Niu Qun, the crosstalk performer who once graced the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala 14 times in the 1990s and formed a "national sensation duo" with Feng Gong, was recently spotted in a corner of the Tiantongyuan subway station in Beijing. Dressed in an old vest, with paint stains on his trouser legs and worn-out shoes, he was seen bowing his head and scrolling through his phone, not disturbing or troubling anyone—a stark contrast to his former glory on stage.

牛群，这位曾在九十年代十四次登上春晚舞台，与冯巩组成“国民组合”的相声演员，如今被人在北京天通苑地铁角落看到。他身着旧马甲，裤腿有油漆印，鞋子旧皮光，低头刷着手机，不惊动谁，也不麻烦谁，与曾经舞台上的风光形成鲜明对比。

Niu Qun could have taken the "safe route." In the 1990s, he was inundated with invitations for variety shows and commercial endorsements, with audiences eagerly awaiting his witty punchlines, and TV stations and brands lining up to offer him money. But he chose not to. Adhering to an "artist's logic," he wanted to use his fame for something meaningful. Around 2000, he went to Mengcheng, Anhui, to serve as an "honorary county magistrate," while simultaneously advancing three major projects: a trade city, a beverage company, and a special education school. However, his idealistic ambitions clashed harshly with reality. Overextending himself across multiple fronts drained both his financial resources and energy, leading to a chill in each project.

牛群本可以走“安全路线”，九十年代综艺、商业邀约不断，观众期待他抖包袱，电视台和品牌也排着队送钱。但他偏不，秉持“艺术家逻辑”，想用名气做些有意义的事。2000年前后，他前往安徽蒙城挂职“名誉县长”，同时推进商贸城、饮品公司、特殊教育学校三件大事。然而，理想很丰满，现实很骨感。多线冒进让他资金与精力双崩，项目纷纷遇冷。



As the projects faltered, public criticism mounted. Faced with questions like "Where did the money go?", Niu Qun responded in the most "Niu Qun-esque" way possible—by pledging to donate all his assets. At the age of5, he included even future advertising fees and performance fees in a notarized statement, and even left a will stipulating that his body be donated for medical research after his death. This move left him financially destitute but failed to silence his critics. On the home front, his wife, Liu Su, originally a professor at the Central Academy of Drama, was forced to sell her jewelry and live frugally due to his choices. Eventually, in 2007, their marriage reached a breaking point, and they parted ways.

项目不顺，舆论压力随之而来。面对“钱去哪儿了”等质疑，牛群选择最“牛群式”的动作——裸捐。55岁时，他连未来广告费和劳务都写进公证，甚至留下“身后遗体做医学研究”的遗嘱。这一动作，让他掏空了自己，却也未能堵住悠悠众口。家庭方面，妻子刘肃本是中戏教授，却因他的选择变卖首饰、拮据度日，最终在2007年，两人婚姻告急，妻离子散。

Had Niu Qun been driven solely by profit, he would never have chosen to "donate everything + notarize it + donate his body" to cut off all escape routes. Yet, he was indeed a poor manager, lacking professional teams and structured governance for his multi-pronged projects. He also owed a great debt to his family, having staked everything on "proving himself" and turning his home into collateral damage. Now, at 76, he has walked through the light, collided with storms, and settled into a simple life. This is not defeat; it is a return. We should respect his choices and also learn from them, avoiding the extremes of passion and understanding that holding fast to common sense can often save more people.

牛群若要逐利，不会选择“裸捐+公证+捐遗体”堵死后路；但他确实是糟糕的管理者，多线项目缺乏专业团队和流程治理。他也对家庭亏欠，把筹码全押在“自证”上，让家成了代价品。如今76岁的他，走过光，撞过风暴，落在了朴素生活里。这不是败，是归。我们应尊重他的选择，也从中吸取教训，避免把热情推向极端，明白稳住常识往往能救更多人。