Qi Shufang
"Don't mention her," a lonely middle-aged man waved.
The man is Gong Guotai, a famous Peking Opera performance artist on the mainland, and the "she" he calls "her" is his "wife in the legal sense" Qi Shufang, who is also a famous Peking Opera performance artist.
The reason why Qi Shufang is Gong Guotai's wife in the legal sense is because as early as a few years ago, Qi Shufang left Gong Guotai and went to the United States alone and remarried, and to this day Gong Guotai and Qi Shufang are still "husband and wife".
Gong Guotai never thought that things would turn out like this, in his opinion it was just an ordinary overseas performance of his wife, just like a dozen times before, and he would come back after a few days abroad.
Qi Shufang stills
But this time, Gong Guotai was waiting for the news that his wife Qi Shufang was stranded in the United States and "treason".
There must be some misunderstanding in this! Gong Guotai thought that he knew Qi Shufang, and he did not believe that Qi Shufang could do such a thing, it must be because other people who went to the performance "coerced" her, or she was seduced.
As long as there is a chance, Qi Shufang will definitely return to China and return to his side.
Gong Guotai was so convinced that others must accept such a fact, and for a long time, he no longer mentioned the name Qi Shufang.
But a few years later, Gong Guotai accepted this fact, and he waited for the news that Qi Shufang had married Ding Meikui, a screenwriter who had performed abroad together in the United States.
Gong Guotai understood that Qi Shufang would not come back again, and understood the fact that she and her motherland had been abandoned by her.
Not only Gong Guotai, no one at that time could have imagined that This Qi Shufang, who had been called "rising star" by Mei Lanfang, would do such a thing in the future.
Qi Shufang is in the United States
First, the "little tiger" Qi Shufang
Qi Shufang was born into a Peking Opera family, and her three older brothers are all Peking Opera actors, as are several sisters-in-law.
Born in such a family, it is difficult to think of not embarking on the road of Peking Opera in the future.
But fate still teased her a little.
Because of the influence of her family, Qi Shufang also learned a lot of opera from an early age, but when she was thirteen years old, her mother took her from Xi'an to Shanghai to take the xiqu school.
Everyone in the family felt that this was a matter of ten to nine, but Qi Shufang did not pass the examination.
After the results came out, both the mother and Qi Shufang were silent, but the two people's thoughts were not the same.
What my mother thought was that since she had not been admitted, she could not stay in Shanghai like this, and if she returned to Xi'an, then let Qi Shufang study well and give up the road of Peking Opera. There are already enough singers at home, or Qi Shufang will choose another path.
What about Qi Shufang? Originally, she just liked Peking Opera, but this time the list stimulated her competitive spirit and made her feel that she had to be admitted. If her mother wanted to take her back to Xi'an, she would rather run away alone.
In her heart, Qi Shufang had already made up her mind.
Qi Shufang's sudden stubborn temper made her mother very embarrassed, and she did not expect qi Shufang to be so persistent about Peking Opera.
Fortunately, at that time, Qi Shufang's eldest brother and sister-in-law settled in Shanghai, and seeing that this little sister is now a little adult will make up her own mind, and she loves Peking Opera so much, she wants to fulfill her.
The two people persuaded their mother to let Qi Shufang live in them for a year and take the exam next year, and if it didn't work, Qi Shufang herself would definitely give up.
Since both the son and daughter-in-law decided to take Qi Shufang in, the mother no longer insisted. He handed Over Qi Shufang to his eldest brother and sister-in-law and returned to Xi'an by himself.
Qi Shufang's eldest brother Qi Yingcai
Qi Shufang's eldest brother and sister-in-law are not ordinary people, they are all well-known in the Peking Opera circle.
The eldest brother, Qi Yingcai, is a famous Peking Opera student at the Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre, and the eldest sister-in-law Zhang Meijuan is even more incredible, she is known as "China's first female Wudan".
Therefore, the eldest brother and sister-in-law not only take care of Qi Shufang's daily life, but also her teacher in Peking Opera. With their guidance, sure enough, the next year, Qi Shufang was successfully admitted to the Shanghai Opera Academy, which was also a matter of concern for her mother.
Qi Shufang's sister-in-law Zhang Meijuan
Admission to opera school is not the end, but the beginning. Qi Shufang cherished this hard-won opportunity.
Sister-in-law Zhang Meijuan has always been her idol and role model in her heart. Peking opera pays attention to "singing, reading, doing, and playing", Zhang Meijuan is famous for "playing", and Qi Shufang is naturally very good at playing.
One minute on stage, ten years offstage. A beautiful backflip on the stage requires Qi Shufang to practice silently behind the scenes for several years.
Qi Shufang was very hard at the Xiqu school, and many of her brothers and sisters were inferior to her. Therefore, everyone calls her "Little Tiger", which is both love and admiration.
How powerful is Qi Shufang? She can flip down from three tables high and fall backwards, land steadily, and immediately continue to sing when she lands. Clouds and water, all in one go.
This is only a few male students who have been training for many years to do.
Qi Shufang practiced under the guidance of Zhang Meijuan
Opportunities are always given to those who are prepared, Qi Shufang is so hard, opportunities come.
Qi Shufang, 16, was selected as an actress in the Peking Opera "Three Battles Zhang Yue'e" to perform for Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou.
Qi Shufang can be said to have jumped to fame, and Both Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou cordially received her.
If it weren't for seeing her after removing her makeup, no one would dare to believe that Qi Shufang, who had just played and sang on the stage and performed very skillfully, was only 16 years old.
After watching her performance, Master Mei Lanfang excitedly shook her hand and kept saying: "Rising star, the future is unlimited."
Qi Shufang performed "Three Battles Zhang Yue'e" and took a group photo with Mei Lanfang
Things on the stage must not be a little false, Qi Shufang completely by personal ability, conquered everyone.
But she was not satisfied with the praise in front of her, but took this as her motivation to move forward, continue to hone herself, and go to a higher level.
After graduation, she starred in the role of "Xiao Changbao" in "Wise Tiger Mountain". Although he is not the protagonist, with his wonderful interpretation, everyone remembers and likes this role.
"Xiao Changbao" became her famous role, and many years later, some people mentioned that she still called her "Xiao Changbao".
Second, immigrate to the United States and never return
After that, Qi Shufang received many performance invitations from other countries, went abroad many times, and visited foreign countries on behalf of the country, bringing Peking Opera, a unique Chinese opera form, to the world stage.
Many foreigners also succumbed to her kung fu and voice.
In the past few years, Qi Shufang has visited more than a dozen countries. And her last stop was the United States. This time, she never came back.
Originally, it was just an ordinary visit performance like Qi Shufang's previous dozens of performances, and the actors would return to China after the performance.
But this time, after the performance, the whole troupe, including Qi Shufang, did not board the scheduled flight back to China, but "disappeared" in the United States.
Middle-aged Qi Shufang
In the name of the performance, staying in the United States, no matter what era or the laws of what country, this is undoubtedly "treason".
After hearing this news, whether it was Qi Shufang's family or friends, at first they couldn't believe it, thinking that there must be some misunderstanding in this, it may be that Qi Shufang encountered some difficulties abroad, so she failed to return to China at the specified time.
But with the passage of time, Qi Shufang's "treason" has passed for many years, and she has not seen her want to come back, and those who like Qi Shufang and are close to her have to accept this cruel reality.
Years later, Qi Shufang was interviewed by the media, and she had her own set of words about the events of that year.
She does not think that this is a betrayal, but because she sees that the development of Peking Opera in the United States is too backward, she feels that she has the obligation and responsibility to help the United States develop Peking Opera and bring Peking Opera to the world stage, and she believes that she is promoting China's traditional opera culture abroad.
This may sound like some truth, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny at all.
Staying in the United States is the need to promote opera culture, and abandoning her husband in the United States and marrying someone else is also the need to promote opera culture?
Is this also for the sake of art, for Peking Opera?
Is Qi Shufang's lover Gong Guotai an obstacle to Qi Shufang's pursuit of art? Not only that, Gong Guotai also sacrificed a lot for Qi Shufang.
Third, the man behind Gong Guotai
Like Qi Shufang, Gong Guotai is also a Peking Opera actor. The two men had met at opera school.
Unlike Qi Shufang, who became famous early, Gong Guotai has been unknown in school. But his low-key and down-to-earth style attracted Qi Shufang's attention.
Every time Qi Shufang practiced, she could always see the figure of Gong Guotai, and when Qi Shufang came to the practice room, Gong Guotai always came one step ahead.
Gong Guotai
At that time, Qi Shufang had already come out of the blue, and she was an outstanding student in the opera school, with many suitors, but Qi Shufang did not look at it.
She loves opera, and she also loves Gong Guotai, who also loves opera. Her heart had been taken over by this somewhat wooden boy.
But Qi Shufang has not broken through this layer of paper, the two people have been maintaining the relationship between ordinary classmates, perhaps Qi Shufang wants to see if Gong Guotai can break through in the end, and wants to give him some tests.
After graduation, Qi Shufang was famous for the "Little Changbao" in "Wise Tiger Mountain", and Gong Guotai was also selected as an actor in this play at that time, which was considered to have withstood the test of Qi Shufang.
It was him, and Qi Shufang already had an idea in her heart, just like when she made up her mind that she had to be admitted to the Shanghai Opera School.
It is said that women chase men in the layer of yarn, but Qi Shufang has put down the girl's reticence and took the initiative to attack, and Gong Guotai was not moved. No matter how Qi Shufang created the opportunity to get close to Gong Guotai, he still couldn't understand Qi Shufang's girl's thoughts.
Because in Gong Guotai's heart, opera is the most important, and he thinks about Peking opera all the time every day.
But you said that Gong Guotai really didn't know Qi Shufang's mind at all, which was a lie. Engaged in art, which one does not have seven tricks of the heart? Which isn't ice smart? Don't understand the human heart, how to think about the role?
Gong Guotai in front of Qi Shufang, is somewhat inferior, one is that there is a gap between the two people's own conditions, Gong Guotai comes from a poor family, but Qi Shufang was born in the family of Peking Opera.
If it is only the gap in family conditions, Gong Guotai can also use the efforts of the day after tomorrow to make up for it. But at this time, Qi Shufang was already well-known in the circle, performed for Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, and was also recognized by Master Mei Lanfang, and the future was immeasurable.
And Gong Guotai? Just a newcomer. Therefore, he has not dared to accept Qi Shufang's wishes.
Qi Shufang played Haizhu in "Haizhu"
In the end, even others could not look at it anymore, and these two people had already written their likes on their faces, but they just didn't go any further.
Shen Peisheng of the crew of "Wise Tiger Mountain" helped them break the window paper. At this moment, the two people finally got together, and it didn't take long to form a family and tie the knot.
Others are husbands and wives, they are women singing with husbands.
After marriage, the fact that Qi Shufang's fame and performances were bigger did not change, and Gong Guotai also accepted this. Since there is no way to surpass his wife in his career, he silently supports her behind her back.
The big things and small things in the family fell on Gong Guotai's body, and friends and neighbors laughed at him as Qi Shufang's "senior nanny".
However, he felt that this was also a kind of praise, indicating that his support for his wife Qi Shufang was obvious to all.
Just doing housework, nothing. The biggest sacrifice of Gong Guotai for Qi Shufang is that for the sake of Qi Shufang's career, Gong Guotai chose not to have children.
Don't say that it was forty or fifty years ago, even today, if it is not discussed before marriage, one party after marriage proposes not to have children, it is possible to end the marriage.
Qi Shufang practiced singing
Qi Shufang is not without the opportunity to be a mother. In fact, soon after the two people got married, Qi Shufang found out that she was pregnant.
And she was about to make a new movie called "Rock Bay", in which she played a female militia company commander.
When the Minister of Culture learned of her pregnancy, she feared that she could not afford the large number of martial arts scenes in the film.
After learning of the leader's concerns, Qi Shufang replied very simply: "I know, please rest assured by the leader."
Then I went to the hospital and did the abortion.
Qi Shufang played Yang Paifeng in "Yang Paifeng"
For Qi Shufang, drama is greater than everything, including children and families.
Gong Guotai may have thought the same way, but for the married Gong Guotai, it is true that the drama is greater than everything, but this play, which is Qi Shufang's play, is no longer his own.
As a husband, Gong Guotai can be said to be impeccable. But how did Qi Shufang repay him later?
Without consulting with Gong Guotai, he chose to stay in the United States after going to the United States to perform, and soon after he married the screenwriter Ding Meikui in the United States.
Is Qi Shufang's harm and disappointment to Gong Guotai explained and accepted by the phrase "bringing Peking Opera to the international stage"?
Forty years have passed since the incident, and whenever someone mentions the name Qi Shufang, Gong Guotai will not say anything more, just a sentence of "don't mention her" hurriedly passed.
Art has no borders, but artists have borders.
Gong Guotai and Qi Shufang, husband and wife are both artists performing Peking Opera, but they made the complete opposite decision.
One chose to persevere, one chose to betray for the sake of glory and wealth; one chose the moon, and one chose sixpence.
Qi Shufang is above Gong Guotai regardless of her talent and achievements, and with her ability and age, she can completely pass her own efforts to become a taidou-level figure in the Peking Opera circle in the future.
Guo Degang can rely on his own strength to make xiangsheng prosperous for the second time, Qi Shufang resisted the banner of Peking Opera promotion, and it is unknown that Peking Opera will be loved by the public again.
The flowers are becoming more and more charming, Qi Shufang lost herself after seeing the lights and wines of the United States, and it is more important than art and a decent life.
From her posture of gradually becoming blessed in the future, it can also be seen that Peking Opera has long lost its status in Qi Shufang's heart, which is just a business and a tool to make money.
In her later years, Qi Shufang
Qi Shufang is no longer the Qi Shufang who even does not want children in order to act well.
Originally a rising star in the Peking opera industry, the future master, has also become a rat crossing the street, making people sigh.