Absolute

"Butterfly Dream" is a deviant magic play.

It is said that Zhuangzi became a Taoist. On his way home, he dreamed of two skeletons chatting and lamented the lack of love in the world. Not long after, he met a young widow who was stirring up trouble at the grave of her deceased husband. When asked why, she said that her husband's family said:

When the soil on the tomb dries, she can remarry, so she uses a fan to fan the wind in order to remarry quickly.

Zhuangzi went home and told his wife Tian about the incident, and said that women are water-based and will not stay in one place. After her husband dies, she must remarry.

Tian was very ashamed of this and said that he would definitely keep integrity for Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi didn't believe it, so he faked his death to test his wife and turned into a master and a servant. He pretended that she was the grandson of the king of Chu. Knowing that Zhuangzi was knowledgeable, he came here to ask for advice. Tian said that Zhuangzi was dead, so he left the two of them down to mourn.

The king and grandson of the Chu State were so beautiful that they were attracted by the Tian family. Even though Zhuangzi's body was still cold, he took the initiative to ask whether the king and grandson were married.

King Sun of Chu expressed that he was not interested in getting married, so Tian took the initiative to propose marriage.

This is not over yet. On their wedding night, Chu Wangsun suddenly fainted and fell to the ground. Mrs. Tian asked a servant for the reason. The servant only said that Chu Wangsun had an old disease and must eat fresh human brains immediately to survive. If there were no living brains, he would have just died.

So will the human brain soon.

Thinking that Zhuangzi had just died, Mrs. Tian split open Zhuangzi's coffin and prepared to take out the brain without thinking.

Unexpectedly, he saw Zhuangzi sitting in the coffin, pointing at Mr. Tian and cursing him. He was so frightened that he could not speak.

Tian knew that Zhuangzi had tested his true nature, and he was so ashamed that he bumped into his coffin and died.

The whole play consists of 70 parts: "Sighing the Skull", "Fan the Grave", "Destroy the Fan", "Hour the Mourn", "Say Marriage", "Reply" and "Coffin Splitting".

The plot of this play first appeared in the Yuan drama "Drum Pen Song Zhuangzi Sighs Skeletons". At that time, there was only one section "Sighing Skulls" and no aftereffects.

Later, in the late Ming Dynasty, Feng Menglong added more details in the second volume of "Warning Statements", "Zhuangzi stopped his drums and basins to form a great road", presenting the basic context and story structure.

It was developed by Xie Guo and Chen Yiqiu in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, and was finally finalized by Yan Zhu during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Tian's wife, who was only known at first but never met, suddenly became the protagonist of the story.

Peking Opera is a freehand art. Many plots in Peking Opera did not really exist in history. For example, Chen Shimei in "The Case of the Guillotine" and many characters in "The Female General of the Yang Family" never existed in history, and most of them have been preserved.

Adapted from the picture book story.

The purpose is to express a point of view and confirm a truth through a familiar character, and to take root in the hearts of theater fans in a very simple and artistic way.

Do you think Zhuangzi, a cultivator, would care about whether his wife will keep the rules for him?

not necessarily.

Will Tian's wife really be as cruel and ruthless as the script and have no nostalgia for her deceased husband?

Unlikely.

But why has this story been circulated for thousands of years and even has many viewers?

Xibao felt that it must not be because people like to watch Zhuangzi’s jokes, but that the core of this story has a kind of ironic power, which opened a hole in the hearts of theater fans, and they began to think about why this was not possible.

Xibao was also shocked when he read the script for the first time.

Zhuangzi in the play clearly seems to have seen through the nature of women at first, and is sure that the woman will remarry after she becomes a widow. However, after witnessing the scene of Tian's remarriage and coffin chopping, he is so frightened, unbelievable, and even angry.

But Tian's wife clearly said that she would keep the integrity of Zhuangzi, but she hurriedly remarried before her late husband was buried.

This kind of thing is unlikely to happen in real life, so of course it is absurd, highly imaginative, and full of irony. At the same time, it fully expresses the idea that life is a dream and love is like a shadow.

This is very different from some of the traditional plays that Xibao has seen before, and it is very different from the orthodox ideas conveyed by the current society that restrict women.

And such a special play would be performed by a group of women who are performing fashionable children's plays. When Xibao heard Song Youzhen talk about it, he was amazed.

This is a perfect match!

"Thank you, Master! I will definitely work hard!"

Xibao shouted into Song Youzhen's room, but Song Youzhen didn't say a word and closed the door directly from the inside.

Xibao was in a particularly good mood and was jumping up and down when he returned to the house.

She had a hunch that this performance would be a great success.

Although she only played the role of the young widow in one episode of "Inciting the Grave", it was not an important role.

However, the complex psychological changes of the little widow when fanning the grave are all expressed through her actions such as lifting the fan, hiding the fan, covering the fan, quickly fanning, stepping on tiptoes, shuffling, cricket steps, rounding out, etc. This is actually very difficult.

The level of difficulty is actually no less than that of Sun Yujiao doing needlework and feeding chickens in "Jade Bracelet Picking Up".

Xibao also tortured Xiao Yonghua to look at her for several days before finally feeling something.

"You don't have to take it too seriously. You are also from a major school after all. You have been taught by such a good leader like us for four years in the troupe. How can you still be inferior to those wild troupes outside? Just relax and sing, and you will definitely succeed. No."

Xiao Yonghua comforted her.

Xibao disagrees.

"Don't be too confident. I think this fashionable troupe must be different from those in the past. Otherwise, they would not dare to sing "Butterfly Dream" on the Ghost Festival, specifically to challenge other big troupes."

"Hey, you haven't seen anyone yet, and you're turning your elbows outward?" Xiao Yonghua was a little sore.

Xibao blushed with embarrassment.

"Where do I have it?"

She said with a bit of longing on her face: "I just think it's amazing that they dare to be the first in the world and challenge the world."

These words made Xiao Yonghua feel sad.

He has watched Xibao come all the way, and he understands her talent and hard work very well.

If only he could have the same opportunity as Mei Zilan and Tan Xiaofu, Xibao would not have to worry about becoming famous.

No, she will become famous earlier than the two of him, because she is definitely not a child who wastes opportunities.

Even if she is only asked to play a small role, even if she does not have a line, she can still find a way to make the theater fans remember her as soon as she appears.

But this world is so harsh on women.

Either they are not allowed to go on stage at all, or they get on stage with great difficulty, and they have to be teased on stage, or poked in the back, pointed at, and stared at by all kinds of powerful men. In the end, they end up not being someone's concubine. If someone keeps me out, I won't be able to sing in two years.

Therefore, most female artists are not taken seriously, and no one is willing to teach them carefully. Over time, they lose a lot to male artists in terms of skills. If they really want to compete in the arena, few can win.

The media is naturally unwilling to give more attention to it, and there is even less public support for women to appear on stage.

"Girl, why don't you come over to work this time and just stay here permanently? I'll plead with President Ye on your behalf. At worst, if you earn a lot of money in the future, you can give more to the club."

Xibao understood what Xiao Yonghua meant. He felt sorry for her and wanted her to get out of the hospital now, but she also knew very well that it was not that easy.

When the club accepted her, many people were unhappy. Now if she makes an exception and shortens the time even if she is admitted, how will the club restrain the other brothers in the future?

"You're thinking too far. I don't know if I can be invited to the stage if people like me. You just want to drive me away? I won't leave. My master and you are both here.

Here, where should I go?"

By the way, have you all drawn some coins today? Why didn’t I draw some?
Chapter completed!