Chapter 34 My Friend Shi Tiesheng
In June, the novel written by Lin Weimin was published in "Contemporary". The editorial department specially mailed a copy of the magazine to Lin Weimin, but he still bought another one.
Looking at the words printed in lead type, he couldn't help feeling a little melancholy. The experience of lying on the earthen kang in the countryside and climbing the grid was still vivid in his mind, but he felt that a long time had passed.
Qu Xiaowei snatched the magazine and admired it for a few seconds, then said in an envious tone, "Is Weimin's article in Zhongshan going to be published soon?"
"Soon, probably this month."
“It’s the harvest season!”
Qu Xiaowei was talking to Lin Weimin when he saw Teacher Tang Yuqiu in the distance and waved to him, shouting, "Teacher Tang!"
"Teacher Tang, Mr. Wan Jiabao will give a lecture tomorrow. I have a friend who wants to sit in on the class. Is that possible?"
A young writer asked someone to come and sit in on the class. This was a tradition at the Institute of Literature. During the two months that Lin Weimin and his colleagues were studying at the institute, occasionally someone would come to sit in on the class, most of them because they liked the lecturer who was coming to give the lecture.
The next day.
Today's lecturer is Mr. Wan Jiabao, a leading figure in the Chinese drama writing world.
Although there have been so many famous names on the podium of the Institute of Literature and Art before, Wan Jiabao's appearance on the stage today still made the students of the Institute of Literature and Art training class feel extremely nervous and expectant.
He is the author of "Thunderstorm" and "Sunrise"!
Previously, the institute organized everyone to go to the People's Art Theatre to watch a play, and the play they watched was "Thunderstorm".
Lin Weimin was dragged out of School D by Qu Xiaowei early in the morning, saying that he was going to pick up his friend.
"He's such an important person, but we two have to run a long way to meet him. Don't we have legs long enough?" Lin Weimin complained.
Qu Xiaowei rarely said seriously, "My friend has a special body condition."
Seeing his expression, Lin Weimin knew there must be a reason for this, so he didn't say anything more.
Lin Weimin followed Qu Xiaowei off the bus, turned from the main road to the small road, and then entered the alley. A sign on the side of the road said the alley was called Qian Yongkang.
We walked to the innermost part of the alley and entered a large courtyard.
Early in the morning in summer, the slum is bustling with people, some pushing their bicycles to work, some going out to empty their chamber pots, some carrying their schoolbags to school, and some coming back from buying breakfast. It is very lively with people coming and going.
The two came to the innermost part of the compound, and the road for about dozens of meters was all bumpy dirt road.
Qu Xiaowei came to a small house and knocked on the door.
"Tiesheng, I'm here to pick you up."
After a long while, the door opened, and the person who opened it was a young man in a wheelchair.
The young man had very dark skin, and his shoulders were very broad, probably because he had been using a wheelchair for many years.
"You're here, Xiaowei."
When the young man saw Qu Xiaowei, he smiled particularly brightly, making his lips look very thick.
"Let me introduce you to a good friend I met while studying at the Institute of Literature, Lin Weimin. Weimin, this is my friend Shi Tiesheng."
As early as when the young man pushed the door open in his wheelchair, Lin Weimin guessed his identity based on the name Qu Xiaowei called out.
Shi Tiesheng, "I and the Altar of Earth", this one is very familiar!
Lin Weimin shook hands with Shi Tiesheng, who was sitting in a wheelchair, and exchanged a few words. Qu Xiaowei asked, "Are you ready? Okay, let's go now."
"I'm fine now, but I'm sorry for the hard work you have put in." Shi Tiesheng said with a hint of apology.
"What's so hard about this!"
Qu Xiaowei pushed Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair nonchalantly and asked again, "Is there anything else you want to bring?"
“No more.”
"Okay, let's go."
The journey to discharge from the hospital was not long, still just a few dozen meters, but because it was a bumpy dirt road, Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair seemed extremely bumpy.
"Tie Sheng, are you okay?" Lin Weimin asked.
"It's okay, I'm used to it." Shi Tiesheng smiled cheerfully, "Today I finally have a day off, and I can go to your Institute of Literature to take classes again, it's great!"
Shi Tiesheng's smile was very bright, and Lin Weimin suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
For ordinary people, going out is a common thing, but for Shi Tiesheng who has physical disabilities, it is a very difficult thing.
After walking through the dirt roads of the slums, the roads in the alleys become much easier to walk on.
The most difficult thing was getting on the bus. Qu Xiaowei carried Shi Tiesheng on the bus, and Lin Weimin was responsible for holding the wheelchair.
All the way back to the lecture hall, Qu Xiaowei took a deep breath and said, "Fortunately, the time is just right."
It was the first time that Lin Weimin saw him so serious.
The three of them came to the cafeteria. Most of the classmates were already sitting in their seats. When they saw Shi Tiesheng coming in with Lin Weimin and Qu Xiaowei, they looked inquiringly.
There are young writers or literature lovers who occasionally come back to listen to the lectures, but this is the first one who came in a wheelchair.
The class started, and the plump white elder that Lin Weimin remembered slowly walked up to the podium. Shi Tiesheng came here just for him.
Mr. Wan Jiabao's ancestral home is Beihu and he was born in Tianjin. Unlike most teachers who come to give lectures, he speaks standard Mandarin without any accent.
The old man is already seventy years old this year and his course is drama creation.
After getting into the state on stage, he is accustomed to slowly picking up the lecture notes and reading the monologue, and constantly analyzing the characters.
"'The road to hell must be paved early, and the prologue of the drama must be laid out quickly.' This is a monologue, because he thinks while speaking and gets into the role. This means that he is 'defiant'. He has seen hell and is walking forward in pain, and he has to walk faster. His performance has begun!"
Lin Weimin found the lecture very interesting. Does every good playwright have the potential to become a good actor?
Wan Jiabao was obviously just imitating the performance of an actor reciting a monologue on the stage, but it made people feel that he was able to achieve both form and spirit.
Occasionally, when he got tired of talking, Wan Jiabao would stop and have a sip of tea.
Lin Weimin was sitting in the front seat and took the initiative to go forward and refill his tea. He was very familiar with this job.
Wan Jiabao saw him and laughed, "It seems that the mission of the little classmate is not over yet!"
He obviously remembered Lin Weimin who asked him for an autograph at the opening tea party. Everyone laughed and Lin Weimin chuckled twice.
It was almost noon and the class was almost over. Mr. Wan Jiabao sat on the chair on the podium and started chatting with everyone.
He said, "I heard from your teacher Tang that your class is doing a very interesting writing exercise recently."
Jiang Zilong replied, "Sir, this was the idea of Lin Weimin from our class. We all thought this was a very good way to practice writing skills, so we all participated."
Wan Jiabao nodded, "Which one is Lin Weimin?"
Lin Weimin raised his hand, and Wan Jiabao was immediately happy, "It's this little classmate again, it seems we are destined to meet!"
"hey-hey!"
"They all said it was your idea. So how is your writing going?"
Lin Weimin smiled modestly and said, "Sir, I haven't finished writing mine yet."
"Let me see it." The old man spread his hands towards him.
(End of this chapter)
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