Prophecy 1

one

In 2004.

Metropolis.

Chen Jiasheng arrived at 9: 30pm local time by the Sino-French Long March Concorde, and the flight time has been shortened from 12 hours to 6 hours.

At a young age, she only carried simple hand luggage, dressed like an ordinary student, with short hair, a sanitary shirt, khaki pants and a big men's watch.

I had a strange feeling as soon as I walked into the airport.

It's too quiet.

Not as quiet as China.

Calyx holds a Canadian passport. She comes from Vancouver on the west coast. Experience tells her that the biggest feature of any Chinese gathering place is noise. No matter which province she comes from, her mouth will be full of surprises. Anyway, almost all white people have left Wenzhou, and everyone can express their feelings of being rich unscrupulously.

There is no reason to be so quiet here.

And orderly.

Everyone leans forward, whispers and never bothers others. Only one country in the world has this habit: Britain.

Calyx looked up and saw the sign of "foreigner", and lined up in that line.

A dozen people stood in front of her.

Calyx is a little nervous.

Seriously, she was born here.

This time, if time permits, she wants to see her former residence. Kelisheng, who left at the age of twelve, was deeply impressed by Xiangjiang.

It is her turn.

The immigration officer in a grass-green uniform looked up and motioned for her to go.

With humble body language, Calyx opened his passport and handed it to the young man behind the counter.

When people leave their hometown, they will be embarrassed to chew gum and wear headphones to play around as if they were in their own country. If they are unhappy, they should see the boss of the civil servant at once.

The young man smiled at her. He has snow-white teeth. Press the computer to check her records. "Miss Chen, are you traveling as a student?" The accuracy of English pronunciation is amazing.

"yes." Calyx is full of awe in teaching.

"Are you going to visit relatives?"

"No close relatives."

"But we know that you have an uncle and an aunt who live in Xiangjiang." The young man raised his bright eyes.

Boy, with a straight face, Calyx said in English with an American accent, "I don't know them anymore." Maybe I'll see you when I'm free. "

"Miss Chen, welcome to Xiangjiang. Have a nice trip. "

"Thank you."

The young man smiled at her again and then turned to greet another passenger. A decorative red star shines in the center of the hat.

Calyx paused and walked to the baggage inspection office.

They know everything and don't mind letting passengers know that they know everything. Before the luggage reaches the fluorescent mirror through the conveyor belt.

Calyx heard a slight beep.

"Miss, please open your luggage."

Calyx immediately unzipped her handbag.

"Excuse me, what is this?"

Bobby Chen quickly replied: "This is my fitness bar."

"Thank you."

Chen turned around and heard the inspectors whispering in Mandarin. "They only know how to have fun." I didn't expect all passengers to understand.

Calyx is not without regrets, and people are right.

Especially their generation, in addition to playing, is playing.

On Friday, I got off work two hours early, drove out of the city and jumped on the sail. For a whole weekend, I didn't seem to go home unless I got sunburned. When I went to work on Monday, my body was sitting in the conference room, and my soul was still rippling in the sea breeze.

Take her for example, she never thought about ambition, construction or starting a business.

When I was a child, I also asked my mother, "Mom, what kind of person do I want to be when I grow up?"

Mom did not hesitate, "happy people."

This is Chen Jisheng's big goal.

Go out of the airport and relax.

She was going to take a tour bus to town, which was a little cheaper, but a young man came to take a ride. "Fifty dollars, Hilton and Sheraton, fifty dollars."

Calyx smiled. That's more like it. She made a counter-offer: "Thirty dollars."

"Miss, if you look at your watch by mileage, it's eighty dollars."

"Forty yuan."

"Come with me."

Calyx gave birth to his little old and new Toyota taxi.

The young man looked at her in the rearview mirror. "How long have you been back?"

"Thirteen years."

"Oh, when you left, it was still under the jurisdiction of the British."

As a stranger, Bobby Chen decided to be careful what he said.

"The airport has moved, and it is also called Kai Tak. There is no need to doubt it." That young man is surprisingly active.

This is not surprising. All taxi drivers in big cities have this habit.

Calyx noticed that the roadside was clean and tidy, and the weather had just warmed up in May, which tasted a bit like Singapore.

The traffic was smooth and all the traffic lights were operated happily. She remembers that when she was a child, the road conditions in the metropolis had reached unbearable levels, and the car was walking step by step, when she heard her mother's complaints. "Just for this, I should have immigrated a long time ago."

This time, when she comes back, she should open her eyes and ears and observe everything carefully.

Mom won't let her come.

Bobby Chen only said that he would go to Southeast Asia, and the last stop was Sin Chew.

Poor mother, never know what happened.

Only the driver said, "We have a beautiful and prosperous city, don't you think?"

"yes." Calyx recognition.

Roads and buildings were impeccably maintained, but the calyx smiled. Experienced people all know that it is necessary for foreign guests to take the only way from the airport to the city center and make it beautiful. Calyx came here to expose its dark side.

She is rubbing her hands secretly.

"We do better than the British, don't you think, miss?"

Calyx didn't answer, the car drove through two bridges and two tunnels, then arrived at the destination, looked at his watch and walked for 35 minutes.

"Driver, this is the Holiday Inn. I'm going to Sheraton. "

The glib driver smiled: "I obviously heard you say you had a holiday."

Where will Bobby Chen spare him? "Really, let's go to the police station to talk about it."

"Ok, miss, I'll drive you there, plus ten yuan."

"You say one more word, driver, and I'll deduct ten dollars from you."

The boy spat out his tongue, quickly turned the car around, drove across the street and stopped at the door of the hotel designated by the guest.

As a result, Calyx gave him fifty dollars, and he was very grateful.

The waiter will come to open the door for her to get her luggage at once.

It has been a long day. Calyx ordered a sandwich and a bottle of beer. After taking a bath, he called his mother long distance to report his safety.

She felt tired and fell into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Some people are best at controlling jet lag, while others are not. She is the latter.

It is often more than ten hours after waking up.

The first requirement of calyx students is to read newspapers.

Sitting in a coffee shop, she is holding the morning paper of No.1 Middle School and No.1 West School.

The waitress in Fengxian Xiao brought her coffee, toast and daily newspaper with a big smile.

Bobby Chen turned to the first page with rapt attention. The headlines she saw were "Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Law on Foreign-funded Enterprises, Guangzhou Foreign Businessmen Urged it to be revised as soon as possible" and "Ningbo is known as the Rotterdam of the East and has a large-scale investment environment".

The English newspaper illustrated: "Shanghai allows foreign businessmen to set up banks to build airports and buy and sell land. The plan is divided into three steps and invests tens of billions. "

Bobby Chen looked up, called the waitress and said politely, "I want to read ordinary newspapers, including local news, supplements and film and television editions."

In other words, she is used to reading Chinese newspapers in Vancouver.

The waitress seldom replied, "We always only have these two newspapers."

Calyx does not believe it. "These two copies?"

"Exactly."

"But, I heard that there used to be dozens of Chinese newspapers!"

"Once upon a time? When? " The waitress smiled horribly.

Calyx froze. "It's okay. Please give me some coffee. "

What happened? Where are the other newspapers?

She opened the pages of South China West Newspaper and Xiangjiang Daily, but there were no wonderful pages mentioned by her mother.

After emigrating, my mother often regrets that she no longer enjoys reading supplements, and the layout of overseas Chinese newspapers is too weak to satisfy her.

Of course, this is not my mother's only regret. Don't mention the rest.

After drinking coffee, Bobby Chen went to the corner shop of the hotel magazine newsstand to personally review it.

Almost all foreign newspapers and magazines are displayed at the same time, including Lao Hao National Geographic and House Garden.

"Where are the local magazines?"

The salesman smiled politely at once; "For sale at the local bookstore."

Calyx hurriedly go out.

"Pushing open the glass door of the hotel" Guess who she met. The driver boy who picked her up yesterday was dancing and explaining something loudly to Sikun. He is obviously in a dilemma.

Calyx was born childlike, Mimi grinned and crossed.

When the boy saw her, he suddenly felt justified and pointed at her. "Miss Chen is here. Why would I lie to you? She asked me to pick her up at this time. You people will always be cruel. "

Calyx immediately understood and said to Sikun, "I really called him."

Si Kun said, "Miss Chen, the hotel car is safer. You should be careful of the driver's rip-off. "

"No," Chen Sheng smiled. "Come on, Xiao Liu, let's get on the bus."

The driver immediately ran to bring the car over.

Bobby Chen got on the bus and said to him, "Take me to the biggest bookstore in this city."

Business? '

"That's it."

"Yes, Miss Chen."

Saved his life without saying thank you.

"It's a little boring. Turn on the air conditioner."

"Sorry, Miss Chen, this car has no air conditioning." He looked at the female passenger in the rearview mirror.

Calyx asked him; "What's your name?"

"Didn't you call me Xiao Liu?" It turned out that his real surname was Liu, "Liu Dawei."

Calyx smiled before, but she was still careless and fearless.

Xiao Liu is not angry. "Capitalist society pays the most attention to class concept, and everything about drivers should be funny."

"I didn't mean that."

"Forget it, as long as the tip is more, let you make fun of it."

"Liu Dawei, which newspaper do you read at home?"

"I didn't subscribe to the newspaper, which is quite expensive, and there is no big news in this city.

"There is no news for such a big city?"

"Everyone is busy doing business and making a fortune, otherwise they will come for sightseeing like you. What is the news? "

"No robbery, no bad habits?"

"The law and order in this city is first-class in the world."

Calyx nodded and hardly closed at night, but like that?

"To the Commercial Press."

"You wait for me in the bystreet."

Calyx jumped out of the car and walked into the bookstore. This shop is quiet and spacious. Calyx went to the bookshelf and saw all kinds of reference books displayed in different categories, including more than 1000 dictionaries alone.

She asked the clerk, "What about the novel? Are there any novels? "

"This way, please."

Calyx saw The Journey to the West in A Dream of Red Mansions and Water Margin.

"I'm looking for modern works."

"That one."

Chen Sheng saw Lu Xun, Ba Jin and Xu Zhimo again.

"No, it's not them, it's a living and productive writer."

The clerk turned his head. "That's all we have."

"Have you ever heard of the writer Cen Renzhi?"

He shook his head. "I haven't heard of it."

At this time, the voice of calyx was too high, and someone coughed and came over and asked, "What's the matter?"

Bobby Chen had to say, "I'm looking for a dream of red mansions."

"That is a rare book, which is sold in the basement."

"Thank you."

Calyx's forehead was already sweating. He quickly left the bookstore and found Xiao Liu's Toyota car at the corner.

"Xiao Liu," she said stupefied, "I want to buy popular books. Do you know the old horse? "

"You?" Xiao Liu was surprised.

"Take me."

Xiao Liu's car sped away from the city center and stopped in front of an old building in a narrow alley in the street.

He whispered to the guest, "It will be dismantled soon. The authorities have a brand-new ten-year meteorological plan to keep the city spotless. "

He led the guests upstairs, and the bell rang long and short.

Someone came to open the door, and Xiao Liu followed her in.

Calyx didn't believe that buying novels was such a battle, but she immediately understood that the shopkeeper immediately took out three or two yellow magazines to demonstrate.

"no!" Calyx instead breathed a sigh of relief. "Not these."

Xiao Liu was startled. "What are they?"

"Are there any novels by Cen Renzhi?"

The man shook his head impatiently to show that he had never heard of it.

Wei Liu Jr. apologized for his death and took the guests away.

"I don't believe that there is no newsstand in this city."

"Miss Chen, I almost exhausted you."

"Take me to the newsstand."

"You can charter a car today for 100 yuan."

The printed materials on the newsstand are all related to industry and various raw products, and there are no casual movies and illustrated women's magazines.

Calyx is depressed.

Unexpectedly, all of them have disappeared, and there are countless things to read. Where are all those wonderful idle books in Hu Tian?

"Please take me back to the hotel."

"Miss Chen, it's time for lunch. How about going to eat hamburgers? "

"Xiao Liu, where are you from?"

"Me? I was born in Xiangjiang River. I have Xiangjiang identification. Don't think I'm a local leopard. " be full of ups and downs

"How old are you?"

"How about twenty-two?" Xiao Liu's speech is very inflammatory, which proves his inferiority.

So young, no wonder.

"Since you grew up in this city, you must have an impression on the wonderful cartoons of the past. Tell me, where have they all gone? "

Bobby Chen didn't expect that she got an unusually straightforward and correct answer: "Without a market, it will naturally be eliminated and publications will be closed one after another."

"But they have always been the best sellers ..."

"How long ago? Miss Chen, times have changed. " Xiao Liu teased her.

Calyx doesn't know why, only that things are a little suspicious.

At the fast food restaurant, it was already noon, but the customers were not crowded. Liu Dachang smiled and sat down, waiting for free food and drink. Calyx approached the counter. Between lightning and stone fire, she understood where that strange feeling came from.

No children.

There are no children in airports, hotels, roads, bookstores and even fast food restaurants.

Bobby Chen likes children best, likes chatting with them best, never lets them go easily, loves their crisp laughter and listens to their unique opinions.

Now she quietly finished shopping and went back to her seat to cry.

Xiao Liu asked her, "How does the price compare with foreign countries?"

Calyx replied, "It's a little expensive, not outrageous."

"Is the service good?"

"First-rate."

Xiao Liu seems very satisfied. He is proud of the city where he lives.

Calyx kept staring at the door. After a long time, two children were finally led in by adults. She relaxed, but wait, they are foreign children with golden hair.

Although Bobby Chen grew up in a foreign country, her parents never deliberately urged her to learn Chinese, but her mother's study was full of treasures and she was no stranger to classical works. At this moment, she suddenly remembered a story in The Journey to the West: overnight, all the children in the city were taken away by goblins and used for alchemy.

There is something wrong with her face.

The appearance of the city is too neat, mechanized and lifeless. The only person Bobby Chen has seen is probably the driver Liu Dawei.

He is wolfing down his food at the moment.

Ke Lisheng noticed a stain on the cuff, but for a young man who is engaged in self-employment, the overall appearance is not bad.

He sent her back to the hotel, she gave him thirty dollars, and he screamed.

As soon as he entered the room, Calyx immediately called his little uncle.

"Professor Yan Renji."

"Who is it?" The voice of a young woman.

"I am the daughter of Cen Renzhi, and Professor Cen is my uncle."

"Calyx, I'm a little aunt. Where are you?" Full of surprises.

The telephone address of this hotel was reported in the newspaper.

"Wait, I'll call the professor."

I have been there for quite a while, and Bobby Chen has changed his shoes and socks during the break. Maybe his bedroom is bigger, or maybe his uncle is a little slow. He finally came. "Bobby Chen, what a pleasant surprise. I'll pick you up at six tonight. "

"It's a deal." Calyx put down the receiver.

Calyx was going to find Aunt Cenrenping, but she noticed early that she didn't have a communication number. Calyx wrote a note and planned to send it later.

She was about to turn on the TV to learn about people's livelihood when someone knocked at her door.

Calyx opens the door.

There is a man and a woman standing outside the door, both of whom are similar in age to her. They look great, all smiles.

"Miss Chen calyx? Can we talk? "

Calyx also smiled, "but I don't know you."

The girl took out her certificate first. "We work in the public relations department of the Tourist Association."

Calyx is extremely rare, but he said politely, "I want to have a rest." We might as well talk another day. "

"Only ten minutes, Miss Chen."

The calyx was really strange, so he motioned them into the room.

Two people sitting on the sofa, calyx raw against a single bed, watching them.

They are wearing light gray uniforms, still smiling and not embarrassed at all. They asked, "Is Miss Chen alone this time?"

Calyx nodded. "I'll come alone."

"It's a pity that we have invited your mother, Ms. Cen Renzhi, to come back for sightseeing many times, but we didn't get the point."

Chen Sheng has long been alert. "My mother has been in poor health."

"Many old friends want to see her, such as Zhou Yansheng, Li Huaxia, Zhang Kan ... all miss her very much."

Bobby Chen replied politely, "I'll tell my mother."

"We admire Ms. Yan's talent very much."

"She will be very happy to know."

They are informative and answer questions quickly. They don't like chatting, but they like playing with tape recorders.

"Miss Chen travels as a student?"

Calyx gave birth to a fiercely, nodded.

"Didn't Miss Chen graduate from the journalism department of the University of Saskatchewan last year?"

Chen Quan leaned over and took out his student ID card from his handbag. "I just signed up for a master's class."

The young man smiled and said, "There is no end to learning, and there is no faith."

"But Miss Chen seems to have accepted the interview task of the local newspaper."

Chen Sheng looked at them. "The information of the Tourist Association is really detailed." She had no choice.

"After Miss Chen became a celebrity, her actions certainly attracted attention."

"That's very kind of you. My mother has been retired for more than ten years, and her works can't be found in traditional society. I am afraid that she has been eliminated by the tide of the times, so she can't stand the test, so she can't be called a celebrity. "

At this time, the boy winked at the girl, and the two took out their business cards and put them on the coffee table, saying, "Miss Chen takes up a lot of precious time. If Miss Chen has something to do, please feel free to contact us. "

Calyx raw send them out.

After closing the door, she felt very tired, as if she had a fight with someone. She opened the small refrigerator, took out the frozen beer, opened the lid and drank into the bottle.

Two business cards tell calyx that these two people, the male surnamed Hu and the female surnamed Wu.

When applying to come to the East, Professor Yan from the journalism department once discussed with her: "Have you considered the inconvenience caused by your identity?"

"In 2 1 century, there is no problem in the civilized world. I want to know how many experts gather there to collect news. "

"Their parents are not called Yan Renzhi."

Calyx smiled and said, "One should do what one should do."

Professor Yan thought for a moment, "I believe you will be safe."

"I think so too."

Professor Yan is very famous. I'm afraid he won't be able to return to China in his lifetime. He is a famous eccentric. He has never been naturalized, but only applied for the right of abode with a work permit and lived in Canada for fifteen years.

Calyx wiped her face with cold water and catnap for a while.

Among her friends, Guan is the most supportive. That boy is even worse than her. He didn't speak Chinese well, but he taught her "nothing ventured, nothing gained" and helped her hide it from her aunt: "What's done is done. If you don't advance, you will retreat."

Calyx was walking in the street.

Touching your nose smells like gardenia.

The hotel is near the bank area, and the street is full of luxury cars driven by drivers. I think I'm waiting for the boss to get off work. What a lively scene.

She asked if there was a chartered car willing to take her to the suburbs, and the drivers shook their heads.

Calyx born browsing eyes suddenly stopped in one place, can't help but smile.

She saw Liu Dawei again.

He leaned against the car and munched on ice.

Strangely, there are no vendors in the street. Where did the terrible grass-green giant popsicle come from? I saw him click with relish, his tongue turned green, and he chatted with other drivers all over the floor while eating.

It's not that you are unhappy.

Open-necked trousers, an old belt around his waist and a fake gold watch, this guy sketched small figures in metropolis.

He is obviously doing something illegal, but no one will haggle with him, so he lives in the cracks.

Liu Dawei is very much like Sanmao, a character written by Zhang Leping, a famous cartoonist in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period of China, except that Xiao Liu is an adult.

As soon as the elf turned his eyes, he obviously saw his regular customer, so he raised his hand and ran across the street.

He smells sweet and sour. "Miss Chen, where are you going?"

"I'm just walking around, right? You don't have to do business?"

"I have been here several times." He wiped his hands on both sides of his trousers.

"It's very hard."

"Save money for a wife." He answered proudly.

Calyx is awe-inspiring, yes, ambitious, unwilling to anoint women's oil and willing to take responsibility. This person is not simple.

But he smiled and said, "You don't need a flower thread to get married."

"I don't want to treat the right person badly." He said proudly.

The calyx was suddenly moved. I didn't expect this little guy to understand the true meaning of love so much and think of each other so much.

Bobby Chen's voice became very soft. "She is a beautiful girl, isn't she?"

Liu Dawei immediately dug out her wallet, took a small photo and handed it to her. Calyx took it, and the girl who took a photo with him in the small color photo had an unusually handsome face.

"Her household registration is in Shangmei." Xiao Liu commented on the side.

At this time, calyx heard the horn of the car and looked up. A man and a woman sat in a car and waved to her. She looked at her watch. It's five to six. Could it be my uncle and aunt?

Bobby Chen quickly returned the photos to their original owners. "Someone has come to pick me up."

"Will the car ring tomorrow?" Xiao Liu will never forget his career. Maybe he is the only one who is willing to drive a long-distance bus for profit.

"Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock sharp."

Calyx ran past.

The fashionable woman in the car has got off. Chen Jisheng?' With a smile on his face, he held his nephew's hand tightly.

My aunt is eloquent and polite, and the atmosphere in the carriage is warm. She has never seen them since Calyx was born, but she has no strange feeling.

The car drove up the hill.

Aunt introduced all the way: "The street name and house number have not changed much. Of course, those named after foreigners cannot be used, and the rest are still the same. It is also appropriate to change Queen's Road into Renmin Road. "

Calyx is silent.

"It's a little different from what you remember." My aunt looked at her and smiled.

Calyx doesn't know how to describe it.