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In 2018, Zhang Lei, a well-known actor who delicately played the role of Qin Keqing in the costume drama "Dream of Red Mansions", was honored to be invited to participate in the recording of an in-depth interview program.
Sitting on the comfortable and soft sofa, talking about the long-dusted acting past, she couldn't help herself, and her eyes flashed with deep nostalgia.
"Although the years have passed, those precious memories are still as clear as yesterday." Zhang Lei clasped her hands and said solemnly. She blinked her bright eyes gently, as if trying to reawaken the memories in her mind and savor them.
"As we all know, the role I play in the play is Qin Keqing." Zhang Lei smiled and said softly, "However, what I want to share with you today is a wonderful story behind the casting of the role of Xue Baochai.
As soon as her words turned, her gaze became firm and energetic, "The casting process at that time was extremely rigorous, because the work "Dream of Red Mansions" has long become a well-known classic.
The crew is extremely strict with each role, especially for a core figure like Xue Baochai."
With her unique perspective, Zhang Lei interpreted the depiction of Xue Baochai in the original book in detail: "In this gripping play, Xue Baochai is undoubtedly a pivotal role.
She is the closest family member of the actor Jia Baoyu, and there is a deep family bond between the two."
Subsequently, under the in-depth discussion of the two families, Baochai was finally selected as Baoyu's wife, thus completely changing the trajectory of his life.
"The Xue family has a very high reputation in Jinling City, and can be called a rich aristocratic family in the world." Zhang Lei elaborated earnestly, revealing a calm and atmospheric demeanor between her eyebrows, "It is rumored that the wealth of the Xue family is simply immeasurable, and the gold and silver treasures are piled up.
However, as future generations left to work, these huge family businesses gradually dispersed to various places.
Zhang Lei affectionately recounted: "Although Xue Baochai was born in a famous family, she and her mother still resolutely chose to go to the capital to find development opportunities.
Coincidentally, her mother turned out to be the biological sister of Jia Baoyu's mother."
Therefore, Baoyu's mother did not hesitate to give up a small courtyard for the sisters and daughter to live in temporarily.
She was immersed in it and affectionately described the image of Xue Baochai in the original book: "Xue Baochai's long black hair flashed with brilliance, like the dawn in the dawn; The eyes shone with the light of wisdom, bright as the waves of water; The thin eyebrows like willow leaves, without any embellishment of rouge and vulgar powder, are like the beauty of jade carved by nature's skilled craftsmen; The skin is white and flawless, as if it is a fairy in the world, which is amazing! ”
"Such a noble and elegant, extraordinary temperament, can be called a unique beauty in the world! However, this beautiful woman has been suffering from heat poisoning since birth, and must rely on a unique Chinese medicine called 'cold incense pills' every day to alleviate the attack.
When Zhang Lei narrates, it seems that she has incarnated herself as a character in the original book, and her voice is full of passion and appeal: "In this gripping drama, Xue Baochai is undoubtedly a pivotal role, and her status is comparable to that of the second female lead.
Her eyes were firm, her fingers tapped lightly on the table, and her tone was sincere: "In the life of the actor Jia Baoyu, he has experienced countless dramatic encounters and rich emotional exchanges, and Xue Baochai, as his closest family member, has a blood bond between the two."
Later, after careful consideration by the elders of both sides, Xue Baochai's fate changed dramatically, and he was finally selected as Baoyu's wife.
Zhang Lei said this, shook her head slightly, and her tone revealed deep regret.
"However, the Xue family is a well-known and wealthy family in Jinling City." She frowned and fell into a moment of contemplation, "It is rumored that the ancestors of the Xue family once served the royal family and won the commendation of the imperial court, so they were able to stay in Jinling for a long time, keeping alongside the Jia family.
Zhang Lei's voice was full of emotion: "It's a pity, although the wealth of the Xue family is remarkable, and the gold and silver treasures are piled up, as the descendants have left their hometowns, these family properties have gradually dispersed.
Her tone softened, and a touch of melancholy appeared on her face: "Miss Xue Baochai's father unfortunately died young, and in order to seek an official position for her brother, the mother and daughter had to go to the capital and wait for the opportunity to come."
"At that time, although they had a mansion in the capital, it had long been deserted and withered because it had not been inhabited for many years." Zhang Lei shrugged her shoulders, her face full of regret, "Fortunately, Baoyu's mother and Xue Baochai's mother are sisters, and out of love for her relatives, she generously gave up a small courtyard to the mother and daughter for them to live temporarily.
Zhang Lei wrapped her arms around her face, her eyes were gentle and solemn, and she talked eloquently: "This exquisite small courtyard is close to Baoyu's mansion, so Miss Xue Baochai can enter and leave Baoyu's room at any time.
As for her appearance, the description in the original book can be described as vivid and delicate.
Zhang Lei continued: "Xue Baochai's hair is black and shiny, carefully braided into an elegant and noble hairstyle; The eyes are bright as water, like almonds; The slender eyebrows are like green silk in the sideburns, and there is no need for any fat powder decoration; His face was as round as the full moon, and his complexion was as white as snow; The lips are delicate, the gestures are generous and decent, and the temperament is extraordinary, which can be called the beauty of the country.
However, she was born with a disease called 'heat poison', which is said to have originated in her mother's womb. Zhang Lei frowned, and there was a hint of regret in her tone: "In order to relieve her pain, she must take a special Chinese medicine called 'Lengxiang Pill' every day, which is carefully brewed from various Chinese herbs in the four seasons.
Zhang Lei changed her words and revealed a little-known secret: "Actually, the role of Xue Baochai was originally booked for another actor. Her gaze swept over the audience, deliberately arousing everyone's curiosity.
She took out a yellowed old photo from her bag, and the photo showed a woman with a charming appearance, eyes like water, and picturesque eyebrows, it was Miss Zhu Biyun.
Zhang Lei explained: "At that time, this role was first assigned to her."
Zhang Lei, as a senior member of the director team, told the process of tailoring the makeup and styling of Zhu Biyun's character back then. She handed the makeup photo in her hand to the staff next to her for everyone to see.
The scene was suddenly silent, and everyone was engrossed in admiring Zhu Biyun's gentle and beautiful face in the photo.
Zhang Lei's voice gradually became warmer, and her tone was full of sincerity: "I have to admit that Miss Zhu Biyun's temperament and appearance perfectly match the depiction of Baochai in the original book, it is simply a match made in heaven!" Even as a director, I feel very much with this photo.
When Zhang Lei said this, she couldn't help but fall into a short period of contemplation. After a moment, she shook her head slightly, with a hint of regret in her tone: "Unfortunately, the crew expected to take at least three years to complete this work.
In order not to affect her lofty ideals of studying abroad, Zhu Biyun resolutely decided to give up continuing to participate in the work of the crew. The atmosphere at the scene instantly became solemn and stagnant, and everyone seemed to be able to deeply understand the contradictions and struggles of Zhu Biyun when he faced a choice in the past.
Zhang Lei then frowned, and said with a stern face: "The director team instantly encountered unprecedented difficulties in selecting new actors, although we had several candidates on hand, none of them could meet the crew's extremely high expectations for the role of Baochai."
"At this critical moment, the screenwriter at that time stumbled upon the relevant information and photos of actor Zhang Li." There was a hint of surprise in Zhang Lei's voice, as if she was still in disbelief at this dramatic turn, "The screenwriter was deeply shocked, and he thought that Zhang Li's unique temperament and strong bookish atmosphere actually matched Xue Baochai's image amazingly.
Therefore, the screenwriter did not hesitate to recommend Zhang Li to the director. She paused for a moment, with a proud look on her face: "After strict screening by the director and crew, Zhang Li successfully overcame many challenges, and finally won the warm applause and recognition of the audience.
"As we all know, Zhang Li was born in a privileged family environment, and her parents are both senior leaders in government departments." Zhang Lei stated the facts straightforwardly, and her tone was calm and appropriate.
She quickly immersed herself in the atmosphere of reminiscence, tapped her hands rhythmically on the table, and continued: "However, even with such a privileged family background, Zhang Li has received extremely strict education and requirements since she was a child."
She said eloquently: "In that five or six years, Zhang Li not only tempered her superb acting skills, but also created a healthy and beautiful figure.
According to people familiar with the matter, she has climbed the steep Qinghai-Tibet Plateau outpost, which shows how strong her tenacity and perseverance are! Zhang Lei's tone was full of deep respect.
"It is this special military career that has endowed Zhang Li with incomparably precious wealth - extraordinary temperament and unique personality charm." Zhang Lei's gaze is determined to expound her views, as if bringing people's thoughts back to that unforgettable era.
She slowly spread her palms and said earnestly: "However, it was an unexpected surprise that Zhang Li was able to get the opportunity to play the role of Xue Baochai.
At that critical moment, Zhang Li was still in the dark about what was about to happen. It was only out of curiosity in her heart that she followed in the footsteps of her friend.
"I remember Zhang Lei's story as clear as yesterday," she said, as if she wanted to recreate the scene more vividly, "Just as her friend was finishing the interview and was about to leave, Zhang Li was unexpectedly caught by the interviewer and asked to untie the scarf around her neck.
She shook her head slightly, her face full of surprise and confusion: "Despite the doubts in her heart, Zhang Li still obediently untied her scarf and showed her true self.
When the interviewer saw her face, his eyes lit up and he invited her to take part in the lens test.
Although Zhang Li was a little nervous, she accepted the challenge without hesitation. When Zhang Lei said this, she took a deep breath and her expression became serious, "As a result, she successfully passed the test, and in this way, she was successfully recruited into the crew and began her acting career."
When the mentors later recalled this incident, they all said that Zhang Li's unique temperament just met the needs of the crew, which was the key factor for her to stand out from the crowd.
Zhang Lei nodded and praised sincerely.
Her words suddenly changed, and her tone became firm and powerful: "In this way, Zhang Li joined the crew as she wished. In order to create this character well, she put in a huge effort to fully integrate herself into the character, and finally achieved this classic.