Back to 80: My Literary Life

"Really? Thank you so much."

After drinking coffee, Fang Minghua took Emily back to his hotel. Zhang Xianliang was surprised to see that he brought back a blond girl with a waist, pert butt and flaming red lips.

Fang Minghua made a brief introduction, then took out the manuscript from his travel bag and handed it to the other party.

"Thanks."

The girl took the manuscript and left happily.

From then on, there was an enthusiastic and cheerful American girl in the hotel where the writers stayed. She often came to see Fang Minghua, and sometimes chatted with Zhang Xianliang and Zhang Ling.

It rained early this morning, and the air in Iowa City was particularly fresh.

In the morning, I went to listen to a lecture on the history of American literature by a professor at the University of Iowa. Neither Fang Minghua nor Zhang Xianliang attended.

What’s so great about America’s literary history being as short-lived as his country’s?

Mark Twain, Hemingway, O. Henry, Jack London. These famous American writers have long been familiar to Chinese readers. Perhaps we have a deeper understanding of them than Americans.

Zhang Xianliang is busy writing his first novel "Half of a Man is a Woman", which tells the love story of the hero Zhang Yonglin and the heroine Huang Xiangjiu who met in the labor camp.

Fang Minghua is writing a novel version of "Inception" and has promised the editor-in-chief of "Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" that he will write it out when he has time.

The two were busy doing their own thing, when the door was suddenly knocked open, and Emily walked in wearing a T-shirt and short jeans, with a camera on her chest.

"Minghua, the weather is nice today, shall we go out to play together? I borrowed a Beetle." Emily asked.

Oops

Fang Minghua suddenly remembered that when he was chatting with her a few days ago, the girl said that she wanted to visit interesting places around her and asked Fang Minghua if she had time to go together.

Fang Minghua thought he had nothing to do and wanted to take a walk around, so he agreed.

The girl specially invited him here today.

"Brother Zhang, let's go together."

"You guys go play." Zhang Xianliang replied in English, and then said to Fang Minghua in Chinese: "Minghua, this is a date with a beautiful lady, what else should I write?"

Originally, he wanted to seize the time to finish writing this novel this morning. Fang Minghua saw the expectant look in the girl's eyes and had no choice but to nod.

"Wait a minute, I'll change my clothes."

After the girl went out, Fang Minghua changed his clothes before leaving the hotel.

Emily was standing in front of the yellow Beetle wearing sunglasses, waiting for Fang Minghua, and was stunned when she saw him coming out.

His attire is completely different from that of the relatively conservative Chinese. He wears a short-sleeved floral shirt, denim shorts, brown sailing shoes, and a pair of sunglasses.

If you put on a felt hat, you will look like a western cowboy.

However, he is very handsome, rough and arrogant yet still Chinese elegance.

This outfit was bought by Fang Minghua when he came to Iowa City. It was rumored in China that it was a bit too ordinary, but here it is very common.

Fang Minghua got into the Beetle and sat in the passenger seat, asking the girl, "Where are we going to play?"

"We can go to Grace Lake, or West Branch, or Redemption Cave. You can go wherever you like."

Fang Minghua knew that the Grace Lake that Emily was talking about was a famous scenic spot in Iowa, and West Branch was a small city, but it gave birth to a U.S. president—the 31st President Herbert Hoover. There was also a The library is said to be visited by many tourists.

The Cave of the Redemption, known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by Americans, is a series of man-made structures inlaid with millions of precious gems to depict the life of Christ.

Of course Fang Minghua would not admit it.

The terracotta warriors and horses of our country are the ones!

Fang Minghua thought for a while and said, "I heard that there is a small town called Winterset in Madison County not far from here. There are several beautiful wooden bridges there. Let's go and take a look?"

"Winterset Town, Madison County" Emily opened the tourist map and quickly found this place.

"Minghua, why do you want to go there? There are no scenic spots there." Emily asked curiously.

"There are several wooden bridges that are worth visiting."

"OK!" Emily agreed.

Anyway, it’s the same as going out to play, no matter where you go.

The Beetle left Iowa City and headed south, driving on a country road.

Emily took out a cassette tape and inserted it into the player, and immediately remembered a rock song.

On a dark desert highway cool wind in my hair

(Driving on a dark desert road, the cool breeze blew my hair)

Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air

(The strong smell of marijuana permeates the air)

"Hotel California" by The Eagles

Fang Minghua also hummed softly, admiring the scenery outside.

Surrounded by large tracts of corn fields, Fang Minghua reminds Fang Minghua of his hometown in the Guanzhong Plain. The same is true, except that the people here are much sparsely populated, and the houses are basically wooden huts, unlike the Guanzhong Plain where they are all half-built.

In fact, the same is true in rural America.

Emily was in a happy mood.

Driving in the car on a summer morning, I felt the wind blowing by my ears, blowing my long golden hair, and there was an oriental young man who I liked very much beside me.

Seeing Fang Minghua admiring the rural scenery, Emily asked while driving: "Minghua, are you like this in rural China?"

"The countryside in my hometown is similar to this, and we also grow large tracts of corn." Fang Minghua explained, but the houses are not all made of wood like yours, usually bricks and tiles - only half of the house is covered.

"Why only cover half of it?" the girl asked curiously.

"The main reason is that my hometown has a dry climate, strong winds and sand, and relatively few trees, so people invented the half-built house based on local conditions."

"It's fun." The girl replied in an innocent tone.

"Haha, there are eight monsters in our hometown." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"What eight monsters?"

"The house is half-built, the papa is worn on the head, the noodles are like trouser belts, the pot helmets are like pot lids, the spicy food is a dish, the stools are not sitting on and the girls are not married, and the opera is full of roars."

Fang Minghua patiently explained to the other party what it meant in English, which made Emily fascinated.

"I really want to visit your hometown."

"Okay, now that our country is opening up to the outside world, it is easy for you to come to us. Then I can also show you our Terracotta Warriors and Horses - known as the eighth wonder of the world."

"Isn't the eighth wonder the Redemption Cave in Iowa?" the girl winked mischievously.

"Haha, when you go to our Xijing and see the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, you will understand which one is the eighth wonder."

The two chatted and laughed in the car, and after more than an hour they arrived in Madison County. They asked questions while walking, and walked for another half an hour before finally arriving at the small town of Winterset that Fang Minghua mentioned.

Sure enough, Emily saw a wooden bridge.