In the few contacts he had with Zhu Zhiwen, the overcoat brother, almost every time, he was caught in a traffic storm.
In March this year, the reporter called him for the first time in his hometown, Zhulou Village, Shan County, Heze City, Shandong Province, and learned that he was preparing for a performance at a car show in Shunyi District, Beijing. Zhu Yucheng, secretary of the village party branch, said that before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Zhu Zhiwen “went out” and traveled across provinces in Shandong, Hebei, and Shaanxi to rush from one performance venue to another.
At that time, his performances were still mainly about singing, and the song he sang most often was the song “Rolling Waters of the Yangtze River East” that made him an instant hit. In May, Brother Dayi participated in the Texas New Youth Music Festival and sang the song “Love each other” which became a hit at the scene. In the massive communication and interaction triggered by the Internet, a large number of young people expressed their love for Brother Dayi. Facing the camera, Zhu Zhiwen gave a response that was rated as “high emotional intelligence” by countless netizens: “It’s not me, it’s the young friends who like me.”
Since then, Brother Dayi has started to play NPCs (real-life performers who play specific roles and interact with tourists) in scenic spots. He has put on various costumes and guest-starred as the No. 1 Scholar, a gold miner, a member of the Communist Party, and a fairy. The most outstanding one is the “Nantianmen General”. In the summer, he wore heavy armor and shouted to tourists at Kaifeng Long live Mountain and Luoyang Laojun Mountain: “I am the general, and I am Zhu Zhiwen.”
For a long time, in this cycle of “creating memes” and “receiving memes”, almost every appearance of Zhu Zhiwen would bring about a carnival of traffic. However, the love and hate gained from traffic can sometimes come unexpectedly and extreme. The latest news that appeared in the news was that he was “frequently reported by black fans, leading to the cancellation of more than a dozen commercial performances.” This time, he returned to his home in Zhulou Village. He took a rare break for several days in a row, cooking, working, picking up crops, and cooperating with reporters when they came to interview and film.
In his recent response, Zhu Zhiwen no longer has the implicit “high emotional intelligence” of the past. “At worst, if I don’t sing, I won’t make money, I will farm and feed chickens at home.” He also has to “fight to the end” with the person who reported him.
Zhu Zhiwen sings in his yard. All pictures in this article are from Farmers Daily.
“Black” for no reason
In the north at the end of October, the weather is getting colder and colder. Zhu Zhiwen set up his mobile phone at home, stood in the middle of the yard and recorded a video solemnly: “My stage name is Brother Dayi, my real name is Zhu Zhiwen, and my family lives in Zhulou Village, Guocun Town… Do you dare to tell me your real address? If you dare to tell me, I admire you.”
In the camera, he frowned, his face looked a little tired, and he still spoke with his iconic Shandong accent. The more he spoke, the more indignant he became: “Don’t be like a mouse. Is that what a man does?”
The target of the shouting was a “black fan” who had frequently reported him on the Internet. Zhu Zhiwen told reporters that this person once asked him to “meet and talk” at the Tongzhou campus of a university in Beijing, without giving the specific address. He expected that the other party had used a false identity, so he shouted to expose him.
“Do you really want to go? Or are you testing him?” the reporter asked. “I really want to go, I’m not joking.” Zhu Zhiwen immediately became serious and said every word.
In the 15 years since his debut, Zhu Zhiwen can’t remember how many “black fans” he has encountered hiding in the Internet. He couldn’t figure out why a group of people he didn’t know were obsessed with “blackmailing” him, making up stories about him “evading taxes” and “having an affair during marriage and having an illegitimate child.” Every once in a while, he has to face all kinds of “news” about himself – Zhu Zhiwen “jumped off a building”, “divorced” and “retired from the literary and art circle”; someone photoshopped his head onto women and animals to make “posthumous photos” and various spoof pictures… Once it even involved his newborn grandson.
In 2022, Zhu Zhiwen took legal action to defend his reputation rights for the first time. The first few cases were mainly civil mediation, requiring the other party to stop spreading rumors, apologize, and write a letter of guarantee. Once the other party wrote a letter of guarantee but continued to abuse him online, and he did not continue to pursue criminal responsibility. At the beginning of 2024, a person named “Die Lianhua” on the Internet was sued in court through criminal private prosecution for continuing online violence and spreading rumors to harm his family. After two years, he was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
At the court hearing, the cyber bully was repeatedly asked whether he and Zhu Zhiwen knew each other and whether they had any interest in each other. After being denied, the perpetrator claimed that he was just a “hothead” and Zhu Zhiwen became angry. “You have been attacking me for five years, can your brain always be hot?”
For Zhu Zhiwen, there is no love or hate for no reason in the world, but there seems to be “blackness” for no reason. After being reported as a “bad artist” and having his performances canceled many times, he focused on defending his rights in his hometown, collecting evidence, meeting with lawyers from Beijing, and speaking out through various media, “(The reporter) is just jealous and doesn’t want others to be kind to him.”
Apart from this reason, Zhu Zhiwen couldn’t think of any more. Over the years, he feels that he has been cautious and low-key enough – he never sells goods live, does not live broadcast himself, and does not let his family do it. Because his wife Yuhua secretly broadcast live to receive gifts, he threw two mobile phones at home. “I said you don’t lack that little money, why are you doing this?” After suffering a lot, he didn’t want his family to be exposed to the camera too much. “It doesn’t matter how exposed I am, because I know what I can and cannot say, but they can’t grasp it.”
This summer, people gathered to watch Zhu Zhiwen harvesting wheat.
A life of being watched
In 2011, when Zhu Zhiwen debuted, short videos and mobile live broadcasts had not yet entered the daily lives of ordinary people. At that time, as long as he could get offline performances, he could earn hundreds of times as much money as he would from twisting steel bars at a construction site. “My whole family is so happy.” At that time, he thought excitedly. He didn’t have to work hard and could support his family by singing a few songs. “We were also allowed to appear on TV and someone packaged us.” He couldn’t think of anything luckier than this.
However, it was as if every gift from fate was secretly marked with a price. What he didn’t expect was that becoming famous overnight would tear his life apart under countless cameras.
In 2015, a creative team from the former CCTV filmed an episode of the documentary “Chinese Ways of Living: Sing When You Want” for Zhu Zhiwen. The film crew followed him for four years, recording how he became popular after participating in the singing show, and the earth-shaking changes in his situation and life he encountered when he returned to Zhulou Village after becoming famous.
In the camera, Zhu Zhiwen sings freely, in front of the mirror at home, by the river at the entrance of the village, and on the village road where his bicycle passes. Before he became famous, he was an “eccentric” in the eyes of the villagers. He didn’t think about how to make money and just wanted to sing all day long. After becoming famous, in the eyes of fans, he is a simple and cute “Lao Zhu”. “In the hustle and bustle of society, there is still such a simple person.” A fan said in an interview.
And when he talked about the changes after becoming famous, “I’m so tired that I can’t live anymore.” He said on the show, “I don’t know if my life is in heaven or hell.”
After becoming famous, Zhu Zhiwen began to travel all day long on the road to perform and socialize. He would practice dancing awkwardly and stiffly for a business performance, and he would practice signing while taking a break in a hotel while applying plaster to his waist. And these details of life are all recorded under the sight of the camera.
Around 2017, mobile live broadcasts became popular, and a grand live broadcast farce kicked off at the doorstep of Zhu Zhiwen’s home. From 5 or 6 in the morning to 12 midnight, dozens or hundreds of people gather in front of his house every day. Onlookers come from all over the country and regard photographing him as a “traffic livelihood.” They put their mobile phones through the cracks in the door, outside the courtyard wall, and even use drones to reach over the wall in front of Zhu Zhiwen to live broadcast all his daily life of eating, working, entertaining guests and chatting. There are also reports that some people squat for several days, waiting for the moment when he gets angry or quarrels to broadcast live to gain traffic.
At that time, Zhu Zhiwen seemed at a loss when facing the camera. At first, he tried his best to cooperate because he was worried about being accused of “playing a big role”, but later he gradually became more and more closed-door. Until 2020, two men kicked open the door of his house while drunk and were detained by the police for 10 days each for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.”
What is interesting is that in the bulletin issued by the Shanxian County Public Security Bureau regarding the “door kicking incident”, “Zhu Zhiwen stated that because he understood that he was a fan, although his behavior was inappropriate, it was not recommended to be held accountable.” Just a year later, another man smashed open the door of his house with a sledgehammer. This time, Zhu Zhiwen immediately called the police, and the man involved was taken away by the police for disposal.
Even so, Zhu Zhiwen never thought about leaving the countryside and still lived like an ordinary farmer. He just replaced the iron door with a stronger one, installed iron nails and surveillance on the door, and posted the words “Private residences are strictly prohibited to break into” on the door.
To this day, in the alley next to the “Zhiwen Grand Stage” in the village, a large dark iron gate stands at the end of the deep alley. In recent years, the wave of onlookers has gradually subsided, but the tall iron gate has been preserved after several reinforcements, becoming a special “landscape” in the village.
The gate of Zhu Zhiwen’s house
生存哲學
In today’s Zhulou Village, the reporter met several villagers. When asked about Brother Dayi, many people subconsciously turned around and walked away. An older woman told reporters: “If you don’t talk about others, it’s not a good idea. It’s inappropriate.”
After Brother Dayi became popular, the overwhelming public opinion on the Internet also affected the village invisibly. In the early years, there were rumors that people in the village asked Brother Dayi for money, and threatened to “dig up their ancestors’ graves” if they didn’t give it. Some media reported that a fan who had been following Zhu Zhiwen for a long time actively persuaded him to “move” and “leave that dead place” after meeting him by chance. However, in Zhu Zhiwen’s own words, he rarely mentioned his views on the people in the village, and almost never said anything bad about his neighbors in the same village. Every time he talked to reporters about the people who were watching, banging on the door, and asking for money, he would remind him, “They are all from out of town.”
“After he became famous, he did a lot of good things for the village.” Zhu Yucheng said that when he first became popular, Zhu Zhiwen spent money to repair the kindergarten and buy fitness equipment for the village; because he spent 500,000 to build roads in the village, the village had “Zhiwen Road”. As long as an enterprise in this town needs it, he will cooperate with the other party’s request for publicity without charging a penny.
But once, he heard that his donation did not go well in the eyes of the villagers. Someone joked that he should “buy everyone a car,” which made him feel a little “chilly.”
Perhaps it was this generosity that inspired some thoughtful people outside. Gradually, some people began to ask him to borrow money. There were bachelors in their thirties who wanted to marry a wife, and some who wanted to treat illnesses and send their children to college. They all asked him to “spend a little.” The thing that made him most uncomfortable was the “Nantianmen General Incident”.
Around 2016, Zhu Zhiwen received a strange phone call. The other party said that he urgently needed 30,000 yuan to treat a leukemia patient. Hearing the anxious voice of the other party, Zhu Zhiwen transferred the money without much thought. After the money arrived, the other party sent a message: “You have made a meritorious donation, and I will make you the general of Nantianmen.” He also sent him a “canonization document.” Later, “General Nantianmen” gradually became a “meme” and became popular on the Internet, spawning a large number of emoticons and second-generation short videos.
For a while, Zhu Zhiwen didn’t want to mention this nickname. But as time went by, he seemed to have figured it out. Not only did he respond to netizens’ comments and “make fun of jokes”, he also wore armor in the scenic area to role-play and actively interacted with the audience and tourists. “You can call me whatever you want. I am also Brother Dayi, and I am also General. As long as everyone is happy.”
Perhaps starting from “General Nantianmen”, many people saw in Zhu Zhiwen the changes that occurred in a person in front of the camera and traffic. The 15 years of being surrounded by people have allowed him to develop a self-explanatory philosophy of survival – in order not to be misunderstood, speak as completely as possible and without leakage. In particular, the occasional high-EQ responses during interviews made many people feel that “there must be an expert behind the scenes”; no matter where I receive a performance invitation, I will try my best to meet the organizer’s requirements, wear costumes, perform tricks, and make all kinds of funny actions. “As long as it is not excessive or illegal, I will do whatever they ask me to do.” Therefore, he is ridiculed as “the most cost-effective artist.”
Because of this, he has also received a lot of bad reviews. Some people think that he is not as simple as before and “glibly acts ugly” in order to make money. But Zhu Zhiwen didn’t think so. “Look, I have a performance today. I have to at least get up early to catch the high-speed train. No matter how my health is, I will perform for others if I agree. This is the income from my labor.” He said word by word that he made money through labor just like farming, and he felt at ease.
歸屬感
Zhu Zhiwen has a rare serious attitude towards performances. Others just leave after singing. He has to prepare a few lines of lyrics in advance according to the characteristics of the organizer. He thinks of the content himself and practices it before going on stage. He calls this “hanging words”. When he arrived in Yantai, Shandong, he said, “Wander the coast of Wonderland, and the most beautiful Yantai welcomes you.” When he went to a wine industry annual meeting, he said, “There is a strong love for the Three Gorges, and the fragrance of rice flowers.” Coupled with his powerful and good voice, this kind of interaction can often get a full house.
After the interview at the beginning of the year, every time reporters saw Zhu Zhiwen or called him, he would always ask with concern after the interview, “How was the traffic of the last article (video)? Is it okay?” He would be particularly happy when he received a positive answer. A reporter once asked him why he didn’t stop those who broadcast his live broadcast. Zhu Zhiwen’s answer surprised everyone: “I don’t want to ruin other people’s jobs, and to be honest, they actually helped me with publicity.”
In the 15 years since his debut, Zhu Zhiwen has been pushed to wallow in the wave of traffic, and he has learned to manage himself through many years of experience. In exchange for a portion of the income, he is also constantly suffering the backlash brought by the traffic. This seems to be an involuntary coercion, but also a willing choice.
The last time I saw Zhu Zhiwen was in May this year, when the summer harvest was busy. During that time, there was news that “Brother Dayi is going home to harvest wheat.” Many companies and media were “standing guard” near Zhulou Village a few days in advance, waiting for another traffic feast.
On the morning of the wheat harvest, the narrow alley in front of Zhu Zhiwen’s house was once again crowded with people, and the village was as lively and crowded as a festival. While he was sharpening the sickle, washing clothes, and pulling water pipes for the vegetable garden, he was interviewing and taking photos with various people, and responded with a few words with a smile while holding the products sent by the company. Wherever he went, the chaotic crowd immediately divided into two sides. Everyone raised their mobile phones in unison, and all the cameras focused on this man doing farm work.
While they were busy, a strange onlooker slipped into the big iron gate at some point and picked cucumbers from the vegetable garden and threw them away. Zhu Zhiwen, who had always maintained an easy-going attitude, became anxious. He immediately stopped Yuhua and drove the man out. “The little melons that have just grown, aren’t they a waste?”
“We must never forget the fundamentals.” When asked why he still insists on farming now, Zhu Zhiwen told reporters that he thinks food is very important. A large part of the reason is the memory of his childhood. At that time, he saw adults borrowing and borrowing for a bag of food, and he also saw villagers washing and eating rotten radishes and cabbage lumps that had been left for a long time. So every time he stayed outside for a long time, he couldn’t help but go home and take a look. “I’m so anxious that I want to go home and farm.” When he was getting his hair done while waiting for a performance, he would call his wife in a hurry and ask, “How are the sticks going?” and “Put them away early so they don’t get moldy.”
Since his debut, Zhu Zhiwen will feel particularly homesick as long as he stays outside for a long time. I also cherish my life at home. When he returns home during the Chinese New Year, he will take the initiative to do housework, sitting around the stove and making dumplings with his wife. “Eat dumplings, set off firecrackers, say something to the neighbors, make a joke, that’s a lot.”
Perhaps it is this sense of belonging that makes Zhu Zhiwen feel happy despite the right and wrong of fame and wealth. Because of this, no matter what troubles he encounters, he always feels that he is lucky. “I don’t compare with anyone, I just compare with my past.”
In the year when he first became famous, Zhu Zhiwen went home to visit his father’s grave during the Chinese New Year. While burning paper, he muttered to his father, “When Xiaowei (son) gets married and Meimei (daughter) gets married, I will no longer care about worldly things.”
Time flies and things go against expectations. Zhu Zhiwen himself cannot explain why.
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