1979: My fiancée is a goddess

No. 675 Julu Road, JA District, Shanghai.

It is now mid-October, early autumn.

At six o'clock in the morning, the sky was gloomy and dark, with thin clouds floating over the city.

"Wow..."

A cool autumn breeze and drizzle began to rise, silently enveloping this Western-style courtyard known as the "Garden of Cupid".

Raindrops fell on the leaves, making a soft, pattering sound.

"Hiss, it's a bit cold. I should have put on a jacket when I came out."

Li Xiaolin carried his briefcase and walked along the cobblestone path in the woods.

A single raindrop, carrying a hint of early autumn's desolation, slipped through the dense branches and leaves of the camphor tree and landed on her neck.

The rainwater was moist and cool, with a subtle tactile sensation as it flowed slowly downwards.

The sight made her instinctively shrink her neck and shiver, belatedly hugging her thin red and white checkered shirt.

He then quickened his pace, his dark brown leather boots crunching over the withered leaves.

They came out of the woods.

Before him stood a Western-style courtyard that exuded the vicissitudes of time. Li Xiaolin couldn't quite describe its specific style, but it was certainly quite beautiful.

It's probably in the Italian Renaissance style, right?
According to the senior staff in the editorial department, this courtyard was built by Mr. Liu Jisheng, a Shanghai industrialist during the Republic of China era, to commemorate the 40th birthday of his wife, Ms. Chen Dingzhen.

It was designed by the famous Hungarian architect László Hudec, and it is said that the cost of its construction was equivalent to 200,000 taels of silver.

The courtyard was first built in 1920 during the Republic of China era and completed in 1931, making it 61 years old.

It spans several unique historical periods, including the Republic of China era, the War of Resistance against Japan, and the War of Liberation.

It has also witnessed many special historical events. For example, after the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan in 1945, a grand Christmas party was held here. American general and Chief of Staff of the Allied China Theater, Wedemeyer, also came here to attend the Christmas party.

More than 60 years have passed since then, and although the courtyard has aged and been damaged to varying degrees, it is fortunate that it is still well preserved overall.

"I guess this is what they mean by 'worth the price'?"

Li Xiaolin held up his briefcase to shield himself from the rain and smiled.

Looking up, you can see the Psyche Fountain in the center of the courtyard, its clear waters gushing forth.

The marble statue above the fountain depicts the scene from ancient Greek mythology where Cupid tenderly lifts up the goddess of the soul.

This is why it is named "Garden of Love".

However, this highly artistic statue is already covered with dark green moss and gray weathering marks, and the arms, head and legs show signs of damage and breakage.

This was damaged more than ten years ago during a period of intense activity. Later, a craftsman secretly repaired it, which is why it looks so good now.

Opposite the fountain is a classically elegant domed building. The south facade features an Ionic portico with exquisitely carved intricate patterns on the columns, though these have faded and darkened over the decades.

Looking up, you see an arched balcony surrounded by cast-iron railings adorned with red rust, and stained-glass windows that still sparkle in the rain. The building's roof is topped with a circular dome engraved with murals.

"It is indeed a private courtyard built during the Republic of China era at a cost of 200,000 taels of silver. It is really beautiful."

If it weren't for the founding of the People's Republic of China, it would have been difficult to even get a glimpse of it.

After several months, the editorial office has finally moved in. From now on, we'll be working and living here.

Li Xiaolin stood there, letting the drizzle fall on his hair and body, gazing at everything before him with a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection).

She is an editor at Harvest Magazine. In the past two months, Harvest Magazine has been busy relocating, and some editors and staff are moving here.

Their original address was at 238 Yan'an West Road, but that was the address of the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House.

After Harvest magazine resumed publication in 79, it stayed close to them, and a lot of work, editorial meetings, and writers' interactions took place there.

However, this year the organization approved the decision to relocate the East China Writers Association, and Harvest, a subordinate unit of the association, also returned to No. 657 Julu Road.

Why do we say it's a return?

In 1952, the Liu family of Shanghai donated this famous "Eros Garden" to the government.

In 1953, it was transferred to the East China Writers Association and officially became the association's headquarters.

However, in 1968, the Writers' Association was expelled by the government at the time on the grounds that the private courtyard was too luxurious and might corrupt Chinese literature with capitalist ideology and hedonism. Later, the courtyard was sealed off.

Only now have their writers' association been allowed to move back.

"Xiao Lin! What are you doing standing in the rain? Come over here right now, we need someone to help us organize the manuscripts!"

A loud shout came from not far away.

Li Xiaolin looked up and saw Chen Jinfang, a colleague he got along well with in the editorial department, calling him.

Chen Jinfang and two or three early-rising colleagues were standing in the lobby on the first floor of the building, tidying up various odds and ends.

Due to the recent relocation of the Writers' Association and its editorial office, the large reception room was filled with various miscellaneous items such as lamps, tables and chairs, typewriters, books, cabinets, and of course, baskets and baskets of letters and manuscripts.

"coming!"

Li Xiaolin responded and, carrying his briefcase, jogged over in the rain.

"Has Xiaolin eaten yet?"

Chen Jinfang handed over the basket full of letters and asked casually.

"just ate."

Li Xiaolin was forced to take the basket, its weight causing her to suddenly feel a jolt in her hands. She exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Fang, are these all this month's manuscripts? So many?"

"That's right. We've been busy moving lately, so no one has had time to look at the manuscripts. They've just piled up day by day. Look, there are still five baskets of manuscripts that haven't been reviewed yet, all of them are here."

"Five baskets? That must be several hundred manuscripts by now?"

"I don't know, but we're definitely going to be busy this month!"

"Tsk tsk, I have a feeling the editor-in-chief will be furious if he finds out later."

Li Xiaolin shook his head and smiled.

"You're the only one who can laugh."

Thinking of Li Xiaolin's identity, Chen Jinfang couldn't help but retort, "Let's go, stop dawdling, hurry up and send them all up!"

The two of them, one on each side, laboriously carried baskets piled high with letters and manuscripts up the spiral staircase deep inside the hall.

The main building belongs to the Writers' Association and contains many writers' studies and studios. Mr. Ba Jin often wrote and rested in his studio, and his "Random Thoughts" was born here.

To the east is the office of Harvest magazine, and to the west are Shanghai Literature and Sprout, which was just relaunched this year.

Li Xiaolin and Chen Jinfang carried the manuscript up and down three times before they finished moving it.

"Phew... Finally done, I'm exhausted."

Li Xiaolin sat at his workstation, took a sip of hot tea, and panted.

"You're so young and already so weak. You should exercise more."

Chen Jinfang rolled her eyes at her, and before most of the editors in the office had arrived at work, she squatted in front of the basket and began to select manuscripts.

"Hey hey hey! You're so sneaky!"

Seeing this, Li Xiaolin realized that this was a good opportunity to select manuscripts, and quickly went over to search for them.

Harvest is a renowned magazine nationwide, on par with People's Literature.

Therefore, both newcomers and established writers will send manuscripts to Shouhuo.

But this is not good news for new editors, because they won't get the good manuscripts.

"Yu Hua? Who's that? Never heard of him... Get out of the way!"

Li Xiaolin took a deep breath and quickly rummaged through the pile of manuscripts, setting aside any he hadn't heard of.

After flipping through dozens of emails, I was finally drawn to a thick manuscript at the very bottom.

Li Xiaolin picked him up, his gaze sweeping over the information recorded in the letter, thinking to himself: "Wutong Courtyard, Xiaowei Alley, Beijing, Cheng Kaiyan..."

"Cheng Kaiyan?!"

Li Xiaolin's eyes widened, and he immediately exclaimed in surprise, but then quickly covered his mouth.

She looked at it again closely, and the address and name matched the person she was looking for.

That's Cheng Kaiyan, the great philanthropist, writer, talented scholar, and scholar who donated $250,000!
"What did you say?"

Chen Jinfang looked up in surprise. "No, it's nothing."

Li Xiaolin quickly denied it, his eyes darting away.

"I heard it all! Cheng Kaiyan, you said Cheng Kaiyan!"

Chen Jinfang stood up and demanded, "Let me see! Are we still friends?"

"No."

"Let me see! Xiaolin, you know I'm a big fan of Teacher Cheng's books. He hasn't released a new work in almost a year. Let me see, this must be Teacher Cheng's new book."

"I beg you."

"No way! I found it first."

One pleaded, the other resolutely refused, and the two began to pull and tug at each other.

"What are you doing? Making such a racket so early in the morning."

A serious and composed voice came from behind.

"Editor-in-Chief?"

"dad!"

The two turned their heads in unison and saw an elderly man with gray hair and black-rimmed glasses.

Just then, Professor Ba Jin walked in carrying his briefcase. Seeing the two arguing and fighting, he frowned in displeasure and asked, "What are you two doing?"

"Nothing much."

Li Xiaolin shook his head warily, while tightening his grip on the manuscript in his arms.

"Let me see whose manuscript it is that has you two arguing like this."

Mr. Ba Jin walked over and extended his hand.

"It's...it's a work by Teacher Cheng Kaiyan."

Li Xiaolin hesitated for a moment before confessing that she was a little worried that her father would take the manuscript away.

After all, this is Cheng Kaiyan's new work, and there are probably very few editors in China who wouldn't be moved by it.

"Hmm? Cheng Kaiyan's work?"

Mr. Ba Jin raised an eyebrow.

Why did this little guy suddenly think of submitting an article to Harvest magazine?
Isn't he in cahoots with Lao Zhang and Lao Wang from People's Literature Publishing House?
"let me see!"

A glint of light flashed in Ba Jin's eyes as he reached out to his daughter.

"Alright... then remember to return it to me later."

Seeing this, Li Xiaolin had no choice but to hand over the manuscript.

"Can I still lie to you?"

Teacher Ba Jin glared at his daughter with annoyance, then took a look and it was indeed true.

However, upon seeing the mailing date, he couldn't help but frown and questioned, "Why is it from September? This manuscript has been here for almost a month. What have you been doing? Comrade Cheng Kaiyan must be getting impatient!"

"It's because we recently moved, and the manuscripts have piled up..."

Li Xiaolin and Chen Jinfang exchanged a glance and quickly explained the reason.

"Alright, I'll take this manuscript first. I'll read it quickly and write a letter back to Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, so he won't get impatient and I can show it to you two later."

"Oh! Dad! How could you do this!"

"Editor-in-chief! I was here first!"

The two men stared wide-eyed as they watched Ba Jin extend his hand as he turned to leave, exclaiming in surprise.

……

"This should be the work that Yan Bing and Sheng Tao praised so highly before. It must be about 100,000 words long, right? No wonder Cheng Kaiyan hasn't published a book in the past six months."

Back in a separate office.

Professor Ba Jin sat in his office chair, weighing the manuscript in his hand. After thinking for a while, he solemnly opened the kraft paper envelope.

The neatly bound bright yellow manuscript paper was piled up in front of me, almost as thick as half a little finger.

The first page that catches the eye is a blank sheet of paper with only two bold and elegant blue characters:
Atonement

"Atonement?"

Teacher Ba Jin read it out softly.

The title is quite straightforward, and it's not hard to understand that this work tells the story of a person's redemption, which probably also includes elements of growth.

He turned to the first page, and a sentence appeared before his eyes:
Since I can create pain, I can also create happiness.

"To create suffering and then happiness? Does this mean... the protagonist's way of atonement is to create happiness? But how does one create happiness?"

Ba Jin rested his chin on his hand, gazing intently at the sentence, dissecting its meaning as he went.

These words are definitely the main point, and they seem quite simple, nothing surprising or rare, and nothing profound.

However, this book title naturally raises many thought-provoking questions.

It has a sense of complexity hidden in its simplicity.

Ba Jin took a sip of steaming hot tea, shifted his body to sit up straight, turned the pages of the book, and began to read.

The story begins in the countryside of Shanghai during the Republican era, in the sweltering summer.

Cao Hanyu, a fifteen-year-old high school student from the scholarly Cao family, sat on a chair by the window with her legs drawn up, writing a love story.

To prepare a surprise for her sister Cao Yanan and brother who were returning home.

At the same time, there was also her most anticipated lover, Jiang Mingzheng.

Jiang Mingzheng is the son of the Cao family's steward. Despite being a servant, Jiang Mingzheng and Cao Yanan, the eldest daughter of the Cao family, secretly love each other.

They were childhood sweethearts, got along well since they were young, and even went to study in England together after they turned seventeen.

After returning to China, I felt somewhat out of touch.

The Cao family patriarch and his eldest son had their eyes on a wealthy merchant from Hunan and wanted to marry their eldest daughter to him in order to maintain their family's status and wealth.

A lowly servant who had returned from studying abroad;
Two noble and beautiful young ladies;

In this chaotic era of war and widespread suffering, a story of love, hate, life, death, and the cruelty of war unfolds...

Professor Ba Jin gradually became engrossed in it.

He saw a young man of humble origins who, despite his outstanding learning and return from studying in England, was still trapped in the shackles and oppression of class and the times, and ultimately died with his beloved in a brutal war.

We also see a naive and dreamy girl who grew up in a large middle-class family and was spoiled by her mother. She inevitably makes mistakes of acting impulsively and arbitrarily, and thus has a lifelong painful journey of atonement.

"Tick tock..."

Inside the office, the second hand of the clock ticked.

The gloomy autumn rain outside the window quietly enveloped the whole world, making the surroundings dark.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was gently pushed open.

Li Xiaolin walked in carrying a bowl of boxed lunch.

She saw the elderly man sitting behind his desk, completely absorbed in his work, and instinctively called out softly:

"Dad? It's already noon, are you still reading? Why don't you eat first?"

Ba Jin ignored his daughter's soft calls.

"Is Teacher Cheng's work really that good? It's already past one o'clock."

Li Xiaolin shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself as he approached.

But I saw my father's red eyes, wet hands, and trembling lips as he kept muttering something.

"call……"

Li Xiaolin's heart skipped a beat, and he took a deep breath. (End of Chapter)