Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 148 Experience Grassroots Life

Zhang Chao and Song Jia stayed in Sanya for another two days until November 2, when one flew back to Yanjing and the other flew back to Harbin.

In November in Yanjing, the weather has not yet completely cooled down and is at the end of the "clear and crisp autumn" season.

However, Zhang Chao, who had just got off the plane, felt the autumn wind blowing on his head and the sun shining on him, and he felt his feet trembling a little. He thought it must be because he had not yet adjusted to the time difference. After all, it was 2: in the morning Iowa time.

But there was no time for him to adjust to the jet lag, so he quickly took the IWP and went to both schools to cancel his leave.

Zhang Chao is facing a special situation this semester - although they will graduate next year, students in the writer class do not need internships because they already have professional identities, unlike ordinary college students.

However, students in Yanshi University's "Writer Graduate Class" need to "experience life", that is, go to various grassroots units, observe grassroots workers, record their work details, and even participate in part of their work content.

It starts at the end of September, lasts for 9 months and ends in early January.

During this period, not only do you have to submit observation reports regularly, but you also have to refine these contents into literary works, such as reportage, novels, essays, or scripts. Your grades for this semester will depend on these works.

These grassroots units include middle schools, hospitals, police stations, factories, department stores, post offices... There are about twenty of them, some in Yanjing, and some farther away in Hebei, Tianjin, and Shandong.

The farthest unit that can be chosen is a forest farm in Lesser Khingan Mountains in Northeast China.

When Zhang Chao came back, his classmates had already been working at the grassroots level for almost two months.

Yu Hua asked Zhang Chao: "Your three-month experience in Iowa, although not at all 'grassroots', can be considered 'experience life'. So you just need to organize your experiences during this period and turn them into a work."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chao asked, "Teacher Yu, if I participate now, is it too late?"

Yu Hua was surprised and asked, "Do you still want to participate?"

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "I still cherish such opportunities. Although these few months in Iowa have been fulfilling. But you have also been there. It was just an 'experience of being a writer'. It did not exceed the scope of my existing life experience. It was just refined a little more purely. It was not particularly helpful to my creation.

Although this 'life experience' organized by our school only lasts for a little over a month, I still want to give it a try."

Yu Hua smiled gratifiedly and said, "It's a good idea that you have. Which unit do you want to go to?"

Zhang Chao asked, "I won't go to places where other students have already gone."

Yu Hua flipped through a list and looked at it, then said to Zhang Chao, "The other places no one has gone to are the Doufu Hutong Police Station in Yanjing, the No. 33 Middle School, and the Tractor Factory in Tianjin."

This time it was Zhang Chao's turn to be surprised. He asked, "Is everyone unwilling to stay in Yanjing? Who went to the Xiaoxing'anling Forest Farm?"

Yu Hua smiled and said, "Most of the students are not from Yanjing. So the units on the list that are close to them were picked up early. Lei Pingyang from Yunnan took the initiative to ask to go to Xiaoxing'anling. He said he wanted to experience a completely unfamiliar journey."

Zhang Chao also laughed and said, "Lao Lei is indeed a poet." Then he asked, "What about Yongxian? He is filming with the crew. How do you deal with it?"

Yu Hua said: "He also had a way. He found an old factory in Harbin and agreed to let him experience life in the front-line workshop. It was only half an hour's drive from his film set. He ran back and forth. The school considered it for a long time and finally agreed.

After all, we are not here to block anyone. It is OK as long as his observation report is not false. "

Zhang Chao said, "It's good that it can be solved. I was worried that he would drop out of school because of this. That would be a pity." Yu Hua asked again, "What do you think? Which one do you choose?"

Zhang Chao said, "I won't go to middle school. My dad is a teacher, and I was in high school last year. I've been in school long enough. I can write an observation report with my eyes closed. I'd better go to the police station."

Yu Hua said, "Okay. I'll go to the Employment Guidance Center to get you a letter of introduction, and you can report the day after tomorrow. When you get to the police station, listen more, watch more, ask more, talk less, do less, and when necessary, make yourself invisible so as not to affect other people's work."

Zhang Chao said: "I understand!"

After completing the formalities, Zhang Chao went back to his home in the East Courtyard of Beida Street to have a good sleep. The next day, he drove to the company in Panjiayuan.

As the business expanded, both houses were already overcrowded, and Zhang Chao thought he would be forced to buy a house again. This time he might have to find a spot in one go.

Huang Jiefu has already flown to Japan to discuss the "Your Name" animated film with Kadokawa Leyu, but there is still one more person in the house - Xu Ruiya.

Although she was not an employee, Xu Ruiya had already occupied a position here, right next to Ma Boyong. Zhang Chao finally understood why she could translate so quickly...

All day long, Zhang Chao dealt with various issues that had accumulated since March and had to be resolved face to face, and before he knew it, it was dark.

When he looked at the time, it was exactly 6 o'clock in the evening. Zhang Chao said to all the staff, "Don't work overtime today. I will treat you all to a meal. I was not in Yanjing during the beginning of autumn this year, so I didn't invite you all to gain weight in the autumn. Now that the weather is cooler, let's go have some hot pot together."

There was a burst of cheers in the office.

On November 11, Zhang Chao reported to Doufu Hutong Police Station with a letter of introduction from Yanshi University. Doufu Hutong is located in Dongcheng District, below the Bell and Drum Tower. The area under its jurisdiction is less than 21 square kilometers. It is a residential area dominated by dilapidated bungalows, with more than 2 alleys alone.

When his BMW stopped at the door, it stood out among the Jettas, Xiali and old Yanjing Jeeps.

Seeing a young man in his early 20s coming out of the car, Director Xia Dengming came out to greet him, shook hands with Zhang Chao enthusiastically and said, "You are Zhang Chao, right? You are a great writer at such a young age. My daughter is also a fan of your books!"

Zhang Chao thanked him repeatedly and said, "You can just call me Xiao Zhang."

The two arrived at the director's office, Zhang Chao took out the letter of introduction and completed the registration procedures.

While Director Xia was showing Zhang Chao around the institute, he slowly explained the institute's systems and regulations, which places he could go, which places he had to apply for and be accompanied by someone, and which places he could not go.

Tofu Hutong is not big, just a two-story building, and it didn't take long to tour it.

Director Xia pointed to the BMW parked in the inner parking space of the yard and said to Zhang Chao gently: "I just have a small hope. You'd better change to a more ordinary car and park it here tomorrow."

Zhang Chao was surprised and asked, "Is there any particular reason for this?"

At this time, a woman with big curly hair and thick foundation walked into the hall with a step that didn't recognize anyone. As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice was piercing: "Wow, you drive a BMW. How many dollars do you earn in salary? How much dirty money did you take to afford this!

"No wonder you refused to help me catch that bastard! I'm going to sue you in court!"

Director Xia smiled bitterly and said, "Look, this is the reason. Most of the residents in our area are ordinary people living in old alleys, and their economic conditions are generally average. Many people feel uncomfortable when seeing a car like this parked in the yard."

(End of this chapter)