A widower's entertainment

Chapter 301 [Father's World] (Please Subscribe)
On New Year's Day in 1990, it snowed heavily in Beijing.

The howling wind carried the swirling snowflakes, spreading them into a vast expanse of white, as if bidding farewell to the entire 1980s with a grand ceremony.

Snowflakes danced in the air, accompanied by the rock song "Nothing to My Name" playing from a shop at the entrance of the alley. In the old hutongs of Beijing, a unique feeling arose. "I kept asking, when will you come with me? But you always laughed at me, saying I have nothing..."

People hurry by, their footsteps treading through the snow, leaving behind traces that vanish into the past.

Although the 1990s have arrived in the blink of an eye, the trend of atonement literature in the 1980s has not ended with the end of the era, and atonement literature remains popular.

Lin Youcheng also wrote the screenplay for "Atonement" and handed it over to Chen Aige to prepare for the filming.

Of course, the original film "Atonement" is excellent. The first half of the film features beautiful, painterly visuals that contrast sharply with the brutal reality of the second half, and this sense of rupture is the core of its impact.

Lin Youcheng naturally wouldn't add anything unnecessary to the script; he would only refine some details.

In Lin Youcheng's view, Luo Yang and Lin Yu's love was never "missed"; they always loved each other, but their love was crushed by the tide of the times due to a false accusation. That imagined seaside cottage ultimately only existed in Luo Yang's dying moments—a setting that directly points to the destruction of ordinary people's dreams by war and injustice.

While Lin Xue's accusations certainly stemmed from childhood prejudice and ignorance, the deeper reasons lay in her class environment and the distorted jealousy she experienced during adolescence. Her guilt haunted her throughout her life, and she sought redemption through writing; however, the fictional "happy ending" only served to expose the unsolvable reality.

Therefore, the script should be adapted according to the novel's plot.

Of course, Lin Youcheng was also particularly concerned about Lin Xue's tragedy in the script. Her naivety, mixed with the arrogance of the privileged class and her ignorance of the rules of the adult world, could be said to be a fusion of the common arrogance of the nobility of that era and her own less-than-kind nature, which led to the false testimony. When she realized Robbie's innocence, it was too late—the judicial system and the war had already devoured him.

The silence of the whole family when Luo Yang returned with the twins is arguably the most heartbreaking scene in the entire film.

Lin Youcheng naturally paid special attention to this detail in the shot, because in this shot, everyone knew the truth, but no one cared about the truth, because the truth had no weight in the face of class prejudice. Luo Yang's status as a "servant" had already presupposed his "crime," otherwise Lin Xue's mother would not have accepted Lin Xue's accusations even though she knew Lin Xue was lying, which ironically shows the indifference of the privileged class to suffering.

The film's tragedy lies not only in the twists of fate, but also in its revelation of the individual's powerlessness within the constraints of the era and class structure. Lin Xue's attempt at redemption is futile, because some mistakes are irreparable.

Chen Aige was also very satisfied with Lin Youcheng's script, and of course, he liked the story of "Atonement" very much from the very beginning.

Lin Youcheng didn't pay much attention to Chen Aige's opinion, because, as Lin Youcheng said, Chen Aige had already said that she would film according to Lin Youcheng's script.

Thick snow covered the eaves of the courtyard house, and the bare pomegranate tree in the yard was also covered with a white coat of snow. Of course, when spring comes, the pomegranate tree will sprout again, and then bloom and bear fruit.

The snow in the yard was piled high, but the children were not afraid of the cold. They wrapped themselves in thick coats and enthusiastically built a snowman in the yard.

"Dad, do you want to come and build a snowman with me?"

Lin Zhaole grabbed a shovel and ran up to Lin Youcheng, wanting to pull him along to build a snowman.

Lin Youcheng noticed that Lin Zhaole's face was flushed, and he didn't know if it was from the cold or from playing too hard. He reached out and touched Lin Zhaole's face and forehead, and said, "Are you cold? If you are, go inside and don't catch a cold."

"I'm not cold!"

Lin Zhaole said with a smile, then ran back into the yard to continue playing in the snow with his older brothers and sisters.

Seeing Lin Zhaole shoveling snow without fear of the cold, Lin Youcheng couldn't help but think back to when Lin Zhaole was a little boy. He, as the father, was worried that Lin Zhaole would catch a cold, so he dressed him in many layers of clothes. In the end, the thick clothes made him feverish, and it even caused a joke when they arrived at the hospital.

That was a time when he, a 23-year-old new father, was inexperienced, under immense pressure, and on the verge of tears.

Just as Lin Youcheng was thinking, someone arrived at the courtyard.

Xie Shuhua has arrived.

Lin Zhaoxi felt a bit conflicted when she saw Xie Shuhua arrive again. She could tell that Teacher Xie Shuhua actually had special feelings for her father; otherwise, she wouldn't have made a special trip to the courtyard house, and of course, she wouldn't have been so kind to them and tutored them in English.

Lin Zhaoxi knew that Xie Shuhua wanted to marry her father and become their stepmother.

For some reason, thinking about this made Lin Zhaoxi feel a little sad. She knew that her mother had been gone for several years and her father had been taking care of them all by himself. She didn't know if her uncle was right or if her father should find someone else. She just felt that her father should be taken care of by someone, after all, Teacher Xie was very good. But even knowing this, Lin Zhaoxi's feelings were still indescribably complicated.

If only my mother were still here, but it seems like my mother is a story from a long, long time ago.

She didn't know what would happen to them if her father remarried. Would her father still treat them as well as before?

Is it true, as some people say, that having a stepmother will inevitably lead to having a stepfather?
"Big sister, what are you thinking about?"

Lin Zhaoqing noticed that Lin Zhaoxi was staring blankly at Xie Shuhua, so he walked over and asked him a question.

Lin Zhaoxi turned to look at his younger brother Lin Zhaoqing, then glanced at Xie Shuhua, who was having a great time in the courtyard, completely unaware that the teacher who had come to the courtyard on New Year's Day had designs on their father.

What would you think if your father remarried?

Lin Zhaoxi had actually asked Lin Zhaoqing this question before, and at that time Lin Zhaoqing said with great dissatisfaction that he didn't want a stepmother.

Lin Zhaoqing looked at Xie Shuhua not far away and asked, "Is Dad going to marry Teacher Xie?"

Lin Zhaoxi wasn't surprised, and Lin Zhaoqing noticed it too, since Lin Zhaoqing was older now. He simply asked, "If it's true, what do you think?"

Lin Zhaoqing lowered his head, kicked the snow under his feet in a muffled voice, and said, "I don't know."

“My uncles and the others have called and urged my dad to find someone quickly. If my dad really wants to remarry, I hope that person will be good to him.”

“It was very hard for my dad to raise us all by himself.”

Hearing Lin Zhaoqing's words, Lin Zhaoxi felt somewhat conflicted. As the eldest sister, she naturally knew very well that Lin Zhaoqing's words were very sensible.

However, upon hearing Lin Zhaoqing's next sentence, she couldn't help but ask, "Then do you still remember your mother?"

Lin Zhaoqing was stunned for a moment.

Seeing Lin Zhaoqing's stunned expression, Lin Zhaoxi regretted asking the question. Actually, she wanted to ask if Lin Zhaoqing remembered that his mother had taken care of them all by herself.

At that time, my father didn't care about anything, and only my mother took care of them, but my mother has been gone for six years, no, almost seven.

Lin Zhaoqing was only eight years old when his mother passed away.

Lin Zhaomei and Lin Zhaoman are only six and four years old, respectively, while Lin Zhaohuan and Lin Zhaole are even younger.

Lin Zhaole's mother left when he was born.

Lin Zhaoxi looked at Lin Zhaole, who was the one who had never had a mother since birth.

Lin Zhaoqing said in a low voice, "Big sister, how could I not remember Mom?" His voice trembled slightly.

"Big sister, that's not what I meant."

Lin Zhaoxi quickly apologized to Lin Zhaoqing, saying, "I was wrong, I shouldn't have asked that."

Lin Zhaoqing looked at Lin Zhaoxi and said, "I know, I don't want Dad to find us a stepmother either, but my uncles said that Dad also needs someone to take care of him."

Lin Zhaoxi patted Lin Zhaoqing's head and said, "You're right."

Just as Lin Zhaoqing and Lin Zhaoxi were talking, Xie Shuhua walked over, looking at Lin Zhaoxi and Lin Zhaoqing with a smile, and handed the roasted chestnuts she had bought to Lin Zhaoqing.

"Zhaoqing, the roasted chestnuts I brought for you are still warm."

The aroma of roasted chestnuts wafted through the air, an irresistible scent in this winter season. I knew that these roasted chestnuts, with their golden and crispy shells encasing soft and sweet chestnut meat, were known as the "Three Treasures of Old Beijing Winter," along with roasted sweet potatoes and candied hawthorns. Long queues often formed on the streets during the winter to buy them. This was something Xie Shuhua specially brought for Lin Zhaoxi and the others.

Lin Zhaoqing turned his head, seemingly concerned about what Lin Zhaoxi had just said, and remained silent.

Lin Zhaoxi looked at Xie Shuhua. She had known about Xie Shuhua's feelings for her father for a long time, otherwise she wouldn't have specially tutored her in English.

Now, it seems that her teacher, Ms. Xie, is being a little too kind to them.

Xie Shuhua looked at Lin Zhaoxi. She knew she was being nice to Lin Zhaoxi's children on purpose, but she didn't know if it counted as ingratiating herself.

She didn't care.

Because she felt that perhaps, as Eileen Chang said, because of him, she became very low, so low that she was in the dust, but she was happy in her heart, and a flower bloomed from the dust.

Loving someone naturally means being good to the people they care about and value, let alone their children.

Lin Zhaoxi accepted the roasted chestnuts from Xie Shuhua and said with a smile, "Thank you, Teacher Xie. We all love roasted chestnuts."

"You're welcome! I'll bring you some next time."

When Xie Shuhua saw Lin Zhaoxi take the roasted chestnuts, her smile deepened instantly. She was very happy and said, "When I go back to Tianjin later, I'll bring you some delicious food from Tianjin."

Xie Shuhua was originally from Tianjin, and after graduation, her organizational affiliation was with the Tianjin-based "Fiction Monthly," so naturally she would return to Tianjin for the Spring Festival.

The literary journal "Fiction Monthly" in Tianjin was the same magazine that Lin Youcheng saw in Chunfeng Lane, Decheng. His debut work, "Under the Hawthorn Tree," was also published in "Fiction Monthly."

Although Xie Shuhua was not at the Novel Monthly magazine at that time, wasn't it another kind of fate?

Looking at Xie Shuhua's smile, Lin Zhaoxi for some reason thought of Xie Shuhua's decision to return to Tianjin for the New Year and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher Xie, are you going back to Tianjin for the New Year?"

"Yes."

"Teacher Xie, will you stay in Beijing in the future?"

Xie Shuhua was slightly taken aback, not expecting Lin Zhaoxi to ask this question. She was somewhat surprised and didn't know why he would ask such a question. She said, "If I have the opportunity, I would naturally still hope to stay in the capital."

Staying in Beijing would mean getting closer to Lin Youcheng, especially after they, as graduate students of the Lu Xun Academy of Literature, graduate this year, would naturally want to return to their original work units.

"Teacher Xie, I hope you can stay in Beijing."

"We all really like you."

Clearly, Lin Zhaoxi's words delighted Xie Shuhua, and she couldn't help but smile, her eyes shining.

"I like you guys, too."

Lin Zhaoqing was puzzled by Lin Zhaoxi's words. Although he thought there was some truth to them, he felt it was inappropriate to say such things in front of Xie Shuhua.

Lin Zhaoxi looked at Lin Youcheng, then glanced at Xie Shuhua. She just felt that if her father really wanted to find them a stepmother, perhaps Teacher Xie Shuhua would be a good choice.

Her uncle had been urging her father to remarry and not remain single, and she knew this. She also knew that it was very likely Lin Youcheng would find someone else in the future.

After all, it wasn't just my uncle who introduced him; even Aunt Zhao from the neighborhood office had been keeping an eye out for suitable candidates for my father.

Lin Zhaoxi was naturally aware of this matter as well.

That evening, Lin Zhaohuan, having heard about her stepmother from someone, ran up to Lin Youcheng and asked earnestly, "Dad, can I ask you a question?"

"Zhao Huan, what's wrong?"

"Dad, are you going to find us a stepmother?"

Lin Zhaohuan's words were very direct. Perhaps this is what children do when they speak without restraint. They don't have any worries at all. They say whatever comes to mind and ask whatever they want without any scruples.

Lin Youcheng was somewhat surprised to hear Lin Zhaohuan's words, but remained relatively calm. Suddenly, he noticed that Lin Zhaoxi and the others were also looking at them, seemingly aware of Lin Zhaohuan's question.

Lin Youcheng waved, signaling Lin Zhaoxi and the others to come over as well.

"If I were to remarry, it wouldn't be to find you a stepmother, but because I'm looking for my lover."

"Of course, she will also have another identity, which is your mother, or what you think of as your stepmother."

Lin Youcheng looked at Lin Zhaoxi and the others and said with a serious expression, "You are my world, but there may be other people in my world in the future."

Lin Zhaohuan did not understand.

However, Lin Zhaoxi and the others vaguely understood the meaning behind Lin Youcheng's words.

Looking at his children, Lin Youcheng said very seriously, "You must know that no matter what, I will always be your father, and that will never change."

He knew this from the time he was twenty-three years old when he arrived in 1983 and became thirty-two-year-old Lin Youcheng.

No matter when, no matter what happens—

He is the child's father, and that will not change.

(End of this chapter)