1980 My literary era

USA, New York, Chinatown.

Apartment buildings built in the 1940s have been built for more than half a century. There are many apartment buildings like this in New York.

Many years ago, this was a place where many domestic students gathered in New York to stay warm. They listened to Mu Xin’s lectures, had gatherings, and organized salons here.

Now that several years have passed, the international students who once pursued freedom and art have put aside their reserve and fallen into a busy state of running for life, and the bustling apartment has gradually become deserted.

Today, a new person came to the rare apartment, and everyone got together again.

"Dannian is the top student of Shuimu. Whose junior brother is this? Take the initiative to claim it yourself!" Cheng Danqing joked.

Two people present stood up, shook hands with Zhang Danian, and chatted for a few words. It turned out that they were classmates seven or eight years apart.

"We, Mizuki, are really full of talents in New York!"

"Okay, I know there are many people like you Shuimu studying abroad, so stop bragging."

After introducing the new partners, Cheng Danqing said with emotion: "Everyone has become busier and busier in the past two years, and there are fewer and fewer gatherings like this."

Li Quanwu said: "In order to survive, what can I do?"

Others feel the same way. Among the people here, some have been in the United States for ten years, and some have been in the United States for four or five years.

As I lived in the United States for longer, the country that was originally a paradise gradually revealed its cruel side.

In a capitalist society, no money is a dead end. It is not easy for Chinese people to survive here.

Everyone tried their best to stay here. Two lesbians who were once very active in the salon married a bad old man from the United States in order to get a green card.

Some people work three jobs at the same time in order to support their families, and they don't even get a full night's sleep for a long time.

Everyone gathered together to express a few words about life, and Cheng Danqing added: "New Year, you have just come out of China, tell everyone about the current changes in the country. It has been a long time since we returned to the country."

Zhang Danian pondered for a moment and said: "Let me start from the economic level. Reform and opening up has been more than ten years ago, and there are results. The national economy has achieved relatively great development, and materials are much richer than in previous years. Let’s take salary as an example. Before I came out, I worked in a computer lab and could get a monthly salary of about 800 yuan. My salary is a high salary in Yanjing, and the general salary is about 300 yuan.”

"Three hundred yuan? That's not bad. I remember when I came out, my salary was just over 100 yuan. It increased by 200% in six or seven years."

"You can't calculate it that way. How much have prices increased? I corresponded with my family and found out that the increase in rice, flour, grain and oil is much higher than wages."

Cheng Danqing said: "Don't speak for now, let Danian continue."

The others shut up, and Zhang Danian continued: "Everyone is right, but we have survived the hard days of rising prices in 1987, 1988, and 1989, and now prices are relatively stable. I think the most important thing in the country now is The problem is not about daily necessities, but about housing prices. Do you know about the Hainan real estate bubble?"

Zhang Danian asked, and someone immediately answered: "Of course I know. At that time, the price was almost reaching the sky. Didn't it mean that it wouldn't work the year before last?"

Zhang Danian nodded, "Hainan is indeed in trouble, but it does not mean that the real estate bubble has disappeared. Its ghost is still wandering on the land of China."

His expression was serious, and someone asked curiously: "You said that, I remembered it. I heard from my classmates that some newly built commercial buildings in Yanjing now sell for three to four thousand yuan per square meter."

"This is not only the case in Yanjing, but also in many cities in Shanghai and Yangcheng. A house costing 3,000 yuan per square meter, with the income of an ordinary working class, can only be purchased without food or drink for ten months to a year. .

The house prices have skyrocketed! "

Zhang Danian said heartbrokenly.

Li Quanwu said disapprovingly: "What's this? Here in the United States, there are houses measuring tens of thousands of meters per square meter."

"Can that be the same? We are a socialist country!" Zhang Danian said seriously.

After he said this, Da Furniture fell into silence.

"Okay, okay, now that everyone is abroad, don't worry about domestic affairs." Cheng Danqing advised.

"That's right, that's right." Li Quanwu also said.

Cheng Danqing asked: "New Year's Eve, please tell everyone something to cheer you up!"

"Things to cheer up..." Zhang Danian thought for a moment and said, "The most recent thing should be that "Farewell My Concubine" won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film!"

As soon as this topic was discussed, everyone became excited.

""Farewell My Concubine" really gave us Chinese a face!"

"Have you all gone to see the movie? The box office has been two to three hundred million dollars, right?"

Li Quanwu said: "The novel "Farewell My Concubine" has been a best-seller in the United States for ten years. When the play was launched on Broadway, we went to see it. The venue was full. Its popularity in the United States is definitely first-rate. It is also amazing to achieve such results. That’s to be expected.”

Cheng Danqing objected, "It's true that "Farewell My Concubine" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film as expected. After all, Lin Weimin has "The Last Emperor" ahead of him, but the box office of the movie is so good. It is definitely caused by the mutual promotion of various factors, and there is a certain amount of coincidence.”

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but say a few more words: "What impressed me most was that when "No One Left Behind" was introduced to the United States two years ago, the publishing house launched a heavy publicity campaign. I was featured in several literary magazines. I have seen relevant information and reports in newspapers and newspapers.”

"Yes, yes, I remembered it. Project Hope, Lin Weimin wrote a novel specifically for this matter, and he also donated 10 million yuan."

When it comes to "ten million meters of knife", everyone's tone is full of exclamation.

They live in the capitalist world of the United States, so they naturally know how difficult it is to make money.

How could a domestic writer not be amazed at how he donated 10 million US dollars casually?

"Yes! Lin Weimin's works have been introduced to the United States since the early 1980s. In fact, sales have been very good over the years, such as "Farewell My Concubine", "Horse Trapper", "Lover"... and the blessing of dramas.

But before, my works were more popular, but since that promotion, I feel a little different.

Last year, "The Collected Works of Richard Yates" was published, and the same promotion strategy was used again, even more successful than the last time. The American media completely linked the names of Lin Weimin and Richard Yates.

One is depressed and has wasted years, and the other is talented and famous at a young age. Putting these two people together is not only a strong contrast, but also full of dramatic tension.

If I were a reporter, I would also like to write this kind of report, which completely hits the public's interest points.

I sometimes chat with Americans, and they can call Lin Weimin's name casually and have a very good impression of him. They all say he is a great writer. "

Li Quanwu said: "Americans just like to exaggerate!"

"It can't be an exaggeration, right? Lin Weimin has won two National Book Critics Circle Awards in the United States, as well as the Goncourt Literary Prize and the Strega Literary Prize. Ordinary writers cannot win these awards. Many Nobel Prizes No winner of the Bell Prize for Literature has ever won so many awards!”

The one who spoke was Lu Zhifang, who was very familiar with the honors Lin Weimin had received.

When "The Kite Runner" was performed on Broadway, Lin Weimin asked people to send tickets, and a group of international students went to see it.

We have also seen the enthusiastic pursuit of Lin Weimin's works by foreign audiences. Many people are filled with proud pride. All the previous dislikes towards Lin Weimin have long since disappeared in this mentality, replaced by appreciation and admiration.

"Look at this!" Lu Zhifang took out a magazine from his bag.

In the latest issue of the American version of Time Magazine, Lin Weimin’s portrait occupies the entire cover with a black background, which is a consistent feature of Time Magazine.

"Is this Lin Weimin?" Everyone saw unspeakable surprise on their faces when they saw the cover of the magazine.

"Real goods!" Lu Zhifang's tone was a bit proud as she handed the magazine to everyone.

Everyone came together out of curiosity and started reading "Times" together.

The interview transcript is more than 20,000 words long, occupying a considerable amount of this issue of Time Magazine.

Richard Stengel has been in the industry for more than ten years. Both his writing and interviewing style are mature and sophisticated. Especially the refining and published interview content. Every question and answer between the interviewer and the interviewee is wonderful. The game shines with the light of wisdom.

At the end, everyone mentioned the issue of the "Nobel Prize for Literature" that everyone was still discussing just now.

Lin Weimin's quotations from the Bible are impressive.

Li Quanwu thought of the scene when he met Lin Weimin a few years ago and couldn't help but said: "He is really arrogant!"

Cheng Danqing's inner thought was: Damn it! So cool!

However, he did not reveal his inner thoughts. Instead, he said: "I don't think this is arrogance. It should be said to be a kind of self-confidence based on strength."

Lu Zhifang agreed: "Dan Qing is right. 'No one can enter a strong man's home and rob his furniture.' A strong man saves his strength to defend his own honor, not to rob other people's honor."

"Then the Nobel Prize in Literature does not belong to them." Li Quanwu argued.

"Whether you admit it or not, the Nobel Prize for Literature is only an honor that can be obtained by a small group of writers at the top of the pyramid. For such a group of writers, this honor is just passed around in their circle, so, The metaphor of 'furniture' is also very appropriate, but this home is a little bigger and has more strong men." Lu Zhifang said.

Li Quanwu shook his head, "You fanatical fans can argue no matter how hard you argue!"

"That's what I call pertinent!"

"Okay, okay, what's the point of arguing over other people's affairs!" Cheng Danqing advised.

He picked up the copy of Time Magazine again and said to Lu Zhifang: "Zhifang, lend me your magazine."

"what?"

"I sent it to Lin Weimin, and he was in Time Magazine. It was a good news to him!"

After Lin Weimin left the United States that year, he invited Cheng Danqing and others to watch a performance of "The Kite Runner." Afterwards, Cheng Danqing wrote a letter to express his gratitude.

In recent years, the two have occasionally corresponded.

Li Quanwu said dissatisfied: "You are a good person!"

Cheng Danqing said: "It is not easy for China to produce such a world-influential writer. Don't always think about causing trouble!"

"Who caused trouble? You didn't see it when I praised him to the foreigner!" Li Quanwu muttered.