"Palace jade liquor, one hundred and eight cups, how about this wine, listen to me blow it for you..."
This line, which countless Chinese familiar with, comes from Zhao Lirong's classic sketch "The Adventure of Part-time Work"
The kind, cola, and even a little trendy Grandma Zhao Lirong on the stage is a memory that a generation cannot erase.
But how many people know how many tribulations and ups and downs she has encountered in her life, known as the "Queen of Sketches".
People often say that "the core of comedy is tragedy", which is not false at all when placed on Zhao Lirong.
In 1928, Zhao Lirong was born into a poor family in Tianjin.
In that era when ordinary people could come to a period of cross-talk and comment on dramas, little Zhao Lirong grew up in a rich atmosphere of music and art.
In order to support his family, Zhao Lirong's father often went to the county jury to help comb his hair and make up, while his mother took the young Zhao Lirong to play backstage.
Once the jury was close to performing, but found that there was a missing baby prop, and when there was no way out, Zhao Lirong, who was pink offstage, made the actor Furong flower shine.
In this way, one-year-old Zhao Lirong was carried to the stage by the actor and played the first role in her life, "CaiWazi".
Zhao Lirong, who was on stage, not only did not cry or make trouble, but the more people there were, the happier she became, and she also waved at the audience under the stage, which caused a burst of cheers.
After that, the child roles in the troupe were almost taken over by Zhao Lirong, and she also formed a deep relationship with art.
A flash to 12 years old, although not very old, but Zhao Lirong has become a veritable "old drama bone".
Under the introduction of Hibiscus Flower, Zhao Lirong studied drama review with Ma Jingui as a teacher, and changed the name of "Old Love" to "Li Rong"
The learned artists of that era were very bitter, and Zhao Lirong was the same. In the summer, it is better to hang your throat by the pond, and in the winter, where there is an ice cave, you can practice singing.
Because the older generation of artists said that practicing their voices at the water's edge can sing "water sounds".
After 3 years of diligent practice, 15-year-old Zhao Lirong took the stage for the first time as a leading actor.
It was not until 1953 that the 25-year-old Zhao Lirong ushered in the first opportunity to make a name for herself.
In the review drama "Little Two Black Marriage", Zhao Lirong was responsible for playing the role of "Three Immortals".
This three fairy girls are delicious and lazy, brutal and spicy, and when they are old, they still smear rouge on their faces.
This made Zhao Lirong, who was still the yellow flower girl, very hesitant, afraid that she would be scolded by the audience.
Finally, under the persuasion of her brother Zhao Lianxi, Zhao Lirong made up her mind to play this role well.
I didn't expect that Zhao Lirong, who has been playing Qingyi Huadan, is not red, but she became popular because of such an ugly woman, and broke out of a lot of fame.
With the success of her career, Zhao Lirong's love also came unexpectedly.
In 1953, Zhao Lirong became acquainted with Sheng qiang, who was also a literary and art worker, and the two soon fell in love.
But Sheng Qiang is a college student, who looks white and pure, and has a belly culture, which is incompatible with Zhao Lirong, who was born poor.
The parents of both sides are unwilling, Shengqiang's parents look down on Zhao Lirong, and Zhao Lirong's parents are afraid that Shengqiang will always be chaotic and eventually abandoned.
But the hearts of this couple have long been tightly tied together, and the parents cannot be separated.
When there was nothing to do, Sheng Qiang taught Zhao Lirong writing culture, and when Zhao Lirong had a performance, he waited at the door to pick up his wife and go home.
And zhao Lirong will push two poached eggs every time she frys them, and she will be reluctant to eat them.
In 1955, the two had the eldest son, Sheng Daming, and in 1957, they gave birth to a second son, Sheng Fuchun.
Two sons were born in two years, which was the envy of many neighbors in the past era of many children and many blessings.
However, disaster soon befell this happy little family.
The cultured Shengqiang was beaten to the right and was sent to Tianjin Chadian Farm for labor reform.
In 1960, Zhao Lirong received news of Sheng Qiang's death, which was rumored to have starved to death.
Zhao Lirong's liver and intestines were cut off, and she cried into a tearful person, and even fell seriously ill for this.
But there are still two children in the family who are waiting to be fed, and when the serious illness first recovered, Zhao Lirong immediately performed on stage to make money.
Although the two sons are quite sensible, Zhao Lirong is lacking in skills and cannot take care of them when acting.
Later, the eldest brother died, and the burden of taking care of her mother fell on Zhao Lirong.
When the days were difficult, Shengqiang's sister and Zhao Lirong's second brother discussed it and persuaded Zhao Lirong to marry Shengqiang's younger brother Shenghong instead.
Zhao Lirong did not agree at first, she was afraid of others gossiping, but she could bear hardships, and the two children could not live without their fathers.
Under the constant persuasion of her family, Zhao Lirong finally had no choice but to marry her little uncle Sheng Hong.
From 1964 to 1980, Zhao Lirong slowed down her acting career and single-mindedly cared for her family.
He bore a son for Sheng Hong, named Sheng Qian, and the family thought that they could be peaceful and happy.
However, the hardships of fate did not prepare to let go of Zhao Lirong, who was suffering.
At the age of 42, Zhao Lirong gave birth to her first daughter, but the daughter was born stunted and suffered from a brain tumor.
The couple spent all day seeking medical treatment and spending all their savings, but their daughter died at the age of 7.
The pain of losing her daughter hit Zhao Lirong very hard, she often blamed herself, and after many years, she still couldn't help but wipe her tears when she mentioned it.
The joke of life is not over, in 1984, her husband Sheng Hong suddenly had a heart attack and died.
The 56-year-old Zhao Lirong has not yet had time to enjoy the joy of her children and grandchildren, and has experienced the ups and downs of a broken family.
Successive blows, like waves rolled up by a storm, one wave higher than the other, And Zhao Lirong was breathless.
But Zhao Lirong's small boat has always stood, and with great sorrow, she has devoted her body and mind to the cause of art.
In 1988, Zhao Lirong, who was already a year of flower armor, first appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and performed the sketch "Emergency Department", which opened the legend of the 8 consecutive Spring Festival Gala.
After the Spring Festival Gala, as long as there is Zhao Lirong's sketches, every one is a hit.
"A Day of a Heroic Mother", "Mother's Today", "Eating Dumplings", "So Packaged", "Adventures in Part-time Work", "Kung Fu Order", "Veterans Out of horses", Zhao Lirong's sketches, contributed countless classic baggage.
In "A Day of a Heroic Mother", there is a footage of a traffic police command, and Zhao Lirong stood on the street and followed the traffic police for several months for these gestures.
In "So Packed", Zhao Lirong put on the most fashionable chain leather jacket and jumped and jumped on the stage at an old age.
The audience watched the joy, but in fact, Zhao Lirong had osteoporosis, fell into the small bone slag in her knees, and had to endure great pain with each jump.
The last kneeling shot is not in the script, because Zhao Lirong finally drilled her heart in pain and made a mistake.
In the most classic sketch "The Adventure of Part-time Work", the last four big words of "genuine goods" are much more difficult for Zhao Lirong, who does not have much culture, than memorizing lines.
To this end, she learned four characters as paintings, practiced for many months, and then wrote a beautiful brush in front of the camera.
The development of sketches is booming, and Zhao Lirong's achievements in the film and television field cannot be underestimated.
She is the king of Che Chi guo in "Journey to the West" and the grandmother Liu in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
As early as 1991, Zhao Lirong also won the best actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the best actress of the Popular Film Hundred Flowers Award with her wonderful acting skills in the movie "New Year", which is a veritable international film queen.
People are red, but Zhao Lirong always regards herself as an ordinary old lady.
Some fans want to sign, Zhao Lirong took a look after signing, and quickly apologized: I didn't wear reading glasses, the signature is too ugly, I really can't help it!
Although life has brought her infinite suffering, she just swallowed it herself, and her face was always a smile and kindness.
Fourth, laugh at life
Before acting in the sketch "The Veteran Out of the Horse" in 1999, Zhao Lirong's physical condition was already very bad, and she was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
During the performance, she was weak and frequently supported the prop chair, and as soon as the performance ended, Zhao Lirong was sent to the hospital by her family backstage to continue treatment.
Two husbands have died one after another, and the younger daughter has also died in childhood, and Zhao Lirong has long looked down on life and death.
In the last period of her life, she had to rely on a large number of painkillers to survive, could not eat or drink, and her originally rounded body shape once lost 70 pounds.
But the physical torture could not change the happy appearance of this old lady.
She asked the babysitter to buy chess and pulled the nurses to play two sentences.
After the painful chemotherapy, she joked that "it's much easier, you don't have to be tied to the bed like a donkey." ”
When she felt that the limit was approaching, Zhao Lirong directed the funeral process for herself, and also sewed shou clothes and shoes by herself, quietly waiting for death to come.
On July 17, 2000, the queen of sketches, who brought joy to more than a billion people across the country, passed away at the age of 72.
At the funeral, more than 30,000 people spontaneously came to give her one last journey.
Zhao Lirong's tombstone is white, and the eldest son explained that her mother loved to be clean and always liked to wear white clothes, so she set up a white tombstone.
It has been 20 years since Zhao Lirong's death, but her voice seems to be still stuck in the familiar yesterday.
It is because we need Grandma Zhao Lirong, and the world also needs Grandma Zhao Lirong.