Chapter 62 The Unexpected Mission
Shu Ran's sick leave was extended for another week, and she was only able to walk around with difficulty. One afternoon, the company's loudspeaker suddenly blared, notifying all company officers to attend a meeting at the company headquarters immediately.
The meeting ended not long after. Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu came out of the company headquarters one after the other.
"Old Ma, what's the plan for this?" Secretary Liu took out a cigarette but didn't light it.
Ma Zhanshan tapped the sole of his shoe, saying irritably, "What else can we do? It's a task assigned by the higher-ups, we have to grit our teeth and do it. The regiment said it's a political task, we have to respond enthusiastically, and there will be a competition! But our company... sigh, besides shouting work songs loudly, what artistic backbone do we have?"
"There used to be a Zhou Qiaozhen, who could sing a few lines and dance a bit, but she's been transferred now." Secretary Liu sighed, then suddenly seemed to remember something, "Hey, wasn't Teacher Shu from Shanghai? People from big cities are well-traveled and knowledgeable, maybe..."
Ma Zhanshan's eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "But she's not fully recovered yet, and this task is being assigned to her..."
"Let's ask first, and if that doesn't work, we'll think of something else," Secretary Liu decided.
So, after dinner that evening, Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu came to the dugout where Shu Ran was staying.
Shu Ran was reading the notebook Yang Zhenhua had given her by the light of a kerosene lamp when she saw the two leaders arrive together. She was a little surprised and quickly tried to get up.
"Don't get up, Teacher Shu, please sit down." Secretary Liu quickly waved his hand, squeezing onto a small stool with Company Commander Ma. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm much better, thank you for your concern, boss."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Company Commander Ma rubbed his hands together and got down to business: "Teacher Shu, it's like this. The regiment just issued a task requiring each company to rehearse excerpts from revolutionary model operas for a performance around the Spring Festival, to enrich the cultural life of the workers and also to provide important ideological education."
Secretary Liu chimed in, "You know our company's situation. We're good at hoeing and clearing land, but we can't get anything out of the arts. I heard you're from Shanghai, a big city, with broad experience. What do you think about this..."
Shu Ran understood instantly. They were going to assign her a task.
Her mind raced, quickly calculating. Model operas? "The Red Lantern," "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," "Shajiabang"...
She had heard of and seen such performances, but those were all by professional troupes, involving singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics. As a language teacher, how could she possibly understand that? Teaching literacy might be fine, but teaching this kind of singing was simply a joke.
A troubled look appeared on her face: "Company Commander, Secretary, model operas are revolutionary treasures with great significance. But I... I'm really not proficient in Peking Opera. I don't understand the singing style or the movements. I'm afraid I won't be able to complete the task well and will embarrass the company."
Company Commander Ma immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "No, Teacher Shu! We don't care about winning awards, we just want our company to have a performance on stage, so we don't go empty-handed! You're an intellectual, after all, you're better than us roughnecks, aren't you?"
Secretary Liu also advised, "Yes, Teacher Shu, think of a way. Whatever support you need, the company will try its best to coordinate for you."
Shu Ran lowered her eyes, deep in thought. Forcing herself to go through with it wouldn't work, but directly refusing wasn't appropriate either.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
She raised her head, her eyes brightening: "Company Commander, Secretary, since it's for ideological education and to enrich people's lives, we don't necessarily have to copy the Peking Opera singing style exactly, do we? Our company has limited resources, and the staff and their families don't have any background knowledge."
"So what you mean is?"
"How about this?" Shu Ran sat up straighter. "Let's choose a classic scene, like 'Everyone has a bright red heart' from 'The Red Lantern,' or 'Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy'. I'll change the lyrics into catchy dialogue and simple recitation, and add some simple actions. Just like... just like students rehearsing a play from their textbooks!"
"Textbook drama?" Company Commander Ma and Secretary Liu exchanged a glance, looking both bewildered and intrigued. They had never heard of this term before!
“Yes!” Shu Ran felt it was feasible more and more as she spoke. “Let the women from the literacy class and the older children perform. They are learning to read and write, and memorizing these words and phrases can not only reinforce their literacy but also receive revolutionary education. The props are also simple: a red cloth turban represents Li Tiemei, and a wooden gun represents Yang Zirong… We focus on the artistic conception and participation. What do you think?”
Company Commander Ma blinked, pondering the words "textbook drama".
It doesn't sound that mysterious, and it's related to literacy, so it seems... it might work!
Secretary Liu slapped his thigh: "Hey! This is a great idea! It kills two birds with one stone! It completes the task assigned by the higher authorities without delaying your important work! Teacher Shu, you intellectuals really do have quick minds!"
Company Commander Ma breathed a sigh of relief, a smile finally appearing on his face: "Alright! Let's do it this way! Teacher Shu, this matter is in your hands! Just call whoever you need! If any brat dares to disobey, I'll deal with him!"
The task thus fell to Shu Ran's shoulders.
Shu Ran accepted the task, and the next day she felt better, so she dared not rest any longer.
She read through the scripts of "The Red Lantern" and "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" several times, and finally decided to stage the two connecting segments in "The Red Lantern"—"Telling the painful history of revolutionary families" and "Everyone has a red and bright heart."
Because the characters are relatively simple, the emotional conflicts are intense, and the dialogue is more narrative, it is suitable for adaptation.
Once she made up her mind, she immediately began selecting roles.
During the break, she called several older children, including Shitou, Shuanzhu, Chuncao, and Xiaoya, as well as some of the bolder and faster learners from the literacy class, such as Zhang Guifen, Li Xiulan, and Sister Wang, to the new classroom.
Everyone gathered in a circle, and after listening to Shu Ran finish talking about rehearsing a play for the performance, they were all stunned for a moment, and then burst into a commotion.
"What? You want us to act?" Zhang Guifen was the first to shout, her face turning bright red. "Oh my dear Teacher Shu, you can make me carry sacks, but act? That's laughable!"
"That's right, I can't even speak properly..." "I'm scared, I don't dare to go on stage..."
The children chattered excitedly, yet also timidly.
Shu Ran had anticipated this outcome. She smiled and gestured with her hands, saying, "Everyone, don't rush, listen to me. This isn't about having you sing Peking Opera. We're just going to perform this revolutionary story in a spoken form. Just like... just like when we read texts in our literacy classes, only with some added actions and expressions."
She looked at Li Xiulan and said, "Xiulan, you are young, have a good memory, and are quick and agile. How about you play Li Tiemei? Just wear a red ribbon in your hair and sing... uh, say the line 'I have countless uncles'."
Li Xiulan was so frightened that she shrank back, waving her hands wildly: "No, no! Teacher Shu, I can't! I don't know how to act!"
"You can do it," Shu Ran encouraged her. "You're quick at recognizing characters, so you'll definitely remember your lines. Tie Mei is also a child who has suffered a lot, but she's sensible and strong, a bit like you."
She then looked at Sister Wang and said, "Sister Wang, you have a loud voice and a strong presence. You are the most suitable to play Grandma Li. The part where she recounts her revolutionary history is the one that needs someone like you to command the scene!"
Sister Wang paused for a moment, but didn't immediately refuse. Instead, she pondered, "Grandma Li? You mean that revolutionary old woman? Hmm... what was that saying again?"
Shu Ran quickly handed over the simplified script.
Shi Tou was the boldest of the children, and he took the initiative to ask, "Teacher Shu, what about me?"
“Stone, you play Li Yuhe! A Communist Party member, a hero! He was captured by the enemy in the end, but he refused to surrender even in the face of death!” Upon hearing this, Stone immediately puffed out his chest and his face lit up.
Shuanzhu asked shyly, "Teacher, what roles can I play?"
“Shuanzhu, you’re playing a knife sharpener, who’s also an underground party member. You only have one line: ‘Sharpening scissors—sharpening a kitchen knife—’ and then you give Li Yuhe a signal. It’s very important!” Shuanzhu nodded seriously, silently repeating “Sharpening scissors.”
Xiao Ya and Chuncao, along with several other girls, vied to play the roles of the neighbors and friends...
Adil was also assigned the role of a villainous soldier by Shu Ran. Although he had no lines, he was required to hold a wooden gun and have a fierce expression.
Adil awkwardly took the wooden gun, tried to bare his teeth, which made everyone laugh.
Once the roles were roughly assigned, the opposition actually diminished considerably.
Everyone held their own sheets of paper with simple lines written on them, and their expressions became serious.
This is no longer just performing an opera; it is a tangible and visible task, and moreover, a glorious revolutionary task.
In the days that followed, the new classroom and the open space next to it became lively. Every day after school and after literacy classes, rehearsal time was used.
Shu Ran taught everyone to read the lines one by one and explained the characters' emotions.
"Grandma Li, this is a time for grief, but not for weeping and wailing; it's a time for hatred and strength!"
"Tie Mei, be innocent and curious, yet quick-witted." "Li Yuhe, be resolute, and keep your voice deep!"
Since there were no red ribbons, red cloth strips were used instead. Without a red lantern, Shu Ran asked Old Sun for an old kerosene lantern, which Li Xiulan carried. Without a broadsword, Shuanzhu brought a real old woodcutter's knife from home, but Shu Ran strictly ordered him to only practice with it and not sharpen it.
Each person also received a wooden pistol, which was made by Shu Ran after drawing the design and asking the mechanics to help saw it out.
"I have countless cousins~~ They only come to visit when there's something important~~" Li Xiulan started reciting haltingly, but with Shu Ran's encouragement, she was able to pick up a tune. Although it was a far cry from Peking Opera singing, it actually sounded quite pleasant.
Sister Wang's "recounting her family's revolutionary history" was particularly powerful. She hardly needed to look at the script; her words seemed to come from her heart, carrying her genuine emotions as a family member of a martyr. Often, her recitation brought tears to the eyes of herself and others.
The children were even more engaged, brandishing their wooden guns and shouting "Charge!" and "Kill!", making the rehearsal a lively and exciting event.
Even Zhao Weidong once passed by, watched for a while, and muttered, "It looks pretty convincing."
Rehearsals were not always smooth sailing.
The biggest problems are forgetting lines and stage fright. Especially the women, as soon as they see onlookers, they immediately freeze, not knowing what to do with their hands and feet.
Shu Ran wasn't in a hurry; she treated this rehearsal as a special literacy and psychological lesson.
“It’s alright, Sister Guifen. Look at this phrase, ‘Tiemei, open the door.’ It’s only five words. Remember it well.”
"Xiulan, don't be afraid. Just treat the people sitting below the stage as our own people. Just act the same as usual."
"Everyone, please remember, we are not acting; we are telling the stories of revolutionary martyrs and sharing their spirit with more people. Doesn't that make you feel less anxious?"
She also singled out the more difficult words and unfamiliar characters from the script and wrote them on the blackboard to teach everyone to recognize, read, and write them.
"'Stack' means to pile up."
"'The inside story' is the root cause, the truth."
“'Copper and iron'—brass and steel are both very hard materials, used as a metaphor for the will of revolutionaries.”
In this way, while memorizing their lines, everyone also learned quite a few new characters. Zhang Guifen laughed and said, "This is much more interesting than just copying! In order not to mispronounce the lines, I also have to memorize these characters!"
The preparation of props was also full of collective wisdom.
Red lights have always been a problem; kerosene lamps just don't look right.
In the end, Shu Ran came up with a solution. She asked Xu Junjun for a large, discarded glass medicine bottle, washed it clean, covered the inside with red paper, tied a rope to the mouth of the bottle, and lit a small candle inside. It could only be lit during the performance, and it actually looked quite decent.
The costumes used for the performances were incredibly diverse.
Grandma Li's jacket belonged to Sister Wang; it was patched but clean. Li Tiemei's red floral jacket was Li Xiulan's only brightly colored garment, which she rarely wore. Li Yuhe's work clothes were an old work uniform donated by Stone's father.
Since they couldn't find the Japanese soldiers' yellow uniforms, they simply used old military uniforms stained with some yellow mud water, dried them, and made do.
As the performance date drew closer, everyone's nervousness intensified, but their enthusiasm for rehearsals soared to unprecedented heights.
This became a novelty in the livestock company. Every day, employees would come to watch the spectacle after work, offering their opinions with a few laughs, only to be pulled in by Shu Ran with a smile to become spectators and get a feel for the place.
Three days before the performance, Shu Ran organized a simple rehearsal within the company. Company Commander Ma, Secretary Liu, Zhao Weidong, and many other unemployed staff members came, crowding the classroom doorway.
There was no music; Shu Ran provided the lyrics and rhythm by clapping her hands.
When Sister Wang recounted her revolutionary family history in accented Mandarin with grief and indignation, the audience was completely silent.
When Li Xiulan carried the "red lantern" and crisply recited, "Although we are relatives and do not recognize each other, he is closer than a relative," someone nodded gently.
When Shi Tou, playing Li Yuhe, was "forced" away with his head held high, the children clenched their little fists.
After the performance ended, there was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by a burst of enthusiastic applause.
Company Commander Ma clapped his hands vigorously, his face beaming with joy: "Good! Excellent! Well done! Truly well done!"
Secretary Liu nodded repeatedly: "I really didn't expect this! Teacher Shu, your idea is brilliant! This is not just acting, it's a living lesson in ideology!"
Zhao Weidong didn't speak, but he nodded in agreement.
Looking at the actors whose faces were flushed with excitement, and at the satisfied faces below the stage, Shu Ran finally felt a huge weight lifted from her heart.
She suddenly realized that this was not just about completing a task assigned by her superiors.
In this process, these women and children became more confident and more studious, and the atmosphere in the unit seemed to become more cohesive. The revolutionary stories truly entered everyone's hearts in this way.
In the formal performance, they may not be the best singers, but they are definitely the most sincere.
She looked at Shuanzhu, who was carefully wiping the wooden gun, and Li Xiulan and Chuncao, who were adjusting each other's hair ties, and a smile appeared on her lips.
It was worth it to be able to rehearse this special textbook play in my lifetime.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
