"Look, even Master is helping me."
Zhu Shengwang was very impatient and ate another steamed bun in one bite. Without even looking at them, he said authoritatively:
"This woman, Pingting, might be Mr. Jin's woman. — But perhaps not, otherwise Mr. Jin wouldn't be so eager. If he had her, he would be a bit less interested. He'd definitely be changing his mind. Look at how proud she is."
Huaiyu scoffed: "Isn't that how all female celebrities are?"
Wei Jinbao, who had remained silent for a long time, seemed a little worried:
"In Shanghai, the film industry was dominated by women, and on this stage—"
Jinbao is a female impersonator, so he naturally cherishes his position. He had been feeling anxious and apprehensive for quite some time. Shanghai, after all, is Shanghai.
"Oh, a few years ago, on the north side of Minguo Road, where the Chinese and French sides meet, a 'Gongwu Stage' had already been built, with female opera singers as the leading performers. Male and female actors performed together on stage. Beijing didn't have such a civilized atmosphere before, did it?"
Oh dear, this is truly a matter of life and death, a pressing and urgent situation.
Since ancient times, all female roles on stage have been played by men. The proper training and development, after the division of roles, the traditional roles of male, female, painted-face, clown, and servant were firmly established. Who would have thought that the trend would change again? Wei Jinbao felt somewhat melancholy.
Zhu Shengwang showed no emotion whatsoever, yet he spoke eloquently about the many "distinguished ladies" being promoted by the Shanghai Pictorial. This "co-performance stage" was actually a great achievement of Mr. Jin. There was a female opera singer from Hankou, only nineteen years old, who was extremely beautiful. Mr. Jin took a liking to her and built a stage for her to perform with men and women. Lu Ningxiang became the leading lady, singing "Thinking of the Worldly Life," "The Zither Challenge," "The Kite's Mistake," etc., and sold out every show. If she didn't know a particular opera, she would ask her teacher to teach her, and she would learn it on the spot. Even if she had to crawl into a pot, she would still become famous.
"That's not all. Later, the Shanghai Pictorial held an election for the 'Four Great Female Dan Actresses.' Each issue published election ballots, which readers cut out and put into the ballot box. After three months of work, Lu Ningxiang naturally took the top spot."
Huaiyu scoffed: "Mr. Jin really knows how to flatter people!"
"He's not only skilled, but also brilliant. He has a wealth of advisors and a knack for making things happen. Look, Duan Pingting cut the ribbon for the funhouse mirror today; the newspapers will be buzzing about it for the next few days."
Wei Jinbao never forgot that Kundan:
"So what happened to Lu Ningxiang?"
—What will happen next?
It's always like this: if he wants her, she's in charge. If he wants another, she has to leave the stage.
It seems every place has to have a tyrant and countless beautiful concubines. Wei Jinbao felt his days were over; he realized he was out of step with the times. Perhaps Shanghai was his first and last port of call. He was neither one of the Four Great Dan (female role models) nor one of the Four Great Kun Dan (female role models); he was a small, anxious man caught in the cracks, trying to find his place in the city.
Huaiyu gestured to Li Shengtian, and his master patted him on the shoulder:
"Jinbao, we value skill above all else!"
To steer clear of this unpleasant topic, Li Shengtian inquired about Jin Xiaofeng's background: "This Mr. Jin is a renowned figure in the sea, so why does he always seem to be infatuated with the girls in the entertainment industry?"
"Wenren? Who doesn't know he also comes from the industry?"
"Is he also an opera singer?"
"No, it was a case at a theater, wasn't it? Wasn't it just good fortune?"
Yingchun Theater was the most famous theater on Wuma Road. More than twenty years ago, Jin Xiaofeng was just starting out, one of ten patrons. He began his career by paying a small deposit. They guided both familiar and unfamiliar customers to the theater, receiving a 5% discount on each ticket. The amount wasn't huge, but the extra income was considerable. The ladies from wealthy families would often have snacks and tea while watching the theater, and merchants often didn't pay on the same day, accumulating payments over three or five visits. This "spending" was generous; sometimes the reported amount was slightly higher, but no one had time to argue. The more attentive the patron, the more shrewd they were, and by taking a cut, they made a profit.
Jin Xiaofeng was unanimously considered the "good guy" among the ten cases. No matter what methods he used, he was shrewd and resourceful. Even in the most difficult circumstances, he managed to stand out.
When he became a top-tier case, he influenced the boss's decisions regarding casting. He wanted this and didn't want that. Fearing that all the cases would be cancelled and the boss wouldn't be able to raise a large sum of deposit money to repay, he listened to them.
Jin Xiaofeng's father was originally just a vendor selling boiled water at a public stove. People from government offices would come to him for hot water, and he would charge them one copper coin for a large pot. Who would have thought that the boy who stood by the bamboo tube, collecting money with a cheerful and open manner, would later become an apprentice at a fruit shop in Shiliupu, and then a young man selling snacks in a small gambling den and brothel, and then transform himself again and again...
"Alright, alright, we've talked for so long, we should have some snacks, right?" Zhu Shengwang said, leading the group across the Nine-Bend Bridge from the City God Temple to another small shop on the other side.
As soon as he entered, he shouted:
"What's good? Mixed fruit cake? Sweet fermented rice balls? Pigeon egg dumplings? -- One"
He seems to be enjoying great success.
Li Shengtian said, "Junior brother, you're doing quite well in Shanghai."
"Shanghai is a place of speculation and profiteering. No matter what kind of business you're in, you can make a fortune even in a small town. I never imagined things would turn out this way."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but feel smug and self-satisfied, his legs even wobbling. Isn't this the kind of behavior that comes with "nouveau riche"?
Huaiyu asked:
"That Mr. Jin has certainly become rich overnight. And who is Mrs. Jin?"
"Mrs. Jin is a mystery!"
Is she in Shanghai?
"have no idea."
"So, where is it?"
"We don't even know if they're still alive."
Everyone was curious:
Did this person actually exist?
"I don't know. Maybe she never existed. Maybe she's not here, maybe she is. It's just a secret. — I wish I knew too."
"Has no one seen it before?" Huaiyu pressed.
"Too many people claim to have seen it, but there's so much gossip that it's like rice soaked in porridge, it's all unreliable, just nonsense. Two years ago, a tabloid made a lighthearted remark, and it collapsed three days later."
What is being alluded to?
"They say she's a beautiful Suzhou-style ballad singer."