Preamble:
Why is he always vilified?
What kind of person would choose to calm down and open a performance and storytelling garden for ordinary people in the later stage of his brilliant artistic career?
What kind of person would walk through the cold and bleak streets in Beijing on the eve of the Spring Festival to come to a reopened guild hall and send sincere blessings to a group of evaluators?
He is Jiang Kun.
A senior cross talk actor and a former chairman of the Chinese Music Association.
Today, at the age of 74, he is still full of energy.
Among the stars, he chose to give a low-key speech and study Xi.
This is Jiang Kun, a person who performs for the common people.
Isn't he good enough?
A great blessing in a small garden
Beijing, January 7, 2023.
In this cold winter, the Huguang Hall reopened, and as a representative of the national intangible cultural heritage project, 74-year-old storytelling inheritor Lian Liru led the Xuannan Library to take the lead in stationing.
This is a garden of performance storytelling that she carefully created, a pure land of storytelling and joy for the common people.
Jiang Kun and Lian Liru have known each other for many years and have always admired her art of storytelling.
When he heard the good news, he immediately decided to go and send blessings to his old friend in person.
However, he had to leave home a day early, alone, with only a small bag of necessities.
On a cold winter night, he wrapped his padded jacket tightly and hurried alone in silence.
Perhaps it was because of his love of art or his friendship with old friends that he ignored the hardships on the road, and all he thought about was what he had to say when he saw her the next day.
In the early morning of the next day, Jiang Kun really came to the Huguang Hall as scheduled.
The hall was bustling with guests coming to attend the opening ceremony.
He saw Lian Liru at a glance, she was standing in front of her Xuannan Library, with a smile on her face.
Jiang Kun walked over quickly, and even Liru saw him.
The two old artists happily hugged each other.
"Creating laughter for everyone is what we are most happy about. ”
Jiang Kun's speech was short and warm, and his tone was full of respect.
In his eyes, Lian Liru uses unpretentious storytelling to bring vivid stories and spiritual food to the people, which is more valuable than any master-level achievement.
A drop of water, a piece of work.
Day after day, she worked hard and eventually grew up.
Just like this antique Huguang Guild Hall, after the vicissitudes of life, now it is reborn.
In her, Jiang Kun saw the continuation of Chinese culture and the infinite warmth for the people.
This strengthened his respect for his old friend.
The guests present were also moved by Jiang Kun's sincerity.
There are many celebrities and successful people among them, but at this moment, they are all infected by the friendship and low-key of these two old artists.
Perhaps, in addition to chasing material things, they can also stop and send a blessing to those who give selflessly.
This is what Jiang Kun appreciates.
He prides himself on being no longer young, but he still hopes to learn from Xi Lian Liru's spirit.
Perform for the masses, never stopping; Work hard for laughter until your hair is gray.
This is the most noble belief and pursuit in his heart.
Isn't he trying hard enough?
The pain behind the laughter
Jiang Kun, born in 1950, is a child of a cross talk family.
Since he was a child, he has followed Ma Ji to learn Xi witty art.
At the age of 20, Ma Ji died of illness, which had a great impact on Jiang Kun.
The eldest apprentice, who could have taken over logically, had to take on the heavy responsibility of leading the entire team in grief.
He had just turned 30 that year.
A 30-year-old young man should have a successful career and a successful time.
But Jiang Kun's fate gave him an unexpected blow.
He had to face the pressure of inheriting the past and the pain of losing his mentor in advance.
However, Jiang Kun did not give up.
With the rigorous training he received since childhood, he began to work hard to carry the burden left by Ma Ji.
Rehearse diligently during the day to ensure that every show is perfect; In the evening, he meditated hard and tried to create a new joke that satisfied the master.
This lasted for 5 years, until he really established himself as a performing artist in his own right.
In 1972, Jiang Kun joined the Zhongguang Rap Troupe and continued to hone his performance skills.
5 years later, he became famous with a piece of "heads-up" cross talk, which also opened the door to a broader stage.
In the 80s of the 20th century, he joined the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and became one of the best and funniest hosts of that era for many years.
The "Teacher Jiang" who always squinted his eyes and spoke in a deep and funny Beijing accent is deeply imprinted in the memories of countless people.
As Ma Ji's eldest disciple, he has a deep foundation, and new jokes are added in an endless stream, which can be described as the leader among the Mesozoic cross talk masters.
However, his heart is not as relaxed and happy as it seems.
The high pressure of the troupe's performance and the identity of a marginal person in the Spring Festival Gala have always been a knot in his heart that he can't get rid of.
What made him even more painful was the constant stream of rumors and accusations - this person would not speak crosstalk! This person suppressed the afterlife all day! The blade of words kept poking at his heart, even if he had become Xi to it, it was still unbearable.
Why? He's worked to the limit.
just to bring laughter to the audience, but his heart is tormented.
This is the hidden pain that Jiang Kun is difficult to talk to the outside world.
Isn't he not loving enough?
Look up and see hope
When Jiang Kun walked into the Huguang Hall and saw Lian Li's smile like a spring breeze, he knew that all his troubles could be left behind.
This old lady warms this ancient city with her 70-year-old laughter.
She doesn't have an aura, but she has a pure heart.
This is the spirit of a real cross talk person.
Over the years, Jiang Kun has seen too many people who are pretentious because of their success.
Many of them first set foot in the art world with enthusiasm, but the temptation of fame and fortune was too great, and in the end, they could not escape the pollution of the world.
Only an artist like Lian Liru can always maintain that pure heart and be satisfied with bringing laughter to the people.
"We, the younger generation, should be inspired to learn from the old artists, work until they are old, and create laughter for everyone until they are old.
Jiang Kun said sincerely.
He doesn't care about other people's criticism, he just wants to bring a little more joy to the audience in his lifetime, like Teacher Lian.
At the age of 70, why does he still call himself a young generation? Because someone like Lian Liru keeps a pure heart, he feels that he is still young and still has a lot to learn Xi.
After the performance, he pondered for a moment and stumbled on the signature board to write "learn and laugh until you are old".
This is all Jiang Kun's wish.
Laughing is the greatest love in his heart.
As long as I am alive, I will work tirelessly for this goal.
Why is he always vilified? Because in this world, good people are often the target of harm.
Jiang Kun used his 70 years of life to show us what a real cross talk person is.
May this simple Xuannan Bookstore always be lively.
Epilogue:
There is a mirror in each of us.
Jiang Kun brings joy to others, but he has been abused for many years.
It's like a mirror with dust on it, and others can't see it.
However, when he walked into the Xuannan Bookstore and saw Lian Liru's bright smile, the dust on the mirror seemed to be swept away.
It turns out that kindness without asking for anything in return is always the most beautiful scenery in the world.
Let's hold our heads up and encourage one another; Let's be reserved and tolerant of each other.
Only eyes full of love can see a person's most true face.