Chapter 99: Mikhail: Solving Problems and Facing Problems

To be honest, Mikhail hadn't seen Dmitri much for a while; on one hand, he had indeed been quite busy these days, and on the other, Dmitri seemed recently to be keen on attending some gatherings, having encountered some new ideas that deeply moved him, devoting himself wholeheartedly to study, and continuously engaging in heated discussions with others.

This was nothing new in the Russian intellectual world, and as various new ideas of all kinds emerged, this atmosphere akin to "debating sutras" would intensify further; whoever had better eloquence and a deeper understanding of a certain idea would achieve a higher status within their own group.

If ambition was greater, then after establishing a foothold, one could absolutely continue to absorb like-minded people, grow stronger and bigger, and create brilliance once more.

Many years later, a young man with brown eyes named Vladimir, who had gone bald early and thus appeared wise, did exactly this; shortly after arriving in St. Petersburg, he joined the Beardism group at the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology. Although nominally so, most members of the group were "half-baked," clearly lacking a deep understanding of this ideology.

And this young man, who had been losing hair vigorously in his twenties, though bald, had indeed become stronger; it was precisely through a series of brilliant debates and speeches that his reputation grew louder and louder within the "circle."

Not long after, the Beardism supporters in St. Petersburg all knew that a young man had come from the Volga River; although he had little hair, he was truly knowledgeable. And it was precisely at such gatherings that he met a Miss with similar interests and thus won his love.

Although he achieved success in both career and love, this young man did not stop there. At that time, the Tsarist government and the police apparatus regarded the radical Narodniks, who often carried out "assassinations," as the main danger, while regarding the peaceful propaganda conducted by social democrats as: "This small group, if they are to have any effect at all, it will be fifty years from now!"

So he seized this time gap and the slightly relaxed environment, through methods such as teaching workers' groups, public debates, and speeches, and then...

... it became another magnificent story.

In short, prestige is either debated out or achieved through action; often, both are indispensable.

And speaking of this "debating sutras" atmosphere that was already popular in St. Petersburg, for a university student like Dmitri, who had a rebellious bone in the back of his head, attending such gatherings was not strange at all.

Thus, with both sides being busy, it was not strange that Mikhail and Dmitri met less frequently.

As for the good news Dmitri mentioned, Mikhail was indeed a bit curious; if it was Dmitri, could it be that he had found some opportunity to get rich and wanted to pull his brother along?

Although he very much wanted to ask on the spot: "Where is Boss Dmitri making his fortune lately? Take me along."

But since there were simply too many people at the gathering, Mikhail could only attend to the guests first.

And after all of Mikhail's guests arrived one after another, this actually rather informal banquet quickly began.

Although the St. Petersburg outside the window was so dark and gloomy, the room was already occupied by bright candlelight; the fresh flowers and ornaments used for decoration seemed even more substantial in the candlelight, and the long table beside them, filled with guests, was laden with all kinds of things.

There were delicacies that common people would eat on important holidays, such as roast goose, stuffed suckling pig, gingerbread, and honey cakes, as well as exquisite dishes like imported ham and macarons that seemed to be seen only at noble banquets.

The main theme was having a little money, not caring about etiquette, comprehensive yet chaotic.

Regarding this, Mikhail did not feel any embarrassment; we, authentic provincial commoners, are just like this.

And Mikhail's friends did not feel anything was wrong either; they simply, one by one, before formally dining, unconsciously turned their gaze toward Mikhail.

Undoubtedly, this was a momentous day!

So, as the genius poet and writer Mikhail Romanovich Raskolnikov, what views and insights would he express?!

Was it very possible that he would write on the spot a poem worthy of being passed down, or an excerpt from some great novel?!

Thinking of this, Belinsky couldn't help swallowing his saliva and unconsciously began to pat his pocket, wondering whether he had actually brought paper and pen when he came this time.

Not only was he like this; Mikhail's other literary friends, such as Old Turgenev and Old Dostoevsky, also perked up, preparing to hear exactly what words Mikhail would speak.

To be honest, under such gazes, Mikhail felt slightly embarrassed, but since everyone was looking over, it seemed not good not to say something, so Mikhail picked up his cup, which had already been poured with a little wine, and raised it with a smile:

"Everyone, eat well and drink well; I'll finish mine, you take it as you please."

Belinsky, who had begun to feel annoyed at not finding paper and pen: "?"

Hearing such a statement, everyone first looked at each other for a while, then unconsciously began to laugh, and in such a cheerful atmosphere, the banquet officially began.

Banquets are generally occasions for eating while chatting, and since this was a banquet at his own home, Mikhail naturally could not show the same vigor as eating at someone else's house; instead, he ate while talking to others about something.

However, because there were many people, many topics were actually inconvenient to discuss in depth, but there seemed to be quite a few people who wanted to have an in-depth chat with Mikhail; just in this short while, Mikhail saw Dmitri, Old Turgenev, Old Dostoevsky, and other friends constantly looking at him.

I know Dmitri might want to take me to get rich; what about Old Turgenev and Old Dostoevsky?

But then again, the latest novella "The Double" published by Old Dostoevsky during this period indeed met with cold reception among readers and critics; for Old Dostoevsky, who had been in the spotlight recently, this was indeed a considerable blow.

Just as Mikhail was pondering this matter, Turgenev approached Mikhail first; aside from the things he had just grasped, Turgenev also mentioned his recent travel plans:

"Mikhail, in a while I should be going to Europe, of course, provided I can submit the manuscript to Belinsky on time."

Speaking of this, Turgenev couldn't help but reveal a pained expression; sighing, he continued: "The most important matter in going to Europe naturally depends on that genius actress, Madame Viardot, whom I mentioned to you before!

You must know, recently, through my continuous efforts, this lady has obviously developed an interest in me; she has been attracted by the talent and temperament I have displayed! This is beyond doubt... However, a few days ago she and her troupe had already returned, and I must follow over there to see her!

It has been so long since we last met; if I suddenly appear before her, she will surely be very happy, right?"

Mikhail: "..."

Old Turgenev, after so long apart, you have finally fallen.

Looking at Turgenev, who was excited yet somewhat confident, Mikhail felt there was no need to say much and could only reluctantly nod, saying: "Probably, I wish you success."

"Of course, at the same time, I want to translate your novels, Mikhail; I think your novels should be introduced to Europe! Your short stories, even in the face of the works of those Mr. s in the European Cultural Circle, are in no way inferior!"

When discussing this issue, Turgenev also became rarely excited: "You know, those Mr. s in Europe have always held prejudices against any art other than their own culture; in some places this might be reasonable, but in some places it is truly not! From your short stories, I have already discovered this fact."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Mikhail looked at Turgenev with a bit of surprise, yet not entirely surprised.

In fact, although Turgenev was later regarded by many Russians as a complete fake foreigner and a Russian traitor, Turgenev had actually always been striving to promote Russian literature into the European world.

While becoming a top-tier writer in Europe with his "A Sportsman's Sketches," he also spared no effort in promoting the works of other Russian writers.

Just as Turgenev and Tolstoy later completely broke off relations due to a fierce quarrel in 1861, even reaching a point where friends trying to mediate also had to sever ties, when he read Tolstoy's "War and Peace" in 1869, he still unconsciously said: "Such a work, no one in all of Europe except Tolstoy could write."

So he immediately organized the translation of this monumental work, allowing it to enter the French-speaking world.

And regarding "War and Peace," thanks to Turgenev's efforts, Flaubert, who was then famous in the French literary world, not only read it but also gave an evaluation:

"Thank you for urging me to read Tolstoy's novel. This is truly a first-rate masterpiece; how skilled he is in description, and what an outstanding psychologist. The first two volumes are exquisite, but the third volume drops drastically. He speaks repetitively, with too much philosophical discussion; finally, this gentleman—the author and the Russian talent—reveals his true face."

Speaking of which, the appearance of lengthy philosophical discussions in literary works is actually a major feature of Russian literature; a large part of the reason why Russian literature is either unbearable or captivating stems from this.

And for Western European novelists and critics, they long refused to accept this form; only later, as people increasingly realized the greatness of Old Tolstoy's and Old Dostoevsky's works, did this writing technique gradually become common.

So returning to the present, seeing that Old Turgenev, even though his mind was full of women, could still think of translating the works published by Mikhail into countries like England and France, Mikhail could only say that Old Turgenev had no faults.

(End of this chapter)