Chapter 18 Part 1

Ji Shuangyu's words really broke through Zhou Ruojuan's defenses, causing his composure to completely crumble!

His expression crumbled for a moment, and everyone around him felt embarrassed for him.

Sigh, why was there such an unlucky person in the world, and he couldn't even blame anyone else—if he hadn't taken the initiative to invite the Hanxi Troupe, this slap wouldn't have landed on his own face today.

Zhou Siyin's expression was so strange back then; was he already laughing inside?

Although everyone present was also very surprised. The great calligrapher, the Gourd Elder they had imagined, turned out to be a young man. Not only was he young, but he was also good-looking...

Ahem, anyway, from this, it was clear that Zhou Baoduo appreciated Ji Shuangyu's calligraphic talent, which was why he associated with him regardless of status!

Is there a purer, more sincere friendship in the world than this?

As everyone expected, given Zhou Baoduo's character, he openly exposed him to Zou Muyun: "It's not that we were judging him, but that he was judging us. Although he recommended the Hanxi Troupe to perform, just now he disparaged the Gourd Elder as being from the lower echelons."

Zou Muyun was speechless. He knew that the "Gourd Elder" was Ji Shuangyu of the Hanxi Troupe and found the coincidence amusing. He hadn't expected Zhou Ruojuan to be even more foolish. He didn't know what to say... Conscious of his own status, he just sighed and said, "The lower echelons? Do you know how many people you just insulted?"

Although Zou Muyun disliked the trend of fawning over actors, he by no means discriminated against the profession. He just felt that such behavior was too absurd and detrimental to art. Nowadays, many socialites associated with famous actors, and some even personally went to the theater to show their support.

A glint of tears flashed in Zhou Ruojuan's eyes as he muttered distractedly, "I didn't mean to, I didn't..."

Ji Shuangyu comforted him, "I believe you. It's impossible for anyone in the world to be that foolish."

Zhou Ruojuan: "..."

...As expected of his nephew's good friend, completely different from ordinary people. Not only would he not be magnanimous when he was in the right to show his generosity, but he would also press his advantage and continue with his sarcastic remarks.

Faced with such a person, Zhou Ruojuan's thick skin, which he was so proud of, was rendered useless.

He really couldn't stay any longer. With an expression that seemed to mean nothing yet everything to the onlookers, he stood there dejectedly for a while before leaving his seat without a word.

After leaving the teahouse, Zhou Ruojuan stood outside the door, trying to compose himself for a long time. It seemed that simply badmouthing was useless. He couldn't out-argue the little brat, and when he failed, no one helped smooth things over for him. He had to make it big in the new film business he had his eyes on!

Nowadays, the audience for movies was growing. Although domestic films couldn't yet compete with foreign films at the box office, many speculators like him had already taken a fancy to this burgeoning market.

I can do it, I definitely can!

Although that little brat is hateful, some of his methods are worth learning from.

Right, I'll start today.

Zhou Ruojuan summoned his attendant and asked with a serious expression, "Go and find out where Zhou Siyin burned his incense."

The attendant: "..."

......

Upstairs, after Zhou Ruojuan left, everyone acted as if nothing had happened and quickly resumed the lively atmosphere. After some business-related flattery, they each took their seats.

Zou Muyun, Ji Shuangyu, Zhou Siyin, and several school leaders who organized the event today were in the same private box. On the stage, the sanxian had begun to play, and the packed audience watched while drinking tea, eating melon seeds, and chatting.

Zou Muyun also spoke quietly with Ji Shuangyu, expressing his delight at their chance meeting. He also teased him about being so young, yet his pseudonym was "Gourd Elder."

Zou Muyun's subordinate, Shi Yuangu, had just done some quick research and said, "This is probably because of Mr. Ji's unusual hair."

Hearing this, Ji Shuangyu took off his hat and explained that his hair had turned white early because of the hard times he had gone through. "I feel like it might turn black again in the future. I'm eating meat now, haha."

He was also laying the groundwork for his hair turning black again in the future. After all, dyed hair wouldn't last forever.

"Oh my, is that so!" Zou Muyun didn't realize the truth and just remarked emotionally, look at this young genius's experiences, even his white hair has a legendary story. "No wonder he calls himself the Gourd Elder. Such premature white hair."

"Gourd (hulu), sounds like muddled (hutu). It is a rare blessing to be muddled in life. Mr. Ji has such sentiments at such a young age."

"I think he probably took the meaning of heaven and earth, yin and yang. The shape of a gourd is like heaven and earth combined, which perfectly corresponds to the harmonious brushwork in Mr. Ji's fountain pen and brush calligraphy."

Ji Shuangyu: "..."

'Here we go again. I say my piece, and you all say yours.'

'Gourd... just refers to my family's gourd babies!'

The topic naturally shifted to Ji Shuangyu's calligraphy, and Zou Muyun eagerly asked him how he practiced it.

Ji Shuangyu had long understood that every era had its popular styles. Not only did he possess an advanced style of penmanship, but it also happened to align with the current trends in the world of calligraphy.

Taking advantage of the fact that his parents in this parallel universe were deceased, and that they had supposedly been poor before dying of illness, with all their friends and relatives scattered, Ji Shuangyu began to weave a story.

He was a director, after all; his own acting wasn't bad.

Ji Shuangyu said very naturally, "My father and mother also came from scholarly families and loved calligraphy. Later, our family's fortunes declined, and we were beset by poverty and illness, but they never forgot to teach me at home. All the furniture in our house was pawned, but the books could not be pawned. No matter how poor we were, we had to read and practice calligraphy. My parents initiated my studies, and I learned their calligraphy. They each admired the study of stone inscriptions and copybooks, and when they taught me, they hoped I could try to merge the two. My skills are not refined, and I only figured it out not long ago. I've made a fool of myself before you all."

To be able to develop such good calligraphy under such difficult conditions showed that the whole family were book lovers and, moreover, talented.

Besides, the details Ji Shuangyu mentioned were actually true. Their home was bare, but no matter how hard things got, they never pawned the books—his home was right by Small Drum Alley, and the vicinity was full of second-hand traders. Imagine how great the temptation was.

After Ji Shuangyu transmigrated, he learned of this and followed the principle, not touching those books even when he was starving.

Everyone present was filled with emotion after hearing this.

Only Zhou Siyin glanced at Ji Shuangyu, a new doubt rising in his heart: if Ji Shuangyu had been taught by his parents from a young age, studied hard, and cherished the family's books, why did he seem so unfamiliar with them last time at his house, even taking a long time to find a slip of paper?

There were too many inconsistencies about Ji Shuangyu. Zhou Siyin silently made another mental note, secretly wondering what the reason was.

"No wonder you have no courtesy name at your age." Zou Muyun had previously asked Ji Shuangyu for his courtesy name. At that time, it was more polite and intimate to address each other by courtesy names. "I think you should ask an elder to choose a courtesy name for you. Otherwise, we can only call you Gourd Elder."

Generally, the given name and courtesy name were related. For example, Zhou Siyin's courtesy name was Baoduo, and Xu Xinyue's was Yugou. Ji Shuangyu didn't have a courtesy name, and everyone felt it was impolite to call him by his given name, while calling him by his pseudonym, Gourd Elder, always felt a bit comical.

Zou Muyun actually wanted to offer to choose a courtesy name for Ji Shuangyu, but he was a very cautious person with many reservations, so he only hinted at it.

Ji Shuangyu was completely oblivious to Zou Muyun's underlying meaning. He had no idea Zou Muyun wanted to give him a courtesy name, not having the awareness at all. Instead, he was amused, "Gourd Elder isn't bad either, hahahaha!"

"By the way, yesterday we were all saying we wanted to commission a work from Ji... er, this, Mr. Gourd, hahahaha. After hearing about your experiences today, it feels even more appropriate. If you have time, please write a piece to encourage learning for our school's students. I want to hang it on campus," said Principal Sun of Jingming. He never forgot to support Zhou Siyin, directly or indirectly.

The other principals also joined in, "Exactly, exactly."

"No need to wait, I'll write it now! Right now!" The moment Ji Shuangyu heard about making money, he was so excited he was practically trembling. He had specially brought his pen and seal with him today.

Others: Ah, what a true lover of books! To be so happy just at the mention of writing!

Zou Muyun had long wanted to watch Ji Shuangyu write in person and was very supportive. In any case, the students on stage were currently performing a new vernacular play adapted from a Western classic with a tongue-twisting, hard-to-understand name. It had substance, yes, but it didn't suit the local tastes at all, and the audience was getting up to go to the restroom one after another.

Ji Shuangyu had also been a student. It was just a piece to encourage learning; he could even write something for cramming for the college entrance exams. He picked up his pen and wrote about ten pieces. Getting into the spirit, he even wrote some cursive in a foreign language—famous quotes and aphorisms from Western philosophers.

Zou Muyun leaned in very close to watch his brushwork, his expression rapt. Seeing him write in a foreign language, he also nodded in approval. Upon closer inspection, the script was exquisite and fluid, different from Huaxia calligraphy, but its lines were also something to be admired.

"Excellent, excellent," Zou Muyun murmured. "A fusion of stone inscriptions and copybooks, yet it contains the sharp spirit of penmanship. Just as Baoduo said, adopting Western learning for our use while inheriting ancient traditions. How wonderfully creative!"

Hearing that Zhou Siyin had been praising him behind his back, Ji Shuangyu gave a shy smile, "He's right!"

Zhou Siyin: "..."

Zou Muyun also choked for a moment. He had just been about to tell Ji Shuangyu not to be modest. "Ahem!"

Well, I suppose...

Judging from how Ji Shuangyu had retorted to Zhou Ruojuan just now, the man was very... proud.

The standards of judgment for talented people have always been different.

Zhou Siyin spoke up from the side, "I just had a thought. Mr. Ji's calligraphy style blends Chinese and Western elements. If we were to ask him to write fountain pen copybooks for primers like the 'Three Character Classic' and 'Hundred Family Surnames' for printing and distribution, it would be more convenient for aspiring scholars to reference and learn from. Mr. Ji, what do you think?"

Although it was a matter of selling copybooks, the way he put it stripped away any trace of commercialism, as if it were entirely for the students' benefit.

When the others heard this, they could only think: 'As expected of you, Zhou Baoduo. You definitely didn't just think of this. You must have planned out the next business move long ago.'

"Me, publish a copybook?" Ji Shuangyu always felt he was still learning himself, so how could he have the nerve to publish a copybook? "My skills are not yet perfected. I'm afraid I'll mislead the students."

"How can you say that? Your calligraphy already shows great promise. Although there is room for improvement, when it comes to fountain pen calligraphy, who else in the calligraphy world today can achieve this?" Zou Muyun was the first to disagree.

Zhou Siyin's proposal had scratched him right where he itched. His interest in Ji Shuangyu's calligraphy was at its peak, and having just met him, he was filled with delight.

Ji Shuangyu also figured it out a moment later. It was true; it seemed like no one else could do this job right now. It was as they say, the most suitable is the best. Just like how he could replace Tan You'an to write the masthead, there was no need to be pretentious about it.

Most importantly, if he published a copybook, there would be royalties, right?

Ji Shuangyu: "Then I shall cast a brick to attract jade. I hope to spark the interest of students and calligraphers in fountain pen calligraphy, blending the ancient and the modern."

"That's exactly how it should be!" Zou Muyun felt refreshed, the gloom of the past few days swept away. For a moment, he was even more pleased with Zhou Siyin. "I won't say more. Baoduo will certainly handle this matter properly. Once it's printed, it must be promoted in all the schools."

Just as Zhou Siyin expected, he clasped his hands and agreed. With Zou Muyun's words, the copybook's sales were guaranteed. The official order was secured!

......

By now, the performance below had changed, and it was almost Ying Xiaonong's turn to go on stage. Everyone's attention turned back to the stage.

The moment Ying Xiaonong stepped on stage, the entire theater erupted in frantic applause. This was called a "greeting cheer." Ying Xiaonong was a famous actor, so the audience was happy to cheer for him before he even opened his mouth.

Ying Xiaonong began to sing a passage in the fan-xipi style from "Temple of the Spiritual Official". This was the hottest play recently, and the audience felt they had gotten their money's worth.

Next was a cross-dressing performance, a segment from "Legend of the White Snake." The tall Ying Xiaonong, who usually had a commanding presence, was surprisingly convincing when singing a dan role. It was just that it clashed so much with his appearance that the audience both laughed and cheered.

During the New Year, everyone loved to see this kind of lively show.

Ji Shuangyu also just learned that Ying Xiaonong was quite good at singing dan roles. He watched with a smile, only regretting that he didn't have a phone to record it.

"Hahahaha, I've heard Ying Xiaonong's opera before. He's performed less in recent years, and some people said his voice was shot. But seeing him today, his skills are clearly even more profound than before!"

Zou Muyun had been watching opera for many years. He said, "I know an anecdote. Ying Xiaonong's stage name sounds feminine because when he was learning opera, he first studied the huadan role! Later, as he grew taller and taller, he switched to the hualian role."

Zou Muyun's words solved a long-standing puzzle for Ji Shuangyu. So Boss Ying had even studied the huadan role...!

"Ahem, it's rare to hear a pure and simple opera nowadays." Zou Muyun said, growing emotional again. "Realistic sets and mechanisms are popular everywhere. I detest such frills the most. A truly good actor doesn't need to use mechanisms to attract the audience. And all those messy sets only distract both the actors and the audience! If you ask me, it's better to be like before, just hanging a 'shoujiu' backdrop is enough. Huaxia opera should look like Huaxia opera."

Usually, when he finished speaking, everyone would agree with him, but today, it was a bit quiet. Zou Muyun felt a little strange.

The people present looked at Ji Shuangyu, a little embarrassed.

Zou Muyun had been out of Jingcheng on business recently, so his knowledge of Ji Shuangyu was still superficial. He only knew that he seemed to work at a theater. He didn't know that the recent hit play, "Temple of the Spiritual Official," was famous for its mechanisms and sets, and that it was directed and choreographed by Ji Shuangyu.

This was big news. The newspapers had been arguing about it for days, so anyone in Jingcheng had heard at least a little about it.

Not to mention, the Oriole Song Stage, supported by a famous set designer from Hushang, seemed to be competing against the Changle Theater. The outcome would be decided tomorrow.

Ji Shuangyu himself, however, just smiled when he heard this.

In this era of surging and clashing ideas, everyone was searching for the future direction. How to choose between tradition and innovation? Too many people had their own opinions.

Some people supported complete innovation and abolishing old plays. Some believed in selecting the good aspects and following them, reforming old plays. There were also people of the completely old school like Zou Muyun, who believed that using sets and mechanisms wasn't a worthy endeavor.

These were the characteristics of this era. Only after countless trials, errors, and improvements did the things Ji Shuangyu saw at the other end of the timeline come to be. Because he knew the future, he was exceptionally certain, able to guide the market to find the correct direction ahead of time, armed with confidence in Huaxia art.

Ji Shuangyu spoke up, "Department Head Zou, I hold the position of director at the Changle Theater. I am responsible for the overall design of all stage matters, including the plot, sets, and lighting."

Zou Muyun looked at him in surprise. But because it was him, there was no displeasure on his face. He only taught him earnestly, "You are still young. Do you know the saying, 'A play is valued for its people, not for its objects'!"

"What you say is reasonable, but please allow me to explain," Ji Shuangyu said, pointing to the new play being performed. "Traditional opera is emptiness, it is nothingness, yet it is also everything. Wherever the actor is, there is scenery. It is through their performance and movements that this stage can become a battlefield if they wish it, or a palace if they wish it!

"This is indeed the beauty that reflects Huaxia philosophy. However, adding just the right amount of stage art embellishment can also produce a wonderful artistic conception where the scene and emotion blend, as long as it does not violate the essence of traditional opera.