Chapter 353 Pingju Opera Family
Su Xing bent down and picked up the photo. He saw that it was an old photo. The texture looked like a photo from the 1920s or 1930s.
The photo above shows a woman wearing a Peking Opera costume. Due to her heavy makeup and the fact that the old photo is not as clear as the current photos, the woman's face is not very clear.
But overall, the woman exudes a very attractive charm.
Su Xing stared at the woman in the photo and couldn't take his eyes away for a moment.
Old Mrs. Qiao looked at the photo in Su Xing's hand and said, "That's my aunt, she sings Pingju opera."
Su Xing said: "She is so beautiful..."
It turned out to be Pingju opera.
The costumes of Pingju and Peking opera are very similar; some are even identical. If you only look at the costumes without listening to the opera, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether they are Peking opera actors or Pingju actors.
Old Mrs. Qiao sighed softly and added, "The older generation in my family are all opera singers."
In fact, when she was young, she also learned opera from her family, but later...some years ago, opera singing was not allowed, so no one in her family sang it anymore.
Later, during the years she lived in the countryside with the old man, she injured her foot again and could no longer perform.
Su Xing and He Xu looked at each other and understood why Grandma Qiao's family didn't survive until the reform and opening up...
Su Xing handed the photo back to Mrs. Qiao.
Old Mrs. Qiao put the photos back into the album and placed it under the coffee table.
"I'm kneading the dough."
He Xu had already taken off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, "Let me chop stuffing."
Mrs. Qiao smiled and said, "Okay, it's a good job for boys to do hard work. There's some meat in the refrigerator. I'll go and melt some."
The three of them started to get busy.
While kneading the dough, Mrs. Qiao also taught the young couple some experience in kneading the dough and preparing the stuffing.
As we chatted, the topic somehow turned to Ping Opera.
As expected, Mrs. Qiao comes from a family of opera performers, and she tells the stories of many artists of the older generation vividly.
Li Jinshun, Liu Cuixia, Bai Yushuang, Xiao Bai Yushuang... Su Xing and He Xu had heard of some of these veteran Pingju artists, but were unfamiliar with most of them.
Su Xing was slightly lost in thought as he listened to Mrs. Qiao telling stories about the legendary lives of those old artists.
She remembered reading a report online in her previous life that in 2006 the state approved the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists, one of which was Pingju Opera.
But in fact, fewer and fewer people listen to Pingju opera in recent years.
In fact, it's not just Pingju opera; other operas are not popular among the younger generation.
But in comparison, Peking Opera is quite well-known. As for other traditional operas, many young people can't even name a few.
Japan has been studying our traditional opera for a long time, and even many of Japan's so-called traditional operas are inspired by our opera culture.
Su Xing sighed inwardly.
After kneading the dough and preparing the filling, the three of them started making dumplings.
Su Xing mostly eats frozen dumplings. She can only make fresh dumplings by wrapping them, but she doesn’t know how to mix the fillings or roll out the dough.
What surprised her was that He Xu could actually roll out dumpling wrappers, and he could do it quickly and in round shapes!
Mrs. Qiao also praised: "Xiao He rolled the dumpling wrappers very well. The edges are thin and the middle is thick. The dumplings he made don't break easily. You can tell he has learned it."
He Xu smiled and said, "I learned it from my grandmother."
Su Xing looked at He Xu and smiled.
When she was a child, her family would occasionally make dumplings. Her mother would prepare the fillings, and she and her mother would make the dumplings, while her father would do the work of rolling out the dumpling wrappers.
For some reason, she could always see her father's shadow in He Xu...
He Xu noticed that Su Xing was looking at him and couldn't help but blink at her.
Su Xing's face turned a little red, and he lowered his head to make dumplings seriously.
Old Mrs. Qiao noticed the interaction between the young couple and she smiled.
The three of them made two large dumplings with lids, about a hundred in total, and Mrs. Qiao felt that it was enough for the three of them.
"Let's mash some garlic and fry some chili oil."
Su Xing raised his hand: "I'll peel the garlic."
He Xu said, "I see there's not much vinegar left in the kitchen. I'll go downstairs and buy some."
Su Xing, "Yeah, go ahead."
He Xu put on his clothes and went downstairs.
Of course, he didn't just buy vinegar, but went to a nearby fresh food supermarket and bought some cooked food, vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk and other items, and carried them upstairs in large and small bags.
When Mrs. Qiao saw the pile of things He Xu brought back, she sighed, "Why did you buy all these things, kid?"
He Xu said, "We'll eat the cooked food and some vegetables in a moment. You can keep the rest and eat them slowly. They are all common items and don't cost much."
Mrs. Qiao felt warm in her heart, but her nose felt a little sour. "Okay, I'll accept it. Thank you, Xiao He."
"Granny Qiao, you're welcome."
Su Xing looked at He Xu and smiled, his eyes sparkling.
He Xu reached out and scratched his girlfriend's nose.
While the young couple was interacting, Mrs. Qiao turned her back and quietly wiped the corner of her eyes...
For this meal, in addition to dumplings, they also cut a plate of cooked food, mixed a cold dish, and fried a plate of shredded pork with garlic chives and a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
The cooked food was cut by He Xu, the cold dishes were mixed by Su Xing, and the two stir-fried dishes were made by Old Mrs. Qiao.
While eating, Mrs. Qiao said, "It's home-cooked food, I don't know if you guys are used to it."
Su Xing tasted the stir-fried pork with garlic moss and said, "It's delicious. I like to eat home-cooked dishes like this."
He Xu also smiled and said, "I also think that home-cooked food tastes better than restaurant food."
Mrs. Qiao laughed and said, "Try the dumplings."
Su Xing and He Xu each picked up a dumpling and started eating.
"Grandma Qiao, the stuffing you made is so delicious!" She gave a thumbs up.
He Xu also nodded, "It smells good."
The smile on Mrs. Qiao's face became even bigger. "If it tastes good, eat more."
She is quite confident in her skill in making stuffing. In the past, her father, son and grandson all loved to eat the buns and dumplings with her stuffing.
My daughter-in-law often praises her for her good stuffing and has learned from her several times, but she just can’t make the same taste as hers…
She sighed softly in her heart and lowered her head to eat dumplings.
Originally, Mrs. Qiao thought that the three of them would not be able to finish the hundred or so dumplings.
In the end, not a single one was left!
Su Xing realized that she had eaten a little too much. Her face turned red and she said embarrassedly, "Grandma Qiao, your cooking skills are so good..."
Old Mrs. Qiao smiled and said, “You young people are growing up, so you can eat something good!”
She was very happy to see the two young people eating with relish.
After dinner, Su Xing and He Xu helped clean up the table and the kitchen, chatted with Old Mrs. Qiao for a while, and then said goodbye.
Old Mrs. Qiao was a little reluctant.
She insisted on sending the two young men downstairs.
Before leaving, she said, "Come over and sit with me when you are free. I will make you something delicious."
"Okay, we'll come visit you when we have time."
"Grandma Qiao, please go upstairs quickly. It's cold outside."
Old Mrs. Qiao responded but stood there without moving, watching the young couple leave.
Su Xing and He Xu walked quite far away. They looked back and saw Grandma Qiao waving at them...