After the rebirth of the idol, he started to lose weight and became the best actor

The curtain opened, and the stage seemed to have become the magnificent scene of the Jia Mansion.

The music of stringed instruments and wind instruments is a unique tune in the streets of this area. It has the hearty rhythm of Northeastern folk music and is integrated with the graceful emotions of the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Sister Mei, who plays the role of Lin Daiyu, moves lightly with lotus steps and her sleeves fluttering in the wind, in the scene “Flying Swallow Weeps Over the Withered Petals at the Tomb of Fragrant Flowers”.

She sang and danced, the lyrics flowing from her lips, with a somewhat soft tone, but she interpreted Daiyu's talent and sorrow to the core: "Flowers fade and fly all over the sky, who will pity them when their red fades and their fragrance disappears?"

After singing, she slightly raised her head, half-covering her face with her sleeves, as if trying to hold back her sorrow, tears gleaming in her eyes, "The soft silk thread floats on the spring pavilion, and the falling catkins lightly touch the embroidered curtain. The girls in the boudoir cherish the end of spring, and are filled with sorrow and have no way to release it..."

She flicked her sleeves, turned around, and walked to the front of the stage with gentle steps. She leaned over and gently stroked the virtual falling flowers, her eyebrows furrowed tightly, full of pity.

Lin Xi, who plays Baoyu, wears a purple gold crown on his hair, dresses in gorgeous clothes, and has affectionate eyes.

When acting with Daiyu, he stepped forward, stretched out his hand to grab Daiyu's sleeve, and sang anxiously: "Sister Lin, why are you doing this? I know what you are thinking, but there are so many shackles in this world."

His brows were furrowed, his eyes full of pity and helplessness.

Daiyu grumbled slightly, dodged sideways, waved her sleeves, and turned her head away with resentment between her brows: "Hmph, you enemy, you don't understand my heart."

The maids and old women shuttled back and forth, their movements on stage were well-organized, and every frown and smile was dramatic.

Some of them held handkerchiefs, jogged in small steps, and whispered "Girl, slow down."

Some of them bent their bodies and pretended to sweep the courtyard.

The audience below the stage stared intently. Some familiar old customers shook their heads and hummed along. They were so engrossed in the performance that they secretly raised their hands and tears welled up in the corners of their eyes.

He was completely unaware that beneath this peaceful stage, a storm was quietly brewing.

The autumn in Shenyang is always cheerful yet a bit solemn.

When the wind blows, the ginkgo leaves on the streets and alleys fall down, covering the bluestone road with a layer of broken gold.

But no one could have imagined that this autumn was bringing about a shocking change that would turn the peaceful days upside down.

Shopkeeper Wang runs his own silk shop on Zhongjie Street.

Every morning, he would personally open the carved door, dust the counter, and carefully arrange the fabrics, waiting for customers to come.

He had a clever young assistant named Shunzi, an orphan who had come from the countryside. Shopkeeper Wang was kind-hearted and took him in to his shop to learn a skill and make a living.

Shunzi was sweet-spoken and quick-handed, and he was very good at greeting guests. When he was free, he liked to squat at the door, watching people passing by on the street, hoping to see something new.

At that time, the streets were full of rumors that the Japanese were stationing troops and conducting drills outside the city, but the people were still hoping for the best, thinking that less trouble is better and that they could still live their lives as usual.

Shopkeeper Wang sometimes chatted with Boss Sun from the teahouse next door, and he would sigh worriedly, "The Japanese are restless. I'm afraid our peaceful days are in jeopardy."

Boss Sun smacked his lips and tapped his pipe. "The higher-ups will surely find a way. We ordinary people can just guard our own little piece of land."

It has been more than a year since the last big drama, and the atmosphere in the city is becoming increasingly weird.

The number of Japanese soldiers patrolling the streets increased suddenly, their leather boots clacking on the cobblestone roads, their eyes fierce and wanton, and the bayonets on their waists making people dizzy.

The drugstore opposite Manager Wang's shop was broken into by a few Japanese soldiers that day for no apparent reason, who rummaged through the cabinets and drawers, looking for something.

The old shopkeeper was pushed to the ground, his medicine box scattered all over the floor, and pills and herbs rolling everywhere.

Although the others were filled with resentment, they could only be angry but not speak out. They huddled aside, not daring to make a sound.

Shunzi hid behind the door, clenched his fists, his face flushed red, and whispered to Shopkeeper Wang:

"Boss, why are they bullying us like this?"

Shopkeeper Wang quickly covered his mouth, his expression solemn, "Don't make a sound, you can't afford to provoke me."

The night of September 18th.

The moonlight was mostly obscured by dark clouds. From the direction of Beidaying outside the city, faint explosions were first heard, like muffled thunder rolling in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, intensive gunfire suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the night.

Shopkeeper Wang and his family had already gone to bed, but were startled by the noise and sat up. Shopkeeper Wang put on his clothes, ran to the window in his slippers, and looked out along the seam of his hand, only to see chaos on the street.

A Japanese military vehicle rumbled by, its searchlights shining brightly.

"Boss, what happened?" Shunzi came running over with dishevelled clothes and a terrified face, his voice trembling.

Before Manager Wang could reply, he heard someone outside shouting, "The Japanese have invaded, Beidaying has been attacked!"

In an instant, cries, shouts, and sounds of gunfire intertwined together, and the city of Shenyang fell into unprecedented panic.

Soon, the Japanese soldiers began to knock on doors from house to house. Shopkeeper Wang hurriedly hid the valuables in the shop in the cellar and asked Shunzi to hide in there as well. He told him, "No matter what you hear, don't make a sound. Saving your life is the most important thing."

Just as I hid myself, I heard a rough banging on the door. Several Japanese soldiers with guns broke into the shop, looking for money and valuables. When they saw good fabrics, they tore them off and wrapped them around themselves.

Shopkeeper Wang stepped forward to argue, but was knocked to the ground by the butt of a gun. Blood was oozing from the corners of his mouth and stars were appearing in his eyes.

That night, flames illuminated half the sky of Shenyang City red. The officers and soldiers of Beidaying fought hastily, but suffered heavy losses due to the enemy's deliberate surprise attack.

People's doors were trampled on, their property was looted, innocent people fell in a pool of blood, and the once prosperous Central Street was in shambles, with shop doors smashed and goods scattered all over the ground.

And this was just the beginning of the painful journey of fall.

As night fell, the usually bustling theater on Zhong Street was now dead silent.

At this time of day, the theater would be brightly lit, and the cheers and the beat of gongs and drums would add a touch of warmth to the autumn night.

But now, the carved door was closed, and the door knocker was emitting a faint cold light.

The place that was usually filled with the fragrance of melon seeds and fruits and the charm of cosmetics now only had a sense of coldness and loneliness.

The tables and chairs were crooked, and a few playbills were scattered on the ground. The colored ink printed words were blurred by the hurried footsteps, leaving only a lingering fragrance.

On the stage, the heavy scarlet curtain was half-drawn, the stage box was open, the pearls and jade on the phoenix crown were dimmed, and a corner of the dragon robe hung over the edge of the box.

In the corner, the old erhu player curled up, his skinny hands tightly covering the erhu that had accompanied him for half his life, as if protecting his life.

His body was shaking like a sieve, his cloudy old eyes were full of panic, and he muttered, "What a sin, what a sin..." The bowstring occasionally trembled, and the whimpering sound it made was like the sad sound of the night.

Several young extras huddled together on a bench below the stage, wearing thin clothes, their teeth clenched, tears welling up in their eyes but not daring to fall.

One of them clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white, his face showed unwillingness and anger, and his cheeks were bulging with ridges from gritting his teeth.

Lin Xi usually wears a neat long gown and has a warm smile, but at this moment, his face is gray and black, his hair is messy, and he is pacing backstage.

The soles of his shoes rustled against the ground as he comforted his frightened sisters and asked them to hide in the attic.

I got up, went downstairs and moved closer to the crack in the door, listening to the sounds of leather boots and gunfire outside that were getting closer and more arrogant.

Lin Xi clenched the copper handle tightly and looked back at the garden. His eyes were filled with sorrow for the destruction of his hard work and worry about the unknown future.

"Bang!" A gunshot broke the night sky, startling everyone, followed by shouting in Japanese, crying and the sound of chaotic running.

The once bustling, bustling and warm town with fireworks rising has fallen into endless silence and sorrow after a night of gunfire and smoke.

The shops that once lined the streets were looted. Many shop owners slumped in their doorways with empty eyes, muttering to themselves how they would make ends meet.

In residential areas, houses were arbitrarily requisitioned by the Japanese army, and people were driven into cramped and dim shantytowns, with several families crowded into a small space.

The school became a military stronghold of the invaders, and the sound of reading was replaced by the trampling of military boots and Japanese commands.

The children were out of school and at home, helping their parents collect firewood and fetch water to share the burden, or looking at the invaders showing off their might in the streets with a mixture of fear and anger in their eyes.

Even in the market place, the invaders' flags were planted. The people lowered their heads, walked hurriedly, and dared not look any further.

Food prices were inflated, white rice and white flour became a luxury, and coarse grains had to be rationed in limited quantities just for a few pounds of cornmeal.

Lin Xi deliberately changed into a grey coarse linen shirt, painted her face black with soda from the bottom of a pot, and blended into the crowd before daybreak, queuing cautiously in the cold wind.

Anyone who complained in the long queue would be beaten, scolded and driven away by the traitors and their lackeys.

That person's fate would certainly be to be caught by street patrols and forced to do hard labor, carrying heavy objects, and being whipped from time to time.

But even in such a dark and desperate situation, in the hidden streets and dilapidated houses of Shenyang City, the fire of resistance has never been extinguished.

The setting sun was blood-red, military flags were fluttering on the street corners, and the patrol's leather boots stepped on the cobblestone road, scaring the people into hurriedly getting out of the way.

Lin Xi used to be a young martial artist in the theater, with a nimble body. Now he is thin but exudes tenacity.

He was carrying a tattered bamboo basket with a few handfuls of coarse grains in it. He looked like he was returning home normally, but in fact his eyes were alert and his peripheral vision was always keeping an eye on the movements around him.

When he reached a dark alley next to the market, he slipped in, coughed twice, and knocked three shallowly and one deep.

After a while, my good friend Chen Si came out from the shadows.

Chen Si is tall, with a face full of stubble and a sense of vicissitudes. He used to be a drummer in a theater. Now, like other ambitious patriotic young people, he has thrown himself into the secret struggle with full enthusiasm.

Lin Xi put the bamboo basket on the ground, grabbed a handful of food and scattered it around to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, and whispered:

"Xiao Si, there is news. The volunteers have set up camp in a valley thirty miles outside the city. The number of people has increased significantly. People from the surrounding villages are helping, delivering food and information."

Chen Si's eyes lit up and he clenched his fists:

"Oh my goodness, we finally have hope! Life in the city is really hard. The Japanese army has hoarded all the food and captured people everywhere to do hard labor. My old neighbor was dragged away yesterday and his life or death is unknown."

Lin Xi frowned and nodded in response:

"Yes, I just went to buy grain and saw the grain shop owner being harassed by a traitor. He was slapped in the mouth and bleeding because he gave an old man an extra spoonful of cornmeal..."

He was silent for a moment: "We have to find a way quickly to help the volunteers get the city's defense map. I heard that they are worried about not knowing the details of the Japanese strongholds in our city, and they want to find an opportunity to take some of them down to vent their anger on us."

Chen Si stroked his chin, thought for a moment and said:

"The defense map is at the Japanese headquarters, which is heavily guarded. But I know an old man named Sun who works there. He's a decent guy and hates the Japanese. Maybe I can get some information from him."

"I just don't know how to get in touch with him, and I have to be careful not to expose myself."

Lin Xi stared at Chen Si with burning eyes:

"No matter what, we have to give it a try. Although our theater is closed, the connections are still there. I remember that Old Sun liked to watch a play and used to come to the theater and sit in the back row."

He suddenly raised his head, and only his eyes sparkled on his dark face: "I'll write a secret letter to my former sister Lan, using the script as a cover, to arrange a meeting with him and pass on a message. Do you think it's okay?"

Chen Siyi slapped his thigh and said, "Great, let's do it! We have to act quickly. The Japanese army seems to have sensed something was wrong these days and has been patrolling more frequently. If we delay any longer, we'll probably end up with more trouble."

As they were talking, a noisy sound of footsteps came from the alley. The two men fell silent instantly. Lin Xi quickly picked up the bamboo basket, and Chen Si crouched down and hid in the dark.

Only after seeing that they were a few children running by in panic did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Xi lowered his voice and said solemnly:

"Let's split up and meet here tomorrow at this time to gather information. Be careful. There are spies everywhere in the city. If you make a mistake, all your efforts will be wasted and you may even lose your life."

After that, the two exchanged firm glances and blended into the twilight.

The afterglow of dusk struggled to penetrate the haze over the city of Shenyang and sprinkled on the mottled facade of the theater.

Lin Xi wrapped the worn cotton jacket tightly around him, holding tightly the small bag of coarse grains in his arms with both hands. The rough touch of the grain bag caressed his palms.

He took every step carefully, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.

Only after turning into a familiar alley and confirming that no one was following him did he quicken his pace and run towards the theater.

As soon as I stepped into the creaking door of the theater, the sisters gathered around me like swallows.

The one who led the way was the gentle Sister Mei. She usually played the role of a quiet lady on the stage, but now her face was full of anxiety, her eyes were full of worry and expectation. She pulled Lin Xi's arm and said in a trembling voice:

"Ah Xi, you're finally back. Is everything going well? Nothing went wrong at the market, right?"

Sister Lan, who was in a state of impetuousness, clutched the corner of her clothes, her brows knitted into knots, and interrupted, "Did those little devils and lackeys embarrass you?"

As she spoke, she leaned over to look at Lin Xi, and when she saw the bag, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Xi carefully placed the food on the table beside him, wiped the sweat from his forehead, a blush appeared on his face, and he lowered his voice and said:

"Don't worry, sisters. We did buy the food. Even though it was ridiculously expensive and some of the food was deducted, at least we didn't return empty-handed."

Just as Sister Lan was about to speak, Lin Xi took another step closer, looking around at everyone with a burning gaze, and whispered:

"Today at the market, I ran into a brother from our Volunteer Army secretly delivering a message saying that the troops outside the city were planning a major operation to destroy a supply base of the Japanese to help the people in the city and severely dampen their spirit!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the sisters' eyes lit up instantly, as if a stone was thrown into a dead black pool, causing ripples of excitement.

Sister Mei clapped her hands, completely losing her usual tenderness on stage, and clenched her fists:

"We can't just sit there and wait, we have to do something! We can't just let the Japanese run wild in our territory."

Sister Zhu, who was calm and composed, usually managed the theater's accounts. At this moment, she adjusted her glasses and said after a moment's thought:

"Although our theater is not big, we sisters have many skills. We can mend clothes and make dry food. Sending them to the volunteers is also a contribution."

Hearing this, Lin Xi nodded heavily with a smile on his face:

"Sister Zhu is right. The brothers in the Volunteer Army are short of food and clothing. We can help them. Although our strength is small, it is also a help. I will go out again at night and arrange for them to meet up."