Literary Master 1978

Sharon Woodcock's character is gentle and dignified. Getting along with her will make people feel like a spring breeze, and chatting with her is more comfortable. In comparison, Paul Theroux's character is a bit mean.

It was okay at the beginning of the chat, but once the conversation got underway, he couldn't help but reveal his true nature.

He arrived in China in November and visited several cities in the Yangtze River Basin. When talking about his travel experience in the past month, he complained in his usual venomous tone.

“You Chinese have almost no mercy for yourself, and always put yourself and others in cramped and uncomfortable environments.

When I arrived in Shanghai, the sound of pile drivers was everywhere. It was so noisy and kept going day and night. I almost lost sleep in those days.

The rhythm of my life was completely dominated by this rude and arrogant noise, as if a rude old woman was tugging on my ears and shouting, telling me not to sleep. "

At first, Lin Chaoyang tried to communicate with him patiently. Later, he gradually realized that Paul Theroux was so virtuous that there was no time when he did not make sarcastic remarks about the basic necessities of life while traveling in the country.

Lin Chaoyang simply put aside his politeness and said unceremoniously: "Come on, Paul, stop being such a bitch like you. China is like this, and no one is begging you to come."

Paul Theroux asked Lin Chaoyang, "Am I wrong in what I said?"

"We have an idiom in China called being picky, and it refers to people like you. I think people like you should not be travel writers, but sell vegetables in the wet market."

Lin Chaoyang's ridicule and sarcasm made Paul Theroux angry. He said angrily: "You Chinese people really have no hospitality at all."

"We Chinese also have an old saying that when friends come, there is good wine; when enemies come, there are shotguns. Are you our friend?"

Lin Chaoyang looked at Paul Solu with open eyes, tit for tat, and the atmosphere between the two was tense.

Lin Chaoyang pressed him and asked: "Paul, do you come to China to make friends?"

Under his intense gaze, Paul Solu's eyes avoided, his momentum gradually declined, and finally he said: "Of course."

Lin Chaoyang then changed his tone and said, "Okay. Since you are here to make friends, you have to show the attitude of making friends. Don't be such a bitch."

Paul Theroux said with an ugly face: "Can you stop using the word 'girl' all the time? There are two ladies here."

Seeing that Paul Solu had completely surrendered, Lin Chaoyang's expression became warm and he said sincerely to Sharon Woodcock: "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Woodcock."

"Oh, it's nothing. It was such a frank and frank exchange."

Sharon Woodcock's face was relaxed, with a bit of ridicule in her tone.

"Yes, it's just like the relationship between China and the United States." Lin Chaoyang said with a pun.

Sharon Woodcock smiled knowingly when she heard this.

Paul Theroux's expression also relaxed, and he couldn't help but mock again: "Dirty politics, stupid politicians."

As soon as these words came out, Sharon Woodcock's face became visibly embarrassed, because her husband was what Paul Theroux called a "stupid politician."

Just now, she was listening to Paul Theroux complaining about China without any burden. After all, the matter had nothing to do with her. This time, she was attacked indiscriminately by his artillery fire, and she felt Paul Theroux's disgust.

"Shut up, Paul. I really can't imagine how you grew up. Every time you speak, you always make others embarrassed and sad." Lin Chaoyang said sarcastically without mercy.

"You think you speak nicely? You're a crappy third-rate writer!"

Seeing that the two of them started arguing again without saying a word, Sharon Woodcock shook her head with a headache.

"Tao, why don't we go over there and sit for a while?"

Sharon Woodcock decided to stay away from the place of right and wrong and invited Tao Yushu to sit in the rest area for a while.

Tao Yushu looked worriedly at Lin Chaoyang, who was having an argument with Paul Solu. Shanlen Woodcock noticed her worry and comforted him: "It's okay. It's just a quarrel between two writers."

Shanlun Woodcock's words suddenly awakened Tao Yushu. When she looked at the two people arguing, she felt inexplicably like watching primary school students quarreling.

For foreigners, Christmas Eve celebrations last until early morning.

Lin Chaoyang and his wife definitely couldn't hold on until that late, and they left the Yanjing Hotel at ten o'clock.

On the way back, Tao Yushu said: "I was really afraid that you would fight with that Paul Solu."

"It's okay, he's just a talker." Lin Chaoyang said.

Listening to his words, Tao Yushu couldn't help but think of what Shanlen Woodcock said about the two of them, and couldn't help laughing.

"What's wrong?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

"Nothing." Tao Yushu suppressed his smile and asked, "Chaoyang, when do you think we will be as wealthy as Americans?"

The question asked by Tao Yushu was in line with her usual style. Lin Chaoyang thought about it and answered:

“The success of the United States is due to the right time, right place, and right people. Its vast land, weak neighbors, industrial explosion, World War I, and World War II… In the past two hundred years, no country’s national destiny can be compared with that of the United States.

If we want to be as prosperous and powerful as Americans, we cannot do it without the efforts of several generations. "

Listening to his words, Tao Yushu suddenly felt heavy in his heart.

"How many generations!"

Lin Chaoyang laughed and said, "Didn't Paul just complain about our workers being tireless and working day and night? This process can be shortened by half."

Tao Yushu nodded, "Yes, we Chinese are the most hardworking people in the world."

When she said this, her expression was serious, her eyes were firm, and she was cute, which made Lin Chaoyang want to kiss her.

Christmas was a foreign festival that had no sense of existence in China in the 1980s. While the few foreigners in Yanjing City were celebrating the festival, the common people still lived their lives step by step.

Seeing that it was already the end of December, "Lai Zi's Summer" published by Renwen Press officially landed in major Xinhua bookstores in China.

"Lai Zi's Summer" is Lin Chaoyang's first novel. Since its publication, the novel has received very high praise in the literary world.

Renwen Press also attached great importance to this publication, and advertised the novel in its magazines such as "Contemporary" and "New Literature Materials" a month in advance.

It was Sunday. Tao Yumo and several female classmates went through the tiger hole to Haidian Street and went straight to the Xinhua Bookstore on this street.

When they arrived at the door of Xinhua Bookstore, several people couldn't help but sigh.

We have to queue up again!

From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, bookstores have always been one of the most popular cultural places in the city.

Especially on Sundays, or when the bookstore has a best-selling book, there will be a long queue in front of the bookstore that morning.

There are top universities such as Shuimu and Yanda near Haidian Street. The content of highly educated people is almost the highest in the city of Yanjing, and the popularity of the bookstore is naturally the most prosperous.

It has become a daily routine for students to queue up here to buy books every weekend.

But habits are habits, and seeing such a scene, everyone can't help but feel anxious.

"When will there be no so many people in the bookstore? Don't you have anything else to do?" Guo Jianmei complained.

Tao Yumo teased: "Everyone thinks like you."

The others couldn't help laughing.

You have to queue up. Tao Yumo and her friends came not too late. The queue in front is only more than 30 meters long, with less than 100 people. As long as the book you want to buy is not too small, you will definitely be able to buy it.

A few girls chatted and laughed. Not long after, the door of the bookstore moved. The salesperson who had just started work was preparing to open the door for business. The crowd in the queue was agitated.

When the door of the bookstore was officially opened, the crowd could not wait to rush into the bookstore.

At the door of the bookstore, there was a notice of the new book on the shelves written in red paper and black ink: 200 copies of "Lai Zi's Summer" will be available on Sunday, so hurry up if you want to buy.

"Hey, don't squeeze! Don't squeeze!"

"Why squeeze? We are all college students, can't you have some manners?"

From time to time, some people shouted in the crowd, but unfortunately it did not hinder everyone's enthusiasm for buying books.

Haidian Street Xinhua Bookstore is one of the rare bookstores in Yanjing that sells books on the shelves. After the crowd rushed into the bookstore, they all rushed to the bookshelves with new books.

At this time, there was a row of new books on the bookshelf that was particularly conspicuous. After everyone confirmed the title of the book, they immediately rushed to the counter to pick up a few books and paid.

Tao Yumo and several classmates squeezed in the crowd and took a few books from the bookshelf with difficulty.

"Limited to two books per person! Limited to two books per person!"

The salespersons at the counter have long been accustomed to such scenes, and just reminded everyone loudly of the purchase limit.

"I said you can buy two books, why are you holding four books?"

The cashier skillfully took out two books from the books brought by the customer and put them aside, and then paid.

Tao Yumo and the others were not in a hurry to pay, because they came today not only to buy "Lai Zi's Summer", but also wanted to buy a few other books.

It's just that new books are always in high demand, so they have to rush with everyone. Now they each have a copy of "Lai Zi's Summer", so they are not in a hurry.

Wait patiently for a while, wait for the people who come to grab new books to disperse, and everyone can choose books leisurely.

The queue for new books was very efficient. After a while, the new books on the bookshelf were empty, and the originally crowded bookstore was also empty. Only more than 20 customers who were originally at the end of the queue were still checking out.

Tao Yumo and his friends dispersed to the bookshelves where they wanted to buy books. One is Ma, two is philosophy, three is social science, four is economics, five is military, six is ​​law...

Xinhua Bookstore has a certain order for book classification. People who often come to the bookstore are not unfamiliar with this jingle, and it is easy to find the books they want to buy.

Tao Yumo and Guo Jianmei picked out the books and went to the counter to check out.

They happened to meet a classmate walking into the bookstore. His face was very young even among college students. To describe it in the words of later generations, he was completely a little boy.

"Xiao Cha, you are here to buy books too!" Guo Jianmei smiled and greeted the boy who was walking across.