Early the next morning, Schiller did not drive his own car. Instead, he called Killer Croc and they drove the truck to the second-hand trading market.
Because there were too many things to buy, such as tents and canopies, which could not be accommodated in a small car. A small truck was required to carry them. Schiller was not prepared to make many trips and planned to buy them all at once.
Killer Croc gave Schiller a hug as soon as he got out of the car and said: "I thought you wouldn't call me, but I've been sad for a long time, Professor."
Schiller looked at him with searching eyes, and Killer Crocodile said: "You don't even know how popular the logo you painted is. They are still talking about the Crocodile Moving Company. They don't know my name, but they know that I am a crocodile moving company."
A moving crocodile.”
After saying that, Killer Croc made a standard crocodile head and tail motion, then burst into laughter and said: "When I heard you were going to have a camping party, I knew you would definitely need me. If you hadn't asked me to go,
But spending money to find other movers will definitely make me cry."
Schiller didn't quite adapt to his enthusiasm, so he just smiled and said nothing. The two got in the car together and soon drove to the second-hand trading market.
Killer Croc hugged Martin again as soon as he got out of the car. Martin patted his broad back and said: "You came early enough, man. Someone asked me a few days ago where you said the moving crocodile was.
Already."
"The renovation deal didn't go through last time. I was so ashamed that I didn't dare to come here for several days..."
"What is this?" Martin said something in Spanish, which seemed to be a proverb from his hometown, and then said: "We all know that the old man asked for too high a price, and a bunch of rags dared to sell it at such a high price. Fortunately, the matter was resolved smoothly in the end.
Come on, I'll take you to the camping supplies area."
They came to the camping supplies area all the way. Camping is a very common social activity in the United States, so the things here are also dazzling, much more than Schiller imagined.
When he heard that he was going to have a camping party, Martin started counting on his fingers, "If you want to invite hundreds of people, then you need two very large marquees, like this."
Martin pointed out to Schiller that the so-called canopy is actually a tent with fabric that does not fall to the ground. Several poles are used to support the fabric over the head, usually to block wind and sunlight.
"And then there's this." Martin patted the long table next to him and said, "One table can seat 30 people, so three tables are enough."
"There are not that many people. I don't think there will be more than 60 people who come in the end."
"Then we need two tables, and by the way, the matching chairs, as well as these nails, fixed ropes, and shovels..."
Martin glanced at Schiller and said: "You are not very good at outdoor activities, are you? Although the weather is not too cold now and the sunshine is very good, the wind is very strong. If you don't fix the tables and stools with nails, they will definitely be damaged.
Blow away."
Then Martin introduced many bits and pieces, such as thermos flasks, heating cushions, ashtrays, etc., all of which Schiller had a vague impression of, but did not really think of buying.
Martin was very familiar with the owner here. After selecting the items, he negotiated the prices and finally got everything at an amazingly low price.
Then they went to the fishing gear area. Schiller said: "I don't know what the specific activities are in the camping, but I think the fishing is good. There is a great stream next to the camping site. There should be a lot of people who know how to fish with lures."
?”
"Yes, but you can't just prepare this, Professor." Killer Croc said: "Not everyone likes to be quiet like you. Many of us prefer to move. How about playing Frisbee?"
"There must be poker, too." Martin snapped his fingers and said, "No one can refuse to have two plates of Texas before the barbecue. Oh, I haven't bought the blankets prepared for the ladies before. It's okay. There are some in the fishing gear area."
"Don't you need to prepare some newspapers and magazines?"
"Of course not, Professor, you can't read the newspaper alone on such an occasion. Can you promise me not to do this?" Killer Crocodile said very sincerely: "You will be regarded as a freak."
"It's not just one or two days."
Killer Croc showed a puzzled expression and said, "Do you think you are an alien? Professor?"
"Perhaps it's just the opposite of you." Schiller still expressed his feelings. "I look more like a normal human being, but in fact I am not. For example, I cannot ask this question so straightforwardly."
"But that's not an abnormality." Killer Crocodile shook his head and said: "If someone hesitates to speak to me, saying that he has a question to ask me but doesn't know how to say it, I will only think that he is introverted.
Or warm up slowly without thinking he is weird."
"So what difference does reading the newspaper make at a party?"
"Aren't you attracted to those interesting things?" Killer Crocodile said: "Can you really calm down and read the newspaper when everyone is either concentrating on fishing, playing poker or chatting with great interest?"
Schiller wanted to answer, "Of course I can, because I'm very annoyed, I think it's all very noisy and completely breaks the rules of my life," but he thought for a while and still didn't say anything.
"Do you feel unhappy playing with people?" Killer Croc asked again, "Do you like to be alone?"
Schiller nodded.
"Then why the party?"
Schiller opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Come on, not everyone in this world has to throw a party when they move." Killer Croc said, "If you want to notify people that you are moving, then write them a letter and tell them your new address."
"Wouldn't they find it rude?"
"Then you can write, 'I don't like parties, so I won't invite you.' Judging from your usual style, I won't be surprised at all if you receive such a letter."
??????55.??????
"Don't you think I'm a freak?"
"You obviously don't want to play with everyone, but you insist on gathering people together. It's even weirder that you are reading the newspaper there." Killer Crocodile said: "It's a bit like an error program. It was going in the same direction one second ago.
It’s so weird that it has to change the track the next second after it’s running.”
Looking at Schiller's slightly complicated expression, Killer Croc said: "Do you think we will not allow you to express your true feelings? Will we not treat you as a friend because you are an introvert and are unwilling to hold or attend all banquets?
"
Schiller didn't know, because he didn't know how strong the connections he made with others were, and whether that strength would allow him to express his true feelings.
"No, Professor, of course we won't, regardless of whether you have a strong bond with us or not." As if Killer Croc was now the one who could read minds, he said: "A smart person should allow others to dislike a group.
, don’t like a certain way of life, and even unbelievably choose darkness and loneliness.”
"Because humans can't understand each other, they must have their reasons for doing what they do. If they can't understand, they should choose to respect it." Killer Crocodile added jokingly, "Of course it must be within the limits allowed by law and morality.
"
"Of course, if you throw a big party and sit there alone reading the newspaper, we will only find you strange. This strangeness comes from not understanding how you can not be attracted by the excitement, but we don't
Expressing it means we respect this behavior."
"The ideas of ordinary people are not necessarily consistent with the public choices. We have all learned to call it our personality when it goes against the public choices, instead of trying to live like the average of this society. That is the real thing.
abnormal."
Schiller seemed to understand something. He said: "Because ordinary people often have individual personalities, they cannot do what is average and are not willing to do it, so the society they build is very tolerant of this."
"It's even encouraged." Killer Croc said: "Otherwise, how could mediocrity become a slightly derogatory term? We all want to have outstanding personalities and live a life that is different from others."
"I pursue the ordinary, and you pursue the unique." Schiller concluded: "So if I want to be truly ordinary, I should retain my uniqueness."
"Yes, Professor, in my opinion there is nothing very special about you." Killer Crocodile scratched his head and said: "Although I have not been in contact with you for a long time, I feel that except for the fact that you are a bit serious sometimes, you are not that special."
It's very special, but considering that you are a teacher, it is normal for you to be dignified."
"Even if I announce the camping party is cancelled?"
"Actually, we were all surprised that you would hold this party." Killer Crocodile grinned and said, "It's not unexpected that you canceled now, but you have already spent so much money, wouldn't it be too much to not hold it?
loss?"
Schiller nodded and said: "Speaking of money, would it be weird if I didn't pursue money like ordinary people?"
"Who said ordinary people are pursuing money?" Killer Croc raised his eyebrows a little strangely and said, "Although I haven't read many books, there are a lot of people written in the books who are rich and cannot be promiscuous.
?”
Killer Croc looked at Schiller and said: "So you want to make money by pretending to be an ordinary person? Isn't it really because you have no money?"
Schiller remained silent.
It is true that he has no money, but the salary of a professor at Gotham University is not low, and he does not spend much money, so who is to blame for his lack of money?
Schiller sighed deeply when he thought of the pile of fancy custom-made suits in the closet.
But in the process of selecting a fishing rod, Schiller carefully thought about what Killer Crocodile said, and based on his recent experience, he found that what Killer Crocodile said made sense.
Schiller has been pursuing the pursuit of living like an average ordinary person. It is similar to if 80 people out of 100 people make this choice, then Schiller will also make this choice, because this is the most like an ordinary person.
But in fact, the life of ordinary people is not like this. They may be one of the 80 people on the front foot, and the 20 people on the back foot. In the former choice, they are the majority, and in the latter choice, they are the minority.
And they are in the minority not because they are stupid, but because of their character.
They are living beings with souls, not pieces of paper counted by some algorithm. They cannot be placed above or below an average for comparison, because they are neither willing to average nor can they do it.
average.
But this is the charm of ordinary people. Their lives have peaks and troughs that they cannot predict and are not completely interfered by others. In the society they have built, everyone fully understands such situations.
Just like a person who is late for a car accident on the road, his colleagues will not blame him for not checking the road plan of the Department of Transportation a year in advance.
In their opinion, Batman's approach of reading the Department of Transportation's road plans a year in advance so that he can never be late is really crazy.
This kind of understanding and tolerance is very beautiful. It is a treasure that Schiller experienced in his youth but could not understand, and was willing to spend the rest of his life chasing after it.
Killer Crocodile saw Schiller holding the fishing rod in a daze, so he waved his hand in front of him and asked: "What's the matter? Professor?"
"nothing."
Schiller slowly showed a smile, and if there were people here who knew him very well, they would realize that this smile meant that someone was going to be in bad luck.