Old Mr. Meng was over ninety years old, the most senior elder in the cross talk industry today, having witnessed its rise and fall. From the days of performing on the streets to being able to enter tea houses, independently opening cross talk theaters, and then later having radio cross talk, television cross talk, and now gradually declining.
Among his descendants, many were cross talk performers, and the number of students was even greater, truly a family of cross talk, with disciples everywhere.
The one who answered the phone was Old Mr. Meng’s grandson, Meng Jingyuan, who was also a cross talk performer. He had been partners with Liu Quan Hai’s disciple, Zeng Wen, for over twenty years, and they had a close relationship.
“Jingyuan, is the old man awake?” Liu Quan Hai couldn’t hide his excitement, “I had an incredible encounter yesterday—met a kid who can sing Zi Di Shu, and he’s a two-door hug, also from our cross talk school. His stage presence somewhat resembles the old man, very steady.”
Meng Jingyuan was initially surprised, “Really? Where did this young person learn it?
Liu Quan Hai recounted the events of last night, revealing his admiration, “Although he’s a Hai Qing (without formal apprenticeship), it’s truly rare! I want to take him to meet the old man, let the old man evaluate how he sings Zi Di Shu!” Meng Jingyuan sighed and said, “I was just about to tell you, grandpa’s condition has been unstable lately, he can’t get out of bed, and is currently resting, unable to receive guests.” Liu Quan Hai’s smile immediately faded. At that age, having suffered hardships in his youth, illness was inevitable in old age; he could only send his regards and hope the old man took care of his health. Meng Jingyuan then inquired about Qi Shejiang, as he was quite curious about this person’s background. Hearing that Liu Quan Hai would bring someone to the theater opened by his disciple, he asked about the schedule and decided to go see. The next day, Meng Jingyuan visited the old man and saw he seemed in good spirits, so he softly mentioned this person. Old Mr. Meng’s expression brightened, “Then you must find him and strive to preserve Zi Di Shu; it’s a precious traditional art, many percussion pieces originated from here.” “I will, Grandpa.” Meng Jingyuan quickly helped him ease his breathing. Old Mr. Meng lay in bed, half-asleep and half-awake.
Zi Di Shu, my senior brother could also sing it while wiping his face, he practiced the tunes. But since we got separated, I never saw him again until many years later knowing that he had passed away. So, I thought the last inheritance of Zi Di Shu had been buried along with him… So good, it turns out Zi Di Shu is still alive.
Liu Quan Hai invited Qi Shejiang out, and Li Jing went along too. At first, Li Jing was quite shocked that Xia Yiwei was supporting Qi Shejiang to perform cross talk, but later he understood that this way, it could wash away Jesse’s vase reputation. Liu Quan Hai’s disciple, Zeng Wen, had a theater-style cross talk venue, selling tickets with performances every night. Although Meng Jingyuan had been famous for a long time and occasionally performed, their popularity ensured a balance between income and expenses, allowing them to pay their performers. Qi Shejiang and Li Jing arrived in the afternoon, not yet close to performance time. Zeng Wen and Meng Jingyuan were explaining routines to the disciples, and Liu Quan Hai arrived shortly after. The old men went to a corner to talk to Qi Shejiang, while Zeng Wen and Meng Jingyuan were very curious about this young man.
According to Liu Quan Hai, his solo performance skills were completely like that of a seasoned artist. Could it also have been honed overseas?
Liu Quan Hai’s grandson, Xiao Liu, also came along. He didn’t join but was surrounded by other performers in the theater, mostly young actors around his age, who were already familiar with each other.
Not everyone keeps up with the news online, so they were confused. Xiao Liu was the only one who knew the inside story; he had previously laughed with others at Qi Shejiang’s singing style, but now his face was red, “Okay, okay, stop talking. You don’t know, he’s really impressive.”
The crowd paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, thinking Xiao Liu was joking.
“Quiet down, you little rascals!” Zeng Wen shouted from the other end, “Bring me a sanxian!”
Immediately someone brought over a sanxian. They intended to hand it to Zeng Wen but saw Qi Shejiang take it instead, as he wanted to play. Those who had never heard Qi Shejiang play were inevitably a bit surprised.
Qi Shejiang had just introduced the singing styles of Zi Di Shu to Zeng Wen and the others, such as Que Wei, Feng Huang San Diao, Hai Di Lao Yue, etc. The lyrics primarily used seven-character verse, accompanied by the sanxian, hence it was also called Qing Yin Zi Di Shu.
“This is a complete short piece called ‘Ling Guan Miao’,” Qi Shejiang explained briefly.
Qi Shejiang strummed his instrument and recited the preceding verse: “Who is the enemy and who is the benefactor? The fate of three lifetimes is inscribed at the stone of destiny. All is due to debts of past romance, which provoke a heart that cherishes beauty. The Buddhist land turns into a place of song and dance, and the empty door transforms into a door of right and wrong.” He then began the singing segment: “Just as the Zhongyuan Festival has passed, neither cold nor warm, the Lingguan Temple hosts a grand banquet in celebration of the birthday. They specifically invite high-ranking officials from the court, along with those persistent ladies of the manor.
There are also relatives who honor the nation, known as pillars of support, and officials from the scholarly class overseeing the affairs. There are also wealthy merchants, as well as those with obligations to the offices…”
Each word and sentence sung resembles Jingyun Dagu, but is certainly not simply drum lyrics; the melody has a touch of grace and elegance. The actors nearby watching were quite confused; they could mistake “He Bi Xiang” for drum lyrics due to the similar drum tunes, yet this “Lingguan Miao” contains none of that, something they had never encountered before. Moreover, hearing him sing live, the strumming was indeed superb, matching perfectly with the singing segment; the more one listened, the more it appeared not to be off-key.
Some began to grasp a hint of realization—could it be that he wasn’t singing Dagu at all? Qi Shejiang had already finished a piece and spoke to their master about something, then put down the instrument and began to sing the Jingyun Dagu version of “He Bi Xiang.” Among all the Dagu forms today, Jingyun Dagu is the one most similar to “Zi Di Shu.” In terms of rhythm and cadence, Jingyun Dagu can be considered the “direct descendant” of “Zi Di Shu.” Additionally, Jingyun Dagu has also borrowed from operatic singing styles and Peking Opera performances.
At the end of the phrase, Qi Shejiang employed the classic ‘shua qiang’ of Jingyun Dagu, flipping from a low note to a high, then descending, finally ending on the main tone.
The wide vocal range, precise vocal control, and the charm of Jingyun Dagu were all demonstrated perfectly! Upon careful consideration, this was not merely singing; it was an imitation, closely mimicking the famous Jingyun Dagu master Mu Da Shi.
