Yan Fengying is the inheritor of Huangmei opera and the pioneer who has developed Huangmei opera into a famous drama genre.
In 1930, in a county town in Anhui Province, the Yan family welcomed their first child.
In that patriarchal era, her arrival did not make her family happy, but rather annoyed that she was a girl and could not pass on the family.
Dad was upset with her, and didn't even give her a name, and even her mother got tired of it.
Married for many years without children, a lifetime also gave birth to a baby girl, which made the father of the hope of the child suddenly angry, all day and the mother quarreled, the mother could not stand it, angry ran away from home and never came back, at this time the child was only three years old.
When she was four or five years old, my grandfather felt that this granddaughter did not have a mother to take care of her, so he took her back to her hometown, because she was the sixth oldest among the children in the family, so she named Yan Hongliu (later known as Yan Fengying).
Grandfather is not so pedantic, what happened to the baby girl, it is still his old relative.
Grandfather and grandmother pitied Hongliu, who was particularly fond of her, often hummed folk songs to coax her, and after being attracted by the song, she pestered her grandparents to teach her to sing.
Soon after the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the situation outside was turbulent, and her father returned to his hometown.
Looking at his daughter who grew up, the lack of companionship for many years turned into a touch of guilt, and now that he had time, he tried to stay with his daughter as much as possible.
I know that my daughter loves to sing mountain songs, but I always feel that this is not in the flow, it is inevitable that it is too small and childish, and it is difficult to become a climate.
So he began to teach his daughter Hong Liu to sing Peking Opera, which was also Yan Fengying's first contact with theater culture.
As the essence of China's state, Peking Opera is the first type of drama on the theatrical stage, and has been loved by audiences across the country since the end of the Qing Dynasty. Men, women and children, both in the city and in the countryside, will hum a few paragraphs.
Her father was not a professional drama actor, and he was really limited in what he could teach Yan Fengying, and soon she scavenged the Peking Opera in her father's belly clean, and sang in a clever and childish voice.
When she was thirteen years old, one of the uncles in the family who had sung in the drama class, Yan Yungao, returned, and he was the best at Huangmei opera.
In order to make a living, Yan Yungao opened a small shop and sold some small things upside down. In their spare time, they would take apprentices and teach them to sing Huangmei opera.
There is a master who teaches that nature should be more systematic. When Yan Fengying heard about it, he discussed with his family and wanted to learn from Yan Yungao.
Yan Yungao, who often drifted outside, felt that there was nothing to it, and he was naturally happy that the art had been passed on, but this was opposed by Yan Fengying's father and grandfather:
Girls' families, learn to sing this kind of faceless thing can not be done, at home humming a few words will be, if the teacher to learn the art out of the not to be laughed at, women can not sing This is the family rules of the whole village, violators will be executed!
Although the most popular entertainment in that era was to watch theater, theater is a very low profession in contemporary times, and even if you have high achievements, you will be looked down upon. Generally, the children who are sent to the drama class are those who cannot open the pot at home and beg for food for the children.
Yan Fengying's family also has a certain reputation in the village, although they do not want to be gossiped about, but they can't resist Yan Fengying's determination to learn drama, and the family also pities this child without a wife, so she began to secretly learn Huangmei opera. Master Yan Yungao gave her the stage name Yan Fengying, which was also the beginning of her association with Huang Mei opera.
From singing folk songs, to learning Peking Opera, to learning Huangmei Opera, Yan Fengying is obsessed with drama, practicing hard every day, pondering the lines of the playbook, and she looks forward to one day showing the drama art in her heart.
In 1945, when yan Fengying was only fifteen years old, she started an idea to perform in a neighboring village, and she found the class owner who wanted to play a small role on stage, even if she did not make a sound. At that time, the drama class was indeed short of people, and there were many men dressed as women.
After she showed off her singing voice and performance style, the class owner agreed to let her play a small role in an inconspicuous way, and Yan Fengying was very happy to be on stage for the first time. Although he secretly put on makeup, he was still recognized.
After returning home, he was discussed by the elders of the clan to dispose of it according to the clan rules, and the pig cage was impregnated and executed. Grandfather, father and master pleaded to ensure that the death penalty was inevitable, but it could be carried out a day or two later.
In order to save her life, her grandfather sent Yan Fengying away overnight, where the 15-year-old woman was assured that she was wandering alone, and her grandfather accompanied her to sing all the way with the drama class.
In 1947, she sang huangmei opera for more than 100 days on both sides of the river in Akiura. On the way, she visited Cheng Jishan as a teacher, and at this time, her grandfather put her mind at ease with the master's fixation in a drama class and returned to her hometown alone.
There are many veteran artists with her in the same drama class, Yan Fengying likes to watch others perform and then integrate her own understanding of the opera story to create a second creation, forming her own unique style.
Her melodious singing voice and light and tangible dance style attracted many opera singers, many of whom came to see her wonderful performance.
In the Qiupu River for more than three months, she and the residents on both sides of the river mingled together, and her aunt cried out with a sweet mouth, so that everyone liked this girl who was working outside, and when there was a happy event at home, she would be called, and Yan Fengying, who needed help, was also active and enthusiastic to run.
Several years of experience in stage performances, coupled with her own just right changes to the opera action singing voice, Yan Fengying gradually opened up her popularity on the stage.
The situation was uncertain, and the drama class was forced to disband. In 1948, Yan Fengying was exiled to Shanghai, and his life was forced to dance in a dance hall, and after work, he went to the stage to perform in groups.
Once in the theater to meet the young master of the Gan family Gan Luzhi, because the two of them shared a love of art, they knew and fell in love, but did not disclose it.
The Gan family is a famous family in Nanjing, and Mei Lanfang, a famous artist in the opera industry, is a good friend of him and often performs for the Gan family on stage. At this time, Yan Fengying's identity as a dancer naturally could not let Gan Luzhi take home.
Ganlu's family is very good at teaching, humble and courteous to people, often bowing when he sees people, and he treats Yan Fengying like a wife.
Later, Yan Fengying came to visit Gan Luzhi's father from the pretext of learning drama, and Gan Gongsan not only loved to listen to drama, but also had a deep understanding of drama, and was fortunate to be a teacher and a teacher's apprentice.
Yan Fengying originally had a theatrical background, and then called her performance to the first floor through Gan Lao's place, and she was very happy with this highly perceptive woman, Gan Lao, and asked her to come to her home often.
At this time, Gan Luzhi and his father confessed that he and Yan Fengying were in love, and they did not tell him because of the identity of the other party, but Elder Gan was arrogant and informal, and immediately agreed to the two exchanges, and also let Yan Fengying live in the Gan family.
With the help of the Gan family, she re-entered the stage.
In 1951, the country began to revitalize the arts, yan Fengying, as a well-known actor of Huangmei Opera, was recalled by the hometown theater troupe and asked her to return to her hometown to promote Huangmei opera.
She bid farewell to the Gan family and broke up with Gan Luzhi: We are not the same people after all, I want to go back to my hometown to develop my career.
With the development of the times, old ideas have gradually been abandoned. When she returned to her hometown, she was greatly respected. Under the leadership of her efforts, Huangmei opera gradually became popular, her performance was full, Yan Fengying's fame was shocked, Anhui Huangmei opera was also famous, and she became the pride of her hometown.
At a social meeting, she met Wang Zhaoqian, a particularly literate man who had adapted many Huangmei dramas, and the two fell in love and soon got married.
In 1953, Yan Fengying came to Nanjing to perform, she wanted to visit GanLao with her husband, Wang Zhaoqian heard his wife mention the past with the Gan family, and did not want to go.
Yan Fengying was not a twisted person, so he went with many gifts and paid homage to Elder Gan, the master.
Once Yan Fengying and Gan Luzhi were talking about drama, they happened to be bumped into by Wang Zhaoqian. Yan Fengying naturally introduced the two to each other, Gan Luzhi was still polite, but Wang Zhaoqian ignored Gan's outstretched hand, turned around and slapped Yan Fengying and left.
Yan Fengying was born stronger, and even if he was willing to suffer this insult, the two quickly divorced.
At this time, Yan Fengying found that she was pregnant, so she wrote to Wang Zhaoqian to ask for a remarriage, but the other party refused.
He did not come when the child was about to be born, and she endured the rumors of unmarried and childless children in the society at that time, and gave birth to the child alone. At this time, it was Gan Luzhi who accompanied her,
He was willing to give Yan Fengying and his children a home, plus they had a relationship basis before, and the two got married.
The situation changed, the Gan family's mansion was taken over, the family declined, and became an ordinary commoner.
Yan Fengying was deeply valued by the leaders in the unit, and they did their work to make her and her husband draw a clear line to avoid being affected by her career.
She couldn't bear it, she couldn't stop the coercion and temptation of her superiors, and she couldn't let go of her own identity achievements, and in 1956, she divorced Gan Luzhi.
At the same time, during this year, she quickly met her own happiness.
During a rehearsal of the show, she became acquainted with the show's director, Wang Guanya. The other party is honest and generous, taking good care of Yan Fengying, the two got married, and after marriage, the two lived a sweet and warm day for more than ten years.
The wife is at the window looking at the husband to come home from work to eat, the husband is sympathetic to the wife's difficulty, all-inclusive housework, from time to time to a small surprise, envy everyone.
Yan Fengying, who had been wandering and helpless, could live a happy and stable life from then on, but the situation at that time made her hastily end her life.
In the turbulent period, Yan Fengying, who was gaining momentum, was criticized as a member who sang feudal superstitions and moved closer to capital, coupled with her three marriages, her life style was questioned, and she was slandered as a spy, and she became the object of criticism.
In 1968, she was physically and mentally tortured by a fierce nature, and died of medication at the age of 38.
After the end of this period, the Anhui Provincial Party Committee cleared her grievances and the truth was made public.
In the same year, her ashes were placed in the Huangmei Pavilion, and because she carried forward the Huangmei opera, making it famous from an unknown small drama, Yan Fengying was revered as the grandmaster of the Huangmei opera generation.
After her death, her husband Wang Guanya deeply missed his wife Yan Fengying, and he stopped marrying in his forties, turning grief into strength to write a biography of Yan Fengying and edit a TV series as his lifelong career.
Although Yan Fengying's life was short, it had ups and downs, lost a beautiful childhood and family protection, and also gained career achievements and love that was stronger than Jinjian. It can only be said that the achievements of the times have also destroyed her, the generation of masters of Huangmei opera has gone well, and there are people who have succeeded in the art!