There are 1000 words in reading flowers in Shanghai.

The feeling of reading blooms in Shanghai.

Two years ago, I wanted to train myself to write more carefully. At that time, I thought I had a unique view: many peers grew up watching the stories of John Petro and Mary like me, and London, Paris and new york seemed to make them feel more intimate than most places in China. For these readers, instead of telling them some real stories that happened in China, it is better to deliberately fabricate some stories that happened in foreign countries and have nothing to do with China. Because of this idea, I have written some such foreign stories in the past two years. These stories are not too difficult for me. I have lived abroad for several years.

At the same time, I met with difficulties in my personal life. During my childhood and adolescence in Shanghai, it seems that I only experienced the private life at that time, but after many years, the plot has been replayed and examined constantly. As an adult, it is becoming more and more urgent for me to explain my past experiences. At that time, many of my incomprehensible elders passed away, but I still faced them in my heart and could not reconcile with them. I find it difficult to explain most of my private life, especially my family life, which completely conveys Shanghai thinking in Shanghai. Big words like "love" and "hate" seem to be more suitable to appear in the magnificent Russian novels, while Shanghainese mostly use ambiguous "joy" or "disgust". The question of right and wrong, good and evil is the special topic of Dickens and Hawthorne, but the moral books I have experienced in my family life are far more confusing and tangled than these. In addition to these emotional or moral ambiguities, what is even more frightening is that when I recall my life in Shanghai for more than ten years, I can't even find feelings or morality in the past, not "bad feelings" or "bad morality", but "no feelings" and "no morality", which is a blank. People are talking, and you think they are saying these things for some purpose, but they come to an abrupt end-nothing happens, they just stand up suddenly.

When I think about the ease of writing and the difficulty of private life, I realize that writing is not difficult enough for me, because I don't believe that works can be folded back to affect my private life. On the other hand, if literary works bear the heavy responsibility of explaining life, I have never seen such works that can explain my private life. Many novels and poems moved me, but I never found my parents in them. Language differences-texts are read and written in Mandarin (or even subconsciously translated into English), while private lives are mostly communicated in Shanghai-are certainly one of the difficulties in communication between the two people, but I vaguely feel that there are deeper and more insurmountable difficulties.

So Jin Yucheng's novel Flowers Bloom in Shanghai gave me a great shock. This is a novel that uses Shanghai dialect extensively (though not so much as to be difficult for readers in other regions to understand), but it is far beyond the level of dialect novels. It talks about customs and common people, but the purpose it wants to achieve is much better than dialect common people novels such as Biography of Flowers on the Sea. Its existence is not only to show the literary charm of Shanghai dialect, but to try to explain the great history and private life history from the 1960s to the beginning of the new century with the internal logic of Shanghai dialect, and to judge the beauty and ugliness of life with the power of language itself. "Flowers Bloom in Shanghai" is a wake-up call to the writing concept I once held, which made me realize that there is a huge defect in writing "foreign stories" only in the target language. Blossoms Shanghai provides a kind of compassionate rescue force as to how to recall the childhood teenagers spent in Shanghai again and how to face the loss of elders without apology and forgiveness.

"Flowers in Shanghai" is based on a pair of good friends, A Bao and He, and two lines are interlaced: teenagers in the sixties and seventies and prime of life in the eighties and nineties. Through Bao He's daily life, readers get to know dozens of other flesh-and-blood figures: the accompanying guests at the banquet, the conductor of the evening bus and the female teacher of the alley primary school ... All of them seem to get together temporarily through one accident, but they will be separated by another accident. In those superficial interactions, they hardly talk about themselves or reveal their inner world, but constantly tell other people's stories.

"Flowers in Shanghai" begins with the story of a middle-aged student in Shanghai who goes to meet Po. He passed by the food market and was stopped by Tao Tao who sold crabs. Who's Tao Tao? Po's ex-girlfriend's neighbor. "Shanghai said that Tao Tao sells hairy crabs. Tao Tao said, long time no see, come in and have a cup of tea. Hu Sheng said, I have something to do. Tao Tao said, come in, come in and see the scenery. " Tao Tao took Hu Sheng to the food market to tell him the local news, but the author was in no hurry. He asked them to chat with Tao Tao's wife for a while, and then with the female customers who came to visit the crab stall for a while, so that Hu Sheng could slowly recall his past with his ex-girlfriend. After all this, Tao Tao began to tell the story of a woman selling fish and a man selling eggs in the market. Urged by Hu Sheng's "I have something to do" and "Make it simple", Tao Tao performed a stunt and told a 3000-word story. At the end of the day, anxious Hu Sheng was completely attracted by this story:

"Shanghai said, speak slowly, the man selling eggs, not Tao Tao, nervous. Tao Tao said, I'm so nervous. I'll tell you once, I'll be nervous again. Hu Sheng said, be careful of other people's wives. Tao Tao said, right? Hu Sheng told me about it carefully. Hu Sheng said, what, I'm listening to Tao Tao now. I have a brain. Tao Tao smiled. Hu Sheng said that when talking about this kind of thing, Tao Tao came to his senses. Tao Tao said that the first person with a soul was the husband of a woman who sold fish. During the day, there were few people in the alley, so the master and the apprentice ran up the stairs and the door slammed. The security of the cotton textile mill not only used strength, but also used door panels and door locks. All cracked, and the little apprentice looked at the wind and his voice rang, because the machine in the workshop was loud, and he shouted. Before and after the alley, residents rushed out to see the white play. The rice was not washed and the food was not burned. People who went to the toilet stood up and ran outside. This kind of thing is rare in a thousand years. Hu Sheng said, I'm not ashamed to talk about the toilet and then make it up. Tao Tao said, this is true. The cadres of the neighborhood Committee also rushed over, and there was a noise and rumble around. An old gentleman next door thought he was going to exercise again, but he couldn't catch up for a while and his pants were soaked. Hu Sheng said with a smile, well, it doesn't hurt to add more ingredients. Tao Tao said, every word is true. Just taking a break. My husband and his apprentice dragged the dewdrop mandarin ducks down. The husband grabbed the woman selling fish, and the apprentice took the man selling eggs and pushed them downstairs. The woman refused to go out. My husband said, dead man, go, go, go to the neighborhood Committee. The woman selling fish shrank back, and the man selling eggs stuck to his guns until he dragged the man and woman out of the door. The whole body is covered with snow, which makes people unable to open their eyes. Women keep shrinking, dragging and squatting. Husband said, you should go quickly, engage in corruption, and don't have a face. Cool and fast. The husband pulled hard, and the woman took two steps forward, covering her hands tightly and squatting still. The man selling eggs pulled out the door and fell down. Suddenly, the old aunts and aunts around her retired and ate. Aunt of the neighborhood Committee, take off a dress and cover it on the woman. Speak loudly. Nobody move. Go back and calm down and solve the problem. Go back, you hear me? At this moment, the husband turned around, suddenly pushed the apprentice away and rushed to the egg seller. His hands pinched the whole family under the man's navel, full of strength and stubbornness. The egg man was in great pain and shouted for help. Only then did everyone understand that the egg seller was arrested from the upstairs room and dragged to the back door. This family has not changed its true colors, full of energy, covered in gold, brave and foolhardy, and so weak. My husband is penniless. Husband said, do it, do it, do it well? One more time. Come on. Cried the egg man. The household registration police ran over and shouted, hey, be civilized, everyone get out of the way. "

If this story ends here, then Flowers in Shanghai can only be regarded as a wonderful street novel. However, the author asked Hu Sheng, a lawyer, to tell Tao Tao, who sells crabs:

"Shanghai said that men and women are too poor. Tao Tao said her husband was angry. Hu Sheng said it was interesting to drag his shirtless wife out. Tao Tao said that Shanghainese are very kind to their wives, but what is good? Hu Sheng said that the Frenchman found that his wife had a problem and closed the door gently. Tao Tao said, it's hard. Hu Sheng said that the key stage depends on quality. Tao Tao said that it's understandable to be evil, swearing and beating. Hu Sheng said that the husband was so dirty that he wouldn't let his wife wear clothes, which meant he stripped himself naked and had no face. Tao Tao said, actually collapsed. Hu Sheng said, God knows. Tao Tao said that Jesus is still the Jade Emperor. Hu Sheng said that a rural woman had done such a thing before, and the masses were prepared to kill her. Jesus said, whoever is a good man can start working now. As a result, everyone stopped talking and went back to sleep Tao Tao said that Jesus was strong. Hu Sheng said that as long as you think in your mind, in the eyes of Jesus, it is equivalent to doing it. What happened? Go back early to cook and take a toilet. Tao Tao said, Jesus is right. If this happens again, I'll go back to bed. Hu Sheng looked at his watch and said, Well, I'm leaving. Tao Tao said, tell me more. Hu Sheng said it was already full of gold, sugar cane and radish, and it was not enough to add oil and sauce. Tao Tao said that this is a fact. "

Compared with the vivid "Pulp Fiction" in which the fish girl and the egg man cheated on each other, I admire more that the author asked Hu Sheng to talk about Christianity in this context, and he forgave the fish girl's sin in a few words, which also made everyone lose their minds and ask themselves. The Jesus in Hu Sheng's mouth has both the essence of Christianity and the accent of a policeman registered in Shanghai Lane: "In the past, a rural woman did such a thing, and the masses were prepared to take her life. Jesus said, who is a good man, let's start now. As a result, everyone stopped talking and went back to sleep. " "As long as you think in your mind, in the eyes of Jesus, it is equivalent to doing it. What happened? Go back to cook and sit in the toilet early. " Hu Sheng's words also seem to be aimed at readers: all readers who have just had fun in Tao Tao's story can no longer blame the fish seller. Tao Tao's comments are meaningful: "Jesus is strong" and "Jesus has a point".

However, "Flowers in Shanghai" did not preach, did not punish any crimes with the help of the omnipotent author, and did not let any characters stand on the moral benchmark. There are hundreds of characters in the whole novel, and there are few examples of happy marriages. Hu Sheng's wife left him and emigrated; Tao Tao will soon experience two extramarital affairs. The most sincere and delicate feeling in the whole novel is the love affair between the working-class kitten and the sailor's wife Yin Feng. Under the expression of the author, this extramarital affair has become something of flesh and blood.

Write that Yinfeng had a relationship with a virgin kitten: "The world suddenly calmed down, the air was cool, the sound of rain became smaller, Yinfeng reduced its size, and only the mat under her was covered with water. Yinfeng said, don't move, my sister will wait, it's the first trip in life, and have a rest. My sister has been serving kittens for several years. Tell the truth, my sister is happy. Small hairs don't ring. Yinfeng was all lit up, so she went to get a towel from the footbath. Yinfeng said, kitten. The kitten turned and left Yinfeng. "

Writing a restless kitten went to his martial arts master, but the martial arts master defended Yin Feng: "The boxer said, Fat Fan, you don't know shit. What is a broiler? Women don't care about age, as long as they are good to men. Why can't men turn back? Looking back is the most delicious and generous. I don't believe the story of my ancestors. The most ridiculous thing in life is to go forward bravely and take a step back. A good horse will return to the grass. It is my brain. What do future generations believe in? A gentleman would rather die than surrender, a gentleman can bend and stretch, fooling around with 3 thousand. Small hairs don't ring. Master said that neighbors like Yinfeng, little sister-in-law and little mother are the most worthy of sympathy. "

Write Yinfeng's discretion on this relationship: "Yinfeng said that I know kittens and like my big sister. The kitten said it was impossible. Yinfeng sighed and said, it should be. Small hairs don't ring. Yinfeng said that the kitten will have a girlfriend and get married in the future, but it is best to see her sister once a month, preferably two or three times. The kitten doesn't ring. "

These three paragraphs, compared with Yin Feng's and Wulin's gushing, are more striking because of the repetition of "Xiao Mao doesn't make any noise". Xiaomao, who is at the center of the incident, just chooses not to make a sound. This sentence is everywhere in the novel. Po was silent, Shanghai was silent, and Tao Tao was silent. In the face of difficult characters, the only resistance they can do is "silence". This Shanghai dialect lingers in the novel. Not silence, but "silence". A brisk but still audible voice appears in the most emotional place in the novel. This reminds me of my childhood, my daily life in Shanghai, and so many big gaps that confuse me: where I need to defend and vent most, there are no tears, no quarrels, my father is silent and my mother is silent. I think of many stories that elders have been chanting all their lives, and the last point is "silence." My grandfather would take pains to emphasize, "I had to be silent, I had to be silent, I had to be silent."

Small hairs don't ring. The kitten is still hesitant about the relationship with Yinfeng. Kitten lives on the third floor, Yinfeng lives on the second floor, and the first floor is a barber shop. The signal that Yinfeng agreed to meet them was that Yinfeng's room was turned on at midnight. So the author wrote that the kitten left work late at night, "listlessly walked into the barber shop, sat in the chair of the barber shop, turned the wrench, and the back of the chair slowly lowered and flattened." At the moment, there are several lights on the roof, silver phoenix slippers move, or it is dark and silent. In any case, the kitten thinks that as long as she walks into the barber shop, Yinfeng will pass through the gap in the floor and look down. Her eyes are like electricity, which is hard to escape. The street lamps outside the window are also reflected in the store, and the mirror is mottled. During the day, all the scenes are locked in drawers and cabinets under the mirror, with hairdressing tools, customers' faces, dialogues, Master Wang's smirk, the accent of Jianghuai opera, the smell of scale, soapy water and talcum powder, the sweetness of Jin Gangzuan's waxing and the burning smell of iron tongs. It was completely locked in the dark and extremely quiet. The kitten adjusted the angle wrench, leaned back, the cast iron pedal rose to the body evenly, the barber chair made a whole body friction sound, the mirror rose slowly, reflecting the faded price list on the opposite wall, and the soy sauce-colored old Earth brand electric clock, jumping and shaking the second hand. At this moment, the smell of the whole store, including all the male and female customers, completely disappeared. The smell of Yinfeng floated down from the upstairs, pervasive, dense like fog, silent like snowflakes, refreshing and strong. At the same time, Yinfeng's whole body heat involuntarily leaks, evaporates, radiates and covers from the cracks in the floor. Uncle woke up on the second floor, dragging a spittoon. Someone is coughing outside the window. Yinfeng's hot air came down, hot, close to the kitten, fluffy chest like a pillow, weak breath like silk cotton. The kitten looked up and saw four mirrors, chairs and corridors in the barber shop. Sometimes, the stairs are quiet and hazy, white clouds are floating in the mirror, and shadows are moving. In fact, it is a real body, the button is not buckled, the temperature near the front, the warm wind under the armpit, sweating, and the hair slowly spreads and folds. Finally, completely cover the hairless face. The paint of the chair has aged, and the metal parts can't stand the pressure and make a rubbing sound. "

The kitten is silent, but the kitten is still full of doubts, so the decoration, smell and sound of the whole space are mobilized. The author's intention is to free the kitten from the burden of "silence". The author sketched out this space with extremely patient handwriting, which made this barber shop in the 1970s appear vividly in front of readers in 2 1 century, and let readers see that the kitten is in such a detailed landscape, and feel not only the silver phoenix, but the whole space. If you want to deny this feeling, you will deny the beauty of that space. When the author accurately described this barber shop in 1970s, the aesthetics of language overwhelmed social morality, and the kitten and Yinfeng were rehabilitated.

When a person sees a fishing net and thinks about how the net is woven, the fun of fishing is discounted. And when one begins to think about writing, the pleasure of reading will be reduced. "Flowers Bloom in Shanghai" made me experience the double happiness that I haven't experienced for a long time: the reading surprise as an ordinary reader and the feeling as a writing learner. However, it is not only joy, but also pain. There are few psychological descriptions in "Flowers in Shanghai", only a faint dialogue or a "silence" points out the pain to the point. This kind of pain uncovered the skin of life, poured alcohol on the wound, and then cured.

I read Flowers in Shanghai on the way: the first few chapters were on the Boston subway to and from work, and the last few chapters were on the way to Cambodia. In the anxiety of going to the next destination, a novel gradually spread out, providing an explanation and support for my past life. This may be the luckiest reading trip I have ever experienced.