Watching a grand opera

     The simple and honest villagers, filled with joy, took time out of their busy schedules and, undeterred by the long journey, gathered at the town's theater to watch a grand opera. This grand opera is actually Jinju, a type of opera contrasting with Errentai (a type of folk opera). The lovely villagers, for ease of remembering, aptly call it "grand opera." Watching a grand opera is the most important event in the village. Temple fairs and trade fairs invariably feature performances by grand opera troupes.

    Grand opera is deeply loved by the villagers; it is a solace for their weary hearts and a substitute for their spiritual life. It is like a river, flowing with the endless joys and sorrows of the villagers. This year, coinciding with the National Day and harvest season, the town invited the Jinyuan Jinju Troupe from Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, to perform in our town to celebrate the completion of the new theater. The villagers were overjoyed and spent all day rushing to see the opera. On the afternoon of the 2nd, I told my mother early that I would cook dinner early that evening because I wanted to see the unique Jinju opera. At 7 p.m., after dinner, my father took me on his motorcycle to the town theater to wait for the evening's Jin opera performance.

    Some time before the performance started, villagers began arriving from afar, hurrying to secure their preferred seats. Having arrived early, I stood below the stage, carefully observing the people arriving. Suddenly, I felt quite sophisticated and mature, as almost all the audience members were elderly. When they approached me, they let out surprised laughter, which I could only respond with a smile. The theater gradually became crowded. With the beautiful sound of gongs and drums, the opera began. The villagers chatted as they watched, discussing this year's harvest and recent strange and unusual events. I stood to the side, occasionally recalling past opera performances. Suddenly, the villagers stopped chatting and shouted, "Bravo!" "Oh! The opera has reached its climax!" I then focused intently on the performance, glancing at the characters and trying to remember the story.

    The plays were mostly ancient stories, such as Bao Gong wiping away the beauty and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai turning into butterflies. Many in the audience were veteran opera fans, familiar with the plot and even the lines. There were also quite a few who didn't know the plays, constantly asking the veterans for help. Even I was captivated and chattered on. Under the stage lights, the villagers were completely absorbed, their emotions flowing freely, experiencing both tears of emotion and hearty laughter. Perhaps this is what they mean by "life is like a play"—full of ups and downs, yet also of tranquility.

    The audience was so engrossed, but the play must eventually end, though the music lingered in their minds. After the performance, the villagers helped each other leave the theater, each heading home. The play kept replaying in my mind, as if I were on stage performing, my heart overflowing with unspoken thoughts. The stories in the play were deeply etched in my heart, inspiring me and giving me courage to move forward.

    Ordinary people work from sunrise to sunset and rarely have opportunities for such recreation. With the development of the national economy and the construction of rural culture, such opportunities will increase, and villagers will have more chances to receive cultural education. This will make our hometown more and more beautiful, bring more smiles to the farmers' faces, and lead to greater achievements in our new rural construction.