"If you, a little guy like you who doesn't understand anything, can see that grandpa painted Guan Gong, then that's right."
"Huh?" The boy was still a little confused.
Without answering his grandson's doubts, the old man hugged the boy and said, "Come, Xiao Shi, tell grandpa what you know about Guan Gong."
The boy looked at the sky: "Hmm... red face, long beard, thick eyebrows and big eyes..."
Every time the boy said an image of Guan Gong in his mind, the old man would tap twice on the face with his fingers.
Although the lines on the facial makeup are different from the traditional facial makeup painting method, under the guidance of the old man, the boy seemed to understand something, but he could not tell it.
Seeing the boy's hesitant expression, the old man chuckled twice and handed the mask to the boy: "Here, I'll give this mask to you."
"Really?" There was some surprise in the boy's eyes. He yelled, "Grandpa, I'm going out to play" and rushed out again: "Wang Fang, come and see if the mask my grandpa made for me looks good!"
"Hey, you haven't eaten yet!" Behind him, the old man couldn't stop the boy and could only watch the boy disappear outside.
...
Ten years later, a young man rushed over from the alley with a bright smile: "Grandpa, look what I got! I joined the troupe!"
Inside the house, the old man still had a pair of eyes and was concentrating on tracing a face. Hearing the shouts of the young people outside, he reluctantly put down the paintbrush in his hand.
Over the years, eight, if not ten, of his chronological records were destroyed, all of which were taken away by this bastard for fun. He once suspected that this bastard did it on purpose.
But when he heard that his grandson had joined the troupe, the old man still showed a hint of joy in his eyes.
Rushing into the house, the young man saw the neatly arranged mask brushes at a glance: "Grandpa, are you still painting these masks? People outside said that your facial makeup cannot be used on the stage."
"You don't care whether he can be on the stage or not, just tell him whether he is good or not, whether he looks like him or not, whether he is beautiful or not." The old man looked at the young man angrily and stamped his foot: "You liked this facial makeup when you were a child."
"Isn't that when I was a kid?" The young man smiled and said, "Besides, I didn't say that your facial makeup is not beautiful. Some teachers in our drama troupe said that this facial makeup is magical, but it's a pity that you can't bring it to the stage to show people.
look."
"Grandpa, where did you learn this facial makeup painting method? It seems that there is no facial makeup painting method like yours outside?"
"I learned it from a village." The old man seemed to have recalled something, and after sighing, he said nothing: "Okay, I know you don't like my facial makeup skills, but you can still be safe.
Let’s learn your singing skills.”
"Hey." The young man nodded, stretched out his hand and handed over a ticket: "Grandpa, there will be a play of mine in three days, you must go and see it."
"I know, I know." Pretending to be immersed in facial painting again, the old man waved his hand impatiently. After the young man left, he couldn't help but caressed the ticket.
Three days later, watching the young man on stage immersed himself in the play, the old man below burst into tears.
A few years later, the young man has grown into an adult. Years of training and accumulation have allowed him to go further and further in the drama industry. Gradually, his reputation is no longer limited to a drama troupe, but
It spreads outward.
This year was the year when his drama career officially reached its peak, but it was also the darkest year in his life - the old man who had been with him since childhood passed away.
"Ahem, Xiao Shi..." Looking at the tearful man beside the bed, the old man twitched the corners of his mouth with difficulty and showed a smile: "Grandpa is dying. From now on, you may be the only one."
After shaking the man's hand, the old man struggled to stand up: "I heard from grandpa that he is very happy to watch you grow up, so don't be sad for grandpa."
"Grandpa put all the things you wanted to know in the wooden box at home. Grandpa is very happy that you can embark on the path you love, and he also wants to watch you continue to walk. It's just... Grandpa
....It can’t be done anymore...”
He reached out and touched the man's head one last time. The old man smiled and closed his eyes.
"Grandpa!" The man burst into tears, but he could no longer wake up the old man.
A few days later, after settling the funeral arrangements for the old man, the man returned to the old house and opened the box that the old man had never allowed himself to open in the past.
There were not many things in the box, except for an unforgettable picture of Monkey King, some paint brushes, and only two books.
One book contains some facial paintings that the old man often draws, and the other book contains some things that the old man has written down.
The fourth day of October in the year Dingmao.
In an accident, my voice was broken and I could no longer sing. A new character took my place.
The third day of the twelfth lunar month in the Dingmao year.
Someone told me that there was a place that might be able to cure my throat. I packed up and got ready to go.
It’s April 25th of the same year.
It took me more than a year to finally find this village. Most of the people in the village have the surname Gou, so I call the village Goujia Village. Maybe it is a matter of Feng Shui, but the village always gives me a strange feeling.
It’s April 26th of the same year.
I stayed outside the village for a night and vaguely heard the movement in the village. It seemed that some activities were being held. Early the next morning, the people in the village took me into the village.
I told the village chief about my problem. The village chief shook his head and said that I came too late and his throat could no longer be cured.
I was a little disappointed, but maybe because I didn't have high expectations, I quickly accepted the reality.
It’s April 27th of the same year.
I originally wanted to leave the village, but the village chief invited me to stay until after the Dragon Boat Festival, so I chose to stay.
******three.
I stayed in the village for a few days, and I didn't know why, but I slept very peacefully. This was the most peaceful sleep I had had in the past year or two.
That day, I saw a pair of facial makeup at the village chief’s house.
This facial makeup looks very different from the troupe facial makeup. It is neither fair nor eye-catching. Most of it is black lines and feels cold to the touch. But I don’t know why, but this facial makeup left a stronger impression on me than this one.
The memory of memorizing Facebook for decades is even more profound.
I asked the village chief and he said that this is a craft passed down from generation to generation in the village and is not spread to outsiders.
******five.
Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, but the village seemed not to celebrate this festival. They made me a lunch and then sent me away from the village. The food was delicious, especially the duck.
It’s September 11th of the same year.
I returned home, gave up drama, married a wife, and gave birth to a son. I named him Zhang Liangsheng.
September 23rd of the Gengwu year.
The children are getting older day by day, but whenever I see those characters, I can't help but think of the facial makeup I saw in Goujia Village, and I want to draw it.
The nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the Gengwu year.
I tried, I can't draw it... No matter what, I can't draw it...
why why...
The fifth day of the eighth month of the Xinwei year.
I heard that there is a war in the Northeast.
I gave up on the idea of drawing the face in the image, but I still couldn't forget the lines and wanted to try again.