played Concubine Yu.

Wang Xiaolou heard the movement on the stage, he hurried downstairs, came to the stage, cried bitterly, hugged Lin Xiudie, and walked out of the theater.

In September 1928, a circus came to an open space 9 meters away from the Phoenix Theater, set up a tent, and performed a tiger taming performance.

Three days later, when the animal trainer performed the tiger taming performance, the docile tiger seemed to lose its mind, rushed down the animal training platform, and roared out of the tent. I didn't find it for a whole half a day.

One of the animal trainers met a young and beautiful woman, Lin Xiudie, when passing through the alley near the theater. In fact, she did not die, because the sword did not hurt the fatal place. Seclusion in a deserted yard near the theater.

Lin Xiudie told the animal trainer where the tiger was going, and it turned out that it went to the theater.

However, several animal trainers searched every corner of the theater, but found nothing.

One week later, when the theater was performing "Farewell My Concubine", it suddenly heard the roar of a tiger, which scared all the people in the theater to run around, including Wu Decai. He accidentally fell down while running away and was caught by the panicked crowd. trampled to death.

Since then, the theater has been abandoned, and Lin Xiudie and Wang Xiaolou moved to live in the theater.

(End of this chapter)