Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 26 The Old Guard

The story of Kong Yiji flowed through Lionel's mind; the down-on-his-luck scholar in a long gown, drinking wine, gradually resonated with the times.

As a classic literary figure, "Kong Yiji" represents the group of old Chinese intellectuals who were confused and struggling in the cracks of the times.

In France, this group was equally large—the glory of the First and Second Empires, as well as the long and recurring eras of monarchy, gave "Emperor/King" a large number of followers and vassals.

In every French revolution, when the monarchy was overthrown, they were always the abandoned and marginalized group.

From Paris to the provinces, these people lost their original status and respect, and some even fell into poverty.

Maupassant later wrote a short story, "The Minuet," which, through the story of a couple who were court dance teachers during the reign of Louis XV, expresses a lament for a bygone era. (This is a reading comprehension question from the 2019 National College Entrance Examination, Paper II; raise your hand if you've done it before!)

Compared to "Minuet," Lionel's story, which is derived from "Kong Yiji," is less "warm and sentimental," and the group it depicts is no longer the "cultured people," but rather French soldiers, those who are loyal to Napoleon.

He wanted to tear away this facade and depict the spiritual decay of the nation after the dynasty's collapse—

The layout of taverns in the Alps is different from other places: they all have a large L-shaped bar facing the street, with ice buckets and hot water readily available to ensure that every drink reaches the perfect temperature in the shortest time. Workers, finishing their shifts around noon or evening, would often spend one sous on a chilled glass of brandy—this was over twenty years ago; now it costs two sous—and stand by the bar, enjoying a refreshing drink and a rest. For an extra sous, they could buy a small dish of boiled beans in salt water or a few olives as a snack. Five sous could buy a salted fish, a piece of fried bacon, or a small piece of cheese, but these customers were mostly workers in coarse work clothes or short jackets, and generally didn't have that kind of extravagance. Only gentlemen in respectable wool coats or long suits would stroll into the private booths behind the bar, order wine and snacks, and sit and sip leisurely.

While writing this section, Lionel carefully searched through the original owner's memories of her hometown in the Alps, ensuring that every detail matched the French background at the time.

However, he was also "pleased" to find that from 1850 to the early 20th century, the world's monetary system seemed to be in a relatively stable state, with little fluctuation in the exchange rates between the British pound, the French franc, the US dollar, and Chinese Guangxu silver coins and Japanese silver coins.

The second paragraph follows, in which the original work narrates the story from the perspective of "I"—but the protagonist is not "I," but rather one of "I's" observations.

This is a typical example of "narrator being greater than character," meaning that the "I" who narrates the story of "Kong Yiji" is greater than the "I" who is openly involved in the story in the novel, the twelve-year-old waiter.

The author, now more than twenty years later, examines and observes the experiences of his childhood self, creating a narrative effect that blends the perspectives of both adults and children…

This is something that needs to be retained in this novel.

From the age of twelve, I worked as a bartender at the "Edelweiss Tavern" at the edge of town. The owner, Monsieur Legrand, said I looked too simple-minded to serve the customers in formal attire, and suggested I do some work outside. The customers in short coats outside, though easy to talk to, were often quite talkative and difficult. They would often watch the brandy being poured from the bottle, check the bottom of the glass for water, and see the glass being chilled in an ice bucket before they were satisfied: under such strict supervision, adding water was difficult. So after a few days, Monsieur Legrand said I couldn't do it either. Fortunately, the person who introduced me had considerable influence, so I couldn't be dismissed and was reassigned to the boring job of serving dishes.

With the background, setting, perspective, and characters all explained, it's time for "Kong Yiji" to make his appearance.

From then on, I stood behind the bar all day, solely responsible for serving dishes. Although I made no mistakes, I always felt it was somewhat monotonous and boring. The bartender had a fierce face, and the customers were never friendly, making it impossible to be lively; only when "Old Guard" came to the shop could I laugh a few times, which is why I still remember him to this day. "Old Guard" was the only person who stood while drinking and wore a woolen coat. He was very tall; pale and bluish-white, with wrinkles often interspersed with scars; and a tangled, gray beard. Although he wore wool, it was an old blue dress coat from the Imperial Guard, the epaulets worn down, dark patches on the elbows, and the hem tattered and shiny with grease, as if it hadn't been washed since the Battle of Waterloo.

When he spoke to people, he always used phrases like "His Majesty the Emperor," "the column attack," and "for the honor of France," leaving people only half-understanding. Because he always mentioned the Emperor and the Imperial Guard, people gave him a nickname, "Old Guard," based on the tune of the old military song he often hummed, which they only half-understood: "The Guards Will Die Till They Surrender."

As soon as "Old Guard" entered the shop, everyone drinking looked at him and laughed, some of them exclaiming, "Mr. 'Old Guard,' you have a new scar on your face!"

He didn't answer, but said to the bartender, "A glass of brandy and a small dish of salted beans." He then laid out three sous coins.

They deliberately shouted loudly, "You must have stolen something again!"

Mr. "Old Guard" opened his eyes wide and argued, "How can you slander someone's innocence like this..."

"What innocence? I saw you steal the sausages that were drying at Mr. DuPont's house the day before yesterday, and you were chased and bitten by the guard dog."

The "old guard" blushed, veins bulging on his forehead, and argued, "Taking...taking spoils of war can't be considered stealing!...Can something done by someone who shed blood for the Empire be considered stealing?" He then launched into a string of incomprehensible phrases like "the honor of the Imperial Guard" and "Long live the Emperor," which drew laughter from the crowd, filling the tavern with a joyful atmosphere.

As he wrote this, Lionel laughed. He suddenly realized that France, as one of the few European countries that had truly practiced imperialism and centralized power, shared some similarities with China during the imperial era, both in terms of interpersonal relationships and the feelings of the people.

However, it was already late at night, and there was no rush to finish the novel. Lionel decided to stop writing here for now, as he had class the next day and didn't want to be late.

On the same night, Victor Hugo, who lived on Boulevard Hérault in Paris, received a letter from his friend and fellow member of the French Academy, Professor Hippolyte Taine.

[Dear Mr. Hugo:]

It's been over a year since we last met at the Sorbonne. I wonder how your health is recovering...

Attending this year's Sorbonne Poetry Festival would be an honor for the event.

P.S.: The outstanding students participating in the "Poetry Gathering" have begun to submit their works to us; although these works are still immature, it would be a great honor for these students if they could receive your comments.

I will always respect you, Hippolyte Tainer
...]

(End of this chapter)