Chapter 108 Dawn is Coming
The red Audi was running on the G101 highway. The wheels rolled over the bumpy speed bumps and climbed the towering overpasses. The flat alluvial plains were displayed in front of the eyes. The blue sky was like an inverted bowl, covering this area of the world. White clouds like a flock of sheep floated on the bottom of the bowl.
The navigation system has reminded me of speeding several times, and the stopwatch pointer has always hovered around 120. Wang Zixu doesn't like driving fast, but today he is always very anxious for some reason. Anxiety makes people prefer high speeds, so he drives faster and faster.
He felt something black was invading his life. Black arms as dense as a black forest broke out of the ground and gradually closed around him. The first thing he had to do before being strangled by the Dark Alliance was to head for the exit of this highway.
"Speaking of which, how did you get on the path of literature? You are obviously a science student, but now you want to rely on literature in everything you do. Even what we are going to do now is relying on your literary skills. You have even become literary in your way of thinking."
Ye Lan, who was beside him, was afraid that he would be tired while driving, so he kept trying to find topics to chat with him. Wang Zixu was very grateful for her thoughtfulness.
But I have to say that sometimes the questions she raises are too profound, so profound that they need to be thought about seriously, which will affect Youli's cooperation.
“If there must be a reason, it should be that I have seen the power of words.” Wang Zixu said.
After a pause, he threw an equally difficult question to Ye Lan: "Do you believe in the power of words?"
Ye Lan showed a sad expression: "What is the power of words? When I was in school, I recited the "Teacher's Guide" to the point of vomiting. Is this the power of words?"
Cheng Xing, who was in the back seat of the car, was somewhat interested in this topic, so he came forward and said, "Teacher, I believe in the power of words. The book I published in college earned me my first pot of gold. After graduation, I happily rewarded myself with a gap year, and then I haven't found a job until now."
The poet said: "I also believe that after I earned millions in royalties, I bought a condominium, but it was unfinished. They are all trapped now. "
"The power of words is strong, but the power of capital is the strongest."
Wang Zixu shook his head: "The power you are talking about is very powerful, but that is not the fault of words. Who told you to buy off-plan property? The power I am talking about is much more profound than making money with words."
Cheng Xing asked: "What kind of power is the teacher talking about?"
"When I was still young, I saw with my own eyes how a letter of less than 500 words could destroy a man in an instant." Wang Zixu said.
It is more like a piece of paper than a letter. On the day my mother left home permanently, the piece of paper was placed on the dining table where the soup basin usually was, like some kind of replacement.
At that time, Wang Zixu knew the magical function of words: it can tell you what a person wants to say when he is not around, even if he is thousands of miles apart, even if he is thousands of years apart.
Think about it carefully, isn’t this just like magic?
There was a period in history when a hard-working worker in the Mainland could only earn single-digit RMB after working from dawn to dusk. However, under the influence of the exchange rate, any truck driver from other regions who came to the Mainland could act like an immortal official descending from the earth and take out an amount of money that the hard-working worker could not imagine.
After long-term economic exchanges, this economic gap has been gradually filled. Today's young people can no longer imagine the inferiority of mainlanders back then, leaving only the lingering sound of some puzzling superiority.
Explicitly, this gap was gradually filled up after a generation of trade surplus, deficit and inflation, as well as the invisible big hand of the market caressing up and down for many years, but implicitly, many people lost their wives in the process. Comrade Wang Jianguo is one of them.
What shapes this tragedy is ultimately the economy. But what really destroys a man is that letter of less than 500 words. It is true to attribute failure in life to money, but what really breaks a person's will and strangles his soul are some heart-wrenching things.
Wang Zixu has been thinking about this matter for so many years. After years of precipitation, it has become an unspeakable story that is not enough for outsiders to tell. Of course, he will not tell others what kind of power it is. In the end, he only said: < /p>
“Life has taught me how words can destroy a person, but it has not taught me how to save, but I still hope that I can write something that can save people.”
Having said this, he suddenly thought that the power that enveloped Comrade Wang Jianguo back then and was about to strangle his life was exactly the same as the darkness he was facing now. But the strange thing is that Comrade Wang Jianguo was not aware of it at all. He didn't even have time to buy a fake gun with a fake bill to defend his life.
In fact, many people, like Comrade Wang Jianguo, experienced building collapse before they had time to discover the enemy. It was like a sinkhole suddenly appeared due to geological collapse on the road they walked every day, and they accidentally stepped into it. World War II has passed. In this era, there is no longer a clear-cut evil organization like fascism. It is a fortunate thing to be able to find the jackals and wolves surrounding us.
Wang Zixu stepped on the accelerator hard and drove towards the exit of the highway.
……
Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo leaned against the wall at the door of the office, like two bad students.
"Qingluo, I'm not criticizing you. Have you ever felt that you were a little too arrogant just now?"
Chen Qingluo glanced at Ning Chunyan: "Aren't you just criticizing?"
"No, no, I'm not that one. I mean, you can use a more tactful way to make Professor Zhong understand you..."
Chen Qingluo said confidently: "If he continues to be tactful, he will be called home for dinner. How can you still sit at his dinner table and pester him to continue to sell that novel? "
Ning Chunyan rubbed his forehead: "But he seems to be angry..."
Just 20 minutes ago, Ning Chunyan was chatting with Professor Zhong Junmin. According to her expectation, she would try to change the topic from the little prince to serious literature, and then introduce the rising star of the literary world, Wang Zixu, to leave a good first impression on Professor Zhong, and then gradually take out Wang Zixu's manuscript and ask him to correct it.
As a result, Chen Qingluo hurriedly took out the manuscript and slapped it in the face, and showed it to Zhong Junmin in an aggressive manner. Everyone present was shocked. Chen Qingluo’s attitude was not like a scholar, but like a literary gangster.
Professor Zhong is not an ordinary teacher. He was invited out first because of Ning Binru's face, and then because of the "Xihe Twins"'s face. It is very impolite to directly take out a manuscript from someone who came out of nowhere and ask him to read it.
It would be understandable if this person were a student of Nanjing University, but not only is this person not from Nanjing University, he is not even a student. He is a thirty-year-old unknown clerk working in an unknown unit in a suburban city. Chen Qingluo is so reckless that he is defying the world. The fact that the two of them were kicked out can only be regarded as Professor Zhong's academic advancement.
Chen Qingluo put her hand on Ning Chunyan’s shoulder: “Do you believe in the power of words?”
“Don’t think you can fool me with this kind of chicken soup of MLM, besides, it’s useless for you to fool me, you have to fool Professor Zhong.”
Chen Qingluo said solemnly: "I am so convinced. Since everyone is engaged in literature, they must be attracted and inspired by literature."
Ning Chunyan took her hand from Pulling it down on the shoulder: "Hot, don't touch it. Qingluo, I believe in the power of words, but the power of words also depends on the occasion. Professor Zhong may not be able to recognize the power of words in such a chaotic manner."
"At least he has read it. If you know that your manuscript has passed the eyes of so many people, even if you can't get anything in the end, you should rest in peace."
"Your bottom-line thinking is too bottom-line."
At this moment, the door next to him opened, and Zhao Peilin walked out and said, "Professor Zhong invites you in."
Ning Chunyan felt his stomach getting heavier and heavier. Now is the time to be judged. Thinking on the bright side, Professor Zhong at least used the word "please", which was much better than when he kicked them out just now.
Chen Qingluo walked in first, with Ning Chunyan following behind her. The room was just as it was when he left it, the only difference was that Professor Zhong had a stack of Wang Zixu's manuscripts in front of him. In addition, he also wore glasses.
The keen Ning Chunyan noticed that his eyes under the frame were slightly red, as if he had just cried.
"I have finished reading the manuscript." Professor Zhong said with a nasal tone, "I can understand your mood to a certain extent."
Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo looked at each other, and then Chen Qingluo said, "Professor Zhong, are you crying?"
Zhao Peilin explained beside him expressionlessly: "Professor Zhong was very immersed in watching. As we all know, when you are very emotionally involved, you are often easily moved..."
"Don't say anything."
"Oh."
After Professor Zhong taught his disciples, he turned around and said: "I actually don't know much about modern and contemporary literature, and I'm very ashamed. I always believe that words that can last forever after experiencing the turmoil of time are truly profound words. Words that give people a strong impact in a short period of time will inevitably be affected by the times, culture, trends of thought, etc., which will make it difficult for people to judge. Judging its value."
After speaking for a long time, he added: "But the value of some works does have its own meaning, such as the one you showed me. Of course, I don't read much modern and contemporary literature, and what I said is not authoritative."
What Professor Zhong said was self-effacing. What he said as “not much” was compared to those scholars who specialize in modern and contemporary literature. If you really think that he is not good at this, it is the conceit of a fool.
But Chen Qingluo spoke unceremoniously: "It's okay, Professor, I have read enough. If this work does not reach the golden thread of literature, we will be embarrassed to come to you with it."
Zhong Junmin opened the manuscript and sighed. Qi: "Actually, I didn't pay much attention to the Xihe Literary Society before. I am very grateful to you for bringing this article to me. It can be regarded as an internal promotion and not to avoid relatives. After reading this article, I believe what Xiao Ning just said. I really have my own responsibility to revitalize serious literature. But this makes it difficult for me."
Chen Qingluo asked: "What's so difficult to do?"
"Although the charter does not stipulate the number of specially invited manuscripts, according to the tacit understanding between us and Xihe over the years, I We will only choose to send one specially invited article, because based on our NTU reputation, they will definitely save the article we selected until the final round. Whether it can be ranked will be another matter this year. If it is added, there will be no reason. , people will call to ask about the situation. "
Ning Chunyan asked: "Has the manuscript been selected for this year?"
"It has been decided. It’s just that it hasn’t been sent yet. You came in time. I will select the manuscript tomorrow. ”
Zhao Peilin pushed up his glasses: "It's just a mere lack of talent."
"..."
Zhong Junmin thought for a while, and then said: "Then simply take down Xiao Zhao's manuscript and replace it with this one."
"Professor Zhong!" Zhao Peilin shouted from the side, his voice full of tears.
Zhong Junmin took a sip of tea and said: "...If we really change it, then the manuscript we select this year will be a manuscript from an outsider. I don't care, but if someone is aware of it, I'm afraid the impact will not be good."
Ning Chunyan can understand his entanglement.
The people in this room can be brilliant, but it is inevitable that some people will have narrow-minded ideas about this kind of thing.
For example, if a manuscript by Wang Zixu is really sent this year, then some people will think that choosing to choose off-campus rather than on-campus, does it mean that there is nothing worth reading in the school this year? Even if no one inside the school thinks so, there will be people outside the school who think so. Fanning the flames can easily lead to accidents.
The Literature Department of Nanjing University also has a long tradition of causing trouble. Although this group of people are engaged in literature, we must not forget that they are all young people in their early twenties. They all have hormone bombs in their bodies. Once it explodes, you don’t know what trouble will happen.
Thinking of this, Ning Chunyan was also in trouble. She was really embarrassed to try to persuade Professor Zhong again. After all, he was the one who took the responsibility and took the risk.
Chen Qingluo suddenly said: "Although this person is not from Nanda now, he will become a person from Nanda in the future."
Professor Zhong looked up at her: "Oh?"
Chen Qingluo said solemnly: "He has always been dissatisfied with Nanda in his heart. Chang Sheng said that he did not apply for NTU as an undergraduate because he did not have enough marks and unfortunately missed out on our school. However, he has been planning to take the postgraduate entrance examination in our school to make up for his regret." Professor Zhong thought for a while and nodded with a smile: "How old is he?"
“It’s 30.”
“So old?”
Chen Qingluo waved her hand: “It’s not too late to make up for the situation!”
Zhong The professor took a sip of tea, thought for a long time, and said to her: "Let him finish it quickly."
"What do you mean?"
"Professor!" Zhao Peilin's eyes suddenly filled with tears, "I still hope to show my face to Xihe this time!"
"I'll just take you there."
……
When Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo drove away from the NTU campus, the sun was still high, and now they could go back to Xihe in time for dinner.
Sitting in the car, Ning Chunyan couldn’t believe that things would go so smoothly. She kept saying “fuck” in her heart all the way.
After calming down, Ning Chunyan asked: "By the way, how did you know that Wang Zixu wanted to go to Nanjing University?"
Chen Qingluo said: "I made this nonsense. I don’t know him.”
Ning Chunyan stared: “Huh? You really didn’t draft the lie! I must have believed it too, so what will happen next?”
Chen Qingluo said: "We will talk about the future matters later."
Ning Chunyan rubbed his hair: "We will talk about it later. If there is an explosion, we will talk about it later. It will be in one week. Xihe Literary Society, what should we do when people find out that ‘Nanda’s guest author, loan graduate student Wang Zixu’!”
Chen Qingluo sighed: “Yes. What should I do?"
After a while, she said: "But it's not 'what should we do', I don't know him, it's none of my business."
"Ahhhh! I'll kill you! ... Oh no, are you turning left or right when you leave the school gate? It's all your fault, you didn't hear the navigation! It's too late, I've already turned right."
"Huh, road idiot."
"No one has the right to talk about me without a driver's license!"
During the fight, the very eye-catching Porsche turned right and walked two kilometers in the wrong direction before turning around and walking back to the right road.
While they were correcting their mistakes, the red Audi slowly drove into the NTU campus. If the Porsche drove correctly, the Audi and the Porsche would be facing each other.
In the car, the pink-haired poet was chewing gum while giving directions:
"Turn left, turn left, turn left again, turn right, by the way, the interesting thing about our NTU is that none of the roads are straight. It’s a good thing you didn’t make the wrong mistake the first time you came here."
Wang Zixu stopped the car, put on the parking brake, and said: "I am still very good at recognizing the road."
"Who went upstairs with the poet to get the things?" Ye Lan asked.
Wang Zixu loosened his seat belt and said, "I'm going to smoke a cigarette. It's not me anyway."
If you are 30 years old and go to the girls' dormitory, you will be kicked out.
He returned to the campus life he was familiar with in an unexpected way, but he had already passed the age where he would be excited about the opportunity to visit the girls' dormitory. It would be better to sit on the curb and smoke a big harvest.
Sitting on the roadside flower bed, looking at the layers of white clouds in the sky, the sunlight shining through the cracks, and the sounds of people and birds ringing in the playground in the distance, Wang Zixu felt a little warm and a little strange. What is friendly is this atmosphere, what is strange is this environment.
Actually thinking about it now, his scores at that time were enough to apply for certain majors at NTU. Unfortunately, due to his father’s stubbornness, he still applied for BIT.
If you had persisted in yourself, would your destiny be different now? At least there was a chance to meet Chen Qingluo on this campus, right?
The past cannot withstand speculation. The past that never happened is a mystery forever shrouded in a black hole. Poor three-dimensional humans cannot cross higher dimensions to understand possibilities that never existed.
The sky is like an inverted bowl, covering the prince sitting in the flower bed smoking. The sky is high, the sun is warm, and the wind is soft. It is easy for people to lose their vigilance and think that they are not busy ants, unable to fight against fate.
Li Bai said, The great road is like the blue sky, I alone cannot reach it.
Du Fu said, you are trapped in a net, why do you have wings?
Wang Zixu knew that he could not fall into the well of life like Comrade Wang Jianguo. He must defend his life with the "fake gun" of literature. This is the only firepower he has left in his life.
"From now on, no one can be allowed to control one's destiny at will." The smoke rose, and Wang Zixu looked at the blue sky and thought, "People should be non-subordinate and equal to each other, and coexist with the soul of freedom and equality."
"I don't live above anyone, and no one can live above me; I don't harm others to benefit myself, nor can anyone harm me to benefit others. I will defend my life with any form of weapons, defeat anyone who tries to step on me, and keep fighting until I win."
Looking at the blue sky, he suddenly found that the sky was a little dark. But he was not afraid. People should no longer be afraid after they have their own weapons. His weapons are confidence in words. The dust of the times will either turn into a mountain and crush him for another five hundred years, or it will turn him into a tough guy who cannot be crushed. No matter the darkness of the last century or the darkness before our eyes, they will never be able to catch up with him again.
Because dawn is approaching.
…
May 4th, Youth Day.
According to the lunar calendar, it belongs to Bingchen month and Renwu day. According to the almanac, it is said to be against the dragon in the north, and the God of Wealth is in the east. It is appropriate to offer sacrifices and sweep, but avoid getting married.
The Xihe Literary Society opened on this day.
Throw three coins, remember the hexagram, shake it again, remember again... Do this six times, and finally get the Qian hexagram.
Qian hexagram ninety-five, the flying dragon is in the sky, which is good for seeing adults. On this occasion, you should soar into the sky, roam freely, no longer restrained, and become the supreme being.
People’s Square, the red flag is flying.
Guo Ranran built a pergola on his forehead with his hands, looked at the flowers and plants exposed to the sun, and said, "Is Wang Zixu still asking for leave?"
"Why do you care about him so much?" Song Yinglian said.
"If he didn't come, wouldn't it be a pity to have such a lively occasion? In the past few days, we have circulated criticisms and concentrated on studying. In three meetings, he was used as a wrong example in two times. What if he doesn't come to receive education?" Guo Ranran said with fingers.
Song Yinglian said: "You should come, right? He didn't even come when we went to Qingfengju that day. It would be shameful if he didn't come for such a big occasion today. In order to receive the guests, all the comrades in our unit came to the battle this time. Now, you see, even Mr. Zhang has taken action."
Zhang Cannian worked under the pergola for a long time and finally got the water dispenser powered on. He obviously heard the conversation of the young people behind him, straightened up and smiled.
After laughing, he squinted his eyes again and looked into the distance with a little worry.
This time’s Xihe Cultural Fair was definitely the biggest event in history. The city’s 107 municipal and public units, with thousands of people, were all organized to provide services at the cultural fair. However, when they spread to the square, they were like water disappearing into the sea, and could not be seen at all.
Just because there are too many people.
There are various snack stalls set up in the square, as well as low-priced beer and free stage performances. Several second-tier stars have been invited. There are dragon and lion dances, lantern riddles, couplets, and ironwork performances on the river bank at the other end of the square. Not only residents from all over the city came, but many tourists from surrounding cities including Donghai came.
Of course, the highlight of the cultural fair is "literary". The largest stage in the center of the square is reserved for the rising stars of the Xihe literary world. There was no one on the stage at this time, but the red and green seats were lined up.
It is said that the guest lineup this time is very strong, not to mention Li Tingfang, Xihe Shuangbi, Shen Qingfeng, a walking hormone, will also be present, and even the famous Yanzi Mountain is invited.
Being able to take the stage on such an occasion means not only showing one’s face, but also showing one’s face.
Of course, losing face is also losing face.
"Xiao Wang, you'd better not come." Zhang Cannian murmured.
“Xiao Diao!”
Song Yinglian waved at the side, and everyone looked over, just in time to see Diao Yiwen coming in a dress, and everyone's eyes lit up.
(End of this chapter)