Six, Hunter
Many of us, before and after the emergence of secondary sexual characteristics, have gone through what is called a rebellious period. At that stage, children will unthinkingly say no to all rules and conventions, just to define their own independent value in resistance. But when these young men and women really grow up, except for a few ignorant fearless ones, they will realize that they are actually always just the product of that initial fertilized egg constantly splitting, which philosophers call fate.
The Vatican Catholic Church, under the pressure of Darwin's theory of evolution, acknowledges that the human body is evolved from monkeys, but the patent for the spirit or soul still belongs to God, just like Michelangelo's famous painting "The Creation of Adam" tells us with the strong yet weak and dependent gaze of the man. In fact, there is no need to retreat in such a way, because monkeys did not come out of stone cracks either. As a matter of fact, not only the body, but also the spiritual world, probably nobody dares to say that their own spiritual world is completely original, even every fragment of thought condenses countless foreign genes; nobody can live in a vacuum, we are constantly being changed by others and at the same time changing others.
In that case, we have no reason to refuse other people's views and opinions. Our independence is precisely reflected in our ability to actively absorb everything that can be learned from, rather than being self-righteous. On this issue, women generally score higher, which may stem from their natural role in the two sexes. Only a body that knows how to accept has the qualification to nurture and even create new life. Perhaps God did not design humans as single-sex reproductive beings just to tell us this not-so-profound truth.
Relatively speaking, Lu Yuanhang can still be considered a humble and open-minded young person, especially among the self-righteous research team. Later, she repeatedly lamented with a heavy heart that if she had met someone like Xu Zhenliu earlier, who was eloquent and clever with words, she wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament. As it happens, despite "hiding half of her face while holding the pipa", at the critical moment when Wei Gongzhu's army was already besieging the city, Lu Yuanhang still managed to bring Xu Zhenliu over to make amends for past mistakes, even though they were ultimately defeated by a well-prepared enemy. However, this was not a bad start in using others as a mirror for self-reflection. In philosophy, there is a school of thought called "teleology", which holds that the existence of anything is to satisfy some need of another; for example, the idiom "riding on the wolf's back" originated from the fact that wolves have short front legs and cannot run fast, so they need to cooperate with others to achieve their goals. Following this logic, perhaps Xu Zhenliu existed in order to become Lu Yuanhang's "strategic advisor".
It's a coincidence that Lu Yuanhang was able to get involved with this obscure field of linguistics: originally, she was studying journalism at the Guangzhou Institute (now renamed "Communication University of China", by the way, the difference between "university" and "institute" is not as clear-cut as many Chinese people think, MIT is still keeping its traditional name, isn't it? During the early years of the war against Japan, a Japanese division would often defeat several Nationalist armies, what's important is not what something is called, but what it actually is, abandoning decades of accumulated intangible assets is indeed a pity, as Cao Cao said: "How can one covet empty fame and suffer real disaster?" Let us take this to heart; later on, I also heard that the name change had something to do with administrative ranks, but I'm not familiar with this, so I won't comment. To know that a student from Xi'an was able to get into this popular major is quite impressive, it's not easy to live up to one's parents' expectations. It's said that when Lu Yuanhang was about to graduate from her undergraduate program, she had even considered going all out and "making a clean sweep" in the United States, which shows how ambitious she was; however, although the universities over there were very interested in this high-scoring GRE candidate, the visa office had some inexplicable different opinions, in short, after much ado, the result was of course a self-inflicted humiliation. Later events proved that it was at the moment when her plans fell through that God in heaven blinked an eye, and Lu Yuanhang's smooth sailing fate since childhood underwent a subtle change.
Since she had to stay on this land that gave birth to her and raised her, and wasted the opportunity to take the postgraduate exam in her home country, she could only find a good job to continue making a living; actually, this was also a good choice, after all, books were not something that most people would read for their entire lives. To be honest, having a stable position at the national television station was enviable, even for graduates of Guangzhou Institute (I still pay tribute to this name with a deep and mysterious flavor), but nowadays, the job market is not so easy, however, for Lu Yuanhang, who had already retreated to second best, it was like a temporary inn from the very beginning.
However, life is like a journey, and the life of a traveler may not necessarily be dull. Although it's unlikely to get accurate data in China, the rate at which "that thing" happens in hotels and restaurants in big cities today would probably be quite high if estimated by any model. The young white-collar workers of today call their after-work eating, drinking, and having fun "corruption", but on the other hand, those who clink glasses together are not limited to single nobles, such as Yuan Hang and his current mentor Wei Yicheng, who first met in such an atmosphere.
It is unnecessary to spend more ink on the plot development up to this point. Edmund Burke, the father of 18th-century conservatism, once said: "Tradition is not correct because it is old; rather, it is old because it is correct." The same principle applies here: a story is not common because it is clichéd, but rather it appears clichéd because it is common.
Just like "cohabitation" requires a "certificate", in the unwritten rules of extramarital affairs, it seems that only after "that thing" has happened can one "formally" obtain the qualification of "third party"; and as an "concubine", the poor egg must guard their body like jade for that "idiot" who eats from the bowl while looking at the pot, otherwise, this silly girl may not even get the "identity" of a "small three", at most it's just a lifestyle problem. In today's "new era" where "the wall is blooming and the outside is fragrant", even the "shackles" of marriage are powerless against the chastity problem, but surprisingly, triangular love has solved it bloodlessly, this is probably what those "feminists" did not expect. Mr. Shen Congwen once fabricated a "minority" in "Moonlight Scenery", where girls had to give their ** to strangers before they could marry their loved ones; now it seems that indeed "rites are lost, and sought in the wilderness".
Europeans call it a "novel", the root word "nov" comes from Latin "novus", which means "new" and "fresh". Simply put, literature relies on its "higher than life" attribute to attract attention. Therefore, plagiarism is naturally not allowed. One step back, all clichés and common goods also don't have the need to be shared, maybe that's why Lu Yuanhang decided to "throw it into the water" after repeated ideological struggles. After all, picking up other people's ideas is not a glorious thing to do.
The long journey of not losing the ability to listen and consider others' words with humility, but often turns this truth into a mistake along the way. For example, after being hit by Wei Dan's ambush, before even finding anything, he started fiddling with his phone again, wanting to discuss countermeasures with his father. Isn't this clearly going to hand over the second battlefield? If it weren't for timely enlightenment about the pros and cons, that night would have been a continuous performance of good plays. Convenient communication has deprived people of their originally lacking deep thinking. Teacher Han Jiaosheng's words are often astonishing because his tongue moves faster than his brain. Therefore, training in rhetoric and technological development should not only keep up with the times but also prioritize human needs.
Since the start of school, Lu Yuanhang rarely showed up in class, "absent for a hundred days without incident", it's not an exaggeration. This made those hungry and unscrupulous PhD brothers suddenly exclaim: "Which temple is this sister from?" But the problem is that just like if you dare not hand in your homework, the fact of skipping school will be exposed immediately, everything that happens on campus never changes with anyone's sad wishes. A day in a cave, a thousand years in the world.
At least so far, humans seem unable to create a flying machine that can surpass the speed of the Earth's rotation. You say, what was the point of promoting the "heliocentric theory" back then? It has made everyone more passive now. No way, plans cannot keep up with changes, and women's clothes are always hanging in stores. Not only is it harder to make money after the stock market crash, but even teachers' rice bowls have become less secure. Now, lecturing is a difficult task, if you speak too deeply, students won't listen; if you speak too superficially, everyone will look down on you; if you say something "left", your mouth will be shut; if you say something "right", the government won't allow it. It's so frustrating that a vice professor at a university in Jiangsu even started "** lecturing**". Dealing with graduate students is even more difficult, and relying solely on one's reputation is not enough to intimidate anyone. For example, this year's elective course "Cultural Anthropology" invited a "member of the academic department" from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to take charge. This "master" not only holds the position of National Political Consultative Conference member but also serves as an advisor to some sort of "anti-terrorism leadership group". Well, at first, it was indeed a grand gathering, but after the honeymoon period passed, Professor He, who had been to Zhongnanhai for tea, was even forced to pour his own water.
But don't worry, ginger is still spicy. Mr. Jiang has always advocated that when dealing with the "East Turkistan" and other forces, we cannot just "fight as soon as we show our heads", but should understand how to "seek common ground while reserving differences" from a cultural perspective. By doing so, he decided to go with the flow, every time bringing some unknown minority documentary film from an antique market to let everyone see the Western scenery and win people's hearts, which is called "generous tolerance". After all, it's already giving you face that these self-proclaimed intellectuals can send a representative to sign in.
"You said, if there were only the two of us left on earth, how would we live?" Probably inspired by today's "Primitive Life of Hezhe Ethnic Group", a suit-wearing brother teased his glasses-wearing sister: "Would we forage? Hunt and fish? Or farm?"
"Hmm..." The glasses-wearing sister thought seriously: "Still following the order of historical development - first gathering, then hunting - finally farming!"
Never thought that even with only two people left, the one who ends up laughing last is still a dogmatist.
As a result of "teaching in fun", the attendance rate of this elective course has stabilized and rebounded, but the atmosphere in the classroom is getting more and more awkward. Drinking tea and chatting is a common occurrence, with every class ending in a mess of melon seed shells and packaging paper scattered all over the floor. Later on, it's said that those dimly lit black-and-white photos even led to the demise of two "flash-in-the-pan" couples. But the main lecturer didn't seem to care at all, and eventually, Professor He, who was getting increasingly out of touch with reality, simply retired to the adjacent lounge to enjoy his twilight years. So it's true what they say: in this day and age, you've got to stay half awake and half drunk.
"Hey," Su Yunwen, who was sitting on his right side by the window, gently nudged him with her elbow: "Fallen asleep?"
Those with small eyes are often very resistant to being asked, just like people with strabismus who fear that everyone doesn't know who they're talking to. Fortunately, the pillow flow isn't so "delicate": "How can it be, every second you spend with me is precious. Sitting next to you is a fulfilling experience, watching the scenes you watch, spending the time you spend... (Muji's "By Your Side")" This golden duo may have disbanded long ago, but the melody still often echoes, actually like all day-to-day interactions, it's only after parting that one realizes it was better before.
"You haven't signed up yet," Yunwen said, putting the already packed suitcase beside her on her lap: "When the time comes, I'll find someone to give you flowers."
She was referring to the annual Karaoke Competition held by the Graduate School, which is called "The Grand Prize" but is actually hard to live up to. The first prize is only worth two boxes of steamed buns, and that's still the small ones. After the preliminary and final rounds, those who don't have a good voice aren't even worth the price of throat lozenges. Although Jingliu is closer to the water tower than most people in her grade, she doesn't care about these kinds of things. If it wasn't for the student union people coming to put up huge posters all over the school, she wouldn't have known that such a seedy tradition even existed.
"I'm fine, but..." Xu Zhongshu deliberately showed great interest: "When Qian Zhongshu graduated from the Foreign Language Department of Tsinghua University in 1933, President Mei Yiqi personally approved his stay at school for further study, but he was politely declined. The reason is that the vast Tsinghua Graduate School couldn't find a supervisor worthy of him." The boy withdrew his gaze from the Hezhe hunter in the icy snow: "Teacher Qian is really great, and we should learn from him."
"This time, we are all judges of the masses, and the audience votes on site. Yunwen not going to Anli is really a waste of talent, especially in this era where various pyramid schemes are changing their faces and eager to move."
Now it's the 21st century, our party no longer uses the amount of property as a sign to judge whether someone is politically advanced or backward and whether they can serve as a vanguard of the proletariat. Who are you trying to intimidate with that nonsense about mass movements? And collective voting, do you think those people at the Academy of Social Sciences will buy your account? Under the table, it's either a setup or preparing for a good show. Zhen Liu won't go and play along with this kind of trick: "Then I'll definitely not participate, otherwise all sorts of 'true fans' (Zhen Liu's fans) will start fighting again, isn't that increasing the unstable factors among our highly educated women?"
Yunwen shook her newly trimmed short hair, and the water and soil of Jingchu Holy Land really nourished people. Her shiny black hair stood out in the darkness: "Huan, we're all still waiting for your stunning performance."
It's said that Xu Zhongliu has a strong artistic side, although he didn't join the school choir or become close friends with his classmates, it wouldn't be difficult for him to become a key figure in the school's art circle. In his elementary school days, he was part of the famous Beijing Children's Choir, and had a fixed position on stage. Unfortunately, the strict training schedule, which was said to require "one minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage", was too harsh for the children, suppressing their natural creativity. If it weren't for Yi Xin keeping an eye on him all the time, Xu Zhongliu would have probably quit a long time ago.
Back then, both Xu and Yi were part of the middle voice section, with Yi standing behind him on the stage. There was one time during a dress rehearsal when Xu made a major discovery - if he slightly moved his hands back while standing with his back to the audience, they would be at the same height as the girls' calves under their skirts, making it impossible to tell whose hands were whose. At that time, the young girls didn't quite understand the dangers of the world.
What really frustrated Xu was performing on stage - not because he was afraid of being in front of an audience (he actually became more energetic when there were more people around), but mainly because the uniforms never fit him properly, with buttons popping off or straps snapping back into his face. This discovery gave him a reason to continue pursuing his "singing career", and on good days, he could even manage to keep up with the choreography for songs like "The Waves Gently Rock".
Of course, such tricks wouldn't go unnoticed by Yi Xin's keen eye - she had grown up in an intellectual family from a young age and understood why people said "men are no good". What's interesting is that Yi, who usually enjoyed teasing Xu off stage, never exposed the secret behind his socks. It wasn't until they had more intimate physical contact later on that she realized maybe she hadn't wanted to ruin the thrill of the moment either.
Time has passed, and now facing these classmates as friends, Xu Zhenliu no longer has the "romantic wanderlust" of his youth. Of course, it's not just him who feels this way: "Far Navigation is also very professional, they don't participate either, which shows that high-level players like us never bully..." As a matter of fact, Zhenliu only found out about the competition today and didn't have time to collude with anyone, but he still spoke with confidence.
"Alright, let's just have Yuanhang and Gusuang participate," Yunwen finally grasped the soft spot of Chu Liu. After all, it was rare to have a "female superior" opportunity when arguing with this iron-toothed and copper-mouthed person. So, she put on a deeply wronged expression: "You don't know?"
This is really beyond expectation. "Does she still have such thoughts?" Chu Liu almost blurted out. Since the last "unified front", Lu Yuanhang has been pouring his heart out to him, and the content is naturally within expectations, how he is at a loss for what to do, how he is in a dilemma. She is busy all day dealing with the elusive kite in the turbulent waves of personnel placement, even having to give up required courses that need to be taken, but has the energy to bother with this trivial matter. Is she itching for skills? Or extremely bored? Maybe.
"When two people play the harmonica together, they sing and play by themselves", Yunwen naturally didn't know why Zhenliu's three-inch tongue that never rotted had no follow-up, still indulging in his own precious counterattack.
Xu Zhongliu indeed remembered that these two had a special talent, and when they first introduced themselves, it included a talent show project. Gu Shan even came to communicate with Lu Yuanhang in private. Objectively speaking, at the time of their debut as post-80s, even in big cities singing "The Story of Spring" or in the southeastern coastal areas circled by that old man, learning piano was not a white daydream for every family, whether it was a substantial one-time investment or a long-term tracking. Most people didn't have the courage and ability to be tied down. So, smart Chinese people chose the accordion as an alternative to retreat and compromise. Foreigners often couldn't understand why the Chinese nation would have such a special liking for this kind of urban musical instrument that wasn't even popular in its hometown. In fact, it's the same reason why electronic pianos are popular - all due to their affection for the black and white keyboard. By the way, Lu Yuanhang was actually a piano major, and playing the accordion was just a downward compatibility. Although he wasn't from a wealthy family, he still dared to spend a lot of money on his hobby, using the money saved from eating bean curd to invest in his craft.
In the Wei and Jin dynasties, you sang and I took the stage. The heroic Sima Yi had a son named Sima Lun who was good at digging holes. Before the organization department could investigate, he directly usurped the throne and became the King of Zhao. Of course, those who followed him to flatter also got promoted and their ranks were elevated. As a result of this chaotic promotion, even the sable fur on the official hats representing the regular departments was not enough, so they had to use dog tail hair as a substitute. The people then composed a song to mock them: "Sable is not enough, dog tail continues." It's really capable of making do. It's said that only Chinese people are enthusiastic about producing and selling "fake brand names". Some individuals even dare to go to the other side of the ocean to cheat along with the Russians, and when they get punished and lose their pants, they still say with a straight face: "We all do it this way in our village. You guys are just racist. Wait for me to go back to China and find someone to boycott foreign goods!"
"Are you going or not?"
It wasn't until the curtain fell on that hilarious and tear-jerking "night show" that she realized why Yunwen dared to hold up her handbag and strike that iconic pose of intoxication. Looking up at the warm yet cold fluorescent light, it didn't seem as piercing as she had imagined.
"Hey, beauty," Su Yunwen was always more spirited after class, she ran towards the faintly visible classroom door, probably discovering something.
Xu Zhongliu was tortured by the folding chair of that dead person for two and a half hours, he really couldn't understand why he only had two buttocks, no matter how he shifted his weight left and right, he still got lightly injured. Finally managed to survive until the end of class, now he can't even walk properly, can only move out one step at a time in two steps.
"Hey," a sweet voice chimed in, "what's wrong with your leg?"
With this, she finally had the leisure to focus her attention and gaze intently, only to see a pair of genuine, bright eyes beside the stairs, looking at her with beautiful, expectant eyes, without any hidden motives or intentions. The extraordinary beauty that Yunwen had discovered earlier turned out to be Li Xizhen.
"It's nothing," said Zhuo Liu, trying to keep his feet in the same rhythm: "I'm tired of sitting."
No matter how strict the definition, this beautiful woman, who switched from a foreign language major to comparative linguistics in her undergraduate studies, is absolutely stunning. In this dimly lit graduate school, she stands out as a rare gem. Many young girls like to compare themselves to celebrities on TV, but let's be realistic, you're not even in the same league. Those actresses may seem ordinary on screen, but if they were in your class, everyone would be stunned. If you don't believe me, just go to the Central Academy of Drama's acting department auditions every spring and see for yourself. Even those "dinosaurs" who get eliminated in the first round have at least half a dozen young men waiting overnight with their bedding, eager to take on the challenge.
As Xi Cenliu was going downstairs, she couldn't help but steal a glance at him, noticing the unnatural gait that he was trying to control. She seemed to have seen through his intentions, but didn't say anything explicitly, only giving a sly smile to the little fatty as if to say "you know and I know". Although they were not in the same class, both of them had their own ways of making their reputation surpass all obstacles. Xi Cenliu seemed to recall that Cheng Yi had mentioned her before, saying she was from Hanzhong, Shaanxi. This explained a lot - if Nanjing's ancient city was considered the central plain of Jiangnan, then Hanzhong Basin could be called the Jiangnan of the central plain (since the Han River ultimately flows into the Yangtze River, making Hanzhong theoretically part of the Yangtze River basin). When Mr. Zhu Ziqing described the greenery of Meiyuantan as just right, he had criticized: "The willows by Shichahai in Beijing are too pale, the green walls of Tiger Running Temple in Hangzhou are too dense, the waves on West Lake are too bright, and those on Qinhuai River are too dark..." Even with such a strict standard, it was hard to find any fault with Xi Cenliu under the moonlight, at least not in terms of her appearance. She had the gentle flow of a water town girl, but wasn't fragile; she had the refreshing elegance of a riverbank, without being too flashy or rough around the edges. When such a "beloved" person appeared amidst the dull piles of old books, you couldn't help but believe in both the absurdity of the world and the kindness of God.
According to Cao Pi's statement in "On Literature", even Fu Yi, who is considered to be "among the best" in terms of literary talent, was belittled by Ban Gu. It can be imagined how difficult it would be for Li Xizhen to survive among this group of "tough women" in the graduate school. However, she has enough reason to transcend this "primary stage". Not to mention the increasingly cheap flattery and fawning of her doctoral brothers, the legendary team of "flower guards" outside the campus, who are said to have a major shake-up every three to five days, is enough to make her take all the noise as applause for her success. So, don't mind those who criticize with one voice, being able to become someone else's target of criticism is itself a kind of success.
It's often said that someone is criticized for being "all brawn and no brain", which can be understood as either sympathy or jealousy. However, when it comes to someone like Su Yunwen, who has both a remarkable physique and intellect, people tend to be puzzled. A good example is right before our eyes - even Qian Mo, who usually keeps a distance from the school, has seen her and Xi Yan walking together multiple times. The two of them should be on opposite sides of the Cold War, but instead they seem to have formed an unlikely friendship, which is quite intriguing.
"I haven't even agreed yet, I'm afraid something else will come up at the last minute", this is the tone of a beauty's privilege, of course, others also have the right to follow suit.
"Don't disappoint everyone," Yunwen continued to promote that "chicken rib" grand prize: "How many people are waiting to see." She leaned against Xizhen, perhaps because they had shared the experience of blowing air like orchids, her eyes full of stolen happiness and fear, like hiding someone else's tender yellow cucumber.
Lèi gūniáng listened and smiled, it has become a conditioned reflex, from the ear root directly to the corner of the mouth, no need to bother with the equally precious central nervous system: "Right, I just heard that congratulations are in order, you've become the director of the research institute," The "top beauty" only then paid attention to the loyal "doll" on her left arm, with diluted sincerity: "Which department is it?"
"Life," the poem seems to be saying, referring to a moth that flutters around her and won't fly away: "is just an errand boy."
"Hey, when did you also get involved with the student council?" Zhen Liang had just come back to his senses, unwillingly waking up from the aesthetic reverie born by the solitary and secluded stream: "How was I supposed to know?"
"What's with you knowing everything?" Su Yunwen, who had absorbed energy for half a day, clearly had more confidence: "Didn't you also not attend the last meeting?"
Indeed, Xu Zhongliu had never been interested in this kind of warm-up match for the future officialdom, and at most, he would only point and point on the shore. However, even so, he understood that being able to mix up a "杂" (miscellaneous) in the graduate school where more than half were doctoral students was not as simple as "开开会" (just attending meetings), every year those so-called "人事纠纷" (personnel disputes) would have to be stirred up until the next election: "Talent, I really didn't expect you had this skill," possibly because of that sentence being a bit too harsh, Zhongliu also chose to use the sharp and revealing "Spring and Autumn writing style".
"It's been several weeks since then, you just knew," Yunwen decided to stop while she was ahead.
Just now, Li Xi didn't also just "realize" it, but Su Yunwen didn't handle her as an "internal contradiction of the people". For half a semester, Zhen Liu has increasingly discovered that the water here is much deeper than imagined. Those "uncontentious" gentlemen around him, at critical moments, are faster than harvesting wheat. Time, it seems time is indeed a good way to solve problems. After the passage of time, everything present becomes reasonable and natural, and not keeping up with the rhythm can be used as a veto vote to deprive you of your right to speak, let alone the absolute and relative "truth".
The scenery by the road has changed from campus to street, of course, for those who plan to settle in Shajiangbin, all this is equally familiar.
"I'm going to 'Good Neighbor' to buy some stuff," the faint feeling in his buttocks had already dissipated, but Xiao Pang suddenly felt a bit tired, so he deliberately pointed at two girls who were unlikely to be on the same road again after parting ways.
"Let's go sit in the front of the bus and head back first." She seemed to be commenting on each of the elderly people who were about to participate, roughly saying that she was encouraging the beauty to "set an example for everyone", thereby showing that the two of them had no secrets between them. Zhen Liu was completely uninterested in this kind of gossip and didn't even catch anyone's name.
It was Li Xizhen who showed an unusually calm demeanor in the face of the bloody scene: "Do you want us to see you off?" She spoke with a tone that was both intimate and proper. Although their interactions had always been lukewarm, she still maintained the necessary etiquette, not missing a single detail. She stood still on the spot, waiting for Xu Zhongliu to take a few steps forward before turning back, her sudden appearance making a striking finale under Yunwen's impatient gaze.
Guan Zhong said in his "Pastoral Ode": "When the granaries are full, one knows etiquette and propriety; when clothes and food are sufficient, one knows honor and shame." This logic of "economic foundation determining superstructure" can be greatly expanded. In real life, it is not difficult to find such phenomena: those who are naturally gifted with good looks often have a sense of propriety and make people love them; on the other hand, if someone is unfortunately born with deficiencies, they often cannot escape a fate of being increasingly disfavored, and their ending is often one of hesitation and embarrassment. Who knows whether beauty perfects demeanor or demeanor constitutes beauty?
There is a fixed phrase that we often overlook, called "esewhisper" (directly translated as "Chinese whispers"), which means "idle chatter" or "rumors". Two years ago, a famous CCTV host was criticized by the people of Chengdu for saying "If you take a plane to Chengdu, before the plane even lands, you can already hear the sound of mahjong coming from all directions." I've never been to Sichuan, but I feel that this person didn't have any malicious intentions, and was just praising the leisurely lifestyle of the province in a humorous way. However, one thing is certain: among all the ports in the world, those on our great Chinese land are the most lively, with people crowded together, chatting about who-knows-what - even they themselves can't say for sure what they're talking about. Thanks to the Olympics, Beijing's old folks now know what "volunteers" are, but when those aunties and uncles put on their uniforms and stand on the streets, all they talk about is still gossip. It's said that Chen Shui-bian, the "president", didn't quite understand the phrase "esewhisper", and once even said that the contributions of Taiwan's volunteers were truly "beyond words" - which was met with ridicule and anger from all sides. Back in the day, our Chairman Mao advised the Nationalist government to surrender, saying: "Mr. Chiang will certainly come to work at the Central Committee, and Chen Cheng's position won't be below Fu Zuoyi's." Now that times have changed, if Chen Shui-bian ever has a change of heart and wants to sneak back into the motherland like Lin Yifu did, I wonder what kind of official position our "core" leaders would give him. But if he dares to come to the mainland with his big mouth, he'd better be careful - the whispers of his fellow countrymen could drown him.
Of course, the Chinese people who are now living at a much faster pace of life no longer have as much spare time to squander as they did in the past, but the traditional spirit of etiquette and propriety still shines brightly on the new Long March Road, just like this evening which is clearly being tightly controlled by that age-old silver tongue.
He thought he could have a moment of peace when he got home, but Xu Zhong soon discovered that he had miscalculated. The intermittent and incoherent conversation from the inner room burst out one after another, making him uneasy. At first, the boy thought it was Peng Nainai chatting with someone on the phone, but it wasn't until half a day later that he realized Wu Yu was also involved, judging from the faintly discernible dark tone of her voice. Lately, she seemed to be going back to her parents' house more frequently, and although she lived just a stone's throw away in the dormitory compound, Wu Laoshi, who was responsible for teaching those trivial things as a class teacher, rarely had more family time. Xu Zhong really regretted not inviting two girls to go to the nearby store for a midnight snack earlier, even though Yunwen was also very talkative, at least there would be Xiying, "the white heron of the Bi Water", to chat and share the fun.
The mother and daughter of the Wu family had a "closed-door consultation" today, which seemed particularly important. Not only did they not hold a press conference, but the representatives who attended also skipped the usual courtesy meeting with reporters. The three cups and two bowls left on the living room table were already half cold, suggesting that this exchange of opinions may have taken some time. When Xu Zhongliu returned home from work in the evening, the two sets of Beijing-style fried dough sticks he had been chewing on the way were already gone, and the leftovers were just what he needed to see. In fact, Mrs. Peng was originally a lady from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and she naturally didn't have the genetic trait of being around the stove from a young age. After marrying Professor Wu, a northerner, she had experienced many hardships over the decades and had developed a good hand at cooking authentic Central Plains cuisine. However, it was strange that Wu Yu, who was born and raised in Beijing, had a naturally bland palate and couldn't eat the northern and southern flavors from a young age. Her parents often went out to give lectures together, and she had been used to eating Huaiyang dishes since primary school. After living alone for a long time, she became even more fond of them, and although she occasionally came back to "reminisce", it was just a "beneficial supplement" under the socialist public ownership system.
"Anyway, you'd better be more careful and not so careless, or it'll be too late when something really happens," Professor Peng said to his dear daughter in a tone that was somewhat nagging, especially with her persistent Jianghuai accent (also known as Lower Yangtze Mandarin) clashing with the Beijing dialect.
Wu Yu seemed to have not taken the "not listening to old people, suffering in front of one's eyes" warning seriously enough. Instead, Grandma Peng continued speaking in her calm and unhurried Mandarin: "Otherwise, before we leave, I'll talk to him about it?"
"What are you talking about?" This time it was Teacher Xiao Wu's soft and gentle voice, it seemed that not continuing the conversation would be unacceptable: "What is there to talk about?" When someone repeats the same meaning twice in one sentence, it's often due to impatience, but it could also be a lack of confidence, or both.
The hushed conversation in the inner chamber fell into a brief silence, which seemed to be a convention of Chinese communication, just like the flying white technique in calligraphy and the sparse density of ink painting. We all gradually understood the true and false nature of this world through the interplay of yin and yang, being and nothingness, emptiness and reality.
