Literary Master 1983

Chapter 283 Bogota

Why did I have to sew the trouser hems? Why did I have to do these things? Chen Xiaoxu didn't need to ask!

Zhang Li probably knows everything!

Chen Xiaoxu looked at Zhang Li in a panic, but Zhang Li seemed to be encouraging her.

"Do you like Yu Qie? Can't you live without him?" Zhang Li asked, holding her hand.

Chen Xiaoxu nodded, then shook her head.

"You can't nod, you can't shake your head, you have to say it clearly, word by word."

Chen Xiaoxu shouted, "I don't want to hurt you. I originally wanted to follow Jin Yuelin's example and buy a house nearby to live in. I told you that!"

Yes!

Memories flooded back, and Zhang Li remembered: Chen Xiaoxu really said something like that!
The two looked at each other and couldn't help but cry.

However, there was also a sense of excitement, especially for Zhang Li, who felt a sense of liberation at that moment.

These days, she has been feeling really bad.

Yuqie's side is full of big and important matters. He can be caught out of nowhere while riding a motorcycle, and then let off easily. This kind of experience is so similar to that on a film set!
Like the unseen emperor in a film crew. He hasn't been here for two or three years, but everyone mentions him. It's as if he's everywhere.

Because Jia Yuanchun had become the emperor's concubine, when she returned home, even her grandmother, Jia Mu, came to kneel and pay homage to her. Order overriding ethics, this absurd scene left a deep impression on everyone.

Just like when Yu Qie was speeding along Chang'an Avenue on his motorcycle, and when he went to the magazine office to submit his manuscript, did he notice that one of his traffic police fans quietly recognized his motorcycle?
Just like the suit pants Yu Qie gave him, how could he know that they were cut by two different people when he put them on?
He didn't say a word, but created a universe of books in his writing. Everyone else was drawn to this universe by its magnetic force, just like Fujisawa Hideyuki, the old gambler whose head he shaved. He was a wicked man who only played four games of Go in a year, yet he became the Go Saint of Japan.

Such a person is both real and sacred. Real is real, and sacred is also real!
Zhang Li and Chen Xiaoxu talked all night, and Zhang Li barely slept. She first asked Chen Xiaoxu when she had developed feelings for him. Chen Xiaoxu couldn't answer; her mind was a complete blank.

Zhang Li added, "Pants only have two legs; you should understand that."

Chen Xiaoxu quickly agreed. "I'll listen to you from now on!"

Zhang Li was both angry and amused: "Chen Xiaoxu, you must remember what you said. No matter what, you will always be on my side!"

"No problem!" Chen Xiaoxu nodded emphatically.
-
In late March, the delegation officially set off, consisting of two groups.

The situation in 86 was quite different from the previous years; now, there are many travelers crossing between the two countries every day.

As demand for international routes grew, Air China purchased a batch of 747 aircraft, which were among the few aircraft capable of crossing oceans at the time.

Nevertheless, due to the great distance, the plane still had to transfer in the United States before flying to Colombia.

Zhang Li and Chen Xiaoxu saw Yu Qie off at the airport.

We took a taxi, and on the way, Chen Xiaoxu started telling the love story of Jin Yuelin and Lin Huiyin, just getting to the beginning...

Yu Qie couldn't help but say, "Jin Yuelin was a staunch non-marriage advocate. Although he lived next to Lin Huiyin, he had a girlfriend."

Chen Xiaoxu and Zhang Li were both dumbfounded:

We accepted each other because of this tragic love story, but now you're telling me that the story is fake?
Yu Qie said, "It's not easy for us to find the materials now, so the 'evidence' that supports the facts is often created by the first few people who dare to put pen to paper. Whoever dares to boast is the one who says the truth."

"If there are no facts, people will construct beautiful lies themselves. The story of Jin Yuelin and Lin Huiyin is a typical example of a lie."

Chen Xiaoxu didn't dare question whether Yu Qie was talking nonsense, and immediately looked at Zhang Li for help. Zhang Li touched her forehead and sighed:

What's done is done, and everything's been said; what else can be done?

Yu Qie, you're really lucky!
Zhang Li said, "We sewed your trousers, so you should thank Chen Xiaoxu too."

"Thank you so much, Xiao Xu!" Yu Qiele said happily.

Is Chen Xiaoxu an idiot? She's helping people with this kind of thing! You're not my wife!

Chen Xiaoxu glared at Yu Qie!
Hey!
Yu Qie thought to himself: Why does Chen Xiaoxu seem a little different from before?

He had no idea what had happened between the two women, but he got more and more excited as he talked: "I was fortunate enough to be the head of this delegation, and the deputy head was Qian Zhongshu. I mentioned the deputy head again because he was really too interesting."

"Although Qian Zhongshu did not have any particularly groundbreaking achievements in literature, he was truly erudite and talented. He was a child prodigy who could read thousands of books at a very young age."

"He has a wife who speaks Spanish and English, but she's just an average person. She translated a version of the Spanish novel 'Don Quixote,' and I was shocked when I read it; it was full of errors. Later, I learned that his wife had taught herself for a year or two before daring to take on translation work, and even translated English-to-Spanish versions, so I wasn't surprised at all!"

Zhang Li had met Ma Shitu with Yu Qie before, and couldn't help but ask:
"Didn't your teacher, Mr. Ma, show great respect for Mr. Qian's wife?"

Yu Qie said, "My teacher highly praises Qian Zhongshu's wife, believing that her achievements surpass Qian Zhongshu's. This shows that my teacher is also a blatantly lying good-natured person. He can even claim that someone like Qian Zhongshu's wife is highly accomplished; no wonder the poetry association invited him to be its president..."

"Teacher Ma knows how to speak to different people!"

Yu Qie chuckled. "I'm different. I don't rely on personal connections to build relationships. If anyone disagrees with me, we can talk about it privately. But if it's public... either they leave, or I leave!"

The appointment of Yu Qie as the head of the delegation was decided by Wang Meng. This was because he was directly invited by President Gogo and Marquez, and had corresponded with Yu Guangzhong, making him a key figure.

But he is still very young. What if someone with no sense questions him?
Yu Qie definitely won't give him any face.

Zhang Li interjected, "Xiao Xu hasn't been to the South much, and she hasn't seen the Three Gorges either. We'll take her to see them sometime! She's from the North, she's never seen anything like it!"

"Listen to you!"

Yu Qie readily agreed.

Chen Xiaoxu's gaze lingered between Yu Qie and Zhang Li, her face flushing red.

Upon arriving at the airport, Zhang Li got out of the car to see Yu Qie off. Chen Xiaoxu was too embarrassed to get out, but Zhang Li insisted on pulling her down.

Zhang Li turned around and hugged Yu Qie again, saying, "I don't have any other expectations. Just be careful in everything you do!"

Yu Qie returned her a bear hug.

What about Chen Xiaoxu?

Chen Xiaoxu grabbed Zhang Li's arm, but what she was talking about was Yu Qie. It was as if Zhang Li was the connecting thread between her and Yu Qie.

Chen Xiaoxu said, "I will wait for you just like I waited for Zhang Li."

This was originally a somewhat ambiguous statement, which could be interpreted as friendship or, more bluntly, as love. However, Yu Qie's words immediately broke Chen Xiaoxu's composure: "I've already given the word that if anyone rides my motorcycle without a helmet in the future, they'll be taken in for questioning!"

"I'll cut it off!"

Chen Xiaoxu roared!

"I wasn't specifically talking about you, why are you so upset?"

“I won’t ride your bike!” Chen Xiaoxu said.

"Hahaha! Don't bother seeing me out!"

Yu waved goodbye. He carried his bags and walked into the airport, where he soon met the rest of the delegation.

The translators of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" included Huang Jinyan, Shen Guozheng, and others; Ning Ke and his group were in charge of security; a group of Chinese scholars visiting the University of Chicago, including writers Gu Hua (Furong Town) and Zhang Xianliang (Wrangler)... as well as Liu Shahe, who was dressed like an art professor, and Qian Zhongshu, who always had a furrowed brow.

There are countless immortals!
One's clueless, the other's grumpy. These two are something else!
"Yuqie, Yuqie, why are you only arriving now?"

Qian Zhongshu said with dissatisfaction, "We've been waiting here at the airport all morning, but you still haven't come."

"Has the plane taken off yet?" Yu Qie asked.

"Nope."

"Teacher Qian, why are you in such a hurry?" Yu Qie asked with a smile.

Qian Zhongshu was helpless and could only whisper, "You are the head of this delegation, so you can't be too frivolous."

Under a large sign that read "Welcome aboard China Civil Aviation," Yu Qie delivered his speech as the head of the visiting delegation:
"We have two priorities: first, communication, and second, communication; we also have one taboo we must not do, which is to be afraid of communication."

“I know that Nie Hualing has a writing project and is still inviting our writers to go. I don’t stop people from going to broaden their horizons. It’s only human nature. There aren’t all bad people there. There’s food and drink, and money to be made! Who doesn’t love money? I do too.”

"But if someone is invited to write something that is disgraceful and makes baseless accusations, I might get angry. Although that happens quite often."

He said, "This is my first time leading a delegation, and I don't think it will be the last. You've succeeded by luck this time, but what will you do next?"

"Comrades, I wish you all a pleasant exchange!"

The plane took off at 2 PM.

International routes in the 1980s are very different from those in the future. For example, when passengers board the plane, there is no shuttle bus. Instead, they walk to the bottom of the plane and climb the ladder, just like taking a bus.

During the flight, you can also drink Moutai liquor. Moreover, the wide-body 747 aircraft also makes smoking and cigar smoking on board a major selling point.

The 29-hour journey was exceptionally difficult.

Yu Qie tried smoking a cigar, but couldn't get the hang of it, so he put it out. He then played cards with the two Spanish professors who were translating "One Hundred Years of Solitude," and these two liked to drink Moutai.

Qian Zhongshu was also a gambling addict, and he couldn't help but be drawn over. He didn't say anything, just stared at him longingly.

"You want to play cards?" Yu Qie asked.

“Hit,” Qian Zhongshu said.

Can you play cards?

"Just a little bit, no more!"

Subsequently, Qian Zhongshu also joined the game and quickly got into the swing of things, shouting and yelling.

Qian Zhongshu was also a neighbor of Lin Huiyin, whom mentioned earlier. Lin Huiyin's cat often bullied Qian Zhongshu's cat, so he specially made a bamboo pole. Whenever his cat couldn't beat Lin Huiyin's cat, Qian Zhongshu would step in himself.

Later on, Qian Zhongshu also began to look down on Lin Huiyin herself, because Lin Huiyin's home was often filled with guests, drinking and making merry until dawn, which delayed Qian Zhongshu's writing.

Yu Qie poured Qian Zhongshu a glass of wine and asked him, "How do you think your wife's academic level compares to yours?"

"Not even one percent of mine!" Qian Zhongshu said bluntly.

Yu Qie couldn't help but burst into laughter!
Qian Zhongshu looked down on his wife's academic achievements, which is common knowledge now. He did no housework whatsoever; his wife did everything.

If asked, I say, "I'm creating art."

The implication is that his creative work is far superior to his wife's.

However, as soon as Qian Zhongshu passed away, his wife immediately wrote "We Three," in which the two were portrayed as an ideal couple, like Bo Ya and Zi Qi, equals in chess, and soulmates...

His wife even used Qian Zhongshu's name to endorse her own appearance: "XXX is one of the three most beautiful women of the Republic of China!"

"A woman who is truly unique, combining the roles of wife, lover, and friend!"

"The most virtuous wife, the most talented woman!"

……

She was simply about to lose control!
Qian Zhongshu was cautious his whole life, but it was all for naught. His wife, like someone writing a wish-fulfillment fantasy novel for female readers, rewrote Qian Zhongshu's life, completely negating the real him. She portrayed him as a sycophantic subject, utterly conquered by women.

Isn't this another form of magical realism literature?
That's the power of words!
Otherwise, someone like Márquez wouldn't be under the watchful eyes of Frederick and drug lords, who would have wanted to execute him! Such a literary giant would surely have written about them, making them infamous for eternity!

Yu Qie couldn't help but emphasize again: "If we are invited to write an article during this visit, we must be extremely cautious and make sure we can live with our conscience!"

A writer named Gu Hua couldn't help but discuss with Zhang Xianliang next to him: "Taking other people's money to write articles for them is only human nature. Why does Commander Yu have to meddle in everything?"

Zhang Xianliang dared not discuss Yu Qie and kept silent.

Gu Hua shook his head and said, "Although Yu Qie is the regimental commander, we are going to the United States. He is not famous in the United States, so what are you afraid of?"

Zhang Xianliang still didn't respond.

He was friends with Xie Jin, who told him that after the film "Children of Heaven" won awards at foreign film festivals, the entire Shanghai Film Studio was overjoyed and regarded Yu Qie as a god of wealth!

Now, the Shanghai Film Studio, the Beijing Film Studio, and the August First Film Studio are the three big bosses. After Zhang Xianliang made money writing novels, he has transformed into a businessman doing film and television business. How could he offend Yu Qie?

Seeing that Zhang Xianliang remained silent, Gu Hua cursed his bad luck and had no choice but to remain silent as well.

The plane transited through the United States before arriving in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. A grand welcoming ceremony had been prepared for the "delegation," but due to international protocol, the president was unable to attend in person. However, Márquez and the local court president stood guard at the entrance to the red carpet.

Mexico's national television station, Colombian media reporters... they all turned on their cameras.

As soon as the plane landed, the steps were lowered. Yu Qie, dressed in shorts and a suit shirt, was the first to emerge, waving to everyone with a hearty smile.

He was strong and robust, which surprised everyone present.

This looks like a wealthy Chinese businessman vacationing in Latin America!
A Mexican presenter who had long followed the Latin American literary scene couldn't help but exclaim, "This is an incredible level of Eastern achievement!" Others followed suit, writing this passage into their own scripts.

For them, Yu Qie was still a relatively unknown writer in Asia—there was nothing to write about him, and if they had to write about him, they could only write about how tall he was.

Yu Qie saw an exceptionally withered and thin old man staring at him with a silly grin. He immediately realized that this was Márquez and reached out his hand to him.

There was a red carpet on the steps, and we walked these steps exceptionally slowly. Every step was accompanied by countless flashes of light from cameras.

Marquez extended his hand and said, "I've been looking forward to this day ever since you sent that letter."

The person who came down next was Qian Zhongshu. Qian Zhongshu understood Spanish and was about to say something polite: "Respected Mr. Márquez, the people and writers of the East also look forward to meeting you. We already have countless admirers of yours..."

Before he could even say that, Yu Qie said, "Marquez, three years have passed, and the things we wrote in the letter are still unsolved mysteries... I ask you, are you now an investigative journalist or a novelist?"

Yu Qie actually addressed Márquez by his first name, putting him and Márquez together!
Marquez, however, exclaimed excitedly, "I am an investigative journalist, and I swear to you, I will always be an investigative journalist!"

(End of this chapter)