The Grand Show

In a year of severe drought, a girl named Yang Liudi was sold by her family for five silver dollars and sent to learn opera with a Henan opera troupe. Her life was full of hardship and ups and downs, and she met all kinds of people along the way. This is the story of how, through the rise and fall of Henan opera and countless trials, she grew into a celebrated performer of her generation. At the troupe, Yang Liudi meets a kindred spirit from her youth, and the stage of Henan opera becomes the setting for a tale of love and heartbreak. There is Shen Qingchuan, a beloved figure like Feng Xiaoxiao, whose feelings are hidden in the graceful turns of her water sleeves; there is the older male lead, Shi Yanqiu, like Li Hongbing, whose deep devotion stays by her through the storms of her difficult career; and there is Master Ma Dajiao, a respected mentor like Master Gou, who guides her through life’s uncertainties. The troupe’s warmth and hardship, the bonds between master and apprentice, the rivalries among fellow performers, and the twists and turns of time. She endures hardship, keeps her feelings close, and puts down roots, living through the rises and falls of Henan opera and the tides of a changing era. A life of hardship, a life of tempering, one grand performance, a life in the world of opera. Together, they portray the ordinary yet brilliant life of a celebrated performer.