Yu Dong and the others did not take the train to Yanjing this time because they had to bring a lot of things and it was more convenient to drive, so they went by car.
Needless to say, you don’t need to go to Gaoyou to get wild vegetables. Unless they are out of season, you can get them in Jinling. Only wild ducks are more troublesome.
Jiang Jie went to Gaoyou and bought some wild ducks. They put the ducks in a cardboard box and poked holes in the box. After driving for a while, they got out of the car to check the health of the wild ducks.
Because I was afraid that they would poop too much, I didn't give them much food. However, when we arrived in Yanjing, the trunk still smelled like duck poop.
Wang Zengqi lived in Puhuangyu, a place south of Yanjing. Most of the people living there were working people, and few were rich and powerful. It was because of Wang Zengqi that this place became famous.
In fact, Puhuangyu cannot be said to be just one place, it is more like the collective name of a region. Dongpuqiao, Huangtukeng, and Yushu Village are collectively called Puhuangyu. Some people say that the junction of the three places is the place.
Wang Zengqi lived in a relatively high place, so he claimed to live on the tower. The year before last, he published a collection of essays called "Essays on the Tower", which is why it got its name.
Several people held the gifts and searched according to the pictures, and finally found Wang Zengqi's house.
After knocking twice, footsteps came from inside.
This unit building is very old, and the soundproofing is not very good, so a few people outside can clearly hear the footsteps inside getting closer and closer.
The person who opened the door was an old lady with a kind face. Yu Dong and the others knew that the person in front of them was Wang Zengqi's wife Shi Songqing, so they said hello together: "Hello, Teacher Shi."
Shi Songqing is the daughter of Shi Chengcan, a famous overseas Chinese leader. She once studied in the physics department of Southwest Associated University and was classmates with Yang Zhenning.
"Hello, hello." Shi Songqing was very happy to see Yu Dong and the others, "Old man, we have a guest. Oh, you brought so many things. You shouldn't, you shouldn't."
Yu Dong smiled and said, "Teacher Shi, it's not something valuable, just a little thought."
Several people went in with gifts. Wang Zengqi stood up and said hello to them, then sat back on the sofa.
The living room is only about a dozen square meters, and there are books everywhere. The sofa where Wang Zengqi is sitting is also filled with books on both sides.
Shi Songqing hurriedly moved some stools and placed them in the middle of the living room. There was really no room for them elsewhere.
Just as Yu Dong was about to say hello to Wang Zengqi, Yu Hua and Bi Feiyu had already gone up to hand them cigarettes.
The old gentleman smiled and lit the cigarette and asked Yu Dong, "Don't you smoke?"
Yu Dong smiled and shook his head, "Sir, I don't smoke."
At this time, Shi Songqing also saw what gifts Yu Dong and the others had brought. He smiled and said to Wang Zengqi, "They were thoughtful enough to bring some wild vegetables, including mushrooms and wild ducks, from your hometown."
Wang Zengqi smiled when he heard the mushroom first, and then frowned when he heard the wild duck. Yu Dong quickly explained, "This wild duck is raised by the locals in Gaoyou."
Hearing this, Wang Zengqi laughed again, "Nowadays, everything is taken care of."
Yu Dong looked at Wang Zengqi, still a little worried about the old man's health. He had been chatting on the phone before, and from the sound of his voice, he thought he should be in good health, but when he saw him, he found something different.
He was leaning on the sofa, his face was a little gloomy, and his stomach was obviously rising and falling when he spoke.
Bi Feiyu said with a smile, "Although this duck is raised by humans, it is just like ordinary wild ducks. It goes out to roam during the day and flies back at night."
"It's almost like raising pigeons." Wang Zengqi glanced at the box containing wild ducks, "There is a sandbank in our hometown, and wild duck eggs can be picked up on the sandbank. People who want to raise wild ducks also pick wild duck eggs from the sandbank at first.
"
Yu Dong nodded, "You wrote about this sandbank in "Chronicles of Da Nao", and it was very impressive."
"Plucking wild duck feathers is quite troublesome. The skin of wild ducks is so tender that you cannot scald it with boiling water. The skin will fall off as soon as you scald it. In my hometown, people sell ducks and pluck duck feathers for others. I just pluck them dry and make a sack.
Just go in. They don't charge for the work, so they use duck feathers as payment. When killing pigeons, they use copper coins and put them in their mouths - it's so suffocating."
Wang Zengqi's words are as lifelike as his writing. The little things he sees every day become interesting in his writing or in his mouth.
Speaking of Gaoyou, he talked a lot. Some of them had read about Gaoyou in books, and some were the first time they heard about it.
When it comes to hometown, we naturally have to talk about water. Wang Zengqi once wrote in "My Hometown": I grew up by the water, and everything I see and hear is nothing but water. Water has affected my character and also influenced my life.
The style of my work.
This is naturally obvious to all, he is a person who is happy with things and enjoys himself.
While chatting, Wang Zengqi gave Yu Hua and Bi Feiyu a cigarette each, and he also took out one and lit it.
"In the Wenyoutai Four Sages Temple, there is another Mr. Sun Xin. He is the father-in-law of Huangshan Valley..."
Lighting a cigarette, Wang Zengqi was about to continue talking about Huang Tingjian's father-in-law when there was a knock on the door.
Considering that the old couple were not very agile, Yu Dong volunteered, "Shall I drive?"
Wang Zengqi smiled and said, "Go ahead."
Yu Dong walked to the door in two steps and opened the door. There were two people standing outside.
The man at the head was short and fat, with white hair on his temples. He looked to be in his fifties or sixties. In addition, what impressed Yu Dong the most was that he had a thick neck and looked radiant.
Standing behind him was a middle-aged man in his early forties, thinner but taller.
Seeing that it was Yu Dong who opened the door, the man in front of him was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Is Mr. Wang at home?"
Yu Dong smiled and nodded, "At home."
Then he stepped aside and let them in.
As soon as he entered, the fatter man laughed loudly and said, "Old man, I'm here again."
Wang Zengqi was not surprised by their arrival. He said to his wife: "Qing Song, go inside and take out the orchid grass."
Shi Songqing went in. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the fatter man went to take a closer look at Yu Dong and the others next to him. When he saw Yu Hua, he was surprised and said, "Yu Hua, why are you here?"
Yu Hua smiled and said: "Professor He, I was just trying to tell you why you can see me."
In fact, what Yu Hua was thinking was that if the fatter man didn't recognize him, he wouldn't take the initiative to say anything.
The fatter man is called He Zhenbang. When Yu Hua was studying at Lu Xun Institute of Literature, He Zhenbang was in charge of the administrative work of Lu Xun Institute of Literature.
He Zhenbang looked at Yu Dong and Bi Feiyu again, "Who are these two?"
Wang Zengqi introduced: "These two are Yu Dong and Bi Feiyu."
Then he introduced to Yu Dong and others, "This is He Zhenbang from Lu Xun Literary Academy, and the person next to him is Liang Lei, the editor of Fujian Province's "Literary Fashion Evening News"."
"Old man, it's "Feng Shang Literary Evening News", not "Literary Fashion Evening News"." He Zhenbang corrected.
Wang Zengqi squinted his eyes and tilted his head to recall. When He Zhenbang saw this, he smiled and said: "Old man, you didn't write the wrong inscription, right?"
At this time, Shi Songqing happened to be holding a scroll of paintings. Yu Dong and the others were a little surprised. Wang Zengqi asked Mrs. Wang to go in and get an orchid. They thought it was a real orchid, but they didn't expect it to be a painting.
Shi Songqing unfolded the painting for them to see. He Zhenbang looked at the title first, then patted his thigh and said, "It's really wrong. Master, please draw another one."
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere at the scene became a little awkward.
In fact, it is not a big deal to say that the title is wrong and to ask someone to paint another one with nice words, but He Zhenbang is too careless, as if it is natural for Wang Zengqi to paint another one.
There is no begging attitude at all.
If you meet some smooth people, you can easily deal with He Zhenbang's request, but Wang Zengqi didn't say anything, he just sat and got angry.
The master didn't say anything, and Yu Dong and the others couldn't speak well, so they sat beside him without any embarrassment.
After a while, Shi Songqing slowly approached and whispered, "I've been waiting for a week, how about painting another one?"
Wang Zengqi's anger came and went quickly. After getting angry, he decided to paint again.
While he was painting, the editor Liang Lei behind He Zhenbang said again, "Old man, you can give me the wrong painting."
Wang Zengqi ignored him and said to Shi Songqing, "Tear it up and throw it into the wastebasket."
Yu Dong looked at Yu Hua and the two of them, and sighed to himself that He Zhenbang and Liang Lei were really two-year-olds with extremely low emotional intelligence. At the same time, he was surprised that Wang Zengqi was so stubborn.
Before He Zhenbang and the others came just now, Yu Dong's impression of Wang Zengqi was that he was like water, flowing like water and stopping at the right moment.
Now after this little episode, Yu Dong's mind came back with this sentence: What the hell do you care about!
What a true character.
This painting was originally an ink orchid plant. It was not complicated. Wang Zengqi painted it casually.
After the painting was finished, He Zhenbang and the others knew that they could not stay here for long, so they stood up and left. Before leaving, they talked warmly to Yu Dong and the others, and invited them to sit in the painting association if they had nothing to do.
Until they left, Yu Dong saw that Shi Songqing was reluctant to throw away the painting, and said, "Mr. Wang, how about you give me this painting?"
Wang Zengqi was not angry at this time. He only asked, "Since it is a waste painting and it was featured for someone else's newspaper, what do you want it for?"
Yu Dong smiled and said: "Because I have a fate with this painting. It happened that we came to visit and saw this painting, and such a beautiful mistake happened. When I see this painting again in the future, I will naturally
I can also think of what I saw and heard today. Sometimes, small flaws can add some special color to art. In other words, flaws are also part of art."
After hearing what Yu Dong said, Wang Zengqi smiled and said to Shi Songqing, "Songqing, give him the painting... In addition, go get two more paintings. Since the three of them came together, of course they can't favor one painting over the other. One person can take one painting."
Chapter completed!