The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

180. Youth Culture and Tourism - Drama (Part 4)

After Xu Lanfang left the stage, Du Zihua and Li Zichun took the stage after being introduced by Gu Qianyi.

Li Zichun had already donned his dazzling costume, his face mature and somewhat weathered. Together with Du Zihua, they walked slowly onto the stage, one on each side, with deep affection.

Their performance began with Gu Qianyi's heartfelt reading.

“I remember on the summer solstice of the thirty-eighth year, you said you would come to take me away.”

The story is simple: an actor falls in love with a military officer who promises to come back and take him home. However, before he can keep his promise, he is assassinated and forced to flee alone. With no one to rely on, the actor immerses himself in the world of drama and spends the rest of his life in solitude.

From the bloom of youth to the fading of beauty, as the years pass and youth fades, life goes by just like that.

He just waited and waited, guarding the empty and cold theater.

You said you would come back and take me away.

On the actor's dressing table lies a treasured letter, hidden away for many years, now bearing the marks of time. The pen that once used to draw his eyebrows is no longer used for opera, but it has been kept for you until now.

The little tune I sang for you many years ago, every melody and rhythm is etched in my heart, I just wait for the day I can sing this old tune for you again.

Despite waiting patiently and showing such deep affection, it was all in vain.

When you came to visit, the bamboo horse on my forehead swayed gently in the breeze; when you left, I could only pluck a few plum blossoms, their fragrance lingering.

Since you left, even the fireworks in this world seem lonely.

And he was lonelier than fireworks.

It was this play about a boy riding a bamboo horse that started out. Now, thirty-eight years have passed in the blink of an eye. The play is as old as it used to be, but he still sings it.

After the splendor fades, everything returns to nothingness.

That dream eventually came to an end, and in the end, the person in that dream could only let go of that dream.

Except in his dreams, no one is there to watch the gentle flow of time with him anymore, and no one watches him perform. He is all alone, cold and lonely.

The officer, played by Du Zihua, sat on an old chair, looking at the treasured hairpin and photograph in the box in his hand again and again, and tears welled up in his eyes without his noticing.

Li Zichun, with her hair styled in white, her eyes lowered, took to the stage with a sigh, and together with Du Zihua sang "The Summer Solstice of the Thirty-Eighth Year":

Li Zichun (reciting in opera style):

Withered grass stretches horizontally in the late afternoon sun; half the city is tinged with willow green, half the sound of a flute.

In vain they used green wax to imitate red jade; among the assembled officials, none remembered them.

Time comes and goes

Du Zihua:

The tilted screen elongates the light and shadow.

The vibrant red lacquer has faded, obscuring the original painting.

A farcical drama of extravagance and debauchery

A robe stained with the dust of the mortal world

After the song of West Chamber ends, who will long for a lifelong commitment?

The shadow under the lamp embellishes memories.

The old record player brought back a flood of memories.

A yellowed and creased letter

A pen for outlining eyebrows

The melodious strains echoed the old tunes; the fragrance of clothes and the swaying of hair concealed a few sighs; a cold eye had witnessed countless farewells under the neon lights.

He was still performing that scene where the boy rode a bamboo horse.

He was still wearing that dress with overlapping floral patterns.

He was still trapped in that dream from another lifetime.

Quietly falling asleep fully clothed, oblivious to the passing of time.

......

He acted out countless dramas of joy and sorrow, yet found no one to share them with.

The flickering candlelight cast a desolate glow on the ground.

He shook down the blooming flowers, leaving only emptiness, waiting for someone to remember.

Those who bid farewell to their dreams have not yet dispersed.

Who else will be there to watch this old play with me, so obsessed?

Who will stop for me? Who will stay by my side like a garment?

After Li Zichun and Du Zihua finished their duet, the performance did not end there.

As the applause subsided, a little boy walked up to Du Zihua and said with a smile, "Dad, why are you crying? Who is the woman in this photo? She's so beautiful."

Du Zihua suddenly realized, and affectionately patted his son's head, saying with a smile, "He was a very important person in my life, but unfortunately, I will never see him again."

At this moment, Xue Qingrou, playing a woman in a cheongsam, walked in, stood next to Du Zihua, looked at the photo and said, "Honey, is this your lost little sister? She's so beautiful."

Du Zihua said with a smile, "Yes, it's a pity we'll never see each other again."

On the right side of the stage, a family is laughing and chatting happily, while on the left side, Li Zichun is alone and desolate in the sky.

Amidst the fading sounds on the right, a joyful and peaceful atmosphere could still be faintly discerned. On the left, Li Zichun, with a flick of his fan, turned and walked to the window, beginning to sing "Looking Out the Window":

When the swallows depart, red beans adorn the branches; travelers far from home, do not ask when you will return. Who alone guards the green waters of the Xiang River, unaware of what night this is?

When the swallows return, my beloved is nowhere to be found. He must have some intention; this departure means I cannot bear to leave my love unfulfilled. I will travel far and wide, searching and yearning, for him a thousand miles away.

He wielded his brush, ink splashed across the paper; she danced with sleeves, a beautiful dream unfolded before her.

Love and affection in the play, strangers meeting in a world of flowers and splendor.

She sang "Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land".

Every step and every sentence is filled with longing.

Those in the audience, now officially listed on the honor roll, do not recognize the old acquaintances on stage.

He said, "On the wedding night, everyone congratulates the beautiful woman and the talented man."

Unheard of a single line, a sigh; the play tells of a love-struck fool.

......"

As the song ended, the joyful family scene continued on the right. The lights slowly dimmed, and Li Zichun picked up a performance sword and began to dance gracefully on stage, eventually bursting into laughter.

He chanted in a theatrical style:

With colorful sleeves, she diligently holds up the jade cup; life's drama unfolds like a long dragon dance.

All the twists and turns are vividly clear; life's events are like a dream, etched with tears.

The woman and child on the right smiled and withdrew. Du Zihua slowly stood up and placed the items back into the wooden box with a sigh: "We are not destined to meet in this life, but let's meet again in the next."

After saying that, he began to sing the song "Though This Life Belongs to Us":

The wind and rain hasten the blooming of flowers; time flies by in an instant.

Life comes and goes, never to return.

Let me drink a few cups of wine, indulging in a drunken stupor.

All dreams of wealth and glory have turned to ashes.

Even if one lives to be no more than a hundred years old, why bother with sorrow?

Do not lament that the past cannot be retrieved, for the future can still be made.

How many times in this life can one experience love and hate? Why end up with a sorrowful heart? Let the word "love" be without regret or shame.

Even if one lives to be no more than a hundred years old, why burden oneself with so many trivial matters?

Drink today, for tomorrow we may die; let bygones be bygones.

Life's gatherings and separations are like the wind; why let sorrow bring only weariness?

Someone will accompany you on your journey through mountains and rivers.

......"

After the song ended, the stage fell silent. Gu Qianyi recited with a touch of emotion: "Love is no child's play, and the word 'return' should not be mentioned again. A trace of pity vanishes in an instant, and we are destined to be apart forever."

"Let's just disperse now."

The play officially came to an end here. As the curtain slowly fell, everyone applauded with lingering enjoyment.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Summer Solstice of the Thirty-Eighth Year" is a song sung by He Tu, with lyrics by Hu Li and music and arrangement by He Tu. It is included in the album "The Wind Rises in the Sky" and was released on September 30, 2010.

"Exploring the Window" is a song with lyrics by Dongfang Qianyue, music by Guo Fenglin, arrangement by Xiaoxiaoyumu, and performed by Guofengxinyu, Fushengmeng, and Xiyinshe. It was released on June 12, 2021, and included in the album of the same name, "Exploring the Window".

"Though This Life" is a song with lyrics by Twelve Brothers, music by Zeguo, arrangement by Zhongyi, and sung by Zeguo. It was released on March 23, 2023.