Costume Mountains and Rivers

Bumped and ups and downs in the monstrous waves of the times, heading for the same destination.

However, compared to the hustle and bustle in the far east, the west coast of the ocean has always seemed a little lonely.

The Western world is afraid of the overheated flames burning across the land of the Far East, and there is an indescribable sense of panic everywhere. People don’t talk about current affairs much, and they eat and drink every day, indulging in the creaking tunes of the phonograph. , the men wore neat suits, the wives stepped on velvet high heels, and danced a soft waltz arm in arm.

Mo Qinghe's drama school has begun to see its scale. More and more Chinese children come here. They have a home to study, learn, laugh and play and sing; some have gone out, and some have found foster families and Love their adoptive parents, some took them home after their biological parents got rid of the predicament of survival, and some had nowhere to go, or had a strong interest in Chinese culture, and chose to stay completely.

At the beginning of the new year, Mo Qinghe took eleven children selected from the school to New York to prepare for a grand performance.

This one is different, he has been waiting for a long time.

As soon as the plane landed in New York, a large group of foreign reporters gathered around. With a polite and reserved smile on Mo Qinghe's face, she stretched out her hand to separate the reporters who came to interview and the fans who came up with flowers in their arms, and opened a path for the children behind her. the way.

The whole family of the Shen family walked at the end of the line. Mrs. Shen was neatly dressed, supported by her sister-in-law Vivienne, leaning on a rattan cane, walking vigorously and vigorously.Vivienne carried out her style of combining Chinese and Western styles, her curly blond hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head.Most foreign girls are not afraid of the cold. In the middle of winter, she wears a tight brocade cheongsam with bare shoulders, covered with a thick sable cloak, sprayed with strong French perfume, revealing a section of snow-white thighs every step she takes.

A pair of sons and daughters of Shen Lisong's family - Abt and Lily, this lively pair of brothers and sisters took the opportunity of the family outing as a carnival, shouting excitedly all the way, trying to escape the control of the team.This is a pair of mixed-race children with an angelic appearance. They were born in the five years since the Shen family moved to the United States in [-]. Because they are half-American, they also have dark chestnut curly hair and rose-colored cheeks. However, upon closer inspection, the tall nose and slightly sunken eye sockets are very similar to those of the Shen family, and the lips are pursed seriously, revealing the stubborn expression inherited from the family.

Shen Shuzhu's daughter, Shen Xiaohan, just turned five years old, and it was time to explore everywhere. She opened a pair of small hands and followed her two older brothers and sisters bouncing around. He shouted anxiously in Chinese: "Master, miss, there are too many people here, slow down, run slowly!"

Mo Qinghe once asked why she gave such a name to her newborn daughter, and the second wife had a gentle smile on her lips, and said, "The drizzle and slanting wind make dawn cold, and the light smoke and willows make the sunny beach beautiful."

At that time, Mo Qinghe was immersed in this poem, and her thoughts flew back to the smoky Jiangnan, where she was lost in silence for a while.

Shen Shuzhu held his wife's hand and walked behind his daughter with a smile, but the brothers Shen Peinan and Shen Lisong fell behind unknowingly. Yan, walking at the end of the line, talked lightly about the scenery of New York and the exchange rate of the trading house.

Everyone was in a great mood, and the children brought by Mo Qinghe felt even more fresh. They wore uniform and custom-made clothes, walked on the streets of the most modern New York, and looked around with big timid eyes.

The streets are full of cars, tall buildings and large posters. Gentlemen in top hats are talking seriously on the side of the road. The children are very interested in hot dog carts and candy houses. Mo Qinghe leans over to solicit two For the child's opinion, he waved vigorously towards the end of the line: "Brother Shen, Brother Shen!"

Saying this, he parted the team and squeezed all the way to Shen Peinan's side, interrupting the lengthy conversation between him and Shen Lisong about the exchange rate, and then smilingly took out a wallet from his suit pocket, took out a small stack of banknotes, and stuffed them without counting them. Putting it into the jacket pocket, put the wallet back into Shen Peinan's pocket, and said with a smile: "There is a candy store in front, buy candy for everyone."

Shen Peinan was dumbfounded: "It's not that you didn't bring any money, you just ran over..."

Mo Qinghe smiled brighter and brighter: "I just love spending your time, can't I?"

Shen Lisong shrugged his shoulders, raised the corners of his mouth, and made a playful expression of sympathy and understanding. Shen Peinan shook his head with a smile, took out the wallet again, and patted it into Mo Qinghe's hand: "A little money is not a respect, Take it, take it, it's all yours."

The children were allotted sweets, all smiling.

Shen Yi didn't smile, he walked at the front of the line, wearing a beret crookedly, his two delicate eyebrows were knit together, and there was a bit of melancholy in his eyes, which made him shrouded in a kind of inferiority complex. In the damp mood like a rainy day.

As Mo Qinghe observed, this young master who deviates the farthest from the character of the Shen family, while growing rapidly physically, is also suffering from the confusion and loneliness brought about by the precocious wisdom that does not match his age. He was not disturbed by the swarming reporters, nor was he shaken by the cheers of other children. All he could think of was tonight's play, repeating it over and over again, thinking and preparing over and over again—tonight was his first time. Go on stage in front of the public and sing "Dream".

There is still a long time before the official performance. Shen Lisong and Shen Peinan are very familiar with New York. They took the old lady and the whole family to hang out to pass the time. Brothers Mo Qinghe and Mo Liuchu led the children into the backstage of the theater early. Final preparations.

When it was dark, snow suddenly fell, a thin layer, like salt particles glowing blue, the weather was too cold, and there was a slight creaking sound when one stepped on it.

Before the performance time, the foyer of the theater was already full of people. The staff carried trays to distribute drinks and snacks to everyone. Everyone was greedy for the peaceful situation after the war, and they were extraordinarily indulgent and happy.

The backstage was in chaos, and the actors were wearing costumes, lying on their backs in the corridor to rest, and someone practiced their voice against the wall: "Ah—————————"

The dressing room specially prepared for stars is different. The heavy door separates two worlds, and the inside is the quietest place.

The workers cleaned the dressing room very clean, and there was no smell of perfume left. The surrounding area was filled with the simple aroma of powder puffs and oil paints. The costumes hanging around concealed the magnificence of the European-style decoration, creating a charming Chinese-style illusion. .

The costumes are exquisite in workmanship, deliberately improved for modern aesthetics, and discard all gaudy colors. The color scheme is simple and elegant, white like jade, blue like porcelain, and red like blood. From a distance, there is a piece of light yellow willow green, where elegance and brightness collide. In one place, layers of embroidery and silver thread, tufted patterns and auspicious clouds, collars, pythons, official clothes, arrow clothes, hugging clothes, water clothes, beards...

The details are embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, and the brilliance is varied. On the table is a tray with various kinds of pearls and emeralds and rhinestones, trembling and shining, dazzling people's eyes.

Mo Liu was ready early in the morning, pretending to be a handsome boy, and silently tidying up the suitcases, there was a clang of gongs and drums outside, and the little dragons turned their heads and came out one by one, performing a lively warm-up scene , Mo Qinghe prepared unhurriedly, hooked her face, combed her hair, and put on a picture. She was dressed in white and surrounded her lotus-like face.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Mo Qinghe put down the pearl hairpin in her hand, got up and went to open the door.

Shen Peinan stood outside the door, holding a glass of champagne in his hand, with a faint smell of alcohol on his body.

Mo Qinghe raised her blushing and delicate face: "Why are you here?"

"A Yi is young, so I'm afraid he'll be nervous, so I'll come and see him." Shen Peinan looked over his shoulder and looked into the room. Mo Qinghe smiled and shook her head, saying that she really had the younger one and forgot the older one, and said angrily, "Back then When I was seven years old, I officially sang on stage. I sang from New Year’s Eve to the fifth year of the year. My reputation spread before the first lunar month. When I was 11 years old, I dared to wait for the stage of the Prime Minister’s house. Yi is two years older than I was then, let alone be petty."

Seeing that Shen Peinan was still worried, she pouted back: "There, see for yourself."

Ah Yi enjoys special treatment, and was taken into the dressing room by Mo Qinghe.His play was in the last scene, but he couldn't bear his temper, and prepared it seriously. Standing on the soft wool carpet, he solemnly shook off his two plain white sleeves. Feet, the upper body leaned back, holding the water sleeves against the cheeks, looking back at the charming, pointed oval face made of jade, a pair of moist clear water eyes, the bottom of the eyes is full of love, and he wants to talk.

A good actor, with a face on his face and body, is full of drama. Just one glance will take people into the realm of transformation, sinking into the ancient stories of gifted scholars, beautiful ladies and emperors, generals and ministers.

Ah Yi couldn't see the uncle who came to visit him, he didn't care about anyone, he was cruising and acting, his clear water eyes were half-opened and half-closed, bright red rouge was rubbed on the sideburns, there was a solemn and intoxicated expression in his eyes...

Everyone in the dressing room was looking at him.

Mo Qinghe pushed Shen Peinan away: "Don't worry about it, Ah Yi is the patriarch's savior, he was born to be popular, I'm still busy here."

Shen Peinan didn't leave, but shifted his eyes to Mo Qinghe's face, looking at him infatuatedly: "Xiao Mo, Ah Yi is a bit like you when I just met you."

Mo Liuchu squatted at the side, holding the wooden suitcase carved with the lotus pond and moon, with his mouth half-opened in a daze, almost forgot what to do, and said in a daze, "Like, really like."

It is rare for these two people to agree. Mo Qinghe looked at their dumbfounded expressions, and suddenly remembered the eyebrow-eye lawsuits that these two people had when they were rivals in love. He was embarrassed and wanted to laugh.Sighing for a while, he said: "Like, not like, I think Ah Yi is more like Yun Yang when he was a child. Don't look at him later, the play when he was a child was very good."

Mo Liuchu stopped talking, and Mo Qinghe fell silent immediately. When he looked up again, tears welled up in his eyes, and he said softly to Shen Peinan in a voice that others could not hear: "Today is Yunyang's death day."

He wiped a drop of sweat from Shen Peinan's forehead with his fingers: "Stop hanging around here, you go out to watch the show with the old lady, and I will go to the box to find you after the singing is over."

Shen Peinan was driven away, and the dressing room fell silent again. Mo Qinghe sat in front of the makeup mirror, clutching a pearl hairpin, the cool blue peacock poking the flesh in his palm, and his eyes were like cold rubies... He suddenly recognized the truth again, put away the smile between his brows and eyes, pursed his lips, thrust the pearl hairpin into his temple fiercely, looked at the reflection in the mirror, and took a trembling breath.

Even the surrounding air has changed.

It seems that the opening of the story is also such a scene, such a silent dressing room, full of costumes, he took off the costumes, broke free from the shackles, and walked into the bloody and tragic thousands of miles of mountains and rivers without looking back.Here again, he puts on his photo again, the love and hatred, parting sorrow, struggle, entanglement, struggle, endless generosity and sadness, regret and comfort of the first half of his life are all in this excerpt.

Before going on the stage, Mo Qinghe glanced down the stage from the backstage. The grand theater, which can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators, is full of seats. The audience seats on the first and second floors are all in darkness. With a purple velvet curtain hanging down, this is the private seat he reserved for the Shen family. The old lady, Shen Lisong, Shen Shuzhu and his wife, and Shen Peinan all sat upright and listened to the opera, but the three children couldn't stay idle, they climbed the table and kicked the chairs to grab it. Snacks on a plate, flanked by nannies and servants, tick-tock-tock.

He also found it strange that 12 years ago, when he followed Shen Peinan into the gate of the Shen family for the first time, and was ridiculed by them in turn and humiliated in public again and again, he would never have imagined that today's scene would happen, and that night, He slept in Shen Peinan's bedroom when he was a teenager, turning around like a headless fly, stumbled and got his head broken... Even he himself didn't know how he gritted his teeth and relied on his stubbornness to single-handedly From the most vulnerable place to break into a world.

The warm-up scene was over, the extras ran backstage one by one, the curtain closed, and everything returned to darkness.The whole audience was silent for a long time, only to hear the sound of lights, and suddenly it was as if the world had opened up. The whole stage was brilliant, with rockery, pavilions, arch bridges, weeping willows, West Lake, and remnant snow appearing one by one. The ancient Chinese dream was revived in a foreign land.

A bright and cold pillar of light shone in the center of the stage, and the audience was silent for a moment, it was time for him to play.

He is not nervous or excited. Today is a special day. He wants to sing for those who can't make it, for Yun Yang, for Li Mosheng, for Zhao Lao Wu, for those who once fought side by side with him, and later on Friends and brothers who faded out early.

They haven't heard the play for a long, long time.

What is drama and what is truth, it is nothing but life, beauty, and ugliness at the end, performing all kinds of twists and turns in the world, thousands of years of funny and eternal worries.

The increasingly dull days almost made him forget that he is so lonely in this country that claims to be the most civilized and free.

It was a dreamlike night, all movements were clear in the chest, every frown and smile was perfect, he stood in the middle of the spotlight, his back was facing the audience, his charming face was lowered, his chest rose and fell slightly, and his movements were frozen instantly, The stage suddenly went dark, leaving only a round and bright spot shining on him—Chang'e, who was left alone in the Moon Palace, her back was extremely lonely.

There was a tsunami of applause and cheers from the audience, one wave higher than the other, and then all of them stood up, throwing hats and handkerchiefs to the ceiling like a carnival.

He couldn't wait for the curtain call, left Mo Liuchu behind, and ran backstage secretly by himself, telling the black bodyguards in the theater: "I'm tired and need to rest. I won't see guests tonight if I don't sign autographs. Keep an eye on the door and don't let anyone in. .”

One after another people asked to come in for a visit, but they were all blocked by the bodyguards. Mo Qinghe sat in front of the mirror and took off the bead flowers on his head one by one. He was the most active person, but this night he wanted to let himself sink, sink Go into the memories of the past and the surging sorrow——Yunyang can't come back, his Yunyang can't come back.

There was a sudden noise outside the dressing room. At first, they were quite patient. After a few words of dispute, their voice suddenly increased. Someone was arguing loudly with the bodyguards in English. Several black bodyguards were doing their duty. After arguing outside for a while, they suddenly lost their patience. , bang bang bang bang bang bang on the door.

"Mo Shaoxuan, open the door for me!"

Mo Qinghe tossed the phoenix hairpin in his hand into the tray, thinking that it was really hard to get a moment of peace, and pushed the chair away dumbfounded, trying to answer the door, and the bodyguards were holding on to the limit, when there was a bang, the door was closed The people knocked away, Mo Qinghe stood in the room, and bumped face to face with Shen Peinan who rushed in.

"What are you doing hiding here? Everyone is waiting to celebrate your success, and Mom has prepared gifts for you. You can't see anyone after waiting..." Shen Peinan was holding a large bouquet of roses, and the flowers were crowded together , Noisy, wrapped in cellophane, too red, like a large group of burning clouds, reflecting people's faces.

"You still have this temper..." Mo Qinghe wearily made a silent gesture, "Don't bother me, I'm very tired."

Shen Peinan's angry expression turned suspicious: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"This play is too lively, too lively, so many people, there is no time to rest, I have been acting for these years, and I want to be alone."

Shen Peinan really stopped talking, he understood Mo Qinghe's expression in an instant, he understood everything, gently put the flower aside, pushed him back to the chair, and gave him a hug from behind. Tight hug.In the mirror with a mud-gold copper edge, there are two faces stuck together, one soft and the other tough, crushing the water-red rouge together - Mo Qinghe half-closed her eyes, looking at the face in the mirror vaguely. Reflections, costumes, cages, jewels, full of emeralds, just like yesterday, but the person in the mirror is 13 years older.

It was also that year that the news of Sun Jicheng's death in battle came. He died of stray bullets on the battlefield during the retreat to Taiwan. He didn't wait for his actress, and he didn't see the autumn of 1949.

On the day when the telegram came, Mo Qinghe accompanied Shen Peinan to drink under the eaves all night. Shen Peinan, with red eyes, swallowed a whole glass of spicy whiskey in one gulp, and put a cold hand on Mo Qinghe's forehead, With a wry smile, he said that he had been arrogant in front of you for half his life, but he never thought that I would lose to you in the end.

Mo Qinghe sat halfway at his feet, leaning against his calf, and said softly: "Brother Shen, it's not me who won you, but the common people, history, and the times, and we are the ones who won to the end." the country behind it."

Shen Peinan's other words were choked up in his throat, Mo Qinghe held his hand, stroked his fingers gently, and said that I understand everything, you don't need to say it.

"I don't know what the future will look like, but don't worry, Brother Shen, you have to trust us."

For many years, the two of them have gone through the hail of bullets and witnessed too many life and death, just for a word of reassurance.

The communication between the two countries is decreasing day by day, and there is no news of the old people, but the current situation is becoming clearer day by day. Everything is smashed, everything is rebuilt, and everything is reborn. Hundreds of years of decay and cowardice are gone forever. A new China , is coming.

(four)

Shen Yi——For the convenience of life, A Yi temporarily took the Shen family's surname when she registered in the United States.Shen Yi received a letter in a strange code language one morning when he was 16 years old, and then suddenly became uncharacteristically, as if he was carrying an exciting secret, wanted to tell it but was worried about the safety of the secret, and his expression was in a trance In a trance, I looked at the mirror and smiled while brushing my teeth, and stared at the plate while eating breakfast. For several days in a row, my steps to school every day were brisk like birds returning to the sky.Mo Qinghe vaguely guessed what was going on, and as expected, on a weekend not long after, he brought back a handsome young man with curly hair and dark eyes with a shy expression that he had never seen before.

The young man is an overseas Chinese who is studying for a degree at Stanford University. He has a good family background, is polite, and has a generous manner. He introduced at the dinner that he is of mixed American blood, grew up in a foreign country, and speaks Chinese. people joke.However, he still tried his best to talk to everyone in Chinese, and when he really didn't know how to express it, he turned to A Yi for help.

The young man was reserved and polite, but Shen Yi's eyes were extremely focused, Shen Yi blushed as soon as he opened his mouth.

That night, after taking a shower, Mo Qinghe wrapped herself in a warm duvet, curled up in Shen Peinan's arms, and said with a smile, "You Zhang, Ah Yi has grown up."

Shen Peinan was reading a thick bronzing English book, and said in a cold tone, "The kid is playing around, I don't think that person is very good, and he may not last long."

"I saw that child was very serious about Ah Yi, and Ah Yi also liked him..." Mo Qinghe looked up and saw Shen Peinan's obviously holding his breath but pretending to be indifferent, and suddenly laughed so hard, "You, You are really like a father who knew for the first time that his daughter had a boyfriend..."

Shen Peinan threw the book to cover his mouth, and the two of them got into a mess under the quilt.

This is behind people's backs. In front of outsiders, the two of them began to become serious and courteous to each other. The man passed his young age, and his annoying problems were reduced by half. Shen Peinan respected his personality. Even buying a watch had to ask his opinion in advance, and Mo Qinghe no longer quarreled with him in front of others regardless of whether he was right or wrong. He called him according to the old etiquette——Youzhang, playing the role of being humble and gentle. A lover who doesn't care too much about everything.

The brave generals in the drama throw away their helmets and armor and return to ordinary life, but they are just ordinary people.

Shen Lisong's daughter Lili once mentioned these two uncles in front of her father. She received a pure Western education and was very open-minded. Shen Lisong thought of the scene he first met in Hangzhou many years ago, and felt that his daughter was blind and might have a bumpy road to love, so he felt very worried.

Shen Yi was already well-known at that time, while he was finishing his studies, he had to travel around to perform, sometimes to make movies, and the remaining time was spent on dating, too busy to go home, Mo Qinghe was very happy for him, but Also faintly feel a little lonely.

It was raining lightly that day, Mo Qinghe came back from school early, dismissed the servants, covered with a big Mexican-style dark brown blanket, and lay alone on the recliner by the window in a daze, Shen Peinan came back late, Seeing the dark lights in the bedroom and the absence of any of the servants, they thought something had happened, so they rushed forward to visit in a panic, but when they got close, Mo Qinghe grabbed him.

"Youzhang, I'm homesick." Mo Qinghe's pale face reflected the night, "We didn't rehearse today. Liu Chu and I told the children the story of the day, about Beijing's opera gardens, pea yellow, big The bowl of tea and the sour plum soup cooled in summer are fresh for the children, and I want to take them and you back, and I want to see the current Beijing city.”

Shen Peinan was noncommittal, stroking his face with the rough back of his hand, his eyes were bleak.

"The regret of my life is that I didn't influence you, and I never really shook you with my beliefs, and you are probably the same as me. We stand together because we have the same heart for every plant and tree in this land. love, we have been wandering in a foreign land for half our lives, but it seems that we have never left.”

It never occurred to Mo Qinghe that the words he wrote in his diary would really come true many, many years later, when he was already full of peaches and plums, with the opera troupe and the children who had been taken in by him— —The oldest of them has passed the age of [-], some have become doctors, some have become lawyers, relying on a letter of appeal published in the newspapers, reunited from all over the world, followed Mo Qinghe back to his hometown, for A new tour of "The Peony Pavilion".

He didn't know how to describe his mood at that time. Ever since he got off the plane, everything around him seemed like a dream. He only remembered that he heard the familiar Beijing accent of the person who came to contact him, burst into tears, and knelt down for a long time. Shen Peinan stood behind him, with a straight figure and gray hair. At that moment, he seemed to be that half-life general again. He pursed his lips stubbornly, but a tear flowed from the corner of his eye, flowing to the corner of his mouth. Dry by the wind.

They lived in Beijing for twelve days, saw the city street scene and the endless stream of people, saw the newly built schools and libraries, declined the official hospitality, and brought a large group of grown-up children together to eat shabu-shabu , singing the opera learned in childhood in the steaming heat.When bidding farewell to the contact unit, the two young comrades who were in charge of accompanying them throughout the whole process helped everyone pack their luggage and contact the airport. They told Mo Qinghe that it was convenient now and that they could go back to China often. We welcome overseas Chinese to return to China.Pointing to Shen Yi again, he said that we will also spare no effort to find news about Yuan Ye and Shen Piaoping and his wife, and we will let you know as soon as we have any clues.

Mo Qinghe agreed with a smile.

Before leaving, I watched a flag-raising ceremony. The national flag fluttered in the wind, reflecting the magnificent dawn in the east. It was solemn and solemn. Mo Qinghe stood on the square with his disciples. The more stubborn he is, he has long been used to the irreconcilable contradiction between them.

The national anthem had already been played, but Mo Qinghe was still in a daze. It took a long time before she came back to her senses. Looking back, she saw Shen Peinan standing far away, saluting the red flag fluttering in the wind.

Then he got into the car quickly, leaving Mo Qinghe with a back that showed no comment.

This is all later.

---------- The extra volume of costume drama "The Beginning and End of Preparing to Build a Theater Troupe" is over