British writer

The next day, early morning.

Plaza Hotel.

In the double room on the upper floor, when Lu Shi woke up from his sleep, he found that Wodehouse was already awake and sitting there eating breakfast with relish.

Seeing Lu Shi climb out of bed, he said enthusiastically: "Do you want me to order breakfast for you?"

Lu Shi was still a little confused.

"ah?"

Wodehouse's face broke into a smile;

"Breakfast! Breakfast!"

He waved the menu and said: "It turns out that the hotel's menu can be thicker than the Bible, which is really good."

This statement is obviously an exaggeration.

But there is a reason for the exaggeration. Anyone who has stayed in the UK for a long time will have their eyes light up when they see the delicious food.

What's not more delicious than looking up at the stars?

Wodehouse said: "The steamed eggs with bread here are very good~"

Lu Shi sighed,

"That's Eggs Benedict."

Eggs Benedict is actually a simple breakfast in the United States. Many people mistakenly think it is an English breakfast because it uses muffins, that is, English muffins.

But actually, this is fusion cuisine,

Not just waffles, but also Spanish ham and hollandaise sauce.

So, this is a quintessential fusion dish, very much in line with the American fusion context.

Lu Shi stretched and went to wash up.

When he came back, Wodehouse was still struggling with the eggs Benedict and muttered to himself: "Isn't this a steamed egg?"

Lu Shi chuckled and said: "Sir, there's no way you haven't tried Benedict in London... Hmm... I know, the British restaurants must have localized the recipes, and as a result, a tiger cannot be like a dog. It's just that It can be said that the chefs in Daying are very good."

He sat down at the table.

Wodehouse walked over to open the door and faced the waiter with the menu.

"This...this...and this."

Then he came back and sat down,

"When you wake up, I will order some more different dishes to try, and we will share them."

Lu Shi didn't care.

"Suit yourself."

He picked up the manuscript he wrote last night, took the pen in his right hand, and began to read it carefully while frowning.

Wodehouse was a little curious;

"I see you started to create when you came back yesterday, what? The desire to create was born because of yesterday's embarrassing incident? But, to be honest, if you want to criticize the Chinese Exclusion Act, I don't think white Americans will like to read it. . Because everyone is having a hard time now, and we need an emotion to maintain unity."

He did not say clearly that this emotion was "hate."

Lu Shi sighed, put the manuscript aside, then closed his eyes and thought.

Wodehouse took out a copy of Monopoly,

"This is what the Parker brothers left behind."

Lu Shi asked, "They left?"

Wodehouse nodded,

"Yes, because they didn't know whether we were going to Massachusetts (Massachusetts) or Washington, D.C., they decided to leave first and go back to the headquarters in Salem to produce two thousand sets of "Monopoly" at full capacity. .”

Harvard University in Massachusetts,

The White House is in Washington.

Lu Shi asked: "Do they think we might go to Washington? Enter the palace to meet the Holy Spirit?"

The special cat "enters the palace to meet the saint"...

Wodehouse couldn't help laughing after hearing this and said: "I also advised them to stay. We will go to Massachusetts together and separate when we arrive in Boston. But both of them want to go back and start work as soon as possible. Besides, they are home~"

Lu Shi can understand,

The so-called "fear of feeling close to home" means that the closer you are to your hometown, the less peaceful you will feel.

He opened the box of Monopoly and examined it.

During these ten days on the cruise ship, the Parker brothers tested and improved the game. The game has been very perfect and will definitely become popular in the United States.

You should be able to make a lot of money from this.

Lu Shi asked: "Why did they keep Monopoly?"

Wodehouse replied: "You are a visiting scholar and are going to Harvard University. After that, you may have to visit other schools to help promote it. The professors and students in the university are all knowledgeable and willing to accept new things."

It is said that when "Monopoly" first appeared, it was used as a "teaching aid" by university professors.

Students play games to gain a visual understanding of capitalism and monopoly.

Lu Shi said: "The University of London Alliance Press itself is a partner, and we have reason to help them promote it."

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside,

Wodehouse went to open the door and found that the waiter was delivering the meal, so he paid the tip.

As a result, when he was about to come back with the plate, Saul Goodman also appeared at the door, saying with a smile: "Sir, I came to Professor Lu to provide him with consultation."

Wodehouse let the door open;

"Come in."

Goodman slid into the house.

Last night, he could have gone back to his own place, but he insisted on staying at the Plaza Hotel together, even at his own expense.

Judging from his appearance, he was obviously worried that a high-quality customer like Lu Shi would slip away.

Lu Shi called him over.

"Has Mr. Goodman had breakfast?"

Goodman: "Ah this..."

He was a little embarrassed.

Obviously, he couldn't afford the expenses at the Plaza Hotel.

Lu Shi said, "Want some burgers?"

At this time, hamburgers were just beef patties;

People in the Hamburg area of ​​Germany knead minced beef into flour, spread it into pancakes, fry and bake it, so they called it Hamburg after the place.

Lu Shi put the meatloaf into the bread, stuffed it with salad, and handed it over.

"Gu..."

Goodman swallowed.

Although it looks good, is this hodgepodge really edible?

He had met many Chinese people before and knew that Chinese people like to mix a lot of ingredients and sauces together when cooking. He thought this might be a national characteristic, so he took Lu Shi's hamburger and held "Stretch out your head, cut it, and shrink it." "My head is also a knife" and he took a bite with determination.

did not expect,

"It tastes so good."

Goodman was somewhat surprised.

Lu Shi said: "It should be delicious. This is the Plaza Hotel. Jazz and I spent a lot of money on it. The price is the only drawback of this hotel."

The Plaza Hotel is luxurious and historic.

Fitzgerald wrote "The Great Gatsby" here;

The Beatles held a press conference here when they first arrived in the United States;

The United States and Japan signed the Plaza Accord here, and Japan's economy has since turned from prosperity to decline;

…

Goodman quipped: "It's not the hotel's shortcoming, it's my shortcoming."

Lu Shi had a dull reaction to this joke.

But Wodehouse laughed,

"You Americans are really funny when you tell jokes! The idea of ​​American humor is really different."

Goodman shrugged and took another bite of his burger.

His eyes darted around, searching the dinner plate,

Suddenly, he noticed the handwritten manuscript Lu Shi put on the table and was a little surprised.

"Professor Lu, did you write it yesterday?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Um."

Goodman asked, "Can I take a look? I'm curious about how a great writer like you writes."

He actually didn't know Lu Shi,

Yesterday, in order to better understand the customers I wanted to serve, I pestered the Parker brothers and talked a lot. I even went to buy a copy of "Roger Mystery" imported from the UK at a high price and read it overnight.

Now, his attitude toward Lu Shi included not only flattery, but also genuine admiration and curiosity.

Lu Shi hesitated for a moment,

"Okay, you read it."

Goodman began to read,

Wodehouse on the side also came forward.

The manuscript has not yet been titled.

In terms of format and structure, this is a script.

There are two main characters in the script,

One is Sam, a white French-American man. Due to the economic downturn, his theater closed down and he is in desperate need of a job;

Second, a Chinese named Jimmy Tang, a painter, was in need of a carriage driver and bodyguard to tour the United States.

"interesting!"

Goodman muttered.

Wodehouse pondered for a moment and asked the other party: "Do you find it interesting just by looking at two characters?"

Goodman sighed: "Sir, you are a British person and you will not understand how representative the conflict brought about by these two identities is in the United States. Professor Lu doesn't even need to write the subsequent story, the drama is there .”

Wodehouse said: "Chinese Exclusion Act?"

Goodman said "hmm".

"If you listen to the name of this thing without seeing its impact, you won't feel it personally."

He looked at the script again,

"Besides, Professor Lu's name is also good. The American's name is 'Sam', but he is French. The Chinese's surname is Tang, and his first name is 'Jimmy'. It's so typical."

Lu Shi shook his head,

“I don’t like to use the word ‘typical’ but ‘stereotype’.”

Goodman chewed the word repeatedly, and then said: "Awesome, Professor Lu! You are really awesome!"

He and Wodehouse continued reading the script,

Things turned out exactly as Goodman imagined. Although Sam and Jimmy hated each other, they had to work together.

So they started traveling west from Boston,

In the beginning, things were easy to say in the east.

But the further west you go, the situation gets worse, as many hotels and restaurants prohibit Chinese entry.

Goodman rubbed his face,

"Real, too real."

Wodehouse asked: "What?"

The corner of Goodman's mouth curled up in a strange arc.

"The further west you go, the sparser and more territorial the American communities you see, and American flags are often planted on the houses. Sometimes when I go there, I feel that it's 'too American' and makes people feel awkward. "

Wodehouse was amused again;

“So, is ‘too American’ a good qualifier or a bad qualifier?”

Goodman responded: "There's good and there's bad."

The story behind the script is not difficult to imagine,

It's nothing more than Sam and Jimmy going from not understanding each other to becoming friends.

Jimmy is discriminated against, and Sam helps out;

Sam's cultural quality was not high, but he was educated by Jimmy and gradually became a "moral" and serious person.

Sam helps Jimmy across races;

When Jimmy helps Sam, he crosses class lines.

This drama can be equated with correctness in modern times.

But at the beginning of the 20th century, this play was quite incorrect. Instead, it was revolutionary, avant-garde, and even rebellious.

In fact, this drama is indeed adapted from a modern movie——

"Green Book".

The movie was very successful, and it was easy to win awards.

From Hollywood to the Oscars, although it cannot be a sweeping trend, it has gained a lot.

When Lu Shi adapted it into a drama, the difficulty lay mainly in the historical background.

The so-called "Green Book" is a practical manual to help black travelers avoid racial conflicts.

In the movie, the protagonists are a black piano player and a white driver. The background is the apartheid system in the United States in the 1960s. At that time, there were already cars, so interstate travel was far less difficult than it was in the early 20th century.

Moreover, at that time, it did not seem difficult to understand that black people were well educated.

But Jimmy, as portrayed by Lu Shi, always felt a little unsteady.

It is probably difficult for Americans to imagine a Chinese painter who is polite and has a high artistic level.

They only know Chinese workers.

Of course, this wasn't that big of a problem, because even when "Green Book" came out, it wasn't easy to imagine a black piano player without the Internet.

Lu Shi chewed the food carefully while thinking.

Goodman wondered,

"Professor Lu, this script is obviously very well written. I believe that many audiences will like it in Washington, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia."

Just like Mei Lanfang is indeed popular in the United States,

But that's just a fresh look.

Lu Shi said: "The Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted, Chinese people were massacred and robbed, and communities were burned down. Then, what is my script about?"

Goodman was puzzled;

"Is there any problem? Sam hated Jimmy at first, and followed Jimmy on the road holding his nose because of money. But later, Jimmy suffered all kinds of discrimination, and Sam resolved them one by one, and the two became close friends. How great!"

Lu Shi said nothing.

Wodehouse on the side said: "Comedy, family fun. Sigh... Of course you Americans will be very happy after watching this~"

This is actually half of what I said.

The second half is: "But what about the Chinese? Can you laugh after watching this?"

Goodman was speechless;

After a long while, he said: "I watched Professor Lu's play and felt that there was no need to discuss it in such depth. Looking at it more simply, this play made it very clear that no one would hate a cultivated and elegant person."

Wodehouse laughed;

"Mr. Goodman, you are worthy of being an American lawyer."

Goodman is embarrassed,

Because he heard that the other party was mocking his hypocrisy, whether he was an American or a lawyer.

Wodehouse continued with a smile: "Sir, to be honest, the vast majority of Chinese workers have nothing to do with being cultivated and elegant. Even Lu can't deny this. But they are still closely connected with the word 'hardworking'. Why? ?In the United States, hard work is a quality not worth promoting?”

"Forehead……"

Goodman didn't know how to respond.

The sharp-tongued man suffered from speech disorder for the first time.

Wodehouse continued: "The cruel truth, written in comedy or fairy tale, is indeed unacceptable. The drama written by Lu is certainly good. If it can be starred in, I will definitely like to watch it, but will the Chinese like to watch it?"

This is why the evaluation of "Green Book" is so polarizing.

Is art pure?

This question is difficult to answer.

Goodman looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, I think you should adapt this play, and I can help you! Although I don't know the rules of each state, especially the western states, I can help you look it up."

Lu Shi nodded,

"Thank you. I really should change it, but in which direction..."

Before he finished speaking, there was another knock on the door outside.

Lu Shi looked at Wodehouse,

"Sir, did you order something to eat?"

Wodehouse's eyes swept across the plates on the table, and he said with doubts in his eyes: "No, all the dishes I ordered have been served. Could it be the train... No, I didn't ask anyone to help. Book a train ticket to Boston.”

Lu Shi put away the manuscript of the script and stood up.

"I'll open the door."

He walked over and opened the door.

I saw the service staff standing at the door. When I saw Lu Shi, he immediately said: "Sir, there are two guests at the front desk downstairs. There are two of them. The leader claims to be a colleague of the "Mirror", named Joseph. Pulitzer.”

Pulitzer?

Lu Shi quickly said: "Please!"