On the south side of Fuxingmenwai Street, there are two identical buildings, with their exterior walls painted a uniform light lotus color.
Fang Yan stood at the door and rang the doorbell of one of the buildings.
"You came at the right time."
Wan Fang opened the door, "Just now dad was thinking about you."
Fang Yan smiled and said a few words of courtesy Cliché, go inside the house.
"Dad is already waiting for you in the study. Come with me."
Wan Fang led the way, "By the way, did you bring that red flag with you?"
Fang Yan took the photo Patting the box, "It's inside!"
When he came to the living room, he saw Wan Jiabao sitting in front of the electric fan, the smoke from his pipe being slowly blown away by the wind.
"Quick, quick, Yanzi, take out the red flag and let us see it!" Wan Fang said impatiently.
Seeing Fang Yan carefully unfurling the red flag, Wan Jiabao couldn't help but sigh:
"This is the flag that was raised when Xu Haifeng won the championship..."
"That's right, sir. , is the five-star red flag raised by the first gold medal in the Olympic Games."
Fang Yan grinned with pride.
The matter of "presenting the national flag" cannot be concealed at all, and media such as "Xinhua News" and "People's Daily" immediately reported it.
Basically, the whole country now knows that the organizers only prepared a red flag for the 60-meter slow-shooting competition in the Olympic Games. They also know that young general Fang stepped forward and presented the national flag. There is no doubt that it will be recorded in the history of the Olympic Games. In the history of Chinese Olympic sports.
"You stole the show this time in the United States."
Wan Jiabao raised his head and smiled.
“Sir, I don’t dare to take this seriously.”
Fang Yan was excited and waved his hand.
"Don't be humble. I have already heard what the comrade from the People's Daily said."
Wan Jiabao motioned for him to take a seat, "In today's United States, no one would fail to talk about "Guns, Viruses and "Steel" was so proud that there was a long queue at the entrance of the theater, vying to watch the movie "Saving Private Ryan". Your current reputation is as impressive as that of Mr. Lu Xun..."
"You really offend me by saying that. How can I compare with Mr. Lu Xun!"
>Fang Yan secretly added that the royalties were almost the same.
Wan Jiabao said with great relief: "For you to have achieved what you have achieved today, Brother Shen's spirit in heaven must be comforted."
Without saying a word, Fang Yan folded the red flag again and carefully put it back in the box.
After Wan Jiabao praised his lecture activities at American universities, he leisurely brought the conversation back to the main topic.
“I came to you this time mainly because of the 3,000 people visiting China.”
“These 3,000 people basically come from all walks of life, including the literary world, the film industry, and the media. World..."
" You have been exposed to this kind of reception twice before, once new to you and twice familiar. Considering the fame and influence of you and your works in Japan, many comrades, including me, recommend you to go there. Literary and Art Reception Group”
"Me?"
Fang Yan was shocked. He originally thought that he would be a little 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 emphasized that the superiors attach great importance to this This is a delegation of 3,000 people visiting China. We must perform well.
“Yes, sir!”
Fang Yan’s eyes were firm and his tone was serious.
After the serious talk was over, 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. Except for occasionally interrupting to ask a few questions, she spent most of her time listening quietly.
Wan Jiabao asked curiously: "Besides the division of civilization, do you have any other ideas in creation recently?"
Fang Yan took a sip of tea and moistened it. With a slightly hoarse throat, he said that he had just completed a suspense mystery novel with historical themes, "Song Ci, the Punisher of the Song Dynasty". In addition, he also currently has a novel on Peking Opera culture.
Wan Jiabao is obviously more interested in "Farewell My Concubine" than "Song Ci, the Punisher of the Song Dynasty".
"It's a coincidence that when I passed by Xiangjiang along the way, I happened to watch the TV series "Farewell My Concubine"..."
Fang Yan talked about co-writing the work with Li Bihua The whole story.
Wan Jiabao became more and more curious, "Tell me about the content. How do you plan to write it into a representative work of root-seeking literature?"
Wan Fang poured them tea while listening to the dialect concisely telling the plot. Outline, when he heard about the unclear and chaotic relationship between Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, he took a sudden breath and walked up to the man, one man after another. Isn't this too shocking and bold?
"Sister Fangfang, what I'm writing about is not about homosexuality, but about the oppression and cruelty of old artists by feudal society."
Fang Yan said seriously.
“This is true.”
Wan Jiabao said that the Qing Dynasty was also very unfavorable to Peking Opera artists at first.
A theater was not allowed to be built in the inner city of Sijiu City. At that time, these bannermen did not associate with Peking opera artists and could not be regarded as fans. Only the palace and the homes of some princes had theater stages. Peking opera actors in the old society Dan was usually active in Bada Hutong, satisfying the morbid hobbies of scholar-bureaucrats.
Therefore, these handsome male dandies were called "xianggu", and later gradually evolved into "Xiangongtangzi".
"The ambiguous relationship between Jia Baoyu and the actress Liu Xianglian in "A Dream of Red Mansions" can reflect the situation at that time."
Fang Yan raised the tea cup and blew gently.
“Yes, later, famous opera masters such as Tian Jiyun, Cheng Changgeng, Mei Lanfang, etc. opposed this abnormal practice, and Peking Opera male dandies also gradually took art as their research direction. But in fact, Peking Opera male dandies are The product of the special era is that the old society crushed men into women."
Wan Jiabao let out a long sigh.
Wan Fang suddenly realized, "So that's it."
Fang Yan said: "It is precisely because of this that Cheng Dieyi, who knew he was a boy since he was a child, later let him go under various pressures from the outside world. He has a cognitive disorder about his gender. He mispronounced it twice, which was his stubbornness. The last time he read it correctly, it was his compromise."
"Your novel. It’s okay, the good thing is this ending.”
Wan Jiabao said: “When Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou went on stage to sing for the last time after many years of separation, Cheng Dieyi once again sang the wrong song. At that time, I realized that I had always been a man, and I was relieved and committed suicide."
Fang Yan smiled and said, "You really said it all."
Wan Jiabao warned seriously: "Xiao Fang, you have to write this kind of work well and don't mess it up. This is a masterpiece!"
"Then you have to do me a favor. "
The dialect says "Farewell My Concubine" "Involves Peking Opera culture and needs to visit and collect styles. It is best to get professional guidance from folk art masters, just like "The Great Master Huang Feihong", seek advice from the Yanjing Wushu Team to avoid common-sense mistakes and make people feel uncomfortable. Laughing your ass off.
"Farewell My Concubine" is compiled by Qingyi layman based on Kun Opera "Qian Jin Ji" and "Historical Records: The Benji of Xiang Yu". There are four books in total, namely "Jiuli Mountain", "The Conflict between Chu and Han", and "The Death of Xiang Yu". Wujiang", "Ambush from Flying Daggers"..."
Wan Jiabao said: "First it was performed by Yang Xiaolou and Shang Xiaoyun in Yanjing. Later, Yang Xiaolou and Mei Lanfang collaborated on the performance. They modified "The Conflict between Chu and Han" and changed its name to "Farewell My Concubine." It is now one of the classic plays of the Mei School.”
Fang Yan went on to say that he hoped to hire a descendant of the Mei sect as a consultant.
“Since he is the successor of Mei Sect, of course he must be the son of Master Mei Lanfang!”
Wan Jiabao clapped his hands and simply introduced him to Mei Baojiu.
Fang Yan smiled and said, "If it's Mei's family, that would be great."
For "Farewell My Concubine", Wan Jiabao took the job , "Go back and wait for the news. I'll ask Fangfang to call you as soon as I have the news."......
When we returned to Shichahai, it was already dark.
As soon as Fang Yan told Gong Jie about meeting Mei Baojiu, he saw her excited and looking at him with awe in her eyes.
“You want to go too?”
“Is that okay? I promise I won’t cause any trouble for you!”
"It doesn't hurt to meet you, but how can you thank me?"
"I...I..."
After being taught mathematics in bed, Gong Jie changed this time. It has become a Chinese language, and the sentences from "The Drunkard's Pavilion" in dialect are echoing in my ears. :
“As you travel six or seven miles up the mountain, you gradually hear the sound of gurgling water, and the water flowing out between the two peaks is called a spring...”
“Fishing by the stream, the stream is deep and the fish Fat, the fish swims peacefully on the sweet spring, just like returning home. ”
In a daze, I turned over like a page in an article, switching to "The Story of Peach Blossom Spring".
Just two days after the dialect was slightly coquettish, Wan Fang finally called.
With his face glowing red, Gong Cie shyly followed Fang Yan to meet Mei Lanfang's son, Mei Baojiu.
There has always been an unwritten rule in the Chinese folk art world, which is to pass down the family tradition.
The son inherits his father's legacy for inheritance. However, under the impact of modern culture, many folk arts have gradually declined, and there is no longer the word inheritance.
However, in the Peking Opera industry, many famous performers are still heirs of several generations, and the most prosperous and enduring one is undoubtedly the seventh-generation Tan family.
The most famous one is the Mei School with two masters!
At this moment, Baojiu is preparing a commemorative performance for Mei Lanfang’s 90th anniversary with his brothers, sisters and disciples from the Mei School.
"Master Jiu, I'm sorry for bothering you."
The dialect was calling Mei Baojiu the honorific name given to Mei Baojiu in the folk art world, with his hands clasped in fists, respectfully.
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, Mr. Wan told me on the phone."
Mei Baojiu treated others with courtesy, said a few polite words, and turned his attention to Gong Qie.
“This is my lover, Gong Cie, and I am also a fan of your drama.”
Fang Yan introduced Gong Cie with a smile.
Mei Baojiu invited the two of them to sit down in the room without any pretense, making tea and handing them water.
"Come on, Teacher Fang..."
"I don't dare to take it. I don't dare to take it. Master Jiu, just call me 'Yanzi'."
Fang Yan waved his hand.
“You are all worthy of being a teacher.”
Mei Baojiu mentioned dialect’s theory of “the world’s three major drama systems” and “the world’s three major performing arts systems”. Mei Lanfang's performance system and Chinese opera have been elevated to world-class status. For this reason, everyone in the opera world must owe him a debt of gratitude.
Gong Qian was stunned and said softly: "Why didn't you tell me this?"
Although Fang Yan looked confused, his expression remained unchanged, "Now I know you have many men. Have some face Right."
Gong Qian rolled his eyes, "De Xing!"
Mei Bao didn't notice their strangeness for a long time, and said in retrospect: "Actually, I'm not very suitable for singing. male Dan, I have strong facial features and a lot of masculinity. However, what a male Dan needs is not like this, but the softness of a woman. Therefore, the successor must be cultivated from an early age, and the figure must be made softer. Okay, but I just don’t have such boyish skills..."
Fang Yan and Gong Qiao looked at each other. Many people in later generations thought that Mei Baojiu’s art was not good, but it depends on who he was compared with.
Compared with his father, Master Mei Lanfang, he is definitely not close, but compared with the current Mei School actors, it can be said to be more than enough.
"No choice. In order to prevent the Mei School's male dandy art from being lost, I can only spend more effort to make up for my weakness."
Mei Baojiu sighed quietly.
Fang Yan said: "This is called 'If you want to be prominent in front of others, you will have to suffer behind others.'"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Mei Baojiu's eyes lit up, "Your sentence expresses the bitter sufferings of our Liyuan children."
"This is the outline and opening chapter of "Farewell My Concubine". Please read it."
Fang Yan handed over the manuscript.
After Mei Baojiu took over, he flipped down page after page, tears filling his eyes uncontrollably.
Gong Chou opened his mouth and wanted to remind him, but was stopped by Fang Yan. The two of them peeled peanuts and drank tea without saying a word.
"Okay, okay!"
Tears shed from the corners of Mei Baojiu's eyes and fell down her cheeks.
“I feel relieved when you say that.”
Fang Yan said with a smile: “Before, I had been worried that the complicated relationship between Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou would make you feel...”
“No, no, no, this is perfectly written.”
Mei Baojiu said that in the actual history of Peking Opera, male dandan is an important part of Peking Opera and was once the mainstream on the Peking Opera stage.
With the exception of Zhao Yanxia, basically all the male dan sects are male, and the four most famous dan roles are all male.
For this reason, there will be many male artists who, because they have been singing the leading role all year round, are obsessed with it, and they are indifferent between people and dramas, which leads to the indifference between the stage and the stage.
Speaking of this, his tone is full of nostalgia, "My father told me more than once that he believes that male dan artists should have a certain degree. If you are not up to the standard, many people think that you are just a man, not like For women, if you go too far, you will be regarded as a mother-in-law, which will make people sick."
"This is 'not to be eccentric, not to be dangerous, and not to be kitsch'"
Gong Zhen blurted out the characteristics of Mei School, which made Mei Baojiu very happy.
"This is inheritance. Only this kind of meticulous inheritance can allow the Mei School of art to continue to flourish."
Fang Yan took a sip of tea.
“It is not only about opera, but also the art of male dan and Peking Opera culture must be passed down through various forms.”
Mei Baojiu said: “Like TV, like radio, There are also novels like "Farewell My Concubine"
Fang Yan nodded in agreement, and then explained his purpose of coming. In addition to "Farewell My Concubine", the songs involved in the entire book also include "The Drunken Concubine", "The Peony Pavilion", etc., so I hope Mei Bao will For a long time, he may recommend a leading actor from the Mei faction to assist.
“This is my unshirkable responsibility!”
Mei Baojiu readily agreed, and even if he wanted to tour abroad, he would let his disciples help.
Fang Yan said: "That's great, thank you Master Jiu!"
"For Peking Opera and opera, we are duty-bound!"
Mei Baojiu then invited them to participate in the upcoming performance commemorating Mei Lanfang's 90th anniversary.
“I wish I could have it!”
Fang Yan held Gong Qie’s hand tightly and smiled at her. (End of this chapter)