The literary era since 1979

Chapter 146 Open the door! Fang Xiaojiang sends warmth

In Hougulouyuan Hutong, the sound of hammers hitting the wall echoed.

I couldn't help but think of eighty! Eighty!

Fangyan stood not far away, watching the state-owned construction team working in full swing. He didn't have to worry about cutting corners or delaying the construction period. As for the dismantled bricks and tiles, there was no need to worry about that, as whole bricks could be sold and broken bricks would also be collected by others.

The collected broken bricks will be transported to the suburbs to be sold.

These days, bricks are hard currency!

Otherwise, the protagonists in "Ordinary World" and "Long River" would not have made their first fortune by building brick factories.

Every unit and every household needs bricks to build houses.

The neighbors received the bricks from Fangyan and benefited from it, so naturally they had no complaints about the huge commotion of demolishing and rebuilding the house.

If you dismantle more, maybe you can get more!

Just when Fang Yan was thinking about something, Fang Hong rode up to him on her bike and said, "Xiao Ya, Ruoxue and the others came to your house to look for you just now."

"Is there something wrong?" Fangyan asked.

"It seems to be very important."

Fang Hong nodded and said, "You said not to tell anyone about your house, so I didn't bring them here."

"Sister, let's go back."

Fangyan smiled with satisfaction.

"Go back, I'll watch over it for you."

Fang Hong waved her hand.

"Okay, but it's cold, so don't stay outside for too long."

After Fangyan gave him a reminder, he rode the tricycle loaded with bricks back to Nanluoguxiang, where he saw that his outdoor kitchen, which used to be so small that it could only accommodate one person, had been expanded a lot.

This is the correct approach to "tear down the east wall to repair the west wall".

In the corners of the wall, there are layers of bricks and tiles.

"Sister Xiaoya, Sister Ruoxue, my brother is back!"

Following Fang Yan's shout, Bai Ruoxue ran out of Su Ya's house, with a hint of surprise in her tone:
"Teacher Fang!"

"Is the matter urgent?"

Fangyan took off his gloves and asked questions while moving bricks.

Su Ya and Bai Ruoxue were not at all pampered. They lent a hand and, while carrying bricks, told Suzuki Yoko everything about her, especially mentioning their request to meet.

"Is it the same person we met in Yuanmingyuan Park last time..."

Fangyan had an impression of this Suzuki Yoko, who looked a bit like Matsushima Nanako. He hesitated for a while and said, "Then let's do it the day after tomorrow afternoon."

…………

December 12th, New Year’s Eve.

There are currently only 7 hotels in Yanjing that can accommodate foreigners, and Yanjing Hotel is the highest standard among them, without a doubt.

At this time, the cafe was crowded with foreigners.

Yoko Suzuki chose this place to show respect for the dialect. In Japan, writers have a very high status.

"Teacher Fang!"

The moment they saw Fangyan, she and Hashimoto Yui stood up immediately and saluted him properly.

Su Ya greeted them, sat down with Bai Ruoxue and Tang Shengnan, opened the menu, and her eyes widened.

A cup of coffee costs one dollar!

Yoko Suzuki ordered a pot and poured it for everyone.

"Teacher Fang, your book "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog" is really great. It depicts the simple folk customs, pure emotions, and heartwarming artistic conception. In particular, it is plain, meaningful, and eloquent."

"Thank you."

Fangyan poured milk and sugar into the pot and stirred it while discussing the novel with them. It was obvious that he was quite addicted to it.

"If it can be published in Japan, I believe it will definitely attract a lot of readers," Yoko Suzuki said seriously.

“How come you see?”

Fangyan vaguely remembers the movie "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog", which was released in Japan and caused quite a stir. The box office seemed to be quite high and it also set some record for Chinese-language art films.

I suddenly became energetic, it seemed that the opportunity to earn foreign exchange had come!
"It's a pity that the movie Tokyo Story has not been introduced to China. Otherwise, you would understand it immediately after watching it."

Yoko Suzuki could only narrate the plot of the film orally.

The story is very simple. It is about an old couple who came to Tokyo from the countryside to visit their relatives. They had three sons and two daughters, but each one of them became more and more distant and rejecting towards their parents. They were indifferent to human relationships and didn't care about family affection at all. To sum it up in one sentence, the children would become more and more distant from their parents, and before their parents were put into the coffin, no children were willing to take care of them.

"Teacher Fang!"

Yui Hashimoto added: "Japanese society today is like this sugar cube. Although they are all in the same jar, the sugar cubes are separated one by one. No one wants to trouble others, but conversely, no one wants to be troubled."

"Is it the loss of conscience, the decline of morality, or the distortion of human nature that is behind all this?"

Fangyan couldn't help but say something.

"That's right, just like what Teacher Fang said!"

Suzuki Yoko's eyes lit up, "Why is that?" Fangyan discussed with them and said, "As long as everyone gives a little love, the world will become a beautiful place."

Bai Ruoxue and the others stared at him closely.

This melody feels like a touching lyric.

Suzuki Yoko said excitedly: "That's right, as long as everyone gives a little love, just like what you wrote in the novel, between fathers and sons, between husbands and wives, between villagers, all people are like natto, inextricably linked to each other, heart to heart, caring for each other, and warming each other."

"What is natto?" Su Ya asked puzzledly.

Yui Hashimoto explained: "Natto is..."

After hearing their analysis, Fangyan increasingly felt that if "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog" was published in Japan, it would most likely be a big seller. After all, the more you lack something, the more you want it.

Moreover, Japan has a tradition of sons inheriting their father's business.

The inheritance between the father and son, the rural postman, is very much to their liking.

"Teacher Fang!"

"Could you please let Yui and I do the Japanese translation of this work, and then at the Sino-Japanese Literature Symposium..."

Suzuki Yoko requested seriously.

"How do you know about cultural exchanges between China and Japan?"

Fangyan frowned.

Bai Ruoxue explained that this visit of the Japanese cultural exchange group to China required a large number of translators. As Japanese students who were proficient in both languages, Yoko Suzuki and Yui Hashimoto were naturally selected.

"how about you?"

Fangyan took a sip of coffee.

“I was lucky enough to be one of them.”

Bai Ruoxue smiled and said, "Teacher Fang, I'm sure you will attend this Sino-Japanese cultural exchange event, right?"

Seeing Fangyan nodded, Suzuki Yoko said in surprise: "That's great. I can introduce you and your work to my father at the exchange meeting."

"Your father?"

The dialect was a big surprise.

Those who were able to come to China to study in the 80s were truly extraordinary!

Then Yoko Suzuki introduced herself. Her father was the director of the Kyoto branch of Yuhikaku Co., Ltd., a left-wing admirer of the great man, and was also a member of the cultural exchange group visiting China.

"Yuhikaku is a publishing house, right?"

Su Ya looked confused and blinked.

"Yes!"

Yoko Suzuki said Yuhikaku is one of Japan's top publishing houses, specializing in publishing books in the fields of law, economics, humanities, etc.

It has a history of over a hundred years. It was formerly a family business of the Egusa family. It was reorganized and operated as a corporatization in the 50s. Later, a branch was established in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto. Her father, Suzuki Shunjiro, is equivalent to the branch president of the publishing house.

"No wonder you wanted to translate and publish my works, it turns out it's a family connection." Fang Yan stared at Suzuki Yoko.

"Teacher Fang, I hope you can give me this opportunity!"

Suzuki Yoko said in a firm tone.

"Introducing it to Japan and publishing it, can your father make the decision alone?" Fangyan narrowed his eyes.

Yoko Suzuki said that in this cultural exchange, both sides will introduce a number of excellent literary and artistic works in the fields of film and literature to each other.

Yuhikaku is one of the main units responsible for translation and publishing, and Suzuki Shunjiro is the person in charge of this task.

After saying that, he stood up and said, "Oh, this is something!"

Seeing her sudden bow, Fang Yan pretended that he didn't understand and whispered to Bai Ruoxue, "Translate, translate."

Bai Ruoxue said that Suzuki Yoko is asking you for help very sincerely.

“How good are their translation skills?”

Dialects lower the voice.

"The translated works they usually show me are quite good, especially Yoko's." Bai Ruoxue answered truthfully.

Fangyan knew what was going on and stood up:
"Yoko!"

"Hi, Teacher Fang!"

Yoko Suzuki's eyes were full of anticipation.

Fangyan said that the cultural department is currently screening a batch of excellent literary and artistic works for exchange, and as long as the procedures allow, he can hand over the translation work of "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog" to them.

"Arigato! Teacher Fang!"

Yoko Suzuki and Yui Hashimoto looked at each other, their big eyes filled with joy and gratitude, and then they bowed again.

Fangyan gave them a little help with a smile on his face.

It really doesn’t matter whether there is money or not. The most important thing is to bring a little warmth of the Eastern sun to cold and indifferent Japan.

Open the door, free trade...send warmth!

(End of this chapter)