A widower's entertainment

Chapter 370 [A Shocking Ambush] (Please Subscribe)
Xinghua Hutong, Beijing.

With an autumn rain, the weather in Beijing turned cold, and the autumn wind brought a chill, so everyone started to put on thick coats.

The pomegranates on the pomegranate tree in the courtyard have ripened again, and the trees are laden with fruit. The pomegranates picked were not only eaten by Lin Youcheng's family, but some were also sent to his elder brother Lin Youcai's family.

Lin Youcheng sat in the courtyard, peeling pomegranates while handing some peeled fruit to Lin Zhaoman and Lin Zhaohuan. He couldn't help but ask, "Zhaole, are you still watching cartoons?"

Before Lin Zhaoman could answer, Lin Zhaohuan said, "He's been watching cartoons on TV the whole time."

"Even if the TV doesn't rest, his eyes need a break too."

Upon hearing this, Lin Youcheng naturally called out to Lin Zhaole, who was watching TV in the main room, "Zhaole, stop watching TV and come out to eat pomegranates."

Although Lin Zhaole has been obsessed with cartoons lately, thankfully he doesn't ignore his father Lin Youcheng's calls, and soon he came out to eat pomegranates.

"You can't just stare at the TV all the time while you're at home."

Although Lin Zhaole was raised by Lin Youcheng from birth, and life got better and better, Lin Zhaole's life naturally got better and better. However, even so, Lin Youcheng did not spoil Lin Zhaole in every way. He did not want to raise a spoiled little son.

Lin Zhaole smiled upon hearing Lin Youcheng's words and nodded obediently.

Fortunately, Lin Zhaole's older brothers and sisters have always been very sensible. With these role models around, Lin Zhaole is naturally sensible as well. After all, if he really caused any trouble, even if Lin Youcheng, the father, didn't say anything, his other older brothers and sisters would take turns to suppress him and give him a good lesson.

Lin Youcheng handed the pomegranate pulp to Lin Zhaole. Seeing Lin Zhaole nod obediently, he smiled and casually said, "You like watching cartoons so much, why don't you and your sister learn to draw in your spare time and make your own cartoons when you grow up?"

Will you make your own animated films when you grow up?
Undoubtedly, Lin Youcheng said this casually, but Lin Zhaole felt that his father spoke very kindly, and his innocent eyes lit up instantly. He said, "Dad, when I grow up, I will make my own animated films!"

Lin Youcheng couldn't help but laugh when he heard Lin Zhaole's words, because he remembered that Lin Zhaole had said before that he wanted to be a scientist, just like Lin Zhaoqing. He had also said that he wanted to be a scientist when he grew up. Now he said that he wanted to make animated films when he grew up. His ideas changed very quickly. However, he didn't say much, after all, these were things he said when he was a child. He just said, "Then how about I go and learn to draw later?"

In Lin Youcheng's view, cultivating an interest in drawing is better than staring at the TV all day after school, even if one doesn't become an animation director or illustrator.

"Okay! I want to learn!"

Lin Zhaole nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "I also want to make animated films when I grow up."

Upon hearing Lin Zhaole's words, Lin Youcheng thought to himself that he could naturally send Lin Zhaole to learn painting. As for whether it would be a short-lived enthusiasm or whether he would persist, he would know after learning it. Perhaps he would persist in learning music like Lin Zhaohuan.

Lin Zhaohuan is learning music again, so Lin Youcheng, as her father, naturally turned his attention to Lin Zhaoman. Although Lin Zhaoman had never wanted to learn these things before, he still asked again, "Zhaoman, do you want to learn with your younger brother?"

Lin Zhaoman shook his head and said, "I won't learn it, I don't like painting."

Upon hearing Lin Zhaoman's words, Lin Youcheng naturally wouldn't force his child to attend any extracurricular classes. After all, it was the 1990s, and there was no need to constantly cultivate a child's various talents; it was more like letting them roam free.

Even though Lin Youcheng, as a father, allows his children to learn special skills, he always listens to the children's own ideas and raises them in a free-style manner.

……

While Lin Youcheng was raising his child in a free-spirited way, his new manuscript, "The Plot," which was not yet fully completed, was published in the latest issue of "People's Literature" magazine.

As early as when People's Literature magazine received Lin Youcheng's new manuscript, news naturally spread in Beijing's literary circles that Lin Youcheng had written a new manuscript, and it was a spy story, which made many people in the literary world very much looking forward to it.

After all, Lin Youcheng's previous spy novels, *The Message* and *Lurking*, were undoubtedly classics with considerable influence. Some in literary circles had previously said that *The Message* deserved the Mao Dun Literature Prize, demonstrating the work's depth. His later work, *Lurking*, further amazed the literary world, and the television adaptation broadcast by Beijing Television sparked a ratings frenzy, generating unprecedented buzz. Now, Lin Youcheng has written a new spy novel, which naturally arouses great anticipation within the literary community.

It's fair to say that many people in Beijing have been eagerly awaiting Lin Youcheng's new work.

The latest issue of People's Literature magazine published Lin Youcheng's unfinished novel, "Plot Against," which immediately shocked countless readers. They had not expected that Lin Youcheng's spy story this time was not set during the War of Resistance against Japan, but after the founding of the People's Republic of China. This alone was enough to surprise readers and literary critics alike, but the story itself was even more astonishing.

Because no one expected that Lin Youcheng would write such a magical spy story.

Shi Tiesheng immediately read the latest issue of "People's Literature" and naturally read the beginning of Lin Youcheng's "The Plot". He was deeply moved. He had also written about blind characters before, such as the protagonist of "Life on a String", who was a blind erhu player. Therefore, when he saw the character of the blind man Abing written by Lin Youcheng, he was really pleasantly surprised.

Yes, it was a surprise, but seeing Ah Bing's final death made him feel a sense of tragic fate, which was quite poignant. "I never expected Lin Youcheng's 'Plot Against' to be such a story. The geniuses in 701 are truly extraordinary."

Hearing this, Shi Tiesheng's wife nodded and said, "Yes, the final fate of this blind man, Abing, was also unexpected. However, such a tragedy seems to have been destined from the beginning. He and Lin Xiaofang were just arranged by the organization, and he didn't understand anything at all. In the end, it was all because of his ears."

"However, I was more impressed by the character Huang Yiyi. The character written by Lin Youcheng was really special. Who would have thought that a woman in that era could be so elfin and melancholic in her beauty?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Tiesheng nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right. This cryptography genius's entire life was actually ruined by cryptography. Huang Yiyi died without love."

"Yes, Lin Youcheng's ending for Huang Yiyi is too tragic, like being slowly tortured. An Zaitian's coldness gradually exhausted Huang Yiyi's hope. Her soul died first, and her body followed. Although the ending explained An's reluctance to love anymore, it is still heartbreaking. Love is love, and when love comes, you should bravely love."

"Actually, I think that the character Huang Yiyi, written by Lin Youcheng, is the kind of woman that no man would not love, and no man would fall in love with.

Of course, Shi Tiesheng and his wife not only discussed the characters and plot of the novel, but also exchanged ideas about Lin Youcheng's artistic techniques in the novel.

"His novel is quite remarkable. The distance between the subject matter and reality provides a rare opportunity for the novel's mysterious beauty, and the suspenseful plot with its intricate twists and turns matches the mysterious subject matter perfectly."

As a literary worker himself, Shi Tiesheng naturally viewed Lin Youcheng's "The Plot" from the perspective of literary creation, and couldn't help but praise it: "Between reality and illusion, the novel's characters have a flexible space for maneuvering and ups and downs. Whether it is searching for the blind man with extraordinary hearing, Abing, or interviewing the mathematical genius Huang Yiyi, they are all unexpected joys after seemingly hopeless situations. The plot is quite wonderful with its twists and turns!"

Hearing this, Shi Tiesheng's wife nodded and handed the People's Literature magazine back to him, saying, "This is only the beginning of 'The Plot.' I wonder what the story of 'The Wind Catcher' will be like. But I think Lin Youcheng wrote it this way because the mundane destruction of geniuses gives the plot a philosophical quality of ending abruptly but leaving one with regret. The blind man Abing committed suicide because his son was not his own, and Huang Yiyi died because of a shrew's act of pulling the toilet door. These all show the fragile side of geniuses' lives and the accidental moments of fate, and also illustrate the cruelty and coldness of the intelligence front."

Clearly, it is precisely because of this cruelty and coldness that Shi Tiesheng and his wife felt that Huang Yiyi's ending was truly too tragic.

It wasn't just Shi Tiesheng and his wife who were deeply moved by the first two stories in Lin Youcheng's "The Plot"; poet Zha Haisheng, who had always been a reader of Lin Youcheng, was also completely stunned by the character Huang Yiyi created by Lin Youcheng.

Cha Haisheng has always been a loyal reader of Lin Youcheng. When he saw the unfinished story of "Plot Against", he was really stunned. He immediately ran to Xinghua Hutong to talk to Lin Youcheng about his love for the story and the character Huang Yiyi.

"Brother Lin, your portrayal of Huang Yiyi is truly excellent!"

Cha Hai-sheng was very excited and said, "Although her ending was just as tragic as Ah Bing's, her character was truly unique!"

Clearly, Cha Haisheng was different from the other readers. While other readers would write letters to the magazine or directly to the author, Lin Youcheng, to express their feelings, Cha Haisheng went directly to Lin Youcheng's house to tell him in person how much he loved the unfinished novel.

Lin Youcheng knew Cha Haisheng's personality and why Cha Haisheng liked the character Huang Yiyi so much, so he said, "It's good that you like her."

"Of course I do!"

"Youcheng, I think An Zaitian definitely loves Huang Yiyi, admires her, and understands her. It's just that love is a very secondary thing in An Zaitian's life, even less important than his faith. I always felt that if Huang Yiyi could focus on cracking the code and completing the mission, the two of them would be together. An Zaitian has actually hinted at it. But Huang Yiyi is not an ordinary person, not even a normal person. Her love needs an immediate response. Love is her faith. In the end, after all the twists and turns, it was heartbreaking to watch. I really admire the character you wrote. He is genuine, talented, kind like a child, and willful like a child."

Clearly, being as kind as a child and as willful as a child is how Cha Hai-sheng feels about Huang Yi-yi.

Cha Haisheng said excitedly, "Youcheng, I especially like some of the lines in your novel. Deciphering the code is to listen to the heartbeat of the dead. That line is really great! Also, that line: I believe that beauty in women is like a weapon in men's hands. One day it will be used by them, used viciously."

"These words are so well written!"

As a poet, Cha Haisheng naturally has a sensitivity to language. He particularly likes some of the language in Lin Youcheng's novel. In his opinion, the philosophical language that appears intermittently in this unconventional spy novel adds luster to the text. Of course, what amazes him even more is the story of Huang Yiyi.

As Cha Haisheng spoke, he couldn't help but pick up a copy of "People's Literature" magazine and, deeply moved, recited a passage from the novel "Huang Yiyi," saying: "How can I make you understand how much I love you? Should I silently endure it, weeping in my sleep? Should I shout at the top of my lungs, until my voice is hoarse? Should I berate myself in front of the mirror? Should I rush into your office and push you to the ground? Should I go to university, pursue a doctorate, and become a writer? Should I give up on myself for you, only to be pitied by others? Should I go to a mental hospital, driven mad by my love for you? Or should I commit suicide under your window?"

These words sounded like reading a poem about love, and these were the things that captivated Cha Hai-sheng.

Every word made Cha Hai-sheng's heart pound wildly. Of course, Cha Hai-sheng wasn't the only one moved. It can be said that no reader expected Lin You-cheng to write such incredible characters as Blind Abing and Huang Yi-yi. It was all too unbelievable.

Huang Yiyi, in particular, was a truly remarkable woman who left countless readers speechless. She was a bright spot in that era. Of course, Huang Yiyi's ending was also quite shocking and tragic.

It can be said that the publication of Lin Youcheng's unfinished novel "Plot Against" has truly sparked a huge discussion in the literary world, not only because of the two shocking stories mentioned earlier, but also because of the mysterious 701, which has shocked readers.

The key point is that this novel is not finished yet. The literary world has already been shocked by Lin Youcheng's "Plot Against", and this is just the beginning!
(End of this chapter)