Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 391 You stay here, don’t move around
In the following period of time, Zhang Chao traveled to almost all large industrial parks in Shenzhen. Not only did he become more and more integrated into the environment, he was even so "socially successful" that he could even treat people to dinner and karaoke.

So much so that a rumor began to spread in every industrial park: a slacker screwdriver won the first prize in the lottery, and he didn't work, but only treated people!

One day at the end of May, he came to a science and technology park in Longhua, where the country's largest electronics manufacturing factory, Foxconn, is located.

As a company from Taiwan, no matter how much controversy it later caused, at least in 2008, it was still the "chosen place" in the dreams of many workers.

At this time, Foxconn was at its peak - the Longhua plant alone had more than 20 employees. The plant had a bank, supermarket, gymnasium, cinema, gymnasium, swimming pool... It was almost like a small society.

Although Foxconn employees can meet their daily necessities without leaving home, this factory with everything they need lacks a little bit of "human touch".

Therefore, there are still employees, especially young employees, who will "spill over" to the surrounding communities to play and consume in the evenings and on holidays.

Zhang Chao had messy, unkempt hair, and wore a floral T-shirt, jeans, flip-flops, and a pair of light brown sunglasses. He looked no different from the other workers here.

He now also has a way of "struggling with people" - usually at mealtime, he finds a food stall near the factory that has the most people, the kind that requires a queue, and when he sees a table with only two or three people sitting there, he sits down in the empty seat.

Then he asked the other party if they could share a table, and if so, he would pay for the entire table.

Although there are occasional rejections by vigilant co-workers, most of the time people are still willing to take advantage of small bargains, and there is nothing wrong with doing so if someone pays for it.

When Zhang Chao orders a few "hard dishes" and serves a few bottles of beer to everyone, the others at the table will soon become "good brothers". (This method is true... but don't use it blindly... times have changed)

Just like now, sitting opposite him are three young men from Jieyang, two of them are shirtless with flushed cheeks, obviously they are already in the mood.

The other young man seemed much more reserved. He looked less than 20 years old, with a young face and a thin, triangle-shaped head supported by a slender neck. His eyes were always dodging, only occasionally glancing at Zhang Chao, with a look of curiosity and nervousness.

A person treated strangers to a "meal" worth hundreds of dollars just to share a table; he didn't drink, but ordered a whole box of Tsingtao pure draft beer.

This kind of person is either a fool or has other intentions - Zhang Chao certainly doesn't look stupid.

But the two shirtless young men who were drinking happily didn't care - they had no property and most of their wages had been sent back home. The little left was enough for an occasional pack of the cheapest cigarettes and to have a bite to eat with friends at the food stalls every week.

Even if this stranger got himself drunk, what would he get? Tie them up and send them to work in another factory?
So I just let go and drank to my heart's content.

One of them said drunkenly, "Oh my goodness! Did you win the lottery? You can even treat everyone to fish and beer at the shared table!"

Then he changed to plastic Mandarin and said, "I'm telling you, I've been screwing screws at Foxconn for three years, and I've never seen a big hose like yours! Drink! Drink!"

As he spoke, he filled the paper cup in front of Zhang Chao with wine. Regardless of whether Zhang Chao drank it or not, he drank it all in one gulp. The wine leaked from the corners of his mouth and flowed down his neck to his chest.

Another shirtless young man was obviously also high. He tapped the rim of the bowl with chopsticks and sang drunkenly: "The waves are rushing, the waves are flowing~~~~Burp~~" He was interrupted by a burp just as he started the tune.

But he didn't care, and immediately confided in Zhang Chao: "Hey, Boss Zhang, let me tell you something! Last month, that line leader... burp...deducted 300 yuan from me for perfect attendance!

After I finish this box of wine, I will go home tonight and pull out the valve core of his Toyota car!"

Then he suddenly said with a sly smile: "Handsome boy, are you in plain clothes? Checking out the shady factory? Let me tell you something - a few days ago, there was a loser in our workshop..."

Before he could finish his words, another guy covered his mouth - he looked like he had suddenly woken up, and turned to Zhang Chao and said with a smile: "He is drunk and talking in his sleep! Don't take it to heart."

Zhang Chao didn't care. He didn't need any inside news or anything like that. What he wanted to do mainly was to observe the mental state of this group of people and understand the details of their lives.

He said to the young man who was silent, refused to get shirtless, and refused to drink, "Why don't you drink?"

The young man didn't expect that he would be suddenly called out by Zhang Chao. He was startled and said hesitantly, "I... I don't drink. Leave me alone."

The young man who was covered by his mouth also sobered up a little at this time, and said with a smile: "Xiao Xu is a 'cultured person' among us, he is polite and doesn't drink, don't bother him."

Then he poured himself another glass of wine, made a move towards Zhang Chaoxu, and drank it in one gulp.

They didn't care whether Zhang Chao drank or not. Instead, they hoped that Zhang Chao would not drink at all so that they could drink a few more sips.

This is "Tsingtao Pure Draft". Usually at dinner parties, I only dare to look at it through the glass of the freezer and drool, but I don't dare to order it.

The drinking session ended at almost 8 o'clock. The table was already a mess of cups and plates. Two shirtless guys were already lying on the table, talking drunkenly and mumbling incoherently.

Zhang Chao stood up and went to the counter to pay the bill, which was only over 200 yuan. He put away his wallet and walked out, only to see one of the guys who had been lying on the ground suddenly half-sitting up and saying to Zhang Chao: "... Handsome boy, from now on, when you are around Foxconn, as long as you mention my name, there will be nothing I can't handle..."

Zhang Chao couldn't hear what was said afterwards, nor was he interested in hearing it clearly. He said to "Xiao Xu" who hadn't drunk, "Take good care of them. I'm leaving first!"

After saying that, he left the food stall without looking back.

As a result, before I walked halfway down the street, I heard someone behind me gasping, "Wait... wait a minute."

Zhang Chao turned around and found it was "Xiao Xu". He couldn't help but wonder: "What are you doing here? Your two are still drunk. It's a bit dangerous without anyone to take care of them."

"Xiao Xu" blushed and said hesitantly, "They weren't actually drunk. They sobered up as soon as you left and are packing up the leftovers."

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "You pretended to be drunk just now because you were afraid that I wouldn't pay the bill, right? What do you want?"

"Xiao Xu" was stunned for a moment, and as if he mustered up great courage, he said to Zhang Chao: "Wait for me for a while, okay? Ten... No, five minutes."

Zhang Chao looked at the anxious and helpless look in the eyes of his peer, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you on the side of the road."

"Xiao Xu" was obviously relieved after hearing this, and said to Zhang Chao: "Okay, you stay here and don't move. I'll be back soon, thank you!"

After saying that, he turned around, trotted a few steps and disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did Zhang Chao react, what did “stay here and don’t move” mean? I’m just waiting for you, why are you taking advantage of me?

It was already very hot in Shenzhen at this time. The whole street was filled with barbecue smoke and noisy noises. The whole block was like a pot of boiling water, bubbling restlessly.

Zhang Chao only stood on the street for a short while before his T-shirt was soaked with sweat. He looked around but didn't see "Xiao Xu". He started to hesitate: "Could this be a trick on me?"

After a while, he thought again: "Could it be that they saw me as a sucker and found a few people to let me treat them to a meal?"

I also felt that "Xiao Xu" didn't seem like that kind of person, so I thought, "Will he bring an old man or woman and kneel down in front of me, saying that he has a terminal illness and wants to borrow money from me?"

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Zhang Chao felt that the reason he had to stay and wait for him must be because of money.

It’s not that he felt sorry for the money - even if he was sent to the United States for the most advanced treatment, he could afford it.

But the current scene is too inappropriate.

Zhang Chao touched the wallet in his pocket. During this period, he always carried 1000 yuan in cash when he went out, no more, no less. He didn't have any other things like ID cards or bank cards, and his wallet was made of the cheapest canvas.

However, his wild thoughts did not last long. "Xiao Xu" came out of the crowd with sweat all over his forehead. Seeing that Zhang Chao was still there, the anxious expression on his face relaxed.

He handed Zhang Chao a thick piece of cardboard. Zhang Chao took it and found that it was an opened cigarette box with a few short lines of words written on it in blue ballpoint pen:

They said
This machinery factory is filled with the sweat and blood of so many workers.
Wandering among them, I often hear their clumsy conversations

They said, I haven't been home for three years.
They said, my hometown is in Henan, Sichuan, Hainan, Guangxi...

They said, when we save enough money, I will go home with my girlfriend and have a baby.

They said, according to the years, my son should be nine years old this year.
……

I'm like an eavesdropper, writing down what they say in the corner
Every word is bright red, then spreads and fades

The paper and pen in my hand fell to the ground with a thud.

They said...] After reading it, Zhang Chao's heart trembled. He looked up at the young man with a thin neck and a thin head like an inverted triangle, and asked, "Your last name is Xu? What's your name?"

"Xiao Xu" lowered his head shyly and whispered: "My name is Xu Lizhi."

This name struck Zhang Chao's mind like a thunderbolt, opening his memory: Xu Lizhi, a migrant poet, worked on the assembly line at Foxconn for several years, but in the end...

Even Zhang Chao, who had met many "celebrities" after his rebirth, felt a little excited at this moment.

Although Xu Lizhi is not very famous, he may leave his mark in the history of Chinese poetry and even literature in the future.

The lack of the two major themes of "modern cities" and "modern industries" in contemporary Chinese literature is often criticized, but Xu Lizhi's poetry fills the gap to some extent.

His poems may not be the best, but they have a kind of gloom, helplessness, and even despair that makes it difficult for people to remain calm.

In particular, Xu Lizhi finally chose the same path as poets such as Haizi, which instantly elevated his poetry to another level.

——But Zhang Chao doesn’t like this kind of sublimation.

Xu Lizhi looked into Zhang Chao's eyes nervously. Seeing that Zhang Chao remained silent for a long time, he asked in a disappointed tone, "Is it not well written?"

Zhang Chao shook his head and said, "It's not bad - why are you showing me these?"

Xu Lizhi's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "You are Zhang Chao, right? I've seen you in a magazine."

Although most Shenzhen people are money-oriented, it does not prevent some literary and artistic young people from paying attention to him, especially young people like Xu Lizhi who are four or five years younger than Zhang Chao. There are also people who have regarded Zhang Chao as their idol since their youth.

Of course, Zhang Chao wasn't bored enough to deny it, but he just nodded slightly and said, "It's me. Actually, you write good poems - is that all you have?"

Hearing Zhang Chao's affirmation, Xu Lizhi's eyes brightened a little, but he became embarrassed again after hearing Zhang Chao's words. After a long while, he said embarrassedly: "Yes, but they are all in the dormitory, which is... not very convenient."

Even if it was convenient, Zhang Chao would not go to Foxconn's employee dormitory to discuss poetry with him, otherwise he and Xu Lizhi would easily be treated as monkeys and watched by the crowd.

He said to Xu Lizhi, "Why don't you go back to the dormitory to get it? Let's go somewhere else to talk. Meet me in the parking lot of Longyuan Hotel later. Do you know where it is?"

Longyuan Hotel is a relatively famous hotel here. Xu Lizhi certainly knew it. He nodded repeatedly and then ran towards the dormitory like a flash.

The young, thin back twisted like a stubborn dogtail grass swaying in the wind.

Twenty minutes later, Xu Lizhi sat breathlessly on the passenger seat of Zhang Chao's car, carrying a small bag. He didn't dare to lean his back on the seat back, nor did he dare to touch anything with his hands.

Zhang Chao sighed inwardly but did not say anything. He started the car and drove to a nearby commercial district with fewer people. He found a relatively quiet milk tea shop and sat down in a secluded corner.

After taking a sip of pearl milk tea, the sweet taste eased Xu Lizhi's nervousness. He took out a stack of crumpled manuscript paper from his bag, handed it to Zhang Chao, and said a little embarrassedly: "I just started writing poetry recently, and I'm not very good at it..."

Zhang Chao said nothing, but took the manuscript and started reading:
【Save
Except for an early autumn rain of tears
Whatever can be saved, save it

Materials must be saved, money must be saved
Save despair, save sadness

Loneliness needs to be saved, loneliness needs to be saved

...]

Zhang Chao was a little surprised that this poem was not the "industrial poem" or "factory poem" that people later knew. The next poem was about the countryside and the factory.

My granary

There is a hungry granary growing inside me
It lacks the necessary fullness of blood
My bones are in this barren land

……

Factories scattered across the wilderness

The wilderness is covered with my capillaries

This trickle of water feeds the processing industry in the south of the motherland day and night
My skin is cracking.
The rice fields above my head withered in the autumn wind.

……

There are more than 10 poems in total, many of which have traces of alteration, showing the effort Xu Lizhi put into them. Some of them can also be clearly seen as traces of imitation, and some are quite childish.

Although we haven't seen his "famous works" such as "I Talked about Blood" and "I Swallowed an Iron Moon..." written in his mature stage, the emergence of an extremely talented poet has begun to emerge.

Zhang Chao put down the manuscript with emotion and asked, "Have you ever submitted manuscripts to magazines like Poetry Magazine, Stars, and Yangtze River?"

Xu Lizhi waved his hands in fear and said, "It's not good, so I don't dare to submit it. I have bought both Poetry Magazine and Stars, but I feel that what I wrote is still a long way from being as good as the ones listed."

Zhang Chao smiled and said: "It is still a long way from being an 'excellent work', so what about something that is not excellent?"

Xu Lizhi fell silent, lowered his head, and became shy again.

How can a poet, no matter how shabby he looks, not have his own aesthetic standards and almost stubborn pride in his heart?

Every old magazine has a lot of "favored articles" and "commissioned articles" that have to be published. In some years, the concentration is even too high - Zhang Chao once insisted on subscribing to People's Literature for nearly 10 years in his previous life, but he was so irritated that he stopped subscribing.

Xu Lizhi, who is only 19 years old, is indeed not mature enough, and the poems he writes are not perfect, but it is an indisputable fact that they are better than some works published in professional poetry magazines.

If he had a father who was a world-famous writer, not only would he not have to work on the assembly line at Foxconn, he would probably have been a nationally renowned "young genius poet".

Of course, fate is fair - it gave Xu Lizhi poetic talent, but also brought him suffering. Some people have smooth sailing and are crowned as "poets", but unfortunately they are not very good at writing poetry.

Zhang Chao pondered for a while and asked, "If it's not published in a professional poetry magazine, would you be willing?"

Xu Lizhi was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Zhang Chao to ask him this. Of course, he didn't doubt whether Zhang Chao had the ability, but happiness came too quickly and he couldn't digest it for a while.

After a long while, he nodded like a chicken pecking at rice and said, "Okay, it doesn't matter where you post it."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "I can't guarantee other places, but I can still say something about Youth."

Xu Lizhi rubbed his hands nervously and asked, "Youth? I bought it too, but it seems to be novels and essays. Is there also a poetry section?"

Zhang Chao said, "If there isn't one, then create one. What's so difficult about that? But I don't want to publish your poems in the Youth Magazine."

Xu Lizhi was stunned again: "Which book is that?"

Zhang Chao looked at the manuscript again, and then said, "I think a more suitable place for them is the Youth Non-fiction, which has just been published for half a year. These poems of yours are very documentary, and are completely excellent works of 'non-fiction'."

Xu Lizhi certainly had no objection. Whether it was the Youth Magazine, or Youth·Daguan and Youth·Non-fiction, they were all top-selling and influential literary magazines in China. Publishing a work on them was like having one foot on the road to literature.

However, he still had a small question, but he didn't dare to ask it out loud. However, Zhang Chao saw his hesitation and understood it clearly, and said, "We will not treat you unfairly in terms of remuneration. Youth has always paid according to the highest standards in the country.

But we used to collect very few poems, so I don’t really know—so, I’ll ask the editor to find out how much Poetry Magazine charges, and then I’ll order it for you, okay?”

After hearing this, Xu Lizhi blushed for a while, then whispered: "Sure, no rush... Thank you!"

Half an hour later, Zhang Chao drove him to the gate of Foxconn dormitory area and watched him walk into the gate and his figure melt into the crowd.

Zhang Chao sat in the car for a while, not knowing what he was thinking, until the security guard came over to ask him, then he came to his senses and drove back home.

With the chance encounter with Xu Lizhi, Zhang Chao's idea for the novel "Letter from a Stranger Girl" was finally complete.

(End of this chapter)