Chapter 720 Time Magazine, US Edition
Chinatown, New York, USA.
The apartment building was built in the 1940s and is more than half a century old. There are many apartment buildings like this in New York.
Many years ago, this was the place where many Chinese international students gathered in New York to keep each other warm. They listened to Mu Xin's lectures, had gatherings, and organized salons here.
Now, several years have passed. The international students who once pursued freedom and art have let go of their reserve and plunged into a busy state of running for life. The bustling apartment has gradually become deserted.
Today, there are new people in the apartment, and everyone gathered together again.
"Da Nian is a top student at Shuimu. Whose junior fellow is this? Take the initiative to claim him!" Cheng Danqing joked.
Two people present stood up and shook hands with Zhang Danian and chatted with him for a few words. It turned out that they were indeed classmates from seven or eight years apart.
"We at Shuimu are really full of talented people in New York!"
"Okay, I know that many of you Shuimu students study abroad, so stop bragging."
After introducing the new partners, Cheng Danqing said with emotion: "Everyone has been getting busier and busier in the past two years, and gatherings like this have become less and less common."
Li Quanwu said: "For the sake of living, what else can we do?"
Others shared the same sentiment. Among those present, some had been in the United States for ten years, while others had been in the United States for four or five years.
As I spent more time living in the United States, this once paradise-like country gradually revealed its cruel side.
In a capitalist society, without money, you will die. It is not easy for Chinese people to survive here.
Everyone has tried their best to stay here. Two lesbians who were once very active in the salon married old American men in order to get green cards.
Some people work three jobs at the same time to support their families and don't even get a full night's sleep for a long time.
Everyone gathered together and talked about life. Cheng Danqing said, "Da Nian, you just came from China. Tell us about the changes in China. We haven't been back for a long time."
Zhang Danian pondered for a moment and said, "Let me start with the economic level. Reform and opening up have been going on for more than ten years, and there are achievements. The national economy has achieved relatively great development, and materials have been greatly enriched compared to previous years. Take salary as an example. Before I came out, I worked in the Computer Institute and could get a salary of about 800 yuan per month. My salary is considered high in Yanjing. The general salary is about 300 yuan."
"Three hundred yuan? That's not bad. I remember when I left, my salary was just over a hundred yuan. It has increased by 200% in six or seven years."
"You can't calculate it that way. Prices have risen so much! I communicated with my family and found that the price increases of rice, flour, grain and oil are much higher than wages."
Cheng Danqing said, "Don't talk for now, let Da Nian continue."
The others shut up, and Zhang Danian continued, "What you said is correct, but we have survived the three years of price hikes in 1987, 1988, and 1989, and prices are relatively stable now. I think the most important issue in China now is not the issue of daily necessities, but housing prices. Do you know about the Hainan real estate bubble?"
Zhang Danian asked, and someone immediately responded, "Of course I know. At that time, the price was almost sky-high. Didn't they say it would stop the year before last?"
Zhang Danian nodded. “Hainan is indeed in trouble, but that doesn’t mean the real estate bubble has disappeared. Its ghost is still wandering around China.”
His expression was serious, and someone asked curiously, "Now that you mention it, I remember it. I heard from my classmates that some newly built commercial houses in Yanjing are now sold for three to four thousand yuan per square meter."
"This is not only the case in Yanjing, but also in many cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. For a house that costs 3,000 yuan per square meter, an ordinary working-class person would have to go without food or drink for ten months to a year to buy one square meter.
The house price has gone up to an infinite level!"
Zhang Danian said with great sorrow.
Li Quanwu said disapprovingly: "What's the big deal? In the United States, there are houses that cost tens of thousands of dollars per square meter."
"How can it be the same? We are a socialist country!" Zhang Dainian said seriously.
After he finished speaking, the big furniture fell into silence.
"Okay, okay, now that we are all abroad, don't worry about domestic affairs." Cheng Danqing advised.
"That's right, that's right." Li Quanwu also said.
Cheng Danqing asked: "Da Nian, please tell us something that can cheer us up!"
"Something that can boost your morale..." Zhang Danian thought for a moment and said, "The most recent one should be the fact that Farewell My Concubine won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film!"
As soon as they started talking about this topic, everyone became excited.
"Farewell My Concubine really brings honor to us Chinese!"
"Have you all watched the movie? The box office has probably reached 200 to 300 million dollars, right?"
Li Quanwu said: "The novel Farewell My Concubine has been a bestseller in the United States for ten years. We also went to see the play when it landed on Broadway. Every show was sold out. Its popularity in the United States is absolutely first-class. It is not surprising that it can achieve such results."
Cheng Danqing disagreed, saying, "It is not surprising that Farewell My Concubine won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. After all, Lin Weimin had The Last Emperor before him. But the fact that the movie was so successful at the box office is definitely due to the interaction of various factors. There is a certain element of coincidence."
At this point, he couldn't help but say a few more words: "What impressed me most was that when No One Less was introduced to the United States two years ago, the publisher launched a strong publicity campaign. I saw relevant information and reports in several literary magazines and newspapers."
"Yes, yes, yes, I remember now. Project Hope. Lin Weimin wrote a novel specifically for this cause, and he also donated 10 million dollars."
Speaking of the "10 million meter sword", everyone's tone was full of amazement.
Living in the glamorous capitalist world of the United States, they naturally know how hard it is to make money.
How can we not be amazed that a domestic writer donated 10 million US dollars casually?
"Yes! Lin Weimin's works have been introduced to the United States since the early 1980s. In fact, the sales have been very good in recent years, including Farewell My Concubine, The Horse Catcher, The Lover... and the drama.
But before, it was more because of my works that I was popular. But after that promotion, I felt something was different.
Last year, the "Collected Works of Richard Yates" was published, and the same promotional strategy was used again, which was even more successful than the last time. The American media completely linked the names of Lin Weimin and Richard Yates together.
One is frustrated and has wasted his time, while the other is extremely talented and became famous at a young age. Putting these two people together is not only a strong contrast, but also full of dramatic tension.
If I were a reporter, I would also like to write this kind of report, which completely hits the interests of the public.
Sometimes when I chat with Americans, they can easily call out Lin Weimin's name, and they have a very good impression of him, saying that he is a great writer. "
Li Quanwu said: "Americans like to exaggerate when they speak!"
"It can't be considered an exaggeration, right? Lin Weimin has won the National Book Critics Circle Award twice, as well as the Goncourt Prize and the Strega Prize. Ordinary writers can't win these awards. Many Nobel Prize winners in literature have never won so many awards!"
The speaker was Lu Zhifang, who knew all the honors that Lin Weimin had received.
When "The Kite Runner" was performed on Broadway that year, Lin Weimin had someone send tickets to him, and a group of international students went to see it.
We also saw the fanatical pursuit of Lin Weimin's works by foreign audiences. Many people were filled with pride. Their previous dislike of Lin Weimin had long disappeared under this mentality, and was replaced by appreciation and admiration.
"Look at this!" Lu Zhifang took out a magazine from his bag.
In the latest issue of the U.S. edition of Time magazine, Lin Weimin's portrait occupies the entire cover with a black background, which is a consistent feature of Time magazine.
"Is this Lin Weimin?" When everyone saw the cover of the magazine, an expression of indescribable surprise appeared on their faces.
"The goods are genuine and the price is reasonable!" Lu Zhifang said with a bit of pride as he handed the magazine to everyone.
Everyone came over curiously and gathered together to read Time magazine.
The interview transcript is more than 20,000 words long and occupies a considerable amount of space in this issue of Time magazine.
Richard Stengel has been in the industry for more than ten years. Both his writing style and interviewing style have become mature and sophisticated. Especially the interview content that has been refined and published. Every question and answer between the interviewer and the interviewee is a wonderful game, shining with the light of wisdom.
As we all saw at the end, the issue of the "Nobel Prize in Literature" that we were just discussing was mentioned.
Lin Weimin's quotations from the Bible are very impressive.
Li Quanwu thought of the time he met Lin Weimin a few years ago and couldn't help but say, "He is such an arrogant person!"
Cheng Danqing's thoughts were: WTF! Such a pretentious guy!
However, he did not reveal his inner thoughts, but said: "I don't think this is arrogance, but a kind of confidence based on strength."
Lu Zhifang agreed, "Danqing is right. 'No one can enter a warrior's house and rob his furniture.' A warrior accumulates strength to defend his own honor, not to rob the honor of others."
"Then the Nobel Prize in Literature doesn't belong to them," Li Quanwu argued.
"Whether you admit it or not, the Nobel Prize in Literature is only an honor that a small group of writers at the top of the pyramid can get. For such a group of writers, this honor is just passed around in their circle. So, using the metaphor of 'furniture' is also very appropriate, except that this home is a little bigger and has a few more heroes," said Lu Zhifang.
Li Quanwu shook his head. "You fanatical fans can always find a reason no matter how you argue!"
"That's what I call fair!"
"Alright, alright, why bother arguing over other people's affairs?" Cheng Danqing advised.
He picked up the Time magazine again and said to Lu Zhifang, "Zhifang, can you lend me your magazine?"
"what?"
"I sent it to Lin Weimin. He was already on Time magazine. This is good news for him!"
That year, after Lin Weimin left the United States, he invited Cheng Danqing and others to watch "The Kite Runner". Afterwards, Cheng Danqing wrote a letter to express his gratitude.
In recent years, the two have occasionally communicated.
Li Quanwu said dissatisfiedly: "You are used to being a good person!"
Cheng Danqing said: "It's not easy for China to produce such a world-renowned writer. Don't always think about undermining him!"
"Who is ruining the show? Didn't you see me praising him to the foreigners?" Li Quanwu muttered.
(End of this chapter)
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