A head of silver hair, a wooden guitar, the old man has become a landscape at Dawang Road subway station.
When his wife is working, Mr. Zhao is willing to sing by her side.
Lunch every day is homemade simple meal.
In the era of record abundance, thrifty Mr. Zhao couldn't bear to throw away the cassette tapes that had already changed tone.
A "dazzling" head of silver hair, a simple wooden guitar, a long underground passage, and beautiful classic songs flow out.
He is 74 years old but stands in the passage to play and sing. The busy white-collar workers around him are his loyal audience.
Someone said: Old sir, you really love life. He humorously responded: Young people, I am "resisting" life.
The impression of the singer
The "academic school" singing in the passage
Every morning at 10 o'clock, in the bustling CBD area's Dawang Road subway passage, an elderly man with white hair stands against the wall, people flowing past him.
Audience so close that it's impossible to ignore every eye. There are surprise, confusion, happiness, disdain... like a vote, full of various answers.
The old man wears a gray suit, an old-fashioned style, slightly small on him. Underfoot, he wears a pair of white sneakers, not a bad match. But his straight back makes this outfit very interesting.
He is quite tall, with fair skin. When he laughs, clear wrinkles gather at the corners of his eyes, then revealing a very neat set of white teeth. This "young" face would make you guess he's only 50.
His name is Zhao Jingkai, 74 years old. Carrying a wooden guitar, playing simple chords, he sings passionately.
His voice is not loud, the songs quiet and gentle. Sometimes the footsteps and laughter passing by can easily drown him out. But he still sways his body slightly from side to side, projecting his voice to those who look over.
The old man exudes a scholarly air. If the guitar were replaced by a book tucked under his arm, he would look like a university professor coming to give a lecture to students.
Is the old man lost, standing in the passage to play and sing? Or does he like the vitality of the young white-collar workers rushing towards him in the passage?
"Proudly" singing only classics
Mr. Zhao loves to sing "Edelweiss", "My Sun", in English, and also in Italian. He hums Johann Strauss's "Spring Voices" in different tunes without lyrics.
He forcefully sucks in his chest, his mouth constantly exaggerating into "O" and "one" shapes, using all the strength in his face, focusing solely on bel canto. If you applaud, he will burst into a bright smile.
The only popular song Mr. Zhao knows how to perform is "Birch Forest", which he learned after being requested by young people while performing on the street.
He doesn't like Teresa Teng, categorizing her songs as "lacking taste". He only loves world-famous songs, operas, and folk songs.
Mr. Zhao is very "spontaneous". With three or four people gathered together, he just wants to talk to someone who understands music. He likes this place because he knows the white-collar workers here also appreciate him and his music.
The schedule of the singer
Performing daily as punctual as going to work
The original "base" of the old man was on the roadside of Nanlishi Road. It's close to home, but last winter, he occasionally came to Dawang Road, and didn't want to leave.
Every morning at around 7:30, he leaves home, taking the No.1 bus to get here. He doesn't choose the subway because the senior citizen card allows free bus rides.
No one restricts him, yet he comes to Dawang Road subway passage promptly at 9 o'clock as if rushing to a venue.
He only carries about ten yuan on him when he goes out, and brings it all back home. He doesn't spend money eating outside or buy water.
The lunchbox contains leftovers from the previous day's dinner at home. On this day, it's just a steamed bun soaked in water and a thin layer of stir-fried tofu. The thermos of water is enough for him for the whole day.
Holding the guitar and singing for five hours, the tired old man takes out his self-made sponge cushion and rests on the ground for a while.
As the little box for money gradually becomes "full", at 2 pm, the old man departs quietly just as he arrived accurately.
The supporters of the singer
The wife once accompanied to inspect the underground passage
Mr. Zhao is from Tianjin, later moved to Beijing. Before retirement, he worked in a research institute engaged in material organization.
After retirement, he and his wife both live on pensions. They currently reside in an old building near Princess Tomb.
Wooden beds over 30 years old, old sofas that have collapsed and are uncomfortable to sit on... the furnishings in the house are simple and shabby. The newest furniture is the TV and refrigerator, which are almost 10 years old.
Upon hearing Mr. Zhao enter, his wife comes out from the inner room, takes the guitar from his hand, and puts it into an old-style bamboo woven rocking car next to the wall.
Inside are two more guitars, one bought for 40 yuan from a second-hand market, and another gifted by an unknown college student fan.
On the wall, there is a box filled with cassette tapes recording world-famous songs. These nearly 20-year-old tapes accompany songs with static noise in the recorder, some high-pitched or passionate, some have changed tone. Frugal Mr. Zhao couldn't bear to throw them away.
"I've been singing for decades, honestly, I'm really tired of listening." In front of Mr. Zhao, his 71-year-old wife stubbornly said. However, when she washes clothes, she enjoys her husband's singing.
In October last year, Mr. Zhao thought it felt meaningless to always sing at home, so he proposed to perform in the underground passage. Although his wife verbally disagreed, she still specially went ahead to check the site. Seeing her husband's music gain resonance and applause, her worries eased, and their children also changed their initial opposition stance.
The heart of the singer
Not resisting life but escaping loneliness
Mr. Zhao said that his brothers and sisters studied at music schools, and he was exposed to music since childhood, developing a passion for music starting then. After retirement, this childhood interest was rekindled even more.
But his music mostly consists of foreign "elegant" music, making it hard to find kindred spirits among his peers, leaving him feeling lonely and suppressed.
To find kindred spirits, he tried playing outside. At first, he really couldn't open his mouth to sing, his face turning red, and he dared not look directly at the crowd. He thought his voice was pretty loud, but later found out it trembled badly, and his words were unclear.
However, kind-hearted people gave him encouragement. A female college student held a one-yuan coin with both hands, placed it in front of him, and then respectfully bowed before leaving. Facing this moment, his eyes became moist, "Only in the world of music is there no age discrimination."
For others to express approval through money, Mr. Zhao finds it somewhat hard to accept, but during performances, people just throw the money down and leave. For this reason, his wife made him write a sign saying "Singing for Free."
Later, many old neighbors and colleagues told them that this isn't a reward tainted by greed, but rather a way modern people express their level of appreciation.
Mr. Zhao opened up his heart, took down the "Singing for Free" sign, and specially prepared a small box in front of him, treating it as a little ruler. The amount of money inside represents the level of affirmation for him.
Every evening when he returns home, he gives the money to his wife to save specifically. His wife said, one yuan represents one happiness index. Now, Mr. Zhao has accumulated more than ten thousand happiness points, these happiness points are achievements, and he has never spent these "happiness."
On Weibo, Mr. Zhao is a "rock" old man in the hearts of many young people, and he has become a beautiful scenery at Dawang Road.
Many young white-collar workers admire his free state and sincere singing. Someone said to Mr. Zhao, you really love life. He humorously said, "Young people, I am 'resisting' life."
Actually, in Mr. Zhao's view, resisting life is not entirely true, gaining recognition is the power behind his singing, "As long as everyone likes to listen to my songs, I will keep singing for everyone."
Text/Ru Man Photo/Yang Yi