Chapter 00030: The Art of News
# The Art of News
Chapter 30
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 30: The Art of News
Liu Bei's father was a director, and her mother was a stage actress.
Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she was raised by her grandmother.
It was her own decision to apply to a drama school.
Her mother cried and begged her not to, but it didn't work.
These schools were closed off, and once you entered, you were committed for eight years.
Graduation guaranteed a job assignment, so there was nothing to worry about.
Perhaps it was this upbringing that made her independent and strong-willed from a young age.
The next morning, six young actors, led by a teacher, took a bus to the Qianmen Arrow Tower.
They were told not to wear makeup or costumes, just to sing a few simple pieces.
No one thought about payment; being provided with food was enough.
Nowadays, drama actors were all part of organizations.
The organizations arranged performances and sold tickets, but the actors had no part in that.
They received a monthly salary.
If anyone took private jobs and accepted money, it could lead to big or small problems...
Huang Zhanying knew that some children were coming and was extremely enthusiastic.
"Have you had breakfast?"
"We specially boiled some eggs. Here, have some first!"
"I don't know your rules, whether you can drink tea or not. If not, we can boil some plain water for you!"
There weren't many customers in the morning, so Huang Zhanying ran to the stall and used her loud voice to good effect: "Come and take a look! Passersby, please stop for a moment! Today, we've invited students from the drama school to perform. It's our way of giving back to everyone and adding some excitement. We've been selling tea here for many days, and it's all thanks to your support that we've been able to keep going. Thank you all in advance!"
With that shout, several layers of people quickly gathered.
In this simple setting, amidst the noisy environment, under the centuries-old Arrow Tower, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old actor stepped forward and nervously began a piece from "Mu Guiying Takes Command."
In recent years, plays about emperors, generals, scholars, and beauties had been banned, but now they were gradually being revived, creating a situation where both model operas and traditional operas coexisted.
"Suddenly, I hear the sound of war drums and horns, stirring my ambition to break through the gates of heaven. In the past, I was majestic on my peach blossom horse, with enemy blood splattering my pomegranate skirt... With one sword, I can hold off a million soldiers!"
"Bravo!"
"Bravo!"
The singing was naturally a bit raw, and with the added nervousness, it was even more so.
But the crowd erupted in thunderous applause, showing their appreciation.
Entertainment was scarce!
From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, traditional opera enjoyed its last period of glory.
Simply put, the market was good.
Opera actors had the same status and popularity as movie stars.
Opera wasn't a niche interest; it was mainstream entertainment.
In later years, it declined, becoming a niche interest, with only a few regions keeping the flame alive, like Henan opera.
It was said that Henan opera was the only genre that could sustain itself without government funding.
Yu Jiajia clicked away with her camera, capturing every moment.
These were the stepping stones to becoming a great journalist.
Suddenly, she paused and quickly patted Chen Qi.
"Hey, hey, there's a foreigner!"
"Where?"
"Over there, over there!"
Chen Qi looked and sure enough, a blonde, blue-eyed woman was eagerly pushing her way through the crowd.
"Lucky you, running into a foreigner!"
...
On January 1st of that year, China and the United States officially established diplomatic relations.
Chinese leaders visited the U.
S., and the good-hearted Carter arranged a cultural performance.
The final act was 100 American children of different skin colors singing "I Love Beijing Tiananmen" in Chinese, which became a celebrated story.
After that, the U.
S. sent a congressional delegation to visit China.
The old man was among them; he was a senator at the time and even toured the Great Wall.
It was his first time in China.
Who would have thought that 40 years later, he would become the U.
S. president?
China had already opened visas to Americans.
Some art groups, journalists, photographers, and a few tourists had started coming.
They took many photos, bringing them back to American newspapers.
After all, our country was still a mystery to the world, and everyone wanted to learn more.
Eve Arnold was one of them.
She was a contracted photographer for an American photo agency.
When she found out she could come to China, she eagerly submitted her application.
It was quickly approved, and she even received special treatment: her visa was extended for six months.
She could travel as a tourist, arranged by the National Tourism Administration, to any place she wanted.
She arrived in winter and captured images of passengers at the train station, the snow-covered Ming Tombs, and female workers in factories.
Then she headed south, visiting the Tsingtao Brewery and Shanghai.
After a long journey, she had just returned.
Eve planned to spend the next few days photographing Beijing's hutongs before heading back to the U.
S.
That's when she saw the scene before her.
"I remember when I first came here, there wasn't this stall?"
"No, it must be new."
"Ha, I'm going to ask!"
The accompanying translator had no choice but to follow her as she pushed through the crowd.
The country had allowed these foreigners in to show them a China undergoing reform and opening up.
They were interested in the big scenes but loved capturing the small details.
And so, a blonde woman weaved through the crowd, leaving everyone stunned.
Wow, a foreigner!
The young actor singing noticed and thought, "Hey, there's a foreign guest!"
She sang with even more vigor.
Eve reached the tea stall and curiously examined everything.
Huang Zhanying and the others grew nervous, exchanging glances: "Oh no, a foreigner! Should we fight her?"
"Hello, what are you doing here?"
She asked, and the translator relayed the question in Chinese, adding, "This is an American journalist. Don't be nervous; just speak normally."
"What, what should we say?"
Huang Zhanying was still inexperienced and a bit flustered.
Chen Qi had to step forward, smiling and waving, "Hello!"
"Do you speak English?" Eve asked.
"Self-taught, just a little."
"Wow, you're already very good. Are you selling water?"
Chen Qi wanted to converse in English, but it was too much, so he pretended not to understand and communicated through the translator.
"This tea is called 'big bowl tea.' Though simple, it has a 400-year history. During the Ming Dynasty, there were 132 trades, and selling big bowl tea was part of the 'steaming trade.' In the Qing Dynasty, a man named Pu Songling set up a tea stall at the village entrance to collect stories..."
"Keep it simple! How am I supposed to translate that?"
The translator glared at him, "And don't make things up. I never heard big bowl tea was so impressive."
"With an international friend here, would I dare lie? Just because you don't know doesn't mean it's not true!"
Chen Qi channeled the spirit of the guy from the Wild Goose Pagoda, spouting nonsense.
"We started just last month... Labor is very honorable for us. Now that the environment is more open, we're happy to try new things and have already achieved some success. Today, we're holding a small event. These are all students. Would you like to listen to some traditional Chinese opera?"
"Sure!" Eve nodded.
"Quick, quick!"
Chen Qi hurriedly waved, "This is a rare opportunity. Sing a piece for this silly foreigner."
The first young actor stepped forward and nervously sang a few lines.
Eve didn't understand but didn't mind.
She was just curious about everything in this country.
But Chen Qi wasn't about to let such a good opportunity slip.
He pushed Huang Zhanying forward, "Give her a bowl of tea!"
"Will she like it?"
"Who cares if she likes it? Just go!"
Huang Zhanying had no choice but to pour a bowl of tea.
"Thank you!"
Eve responded in simple Chinese, took the bowl, looked at it, took a sip, and immediately made a bitter face, shaking her head, "This tastes strange. Thank you for your hospitality. Can I take some photos?"
"Of course!"
After taking the photos, the translator breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, nothing went wrong.
He led Eve away, not forgetting to glare back at Chen Qi.
This was an international friend!
"I got it too!"
Yu Jiajia ran over excitedly, "That shot of her drinking tea will definitely make the article!"
"What headline are you thinking?" Chen Qi asked.
"American Friend Takes a Liking to Big Bowl Tea?"
"Your foreign-related articles need special approval, right? Then go with that."
Actually, it was quite bland.
If possible, he thought it should be titled, "Traditional Beijing Big Bowl Tea Conquers American, Downs a Big Bowl in Two Gulps!"
Such headlines were familiar, with many similar ones online in later years, like "Chinese Roast Duck Makes German Grandpa Cry, Can't Stop Eating One Whole Duck" or "American Brother-in-law Tries Chinese Buns for the First Time, Eats Five in One Go and is Completely Conquered..."
They were great for traffic.
"I just wanted to use the opera performance to stir up some buzz. Who knew I'd get so lucky, with a silly foreigner dropping from the sky. Now I don't have to worry..."
Chen Qi glanced toward the west side of the Arrow Tower.
The tea stall there was also set up, but hardly anyone was around.
All the customers were here.
They were struggling too.
He didn't want to use dirty tactics, just heat things up on his side.
When their business couldn't sustain itself, he'd absorb them and strengthen his own position.
Thirteen people could become thirty-three, and then they could negotiate better terms.
He and Yu Jiajia discussed the article.
Yu Jiajia still had some conscience left, "I feel like this is a bit detached from the truth."
"Let me ask you, did the young actors come to perform?"
"Yes!"
"Was it voluntary?"
"Of course!"
"Was there a foreigner?"
"Yes!"
"Did they have a good time?"
"Sure!"
"So, you're just selecting part of the content. Everything you write is true. What's wrong with that?"
He shrugged, "That's the art of news!"
(End of chapter...)