Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

"The distinction isn't that clear these days. Even for a one-night stand, the word has become so cheap that it's easily thrown around."

Audrey Hepburn asked curiously, "How do they express their emotions? Could it be that Orientals have superpowers? When a boy or girl falls in love with someone, it's like they've built a bridge of emotions, and they can understand each other's feelings without words?"

Henry smiled and said, "How is that possible? It's just that they prefer to use metaphors, more artistic or abstract ways to describe their feelings. For example,

"As long as I have him, even if I only have a small place to stand in this world, I will be satisfied."

'My eyes are raining for him, but my heart is holding an umbrella for him.'

'You dwell quietly in my heart, like the full moon in the night sky.'"

Audrey Hepburn knew the source of these verses and said with a sweet smile, "Ah, Rabindranath Tagore's poems."

"Yes, this poet, who was influenced by traditional Indian culture and harmoniously embraced Western culture, has indeed left behind many works in literature that are worthy of praise."

"Hey, he's recognized as one of the world's top ten literary masters. Why do you say he's just 'very good'?" Audrey Hepburn laughed.

The "world" Henry could talk about was only the world headed by the British Empire.

Islamic culture and Eastern culture have never been categorized as part of this "world," unless people from these different cultures actively enter the Western cultural circle and follow Western rules.

To quote a line from Stephen Chow's movie: The referee and the referee are all their people, and wanting to win is wishful thinking!

Ms. Hepburn, seemingly unconvinced, asked, "Henry, what's your favorite metaphor for expressing love? It allows people who haven't heard the word 'love' to still feel the intensity of the emotion."

"And!" the lady held up both hands, using all the fingers. She pouted and said, "The intensity of the emotion is closer to the ten you said."

As his thoughts turned, Henry smiled and said, "Wait a minute, I'll get a pen and paper."

After returning, he wrote two lines of neat Chinese characters in a large blank notebook with a fountain pen: The end of eternity may come, but this endless hatred will never end.

"Is this... Chinese?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean?" Audrey Hepburn asked curiously.

“No matter how high or long the sky is, no matter how wide or long the earth is, they are still tangible things with boundaries. But my regrets are endless and will never end.”

"Are you talking about hatred?" Audrey Hepburn asked with her eyes wide open.

"However deep the love is, when this emotion is reversed, the hatred will be as deep. Similarly, how deep the hatred is also means how deep the love is."

"Wow, you can actually say that." Audrey Hepburn looked at the words written on the paper, savored them carefully, and sighed sincerely.

Hepburn then asked, "What kind of work does this sentence come from? Is it a love story?"

"You could call it a love story, but it ends tragically."

"Can you tell me about it?" the lady asked with her big watery eyes.

Those big eyes, so captivating in the film, would surely make anyone surrender if they were stared at like that. At least Henry couldn't resist.

Henry could only pick up his pen and write a few large Chinese characters: "Song of Everlasting Regret" by Bai Juyi. He added, "The author lived about 1,200 years ago and was a renowned poet of his time. This work describes..."

A hallmark of traditional literature is its use of allusions. A few sentences might cite an allusion, and the story behind it is either assumed to be known to everyone or left to the reader to discover on their own.

So when explaining "Song of Everlasting Regret" to Ms. Hepburn, I also had to explain the stories behind these allusions and their purpose here. It could be a metaphor, or it could be capturing a certain spirit from the allusions.

Sometimes, instead of using allusions, some images are used as metaphors. For example, the sentence "a branch of pear blossoms in spring is wet with rain" is used to describe the imperial concubine's tears, which makes her look pitiful.

At this time, Henry used a pencil sketch to vividly depict the appearance of the pear blossoms, and the rain added a certain atmosphere to the pear blossoms.

Moreover, "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" itself contains two story lines: one about Emperor Minghuang of Tang and his concubine Yang Guifei, and the other about Emperor Wu of Han and Lady Li. Translating this 840-word song-style narrative poem into English would almost kill every cell in Henry's super brain.

The main reason is that Audrey Hepburn was not satisfied with a too literal translation that would lose the beauty of the original work. Because these things were supplemented by Henry's sketches and long paragraphs of narration, they were only understandable.

So sometimes a sentence has to be revised several times, and even poems from European and American literature have to be quoted before the lady is satisfied.

At this time, Henry had to admire Mr. Lin Yutang, a writer living in the United States. He was able to write the biography of Su Dongpo in English and translate those famous poems into English in a form that conforms to European and American poetic styles.

All in all, the translation of "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" took several days, on and off. Without the support of a super brain with extensive knowledge and memory, this task would not have been completed so quickly.

During this time, Robert would sometimes come to help by offering his thoughts or suggestions on words.

Then three notebooks were used, containing constantly revised poems, simple sketches, and the stories behind the allusions, all of which were written down word for word at Audrey Hepburn's request.

Chapter 195 Christmas Eve

"Can I have these three notebooks?" Audrey Hepburn asked.

Henry nodded in agreement without even thinking. He only said one word: "Okay."

If it weren't for this lady's request, Henry wouldn't have bothered to write everything down. Could it be that this Kryptonian super brain was running out of storage space?

So he just gave it to me, and there was nothing for him to be reluctant about.

On the contrary, these few days of training have been a very interesting new experience. He now uses his super brain to solve math or physics problems. As long as the problem isn't too out-of-scope, like a conjecture, Henry can almost intuitively come up with the answer.

But when it comes to literary and philosophical questions, there's no single answer. Making one's answers convincing, establishing one's own unique aesthetic, and then infecting others is no easier than for mathematicians or physicists.

When it was all over, Henry breathed a sigh of relief and was about to swear that he would never do such a thing again when Audrey Hepburn asked, "So, kid, are there any other love stories like this one that are set in different cultural backgrounds?"

"Come back!" Henry asked with his eyes wide open in horror.

"Of course. No matter how old a woman is, she always likes to hear love stories." Audrey Hepburn not only said this proudly, she also continued:

"I agree with you. People from different cultural backgrounds have different views on love. If you want to convince me that love is not just about 'Romeo and Juliet' or 'War and Peace', then you'll need to provide more evidence to convince me."

Then there were those same large eyes again. They were watery and sparkling, with an attack power exceeding 10,000, and the damage was direct to the heart, leaving Kryptonians with little health in one blow.

"All right, all right. But we can only talk about it tomorrow."

"Hey, why?" The old lady's coquettishness was very subtle and lethal. Kryptonians rely on their thick skin to bear it.

Henry said firmly: "One story a day, that's the limit. And tonight is Christmas Eve, I have to help prepare dinner." The lady's health was not good, so dinner was prepared by Henry or the maid at home.

"Okay, then one a day. But you have to have one every day from now on."

"Wow, boss, you're treating this like one of the Thousand and One Nights. I hope you won't send someone to chop off my head after I finish telling you a thousand stories."

"I'm pardoning you in advance," Ms. Hepburn smiled happily. She suddenly asked, "By the way, since today is Christmas Eve, where's my Christmas present? You're not going to ask me to open it myself under the Christmas tree tomorrow, are you? Be considerate of an elderly person and give it to me in advance."

"Aren't you already holding your Christmas present in your arms?" Henry said, pointing to the three notebooks.

"Hey~ I asked for this myself, it can't be considered a gift." Audrey Hepburn complained.

Henry said mercilessly, "No matter what culture the story is from, it always emphasizes one point: greed doesn't lead to good results. So it's good to receive a gift. I have to go prepare dinner, boss."

Tonight's dinner will include Robert, Ms. Hepburn, and Henry, along with Ms. Hepburn's two children. Sean Farrier will also be bringing his girlfriend, Lila Franrigan. So there's a lot to prepare.

This year, Audrey Hepburn specifically requested a lot of dishes. There were Portuguese King Cake, Belgian cookies, Czech carp dishes from Prague, German Berliner donuts, Moscow mayonnaise salad, Danish rice pudding, Romanian pork, Swedish pickled herring fillets, smoked salmon and meatballs, French foie gras, oysters and Baumkuchen, and finally Spanish sweet bread.

There's a main course, dessert, and a starchy staple. You don't have to finish them all; just one bite of each would blow your daily calorie count! It's a menu that would make even a nutritionist faint.

Although there were many dishes he hadn't made before and only had the recipes, Henry was still confident in his cooking skills. He just had to control the cooking time well, as many steps couldn't be rushed through at super speed.

As usual, I kicked out the five Jack Russell terriers that had wandered into the kitchen. I'd never heard of fattening dogs, but these dogs were practically balls of fat. Sooner or later, they'd be on the table.

Sean and his girlfriend Lila, who have more flexible working hours, arrive home first.

Sean, in his early thirties, is in the prime of his life. He inherited his parents' superb looks, giving off a sunny, cheerful, and boyish vibe. This is precisely why he attracts a sweet, brown-haired girl like Lila.

As soon as they entered the house, the son gave his mother a big hug. "Mom, this is Lila. My girlfriend."

"Hello, Lila."

"It's a great honor to meet you, Ms. Hepburn."

The two of them kissed each other affectionately on the cheek. Lila handed over the paper bag and said, "This is a Christmas gift I prepared especially for Ms. Hepburn. It's a hand-knitted scarf."

Audrey Hepburn pulled out a scarf from a paper bag. The pattern wasn't tacky, and the stitches had been carefully knitted. She exclaimed, "Wow, this scarf is really beautiful. Sean, look, the girl you picked has really clever hands."

Then it was wrapped around her neck. At the same time, Audrey Hepburn held Lila's hand tightly and said, "Lila, just call me Audrey. Come in and sit with me."

This made the young lovers very happy. At least the first meeting between the future mother-in-law and the future daughter-in-law seemed very harmonious.

A little later, Luca Dotti also returned. With a psychiatrist as his father, although Luca was not as handsome as his older brother, he was indeed smarter and had better academic performance.

The two half-brothers were raised and taken care of personally by Audrey Hepburn since childhood.

However, when it came to their schooling stage, in order to obtain better educational resources, they moved between prestigious universities in various European countries, studying by either boarding or being cared for by special nannies.

So the relationship between the two brothers can't be called close, but it can't be called unfamiliar either. After all, they are ten years apart in age. By the time Luca was old enough to remember, Sean had already gone to boarding school.

Then, they both had complicated feelings towards Robert, but they were more familiar with their mother, a woman who desperately needed family support and a man to lean on.

As children, they have their own lives and careers to build, so it seems understandable that their father, who was unable to remain kind and loyal to their mother, was replaced.

At least Robert took good care of his mother.

In Henry's eyes, this picture of family reunion hides an alienation that cannot be concealed. They all love the same woman in different roles, but they do not love each other in the same way.

The only thing they could be thankful for was that they didn't hate each other, because this wasn't a relationship between a husband and wife and a third or fourth person.

And Henry is a cook and a freeloader.

Chapter 196 The Comatose Critically Ill Patient

The Christmas gathering seemed to fulfill Ms. Audrey Hepburn's last wish.

As soon as the New Year of 93 came to an end, Ms. Hepburn's health took a turn for the worse!

Ms. Hepburn, who was undergoing chemotherapy in a Swiss hospital, collapsed due to the severe side effects of chemotherapy and was directly sent to the hospital ward.

At the bedside, I watched the unconscious Audrey Hepburn, whose vital signs were at a low point. Although her condition hadn't deteriorated, it was still noticeably worse.

The doctor had just finished explaining the possible first aid measures, which were all somewhat rough and invasive medical methods.

Robert asked worriedly, "Doctor, is this treatment really necessary?"

The doctor replied, "It's really just a gamble now whether Ms. Hepburn can pull through and recover naturally. But honestly, given her age and her existing physical condition, her chances of recovery on her own are slim."

"So using equipment to maintain their vital state is the most appropriate approach. However, in my experience, once these devices are installed, there's a high probability that they will never be able to recover their original health."

A doctor who has seen enough patients can certainly judge whether a patient still has hope of recovery.

However, professional considerations regarding the need for emergency treatment and the family's wishes sometimes conflict. Doctors certainly can't arbitrarily decide a patient's life or death. Perhaps the miracle everyone hopes for will occur.

"Henry." Robert looked helplessly at his comrade who had accompanied him in taking care of Ms. Hepburn during this period.

Henry shook his head and said, "I've already notified the boss's two children, and they're on their way here. From a legal perspective, neither of us has the right to decide anything."

Turning to look at the doctor, Henry continued, "So please, doctor, please do your best to keep Ms. Hepburn alive. The question of whether to use a life-support machine can only be decided by her two children."

"I understand." The doctor then gave a series of instructions and the nurses quickly took action.

At this time, is it still useful to send it to the United States? Henry wondered doubtfully in his heart.

Although Sean and Luca lived in different places, they arrived at the hospital at about the same time. When they arrived, Henry told them the firsthand information.

This was the way everyone had gotten used to since Henry became his assistant. Henry would just give a general overview, and if there was anything they didn't understand, they could ask him.

"No matter what, no matter what method we use, we should try our best to save our mother's life."

"I think we should give our mother a dignified death, rather than leaving her with tubes hooked up to her body and her heart beating while she is unconscious."

The two young men, Sean and Luca, expressed different opinions. Unfortunately, neither could convince the other. Robert and Henry could only watch to prevent the two brothers from fighting.

"Robert, what do you think?" Luca asked.

Robert's expression froze when his name was suddenly called. He had originally intended not to get involved in this brotherly dispute. But being called suddenly and being stared at by the two brothers, he felt like he had no choice but to speak up.

Luca went further and said, "You've been with Mom for more than ten years now, more than any of us. What do you think Mom would do if she woke up?"

Robert had no choice but to answer, "Luca, I think your mother would agree with you, that she could die with dignity. Instead of dragging herself along like a medical cyborg, half-dead."

Sean immediately cursed, "What kind of bullshit is that! As long as you're alive, you have a chance. If you give up now, even if there's a chance of recovery in the future, if you lose your life, all chances will be gone."

"And who are you, Robert? I don't agree with that idea. Henry, what do you say?"

Damn it! Bro, you're clearly asking me to express my support for your position.

Robert even said that he felt that the other party had no right to say those words, so if it's me who says it, does it count?

Not wanting to follow the unclear-minded young man's ideas, Henry said, "Actually, why don't we ask Ms. Hepburn's opinion?"

As soon as he said this, Henry received scornful looks from everyone present. Sean said dissatisfiedly, "Audrey is unconscious, and no one knows what she's thinking. Otherwise, why would we even ask you?"

Henry said quietly, "There are mutants in this world, and some of them have telepathic abilities. Although the lady can't speak anymore, her consciousness won't die with her, will it?"

Sean frowned and asked, "If you have this method, why didn't you use it earlier?"

"The results of mutants' abilities do not have legal effect, which means they cannot form the basis for a doctor's judgment. Only you two have the authority to make decisions on your behalf. And whether you are willing to believe in mutants' abilities is also a question."