I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 218 Christmas Books and Antiques

Alas! Why can't you keep a poet like others keep dogs, monkeys, or parrots? Especially since I, the poet, possess characteristics of all three beasts. I can repeat one sentence to you forever: "I am loyal!"

Think about it, you are the glory, the honor, the only treasure of a pitiful man. He loves you exclusively and devotedly, and thinks only of you. From the moment he fell in love with you, love became his entire soul. His actions, thoughts, and dreams are all radiating the flame of love, this spiritual sun.

—A letter from Balzac to Countess Hanska
When it comes to pursuing wealthy women, Balzac was undoubtedly very serious. Whether in his interactions with Madame Hanska or in the numerous letters they exchanged, his choice of words was incredibly sycophantic.

Of course, such language was quite common among Parisian writers during this period. Even Victor Hugo, who seemed quite accomplished, often used terms like "darling" and "sweetheart" in his letters to women he was interested in. Alexandre Dumas followed the same pattern.

But even if they say it, once they get tired of it, it's just a matter of time before they abandon it.

Although Mikhail had long been familiar with the flowery words of these great French writers through historical records, when it came to writing transnational letters to Nadja, Mikhail, as always, scratched his head.

As mentioned before, Mikhail has been studying translation recently and has already translated several books about farming and factories. In addition, Mikhail continues to write letters to Nadya as usual.

However, since it was an international letter, there was no hope of receiving a reply quickly. Nevertheless, Mikhail wrote letter after letter and sent them back. Judging by the time, Nadya's reply should still be some time away.

Furthermore, Mikhail's scratching of his head didn't mean he had nothing to write to Nadya. In fact, he was overflowing with ideas in this area, since he had indeed experienced many things in Paris, and simply writing them down would have been enough for Mikhail to write a whole bunch of letters.

As for why Mikhail was still scratching his head even though everything was going so smoothly, it was because his relationship with Nadya had naturally progressed quite a bit by now. Since that was the case, Mikhail was thinking about whether to take things a step further in the letter and add a few more emotionally charged words.

Even if he doesn't go as far as those French writers who use phrases like "heart and soul" and "treasure" all the time, Mikhail should at least come up with some relatively better phrases. Otherwise, always being so rigid and formal doesn't seem very good, and Xiao Chunan isn't that kind of person.
After pondering for a long time, Mikhail finally wrote down some seemingly plausible words. He couldn't reveal the specific content, but Mikhail thought he wrote them quite well, making him seem like a seasoned lover!
After finishing the letter, Mikhail, sitting at his desk, chuckled and tilted his head back, then began to daydream while looking out the window.

Well, that girl would probably blush when she saw this letter, but what if she thinks I'm too skilled?
As Mikhail pondered these things with a subtle, amused feeling, his gaze drifted through the window and landed on the already overly bright sunlight outside.

The bright sunlight that enveloped the entire earth slightly dazzled Mikhail's eyes, and similarly, it slightly disturbed the thoughts of a seventeen-year-old girl by another window thousands of miles away.

After a brief moment of distraction, the girl resumed focusing on the letter she was writing.

Coincidentally, she seemed to share the same thought as Mikhail, hesitating whether to write in a more intimate tone in this letter.

After a moment's thought, she finally made up her mind. However, as she wrote, her originally plain face began to show changes in color and temperature.
Returning to Mikhail's side, while writing to Nadya, he also sent greetings and pleasantries to other friends. In his letter to the general, Mikhail specifically discussed his achievements in France during that time. However, Mikhail did not exaggerate; in fact, he even stated at the end of the letter:

"Of course, these are all insignificant achievements. I didn't spend too much effort on them. I just did some ordinary things and then achieved ordinary success."

Mikhail will definitely have to put on a good show for the general, but he can't overdo it. He has to do it subtly, slowly, and with a contrast. When the ordinary letter is compared with the shocking reality, the general will be so shocked that he won't be able to close his legs.

After writing the letter, Mikhail found himself once again lost in thought.

In short, Mikhail started daydreaming again, imagining that the general would not only readily agree to many things, but would also gift him several large villas.
Of course, Mikhail doesn't actually lack the latter nowadays, but sometimes indulging in fantasies can be beneficial to his mental and physical health.

After finishing all these tasks, Mikhail finally resumed his social activities.

Judging by the timeline, he probably won't stay in Paris for much longer, so he should take advantage of the last bit of time to solidify his foundation there.

It is worth mentioning that Mikhail went to see Ditak, the owner of the newspaper "The Century," for some other matters.

To some extent, Dietac's change in attitude toward Mikhail reflects the achievements Mikhail has made in Paris during this period. At first, he was somewhat appraising and polite, but later he gradually became more courteous, and now Dietac can be described as somewhat ingratiating.

However, that was not the topic of the day. After exchanging pleasantries with Mikhail for a while, Ditak introduced him to two booksellers from England.

The purpose of these two booksellers' visit was:
"Dear Mr. Mikhail, I heard that you are preparing to release a new work. I wonder if there is any possibility of us collaborating?"
If possible, we sincerely invite you to travel to the UK. Your story in Paris has already reached the UK and generated quite a buzz, and your work has also received a warm reception. A trip to the UK would not only enhance your reputation but also facilitate the promotion of your new book there.”

As the cultural center of Europe today, making a name for oneself in Paris certainly means a lot.

Even if Mikhail were famous in Russia, other European countries probably wouldn't bother inviting him. But becoming famous in Paris would be a different story! If Mikhail could maintain this momentum and continue making waves in Paris, then perhaps the entire European cultural scene would have to acknowledge him as a significant figure. In that case, the invitation from British booksellers wouldn't be surprising.

However, you British people usually clash quite fiercely with the French, but when it comes to culture, you still acknowledge that Paris is the real king.

Mikhail shook his head inwardly but didn't agree immediately. Instead, they talked about the price of the new book and some news and interesting stories from the British cultural scene.

When discussing the British literary scene during this period, Dickens is undoubtedly an unavoidable name. When Mikhail inquired about the recent activities of this devoted fan of Dickens, the British bookseller replied as follows:
"We don't know the specifics, but according to Mr. Dickens's habits and past practices, he would always prepare his Christmas book and write a piece about Christmas in the autumn. If you come to England at the end of this year, you will definitely be able to see Mr. Dickens's work."

Oh? A work about Christmas?

Mikhail recalled for a moment and realized that Dickens did indeed have this habit, and Christmas novels were a subject he loved very much, having written many works about Christmas throughout his life.

Thinking of this, Mikhail, who happened to have a novel on hand, smiled and said, "I'm really looking forward to Mr. Dickens's work. Speaking of which, I happen to be working on a Christmas-themed piece recently, and I plan to write it in English. I wonder if you could recommend some suitable illustrators to me?"

Two British booksellers: "?"

Mr. Dickens wants to publish Christmas books, and you sound like you're also going to publish Christmas books, especially since you're writing in English. So what are you planning to do?
Are you trying to step on the head of our respected great writer, Mr. Dickens?!

No, he shouldn't be that crazy. Even if he wanted to become famous in Britain, who would step on the head of Britain's top writer right away?

So it might just be a coincidence.
Although their thoughts were somewhat complicated, they did not hesitate for long when faced with Mikhail's request and quickly agreed. In fact, they did not question the quality of Mikhail's English novel at all.

After all, as mentioned earlier, Mikhail has already made a name for himself in Paris, and his books are bestsellers in the UK. So, how can you treat such a writer as a newcomer and ridicule or look down on him?
How can it be!

Such a writer deserves sufficient respect, and given the achievements of his previous works, even if this British novel is poorly written, there should still be publishers in London willing to publish it.

After all, the hype was certainly strong. The Russian who wrote novels in French conquered Paris, but couldn't conquer London with his English novels. From this perspective, even if his English novels were terrible, they might still become bestsellers.
After a brief discussion on the issue, the two British booksellers, having received a satisfactory answer, left happily not long after.

As for Mikhail, while he continued to ponder the matter of the Christmas novel, he also sat down and chatted with Ditak for a while.

While the two were chatting, a familiar, short, stout figure had somehow returned to Paris. Since he was alone this time, he rushed straight to the newspaper stand as soon as he got off the carriage.

Before he could even deliberately search for anything, he found words like "lady of leisure," "sponsorship," "rejection," and "indifference" prominently displayed in the newspaper. Taken together, they formed the following:
Despite the generous donations from several wealthy women, the young man remained unresponsive.

Balzac: "???"

You're so cold-hearted, you're committing a sin!
Balzac was so angry that he slapped his thigh. At the same time, he hurriedly flipped through other newspapers. What he saw there completely stunned him.

During this process, Balzac's face flushed red and then turned pale. Sometimes he was relieved that Madame Hanska hadn't stayed in Paris for too long, otherwise he might have really been finished. Other times he lamented why he was still burdened with debt after so many years of hard work, while a foreigner had already achieved great success at such a young age.

But more than anything, Balzac was constantly calculating in his mind how much money Mikhail could make from this play. By the time he had finished calculating, he was experiencing wave after wave of dizziness.
He's going to make all the money from Parisians!

Thus, Balzac returned to his residence with a heavy and sorrowful heart. As is the case with a celebrity like him, news of his return to Paris was bound to spread. Within a few days, Balzac's friends, admirers, and creditors flocked to his house.

Just as Balzac was beginning to have a headache over these matters, he soon received news that the young Russian man wanted to visit him.

For some reason, Balzac would have taken it for granted before, after all, he did have many readers and admirers, and one more wouldn't have made much of a difference. But now, faced with Mikhail's enthusiasm, Balzac felt slightly overwhelmed.
After a brief moment of thought, Balzac ultimately decided to agree.

While deciding to treat the young man well, Balzac was undoubtedly prepared to offer his best so as not to embarrass the young man and show him what it meant to be a member of high society.

For example, luxurious furniture and decorations, expensive teas, and his collection of antiques from China.
While Balzac was making his preparations, Mikhail was undoubtedly also making some preparations. If it was a normal meeting, they would have a normal chat, but if it involved matters of literary opinion, Mikhail would prepare to say a few words.

(End of this chapter)