The atmosphere quieted down, and the three of them sat facing each other. The old man slowly told the story he knew...
"Do you know what Beijing was like 88 years ago?" He seemed to have no idea where to start, and after a pause, he asked this question.
Shi Rui shook his head and waited for the old man's answer.
Yu Zhi was completely lost in memories. Eighty-eight years ago...
Or for her, it should have been six years ago.
At that time, Peking was looking for a bit of peace in the midst of war. Although it could not be said to be a place where people could settle down and live happily, it was relatively peaceful.
Therefore, in this era, people are increasingly pursuing spiritual relaxation. For a time, all kinds of flowers bloom and compete with each other, and countless famous artists emerge.
The Yu Family Troupe was one of the most prestigious opera troupes in Peking at that time.
Patriarch Yu relied on his own voice to build the opera troupe from nothing to its current state, which can be said to be hard work.
When he was still alive, the Yu family's glory was unmatched. If a warlord failed to invite them to a banquet, it would be a shame.
The good times did not last long. The consequences of working hard all day when he was young came to light when he was old. The old head of the Yu family fell ill and passed away.
The heavy burden fell on his legitimate son, Yu Tai, the second and last head of the Yu family.
Unfortunately, this man did not inherit any of his father's singing skills, and was only full of evil ideas and a desire for power.
During his lifetime, the old master Yu had an apprentice who was one of the best in terms of both figure and voice, and was naturally loved by his master.
Opera has never emphasized blood ties; origin and talent are more important. So some people spread the rumor that before his death, the old master Yu wanted to pass the title of troupe owner to his beloved disciple, and in the end, it was unknown what means Yu Tai used to snatch the title away.
But after all, all of this is just a rumor and cannot be verified.
"It is said that within three years, this beloved disciple also passed away, leaving behind only a young son who was adopted by the Yu family. His name was...what was it..."
His name is Yu Rui, Yu Zhi added in her heart.
Patriarch Yu not only liked his beloved disciple, he doted on him even more than his own son, and immediately gave him a surname that sounded the same as his own - Yu.
The fact is indeed as Mr. Lin said, Yu Tai really used improper means to grab the position of the troupe leader. The apprentice did not like to fight for it and always felt that it was enough to have a performance.
But the facts proved that he was still too naive. How could a man like Yu Tai allow him to leave any handle?
Trusting others easily will ultimately result in your family being torn apart and your wife and children being separated.
Yu Rui also grew up being ostracized in the opera troupe, and gradually gained a foothold through his own efforts. However, he could not avoid the occasional suppression from Yu Tai. Although this man was cruel, he was still brooding over the fact that he was neglected by his father. He had clearly harmed that innocent person, but he even did not let his father's son go.
Yu Rui...
This name that had not been called out for a long time suddenly appeared in her mind, and Yu Zhi felt her throat a little dry.
The scenes of the past seemed to appear clearly before my eyes and lingered for a long time.
It might be a magical thing to hear the story of one's own experience from other people. The little girl sat quietly aside, waiting for the next story.
"Once Yu Tai had completed his three-year mourning period for his father, he married Lu Nai, a talented woman renowned in Peking at the time. In March of the following year, they gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Yu Zhi."
Lu Nai was from Jiangnan. She caught up with the trend of studying abroad and went out to work for three years before returning to her hometown. She had accepted new knowledge from outside, but had a lot of ambitions that had not yet been realized. She resolutely left her hometown, packed her bags again, and came to Peking.
So Yu Zhi sometimes often wondered, how could her mother, who was so proud and talented, be willing to marry that man as soon as she arrived in Peking?
Of course not. She cried, made a fuss, and attempted suicide, but so what?
Yu Tai directly brought her parents over and used them as a threat. The girl, who was 21 years old at the time, had no ability to resist him, so she had to put down her books, put on her wedding dress, and marry into the high-walled compound that she had once resisted the most.
Even though she was extremely reluctant, she treated Yu Zhi very well and did not vent her anger on the poor and innocent child because of her own experience.
Lu Nai passed on all the advanced ideas she had received to her daughter. She told the young girl that everyone is equal and women should have their own ideals and ambitions.
When the little girl was injured during practice, she would always hold her and carefully rub the bruises on her legs, or make some snacks she learned abroad, making little Yu Zhi the most envied child on the whole street.
She is a qualified mother, at least Yu Zhi thinks so.
But she was very tired. Being Yu Tai's wife was tiring, being Yu Zhi's mother was tiring, being locked up behind high walls was tiring, having ambitions but nowhere to display them... was also tiring.
Finally, on the day when Yu Zhi was five years old, the woman died of illness, as if she no longer wanted to stay in this world.
Yu Zhi remembered it clearly. She came back from the opera troupe's school skipping and jumping as usual. Even the maid behind her could not keep up with her pace, because that day was her mother's birthday, and she was about to give her the birthday gift she had been making for a month. Her mother would definitely smile at that time, and her smile was the most beautiful and gentle.
But when she stepped into the door, she did not see her mother greeting her at the door as usual, but instead saw a group of people dressed in white cloth.
How could the little girl not know who that was?
When Grandma Li next door passed away, her door was crowded with people like this. Her little grandson cried very miserably that day and has never seen Grandma since then.
Now, will she never see her mother again?
Little Yuzhi didn't understand the true meaning of death at that time, but the thought of never seeing her mother again undoubtedly made her panic. Even though she was still young, she knew that she was the person who loved her most in the world.
It is not a glorious thing for a wife to commit suicide. Yu Tai concealed the matter and completed the funeral of the poor woman in a very hasty manner.
The death of a lady of the house whose presence was not very strong did not seem to cause much change. Everyone was the same as usual, except for Yu Zhi. The little girl would curl herself up in the corner every night, covering her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud.
Yu Tai's room was right next to hers. If she cried and disturbed that person, she would definitely be beaten and scolded.
It was from that time that senior brother came into her world.
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