The literary era since 1979

On the south side of Fuxingmenwai Street, there are two identical buildings, whose exterior walls are painted a uniform light mauve color.

Fangyan stood at the door and rang the doorbell of one of the buildings.

"You came just in time."

Wan Fang opened the door, "Dad was just talking about you."

Fangyan smiled, said a few polite words, and walked into the house.

"Dad is already waiting for you in the study, come with me."

Wan Fang led the way and asked, "By the way, did you bring the red flag with you?"

Fangyan patted the box and said, "It's inside!"

When I came to the living room, I saw Wan Jiabao sitting in front of the electric fan, the smoke coming out of his pipe being slowly blown away by the wind.

"Hurry, hurry, Yanzi, take out the red flag and let us see it!" Wan Fang said impatiently.

Seeing Fangyan carefully unfolding the red flag, Wan Jiabao couldn't help but sigh:

"This is the national flag that was raised when Xu Haifeng won the championship..."

"Yes, sir, it is the five-star red flag raised when the first gold medal was won at the Olympics."

Fangyan grinned, looking very proud.

The fact that he "presented the national flag" could not be concealed at all, and media such as the Xinhua Daily and the People's Daily reported it at the first opportunity.

Basically, everyone in the country now knows that in the Olympic 60-meter slow-fire competition, the organizer only prepared one red flag. They also know that General Fang stepped forward and presented the national flag, which will undoubtedly be recorded in the history of Chinese Olympic sports.

"You stole the show in America this time."

Wan Jiabao raised his head and smiled.

"Sir, I don't deserve that."

Fangyan shuddered and waved his hands.

"Don't be so modest. I have already heard from the comrades from the People's Daily."

Wan Jiabao gestured for him to sit down. "It is said that in America today, everyone is proud to talk about "Guns, Viruses, and Steel". There are long queues outside the theaters to watch the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Your name is now well-known, no less than Mr. Lu Xun..."

"You are really embarrassing me when you say that. How can I compare with Mr. Lu Xun?"

Fangyan added secretly in his mind that the remuneration for articles was almost the same.

Wan Jiabao was quite pleased and said, "You can achieve what you have today, I believe Brother Shen's spirit in heaven will also be comforted."

Fangyan said nothing, silently folded the red flag again and put it back into the box carefully.

After praising his lectures at American universities, Wan Jiabao slowly brought the conversation back to the main topic.

"This time I asked you to come here mainly because of the 3000 people visiting China."

"These 3000 people basically come from all walks of life, including the literary, film, and media circles..."

"You have participated in this kind of reception activities twice before. You are familiar with it after the first time. And considering your fame and influence in Japan, many comrades, including me, recommend you to join the reception group of the literary and art circles."

"I?"

Fangyan was shocked. He thought that he would just be a small Karami like the previous two times, but he didn't expect to be entrusted with an important task this time.

"As for the requirements and details of the reception work, Comrade Mu Zhi and the others will come to you when the time comes, so I won't go into details."

Wan Jiabao repeatedly stressed that the higher-ups attached great importance to this 3000-member delegation visiting China and that they must perform well.

"Yes, sir!"

Fangyan's eyes were firm and his tone was serious.

After finishing the business, the two chatted about their trip to the United States, especially the strong response caused by "Guns, Viruses, and Steel".

Wan Fang looked left and right, and except for occasionally interrupting to ask a few questions, she listened quietly most of the time.

Wan Jiabao asked curiously, "Besides this division of civilization, do you have any other ideas in your recent creation?"

Fangyan took a sip of tea to moisten his slightly hoarse throat, and then said that he had just completed a historical suspense and mystery novel, "Song Ci, the Chief Justice of the Song Dynasty", not long ago. In addition, he was currently working on a novel about Peking Opera culture.

Compared to "Song Ci, the Chief Inspector of the Song Dynasty", Wan Jiabao is obviously more interested in "Farewell My Concubine".

"It was a coincidence that I happened to watch the TV series Farewell My Concubine when I passed by Hong Kong..."

Fangyan talked about the ins and outs of co-writing the work with Li Bihua.

Wan Jiabao became more and more curious. "Tell me about the content. How do you plan to make it a representative work of root-seeking literature?"

While Wan Fang was pouring tea for them, she was listening to the plot outline being succinctly described in dialect. When she heard about the unclear and confusing relationship between Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, she took a breath suddenly. A man on top of another man, isn't this too shocking and outrageous?
"Sister Fangfang, what I wrote was not homosexuality, but the oppression and harm of old-time artists by feudal society."

Fangyan said seriously.

"That's true."

Wan Jiabao said that the Qing Dynasty initially did not like Peking Opera artists.

It was not allowed to build theaters in the inner city of Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. The bannermen at that time did not associate with Peking opera artists and could not become amateur opera fans. There were only stages in the imperial palace and in the homes of some princes. Peking opera male dan in the old society were usually active in the Eight Great Hutongs, satisfying the morbid hobbies of the literati.

That is why these handsome male actors were called "Xiang Gu", which later gradually evolved into "Xiang Gong Tang Zi".

"The ambiguous relationship between Jia Baoyu and the actor Liu Xianglian in Dream of the Red Chamber reflects the situation at that time."

Fangyan raised the teacup and blew gently.

"Yes, later on, famous opera masters such as Tian Jiyun, Cheng Changgeng, and Mei Lanfang opposed this abnormal practice, and Peking opera male dan gradually took art as their research direction. But in fact, Peking opera male dan is a product of a special era, when the old society crushed men into women."

Wan Jiabao let out a long sigh.

Wan Fang suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

Fang Yan said: "It is precisely because of this that Cheng Dieyi, who knew clearly from a young age that he was a boy, later developed cognitive impairment about his gender under various external pressures. He misread it twice, which showed his stubbornness, and he read it correctly the last time, which was his compromise."

"Your novel is great, and the good part is the ending."

Wan Jiabao said: "When Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou performed on stage for the last time after many years, Cheng Dieyi made a mistake again, and then he realized that he had always been a man. He let it go and committed suicide."

Fangyan smiled and said, "You really said it all."

Wan Jiabao earnestly warned: "Xiao Fang, you have to write this kind of work carefully. Don't mess it up. This is a masterpiece!"

"Then you have to do me a favor."

Fang Yan said that "Farewell My Concubine" involves Peking Opera culture, and it is necessary to visit and collect folk songs. It would be best to get professional guidance from folk art masters, just like "The Grandmaster Huang Feihong", and consult the Yanjing Wushu Team to avoid common sense mistakes that would make people laugh.

"Farewell My Concubine" was compiled by Qingyi Jushi based on the Kunqu opera "A Thousand Golds" and "Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of Xiang Yu". There are four volumes in total, namely "Jiuli Mountain", "The Chu-Han Struggle", "The Fall of Wujiang", and "Ten Sides of Ambush"..."

Wan Jiabao said: "It was first performed by Yang Xiaolou and Shang Xiaoyun in Yanjing, and then Yang Xiaolou and Mei Lanfang collaborated to perform it, modifying the "Chu-Han Contention" in the play and changing its name to "Farewell My Concubine". It has now become one of the classic repertoires of the Mei School."

Fangyan continued the conversation and said that he hoped to hire a descendant of the Mei school as a consultant.

"Since he is the successor of the Mei School, he must be the son of Master Mei Lanfang!"

Wan Jiabao clapped his hands and introduced him to Mei Baojiu.

Fang Yan smiled and said, "If it's Mr. Mei, then it couldn't be better."

Wan Jiabao took on this job for the sake of Farewell My Concubine. "Go back and wait for news. I'll have Fangfang call you as soon as there's any confirmation."…………

When we returned to Shichahai, it was already dark.

When Fang Yan told Gong Xing about his meeting with Mei Baojiu, he saw that she was very emotional and looked at him with tearful eyes.

"You want to go too?"

"Okay? I promise I won't cause any trouble for you!"

"It's no harm to meet you, but how are you going to thank me?"

"me……"

After being taught mathematics on the bed, Gong Xing was taught Chinese this time, with the words of "The Drunken Old Man Pavilion" humming in dialect echoing in his ears:

"After walking six or seven miles in the mountains, I gradually heard the sound of gurgling water, and the water flowing out between the two peaks was the brewing spring..."

“Fishing by the river, the fish are fat in the deep river, and the fish swimming on the sweet spring water feel safe and at ease, just like returning home.”

In a daze, the whole person turned over like turning the page of an article, and the story began with "Peach Blossom Spring".

Just two days after Fang Yanlue posted the sexy article, Wan Fang finally called.

Gong Xing, with a flushed face, shyly followed Fang Yan to meet Mei Lanfang's son, Mei Baojiu.

There has always been an unwritten rule in the Chinese folk art circle, which is to pass it down from generation to generation.

The son inherits the father's business for the sake of inheritance. However, under the impact of modern culture, many folk arts have gradually declined and the word inheritance is no longer a problem.

However, in the Peking Opera industry, many famous artists still have several generations of descendants, and the most prosperous and enduring family is the seventh generation of the Tan family.

The most famous one is the Mei school with two masters!
At this moment, Baojiu is preparing for the commemorative performance for Mei Lanfang's 90th anniversary with his senior brothers and sisters in the Mei School and his disciples.

"Master Jiu, I am sorry to bother you."

The dialect was the respectful title given to Mei Baojiu by the folk art community, with both hands clasped together, showing respect.

"It's okay, Mr. Wan told me everything on the phone."

Mei Baojiu treated him as an equal, made a few polite remarks, and then turned his attention to Gong Xing.

"This is my lover, Gong Xian, and also your fan."

Fangyan introduced Gong Xing to him with a smile.

Mei Baojiu invited the two men to sit down in the house. He was very humble and made tea and served water to them.

"Come on, Teacher Fang..."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it, Master Jiu, please just call me 'Yanzi'."

Fangyan waved his hand.

"You all deserve to be called teacher."

Mei Baojiu mentioned the theory of dialects' "three major drama systems in the world" and "three major performing arts systems in the world", raising Mei Lanfang's performance system and Chinese opera to a world-class status. For this, the entire opera world has to owe a debt to him.

Gong Xing was stunned and said softly, "Why didn't I tell you about this?"

Although Fang Yan looked confused, she remained calm and said, "Now you know how prestigious your man is."

Gong Xing rolled his eyes, "Virtue!"

Mei Baojiu did not notice their strangeness, and said reminiscingly: "In fact, I am not very suitable for singing male dan. My facial features are relatively tough and masculine, but male dan does not need this. It requires the gentleness of a woman. Therefore, the successor must be trained from a young age, and the body must be trained to be more flexible, but I don't have such skills..."

Fang Yan and Gong Xing looked at each other. Many people in later generations felt that Mei Baojiu's art was not good, but it depends on who he is compared with.

Compared with his father, Master Mei Lanfang, he is certainly inferior, but compared with the current Mei school actors, it can be said that he is more than enough.

"There is no other way. In order to prevent the Mei style male dan art from being lost, I have to put in more effort to make up for my shortcomings."

Mei Baojiu sighed softly.

Fang Yan said: "This is what they call 'If you want to be respected in front of others, you must suffer behind their backs'."

"Yeah!"

Mei Baojiu's eyes lit up, "Your words have expressed the bitterness and suffering of us opera students."

"This is the outline and opening of Farewell My Concubine. Please take a look at it."

Fangyan handed over the manuscript.

After Mei Baojiu took it, he flipped through the pages one by one, tears welling up in his eyes.

Gong Xing opened his mouth to remind him, but was stopped by Fang Yan. The two of them continued to peel peanuts and drink tea in silence.

"Okay, okay!"

Tears flowed from the corners of Mei Baojiu's eyes and fell down his cheeks.

"If you say that, I feel relieved."

Fang Yan smiled and said, "Before, I was always worried that the complicated relationship between Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou would make you feel..."

"No, no, no, that's perfectly fine."

Mei Baojiu said that in the real history of Peking Opera, male dan roles are an important part of Peking Opera and were once the mainstream on the Peking Opera stage.

Except for Zhao Yanxia, ​​the founders of the Dan role were basically men, and the four famous Dan roles were all men.

Therefore, many male artists, due to singing female roles for many years, become obsessed with it and cannot distinguish between themselves and the role, which results in them being unable to distinguish between the stage and the audience.

At this point, his tone was full of nostalgia, "My father told me more than once that male dan artists should have a limit. If you can't reach the standard, many people will think you are a man, not like a woman. On the contrary, if you are too much, you will be considered effeminate and disgusting."

"This is 'not taking an unconventional approach, not using risky writing, and not being vulgar'."

Gong Xing blurted out the characteristics of Mei style, which made Mei Baojiu very happy.

"This is inheritance. Only this kind of meticulous inheritance can allow Meipai art to continue to flourish."

Fangyan took a sip of tea.

"It's not just about opera. If the male dan art and Peking opera culture are to be passed down, they still have to be passed down through various forms."

Mei Baojiu said: "Like television, radio, and novels like Farewell My Concubine."

Fangyan nodded in agreement, and then explained his purpose. The repertoire included in the entire book of Farewell My Concubine included not only "Farewell My Concubine", but also "The Drunken Concubine", "The Peony Pavilion", etc., so he hoped that Mei Baojiu, or someone he could recommend as a leading female role in the Mei school, could assist.

"It is my duty!"

Mei Baojiu readily agreed and asked Mei's disciples to help him even if he was going on a tour abroad.

Fang Yan said: "That would be great, thank you Master Jiu!"

"For Peking Opera, for Chinese opera, we have an obligation to do so!"

Mei Baojiu then invited them to participate in the upcoming commemorative performance for Mei Lanfang's 90th anniversary.

"It's a dream come true!"

Fang Yan held Gong Xing's hand tightly and smiled at her. (End of this chapter)