Back to 80: My Literary Life

Fang Minghua looked at his watch. It was already past 11 o'clock. He was a little hungry, so he had to interrupt the chat between the two girls.

"Little sister, it's already 11:30, it's almost time, we should go."

"Ah, time flies so fast?" Fang Mingli looked at the electronic watch: "It's too late to go back to eat. Brother, let's eat on the street. Li Li, you come with us."

"That's so embarrassing."

"It's okay. You've taught me so many recitation skills. That's right. Brother, what do you think?"

"Okay, I'll treat you. What do you guys want to eat?"

Li Li said a few polite words and finally agreed.

I was hungry, and I thought it was a pleasure to chat with these two brothers and sisters. I might as well invite them next time.

After leaving the park with Fang Minghua's brother and sister, Fang Mingli suggested eating steamed buns. Of course, Fang Minghua had no objection.

Just looking at Li Li: "Your hometown is Zhejiang Province, are you used to eating?"

"I'm used to eating. I returned to Xijing when I was in high school." Li Li replied.

"Okay, let's eat mutton steamed buns!"

Fang Minghua didn't pay much attention to it, so he just found a steamed bun restaurant on the street. Each person had a bowl. Looking at the steaming large porcelain bowl, Li Li had a look of embarrassment on her face.

"So much, I can't finish it."

"You can't even finish one steamed bun?" Fang Minghua asked.

"Um."

Alas, she is indeed a Wuyue woman, and her appetite is so small.

Look at my Guanzhong girls, they all want two steamed buns just like me.

You can ask for less steamed buns, but the mutton soup is only a big bowl, there is no small bowl, and it costs you a penny.

So Fang Minghua said: "I want an empty bowl. If you can't finish it, give me some."

"okay."

Li Li asked for an empty bowl, filled half of it for Fang Minghua, and then started eating happily.

The two girls chatted while eating, but this time they talked about the English corner.

"Fang Mingli, there will be an English corner in Xingqing Palace Park tomorrow, will you come?" Li Li asked.

"Come on, what about you."

"I'll come too, I think it's quite interesting."

"Yeah, brother, are you coming?" Fang Mingli turned her head and looked at Fang Minghua, who was immersed in eating.

"I have a correspondence class tomorrow, how can I get here?"

Hey, think about it, I have a total of two days off on New Year's Day, half a day at the English corner, and one day to take correspondence courses. I really don't have any time at my disposal.

Young people in this era, especially college students, are just like the two girls in front of them, as if they are tired after being injected with chicken blood.

I really don’t understand what fishing means.

After dinner, everyone separated. Fang Minghua took his sister and hurried north back to the magazine's family courtyard, while Li Li rode east to the family courtyard of Western University.

At this time, Fang Minghua learned that this girl lived near Xi'an University, so no wonder he saw her often.

"Fang Mingli, see you tomorrow morning!" Li Li waved.

"meet tomorrow!"

Seeing Li Li crossing the road at the intersection and riding eastward, Fang Minghua took his sister north along the road.

"Brother, have you known Li Li before?" Fang Mingli asked suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

"How do you know her hometown is from Zhejiang Province?"

Ah?

Very attentive.

"I met her once in Xingqing Park this spring, and we chatted for a while, so I know a little bit about it." Fang Minghua didn't hide anything, and simply told her about his meeting with Li Li in the spring.

"Brother, tell me, should I tell Li Li now that you are the writer Minghua?" Fang Mingli asked again.

"as you like."

"It's better not to tell her. I just like to see him mention your pen name with a look of admiration on his face. Hehe."

I # ￥%%……

The next day, Fang Minghua got up early again and rode his bicycle to Western University, but this time he didn't take his sister with him. She took the bus to the English Corner in Xingqing Park to practice speaking.

Correspondence classes are boring, but you have to listen. Fortunately, Zhao Hongjun is with you. The two of them finished the class and had fun chatting during lunch.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the correspondence class finally ended. Fang Minghua said goodbye to Zhao Hongjun at the gate of Western University. He watched the big red flag parked on the roadside leave. He was about to ride away when he heard someone calling him.

"Fang Minghua! Fang Minghua!"

Looking back, it was Li Li who ran out of the school gate and stopped when she ran to him, her chest heaving.

"I just went to your correspondence class to look for you, but I didn't expect that you were already out of school."

"What's up?"

"Today I met Professor Mi Ruizhe again at the English Corner. He said he was sorry not to see you here. He had thought about you going to the Foreign College to talk about literature with him."

"No, it's boring." Fang Minghua refused.

What’s the point of talking about French literature with a French foreigner all the way? If we can’t talk well, aren’t I asking for abuse?

Besides, it's such a cold day.

"Oh, Fang Minghua, Professor Mi Ruizhe is not an ordinary foreign teacher." Li Li talked about Mi Ruizhe's personal situation vividly.

Graduated from the University of Grenoble in France with a PhD in history.

In 1976, France and China signed a friendly cooperation agreement to send a group of teachers to teach in China.

At this time, Mi Ruizhe was teaching in Xiangjiang and immediately applied for registration. After the application was approved, he came to Xijing International Studies University and was responsible for teaching French and French history.

"I heard from my father that he was the first foreign teacher sent by Western officials," Li Li said.

"Your dad?"

"My dad is a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Literature at Western University. He teaches Russian and also understands English." Li Li said in a low voice.

No wonder Li Li hangs around Xi'an University all day long and her English level is so high.

"Then why don't you just communicate with your dad? It's convenient for professors to communicate with each other." Fang Minghua continued to shirk.

The girl seemed a little anxious.

"Fang Minghua! Professor Mi Ruizhe is almost in his 60s and has traveled thousands of miles to China to teach French and French literature. They want to talk to you, why aren't you willing? Our country is opening up to the outside world and promoting mutual exchanges. , as a young person in the 1980s, I should strongly support it, right?"

Oops, this person has high political consciousness.

If I don't go, in your eyes, won't I become a historical sinner who undermines the country's opening-up policy?

"Okay, tell me the time." Fang Minghua had no choice but to agree.

"Well, I don't have class on Tuesday afternoon. Can we go to the outer courtyard together? I wonder if your unit can ask for leave?" Li Li asked.

"Please."

Now I am fishing every day, and no one cares about me at all.

"Then it's Tuesday. Come to Xi'an University after lunch, and we'll walk there and take the bus."

"Okay." Fang Minghua agreed.

Fang Minghua rode back to the Tongzilou in the family courtyard. His sister Fang Mingli had already arrived home and was helping her mother roll out the dough. When she saw him, she said excitedly:

"Brother, today at the English Corner, I met a foreign professor from a foreign college named Mr. Mi Ruizhe. I even had a verbal exchange with him."

"how do you feel?"

"It's okay, but I can't understand it quickly. Li Li is amazing. She communicated with others in English throughout the whole process."

"Her father is a foreign language professor at your school, so of course her English level is high."

"Ah? How do you know this? Li Li didn't even tell me."

Fang Minghua had no choice but to briefly tell his sister that he met Li Li at the west gate today and invited him to meet Mi Ruizhe in the outer courtyard.

"Go, of course I want to go. It would be great to communicate with foreigners and understand their culture and thoughts. I just want to go."

"Okay, let's go together then."

"No, I have class on Tuesday afternoon, so I can't miss class."

In this case, at noon on Tuesday, Fang Minghua finished his meal in the cafeteria, greeted the chief of the security department, and took the bus to Western University.

Thanks to He Wenqianlu, Banjiang Ruyue, and qqhua for their monthly votes