Xie Feifan felt like he had been idle for a long time.
Although it has actually been less than a week, I feel all sorts of uncomfortable. Maybe it was because I was too busy before, running around non-stop, but now that I have some free time, I am not used to it.
When he told Zhao Yi this idea, the big brother laughed and scolded him: "Are you a bitch?!"
you do not say!
As a trickster, of course, I hope to have as much leisure as possible, and only when I am sick will I come up with tasks.
But that's it.
"A strange signal was detected, number 0759083, energy level B, located in the Cultural Building of Boundary Village, Xinfeng Town, Orange County. Please go to this destination for containment."
A message came from the command center.
The three people who stayed in Orange County gathered as soon as possible.
Li Yaoguo's eyes were solemn: "Have you received everything?"
The two nodded quickly.
Turtle, see you again at the B level. How come there are so many B level weirdos in this small place like Orange County?
Li Yaoguo: "B-level trickster, I will lead the team this time. Please protect yourselves. Remember, you are not allowed to take action without my order."
The two said solemnly: "Understood!"
For a B-level mission, if there is no trickster of the corresponding level at the front, they are just noobs and will have no choice but to die.
Just like last time at Luosi Hotel.
…
Boundary Village.
It is located at the boundary between Xinfeng Town in Orange County and Suibei Town in Suicheng County, hence the name Boundary Village.
Boundary Village is not a small village. It relies on the provincial highway and has evolved into a quite lively village in the past few years. It has everything from kindergartens to middle schools, from express delivery points to gas stations to small processing plants.
Compared with the front of the village, the back of the village is a little deserted.
It is no different from most rural areas. There is a lack of young faces and mostly left-behind elderly people and children. Walking on the country road, you will occasionally hear ducks quacking or dogs barking from somewhere.
Boundary Village used to have something very famous, called puppet show, which has a history of more than 300 years since its birth. Local people often call it Bai Opera, Doll Opera, and Ghost Opera.
It’s called Bai Opera because most of it is sung in the local vernacular, it’s called Doll Opera because the puppets are called dolls in the local dialect, and it’s called Guizai Opera…
One theory is that the puppets are human-like, with ghosts and gods living among them.
There is another saying that when people are performing on the stage, people are not the only ones watching, there may be other things mixed in, cheering loudly.
Why do you say you were famous before?
Because with economic development, changes in the times, and the diversification of entertainment methods, traditional arts such as puppetry have gradually withdrawn from the public eye. Just like when movies were shown in the countryside in the past, now every village occasionally invites puppet troupes to perform during their festivals. The grand occasion of the whole village watching a play together can no longer be seen.
Without enough food, naturally no one wants to learn. This skill is becoming more and more deserted, and it is estimated that it will not be passed down for a long time.
Nowadays, the more famous Golden Puppet Show, which keeps up with the trend, is also considered a type of puppet show. It's just that they abandoned the traditional hand puppets and used larger puppets to perform.
Ordinary niche local puppet shows, such as the stick puppet show in Boundary Village, may not be able to take this path.
Even if it is a national-level intangible cultural heritage.
…
No one wants to learn to sing for puppetry, and the same goes for puppet making.
When making puppets, we must pay attention to a puppet that meets the needs of the plot. Different characters have different identities, statuses, and personalities. They are also divided into "raw, dan, pure, late, and ugly" types, so that the characters can be reflected in their appearance as much as possible.
The specific process includes selecting materials, carving head blanks, assembling hands, polishing, painting, and arranging costumes and props. Every step must not be careless.
It is so cumbersome and cannot be produced by machine. If the cost cannot be reduced, the quality cannot be improved.
Good puppets often cost thousands, which is simply not something that the local Caotai troupe can afford. Ordinary puppets are of poor quality, so no one wants to watch them, leading to a vicious cycle.
No one in Boundary Village can make puppets anymore, and not many can sing puppet shows.
Next to the Cultural Building.
Li Yaoguo and three others stood outside the courtyard gate in a "pin" shape.
After hesitating for a while, Li Yaoguo looked at the half-open wooden door, knocked on it, and then pushed it open.
In the yard, an old lady with gray hair stopped what she was doing and looked at them doubtfully.
On the hand is a puppet being made. Next to it are the head blanks, costumes and other materials. There are also puppets that have been made. They look of good quality and lifelike.
Li Yaoguo was slightly startled, then bowed and said, "Grandma, excuse me, are you at home alone?"
The old lady smiled kindly: "Yes, it's just me. What can I do to you young people?"
The three of them walked into the courtyard and took in everything around them calmly.
Li Yaoguo didn't dare to let down his guard, and his eyes fell on the head blank in the old lady's hand: "Are you making puppets?"
"Yes, I am a puppet maker. I have been doing this for many years. I started learning from my dad when I was ten years old. I made my first puppet when I was twelve. When I was seventeen, my dad said that I It has surpassed his level. At that time, the entire puppet theater troupe of Qinlian Mansion came to me to order puppets."
When talking about the past, the old lady sounded proud and smiled.
Li Yaoguo and Zhao Yi's pupils shrank.
"It's a pity that I'm old now, my eyesight doesn't work well, and I don't have much strength anymore, so I can't take on so many orders. Of course, there are fewer people who listen to puppet shows and sing them. From time to time, I can hear that a theater troupe has been disbanded. , everyone can only find another way to make a living. Naturally, no one will come to me to make puppets anymore."
The old lady sighed and babbled.
The last sentence seemed to be talking to himself, and seemed to be asking the three people who broke in: "Why doesn't anyone watch the puppet show now?"
Xie Feifan subconsciously replied: "It's normal. There are so many entertainment methods nowadays, including movies, TV, novels and short videos. Young people hold a mobile phone every day and do nothing. How can they calm down and listen to such obscure things?"
But when he saw Li Yaoguo glare at him fiercely, he reacted and shrank his neck.
The old lady was in a daze: "Sure enough, people are getting old and can't keep up with the thoughts of you young people. I don't understand what you are saying, eh."
Zhao Yi said aloud: "Actually, there are still people who are willing to listen and learn, but there are not as many as before. The country is so big and there are so many people, there will always be people who are interested in these things. Moreover, puppetry has been listed as a non-profit by the country. Officials have been helping to promote the list of tangible cultural heritage."
"Yeah?"
The old lady's eyes became brighter, and her kind smile reappeared: "That's good, that's good... As long as there are still people who remember the puppet show and there are still people who are willing to sing the puppet show..."
"He met me just because he likes puppetry. At first, my dad didn't want to teach him, so he would lie on the wall and secretly learn. Even after being scolded by my dad several times, he still stayed on with a playful smile. My dad couldn't help it. , I had to pretend I didn't see it. Later, when I saw his sincerity, I decided to accept him as my apprentice and teach him how to sing and make puppets. However, he was clumsy and his work was not as good as mine. Most of the time, he was the one doing the drawings. "
"who is he?"
"He's my man."
"Right now he……"
"We went to fight the Japanese. The people from the Third Company of the Fourth Regiment on the South Road left long ago. They went there for a long time. I don't remember. I promised to come back, but I haven't seen them back in so many years. I don't know if they were following me outside. Others are fine."
"no!"
Li Yaoguo was moved and subconsciously interrupted.
Facing the old lady's puzzled gaze, he twisted his lips: "He is not a deserter, nor is he a heartless person... He is a hero!!"
The fourth regiment and three companies fought from Qinlian Mansion to Gaoyao, then transferred to Xipu and entered the small country in the south. The original intention was to cooperate with the large forces to encircle and wipe out the remnants of the party, but unexpectedly encountered a large force counterattack...
No one came back alive.
