I am a literary giant in Europe

Chapter 228 The Flavor of Family Affection in Rice Cake (Please subscribe, vote for monthly tickets, and recommend!!!)

The rice cakes from my hometown are made with the newly harvested late-season rice.

Every year after the late rice harvest, my hometown would find a way to send some to Zhongzhou. It was an emotional bond, as if telling my mother that even though she was thousands of miles away, she should never forget that her hometown was there. Every time my mother received the milled late rice, there was always a look of deep longing in her eyes... Many years later, I realized that it was called homesickness.

Late-season rice is soaked, ground into powder, steamed, and then pounded.

The tools, dormant for a year, are given a new lease on life. The molecules of rice are also reorganized through these processes.

The taste has also been improved.

After pounding, the rice flour dough is kneaded and shaped on a board.

A simple rice cake shaped like a foot carries the craftsmanship passed down through generations in Jiangnan families...

There are many ways to make rice cakes.

Steaming, stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, stewing...

Each of her actions embodies her ingenuity and love for her family and children.

Every year before the New Year, my mother would make hundreds of kilograms of rice cakes and then store them in winter water.

We eat this from the twelfth lunar month until the following year. Sometimes when we get up late and don't have time to cook, we'll simply prepare it, pairing it with vegetables or fish and crab, and it becomes a staple food that's both filling and delicious.

For generations, for over a thousand years, it has always been the same.

On New Year's Eve, the family sits around the dining table.

Such family reunions happen only a few times a year. Naturally, my favorite rice cake is always on the table, and the smiles in my father and mother's eyes are even more delicious than the rice cake itself—sweet and sticky.

Now, my mother is old and no longer makes rice cakes.

Machine-made rice cakes are convenient and quick, but the warmth of handmade rice cakes from my childhood will forever remain a taste flowing in my heart.

It's not just the fragrance of rice, but also the bond of blood that has bound the Chinese people together for five thousand years.

……

That night, Liu Jin's mind was perfectly clear.

The narration for "A Bite of China" became a part of his life through his revisions.

He wrote it very comfortably.

The original explanation, which consisted of a few hundred words, was expanded to three to five thousand words by him, and he still felt that he hadn't finished writing it.

So he typed on the document: Nature's gift.

Ultimately, I'm getting older; after almost thirty, I'm bound to feel a bit tired.

In addition, I ran around all afternoon today, so I'm quite tired.

After typing the title, he couldn't help but yawn. So he took off his clothes and lay down on the bed.

Liu Jin slept very soundly.

He dreamed of his childhood, of the days when he helped his mother make rice cakes!
When I opened my eyes, it was already nine o'clock.

Liu Jin got up, washed up, put on loose pajamas, sat down in front of the large window, and drew comics for a while.

At eleven o'clock, he changed his clothes.

Just then, his brother called from his room; he had already arrived in the hotel lobby.

I called the restaurant again to confirm that the crispy pork knuckle was being prepared.

He then went downstairs and met up with his brother in the lobby.

"Aunt Anita Mui, it's been a long time."

Liu Jin saw Mei Gu and greeted her with a smile.

“I happened to be there when you called Leslie yesterday.”

I heard the famous writer was going to treat us to a meal, so I've taken the liberty of coming over to freeload. Amos, you won't be angry, will you?"

"Haha, Aunt Mei, what do you mean? It's my honor that you came."

"Come on, come on, I've already made arrangements with the restaurant. Let's go up now, eat and chat... Oh right, Maggie isn't here?"

"She had something to do this morning, so she didn't come along."

But she asked me to tell you that you owe her a meal… Amos, I told you before, she's very petty.”

The older brother, laughing and joking, followed Liu Jin and Mei Gu to the restaurant.

The restaurant has prepared a very private seat.

The main course was ordered yesterday; it was the crispy pork knuckle.

Brother and Aunt Mei ordered a few more side dishes, while Liu Jin requested a Riesling from the Fritz Haag Blancberg Juve Sundial Estate. This is also a German specialty wine, not as famous as French wines, but it tastes excellent.

Immediately afterwards, the restaurant served an appetizer.

The three of them clinked glasses and took a sip of wine.

The older brother said, "Amos, is there something you need from me?"

Liu Jin originally wanted to discuss this matter after dinner, but seeing that his brother was a little impatient, he put down his napkin, took out two sample copies of "Life Is Beautiful" from his backpack, handed one to Aunt Mei, and solemnly gave the other to his brother.

"This is my new book, my first time writing a story about China."

I hadn't originally planned to ask my brother, but Sophie mentioned it to me the night before last, saying she wanted to invite him to give it a try..."

There are two versions of "Life Is Beautiful".

This is the English version.

The French version was translated by a teacher from Toulouse 2 University, which Méra had found. Liu Jin had read it and found the translation to be very appropriate with no major errors.

"new book?"

Leslie Cheung took the sample book, hesitated for a moment, and then opened it.

His English is good enough that he can understand the story in this book.

In comparison, Anita Mui's English level is somewhat lacking. It's not a big problem to say, but reading is indeed a bit difficult for her.

She glanced at it twice and put the book on the table.

"Mr. Liu, you want to cast Leslie in a movie?"

"Yes!"

"Why?" Anita Mui asked quickly, "I didn't mean to doubt you, it's just that Leslie just finished filming 'Inner Senses' last year. He was too immersed in the role and his mental state wasn't very good, so he's been resting."

I don't recommend he act now because... he's always working incredibly hard, you know what I mean by 'hard work'. If possible, I'd rather he stop acting, sing, play mahjong... he already earns enough money, there's no need for him to be such a workaholic like before.”

“Amei…”

"Shut up, let me speak."

Mei Gu waited for him for a moment.

Leslie Cheung gave Lau Chun an apologetic smile. He really hadn't expected that Anita Mui's insistence on coming with him today would have such an intention.

But he couldn't refuse Anita Mui's kindness.

Liu Jin smiled, revealing an indifferent expression.

"I finished this book last year, and it will be released in a couple of days."

Both France and America will be released. How will they perform? I don't know.

But I will definitely adapt this book into a movie and promote it to the world, even if I have to bear all the costs myself.

Originally, I planned to have Sophie play the female lead and then find a male actor from China.

This actor has to be of average appearance and have a comedic quality… As I mentioned earlier, I hadn't initially considered my brother. But Sophie brought it up, and I went over his works in my mind again. He's too handsome, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. So, I invited him here today so he can read my book and make his own decision.

This film will not be shot immediately.

Maybe three to five years... In short, it will proceed when I feel it's right.

"But……"

"Amei, stop talking!"

My brother reads very quickly; in just a short while, he finished the first chapter.

"Is this the story of a victim in Shanghai?"

"Yes!"

"Is it a story from that era?"

"Yes!"

The older brother was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I will read this book very carefully, and if it really attracts me, I will definitely agree. But right now, I can't give you a definite answer. I can only say that I am very interested in acting alongside Ms. Sophie Marceau."

"Shall we test the level of the French Rose?"

"Haha, I don't have that idea."

"No problem. I invited you to dinner today not because I want you to agree right away, but because I wanted to give you the book."

"Thank you!"

"But there's one thing I might need to remind you of."

"what?"

"The story of this book takes place in Shanghai. Ah Kui is a comedian."

If we're going to film it, I'll probably stick to using the Shanghai dialect and authentic Shanghai-style comedy. If—and I mean if—you're interested in this story, you'll have to learn the Shanghai dialect and the Shanghai-style comedy.

"what?"

The older brother was taken aback.

After a long pause, he smiled wryly and said, "Why do I feel like I'm going to have to act out Farewell My Concubine again?"

To prepare for his role in "Farewell My Concubine," he learned the Beijing dialect and Peking Opera.

Now, Shanghai dialect, comedy...

Liu Jin laughed and said, "That's great. Now that you've mastered the dialects and dramas of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, you can travel all over China."

"Yes, if I don't have any acting opportunities, I'll go and sing opera."

Anita Mui's expression softened considerably.

She has no ill intentions.

The reason I brought Leslie Cheung on this trip to Europe was because I noticed that he was not in a good emotional state.

Just stop him from filming!
But honestly, I think many Hong Kong actors would be interested in working with Sophie Marceau.

Mei-gu suddenly developed a strong interest in Liu Jin's book, "A Beautiful Life"!

……

After meeting with his brother, Liu Jin completely let himself go.

He didn't contact his brother again. He painted every morning, went out to watch movies in the afternoon, and when Sophie was free in the evening, he would take her for a stroll. If Sophie didn't have time, he would either wander around by himself or hide in the hotel to write.

Before New Year's Eve, he sent two articles to Andrei.

The Spring Festival is approaching. This is the Chinese New Year and a very important day in Chinese culture.

I hope that the Humanitarian Daily can publish "The Flavor of Family in Rice Cake" in the December 12th edition. I will continue to contribute articles as I get a better feel for the story.

This year is the Year of Chinese Culture in France, and I hope I have the honor of using this article to send New Year's greetings to my motherland.

The following day, Andrei replied to the email, agreeing to Liu Jin's request.

After all, Amos Liu Jin is incredibly popular in France right now. Although the sales figures for the fourth week of The Old Man and the Sea haven't been released yet, it's foreseeable that they will be phenomenal.

Le Figaro predicts that sales of The Old Man and the Sea will surpass three million copies this week.

This is undoubtedly an astonishing number.

What kind of impact would it have on the publication of his article in the Humanitarian Newspaper at this time?
Despite it being Sunday, Andrei did not take a day off. Instead, he contacted the newspaper and temporarily added Liu Jin's article to the publication.

"If L'Humanité doesn't publish it, then I'll forward this article to Le Figaro, or Le Liberation and Le Monde."

Patrick Learrick, editor-in-chief of Humanitarian News, certainly wouldn't refuse.

It should be noted that as the mouthpiece of the French Communist Party, their newspaper had extremely close ties with China.

Patrick accompanied the Chinese delegation throughout their visit to France last year. Furthermore, the Year of Chinese Culture was a decision made by the high-level officials of both countries, making the publication of an article by a Chinese writer residing in France on the day of the Spring Festival perfectly appropriate.

Lunar New Year's Eve, January 11th.

Liu Jin received a call from Andrei.

Upon learning that the article would be published tomorrow, he breathed a sigh of relief...

(End of this chapter)