Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

Chapter 120 The Ultimate Skill: Balancing the Lamp (Part 1)

Zhu Zhengkuo and Han Zhengkui went to Jiang Dashuan's house at noon and didn't return until after 3 p.m.

Both of them were slightly intoxicated, but their steps were steady and their faces were not flushed, indicating that they had only taken a small sip and had not drunk freely.

Chen Xiangdong, along with Li Mancang and Lin Gouwa, were carrying knives and gun handles backstage when they saw the two men returning side by side, chatting and laughing. Chen Xiangdong immediately understood what was going on.

It was my first time visiting someone's home, and I was there specifically to see Director Xu, so I had to make a good impression. I couldn't just drink and start talking nonsense.

Zhu Zheng walked straight into the commune compound with a big smile, in a very good mood. It seemed that he had made a connection with Director Xu at the dinner table.

After Zhu Zhengguo had walked far away, Han Zhengkui turned and walked behind the gatepost, giving Chen Xiangdong a mysterious wink.

The open space in front of the stage is now crowded with villagers who came early to reserve seats. With so many people around, it's safer to keep your distance when whispering.

Chen Xiangdong understood, so he walked over and leaned closer to him, asking in a low voice, "Teacher Han, what's wrong?"

Han Zhengkui looked around to make sure no one could hear him before lowering his voice and asking, "Guess what I heard at the dinner table today?"

"What?" Chen Xiangdong craned his neck.

"Old Zhu's backer is a big leader in Hongzhou, the deputy secretary of the region!"

Han Zhengkui's eyelids twitched, and he said, "No wonder when we performed old plays without permission, Old Zhu was suspended for only a few days but then reinstated. They even gave our troupe special approval to be a pilot unit for the revival of old plays. Tsk tsk tsk, they have powerful connections. Today, Director Xu is also a former soldier. The two of them just chatted and actually got connected."

Chen Xiangdong's heart skipped a beat. He had heard in his previous life that Zhu Zheng had an unusual background, but he didn't know his specific position or inquire about it in depth.

Now, after hearing Han Zhengkui's explanation, I finally pieced together those fragmented clues. No wonder Old Zhu acted as if nothing had happened when he was suspended from his post, and those people from the Education Bureau never uttered a sound afterward. It turns out that there was such a powerful figure behind him.

However, this is a good thing no matter how you look at it. Now he has a close relationship with Zhu Zhengkuo, and Zhu Zhengkuo trusts him quite a bit. If he wants to have better development in the future, Zhu Zhengkuo is also his background.

More and more people came to watch the play, and by seven o'clock, the area in front of the stage and all the way to both ends of the road was packed with people.

Mao Shidao was already waiting in the dressing room backstage. According to the old custom, the performance of "Ding Deng" is to be shirtless, wearing only a bellyband. However, the weather was too cold, and at Mao Shidao's age, he simply couldn't handle being shirtless.

He wore a tight-fitting thin sweater underneath, with a red bellyband tied on top, and a thick cotton-padded coat draped over his body. He sat upright in front of the dressing table, practicing his facial expressions in front of the mirror.

Xue Rong plays the wife of the clown in this play. Her role is not important. She only "supervises" from the side. Although she only has a few simple lines, she changed into her costume early and was lip-syncing with a small mirror.

Lin Gouwa peeked out through the gap in the curtain on tiptoe, then pulled his head back in: "Master, I see there are quite a lot of people outside, no fewer than yesterday."

"More people is better!" Mao Shidao chuckled and turned to look at him. "The more audience there are, the more we need to bring out our best skills. Gouwa, you'd better watch how we clowns act in a bit. You'll be on stage sooner or later, so learn and watch more, and ask questions if you don't understand."

Lin Gouwa chuckled and scratched his head: "I know, Master."

"Professor Mao, Secretary Zhu wants you to get ready to go on stage immediately!" Chen Xiangdong lifted the curtain and half of his body peeked into the dressing room. The moment the curtain was lifted, the commotion from the front desk rushed in.

Upon hearing this, Mao Shidao's expression turned solemn. He stood up, placed his thick cotton-padded coat on the back of the chair, and quickly walked to the door curtain.

Xue Rong followed closely behind, giving Mao Shidao a slight smile: "Old Mao, it's all up to you today."

Mao Shidao, his face tense, nodded solemnly: "Don't worry!"

Lin Gouwa and Chen Xiangdong also came over, and the four of them squeezed behind the curtain, looking at director Liu Qiaosheng, who was announcing the play's title in the center of the stage.

"Next, we will present a traditional opera—'The Lamp on the Balance'."

As soon as the announcement was made, the warm-up drumbeats came from behind the side curtain, drowning out all the talking and laughter of the children in the audience.

All eyes turned to the front, where Secretary Li, who had arranged for someone to reserve a front-row seat for him, leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the stage.

"warehouse"

As soon as the gong sounded, Xue Rong took the stage first, dressed in a coarse cloth floral jacket and trousers, clutching a rolling pin in her hand, her brows furrowed with a fierce air. She stood in the center of the stage, pointed the rolling pin to the side, and shouted in a loud, clear voice, "Rubber band! Come out here!"

All eyes in the audience turned to the side of the stage, following the direction the rolling pin was pointing.

A figure with a shiny forehead and wearing a red bellyband walked onto the stage with small, quick steps.

Rubber bands make their appearance!

As soon as Mao Shidao appeared, he was like a magnet, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

Some elderly people who had seen the play before had their eyes light up when they saw the actors' costumes on stage, and couldn't help but whisper to the people next to them, "This play is hilarious, you'll see when you see it. Next up—"

But this usually earns him a glare: "I haven't even seen it yet, and you're already spoiling it for me? Can't I just watch it myself?"

In the center of the stage, Pijin's eyes darted left and right, his neck hunched, shoulders shrugged, and his body twisted and turned, avoiding his wife's gaze.

Occasionally, he would steal a glance at the raised rolling pin and shudder in fright. His cowardly appearance, wanting to run but not daring to, caught in a dilemma, immediately drew laughter from the audience.

Lin Gouwa and Chen Xiangdong came to the side of the stage and watched as Mao Shidao's facial expressions, combined with a few simple movements, made the audience below the stage laugh like waves of wheat.

Chen Xiangdong couldn't help but exclaim, "The famous clown from southern Shaanxi is truly something else! He hasn't even officially started performing his special act yet, and he's already got the whole audience hyped up. Amazing!"

Lin Gouwa stared, his eyes wide, unconsciously touching his bald head, his face full of longing, muttering to himself, "I wish I could have this skill someday—"

At the entrance of the cafeteria, looking through the crowd at "Pijin" being scolded on stage, the veteran artists Zhu Zhengguo, Han Wenxue, and Han Zhengkui all had tense expressions on their faces at first, especially when "Pijin" took the first few steps onto the stage, they almost all held their breath in unison.

But as Mao Shidao displayed his comedic talent on stage, making everyone in the audience burst into laughter, their tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed.

Zhu Zheng gave a thumbs-up towards the stage, his face full of admiration: "He hasn't sung a single serious song since he came on stage."

With just a few words and gestures, Lao Mao perfectly captured the audience's laughter. That's his skill!

As he spoke, he raised his thumb upwards again.

Han Zhengkui chuckled, seemingly even more confident than Mao Shidao himself. He gestured towards the stage with his chin: "This is nothing! Just wait, when they start the overhead lighting, that's when you'll truly amaze everyone."

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