Chapter 79

On the way back.

Second Aunt Chen Xiaohong was still in shock and said to her husband, Sun Desheng: "It's unbelievable, 'Living' was actually written by that kid Li Heng."

Sun Desheng smiled: "Stop calling him 'that kid,' in a while, he'll be a big shot in the literary world."

Chen Xiaohong asked: "My colleague and leader are engrossed in it, is it really that good?"

Sun Desheng evaluated objectively: "I've only read half of it today. If you hadn't called me to eat at Big Brother's house, I wouldn't have wanted to move. It's truly very attractive."

Chen Xiaohong twisted her fingers and said: "But he's still a few months away from graduating from high school."

Sun Desheng said playfully: "Otherwise, how could he have coaxed Zijin last year, and written 'Living' this year? This is clearly not an ordinary person."

Chen Xiaohong turned her head, a bit unhappy: "Why are you gloating? Which side is your butt leaning on?"

Sun Desheng said: "This isn't a matter of which side my butt is leaning on; I'm just discussing the matter as it stands. Before, you three sisters and sister-in-law, plus all the aunts and cousins, were complaining about him every day, saying he was this and that, poor and shabby, and there wasn't a single thing that satisfied you.

Look, the reality is that you all misjudged him; you couldn't see through his excellence at all."

Chen Xiaohong said: "You were there too at the beginning, and I didn't see you saying Li Heng would have a future."

Sun Desheng said: "They say three women make a play; when you all get together and start complaining, it never ends. Big Brother couldn't handle you all, what could I say?"

At this point, Sun Desheng pinched the cigarette holder in his hand and said meaningfully: "In the future, if Li Heng doesn't get into a university in Beijing, it's hard to say if he'll still be the Chen family's son-in-law."

Chen Xiaohong frowned: "What do you mean? Zijin has already been slept with by him, her reputation is ruined, does he dare not want her?"

Sun Desheng teased: "Half a day ago, that definitely wasn't your attitude."

Chen Xiaohong was stunned, and after a while said: "You can call me snobbish, but people have to start from reality. Now Li Heng has enough potential to reach our Chen family."

Sun Desheng asked: "Potential?"

Chen Xiaohong frowned: "Do you really think it's that easy to be the Chen family's son-in-law? Is the threshold that low? Do you believe that if we put the word out, there are plenty of people with ability, background, and education?"

Sun Desheng put the cigarette in his mouth and didn't respond.

Walking forward for a while, Chen Xiaohong reached out and took his arm: "What did you mean by what you said just now?"

Sun Desheng said: "Literal meaning."

Chen Xiaohong stared into his eyes.

Sun Desheng said: "Since ancient times, literati have been romantic. Li Heng's looks aren't bad; on the contrary, his appearance is the kind that the opposite sex favors.

Now with the addition of a writer's status like 'Living,' it's fatal for some women. In the future, there will definitely be excellent women throwing themselves at him like moths to a flame."

In this day and age, the status of literati is very high, and women's views on love are relatively simple. The more excellent a woman is, the more her spiritual pursuit often outweighs her material pursuit. Her husband's argument was well-founded, and Chen Xiaohong fell silent.

But she was a member of the Chen family and had the pride of the Chen family.

After a long time, Chen Xiaohong said unconvinced: "Hmph! Even if our Zijin has been slept with, she won't worry about getting married. I don't believe he can find someone better than Zijin if he doesn't want such a beautiful Zijin.

Besides, can one 'Living' be eaten for a lifetime? Can it be bragged about for a lifetime?"

Sun Desheng looked at his wife, chuckled, and said: "I bet you'll take those words back within 5 years."

Chen Xiaohong was indifferent, "Heh! Then let's wait and see. I want to see what kind of tricks he can pull in 5 years."

At night.

Zhong Lan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. For a while, she stared at the ceiling in a daze, and for a while, she climbed up and leaned against the head of the bed, whispering words like "this dead girl" and "wings have hardened."

Seeing this, Chen Gaoyuan, who was reading "Living," closed the magazine and handed it to her, "You read it first, maybe you'll calm down after reading it."

The more she thought about it, the angrier Zhong Lan became. She pushed the book aside and said angrily: "How dare that little brat? He slept with my daughter and still dared to put eye drops on me. If he makes me angry, I won't even let him enter the door when he comes to Beijing in the summer."

Chen Gaoyuan was between laughter and tears, comforting her: "Li Heng isn't venting his anger for himself, he's feeling sorry for Zijin."

Zhong Lan glared, scolding indignantly: "My daughter was born from my belly, she's the flesh on my body. I can do whatever I want with her; is it a turn for an outsider like him to point fingers?"

It wasn't the first time he'd seen it; Chen Gaoyuan was already accustomed to this overbearing side of his wife. He got out of bed and poured a cup of hot tea:

"Your lips are dry and red, drink some water and calm down."

Zhong Lan took the water, drank a sip, looked up, and asked: "Which side are you really on?"

Chen Gaoyuan knew he couldn't go against her at this time; he had to go with the flow. He sat down next to her and said: "Naturally, I'm on your side."

Zhong Lan drank another sip of tea, put the cup on the nightstand, and said after a moment of silence: "I don't agree to this marriage, not to mention whether Zijin and that little brat are a match.

Just say that last time Tian Run'e was rejected by me so harshly, she must be holding a grudge. In the future, if we become in-laws, I can't bring myself to do it."

This was indeed a tricky problem. His wife was a stubborn person, and Run'e was no less so. Once the two of them became enemies, it was estimated that it wouldn't be resolved in the short term.

Chen Gaoyuan sighed secretly and said: "The children are still young now, marriage will be at least after university graduation. There are still many years in between, don't worry about these things first. And..."

Zhong Lan asked: "And what?"

Chen Gaoyuan pondered and said: "They are both young, who knows if they will meet someone better in the future? Future things are hard to say."

Zhong Lan raised her eyebrows: "You've watched your daughter grow up since she was a child; she's a stubborn one. How many times has she argued with me over that little brat in the past half-year? Do you believe she will easily change her feelings?"

Chen Gaoyuan didn't speak, tacitly agreeing with his wife's view.

Zhong Lan then slapped the magazine, gritting her teeth: "Only I can bully my daughter. If he dares to bully her, I'll definitely peel his skin off."

Chen Gaoyuan was helpless; his wife was talking in anger again. He reached out to take the "Harvest," intending to continue reading.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Lan grabbed the Beijing Evening News from the nightstand and stuffed it to him, "You read this to pass the time. I'm too angry to sleep tonight. I want to see what that little brat wrote to make him so confident."

After saying that, Zhong Lan picked up the magazine, quickly flipped to the page of "Living," and started reading angrily.

A minute later, she mocked: "Just this? I don't see anything unusual."

Three minutes later, she continued to ridicule: "The language description is plain, the text is plain, and the protagonist is still a social cancer. I think you all misjudged."

Chen Gaoyuan, who had just finished a small cup of tea, just looked at her and didn't speak.

Ten minutes later, Zhong Lan said "not good," but continued reading.

An hour later, Chen Gaoyuan, who had returned from a turn in Old Master Chen's room, asked: "Lanlan, let me discuss something with you..."

Zhong Lan didn't react at all, lowering her head and reading with full concentration.

Chen Gaoyuan smiled, had no choice but to postpone the matter he wanted to discuss until tomorrow, and then went to bed and fell asleep.

Around two in the middle of the night, Chen Gaoyuan, who was tossing and turning, asked: "It's this late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Zhong Lan didn't even lift her head: "I haven't finished criticizing it yet, you sleep your sleep, don't worry about me."

The next morning, Chen Zitong got up and found no movement in the kitchen, so she immediately ran outside her parents' bedroom door and shouted:

"Mom, if you don't cook, what will I eat? I'm going to school."

Zhong Lan opened the door with a weary face and stuffed two tickets into her youngest daughter's hand, "I have a headache today, you go buy it outside yourself."

Then she glanced toward her eldest daughter's bedroom, "Where's your sister?"

Chen Zitong pouted and expressed dissatisfaction: "She left early, Mom, do you want to see a doctor if you have a headache?"

"No need, I'll be fine after a sleep."

"Do you want me to help you ask for leave at your unit?"

"I'll call."

"Mom..."

"Why are you so long-winded?"

Pretend, keep pretending, clearly reading the "Living" written by that little brat last night, Chen Zitong imitated her mother's usual tone of scolding Li Heng and ran to school for fun.

Don't ask her how she knew her mother was staying up late to read "Living"; she discovered their room light wasn't off when she got up in the middle of the night and deliberately peeked through the door crack.

The next day, the China Youth Daily published a book review about "Living" in the most prominent position.

The title was: No Big Deal Outside of Life and Death.

The critic was Mr. Yan Jiayan, a famous Chinese literary historian, literary critic, professor of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, and an academic authority in the field of modern Chinese literature research.

The general content of the literary review was as follows:

Regarding the book "Living," first of all, its textual expression is very plain, without using too many flowery words to describe it. It reads very naturally, like a refreshing breeze from the mountains blowing on the face. I was once intoxicated between the lines.

Secondly, in terms of content, it is very consistent with reality. Fugui is real, and it is indeed so. Fugui is just a shadow of the vast majority of people at that time, having a common destiny. The plot is interlocked, evoking a strong desire for me to read it in one breath, but looking back, I still can't suppress the idea of re-reading it. Savoring it carefully, perhaps one can harvest more.

In addition, in terms of character portrayal, I am very moved. Each character has their own personality traits; they are a group of lovely people. But the reality is cruel; they ultimately couldn't escape the clutches of fate and were pushed step by step into the abyss of death...

All the disasters that have occurred in China over the past sixty years have happened one by one to Fugui and his family. The successive blows might leave readers unable to sympathize, but the writer December, with his sincere pen and ink, has already molded Fugui into an existing hero.

When this heavy novel ends, the will to live is the only thing about Fugui that cannot be stripped away.

This is a remarkable masterpiece; it will become a classic.

Once this book review came out, it instantly caused a huge sensation across the country, directly igniting the entire literary world. For a time, all kinds of book reviews sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Shanghai, "Harvest" magazine office.

Editor Zou Ping, walking in the literary federation building, heard no fewer than four groups of people discussing "Living" and Mr. Yan's book review in just three floors of the corridor.

With a joyful mood, just as he stepped into the editorial department, he heard his colleagues congratulate him:

"Zou Ping, this issue of the magazine is selling like crazy! 'Living' is on fire!"

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(End of chapter)