Yes, who exactly was this old man?
Though he was advanced in years, that aura of his could not be concealed.
Such poise, such profound cultural refinement, and such exceptional bearing!
He was definitely no ordinary man!
Then—
Qiao Xiang straightened his opera costume. A powerful force rose between his brows as he declared in a vigorous voice:
"Master of Yun Chun Tang Theater, Qiao Xiang!"
The moment his words fell—
The expression of the son beside him changed. His father had actually used his identity from back then?
With those words, flashes of lightning and thunder seemed to streak through countless memories!
The history of Yun Chun Tang and Qiao Xiang was quietly unveiled from their memories!
Several decades ago, Jinshi City had indeed had an opera house called Yun Chun Tang Theater. It had been immensely popular in those days. Every performance drew massive crowds, and a full house was the norm. Unfortunately, the flames of war brought by the Japanese invasion soon arrived. The people suffered terribly, soldiers died batch after batch, and because Yun Chun Tang was so renowned, those Japanese soldiers surrounded the entire theater.
At the time, the theater master had been ordered by the Japanese to perform Peking Opera for their soldiers. If he refused, death awaited him!
Facing the chilling bayonets and guns of the Japanese soldiers, the theater master did not even furrow his brow before refusing!
The Japanese soldiers flew into a rage. Their glinting bayonets stabbed wildly into his body. Those deranged soldiers stabbed him more than thirty times, turning his entire body into a bloody sieve. Yet even as he died, the theater master did not cry out once. Crimson blood spilled across the entire stage as he died miserably without making a sound!
Yun Chun Tang began to decline from that day onward. Under the Japanese targeting, no one dared call himself the theater master, and everyone feared for their safety.
Among the theater master's disciples, this old man named Qiao Xiang had resolutely taken up the banner of theater master at the time!
That was undoubtedly a direct challenge to the Japanese soldiers!
Before long—
He was thrown into prison by the Japanese soldiers again and again, where he suffered every kind of persecution and torture as they tried to force or tempt him into submission!
But he gritted his teeth and endured!
He withstood every humiliation and abuse!
Only sixteen or seventeen at the time, he had upheld his master's will, upheld the backbone of the people of Dragon Country!
And he had upheld the soul of the opera passed down by generations of ancestors!
Later, when Japan was on the verge of defeat and retreat, Qiao Xiang was imprisoned once again.
After that, no one ever heard from him again, and Yun Chun Tang Theater scattered as a result.
Who would have thought that this old man was actually Qiao Xiang, the master of Yun Chun Tang Theater who had upheld his integrity?!
The three Japanese men standing before him seemed to have heard of Qiao Xiang's identity as well. When they looked at him again, their eyes were filled with complicated emotions!
In the livestream, quite a few locals from Jinshi City had heard of Qiao Xiang's story.
For a moment, they were deeply moved beyond words:
"It's really him! He came back?"
"Qiao Xiang—I've heard of what happened to him! I never expected him to still be alive after going through all that!"
"What are the big shots talking about? Why can't I understand? Please explain—was this old man really that incredible?"
"I'm curious. Who exactly is he? Someone enlighten me!"
That era had been a dark and agonizing time when Dragon Country was ravaged and broken.
Many places had their own tragic stories, and Qiao Xiang's story was one of the better-known ones throughout Jinshi City.
Very soon, locals began explaining it.
They slowly recounted what had happened back then!
"Everyone in Jinshi City thought he had died at the hands of the enemy invaders. Who would have thought he was still alive!"
"I'm tearing up!"
"Our generation has only witnessed the revival of Dragon Country, never the era of its decline! Yet Qiao Xiang lived through a dark chapter of Dragon Country's rise and fall! Through his actions, he proved where the spiritual legacy of our national cultural treasure lies!"
"He upheld the soul of his opera! And even more, he upheld the backbone of us people of Dragon Country!"
"Old Mr. Qiao has returned!"
"I looked it up—the site of this teahouse was Yun Chun Tang Theater back then! He has been here all along!!"
The flood of comments made countless people feel their scalps tingle.
It was utterly shocking!
"Someone like him is the most qualified to stand here and tell us what Peking Opera is and what national heritage culture is!"
"Isn't the prosperity we enjoy today bought with the lives and backbone of countless predecessors like Old Mr. Qiao?"
"I'm tearing up. This rundown teahouse actually has such a story behind it?"
Just then—
The cold voices of those three short men rang out:
"We're tearing down this teahouse no matter what. This abandoned wreck of a teahouse, this former dump of an opera house—having Japan invest in it is your good fortune. It's already a favor to your Dragon Country! With just you alone, we'd like to see how you plan to stop us!"
"The decline and extinction of your Peking Opera in Dragon Country is already inevitable!"
Their voices were filled with threats and disdain!
"Our Peking Opera will never perish! What has sustained Dragon Country's five thousand years of history is backbone and spiritual inheritance! As long as those remain, our Peking Opera will always have stories to tell!"
Qiao Xiang said calmly, though there was a trace of sorrow in his eyes.
"So what if you have five thousand years of history? So what if you have cultural heritage? No one listens—how can your Peking Opera possibly continue?"
The short man smiled dismissively.
At that moment—
A voice suddenly came from nearby:
"Who said no one would listen?! I'll listen!"
"Not only will I listen, I'll bring my child to listen too!"
The woman in the crowd held her child's hand and spoke with determination!
"Well said! Count me in—I'll listen too!"
A man standing beside his car hurriedly shouted!
"I support Old Qiao and Peking Opera culture! I came here specifically after seeing the livestream!!"
"Let me be your audience, Old Qiao!"
"I'll listen too!"
Like a chain reaction, voices began rising all around them!
Everyone shouted with excitement!
Back then, the old gentleman had preserved the backbone of his people;
Today, everyone would accompany him in preserving this soul of the opera!
The short Japanese man was stunned by the scene. The light in these people's eyes made him feel incredulous and bewildered!
Yet he still sneered coldly:
"Heh. With that body of yours? You want to take the stage and sing!?"
Those words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over everyone's enthusiasm!
That was right. The old gentleman was now advanced in age, frail, and plagued by illness.
Could he still take the stage?
"I—"
Qiao Sheng, standing beside Qiao Xiang, could no longer hold himself back and prepared to sing in his father's place.
Just as he was about to step forward, Qiao Xiang stopped him with one hand.
Then—
He carefully adjusted his opera costume and faced the crowd with a resolute expression:
"Today, I will take the stage and sing once more!"
The instant his words fell, the entire commercial district of Jinyang Street in Jinshi City was set ablaze with excitement!
"Well done! Go, Old Qiao!"
"Old Qiao, we couldn't stand by your side back then, but now, we're with you!"
Everyone's shouts instantly thundered through the air. Countless voices rose and fell, all supporting the hunched old man in opera costume before the teahouse!
Thank you all for your support!
Thank you to all the bosses for the tips! You bosses are generous and awesome!
Thanks to everyone who sent monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you for your support!
Also—
Let me recommend a friend's book:
My Senior Brother Has Something Wrong with His Brain
Before you continue