Mule carts are waiting for business on the roadside. Although cars have been invented many years ago, livestock is still the main means of transportation in China.
Someone came out of the station and shouted: "Hey, drivers, please come over here!"
"Come on!" Handlebar type waved his whip happily.
The person who called for the taxi was a theater troupe, consisting of twenty or thirty people, and the props on the stage were enough to hold three large trucks.
Tomorrow is the day Meng Xiaodong returns to the stage, so she leaves for Tianjin in advance, and all her family members are traveling with her.
The eldest uncle Meng Hongfang played the role of a martial arts student and a clown, the second uncle Meng Hongshou sang a literary clown and played Jinghu, the third uncle Meng Hongrong played a civil and military old student and a martial artist, the sixth uncle Meng Hongmao played a clown, and his father Meng Hongqun played an old student and a red student. Meng Xiaodong's mother Zhang Yunhe, and her second sister Peilan,
The third brother Ke Ke, the fourth sister Youdong, and several of her uncles also sang opera or played musical instruments.
Three generations of the Meng family have produced nine famous actors, and his grandfather Meng Qi is the most interesting. He joined the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom in his early years, served in the army for more than ten years, and was good at martial arts. He served as a theater teacher under the British King Chen Yucheng. He fought in wars and sang operas in his spare time.
They can also be considered armed literary and artistic soldiers.
This entire opera family and the troupe were all members of the family. In later generations, they would definitely be prominent, but in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, they were low-class. They had money but no status. They basically chose their peers when marrying. If they married celebrities and wealthy businessmen, they could only be concubines.
They mainly performed in the south, and even went as far as the Philippines. But now that the south is fighting all day long, Meng Xiaodong happened to buy real estate in Peiping, so the whole family simply moved to Peking to settle down.
After loading the car, we started to set off, and even called a few rickshaws for ladies to take.
Meng Xiaodong was riding in a car with her younger sister Youdong. Youdong is only nine years old this year, but she has already made her debut on stage and sang like an old student.
In the car next to her, her mother Zhang Yunhe and her third brother Meng Keke were sitting. Zhang Yunhe turned to Meng Xiaodong and said: "Boss, you are almost 20 years old, and you have reached the age to talk about marriage. I asked someone to help you find a matchmaker, but...
There really is a suitable one. You know that person too..."
"Mom, stop talking, I have no plans to get married for the time being." Meng Xiaodong interrupted.
Zhang Yunhe saw his daughter's strong reaction and asked suspiciously: "Do you have a sweetheart?"
"No, don't think too much about it." Meng Xiaodong denied it.
Zhang Yunhe understood his daughter and said softly: "Tell mom, who is that person?"
"Really not." Meng Xiaodong said impatiently.
"Okay, okay, you make your own decisions." Zhang Yunhe was quite open-minded.
At this time in history, Meng Xiaodong had already developed a secret love for Mei Lanfang, and later married Mei Lanfang as a concubine despite her family's objections. Strictly speaking, she was the third concubine. Mr. Mei's first wife was Wang Minghua, and she took the initiative to persuade her husband to marry her after her daughter died in infancy.
Marrying to continue the relationship, he got his second wife, Fu Zhifang. Both ladies are still alive today.
Meng Xiaodong is a person who accepts death. She was willing to be Mr. Mei's concubine in the past, but now she is determined to be Zhou Hexuan and will not waver. She doesn't care about what her parents say.
"Sister, is your lover in Tianjin?" Meng Keke suddenly said.
Meng Xiaodong said angrily: "Little brat, what do you know?"
Meng Ke shouted: "What a little brat, I'm already fourteen years old!"
"Let's wait until you are eighteen." Meng Xiaodong smiled.
"Tch, you think I don't know, your lover must be in Tianjin," Meng Ke's Xiaogui Da said, "otherwise our troupe would premiere in the north and leave Peiping alone, why would we come to Tianjin?"
When Meng Xiaodong was told what was on his mind, he blushed and said, "Go, go, stop talking nonsense."
"Read the newspapers, read Ta Kung Pao. The governors-general of fifteen provinces jointly recommended Zhang Zuolin as the commander-in-chief of the Anguo Army! Marshal Zhang will be inaugurated next month!"
"Read the newspaper, read the "Popular" newspaper, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" is a hot serial."
A newsboy ran down the street shouting.
Meng Xiaodong suddenly shouted: "Get a copy of "Dazhong"!"
"Okay, two points and eight centimeters." The newsboy ran over happily.
Meng Xiaodong sat on the rickshaw and started reading. She liked reading what Zhou Hexuan wrote, and a sweet smile appeared on her face.
Zhang Yunhe saw it in her eyes and remembered it in her heart. She always felt that there was something wrong with her daughter. After she settled down in the inn, she took her daughter to the room alone and asked: "Boss, tell me honestly, who is your sweetheart?"
Meng Xiaodong said: "Mom, I really don't..."
"Don't say no!" Zhang Yunhe glared at his daughter, and then comforted him, "Mom has no objection, she just wants to understand the situation."
Meng Xiaodong then said hesitantly: "It's Zhou Hexuan."
Zhang Yunhe had never heard of Zhou Hexuan's name, so he quickly asked: "Who is Zhou Hexuan? What does he do?"
Meng Xiaodong said: "He is an academic, the president of Peking University."
"Principal of Peking University?" Zhang Yunhe said in surprise, "Ordinary people can't be the president of Peking University. Mr. Zhou is very old, right? Is his wife still there? If he dies and his wife fills the house, it can be considered a good marriage."
This is the mentality of Peking Opera artists in the old society. They despise themselves and actually think that it is a good match for their daughter to marry an older scholar as a stepmother.
"Mom, what are you talking about? Brother Zhou is only 28 years old and has not even been married yet." Meng Xiaodong explained.
Hearing that Zhou Hexuan was young and unmarried, Zhang Yunhe frowned and patiently advised: "Boss, this is a bit of a cliffhanger. Zhou Hexuan can be the president of Peking University at the age of 28. He must have official support and he is also knowledgeable.
I'm afraid such a young talent will look down on us opera singers, so you'd better find someone in the same profession to get married."
Meng Xiaodong said firmly: "No, I'm sure of him. At worst, I'll marry him and become my concubine."
"Alas," Zhang Yunhe sighed, "you have been a child with ideas since you were a child, and I can't persuade you. People's hearts are unpredictable, so be cautious in everything and don't let others deceive you. Cultural people are the most unreliable.
Not as good as rich businessmen and officials. They care most about reputation and don't want to be criticized. They are always procrastinating on marriage. It would be great if I could really marry you as my concubine. If I deceive you and then abandon you, you will be in trouble.
Say it.”
"Mom, Brother Zhou is not that kind of person," Meng Xiaodong quickly spoke for Zhou Hexuan. "He values love and justice and is very good to his friends. Moreover, he is kind-hearted and has opened many schools to allow children from poor families to study for free."
Zhang Yunhe was silent for a long time before asking: "Then what does he mean to you?"
Meng Xiaodong said distressedly: "He seems to have always regarded me as his little sister. He is usually very close to me, but when it comes to feelings, he always dodges."
Zhang Yunhe was overjoyed when he heard this: "Silly girl, this is a good thing! The more he behaves like this, it means that he is more cautious about his feelings, and he is not the kind of person who is quick and easy."
"Really?" Meng Xiaodong was a little confused.
Zhang Yunhe said: "This man is not bad. If you can really get married, he will not let you down even if you are your concubine."
The next day, Xinming Grand Theater.
Meng Xiaodong ran to the backstage exit from time to time, stood on his feet and looked down the stage.
Zhang Yunhe stood beside his daughter and asked, "Aren't you here yet?"
"Here it comes, here it comes! Those who just came in." Meng Xiaodong said happily.
Zhou Hexuan, Li Shoumin, Shen Congwen, Zhu Xiang, Zheng Zhengyin and others entered together. Zhang Yunhe wondered: "Which one is it?"
Meng Xiaodong said: "It's the tallest one."
The mother-in-law looked at her son-in-law, and the more she looked at him, the more interesting he became. Zhang Yunhe said with satisfaction: "He is really a talented person!"
