1
The curtains were only opened a little, and the snowy morning light flew in like a sharp claw and opened my eyelids. Wang Le, a reporter from the Beijing News who lives with me, saw me wake up and simply pulled the curtain halfway open, put his face against the window and said with a smile, “Come and see!”
“What are you looking at?”
“Sister Wang is reading a poem.”
I immediately got into the spirit, jumped out of bed and ran over there barefoot. In the small square in front of the hotel, Sister Wang was walking back and forth with a book in her hand, her mouth was opening and closing, and through the window, I couldn’t hear the sound. I asked Wang Le: “How did you know she was reading poetry?” Wang Le glanced at me, “What else do you think she’s doing? Reciting a paper?”
I went back to my bed and slept until, I don’t know, Wang Le came over and urged me to get up – the morning buffet would be gone if I didn’t go, not to mention the meeting was about to start.
I washed up, then followed Wang Le down to the restaurant on the second floor, and just as I reached the door I ran into Sister Wang. She had short hair, no makeup like other young female reporters in our press corps, dark complexion, wearing a pair of rimless glasses, a beige lapel short-sleeved shirt on top, an aqua silk scarf around her neck, blue jeans on the bottom, smiled lightly when she saw us: “Good morning.” We finished greeting, Wang Le elbowed me, winning the general let me look over: the book held in Wang’s hand, is really a book of poetry, Pushkin.
In fact, by definition, it is not difficult to guess. Last night, the Municipal Propaganda Department arranged for our press group to tour the lake, before boarding the boat, we stood on the dock in a circle, and the leader Xiao Zhao said, “All teachers may not know each other yet, please each introduce their names and the media they work for.” In general, when introducing themselves in this kind of rotation, everyone would speak briefly and vaguely, fearing that other people’s eyes would linger on them for one more second, but when it was Sister Wang’s turn, she introduced herself as Wang Xinyan, and after reporting her workplace, she added: “My screen name is ‘Flying Snowflake’, and we all on the blog, right? If you search, you can see my works – I am a poet.”
Everyone looked at her as curiously as I did, and she stood upright among us with her bag slung over her shoulder and a slight smile at the corners of her mouth. Zhao immediately responded: “Sister Wang is a famous poet in our province, you can often see her poems in our provincial newspaper, everyone is interested ……”
Sister Wang suddenly interjected: “In the People’s Daily also issued-“
Xiao Zhao nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, Sister Wang is very powerful ……”
“The Xinhua Digest has also forwarded my work.” Sister Wang added.
The boat sailed and walked slowly around the lake. The slightly shorter buildings around the lake are occasionally lit, but otherwise most are submerged in the night: on one side of the lake is the square, sparse people walking around, Zhao explained that today the wind is strong, so fewer people, “if it is usual, the crowd is crowded and lively”; the other side of the lake is the business district, at first glance like a condensed version of Manhattan, “Twin Towers” lights, but a closer look at the past building many rooms are still empty, Zhao explained that “is attracting investment, the future will have a lot of business in the office.
The wind is really strong, blowing hair are erected, suddenly remembered not long ago, this is just a grassland, and now the city is rising up, there are not yet more people to fill such a huge space.
2
Last night’s cabin was very lively, a long table covered with white cloth, placed a slip of grilled lamb skewers, chicken wings, large loin, each in front of a bowl of boiling hot ghee tea. The Propaganda Department officer who entertained us also sang us a long Mongolian tune.
Eat and drink, Xiao Zhao afraid of cold, let us also perform a show, we all look at me, I look at you, coyly refused to move. Zhao looked at Sister Wang, who was sitting across from me, like a cry for help: “Sister, come and perform a show.” Sister Wang shook her hand: “I can’t, I can’t!” Xiao Zhao continued to beg, and the other propaganda officers were coaxing, so Sister Wang blushed and pulled out a book from her backpack: “If you don’t mind, I’ll recite a poem for you.” Everyone said yes, yes, yes. She stood up, turned the pages, swept us a glance, and we couldn’t help but sit upright.
The cabin was very quiet, with the occasional sound of waves hitting the side of the boat and the faint sound of car horns on the shore. She tilted her head, straightened her body, placed one hand over her heart, and began to recite.
“If life has deceived you
Don’t be sad, don’t be anxious
Be calm in the days of melancholy
Believe it, happy days will come ……”
Xiao Zhao’s cell phone suddenly rang, and Wang stopped and stared at her. Xiao Zhao whispered that she was sorry, took the phone and walked out to talk, probably because the leader had assigned her some task again. The scene was silent, Sister Wang did not read down and waited there. Put on the table skewers are cold, cups of ghee tea crystallized a film. The phone shows a text message alert, want to pick up and look, but under the gaze of Sister Wang enveloped, do not dare to move. Peeking at everyone, all sitting there dazed like me. A couple of minutes later, Xiao Zhao came in after the phone call: “Ah, how come everyone is not talking?” The moment he met Sister Wang’s gaze, he immediately shut up. Sister Wang continued to recite.
“The heart is always looking forward to the future
……
It will become an affectionate memory.”
After waiting for a few moments to make sure that Sister Wang finished reciting, Xiao Zhao led the applause: “Good poem! What a great poem! Sister Wang is really talented, write really well!” Sister Wang said awkwardly, “I didn’t write this, it’s Pushkin.” Xiao Zhao “ah”, and laughed: “Mr. Pushkin wrote well, you recited well! Where does he work? Invite him to our poetry festival next time!”
Wang sat down and put the poetry book back into her bag, “I’ll be damned if he’ll come.”
We in the press corps laughed out loud, and Xiao Zhao, not knowing what to expect, laughed along with us as we laughed.
The “Poetry Festival” will soon be held next month, when the city will invite domestic and foreign poetry celebrities to come to help, because I know almost nothing about poetry, Xiao Zhao listed the names, I was as baffled as everyone else, but Wang nodded frequently: “I’ve seen it! …… ah, he also came ah, we had dinner together! …… who is not coming? I have her phone number, just call her.”
Zhao raised his glass to Sister Wang: “I’ll have to trouble you when the time comes! You are a person in the circle, you know more than us!”
Sister Wang shook her hand: “No, no, it’s just a poetry meeting.”
Zhao took the opportunity to say, “Please give us a poem on the spot, okay?”
Sister Wang said, “Oh, don’t dare!”
Xiao Zhao and several other colleagues in charge of hospitality applauded, and we all shouted along with her, “Come on! Come on!” Sister Wang then slowly stood up, her face slightly red: “Oh, really …… Zhao ah you ah you …… well, then I will offer a song – “
Sister Wang looked down and pondered for a while, shook her head and said, “No, standing here does not feel, I have to go there – ” She got up and walked to the door of the cabin, and again looked down and pondered for a long time, shook her head, “No, I can not feel the The wind.” After saying that, she walked out and stood at the bow of the boat, the wind lifted the silk scarf around her neck.
Xiao Zhao said, “Sister Wang, it’s too windy outside ……” Sister Wang reached out to stop: “Don’t talk!” She looked around and put her hand on her heart once again, “There ……” she looked down at us, “The title of my poem is – ‘The Boat Song of Dreams’. “
“Listen, whose song is that?
So melodious
So loud and clear ……”
She looked to the left of the prow, and we followed to the left; and to the right, and we followed to the right.
“That song from all directions
That fills my ears
That nourishes my soul
On this boat of dreams ……”
She spread her hands, as if to hold us all in her arms, and Xiao Zhao wanted to applaud again, but held back. Wang’s eyes gleamed at us.
“The wind of the grassland, ah, blew
The water on the ground, ah, swayed
The people on the boat are drunk
We can’t help but sing
Yes, sing-“
Sister Wang clenched her fist, Wang Le, who was sitting next to me, almost laughed out loud, and I gently poked him with my elbow before he could hold back.
“Sing the beautiful pearl of the grassland
Singing the great children of the grassland
Look at it –
The sky is so blue, so blue that it is mesmerizing
The building is so high, so high that people are proud
Who made us have this dream-like life?
Who is it?”
Sister Wang seemed to be sweeping us with questioning eyes, seeing us all bow our heads and withdrawing our gaze.
“It’s the–dreaming–thinking–force -measure!”
The last few words, Sister Wang word for word, the tone of voice is particularly firm.
Crows are silent, after half a minute, Xiao Zhao tentatively asked: “Finished?”
Sister Wang gave a “hmm” and Xiao Zhao applauded: “Good poem! Good poem!” The wind suddenly blew violently, the boat lurched, and Sister Wang fell down with a “yah”. Although we keep our mouths shut, but the laughter is like boiling hot water against the lid of the pot, puff out. Sister Wang walked to her seat in some disarray, and Zhao urged the rest of the press corps to get up and perform, but no one was willing to step up.
After the boat finished a turn and docked, there was no one in the square, and the time was only 8 o’clock in the evening. A female reporter in the press corps lamented, “It’s so quiet.” Looking up, there were no cars on the wide road, the new traffic lights changed colors lonely, and the buildings in the neighborhood across the street stood in darkness, with occasional scattered lights dotting them.
Wang Le grunted, “No wonder it’s called a ghost town.”
3
After breakfast, Xiao Zhao was already waiting in the lobby of the hotel. As soon as our press corps gathered, she urged to hurry up: “The meeting will be held at the grand theater in front.” She reached out and pointed to the large building not far away, and as soon as the words left her mouth, Wang took the lead and went that way, and Zhao said, “Let’s go by car.” A look, there are indeed two large vans parked at the roadside.
Sister Wang said, “This is just two steps away, why take a car?”
Xiao Zhao laughed and said, “I’m afraid we’ll be too tired to walk there.”
As we speak, the driver has opened the car door, and everyone went in one by one to find a good seat. Sister Wang had no choice but to get into the car and sit next to me. The car started, along the wide open street turned two turns to the entrance of the Grand Theatre, and everyone got off again, Wang sighed: “Look at this less than two minutes to get there.”
When we entered the venue, it was already full of people, basically cadres from various local government agencies, with a row of empty press seats in the middle. We took our seats in turn, with Wang Le on my left and Sister Wang on my right.
On the podium were the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee, leaders of the Ministry of Culture, and famous scholars specially invited to discuss the “cultural strengthening of the city”. The scholars began a lengthy speech, everyone is holding a cell phone brush friends, Wang Le playing “elimination” – Wang sister is taking notes, I peeked at the neat handwriting, one, two, three, four, five, each article are densely written a lot of words. I said quietly: “This turn back Xiao Zhao will send us shorthand information.” Sister Wang glanced at me: “He spoke very well, I’m very gainful!” I looked at the stage again, the scholar is discussing the eighth “how to build the soul of the city”, the clichéd cliché I do not know how many times it has been said.
The three hours passed, and when it came to the “exchange session”, there was a brief silence on the stage. Wang Le muttered, “No questions! Do not ask questions!” He started to pack his things. But Sister Wang stood up first: “Mr. Zhao! I’ve heard a lot about you!”
The eyes of the whole room were cast over, and I couldn’t help but have my cheeks burning as I sat next to her. Sister Wang’s body trembled slightly, and the hand that was propped up on the table shook as if it was on a boiling pot, while the other hand held the notebook.
“You just talked about ‘cultural development of the city’, it was really good!” Her voice also trembled, “We need culture here so much! People who do culture are lonely here!”
The stage “boomed”, but Wang was not moved: “You said culture nourishes the soul of a city, I agree too much! We need soul, poetry, and knowledge here, but we are just starting out now, and we need great scholars like you to come and guide us. While listening to your speech, I wrote a short poem that I would like to dedicate to you.”
The host on stage was busy saying, “Time is limited, why don’t you give it to Mr. Zhao in private, is that okay?”
Sister Wang did not speak, frozen there, the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee spoke: “It’s okay, Ms. Wang is a famous poet, our daily newspaper can often see her poems, just read them.”
Wang turned the book, her hand was still trembling, turned a page and found that it was not, and hurried to turn the next page, in the meeting room rustling impatient noise, turned to write the poem of the page, she calmed down, head held high, eyes straight ahead, the voice penetrated those tiny voices, straight to our ears: “Here once the yellow sands were full of sand.
“Here was once yellow sand, never saw the rain
Here once the grass did not grow, never see the people
……
Let the milk of culture feed it
Let the light of culture shine on it
Oh, my beautiful city, may you also have a beautiful soul!”
After the poem was read, Sister Wang stood there, her body no longer trembling, instead she straightened up with confidence and looked at the stage with expectant eyes. The scholar moved his buttocks, holding the microphone in his hand, coughed twice in embarrassment and gave a “hmm”, not knowing how to respond. The deputy secretary of the municipal party committee took the lead and clapped his hands: “Good poem!” The people in the audience then followed suit and clapped.
“Send it to the daily newspaper tomorrow!” After the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee turned to the staff around him, he clapped again, “You cadres should learn from Mr. Wang this kind of dedication to the construction of the city!”
4
After the meeting, we headed out in twos and threes. Two drivers turned on the air conditioning and car doors early outside the theater and stood by the roadside waiting for us. Sister Wang said, “Why don’t you guys take the car, I’d better walk back.” Xiao Zhao froze for a moment, turned his head to look at us: “Or listen to Sister Wang, anyway, there are not a few steps ……”
Everyone said yes. Sister Wang was in high spirits and walked in the forefront. Several female reporters followed behind with sunshades, and Wang Le and I walked slowly at the end.
Sister Wang turned her head and asked, “Did you hear the birds chirping?” Everyone was stunned and said they did not hear it, Sister Wang smiled: “You have lived in the city for a long time, your ears are rusty. This bird call, in a very distant place, you have to listen with your heart to hear.” Wang Le grunted, “I only hear my stomach rumbling with hunger.”
The wind blew, and Sister Wang asked again, “Do you smell the fragrance of flowers?” Everyone froze again, some said they smelled it, some said they didn’t. Sister Wang nodded, “Look, the flowers are over there -” Looking in the direction she pointed, the theater plaza was spelled out in a five-petal flower shape. “It’s not even natural. To go to the depths of the prairie, when spring comes, a hundred flowers in full bloom, lying on the grass, the fragrance of flowers …… “Wang is saying, has reached the door of the hotel, she asked us, “walking a walk is not feeling much better?” Everyone casually said yes, and hurried into the air-conditioned hotel lobby.
A reporter from the city TV station came over to find Wang to do an interview, and I heard Zhao say that the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee had sent someone to pick her up to have lunch with those cultural scholars. After Wang Le and I sent out the press release and photos in the room, Wang Le suddenly pointed to the local news on the computer screen and said with a big smile, “You’re in the news!” I padded over to look, and the huge news headline jumped into my eyes – “Grassland Lark Sings Beautiful City” – and Wang Le read the following article aloud: “She Her emotional recitation infected all the people in the room ……” The news was accompanied by a picture of Wang reciting the poem with a book, and I was sitting next to her, with dull eyes.
In the afternoon, Zhao arranged for the press corps to visit the new museum, and everyone was relieved not to see Sister Wang. It seemed like every museum was pretty much the same, from the Paleolithic period to the booming new era, and it was tasteless to look all the way down.
I ate too much for dinner and couldn’t sit in the room, so I invited Wang Le to go out for a stroll, and he bristled: “This ghost town, you dare to stroll! You do not look out the window, it is all dark, okay? Scared to death.” I had to go down by myself, before leaving Wang Le added: “You did not come back after 12:00, I’ll call the police ah.”
Out of the hotel door, a deep breath, the air is cool, although the wind is big, but also not cold.
“You’re down too?” It was Wang’s voice, she had changed into a grape purple jacket with an apple green scarf, stretching her arms and doing chest expansion exercises, “Do you want to go for a walk?” I remembered what Wang Le said before and hesitated slightly, Sister Wang was already walking forward, “Take a walk, it’s good for your health!” I had to follow behind her.
The trees beside the road were newly planted, with thin, bony trunks topped by a small canopy, shaking and tossing a few leaves in the wind. Under the trees is yellow soil, after all, drought and little rain, even the grass is only sporadic. The six-storey buildings on both sides of the road are new, with European-style columns and small balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, but unfortunately there are too few residents, and they look rather depressed. The wind poured in from between the buildings and hit my face with some pain. I felt goose bumps on my bare arms, and a coldness came over me.
Wang did not look away, and walked straight ahead, I rushed to keep up. Through the group of buildings, the road is lined with open space stretching infinitely ahead, Wang stopped, waiting for me to pant past, she smiled and asked, “Are you tired?”
Moving forward again, she slowed her pace and walked parallel to me.
“I have to walk ten kilometers fast every day.” She said, “I used to work as an accountant in town, and when I went home at night, others rode their bikes, and I liked to walk along the road. I loved the nights in the meadow, when the sun set as big as a wheel, and watching it get swallowed up a little by the distant mountains, and it got a little cooler, and the huge moon came up, I was often too amazed to speak.”
“Is that when you got into writing poetry?”
She looked at me and shook her head with a smile: “At that time, in that countryside of ours, where were the books to read? Later I was sent to Hohhot for further study, and by chance I found a book of Pushkin’s poems in a bookstore, and instantly fell in love with them. Later I looked for many more poems by Russian poets to read, Purnin ah, Lermontov ah, Mayakovsky ah ……”
She pondered for a moment, I thought she was going to recite those poems she had read again, but she looked up at me shyly: “Deng, what do you think of my poetry?”
I hesitated for a moment and said, “I don’t know poetry.”
She nodded: “You are from Beijing, you have seen the world. We people from small places have small eyesight, and when we write poems, people around us actually don’t understand them.”
“How can that be? Didn’t the deputy secretary of the municipal party committee praise you for your good writing today?”
She raised her hand to stop my words, “Of course I’m happy to get his affirmation, but I still need a professional to help me look at it.” She paused for a moment and added, “I actually know what you think of my poem, at best it’s a limerick, and it’s not beautiful, and it’s even suspected of being a glorification ……”
“No no, how dare we think so ……”
She smiled: “You, and Wang Le, of course there may be other press corps, I can feel your attitude, just do not say it.”
5
Unconsciously walked to the lake where I came last night, the lake is deep and secluded, the cruise ship is parked at the pier, someone is sitting there playing the accordion, Sister Wang said, “The outskirts of Moscow are quiet, it’s been a long time since I listened to it.”
I said, “The poem that Sister Wang recited on the boat yesterday is still fresh in my mind.”
Sister Wang waved her hand in a slightly embarrassed manner, “It’s all just a show. There is no one to liven up the atmosphere, someone has to take the lead. You young people, thin-skinned, I should make a fool of myself.”
We continue to walk along the lake, she clasped her hands to her chest, may also feel the cold, “I studied in Hohhot, try to write some poems, one dinner met a famous poet I like very much,” Wang said the name of the poet, I have not heard, “he read my poems, I think I write very spiritual, and full of emotion, after his recommendation, my poems began to be published in various poetry magazines, without his encouragement and support, I am afraid it is difficult to write ……”
She paused for a moment and suddenly started to speak up: “Those published poems are not the same as the poems I wrote on the spot in the past two days, it belongs to my personal poems, they are all on my blog, if you want to read them ……” I politely said I would definitely go and read them, she got excited. “If you read it, be sure to tell me what you really think, can you?” Not waiting for my answer, she was busy saying, “or do not read it, really really, write too childish, will make you laugh!”
The night was getting late, not a single person could be seen in the square, the accordion sound was gone, and there was only the whistling wind. We began to walk in the direction of the hotel, Wang’s mouth whispered something, I could not hear clearly, so I had to ask: “Are you talking to me?” She came back to her senses and smiled awkwardly, “No.”
We continued to walk forward in silence. Not long after, Wang whispered again, and I couldn’t help but ask again, “Wang, you’re reciting poetry?” She looked like she had been discovered doing something very private, and her face showed a shy look: “I’m really sorry, I often recite poetry when I walk, so I made you laugh.” I asked her whose poem she was reading, and she looked serious: “If you want to hear it, I’ll read it to you.” When I nodded, she instantly came to life.
“The storm blew a whirlwind with snow.
Like smoke obscuring the sky.
……
Let us drink to our sorrows; where is the cup?
So that joy may at once come to the heart.
……”
She looked at me for a moment, and I realized that she had finished reciting, and said, “How nice!”
And she crossed her palm downward in the air: “Come on! Don’t you know it’s Pushkin?”
I shook my head, and she said, a little disappointed, “I thought you all knew Pushkin a little better than I do.” After a moment of silence, she had a small voice and said, “This poem is called ‘Winter Night’ and is dedicated by Pushkin to his nurse. We in Inner Mongolia, in winter often blizzard, stay at home can not go anywhere, read this poem, I feel sitting next to Pushkin and his nanny, the heart is sad and warm …… oops, I am really too talkative. You’re tired of hearing it, right?”
I was busy saying, “Nowhere, nowhere, I love to hear you talk about it.”
When we got to the hotel door, the lights were on inside, two doormen were standing at the door yawning, and waves of snowy light poured out from the lobby and slapped us. I was ready to go inside: “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Sister Wang.” She didn’t say anything and looked up at the sky: “Look how beautiful the moon is.” I followed her hand to look, the thin layer of clouds, the glittering white moon half-shadowed, the clouds were flying, the moon blurred in the turquoise blue canopy. I couldn’t help but “wow”, Wang said: “It’s cold, you go up first to rest.” I said yes, twisted around to go inside, but she did not move: “You go back first, I will look again.”
When I returned to the room, Wang Le jumped up from the bed: “If you do not come back, I really want to call the police!” I laughed: “Where is such an exaggeration?!” He pointed to the clock on the wall, “Look at the time -” I looked up and was surprised, “I didn’t realize it was 11:00.” Wang Le peeked over and asked, “You didn’t meet a female ghost, did you?” I rolled his eyes: “Yes, I met, and fought 300 rounds.” Wang Le smiled cheekily: “No wonder you have a black aura on your head!”
I went to the window to look down, Wang stood on the hotel parking lot, still looking at the sky. Wang Le said, “What? The female ghost is waiting for you down there?” Said also to come over to see, I fiercely pulled the curtains up: “Where? sleep!”
Ghost City Poetess
6
The next few days, the minority crafts exhibition, the provincial calligrapher works exhibition, the grassland culture promotion symposium …… all need the press corps to attend, in the departure to the venue can meet Wang sister, also nod and smile, and then each busy reading Xiao Zhao sent us the material.
The last day, to the afternoon is free time, some people in the press corps followed Xiao Zhao to the old downtown to buy woolen sweaters and souvenirs, while Wang Le and I felt too tired, they stayed in the room to play games.
By five o’clock in the afternoon, the sky slowly darkened, I asked Wang Le how he planned to eat dinner, he glanced out the window skimmed: “There are restaurants outside is open? You do not remember the day we came, 12:00 noon, the street stores are closed?
As we were talking, I heard a knock on the door, I opened it and saw that it was Sister Wang. She asked if we wanted to go to dinner together, and before I could say anything, Wang Le responded from inside: “There’s nothing here!”
Sister Wang laughed out loud, “You guys just come with me.”
With us, there were three other reporters who did not go to the old downtown, all called on by Sister Wang one by one. We walked on the empty road, not a single car, street lights cast a warm light. Wang Le looked at his cell phone and took a deep breath: “The air is really good! The PM2.5 here today is only 8, the grade is actually only good! If this were in Beijing, it would have been excellent!”
Sister Wang turned around and laughed: “You remember to write more about this in the news report.”
Wang Le joked, “The title is: Welcome to the ghost city, the air is good.”
The words just fell, everyone laughed, only Sister Wang calmly glanced at Wang Le, did not speak.
Walked about ten minutes, to the west side of the city on a street, a glance over, a hundred meters long street row of restaurants, the street set up a lot of barbecue stalls, smoky in the aroma of barbecue meat, rows of small tables are surrounded by people.
Said a lot of people, in fact, not to the point of crowded, just these days look around are empty streets and squares, at first sight there is a noisy crowd, but also some unaccustomed. Wang Le pointed to the right hand side: “The supermarket is still open!” Everyone laughed again.
Sister Wang took us onward: “Eat barbecue, OK?” Everyone said yes in unison. We found a stall and sat down, ordered food, asked for a few bottles of beer, and we started eating. One reporter exclaimed, “I thought this was an empty city, but I didn’t expect people to be here.”
Sister Wang laughed: “This is the first place to be developed, so there are many people. Look at those buildings-” she pointed to the distant neighborhoods without lights, “they will be slowly occupied, and gradually they will become popular.”
Wang Le interjected: “It’s been years since anyone lived there, right?”
Sister Wang immediately interfaced: “So I hope you will promote more na! You see such a good place, fresh air, beautiful environment, the price of housing is not high, you big reporters from the capital to say more good words, there will certainly be a lot of people come.”
Everyone nodded and said, “Sure, sure,” and Sister Wang happily raised her glass: “Come on, come on, I’ll drink to everyone! I’m counting on you all!”
After another round of drinks, Sister Wang lamented, “I still have some regrets in my heart! This city is built so beautifully, but there is something missing …… Well, like an empty shell, it needs to have a soul. Look at your Beijing, so many bookstores, museums, theaters, I really envy you! There are so many books and so many people who love to read books; there are so many programs in the theater, too much to see. We here, of course, bookstores, museums and theaters, but always feel empty, we are engaged in culture, sometimes here is also a bit like a garnish …… do not know if you know what I mean?”
She looked at me seriously, I did not know for a while back to her what good, at this time there is a new grilled lamb skewers up, considered to relieve me of the siege, I and everyone once again ate up. Sister Wang drank in silence, did not go to get.
When the wine was in full swing, the sound of singing came from the next table, a few middle-aged men raised their glasses and sang loudly “Hong Yan”, “We are happy to drink here and want to sing out, let’s sing too?” She looked around excitedly and saw that we all said we wouldn’t, “Don’t be shy, I’m not much of a singer either! Come on, come on, can you sing “White Clouds in the Blue Sky”?” Seeing that we still shake our heads, she raised her glass, “Then I’ll make a fool of myself and sing it to you, and if you remember how to sing it, just harmonize with me.”
Wang cleared her throat, put down her glass, and then sang with her eyes closed, both hands gently dancing in the air, like she was directing a choir. The song was clear and bright, the people at the next table stopped singing and looked over, and gradually a song joined in, and soon the third table joined in, and our table hesitantly looked at each other and gradually sang along.
After the first song, everyone applauded, Wang opened her eyes and waved to the next table: “Eat well and drink well!” The next table echoed: “Eat well, drink well!”
When Sister Wang turned her head, we couldn’t help but praise: “Sister Wang sings really well!”
She probably drank a little too much wine and her cheeks were red: “No, I’m not perfect! Don’t laugh at me!”
7
The second round of drinks, a van braked to the side of us, the door opened, Xiao Zhao rushed out, relieved to see us: “Finally found you! Almost killed me!”
Wang asked what happened, Zhao took her hand: “The city leaders want to host a farewell banquet for you, you are eating on their own. Call your phone, you also did not answer.” I fished out my phone from my pocket, and there were several missed calls.
Sister Wang said, “We are almost full here, so don’t let the leaders bother.”
Xiao Zhao urged us to get in the car, “Sister Wang, the leader wants to see you by name! Go, go, go, let’s hurry over!”
Sister Wang called the boss to settle the bill, no matter how much we said we wanted AA, and no matter how much Zhao said her side to pay the bill can also be reimbursed, “This meal I must treat you! It’s so nice to meet you guys!”
After settling the bill and getting into the car, Xiao Zhao asked the driver to speed up and drive to the five-star hotel. A little too much wine, head burning, the window opened a small gap, the night breeze like a knife cut in, people slightly more sober. Sister Wang came over and handed over a bottle of water: “Drink a little water, see you a little bit on the head.” I took the water, to thank her, she was already handing water to other people.
The banquet hall is made in the style of a yurt, the space is large, set up a large round table, the face wall hung with the portrait of Genghis Khan, Mongolian delicacies laid out a table full of. The reporters who went to the old downtown area with Xiao Zhao had already sat down, and the propaganda department leader Wu who was sitting on the main seat saw us come in and waved with a smile on his face: “Sit down quickly, all the big reporters have worked hard.” Xiao Zhao rushed over and pulled our seats apart one by one to make it easier for us to sit down.
Sister Wang said, “I’m really sorry to keep you waiting.” Wu immediately got up and shook hands with Sister Wang: “Where and where, I’ve heard a lot about you. Mr. Wang’s poems are good even the mayor praised them! Come on, I’ll drink to you!” Said raised a glass, Xiao Zhao came over to Wang’s cup filled with white wine, the two clinked glasses, a dry toast. Everyone praised Sister Wang for her good drinking ability. Then the other officers of the Propaganda Department came up to give a toast to Sister Wang, and Sister Wang did not refuse, and drank them all.
I sat on Sister Wang’s left hand side, and after she finished her wine and sat down, I saw that her forehead to neck were red, so I gave her a bowl of soup, she was about to drink, and there was a toast from the Culture Bureau.
The Bureau of Culture’s Zhang Bureau just came from another dinner, when she entered the door can already be slightly drunk, but she still said nothing, took the glass of wine handed over by Xiao Zhao, first “punish yourself three cups”, followed by “play pass”, in turn, and every person at the table to drink a glass.
I peeked at Sister Wang, she has leaned back on the back of the chair to doze off, apparently already is not winds up. After Zhang drank with us and went to Sister Wang, Xiao Zhao patted Sister Wang’s shoulder: “Sister Wang! Sister Wang!” Sister Wang softly “eh”, barely opened her eyes to see: “Hey hey! Zhang Bureau!” He said he got up and stood up, but his body didn’t obey him and he wanted to fall down, but Xiao Zhao held him up, and Zhang was almost drunk enough to hold on to my chair, laughing: “Great poet! Haha, a great poet! Come, must have a good drink with you! I …… I like the poems you write! All of you say, is the great poet Wang write good?”
Seeing everyone say yes in unison, Zhang Bureau then said, “I have a small request -” she looked around at everyone and smiled, “how about letting the great poet give us a poem on the spot? Let’s see the poet’s style! Everyone say yes?” Everyone said yes again in unison, Sister Wang “Aiya Aiya” a few times: “How can that be good?”
Zhang Bureau “hey”: “do not look down on us? Do you think we are not high ranking enough?”
Sister Wang shook her hand: “How dare you!”
8
In the midst of everyone’s drumming, Sister Wang stumbled to the front of the stage and took the microphone handed to her by Xiao Zhao: “Then I’ll make a fool of myself.”
Everyone applauded once again. Sister Wang bowed her head and brewed, everyone quieted down and looked at her, except for the Zhang Bureau sitting next to Wu who was still giggling, her flushed red face shining brightly under the lights. Sister Wang hesitantly glanced at Wu, who smiled and raised his hand for her to begin.
“Farewell, is a glass of aged wine
Farewell, is a lilting song
Farewell ……”
“Good!” Zhang bureau applauded, “good poem!” She put the wine glass pier on the table, “Xiao Zhao, another cup!” Wu stopped Xiao Zhao and said quietly, “Zhang Bureau, why don’t you take a break first? Wait for Mr. Wang to finish reciting the poem?” Zhang Bureau raised her eyes and glanced at Wu, then at Sister Wang, and raised her hand, “Sorry, you ……” she burped, “Continue.”
Wang sister also some unstable standing, leaning against the wall, raised his eyes to see that everyone is still looking at her, so he smiled again.
“Farewell, is a difficult love
The days we spent together, like a flying horse running away
The happy time, like a spring bubbling flow
……”
The waiter pushed the door in at this time and brought up the freshly baked lamb chops, the aroma was straightforward, everyone’s attention was immediately attracted. The company’s main business is to provide a wide range of products and services to the market. Sister Wang’s voice came weakly: “That …… you guys still want to listen?”
Only then did everyone realize that Sister Wang’s poem had not yet finished reciting, they all said: “Listen! Listen! Sister Wang, you continue!”
Sister Wang’s body declined, and the microphone seemed to be particularly hot, spinning around in her hands.
“Love is speechless …… love is ……”
Sister Wang stalked in this sentence, she looked down at her feet, her mouth mumbled, but everyone did not care, the neighbors began to whisper among themselves, Zhang Bureau and Wu Division whispered and discussed something, and suddenly let out a loud laugh. Everyone looked up at the Zhang Bureau, she held back again: “Sorry sorry, I punish myself a glass!” Said picked up a glass of wine and drank it all, and after drinking it hesitantly glanced across the room, “Sister Wang, you are …… oh oh …… reading poetry!” She patted her head, “I really drank confused! Hey hey hey, everyone focus a little bit ha, Sister Wang you continue!”
Sister Wang’s body felt shrunken one, the corners of the mouth hanging dry smile, but a little bit of wetness in the eyes, tears suddenly gushed out. Xiao Zhao hurried over, “Sister Wang …… you ……” Sister Wang shook her hand, “Nothing nothing… …Sorry ……” she twisted and stumbled and pushed open the door and ran out, Xiao Zhao followed behind her.
The situation was awkward for a while, Wu coughed a few times: “Well …… Wang is probably drunk …… Xiao Zhao will take care of her …… Come, come, I Another toast to everyone!” Zhang Bureau also responded, “Come on, let’s go one!” Everyone echoed up and raised their glasses.
After another round of drinking, Xiao Zhao came in and said he had sent Sister Wang back to the hotel to rest. Zhang Bureau nodded and laughed: “Poets, are very emotional, Sister Wang must be particularly sad in her heart for everyone ……”
Everyone said yes in unison, and a new round of toasts began again.
9
At the end of the meal, it was already 11:00 p.m., everyone drank five confused. The first time I went back to the hotel, I vomited a few times before I reluctantly slowed down, took a hasty shower, and fell asleep.
The next day was woken up by a phone call from Xiao Zhao, who urged us to hurry up and pack our bags, not much time before the plane took off. It was the same two vans that took us to the airport, and someone asked Zhao: “Where’s Sister Wang?” Zhao returned: “Oh, I forgot. Sister Wang asked me to say sorry on her behalf, she has taken the train back to Hohhot, too late to say goodbye to everyone.”
Everyone said “Oh” and started talking about other topics. I still haven’t slowed down from yesterday’s wine, turned my head to look out the window, the car drove across the road where I walked with Wang that night, followed by the road along the lake. The lake was surging with waves, and Xiao Zhao came over to see: “When winter comes, you can skate on the lake. When the time comes, you are welcome to come back!”
Wang Le, who was sitting in the back, grunted, “I guess I’ll be cold to death by then.” Xiao Zhao did not say anything more.
After returning to Beijing, the journalists returned to their own work units, and there was little contact between them. I did a “grassland pearl” feature, as a conclusion to this trip, after being sent to Jiangxi on business. I was busy for most of the month, and when I came back, the receptionist called me and handed me a big gift box with all kinds of packaged dairy products and a brand new copy of Pushkin’s Selected Poems, and turned to the title page, with a circle drawn at the top, representing the moon or the sun, and a winding path below, with a small person walking, and a line of elegant words further down: “May May Pushkin’s poetry light up the path of your life”.
The inscription is “Wang Xinyan”, and next to it is a smiley face.
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