Back to 80: My Literary Life

Fang Minghua ignored the young woman and said to the little boy in a gentle voice: "Uncle, can I tell you the story of building this railway?"

Of course, he spoke in English.

"Sure." The little boy answered happily.

"This railway is what your mother said, called the Pacific Railway. It was built more than 100 years ago, but the main force of construction was not Americans, but workers from China. At that time, China was relatively poor, and they came to the United States from afar to make a living. People called them Chinese workers."

"Chinese workers are hardworking and soon became the main force in building railways. You can also see that the mountains here are very high and the roads are very dangerous. It is very difficult to build. In winter, blizzards cause avalanches, and many Chinese workers died, so there is a saying: "There is a Chinese worker's body under each sleeper."

Fang Minghua didn't finish speaking, but was interrupted by the young woman.

"I'm sorry, sir, I have to interrupt you. What you said is not recorded in the history books at school, so I don't allow you to tell my children these untrue things! "

The young woman looked at Fang Minghua with a firm gaze.

American history books don't write about it?

No way?

Of course, Fang Minghua knew that this young woman would not lie to him, there was no need.

Fang Minghua was too lazy to explain, and just said lightly: Madam, have you heard a saying? History is a little girl who can be dressed up by anyone. This can only mean that your country has dressed up this period of history very well, but the truth will come to light one day."

After that, she no longer paid attention to the mother and son and looked out the window.

The box fell into silence.

There is no need to argue with a strange woman. For some cognitions, it is definitely not possible to change the other party with a few words.

Another hour later, the train seemed to enter the desert area. The vast Gobi Desert gave people a feeling of a long river and a round sunset.

The little boy, who had been silent for a long time, looked at the scenery outside and started talking again. His mother continued to explain to him in a low voice, occasionally glancing at Fang Minghua who was leisurely looking at the scenery outside.

At dinner time, Fang Minghua came to the dining car. Because of the limited seats, eating in the dining car generally requires sharing a table with strangers.

Fang Minghua ordered a grilled rib and a Coke, eating slowly while enjoying the scenery outside.

Sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man with a beard who didn't like to talk much. Half an hour later, the train stopped at a small town in Nevada. Suddenly, two policemen got on the train and took the middle-aged man opposite him off the train in handcuffs. It was said that the charge was illegal possession of a gun.

This peat

A small shock.

At night, the Kaze crossed Nevada and entered the territory of Utah. Fang Minghua's watch was set forward by one hour.

At 3 a.m., the train arrived in Salt Lake City, and Fang Minghua had to get off the train.

He got up from the lower bunk to pack his luggage, which startled the young woman who was sleeping in the lower bunk.

The young woman wrapped herself in a blanket, stretched her head and looked at Fang Minghua, and suddenly said, "Are you Chinese?"

"Yes, I am."

"Sir, I don't know where you heard the story you told my child during the day? Is it written in your Chinese history books? But you also said that history is a little girl who can be dressed up by anyone. Is the history in your Chinese textbooks true?!" said the young woman.

Huh?

Debate this?

There is really no need.

"In the future, this history will be added to your history textbooks." After saying that, Fang Minghua left the private room with her travel bag.

Fang Minghua left the station and found a hotel nearby to stay. Suddenly, she couldn't sleep.

In China, this tragic experience of Chinese people building railways in the United States is recorded in Chinese middle school history textbooks, but not in the United States!

Fang Minghua vaguely remembered that a Chinese female writer named Zhang Chunru was famous for writing the English history book "The Nanjing Massacre".

It is a pity that this brave Chinese female writer committed suicide due to depression. Two years before her death, she wrote a historical book: "Chinese in America: A Narrative History". The book exposed the discrimination suffered by early Chinese workers, including the tragic history of Chinese building the Pacific Railway, which caused a strong response in the United States.

It was only after the millennium. It seems that someone will always reveal the truth.

Fang Minghua stayed in Salt Lake City for one night. At 10 o'clock the next day, she took a Delta Airlines flight to Baltimore. After four hours, she arrived at her destination at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

Demi drove to pick her up in person.

On the way to the hotel, Demi told Fang Minghua that the meeting with readers would be arranged at noon the next day after the award ceremony, and everything was ready.

At that time, the three leading actors of the movie would fly from New York to help.

"Demi, are you so sure that you will win the award? If you don't win the award, you will miscalculate." Fang Minghua joked.

"If it's the Nebula Award, I wouldn't dare to say so, but the Hugo Award is definitely no problem. With such a large readership of Harry Potter, how can it not win the award?" Demi looked confident.

The biggest difference between the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award is the different jury.

The Nebula Award jury is mainly composed of experts and scholars in the field of science fiction literature in the United States, while the Hugo Award is composed of science fiction editors, writers, critics and media people from all over the world, with a broad mass base.

So, Demi is so sure.

After settling in the hotel, Demi continued to make preparations with the team of the publishing house. Fang Minghua declined Demi's kindness to help find a tour guide, and wandered around the city leisurely with a backpack on his back.

Baltimore is located on the west side of the top of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the largest city in Maryland, USA. Baltimore is also one of the oldest cities in the United States. It was once the capital of the United States and the birthplace of the American national anthem.

Fang Minghua spent half a day enthusiastically visiting Fort McHenry, a national monument and historical holy place in the United States.

It was used as an outpost to fight against the British during the Second Anglo-American War. It was built on a small peninsula. The five-pointed star-shaped fortress strangled the main entrance to the port. In 1814, after capturing Washington and burning the White House, in order to capture Baltimore, the port city that controlled the economic lifeline of the United States at that time, the British fleet rushed to Fort McHenry and bombarded the fort day and night. In addition, this is also the birthplace of the American national anthem.

He also visited the Locomotive History Museum in the southwest of the city of Morelos. It is the only place in the United States that preserves various locomotives. Covering an area of ​​1,200 square meters and with a compact layout, the museum exhibits a variety of locomotives, including the world's first locomotive, which is also preserved here.

There is even a steam locomotive from mainland China, with the words "people" written by a great man on the front, which looks very friendly.

There are also the National Aquarium and the Washington Monument on Mount Vernon Square. However, as the Hugo Awards ceremony approaches, this place has become a holy place for science fiction fans.

From time to time, people recognize Fang Minghua and take out paper and pen to sign, or take photos. Fang Minghua usually responds to her fans' requests.

Many fans are curious about the sequels of the "Harry Potter" novels. How many sequels will be written in total? Fang Minghua did not deliberately hide it.

At least seven.

This caused cheers from fans - they can feast their eyes!

Of course, there are also some very unique fans who are obviously from the World Science Fiction Convention, but they ask about other novels written by Fang Minghua.

For example, this very beautiful girl from Washington State University, with her fiery red hair, is particularly eye-catching.

"Mr. Minghua, in addition to the Harry Potter series, I also like your Love Trilogy. Will you write love novels in the future?"

The so-called Love Trilogy refers to The Bridges of Madison County, Ghost, and Twilight, which Fang Minghua wrote successively in the United States.

Especially, only the first part of Twilight, Twilight, was written, and the characters in the story did not have an ending, which made many fans quite resentful.

Now hearing this girl ask this question, Fang Minghua had to answer truthfully that he had no plans to write for the time being, and he was now concentrating on finishing Harry Potter.

But he was thinking in his heart.

Love novel

How old are you still writing this stuff?

Just when Fang Minghua was alone in Baltimore with great interest, a mother and daughter were rushing in from New York. They were Liu Xiaoli and her daughter Liu Yifei.