Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 734 Festival
After spending two or three days in the provincial capital and taking care of some mundane matters, Chen Fan took the two sisters and flew directly to Shanghai.

After arriving in Shanghai, Chen Fan visited Ba Jin to wish him a Happy New Year and met with An Quan. He had a meal at An Quan's house and then went home to curl up and frantically type on his computer.

Writing 8,000 words per hour was the limit of the keyboard and the first-generation Pinyin input method, not Chen Fan's limit.

He has a lot on his plate right now. He has a realistic novel called "Small Town People" that he is supposed to submit in August. But this is a long novel, and he is aiming for more than a million words. He can't wait until the deadline to frantically write.

In addition, the short story manuscripts to be submitted to "Shanghai Literature and Art" and "Jiangnan Literature and Art" each month should be prepared in advance.

Also, I need to write several more papers as part of the assignments given by Professor Xu. And I also need to hurry up and finish the sequel to "Legend of the Dragon Knight".

Chen Fan was especially grateful to Zhou Yali for sending him several computers and for helping him develop a Chinese input method.

Otherwise, he would just want to die, scribble on the paper with his pen.

As for He Qingsheng relaying the request for a manuscript from Xiaoben, he could only put it out of his mind and deal with it later.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

February 14th, the 2th day of the first lunar month, Wednesday.

After finishing her last class, Jiang Lili rode her bicycle home.

Since she explained her aspirations to her teacher last semester, although the teacher was very disappointed, she respected her choice and never took her into the laboratory again. Instead, the teacher helped her collect a lot of information on fashion design.

As mentioned before, although there is no major in fashion design in China, it does not mean that the profession does not exist. In major garment factories, there are a number of technicians who do fashion design.

The status of the Textile Institute in the domestic textile industry is beyond doubt. As a professor at the Textile Institute, he may not be able to influence other places, but it is still easy for him to get some design drafts from several garment factories in Shanghai.

These design drafts were all lent to Jiang Lili, and the teacher also allowed her to reduce her time at school appropriately.

Now, like Jiang Tiantian, she has plenty of personal time and almost always runs away as soon as get out of class is over.

She pushed her bicycle through the gate, glanced around the yard, and sure enough, her sister hadn't returned yet.

Even if Jiang Tiantian drives a minivan, as long as she goes to and from get out of class on time, she won't get home earlier than Jiang Tiantian.

After parking her bicycle, Jiang Lili took out her keys to open the door and went inside. She was about to change her shoes when she saw the scene in the living room, which startled her.

Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she quickly changed into slippers and ran over. "Xiao Fan, why did you come down? Have you finished writing?"

These days, Chen Fan has been busy rushing to finish his manuscript, and even his lunch break has been squeezed out. Unexpectedly, he didn't write upstairs today, but was busy in the living room.

Looking at the cluster of flowers on the table, and then at Chen Fan who was still busy around the flowers, her eyes were filled with surprise.

Seeing Jiang Lili come in, Chen Fan looked up and smiled, "It's almost finished. I should be able to finish the manuscript tomorrow."

This completed work does not include "The People of a Small Town," and only the fourth part of "The Legend of the Dragon Knight" has been completed, but that is enough.

Jiang Lili tossed her schoolbag aside, ran over quickly, and looked at the flowers on the table with curiosity in her eyes, "Where did you find these flowers?"

This is Shanghai in February; even the forsythia, the first flowers to bloom, haven't opened yet.

But looking at the bouquet on the table, it seems like there are all kinds of flowers?

There are forsythia, daffodils, magnolias, peonies, and more, all vying for attention with their vibrant colors, a truly breathtaking sight.

At first, she wondered if they were fake flowers. After all, you can buy many kinds of fake flowers made of silk in department stores, and many families buy fake flowers to decorate their homes.

But once you get closer, you can smell the fragrance of the flowers, and look at the petals still covered with water droplets, so fresh and tender that they seem to drip with juice.

After arranging the bouquet, Chen Fan picked up a towel to wipe his hands and said with a smile, "There are several greenhouses at Chongming Farm that supply flowers for events held in the city. I went to the farm this morning and bought some from them."

Then he turned to look at Jiang Lili and asked, "Does it look good?"

Jiang Lili's eyes were already misty, practically dripping with honey. Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, she immediately nodded vigorously, "Beautiful."

She paused for two seconds, a look of confusion flashing across her face. "What day is it today? Why are we preparing flowers?"

Chen Fan pulled out a chair and sat down, smiling as he said, "Today is Valentine's Day in the West. Lovers exchange gifts to express their affection and commemorate their love."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili was startled and even panicked a little. She covered her mouth and said, "Oh, I didn't know, I didn't prepare anything."

Chen Fan pulled her over and sat her on his lap, then hugged her and whispered, "Not preparing anything doesn't mean there's no gift. A kiss will do."

Jiang Lili blushed instantly, but since there was no one else at home, she couldn't help but hug him tightly and present the gift first.

The two cuddled for a while when they heard the door open outside.

Needless to say, it must be Jiang Tiantian who's back.

Jiang Lili quickly got up, grabbed her schoolbag, and ran upstairs.

When Jiang Tiantian came in, she was pleasantly surprised to see the flowers on the table.

After finding out the reason, she shook her head slightly and looked at Chen Fan with a complicated expression. "You should just spoil her."

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "It's not so much about spoiling, but I feel that life needs some sense of ritual to make it more interesting."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Today is Valentine's Day, so let's have Western food today."

Jiang Tiantian raised an eyebrow slightly. "Western food? Where should we eat?"

Chen Fan stood up, turned around and walked towards the kitchen. "No need to go out, let's eat at home."

He turned around and smiled, saying, "I'll do it."

Watching Chen Fan walk into the kitchen, Jiang Tiantian took a deep breath, turned to look at the flowers, and stared blankly, somewhat lost in thought.

It took her a while to come to her senses, and she went upstairs with her schoolbag on her back.

I don't know what the two sisters talked about upstairs, but they didn't come down for half an hour. However, they had obviously washed up and changed their clothes.

Upon reaching the first floor, the two of them walked towards the kitchen without prior arrangement.

By this time, Chen Fan had almost finished his work. Seeing the two of them approaching, he turned around and smiled, "Are you hungry? Let's start serving the food now."

As he spoke, he picked up a tray and walked outside.

At the dining table, the two sisters sat together, waiting to be fed.

They had eaten the most luxurious Chinese food with Chen Fan, but this was their first time eating Western food, and they all had a bit of curiosity in their eyes.

Chen Fan put on a serious expression and said, "Ladies, we are now serving you a pre-dinner drink." He picked up a bottle of champagne, poured it for them, and, well, he didn't forget to pour himself a glass as well.

After setting the champagne down, Chen Fan clapped his hands, stood solemnly to the side, and said seriously, "Today we are enjoying an Italian meal. According to Italian dining etiquette, after the aperitif, the appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and finally dessert and drinks will be served in succession. The next course will only be served after the previous one has been finished."

The two sisters looked up at him expectantly, but in their hearts they were both wondering, "Is eating Western food really this complicated? Can't it all be served at once?"

Then Chen Fan said, "But if that's the case, I won't be able to eat. So today we'll have a Western meal served all at once, and then we'll eat together."

After saying that, he rushed to the kitchen and brought back two large plates of dishes, making the two of them laugh heartily.

As all the dishes were served, Chen Fan sat next to Jiang Lili, raised his glass, and said, "Happy holiday, cheers!"

Jiang Tiantian didn't want to clink glasses, but Chen Fan had already handed her his glass, so she could only blush and clink glasses briefly before quickly avoiding his gaze and drinking it down in one gulp.

Chen Fan put down his wine glass, picked up his knife and fork, and briefly explained the Western dining etiquette to them.

As for etiquette, I served all the dishes in one go, why bother with that?

After taking a bite of the steak, Chen Fan nodded silently. It was cooked perfectly, well-done yet tender and juicy, but the beef from the farm was of a slightly inferior variety.

However, these are the current conditions, so there's no need to force it.

After swallowing the beef in his mouth and taking a sip of champagne, Chen Fan turned to Jiang Tiantian and said, "Tiantian, the teacher said last time that you should continue writing. Have you had any inspiration yet?"

Jiang Tiantian had recovered by now. She turned to look at him and said, "Not yet, I don't know what to write."

Jiang Lili smiled at her and said, "There are many! Poetry, prose, novels, aren't they all fine? You're a Chinese literature major, you can't be completely clueless, can you?"

Jiang Tiantian looked somewhat helpless. "Writing is not as simple as you think. If it were just a random essay on a given topic, I could write one too, but when I compare what I write with what Xiaofan wrote, I feel that I am not presentable at all."

Chen Fan immediately said, "Don't compare yourself to me. Didn't you hear Professor Jiang say that, apart from a few famous experts of the older generation, most others are not as good as me? If you compare yourself to me, aren't you just asking for trouble?"

Seeing the man's nonchalant demeanor and hearing his words, Jiang Tiantian couldn't help but move her lips slightly, unsure of where to begin.

Although it is true, as the person involved, you are not humble at all. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?

After a few seconds of silence, Jiang Tiantian pouted and sighed, "Right after Lu Xinhua's work was published, many people are now writing articles like his, including my classmates. The quality varies greatly, but I really don't want to write this type of article."

Chen Fan didn't take it seriously. He swallowed a mouthful of spaghetti, pursed his lips, and looked at her, saying, "Why don't you want to write it? You've experienced it firsthand. Although it wasn't as dramatic as described in that article, being treated coldly is still a kind of torment."

With firsthand experience and a little bit of expansive thinking, writing an article like this should be easy, right?

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian couldn't help but glare at him irritably. "Writing articles like this is easy. But after listening to so much of your analysis of the works, if you still get caught up in this meaningless sadness, aren't you out of your mind?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lili nodded repeatedly, her face full of agreement, and said, "That's right. My sister wrote 'A Generation,' her eyes have long since turned to seek the light, how could she fall into that kind of meaningless sadness?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan also felt that it made sense.

Jiang Tiantian is known as a "rising star" by the world. This hope is not only because she is a rising star in the literary world, but also because her little poem fills people with hope.

If even she goes on to write sentimental literature that follows the mainstream, then where is the hope?
It's really inappropriate.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Fan said to Jiang Tiantian, "Your decision is right. You really can't just write whatever's popular; you should have your own thoughts."

I think you should first organize your thoughts and see what you want to express. Is it a vision for the future, a nostalgia for the past, or something else...?

At this point, Chen Fan suddenly waved his hand and laughed, "I can't tell you too much, because it will distract you. In short, you can put the magazine's affairs aside for now and don't get too involved."

You can set aside more time for yourself. Think about your literary creations, or reflect on what you truly want for your future.

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian looked at him with a half-smile, "Haven't you already decided my future? Once you start your private magazine, I'll work as your editor."

Chen Fan chuckled dryly twice. "This is just my hope, but I don't know if it's your ideal. If your ideal is something else, I fully support you and have no objection."

Jiang Tiantian continued, "If I don't help you, who will you ask for help?"

She shook her head as she spoke, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "I heard from my classmates that their ideal job is either to work for a major newspaper or to become an editor for a literary magazine. Either way, it definitely includes having a Shanghai hukou (household registration) and a formal government job."

If you really want to start a private magazine, you probably can't provide most of these things, right? In that case, who would be willing to manage the magazine for you?

Chen Fan didn't seem to mind, and said with a smile, "Then I'll handle it myself. It's not a big deal. Besides, even if we can't find college graduates to work at the magazine, we can find people from outside of university."

Besides, I'm not some nobody. There are bound to be a few idealists out there. What if they hear my name and are willing to join me in building something great? There's always some hope, isn't there?

Before Jiang Tiantian could speak, Jiang Lili dropped her knife and fork, grabbed her sister's arm, and cried out in terror, "Sister, you're not really going to abandon Xiaofan, are you? Please don't!"

Jiang Tiantian glared at her, annoyed. "You're even abandoning your own sister to help your man, huh?"

Jiang Lili tightened her grip on his arm and quickly said, "No, I mean, you like literature, and Xiao Fan wants to start a magazine and asked you to come and help him. Isn't that perfect? ​​What's so difficult about it?"
As for things like Shanghai residency or a formal job, they're not that important, right? Xiao Fan is so capable..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Tiantian puffed out her cheeks and angrily pinched her younger sister's cheeks, saying, "You just focus on making men happy, I'd sell myself for that."

Jiang Lili's cheeks were pinched, and she couldn't speak, only blinking and saying "Mmm."

Chen Fan chuckled as he watched, until Jiang Tiantian glared at him. Then he said to Jiang Lili, "I didn't realize your sister was joking. If she were really someone who followed the crowd, she wouldn't have stopped writing until now; she would have been writing sad literature by now."

Jiang Lili then realized what had happened and glared at her sister, "Ah, you lied to me."

Jiang Tiantian let go of her hand and rubbed her face again. "You, you're usually fine, but you become stupid when it comes to things related to Xiao Fan. Be careful he doesn't dislike you one day."

Jiang Lili immediately turned to look at Chen Fan, blinking her eyes, "Really?"

Chen Fan reached up and touched his head, laughing, "Sweetie is right, it really does make you stupid."

Jiang Lili was immediately speechless with anger, wrinkling her nose. "If you call me stupid, I won't talk to you for a minute."

The three ate and chatted, mostly about the two sisters, with Chen Fan offering a lot of opinions and suggestions.

After the plates were empty and the last glass of wine was poured, Chen Fan said to them, "I'm going out to do some field research tomorrow, so you two need to take good care of yourselves."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere became heavy.

After several seconds, Jiang Lili finally looked up and forced a smile, "Don't worry, it's not the first time you've been away. We'll be fine."

Jiang Tiantian nodded gently, "I will continue to learn about the work at the magazine, and I will also make time to create. When you come back, you must help me with the quality."

Chen Fan raised his glass, gestured to her, and smiled, "Okay, when I get back, I'll definitely make sure to check it out properly for you."

(End of this chapter)