She dropped out of school at the age of 18 and was forced to marry. After 10 years of marriage, she was abused by her husband, treated badly by her mother-in-law, scolded by her sister-in-law for being a dog, and cried and escaped and gave up.
By chance, she found a job to live on, and she was born again.
Struggle in hell and see the light. Li Meizhen's life is bumpy but legendary. What is her profession?
How is Li Meizhen doing now?
Weeping Soul Profession
In traditional Chinese culture, weeping is an ancient and sacred ritual. As the times have changed, the profession has undergone a unique evolution.
The main job of a weeping person is to mourn the deceased during a funeral ceremony. However, the job is much more than that.
Professional crying people need to master a wealth of crying words and singing voices. These words and phrases should not only be sad and moving, but also be able to summarize the life of the deceased and express the feelings of longing for the living. Therefore, the weeping person often needs to know the life story of the deceased in advance, so that he can have a target when crying.
They need to convey their sadness through their voices, expressions, and body language to infect their relatives and friends. This kind of performance is not simply pretending to cry, but to be genuine and put yourself into the role of the bereaved.
The weeping person also bears the heavy responsibility of soothing the emotions of the family members, and needs to comfort the family members at the right time to help them calm their emotions.
In the beginning, weeping was a spontaneous act in which relatives and friends gathered to mourn the deceased. Over time, this behavior gradually evolved into a ritual, and specialized weeping spirits appeared.
In ancient China, the weeping spirits were mostly women, and they were called "crying women" or "crying mothers". They usually come from poor families and make ends meet by crying spirits. Although this profession is not recognized by the mainstream of society, it has an important position among the people.
With the development of society, the role of the weeping soul is constantly changing. In the early 20th century, with the influence of Western culture and the change of social attitudes, some places began to prohibit the employment of weeping spirits. However, this tradition has not disappeared completely, but has survived in a new form.
Modern weeping people must not only be able to cry, but also understand psychology, etiquette and other knowledge. The best of them even became prominent local figures, earning far more than ordinary workers.
Although weeping is a professional act, many weepers have genuine feelings for the deceased. This emotion does not stem from a personal relationship with the deceased, but from a reverence for life and an understanding of human nature.
Lee Mi-jin's crying career
Li Meizhen's first contact with the crying spirit industry was completely by chance. At that time, she had just escaped a painful marriage and was starting her life again with the help of her sister. One day, my sister's crying spirit team suddenly lacked people and urgently needed someone to replace her. In this case, Li Meizhen was pushed to the forefront.
Faced with an unfamiliar environment and work, Li Meizhen's heart was full of apprehension. She recalls: "When I got the lyrics, my mind was blank and I could only desperately recall the scenes I had seen before. "
Surprisingly, when she started crying, the emotions came naturally. Her cry not only touched the relatives and friends present, but also deeply touched herself.
This experience left a deep impression on Lee Mi-jin. She found that she seemed to have a special talent for being able to quickly get into character and mourn the deceased with genuine feelings. This fortuitous attempt became an important turning point in her life.
At first, Li Meizhen didn't have much sense of identity with the job of Crying Spirit. Traditionally, this profession is often seen as unlucky, even lowly. Li Meizhen also felt ashamed of this and was reluctant to mention her work to others.
Over time, Lee Mi-jin's views gradually changed. She began to realize that crying is not only a means of making a living, but also an important ritual to pass on culture and soothe people's hearts.
With Li Meizhen's deep cultivation in the crying spirit industry, her income has also undergone significant changes. At the beginning, she was only paid a few dozen yuan per game, barely able to maintain a basic life. But with the improvement of her skills and the accumulation of her reputation, her income gradually increased.
According to reports, Li Meizhen's income per crying spirit can reach about 3,000 yuan. If she was able to participate in three ceremonies a day, she would earn more than a month's salary for an average worker. This increase in income has not only improved Li Meizhen's quality of life, but also enabled her to provide better education and living conditions for her children.
Li Meizhen's attitude towards the work of crying spirits is very rigorous. She believes that this is not only a job, but also a responsibility. Every time she receives a task, she will learn about the life story of the deceased in advance, so that she can express it more appropriately when crying.
At work, Li Meizhen always devotes herself wholeheartedly. Even when it takes two hours of continuous crying, she never interrupts or is lazy. "It's a sign of respect for the deceased and a responsibility to the family," she said. "This dedication has won praise from many customers.
has been engaged in crying spirit work for a long time, so that Li Meizhen has a unique insight into life and death. She often said: "Every cry is a dialogue with death, and it is also a new understanding of life." "
Through exposure to different stories of the deceased, Li Meizhen deeply realized the fragility and preciousness of life. At the same time, Lee also recognizes that death is not always terrible. For some people who have suffered from illness, death can be a relief.
So what prompted Li Meizhen to embark on such a crying spiritual path?
A bumpy life experience
Li Meizhen was born in a remote mountain village in Fujian Province, and when Li Meizhen just turned 18, her life ushered in a major turning point. Her father suddenly told her that a family affair had been arranged for her.
In those days, in rural areas, daughters were often seen as a burden on the family. Marrying off your daughter early can not only reduce the burden on the family, but also receive a bride price. For Li Meizhen's father, this family business seems to be a good choice.
However, for the young Lee Mi-jin, this is undoubtedly the beginning of a nightmare.
The life after marriage is even worse than Li Meizhen imagined. Her husband was a rude peasant who was not only uneducated, but also violent. Lee Mei Zhen recalled: "He punched and kicked me at every turn, and sometimes even beat me with a stick. Every time I was beaten, I felt like I was going to die. "
What made Li Meizhen even more desperate was that instead of stopping her husband's violent behavior, the rest of her in-law's family bullied her even more. Her mother-in-law was especially harsh and often beat and scolded her.
In that home, she had no dignity to speak of, even like a slave. Under long-term domestic violence and mental abuse, Li Meizhen finally chose the desperate path of suicide.
In extreme desperation, Li Meizhen picked up a brick and smashed it into her head. "I had only one thought at the time, which was to end it all," she says. I think death may be the only relief. "
However, fate doesn't seem to want to let Lee Meizhen go. Her suicide attempt was discovered by her family and she was subsequently taken to the hospital with several stitches.
Taking this opportunity, Li Meizhen secretly fled back to her parents' house, and finally got rid of the demonic behavior of her mother-in-law's family. Not only that, Li Meizhen also entered the crying spirit industry through her sister.
Her life has a direction, a purpose, and a meaning. Li Meizhen gradually got rid of the harm brought to her by her husband's family.
epilogue
Li Meizhen's marriage experience is a microcosm of the fate of many rural Chinese women. From poor family backgrounds, to forced early marriages, to domestic violence, her story reflects the many difficulties faced by rural women in China during a given period.
However, Lee Mi-jin's story doesn't end there. Her suicide attempt became a turning point in her life, causing her to re-examine her life and find a new motivation to survive. This spirit of finding hope in the midst of desperation shows the resilience of human nature and the preciousness of life.
At the same time, Li Meizhen's story has also made many people re-understand the crying spirit industry. Although this tradition has faced many challenges and doubts as society has evolved, it still persists tenaciously in some areas.
Lee's experience reminds us that even in the darkest of moments, hope should not be given up. The ancient custom of crying spirits, under her interpretation, has not only become a channel for emotional catharsis, but also a tribute to life.
Information sources:
Professional crying spirit person self-report: I have been subjected to domestic violence for ten years, so I cried really, and I earned 3,000 yuan by crying
Professional crying spirit person self-report: I have been subjected to domestic violence for ten years, so I cried really, and I made 3,000 yuan by crying - Western Network (Shaanxi News Network)