RBCT Chapter 101 Literacy Class
Chapter 101 Literacy Class
Chen Tuo also figured out why Hong Ye gave him a pen name.
It's simply because she's afraid he'll leave Songling after he becomes famous, or she wants to buy herself time to become famous.
"Xingan Little Birch? That's too geographically limited. 'Little Birch' is barely acceptable; 'Birch' is a better pen name. Could you ask them to change it for me?"
For Chen Tuo, pen name and real name didn't matter much, as long as they weren't too thuggish or childish.
For Chen Tuo, a former educated youth, connecting with his family was the best thing he could do.
It doesn't really matter if we have it or not, we can just take it slow and see!
"The teachers in Huacheng said that birch is too common, and little birch is a perfect match for your 'new life'. They won't use Xing'an little birch as your pen name."
In front of He Yunqing, Chen Tuo did not criticize her, and Hong Ye's fear immediately turned into competence.
"Little Birch Tree isn't good, White Birch Tree is better. Could you contact Huacheng again, Teacher He? What do you think?"
He Yunqing's dream of overnight fame was shattered by the mere 90 yuan manuscript fee from Huacheng, leaving her heart filled with bitterness.
He invested a huge sum of money to come to Songling and for his dream of becoming famous overnight.
A woolen Zhongshan suit costing 180 yuan, rabbit fur boots costing 30 yuan, and a formal woolen sheepskin overcoat costing 200 yuan represented most of his income for half a year.
Although her travel expenses were reimbursed by her employer, He Yunqing, who was immersed in the dream of becoming famous overnight, spent as much as fifty yuan on food and drinks along the way.
The new outfit was something he had prepared for after he became famous. Now that he no longer had the opportunity to become famous, he also lost his considerable income from writing.
Even with the cost of exchanging tickets, the family's ability to celebrate the Chinese New Year is a problem.
Despite feeling frustrated and fearful, He Yunqing forced herself to calm down.
"Xiao Chen is right, Bai Hua is even better—concise and efficient, which suits his writing style!"
"Okay! I'll contact Huacheng as soon as possible..."
Although he said he would do it as soon as possible, Hong Ye did not take any further action.
The pseudonym was just one of the reasons she held back the remittance slip yesterday.
Today is Sunday, and the main reason why the pretty doctor Hu Yuling is coming to the educated youth settlement to teach Chen Tuo Russian is because she left the remittance slip behind and arrived right on time for work.
Chen Tuo was also aware of why Hong Ye only agreed but did not take action.
During the more than half a month he was in seclusion, Hu Yuling visited him more than ten times.
However, to avoid suspicion, she came with her sons in the evening, and Hong Ye was also present.
I had arranged to come and teach for a day last Sunday, but it didn't work out because Hu Yuling was out on house calls.
This time, Hu Yuling will definitely bring her child again, but a day is still too long for Hong Ye.
The two exchanged a knowing glance before Chen Tuo turned to He Yunqing, who looked utterly dejected.
Chen Tuo could roughly guess at the guy's frustration and dejection.
Just like him, they wanted to become famous by plagiarizing, but unfortunately, they didn't succeed.
Unlike Hong Ye, He Yunqing and Chen Tuo could not cooperate; they would only compete.
Chen Tuo had already set a trap when he asked for materials earlier.
If he can clearly identify the problem, then he's definitely going to be fine.
Driven by greed, He Yunqing wrote about the hunting process according to his account. Whether he gets into trouble or not depends on his own luck...
"Teacher He, I think maintaining a calm mindset is very important during the writing process. What do you think?"
Chen Tuo's seemingly casual question almost made He Yunqing vomit blood on the spot.
He is thirty-eight years old this year. He was once a spirited and artistic young man, and a proper college student.
Who would have thought that the initial high spirits would lead to more than a decade of wasted time?
More than a decade has passed, extinguishing the initial vigor and destroying the youthful vitality.
Returning to the literary world, He Yunqing longs to rediscover the spiritedness he once had.
But more than a decade of wasted time has erased too much, except for the youthful vigor and high spirits, and the pride that once characterized him.
"Perhaps? Or perhaps it's because Wenru dislikes flat landscapes..."
He Yunqing was about to express his feelings again when he was interrupted by the commotion brought by the Sun family's young men.
"Hongye, go and fry some bear meat for them, and don't forget about Teacher He's share too..."
When He Yunqing saw the handsome doctor at the dinner table who was several years younger than him but ten years younger, his dream shattered, there was no trace of greed left in his eyes.
People can't be compared. When He Yunqing went to the countryside to work, Hu Yuling was admitted to university.
In those precarious times, He Yunqing was still struggling to make ends meet, while Hu Yuling was able to complete her university studies before going to the countryside.
While doing the same kind of labor, He Yunqing stood in the snowmelt, wielding an axe and cutting through the meadow.
Hu Yuling, however, carried her medicine kit and casually went around seeking medical advice.
Moreover, Hu Yuling, who is ten years younger than him, still has her family. It is her choice not to return to the city, not that she has no opportunity to return.
"Teacher He is here too? You don't look well, have you caught a cold? You should take it seriously if you catch a cold in the forest..."
Hu Yuling glanced at He Yunqing, whose character and drinking manners were questionable, and gave him a perfunctory greeting.
He then pinned the written Russian letters to the wooden wall of the gatehouse with thumbtacks.
"You lot, learn a thing or two from your Uncle Chen!"
After instructing the children to learn the alphabet first, Hu Yuling sat opposite Chen Tuo and spoke to him directly in Russian.
Next are Mongolian, Manchu, Evenki, Oroqen, Daur, Hezhe, and Xibe languages.
In Hu Yuling's view, Russian and Mongolian are both Tungusic languages, so it's better to learn both at once than to learn only one.
Chen Tuo only taught oral communication, which reduced the difficulty of her teaching.
In the first ten days or so of teaching, Chen Tuo had already accumulated some vocabulary and could have simple conversations.
Seeing the handsome young man's Russian literacy class in front of him, He Yunqing, who had been disheartened, was rekindled in her fighting spirit.
What he lacks is a good family like Hu Yuling's, isn't it?
They received elite education from a young age, were proficient in multiple foreign languages, and were able to complete university courses during the upheaval, even going to the countryside as university students.
If he had received such help, he would probably be managing several periodicals and newspapers by now...
Then look at Chen Tuo, who was talking to Hu Yuling in a foreign language he couldn't understand while tearing up smoked meat and wiping the oil on his hands directly onto his new cotton-padded jacket.
He Yunqing immediately categorized the two of them as the same type of people, the kind who took up his resources for advancement.
"Dr. Hu, Xiao Chen, are you studying Russian?"
Rekindled fighting spirit, the frustration and disappointment in He Yunqing's eyes were replaced by a profound look.
The greed was gone from his gaze as he looked at Hu Yuling and Hong Ye.
"Teacher He, my sister is teaching me Evenki! The Dobukur Evenki settlement is located behind the educated youth settlement."
Hu Yuling was about to answer when Chen Tuo beat her to it.
Given this charming doctor's linguistic talent, if she were to speak, she would definitely say that she speaks a Tungusic language.
It's not that Russian, or other Tungusic languages like Buryat and Yakut, can't be learned, nor is it that they're forbidden from being learned.
However, in Songling, which is near the river, learning Tungusic languages could easily be exploited by those with ulterior motives.
He Yunqing was a thoughtful person who could seize such an opportunity.
"There are also Evenki settlements here. Could you take me up the mountain to see them?"
Chen Tuo never imagined that Hu Yuling's literacy class would reignite He Yunqing's fighting spirit.
But whether he had ulterior motives, was disheartened and disappointed, or was full of fighting spirit, it had nothing to do with Chen Tuo.
For him, the literature and art of Beidahuang was no good, then there was Longjiang Literature and Art, but that wasn't good either, then there was Huacheng Literature, Harvest Literature, People's Literature, and so on and so forth...
He Yunqing is not that crooked tree, nor is the literature and art of Beidahuang.
Chen Tuo only needs to keep an eye on his own creative direction; without belated awareness, He Yunqing can only be swept along by the current literary trends.
"Teacher He, I would like to take you up the mountain, but there's a wolf problem both on and off the mountain! And it's been snowing a lot lately, so going up the mountain is quite dangerous..."