People from all directions converged towards the center of the village. With the sounds of children playing, dogs barking, adults calling and chatting, this quiet little village suddenly became very lively.
The stage is a large yard, with villagers carrying benches, the elder brother who drives cattle during the day, the old man weaving baskets, and the couple chopping firewood... all gathered together.
Director Dong stood at the door, watching the experts arrive, and quickly led them in. The villagers also looked at them shyly and friendly.
Director Dong asked them to sit down, and Liang Ange looked at the stage, "Where are the actors?"
"They are inside. Originally, there was no need to put on makeup and change clothes for the rehearsal. In order to welcome the experts and show off our Bai music and dance, they are putting on makeup inside."
When he heard about the makeup, Liang Ange pulled Qin Kong and ran in excitedly, with the photographer chasing after him.
He Huan and the experts also walked in.
Inside, the actors looked at them shyly and continued to put on their makeup. Duan Jue glanced at Qin Kong excitedly and said, "Make-up styling, this is Teacher Qin's specialty!"
"I don't know about the costume styles of ethnic minorities. It's up to them to come up with it themselves," Qin Kong said.
Director Dong walked up to a young man who was putting on makeup for himself and said, "This is our leader this year, Li Badou."
The young man painted half his face white and half his face still dark, and stood up shyly.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
He Huan smiled and said: "What a talented person!"
The young man became even more embarrassed and shook his head quickly, "No, I...I..."
"He can't speak, he can only sing!" Duan Ju said.
Everyone laughed.
Li Badou smiled and nodded.
Director Dong introduced: "Their first play was the Bai opera "Wang Fu Yun"."
They met the girl who played the heroine again, and no longer disturbed them. The experts came out and sat down in the courtyard, waiting for the show to begin.
He Huan explained to them: "Wangfu Cloud is a unique natural wonder in Dali. In winter, Wangfu Cloud is very likely to appear."
"Wow!" Liang Ange said excitedly, "Isn't it winter now?"
"Yes!" He Huan said, "I hope I'm lucky this time and can see the Wangfu Cloud. Whenever the Wangfu Cloud appears, there are no clouds in Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, except for one white cloud on the top of Cangshan Yuju Peak.
After a while, the Wangfu Cloud will stretch from the white clouds to Erhai Lake and turn into a dark cloud. Then the Erhai Lake will have strong winds and huge waves, blowing until a conch-shaped reef on the east side of the sea is exposed. Only then will the wind stop.
The clouds dispersed.
According to records, this eternal natural law has been formed since the Nanzhao period."
"Wow!"
"As a result, a story became well-known in Dali."
Everyone looked at him without blinking.
"Legend has it that King Nanzhao had a princess named A Feng with snow-white skin. King Nanzhao loved her very much and gave her a nickname, Princess Baihua. Her eyes were as bright as the moon in the Erhai Sea, and her heart was like the snow on Cangshan Mountain.
Just as pure.
In the spring when Ah Feng was eighteen years old, he left the palace to participate in Rao San Ling.
The Three Spirits are the Lord, God, Buddha and the three objects of worship of the Bai people. During the gathering, the Bai people rush to Cangshan Mountain with their luggage, so it is also called Raoshanlin.
In addition to the Shibaoshan Song Festival, it is another carnival of the Bai ethnic group. It also originated in the Nanzhao period and is held every year in the fourth month of the lunar calendar before the busy farming season.
Mountain flowers are in full bloom, and men, women, old and young, nobles and commoners all gather at the foot of Cangshan Mountain to have picnics, sing and dance, and stay in love for a lifetime.
Even those who are married can also meet their previous lovers, so there is no taboo.
Although Yunzhou also entered the feudal era from the Nanzhao period and was also influenced by the Central Plains ethics. But what is very special about Yunzhou is that after accepting the Central Plains culture, marriage is subject to the orders of parents and the matchmaker, but love is free.
This is actually a tacit agreement between the people and the government. We were originally free to marry and love, but now parents have the final say on marriage, so you don’t have to worry about love.
Moreover, girls from Yunzhou are not people who stay at home. Their social division of labor and social status are not so clearly distinguished from men.
It was at this carnival that Princess White Flower met a young man named Aaron."
Liang Ange laughed and said: "Dali is really full of dragons!"
He Huan shook his head, "This has nothing to do with me. Dragons and phoenixes are a beautiful vision of the Bai people. This Aaron lost his parents when he was young and lived alone in a cave at Yuju Peak in Cangshan Mountain, hunting for a living.
A young man with handsome appearance and unfortunate background is the easiest to impress the little white flowers who grew up in the greenhouse, right?"
Everyone laughed. The elf laughed so much that he leaned on Qin Kong's shoulder, and Qin Kong couldn't help but look at He Huan.
Although Duan Ju and Director Dong knew the story, they listened with interest because He Huan told it interestingly.
"When Aaron saw the princess, she was incomparably beautiful, and she was also very gentle and polite. A rough person with a restless heart would be most easily moved by little white flowers!"
The audience was all smiles.
"The two sang and danced, and a secret love arose. After the three souls were completed, Ah Feng returned to the palace and thought about Ah Long day and night. Suddenly one day, King Nanzhao told Princess Baihua that she would be betrothed to Feihu Hou Duan Xiong.
Yes, we have chosen an auspicious day to get married."
He Huan glanced at Duan Ju, who turned his head and said, "It has nothing to do with me."
Everyone raised their heads and laughed.
"It shows that this story is very well founded. During the Nanzhao period, the Duan family served as prime minister and general. On the Nanzhao Dehua Monument, we have already seen generals and prime ministers named Duan!"
Qin Kong and Liang Ange nodded, and the experts regretted it.
"After hearing the news, Ah Feng cried all night. The next morning, Ah Feng's eyes were red and swollen, and she stared blankly at Cangshan Mountain in front of the window, thinking about her little brother who was hunting in Cangshan Mountain.
A magpie flew to the branch in front of the window and chirped non-stop. The princess was very upset and said: Magpie, magpie, what are you chirping?
The magpie said: The princess is going to marry Feihuhou, I will congratulate the princess!
The princess said: I don't like Fei Huhou, I like the hunter Aaron from Yuju Peak. Go and ask him to save me.
The magpie flew to Yuju Peak. Aaron heard the magpie cry and ran out of the cave. He asked: Magpie, magpie, what is the chirping call? Is there anything happy for me?
The magpie said: Princess Baihua is going to marry Marquis Feihu. The princess said she doesn’t like Marquis Feihu. She likes you and asks you to save her quickly!
Aaron has missed the princess every day since he met her. Now he heard that the princess was getting married and that the princess also liked him. He was really happy and worried. He quickly picked up his bow and arrow and ran down the mountain.
Halfway through, I saw a gray-haired old man, limping ahead and blocking the road, carrying a basket on his back.
Aaron was very anxious, but very polite and asked: Grandpa, where are you going? What's wrong with your legs?
The old man replied: I went to the mountain to collect herbs and accidentally broke my leg. Alas, I might not be able to get home until dark!
Without saying a word, Aaron picked up the old man on his back and ran down the mountain in a hurry. The old man asked him: Young man, you are running so fast, is there anything urgent?
Aaron said he was going to save Princess Baihua.
The old man smiled and said: The palace wall is so high and the guards are so strict, how could you possibly rescue the princess?
Aaron was also anxious and asked quickly: Grandpa, how can I rescue the princess?
The old man said: Go and ask the Golden Phoenix to lend you a feather so that she can fly into the palace and rescue the princess.
Aaron suddenly felt light on his back. When he looked back, he saw that the old man on his back had disappeared. Thinking that this was the mountain god from Cangshan Mountain coming to help him, he bowed to the top of the mountain and hurried to find Golden Phoenix.
So where is the Golden Phoenix? On the backside of Yunnong Peak in Cangshan Mountain, which is the source of Erhai Lake. It was originally a mountain lake, and people lived along the lake. There were few fields and they were often flooded.
During the Nanzhao period, a golden phoenix flew over here. It felt sorry for the people here, so it lent its feathers to the people to brush the water away, revealing a livable dam.
Later, the phoenix plucked all its feathers and died here. Hundreds of birds gathered to hang out, which is now Fengyu Town, a thousand-year-old ancient town of Bai people. It is also a Bazi surrounded by mountains.
But it was still the Nanzhao period, and the phoenix’s feathers had not yet been plucked.”
Everyone who was originally moved suddenly laughed. A group of Bai people around them also gathered closer and closer, stretching their heads and necks, listening with great interest.
"Along hurriedly climbed over Cangshan Mountain. After dark, he finally arrived at the foot of Yunnong Peak and explained the situation to Phoenix. Phoenix plucked a phoenix feather and lent it to him. In fact, it was a gift. How do you insert the plucked feather back into it?"
There was laughter all around.
"Along had the phoenix feather, so he flew up. He flew over Cangshan Mountain, flew into the palace under the moonlight, picked up Afeng and flew back to Yuju Peak. The two got married in the cave and entered the bridal chamber.
We hunt together during the day, sing together at night, fly around with each other when we have nothing to do, and live happily together. This is a fairy tale! It’s not over yet!”
Everyone laughed and looked at him.
"Myths are usually tragedies. You said that the wedding was approaching, but the princess disappeared. King Nanzhao sent people to look for the princess everywhere, but she was never found.
King Nanzhao invited the eminent monk Luo Quan from Haidong. Master Luo Quan had great magical power, and Fa Hai had a demon bowl and a magic lamp."
"Hahaha……"
"He picked up the magic lamp and flicked it like this!" He Huan waved the white dragon flag, "and he saw Ah Feng and Ah Long chatting with each other in the Jade Bureau Peak Cave. Oops! This made King Nanzhao angry!
How can a princess be like this with a hunter?"
Everyone couldn't help laughing, didn't interrupt, and looked at him.
"King Nanzhao immediately sent Duan Xiong, his favorite consort, to lead an army to Cangshan Mountain to capture the princess and the hunter.
Master Luo Quan said: That hunter has extraordinary abilities and can fly. You mobilized the army like this, and he flew away directly with the princess. It also made the people laugh!
When Duan Xiong heard this, he felt that this was a shame! She was originally his fiancée! You don’t want me, the Flying Tiger Marquis, who commands thousands of troops, to go to a cave to marry a flying savage! I won’t go!”
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"King Nanzhao asked the mage: What should we do? The mage said: Let me subdue them with magic! King Nanzhao felt sorry for his daughter and asked the mage to send a crow to Cangshan Mountain to spread the message.
The crow flew to Yuju Peak and said to Afeng: Princess Baihua, go back quickly. Master Luo Quan is about to block Cangshan Mountain with heavy snow. Both you and the hunter will freeze to death.
Ah Feng said to Crow: Aaron and I have become husband and wife, and we will be with him whether we live or die.
The crow went back to spread the message. King Nanzhao was furious and Duan Xiong was embarrassed, so the master started to perform the ritual.
The clear sky suddenly turned dark, with strong winds and heavy snowfall. Aaron blocked the entrance of the cave with a boulder, but the boulder was quickly blown away, and the cold wind blew into the cave, making it impossible to light a fire.
The princess was pampered and had never suffered like this before. She was shivering from the cold. Even if she put on all the clothes, it would not help.
Seeing that the princess was about to freeze to death, Aaron was very distressed. There was a blizzard outside and he did not dare to take the princess out.
He said: Master Luo Quan has an eight-treasure cassock. Wearing it will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I will get it for you and you will be able to withstand the snowstorm.
Afeng said: Master Luoquan blocked Cangshan Mountain with heavy snow just to kill us. If you go to Luoquan Temple to get the cassock, wouldn't you be throwing yourself into a trap? It's better not to go!
Aaron consoled him: How many jackals, tigers and leopards have died at my hands, so what does the mage mean? Don't worry, I will be back soon. After saying that, he ran out of the cave and flew towards Haidong.
Master Luo Quan knew that Aaron was very powerful and that the wind and snow could not freeze him to death, so he had already arranged it just to lure him here.
When he arrived at Luoquan Temple, Aaron saw that the Eight Treasures Kasaya was on the Zen seat. He quickly took it and flew to Yuju Peak. When he flew over the Erhai Sea, seeing that he had no support, Master Luoquan chased him out and chanted a spell.
A magic lamp hit Aaron.
Aaron fell from the air and landed on the bottom of the Erhai Lake, turning into a stone snail."
"Ah!" Liang Ange looked sad.
Qin Kong caressed her shoulder.
"A-Feng waited for Aaron for a long time but didn't come back, so she braved the wind and snow to look at the entrance of the cave. She didn't see her husband, but a crow came.
The crow told her: Aaron had been beaten to death by Master Luo Quan, fell into the Erhai Lake, turned into a stone snail, and was buried forever at the bottom of the sea.
Ah Feng was so distraught that he hit a boulder and died."
"Ah~~" The elf leaned on Qin Kong's shoulder sadly.
"The princess's resentment went straight to the top of Yuju Peak, turned into a white cloud, rose and fell suddenly, and looked towards Erhai Lake. When the stone snail was not seen, the white cloud suddenly turned into a dark cloud, longer and longer, like a woman in mourning clothes with disheveled hair.
The resentment rushed towards the Erhai Sea, where strong winds were blowing and huge waves were set off. The wind and waves did not stop until the strong winds blew away the sea water and revealed the stone snails.
This is the man who vows to dry up the Erhai Sea and is unwilling to see the stone snails - Wangfu Yun."
"Ah!" Liang Ange covered his heart, his eyes sparkling.