novelraw Chapter 206 The Holy Body of Acting? ??
Chapter 206 The Holy Body of Acting? ??
Chapter 206 The Holy Body of Acting? ??
Gu Tang paused for a moment, and you know what? She only said it once, but Ma Er and Ma San could actually name them all.
Sure enough, the brothers weren't exaggerating; they were indeed very clever.
"And you? How much did you memorize?" Yao Mi asked Ma Da.
"I only remembered half of it, so I'll have to trouble you to say it a couple more times." Ma Da felt very apologetic. It was his fault for not remembering it this time. He hadn't been in this line of work for a long time, and his brain was starting to fail him.
Ma Da thought he had made a mistake by not memorizing it the first time, but Gu Lianshan thought it was a big deal!
"Wow! You're really sharp! I'd be proud of myself if I could remember ten words of that nonsense my daughter was spouting about the Queen Mother of the West after hearing it just once!"
You can remember half of what you heard only once? If you went to school, you'd definitely be a natural-born official!
“Sir, you think too highly of me.” Ma Da said with a face full of shame. “I was born ugly. Those who study and become officials are all people with proper appearances and complete limbs. I don’t have that kind of luck.”
Ma Da had a large black spot on his face, which looked very abrupt and frightening. The areas without the black spot were all pitted and uneven, not smooth at all, plus his unkempt sideburns.
This appearance is indeed unsightly, downright ugly!
Gu Lianshan patted his shoulder: "A person's appearance is something they are born with, there's no choice in that! Since we're not good-looking, we'll make up for it with money!"
"Work hard for my daughter. Once this is over, you'll be well-off. With the money, go back to your hometown, get a house, a wife, and live a peaceful life. You won't have to be beggars anymore."
Ma Da said gratefully, "The young lady is kind-hearted and kindly asked us to work for her. We don't ask for much money, we just hope to have enough to eat and drink for the next few days."
That's not a very high aspiration.
"You must be well-fed and watered! I'm in charge, you'll have plenty of meat and wine every day!"
"Thank you for your kindness, sir!" Ma Da hurriedly expressed his gratitude, and Ma Er and Ma San beside him did the same, beaming as they thanked Gu Lianshan.
Gu Tang had no objection to Gu Lianshan making decisions on his own; even if her father hadn't said anything, she wouldn't have deprived them of food.
She unfolded the paper in her hand and continued reading to Ma Da.
To prevent Ma Da from forgetting it, she read it three times in a row, and after each reading, she gave Ma Da some time to silently repeat it.
After repeating it three times, Ma Da indeed memorized it.
But simply memorizing isn't enough; you also need to be able to act it out.
Gu Tang thought she would have to explain to them one by one, but to her surprise, she explained the effect she wanted, and the three brothers understood and said they could demonstrate it for Gu Tang.
Gu Tang was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Okay, let's demonstrate. If it doesn't work, I'll give you some pointers later."
The three brothers pushed each other back a bit, and Ma Da went first.
He was the only one in the family who was clear-headed, and he remembered clearly the sins committed by his ancestors.
Carrying such a secret, he was not far from being insane, even if he was supposed to be sober. He walked aimlessly through the streets, ignoring everyone around him, walking on his own, not stopping when he bumped into people, not talking back when he was scolded, and not fighting back when he was hit.
He kept murmuring a story: "...The Queen Mother of the West held a banquet for the immortals atop the Jade Pool. A blue phoenix carried an incense burner, which hung in the sky. A waterfall of smoke cascaded down into the Milky Way, forming a ladder to immortality and helping those with destiny enter the Jade Pool in their dreams..."
At this moment, Ma Er and Ma San entered the arena. Their eyes were wide open in anger, their faces were ferocious, and they chased and fought each other, grabbing something. Their punches landed hard, as if they wanted to devour each other alive.
They were hurling vulgarities and insults, one saying that the destiny to become an immortal belonged to him, and the other saying that the ladder to immortality did not recognize him!
They passed by Ma Da, knocked him to the ground, and ran forward without hesitation, finally setting their objects on fire.
Ma Er and Ma San only had a pebble in the corner, which was impossible to light. They could only pretend to light it, but they quickly stopped.
The two brothers approached Gu Tang and asked in a low voice, "Miss, after the incense is lit, how does the performance continue?"
"Huh?" Gu Tang looked stunned and couldn't come to her senses for a long time!
My mother!
Are these three brothers reincarnations of movie stars? Or are they born with the divine bodies of acting?
Even she herself felt that the things she had just pointed out were just random ramblings, since she wasn't an acting student and had only learned this nonsense from online videos.
But even after she rambled on like that, the three brothers were able to extract the essence from the dross and add some things in, which shows their remarkable ability.
Not receiving a reply from Gu Tang, Ma Er and Ma San became anxious: "Miss? Did we three brothers not demonstrate well just now?"
"Huh? Ah! No!" Gu Tang quickly waved his hand, "You three brothers performed very well! I can't find a single mistake, just act like that!"
The three brothers breathed a sigh of relief, but remembering that Gu Tang hadn't replied to their earlier question, Ma Er and Ma San asked again.
Gu Tang thought for a moment: "Then you can continue to snatch the incense. At that time, someone will definitely stop you. Then you can run away like crazy and say that Qingluan is not here."
Ma Er and Ma San recited it twice, and then said they had memorized it.
Now it's Gu Tang's turn to ask a question.
"Who is the master of you three brothers? He's amazing! He actually taught you to be so skilled!"
Those so-called "top stars" from the past should really see this; this is what acting is all about!
Acting isn't about frowning and glaring when you're angry, furious, or arguing!
Gu Tang turned to her father and asked, "Father, what do you think?"
"Great! It couldn't be better! Dad thinks it's so real, just like... just like the aunties arguing on the street. When they start arguing, no one would say it's fake!"
"Yes, yes, yes! It's so realistic!" Gu Tang praised sincerely. "Your instructors are really amazing! How do they usually teach you?"
The three looked at each other, unsure whether they should speak or not.
"What? You can't tell me? You want to keep it a secret?" If it really was a secret, Gu Tang could understand, after all, it was their livelihood.
"No, no, no! There's no need to keep such a little skill a secret. It's just... our master's teaching methods aren't very good, and I'm afraid the young lady might not be able to handle it if she heard about it..."
Gu Tang had originally planned not to ask, but after hearing what they said, she couldn't help but urge them, "It's okay, it's okay, I've seen all kinds of big scenes, just tell me!"
"...When our master taught us, he would only read the lines three to five times and explain the play three to five times, and then let us slowly understand it."
Every day at the end of the 5-7 PM, an inspection is conducted. Whether it's singing lyrics or rehearsing a play, if there's even the slightest mistake, the person will be whipped ten times and will be forbidden to eat the next day and will have to go hungry.
As time went on, the younger children, in order to avoid being beaten or scolded, learned things much faster..."
Gu Tang: "...Is this how your master taught you?"
"Yes. My master said, 'The master leads you through the door, but the practice is up to you.'"
Gu Tang: ...Good, good, good! That's a great excuse!
"If you have to figure it all out on your own, what's the point of having a master?"
"The lyrics are someone else's; that's what the younger generation learned when they apprenticed."
Gu Tang: ...Wow, if the master isn't sincere, the disciple is too.
"Let's not talk about that anymore." Gu Tang waved her hand. "Since you're all getting started, shall we begin this afternoon?"
"Alright, we'll start this afternoon."
"Isn't this a bit too hasty?" Gu Lianshan interjected.
Gu Tang shook his head: "No rush. Strike while the iron is hot. One effort is not enough; the second will be weaker, and the third will be exhausted. Let's do it today while we're still in good spirits." "Alright, as long as you know what you're doing." Gu Lianshan didn't ask any more questions.
Since the job is to get people to work, they need to be fed beforehand.
Gu Tang instructed her three brothers to wait there, and then she took her father away to find a restaurant to buy some food and wine.
After buying the food and drinks, to avoid making the three of them feel uncomfortable, Gu Tang and his daughter did not stay to eat with them, but instead went back to the restaurant and ordered another table to eat.
After dinner, taking advantage of the free time, Gu Lianshan said he was going to buy Gu Lai'an a set of bedding and clothes.
"Buy it for my older brother?" Gu Tang looked surprised. Was the sun rising in the west?
Seeing the teasing in his daughter's eyes, Gu Lianshan simply told her the truth.
“I’ve found a way for your older brother to go to Mocheng in the north, about 200 miles from here, to learn the craft from an old carpenter.”
"You've really found someone?" Gu Tang asked, somewhat surprised. "Are you really willing to part with them?"
“You have to be willing! If you’re not willing, things might go wrong. Our family’s life is just starting to improve, and we can’t let your older brother cause trouble at home.”
No matter how wicked Gu Lai'an may be, he is still his son at heart.
He didn't have many sons, only Gu Lai'an and Gu Ping'an.
If sending one away can protect the other two, then Gu Lai'an will definitely be sent away, no question about it.
"How are you going to get her there? It's two hundred miles!" Surely her father can't personally take her there, can he?
“Tomorrow, let him go with the old carpenter. The old carpenter has hired a team of escorts. Going with him will be safe and will also prevent your elder brother from running away halfway.”
Okay, as long as her father doesn't personally deliver the person there.
The father and daughter drove the oxcart toward the clothing shop.
After arriving at the destination, I bought Gu Lai'an a second-hand fur coat and a second-hand quilt.
Why not buy a new one?
It was all because Gu Tang said, "There are too many people on the street, so you can't dress too smartly, or you'll become a target."
Gu Lianshan had also traveled far from home, and Gu Tang's reminder brought back some unpleasant memories.
So he took it upon himself to replace all the clothes and bedding with secondhand ones.
After buying clothes, they also bought two water pouches, and then the father and daughter returned to their courtyard.
We can't take these things to the Ma brothers; they need to go back to the courtyard first to unload them.
In addition, Gu Tang also needs to select a previously prepared backflow incense and cut it in half.
Half of it was given to Ma Er and Ma San as props, and the other half was kept by Gu Tang to see if she could set it on fire again when the time was right.
Gu Tang chose the "Lingxi Fragrance," which has an intricate red peony design.
Lingxi Xiang is a health-preserving fragrance, mainly composed of herbal scents. It is aromatic, relieves depression, removes dampness and heat, and improves appetite.
The raw materials for this batch of incense almost entirely come from the system, and its efficacy is much stronger than that of the same incense sold elsewhere.
If someone who is feeling unwell smells this fragrance, it will likely alleviate some of their symptoms. It doesn't need to alleviate them too much, just a little bit, and then this fragrance will definitely be wildly popular.
Everyone would be convinced that this incense is not from the mortal world.
She took out her multi-functional bayonet and cut it in half from the middle of the peony flower.
The two halves were about the same size, so Gu Tang found a handkerchief and wrapped them up.
Soon, the father and daughter left and went to the three brothers' place.
Once they arrived, Gu Tang opened the bundle she had brought and gave them a pair of scissors.
“You’ve been beggars before, so when you’re attracted to beggars, you’ll definitely attract other beggars. To avoid being recognized, cut off your beards and hair. Cut them all short and let them hang loose to cover your faces.”
The three brothers complied with Gu Tang's request without hesitation.
Ma Er and Ma San are easy to identify; once their beards are trimmed and their hair is covered, they are basically unrecognizable.
Martha is in a bit of a problem; the dark spots on his face are very distinctive, which is a bit of a hassle.
Gu Tang reached into the bundle and, using the bundle as cover, took out several boxes of paint that hadn't been used up last time. He then mixed the colors and tried applying them to Ma Da's face.
After a while, Ma Da looked at his reflection in the water and was pleasantly surprised to find that the dark spots on his face were gone.
"This...this is..." He kept looking down at his reflection in the basin, not even blinking...
Gu Tang patted him: "Stop taking pictures, the reflection in the water is you. We need to take care of business first, we can take pictures later when we get back."
Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time Ma Da had seen himself without dark spots on his face. He was so excited that his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
Fortunately, he quickly calmed down and silently followed Gu Tang out of the courtyard.
The group of five all boarded the oxcart and drove it eastward.
These are all ordinary people; making a fuss here is pointless, none of them can afford it.
Gu Tang suggested that her father drive the oxcart towards Changshan Academy.
Almost every house around Changshan Academy is a grand mansion with tall gates and large courtyards.
To live in a courtyard like this, one must be extremely wealthy and powerful.
Gu Lianshan also agreed to choose this side. Besides being rich, it also has the most scholars. These people love to pretend to be cultured, and it's a sure way to scam them!
As they approached the academy, the oxcart stopped in a deserted alley, and Gu Tang handed half of a red peony to Ma Er.
"This is incense; light it when the time is right..."
Ma Er thought the incense was the kind used when burning incense to worship Buddha, but he didn't expect it to be in the shape of a flower, no, half a flower.
Although curious, he knew this was not the time to ask. After taking the incense, he, Ma Da, and Ma San quickly got out of the car and disappeared into the alley with a limp.
As planned, they intended to use Changshan Academy as their final destination, leading the crowd inward from the periphery.
Gu Tang and her father waited there until the man arrived with a group of people, then they would pretend to be watching the excitement.
Just then, a little beggar suddenly peeked out from the alley entrance.
Gu Tang glanced over and assumed he wanted to come in and beg for food from house to house, but when he saw an oxcart parked there, he was too scared to come over.
"Dad, let's go outside and wait on the street." Gu Tang patted her father's arm and told him to drive away.
Gu Lianshan also saw the little beggar. He thought the same as Gu Tang, that the little beggar wanted to come and beg for food, but he was afraid that the father and daughter would curse and drive him away, since the world regarded beggars as filthy creatures.