During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this was a high-end cultural residential area. First, people who went to Beijing to work as officials came to live here (transitional housing). After a few years as officials, they had enough money to exchange for a good house, and then they sold the properties in Chunshu Hutong and bought second-hand houses.
Most of the people who live in the house are literati and elegant people.
For example, Wang Youdun, the official minister of the Yongzheng Dynasty, lived in Chunshu Santiao Hutong and then sold it to the great poet Zhao Yi.
During the Republic of China, Chunshu Hutong became a place where literati and artists gathered.
It was in Dongchunshu Hutong that Gu Hongming died of illness. Peking opera master Xun Huisheng and Shang Xiaoyun lived respectively in Santiao Hutong and Xiaoertiao Hutong in Chunshu.
Yu Shuyan, on the other hand, lives in Ertiao Hutong on Chunshu Shang. He has the habit of singing his voice in the middle of the night. In order to listen to his voice, die-hard theater fans often come to the courtyard covered with quilts in the middle of the night to wait, which becomes a lively scene in the small alley.
"Bang bang bang!"
Zhou Hexuan knocked on the iron beast ring.
"Who is it? It's so early in the morning." The person who opened the door was Li Shaolou, Yu Shuyan's 17-year-old apprentice.
Zhou Hexuan smiled and clasped his fists and said, "Please let me know that Zhou Hexuan and his wife Meng Xiaodong are here to pay a visit to Mr. Yu Shuyan."
Li Shaolou looked at Zhou Hexuan in surprise: "Are you Mr. Zhou who invited Einstein to China a while ago?"
"Exactly." Zhou Hexuan said.
"Wait a moment," Li Shaolou did not leave, but stood behind the gate and shouted at the top of his voice, "Master, Mr. Zhou Hexuan Zhou is here!"
In less than a minute, Yu Shuyan came quickly and greeted him warmly: "Mr. Zhou, please come in quickly." He suddenly saw Meng Xiaodong again and smiled, "Xiaodong is here too."
Zhou Hexuan shook hands and said: "Boss Yu, I'm taking the liberty to visit you, and I'd like to thank Haihan."
"It's okay, it's okay, Mr. Zhou, please come inside." Yu Shuyan opened the door.
Everyone went to the living room and sat down. Yu Shuyan's apprentice quickly served the tea, and then stood aside and looked at Zhou Hexuan curiously.
Yu Shuyan belongs to the type of middle-aged handsome uncle. He has a short head and wears glasses. His appearance and temperament are a bit like the famous actor Chen Daoming. He speaks in a low volume, even a little short of breath, and his voice talent is far inferior to that of other Peking Opera masters. But he relies on hard training and superb skills.
With his skills, Yu Shuyan made up for his innate deficiencies, and his singing voice was completely different from his usual speaking voice.
"Xiaodong, are you friends with Mr. Zhou?" Yu Shuyan asked curiously.
Meng Xiaodong smiled shyly and did not answer.
Zhou Hexuan said: "Xiaodong is my wife."
Yu Shuyan suddenly realized it, and then smiled and said: "Congratulations, you two are really talented and beautiful."
Zhou Hexuan did not directly explain the purpose of his visit, but issued an invitation: "Boss Yu is a master of Peking Opera theory. I have a newspaper supplement in Tianjin called "Popular", which has a page dedicated to affirming the content of the drama. If possible, I hope to publish Boss Yu
article."
"Easy to say, easy to say." Yu Shuyan agreed wholeheartedly.
Yu Shuyan has been away from the stage for two or three years due to health reasons. He devotes himself to studying Peking Opera theory at home all day long, involving all aspects of phonology, musical instruments, etc. He is not only recognized as the first Peking Opera practitioner in the world, but also has the title of the chief master of Peking Opera theory.
status.
After the 1930s, almost all old schools of Peking Opera were influenced by Yu Shuyan's theory, and thus carried out reform and development to a greater or lesser extent.
If we can invite articles from Yu Shuyan on a long-term basis, it will also be of great benefit to the supplement of "Popular".
Both of them never mentioned their apprenticeship and chatted in random directions, gradually talking about Mei Lanfang's performance in the United States.
Yu Shuyan asked: "I heard that Brother Heming performed very successfully in the United States?"
"It's more than just a success," Zhou Hexuan said with a smile, "Boss Mei is already very popular in the United States. Nearly 10 American universities have invited him to give lectures, and several universities have hired him as an honorary professor."
Yu Shuyan was surprised: "Can American audiences understand Peking Opera?"
Zhou Hexuan explained: "At the beginning, we were performing on the stage and playing English translation cards off the stage. Later, I felt that the effect was not very good, so I changed it to telling the general plot in English before the performance. After the audience understood the background of the story,
Boss Mei will perform on stage again."
Yu Shuyan nodded and said, "This is a good idea."
Zhou Hexuan laughed and said: "Boss Mei has also made changes to every detail of the Peking Opera based on the tastes of American audiences, so that it can be more accepted by American audiences."
"It's great to do as the Romans do when you're in the country." Yu Shuyan praised.
Zhou Hexuan said: "American newspapers have praised Peking Opera to the sky. Every time Boss Mei goes to a city, there are theater fans who raise performance funds for him in advance."
Yu Shuyan was somewhat envious. He said: "Heming has done great things for the spread of Peking Opera. If possible, I will also organize an American performance."
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "I can help contact you then."
"Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for your kindness." Yu Shuyan cupped his fists and said.
The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Hexuan finally said: "Boss Yu, Xiaodong admires you very much and has always wanted to learn skills from the entrance wall. Please consider it."
"Well..." Yu Shuyan was a little embarrassed, he didn't want to accept a female disciple.
Meng Xiaodong stood up and knelt down: "Please also ask Master Yu to teach you the skills."
"Please get up quickly," Yu Shuyan hurriedly helped him. He couldn't help Zhou Hexuan's face, so he smiled bitterly and said, "I promise you, don't kneel down."
"Thank you, Master!" Meng Xiaodong was overjoyed.
Yu Shuyan had a headache. He rarely accepted apprentices, let alone female apprentices. Moreover, this female apprentice also had a husband, so she could not live at home and teach as usual, so she could only come here every now and then.
Since he agreed to accept a disciple, he must be responsible for the disciple. Yu Shuyan decided to invite a few friends to hold the apprenticeship ceremony another day.
After staying at Yu's house for a meal at noon, Meng Xiaodong happily left with Zhou Hexuan. She is an extremely scholarly woman. She has been studying and communicating with famous teachers in the past few years, and now she has the best teacher in the world as her teacher.
, my heart is already blooming with joy.
The two took a rickshaw to Dongsi Santiao Hutong. Meng Xiaodong chatted non-stop along the way, and even planned to come to Peking for two days every week in the future so that she could learn singing from Yu Shuyan.
The rickshaw stopped at Dongsi Sanjo Alley. Courtyard No. 25 and No. 26 were both bought by the Meng family, and the whole family lived there in a very lively manner.
Just when Zhou Hexuan was about to get off the car, three more rickshaws suddenly drove up.
"Sister Mintong, aren't you preparing to get married in Tianjin? Why are you back in Peiping?" Meng Xiaodong said in surprise.
Wang Mintong's eyes were a little red and swollen, and she looked like they were probably from crying. She said sadly: "My engagement has been terminated because the man has been inappropriate."
Meng Xiaodong couldn't help but ask further questions, and the atmosphere seemed quite awkward.
Zhou Hexuan was reminded of the big news in Tianjin a few days ago. A descendant of the Aixinjueluo family had an affair with an opera singer. The incident eventually broke out at home and he made a fool of himself in public.
This Wang Mintong probably broke off her engagement because of this.