"White-haired pear garden, green shirt old legend, try and stay and listen..." From the Guangxu period to the 1950s, pear garden opera was also as popular as the current popular songs, and Peking opera was even more of a leader.
In addition to Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu and several other ancestor-level opera masters, "Du Jinfang" is also one often mentioned in people's mouths.
Du Jinfang's original name was Chen Yuhua, and she was left behind by her unknown birth mother. Fortunately, when she was in her infancy, she was adopted by The Chen Xiguang family, who made a living by singing, and was saved from living on the streets.
Although the child is not his own child, Chen Xiguang is very fond of this "daughter" and often takes her with him when he goes out to perform.
Perhaps affected by the environment in which she grew up, Du Jinfang showed a talent for singing at a young age.
At that time, the Chen family had rules, the child had to study at the age of 3, but Du Jinfang always couldn't recite it, and then she thought of a way to remember it in the way of singing, which was much easier than before.
It is precisely because of this incident that Chen Xiguang noticed that she has a unique interest and talent for singing. Then he sent her to a professional drama class to learn drama, and he occasionally guided one or two.
Du Jinfang's dramatic life thus began.
When he began to learn drama at the age of 3 and performed on stage for the first time at the age of 6, when he starred in He Hou in "He Hou Scolding Hall", Du Jinfang was not afraid of the stage at all.
As the old saying goes, she was "born to eat this bowl of rice."
Du Jinfang's life in the Chen family was not bad, but unfortunately, later the Chen family fell, and Chen Xiguang's throat was also broken, and she could not support her to continue to study drama.
In desperation, he could only sell this pearl in his palm to Du Juchu, who specialized in making money by singing with children.
Du Juchu accepted Du Jinfang, who was 12 years old at the time, in the name of a righteous daughter, and changed her current name to her, allowing her to learn to sing while following the opera team to sell art.
When she was young, she was resold, and she followed the drama class to sell art everywhere for many years, these deeds sound like people can't help but feel that Du Jinfang's life is miserable, but her life is far more than this bumpy degree.
There are rumors that Du Jinfang "may be the daughter of Mei Lanfang and Meng Xiaodong", the so-called no wind and no waves, the reason why it is so spread, there is still an important reason.
One is that Du Jinfang's appearance is too much like Mei Lanfang, and when Du Ju first gave her the name "Jinfang", it was also because she was very similar to Mei Lanfang between her eyebrows.
Later, Du Jinfang had the honor to worship under Mei Lanfang's door, and Mei Lanfang also took extra care of her.
The second is when Du Jinfang was born, when Mei Lanfang and Meng Xiaodong broke up.
In Meng Xiaodong's later years, there were Hong Kong media reports that Meng Xiaodong had confided to her close friend that she had given birth to a daughter in Beijing, but she was angry and sent her daughter away because she broke up with Mei Lanfang.
In addition, Jin Feng, a reporter for the People's Daily, once wrote in his own book: "I also heard that Comrade Mei Lanfang confessed his secrets to the organization before his death, and asked the organization to forgive him and take good care of her and Meng Xiaodong's daughter."
Jin Feng has been a journalist for many years, has good character, and has come into contact with many people in the literary and art circles, and he thinks that he will not write something out of nothing.
However, in the meantime, the mystery is not clear now.
Because when Du Jinfang heard about these news, she also went to Taiwan to find Meng Xiaodong, but when she heard the news of Meng Xiaodong, she learned that she had been dead for many years, so the truth could only be put away in the end.
As the saying goes, "no pole Tai Lai", although the life of selling art everywhere is difficult, it is precisely because of such frequent appearances that Du Jinfang's singing skills are deeper and he has gradually earned some fame.
Then, within a few years, she was photographed by Wang Yaoqing, who was known as the "Master of the Tongtian Sect", and was admitted to study art under her door.
Wang Yaoqing also has a nephew, named Wang Shaoqing, known as the "Holy Hand of Music", who is quite accomplished, not only invented the Jing Erhu, but also played the piano for Mei Lanfang for many years.
After Du Jinfang entered Wang Yaoqing's door, Wang Shaoqing also deeply felt that this was a good seedling, so he took the initiative to teach her Mei Pai drama and cultivate her with his uncle.
With the guidance of two masters, coupled with his own diligence, Du Jinfang soon made a name for himself in the city of Beijing and Tianjin.
In 1949, when new China was founded, Du Jinfang also ushered in a new atmosphere in his life.
In the autumn of that year, Li Shaochun and Yuan Shihai were invited by the Tiantou Stage to prepare their own classes to go to Shanghai to perform.
In this performance, Li Shaochun's key play is "Wild Boar Forest", but the actor of Lin Niangzi in the play has not been a suitable candidate.
Just as he scratched his ears and scratched his cheeks, someone recommended Du Jinfang, and the two of them immediately settled down when they saw her appearance and singing skills.
Du Jinfang was also very happy to be able to "start the stove" with the two of them.
When Wang Yaoqing saw that his beloved disciple was going to shanghai to work hard, he gave Du Jinfang a letter of recommendation before leaving, instructing: "This letter is brought to Qi Hua (Mei Lanfang's epithet), and when you go to Shanghai, worship him as a teacher." ”
Du Jinfang was frightened when he heard this, and mistakenly thought that Wang Yaoqing was not going to teach her anymore, so he pestered master to make a note, asking him to promise to teach himself in the future.
Wang Yaoqing immediately lost his smile and said: "I have been teaching drama all my life, and others have written notes for me, what kind of notes do I write for you?"?
That being said, Du Jinfang, who was only 17 years old, was very stubborn, and Wang Yaoqing didn't write it every day, so she said it every day.
In the end, Wang Yaoqing also couldn't hide from the apprentice's entanglement, and wrote a guarantee with a cry and a smile, and Du Jinfang was relieved to go south.
After arriving in Shanghai, Du Jinfang immediately went to mei house.
Not only to recognize the new master, it is natural to make a deep impression on the master, so the eccentric she changed the normal behavior of ordinary people to worship the master, but first took out the stills of "Farewell to the Overlord" for Mei Lanfang to identify.
Mei Lanfang first thought that the person above was herself when she was young, but it was her wife, pointing out that there was a slight difference in clothing and decoration, and Mei Lanfang found that the person in the photo was actually Du Jinfang himself.
Such a clever first sight left a very unforgettable impression on Mei Lanfang, but he has always been cautious about accepting apprenticeship, or decided to make a decision after watching Du Jinfang's performance.
At that time, although Du Jinfang was a newcomer to Shanghai, there was no mass base.
But gold will always shine, "Yutang Spring", "Wild Boar Forest", "Overlord Farewell", three plays down, has been enough to make her famous on the beach, the Toad stage is 70 days full.
Mei Lanfang looked at the dazzling female dolls on the stage, and her heart was very satisfied, so she happily responded to the matter of receiving apprentices.
For worshippers and apprentices, the pear garden needs to "swing the branch" according to tradition, that is, to hold a banquet.
But at that time, Du Jinfang's income from singing was all in Du Juchu's hands, and there was no money on her, Mei Lanfang was reluctant to let go of this good seedling, so she posted money to make her wine, and sent someone to make her a cheongsam and buy new shoes.
Since then, Du Jinfang has officially erected the Xuemei Gate Wall and ranked among the famous characters.
After Du Jinfang became famous in Shanghai, Du Juchu intended to resell her to Hong Kong when she became popular.
After Du Jinfang learned of this, she finally decided to break free of her adoptive father's cage.
Just at this time, the Chinese Opera Research Institute was established, and as soon as Du Jinfang returned to Beijing, he began to think about joining the Communist Party and joining the state-owned troupe.
When Du Ju first saw that she was out of his control, he said a lot of ugly words to intimidate her.
Du Jinfang was extremely angry and retorted, "Communism? I am infertile. You took the money. The Communist Party I have seen, not as you said, less to this set"!
The golden phoenix that was preparing to rush out of the cage was something that no one could trap. With her excellent performance in the field of Peking Opera, Du Jinfang successfully entered the Academy of Opera, and naturally it is no longer anyone's private property.
Later, under the witness of Wang Yaoqing and Mei Lanfang, he burned his deed of sale, truly became a free person, got a new life, and love also quietly came at this time.
Du Jinfang has been performing on stage for many years, and there are not a few fans who like her, and her acquaintance with her husband Wu Baozhen is precisely due to her drama fan - Wu Jinguang.
Wu Jinguang
Wu Jinguang is the younger sister of Wu Baozhen and a modern Chinese physical chemistry and inorganic chemist, holding a number of invention patents and winning several major awards.
In the 1950s, Wu Jinguang was still studying at Peking University, and whenever she had free time, she went to the theater to listen to plays, and she was a full-fledged theater fan, and her most obsessed theater actor was Du Jinfang.
Because he likes Du Jinfang, Wu Jinguang runs the theater very diligently, and often waits for Du Jinfang at the door of the theater, in today's words, he is a "star chaser".
But fortunately, this "star" really let her catch up. Due to the frequent meeting in the theater, and Wu Jinguang herself is also a talented girl, after getting acquainted with each other, Du Jinfang also liked this girl, and the two developed into good friends.
The Wu family is a scholarly family, and the family loves Peking Opera, and the status of the actors has also improved after liberation, so the elders of the Wu family also like Du Jinfang and often invite her to their homes as guests.
Once, Du Jinfang was invited to play at Wu's house, and Wu Baozhen happened to be at home, and only one side made him a little moved, but he was embarrassed to show it.
Later, when the family chatted, when the Wu family rose, the elders of the Wu family could not help but invite Du Jinfang to sing a song, and Wu Baozhen immediately took the initiative to accompany him.
Qu Tong was affectionate, and the two young people who were in Shaohua began to feel affection for each other.
As the saying goes, "Talent is matched with beauty". Wu Baozhen not only looks like a talent, is proficient in playing and singing, but also treats his profession very seriously.
After graduating from Peking University School of Medicine, he was assigned to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Union Hospital because of his excellent grades, and later studied under the famous gynecologist Lin Qiaozhi and became his proud protégé.
People who love literature and art naturally have no shortage of romance, and Wu Baozhen did not think less when he chased Du Jinfang.
Lin Qiaozhi
Such a low-key and humble personality as he also wrapped the first two rows of seats when Du Jinfang performed, and sat in the middle with flowers to show love, presumably this move also dissuaded some suitors.
The two of them have similar interests and temperaments, and they naturally come together.
Those days of love are calm but a lot of warmth, sometimes Du Jinfang's performance is too late, Wu Baozhen will rush to the theater to send her home, when the two study together with kerosene lamps, even if they do their own, they will not feel bored without saying anything.
This kind of warm pulse of getting along is difficult for people to detect the passage of time, and the two are also very enterprising, both said that "if the name is not married", so the days flickered, and they talked about eight years of love.
They were not in a hurry, but the people around them were anxious.
Wu Baozhen's teacher Lin Qiaozhi saw that the two were delayed in getting married, and couldn't help but talk to Sister Deng: "Du Jinfang and my student Wu Baozhen are always friends in love, not married, where is there such a long time in love?" ”
Du Jinfang and Wu Baozhen
Later, after Sister Deng relayed it, Premier Zhou also knew about this matter, so he went with Sister Deng to do the ideological work of the two people, and quipped: "Good! The War of Resistance is over! Today, someone has come to sue you! ”
After this point, the two seemed to have opened their minds and began to discuss marriage. Du Jinfang was fascinated by art, and when the marriage came to the door, she had a lot of worries.
She was afraid that having children would delay her career, so she specially said to Wu Baozhen in advance: "If you are looking for a wife who has children, you will find someone else." Let's not delay. I only give birth to one. ”
At that time, when every family was full of children and grandchildren, "only one child" sounded like a big deal.
However, this precondition did not make Wu Baozhen "retreat in spite of difficulties."
Du Jinfang and his disciples
Moreover, he had seen so many pregnant women in the obstetrics and gynecology department giving birth to so many pregnant women, and he felt that only one Du Jinfang could suffer less guilt, so naturally he was very supportive of her, so he gladly agreed to prepare for marriage.
Because it was a three-year difficult period and the social economy was in a slump, a friend learned that the two were planning to get married, and they advised them not to run a banquet in a big way, so as not to cause a bad impact.
Du Jinfang listened, felt that what his friend said was reasonable, and he was engaged in the art industry, and the social influence was indeed large, and it was not appropriate to be extravagant and wasteful to attract people to emulate, so he and Wu Baozhen worked together to handle the wedding from Jane.
So the two did not set up a banquet in the hotel, but transported a few cigarettes from others, weighed a few pounds of sugar, and invited some close friends to witness, and held a very simple wedding in the auditorium of the Union Hospital.
However, although the ceremony is simple, the people who come are not simple.
The main marriage is Mei Lanfang and Lin Qiaozhi, the emcee is Li Shaochun, and most of the friends present are celebrities in the art and medical fields. Anyone who sees this wedding has to say "small field, big scene".
After getting married, the relationship between the two was as stable as ever. Du Jinfang even affectionately called her husband a little brother, and Wu Baozhen also called her "little sister".
From the blushing title between each other, it can be seen that the life of the two after marriage is also eyebrow-raising and enviable, and later gave birth to a daughter, nicknamed "Little Xiang Sister".
The picture of life unfolds in full swing, Du Jinfang is like a fish in it, and the family business is not wrong.
After accumulating a certain amount of stage experience, Du Jinfang, in addition to performing on stage, also began to teach students to learn drama.
Wu Baozhen's writings
Because she played from elementary school, other cultures became a serious shortcoming, and it was still very difficult to prepare for classes at the beginning.
Wu Baozhen took the initiative to act as her tutor, helping her to learn culture, which greatly improved her cultural level and artistic accomplishment.
Because of this, Du Jinfang especially admired Wu Baozhen, and when she mentioned her husband in front of outsiders, she said with a smile: "My 'little brother' has both moral integrity and ability, and I am very happy and lucky to be with him." ”
Such a talented person certainly faces more opportunities and temptations. In the 1970s, Wu Baozhen became one of the first doctors in New China to study abroad.
During the period of study abroad, due to his outstanding work ability, american hospitals attach great importance to him, and have repeatedly said that they will issue him a green card to let him stay in the United States.
However, Wu Baozhen had a patriotic heart and missed his wife and daughter in China very much, where he was willing to stop for temptation, as soon as the study period expired, he immediately embarked on the return journey.
After that, the two walked hand in hand, and once they left, it was decades, even if it was a special period, the Wu family was not tired, and the two people never let go of each other's hands.
Until March 1992, the disease took Wu Baozhen's life first.
Second from the right, Wu Baozhen
The death of her husband dealt a heavy blow to Du Jinfang, and when she had no job, she could only often look at the photos of the two and Wu Baozhen's writings at home to comfort her thoughts.
When a well-wisher saw her like this, he wanted to introduce her to a friend, but Du Jinfang refused.
After Du Jinfang entered his old age, he did not completely idle but was invited to serve as a consultant for the China Peking Opera House, attending some activities from time to time.
For example, her disciple Huang Xiaoci won the Seventh Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, and the disciple Li Jingwen won the Tenth Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award.
By 2019, the 87-year-old Du Jinfang gradually became seriously ill and became a regular visitor to the hospital. The disciples and daughters were worried.
But she herself regarded life and death very lightly, had a good mentality, and said: "When my eyes are closed one day, I will go to heaven to follow my beloved brother."
After 29 years of leaving the "little brother", on April 17, 2021, Du Jinfang's old age disease worsened, and she peacefully shook off her life and went to heaven to find her "little brother".