siege

Chapter 5

It is said that "girlfriend" is the scientific name of "lover". It is more solemn to say it, just like rose is called "Rosaceae woody compound leaf plant" in biology, or the legal term for divorcing a wife is "divorce by agreement".Fang Hung-chien spent two days with Miss Su in Hong Kong before he realized that a girlfriend and a lover are completely different.Ms. Su is the most ideal girlfriend. She has brains, status, attitude and appearance can be regarded as a lady, and going to restaurants and theaters with her will not lose her face.Although the two of them are very close, Fang Hongjian is confident that his friendship with her ends here, just like two parallel straight lines, no matter how close they are or how long they are drawn, they will never come together to become one.Only when Jiulong saw her blushing shyly before going ashore, his heart suddenly softened and he had no strength to jump, and he never felt this way afterwards.He found that Miss Su had a lot of childish temper, she could be naughty and coquettish, which he never expected.But for some reason, he always felt that this kind of chick accent didn't go well with Miss Su.Not because she was old; she was not much older than Miss Bao, and every woman has the knack of rejuvenating herself in front of the man she loves.It can only be said to be inappropriate in character; for example, a kitten chasing its own tail in circles is fun for us to watch, and a puppy also chases the past and turns around to follow the short tail prong, which reduces the fun.Those students who were on the same boat all the way saw that Xiaofang had just gone to Miss Bao, and he had replaced Miss Su long ago, and they couldn't help but joke with him.

Miss Su was extremely generous; in the five or six days before the ship arrived in Shanghai, Miss Bao was not mentioned a word.She is also much gentler in dealing with people.Fang Hung-chien didn't make love to her, and he didn't hold her hand except to help her when he boarded and disembarked on the gangway.However, Miss Su's occasional actions seemed to have a more profound and long-term relationship with him than the proposal, engagement, and wedding.Her plainness makes Hung-chien even more suspicious, thinking that this is the super-warm and stable love, as if the waves of the ocean are calm after a hurricane, but there is always a turbulent power lurking underneath.After sailing from Hong Kong, he and Miss Su ate fruits bought in Hong Kong on the deck.He ate peaches, peeled them patiently, and said, "Why don't peaches look like bananas? It's so easy to peel! Or they're just like apples. You can eat them with the skin after you wipe them with a handkerchief." Ms. Su peeled some fresh lychees After eating, he will not eat any more. If he is willing to peel the peaches for him, he will not agree anyway.After eating the peaches, he covered his face and hands, and Miss Su looked at him and smiled.Afraid that the peach juice would stain his trousers, he only reached into the pocket with his little finger to hook the handkerchief. He hooked it twice, and finally pulled it out. While wiping his hands, Miss Su said with fear and disgust in her voice, "Ah! What's wrong with your handkerchief?" It’s so dirty! Thanks to you—kuai! This thing can’t wipe your mouth, take it from me, take it, don’t push it, I don’t like to push it.”

Fang Hongjian blushed, took Miss Su's handkerchief, wiped it from his mouth, and said, "I bought a dozen new handkerchiefs on board, and lost half of them to the laundry people on board. , They were slow to wash, so they had to wash it by themselves. I went ashore to play in the past two days, and I didn’t have time to wash it. All the handkerchiefs were dirty, so I washed them back. Let me wash your handkerchief and return it to you.”

Miss Su said: "Who wants you to wash it? You can't clean it! I don't think your handkerchief was cleaned at all. The greasy spots on it are probably the souvenirs left by you all the way to Marseilles. I don't know how you wash it. "When I said it, I giggled.

Wait a while, the two go down.Miss Su picked up a piece of her own handkerchief and said to Fang Hongjian: "You are using it for the time being, and I will wash your handkerchief." Fang Hongjian panicked and said, "There is no such reason!" I'm really upset! What's the big deal about this? Give it to me quickly." Hung-chien couldn't help it, so he went back to the cabin and took out a wrinkled handkerchief, begging for forgiveness, and said, "I can wash it myself! It's so dirty, you You'll be disgusted if you see it." Miss Su snatched it away, shook her head and said, "Why are you so sloppy? Would you just rub this thing into an apple and eat it?" Fang Hongjian was worried all day about this, and asked Miss Su Thank you again and again, and instead say "mother-in-law" to her.Tomorrow, he moved the canvas chair for Miss Su, and with some force, two buttons came off the shirt. Miss Su laughed at him as a "little fat man" and told him to turn around and change the shirt and let her make the buttons.It was useless for him to protest, Miss Su wanted what she said, so he had no choice but to submit to her benevolent dictatorship.

Seeing that the general situation was not good, Fang Hongjian panicked.Washing handkerchiefs, mending socks, and sewing buttons are small duties that a wife owes her husband.Why do I enjoy these rights?Enjoying the rights of a husband is of course justified, it should be her husband, otherwise why would she be willing to fulfill these obligations?Could it be that his words and deeds could mistake her for her husband?Thinking of this, Fang Hongjian shuddered.If engagement rings are a sign of falling into a trap, buttons are also a harbinger of lingering.You have to pay attention to yourself!Fortunately, we will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, so there will be no chance of getting close like this in the future, so the danger can be reduced.But in the past two days, when he was with Miss Su, he was either worried that the socks would suddenly wear holes, or that the buttons would come off somewhere.He knew that Miss Su's services were not to be appreciated lightly; every button she nailed or a hole mended made his conscience feel more responsible to propose to her.

The relationship between China and Japan was getting worse day by day, and the radio reports on the ship worried them.On the afternoon of August [-]th, the ship arrived in Shanghai. Fortunately, no battle happened.Miss Su gave Fang Hongjian the address and asked him to go play.He fully agreed, went back to his hometown to visit his parents, and would definitely come to Shanghai to visit her.Miss Su's elder brother came to pick him up on the boat, but Fang Hongjian couldn't avoid it, so Miss Su introduced him to her brother.Her brother looked at Hung-chien, held hands very politely, and said, "Long-awaited! Long-awaited!" Hung-chien thought to himself, this is too bad!Oops!This introduction will be approved by her family representative as an alternate son-in-law!At the same time, it was strange that her brother said "long admiration". It must be that Miss Su often talked about herself to her family in the past, and she was a little happy.He resigned from the Su brothers and sisters to check their luggage. After walking a few steps, he turned around and saw his brother smiling at his sister. The sister blushed, like liking, but also angry, knowing she was talking about herself.A moment of embarrassment.Suddenly, he ran into his brother Pengtu. It turned out that the second class was looking for him. Miss Su had an acquaintance at the customs, and his luggage was released without inspection.The Fang brothers were still waiting to be checked, so Ms. Su came here to hold hands with Hung-chien and bid "Farewell".Pengtu asked who it was, and Hung-chien said his surname was Su.Pengtu said, "Well, it's a doctor from France. I saw it in the newspaper." Hung-chien sneered, despising women's vanity.Hastily packed the checked boxes, called a car and prepared to stay overnight at Manager Zhou's house, and return home tomorrow.Pengtu worked as a clerk in some bank, and the news was not good these two days, and he was busy moving the warehouse, so he got off the car halfway.Hung-chien told him to send a telegram to his home, telling him which train to take tomorrow.Pengtu felt that the money was a waste of money, so he just made a long-distance call.

When his father-in-law and mother-in-law saw him, they were overjoyed.He gave his father-in-law an ivory-handled rattan cane bought in Ceylon, his mother-in-law who loves playing cards and believes in Buddhism, a French woman's handbag and two Ceylon bay leaves, and his fifteen or sixteen-year-old brother-in-law a bottle of German tap water Pen.The mother-in-law thought of her daughter who had been dead for five years, and said sadly, "If Shuying is alive, she will be happy when you come back today with a doctorate from overseas!" talk.Hung-chien's face was serious and gloomy, but he was full of shame, because in the past four years he had never thought of his fiancée, and the big photo of his fiancée that his father-in-law took as a commemoration when he was abroad was also placed at the bottom of the box.He wanted to make amends. Anyway, he took the special express train at 11:30 tomorrow and had time to go to the Cemetery of All Nations, so he said, "I wanted to visit her grave tomorrow morning." Manager Zhou and his wife felt even better about Hung-chien.Mrs. Zhou took him to see the room where he slept tonight, which was Shuying's room when she was alive.Put two photos on the dressing table: one is Shuying's remains, and the other is her doctor's photo.Fang Hongjian stared in a daze, feeling that he and Shuying were both dead, depressed and gloomy, and he couldn't bear the feeling of returning to his soul after death.

During dinner, the father-in-law knew that Hung-chien would not find a job in the second half of the year, so he comforted him and said, "It's not a problem. I think you'd better find a job in Shanghai or Nanjing. The situation in Beiping is dangerous and you can't go there. You go home for two weeks." , just come out and live with me. I have a name for you in the bank. You go for a walk during the day and teach my son at night, looking for opportunities. Okay? You don’t have to take your luggage with you. The weather is so hot, so go home anyway You have to wear Chinese clothes." Hung-chien was sincerely grateful and thanked his father-in-law.The mother-in-law mentioned his marriage and asked him if he had a girlfriend.He quickly said no.The father-in-law said: "I know you won't have one. Your old man has a good tutor, you behave well, and you won't have any free love. Free love doesn't have a good result."

The mother-in-law said, "Hung-chien is so honest, he can't find a woman. Let me be a matchmaker for him."

The father-in-law said: "You're here again! I'm afraid the old man and the old lady won't be able to make decisions. We don't care about it."

The mother-in-law said, "It's our money that Hung-chien spends abroad. Of course he can't leave our Zhou family behind when he marries a wife. Hung-chien, right? Your future new wife must be my goddaughter. I mean it in your ears." Here, don’t have a new relative, forget about the old one! I’ve seen many such heartless people.”

Hung-chien could only smile wryly, "Don't worry, I won't." He said to Miss Su's shadow in his heart, "Listen! Are you willing to ask this lady to be your godmother? Fortunately, I don't want to marry you." His brother-in-law seemed to follow his heart Fang Hongjian said, "Brother Hung-chien, there is a female student named Su, do you know her?" Fang Hung-chien was so horrified that he almost lost his job, thinking that American behavioral psychologists only proved that "thought is a silent language". What is the structure of this kid's protruding ears? How can he hear all the silent secret words in his heart!Before he answered, the father-in-law said, "Yes! I forgot—Xiao Cheng, you go and get that newspaper——I received your photo, so I asked Director Wang of the Documentary Department to make a news release and publish it in the newspaper. I I know you don't like to show off, but it's a matter of face, so don't hide it." The last few words were said because of Hung-chien's expression.

The mother-in-law said: "That's right. After losing so much capital, why don't you show some dignity!"

Hung-chien was already blushing with embarrassment and indignation, and when his brother-in-law brought the newspaper, he took a look and saw that the ears, neck, and back were red all the way down to his heels.That one was the "Shanghai News" in early July. There were two small photos printed in the education news column. The copper plate was blurred, very similar to the ghost photos taken on the altar.According to the news in the previous photo, Wen Wan, the daughter-in-law of Su Hongye, a counselor of the Government Affairs Council, has returned to China after receiving a doctorate from the University of Lyon.The number of words in the news in the latter photo is twice as many, saying that Zhou Houqing, the general manager of Dianjin Bank, a well-known local businessman, and his son-in-law Fang Hongjian, were sent by Zhou Junzi to study abroad, studying in London, Paris, France, and Berlin, Germany. Politics, economics, history, society and other subjects, all have excellent grades and are among the best. He was awarded a doctor of philosophy by Kleinden University in Germany. He will travel to various countries and return to China in autumn.Hung-chien wished he could tear the newspaper in half and strangle Director Wang by the throat, to see how many nasty formulas he could squeeze out for resumes.No wonder Ms. Su's elder brother would say "I have long admired you" when they met, and no wonder Pengtu knew that he was a doctor studying abroad when he heard that his surname was Su.I still laughed at her for being cliche!This piece of news like myself is the crowning vulgarity, and the stench makes readers want to hold their noses.Besides, he is a real doctor, so what is he?I never talked about the degree with Ms. Su on the ship, and when she saw the news, she would conclude that she was bragging and deceitful.Where is Kleinden University in Germany?When I wrote the letter, I vaguely said that I got a degree. My father-in-law saw that the letter was sent from Germany, and he arbitrarily concluded that it was a German university.I became a liar myself, and since then I have no face to see anyone!

Mrs. Zhou kept covering her face when she read Fang Hongjian's news, and said to her husband with a smile, "Look at how proud Hongjian is. He hasn't let go of that news after reading it several times."

Xiaocheng said mischievously: "Brother Hung-chien is carefully identifying that Su Wenwan, and wants to marry her to replace my sister."

Fang Hongjian couldn't help but said, "Don't talk nonsense!" With great difficulty, he restrained himself, didn't throw the newspaper on the ground, didn't let the shame and anger show on his face, but his throat was sore.

Seeing that Hung-chien had no smile at all, and his face turned pale, the Zhou couple looked a little strange, and suddenly they gave each other a wink, as if they understood Hung-chien's psychology, and cursed in unison, "You should be beaten, you child. Who wants you to intervene when adults are talking?" Brother Hung-chien just came back today, of course he thinks of your sister, and he feels unhappy. You have to have a sense of humor when you tell a joke, and you won’t be allowed to open it in the future——Hung-chien, we know you have a good nature, and children talk nonsense, so don’t pay attention to him Hung-chien's face flushed again, his lips parted, and he complained in his heart: "Don't make up fake clothes! You have the ability to never marry a wife for the rest of your life. I don't care for your pen, so I can take it back."

When Fang Hongjian went to sleep in his room, he found that Shuying's photo was no longer on the table. He thought that his mother-in-law had come to take it away because she was afraid that she would think about things and others, and would be sad and insomnia.It took only six or seven hours to disembark, but everything on board was like a lifetime ago.The excitement when I went ashore evaporated, and I felt cowardly and insignificant. It was not easy to find a job, and it was not easy to make love.Ideally, studying abroad and returning to China is like water on the ground, turning into gas and rising to the sky, and then turning into rain and returning to the ground. People all their lives are watching and talking.Now that I have returned to my hometown from thousands of miles away, there is not a single bubble in the sea of ​​people in the motherland—no, Director Chengna Wang boasted that he himself was blown into a big soap bubble. .He peered out through the screened window.The stars in the sky are dense and busy, they are completely silent, and it seems that the sky is only lively.A combed moon is like a girl who has not yet grown up, but she is not shy when she sees people. The light and outline are fresh and clear, which can gradually complement the night scene.The bugs in the grass of the small garden chatted trivially at night.I don't know where the swarm of frogs shouted in unison, like a wave of sound boiled over a fire.A few fireflies swim to and fro, not like flying, but like floating in dense air. In the dark place where the moonlight cannot reach, a little firefly flickers, like a small greenish eye on a summer night.Hung-chien was used to seeing this scene before he went abroad, but when he saw it now, his heart suddenly constricted and his eyes were sore that he was about to shed tears.Only then did he appreciate the goodness of life and the joy of returning home, and the news in the "Shanghai News" was as indifferent as the buzzing of mosquitoes outside the screened window.Hung-chien sighed comfortably, then yawned again.

Fang Hung-chien got off the train at the county railway station. Mr. Fang, Hung-chien's third brother Feng Yi, seven or eight cousins, uncles, and Mr. Fang's friends all greeted him on the platform.He was very sorry, and came up to say hello one by one, saying, "I'm sorry on such a hot day!" Seeing that his father's beard had turned gray again, he said, "Daddy, why did you come?"

Fang Dunweng gave Hung-chien the folding fan in his hand and said, "You friends in suits don't need this antique, but it's better than fanning with straw hats." Seeing that his son was in a second-class car, he praised him, "This kid is not bad. He took the second-class boat back home, I thought he must take the first-class train, but he still took the second-class train, he is not ambitious, he has changed his character, he already understands the principles of being a human being.” Everyone echoed and praised for a while.Surrounded by crowds, they went out of the ticket gate, when suddenly a man wearing blue glasses and a suit grabbed Hung-chien and said, "Please don't move! Take a picture." Hung-chien was puzzled, and was about to ask him why, when he heard the camera There was a clicking sound, and the blue glasses let go of their hands. It turned out that there was another person facing him with the quick glasses facing him.Blue Glasses took out his business card and said, "Dr. Fang returned to the motherland yesterday?" The person with the quick mirror walked up and also took out a business card. Hung-chien saw that it was a reporter from two local daily newspapers in the county.The two reporters said: "Dr. Fang is exhausted today, and tomorrow morning I will go to the house to listen to lectures." Then they turned to compliment Mr. Fang and accompanied them all the way out of the station.Fengyi smiled at Hung-chien, "Brother, you are a famous person in this county." Although Hung-chien thought it was harsh for the two reporters to call him "Dr. , physically and mentally swollen, and his personality is much better.He just realized that living in a small place is cheap, and he regretted that he didn't change into a relatively new suit today, didn't carry a cane, and was waving a big folding fan in his hand. His face was covered with sweat, and he might not be able to take pictures well.

When I got home, I met my mother and two younger brothers and daughters-in-law, and gave away the gifts they brought back.My mother laughed and said, "I'm going to go abroad. If I learn so well, I can buy things for women."

Father said: "Pengtu mentioned a Miss Su on the phone yesterday, what happened?"

Fang Hongjian said angrily, "It's nothing but sitting in the same boat. Mr. Pengtu - he likes to talk too much." He wanted to scold Pengtu so that he could tell the truth, but he didn't speak out in front of Mrs. Pengtu. .

The father said: "Your marriage should be worked hard. The two brothers have already married their wives and have children. There have been several cases of matchmakers, but now you don't need old idiots like us to make decisions for you. Su Hongye Well, he has a bit of reputation, he seems to have been a few official officials in the past—" Hung-chien thought to himself, why do all the lovely girls have fathers?She is lonely and can hide her tenderness in her heart, and she drags her father, uncle, brother, etc. in a muddy way. This girl is not smart and easy, and it is inconvenient to harbor her in her heart, and her cuteness is mixed with dross.Many people talk about marriage as if they are homosexual love. They are not interested in the girl herself, but envious of her father or her brother.

The mother said: "I don't agree! Miss Guan is not allowed to marry. If you want to serve her, she will not serve you. And to marry a daughter-in-law, it is good to be from the same country. People from other counties have a bit of a bad temper. It is not acceptable for you to marry. This Ms. Su is an overseas student, so I'm afraid she's not too young." Her two daughter-in-laws who didn't graduate from middle school and grew up in this county all had approving expressions.

Father said: "She not only studies abroad, but also has a Ph.D. So I'm afraid that Hung-chien won't be able to handle her."——It seems that Miss Su is a hard thing like bricks and stones, which cannot be digested by the stomach of an ostrich or a turkey.

The mother was not convinced: "Our Hung-chien is also a Ph.D. If we don't lose to her, why can't we match her?"

The father twirled his beard and smiled, "Hung-chien, your mother won't understand this truth--women are the most difficult to control after a few books. Men must be higher than her, so they can't match her equally. Marry a middle school girl, and an overseas student marry a college girl. A woman who has a Ph. A woman must not be like my family', a reason."

The mother said: "The second daughter of the Xu family is the best among the matchmakers. I'll show you the photo later."

Fang Hongjian thought the matter was serious.I hate modern girls in small cities the most in my life. Outdated fashion and rustic urbanization, just like the first suit imitated by Chinese tailors, patched on both sides of the foreigner's old clothes in the same way, and also on the sleeves And pants are done on.There is no need to protest now, and I will flee to Shanghai in a few days.Old Mr. Fang also said that there were a lot of people meeting the wind, and the weather was too hot, so he told Hung-chien to be careful not to be greedy. He had to visit the homes of the elders who were close to him, and let him sit in his chartered car. When the weather cooled down, he would personally take him to his grandfather. Salute on the grave.Mrs. Fang said that tomorrow she would ask a tailor to make his silk gown and underwear. Fengyi had two gowns, and she borrowed one for the time being to wear it when she went out to visit visitors.For dinner, Mrs. Fang made fried shredded eel, chicken wings in sauce, stewed chicken with watermelon, and boiled shrimp in wine.Mrs. Fang picked out the food and put it on his rice bowl, saying: "I think you are so pitiful in foreign countries for four years. You have nothing to eat!" Everyone laughed and said that she came again. If you don't eat in a foreign country, you will be hungry. die.She said: "I don't understand how foreign devils live! I don't want to eat any bread or milk given to me." Hung-chien suddenly felt that in this kind of family atmosphere, war is unbelievable, just like there is nothing in broad daylight. People think of ghosts.The plans and hopes of parents and mothers leave no room for accidents.Seeing them governing the future in such a stable way, I also became courageous, thinking that the situation in Shanghai might be eased, the war would not happen, and if it did happen, it could be ignored.

Fang Hung-chien won't get up until tomorrow, and the two reporters will open the door in the morning.Hung-chien saw that in the newspaper they brought, there was news about Dr. Fang's return to his hometown, embedded with the full-body portrait taken yesterday, and he was so terrified that he felt ashamed of himself.The hand that was pulling his right arm through the blue glasses was also clearly reflected in it, coupled with the astonished expression on his side face, it was like a photo of a thief being caught.That blue glasses is a well-informed man, and he said that he has heard that Clayton University is the most famous university in the world, and its status is like Tsinghua University.The reporter with the camera on his back asked Hung-chien what his observations were about the general situation in the world, and whether the Sino-Japanese war would break out.Fang Hung-chien sent them away with great difficulty, and even wrote two words of gift for the newspaper of Blue Glasses: "Mouthpiece for the People" and "Straightforward Talk" for the newspaper of Camera.Just about to go out to visit visitors, my father’s old friend Lu, the principal of the county’s provincial middle school, came to invite the three of Fang’s father and son to have breakfast at the teahouse in the morning. its review".Hung-chien was most afraid of giving speeches, so he had to make excuses to decline, but his father agreed on his behalf.He had no choice but to swallow his breath in private, thinking that in such a hot day, wearing a robe, talking nonsense, and sweating stinky, what is it not to suffer?The psychology of educators is really different from others!Mr. Fang hoped that people would praise his son's "family origin", so he dug out a few thread-bound books in the box, such as "Wen Zi Tang Ji", "Guisi Lei Manuscript", "Seven Classics Lou Ji", "Tan Ying Lu" and so on, ordered Hung-chien to look carefully and collect speech materials.Hung-chien watched it with relish all afternoon, and learned a lot, and understood that the Chinese people are square in character, so they say the earth is square, and the foreigners are smooth in character, so they think the earth is round; Left: Opium imported from the West is poisonous and must be banned. China's land is peaceful, and the opium produced will not be addictive if smoked; syphilis is smallpox, which comes from the West and so on.It's a pity that although these facts are interesting, they are not used in speeches, and they should be studied elsewhere.So when he came back from dinner at his uncle's house that day, he was drunk and dazed. He flipped through three or five history textbooks, compiled a speech of more than 1000 words, and inserted two jokes.This kind of preparation did not take a lot of effort, and the blood was lost because there were so many mosquitoes.

Tomorrow morning, after eating the fourth dish of noodle soup as usual dim sum at the teahouse, Headmaster Lu paid the bill, urged Hung-chien to get up, each hurriedly took their long gowns from the waiter, put them on, and left, while Feng Yi drank tea with Mr. Fang.The school auditorium was already full of students, more than 200 men and women. Fang Hongjian was accompanied by Principal Lu to the podium. He felt numb and itchy all over his body due to the many eyes staring at him, and it was difficult for him to walk.When I sat down on the stage, the wet mist in front of my eyes dissipated, only to see that the people sitting in the first row looked like teachers from our school, and on the recording bench next to the podium was a female student with newly permed hair that looked like it was painted.Everyone in the auditorium was whispering to each other, judging themselves curiously.He silently divided his cheeks and said: "Don't burn the plate! Don't blush!" He regretted that he shouldn't take off his sunglasses when he entered the door. The two pieces of black glass in front of his eyes seemed to be hidden in the thick shade psychologically, so don't be shy.Principal Lu was already giving an introduction, and Hung-chien hurriedly reached into the pocket of his coat to fumble for the speech manuscript, but found nothing, and was covered in a cold sweat.Think bad!Oops!How can you lose something important?When I came out from home, it was clearly in the bag of my coat.Except for the first few sentences, the rest is completely forgotten.Reminiscing desperately is like using a sieve to hold water.When you are in a hurry, you will not be able to concentrate, and the threads of your thoughts will become knotted and loose.There are vague shadows of facts, but it's like waiting for someone in a busy place, glancing at the crowd who looks like him, walking up to look for him, but disappearing again.Playing hide-and-seek in his heart, President Lu bowed and asked him to give a speech, and the audience applauded.As soon as he stood up, he saw Fengyi rushing into the auditorium in a panic. Seeing that the speech had already started, he desperately found an empty seat to sit down.Hung-chien suddenly realized that when he left the teahouse, he had accidentally put on Fengyi's clothes. The two coats were originally Fengyi's, with the same color and material.When things came to this, there was only a bold old face talking nonsense for a while.

When the applause stopped, Fang Hongjian forced a smile and said, "Principal Lu, gentlemen, and classmates: Although your applause is out of good intentions, it is actually the most unreasonable. Because applauding means that you are satisfied with the speech, and now I have not spoken yet." , you are already applauding with satisfaction, why do I need to say anything else? You should listen to the speech first, and then applaud a few times at will, so that I will have the face to step down. Now applaud first, my speech cannot deserve such enthusiastic applause, instead I feel a kind of fear that I won’t be able to deliver the goods after receiving the money.” The audience laughed loudly, and the girl who recorded also smiled, writing like flying.Fang Hongjian hesitated, what should we say next?I still remember some of the arguments and facts in the thread-bound book, but the history textbook I read after dinner is gone.Damn textbooks, when I was a student, I was so lucky that I knew how to take the exam!Yes, yes!It's better than nothing to say: "You can find the influence of Western culture in Chinese history in any history textbook, so I don't need to repeat it. You all know that European thought officially came into contact with China in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. That’s why Catholics often say that it was China’s Renaissance at that time. However, the science brought by the Catholics of the Ming Dynasty is now out of date, and the religion they brought has never been out of date. For hundreds of years in Haitong, only two Western things have been in the market. It will last forever in the entire Chinese society. One is opium, the other is syphilis, both of which are Western civilizations absorbed by the Ming Dynasty." Most of the audience laughed, while a few opened their mouths in horror; a few teachers frowned, The girl who wrote the record blushed and stopped writing, as if after hearing Hung-chien's last sentence, the virgin's ears had lost her virginity in public; Principal Lu coughed warningly behind Hung-chien's back.At that time Fang Hongjian was like a person who wakes up in the middle of the winter, trying his best to jump out of the bed, only to get out of bed in the cold, and there is no reason to shrink back. "Originally, opium was also called foreign cigarettes—" Hung-chien saw an old man who seemed to be teaching Chinese among the teachers, shaking his head while fanning a fan, and hurriedly said, "The 'foreign' of course refers to the 'Western' in 'Sanbao Eunuch's voyage to the West'." , because according to the "Da Ming Hui Dian", opium was a tribute from Siam and Java. But in Homer's epic "Ten Years Return" Odyssey, the earliest literary work in Europe-"The old man's bald head can't be suppressed by this foreign word Dare to shake—"It is said that there is such a thing. As for syphilis—" Principal Lu coughed repeatedly—"It is undoubtedly an imported foreign product. Schopenhauer said earlier that the characteristics of modern European civilization, the first is bayberry sore. If you don’t have a chance It is very easy to see the original foreign books. Just read the French novel "Candide" translated by Mr. Xu Zhimo, and you can get a little idea of ​​the origin of syphilis. After Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty, this disease was brought by foreigners. These two things Of course, the poison is endless, but it cannot be completely erased. Opium has inspired many literary works. Ancient poets found inspiration in wine, and modern European and American poets have been inspired by opium. Syphilis is genetically produced. Stimulate geniuses. For example——" Principal Lu's throat was broken at this time, and when Hung-chien finished speaking, the audience clapped their hands vigorously. Principal Lu expressed his thanks in a hoarse voice: "Today, Dr. Chengfang taught us a lot. We are very interested in the novel discussion. Dr. Fang is my nephew. I grew up watching him, and I know he likes to tell jokes. The weather is very hot today, so he deliberately said some humorous words. I hope to have the opportunity to listen to him in the future But I would like to tell Dr. Fang: our school library is full of the spirit of new life, and there is absolutely no French novel—” he said while tapping the air with his hand.Hung-chien was too ashamed to look down from the stage.

Before tomorrow, many people will know that the Fang family's son who has returned from overseas has openly advocated smoking and prostitution.This word reached Mr. Fang's ears. He didn't know that this was the result of teaching his son to turn and bind books.Following the news of the battle in Songhu on August 3000, no one brought up Fang Hongjian's jokes.But those who have daughters who want to marry him will never forget his speech; guessing that he is spending time and drinking in foreign countries, if they go to the West Lake Yuexia Old People's Temple to ask for a lottery for their daughter to marry him, it is hard to guarantee that it will not be the fourth lottery: There is a disease!" This kind of young man can't be a son-in-law, so he successively asked Fang's family for his daughter's photo and Geng Tie under the excuse that the current situation is not stable and the marriage is postponed.Old Madam Fang was very depressed, she couldn't forget Miss Xu's second daughter, but Hung-chien acted nonchalantly.The war has started, Mr. Fang is a big squire, busy with local public security affairs.Residents in the county remembered that they were not bombed by enemy planes on "January [-]", and they thought nothing happened this time, and they were not very panicked.Fang Hongjian stayed at home for a week, and felt that the four years of going abroad were like water pouring down on a lotus leaf, leaving no trace of his hometown.When I came back, I met those same people four years ago, and those people still did what they did four years ago, and said what they said four years ago.None of the people I knew died; only my wet nurse, who used to say she would come to hold the baby when she got married and raised a son, was now too sick to get out of bed.The past four years in my hometown will be considered in vain, and I will not win a tear or a sigh from the returning wanderer.On the sixth day after the start of the war, Japanese planes dropped bombs for the first time and destroyed the railway station. Only then did everyone realize that the war was really coming, and some people moved to the countryside to seek refuge.From then on, the planes came back one after another, with the demeanor of a peerless beauty who visits the whole city and then the country.Manager Zhou sent a telegram telling Hung-chien to come to Shanghai quickly, otherwise the traffic would be cut off and he would be stuck at home.Mr. Fang also felt that in this situation, his son should go out and look for opportunities, so he let Hung-chien go.What happened in the next four months, from the retreat of Shanghai to the fall of Nanjing, history should be as Fr. von Logau said, using the sharpened bayonet as a pen, dipping in blood as ink, and writing on the enemy's skin as paper.Fang Hongjian was in a daze, reading more than a dozen kinds of newspapers a day, listening to more than a dozen radio reports, exhausted and desperate to find a resting place in the gaps in the news.He and Pengtu guessed that their home had been destroyed, and the whereabouts of their family members were unknown.It was not until the end of the lunar calendar that they found out their whereabouts. Mr. Fang's relatives and friends in Shanghai tried to spend money to pick them up and rent a house in the concession for them.The family sighed and wept when they met.Mr. Fang and Fengyi clamored to buy shoes and socks; when they came in a small boat, they met two rout soldiers on the road, who robbed Mr. Fang of his money bag, and forced Fang and his son to put wool socks and cotton-padded shoes on their feet before leaving. Take it off and exchange it with their stinky cloth socks and broken canvas shoes.Fang's family left empty, only old lady Fang had two [-] yuan bills sewn in her padded jacket, which the two soldiers did not touch.A businessman from his hometown in Shanghai has always admired the name of Mr. Fang, and he has donated a lot of money, so the door can be supported again.Fang Hongjian saw that there were many people in his family and the house was small, so he still lived in Zhou's house, and would visit his parents every day or two to say hello.Every time I went home, I always listened to them talking about their horrible and ridiculous experiences when they fled; their art of describing and describing seemed to improve each time, but Hung-chien's attention and sympathy diminished a little each time.Because Mr. Fang refused the temptation of the traitors in the county, he couldn't return home, and the government didn't give him any name. He felt that he was patriotic but the country didn't love him.Hung-chien was very bored in the Dianjin Bank, and there were not many opportunities in Shanghai, so he went to the interior if he wanted to.

The Lunar New Year is here.The apartments in the Shanghai Concession have had enough of worrying about the country. Now that the country is not dead, there is no need to be widows, so it is lively again as usual.One day, Mrs. Zhou told Hung-chien that someone was a matchmaker for him, that is, one time Hung-chien and Manager Zhou went out for a dinner party, and they sat with a daughter named Zhang.According to Mrs. Zhou, Zhang's family is going to take his horoscope, and ask a fortune teller to sort it out, and it will be "a match made in heaven, good luck" with their lady's fate.Hung-chien laughed and said, "In an open place like Shanghai, do you still ask fortune-tellers to arrange marriages?" Mrs. Zhou said that fate is undeniable, and Mr. Zhang invited him to have a casual dinner. It's no harm to know that lady.Hung-chien was a little like a scholar before the war. He remembered that the man surnamed Zhang worked as a comprador in an American foreign firm, and he didn't want to deal with such vulgar things. ?Anyway, it's okay to go once, whether you get married or not depends on whether you like the girl or not, others are reluctant to come, so you agree to go for dinner.This Mr. Zhang is from the coast of Zhejiang Province. His name is Jimin, but he likes to be called Jimmy.He has worked in the American Citigroup for more than 20 years, from "writing" (little secretary) to comprador, and he really has money in his hand.She only had one daughter, and she spared no expense in cultivating her. There are all kinds of foreign skills and habits that can be taught and nurtured in church schools, and foreign fashions and postures that can be created in beauty salons and barber shops.This daughter has just graduated from high school, but Mr. Zhang and his wife still maintain the traditional thinking of their hometown, thinking that a girl will be old when she is 20 years old, and she will not be married after [-] years old, so she can only enter the antiquities exhibition hall for others to pay tribute to.Mrs. Zhang is very strict in choosing a husband. Although there are many relatives, they are not successful.There was a son of a wealthy businessman who was also an overseas student. Mrs. Zhang appreciated it quite a bit, and the marriage was promising, but she didn't mention it after a meal.During the meal, everyone talked about the fact that due to the war, the concession was blocked, and the source of vegetables was difficult. Mrs. Zhang said to the rich businessman's son: "There are so many people in the house, so the daily food bill will not be small?" The man said he didn't know, Think about how much it is a day.Mrs. Zhang said: "Then the cook in the house must be honest and capable! We are less than half the number of people in the house, and the daily kitchen expenses have to be that amount!" The man listened proudly, and Mrs. Zhang waited for him to leave , Then said: "This kind of family is too small! I only eat food that costs so much a day! My daughter is used to it, and she couldn't suffer in the past!" The marriage was over from then on.The couple discussed several times and felt that the precious daughter would not be at ease if she married someone else, so it was better to invite a son-in-law to come to their own home.That day, Mr. Zhang sat with Hung-chien, and when he got home, he thought he was quite qualified: he had a good family background and titles, and now that the son-in-law was already living in the nominal father-in-law's house, it would be as easy as pie.What's even better is that Fang's family can't stand the stinky airs of a squire after all this war, so this son-in-law can be raised in Zhang's house docilely.In the end Mrs. Zhang asked Hung-chien to visit him at home.

Because Mr. Zhang asked him to arrive early for a talk, Fang Hung-chien went there in the afternoon after the bank's office was over.Passing by a foreign fur shop on the road, I saw an otter velvet suit jacket, which was cheap for the New Year, only four hundred yuan.Hung-chien often wanted to have such a coat, but he dared not buy it when he was studying abroad.In London, for example, men wear leather coats and don't have private cars. If they don't look like a Jew lending loan sharks or a black boxer, they are suspected of being a circus performer, or a tortoise who runs a kiln; It is a common thing, and there are ready-made leather linings sold to travelers to line their coats.After he returned to China, he saw through many people, and now he is even more moved by the display in the shop window.But after thinking about it, I had to sigh.A salary of 100 yuan in the bank is not too thin, and it is enough for pocket expenses.The father-in-law's family provides food and housing, and there is no need to post a piece of money. How can I ask Manager Zhou for money to buy luxury goods?I have more than 60 pounds left when I return home. This time I honor my father with 1 pounds to buy some furniture, and the rest is only equivalent to more than 2 yuan.It is not worthwhile to move around and spend all my brain on this coat.In times of national crisis, save everything, not to mention that the weather will get warmer soon, so you can save money.When we arrived at Zhang’s house, Mr. Zhang greeted him warmly: “Hello! Doctor Fang[3], long time no see!” Mr. Zhang is used to dealing with foreigners, and his speech has a characteristic—maybe in foreign firms, youth associations, Rotary clubs, etc. In the circle, there is nothing unusual about this - I like meaningless English words in Chinese.He has no new ideas that are difficult to express in Chinese, so he needs to use English to speak; therefore, the English words embedded in his speech are not as good as the gold teeth embedded in his mouth, because the gold teeth are not only decorative, but also usable. Embedded meat scraps mean that the food is well eaten, and nothing else is useful.He imitated American pronunciation, lifelike, perhaps too much nasal, not like an American, but like a Chinese with a cold and a stuffy nose.He said the word "very well" [[-]], and his voice sounded like a small foreign dog purring - "vurry wul".It's a pity that the Romans didn't have such a blessing, otherwise they would never just say that R is a dog letter with a nasal sound.At that time, Mr. Zhang held hands with Hung-chien and asked him if he "go downtown" every day[[-]].After exchanging pleasantries, Hung-chien saw that the glass cabinet was full of bowls, bottles, and plates, so he said, "Mr. Zhang likes to collect porcelain?"

"Sure! have a look see!" [4] Mr. Zhang opened the cabinet door and asked Hung-chien to appreciate it.Hung-chien took a few pieces, but they were all "Chenghua", "Xuande", and "Kangxi", and he didn't know the authenticity, so he said, "Isn't this thing very valuable?"

"Sure! It's worth a lot of money, Plenty of dough. And this thing is no better than calligraphy and painting. Buy calligraphy and painting and buy fake ones, they are worthless, just equal to waste paper. Fake porcelains, at least they can serve vegetables and rice. Sometimes I ask When foreign friends eat, they use the Kangxi Kiln's "Oil Bottom Blue Five Colors" large plate to make salad dish, they all think it is antique, and the taste of the dish is also a bit old-time.”[5]
Fang Hung-chien said, "Mr. Zhang must have good eyesight, he won't buy fake things."

Mr. Zhang laughed and said: "I don't know what age patterns are, I am busy with work, and I don't have time to read and study. But I have a hunch; when I saw something, what d'you call suddenly had an idea, and it would be OK to buy. They are antiques. Brokers admire me, and I often say to them: "Don't fool me with fake products. O yeah, my surname is Zhang is not a sucker, don't try to lie to me!" [6] Close the cabinet door and say: "Hey, headache ——" Then he hit the electric bell and called the servant.

Hung-chien didn't understand, so he hurriedly asked, "Mr. Zhang is not feeling well, is he?"

Mr. Zhang looked at Hung-chien in surprise and said, "Who's not feeling well? You? Me? I'm fine!"

Hung-chien said, "Didn't Mr. Zhang say 'headache'?"

Mr. Zhang laughed loudly, and said to the maid who came in: "Go and tell the ladies, the guests are here, please come out. Make it snappy!" [7] When he said this, he flicked the thumb of his right hand from the middle finger to the index finger There was a "pop".He turned back and smiled at Hung-chien: "Headache is an American word for 'wife', not 'headache'! You haven't been to States!"[8]
Fang Hung-chien was feeling ashamed of his ignorance, Mrs. Zhang and Ms. Zhang came out, and Mr. Zhang introduced Hung-chien.Mrs. Zhang is a fat woman in her 40s, whose foreign name is Tessie.Miss Zhang is a tall girl with bright colors and tight clothes, and her figure will be as strong as her old man's foreign company in the future.Hung-chien couldn't hear her name clearly, and the voice sounded like "I, you, he." It must have been either Anita or Juanita. Her parents only shortened her name to Nita.Mrs. Zhang speaks Shanghainese better than her husband, but she often reveals her local dialect, as if the gown is too small to cover the robe inside.Mrs. Zhang believed in Buddhism. She said that she recited the "White-clothed Avalokitesvara Mantra" ten times a day, and prayed to the Bodhisattva to bless the Chinese army in victory. She also said that the Avalokitesvara Mantra was very effective. Chanting a mantra at home, sure enough, Mr. Zhang has never been strayed.Hung-chien thought to himself, enjoying the latest Western scientific equipment, but holding this kind of belief, sitting in the living room warmed by hot water pipes and reciting Buddha's name, it can be seen that "Western learning is for practical use, Chinese learning for body" is not difficult.He and Ms. Zhang didn't have much to talk about, so he had to ask her what movies she liked to watch.Then came two guests, both sworn brothers of Mr. Zhang.One is Chen Shiping, a senior employee of the European and American Tobacco Company. Everyone calls him ZB, which seems to be the abbreviation of "There are examples to prove" in German.One is Ding Nasheng, the foreign name is not the poet Tennyson but the admiral Nelson, and he also works for some British shipping company.Mrs. Zhang said that the number of people can make up a table of mahjong, so why not play eight rounds of cards before having dinner.Fang Hongjian's gambling skills were extremely naive, and he didn't have much money with him, so he didn't want to participate, preferring to chat with Miss Zhang.Unable to withstand Mrs. Zhang's repeated instigation, he had no choice but to enter the game.Unexpectedly, after four laps, I won more than one hundred yuan alone. I thought that if this luck continued, there would be hope for the otter coat.At this time, he completely forgot the French superstition that he told Mr. Sun on the boat, as long as he wins money.After eight laps, Fang Hongjian won nearly 300 yuan.The three in the same game, Mrs. Zhang, "There are examples to prove it" and "Admiral of the Navy" did not pay a penny, did not mention a word, and stood up to eat.Hung-chien woke up and said, "I'm so lucky today! I've never won so much money before."

Mrs. Zhang woke up like a dream and said: "We are so confused! We haven't settled the account with Mr. Fang yet. Mr. Chen, Mr. Ding, let me pay him alone, and we can settle it later." Then she opened the purse and took the banknotes Hand it over to Hung-chien at [-] o'clock.

What I ate was western food. The "Admiral" was a Christian, and before he sat down, he winked at the ceiling, thanking God for the meal.Fang Hongjian talked and laughed because he won the money.Sitting around, smoking and drinking coffee after dinner, he saw a small bookshelf next to the sofa, and guessed it was all Miss Zhang's reading materials.In addition to a large number of "West Wind" and the original "Reader's Digest", there are "The Complete Works of Shakespeare", "The Complete Works of Old and New Testaments", "Home Decoration", reprinted "Biography of Madame Curie", "Self-Taught Photography" , "Our Country and Our People" and other immortal masterpieces, as well as more than a dozen movies and novels, needless to say, "Gone with the Wind" is among them. [9] A little blue book with the title in gold letters on the back: How to gain a Husband and keep him.Hung-chien couldn't help but turned it over, only to find a section that said: "You should be gentle and sweet to a man, so as to leave a good impression deep in his heart. Girls, don't forget to always have a bright smile on your face." Seeing this, the smile moved from the book to Hung-chien's face.Looking at the written author is a woman, I don't know if she is married or not, so it should be written "Mrs. So-and-so".Looking up, she suddenly saw Miss Zhang paying attention to herself, hurriedly put the book away, and restrained her smile. "There are examples to prove" that Ms. Zhang was asked to play the piano, and everyone agreed.After Ms. Zhang finished playing, Hung-chien tried to make up for the misunderstood smile by being the first to say "Yes" and begging her to play another song.He sat for a while before saying goodbye and going out.Halfway through the rickshaw, he couldn't help laughing when he thought of the title of the book.Husband is a woman's occupation, without a husband means unemployment, so she should firmly hold this job.snort!I don't want women to read that book and treat me as a job. I would rather they look down on me and call me a job. Miss "I, you and him", we don't have the fate of "raising a bowl to our eyebrows", I hope someone else with good luck will fall in love with you.Thinking of this, Hung-chien burst out laughing, took Sky Moon as Miss Zhang, and waved goodbye to her.The rickshaw driver suspected that he was drunk, so he turned around and told him not to move, the car was not easy to pull.

The guests all dispersed, and Mrs. Zhang said: "This surname Fang is not suitable. He is too small-minded and takes money too seriously. Give me a try and he will reveal his true colors. At that time, he seemed to be afraid that we would renege on our debts, which is ridiculous. laugh?"

Mr. Zhang said: "German products are always inferior to American products. What kind of doctor! I even studied in England, but he can't understand a lot of English I speak. After the European War, Germany fell behind. Automobiles, airplanes, typewriters , camera, which one is not the latest in American tricks! I don’t like European students studying abroad.”

Mrs. Zhang said: "Nita, what do you think of this Fang?"

Miss Zhang couldn't forgive Fang Hung-chien's smile while reading, so she simply said, "This man is disgusting! Look how bad he eats! He doesn't look like someone who lived in a foreign country. When he eats soup, he dips the bread! He eats iron." Chicken chop, no need for a knife and fork, I picked up the drumstick and bit it! I saw it all in my eyes. Scared! What kind of manners is this? Miss Prym, who teaches social etiquette in our school, will definitely call him a piggy wiggy if she sees it!"

At that time, the Zhang family's marriage was fruitless, and Mrs. Zhou was quite disappointed.However, Fang Hongjian read "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Water Margin", "Journey to the West" and other children's books that did not conform to educational principles when he was young; A good class of books.He remembered the famous saying in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms": "Wife is like clothes", of course clothes are equal to wife; now that he has a new leather coat, he doesn't care if he loses his wife.

(End of this chapter)