The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun sang really well; the actors on both sides backstage were nodding and applauding. It's a good thing you're in the entertainment industry, otherwise we'd all be out of a job!

With this level of skill, what's the point of working in the entertainment industry? Wouldn't it be better to come and perform opera here?

Li Zichun smiled and continued, "I only know one or two short pieces. Now I'll show you a few more. Listen carefully!"

Li Zichun turned around and then back, his entire demeanor completely different. He sang with neither arrogance nor servility:

A seven-star stove is built, and a copper kettle boils the water from the three rivers.

We set out an eight-immortal table to entertain guests from all directions.

All who come are guests; all that matters is how you speak.

We meet and laugh, and then forget about it afterwards.

Once the person leaves, the tea gets cold.

(Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~)

What's so detailed or incomplete about it?

The audience cheered, saying he sang really well. I heard he's a singer? I'll have to listen to his songs when I get back.

Li Zichun smiled and bowed, saying, "Alright, this is the last one. Let's give everyone a cute one."

Li Zichun walked up with the microphone, her every gesture and expression deliberate and skillful, before she sang loudly:

What mirror should I look in first thing in the morning? What flower scent should I use when I style my hair?

What kind of pollen is being applied to the face? What kind of flower is being used for the rouge on the lips?

I look in the mirror early in the morning, comb my hair, and smell the fragrance of osmanthus.

Her face was powdered with peach blossom powder, and her lips were adorned with rouge and apricot blossom red.

What kind of flower sister? What kind of flower gentleman? What kind of flower curtain? What kind of flower bed?

What flower should I put on the pillow? What flower should I use to cover the mattress?

Red Flower Sister, Green Flower Gentleman. A curtain of dried plum blossoms, a bed of ivory flowers.

A pillow adorned with mandarin duck flowers lay on the bed, and a mattress covered with osmanthus blossoms covered the entire bed.

The entire performance was filled with singing and dancing, beautiful and melodious, lively and humorous.

Although several of them were short songs, they were captivating enough.

Li Zichun let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief and looked at everyone, saying, "That's all I know. I don't know anything more."

We have to thank the accumulation of knowledge from our previous lives and the official publicity for this; otherwise, we really wouldn't know anything.

The crowd clapped and laughed, with many shouting "Bravo!", "One more!", "We want to hear a song!"...

Li Zichun actually knows a lot more, but he can't sing it. If he hadn't looked it up last night, he wouldn't have known that although Peking Opera has been passed down orally, it's ultimately incomplete. Some arias and cultural elements are missing.

He originally wanted to sing "Su San's Release" and "The Case of Chen Shimei", but these stories were never passed down!

"Su San's Release" is an excerpt from the Peking Opera "Yu Tang Chun," adapted from the 24th volume of Feng Menglong's "Jing Shi Tong Yan" (Stories to Awaken the World) from the Ming Dynasty, titled "Yu Tang Chun's Misfortune and Encounter with Her Husband." "The Case of Qin Xianglian," also known as "The Case of Qin Xianglian," is an opera adapted from the Ming Dynasty's "Bao Gong An: One Hundred Cases" and the Qing Dynasty's "Three Heroes and Five Gallants" and its sequel "The Sequel to Seven Heroes and Five Gallants." These works have books and stories as their foundation, but they simply don't exist in this culturally and entertainment-scarce sub-world!

This world has no Qin books, Han rhapsodies, Tang poems, Song lyrics, or Yuan dramas; it has no Four Great Classical Novels like "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Journey to the West." All it has are desolate historical records and incongruous imitations by later generations.

Or rather, some stories were destroyed long ago in that era of dramatic change and development.

A profound and lingering sense of sorrow welled up in Li Zichun's heart. This was not China after all; he had always been an outsider. Even with great success and immense wealth, this emptiness and loneliness, this feeling of having no one to share his spirit with, was a perplexing feeling he could not share with outsiders.

It's better to finish the mission and leave as soon as possible, otherwise, if you get too entangled in this world, you'll want to bring over everything you know and give them a complete picture of Chinese culture.

But perhaps loss itself is a kind of beauty, like the Venus de Milo with her missing arms; it all depends on how they complete themselves. Those without burdens are the happiest. Truly happy people are unheard of in history.

The audience was satisfied with his performance, but who wouldn't want more? After all, he was a singer; they had finally met him in person, so they had to listen to him sing a few lines.

Li Zichun smiled and looked at Dai Rong. Seeing that the other party also looked like he hadn't had enough, he couldn't help but find it a little funny. He said loudly, "Sing whatever you want."

Li Zichun shook his head and said, "Since the boss has spoken, I'll just do whatever comes to mind. The key thing is, I don't know many operas, I've used them all. But seeing how enthusiastic everyone is, I'll just perform two of the little tunes I know."

"This first one tells a tragic love story, let me sing it slowly."

Li Zichun cleared his throat, coughed twice, and with his eyes blinking, stood in the center of the stage like an insignificant storyteller, beginning to sing "Exploring the Clear Water River":

The peach leaf is pointed

The willow leaves covered the sky.

Listen carefully to what I have to say, you wise old man in your position.

This whole thing happened in Lan Dian Chang, west of Beijing.

There was a Song Laosan in the Lan Dian Chang Firearms Camp.

Mentioning that Song Laosan

The couple settled in the plains

He had no children in his life

She gave birth to a daughter named Chanjuan.

This girl is sixteen years old.

She was given a nickname; her name was Da Lian.

The girl's name was Da Lian.

handsome face

This flower remains unpicked.

The pipa strings are broken, and no one plays the horn.

The slave is like Diao Chan longing for Lü Bu.

It's like Yan Poxi sitting in the tower thinking of Zhang San.

The sun sets

The chirping of autumn insects

My long-lost sixth brother

They've come to my door.

We agreed to meet at midnight tonight.

Da Lian, I lowered my head shyly, speechless.

The fifth watch of the night, dawn

His parents knew the details.

That shameless girl!

You've ruined my family's reputation!

I'm going to beat you up today!

Leather whip dipped in cold water

I will show no mercy.

Da Lian had nothing to say and was forced to jump into the river.

It alarmed Sixth Brother, who came to investigate the Clear Water River.

My dear, you died for me.

Big Sister, slow down.

Waiting for my sixth brother, the autumn rain falls continuously.

Frostfall over the clear river

What a pair of affectionate people

They both jumped into the river.

A devoted woman, a passionate man

I've composed a little tune to explore the Clear Water River.

Li Zichun's singing style is gentle and melodious in its low tones and soaring and melodious in its high tones, conveying sorrow without losing tenderness, making it beautiful and captivating. A poignant love tragedy unfolds before your eyes.

The audience also found this singing style very interesting. Unlike ordinary songs, it had a lot of charm between the lines, as if it was telling a story, or as if it was talking to itself.

The audience cheered. Although it was the first time they had heard it, they found it undeniably good and beyond reproach.

After everyone had finished clapping, Li Zichun smiled and continued, "Alright, there's only one left. Once this is over, it's really over. If we sing again, it won't be a friendly performance anymore, and we'll have to pay extra."

The crowd burst into laughter, and a few people, oblivious to the danger, shouted "More money!" and "One more song!"

Li Zichun ignored him, coughed and said with a smile, "I'll sing 'Sending My Lover Off' for everyone, and then it'll really be over."

This song is still sung a cappella, but the voice carries a touch more tenderness and sorrow:

I won't let you worry, nor will I let you fret.

I told you not to wear it wrong, little sister's flowery bib!

The little girl's bib was originally a golden chain.

My lover's pocket, with its octagonal pagoda-shaped gilded hook!

My little sister saw my love off all the way to the east gate.

And then, to make matters worse, it rained and was windy!

A little drizzle would be better than wind.

Please let my husband stay a few more minutes if it's drizzling.

My little sister saw my love off to the south gate.

I pulled out two large silver dollars from my waist.

This yuan will buy my son a train ticket.

I'll use this yuan to buy my son a Zhonghua cigarette.

My little sister saw my lover off to the west gate.

As soon as I looked up, I saw a pear seller.

I'd like to buy two pears for my husband.

Then I remembered that I'm too weak to eat cold things.

My little sister saw my love off all the way to the north gate.

As soon as I looked up, I saw a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water.

Mandarin ducks playing in the water, a perfect pair!

I wonder how long it will take for Brother Lang to get home.

We don't know how long it will take for Brother Lang to get home.

After Li Zichun finished singing, he bowed and left the stage. Let the wind and rain blow as they may, this surprise has been given, and there is nothing more to say.

Dai Rong and Xu Chengfeng stood up to greet him. Before they could even speak, Xu Qiunian spoke up first: "Brother Zichun, you sang so well! It was moving and pleasant to listen to. It seems that Pengzhuan Pavilion is going to be a hit."

Li Zichun smiled and said, "Just kidding. I just hummed a couple of tunes. Those who like it will naturally think it's good, while those who don't will probably think it's just so-so."

Xu Chengfeng chimed in, "That's because they have no taste. They always thought you could only sing pop songs, but I never expected you to have such a level of skill. You sing better than some of the professional old guys. Looks like you've practiced a lot."

Dai Rong said with a smile, "It's even better than 'The New Drunken Concubine' back then."

Li Zichun asked in surprise, "Boss Dai, did you see that performance before?"

Dai Rong laughed and said, "I saw it. I was in Chengdu on business at the time, and when I saw Gu Quan's post, I bought a ticket and went to take a look. I didn't expect to be so amazed by you. That imperial concubine look really captivated this old lecher. Forget about starting a war, it would probably even lead to the downfall of a country."

Li Zichun waved his hand and said, "Please don't joke around. It's all in the past. I never look back."

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Everyone present was shrewd and immediately realized there was something wrong. That was a momentous event that had received high praise and reposts from the leaders of the Ministry of Culture and the official propaganda department of the Great Zhou Dynasty; most people would have wanted to include it as the first entry in their files.

Moreover, his calm demeanor didn't seem fake, and considering his later inexplicable ordeal, it felt like he had grasped something. If this is true, then high-ranking officials must have been involved; the more you think about it, the more unbelievable it seems.

Therefore, the official cleanup campaign targeting the entertainment industry is likely to be largely ineffective...

Dai Rong smiled and changed the subject: "Well, it's good not to look back. What's so good about the past? People without history are the happiest. Come on, it's my treat, I'll take you to Qianzhenlou for a meal. Old Xu, is there anything you need? Would you like to join us?"

Xu Chengfeng laughed and said, "Hahaha, it's rare to see an old man like you treat us, how can I refuse? My dear granddaughter, you'd better eat your fill today and let him see how powerful we two are."

Xu Qiunian said with embarrassment and anger, "Grandpa~~ I eat very little."

Dai Rong said with a smile, "Sigh, you old man, you don't understand young people's thoughts at all."

Xu Chengfeng said to Li Zichun, "Sigh, look at her, she's even pretending to be a lady in front of you."

Li Zichun didn't dare to respond casually, but just smiled and said, "Girls are generally more concerned about their figure, but being able to eat is a blessing, so there's no need to worry too much about these things."

The four of them walked from Pengzhuan Pavilion to Qianzhen Tower in just ten minutes, a distance of two alleys.

The four chatted idly for a while, making up a few random remarks, before Xu Chengfeng said with a smile, "Since we're already here, why don't you join in the fun at the Chinese and Foreign Literature Awards this afternoon?"

Dai Rong turned around in surprise and said, "Brother Li, you're from the literary circle?"

Li Zichun smiled and changed the subject, saying, "I'm just a bystander."

The four of them entered Qianzhen Pavilion with hearty laughter, only to run into an old acquaintance right at the entrance. They couldn't help but marvel at how small the social circles in the capital were.

PS: Information is from the internet.

"Shajiabang," produced by the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe and written by Wang Zengqi, Yang Yumin, Xiao Jia, and Xue Enhou, is a revolutionary modern Peking Opera adapted from the modern Shanghai opera "The Spark in the Reeds" created by the Shanghai People's Shanghai Opera Troupe. In 1968, it was designated as one of the eight revolutionary model operas. The most brilliant aria is "The Battle of Wits," which mainly depicts Sister Aqing's struggle to protect wounded soldiers of the New Fourth Army from persecution by the Kuomintang reactionaries. Sister Aqing, calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble, cleverly outwits Diao Deyi, a representative of the Kuomintang reactionaries, ultimately turning the tide. "The Battle of Wits" is the most brilliant aria performed by Sister Aqing, Diao Deyi, and Hu Chuankui, and it is widely known and loved by all.

"Selling Water" is a Peking Opera starring Liu Changyu and Xiao Runde. The Peking Opera "Selling Water" is adapted from the "Selling Water" scene in the Puzhou Bangzi opera "The Flaming Steed." It was adapted by the Experimental Peking Opera Troupe of the China Academy of Traditional Opera in 1960, starring Liu Changyu and Xiao Runde. It was filmed as a color film in 1979. The story tells of Li Shou's eldest son, who leads troops against the enemy on the border but is falsely accused by a treacherous official, imprisoned, and his family's property confiscated. His second son, Li Yangui, seeks help from his father-in-law, Huang Zhang, the Minister of Rites, but Huang refuses to help and instead takes the opportunity to break off the engagement. Li Yangui is forced to make a living by selling water.

"Exploring the Clear Water River" is a narrative song (folk tune) popular in Huoqiying Village, Haidian District, Beijing. It tells a tragic love story, similar to "The Peacock Flies Southeast," that took place in Huoqiying Village during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. In the past, Beijing had small workshops mainly engaged in printing, such as Eryoutang and Baowentang, which frequently published songbooks, many of which included "Exploring the Clear Water River." The version used here is Zhang Yunlei's, arranged by Liu Zhuo and sung by Zhang Yunlei, included in his album of the same name, "Exploring the Clear Water River," released on June 15, 2020.

"Sending Off My Lover" is a folk song widely circulated throughout my country. Its melody originates from the ancient Chinese folk song "Meng Jiangnu Tune," originating in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and later spreading to Shandong, Northeast China, Anhui, and other regions. Original versions still exist in Suzhou folk songs, and a version with the same name also exists in Huangmei Opera. However, the most popular versions are those performed by artists such as Guo Degang, Yue Yunpeng, Yan Xuejing, Xi Xiulan, Zhao Benshan, and the Beijing Angel Choir. Among these, the versions performed by Xi Xiulan, Yue Yunpeng, and Yan Xuejing are the most representative, representing the folk song version, the crosstalk version, and the Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form) version, respectively. This version uses Yue Yunpeng's crosstalk version.