Mr. Du Jinfang's "Oral Transcript"

Wang Yaoqing introduced Bai Mei Lanfang

Talking about my worship of Mr. Mei Lanfang as a teacher, there is also a small episode, and now I want to come to quite Coke. Just before I went to Shanghai with Li Shaochun's club to perform, one day, Master Wang Yaoqing called me to the front and said to me: "Xiao Bao, you went to Shanghai to visit Qihua this time, and I wrote you a good letter." "As soon as I listened, I was confused. I asked, "Master, don't you want me anymore?" As he spoke, the tears came down. Master looked at me like this and quickly said, "Silly child, it is not easy to learn the Mei Sect." Let you go and learn Mei Pai drama with Qi Hua, this is what many people dream of, ah, you must cherish this opportunity. Only then did I understand and said to Master, "Then you have to write me a guarantee!" Master he I said, "Even after I visited Mr. Mei, you still taught me this sentence." You wrote on it: After Xiao Bao worshipped Qihua, I still taught her. Master said without anger, "Where did you get so many words?" Can I teach you to succeed? I didn't forgive me, and I said, "No, there is no basis for what you say." My words made Master half-breath and half-happy, and a sip of tea "fluttered" and sprayed on the ground. He said, "You've made me happy." All my life, people have 'written' for me. I've lived so long, let me 'write' for you? "Master's words are not written, but in fact he is angry. He loved me more and wrote it to me in the end.

The name Du Jinfang means Mr. Mei

Mr. Mei was particularly concerned and loving to me, and was quite special among his many disciples.

Like my name. Many people are curious about my name, in fact, the name "Du Jinfang" means Mr. Mei. At that time, I had not yet been "liberated", and I was still a tool for Du Juchu's family to sing and make money. One day, Du Juchu and his wife did not go out to play cards, and I heard them talking behind eight screens. It turned out that Mr. Mei told Du Liyun that when I was named, I should take the meaning of "close". That is, my name should have the meaning of being close to him. Du Liyun told Du Juchu this. Du Juchu said after hearing this: "Well, it is not the 'in' that goes in, but the 'near' that is close, then it is called 'near fang'." This society is going to change, and the businesses I made are now out. The name 'Jinfang' is sung. In the future, it will be better to point to these two children and sing opera, so that they can make more money. In the future, if you find the right person, you will sell them and make a sum of money, enough for the elderly. When I heard these words, I felt that Mr. Mei was good to me, and at the same time, I felt fear and anger at Du Juchu's plan, and I secretly thought in my heart that I could not destroy myself and let them succeed. I'm going to run for my life. I want to protect myself and fight them. I don't have anyone else to say, but my eldest sister Du Liyun and I are particularly good, so I discussed with her how to do it: there is only one way to go, that is, to defect to the revolution. Later, I did the same, and Mr. May helped a lot. That's a story for another day.

The first lesson Mr. Mei gave me was to talk about the I Ching.

Mr. Mei's special treatment of me is also reflected in the first lesson he taught me. The first lesson Mr. Mei gave me after I finished my visit was the same as the first lesson Mr. Wang taught me, the I Ching. Mr. Mei called me to the table, took out a brush, and drew two circular patterns on the paper, one was a Taiji yin and yang fish, and the other was a circle in the shape of a copper coin on the inside of the outer circle. I was a little confused and didn't know what Mr. Mei's intentions were. Mr. Mei looked at me and said to me meaningfully: "It is not enough to just sing opera, you must understand more about the truth of life, and learn how to behave in the world." Mr. Mei said, pointing to the figure of Taiji Yin yang fish: "This is called 'Bagua push back map'. If you encounter something important or difficult in the future, think of this push back map, find the answer from this, and weigh the pros and cons when you encounter it. This is called 'there is a number of advances, and a way out'. Mr. May pointed to another figure and asked me, "What is this?" I said, "It's like a copper coin." "No matter what time of day in the future, you must not look into this eye." If you fall into this eye, you will not be able to come out, and you will not be able to save it. I understood again, and nodded a little bit in disbelief: "Master, Uncle Wang also taught me the I Ching." Mr. Mei said, "Then you should be able to." I said, "I don't know how to learn it, and I can't use it yet." "Mr. Mei instructed me to remember these two points and think more about the truth myself, which is good for drama and being a person." Therefore, Mr. Mei's teaching to me began with being a human being. When he talks to me about art, he will also tell me the truth of being a human being.

I've been a lucky person in singing in my life

I think that in my life, I have been a lucky person in singing and opera, and since I was a child, I have been taught and strictly taught by many old predecessors and famous teachers.

After the establishment of the Peking Opera House in China, I worked in a troupe. At that time, I was very young and my level was very limited, but I was partnered by people like Mr. Ye Shenglan and Mr. Yuan Shihai, who were already well-known. If their skill on stage is ten thousand degrees, then I have to try to reach ten thousand degrees, otherwise, there will be no spark on the stage. At that time, I was relatively young, and most of the people in the group were mature actors who were older and more experienced than me. I worked with them and grew a lot. For example, Mr. Ye Shenglan is a group leader and a famous actor, he cultivates me very much, and many of the plays are our birthday plays. It can be said that he mentioned me offstage and took me on stage to act. I, because I was born in the industry, from primary school drama, and later learned in the Wang family, and then sang opera in class, although I was not old, but I learned, acted, and watched more, loved to ponder, and loved to pick thorns. Therefore, Colonel Ye Shenglan always likes to listen to my opinions and ask my opinions. I, too, always tell the truth and make my point. At that time, the atmosphere of artistic creation in the Peking Opera House of China was very good, which was very conducive to the learning and growth of our young actors. At that time, there was a literacy class in the hospital. I said, I can't read, I should go to school. In this way, I went to literacy classes while participating in a group performance. When I first joined the regiment, I earned 28 yuan a month, and I didn't think that the money was less. I didn't spend a day idle, and in addition to acting, I also seized the opportunity to watch the play. I just found a place in the background that didn't get in the way, watched the good plays of the China Peking Opera, thought about it, and seized the opportunity to learn more.

Excerpt from Du Jinfang's Oral Records

(Published by People's Publishing House in November 2019)