Chinese Annual Micro-fiction (2005)

Author: Bing Feng, Chen Yamei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The wise "Old Wang" depicts a story with rich dramatic flavor from traditional mailboxes to electronic ones (Wang Meng's "Mailbox"); "I" and my beautiful cousin, who was born at the wrong time, whose beauty can only be a legend (Chen Yonglin's "Cousin"); a child discovers his father's extramarital affair, feeling terrified and uneasy (Zhang Changgong's "Don't Have a Lover, Dad"); a thief breaks into a house at midnight, and the homeowner almost completely nakedly tackles him, telling him to go to the bathroom to wash up (Cui Xinsan's "Thief's Adventure"); a new county magistrate, disguised, is suspected of fraud (Li Qixiang's "You Don't Look Like a County Magistrate").
The compiler selects and edits excellent works from publications such as "Micro-fiction Selection," "Micro-fiction World," "Novel World," "Xinmin Evening News," and "Short Novels," aiming to allow readers to comprehensively understand the creative achievements of Chinese micro-fiction in the current year, objectively and fairly presenting outstanding works that are both artistically and intellectually superior, representative, and influential. This book emphasizes the distinctive brevity and precision of micro-fiction, striving to be close to life and in tune with the rhythm of contemporary society. It seeks to capture readers' aesthetic attention in a short time while leaving them with a lasting aesthetic aftertaste. The book includes 127 excellent micro-fiction pieces by 127 authors, including Wang Meng, Feng Jicai, Sun Fangyou, Liu Guofang, Teng Gang, Xing Ke, Cai Nan, and Han Lei.
After retiring, Old Wang often corresponded with his old friends. Every day, he would check the mailbox at the entrance of his apartment building, finding it a source of joy. There were still so many people who hadn’t forgotten him, who sent him good wishes, and who confided in him their joys and sorrows. This made Old Wang feel warm.
Who says there are no true friends in this vast world? There were still a few who hadn’t forgotten him. Year after year passed, some left, others went far away. Their children settled in the United States, and they went to visit, saying that), the few remaining no longer wrote to him. Every few days, he would go to his mailbox and find it empty. Old Wang felt desolate.
One day, he suddenly saw colorful things in the mailbox. Old Wang was overjoyed. Taking them out, he found they were real estate and aphrodisiac advertisements. After much anticipation, his friends who had gone to the other side of the ocean finally wrote, saying they had set up an electronic mailbox and welcomed Old Wang to communicate with them via email. Overjoyed, Old Wang quickly had a computer installed with his children’s help and learned how to write, send, and receive emails. From then on, he would spend hours in front of the computer, fully enjoying the convenience of the information age. He would chat from far to near, talking about everything and anything, finding ways to comfort himself.
As for his friends who had never left and had always lived in this great country and great city, he called them "sisters" left and right, chatting about everything under the sun, sharing family news, showing concern, and mutual comfort.