In Kunming in winter, the sun warmly corrodes people's bones and shines on people's bodies. Southwest Associated University wanted to rehearse a drama for performance, and at the suggestion of senior Mu Dan, Huang Zhengzhong, Zhu Jingxing and other students decided to perform "Thunderstorm".

Mr. Wen Yiduo, a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature of the Faculty of Arts, is the director of this play, and he still personally helped the students to draw the curtain and make the background, and the students were very busy.

After almost a month of preparation, the show finally began. The performance in the school received a good response and was affirmed by many teachers and students. Among them, Huang Zhengzhong played Zhou Ping, and Zhu Jingxing played Lu Dahai, which was affirmed by the author Cao Yu.

After the performance that day, Cao Yu, who was invited by Mr. Wen Yiduo to watch the performance cheaply, was greatly appreciated after watching it. After the performance, he smiled and said to Huang Zhengzhong: "You performed the kind of state that Zhou Ping needs, I feel very similar to the Zhou Ping I imagined after watching it." ”

Then, he said to Zhu Jingxing: "You played the role of Lu Dahai very well, I really feel that this thunderstorm is happening after watching it." ”

With the affirmation of the original author, the students are naturally very happy. Strike while the iron is hot, and in a few weeks, the students of the United Nations University plan to promote this drama outside the university so that more people can understand this drama.

For this reason, the students rehearsed day and night, in order to be able to train their voices, Xue Shumin, a female classmate in the drama club, even had to get up early every morning to practice her voice, after all, performing outside is different from the school theater, where more people will have to face, and without the help of amplification equipment, more people need to hear their lines.

Everyone rehearsed hard for several days, but when it came to the performance that day, it was not satisfactory. The performance on the streets of Kunming had a mediocre response, but their performance in the countryside could be said to be a fiasco, not only did the performance not receive the expected effect, but even before it ended, the audience had almost dispersed.

The only one who persevered to the end was an old lady, and when Zhu Jingxing asked why the old lady didn't go with the others, she pointed to Zhu Jingxing and muttered a reply, "Because that actor looks like my son who went to fight outside, although I can't understand what you're playing, I don't want to leave when I look at him." ”

Coming to such a result, it was somewhat unexpected by the students, and everyone was both moved and disappointed by the old lady's words.

After sending the old man away, everyone began to pack their things and prepare to go back. The failure of the performance cast a shadow on everyone's hearts, and on the way back, everyone sat in the carriage and discussed.

Some people began to blame themselves for the problem of looking for performances, and some students said that the people here did not know the goods and would not come here to perform in the future.

However, Zhu Jingxing, who was born in the countryside, smiled and said: "Actually, it's not that there is anything wrong with our performance, it's not that they have any problems, it's just that the life of the performance is not familiar with them." There is no such thing as a prince and a general in the drama, so they don't like it. ”

Xue Shumin shook her head and said: "Why would the common people rather go to see the emperors and generals in those dramas than come to see the dramas that reflect reality and inspire people's hearts?" Is it really that the people's wisdom has not been opened? ”

Zhu Jingxing shook his head and said: "In fact, when they watch the operas, in addition to some ancient operas with wonderful fighting scenes, the most important thing is that they can find their own sustenance in the ancient operas." For example, why Kunqu opera cannot be spread among the people is because talented and beautiful people live too far away from the common people, and the popularity of Peking Opera and Henan Opera, including the novels Three Heroes and Five Righteousness, is also based on this. ”

Huang Zhengzhong didn't understand a little, he asked puzzledly: "Aren't the lives of other operas and emperors and generals also very far away from the lives of ordinary people?" ”

Zhu Jingxing said with a smile: "In other opera repertoire, ordinary people can find comfort in their hearts. Since ancient times, they have liked three things, there are Ming monarchs in prosperous times, Qing officials in the ruling world, and chivalrous people in troubled times. The common people of China have endured too much suffering, from corrupt officials to local ruffians and bullies. The reason why the fictional Bao Gong beheaded Chen Shimei has endured for a long time is because they hate people like Chen Shimei, and they seek comfort in the play. The same is true of the three heroes and five righteousness, in addition to the worship of heroes by the common people, there is also the fact that these chivalrous men punish evil and promote good, satisfying their dissatisfaction with reality. ”

Huang Zhengzhong did not speak, although Zhu Jingxing's words were not impeccable, but they seemed to have some truth.

After going back, Huang Zhengzhong also sent a letter to Mr. Cao Yu, in which he told Mr. about the performance and raised his doubts. Unexpectedly, Cao Yu replied to him a letter not long after, in which Mr. told him that the creation of art should be based on life, and he was planning to create a drama that reflected the theme of peasants.

Huang Zhengzhong didn't take it to heart, and it wasn't until soon after Mr. Cao Yu created "The Field", which reflected the peasants of the time, and the performance was a great success, that he understood the true meaning.

Later, many years later, Huang Zhengzhong, who was already in his sixtieth year, learned that Mu Dan's cousin Zha Liangyong had created a series of martial arts novels with chivalry as the main body and achieved great success, so he felt that maybe Zhu Jingxing's theory was still correct.

……

College life always feels rushed, and in the blink of an eye, the semester is over, and when it's time for the winter break, students are getting ready to pack up and go home.

However, a large number of students are in Japanese-occupied areas or war zones, so the winter break is no different for them than usual.

But for such a long time, Huang Zhengzhong has never returned home. Although he often visits his mother, his father Huang Ke has also met him once.

Hearing that the Battle of Nanjing had ended, our army had begun to gradually counterattack on the front line, and in view of this, he wanted to go back to Nanjing to have a look.

Before leaving, Senior Mu Dan found Huang Zhengzhong. He told Huang Zhengzhong that he planned to sign up for the army, but because of the policy, he couldn't sign up.

Huang Zhengzhong knew this that at the beginning of the war, the Nanjing government promulgated the management method for students to join the army, and for the sake of the country's future, Huang Ke personally issued an order that students who were studying in schools were not allowed to join the army. Of course, this policy also caused many people who were unwilling to fight to do everything possible to take advantage of loopholes and get themselves as students to avoid joining the army.

However, for a young man like Mu Dan who aspires to join the army and go to the front, such an order is like a roadblock.

Mu Dan is ready to give up his qualification as a school assistant to join the army. He knew that Huang Zhengzhong had some relatives in the military, so he asked him if he could think of a way.

Huang Zhengzhong knew that his father would not agree to do so, and he politely declined Mu Dan's request.

"The senior's desire to serve the country is admirable, but studying in school is also a way to serve the country. Since the government has issued such regulations, I am afraid that it will not be easy to change them in a short period of time. ”

Mu Dan sighed with some disappointment and said: "Shame for a thousand autumns, and it will be snow in the end." Xingye, Xu Renjie. It became three households, and it was difficult to break. How difficult it is to worry about the new national fortunes, and to be tempted to endure the former philosophy. To be expelled from Qiu Kou to restore Shenjing, return Yanjie. ”

This is the school song of Southwest Associated University, and every student of Southwest Associated University is extremely familiar with it. At this time, it was sung from the mouth of Senior Mu Dan, but it was even more ambitious.

Zhu Jingxing said: "I heard that the U.S. flight team for China's aid is training near Kunming, and they are recruiting pilots together with our air force. Pilots are very physically and physically demanding, which we students are satisfied with, and I would like to give it a try. ”

"China-aided flying team?" Mudan seemed to be interested.

"I've heard of pilots recruited by the China Aid Flying Team, but they recruit them from within the military. Now the recruitment for the society is only to recruit some ground staff. Besides, Brother Jing Xing, you are wearing glasses, I'm afraid you can only go to the ground staff. "Huang Zhengzhong knows about this, and their recruitment is more technical, so the requirements are relatively high.

As he spoke, Zhu Jingxing stroked his glasses and smiled: "Go to the ground to work on the ground." I heard that the subsidy for ground handling is also good, but I can't hide it, my hometown is about to be uncovered. It would be great to be able to join the army and earn some money to support the family at the same time. ”

Huang Zhengzhong and Mu Dan both knew the situation in Zhu Jingxing's family, his family was in Anhui, although it was not rich before the war, it was also considered a middle income, and there was no need to worry about eating and drinking. After the outbreak of the war, Anhui was not far from the front line, and the Japanese bombardment was frequent, and his family was affected, and his income was not one-fifth of that before the war, but prices soared.

Although the tuition fee of the United Nations University is free and there are subsidies for food and housing, it is also a burden for Zhu Jingxing's family.

Huang Zhengzhong often helps this brother on weekdays. In addition to the relationship between the two, Huang Zhengzhong also admires Zhu Jingxing's talent, he is full of literary talents, likes to read history books, in life, he is not like some students from poor families with strong self-esteem, he is also more optimistic about difficulties, and he rarely hides his difficulties.

"It's just that once you go to join the army, your studies will be interrupted. You have a strong interest in literature and history, and even Mr. Wen Yiduo said that you are talented. It's a pity to go this way. Huang Zhengzhong persuaded.

"To be honest, many of our classmates want to go to the front, and I also feel from the bottom of my heart that it would be a pity for them and the future of the country to stop their studies. It would be great if you could continue to go to school after the war was over. Mudan said.

Regarding the question of the students joining the army and after joining the army, Huang Zhengzhong wrote it down in his heart, and when he saw his father this time, he wanted to raise it with him if he had the opportunity.