In 1991, Hainan Pictures produced a TV series. Why did it set off a nationwide craze for couplets?

In 1991, when I was still in school, the author was stunned by a TV series. This TV series was as amazing as the "Legend of the New White Snake" that was broadcast later. What's amazing about "Legend of the Lady" is the variety of singing. Every time I sing, it feels like watching a Shaoxing opera movie. But this TV series always has a pair of pairs. The whole TV series only has more than ten episodes. According to statistics, there are more than 200 pairs of pairs, and there are an average of more than a dozen pairs in each episode. This is what Hainan Movies "Lianlin Rare" filmed by a professional company.

This drama was indeed very popular at the time. After all, it was the only TV drama with the theme of "couples". This drama immediately triggered interaction between the film and television circles and the cultural circles, and even national leaders Give this show a thumbs up.

For many ordinary people, this drama can be regarded as solving some problems during the Spring Festival. They watch TV and take notes to write down a few good pairs. When writing Spring Festival couplets during the Chinese New Year, there is no need to read the Spring Festival couplet book. Well (there were no photocopied couplets at that time, so I wrote all the Spring Festival couplets myself)

Looking back now, I have some feelings about the play

1. The plot is mediocre and unbearable Lian Lin Zhenqi

In fact, the plot of "Lian Lin Zhenqi" is quite mediocre: the protagonist Ling Daxiu was born as a commoner, he was smart and kind since childhood, and was helped by noble people along the way. Although he encountered ups and downs in life, he finally got it. Get what you want. The enemy is the son of a rich man who was his neighbor when he was young, and his wife is his childhood sweetheart. The emperor sometimes listens to both sides, and sometimes listens to both sides, so the fate of the protagonist fluctuates accordingly. Hey, in a word, it’s the old routine of dramas about talented men and beautiful women in ancient costumes.

Although the plot is not creative, the more than 200 pairs included in the plot are really interesting. For example, Cao Longju, who was unlearned and unskilled, was tested by his father when he was a child. No matter what questions my father asked about "walnut", "silk", "bells and drums", or "Yue Fei", he would always answer "radish" correctly. However, the teacher could always give the correct answers: "radish", "luo silk", "gong bo", " Luo Fu". This noun pair actually comes from a folk joke and was seamlessly integrated into the plot by the screenwriter.

There is also a couplet in folk jokes: "Long long long long long; long long long long long". This is a pairing describing the bean sprout workshop, and was also used by Ling Daxiu in his own work. In the family’s tofu shop.

When Ling Daxiu teased Mr. Shi who drove him away, he also made a clever pairing: "The fine-feathered poultry will die after the brick; the coarse-haired beast Mr. Shi". For this pairing, Mr. Shi even killed a chicken. However, this pairing is said to be transplanted from an anecdote from Pu Songling's childhood.

Even the traditional stand-up comedy "Jie Xue Shi" has also contributed pairs to the show, such as "The door to the door is thousands of poles of bamboo, and the home is home to thousands of books" written by Ling Daxiu. The neighbor Cao Cao immediately cut down the bamboo, and Ling Daxiu added the words "the door is facing a thousand poles of bamboo short" and "the home has a collection of thousands of books long". Rich Man Cao had the bamboo dug up, and Ling Daxiu added the words "There are thousands of poles of bamboo in front of the door, but there is nothing" and "There are thousands of books in the house."

After Ling Daxiu grew up, the imperial examination process was also full of twists and turns. The most impressive thing is the revenge pair, "Ling Daxiu, Daxiu is so embarrassed, the white-faced scholar fell into the tiger list" "He is in politics, he is not in government" Right, the number one scholar with a black heart is lying on the bed of a dragon." This is a homophonic pair. Although it is indecent, it relieves anger. But what I want to emphasize is that many people think it is a satire on Zhang Juzheng. After all, there are always rumors about Zhang Juzheng, but He and Zhang still need to be distinguished.

After Ling Daxiu became an official, he also used various pairs of pairs, such as the pair used to solve crimes: "Moving chairs and leaning against the tung trees to admire the moon together" and "Waiting for the lantern to climb the pavilion and each study the book."

Ling Daxiu was unjustly imprisoned. Cao Longju bribed the prefect Wang to kill Ling Daxiu, but the prefect Wang and Ling Daxiu sang a double-act curse in the courtroom, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven," "Filial piety, loyalty, etiquette, and justice." "Incorruptible", scolding Cao Longju for being shameless. In fact, this is also from Pu Songling's "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio".

Of course, the most breathtaking thing is that Su'e, played by Ling Daxiu and Zhou Jie, has to go through five stages on the bridal night. From the bridal chamber to the blowing of the lamp, they have to face each other at every step. Wouldn't it be delaying a major event? Especially the pair of "smiling and blowing the lamp with pride" and "bashfully explaining their infatuation". In Internet language, it is "I know you are driving, and I have evidence!"

Of course, the TV series ends with a happy ending. The new emperor avenges Ling Daxiu and allows him to resign to compile " "Encyclopedia of Zhulian". Taishi Li's final message to Ling Daxiu was, "The articles will last forever, and the official career will be prosperous for a short time."

This gift couplet can be said to be the finishing touch of the play. It is also the realization of thousands of intellectuals after they see through the truth about the official career.

In "Lianlin Rare", of course there should be some interesting suspense. The half of the couplet left by Ling Daxiu's sister, Ling Xiaoyan, is "Yan Yan Yan Yan Yan Yan Yan Yan." Although this is also an absolute from the Qing Dynasty, its use in this drama is quite subtle. It corresponds to Ling Xiaoyan's name and also leaves an eternal absolute for the audience to use their brains.

2. The starring and supporting roles have their own characteristics

The most familiar person to the audience in "Lian Lin Zhenqi" is Li Moran, who plays the role of Ling Daxiu, who befriended Taishi Li for many years. His image and temperament are very talented. The elegant Taishi Li is a perfect fit.

The famous dancer Zhou Jie plays the role of Ling Daxiu’s wife Su’e. Unfortunately, she has basically no chance to show off her dancing talents in this play.

In addition, the author also discovered this face in the cast. Considering that Li Qi was working in Beijing when the drama was filmed, maybe this is really him.

The child who plays the young Ling Daxiu feels very talented in acting. Judging from her name, Huang Lisi, she may be a girl, but unfortunately there is no further information about her at all.

Zhang Gong, who plays the adult Ling Daxiu, is currently very good in the hosting, commentating and film and television circles. There is also an anecdote about him. When "Lian Lin Zhenqi" was popular, Zhang Gong offered a reward in the Beijing Evening News The second line is solicited for 1,000 yuan. The first line is "Stretch your bow to enter the forest, stretch your bow to shoot at rare birds and strange beasts." I don't know who among the readers can guess it right.

3. Things to note when watching "Lian Lin Jia Qi"

First of all, let me complain about the photography of this drama. There are many scenes that I don't know whether it is an equipment problem or a level problem. It is uncomfortable to watch. For example, the scene above looks like Ling Daxiu is paying homage to his wife's head.

Let’s get down to business:

1. As mentioned earlier, many couplets in this play were collected by the screenwriter from famous couples in the past dynasties, not only before the Ming Dynasty, but also during the Ming Dynasty. There are famous pairs from the later dynasties and even contemporary ones, such as Ling Daxiu's pair "unicorn" and "flounder". In my mind, this seems to be an anecdote of Mr. Lu Xun. Therefore, when watching this drama, you don’t have to worry about the era of the couple, this is just a "Zhulian Encyclopedia".

2. Although most of the famous pairs appear in this play, some of them are not very regular in terms of tone, rhythm and dialogue. This is because the clever pairings are about artistic conception, and the rhythm can be appropriate. Relaxed.

3. The first couplet usually ends with the oblique tone of the first couplet and the flat tone of the second couplet. But some of the pairs in this play are not equal, but the opposite. This is not wrong. Because the pairs can be talked about from bottom to top, there is basically no need to talk about the upper and lower lines in this play.

Although "Lian Lin Zhen Qi" was a drama more than 20 years ago, in today's lack of creativity, some people actually came up with the idea of ????this drama, a movie called "Couplet Prodigy Ling Da Xiu" It is said that it is being filmed. Alas, I hope my childhood will not be ruined again.

Finally, do readers still remember the two absolutes mentioned in the article?

"The smoke is along the colorful eaves and the swallow's eyes are smoked"

"Stretch your bow to enter the Lianlin, stretch your bow to shoot rare birds and strange animals"

Let's try it.