Chapter 396: Really Pretending
Mark Meng stayed in New York for four days and was as happy as a god.
Although Lin Weimin didn't stay in New York for a long time, he had money and free time, and he visited many interesting places in the more than one month here. When Mark Meng came, he was like a tour guide who was ready to go, leading Mark Meng to travel around every day. The two of them were very cool, making Mark Meng feel like he didn't want to leave.
On his last day in New York, Mark Meng felt a little ashamed of his drunken life of the past few days and decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to cultivate his sentiments.
Lin Weimin has been in New York for more than a month, but he has never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What could be in the museum of a country with a history of more than 200 years?
Answer: Thousand-year-old cultural relics from all over the world.
This idea is of course based on national sentiment. If you just want to visit, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is actually a good place.
The 3 million exhibits here are all antiques from all over the world.
When you come to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the exhibits you must visit is the Temple of Dendur.
This Roman-era Egyptian temple is the treasure of the metropolitan area. It was donated to the United States by the Egyptian government in 1965 for the reconstruction of the Aswan Dam.
Blocked by a glass wall and with an artificial pool in front, the lights simulate the sun and night, making the Temple of Dendur look like it is still bathing in the Nile.
It has to be said that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has put a lot of thought into the preservation and display of cultural relics, and it lives up to its reputation as a world-renowned museum.
As they continued their tour and arrived at the Chinese cultural relics, Lin Weimin felt a little depressed.
The "imported" Mingxuan enjoyed similar treatment as the Temple of Dendur.
Mingxuan is a Chinese courtyard built in imitation of the "Dianchun Pavilion" in the Suzhou Garden Wangshi Garden. It has three halls and a courtyard. There are rockery, clear springs, half-pavilion, curved corridors, entrance hall and porch in the courtyard. Traditional Chinese ornamental plants such as bamboo, plum, maple, banana, boxwood and peony are planted in the courtyard. The plaque "Mingxuan" is in the handwriting of Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty.
It is easy to imagine how difficult it would be to move such a garden from China to the United States, and the historical tragedy implied behind it is even more depressing.
Lin Weimin said hello to Mark Meng, then stopped the tour and planned to go out for some fresh air.
Seeing two tourists with black hair and yellow skin walking into the museum, Lin Weimin took a look at the younger one. He looked familiar, with a flat head and big eyes. He looked like a prick.
The young man was also looking at Lin Weimin. When they were about to pass each other, the young man hesitated for a long time before speaking, "Are you Lin Weimin?"
"You know me?" Lin Weimin was a little surprised.
"I saw your face in a newspaper my friend sent me."
Lin Weimin had already guessed who the friend he was talking about was.
"Your friend?"
"Ah Cheng, Zhong Ah Cheng, you should be very familiar with him, right?"
The two of them had stopped talking, and Lin Weimin showed a look of realization: "Are you Cheng Danqing?"
Cheng Danqing smiled, "It seems that Ah Cheng has mentioned me to you?"
"He said that when he wrote a manuscript before, he would send it to you first before taking it to the editorial department."
Cheng Danqing looked a little proud when Lin Weimin mentioned this. He asked, "Why are you here?"
"I was invited by a friend to stay in the United States for a while. What are you doing..."
"My teacher and I came to visit the museum."
Cheng Danqing introduced the old man next to him to Lin Weimin, "This is my teacher Mu Xin, and this is the writer and editor Lin Weimin."
Lin Weimin had already guessed the old man's identity before Cheng Danqing introduced him. He was dressed very stylishly, wearing a high-necked fleece sweater, a black windbreaker, and a wide-brimmed fedora hat.
After a few pleasantries, Cheng Danqing was happy to meet a famous Chinese person like Lin Weimin in a strange country, and to have a common connection with Ah Cheng. He said, "Do you have time later? Let's have a meal together."
Lin Weimin said, "I came here with my friends today. How about tomorrow if you have time?"
Cheng Danqing nodded, "Okay, then how do I contact you?"
Lin Weimin wrote him a phone number and said, "Call me tomorrow!"
After saying that, they passed by.
After Lin Weimin walked away, Mu Xin asked Cheng Danqing: "Is he Lin Weimin?"
In recent years, many people from China have gone to study in the United States. In addition, Lin Weimin's works have been published in the United States, so many Chinese have more or less heard of Lin Weimin's name.
"Yes. So young!" Cheng Danqing exclaimed as he looked at Lin Weimin's back.
Mu Xin laughed, "You're not old!"
Cheng Danqing smiled and said, "But he's not young either."
He went to the United States to study in 1982. He was famous in the domestic painting world for his "XZ Series" long before he went abroad to study. But he did not have a good life in the United States, just like most people who came to the United States in this era. He and Ah Cheng met because of the Stars Art Exhibition.
Lin Weimin waited outside for about an hour, and Mark Meng came out.
For him, an American, watching the Metropolis was also a bit uncomfortable. It was eye-opening, but everything there was was foreign and there was no sense of belonging or pride at all. He and Lin Weimin were chatting and they actually started cursing at the same time, which showed a bit of internationalism.
In the afternoon, Lin Weimin treated Mark Meng to a big meal.
The next morning, Mark Meng prepared to drive back to Kansas.
As they were about to part, he said with some sadness: "Lin, I really don't know when we will meet next time."
"People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions, and the moon waxes and wanes."
Ma Kemeng followed Lin Weimin and said, "It is difficult to achieve perfection in this matter!"
He said quietly: "Su Dongpo's poems are so beautiful!"
"We'll have a chance to meet again in the future. Just like a few years ago, who would have thought that we would meet again so soon?" Lin Weimin said with a smile.
Mark Meng nodded, with a look of reluctance in his eyes, and hugged Lin Weimin goodbye.
"I hope the next meeting will come sooner."
"I will. Take care!"
Lin Weimin waved his hand and watched Mark Meng's Buick disappear from his sight, and couldn't help feeling melancholy.
After returning to the apartment, not long after staying there, the phone rang. It was Cheng Danqing calling. The dinner was changed into a literary salon, and Lin Weimin was invited to participate.
Lin Weimin planned to treat Cheng Danqing to dinner because of Ah Cheng, but now it has been changed to a literary salon, and he doesn't really want to join.
"Everyone wants to get to know you..." Chen Danqing kept persuading him, and Lin Weimin had no choice but to agree.
At around 2:00 p.m., according to the address given by Cheng Danqing, a Mercedes-Benz took Lin Weimin to an apartment building in Manhattan's Chinatown.
Lin Weimin went upstairs and knocked on the door.
Like many apartment buildings in New York at this time, the decoration was also a bit old. Before Lin Weimin came, a bunch of people had gathered here. There were sheets on the floor of the living room. Some people sat on the sofa, and some sat on the sheets on the floor. There were also various foods on the sheets, which seemed to be brought by everyone.
Cheng Danqing introduced Lin Weimin to everyone. Most of these people had come to stay in the United States in recent years and were in New York, where they were banding together for warmth.
The apartment was Mu Xin's home. He was well-known in the US study abroad circle, and had gathered a group of Chinese students like Cheng Danqing around him. Mu Xin seemed to be the protagonist of this salon. He talked nonstop when Lin Weimin came, but now he stopped because of Lin Weimin's arrival.
"You guys continue, don't worry about me." Lin Weimin said with a smile.
Mu Xin continued, and the others listened to his speech, occasionally interjecting a few words.
The atmosphere in the salon is pretty good, but it's a pity that Lin Weimin seems out of place here.
Lin Weimin listened to what Mu Xin taught, which was probably about the history of world literature. Lin Weimin had heard about these things when he was at the Institute of Literature Research.
At around five o'clock, everyone was preparing to eat and cooking together. The new guest, Lin Weimin, became the focus of everyone's attention.
"Lin Weimin, are you planning to stay in the United States this time?" The person who asked this question was a painter named Li Quanwu.
Lin Weimin shook his head. "I'm just here to stay for a while. I'll probably be back in less than ten days."
Li Quanwu looked a little disappointed. "Didn't they say your novels are quite popular in the U.S.? This is such a good opportunity. Why didn't you think about staying in the U.S.?"
Lin Weimin said calmly: "Why do you want to stay in the United States?"
Li Quanwu immediately said: "The United States is so good..."
Li Quanwu talked about a lot of things, but Lin Weimin turned a deaf ear to him. After he finished speaking, Lin Weimin smiled without commenting, which made some people on the side feel angry at him for not fighting back.
In their view, Lin Weimin has unique conditions.
He is a well-known writer in China and his works are also very popular in the United States. You can even see his novels on sale in bookstores.
If he could come to the United States, he would definitely do much better than in China.
"The country is actually not bad. We're used to it. It's our own countrymen, our own culture, our own place. We have friends wherever we go. What's wrong with that?" Lin Weimin responded easily.
Everyone shook their heads, feeling that Lin Weimin might have just arrived in the United States and had not yet seen the world of capitalism, so he was a bit of a frog in the well.
After dinner, Mu Xin’s lecture ended and everyone sat around in the living room chatting.
Lin Weimin is the new arrival today. He is very famous in China and everyone is most interested in him.
"Lin Weimin, you said before that a friend invited you here. What friend? Can you get an American identity?" The speaker was Lu Zhifang, an international student at the State University of New York.
"I have an American friend who writes plays. He definitely can't help me get an American identity."
In the 1980s, the obsession of these overseas students with the United States was understandable, but to Lin Weimin, a later generation, it was a little funny.
The two sides have different ideas, so there are many things that cannot be discussed, and they can only talk about some trivial matters.
These people had been abroad for several years and were deeply saddened when they heard some news from home from Lin Weimin.
“There really isn’t much change in the country!”
"I really don't know when we can catch up with the United States!"
After staying until around seven o'clock, Lin Weimin said goodbye to everyone.
Cheng Danqing and Li Quanwu escorted Lin Weimin downstairs. When they reached the door, Cheng Danqing reminded him, "Turn right after you go out and walk 500 meters. Then turn right again and there is a subway station. Be careful when you walk. There is a black community outside Chinatown. Don't stop."
Lin Weimin nodded, "Thank you!"
As they were talking, a low-key and restrained black Mercedes drove up and stopped by the roadside.
Lin Weimin opened the car door and waved to Cheng Danqing and Li Quanwu, saying, "You guys go back first. We'll see each other someday!"
Cheng Danqing and Li Quanwu were a little at a loss when they saw the Mercedes-Benz suddenly appear. When they heard Lin Weimin's farewell, they subconsciously waved.
Lin Weimin nodded to them and got into the car.
As the car left their sight, Li Quanwu suddenly asked, "Danqing, was that a Mercedes-Benz just now?"
It was too dark just now, and Cheng Danqing couldn't see clearly, so he was not sure, "It should be, right?"
"Didn't Lin Weimin come to the United States to stay temporarily? Why does he have a car?"
"It shouldn't be his car, there's a driver in the car." Cheng Danqing said, recalling the scene just now.
Li Quanwu muttered, "Where did this guy get the Mercedes-Benz? Did he rent it?"
Before coming to the United States, these international students were doing well in China. But after arriving in the United States, even living became a problem.
Li Quanwu felt a little jealous when he suddenly saw Lin Weimin, who had just arrived in the United States, sitting in a Mercedes-Benz.
Cheng Danqing did not answer him. He was still recalling the scene of Lin Weimin waving goodbye.
How do you describe that feeling?
After thinking for a long time, a sentence popped up in his mind:
What a fucking pretense!
(End of this chapter)
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