Chapter 11 chapter Ten

My aunt temporarily found a job at the radio station, reported the news and got pus on her gums, and was rinsing her mouth with western medicine oral cleanser, when she suddenly heard Zhang Ailing say: "He agreed!" Zhang Ailing was referring to the fact that her father promised to pay the tuition fees, and her aunt choked on the medicine and coughed: "You made me almost commit suicide by taking the medicine! Are there any terms attached?" Zhang Ailing shook her head: "I really don't want to use his money!" The aunt patted Zhang Ailing's face half-jokingly: "It's better than using mine!"

Zhang Ailing walked to the balcony, and her eyes could see the gray sky of Shanghai.She is full of uncertainty about the future, will her father really keep his word?The burden of living with her aunt made her uneasy. Zhang Zijing blinked when she met her sister at St. John's University. Eileen Chang's outfit was really special, a golden satin cheongsam with four or five centimeters of tassels on the hem.Yanying stood next to Zhang Ailing, and Zhang Ailing introduced them: "My younger brother Zhang Zijing! My good friend, Yanying!" Yanying stared at Zhang Zijing who was evaluated as "stupid" by Zhang Ailing's back, stretched out her hand and said, "It's Zhang Ai's name for me, I don't like it, I like Modai!"

Zhang Ailing said solemnly: "There are too many people named Ailing, so sometimes she calls me Zhang Ai!" Just the name coming and going made Zhang Zijing dizzy, and he could only feel stupid, but he felt a kind of happiness on his sister's face, which he rarely saw.At this time, Zhang Ailing had already started to submit articles to magazines in English, and she was well-known in the school.Zhang Zijing is very proud of this elder sister whom he has admired since he was a child. A few days later, my aunt resigned from her job at the radio station under the control of the Japanese, complaining: "For the tens of thousands of yuan salary, I have a sore tongue and go to hell, why bother?"

Eileen Chang could feel the pressure from her aunt, and tried to comfort her by saying, "I'll get paid soon!" Auntie glanced at her, she had never counted on Zhang Ailing, Zhang Ailing knew it, and suddenly felt that she was useless.She dropped out of school soon after.The professors in the school either go to the rear, or they don't accept the letter of appointment, and they come here with mixed salaries. It is really reluctant to ask her to spend two yuan a day to take the tram to class, so it is better to study at home.Besides, she had to figure out her own way of living expenses. Eileen Chang could only make money by contributing articles, and she really didn't have the heart to worry about her homework.She wanted to become self-reliant as soon as possible, and she didn't want to have trouble with money anymore.Life in troubled times is as thin as paper, let alone a diploma?Thinking of her mother, who was full of vitality but whose life and death were uncertain, Zhang Ailing felt at a loss for a while.It was only when she thought of this that she felt that she and her brother had a close relationship.

Zhang Zijing went to see Zhang Ailing, and when she stayed for a little longer, her aunt thanked the guests in advance: "I won't keep you for dinner! If you want to eat here, you have to tell us in advance how much rice to eat and what dishes to eat. We can prepare it. If you don't prepare, you can't stay." Eat!" Auntie saw Zhang Zijing's awkward expression, but was indifferent, she was not close to him, and regarded him as someone from Zhang Zhiyi's side, so her attitude was very cold and practical. Eileen Chang likes to sit on the tram and look out of the window, talking in her heart: "I am a weird girl who was regarded as a genius since I was a child. I have no living goal except to develop my genius. However, when the childhood fantasies gradually fade At that time, I found that I had nothing but the dream of a genius—all I had were the eccentric shortcomings of a genius. The world forgives Wagner for his madness, but they will not forgive me.

"I could recite Tang poetry when I was three years old. I wrote my first novel when I was seven years old. When I was nine years old, I hesitated to choose music or art as my lifelong career. I am extremely sensitive to colors, notes, and words. I like to use words with strong colors and sonorous rhymes, such as pearl gray, dim yellow, graceful... "I found that I couldn't peel apples, and I learned how to mend socks after hard work. I was afraid of going to the barbershop, meeting customers, and trying clothes for the tailor... In terms of common sense in dealing with people, I showed amazing stupidity. In reality In this society, I am a waste! But I know how to see the beautiful clouds in July, listen to the Scotch soldiers blowing the bag pipe, enjoy the rattan chair in the breeze, eat salted peanuts, appreciate the neon lights on a rainy night, and stretch out from the double-decker bus. Picking the green leaves from the top of the tree. I am full of the joy of life when there is no handover between people..."

The wind in May brushed Zhang Ailing's face lightly.The phoenix trees in one season are green again, reflecting each other with the red brick wall beside the sidewalk.She took the manuscript of her first novel to visit Zhou Shoujuan, a famous writer in Shanghai.Receiving great praise from Zhou, he even visited Zhang Ailing in person, and said in a calm tone: "I had a great conversation with Ms. Zhang that day, and after reading the masterpiece, the lingering fragrance is even more lingering, and the aftertaste is endless." Eileen Chang said modestly: "Mr. Zhou is very grateful for the award. I have followed my mother and aunt to read "Saturday" since I was a child. I am also very inspired by you in writing."

Zhou Shoujuan waved his hand and said sincerely: "Don't dare to take it, your work is unique, like agarwood crumbs - the first incense, the second incense, such propositions and narrative techniques have broken the framework of old novels, It is shocking. Re-publishing is my biggest wish this year. It is my honor to have such outstanding works in the first issue! I also hope that Ms. Zhang will continue to work hard and create more good novels for us. " Zhang Maoyuan joked at the side: "Don't worry! She is—she won't do anything else if you ask her!" She said easily, and the atmosphere of the polite conversation was opened.

After Zhang Ailing's novel was published in a magazine, it attracted the attention of some people in the Shanghai literary circle. Ke Ling, the editor-in-chief of "Vientiane" magazine, read the novel and was astonished. He was full of praise: "I read the article and thought it was a miracle. When an editor sees a good article, his spine has to go back and forth three times. That's it! I have to find out where this piece of Aileen came from, how can we, who are engaged in publishing, not know about such a talent in Shanghai?" Ping Jinya, who was in charge of publishing the magazine, found it funny to see him fidgeting: "Is it really that good? Why don't you ask her to talk about it!"

Ke Ling almost looked up and asked the sky: "Didn't you see me sitting there moaning for three days? I was wondering where to find this person?" "Why don't you ask brother Shoujuan?" "Excuse me? Doesn't that mean digging people's walls? Everyone runs a magazine!" At this time, a slim figure stood in front of the small magazine office, wearing a silk light-colored floral short-sleeved cheongsam, holding a newspaper bag in his hand, wiping the sweat from his nose with a handkerchief, and looking at the wooden sign in front of the door.Ke Ling and Ping Jinya glanced at each other.Ke Ling went out to welcome her and asked, "What's your business?"

"My surname is Zhang, and my name is Zhang Ailing. I have a novel. I wonder if your magazine is interested in publishing it?" Ke Ling's eyes lit up immediately, with an incredulous expression on his face. Zhang Ailing was like a wildfire, a burst of spring thunder, which exploded vigorously in the Shanghai literary world in the 1940s.Bills of exchange and letters of invitation came in one after another, among which was the invitation from Su Qing, the editor-in-chief of "Tiandi" magazine, which was the most unique: "Talk about the same sex..." Auntie also found it interesting after reading it. One day, Su Qing was eating noodles in the snack bar opposite her publishing house, groaning, her eyes were still busy reading the manuscript, she suddenly saw a woman in old Qing clothes holding the manuscript and looking around in front of the publishing house.Su Qing put the noodles in his mouth as soon as he took a bite, not sure where this person came from and whether it has anything to do with him. The woman came to the small restaurant and asked the owner who was cooking the noodles: "I want to ask you, is there a "Tiandi" magazine in this alley?" Su Qing quickly took two mouthfuls of noodle soup, wiped his mouth, and immediately chased him out, saying: " I am Su Qing! Are you Zhang Ailing?" Zhang Ailing turned around and smiled sweetly: "I'll send you the manuscript!" Su Qing brought Zhang Ailing to the house, and as soon as he entered the door, he could see a square table with the morning porridge pot piled up on it, and books and manuscripts beside it. It seemed that the table was used as both a desk and a dining table.A child's wool shoe was thrown on the table, and Su Qing took it away, explaining that the office of the magazine was about to be filled. Zhang Ailing fell in love with the smell as soon as she came in. There is a woman who is trying her best to open up a world.She smiled and said, "I know the manuscript is late, and I'm afraid there will be a delay in sending it, so I can take a trip by myself and feel at ease." Su Qing is a straightforward person, and said straight to the point: "I thought you didn't want to write a manuscript because of our small circulation! Yours, I only have four words in my heart, five-pointed!" Zhang Ailing said modestly: "The writing is not good! The manuscript has been sent out and you are chasing others to change it!" Su Qing shouted: "Oh! Me too! I even went to the printing factory. I only thought up the sentence when I was washing the rice, and overturned it when the rice was cooked!" When they met for the first time, the two chatted fairly speculatively.Therefore, Su Qing asked Zhang Ailing to accompany her to the house of Zhou Fohai, the chief executive of the pseudo-Nanjing government, to run for a friend who was imprisoned. Zhang Ailing asked curiously, "What crime did this person commit?" Su Qing said: "He is a man! It's Su Qin's tongue and Qin Wuyang's guts. He can't commit any other crimes except for literary prison!" When Zhang Ailing heard that she had fallen into a literary prison, her heart suddenly felt sympathetic, and she said straightforwardly: "I can't speak, so it's okay to take a walk with you!" Zhou Fohai's house is full of antique calligraphy and paintings that Mr. Ren collected from everywhere. There are several pieces of Duobao glazing chicken blood seal stone. He also collects inkstones for arty.Su Qing and Zhou Fohai's wife, Yang Shuhui, muttered and discussed things in a corner of the living room, while Zhou Fohai accompanied Zhang Ailing to watch his collection.Knowing Zhang Ailing's Zeng Xuan's family background, he flaunted: "Duan inkstones - fish brain jelly and rouge dizzy, the best two are from Daxi Cave. Miss Zhang is a great writer, so she must have studied the Four Treasures of the Study!" Zhou Fohai looked at Zhang Ailing's back while talking. In the eyes of his first-class people, a woman is a woman, and a writer is just a fashionable dress on a woman, and his own wife also has one. Zhang Ailing turned her back, she couldn't get along with people like Zhou Fohai at all, so she could only reluctantly answer: "We all use Parker pens in our generation." "Haha! That's true!" Zhou Fohai laughed twice voice, Eileen Chang held back her belly laugh. Zhou Fohai wanted to have a further conversation with the young lady. At this time, Mrs. Zhou and Su Qing probably talked secretly for a while, and when they heard laughter, they came over.Mrs. Zhou sneered and said, "How can you chat with other talented women with your woody head?" Zhou Fohai laughed and said, "I see that Miss Zhang is interested in inkstones!" , Mrs. Zhou said with some reproach: "What's wrong with Hu Lancheng? Lock him up? You go and ask. If there is nothing wrong, let him go! You people can't beat tigers, but fly flies frequently! " Zhou Fohai snorted in his nostrils, bowed his head to drink tea, and didn't say a word. Mrs. Zhou also gave Su Qing some face.Now that everyone has finished the play, whether people can play it is not the key. Zhang Ailing watched them flirt with each other helplessly. On the way back, Zhang Ailing just realized that Su Qing and Hu Lancheng did not know each other.Su Qing smiled and said, "I'm not wronged for delaying you this trip! I corresponded with him because of your article!" Zhang Ailing asked in surprise: "How do you say?" Su Qing looked at Zhang Ailing playfully and said: "He just read the article in the monthly magazine "Heaven and Earth", and wrote to me specifically to ask me who Zhang Ailing was? I wrote back to him and said-it was a woman! Tell him not to think Only men can write articles." Both of them smiled happily.On the eve of the Lunar New Year, festive red Spring Festival couplets were hung on the side of the street, and the sun shone warmly on Eileen Chang’s face and her old satin dress. 1944 kicked off her life brilliantly. Hu Lancheng knew that Wang Zhaoming had issued a warrant to arrest him. Looking at the guards with live ammunition outside the cell, he was calm at the moment of his life, but his body was trembling uncontrollably.When he was lighting a cigarette, he saw that his hands were trembling constantly, and he was very angry. He threw the match away because he was so angry that he was worthless.Relying on this bit of anger to calm his body a little. The walls are solid, the windows are sealed, and there is no escape from the net.Hu Lancheng didn't intend to escape, so he calmed down. The lamp above the head has moths flying around it, and every time I have to bump it head-on, if it fails, try again.Hu Lancheng looked at it, calmed down, and he was just a stupid moth, circling the tree three times, thinking that he had great ambitions, but he was just fighting the fire. After being locked up for a while, the guards and Hu Lancheng also got to know each other well, and they were quite polite, often passing cigarettes to each other.When Hu Lancheng was idle, he read Zhang Ailing's articles in the monthly magazine "Tiandi", and fell deeply in it as soon as he read it.In his mind, her voice has the taste of a whisper, talking to you in a low voice, making you look. With the help of the Japanese Ikeda, Hu Lancheng got out of prison alive.After being imprisoned for forty-eight days, when he came out to see the world again, he felt a kind of simplicity and clarity in his heart, and he felt ridiculous thinking about his own absurdity.He found Su Qing and asked to come to Zhang Ailing's address, wanting to express a reader's admiration in person. As Su Qing said, the first time he visited Hu Lancheng, he was turned away.He was not displeased, but just unwilling, so he wrote a note, leaving his address and phone number and walked away.Zhang Ailing curiously read the note, which read, "Mr. Ailing's lesson: Visiting rashly, not being allowed to see, but also foolishly happy. Stay in Shanghai for a few days, hoping to talk about it." Behind those few words, she See a lively person. Zhang Ailing's heart moved, and she rummaged through the box to find her aunt's otter fur collar coat.My aunt looked at her while she was typing, and poured cold water on her and said, "You are just a small clerk from a puppet government. Wouldn't you be strangled to death by dressing like this?" Zhang Ailing said while putting on her gloves, "That's good too! Stretch to death in one go." , save yourself a second trouble!" My aunt asked puzzledly, "Why do you want to deal with this kind of person?" Zhang Ailing replied seriously: "People appreciate my articles, I have to be polite to thank them!" My aunt typed with both hands, and muttered, "It's not about promoting products, but also thanking users! Politics is the worst!"