1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Stories related to oysters?

This statement successfully piqued everyone's interest.

Catherine and Mary exchanged a glance, their faces filled with curiosity.

The delicious garlic oysters from just now are still lingering in my mouth, so what kind of story will Michelle present next?

"Oh? Quickly, show it to us!"

Dickens immediately put down his knife and fork, his bright eyes filled with anticipation.

He now has a great passion for any of Michel's works, whether they are in the kitchen or on the desk.

"Don't worry, I'll go get it right away."

Michelle smiled as she got up and walked toward her new study.

He picked up the stack of manuscripts and returned to the warm living room.

"Come on, Charles, this time the reading task is still best suited for you."

Michelle handed over the manuscript.

"Of course, it's my honor."

Dickens solemnly accepted the manuscript.

He cleared his throat, and his entire aura instantly changed.

Everyone in the living room quieted down, the firelight from the fireplace flickering and reflecting on everyone's faces.

Dickens glanced at the title and read it softly: "My Uncle John".

An ordinary name, yet it made Michael raise an eyebrow.

John is such a common name in England, as common as a pebble on the roadside.

If you call out "John" in the street, quite a few people will turn around.

But Michael had a gut feeling.

The more ordinary the name, the more complex the story tends to be in Michel's writing.

In Britain, a person's fate is often decided at birth.

Dickens read the opening of the story in a calm and slightly sarcastic tone.

The very first sentence was enough to invigorate everyone present.

This is so...Michelle...

Of course, this is also very important...

The story begins sharply with the core issue of class in British society.

Then the story unfolds slowly.

"When I was a child, my family lived in Southampton. We weren't wealthy; we just barely made ends meet. My father worked and didn't come home from the office until very late, so he didn't earn much. I had two older sisters."

"My mother was deeply distressed by our frugal lifestyle. Back then, we had to be frugal with everything. We never dared to accept invitations to meals, lest we have to reciprocate. We often bought discounted or auction-quality goods..."

"But every Sunday, we would dress smartly and go for a walk on the pier by the sea. Back then, whenever we saw a large ship returning from afar enter the harbor, my father would always say his unchanging words: 'Oh! If John were on that ship, what a surprise that would be!'"

A family living in Southampton, not wealthy, pinned all their hopes on a relative far away in Australia—Uncle John.

Uncle John was once the family's spendthrift son, who was sent to Australia because of his extravagant spending.

But a few years later, he sent a letter saying that he had made a fortune and promised to make it up to his family.

This letter became the Philip family's lifeline and source of emotional support.

Whenever you have the chance, you should take it out and read it aloud, and show it to everyone you meet.

Sure enough, ten years passed without another letter from Uncle John. But Father's hopes grew stronger each day. Mother often said, "As soon as this kind-hearted John comes back, our situation will be different. He really is a resourceful man."

Dickens's recitation was extremely moving.

When he read Mr. Philip’s fantastical talk about the future, his voice became high-pitched and hollow, like a politician giving a speech.

"When John comes back, we'll buy a villa with a garden by the sea! I want to show all those who look down on me!"

When he read about Mrs. Philip's shrewd calculations and how she planned to use Uncle John's money to prepare dowries for her two daughters, his voice became high-pitched and shrewd, just like that of a shrew.

Catherine and Mary listened intently, as if they could see the greedy and expectant expressions on the faces of everyone in the family.

The "I" in the story naturally becomes a witness to the family's hopes.

I often have to go to the post office to check if there are any letters from Australia.

And the name "Uncle John" became a name that the whole family would often mention.

He is no longer a person, but a symbol, a symbol representing wealth, status, and a good life.

Uncle John's letter also brought about changes for Philip's family. Because of this letter, the older sister, who had previously struggled to find a husband, successfully married a minor civil servant.

"To celebrate this, our whole family decided to take a short trip on a steamship."

Dickens paused here, looked up, and scanned the audience.

Everyone held their breath.

They knew that the climax of the story was about to arrive.

The ship, laden with the hopes of the Philip family, was about to set sail.

What kind of future awaits them on the ship?

The steamship sailed on the sea, and the Philip family, dressed in their finest clothes, stood on the deck, filled with wonderful dreams for the future.

They even started discussing how to establish themselves in high society once their wealthy Uncle John returned.

Mr. Philip, the father, was in high spirits, and seemed to have become a respected gentleman.

The mother, meanwhile, was scheming to marry her second daughter into a truly aristocratic family.

Dickens's voice is full of dramatic tension, vividly portraying the vanity and snobbery of this family.

Just then, the father unexpectedly decided to treat everyone to oysters.

While waiting for the oysters, the old sailor who sold oysters caught the father's attention.

He was a ragged, weathered man who, with a hunched back, painstakingly pried open oysters and handed them to the passengers on the ship.

However, the father became increasingly alarmed as he looked at it.

Dickens's voice becomes slow and heavy here, each word like a rough, stubborn rock.

"Because that old sailor who sold oysters... though aged, he bore a striking resemblance to the John they were talking about!"

My father struck up a conversation with the captain politely, offering compliments while inquiring about his whereabouts. Finally, he said, "There's an oyster seller on your ship; he's quite an interesting fellow. Do you know anything about him?"

The captain replied coldly, "He's an old scoundrel. I met him in Australia last year and brought him back to his homeland. I heard he has relatives in Southampton, but he doesn't want to go back because he owes them money. His name is John. I heard he was quite wealthy there for a time, but look at what he's become!"

No mistake, this old oyster seller is none other than John, who has been missing for many years!

Upon hearing this, the living room fell into a deathly silence.

Mary instinctively covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Catherine gasped; she had never imagined the story would take such a cruel turn.

The savior whom the whole family revered as a god, the Uncle John who represented wealth and hope, was actually this poor old man in front of them, who made a living by selling oysters!

The story continues.

Mr. Philip's face turned deathly pale instantly, his terror as if he were seeing not a destitute relative, but a wicked demon that would bring plague.

"Quick! We have to get out of here! We can't let him recognize us!" He whispered, frantically pulling his wife and daughter along, trying to escape.

The mother's reaction was even more intense; she glared at the old sailor with venomous eyes and kept cursing him.

"That liar! That scoundrel! He ruined everything we had!"

Dickens's voice became sharp and cold, perfectly capturing the selfishness and callousness.

They avoided Uncle John and hid on the other side of the boat, afraid of being associated with this poor relative in any way.

She had no recollection of her previous longing for John.

All the previous expectations and all the family affection vanished in an instant in the face of this cruel reality.

Money is the only god they worship!

At the end of the story, the young "I" pays the bill for the oysters and, with sympathy and guilt, secretly hands a coin as a tip to the uncle who is still working hard.

"My mother was startled and stared at me, saying, 'You've gone mad! Giving money to this man, to this scoundrel!' She didn't finish her sentence because my father winked at her, pointing at his son-in-law."

"On the way back, we changed our route to avoid running into Uncle John again."

"The story has ended."

Dickens put down his manuscript. The living room was eerily quiet, with only the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace.

After a long while, Mary finally let out a soft sob.

"Too...too cruel..." she murmured to herself.

How could they treat their own family like this?

Catherine also sighed, her eyes slightly red.

The ending of this story, like a sharp knife, dissected the most despicable side of human nature, leaving her feeling chilled to the bone.

This is undoubtedly a good story, but it's also a story that sends chills down your spine...

However, neither Dickens nor Michael spoke.

The expression on their faces was neither sadness nor sympathy, but a complex mix of admiration and contemplation.

Dickens and Michael exchanged a glance.

They both gleaned the same message from each other's reactions.

This story is far more complex than simply recounting a family tragedy.

Michelle's pen seems to have become much sharper!

(Does this illustration look familiar? I used to love drawing in books. *doge*)

P.S.: 3 words updated. 5 words today, the remaining 1 words will be added tomorrow.