Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 435 WEI IS THE WAY!

Unlike the pleasure David Miller felt when reading, Zhu Yanling was a little confused when looking at the "Running for Governor" in her hand.

For her, both "non-binary youth" and American election culture are unfamiliar areas.

There is certainly nothing wrong with understanding it literally, but such understanding is too superficial - just like she knows that racial discrimination exists in the United States, but it is difficult for her to feel the social and cultural changes from the term "non-binary gender".

So she also doubted whether Chinese readers could understand the novel written by Zhang Chao.

But as an editor and chief planner of the Chinese edition of Zhang Chao's short story collection "A Joke", she has an obligation to make herself understand what the novel is about.

So she thought about it and called a scholar she knew at Sun Yat-sen University, asking her to come to the Huacheng Society's office to interpret these words full of American characteristics for her.

At this stage, her focus is on what happens to "Wei Laosan" after he returns to the group of "Chinese in the United States."

This part of the description made Zhu Yanling certain that Zhang Chao was actually writing a Chinese story.

[…Wei Laosan’s world is separated from the deafening noise caused by him by a thick wall called “language” and “survival”.

He huddled in a makeshift shed at a construction site that was even more remote and dilapidated than before. The air was filled with the smell of cheap tobacco, sweat, and damp cement. Like an ant on a hot pot, Lao Wang paced back and forth in the narrow space, cursing in his mouth, half in dialect and half in stiff English words.

"Lao San! Wei Lao San! You've caused a big mess!" Lao Wang almost poked Wei Lao San's face with a smartphone with a broken screen. On the screen, the candidate Martha Brighton was giving a passionate speech at the door of the bar. Behind her was Wei Lao San's face, which was magnified countless times and looked terrified. Lao Wang's fingers trembled as he tapped the screen: "Look! This foreign woman! And this! This! This!" He swiped frantically, and Thomas Riggs, Aamir Khan, Logan Pierce flashed on the screen... Next to or behind every politician's face, there was Wei Lao San's iconic blurred image, like a universal political background board.

Wei Laosan looked on blankly. The mouths of those people on the screen opened and closed, their expressions were either excited or sad, and their voices chattered like birds. He could only catch a few vague syllables, such as his own name being mentioned repeatedly ("Wei Laosan"), and the only sentence he could hear clearly, which was chanted repeatedly in various tones - "Free...dom...good". This made him even more confused. His fellow villagers did teach him this phrase, saying it was a "good word" and could be used when someone asked a question with a smile. But why were these people repeating it like chanting a mantra? Why was his face placed next to them?

"They are... calling my name?" Wei Laosan asked hesitantly, his voice still a little hoarse from the previous shock and lack of water.

"Bullshit! They are using you as a weapon! They are worshipping you as a Buddha! They are offering you as an ancestor!" Lao Wang was so anxious that he slapped his thigh. "You are famous! The whole United States... No, the whole world knows you! Because of what you did last night!"

Wei Laosan tried hard to recall last night. The chaotic lights, the harsh noise, the fist as big as a clay pot, the strong smell of perfume, the "strange bird" with a strange thing on its head... and the "Nao Prapuram" that he couldn't shout out in his throat, and finally squeezed out a fatal "cluck" sound... and when he just wanted to get away quickly, he said that "dealing word" to the reporter who came up to him... How did all these chaotic fragments of memory have to do with the big men on the screen wearing suits and ties and speaking on the big stage? He just wanted to find something to eat, and then he wouldn't be found out by the foreman and have his wages deducted.

"Being famous...is not good?" Wei Laosan understood with difficulty. In China, being famous is a good thing, and you can make money. But Lao Wang's expression told him that being famous here seemed to mean huge trouble.

"What a jerk!" Lao Wang lowered his voice, as if afraid of being monitored by something in the air. "You came here in secret! You have no identity! Do you understand? The police, the immigration bureau! They are looking for you everywhere now! The higher those big shots praise you, the harder you will fall! They use you as a flag to wave, and after they're done waving, the first person they'll catch will be flagpoles like you who have no identity!"

Fear, colder and more powerful than the one he felt when facing the fist of the strong man last night, instantly seized Wei Laosan. Police! Immigration Bureau! Take away! Deport! These words were like cold iron chains wrapped around his neck. He thought of those who were deported from his hometown, who lost everything and were in debt, and who were stabbed in the back when they came back. He came out to renovate the dilapidated old house at home and save some money for his son to marry a wife, not to stay in a foreign prison and be thrown back!

"Brother Wang...what should we do?" Wei Laosan's voice trembled.

Lao Wang scratched his greasy hair in annoyance. "What else can I do? Hide! You can't stay here anymore! I found you a more remote construction site, behind the scrapyard in the north. The conditions are worse, the wages are lower, but there are fewer people! You keep your tail between your legs and don't show up again! Don't look at your phone! If a stranger approaches, run away! Do you hear me?"

Wei Laosan nodded vigorously, as if grasping at a life-saving straw. The wages were lower, so long as he could avoid the police. He touched his flat stomach, and the cold porridge from last night had long been consumed. The feeling of hunger was like countless little claws scratching his stomach wall.

At this moment, the thin wooden door of the shed was pushed open a crack, and a young worker poked his head in with a strange expression of excitement and awe on his face. The screen of the mobile phone in his hand was dazzlingly bright: "Brother Wang! Third Brother! Look! Third Brother is on TV! Big TV! News channel!"

Lao Wang turned pale and rushed over to cover his mouth: "Keep your voice down! What the hell are you looking at! Get out!"

But it was too late. Wei Laosan subconsciously glanced at the phone screen. With just one glance, he was nailed to the spot.

It was a huge, magnificent studio. On the big screen next to the host, there was a close-up of him captured by Catherine's camera at the entrance of the alley last night - that face full of fear, fatigue and confusion was now magnified to an extremely large size, occupying the entire background. Next to the host sat an old man with gray hair, gold-rimmed glasses, and who looked extremely knowledgeable (subtitle: famous sociologist, retired professor of Princeton University, Dr. Elliott Stone). 】

Seeing this, Zhu Yanling finally entered the field she was familiar with.

Zhang Chao's description of "Wei Laosan", "Lao Wang" and "co-workers" in this part of the novel is still meticulous and detailed.

The bewilderment and fear of "Wei Laosan", the panic and snobbery of "Lao Wang", and the gloating of "co-workers" are all unfolded one by one in Zhang Chao's writing.

Especially in the case of "Wei Laosan", the humiliation of being oppressed and exploited by "Lao Wang" coexists with the admiration of him by the outside world, forming a sharp contrast.

Reading this as a Chinese, I feel a sense of bitter absurdity.

"It is said that in Japan and the United States, the Chinese are the most cruel to the Chinese. It seems that Zhang Chao also knows this? Oh, he is from Fuhai, where there are many overseas Chinese. No wonder..."

As Zhu Yanling read, she formed an interpretation of the theme of the article "Running for Governor" in her mind:

Through the absurd experience of the protagonist "Wei Laosan", the film reveals the fate of "Chinese illegal workers" in the United States and the oppression among their compatriots.

This can shatter the "American Dream" for many people.

David Miller, who was far away in the United States, was different. He was completely fascinated by "Lao Wang" - this rude, barbaric, and snobbish man could actually expose the purpose of politicians touting "Wei Laosan" with just one sentence -

"They're using you as a flag to wave. When they're done waving it, the first people they'll catch will be flagpoles like you who have no status!"

This sentence is so exquisite and contains amazing political insights. It easily peels off the noisy surface of this "accident" and goes straight to the core.

David Miller found it hard to believe that such a perspective could exist in such a villain who made a living by exploiting his compatriots, so much so that he even doubted the sentiment of "Lao Wang"'s subsequent words - perhaps, he was really protecting "Wei Laosan"?
However, his attention was soon attracted by the speech of "Dr. Elliott Stone":
[Dr. Stone is facing the camera, analyzing in a slow, deep, and authoritative tone:

"…Therefore, Mr. Wei's 'chuckle' is by no means a simple aphasia. It is a highly condensed symbol! It dissolves the language hegemony on which the oppressor relies to establish his authority! When he refuses to communicate in the oppressor's language - even if he objectively cannot. When he chooses this primitive, pre-linguistic way of speaking, he is actually carrying out a thorough resistance that is subordinate to human instinct! This is an existentialist declaration -

In the sound of "chuckle", he declared the absolute independence of self-subjectivity and the invalidity of any labels and definitions imposed on it! This is the most powerful counterattack against "othering"! It is the thunder of the silent! And his "Freedom good"... Friends, this is more worth pondering. Please pay attention to his broken intonation and slightly shy tone.

This is not a slogan, but a cautious test, a simple confirmation and weak call for basic human values ​​under heavy pressure. It is not grand, but it is more real and precious. Wei Laosan, the "amateur saint" from the East, has re-established a coordinate worth looking forward to for our confused era with his unconscious actions and words!
WEI IS THE WAY! (Wei is the way)"

...]

"What the hell?!"

"What's the Fu..."

Seeing this, Zhu Yanling and David Miller couldn't help but complain together across the Pacific Ocean.

This "Dr. Elliott Stone" pushed the absurdity of the novel to its first climax.

A few meaningless utterances and a stammered "Freedom is good" from a foreign worker who didn't even speak English were unexpectedly interpreted to have such rich connotations.

Is Zhang Chao crazy, or is the future of America really crazy?

At least for now, in November 2008, even though Americans elected a dark-skinned man as their top leader, the overall political atmosphere was not fanatical.

In fact, although many black groups called on their compatriots to vote for him, they were very dissatisfied with him.

He doesn't wear dreadlocks, has no tattoos, doesn't listen to hip-hop, doesn't participate in the black civil rights movement, doesn't engage in street fights, has never been to jail, and even refuses to make any valuable political commitments to black civil rights groups.

This is why David Miller thinks it is a blessing that the United States is gradually moving from a society dominated by conservative white elite culture to a multicultural society.

Everything is developing in an orderly and controllable manner, and the extent of social change is moderate and low-key.

Maybe Zhang Chao misjudged the situation, so he is so pessimistic?
David Miller frowned and continued reading——

[Wei Laosan didn't understand those long sentences. But he stared at his huge face on the screen, which was illuminated by countless lights. Under the scholar's calm analysis, that face seemed so strange, so distant, like a statue of a god from another world. He saw the fear in his eyes, saw his confusion, and saw his embarrassment of wanting only to run away.

A violent cramp hit his stomach, and the feeling of hunger mixed with a deeper, indescribable sense of absurdity and coldness made him bend over uncontrollably and let out a real, painful dry heave.

"Uh... ugh..."

The sound was unusually clear in the small shed.

Outside the door, the young worker holding up his cell phone excitedly whispered, "Listen! The Third Brother has spoken!"

Lao Wang slapped him in the face, then snatched the phone and deleted all the videos and photos in it.

Wei Laosan curled up on the cold bed, listening to the faint discussions outside the door, and felt that the wall that isolated the noise was being drilled through inch by inch by countless pairs of fanatical hands. The hollow echo in his stomach was closer to his only reality at the moment than any "gurgling" sound or "Freedom good". The neon lights outside the window were projecting giant messages of "Looking for Wei Laosan", "WEI IS THE WAY!" and "Freedom Good" into the deep night sky of California. 】

After reading this, Zhu Yanling heard a voice in her ear: "Editor Zhu, are you so fascinated by it?"

Zhu Yanling looked up and saw that it was her best friend Liang Dandan, who taught "Comparative Literature" in the Chinese Department of CUHK.

Liang Dandan studied abroad in her early years and has excellent English. Recently, she has been doing research at Harvard University in the United States for several years as an exchange scholar. She has a relatively deep understanding of American culture and politics. The two long-separated experiences of studying in the United States have also allowed her to have very specific and direct observations and feelings about the changes in American society and culture.

Zhu Yanling asked in surprise: "Why did you come so quickly?"

Liang Dandan said: "I don't have classes this afternoon. I took a taxi here after receiving your call."

Zhongda and Huachengshe are both located in the main urban area of ​​Guangzhou. If the traffic is not congested, it will only take about ten minutes by taxi to get there.

Liang Dandan said: "Quick, show me Zhang Chao's manuscript!"

Zhu Yanling immediately handed the copy in her hand to Liang Dandan and said, "Let me show it to you first - I haven't finished reading it yet. The part about American culture is a bit difficult to read. I have to search for information on the Internet for a while, otherwise I can't continue reading.

What I am most uncertain about now is whether the details Zhang Chao wrote about the United States are correct or not. "

Liang Dandan did not answer Zhu Yanling's question, but quickly immersed herself in the novel.

Zhu Yanling looked at her best friend nervously and decided not to print another copy, but waited for Liang Dandan to finish reading it.

After a long while, Liang Dandan raised the manuscript in her hand—she had already read half of it—and said to Zhu Yanling, "No wonder you came to me. At first I thought you were showing off to me that you got Zhang Chao's new novel!

This book "Running for Governor" does have too many unique details about American culture, and I think it's not enough to just tell you about it. I'm afraid it will have to have a very long annotation when it's published.

But Zhang Chao is really bold in his thinking..."

Zhu Yanling asked curiously: "Why? Where is it?"

Liang Dandan said: "Of course it is to make Wei Lao San a candidate for governor of California!"

Zhu Yanling hadn't seen that yet, and was also stunned when she heard it: "'Wei Lao San'? The Governor of California? Is it possible?"

Liang Dandan spread out the manuscript, pointed to the words "WEI IS THE WAY!" and said, "Isn't this a campaign slogan?"

(End of this chapter)