Naxi stories
They walked for about twenty minutes and arrived at an inconspicuous little wooden house on the westernmost edge of town.
She shouted a couple of sentences at the village chief in a Naxi language that she couldn't understand.
Two more minutes passed before the cabin door opened.
The little girl holding her hand used a bit of force, and she bent down, hearing her say, "The village chief was just asking if Uncle He was home, and if it was convenient for him to come in, because we have guests."
She gently patted Qingqing's head and praised her, "You're quite clever!"
Before the village chief and his men went inside, I looked back and saw that the two of them were getting along well, so I felt relieved.
The children from the third son's family are all indeed outstanding.
He was related to this family, and he had to call the old man inside his cousin; he was very stubborn.
Upon hearing that someone wanted to learn about Dongba murals from him, he immediately closed the door and refused to let him bring people in.
It was only last night that he invited his uncle's elders to persuade him to let people visit the murals, but on one condition: no photos were allowed.
After receiving guidance from the village chief along the way, Xu Changjia developed even greater respect for the master.
Guided by the little girl, we looked at the murals one by one, and gradually gained an understanding of the master.
After taking a quick walk around, I arrived in front of him.
Xu Changjia showed him the respect due to a junior, and his humble attitude of seeking advice eased his mind somewhat.
Unlike the others, he was happy to spend more time talking to her.
The most important principle of Dongba murals is their narrative structure that combines pictures and text, giving you a gentle and engaging feeling as they tell the story of the brotherhood between humans and nature.
She had heard her teacher analyze these points in class, but now, after seeing the murals and listening to the creators' feelings, she had a completely new understanding.
The harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature can be depicted in murals in this way.
Everyone has a different concept of deities, and the three great gods of the Naxi people are seen as so majestic.
As she listened to the mural master recount his lifelong connection with Dongba culture, she was reminded of her own unwavering dedication to ethnic and folk studies.
As if sensing something, he kindly took her hand and led her to the painting called "Chongban Tu".
Tell her to close her eyes and feel the call of the gods.
The ancestor of the Naxi people was Chongren Lien, who was the only one left in the world after a devastating flood.
Fortunately, the kind-hearted man received divine guidance—he was to marry the daughter of the god Laoap, Chenghong Baobai, so that he could have offspring and continue human civilization.
But the god-son of Raup disagreed with the marriage and set many tests for him, each an impossible task, for example:
Ninety-nine forests were cut down in one day;
Ninety-nine felled trees were burned in one day;
Sow seeds in ninety-nine plots of land in one day
...
Chongren Lien was at a loss, but fortunately, the daughter of the gods, Cheng Hong Bao Bai, used her wisdom to help him complete these trials.
With the help of birds and beasts, Zilao Apu had no choice but to agree to their marriage, fulfill his promise, and send them blessings from heaven.
As she touched the carvings on the stone wall, the images of three celestial beings appeared in her mind. It was as if the flood was rushing past her ears, and birds and beasts were chirping and clamoring to help her complete the test.
“Chongren Lien, a figure who only appears in Naxi legends, the ancestor they have worshipped for so long, appeared before her so vividly.”
When she opened her eyes again, Xu Changjia saw that the master had painted another picture of her, depicting her in a new painting and incorporating her into the Dongba legend she had just been told.
Her expression shifted rapidly, finally settling into a soft laugh when she saw her own features. "Master, I..."
The master who showed her the murals gave her the painting directly and was happy to tell her more about Dongba paintings.
Xu Changjia straightened his back and took out his notebook to listen to the master recount the past.
The village chief left He Qingqing there to keep her company, gave her a few more instructions, and then quietly left.
The slow pace of life in the small town made her almost unaware of the passage of time.
We spent the whole day with the mural master, and even had lunch brought over by Qingqing while we ate and talked.
She truly felt that it was a great pity that Master Heqing had deep thoughts and feelings that were not revealed to the world.
As their conversation was about to end, she asked one more question, "Master He, have you really never thought about going beyond Tinghuayu and spreading the Dongba murals?"
He stood up, patted Xu Changjia on the shoulder, and said, “There is a reason why Dongba murals have been passed down for so many years. All I can do is take my work seriously and paint each one well.”
She looked at the small figure standing beneath the mural, somewhat thin, yet with such a peaceful smile, as if at some moment she had become one with the painting above.
After bidding farewell to Master Heqing, she began to ponder the direction of her writing and the materials she needed to photograph.
Photography is not allowed here by the master; the only thing that can be shown is the painting he gifted me.
The other Dongba murals are housed in the municipal research institute; I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to see them.
She asked Qingqing to convey her thoughts, and while waiting, she locked herself in the courtyard and buried herself in writing.
Occasionally, I'll take my phone and photography equipment out for a day or two to capture the daily lives of the residents of Tinghuayu Town.
Then, she sent it back to her friends to see.
Zheng Ruoqian was the first to get her photo; he had just finished filming "Survivor Game" and returned home.
The assistant told him about the schedule for the next few days, and that he was going to audition for a period drama set in the Republican era the next day, which was recommended by teacher Wang Lei.
He has already completed one-third of the acting class, and he still needs to practice on his own to improve his skills, otherwise he would be letting down Teacher Wang Lei's good intentions.
In addition to these, due to the airing of the variety show "Survivor Game", some collaborations have also come knocking on our door.
After communicating with the team, agent Chen Lin gave several suggestions for endorsements.
The assistant organized the selected endorsements on a tablet and handed it over.
It's a relatively niche jewelry brand, but what's noteworthy is its craftsmanship, which incorporates many traditional handicrafts and intangible cultural heritage techniques.
Zheng Ruoqian took a few more glances and made a mental note of LW Jewelry.
The remaining ones are clothing brands, and also cosmetics brands.
Sister Chen Lin was very careful in accepting him, striving to elevate his current status. For example, the LW jewelry brand itself is very memorable, and it will only benefit his career in the future.
He only specifically requested to be the spokesperson for that jewelry brand; he asked his agent to arrange the rest.
He focused on acting classes for the rest of the time.
He stared blankly at the crowds flowing outside the window, a path he used to walk with Jiajia.
Why, suddenly, I miss her so much.
"After I finish my acting classes, I'll see if you can help me schedule a few days of rest."
The assistant didn't even need to ask; he knew it must be because of that Miss Xu.
Only she could make a superstar who always loves his work stop.
"Okay, I'll coordinate it."
The drive was still long, so he took out his phone again and looked through the photos Jiajia had sent him.
The Dongba murals are actually quite interesting.
These things that have never appeared before can be combined with his music and dance, and maybe they will create new sparks.
He got right to work. Back in the studio, he tried to piece together the story and then extracted keywords and themes from it.
But he felt something was still missing, so he called Xu Changjia to ask about her progress in listening to the language of flowers.
The result was merely that they had just finished exploring the Dongba murals and were now moving on to the Dongba script.
Before he even returned, he had already compiled a paper of tens of thousands of words and sent it to Professor Xu.
They also extended their congratulations to Yunhe.
He caught everyone's attention with his revised paintings that were full of human touch, and won awards in several international competitions.
When Wen Xuanyi received the script, he was quite surprised. This was clearly a gathering of acquaintances.
I just saw Xu Changjia at his graduation ceremony, and now we're meeting again at the TV station.
The conversation between the two shifted from Hsu Chang-chia to today's interview.
As they talked, they also envied her courage to just leave whenever she wanted. The two of them graduated a few years earlier and had already become corporate slaves.
When I video-called Xu Changjia a couple of days ago, I heard that she was still studying Dongba culture through flower language. I was quite moved. She has become more scholarly now, quite different from when she was a child.
Wen Xuanyi had watched her grow up step by step from the campus, and he took good care of this somewhat stubborn girl, praising the videos she sent him endlessly.
What did he say back then? Could he collaborate with her on the entire documentary? She just smiled and didn't say anything.
The TV station was ready, and someone came to call them to continue recording. The two had no choice but to temporarily stop what they were saying and go to film.
Should it be made into a documentary?
Xu Changjia found it hard not to be tempted, but looking at the books piled up all over the room, and the manuscript she had revised countless times, she sighed inwardly.
Over the past two days, Qingqing and I have taken her to visit each household, asking her what she wanted to ask, taking pictures of what she wanted to take, and letting her experience the Naxi way of life that she had never encountered before.
She felt that these experiences alone were enough to fill a book, but still not enough.
She was still missing the most important step, which is why she hadn't left Tinghuayu yet.
The village chief also agreed to her request and invited an old man to teach her what she wanted to learn, but due to health reasons, she was unable to put it into practice.
She had no choice but to follow Qingqing around as usual, going up and down mountains and rivers, enjoying the small-town life.
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