Backtracking to the Age of Literature and Art

Chapter 321 A Small Company
On July 25, Yu Dong and his wife returned to Shanghai.

Before going to the crew of "Don't Talk to Strangers", Yu Dong took Cheng Yanqiu to Hongxing Primary School.

The school gate was open, and there was no one in the guard room.

It had just rained last night, and the ground was still a little wet. The road in front of the school was full of potholes, and the two had to walk forward cautiously.

Hongxing Primary School has only one two-story teaching building. When Yu Dong went to school here, the building had just been built and was still new. Now, more than ten years have passed, and the outer wall of the small building has been mottled.

As soon as the school enters the gate, there is a playground. The playground is divided into two halves. One side is a basketball court and the other side is a football field, surrounded by a cinder track.

It is said to be a football field, but in fact it is just a piece of broken grass, because no one takes care of it during the summer vacation, and weeds are overgrown on it at this time.

When Yu Dong and the others were young, it was difficult to grow grass on the football field even during holidays.Although it was a holiday at that time, the students still liked to go to school to play when they had nothing to do.

Walk through the playground, bypass the teaching building, and behind it is the school's dormitory area.

The staff dormitories of Hongxing Elementary School are all row after row of small yards, with only one floor and brick walls and tile roofs.Following the house number, Yu Dong found Tian Weizhang's house.

The door of the yard was open, Yu Dong first looked inside, but saw no one, and then knocked on the door.

"Come on, isn't my courtyard gate..."

Tian Weizhang ran out of the back room wearing a vest and slippers, and suddenly saw Yu Dong and his wife standing at the door. He was pleasantly surprised at first, and then embarrassed.

It is summer now, and the weather is hot. Tian Weizhang usually wears a vest when he is at home.And he usually doesn't come here with outsiders, only colleagues from the school come to visit.

"You guys come in first..."

Tian Weizhang beckoned to let Yu Dong and the others in, then he ran into the house by himself, and after a while he put on a shirt and came out.

"Yu Dong, why didn't you tell me in advance? Why are you bringing so many things?"

"It's just some fruits." Yu Dong smiled, "Anyway, it's not too far away, so I came here directly, and I wanted to take a look at the school myself."

In fact, Yu Dong was afraid that if he said it in advance, Tian Weizhang would take it too seriously, so he went to find a bunch of people to accompany him.In Hongxing Elementary School, Yu Dong didn't have many acquaintances. His homeroom teacher had gone abroad with his children a few years ago. If a group of people he didn't know well were called in, the atmosphere would be awkward.

"Okay, okay, come in and sit down, I'll wash some fruit for you to eat." He then called inside, "Yan Lin, come out and make a cup of tea for the guests."

An old lady came out of the house, she looked at Yu Dong and Cheng Yanqiu, "Old Tian, ​​who are these two?"

"This is Yu Dong, I mentioned it to you before. The one next to him is his fiancee. If I remember correctly, your surname is Cheng, little girl?"

Yu Dong said with a smile, "Teacher Tian has a really good memory, but now she is no longer a fiancee, and we have already obtained the certificate in January."

Then he looked at the old lady again, "Hello, Teacher Yan, long time no see."

"Okay, okay." Yan Lin responded with a smile.

Yan Lin is not a school teacher, but because he is Tian Weizhang's lover and often appears in the school, the students will call her Teacher Yan.

She didn't remember Yu Dong. At that time, there were so many students in the school. She didn't know who was good at studying and who was bad at studying. However, in the past two years, her wife often mentioned that there was a great writer named Yu Dong in the school.

Tian Weizhang heard that Yu Dong and the others were married, and said with a smile: "Congratulations, congratulations, I saw you when Liu Jiang got married before, and I actually wanted to ask when you will get married, but I didn't expect to see you married again in a blink of an eye."

"Actually, I just got the certificate, and the wedding hasn't happened yet." Yu Dong smiled, and took out an invitation card from Cheng Yanqiu's bag, "This time, I'm here to send an invitation card to you, Teacher Tian. Our wedding is in Jinling It will be held on September [-]th."

Seeing Yu Dong take out the invitation card, Tian Weizhang was obviously stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Yu Dong to invite him to the wedding.

He quickly sorted out his emotions and accepted the invitation with a smile, "September [-]th is good. You are a teacher now. It is very meaningful to get married on this day."

"My wife is also a teacher." Yu Dong pointed to Cheng Yanqiu and said.

"That's more meaningful, isn't it in Jinling? I will go there no matter how busy I am."

At this moment, Yan Lin came over with two cups of tea, and Yu Dong took the teacups, and said, "When the time comes, Teacher Yan, if you have time, you can go there too."

Yan Lin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be with Lao Tian then."

Yu Dong nodded, "You can go there one day earlier. I'll arrange a car then, and I'll ask my father to contact you later."

"Okay, I have a heart."

After talking about the marriage, Yu Dong talked about the school again, "I don't think the school has changed much over the years."

Tian Weizhang said with a wry smile: "There are fewer and fewer students and teachers, and the financial appropriation cannot come. In the years since you left school, you have rebuilt two new table tennis tables and a flag raising platform. The books in the library have been damaged over the years. Seriously, there is no way to make up for it.”

Hongxing Primary School has a library.

Of course, it is called a library, but it is actually an ordinary classroom with several rows of bookshelves, and Tian Weizhang works as a part-time librarian.

This library is not open around the clock, it is only open for one and a half hours from 01 noon to 30:[-] on Thursday, whether it is borrowing or returning books, it is completed during this time.

This time does not sound like much, only one and a half hours a week, but it is actually quite enough.

After all, it is an elementary school, and the lower grades don't know how to borrow books at all, and even if they borrow them, they can't read them.When Yu Dong was in school, the students who borrowed books were usually the fourth and fifth graders.

And at that time, in order to prevent the students from not caring about the books, the library card required a deposit of three yuan, and the parents of ordinary low-grade students were reluctant to part with this money. After all, Yu Dong and his tuition were only three yuan at that time.

"How many students borrow books now?"

Tian Weizhang nodded, "It's quite a lot. Parents are willing to pay five yuan for the library card now. And the school now has a sixth grade, and it's time to read books."

Yu Dong frowned and thought for a while, then said, "Teacher Tian, ​​is it convenient for you to take me to the library?"

"It's convenient, it's convenient, of course it's convenient, I'll get the key." Tian Weizhang agreed quickly, as if he was afraid that Yu Dong would change his mind.

After taking the key, Tian Weizhang took Yu Dong and his wife to the library on the second floor of the teaching building.

After entering the library, a familiar feeling came over my face, because most of the books here have been borrowed by Yu Dong.

He likes to read books, and at that time he didn't ask for a deep understanding of the books, even if he couldn't understand, he would read the books with great enthusiasm.

After reading many books, he actually only has a vague impression. For example, he borrowed Verne’s "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" when he was in the fourth grade. It was very interesting to read, but after reading it, he remembered many things in it I can't help but remember a general plot.

There is also Lao She's "Camel Xiangzi". Although there are many words in it that he can't understand, it doesn't prevent him from finishing the book.After reading it, I feel that Xiangzi is miserable, sometimes funny, but nothing else.

When I grew up and looked back at it again, I realized that I missed a lot of things when I read it at the beginning.

But Yu Dong still wants to thank the ignorant reading period in elementary school. Those books that he didn't understand had actually planted seeds in his heart. He just waited for one day, when the rain and sunshine were sufficient, the seeds would take root Germinate, thrive.

After Tian Weizhang entered the library, he rummaged through the cabinets. After searching for a long time, he finally found two folders among a pile of materials.

He patted the folder and laughed, "This is the book borrowing record from 1980 to [-]. You were lucky at that time, and the library had a batch of new books. Before that, the books in the library were even more worn out than now, and many of them were damaged. If there is a lack of head and tail, it is even more impossible to have a book cover. Let me see if I can find your borrowing records."

When Cheng Yanqiu heard that Yu Dong's borrowing records could be found, she was quite curious, so she dragged Yu Dong over to see what books her husband read when he was a child.

Tian Weizhang quickly found it, "Look here, October 12 NO.[-] should be the first time you borrowed a book. That time you borrowed a copy of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea."

Seeing that the first book Yu Dong borrowed was "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", Tian Weizhang couldn't help sighing: "It seems that you have become a famous science fiction writer now, and it's not unreasonable. You borrowed this book for a month before returning it." , Then on November [-], [-], when you returned "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", you borrowed another copy of "Flowers in the Mirror", which was due very quickly, and returned in the second week."

Yu Dong said with a smile, "The main reason is that I didn't understand it at the time. I only watched it for a day and then stopped watching it."

"Haha, you borrow books quite frequently. Basically, you borrow two books a month on average. It's also because the library is only open for a limited time, otherwise you should borrow more. For example, "Flowers in the Mirror", you After borrowing it back, I found that I couldn’t understand it, and if I could return the book at any time, I would come back soon and exchange for another one.”

Tian Weizhang handed the folder to Dong and the others with a smile, and Cheng Yanqiu reached out to take it.

While Cheng Yanqiu was looking through the records from that year, Yu Dong and Tian Weizhang started wandering in the library. The bookshelves were still the same bookshelves, and the books hadn't changed much, but many of them were broken.

After shopping around, Yu Dong looked at the bookshelf and said, "Well, Teacher Tian, ​​I'll send a batch of books over in a while, there shouldn't be many, maybe a few hundred, it's my appreciation for this library. Giving back, I got a lot of things here as well.”

Tian Weizhang was not polite at all. He held Yu Dong's hand and said, "Yu Dong, on behalf of the teachers and students of the school, I thank you for your help. I will definitely let the students and their parents know about your thoughts."

Yu Dong shook his head, "No need, Mr. Tian, ​​it's just a matter of raising your hand. There is also the matter of visiting the school that I said before. After I get married, I won't come in September, but I will come in October."

Tian Weizhang looked excited, and held Yu Dong's hand even tighter, "I really don't know what to say. I can't express the excitement in my heart at this moment with words of thanks. I thank you Guaranteed, the books you donated, we will definitely play their biggest role and benefit the students. You can come to the school to check at any time to see if we have lived up to your goodwill."

Yu Dong said with a smile, "Teacher Tian, ​​you are too serious."

……

Tian Weizhang wanted to stay with Yu Dong and the others for dinner, but Yu Dong declined.

After leaving school, Yu Dong and the others went directly to the crew of "Don't Talk to Strangers".

After arriving at the place, Yu Dong hadn't seen Zhao Baogang yet, but he saw Ruan Xiaohu first.

Ruan Xiaohu was squatting on the ground, fiddling with a box, and beside him was a pretty girl bending over with her hands on her knees to talk to him.

After Yu Dong and the others approached, they only heard the girl say, "Xiaohu, Xiaohu, tell me quickly, which magazine have you published in?"

Tiger didn't respond.

She said again, "Xiaohu, Xiaohu, are you dumb?"

Tiger still didn't respond.

"Xiaohu, Xiaohu, I'm angry."

Xiaohu looked up at her, "I said it, it's gone."

"Then do you have any unpublished ones? Can you show me?"

Xiaohu lowered his head again, but did not respond.

Yu Dong and Cheng Yanqiu both smiled when they saw this scene.

Seeing that Ruan Xiaohu ignored her, the girl straightened up angrily, then saw Yu Dong and Cheng Yanqiu, and said in surprise, "Teacher Yu Dong, you are here."

Xiaohu looked up at her again, "Don't keep using this trick."

Li Yu used to tease him like this before, at first he believed it, but then he didn't take it seriously.

Yu Dong smiled and coughed lightly, "Ahem, what are you doing here?"

Ruan Xiaohu turned around when he heard Yu Dong's voice, and when he saw Yu Dongzhen coming, he quickly stood up again, "Teacher, mistress, you are here."

Cheng Yanqiu looked at Ruan Xiaohu's blushing cheeks, and joked with a smile, "It's really hot today, Xiaohu, your face is flushed with heat."

Li Yu said with a smile, "Master, he is not hot, he is embarrassed."

Ruan Xiaohu's face turned even redder after the phrase "teacher's wife" came out of Li Yu's mouth, "Li Yu, don't yell."

Yu Dong saw the girl's face clearly at this moment, and suddenly felt a little familiar, she looked a bit like the actress who played Fang Yu in "Deep Love and Rain".

It's just that he didn't know that actress well, and he didn't know if her name was Li Yu.

Yu Dong glanced at Ruan Xiaohu again, "Where's Director Zhao?"

"Director Zhao is inside, Mr. Yu, Mrs. Mistress, I'll take you inside to find him." Li Yu hurriedly said.

Facing Li Yu's kindness, Yu Dong and the others did not refuse and followed her in.Ruan Xiaohu thought for a while, and hurriedly followed, he was afraid that Li Yu would talk nonsense in front of the teacher and them.

But Ruan Xiaohu's worries were unfounded. Apart from calling Cheng Yanqiu "teacher's wife", Li Yu Yudong and the others behaved quite obediently and didn't say much.

Zhao Baogang was quite busy today, but he still found time to chat with Yu Dong for a while. After having dinner together in the evening, Yu Dong took Ruan Xiaohu away.

On the way back, Yu Dong asked him, "What's the situation with that little girl named Li Yu?"

Ruan Xiaohu quickly explained: "I have nothing to do with her, teacher."

Yu Dong smiled, Xiaohu is like a middle school student explaining to his class teacher that he has no puppy love.

"I don't think she thinks so, does she?"

"What she thinks has nothing to do with me..."

Ruan Xiaohu's voice became softer and his face became more and more red, and Yu Dong didn't think about teasing him again.It can be seen that Ruan Xiaohu at least doesn't dislike Li Yu.

Yu Dong didn't want to ask too much about feelings. Ruan Xiaohu was already an adult and he had his own ideas.

……

In early August, Jimmy returned to the United States, and the first thing he did was to go to Seattle.He compared that Seattle would be a good base for the site, close to the Oregon warehouse of ingram's book division, and full of technical talent.

If it was in the past, he still couldn't leave now, because "Resident Evil 2" will be officially released in two days, but now with Campote, he can put down the book business.

There is also Yu Dong's signing event in the UK, which has been finalized. There are a total of two cities, the first stop is London, and then Manchester City. The time is August 8th and August 18th.In the future, if he has time, he will follow Yu Dong himself, and if he has no time, let Capote follow.

Arriving in Seattle, after several days of investigation, he discovered one thing.

That is, there is already a company selling online books here, and the website has already been set up.

Jimmy went to browse that website on purpose, probably because of limited funds, so the website is very simple.

But Jimmy did not underestimate the other party, because the path taken by this company is very similar to what Yu Dong mentioned.

For this reason, he spent another two days investigating this company called Amazon.

According to the results of the investigation, the owner of this company is Jeff Bezos, who has been working as a hedge fund on Wall Street for the past few years and has done quite well, but then he suddenly resigned and went to Seattle to start this company.

Jimmy also asked someone to inquire about Jeff Bezos' previous company. It turned out that Jeff Bezos hoped that the boss of the previous company would do online transactions at first, but the boss did not agree, so Jeff Bezos Soth came out on his own.

After coming out, Jeff Bezos first took 30 US dollars from his home and ran to Seattle, and then raised more than 90 US dollars from his friends before setting up the website.

After reading the materials, Jimmy had a clear idea.

The scale of this company is very small. If he enters with tens of millions of dollars now, the other party cannot be an opponent at all.

But Jimmy's idea is not to start another company to defeat Amazon, but to acquire the other party.

It wasn't the company that Jimmy was looking at, but Jeff Bezos.

He himself still has a lot of things to do in the future. If he can recruit Jeff Bezos, then he can let go of this business in the future.

However, Jimmy was not in a hurry to find Bezos, but went to Ingram first. As long as the book channel was settled, he would go to Bezos to discuss the acquisition later, and he would have an absolute advantage.

　Thank you [Passing Water Without Trace 00] for the 200 reward
　　
　
(End of this chapter)