《protagonist》Adapted from Chen Yan's novel of the same name, the story takes the inheritance of Qin Opera art and the ups and downs of a generation of actors as the main line, telling Yi Qin'e's growth experience from a rural girl to the center of the stage step by step.When he was young, Hu Sanyuan signed up his niece for the county theater troupe to recruit students, took her out of her hometown and changed her name to Yi Qin'e.It was not smooth sailing for her when she first joined the troupe. She not only had to adapt to the rigorous training, but also had to face the pressure brought by family ties, the shadow of the accident and competition among her peers.

Under the guidance of old artists and her own hard training, Yi Qin'e gradually revealed her talent.Her "Breaking Meng Opera" became a blockbuster on the rural stage. Later, she changed her name to Yi Qin'e and was transferred to the provincial Qin Opera Troupe.A bigger stage brings more opportunities, as well as more complex human relationships, fame, fortune and artistic choices.Recalling Qin'e's practice of singing, chanting, and acting in rehearsals, performances, and life changes, she also experienced the rise, fall, and perseverance of traditional opera in the changing times.

The series not only describes the process of an actor becoming famous, but also interweaves family ties, the inheritance of masters and apprentices, the ecology of the theater troupe and the contemporary situation of the Qin Opera stage.Yi Qin'e's transformation from a supporting role to a protagonist relies not only on talent, but also long-term self-discipline, patience and reverence for the stage.She has experienced applause and neglect, temptation and loss, and finally understands that the true “protagonist” does not only belong to the spotlight, but is a person who can still maintain love, take responsibility and pass on art to those who come after her in the ups and downs of fate.

When Yi Qin'e stood in the center of the stage after becoming famous, the lights and applause had already promoted her to a famous Qin Opera actress in the eyes of everyone.But her origins are not glamorous.Many years ago, her name was Yi Laidi, and she was a little girl who grew up with sheep in Jiuyangou. The shadow of patriarchy in the family has always weighed on her and her sister Yi Pandai.Her mother, Hu Xiuying, was about to give birth, and her father, Yi Maocai, was waiting outside the door. What he was thinking about was not his daughter's future, but whether the family could add a boy to the family.

The Ningzhou County Theater Troupe recruits students. There are only 30 places, but it is enough to change the lives of children in the mountains.Hu Xiuying's younger brother Hu Sanyuan is a drummer in the county troupe. He usually does nothing but has a bad reputation, but no one dares to underestimate the drumbeats in his hands.He originally wanted to take his eldest niece Yi Pandai, who can sing and dance, out of the mountains so that she can eat commercial food and get out of the life of getting married in exchange for betrothal gifts.Hu Sanyuan asked for leave from the troupe and hurried back to Jiuyangou on his broken bicycle, fully expecting that the matter would turn around.

Things are not going well on the troupe's side.The mainstay, Hua Caixiang, was leading the group to open up her voice. Director Huang Zhengjing suddenly called a meeting and announced that Hua Caixiang would sing "Xiang Yanghong" for the performance. He also used the enrollment issue to emphasize that there should be no back door, and he was criticizing Hu Sanyuan both inside and outside his words.After the meeting, Huang Zhengjing talked to Hua Caixiang alone and talked about the anonymous letter, implying that her relationship with Hu Sanyuan was unclear.Hua Caixiang denied it on the spot, but she knew in her heart that the involvement between her and Hu Sanyuan was not something that outsiders could explain clearly in just a few words.She and her husband Zhang Guangrong had long been estranged from each other, and they were just waiting for him to come back and end their marriage.

When Hu Sanyuan rushed to Yi's house, he discovered that Yi Pandai had been promised high five blessings to the captain's family.The Gao family was worried about her ambitions after entering the city, so they refused to issue a certificate unless she brought Gao Wufu with her.Hu Sanyuan didn't want to be manipulated by others. After the two sides argued, the certificate was torn up, and Yi Pan's chance of coming out of the mountain was cut off.Just when everyone was at their wits' end, Hu Sanyuan saw the unkempt little niece Yi Laidi.This child is inconspicuous, but he has a body that can endure hardships.Hu Sanyuan changed his mind temporarily and put the opportunity that originally belonged to his sister into Laidi's hands.

Yi Laidi didn't want to leave home, and Yi Pansui cried heartbrokenly.Those who want to leave are stopped, and those who don't want to leave are pushed on the road by fate.It was still dark before Hu Sanyuan left Jiuyangou with Yi Laidi. Hu Xiuying could only watch her daughter go away.On the way, Yi Laidi was afraid of the unfamiliar world and took the opportunity to jump out of the car and run back. When Hu Sanyuan chased her, he injured his leg and broke his bicycle, so he had to take her to the town to find an acquaintance to repair the car.

In the troupe, Mi Lan took advantage of Hua Caixiang's absence and secretly practiced - Xiang Yanghong -, hoping to take the opportunity to replace Hua Caixiang.Hua Caixiang mocked her rudely when she came back, but Hu Sanyuan didn't arrive, and the replacement drummer He Dahamui made a mess, and the rehearsal was messed up.Huang Zhengjing's wife then broke into the theater with an anonymous letter, mistakenly thinking that the woman mentioned in the letter was Hua Caixiang, causing trouble and even drinking pesticide, causing chaos in the courtyard.

Hu Sanyuan finally took Yi Laidi into the city.When Yi Laidi saw the theater compound for the first time, she was both novel and timid.Gou Cunzhong and Qiu Cunyi playing chess at the door, the sounds of people coming and going in the courtyard, and the singing in the rehearsal hall all made her feel like she had entered another world by mistake.Hua Caixiang followed her uncle and nephew into the house and told Hu Sanyuan about the events of the past few days.When she saw Hu Sanyuan's injured leg, her words were unforgiving, but there was distress in her eyes.Yi Laidi's Qin Opera life began in this chaotic, rough and lively theater compound.

Hua Caixiang took a serious look at Yi Laidi for the first time, and was inevitably disappointed.This child brought from the ravine was huddled in the corner, his body was dirty and his eyes were frightened and dull. He was very different from the good seedling that Hu Sanyuan said.Hua Caixiang reminded Hu Sanyuan that the theater troupe recruitment requires thousands of troops to cross a single-plank bridge. If you want to squeeze in thirty places with such a boring gourd, you have almost no chance of winning.Hu Sanyuan refused to admit defeat. He only said that the people had not been dealt with yet and he could not rush to conclusions.

After nightfall, Hua Caixiang personally bathed Laidi and asked her questions while washing, but Laidi seemed to have sealed herself in a shell and refused to answer a word.Hu Sanyuan was sitting outside the door. Hearing the sound of singing and opera coming from the courtyard, and being disturbed by mosquitoes, he suddenly wanted to change his niece's name.He felt that the name Laidi was too bitter, so he named it Yi Qing'e.When Hua Caixiang heard the name, she immediately thought of Li Qing'e, whom Hu Sanyuan could not let go of. She became jealous and spoke with thorns.

Hua Caixiang tested Hu Sanyuan's attitude towards her divorce by treating his wounds.Hu Sanyuan knew what she wanted to hear, but he avoided it and refused to say anything.In the rehearsal hall, Hu Sanyuan saw Milan still practicing hard.While giving him medicine, Milan asked why his drum fascinated Huacaixiang.Hu Sanyuan had a headache and could only deal with it vaguely.He was wary of Milan's persistence and knew that everyone in the troupe was eyeing the limited opportunities.

After Hua Caixiang cleaned up Yi Qing'e, she wanted her to sing a song, but Yi Qing'e still refused to speak.Hu Sanyuan was about to throw away the old clothes she brought from the mountains, but Hua Caixiang thought that she could go to the little white shoes in the theater troupe to change her clothes.Yi Qing'e saw the group photos and dancing photos on the wall in the little white shoe house, and became curious about this gentle woman.For the first time, she realized that everyone in the troupe had their own pasts and abilities.

In order to avoid suspicion, Hua Caixiang took Yi Qing'e back to her room.The yard was bustling with activity. Yi Qing'e lay on the bed and listened to the laughter, and the tension in her heart slowly relaxed.Song Bayi, the son of the canteen master Song Zuguang, was lying in front of the window talking to her. When she didn't speak, he thought she was really mute.Milan was singing in the courtyard to steal the limelight. Hua Caixiang was unhappy. After returning to the house, she told Yi Qing'e that she should not imitate Milan's charming charm when studying opera.

In the middle of the night, Yi Qing'e was so noisy by Hua Caixiang's snoring that she couldn't sleep. She vaguely saw a figure flashing outside the window.The next day, Hua Caixiang pulled her up to raise her voice. Hu Sanyuan also helped, but Yi Qing'e just didn't speak.The controversy over the anonymous letter has not yet passed. Hu Sanyuan and Hua Caixiang were excluded from admissions affairs, and He Dachui and Milan took the position of examiners.Without her own people to take care of her, Yi Qing'e's situation is even more difficult, but Hu Sanyuan still refuses to give up and divides the work among three people: Hua Caixiang teaches opera, he runs the relationship, and Yi Qing'e is only responsible for opening her mouth.

Hua Caixiang saw Chu Jiahe in the rehearsal hall. She heard that her parents were related and saw that she was very talented, which made her feel even colder.In contrast, Yi Qing'e, apart from being brave enough to catch snakes, has almost no aura for singing.Song Bayi also wanted to take the exam to play drums in a theater troupe, but his father Song Zuguang kept discouraging him.Hu Sanyuan coaxed Yi Qing'e in private, saying that acting is to have enough food and to leave the days of foraging in the soil.Intimidation failed, and finally the smell of meat pried Yi Qing'e's mouth open.Hua Caixiang took the opportunity to teach her the direction and told her that since she wanted to sing, she had to run towards the protagonist on the stage.Just when Yi Qing'e was getting better, Huang Zhengzheng announced in public that Xiang Yanghong would temporarily change roles, and Milan would replace Hua Caixiang.Hua Caixiang was furious, and He Dachui also wanted to take advantage of the chaos to compete for drum chief, but Milan named Hu Sanyuan to play the drum, and a new conflict came to the fore.

Hua Caixiang was removed as an examiner, and her opportunity to be on stage was taken away from Xiang Yanghong. She couldn't hold back the anger in her heart.She simply acted out a deliberately provocative drama in front of everyone, bringing all Huang Zhengjing's previous shady thoughts to light.People in the courtyard burst into laughter when they saw it, and Huang Zhengzheng's wife came with her children. The scene suddenly froze.Hu Sanyuan was afraid that the situation would get out of control, so he quickly beat the drums to suppress the situation. Milan seized the opportunity and stood in the center of the stage, becoming the corner of the performance.

Hua Caixiang complained that Hu Sanyuan did not stand up for her, and took her anger out on Yi Qing'e.She scolded her harshly, but in her heart she didn't really want to give up on the child.Hu Sanyuan came over to coax her carefully and calmed her down with a few words.Hua Caixiang hoped that Hu Sanyuan would break the drum during the official performance and make Milan look embarrassed, but Hu Sanyuan knew in his heart that when the play was on stage, he could not mess with the reputation of the audience and the troupe.

On the day of the performance, Hua Caixiang took Yi Qing'e behind the stage of the Grand Theater.Theater fans outside were crowded. Yi Qing'e saw the light on the famous actor for the first time, and felt the tension behind the stage for the first time.Huang Zhengjing repeatedly emphasized behind the stage that this performance is of great importance and no one can make mistakes.But just before the show started, another phone call came in, saying that there was a leader in the audience who really understood Qin Opera.Huang Zhengzheng was worried that Milan wouldn't be able to hold on, but it was too late to make another substitution, so he could only let her appear on the stage.

Hu Sanyuan had earlier mistakenly used the background board as scrap material and nailed it to the bed, but at the critical moment he was quick to think again.He asked Yi Qing'e to put on ragged clothes, wear a straw hat and stand on the edge of the stage, pretending to be a scarecrow.When the curtain opened, such a child suddenly appeared on the side of the stage. The audience thought it was a new trick arranged by the director, and even the glasses director himself was kept in the dark.Yi Qing'e stood there without daring to move, but her eyes could clearly see everything on the stage.

Milan took the lead for the first time and was obviously tight at first.As soon as Hu Sanyuan's drum beat, the rhythm slowly supported her, and her singing also stabilized.The drumbeats, singing, and body movements all worked together, and the performance became smoother and smoother as it went on, and in the end it won a full house of applause.Yi Qing'e saw the power of the stage from the side: Milan worked hard to get ahead, Hu Sanyuan beat himself to the point of selflessness for a play, and Hua Caixiang swallowed all his grievances and jealousies in his heart.Everyone wants to be a protagonist, but the protagonists on stage only belong to those who can sing well at the moment.

As soon as the play ended, people from the police station came to the door and took Hu Sanyuan away.Section Chief Guo of the Security Department had long disliked him, so he blamed him for the anonymous letter.Although Hua Caixiang was still angry, she couldn't rest assured and took Yi Qing'e to the police station.In the interrogation room, Hu Sanyuan was complaining about injustice while speaking in a precise manner. He even used a chopstick to swat flies flying around, which made the police laugh and cry.Nothing came out of the interrogation, but it was like a drumming lesson.

When Hua Caixiang saw Hu Sanyuan coming downstairs with a smile, she felt relieved. She remembered that he had just helped Milan stabilize the stage, and her anger resurfaced.At night, she told Yi Qing'e about Hu Sanyuan's past when he was young.Li Qing'e became famous with "Picking Fairy Grass" back then, and she was also involved with Hu Sanyuan, but later lost her life on the stage.Hua Caixiang once married out of anger, and after going back and forth for many years, she still couldn't get around Hu Sanyuan.Yi Qing'e listened silently and slowly understood that every relationship in the troupe was burdened with old scores.

Milan then came to thank Hu Sanyuan and confessed that the anonymous letter was written by someone else.She just wanted to scare Huang Zhengjing, but she didn't expect that Hu Sanyuan and Hua Caixiang would be implicated.Hu Sanyuan did not pursue the matter further and covered it up for her.Milan accepted this sentiment and said that he would take care of Yi Qing'e during the enrollment process.Hu Sanyuan struck while the iron was hot and took Yi Qing'e to Huang Zhengjing's house to put in good words and pester the director with glasses to recognize the scarecrow's performance.On the other side, Song Bayi secretly competed for the theater troupe exam, but was bullied by Chief Guo's son.The troupe responded to the call to smoke out mosquitoes. Hu Sanyuan was holding a smoke basin and ran into He Dachui's scandal. He took advantage of the situation and forced him to leave a way for Yi Qing'e during the assessment.While watching a movie at night, Hu Sanyuan was called out of the theater. As soon as he walked out, someone put a sack on him from behind.

Hu Sanyuan didn't come back after being put in a sack. Hua Caixiang was uneasy and could only take Yi Qing'e out to look for him.They soon saw a group of people gathered around the roadside. Hu Sanyuan was sitting there with a bruised nose and a swollen face, looking extremely embarrassed.Hua Caixiang felt distressed and angry. After sending him back to the theater, Hu Sanyuan did not rest quietly. Instead, he went to his friend Qin Feng and asked him to help find out the person behind the scenes.Qin Feng called his apprentice Xiao Si and left the matter to him.

The events that happened one after another in the past few days made Yi Qing'e fearful of both the city and the troupe.She didn't leave home voluntarily in the first place, but now that she saw her uncle being beaten, Hua Caixiang being squeezed out, and the troupe full of plots, she became even more reluctant to learn to sing, and turned around and wanted to run out.Hu Sanyuan stopped her and patiently persuaded her, telling her that people will always take some beatings and suffer some pain in life, and they can't throw away opportunities just because of fear.He asked Yi Qing'e to just prepare for the exam, and he and Hua Caixiang would stand behind her.

Xiaosi quickly found out that the person who did it was related to He Dachui.He Dachui was beaten to a bloody head and Hu Sanyuan was also injured. Both sides were dirty and it was difficult for anyone to complain.At night, Yi Qing'e went to find Song Bayi, and the two sat together and watched the stars.Yi Qing'e said that the city looked fresh, but it was like a bigger sheepfold. When she came out of the mountains, she felt trapped.Song Bayi didn't quite understand her suffering, but he was willing to talk to her.

Hu Sanyuan rode He Dachui back, not forgetting to force him to help with the admissions scoring process.He Dachui said that the one who could really make the decision was Huang Zhengjing, and gave Hu Sanyuan an idea: Zhang Heiwa, the child of Huang Zhengjing's brother-in-law, also had to take the exam. As long as Zhang Heiwa was included in the list, Yi Qing'e would have the opportunity to follow suit.Hu Sanyuan turned to Huang Zhengjing's wife and promised that he could get through other examiners for Zhang Heiwa and let her persuade her husband.

On the day of the exam, Zhang Heiwa behaved clumsily, and Huang Zhengzheng couldn't help it.The cans sent by Hu Sanyuan were also returned intact by Huang Zhengjing, and the matter was not settled for a while.Hua Caixiang inquired about the situation of other candidates in advance, and she was counting on luck. Unexpectedly, Feng Xiaoxiao, who was in front of Yi Qing'e, shocked everyone when she played the accordion. She played the accordion smoothly and brightly, making the children behind her look dim.

When it was Yi Qing'e's turn, Hua Caixiang and Hu Sanyuan were more nervous than she was.Yi Qing'e stood in the examination room, her mind flashing through the ravines, relatives, the grievances of leaving home, and the shock along the way, and she yelled out a Qin Opera excerpt in desperation.Her voice had the energy of the mountains, and as soon as the voice came out, everyone in the room was stunned.Hu Sanyuan seemed to have finally let out the breath he had been holding in for a long time, and immediately made plans to get a free pig for the troupe, hoping that everyone would be soft-spoken and stop gossiping about Yi Qing'e behind his back.

After the four examiners finished scoring, Huang Zhengjing had no objections to the other lists, except for Zhang Heiwa and Yi Qing'e.Zhu Jiru, He Dachui, Milan and the glasses director exchanged words with each other, describing the two children as simple representatives of the middle and lower poor peasants, saying that the troupe could not only have red flowers, but also needs green leaves.Several people came and went and blocked Huang Zhengjing.

On the other side, when Song Bayi and Yi Qing'e were alone, Section Chief Guo's son came to stir up trouble again, scolding and beating Song Bayi.Yi Qing'e endured it until the end, picked up a piece of wood and threw it at the opponent.The Guo family came to the troupe to cause trouble, but Huang Zhengzheng's wife suddenly sided with Hu Sanyuan, her voice was louder than anyone else's, and her reasons were stronger than anyone else's.Afterwards, Hu Sanyuan gave her a pig's head to express his gratitude, and used the anonymous letter to persuade her, saying that she lived in the theater to block Huang Zhengjing's gossip and temptation from outside.Huang Zhengjing's wife listened to what he heard, and felt that Hu Sanyuan was reasonable.In the end, both Zhang Heiwa and Yi Qing'e were admitted. Yi Qing'e was pushed from the ravine to the position of a student of the theater troupe, and her fate really took a turn.

Yi Qing'e was admitted to the student class, and Hu Sanyuan and Hua Caixiang were even happier than she was.For a child from the mountains, joining a theater troupe is not just about learning to sing, it also means changing from a child in the countryside to someone who eats commercial food, has a public status, and has the possibility of leaving the land.Hu Sanyuan and Hua Caixiang took her to the mall to buy things and took her to take photos.Seeing that Yi Qing'e couldn't smile, the photographer suggested taking a family photo. Hua Caixiang readily agreed, and Hu Sanyuan also enjoyed it.The three of them stood together, and it really seemed like they had made up a temporary home.

When they returned to the troupe, Hua Caixiang's husband Zhang Guangrong suddenly appeared.Zhang Guangrong is away from home all year round, and his relationship with Hua Caixiang has already become cold.Hua Caixiang was polite to him, but not close to him.She went to find Hu Sanyuan by fetching water and talked about her divorce plan, but Hu Sanyuan began to dodge again and refused to make it clear.Zhang Guangrong couldn't help but notice something strange. He heard the gossip outside and saw the extra pillows in the room, so he naturally became suspicious.It's just that he was decent and didn't break out on the spot. Instead, he wanted to push Hu Sanyuan away from Hua Caixiang in the name of introducing someone to Hu Sanyuan.

Zhang Guangrong brought cans and clothes in an attempt to make up for the years of neglect.Hua Caixiang always had a cold face, and the two of them sat in the room as if they were separated by a wall.Zhang Guangrong mentioned that he would be promoted to deputy director of the factory revolutionary committee and wanted to take Hua Caixiang home to end the separation, but Hua Caixiang refused directly.She took the basin to wash up in the courtyard and faced Hu Sanyuan silently. This scene happened to be seen by Zhang Guangrong, and his expression became more and more complicated.

Yi Qing'e transferred the candy given by Zhang Guangrong to Song Bayi.Two children sneaked into an old warehouse and saw Qiu Cunyi just stuffing mothballs into a wooden box.After the people left, they opened the box and found many exquisite costumes inside.Those costumes were considered old things at the time and could not be easily seen in the light of day, but in the eyes of children, they were more beautiful than any new clothes.Yi Qing'e still didn't understand how much hard work of veteran artists was hidden behind these clothes. She just felt that there was another mysterious corner in the troupe.

As night fell, the troupe compound lost its usual bustle, and everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen.Yi Qing'e and Song Bayi were playing around in costumes, but felt vaguely uneasy in their hearts.Hu Sanyuan took advantage of everyone's sleep and quietly came to the theater to meet Qiu Cunyi and Gou Cunzhong.A few people performed Qin Opera - Hei Ding Ben - in front of an empty auditorium. There was no formal audience and no applause, but they still sang solemnly.Hua Caixiang was waiting for Hu Sanyuan at the door. Unable to wait, she could only silently go back to the house to face Zhang Guangrong.

The next day, Huang Zhengjing led people to check out the costumes in the warehouse and ordered Qiu Cunyi to destroy them immediately. These items with old labels would never be allowed to remain in the troupe.Zhang Guangrong and Huang Zhengjing were old acquaintances, and they even brought Shanghai brand watches as gifts.Huang Zhengzheng took the advantage and turned around to provoke Zhang Guangrong, making the rumors about Hua Caixiang and Hu Sanyuan even more unpleasant, and reminding him to keep an eye on his wife.

Qiu Cunyi hurriedly consulted with Gou Cunzhong and Zhou Cunyi.The three of them were reluctant to burn their costumes, especially Gou Cunzhong, who would rather take risks than watch the costumes turn into ashes.Hu Sanyuan and Zhang Guangrong later fought against each other in the theater. Zhang Guangrong was a soldier and beat Hu Sanyuan to a miserable state, which made Hua Caixiang feel even more uncomfortable.After nightfall, Yi Qing'e in Songba area climbed over the wall to peek at Xiaobai Shoes practicing dance, but she bumped into Huang Zhengjing peeking outside the door.The two children didn't understand the dirty thoughts of adults, so they just thought that he also liked ballet.

On the way back, Yi Qing'e and Song Bayi bumped into Qiu Cunyi, Gou Cunzhong, and Zhou Cunyi burning costumes again.As soon as the fire started, Gou Cunzhong rushed over and pulled the clothes out of the fire.The three of them eventually carried their packages and hid their costumes high up behind the stage.Yi Qing'e followed quietly and saw that these usually inconspicuous janitors, sweepers, and warehouse workers actually valued costumes more than their lives.She didn't understand why they were so stubborn, but for the first time she felt that the things on the stage were not just clothes and props.Late at night, Zhang Guangrong asked Hu Sanyuan to have a drink with a warning in his words.Hu Sanyuan helped the drunk Zhang Guangrong back to his room, but Hua Caixiang locked the door and refused to open it.When Zhang Guangrong woke up the next day, he still couldn't enter his wife's door. The rift between the three people was completely exposed.