Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

At noon, at the Yuanxi County Cultural Center.

Du Zhengxian was sitting in the county cultural center office, an old newspaper spread out in front of him, with two steamed buns and a dish of pickled garlic on top. The brick tea in the enamel mug had been steeping all morning, its color as dark as soy sauce, with tea stems floating halfway up the surface.

"dad."

Du Lili pushed the door open and came in, holding a piece of paper in her hand.

"Take a look at this."

Du Zhengxian tore off half a steamed bun and was about to put it in his mouth when he saw his daughter's serious expression. He had no choice but to put the bun down and take the paper and unfold it.

The handwriting on the paper was crooked and there were several traces of corrections.

"If there is an afterlife, I want to be a roast goose from Shenjing, hanging in the oven, standing there forever..."

Du Zhengxian read two lines and then frowned.

"Without the posture of joy or sorrow, half crispy in the fireworks, half soaked in the sauce, half sprinkled with the aroma of sesame, half bathed in the light of honey..."

He turned the paper over and looked at it; there was no signature or name. He turned it back to the front, his gaze falling on the last two sentences.

"Very silent, very proud. Never relying on others, never seeking anything."

"Is this a poem? It looks so awkward!"

Du Zhengxian put the paper down next to the newspaper, picked up the enamel mug, took a sip of tea, and smacked his lips.

"It's completely different from the current trend. It's not like Misty Poetry, nor is it like Workers-Peasants-Soldier Poetry; it doesn't fit either category. And this 'Deep Well Roasted Goose,' what is that?"

"Forget about whether it's roast goose or not, just tell me how it is overall."

"Is this another new work from your Huangyuan Poetry Society?"

Du Zhengxian didn't answer directly. He first looked at the poem, then at his daughter. He spent more time looking at his daughter than at the poem.

His daughter was born with a bright and beautiful face. She loved poetry from a young age and studied Chinese literature at Huangyuan Teachers College for two years. Even after returning to Yuanxi, she was restless and joined the poetry society in Huangyuan. She corresponded with a group of literary youths all day long, sending a poem to them one day and receiving a manuscript the next.

Du Lili also had another problem: she loved to argue with people, and she would always talk about freedom, nobility, and independent personality, which made the other staff members at the cultural center avoid her.

Du Zhengxian had always worried that his daughter was too wild and would have trouble finding a partner, but things don't always go as planned. Some people actually like that kind of wildness, like his future son-in-law, Wu Huiliang.

Wu Huiliang was a local official in Huangyuan, in his early twenties, a proper college graduate with a promising future. He was fond of his daughter, and the two had been together since the beginning of the year and got engaged two months ago. It was truly a case of two different people having different opinions.

Wu Huiliang's father, Wu Dequan, was even more remarkable. Wu Dequan was the deputy director of the Personnel Bureau of the Huangyuan Prefectural Committee. The allocation and staffing of cadres in the entire Huangyuan area could not be separated from his desk.

Du Zhengxian himself would never be able to climb up the social ladder in his lifetime, but with this marriage, he felt that he had at least benefited a little.

"This poem has a novel style of writing. Although it is not very conventional, it is indeed full of inspiration."

Du Zhengxian gave a carefully chosen evaluation.

"It must have been written by a lesbian, right? The writing is so delicate, with all that honey-sweetness and sesame fragrance. Men usually can't write in this style."

Du Lili burst into laughter.

"You also think it was written by a lesbian!"

"Isn't that right?"

"I copied this poem and sent it to a few members of the poetry club, and they all thought I wrote it."

Du Lili smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Dad, you'd never guess who wrote this."

Du Zhengxian tore off a small piece of bread, dipped it in garlic sauce, and put it in his mouth. Chewing, he said, "I don't know many of your poetry club members, how am I supposed to guess?"

"You know him."

Du Lili stopped laughing, and a mischievous look appeared on her face.

"Yes, to be precise, you know his father."

"Do you know his father?"

Du Zhengxian slowed down his chewing.

He first went through the names of the prominent families in Yuanxi County in his mind.

"Who? Old Yang's son?"

Old Yang is a veteran staff member of the county cultural center. He has been writing promotional articles for the center for fifteen years. His son was admitted to the Chinese Department of Huangyuan Teachers College last year, and I heard that he occasionally writes a few lines.

"No way."

Du Lili shook her head.

"Let me tell you. Li Xiangqian is the son of Li Dengyun, the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee."

Du Zhengxian almost choked on the steamed bun in his mouth.

"Li Dengyun's son?"

"right."

"Isn't his son a truck driver for the Ministry of Transport? He deals with steering wheels all day long, does he have time to write this?"

"He's just talented, what's it to you? He doesn't drive big trucks anymore, I heard he's resting at home."

"Li Dengyun's son doesn't want to drive a truck anymore?"

Du Zhengxian's expression changed slightly.

Du Zhengxian held the position of director of the county cultural center for a full eight years. Eight years! That's enough time to fight two Liberation Wars.

If I could get Li Xiangqian into the cultural center...

That's no ordinary favor.

That was helping them solve the crucial issue of their son's placement. What parents worry about most their whole lives is their children's future. You've taken care of their biggest worry; wouldn't they consider you one of their own?

Du Zhengxian's mind raced, but he remained silent.

"Yes, the more you read this poem, the more you appreciate it. A person like this should be at the cultural center holding a pen."

Du Lili stared at her father's expression, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.

She knew that expression all too well. Her father always looked like that when he was mentally calculating, spouting poetry while his eyes darted around with cunning.

"Dad, are you attracted to his talent, or are you just trying to curry favor with Li Dengyun?"

Du Zhengxian was caught off guard by his daughter's words, and his old face flushed slightly.

"What are you talking about! My son-in-law is a county-level revolutionary committee official in Huangyuan, and his future career is guaranteed at least as the director of the county revolutionary committee. Am I supposed to carry Li Dengyun's sedan chair?"

Du Zhengxian put down the enamel mug and straightened his expression.

"The main thing is, look, this writing really has a spark of inspiration. Bringing young people like this to the cultural center is making the best use of their talents and resources. What's wrong with that?"

"Also, you and Huiliang, it doesn't make sense for you to be separated like this. You are a daughter, and Huiliang is in the prime of her career. You should stay in Huangyuan with Huiliang, get married soon, and have a son or daughter. That would be the right thing to do."

"Dad, please don't worry about Huiliang and me. I have my own career, and daughters can hold up half the sky. Huiliang supports me too."

Du Lili shouted loudly.

After hearing this, Du Zhengxian felt helpless. He tore off half a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth, his cheeks bulging.

"Dad, I don't object to transferring Li Xiangqian to the cultural center. This is the age of literature, the age of poetry. Every young person with ideals and abilities has a responsibility to add poetic footnotes to this era. If Li Xiangqian really has this talent, it's a real waste to have him driving a truck."

Du Zhengxian thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "It is indeed a pity."

……