1950, Mr. Lao She went back to China at the invitation of Premier Zhou after experiencing the years in Shandong and the storms in the United States, and bought this house.
I spent the last 16 years of my life here and wrote all my works after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Twenty-four works, such as drama Fang Mingzhu, Longxugou, Teahouse, Looking at Chang 'an in the West and unfinished autobiographical novel Red Flag Spectrum, were all completed here. The small courtyard is a typical Beijing two-in-one three-in-one courtyard style, with the gate facing west and east. As soon as we entered the second entrance, there was a rare colored Xiao Mu screen wall. Before and after the Spring Festival, the words "Look up but don't look down" and "Fu" are pasted on the screen wall, which has a special flavor of Chinese New Year. There are three main rooms (north room) in the courtyard, the Ming room and the west room are living rooms, and the east room is Hu Qing's bedroom and studio. The west wing is Lao She's bedroom and study. He said it was the quietest place in the whole hospital. In fact, this former residence is a "quiet in the noise" place.
Lao She's former residence is the most popular place. Many retired old Beijingers come to see what's going on. There is also a screen edge, turning over some TV dramas and dramas adapted from Lao She's works, looking for feelings here. It is said that many things in the former residence were collected later, for example, the radio on the hardwood marble table was given to others by Mr. Lao She before his death, and some people heard that the "Lao She Memorial Hall" was built and sent back in person.
In the showroom of the former residence, you can see various versions of "Camel Xiangzi" of 1936 and the award certificate of "People's Artist" awarded by Beijing Municipal People's Government of 1950, all of which are traditional and vertical versions. Read from right to left. That year, Mr. Lao She wrote three plays "Longxugou" on a hot day in August.
Lao She Memorial Hall opened in February, 1999. In less than five years, the audience left a message 40 cm thick. In less than a month, they all wrote consciously, and some of them were still in tears.
Mr. Lao She chose "Stan Yard" for four reasons: in his early years, this area was the seat of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles at that time, and Lao She had a meeting. It is convenient to receive foreign friends; People's Art Theatre, Youth Art Theatre and Children's Art Theatre are all nearby, which is convenient for Mr. Wang to discuss drama with directors and actors in the creative process. It is very close to Dongan market, so it is convenient for Mr. Lao Han to buy food and have a haircut. "Donglaishun" and "Cuihua Building" are not far away, so it is natural to patronize them frequently, and the dinner will be solved by the way. But it is estimated that Mr. Wang may not know that this three-in-one small courtyard is warm and convenient, but there are also places where you are caught off guard. First of all, it is common to leak rain in summer, and all kinds of big pots and small pots are indispensable at home, especially in Mr. Lao She's study. When I woke up, the old man found that my feet were wet ... It is said that the "Stan Courtyard" had a history of one hundred years before Mr. Lao She bought it, and the scene of an earthquake in a certain year made Mr. Lao She's family understand that this is indeed a typical civilian residence. During the earthquake that year, the walls on both sides of the small courtyard collapsed (one of them was in front of our conversation), and the other walls that did not collapse were also shattered, and the ground was covered with broken bricks (only the old masons in Beijing Hutong had the ability to build houses with broken bricks).
Now old Beijingers are familiar with this small courtyard, no matter what you do. Ji Shu himself has seen many people pulling tricycles, and often takes the initiative to pull guests to Lao She's former residence, but he refuses to let in, sitting or squatting at the door. Although he is not a contemporary citizen, Mr. Lao She's feelings with old Beijingers have never stopped. Ji Shu said, "This may be a place that ordinary workers in Beijing must enter."