blueteamnovel Chapter 128 Southern Cities, Plays, Singing For Ghosts (Subscribe)
Chapter 128 Southern Cities, Plays, Singing For Ghosts (Subscribe)
"Um?"
Ji Renyi, Ji Yaxin and others all heard the voice and turned their heads to look over.
"Uncle, you know my family... An Yuyuan."
An Bingbing's eyes lit up.
Ji Renyi looked over, "Anon, do you know him?"
The speaker was someone who lived nearby. He was the town's park ranger, and he was the one who lent the park to Zhenrenyi as a performance venue.
He used to be an orphan in the orphanage founded by Ji Renyi. He received Ji Renyi's kindness, and when he learned that Ji Renyi wanted to use the site and that the park was going to be built recently, he gave it to Ji Renyi without charging any money. Why does Ji Renyi live in the North District, but come to the East District to do dramas here?
This place is developing well, and the nearby Mulou Village has a lot of people recently, so Ji Renyi and a few old friends came here to stay for a few days.
Anon is a person nearby, and her great-granddaughter's "friend" is also a person nearby, maybe they really know each other!
"do not know.
"How do you know if you don't know me?"
Ji Renyi was taken aback by this answer.
The middle-aged man named Anon shook his head, and he looked at everyone curiously, "I say familiar because I've heard this name before."
"Do you still remember the name of the City God of our City God Temple?" He looked at his colleagues who were also in the park office.
The colleague was startled when he was asked so abruptly.
next moment.
There was daze in his eyes and embarrassment on his face, "I don't remember.
Although he would go to the Town God's Temple occasionally, he was no stranger to the Town God's Temple, but if he asked the name of the City God, he really didn't know it. This happened hundreds of years ago, and he didn't know the history of the City God.
"An Yuyuan, just call An Yuyuan." At this time, another colleague from the park office spoke up.
Ji Yaxin, An Bingbing, Tong Mei and others were speechless.
"Uncle, you want to say... from my family, is he the City God?" An Bingbing covered her mouth and giggled, and said mischievously.
"Nope." Anon laughed when he heard the words, "I mean I know him well, but I didn't say he is the Lord of the City, but his name is the same as the Lord of the City, is it a homonym? Or is it exactly the same? But it is certain that he should be our The local people, it is estimated that someone who believes in the City God gave him this name."
When speaking, he looked at several colleagues, "Do you know him?"
Everyone else shook their heads.
If I knew them, I would have said it.
"I don't know anyone named An, so don't mention him."
"I do know someone with the surname An, but my friend doesn't have such relatives."
This side was talking, but Ji Renyi's expression suddenly changed.
He knew why 'An Yuyuan' was familiar. He heard old friends tell about the history of Lord Chenghuang when he went for a walk in the Temple of the City God today and did morning exercises. He also asked people nearby, so he had an impression, but he didn't remember it for a while.
"Having the same name as the City God, is this unbearable?"
Ji Renyi didn't know what to say.
People who believe in gods and Buddhas will more or less know some taboos, some things are not allowed to touch, some things are not allowed to move or scream.
For example, tattoos should not be stabbed randomly, Bodhisattva and Guan Gong, if they can’t be suppressed, people will be in bad luck, and names can’t be called indiscriminately. For another example, the actor who plays Guan Gong in the drama has to worship Guan Gong and offer incense. Once the complete face is painted, he can't talk too much, he can only sing what he should sing, and he can't say a single word if he has extra words!
"Forget it, what to do if you are so bored.
Ji Renyi thought for a while and put down his thoughts, ready to continue distributing leaflets.
Time seems to pass by like a fleeting moment.
The day after tomorrow, the National Day holiday is seven days old, and now only three days have passed. It is the peak of the holiday, and there are many people in the town.
Night fell.
Inside the temple.
An Yuyuan stood there, looking at the bright moon in the sky.
"It's almost Xu time." He judged the time, and in a moment Zuo Bing walked out of the underworld and appeared in the temple.
"Are you all busy at 800?"
"It's done."
"How many people want to go?"
Hearing Lord Chenghuang's words, Zuo Bing showed a smile, "I want to go back to my lord.
"Want to go?" An Yuyuan laughed dumbly, "Go and call them."
heard the words.
Zuo Bing should be respectful, Yin Division.
After a while, people gradually appeared on the street in the distance, one after another... Everyone was wearing different clothes, only a few of them were smiling, while most of them were calm, looking straight ahead, with sharp eyes.
They appeared quietly from all directions and gathered at the intersection.
All eyes are on the person who first appeared on the street. He took a child and appeared there a long time ago, catching a seven-star ladybug that is rarely seen at night.
Look at everyone.
The man released the seven-star ladybug in his hand and smiled at them.
garden.
After seven o'clock.
The theater stage was set up, the lights were turned on, and the road was bright.
Backstage, Ji Renyi, Zhang Qingshan and others were all putting on makeup, and Ji Yaxin and the others were also putting on makeup. In the past two days, they have come here to practice in their spare time, but it is said to be practice, but it is actually just walking. They don't need to sing. Just go up and do the action, and take a few steps to count the number.
Tong Mei had finished her makeup, she walked to the tablecloth between the backstage and the front desk, opened the curtain to peek at the people outside.
There were some people sitting on the long chairs under the stage.
Few people.
It is not an exaggeration to say that there are only a handful of them.
There were only four or five people, all of them old people. They were residents nearby, and they were also those old people who went to the Town God’s Temple for morning exercises. They thanked Ji Renyi for teaching them, so they came to have a look. They also miss the drama they watched when they were young. They haven’t watched drama for a long time. .
They sat and chatted, waiting for the drama to begin.
Occasionally, a young man came in, and after sitting for a while, seeing that there were not many people on the seat, he chose to leave.
When Tong Mei was watching, she happened to see two young people getting up and leaving. She put down the curtain and went backstage, telling her best friend Ji Yaxin and the others who just finished putting on makeup, "It seems that not many people came
Hearing this, Ji Yaxin and the others opened the curtain and took a look.
Ji Yaxin saw that there were not many people in the lower class, and there was distress in her eyes.
Grandpa has been preparing for this event for a long time, even grandma and mother have some grandpa and grandpa don't want to do it, after all they are so old, don't work too hard, but grandpa doesn't listen, he just wants to hold this drama , contributing to the final drama.
No matter how others tried to persuade him, his grandfather was very stubborn, and they didn't know what to say. In fact, they also knew his grandfather's character. His life was closely connected with drama. It was drama that made him lose his parents In this life, he has relatives again, and it is also the drama that makes him have a good life.
He loves drama and has worked hard in drama all his life.
When Ji Yaxin was young, she often heard her grandmother talk about her grandpa. Grandpa was once a big hit in dramas. The former warlords spent a lot of money to listen to grandpa's dramas.
She was well aware of her grandfather's love of theatre.
"Will Grandpa feel uncomfortable?" An Bingbing asked in a low voice.
Ji Yaxin was silent.
She lowered the curtain and looked at her grandpa who was sitting in front of the mirror and putting on makeup. Sometimes he couldn't paint well and asked others to help.
Zhang Qingshan came over there, he stood behind Ji Yaxin and saw the situation outside.
"No one, hey." He sighed, "People don't like theater anymore.
There was a look of disappointment in his eyes.
In fact, he opposed his old friend's idea at the beginning, after all, he was old and still sang, which took a lot of energy, but after a few words of persuasion, he was persuaded by his old friend instead. Ji Renyi loves drama, so why not him? Maybe he doesn't love drama as much as his old friend, but he also has feelings for drama.
They are the orphans of the drama troupe who got together, and with the help of the troupe leader, they took up this bowl of rice and survived by the drama. How could they have no affection for the drama.
"Grandpa Zhang..."
"Yaxin, you don't need to comfort me, I know it myself."
Zhang Qingshan shook his head, "Drama is not easy to understand, and now there are so many interesting things, it's normal that no one likes drama.
He also sees it very openly, but...
As he spoke, Zhang Qingshan looked at Ji Renyi, who was still putting on makeup seriously and humming opera songs occasionally, and walked over.
"Benevolence."
"Huh?" Ji Renyi carefully finished a stroke, and then put down the makeup brush in his hand, "What's wrong?"
"There are very few people, not many people come." Zhang Qingshan told his old friend, wanting to give him a preparation.
heard the words.
Ji Renyi was stunned.
The next moment he looked at everyone, "Is there no one?"
"It's not that exaggerated. There are few people, but there are still a few people." Zhang Qingshan replied.
"Sing as long as there are people." Ji Renyi had a smile on his face.
Zhang Qingshan smiled wryly after hearing this, "You are right."
Ji Renyi nodded with a smile, and then he continued to hold the pen to finish the remaining small part of makeup.
Looking at himself in the mirror, there was a faint disappointment in the depths of those old eyes. Although he smiled and said it was okay, he was still very sad in his heart. He said that just because he didn't want his friends to worry about him.
"Sing with few people."
Ji Renyi whispered silently, holding a makeup brush in his old hand and carefully painting.
After a few minutes.
He finished the painting, and then he sat in front of the mirror and meditated. This was a habit of his. Before singing, he had to meditate to adjust himself.
"It's time, it's ready." Anon, the person in charge of the park, came, and he was in charge of this drama as the temporary person in charge.
Ji Renyi stood up.
In an instant, everyone looked over.
Hua Dan, who was once popular decades ago, is about to sing again.
Several senior members of the troupe around stood up, and they got up to watch Ji Renyi's performance from the backstage curtain.
Ji Renyi lifted the curtain.
Boom, boom, clang! …
At this moment, before people arrived, the people playing gongs and drums next to them played music, and the familiar singing opera opened up.
Ji Renyi looked at the four or five people in the audience. They were old people doing morning exercises in the temple.
The only thing that attracts is two or three young people standing in the distance, seeming to be attracted by the sound to stop and watch.
Ji Renyi was silent.
"Old leader, the shopping mall not far from the park is holding activities, and the park is resting, so many people go there. After the holiday, everyone is looking for something new and didn't come here." Anon held the curtain and said shamelessly, "I don't I should suggest to the old troupe leader that you come here to sing, the timing is not right."
How could he fail to see what was in Ji Renyi's mind? Zhang Qingshan knew it, and he also knew the old troupe leader, the old man's dedication to drama.
"It's not your problem. I don't think there's anything wrong with it." Ji Renyi looked at Anon with a smile on his face and shook his head slightly.
The next moment he was on stage!
One step, two steps, stepping forward, step by step, down to earth, and steady.
He held up his robes, raised his legs to the ground, walked to the center of the stage, looked at the few people below the stage, there was loneliness in his old eyes, and the old eyes under the light were crystal clear, it was the effect of the lights, and it was also the mist in his eyes, The drama is really coming to an end...
Every step that falls makes this old man feel a headache
Bitter, at the end, his pace inadvertently slowed down.
He smiled at Zhang Qingshan and the others, reassuring the others that it was all right, but he found that he couldn't do what he said, don't care, someone wants to sing. yes he knows
But he can't be open-minded and accept, the drama will disappear soon, maybe after his death, these old people are dead, who is willing to persist.
Looking at his back.
He raised his hand, and at the moment when he was supposed to be singing, he didn't sing, it seemed that he didn't perform well, he was old, he couldn't speak for a while, and he couldn't breathe.
Ji Yaxin, Anong, and Zhang Qingshan on the backstage looked at Ji Renyi on the stage with distress in their eyes.
"Forget it." An Bingbing felt distressed.
"Grandpa Ji is very old and there are few people. He was already depressed, but now he wants to sing loudly, and something will happen."
Listening to An Bingbing's words, Zhang Qingshan's words stuck in her throat when she wanted to tell Renyi to try again, Ji Yaxin looked at her grandpa who raised her spirit for the second time, her eyes were flushed, and she didn't hesitate to open her mouth.
Open the curtain to pick him up, so that grandpa and grandpa won't sing anymore.
"Let us sing." Anon said, and he also came on stage.
They have thought about something similar, if it doesn't work, let them, the middle-aged people who still have strength, complete this drama. The old troupe leader said that he will do another drama for others to see.
idea.
Watching the two people come out from the backstage.
The musicians stopped playing the ancient instruments. They knew that Ji Renyi was going to be replaced. They wanted to stop playing the music just now, but they were afraid that Ji Renyi would not want to.
Anong waved to the musicians, signaling them to stop, and Ji Yaxin came to the stage, "Grandfather..."
"Did it just start?"
A gentle voice sounded, and two figures walked in from the park entrance.
...is An Yuyuan.
...is a person with the same name (baea) as City God.
Hearing the voice, the two looked over and saw a familiar person.
thump——
"Didn't you miss it?"
"It should be the beginning. If I have been singing for a while, I really want to take that serious song that I just met on the road
There were many footsteps, and one after another people walked into the park. Several of them were whispering to each other with smiles, while others walked in calmly, looking at the stage.
I walked over to the bench, found a good seat, sat down quietly, looked up at the stage, with a look of interest and anticipation on my face.
many people.
One after another, Ji Yaxin was sluggish.
"There are a hundred people here?" An Bingbing murmured beside the curtain in the background, feeling that everything was dreamy.
so many people.......
there.
Ji Renyi looked at the people sitting in the audience, staring at their expectant eyes, Ji Renyi was in a daze, he felt...back decades ago, when he was seventeen years old, the old drama
It was a very popular scene, and there were no seats left. People at that time also had a love for drama, and basically every drama would be full of seats.
next moment.
He looked at his great-granddaughter, Anon, who was coming.
"Grandpa, grandpa."
"Old leader, how about changing..."
Ji Renyi waved his hand, he was signaling for the two to retreat, then he looked at the masters playing music and nodded towards them.
The masters playing the music looked at each other, and wanted to open their mouths to persuade, and finally the person in charge said, "Try it once."
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand, dropped the stick, and knocked on the small drum in front of him.
Boom!
The music is played, and the play begins.
Clang, bang, bang...
Ji Renyi listened to the familiar opera and looked at the eyes of the audience. He shook his hands, slipped his wide sleeves, stuck his hands out of the cuffs, raised his hands, and stepped lightly.
"Hate, no..." he spoke, his voice was high and mournful, his breath thick and long.
He sang it.
Not lost to him who was young, once Huadan, once a red card in drama, and Ji Renyi, who was once the best in opera, is back. After decades, he speaks again. Now he is 90 years old.
Five, the voice is amazing, the eyebrows are winking, and the expression resonates.
The name of this play is "White Emperor City", and it will be sung again, bitter Liu Bei, weeping in the city...
"it is good!"
Someone in the audience shouted, and applause appeared in an instant.
A moment after the applause fell, the audience was quiet, you could hear the drop of a needle, everyone was listening and watching quietly, their eyes were clear, and their expressions had a special brilliance.
Today's park is very different. It is quiet and not quiet. What is quiet is that no one speaks. What is not quiet is that there are operas ringing.
The city is dotted with a little different red and a little different color.
Pedestrians were in a hurry outside, and they stopped on their way to the mall. Looking at the seats under the stage, which were full of people, people became curious.
They walked into the park.
There were not enough seats, so they could only stand. Some park officials rushed out to borrow chairs from nearby shops.
Backstage.
The whole drama troupe came alive, Zhang Qingshan was full of enthusiasm, he and Ji Renyi had the same feeling, back to the previous era, the era when the drama troupe was active.
He looked at the others, "Everyone is ready, it's time for us to go on stage."
His voice was full of excitement and excitement at the end.
there.
An Bingbing watched this scene happily, "There are a lot of people here!"
"Yeah." Tong Mei was also happy about such a thing, seeing her best friend Ji Yaxin come back, "Yaxin, Grandpa Ji sang it, it's great! There are a lot of people here, he must
very happy. "
Ji Yaxin nodded.
She had a happy smile on her face, "Yes."
"Are these the group performers you invited, Yaxin?" Tong Mei asked again.
Hearing this, Ji Yaxin couldn't help but laugh, "No, I'm not so rich, but I also have your idea."
"I have it too! But it shouldn't be, their eyes are not fake, they shouldn't be a group performer." An Bingbing looked out from behind the backstage curtain, she looked down and sat quietly
people.
This picture, An Bingbing didn't know why, the more she looked at it, the more weird she felt, "It's kind of weird."
"Strange?"
Both Ji Yaxin and Tong Mei were surprised and did not understand why Bingbing said that.
An Bingbing looked at the auditorium below the stage. Many people outside the park were attracted by the scene of the crowds here. The crowd effect revitalized the entire theater auditorium at once. someone outside
Walking in, someone wanted to speak but was interrupted by his companion, who shook his head and waved his head to signal to see the people in the audience seats, all alone...sitting quietly, listening and watching with enjoyment.
Seeing this, the visitor dared not speak.
"Weird." Watching this scene, An Bingbing muttered in a low voice.
She always felt that these people sitting on the bench were eerily quiet, "They are so quiet, I feel a little creepy."
"So you also feel this way?" Tong Mei said after hearing this, "I thought I was the only one who felt this way."
"Right, right."
An Bingbing found her confidant in an instant, and kept nodding.
"What are you talking about?" Ji Yaxin didn't know what to say to these two girlfriends, how could she feel this way...... She thought and looked over.
This look.
look at...
Ji Yaxin had panic thoughts in her heart, she saw the expressions of these people [really weird!
Someone over there felt her gaze looking over, and they looked at each other, Ji Yaxin's heart twitched involuntarily, that person looked away, just glanced briefly, it was normal
The move, but she couldn't help but her heart skipped a beat.
An Bingbing noticed this trembling action, "Ya Xin, do you also feel this way?"
"Ji Yaxin didn't know how to speak.
"Do you think they are ghosts? I read a novel today, and it mentioned a folk custom. In the cities in the south, there was a custom in the past. When it comes to ghost festivals, theater troupes will be invited to sing
There are no audiences in the audience, because opera singing is not for living people, but for ghosts who come out of the ghost gate on the Ghost Festival.
An Bingbing spoke out her thoughts in a daze, "Ya Xin, there was no one in the audience just now, we sang again, and then attracted ghosts...
"Bingbing, what are you talking about, don't scare me, I have goosebumps."
Tong Mei's best friend's remarks made her skin shudder.
Ji Yaxin was stunned after hearing this, "There is indeed such a saying, my grandfather told me that he sang this kind of play before, specially for ghosts, and sang it twice..."
She seems to be answering, but also seems to be talking to herself.
The next second she came back to her senses, "Oh, Bingbing, I was almost led astray by you."
"What are you thinking about writing, this isn't it." Ji Yaxin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, she knocked on the head of her best friend, "There are indeed such things, but they are all superstitions, and even if they really did,
It's not Ghost Festival now, so how can you attract a group of ghosts to come and watch? You think too much, and they also look normal.
"That's right." An Bingbing stuck out her little tongue.
it is good!
it is good!
At this moment, the people in the audience saw the climax of the play and couldn't help clapping and drinking.
Although the face is cold, it doesn't look like a ghost, does it? How about a ghost drinking like this?
An Bingbing couldn't help but look at it a few more times, but after looking at it again, she felt that something was wrong again, and her intuition was that something was wrong.
"Okay, don't think so much, it's time for us to play later."
Seeing Bingbing's actions, Ji Yaxin didn't know what she was thinking, so she said.
An Bingbing stuck out her tongue when she heard it, hummed, and went down to get ready, planning to drink some water to relieve her nervousness about going on stage.
Still nervous, after all, this is Grandpa Ji's play, and she is also under pressure.
Ji Yaxin looked at her best friend's actions, and she was also about to leave, putting down the backstage curtain.
Just when letting go.
She looked at the people under the stage again... Bingbing said they were ghosts?
Ji Yaxin was amused by Bingbing's idea, she thought it was impossible, she just saw this group of people when An Yuyuan came, and the former teacher stepped on them, saying that these people have nothing to do with An Yuyuan
, she doesn't believe it. She remembered that An Yuyuan said that he would call friends, maybe these people are An Yuyuan's friends, or...colleagues from their company?
"If they are ghosts, An Yuyuan is also a ghost."
Ji Yaxin chuckled secretly.
Immediately she turned around to prepare to go on stage.
Under the stage, An Yuyuan was sitting on a long chair with the ghost baby in his arms. He watched Ji Renyi and Zhang Qingshan sing duets on the stage.
There were three pretty faces peeping.
"Very good intuition." An Yuyuan looked at An Bingbing among them.
silent.
He turned his gaze back to the stage, quietly admiring it, and couldn't help saying hello when he reached the climax, the ghost baby in his arms followed suit, and patted his little hands lightly.
nine thirty.
The opera music in the park slowly stopped.
"Thank you for coming today..." Anon concluded above.
People began to leave one after another. At this moment, the servants sitting on the bench looked at each other and asked if they should leave?
An Yuyuan smiled and nodded.
"Zuo Bing, let's go back."
Immediately, he got up and was about to leave, and the ghosts and ghosts were also about to leave, leaving one by one, doing their own activities, and going back to the Yin Division of the City God's Hall.
"Mr. An." An Yuyuan and Zuo Bing left together, and when they reached the door, an old voice sounded from behind...