straight to heaven

On the first weekend after the holiday, I took an electronic invitation and was invited to participate in the Lingfeng Cup Top [-] Debating Forum jointly organized by universities in the capital.The venue for the meeting is the new auditorium of the National University of Minnesota, and formal attire is uniformly required.

At the beginning of February, the lowest temperature was still below zero. I pulled out a long camel-colored windbreaker and draped it over my suit. I looked like a dog. On the subway, a girl even came to ask for my WeChat.

I politely declined.

The Lingfeng Cup has a history of nearly 20 years.The 37 colleges and universities in the capital that have school debate teams form an alliance. The competition is held in May every year, and a forum is set up in February of the following year. The six teams that have won the "New Leaders" in the new term will start a debate competition of a performance nature.The forum will invite old debaters from the past to be the audience. Generally, they will be invited within five years of graduation.

The college I attended as an undergraduate has been hovering on the fringe all year round, and occasionally I can get a place.

In the junior year, the team won the sixth place.I was Sanbian, and that was the only time I stood on the forum's speaking table, but it was a pity that there was no Pei Yan in the audience.

After I scanned the code, when I sat down in the auditorium according to the seating schedule arranged by the roster, there were already two people sitting beside me.

"Captain, sister-in-law."

The captain is in the same class as me, majoring in journalism. Let's have a debate.His wife is a senior from our Academy of Fine Arts, who studies woodcarving, and came to join in the fun with the vacancy of the fourth debate today, and she passed her breath before coming, so I am not surprised.

The senior sister is very gentle and takes good care of the team. We had a good relationship when we were in school.I haven't seen you for many years, and I also feel kind.

"Xiaoshan is here, very handsome today." She nodded her neckline and smiled: "Turn over the left collar by yourself, and the edge is raised."

After a few pleasantries, the exhibition match began.

This year's alma mater's juniors performed brilliantly, and the third place was a record high.The opposing team drawn by lottery was the host country's Democratic University, and the topic of the debate was "Does Internet language do more good than harm?"Compared with the other games, the topic is quite satisfactory.

The alma mater holds a positive view that the advantages of online language outweigh the disadvantages, while the National People’s Congress holds the opposite view that the disadvantages of online language outweigh the advantages.

The debaters from both sides came to the stage to introduce their own debaters, and then I saw an acquaintance.

A four-year debater at the National People's Congress, with delicate features and fair skin, she blushes before introducing herself.

——Who else could it be if it wasn’t Xiaomi.

I did a rough calculation, he was still a senior in May last year, and he was eligible for the competition.Just thinking of his usual habit of stuttering before speaking, I wonder how he argues.

But unexpectedly, as soon as he got to the point, Xiaomi seemed to be a different person.Sharp teeth, sharp style, not weak field control ability, meticulous observation, and the free debate stage is surprisingly eye-catching.

Finally, he delivered closing arguments on behalf of the opposing side.

"...Internet language cannot enter the cultural vision of the entire public as a part of mainstream culture. This kind of fast food culture is like fleeting literature. It will not be ruined after hundreds of years, and it has no charm for future generations.*

"Coleridge wrote, 'Water everywhere but not a drop to drink', which is like a microcosm of today's networked society. We are in a sea of ​​words, but we can't find any useful information.

"Obviously, Internet popular language is a product of this pseudo-context.

"Pseudocontext, in the words of Neil Postman, is the last refuge of a dead culture. We cannot sit back and watch our culture become a 'culture of exhaustion from excessive laughter,' and as the first The first step is to start from seeing the shadow brought by the popular language on the Internet."

The whole house applauded, and I had my share in the applause.

At this moment, I sincerely wish that Xiaomi can become a full-time employee after the internship expires.

At the end of the forum, the guests walked out of the auditorium in groups of three or four.

The emergency exit was crowded with people, and I had to say goodbye to the captain and senior sister outside the door.The captain's company still has something to do, so he left faster than me, but the senior sister was still standing by the flower bed, fiddling with her mobile phone, showing no intention of leaving.I asked casually, and she said she had to wait for someone.I just took two steps away when the familiar stuttering sound came hurriedly behind me.

"I, I, I'm here!"

Turning back in response, I saw Xiaomi Ruyan rushing into the arms of the senior sister.

Followed by an intimate "sister".

I froze in place, remembering that there was an older sister in Xiaomi's family, and the senior sister was also surnamed Mi, and the surname Mi was not common.

Mom first, then sister, what is the relationship between me and Xiaomi?

The two embraced affectionately, and before they could say a few words, Xiaomi looked up and saw me.

"Brother Lin!" He waved.

I walked over, and the senior sister asked in surprise, "You know each other?"

"Brother Lin, yes, he is my senior." Xiaomi blushed.

I explained: "Xiaomi is Dingrun's intern."

The senior sister suddenly realized, and then laughed out loud: "The world is so small." She patted Xiaomi on the shoulder, and said softly: "Xiao...Xiao Lin is my junior in college."

Yes, the world is small.

Pei Yan and I can meet again when we go around, what else is impossible.

Standing still in the crowd, blocking the way and not talking, is easy to be hit on the shoulder by passing people.Senior sister clapped her hands and greeted me with a smile to have lunch together.

"What would senior sister want to eat?" I knew she wanted me to take care of Xiaomi more, and it was not appropriate to refuse at this time.

"I've been planting grass in this restaurant for a long time, and today I happened to try something new together. I drove here and parked at the east gate." She turned on the screen of her phone and showed me that there is a Lingshi restaurant with a rating of [-] on xzhongdian.com , received rave reviews: "Let's go? Brothers."

Lingshi cuisine... I don't even believe it's a coincidence.

Her smile is gentle and beautiful, softer than a sharp knife to pierce hard armor.

So I nodded and said yes.

The card is ready to pick up the number online, and we waited for 2 minutes when we arrived at the place, and it was our turn to be seated.

I grew up in Ling City, so my sister handed me the tablet and asked me to order food.

Served quickly.

The meat and taro balls are round, each is the size of a bowl, the salted duck oil is smooth and smooth, the glutinous rice braised meat is wrapped in thick oily red sauce, the roast duck bun is filled with fillings, and the sweet noodle soup is soaked in oil and water, soaking the steamer The cage cloth.The loofah and shrimp are rolled in a stone pot, the sweet yam porridge has just the right consistency, and the brown sugar glutinous rice cakes are deep-fried until crispy on the outside and tough on the inside.

I didn't eat in the morning, and I didn't have time to move my chopsticks, so my stomach groaned a few times.A little embarrassing.

"As the old saying goes, drink porridge before meals to nourish the stomach. You work intensively, and eating irregularly is normal, and you should pay more attention to your gastrointestinal health." The senior sister served porridge for all three of them, "Come, one bowl for each."

Xiaomi: "Yes, I know, sister."

"Thank you." I also took it, and the bowl was warm.

After finishing the porridge, the senior sister briefly asked about Xiaomi's work in Dingrun.I'm not good at lying, so I'll tell the truth with a little polish.Fortunately, Xiaomi's work ability is not bad. After I finished my statement, Xiaomi himself bowed his head and blushed, and the senior sister also smiled more and more.

The topic of work was lightly brought up.The senior sister thought of something, suddenly changed the subject and threw an olive branch at me.

"Xiaolin, do you still remember the art exhibition you went to with me in your junior year? The fourth one will be held at the end of this month, and the place is still in the annex of the old campus of the Capital Institute of Humanities and Art. Do you want to participate? I just have a few tickets left. tickets."

I bit off a piece of meat and taro ball, and the thick and bright juice leaked to the bottom of the bowl.

I was scalded, neither spit nor swallowed, could not stop silently with tears in my eyes.

"Hey, slow down." The senior sister couldn't laugh or cry.

Xiaomi asked: "What, what art exhibition?"

While the tip of my tongue was hit hard, I recalled that exhibition.

The organizer is a well-known charitable foundation for educators who have long since passed away. The exhibits are diverse. In addition to the artworks of many well-known masters, there are also many works of newcomers who can be selected, and they have emerged since then.

There is one link in my impression that is quite special.Amateurs from all walks of life voluntarily put handmade products—whether beautiful or ugly, craft or daily use—into the small market in the exhibition hall for free for tourists to buy.All the proceeds are used for the construction of the western region, and the account transfer is open and transparent, which is a form of small charity activity.

The senior sister explained clearly in a few sentences, and cast her expectant eyes on me again.

The tip of my tongue was numb, and I took a small breath and waved my hands: "I don't have any artistic skills, so I don't want to mix it up."

"Don't underestimate yourself." The senior sister said with a smile: "The little gadget you made back then was bought by someone on the first day. If I remember correctly, it was still at a high price."

Mi was surprised: "Brother Lin, Brother Lin can also do handicrafts?"

I was choked and coughed: "I can't. At that time, the captain couldn't borrow the classroom team training, and the senior sister's club often took us in. After coming and going, everyone in the team made small things in the studio."

I emphasized: "It's not difficult to carry it by hand."

My college life was flat and boring.Thinking back now, it was like a mirror covered with water mist, and all kinds of scenes became blurred.

Crafts, I do.But what exactly, I can't remember.

At the beginning, my teammates and I signed the gift agreement at the backstage of the art exhibition, but I have no idea about its fate after that.After so many years, this is the first time I have heard the follow-up news.

"High price?" I didn't believe it: "Sister, I know it well."

She sighed helplessly: "What did I lie to you for? Many people knew about this back then, but when the news came out, you were just preparing for your graduation defense, so I didn't bother you. After that, I forgot about it. "

Senior sister's expression really does not seem to be fake.

Which stupid rich man is rich and blind?

I was still dubious: "...how much?"

"Hiss." The senior sister frowned slightly: "It's been too long, I can't remember clearly. How about it, I will ask someone to ask in a few days, and I will send you the results when I have results."

I said "yes" with my mouth, but I didn't take it seriously in my heart.

Face saving is a fine tradition.

Chinese people are used to politely saying "another day", "next time" and "have time", but maybe wait until today, maybe tomorrow, maybe wait until it is buried... Whether it can really be fulfilled is not very important.

At the checkout, the senior sister insisted on a treat, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to use WeChat to transfer it until the two of them were about to get in the car.

But she guessed my plan, and the doors were opened and closed again.

"I'm going to be angry if you see me like this again, Xiaoshan."

"Ah?" As soon as the words finished, Xiaomi subconsciously responded, and soon blushed and waved his hands again: "Oh, oh oh, sorry, sorry, I thought you were calling me."

A gust of wind blew up the senior sister's loose hair.

She clipped an unsightly strand behind her ear, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward: "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," I shook my head, "It just happened to be the same name."

"The cedar tree is evergreen all year round and has strong vitality. My brother was weak when he was born, so my mother named him this."

I nodded: "'Xiaoshan' has a good meaning."

My parents are uneducated. They called me Xiaoshan because the obstetrics and gynecology hospital where I was born was surrounded by mountains on three sides.There are no romantic allusions, and no deep morals.

No one expects, no one cares, there are things you can count on one hand.

I've lived in such a mess until now.

"Ah, let's talk about this." Xiaomi was suddenly stunned, as if caught in some memory.

After a while, he continued: "I, Pei Lu seemed to say the same thing on the day of my interview."

When I mentioned Pei Yanlai, most of my sleepiness disappeared immediately.

"What?" I asked, "What did he... what did he say?"

"He, Pei, lawyer Pei said—"

"'Xiaoshan', a good name."

? Aleph Zero

*Excerpt from Mu Xin.