Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 267: Your generation of children is no match for us

On the 60th day of the twelfth lunar month, when Zhang Chao and his family were looking for a house in Fuhai City with yuan in their pockets, Sun Yunxiao's interview was also published in the column of the New Yanjing News, with the title "Is the poison of "examination-oriented education" spreading through blood ties?"

[Question: "Professor Sun, you think Zhang Chao betrayed quality-oriented education because of the influence of his family. What prompted you to come to this conclusion?"]

[Answer: "I want to correct my statement here. It is not accurate to say that Zhang Chao betrayed quality-oriented education. From the composition tutorial book that his father is about to publish and his previous words and deeds, it can be proved that Zhang Chao accepted and recognized the exam-oriented education.

His father engraved his worship of exam-oriented education into his bones, so he said "firmly stand on the side of exam-oriented education". However, he was admitted to a top university with his writing talent, which is exactly the path of quality education.

So to be more precise, Zhang Chao himself is a "quality education speculator" who smashes the pot after eating. What qualifications does he have to scold others for being speculators? "】

[Question: "So you think Zhang Chao is not a good role model for young people?"]

[Answer: "Of course not. Zhang Chao is a believer in 'examination-oriented education' wrapped in the guise of 'quality-oriented education' and cannot represent the future development direction of Chinese youth and children.

Although his father's writing tutorial book has not been released yet and I haven't read the specific content, it generally follows the same pattern as other writing tutorial books on the market, which is to teach children how to take exams and how to use some tricks to win the favor of examiners.

Zhang Chao became a writer, but his father was still teaching other children to take exams. I can't say whether this behavior is "hypocritical", but it is definitely not sincere enough. 】

[Question: "Oh? It seems that you do not recommend parents and students to buy this book "I Teach My Son to Write Compositions"? "]

[Answer: "Of course I wouldn't suggest that. It's up to the market to decide. But I think parents and children should think clearly. Just reading the educational experience introduced by a writer's father will not make you a writer.

The biggest possibility is that you have learned a rigid writing routine in your mind, which has no effect on improving your creativity and writing quality. ”】

……

[Q: Last question, your reportage "Contest in Summer Camp" published in 1993 had a note that attracted people's attention when it was published: "The Japanese openly said that your generation of children is no match for us." Is this your point of view? If so, do you hold this view now?]

【Answer: First of all, I want to clarify that this comment is not my opinion, nor is it the opinion expressed in "The Competition in Summer Camp". I mainly want to convey my concerns about the quality of Chinese children through this reportage.

I can't believe that more than 10 years have passed and we are still chasing after the so-called youth idols who advocate "examination-oriented education". This makes me worried about China's future.

……

The content about Zhang Chao and his son actually accounts for a small proportion of the entire interview, but it is the most eye-catching part, and has even been distilled into the title.

Although the interview was not included in the "In-depth Reporting" column, Li Lie from the "In-depth Reporting Department" still knew about it and raised his doubts to the newspaper leaders - even if he had had unpleasant experiences with Zhang Chao before, there was no need to offend him to death.

However, the leader's answer was a few cold words: "Just do your own job well."

Li Lie could only shut up helplessly.

When Zhang Chao received the reminder call from Yanjing, he had already accompanied his parents to look at three houses. In this era, people did not have so many theoretical guidance on buying houses, and his parents thought every house they saw was good.

You know, in 2007, even the concept of "school district housing" was just beginning to take shape.

Although the "Compulsory Education Law" of 1986 stipulated that "local people's governments at all levels should reasonably set up primary schools and junior secondary schools so that children and teenagers can attend school nearby", commercial housing was not yet mature at that time, and the mobility of population and work was not that great, so there was no talk of "school district housing" planning.

In 2006, the newly revised "Compulsory Education Law" further emphasized the principle of "enrollment in the nearest school". Coupled with social and economic development, people suddenly realized that housing and children's education are closely related.

It was only since last year that “school district housing” became a focus factor in buying a house, but this is only the case in medium and large cities.

Changfu County is a small county with only three middle schools in the county. The teaching quality in junior high schools does not differ much, and admission to high schools is based on test scores, so there is generally no concept of "school district housing".

As a veteran, Zhang Chao had to do a good job of persuading his parents to buy a house, so he took them to look at a few more houses.

Finally, I decided to buy a house in a new building called "Gulou Courtyard". This building will be launched in two months and is now in the pre-sale stage. All the buildings in the building are small high-rise buildings with less than 2 floors, and the apartment sizes range from 10 to 80 square meters, with an average unit price of about 140 yuan.

It's just not very quiet. It's next to the Gulou Street business district, with heavy traffic and pedestrian flow. Even in the sales office, you can hear the voices of people and cars outside. For Zhang Chao's parents who have lived in a small county town for many years, it's a bit noisy.

They didn't quite understand why Zhang Chao liked the house here so much.

Zhang Chao patiently took the map and drew a circle with the community as the center. He told the parents that the community was surrounded by many famous schools in the province, such as Gulou Primary School, Provincial Government Kindergarten, and Fuhai No. 1 Middle School. If all goes well, the children can live here all the way to high school and don't even have to live on campus.

So after Zhang Chao asked someone to find out about the future school district of this community, he decided to buy the house here, and then emphasized to his parents: "When you buy a house on your own in the future, there are only three important things: location! location! location! Location! Location!
First, check the school district, which primary and secondary schools are nearby; second, check the transportation, whether it is convenient to get to the main units and companies in the city; third, check whether there are large supermarkets and shopping malls nearby. "

Seeing that his parents still didn't understand, Zhang Chao further explained: "You can't buy it with the idea of ​​'living in it yourself'. If you want to 'live in it yourself', of course you should choose a place with a good environment and quiet surroundings, and it would be best if you can go out to the riverside park for a walk. Because of my situation, you don't need to worry about your grandson's school problem.

So you have to buy with the mentality of a "tenant". The most stable tenants are civil servants, public institutions, state-owned enterprises, especially family tenants. They just hope that their children can go to a good school, they can work closer, and their daily life will be more convenient..."

After talking for a long time, Zhang Chao's parents finally nodded, not quite understanding. They were not stupid, but this way of thinking was too far away from their past life experience. At the same time, most people nowadays have not thought about what kind of super cycle of real estate that they are in, which is surging and growing wildly and lasts for 15 years.

Real estate advertising has even become the largest source of advertising revenue for the gradually declining print media.

The sales lady who was diligently introducing the property next to her was completely overshadowed by Zhang Chao. She didn't know why the family in front of her was so strange, and the one who made the decision was the son who looked "inexperienced and unreliable".

After waiting for Zhang Chao to finish, she said quickly: "The apartment types we are currently selling include an 89-square-meter livable apartment for a family of three, a 102-square-meter apartment for three generations living together, a 118-square-meter premium apartment, and a 138-square-meter apartment..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Chao interrupted him and asked, "If we buy two sets at once, is there a discount?"

After he finished speaking, even his parents were shocked. They quickly pulled Zhang Chao aside and whispered, "Why did you buy two more houses? The 60 yuan we have is not enough."

Zhang Chao said: "If it's for rent, a small apartment with three bedrooms and one living room of 89 square meters is the easiest to rent out. The location is so good here, so why not buy two. They are pre-selling now and don't charge full payment. When the official opening is in two months, Dad's second royalty will almost arrive.

Add to that the 20 I gave you before, and you haven’t spent much yet? If it’s not enough, just take it out and make up for it, it will definitely be enough! ”

After hearing this, Zhang Chao's parents felt relieved.

Zhang Chao pulled them back to the sales lady and said, "Two 89-square-meter apartments suitable for a family of three, full payment. You can pay the deposit first and the rest on the day of delivery. How much discount can you apply for?"

The sales lady looked at Zhang Chao's resolute decision and realized that this seemingly ordinary family actually had such unfathomable economic strength. Moreover, the most confident and capable person was the young man in front of her who was about the same age as her. She was immediately intoxicated...

Only after signing the contract and paying the money did Zhang Chao and his family of three leave the sales office of "Gulou Tingyuan".

Zhang Weiguo patted the briefcase containing the contract and several gift cards. Still feeling a little unreal, he asked, "This, these hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent just like that?"

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "The Education Press is a bit stingy. Dad's book will definitely sell well, and they won't lose anything if they directly advance 100 million royalties. If we just had 100 million, we could just buy 4 houses." His mother patted his arm and said angrily, "4 houses? That's scary! Why buy so many houses? It will cost a lot to renovate them later."

Zhang Chao said: "Don't worry about the decoration. Keep it simple, plain and elegant. Install the water, electricity and hardware well, so you don't have to repair it all day. When the time comes, the rent will be 200 or 300 cheaper than the market price, and it will be easy to rent.

The most important thing is stability, no fuss..."

The three chatted for a while, and finally a taxi came over. Zhang Chao stretched out his hand to stop it. The three got into the car, and the driver asked, "Boss, where are you going?"

Zhang Weiguo subconsciously said, "Go to Changfu..." But he was stopped by his son before he could finish.

Zhang Chao said: "Master, Juchun Garden."

Both parents were stunned, and the mother asked, "Why are you going there?"

Zhang Chao said, "It's already 12 o'clock now, and it's too late to cook. We might as well find a restaurant. Let's go to Juchunyuan to try something new. - Master, Juchunyuan, let's go."

The taxi driver made an "OK" gesture, and the red car drove to Juchunyuan, the most famous old restaurant in Fuhai and the birthplace of the legendary "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall".

The parents also fell silent, as if they suddenly understood their son's intention of taking them to buy a house and eat in restaurants recently.

As Zhang Chao embarked on the path of literature and became more famous, he spent less and less time at home. In the past two years, Zhang Chao could only stay at home for a few days during the Chinese New Year, and then he left in a hurry.

Yanjing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xi'an... Not enough for him to visit cities in China, he also went to Japan and the United States. Many times, as parents, they only knew about their son's whereabouts from TV and newspapers.

Of course, there is pride and satisfaction in his son's achievements, but is there also a sense of loss and worry?
Other children, who are 19 or 20 years old and still in college, can at least go home to spend time with their parents during the winter and summer vacations. Even if they work, since Fuhai's economy is not bad, most of them come back to find a job, get married and have children.

Whenever you want to see your parents, or when your parents want to see you, you can see them anytime.

But Zhang Chao is different. After taking the college entrance examination in 2004 and hurriedly boarding the plane to Yanjing, his life trajectory has gradually drifted away from home.

This time, Zhang Chao went directly back to Changfu's home from Guizhou and stayed there for a month, which was the longest time the family had spent together in more than two years. Zhang Chao seemed to be trying his best to make up for the lack of companionship in the past two years with his actions.

Whether it's working hard to sell books for his father, or taking his parents to buy a house, or going to a big restaurant with the family like now... Zhang Chao doesn't say it, but his thoughts are in his actions.

Soon, the car arrived at Juchun Garden. Juchun Garden was not renovated in 2007, and compared with other "Chinese time-honored brands", it seemed a bit old-fashioned. However, the couplet at the entrance, "Many crowns and hats gather, spring is full of wine cups", still showed its glorious history to the endless stream of diners.

It was near the Spring Festival, which was the busiest time here, and there were definitely no private rooms available, so Zhang Chao and his three companions had to find a seat in the hall.

When you come here, you must order Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Other hot dishes include stir-fried crispy pork, fried eel with fermented rice wine, lychee meat... Zhang Chao wanted to order more, but his mother interrupted him: "I can't eat these anymore, don't order anymore."

Zhang Chao then handed the menu back to the waiter. Zhang Weiguo looked at his son, hesitant to speak, and finally did not speak, but just patted Zhang Chao's hand.

In the middle of the meal, Zhang Chao went out to answer a phone call, and when he came back, his face was not very good. Zhang Weiguo was a little worried and asked, "What happened?"

Zhang Chao shook his head and said, "It's a small matter." He didn't say anything else, and Zhang Weiguo didn't ask any further questions.

Zhang Chao actually received a call from provincial TV station reporter Xiao Yajuan, who asked him if he had seen the latest edition of the New Yanjing News, which contained an exclusive interview with him.

Zhang Chao was busy accompanying his parents to buy a house most of the day, so he naturally didn't see it, so Xiao Yajuan recounted the general content. When Zhang Chao heard that the other party brought up the topic of his father, his originally calm mood suddenly became tense.

So when he returned to his seat, Zhang Chao's face looked a little unhappy. But the most important thing now was to accompany his parents, and other things had to be put aside. So he soon started chatting and laughing again.

During this period, Zhang Chao was discovered in the hall by a loyal reader who was also dining there. He took photos with the reader and asked for an autograph, but he firmly refused the reader's offer to pay for him.

One hour later, the family left Juchunyuan Hotel satisfied with their meal and drink.

Zhang Weiguo exclaimed: "It is worthy of being the birthplace of 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall'. The taste of this bowl is absolutely amazing."

Mother was still as frugal as ever, mumbling, "Isn't it similar to the 'Tan Shao Ba Wei' in our county? It just adds abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin and other things."

Zhang Chao suddenly laughed and said, "Why else would it always be the villain in food movies?"

His parents were confused, so Zhang Chao gave a brief explanation: "Because Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is so luxurious and delicious, in many food-themed TV shows and movies, in the final duel, the villains want to win by making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

In the end, they are often defeated by the protagonist's particularly simple and homely dish, and then everyone shows an incredible look, saying how could this be possible. But after tasting the protagonist's home-cooked dish, they feel that it is reasonable.

This is the case with Stephen Chow's "The God of Cookery". Buddha jumps over the wall is no match for a bowl of "Sad Rice" with barbecued pork and fried egg.

Both parents were very surprised why Zhang Chao suddenly said so much.

Zhang Chao suddenly smiled and asked his father, "Dad, do you think I am Buddha Jumps Over the Wall or a home-cooked dish?"

Zhang Weiguo was stunned, thought for a moment, and replied: "Whether it is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall or home-cooked food, the key is that there are people who are willing to eat it and think it is good. As for the value... Do you still remember Lu Xun's "Takingism"? "

Zhang Chao nodded.

Zhang Weiguo continued: "He possesses and selects. When he sees shark fins, he doesn't just throw them on the road to show that they are 'common'. As long as they are nutritious, he and his friends will eat them like radishes and cabbages, but he doesn't use them to entertain guests. When he sees opium, he doesn't throw it into the toilet in public to show that it is completely revolutionary. He only sends it to the pharmacy for medical treatment, but doesn't do the mystery of 'selling the cream in stock, and it will be sold out when it is sold out'.

So let alone a home-cooked dish, even if it is opium, as long as it is used in the right place, it can be a good medicinal ingredient. "

Zhang Chao said "hmm". At this time, a taxi came. Zhang Chao sent his parents to the car, but he did not get in. Instead, he said, "I'm going to the provincial TV station. You go back first. I'll be back after I finish my business, probably tonight or tomorrow."

His parents knew that Zhang Chao must have encountered some trouble, so they didn't say much and just told him to go home early.

They didn't wait for Zhang Chao to come home until dinner time - but they saw Zhang Chao on TV.

He was dressed in casual clothes, sitting in front of the reporter, and talking freely: "...Regarding this issue, I would like to remind the majority of parents and students that the book "I Teach My Son to Write Compositions" which is about to be released has been personally certified by Sun Yunxiao, an expert in "quality education", as a book that can be used to write essays for Chinese language exams. After learning the techniques in it, I believe it will not be a problem to get a high score in composition!"

Zhang Weiguo was stunned. What was going on?

The son continued, "As for the second question, I want to use that sentence to reply to Sun Yunxiao - 'The Japanese post-80s generation are no match for us!'"

(End of this chapter)