Not me saying you

Author: Zhuang Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Amidst the intense legal battle with Guo Jingming, Zhuang Yu launched her new novel. The book, written with Shi Kang's wit and Wang Shuo's humor, captures the confusion and determination of a Beijing girl as she transitions from university to the real world, exploring her struggles and passions in love, relationships, friendships, and work. It paints vivid portraits of the younger generation in Beijing. The protagonist bears a strong resemblance to the author herself. I know, in the eyes of outsiders, I'm a idiot. What I don't know is when I became an idiot in their eyes. This question has been tormenting me, leaving me with no thoughts to reflect on my current life. My life has recently become a mess. Look, the sunlight outside is so beautiful, the blue sky, the green grass, and the flowers blooming on the street like girls. Spring has definitely arrived, yet I'm still wearing a pure black down jacket I haven't put in the washing machine since I bought it, sitting on a dirty bench at the bottom of the residential building, smoking. It feels like I've just arrived in the city. I haven't smoked mild for a long time, probably three or four months. Three or four months ago, a mosquito came to my house and smoked a new I bought. After just two puffs, she coughed uncontrollably, frowned, patted my shoulder, and asked with a melancholic tone, "Zhang Yuan'er, isn't this cigarette filled with firewood?" After that, she seriously tore open a cigarette to inspect it, and when she looked at me again, she had a expression. I didn't even smoke that cigarette. As soon as the mosquito left, I immediately gave it to the old man at the reception desk downstairs. The old man, who had smoked for half his life, took a puff of my and suddenly felt energetic. "Great, really great," he said with a smile. As his lips and teeth filled with thick smoke, I made up my mind to cut ties with the cigarette wholesaler at the entrance of the community. I walked two stops north and bought five in one go from a small shop with a "Buy one, get ten back" sign. Not for anything else, but just because the owner was so honest—these days, who in this business would dare to make such a promise to customers! However, lessons are always harsh and bloody. The five new ended up in the old man's drawer without exception, and he was so happy he couldn't smile for three days straight. From then on, I started smoking Zhongnanhai (a brand of cigarette). Although its price and taste were similar to, it wasn't an imported cigarette, and it made me feel a bit lost in spirit when I smoked it.