Chapter 1388: Rural Absurd Past Events Chapter 1388: Gu Wenqing's Encouragement During Times of Confusion

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

After washing his face, Wang Xiaohua came out of the park. He did not immediately return to Shangang Town, but instead went to the Central Garden Community, Li Jianjia's residence.

He sat in the living room that had been converted into a mourning hall, facing the black-and-white portraits of the deceased Li Jianjia and Li Zhongxian.

He couldn't help but pour out the various thoughts in his heart.

"Uncle, no, Dad, I should call you Dad..." Wang Xiaohua looked at Li Zhongxian's portrait. "Before, I felt you were dominated by greed, which led you to fall step by step, ultimately ending up in prison. But now that I've also entered this big dye vat, I'm only gradually realizing how difficult it was for you, how much you had no choice..."

Wang Xiaohua used to think that with his rock-solid faith, he would absolutely not follow in Li Zhongxian's footsteps. He felt a large part of the reason for Li Zhongxian's downfall was that his wife Zhao Xintong had excessive material desires. But looking at it now, even if Li Zhongxian hadn't married Zhao Xintong, he might not have been able to remain untainted in this big dye vat.

Wang Xiaohua's gaze turned to Li Jianjia's portrait, his inner emotions very complex.

"Jianjia, I'm wondering, should I have listened to your suggestion back then..."

While alive, Li Jianjia had once given him a suggestion, saying why don't the two of them go struggle in a big city together, be ordinary salaried workers, and not enter that big dye vat. The reason Li Jianjia gave was that she didn't want Wang Xiaohua to follow in her father's footsteps.

However, at that time Wang Xiaohua had already prepared for the civil service exam for one or two years, the sunk cost was truly too great, so much so that he didn't even think much about it and politely declined Li Jianjia's suggestion, naively believing that as long as his heart was pure enough and firm enough, he could remain untainted.

Now having personally entered this big dye vat and become familiar with some of the processes inside, he only discovered that some things aren't a matter of — if you don't want to do them, you can just not do them.

This is human nature's dark projection onto society; it is originally a part of this society.

Society is a giant machine, and those dark lubricants are originally a part of the machine.

If you want to clean out all those lubricants, then this machine simply cannot continue to run.

Wang Xiaohua's heart wavered. He wasn't clear whether he could do his best, nor whether he could persist in his original intention.

So his heart couldn't help but feel pain, couldn't help but feel lost.

And right at this moment, his mobile phone rang.

He picked it up to look — it was surprisingly his university counselor Gu Wenqing calling.

Wang Xiaohua hurriedly collected the chaotic thoughts in his heart and went to answer this call.

"Hello, Teacher Gu."

"Xiao Hua, how have you been lately?"

Gu Wenqing's sweet voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Pretty good. How about you?"

"Me? I'm not a counselor anymore, but my master's thesis has me plenty busy. Occasionally when I have time, I write that novel. I rewrote the beginning. Want me to send it for you to take a look?"

"Sure, then send it to me on WeChat."

"I'll send it to you. You must read it carefully, hear me? After reading, remember to give suggestions!"

Gu Wenqing's tone carried youthful vitality.

While Wang Xiaohua was somewhat depressed.

Making it seem as if Wang Xiaohua was three years older than her, rather than her being three years older than Wang Xiaohua.

"Okay okay, after I finish reading, I'll definitely tell Teacher Gu my true feelings."

"Don't call me Teacher Gu. Call me Wenqing. I'm not a counselor anymore."

"Then I'll call you Sister Wenqing. How about that?"

"Fine, as long as you're not too formal. Creating this novel, I'll still have plenty of places where I need to bother you in the future. You mustn't feel I'm annoying!"

"Rest assured, I won't. I'd be grateful even before I have time to be annoyed."

"You've been on the job this long. What are your feelings about this work?"

Gu Wenqing suddenly asked about Wang Xiaohua's work situation.

Wang Xiaohua said:

"Not bad. Just a bit busy. There are really too many things to do."

Gu Wenqing said:

"Then you must feel very fulfilled. I really envy you, being able to serve the people!"

Wang Xiaohua couldn't help but freeze, couldn't help but ask:

"Do you think I'm serving the people?"

Gu Wenqing answered with a very firm tone:

"Of course! With your ability and education, go outside and find a job, and in minutes you'd be earning over ten thousand a month. You voluntarily returned to that mountain pass of a hometown. Besides purely serving the people, what other reason could there be?"

Wang Xiaohua's heart seemed struck. He was very moved. Gu Wenqing actually thought he was this pure.

"Teacher Gu, no, Sister Wenqing, do you think I can really persist in my original heart?"

Wang Xiaohua asked this one more sentence.

Gu Wenqing found it somewhat inexplicable:

"Absolutely you can. Why even ask? Our classmate Xiao Hua's spiritual transcendence is not something ordinary people can compare to!"

Wang Xiaohua poured out his heart:

"I'm just afraid I can't guard my original heart. You understand. This circle is a big dye vat."

But Gu Wenqing said:

"I won't allow you to have this kind of thought. Don't think wild thoughts. What's this about guarding or not guarding your original heart? It's like a pile of shit placed in front of you. No one's forcing you to eat it. Would you voluntarily go eat it?"

"But what if, over time, my notions are subtly transformed, and then I don't think it's a pile of shit anymore, but instead think it's a cake..."

"Shit is shit. It can never become a cake. That's just an excuse people who eat shit hypnotize themselves into finding! I believe in your character. You might become mediocre, but you absolutely won't mistake shit for cake!"

Gu Wenqing's tone was very firm.

Wang Xiaohua was deeply moved.

For a moment he didn't know what to say.

The confusion in his heart also dissipated a great deal at this time.

That's right, shit is shit, no matter how many reasons, how many excuses, how perfect the explanation, shit ultimately cannot become cake.

What he needed to do was actually very simple: just not deceive himself.

Gu Wenqing spoke again at this time:

"Ah, let's not talk about these heavy topics. I just bought a cake. If we keep discussing, my mind will be full of shit and I won't be able to eat this cake! I sent you the opening I wrote on WeChat. Go take a look right away!"

"Okay okay, I'll go look right now!"

Wang Xiaohua hung up Gu Wenqing's call.

Then he opened WeChat, only to see Gu Wenqing had sent him a wps document.

He opened the document and carefully read Gu Wenqing's novel:

"1993.

The southern summer was stifling and hot, just like a steam room.

In the terraced fields planted full of mulberry trees, cicadas clamored incessantly.

Li Xiulan's white 'dique liang' shirt was already soaked with sweat. The thin clothes clung tightly to her flesh. Inside, her pink underwear was faintly visible, revealing the clear contours of her proud figure.

Her slightly bulging belly was also especially conspicuous.

Even though she was now pregnant, she still labored hard..."