Back to 80: My Literary Life

“What I write is fiction, but it’s also history!”

This sentence became the most eye-catching headline in Fang Minghua’s answer to a reporter’s question, which appeared in the New York Times the next day. There was also a response to reporters, which immediately aroused heated discussion.

Someone wants to uncover the history that was little known to ordinary people 100 years ago!

At this time, many people realized that Fang Minghua was not only a best-selling author, but also a serious literary writer!

Of course, some people applaud it, and some people object to it.

At this time, Fang Minghua was preparing to take a flight back to San Francisco in the afternoon, and Liu Xiaoli and her daughter were also returning to New York. However, before leaving, Liu Xiaoli insisted on treating him to a meal alone.

"No need, didn't you hold a celebration banquet for me yesterday?" Fang Minghua declined.

"Sissi and I haven't invited you alone yet, are you Sissi?"

"Yes, godfather, I heard Haili say that Baltimore has a lot of delicious food." Liu Yifei said innocently.

Haley is the American actor who starred in Harry Potter.

Fang Minghua couldn't help but smile. He was really a foodie, just like his daughter Ruirui.

In this case, Fang Minghua agreed, since it was the afternoon flight anyway.

“Then it will be at 11:30 noon. The location is Faidley’s Seafood restaurant in Lexington Market. I heard that the seafood there is quite good. Let’s go there together.” Liu Xiaoli said.

At 11:30 noon, someone knocked on the door. Fang Minghua went over and saw that it was Liu Xiaoli and her daughter.

It is obvious that Liu Xiaoli is now carefully dressed, wearing a beige solid color shirt with a floral skirt underneath, looking elegant and intellectual.

The three of them left the hotel together, took a taxi and rushed to Lexington Market.

The market is located near the "Poe House", a narrow double-story brick house where the American poet Edgar Allan Poe lived - now available for visitors to pay their respects.

In the car, Liu Xiaoli held a travel guide and said enthusiastically: "Faidley's Seafood Restaurant was once named one of the "Top 20 Food Landmarks in the United States" by Smithsonian Magazine. This restaurant serves large meat crab cakes. Winning awards is great! ”

The three of them arrived. Although the restaurant was located in a market, the environment inside was very clean. The three of them found a private room and ordered Maryland crabs, roasted clams, and of course the specialty snacks, large meat crab cakes.

Liu Yifei was just growing up, so when she saw so many delicious foods, she naturally ate them to her heart's content, and the adults chatted while eating.

Liu Xiaoli told Fang Minghua that she was planning to take her children back to China in a few days. In addition to visiting her parents, she also had to go to Xijing to sign a contract with Shengshi Film and Television. Her daughter Liu Yifei officially became an artist under Shengshi Film and Television.

Fang Minghua already knew this news. It was Song Tangtang who made the call. On the phone, Song Tangtang told Fang Minghua that after the acquisition of Xiying Film Studio, Shengshi Film and Television was preparing to learn from Hollywood in the United States and adopt an artist system, and Liu Yifei was the first artist signed by the company.

Fang Minghua has no opinion on this point.

This is the only way for Shengshi Film and Television to transform from a traditional film and television production enterprise into a modern entertainment company.

Fang Minghua naturally gave a few words of encouragement.

"Ms. Liu"

"You should call me Xiaoli. Sissi calls you godfather. We are a family."

Fang Minghua smiled slightly after hearing this, and did not dwell on the topic. He just told Liu Xiaoli that there are still several Harry Potter series in the future, and Liu Yifei can be trained to become an international star. He hopes to learn while acting and improve her performance level.

The two chatted for a while, and Liu Xiaoli suddenly changed the topic: "Minghua, the last words you said to reporters at the readers' meeting yesterday were quite bold."

"You mean I talked about Chinese workers building the railway?" Fang Minghua asked rhetorically

"Yes, I guess you also know that some people in the United States look down on Chinese Americans and think that they are second-class citizens and inferior to others. What you say will definitely make those people unhappy, so be careful to cause trouble for you."

Liu Xiaoli reminded.

look for a job?

What do you want from me?

The worst case scenario is that next year I will sell off all my stocks, sell the publishing house, withdraw the funds from the country, and then take Li Li and her daughter back to the country or arrange them in Xiangjiang, and never come to the United States again!

How can you help me? !

Of course, you can't say this to Liu Xiaoli.

He smiled, took a sip of beer, and said calmly: "It's nothing. You can't be afraid to say something just because you're worried about it, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. You are now a great writer and celebrity. No one dares to say anything to you!" Liu Xiaoli said with a smile.

Fang Minghua took a flight back to San Francisco that afternoon.

This time he did not take the train, but took a plane to Chicago, then transferred to San Francisco.

After Fang Minghua returned home, he naturally held his daughter and had fun for a while. Li Li came back after school in the afternoon.

During dinner, Li Li also talked about the news published in the New York Times.

Of course she supported Fang Minghua's actions unconditionally.

"Minghua, our school library contains historical documents about the construction of the railway by Chinese workers. Do you need it? I will borrow it for you."

"Need it!" Fang Minghua was overjoyed.

I also have a rough understanding of this period of history. Since I am writing a novel, it is of course best to understand the historical background of this period.

The next morning, Fang Minghua received a call.

"Hello, Mr. Fang, I am Meng Dawen."

"Hello, Lawyer Meng."

"Congratulations, Mr. Fang, congratulations on your award. It's rare to win both the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award in the United States." Meng Dawen's tone was very enthusiastic.

"Thank you, thank you."

Meng Dawen is the owner of Meng Dawen Law Firm. When Fang Minghua acquired Ashley Press, he asked him to provide legal advice on the acquisition.

Later, after Ashley Press was acquired, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with his law firm. Meng Dawen will try his best to help with legal matters related to the daily operation of the publishing house.

At the same time, his firm also provided legal advice to the Chinese team of the "Harry Potter" movie shooting, and the two sides established a good cooperative relationship.

Of course, Meng Dawen did not just congratulate, he quickly stated his purpose.

"Mr. Fang, your answer to the reporter's question after winning the award has caused a great sensation in society. I have a friend who is also a respected elder who wants to meet you."

"Who?"

"Yu Rongyifang, a historian, a professor at Stanford University, is also Chinese and lives in San Francisco. Her great-grandfather Lee Wang Sang went to the United States in 1866 to participate in the construction of the Pacific Railway."

"Really?" Fang Minghua immediately became interested.

On the phone, Meng Dawen explained the whole story.

It turned out that Yu Rongyifang had been studying this period of history because of her great-grandfather, and also organized a group with some descendants of Chinese workers who had participated in the construction of the railway. The purpose was to make the official government recognize this period of history and write it into American middle school textbooks!

As a lawyer, Meng Dawen provided some free legal assistance to this group.

Yu Rongyifang also saw this news in the news and wanted to meet this writer from mainland China.

Of course, she didn't know Fang Minghua's contact information. It happened that after Meng Dawen talked to her about this, he volunteered to say that he and Fang Minghua were friends and could contact each other.

"If you like, we can go to see Ms. Yu Rongyifang in the afternoon." Meng Dawen finally said.

"Okay." Fang Minghua agreed very happily.

After two o'clock in the afternoon, Meng Dawen drove to the Seacliff community, and Fang Minghua got in his Mercedes-Benz and drove towards Silicon Valley.