A Literary Life Starting from the First Year of High School

Chapter 130 Going Abroad (Part 2)

Tuesday, July 4th.

Three days after the final exams, before the results were even released, the campus was already mostly empty. The first year of high school had come to an end just like that, as if it had only started yesterday.

Lin Shubai sat at his desk with the manuscript of "The Wizard of Earthsea" spread out in front of him. He had already written part of it, but the progress was not fast.

The notification of being shortlisted for the Bass Prize arrived two weeks ago.

When Allen called, Lin Shubai was having breakfast.

Allen spoke twice as fast as usual, rattling off a long string of words, the gist of which was, "You're in, thirty articles, and you're one of them."

Wang Xiulan peeked out from the kitchen, saw his expression, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"The Bass Prize has been shortlisted."

Lin Shubai heard her shout, "Old Lin! Your son won that British award!"

Lin Jianguo came out of the bedroom, his eyes not fully open yet. "They went in? What did they go in?"

"Shortlist!"

Lin Jianguo stood in the middle of the living room, rubbed his eyes, and then looked at Lin Shubai, "So, are we going to England?"

"Yes, I'm going to the awards ceremony."

During dinner that day, Wang Xiulan said, "I've discussed the trip to England with your father."

Lin Shubai raised his head.

"We're not going."

Why?

Wang Xiulan put a piece of pork rib into his bowl. "Airfare is expensive, accommodation is expensive, and you won't be of much help even if you go. Besides, you're already seventeen, not a child anymore."

Lin Jianguo nodded in agreement. "Your mother is right. We can't help much, and it would only cost us so much money."

Lin Shubai looked at his parents, wanting to say something, but didn't.

He knew that Wang Xiulan's claim that "the airfare was expensive" was just an excuse. The real reason was that they didn't want to be a burden to him. They felt that if they went to England, their English wouldn't be good, they wouldn't know the way, and they could only stand by and watch when attending the awards ceremony. They couldn't help him and would only distract him from taking care of them.

Wang Xiulan put another piece of pork rib on his plate, saying, "Eat more, you won't be used to the food in England."

Lin Shubai lowered his head and ate his rice without saying a word. Lin Jianguo picked up his wine glass, took a sip, put it down, and said, "Call me when we get there."

"it is good."

The days that followed passed quickly. Wang Xiulan took him to apply for a visa, making two trips to the consulate. Each time they came back, they would complain that "the British are really inefficient," but all the forms that needed to be filled out were filled out, and all the fees that needed to be paid were paid.

"Keep it safe, don't lose it."

"understood."

Allen booked the plane tickets; round trip from London.

Lin Shubai glanced at the flight information Allen had sent—departing on July 18th, with the awards ceremony on July 31st. He would be in England for almost two weeks. When he told Wang Xiulan the dates, she frowned: "Why are you leaving so early?"

"Alan said the awards ceremony is at the end of July, but I want to go earlier and wander around London and Bath. Anyway, I have nothing to do during the summer vacation."

Wang Xiulan didn't say anything more and turned to help him pack his luggage. Lin Jianguo peeked out from behind the newspaper and said, "It's good to go early and get familiar with the environment. Don't let your legs go weak when you go up to receive the award."

July 5th, thirteen days before departure.

The days suddenly slowed down, and every day was similar—writing "The Wizard of Earthsea" in the morning, reading the English translation of "The Little Prince" in the afternoon, and watching TV series with Wang Xiulan in the evening.

Julia Green's full translation had been sent over long ago. He read every page and made many annotations in the margins. He felt that some sentences could be better and some words could be replaced with more powerful ones. He compiled his annotations into a document and sent it to Allen.

On July 6th, Zhou Mingyuan called.

"Xiaolin, the sample copy of 'Hugo in the Clock Tower' is out. I sent you two copies, they should arrive tomorrow."

"When will it be released?"

"Next Friday, July 12th, it will be available nationwide. This first print run will be larger than usual. The distribution department is very confident, saying that your book has the qualities of a picture book. Parents can buy it for their children as a picture book, and young people can collect it themselves. The distribution channels are very extensive. By the way, could you give me Shen Yue's address? I'd like to send her two copies as well."

"Okay, I'll send it to you in a bit."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Shubai sat down at his desk, picked up his phone, and sent Shen Yue a text message: "Teacher Zhou said the sample copies are ready. Send me your home address, and the publisher will send them to you."

Shen Yue replied instantly: "Really? What does it look like?"

"I haven't seen it yet, I'll take a picture and show it to you when it arrives tomorrow."

"Okay, is the cover the version I drew?"

"It should be."

Shen Yue sent a smiley face and then said, "Then I'll wait for your photos."

On July 7th, Su Wan came up from downstairs.

She knocked on the door, carrying a stainless steel basin covered with plastic wrap. "My mom made dumplings, pork and cabbage. She asked me to bring some up."

"When are you going to win that award?" Su Wan asked, sitting on the bed in Lin Shubai's room.

Number 18.

"Eleven days left. Sigh, I wish I could go too. England, I've never been abroad before."

Lin Shubai looked at her; her expression didn't seem to be joking. "Aren't you going to your grandma's house for summer vacation?"

Su Wan sighed, "Yes, my mom already said that I'll go in a few days and stay for two weeks. You'll be there at the end of July for the awards ceremony, and I'll be back at the end of July. It'll be a perfect time to avoid the conflict."

"What do you want? I'll bring it to you."

Su Wan thought for a moment, "I don't know, but I'll take whatever you bring."

Lin Shubai smiled and said, "Okay."

On July 8th, Lin Shubai's final exam results came out: Chinese 140, Math 110, English 145, Physics 79, Chemistry 87, Biology 90, History 95, Geography 85, Politics 90, for a total score of 921. The total score was slightly lower than last semester, but due to the difficulty of the questions, his ranking was one place higher.

On July 9th, pre-sale information for "Hugo in the Clock Tower" began to appear online.

The Douban page is up and running, with the cover image being the one drawn by Shen Yue. The description reads: "An orphan hidden in a clock tower, a broken mechanical doll, a forgotten film pioneer—this is a story about being remembered." People have already clicked "Want to Read," and Lin Shubai glanced through it; in less than a day, there were over a hundred.

On July 10th, online discussions about Lin Shu-bai began to heat up.

The news originated from the "Door of Deduction" forum—someone discovered the shortlist page for the Bath Prize for Fiction website, posted a screenshot on the forum, and the screenshot showed the titles and author names of six works, with the third line reading "HellIsthe..."

The post "AbsenceofGodbyLinShubai" was shared on Rongshuxia, Sky City, Weibo, and Douban within half an hour.

"Lin Shubai has been shortlisted for the Bath Prize" became a hot topic in the book community that day.

A pinned post on the Rongshuxia forum reads: "Regardless of whether they win the award or not, this is already the best result achieved by a domestic original author in a British literary award."

On July 12th, "Hugo in the Clock Tower" was officially released.

That evening, Fang Yanqiu's lengthy critique was released.

"After finishing 'Hugo in the Clock Tower,' my conclusion is: this is also an extremely excellent work."

A picture book novel, with illustrations and text each taking up half the space. The illustrations by artist Shen Yue are not just illustrations; they are another language. She and Lin Shubai are like playing the same piece on two different instruments, sometimes alternating, sometimes overlapping, with neither trying to outshine the other.

At the heart of the story is a forgotten film pioneer who made many fantasy films in his youth. When war came, the film was destroyed, his company went bankrupt, and he was forgotten. He hid in a toy store in the train station, repairing toys day after day, never mentioning his past to anyone. Until an orphan hiding in a clock tower discovered his secret.

Lin Shu-pai's "The Forgotten" is heartbreaking, but he doesn't resort to sentimentality. He simply places the person there and lets the reader see for themselves. You watch him go from glory to destitution, from being adored to being ignored. You might think he would be angry or resentful, but he isn't. He just sits quietly behind the toy store counter, repairing toys day after day. This quietness is more heartbreaking than any shout.

This book is suitable for anyone who has ever forgotten someone, or is afraid of being forgotten by someone. After reading it, remember to send a message to someone you haven't contacted in a long time.

This long review was shared nearly two thousand times within half an hour. Some commented, "Fang Yanqiu is a true fan." Others said, "I'm convinced, I'll buy it tomorrow." Still others asked, "Who is Shen Yue? Are the illustrations really that good?"

Fang Yanqiu replied to the last message: "Shen Yue is Lin Shubai's classmate, a second-year high school student."

July 15th, three days before departure.

Lin Shubai spread his suitcase on the living room floor and began packing it in one item at a time: five T-shirts, two pairs of jeans, a light jacket, a pair of canvas shoes, a pair of slippers, a notebook, two pens, a passport, a visa, and a printed itinerary.

"Mom, I can fold it myself."

"You folded it terribly, it'll be all wrinkled when you open it over there." Wang Xiulan folded the thin jacket again and put it in the suitcase. "Call me when you get there."

"it is good."

"Don't eat random things. I don't know if you can get used to British food."

"it is good."

"Dress smartly for the awards ceremony."

Don't worry.

Wang Xiulan squatted down, zipped up the suitcase, stood up, took a step back, and looked at the suitcase. Lin Shubai noticed that her eyes were a little red.

July 17th, the day before departure.

Su Wan came up from downstairs, carrying a small, bulging paper bag.

"Here you go." She placed the paper bag on the coffee table.

When Lin Shubai opened it, he found a scarf inside, which was very similar to the one Wang Xiulan had asked him to wear last year, but thinner.

"It's cold in England, only around 10 degrees Celsius in July, remember to bring it with you."

Lin Shubai opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. He took the scarf out of the paper bag, wrapped it around his neck and tried it on. It was very soft and didn't itch.

"Is it pretty?"

Su Wan glanced at him, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. "Not bad."

July 18th, Shanghai Pudong Airport.

Lin Shubai stood in the departure hall with a backpack and a suitcase on his back. Wang Xiulan stood next to him, holding a plastic bag containing a few apples.

"Eat some fruit first when we arrive; the food on the plane isn't very good."

"Mom, there's food on the plane."

"Eat it anyway, fruit helps with vitamins."

Lin Jianguo stood behind Wang Xiulan, his eyes fixed on the security checkpoint.

The three of them stood in the departure hall for a while without saying a word.

"Mom, you guys go back first, it's time for me."

Wang Xiulan nodded. She checked his backpack zipper again to make sure his passport and visa were in the innermost compartment, then took a step back.

"Call me when you arrive."

"it is good."

Once on the plane, he found his seat; Allen had booked him a business class seat, which was very spacious.

The plane taxied, accelerated, took off, and the ground outside the window grew farther and farther away. Buildings became like building blocks, rivers became like thin lines, and finally everything disappeared under the clouds.

He slept for eleven hours, waking up once during which a flight attendant brought him a box of chicken rice and a box of fruit. When he woke up a second time, it was already daylight outside the window. He glanced at the time and saw it was 6 a.m. London time.

Upon arrival, he walked out of the arrival hall and glanced around at the people who were there to pick him up.

Alan Carter stood at the front of the crowd, holding up an A4 sheet of paper with "Lin Shubai" written on it in marker. His hair was a little whiter than when we last met, but he looked to be in good spirits.

"Lin Shu-bai, welcome to England."

The two walked out of the airport. The air outside was much cooler than in Shanghai. In July, the temperature in London was only in the teens in the morning. Lin Shubai was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt when he came out of the airport. Goosebumps rose on his arms. He took out his coat and dark blue scarf from his backpack and quickly put them on.

Allen glanced at the scarf. "A gift from your friend?"

"Um.

""

"Good taste."

Lin Shubai didn't say anything, but pulled his scarf up to cover half of his face.

The car drove out of the airport and merged into the traffic. In the London morning, there were not many cars. On both sides of the road were low houses and patches of green space, which was completely different from Shanghai. Shanghai is an upward city with cranes and high-rise buildings everywhere. London is a forward-looking city with low houses that seem to stretch as far as the eye can see.

"Let's go to the hotel to drop off our luggage first, then have breakfast. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"English breakfast?"

"Can."

Allen chuckled. "You don't seem to be picky about food."

"As long as it's edible, I've prepared myself mentally."

"Oh, I've decided you have a prejudice against British food. I'm going to take you to try some delicious British food."

The car drove for forty minutes before stopping in front of a hotel.

Allen parked the car and went inside with his suitcase.

The receptionist was an elderly woman with gray hair and reading glasses. Upon seeing Alan, she called out "Alan," then her gaze fell on Lin Shubai. "Is this the young man you mentioned to me?"

Yes, it's him.

The old man nodded, took a key from the drawer, and handed it to Lin Shubai. "Room 203. You can see the garden from the window."

"Thank you." Lin Shubai took the keys.

Allen folded up the handle of his suitcase. "Go upstairs and put your luggage down first. I'll wait for you downstairs."