In the Little Pig Hotel, in a private room, two little pigs, one black and one white, purred and snorted under the table.

Li Xiang was a little embarrassed, drove out the two little pigs who were eating and drinking, and said to the waiter: "I don't need the little pigs to accompany me here, take them out." ”

Seeing that it was Li Xiang who wanted to invite a guest to dinner, the staff specially called two pigs with the best coat color and the fattest meat, but Li Xiang didn't need it, alas, he was a little discouraged and felt that the horse's fart was slapped on the hooves.

He called another waiter, and each of them took a net, fished one at a time, took it out, and gently closed the door of the box.

After the two little pigs left, Li Xiang said to Bai Su and Yang Kun: "Eating with little pigs is a feature here. ”

He wasn't too embarrassed to say it was his idea.

Yang Kun said with a smile: "It's full of childlike fun, it's good." Children will love to come, and they will want to come. ”

He writes fairy tales and maintains a childlike heart.

Bai Su said: "The business of the restaurant is really good. ”

When I came in just now, I saw that the booths and private rooms were full all the way, and it was very popular.

Li Xiang said: "The main thing is that my dad is running it, and the business is okay." ”

With his fame outside, many people come not far away, just to have a meal here to "check in", if you can meet Li Xiang, or Master Dou Dou, then you will make a lot of money.

The two chatted casually, and when they were almost done, the three of them got down from the table, sat down on the tea table on the side, and made tea.

Li Xiang said: "I reported to the two teachers about the overseas publication of "The Old Man and the Sea", a few days ago I discussed with Mr. Bai, found the leader of Huaxia Daily, and then through them, found a director of the Ministry of Culture, with his help, I participated in a regular meeting of the expert group of the overseas promotion plan of Chinese culture, and now "The Old Man and the Sea" has been included in this promotion plan, and will focus on overseas promotion. That day, Director Wang of the Ministry of Culture did me a great favor and invited me to attend a literary symposium organized by senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministries of Culture of 12 countries the next day to discuss the vitality of literature and culture. ”

"I met several foreign officials at the meeting, especially Mr. Adrian, a senior official of the French Ministry of Culture. After listening to my introduction, he was very interested in "The Old Man and the Sea", and after returning home, it took him two days to finish reading the English version of "The Old Man and the Sea" that I gave him. Yesterday he called me and talked for a long time to discuss the plot of the book, and he liked the book very much. I told him I wanted to participate in the Prix Goncourt, and he promised to recommend it for me. ”

Li Xiang introduced the events of these days in a few words, and Bai Su said with relief: "Let's not talk about whether it can be done or not, at least an important step has been taken." If you don't do anything, what you did at the beginning is still what you are now. When we first discussed, we thought it was difficult, and it was quite difficult, but now isn't that a good start? ”

Yang Kun said: "I just happened to talk about this today. I have sent the book and the letter of recommendation to France, and have been in contact with Dean Cecil by email these days, and last night, we were here at night, and they were there during the day, and they sent me back the mail. In the email, he said that he had finished reading "The Old Man and the Sea", and he was full of praise for the book, and he liked it very much. ”

Bai Su said: "Don't just like it, can you help?"

Yang Kun said: "I was just about to talk about you and you interjected. ”

Bai Su: "You talk, you talk." ”

Yang Kun said: "He is the vice president of the Goncourt Literary Academy, one of the judges of the Goncourt Literary Prize, and he admires "The Old Man and the Sea", which in itself is already a kind of recognition. ”

Bai Su said angrily: "Lao Yang, you are thin-skinned! I'm embarrassed to mention it! Why do you have a rod and scale in your heart, you think this is Huaxia." I'm not questioning the unfairness of the selection of the Goncourt Literary Prize, but there are favors everywhere, don't say that foreign countries are not humane societies, nonsense, as long as they are people, as long as there is friendship, there will be relatives and estrangement, this is human nature!"

"This vice president of Cecil, although he admires Li Xiang's "The Old Man and the Sea", but you don't tell him about the Goncourt Literary Award, he thinks that you just recommended it to him, and there is no other meaning. Taking a step back, even if he can understand what you mean and know that he is here for the Goncourt Literary Prize, if he doesn't pick and choose some words, people will pretend to be stupid. Don't even think about it, at this time, there must be countless authors pushing their books to other people's homes, and people may forget about it in a blink of an eye. ”

Yang Kun picked up the teacup, took two sips, put it down leisurely, and said, "I haven't finished my words, you just talk a lot, can you let me finish my words?"

Bai Su: "You haven't finished speaking, can you take a breath?" Lift this breath, don't go up and down, and hang people's appetites." ”

Yang Kun said with a smile: "Isn't this a problem that anyone who writes a book will have? ”

Bai Su said helplessly: "Is it okay to continue talking? I won't fight with you now, Li Xiang is in a hurry." ”

Yang Kun glanced at Li Xiang and said, "People Li Xiang is calmer than you, just jump up and down, it's annoying!"

Bai Su endured and didn't speak, he didn't listen to Yang Kun finish speaking, he didn't have the heart to quarrel with others.

Yang Kun said: "Although I didn't directly say that "The Old Man and the Sea" was for the Goncourt Literary Award, people understood it in their hearts, and asked a lot about Li Xiang, and they were shocked to hear that he was only 19 years old. Of course, age is secondary, the main thing is that the book is good, he likes it very much, and highly praises it. ”

Bai Su asked, "How do you praise it?"

Yang Kun: "That's a great compliment." He said that Li Xiang is a true artist, and that "The Old Man and the Sea" is a short but not insignificant masterpiece, a real work of art, exuding symbolism and allegorical meaning. ”

Bai Su said: "Is it the original words or did you make them up, can you remember the original words so clearly?"

Yang Kun said angrily: "I still have a recording, do you want to listen to it?"

Li Xiang was amused by the bickering of the two, and Bai Su, who had always been calm, showed a very lively side when communicating with Yang Kun.

Yang Kun said to Li Xiang: "Dean Cecil wants to meet you, do you have time to go to France? I think if you're serious about being shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt, you'll have to go for yourself. The jury doesn't know you, they haven't even heard of you, they don't have any impressions, but if you can meet you in person, not only will they be able to leave an impression, but the literary discussion will help them get to know you faster. ”

Li Xiang said, "Thank you, Mr. Yang, of course I would like to meet with them." It just so happens that "The Old Man and the Sea" is about to go on sale in Europe, and I am about to make a trip to attend the launch event, and if I can meet Dean Cecil with your introduction, I will try to seize the opportunity. ”

Yang Kun said: "That's no problem, you can set the time, you see when it's appropriate, I'll make an appointment with him when the time is set." ”

Li Xiang said: "How about the day after tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is the time when "The Old Man and the Sea" will be released, and of course the day after that will be fine. Two time periods, see which one is suitable for him. ”

Yang Kun said: "Okay, I'll confirm with him." ”

Bai Su said at this time: "Lao Yang, you have to follow when the time comes, and you still need your introduction." ”

Yang Kun: "Isn't this nonsense? Of course I'll follow." ”

Bai Su smiled: "It's a bit responsible." ”

Yang Kun: "If I can really win the Goncourt Literary Award, how proud I must be, we have never won it in our dreams." ”

Bai Su: "I still have a chance." ”

Yang Kun smiled: "What chance do you have, your copy of "Mighty River" has been holding back for a few months, and it hasn't come out yet?"

Bai Su said angrily: "Is the orthodox serious literature comparable to fairy tale books?

Yang Kun was angry and quarreled with Bai Su.

Li Xiang sat on the sidelines, drinking tea while thinking about how to talk to the other party if he met Cecil.

In the afternoon of the next day, Li Xiang flew to France with Yang Kun, Gu Qijing, Xiao Zhang, and people from Ding Ding Book City and Huaxia Bookstore.