Chapter 28: Hoodwinking

Ge You finally passed the exam and became a member of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Art Troupe.

He wept tears of joy; he finally didn't have to go back to raising big and small pigs. His monthly salary was 18 yuan, equivalent to an apprentice level. After a few years, it would rise to over 30 yuan, and had there been no reform and opening up, he likely would have earned that for half his life.

There was a slogan at the time: "Long live 36 yuan," which meant that salaries never seemed to increase.

Ge You later became a big star, but his employment relationship remained with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Art Troupe, which continued to pay him a monthly salary. He would occasionally participate in their stage plays, a way of repaying the kindness shown to him back then.

Many stars have emerged from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions Art Troupe, such as the actress Sa Rina, as well as the once-famed crosstalk performer Luo Sang. Zeng Li also joined this unit after graduating from the Central Academy of Drama.

Regardless, Ge You now had a formal job, and he could finally walk with his head held high.

He thought of treating Chen Qi and Liang Xiaosheng to a meal. Having scrounged up a few pitiful food coupons from somewhere, he took them to a small eatery, ordered a plate of vegetables, and they gnawed on four steamed buns, with he himself eating two.

……

It was now late May, and the weather was getting increasingly hot.

That morning, Chen Qi changed into a Dacron shirt, cotton trousers, and his pair of black-topped, red-soled cloth shoes, then rode his bicycle to the vicinity of Taoranting Park in the Xuanwu District.

Dacron was stuffy to wear; it didn't absorb sweat and wasn't very comfortable. But textile technology was poor at the time, and cotton clothing was even rougher and equally uncomfortable. As a compromise, Dacron was still the better choice—at least it looked a bit sharper.

He parked his bike in a spot, leaned against a large willow tree, and stood silently with his hands in his pockets. Before long, a bus pulled up nearby, and Yu Jiajia appeared with her bag.

Ever since his piece, "The Road of Life, Where Should One Go?" was published, Yu Jiajia had sent him a few letters, and they had become acquainted through this exchange. This time, he had taken the initiative to invite her, and she was both bewildered and excited.

Because she was young, she never got assigned the big news stories and was stuck writing about trivial, boring matters.

"Reporter Yu, you are as spirited as ever!"

"Comrade Chen, you too are still quite charming!"

The two shook hands, sharing a sense of regret that they hadn't met sooner, much like a weasel seeing a chicken—though in a more metaphorical sense.

"Can this plan of yours actually work?"

"What plan? This is already very rough; it lacks any technical sophistication."

"What if the newspaper office finds out?"

"You are the star reporter; the right to explain rests with you."

The two rehearsed their lines, crossed the street, and walked into a cluster of single-story buildings opposite. A sign hung at the entrance: Beijing Traditional Opera School!

The school was established in 1952. Originally a private institution spontaneously founded by a group of famous opera masters, Mei Lanfang served as the chairman, and figures like Hao Shouchen and Ma Lianliang had served as principals. To build the school, various masters held charity performances to raise funds and came to teach for free.

Later, it was classified as a public institution, receiving government funding, and gradually stabilized.

Liu Shishi had studied ballet at this school when she was a child before being admitted to the Beijing Dance Academy. Of course, they didn't offer a dance major now; only Peking Opera and regional operas.

"Comrades, who are you looking for?"

"Hello, sir. I'm a reporter from the China Youth Daily!"

Yu Jiajia showed her work credentials. It was her first time doing a private favor, so she was a bit nervous. She asked, "Is your leadership in?"

"Yes, yes! I'll go get them for you!"

When the man in the guardroom saw it was a reporter, and from the China Youth Daily at that, his enthusiasm was visibly heightened. Before long, a teacher came over, even more welcoming, and ushered them inside.

Chen Qi looked around the school. It was quite large and had dormitories, but the buildings were all very old, exuding an atmosphere of the 1950s.

"The environment is simple; please excuse the shabbiness."

"Have some tea... er, have some water..."

Once inside, the teacher wanted to brew some tea but couldn't find any tea leaves. He gave an awkward smile, and Yu Jiajia quickly waved her hand, "Please, don't stand on ceremony. You should sit too. Here is the situation: you know that many youth cooperatives have been set up in the city this year, right?"

"Yes, yes. My relative's child is working in one."

"It's not easy for these young people to work from dawn till dusk, and they still face social discrimination. But these cooperatives have made life much easier for the common people—buying water or getting clothes mended is much simpler than before. To show our respect, we've come up with a small event to encourage those young people. This comrade here is from the Dazhalan Street Cooperative!"

Yu Jiajia introduced Chen Qi. Chen Qi quickly offered greetings, saying, "You may have heard of our cooperative; we sell tea at Qianmen."

"I have, I have! I read that report. Oh, what a coincidence!"

"Our idea is for your school to have a few students come to the cooperative to perform, to help boost morale and cheer them on. We will cover the travel expenses and provide lunch, and Reporter Yu will help give you some publicity."

"Publicity? Do you mean?"

"I mean, getting into the newspaper!"

"Oh, oh! You want to put us in the newspaper? You should have said so earlier..."

The teacher’s eyes lit up like lightbulbs. He hurriedly said, "This is a good thing! I'll go get the director for you!"

He rushed out, and soon a middle-aged man walked in. After hearing Yu Jiajia's explanation, he was also delighted, but asked, "Why didn't you go to the Quyi Troupe or find those famous masters?"

"The cooperatives are all educated youth. Think about it: a group of young men and women here, and a group of seventy or eighty-year-old artists there—it doesn't match. We want youthful energy. We're calling this event 'A Tribute to Youth, Labor is Honorable'."

"That makes sense. I understand what you mean; it's a consolation performance."

"Exactly!"

"How many days will it be?"

"I will report on it first to see the effect. If it goes well, we'll write an internal reference report to submit to the leadership. This is also about the youth of the new era establishing new trends..."

Yu Jiajia had a natural talent; as she spoke, she even began to believe it herself.

The China Youth Daily was the newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, a very high-level publication. Who would have thought that a reporter would be doing private work?

The director had already agreed but couldn't decide on his own; he had to hold a meeting to discuss it. So, the two left, went out for lunch, and returned in the afternoon to personally select the students.

The school had an eight-year curriculum. The youngest were eleven or twelve, and the oldest were eighteen or nineteen.

They focused on Peking Opera, Pingju, Quju, and Hebei Bangzi. In later years, they would cooperate with the Deyun Society to open a crosstalk major, with "Boss" Gao Feng coming to teach—others couldn't teach it, as he was an idol figure with a legion of fans.

"We don't know them, so you choose, but the image should be good since we need to take photos," Yu Jiajia whispered. The teacher nodded, pondered for a moment, and began calling names.

These children attended classes during the day and lived at the school at night. The food wasn't good, performance opportunities were rare, and life was very dull. Seeing an opportunity to perform now, even if it was just for a cooperative, they were all eager to try.

The teacher picked a few older ones and a few younger ones from various disciplines, and then suddenly called out:

"Liu Bei!"

"Here!"

A little girl in her early teens raised her hand high. She had thick eyebrows and big eyes, her face full of excitement.

Huh???

Chen Qi took a closer look, his expression subtle. He asked, "Teacher, how old is this child? She looks very young."

"She entered the school at 10, she's 12 this year. She's studying the Mei school, and her image is very good."

"Oh, alright. Your choice is fine."

Chen Qi said nothing more, unconsciously rubbing his nose.

First Jiang Shan, now Liu Bei—what is this? Am I raising children in this life?