Literary Master 1983

Chapter 23 King Gesar had thirteen wives
After the performance, Yu Qie accompanied Zhang Li for the last time.

He first sent Zhang Li home to change clothes, and then waited downstairs. Zhang Li's home was indeed opposite the provincial theater, worthy of being a cadre family. If it were another thirty or forty years later, I'm afraid it would be difficult for her family to be satisfied with a Yan University student from a small place.

During this time, a middle-aged woman came out of Zhang Li's house and wanted to invite him in, "Yu Qie? Are you Yu Qie?"

Zhang Li forced her back.

"Teacher Yu, please wait a little longer!"

Zhang Li came out again, changing back into the floral dress. She also brought out the red scarf she had worn during the day, held it in her hand, and gave it to Yu Qie.

"Zhang Li, what do you want to do for me?"

"Take it, and don't think too much about it. It's not a keepsake. Just think of it as an apology from our family for not taking good care of you when you came to Rongcheng! After all, our two families are old friends."

Zhang Li pushed the hair behind her ears, raised her head and suddenly smiled, "They wanted me to force you in, but I said forget it, and even stopped them, lying to them that I was just hanging out with you and leaving some space for both of us... Now I don't know what people at home will say about me!"

Yu Qi took the handkerchief she gave him, and to be honest, he didn't know what to say to her.

This cheap wife from the 1980s really considered him. She didn't ask whether she deserved a cup of coffee, nor did she give him eight Swiss roll questions to test him.

Then the two of them walked around in the street in front of the theater. As they walked, Zhang Li began to explain, "That was my mom. She told me about you before, but she just saw you. She told me to please come in..."

Yu Qie said, "I will definitely visit you next time I come to Chengdu."

Zhang Li asked again: "Teacher Yu, do you believe what I said this morning? I can definitely go to Beijing!"

"I believe you. Alai asked about you... He told me that although you are young, you have done a lot and are very strong. Everyone likes you very much."

Zhang Li heard the word "strong" from Yu Qie and sighed:
"The Battle Flag Dance Troupe is a big troupe. I have traveled with it all over the country and have been to many places. But after leaving the stage, I still like to stay at home the most. I rarely leave this alley. Although it is not long, many interesting things have happened there. I am happy to think about it..."

Most of these stories happened when she was younger. Since Zhang Li started to act in a troupe when she was twelve years old, she had fewer ideas of her own and obeyed the arrangements of the group.

Zhang Li can be considered "spoiled" but not "spoiled". She has her own opinions and is willing to follow instructions.

This may have prompted her to develop a latent yearning for freedom, and Yu Qie's arrival happened to be the key signal that triggered it.

She stopped here and said, "I have been thinking about it for a long time. Finally I saw it. I feel relieved, but I still have to find relief myself. Thank you, Teacher Yu."

Tonight seemed to be Zhang Li's self-statement. She was not only telling Yu Qie, but also explaining herself to herself in this way.

This road also came to an end. Yu Qie thought Zhang Li would lead him back, but it didn't happen. She just repeated it one last time: "Teacher Yu, I will come to find you."

Does this mean we must see each other again?
I can say that I feel lost.

I'm afraid this kind of blind date situation only existed in the 1980s.

He went back and asked the love saint Alai what the sentence "I will come to find you" meant?
Alai explained: "She has a strong personality and thinks she can do it on her own merits. Aren't you worried about this and that because you were admitted to Yanda University? She can do it, too."

"You said she also took the entrance exam to Yanda University?"

"Teacher Yu, that's a bit too difficult! I mean, she relied on her own ability and used other means to come to the capital." "Alai, if we go to the capital, isn't it just a matter of buying a ticket and getting a certificate?"

"Of course, I came here in a dignified manner, not by force. Your spiritual habitat reminds me of the book "Dream of Red Mansions" that they borrowed. I know you haven't read it carefully. In the 70th chapter, Xue Baochai wrote a poem "Willow Catkins", 'Good wind, with its power, send me to the blue sky'... Xue Baochai used this to express her determination to break free from the shackles of fate, but after all, she is a 'willow catkin', and she can't break free even if she soars to the blue sky..."

"And then... and then..."

At this point, Alai suddenly understood. He opened his mouth and looked at Yu Qie, "Your Zhang Li looks like Xue Baochai!"

"Where does it look like?"

"First of all, their life experiences are very similar! Xue Baochai was mature at a young age and she never had a girlhood. From "Liu Catkins" to the memorial service for Jin Chuan'er at Shuixian Temple and then to "Jingchai Ji", Cao Xueqin let Jin Chuan'er wear "Xue Baochai's" clothes when she was buried, which was to hint at this matter. Xue Baochai's feelings, her God-given "golden jade marriage" was destined to be unlucky."

Alai became more and more anxious and spoke faster and faster, "Isn't it the same with Zhang Li? She joined the art troupe when she was very young, and she had a fiancé, but he didn't accept her right away..."

"Alai, it's my fault, but I'm not Jia Baoyu, am I?"

"Jia Baoyu is no match for you. Jia Baoyu is a social superfluous person who is neither good nor bad, useless nor harmful. He is a pure second-generation rich kid. You are not."

"What about Zhang Li?"

"Zhang Li stopped her family and said she would come to see you later. I think she is better than Xue Baochai who writes lyrics to complain."

After listening to the whole analysis, Yu Qie said, "Alai, I find that I can't handle emotions, I can't stand the kindness of women, let alone a place for my soul to rest. Do you have any ideas for me?"

"Don't worry, King Gesar only wields swords, but he has thirteen wives! When you go to Yanda, it will be a completely different world. Just don't forget your revolutionary comrade Alai!"

"And Zhang Li is waiting for you."

Yu Qie boarded the train to the capital. He did not buy a hard sleeper, but a hard seat for more than 40 hours over three days and two nights. This was of course already very good, after all, some people had to stand to get there.

The route from Chengdu to the capital is quite popular. Some people cannot buy tickets even if they try to do so half a month in advance, and some sleeper berths are not sold to ordinary passengers.

To buy a soft sleeper ticket on a train, one must have a letter of introduction from one's workplace and the passenger must have a senior professional title or above.

For example, a regimental-level military expert, holding a letter of introduction from Northern Industrial Weapons, cannot buy a soft sleeper ticket at all - Boss Tie does not recognize this title.

So, the smell of sweat, coal and smoke, drowsiness, fatigue and boredom, as the train bumped up and down, the hard seats made people's backs ache, and there was hardly a comfortable moment.

The wind howled outside the window, but the car was hot and unbearable. For several days, there was the endless sound of wheels and low complaints, and the shadows of the mountains passed silently in the dark outside the car window.

After this trip, I forgot everything about the soul's habitat, King Gesar, his thirteen wives, Xue Baochai, and everything else.

However, after he completed all the formalities and lay back on his bed in the Yanda dormitory, he had a moment of silence. He remembered that he had been to Chengdu, and of course, those things that happened.

This is what is called a resting place for the soul.

(End of this chapter)