Literary Master 1918: Starting with New Youth

Night falls.

The entire city of Yanjing was darkened, but Dongxinglou, located at Dong'an Gate, remained brightly lit. The waiters, with towels draped over their shoulders, warmly greeted the diners coming and going.

"Wow! Judging by your attire, gentlemen, you've booked a private room?"

"You've got good eyes! Nanfang, lead the way!"

"Okay! Follow me, and watch your step."

Shop assistants can accurately judge a customer's needs simply by their clothing and demeanor; this requires long-term specialized training.

After all, Dongxinglou's main selling points are "exquisite ingredients", "meticulous production", "high quality" and "good service", which is why it has maintained its position at the top of the eight major restaurants.

Wu Zhu, dressed in shabby student clothes, squatted pitifully at the door.

No one chased them away, but you could still see a hint of disdain in the eyes of the shopkeeper at the door.

Now that I have some money, I should buy a few stylish outfits so I can look like a tycoon when I go out...

But every time the thought crossed my mind, I always thought that having clothes to wear was enough, and I didn't want to go out and spend the money. Coming to a place like this would inevitably invite people's contempt...

It's not worth dressing up so stylishly just for a meal. It's not like I'm on a date with a girl. I'll just put up with it.

"Move it to another spot, a car will be coming to park later."

"Okay!

Following the waiter's instructions, Wu Zhu moved from the left side of the gate to the right side.

Judging from the sky, it should be past seven o'clock. Yenching University is less than five miles from Dongxing Tower. Liang Shouming should have arrived long ago. I wonder what's going on. I hope we don't stand him up!

If that's the case, he'll have to dedicate a chapter to Liang Shou's list in the future!

"After all that talk, if Yanjingke isn't Hu Shi, then who else could it be?"

"Sigh! You old folks, how come you're even more impatient than the young people? So impatient and stubborn, you'll see it soon enough!"

"Hmph! I refuse to believe that besides Hu Shih and his gang, who else at Yenching University could possibly be there?"

Just as Wu Zhu was making up his mind, a quarrel broke out not far away, and Liang Shouming's voice could be heard among them. He quickly looked up to confirm who it was.

Liang Shouming stood beside an old man in an old-fashioned scholar's robe, his face flushed red, clapping his hands and explaining his reasoning, looking quite helpless.

As the two approached, Wu Zhu also stood up and rubbed his numb legs.

Before he could even say hello, the shop assistant had already gone up to them, and seemed to know the two of them.

"Chief Editor Wu! Professor Liang! It's been a long time since we last met!"

"It's been a long time since I've been here. I booked a table this time."

"Understood! There's a superior room on the north side; Chief Scribe Liang has been waiting for quite some time. I'll take you there now."

"Wait, before we arrive, has any young man come here? He's handsome and looks quite dashing, but he's dressed rather...frugally."

Liang Shouming thought for a long time before coming up with a more euphemistic way of describing Wu Zhu's attire.

The shop assistant silently turned his head and pointed at Wu Zhu:

"Are you referring to this person?"

Liang Shouming ignored the waiter and pulled Wu Zizhen to Wu Zhu's side.

"Hmm! What are you doing waiting here?"

"Can't get in..."

"I'm so sorry! My uncle went all the way to Yenching University to see you, but he mistook you for someone else and was delayed a bit."

Knowing he was in the wrong and had made people wait for over an hour, Liang Shouming quickly explained the situation. He then introduced Wu Zizhen to Wu Zhu, and the two became acquainted.

"Shuna, don't tell me this is... "

"It's him, it's absolutely true."

Wu Zizhen was incredulous; her worldview began to crumble, and she stood frozen at the gate.

Holy crap...

No, damn it!

Why is Yanjing Ke so young!

Judging from his appearance, he's a student from Yenching University. Has the literary world really gotten to this point?

The old saying goes that talented people emerge in every generation, but one thing is one thing, is this kid even fully grown yet?

Wu Zizhen, who always thought she could keep up with the times, suddenly felt that it would be better if she died.

"I have long admired you, Master Wu."

"I've long admired you, and now that we've met, you've given me another wonderful surprise... no less impressive than the shock I felt when I saw your masterpiece a while ago..."

"Oh, not at all, it's just my humble work, nothing to be proud of."

Wu Zhu pretended to be polite.

The shop assistant realized that this poor student was the important person, and hurriedly began to fawn over him:

"It's getting late, I'll take the three of you inside."

"Alright, lead the way."

"Watch your step, you three."

......

Because Dongxing Tower was built near the Imperial City, and its neighbors were all residences of high-ranking officials, it was not permitted to build a tall building during construction due to the suspicion of "peeping into the inner palace."

Therefore, although it is called a "building", it is actually a three-section courtyard house.

All the buildings are high-rise bungalows, covering an area of ​​more than 5,000 square meters, and the further you go in, the quieter it becomes.

The best and most prestigious room is located on the north side, which shows how important the distinguished guests are.

The hosts were two chief editors of the *Beijing Dialect Daily*, so the waiter automatically assumed the poor young man behind him was the son of a high-ranking official, directly estimating him as a literary figure...

This poor young man is so young, yet he has an inexplicable air of refinement about him; it's obvious he's dressed up on purpose!

Little did Wu Zhu know that in the eyes of the shop assistants, he was a spoiled brat who deliberately went out to play dumb to deceive others, and he was curiously looking at the interior of Dongxinglou.

The two courtyards are very spacious, almost entirely filled with green plants and flowers, and also have a paved path.

Putting on such a show in the bustling city center is a perfect way to find tranquility amidst the chaos, no wonder it's so popular.

We arrived at the reserved room quickly, and the waiter who had led the way tactfully withdrew.

The main house looked ordinary from the outside, but once you opened the door, you would realize what true wealth and luxury were.

The interior furnishings are a mix of styles, featuring both rosewood tables and chairs, as well as sofas and coffee tables.

The French-style brass chandelier on the ceiling emitted a soft light, and several calligraphy and paintings hung on the wall, which looked to be the work of masters, giving Wu Zhu a sense of magnificence for the first time.

But if you're going to do Chinese style, do Chinese style; if you're going to do Western style, do Western style. What does this fusion of Chinese and Western decor mean?

Behind the large round table sat an old man with a ruddy complexion, who, like Gu Hongming, had a small braid and was gently puffing on a pipe. Upon seeing someone enter, he immediately stood up to greet them.

"We've finally arrived! Where's Mr. Hu...?"

Liang Ji was somewhat puzzled when he saw the group of two adults and one child.

Wasn't Yanjing Guest supposed to be Hu Shi? How come a student has come?

Wu Zizhen pointed at Wu Zhu, still incredulous: "This is the real Yanjing guest, without a doubt."

pat!

Liang Ji's pipe fell to the ground and broke into several pieces.

Like Wu Zizhen, he was caught in a mental storm, finding it hard to believe that the author of "The Story of Xiangzi" was so young!

Liang Shouming knew that if things continued like this, they would have to wait a long time for their meal, so he took the initiative to introduce them:

"Let me formally introduce the two lead writers..."

"This student is named Wu Zhu, a newly recruited researcher at Yenching University this year. He works under Qian Xuantong at the Institute of Chinese Literature. The Story of Xiangzi is his work."

Liang Ji and Wu Zizhen's expressions began to turn ugly...