Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 570 Western Fantasy
Normally, Chen Fan takes just 4 hours to walk this route by himself.

However, we set off at 8 a.m. today and didn't arrive at Yunhu until 2 p.m., which took 6 hours.

Besides having lunch and taking a short rest along the way, the slow speed of the vehicles arranged by the province was also a factor, especially the small light truck, which was the slowest of all.

Chen Fan felt that the vans from Yunhu Automobile Factory would just gather dust.

According to normal procedures, Zhou Zhengdong and his party should have checked into the Yunhu Hotel and handled all matters with the assistance of our personnel.

However, Zhou Zhengdong applied to us to stay at his nephew's house during his stay in Yunhu.
Chen Fan wanted to refuse, but then he thought that the house originally belonged to the older sister, and he had already taken over the place, so how could he not let the original owner's younger brother and his family move in?
He then smiled silently, indicating his agreement.

After consulting with their superiors, the accompanying personnel could only express their agreement.

There was no way to refuse such a small request. Zhou Zhengdong was no ordinary person; he had considerable influence in New York and could even establish connections in Washington.

Another one is that Chen Fan is not an ordinary person either.

Others may not know, but they had already found out that their mentor was a veteran from the Second Field Army, who was already a division-level cadre when he retired, and who was not far from the old marshal and the old political commissar.

In other words, Chen Fan had little ambition and was even somewhat "idealistic" (actually, he was lazy), which is why he stayed in his province and did not go to work in the capital.

They even still have their household registration in Lujiawan and haven't moved it.

Otherwise, as the inventor of the Yunhu First Aid Technique and a well-known young writer, no one could guess how high his level was.

Such a person is naturally trustworthy.

So after the convoy entered Yunhu city, it headed straight for the machinery factory... and the Chen family's old house not far away.

Open the door and enter the courtyard.

Only Chen Fan's car entered the courtyard; the other cars parked directly on the roadside. After Zhou Zhengdong's assistant brought over their family's luggage, he and the deputy liaison officer, accompanied by our personnel, went to check into the Yunhu Hotel.

The light truck loaded with gifts naturally followed along.

When Chen Fan went to close the courtyard gate, the Zhou family members were standing in the middle of the courtyard, looking out.

The front yard, which is three or four hundred square meters, is simply paved with blue bricks. The yard is very clean, with only a few fallen leaves and visible moss in the corners. However, it does not look dilapidated, but rather adds a touch of charm.

A village house with three main rooms faces south and is directly opposite the courtyard gate.

The so-called "three large rooms" does not mean that there are only three rooms. Rather, it means that a plot of land is divided into three sections, four gable walls are built, two are outer walls, two are inner walls, and two are front and back walls. Covering the house with tiles creates a "three large rooms" house, which is somewhat similar to a house frame.

As for how to decorate and partition the interior, that's up to you.

However, usually the main hall is in the middle, and the two sides are divided into four rooms, with the toilet and kitchen outside. This house is an example of that.

Chen Fan closed the courtyard gate, walked straight to the main gate, and unlocked the iron lock hanging on the gate.

When I touched the lock while unlocking it, I found that there was no dust on it, so I knew that Huang Ying and her group must have been here.

As soon as he pushed open the door, two raccoon dogs jumped over the courtyard wall, squatted in front of him, and meowed with their heads raised.

Zhou Yali immediately jumped over, squatted down, and looked at the raccoon cat with her eyes shining, "Little brother, you keep cats?"

Chen Fan blinked at the two cats, "Ah."

He had completely forgotten that there were two free-roaming tabby cats at home.

This was a rat that was specially caught to guard the house after we took over the yard, and we didn't usually take care of it.

It was agreed that a bowl of dried fish would be given out every month, and the Jiang sisters would often feed the fish when they were alive, but later no one lived here anymore, so they naturally forgot.

By the way, how many months' salary are owed now?

He was calculating his wages when he saw Zhou Yali reach out to touch him, and quickly called out, "Don't move."

Zhou Yali stopped abruptly, looked up at him, and asked, "Can't I touch you?"

Chen Fan smiled sheepishly, "Uh, this isn't a pet cat, it's a guard cat. It's different from a pet cat; it doesn't get baths regularly and it eats mice, so..."

Zhou Yali immediately stopped, stood up and took three steps back, seemingly still a little shaken, "Then forget it."

She was most afraid of mice and cockroaches, and since these two cats ate mice, she would definitely not touch them.

Zhou Zhengdong and Zhao Wanru only glanced at them. After Chen Fan waved to shoo the two cats away, they carried their luggage into the house.

Chen Fan glanced around as he entered and confirmed that Huang Li and the others had definitely been here.

The room was almost spotless. The tables and chairs were wiped clean, and the refrigerator and television were covered with a piece of embroidered homespun cloth, which was both dustproof and aesthetically pleasing.

Zhou Yali looked around the room with curiosity. "Brother, you're living well. You have a TV and a refrigerator. Before I came here, I heard from people who came from the mainland that the mainland is very poor now, and many people can't even get enough to eat."

Chen Fan shrugged. "Just listen to what those people say. Since they ran away, they naturally have to deliberately belittle them, making it as cruel as possible, otherwise how can they make it seem like they did the right thing by running away?"

He then glanced at Zhou Zhengdong and said meaningfully, "Mr. Li said that you have no right to speak without investigation. Since you're going to stay here for a while anyway, you might as well see if what people in the mainland are saying is the same as what they are saying."

Zhou Zhengdong and the other two nodded thoughtfully.

Chen Fan turned around and pushed open the door to the room facing northeast, saying, "Uncle, Aunt, please stay in this room."

He glanced at the bedding on the bed. "Uh, the sheets and blankets should be freshly laid out; you can use them right away."

Did someone tell Huang Li and the others that guests wanted to stay here? Or did they just guess?
Zhou Yali followed her parents into the house, looking around. Hearing this, she couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Isn't this your house? How can anyone else come in?"

At this point, her eyes suddenly lit up. "Did you hire a cleaning service? Do they even have that in China?"

Chen Fan was immediately dumbfounded, "How could that be?"

He then explained, "I left a set of keys in Lujiawan, where three apprentices are learning from me. They come to clean every few days. It's possible that the province called the unit here in advance yesterday, and they knew I was coming back, so they came to clean ahead of time."

"apprentice?"

Zhou Yali's attention immediately shifted, and she asked curiously, "What will I learn from you? Writing books?"

Seeing that Zhou Zhengdong had already put down his luggage, Chen Fan said, "Uncle, Aunt, please feel free to look around the house."

He turned and pointed to the study next door, "My parents' belongings are all in the study."

He then waved to Zhou Yali, "Your room is across the street."

As he turned and walked forward, he said, "They learned tailoring, brewing, and cooking from me."

Zhou Yali was even more confused upon hearing this, "You know about this?"

Chen Fan: "...I know a little, I know a little."

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhou Zhengdong immediately rushed to the study, with Zhao Wanru following closely behind him.

Upon entering the study, Zhou Zhengdong immediately noticed the old Steinway upright piano placed against the wall.

He took a deep breath, walked over slowly, and ran his fingers across the piano lid. Before he could even speak, his eyes were already red and tears were streaming down his face.

Zhao Wanru quickly took out a pack of tissues from her bag, pulled out one, and handed it to him.

As early as World War I, the Northern Paper Company in the United States, facing a shortage of cotton, sought to improve the then-popular toilet paper and made facial tissues from it to supply the market.

Although it was not successful at the time, after years of marketing and product improvement, paper towels have now become an indispensable necessity for Americans, just like toilet paper.

In contrast, my country did not abandon handkerchiefs and start using paper towels until the mid-90s.

So when Chen Fan walked in and saw Zhou Zhengdong wiping his face with a tissue, he thought about when he could start a tissue factory, since this stuff could make a fortune.

Hearing footsteps, Zhou Zhengdong regained his composure, took a deep breath, turned around, and asked, "Has this piano always been here?"

Chen Fan paused for two seconds and decided to keep quiet about being taken to the workers' club. It was a story that was hard to tell, and telling it would only make people feel worse.

He nodded. "It's always been here, but it got a few scratches from being used for so long. Last year, Uncle Yang—oh, he's the factory manager of Yunhu Machinery Factory, and also a friend of my parents—helped us repaint it. He also helped clean and renovate this room."

Zhou Zhengdong nodded gently, lifted the lid, and ran his fingers across the piano keys. His expression was somewhat regretful. "Your mother loved playing the piano back then. I never learned it. It's a pity that I will never hear her music again."

Zhao Wanru, standing next to her, also felt a little regretful and somewhat ashamed.

She doesn't know how to do this either; she studies painting.

Zhou Yali kept her head down, not daring to breathe.

She studied tennis as a minor subject at school!
Chen Fan glanced at them, pursed his lips, and said, "How about I play a piece for you?" The three of them looked at him at the same time, and Zhou Yali's eyes widened, "You can play the piano?"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "I know a little bit, I know a little bit."

He then pulled out the piano bench, sat down, placed his hands on the keys, and after a few seconds, gently pressed down with his fingers, and a piece of "Moonlight Sonata" poured out.

Does anyone still remember "Moonlight Sonata" from their elementary school textbook?

Standing beside the piano, listening to the music, Zhou Zhengdong felt as if time had turned back decades to when his teenage sister had insisted on making him play Moonlight Sonata. The emotions he had just suppressed overwhelmed him again, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.

By the time Chen Fan finished playing the piece with complete focus, Zhou Zhengdong was already sobbing uncontrollably, covering his face and embracing his wife.

Chen Fan blinked, silently got up, took a photo album from the bookshelf, placed it on the piano stand, and then turned around and pulled the bewildered Zhou Yali out.

Chen Fan closed the study door behind him, walked to the refrigerator, opened the door, and his face darkened.

It's not that there aren't any, it's that there are too many!

Freshly cut pork, slaughtered fish, young roosters, and large white geese filled the already small refrigerator to the brim.

He thought for a moment, then opened the freezer compartment below.

Well, it's all slices of cured pork and sausages.

After a two-second pause, Chen Fan turned to Zhou Yali, who had squatted down beside him, and said, "Congratulations, you're in for a treat today."

Zhou Yali's eyes lit up. She grabbed his shoulder, nodded vigorously, and said seriously, "Brother, I finally understand what you were saying!"

Chen Fan was a little confused. "That sentence?"

Zhou Yali turned to look at him, "You have no right to speak without investigation!"

She sighed and said, "Before returning to China, I heard from those people who traveled from the mainland to Hong Kong and then to the United States how terrible life was here."

You have no idea how heartbroken I was when I heard that. What kind of life was my brother living?!

Chen Fan said with a dark face, "That's too sentimental."

Zhou Yali ignored her, lost in her own world, and said with a face full of grief and indignation, "At that time, I was thinking that I had always lived a life of luxury since I was a child. When I was young, I was ignorant and often wasted food. When I ate fish, I only ate the fish head; when I ate chicken, I only ate the chicken legs and wings; when I ate meat, I only ate beef and mutton..."

Chen Fan immediately interrupted her, "What are we having for dinner tonight? I'll make it for you."

Zhou Yali immediately turned to look at him, "You can cook?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan fell silent.

Zhou Yali suddenly realized, "Oh right, you just said you took on an apprentice to teach cooking. Look at my brain, I almost forgot."

Chen Fan: You've already forgotten, haven't you?!

Zhou Yali took out a tissue to wipe her face and said seriously, "Seriously, little brother, come to America with us!"

Chen Fan looked at her and saw that his unreliable cousin's eyes were full of seriousness, which touched him.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard Zhou Yali say, "Come to America with me, I'll protect you."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, his face fierce, "From now on, you'll follow me, eating and drinking the best food, living in the biggest house and sleeping in the nicest place! If anyone dares to bully you, I'll slap them to death!"

Chen Fan stared at her blankly, unsure how to respond.

Zhou Yali blinked. "Don't believe me?"

She immediately stood up, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Let me tell you, don't underestimate me. Although I'm a girl, I know a bit about martial arts. Do you know the eighteen kinds of martial arts? Swords, spears, clubs, halberds, I..."

Chen Fan looked up at her. "You can do all of that?"

Zhou Yali gave an embarrassed smile, "My master and I both know how to do it."

Chen Fan was taken aback. "Oh, you've even taken on a master? Which sect or school is your master from?"

Zhou Yali glanced cautiously at the study door, then squatted down again and whispered, "These are all matters of the martial world. If you don't understand, don't ask. You wouldn't understand anyway. Just know that your sister is very powerful."

She waved her hands, her eyes filled with disdain, "In Chinatown, apart from my master, no one else is a match for me!"

Chen Fan remained calm and listened to her boasting without any expression.

However, listening to the extremely faint sobbing sounds coming from the study, and looking at his cousin who was beaming with joy, Chen Fan thought to himself, "If this were my daughter, I definitely wouldn't want her!"
A moment later, seeing that Chen Fan didn't react, Zhou Yali's face fell. "Brother, don't you believe me?"

She waved her hand and said, "It's okay if you don't believe me. You'll know if it's true once you go to America."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I believe you, I definitely believe you."

Just kidding. If the Zhou family is really as powerful as Zhou Zhengdong claims, who among your fellow disciples with less prestigious family backgrounds would dare to defeat you?!
However, I've read widely and know a little about the moves of various schools, so how come I can't tell that this girl has practiced martial arts?

Could it be a dance?

Hearing his words, Zhou Yali's expression turned somewhat suspicious. "You really believe me?"

Pay it back endlessly.

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he simply changed the subject, "I was thinking, when we were on the way here, didn't you ask me what kind of stories could be bestsellers in the United States? I was just thinking about that."

Zhou Yali's attention was instantly diverted, and she asked with great interest, "You've figured it out?"

Chen Fan nodded, looked at her, and asked, "Have you ever read martial arts novels?"

Zhou Yali's expression turned serious. "Are you referring to 'Flying Snow Shoots the White Deer, Smiling Proud Wanderer, Divine Swordsman, and Jade Couple,' or Gu Long, Wolong Sheng, Zhuge Qingyun, and Sima Ling?"

Then her expression changed, "Don't even mention Liang Yusheng, his writing is too classical Chinese, I don't like reading it."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. He looked at her intently for a few moments, then asked, "Have you ever read any Western martial arts novels?"

Zhou Yali looked completely bewildered. "Western martial arts? What's that?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "For example, The Lord of the Rings, Zorro, and of course Robin Hood, and so on."

Zhou Yali blinked, staring blankly at her cousin. "Little brother, I'm not well-educated, don't try to fool me. Are those martial arts stories too?"

Chen Fan spread his hands and laughed, "Think carefully about the plots of these stories. Aren't they very similar to the tropes of our martial arts novels?"

Zhou Yali grinned awkwardly, then lowered her head and said, "I haven't seen any of those."

Chen Fan was speechless.

Zhou Yali suddenly raised her head and said seriously, "Although the Western martial arts novels you mentioned sell very well, I still think Jin Yong and Gu Long's books are better!"

Chen Fan wiped his face, deeply worried about the future of the Zhou family.

There's no one to carry on the torch!
With a sigh, Chen Fan looked up and said, "What I mean is, if we use the writing style and formula of martial arts novels to write Western stories, such books should have a large market in Europe and America."

In short, it's "Western fantasy".

So-called Western fantasy is actually Western fantasy novels, which originated in Taiwan in the 90s. Using the Internet as a medium, it can be said to be the earliest online novel, even earlier than the first intimate contact.

The two major cultivation systems of Western fantasy that are familiar to later generations, "Battle Qi" and "Magic Power," were created at that time.

Actually, both of these methods are inspired by the internal energy cultivation techniques in martial arts novels, so they are easy for Chinese people to understand and there is almost no reading barrier.

As for whether this kind of novel will be accepted by Westerners?

Haha, the person who asked this question probably doesn't know how popular a certain overseas website is.

The formula of "feel-good" novels is universally appealing, regardless of time or place!

Zhou Yali was just a bit eccentric and had some unusual, less feminine hobbies. She was, after all, the heir carefully groomed by the Zhou family, and possessed basic abilities. After a moment's thought, she understood Chen Fan's meaning.

"So your idea is to follow the formula of wuxia novels, set it in a Western historical context, and write a Western wuxia story?"

Chen Fan nodded slightly, "Indeed."

Zhou Yali frowned, then quickly grasped the key point: "The story is easy to write, but how do you translate something like internal energy cultivation?"

(End of this chapter)