Chapter 8 midnight bell

The night was deep.Thousands of lights. There is a story behind every light, and every story is similar with minor differences.It is nothing more than the joy, anger and resentment in the world, joys and sorrows.But the people in the story, when experiencing the story, always think that they are the only one in the world, and their own stories are different. Is it because of this innocence that human beings are enduring and immortal? Once you see that there is nothing new in the world, it is just a thousand reds and a thousand reds, and all the beauty is the same cup, what is the meaning of time?

Under the neon lights, the wandering warblers walking around to solicit business are heavily made up, more exaggerated than actors on stage, with green eyeshadow and black lips, smiling seductively and insincerely at passing men, more like a ghost than a person. Or, are they also some unclaimed souls who have not returned after the time limit?Those men who spend money to buy laughs are pestered, and they will "be a man again" when they make enough money. There are always so many people coming and going in the subway station, and the people coming and going are always in such a hurry. Do they all have a clear destination?Do they all have important things to do?Do they all have places worth visiting?Do they all have someone they can miss and cherish?

What can be cherished may not necessarily be owned, what can be owned may not be long-lasting, and what can be long-term may not be able to continue to make oneself want to stay. Fake flowers are more eternal than fresh flowers, and mirrored flowers are more tempting than real flowers.As long as you like it, why pursue it? "I want to ask him something." The greatest sorrow in life is persistence. Xiaowan walked on the street.Thinking of Ruo Meiying, also thinking of Zhang Zhiye. Before leaving get off work, she called Zhang Zhiye and asked him to meet.She missed Zhang Zhiye so much.I haven't seen him for three days. The ancients said well, if you don't see him for a day, it's like three autumns.Three days is nine years, and nine years can turn a girl into a young woman.

She was anxious to tell him Mei Ying's story, to tell him her inner feelings, and to ask him: Will he fail her like Zhang Chaotian failed Mei Ying? She knows his answer is no of course, and he'll ruffle her hair accusingly and say "what are you thinking? I'm not going to change my mind." And then they'll hug each other and say some beautiful silly things , just like all the lovers in the world, endless sweet talk, vows forever. However, Zhiya's tone was obviously hesitant, as if he was very hesitant, he hesitated for a long time, and then reluctantly said: "Well, tell me the location."

Xiaowan couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, and deliberately said: "Let's just go to the old place." After finishing speaking, she hung up immediately. In this way, it seems that I have regained a little bit of compensation for my pride.For a nineteen-year-old girl, what is most likely to be hurt is not her feelings, but her self-esteem.Although she really wanted to see Zhang Zhiye immediately, she didn't want him to see her eagerness.Saying vaguely "the old place" is a test for him. If he can't figure out that the old place is the subway station where they first kissed and made love, it means he has no heart for her.

Sitting on the railing at the entrance of the subway station, she couldn't help blushing hotly when she thought about the day when Zhang Zhi also said that he would save his Yang Qi.Suddenly, I felt a little regretful. The young people in love will never forget each other's trials and quarrels, misunderstandings, quarrels, breaking up, begging for forgiveness, forgiveness, reconciliation, and getting stronger with time... This is the fixation that everyone in love yearns for They are enjoying the pain and joy tirelessly, but they don't know that the world often refuses to develop and complete according to their design, but they don't know where there will be deviations, and the train of love will go further and further away Until parted ways.

The so-called unforeseen gap, the destruction of perfection, how many lovers in the world can stay together forever and grow old together?Love is like a tide, and being kind like a stream doesn't necessarily guarantee success, let alone setting up gates for yourself? Watching the passers-by pushing back and forth like flowing water, Xiao Wan couldn't help but think of her first love that died without a cause, the love story that started with a dead rose.Does A Tao know that she has fallen in love with another young man?And Zhang Zhiye, will he become the last rose in her life? She closed her eyes, and heard a distant singing voice: "Love for you is a dead rose, a dead rose..."

The surprisingly handsome boy, the guitar boy who strummed the strings and sang, the dreamer who went to Shanghai to pursue his ideal, just walked out of her emotional world singing "Dead Rose", before she even had time to ask Him: Does he really like her? Mei Ying said to Zhang Chaotian: I want to ask you something. Why didn't Xiao Wan want to ask A Tao? The singing disappeared into the sound of the car.Xiaowan opened her eyes, there was no A Tao, no "Dead Rose", and no Zhang Zhiye in the crowded and empty subway station entrance. Her roses have never bloomed. Xiaowan regretted more and more, maybe Zhang Zhiye shouldn't be tested, he is so busy, interviewing, writing, entertaining and dating, how can he remember where is the old place to live?He couldn't find himself right now, so he was in a hurry.Why don't you call and tell him that you are waiting for him here, why bother to torture each other?

She jumped off the railing and walked to the telephone booth by the side of the road, but when the number was dialed, there was a busy voice.Zhiye's phone is always busy, so many ringtones ringing one after another, who dialed him? When I couldn't get through on my phone, was there another girl standing at another street corner talking privately to him on the phone?Is it because the girl took his line, so he only got an empty busy tone? The neon lights turned on one after another, the car passed by with a long whistle, and the unscrupulous small vendors came out like ghosts again, and the tempting cries kept coming and going, such a lively night in the capital, and Xiao Wan My heart is so cold, full of unspeakable loneliness.She suddenly thought, how much did she know about Zhang Zhiye?How much do you know about Atao?

Mei Ying's words rang in her ears: "Have you ever loved?" She also asked herself: Have you ever loved? To Atao, to Zhang Zhiye, is it love?How much affection? She felt dazed, empty, and lost. In the past 19 years, I don't really know how to love, and love like Mei Ying.Even if you love, you don't know how to grasp it.She has no confidence in her love. Zhang Zhiye, do you really want to be the second Atao, or the second Zhang Chaotian? Helpless emotions quickly wrapped her up with the night, she raised her head and looked at the sky full of stars, it was already very late.And Zhang Zhiye, he didn't come.

He didn't come. He didn't come! he didn't come... When I got home, my grandma and mother were already asleep, and my father was listening to the record and changing the script again. It was a Yue opera, and Baoyu and Zijuan asked and answered Daiyu, crying: "Ask Zijuan, where is my sister's manuscript?" "Like pieces of butterflies melted in the fire." "Ask Zijuan, where is my sister's Yaoqin?" "The string is broken, don't mention it." "Ask Zijuan, where is my sister's flower hoe now?" "Even if the flower hoe is there, who will bury the flowers!" "Ask Zijuan, where is my sister's parrot now?" "It called the girl, learning what the girl said when she was alive..." Xiaowan thought blankly, after a person dies, so many things can be left behind, such as poetry manuscripts, Yaoqin, flower hoe and parrots, if all these things are sentimental, they can keep the ghost of the dead , Didn't the world add a lot of grievances?If the costume brought back Mei Ying's soul, what about the blood-stained copper bell?Whose soul is it tied to, and what kind of story does it remember? Shui Rong heard the sound and opened the door: "Xiao Wan, where have you been? Zhang Zhi also called you several times to ask you." "He called?" "I just called. I may call again later." Xiaowan's mood immediately improved, and she walked into her father's study room, saw coffee being brewed in a siphon glass jug on the table, and said, "I'll have a drink too." "Be careful not to fall asleep." "I can't sleep anyway." Xiao Wan muttered, and picked up the hand grinder to shake the coffee beans more evenly and finely. Water-soluble has always disliked using electric coffee pots.He said that the water just rolled on the coffee powder and then flowed down, how could the coffee have a fragrance, like a child born without love, it was too sloppy. His comparison made Xiao Wan laugh out loud. Since then, she has been willing to hand grind coffee beans for her father and boil them in a siphon pot, as if her fingers and coffee have fallen in love. The blue flame of the alcohol lamp flickered faintly in the dark night, and the water in the spherical bottle gradually boiled. Xiao Wan poured the ground coffee beans into the cup, and the water overflowed in a rush, and the room immediately overflowed. A strong coffee aroma. Shui Rong exaggeratedly took a deep breath, and said with emotion: "At the beginning, I regretted not having a son, but now look, a daughter is a thousand times better than a son!" "Wrong. It should be 10,000 times." Xiao Wan smiled, turned off the flame of the alcohol lamp, and watched the filtered coffee juice flow out from the neck of the bottle. This is the most beautiful thing in the whole coffee making process. At that moment, the boiling hot coffee did not flow out all at once, but slowly, tentatively, and leaked a little bit, as if carefully touching the bottom of the spherical bottle to see if it was hot enough and whether it would crack, and then splashed It leaks out for thousands of miles and flows straight down. Does it look like love?Such a careful start, such an intense process. But why didn't Zhang Zhiye call?Do you want to call him a message that he is safe?Does he worry about himself? "What are you thinking about, so engrossed?" Shui Rong took a sip of coffee, and sighed even more exaggeratedly: "Sweet! The three treasures of life: the little daughter of coffee and cigars!" "It turns out that I was only ranked third." Xiao Wan smiled, took the script and glanced at it, and asked in surprise: "Is it "A Chinese Ghost Story"? Didn't I hear that the actors have already started rehearsing today?" ? Why are you still changing it?" "It's because rehearsals have already started, so I need to change it. Although the words are good in many places, they are not suitable for singing, and it is not easy to play, and there are too few antiphonal places, which are not good. No, I am crying from "Baoyu" Let’s look for inspiration in the play Ling’, and see how we can absorb some of the advantages of Yue opera in Peking opera.” Xiao Wan paused, then said hesitantly: "Dad, I have always wanted to tell you that many dramas have changed the story of the story. After so many years, only Xu Yulan and Wang Wenjuan's Shaoxing opera is the most popular, and they all say it is Yue opera singing The soft taste and the artistic conception of the story are the most in tune; although there are many "Red Mansions" arias in Beijing opera, they are not outstanding. Even Mei Lanfang's "Daiyu Burying Flowers" was criticized by Lu Xun in an article, saying It is "very like a Magu"; for example, in the Beijing opera "The Big Splitting the Coffin", Zhou Xinfang's "face changing" fascinated many audiences. Later, Liang Guyin changed it to Kunqu Opera, making the style soft and romantic. With little effort, it is Die Wu and Immortal Transformation, but the taste is still not as good as it is; there is also "A Dream in the Garden", even Ruo Meiying is only willing to sing Kunqu opera, not Beijing opera; after all, northern opera and southern opera are different... " "You mean that "A Chinese Girl Lies Soul" was originally a Kunqu opera, not suitable for Beijing opera, because I'm afraid that my father's hard work will be in vain?" Shui Rong laughed, "Don't worry. Didn't you say that Ruo Meiying sang this play before? Isn't it quite successful? ?Her "A Dream in the Garden" is a Kunqu opera, which doesn't mean that all Kunqu operas cannot be changed into Beijing operas. It's a pity that people in their generation, when they formed a troupe to sing operas, they were all children's family heirlooms, and the opera books were all Private work, not circulated, some books, there is no script at all, all in the master's mind, singing and teaching, the so-called "word of mouth". It is a pity that Ruo Meiying's "A Chinese Girl Departing Soul" has not been recorded, except for a few There is no shadow of the clothes. But my father is confident that if they can sing well, we can sing well too!" "That's right, there were a lot of rules in the theater troupe at that time. They practiced three times in winter and three times in summer. Apprentices had to get up and hang their voices at four or five o'clock in the morning when the cock crowed for the first time, and the master would lift the quilt later and beat people. How could it be like that?" The current actors are both on the pommel horse and on the mat. At that time, they fell hard. They fell off the firewood stack with a somersault, and hit the mud firmly. Isn’t it hard to corner? It was called “iron back” at that time. ', is a real copper arm and iron leg, which was really thrown out. In order to practice foot skills, you have to stand on the tip of your toes on a brick and stand for a stick of incense, which is more painful than the current ballet dancers; The apprentice's eyelids are stretched open, and the needle is pierced into the flesh, and he is not allowed to blink..." Shui Rong laughed: "Where did you know so much?" Xiao Wan ignored it, and just continued talking: "Leg skills, blanket skills, handle skills, swaying skills, nothing can be sloppy. The actors must not only learn their own roles, but also master them well. Tsing Yi, Hua Dan, Sword and Horse , Reliable, good at everything, ready to save the scene at any time. Often in a play, one person has to play two or three roles, change clothes and change identities, sing, compose, read, and fight. Like Zhou Xinfang , became popular at the age of seven, so he got the stage name of "Qi Ling Tong". Later, he was mistakenly written as "Qi Lin Tong" by newspaper reporters. He made mistakes and formed his own style of "Qi Pai". As a multi-art..." Shui Rong nodded: "The artists at that time were really hard." "But sticks work hard." Xiaowan sighed old-fashionedly: "Nowadays is not what it used to be, and the world is declining. In the past, actors were called exquisite. That is not what a 'talented and beautiful' can describe." Shanghai "Drama Monthly" in 1930 "The ranking of the 'Four Famous Danes' is much stricter than the current beauty pageant. Talent, appearance, voice, words, singing, appearance, figure, steps, expressions, martial arts... all are indispensable, and you have to know new dramas as well. If you want to know old dramas, you have to listen to both Beijing opera and Kunqu opera, and your character is also tested..." Shui Rong became more and more strange: "Is this girl crazy, a long story, teaching dad?" Xiao Wan woke up, smiled embarrassedly, and suddenly thought: "Dad, do you want to hear Ruo Meiying's original song? Shall I ask Ruo Meiying to show up and sing it for you?" "What are you talking about?" Shui Rong frowned, "Last time at the scene of Huber's death, you came up with a sentence like Meiying out of nowhere, which made the gods and gods ghosts and ghosts. Say these words without a trace?" "Good intentions are not rewarded!" Xiao Wan resentfully said, "I won't accompany you anymore, I'll go to sleep." After packing up the cups and saucers, she heard the phone ringing, and rushed into the living room to pick it up, almost falling on the sofa. tripped over. I thought it was Zhang Zhiye and Zha Qin, but there was a very old voice on the other side, saying hoarsely: "Tell her not to mess with my grandson!" "Who? Who are you looking for?" "Tell her, don't mess with my grandson!" "Hey, what are you talking about? Who is your grandson?" However, the other party had already hung up the phone with a "snap". Xiao Wan was so angry that she couldn't help cursing, "Crazy!" As soon as she turned around, the phone rang again, and she picked it up and asked, "Who the hell are you? Playing tricks?" The other side stopped talking.Xiaowan was impatient, and urged: "Speak up, don't tell me I'll hang up." Suddenly thought that maybe Zhang Zhi was joking with her, so he changed his tone and said: "That's right, is it you? Don't pretend to be scary, tell me You, I've even seen real ghosts." "Don't be with him." The other party finally spoke, but it was a faint female voice, low and thin, like a wandering spirit. Xiao Wan was startled, and felt her hairs stand on end: "Who is it? Ruo Meiying?" "Don't be with him!" The other party hung up the phone again with a "snap". Xiao Wan was angry and scared, staring at the phone almost wanted to grab it and drop it.If you really want to be driven crazy by these ghosts, what is going on? At this moment, the Beijing opera "A Chinese Girl's Departure Soul" suddenly came from the father's room: "It's just that he is a scholar with high ambitions, and Yuan Lai is very miserable. I think I am a lonely man and widow..." Elegant and lingering, like weeping and complaining. "Mei Ying?" Xiao Wan jumped up, it was clearly Ruo Meiying's voice, did she follow him home?Dad is a materialist, Mei Ying suddenly appeared singing and dancing, she must scare people to death. However, when I rushed into my father's room, I found that there was nothing, only the gramophone was spinning in circles leisurely. Shui Rong stared at his daughter in disbelief and asked, "What's going on? I was playing Yue opera, why did it suddenly change?" The Beijing opera "A Chinese Girl's Departure Soul" is out." Xiaowan was stunned, forced a smile and said, "Maybe Mei Yingtuomeng, I will teach you how to change the script." Suddenly she felt a little emotional, "Dad, Mei Ying doesn't want you to change the plays she sang, she is reminding you Son." "Nonsense." Shui Rong glared at his daughter, and tapped the gramophone happily, "This record was recorded privately, and I borrowed it from a friend of mine. It turns out that he has treasured Ruo Meiying's vocals. What a surprise. !" Xiaowan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and she was afraid that her father would be frightened, so it turned out that he had such a self-justification, let him believe that he had another adventure.Hurry up tomorrow and he will thank that theater friend, just don't scare him. She sat down and listened to the play with her father. "I arranged for mandarin ducks to stay brocade and be fragrant, and he was looking forward to the phoenix singing and the zither. How can I make butterflies fly around the brocade trees..." Xiaowan's heart skipped a beat. Isn't what she sang in this passage exactly Ruo Meiying's own experience?On July 13th of that year, she booked a room in the hotel, spread out brocade quilts, and smelled a lot of incense, just waiting to have flowers and candles in the bridal chamber with Zhang Chaotian, and the harp music.But he, he didn't come! "I've passed one day a year, and there are fewer reunion days; thirty-three days have passed, and the sky of Lihen is the highest; four hundred and four diseases, how can I survive the lovesickness?" Xiaowan closed her eyes, as if she saw with her own eyes that in the hotel room, Ruomeiying took the Guangdong warlord to complete the coming-of-age ceremony from a girl to a woman on the marriage bed that she personally arranged.Delivered itself, as expected.However, the groom is not the one he loves. ——The pain of life is so far!She finally understood why Ruo Meiying mysteriously disappeared on the eve of July 14th, and suddenly appeared before the play the next day, why she shouted hoarse on purpose, why she married a Guangdong warlord against her will, and why she smoked after getting married. Taking opium...just because her heart died one step ahead of her body, on the night of July 14th. Xiao Wan burst into tears and gradually choked up.Shui Rong was originally listening to the beat, but suddenly noticed his daughter's expression was strange, and asked worriedly: "What's wrong with you?" "No, oh, the lyrics of this song are very touching..." Xiao Wan faltered, wiped her face indiscriminately, leaned on her father and said, "Dad, fortunately I still have you, I am much happier than her." "Happier than anyone else? Why is your kid talking so nonchalantly lately?" Shui Ronghui misunderstood, "Young people get dizzy when they fall in love. Did you quarrel with him too? The phone kept ringing just now, it was him ?" "no……" Before she finished speaking, the phone rang sharply again, Xiao Wan was in a panic, and ran out to pick it up, but the other party was silent again. "Speak, who are you?" Xiao Wan was annoyed, is it Zhang Zhiye?Is that the old man?Or that nervous woman? "Hey, is it human, ghost, male, female, dead or alive, please give me some voice?" "Don't be with him." It turned out to be that woman. "Who? Don't you want to be with whom?" "Don't be with him." Over and over again, it will be this sentence.The seven-character mantra is nonsensical, and if you say it, it means you don't say it. "Who is he?" Xiao Wan said impatiently, "Who are you?" "Don't be with him. You won't have a good result!" The other party gritted his teeth, almost cursing. Xiao Wan became angry: "You are crazy!" "Crack!" This time she hung up the phone first.Back in the house, I couldn't sleep no matter what.Who is it?If it was before, she would simply regard someone as a prank, but today, she can't help but wonder if it is another ghost with a lingering soul, who was offended by herself unintentionally, and came up to fight with herself Scores? Before I could stop, the phone rang again.Xiaowan went over to pick it up, and immediately scolded: "If you want to say it, say it clearly, don't play tricks." However, her anger returned to her, and the other party repeated the same sentence: "Don't be with him. You will regret it!" "You regret it! See you big-headed ghost!" Xiao Wan hung up the phone again and took off the latch. The puppy Dongdong was woken up, and crawled out of his den, wagging his tail, looking at his little master sadly, longing for intimacy but not daring to approach him. Xiaowan felt sad for a while, clapped her hands to Dongdong, and said softly: "Dongdong, come here, it's okay, let me hug you." Dongdong hesitated and took a few steps forward, then suddenly groaned "vomit", turned around and ran away. Xiao Wan's heart suddenly became heavy, and she had no choice but to go back to the room and sleep soundly with her head covered.Just lay down, but jumped up suddenly, turned on the light and checked the copper bell, it was green and rusty, with faint patterns, but there was no blood.She was relieved, fortunately there was no murderous intent.