Pearl S. Buck has already started writing the first part of the trilogy "The Good Earth", which describes rural China
Investigation and research.
Pearl S. Buck and his wife originally lived in the apartment assigned by Jinling University, but anti-foreign riots by the Northern Expedition soldiers suddenly broke out. The couple fled in a hurry, taking only the first draft of "The Earth" with them, and the translation of "Water Margin" was left behind in the Xiaoyanglou.
inside.
"Mr. Zhou, this is a novel written by me. Please correct me." Pearl Buck spoke completely in Chinese style, even with a Zhenjiang dialect accent. She took out the manuscript of "The Earth" and her attitude was very sincere, as if asking for advice.
.
Pearl Buck's current situation is very embarrassing. The Chinese people are not interested in the novels she wrote, and they are often rejected when sent to the United States. She is one of the relatively failed writers.
Zhou Hexuan had read "The Earth" before traveling through time. At this time, the first draft was similar. After roughly reading twenty or thirty chapters, he closed the manuscript and said, "Do you want to hear my objective evaluation?"
"Of course." Pearl Buck nodded.
Zhou Hexuan said unceremoniously: "The writing skills are very ordinary, and the words are not outstanding, but they are better than plain and sincere."
"That's all?" Pearl Buck was a little disappointed.
Zhou Hexuan added: "Chinese people won't like your book, but Americans may be interested."
Pearl Buck wondered: "Why?"
Zhou Hexuan laughed and said: "Because you are showing the Chinese countryside from an American perspective. The whole novel has a warm tone and is full of sympathy for Chinese farmers and love for Chinese rural areas. At the same time, it also exposes the darkness of Chinese rural society."
. But you are an American, and you are inevitably watching from afar. Your views on real issues only remain on the surface, like a fleeting glimpse, and it is difficult to go deep into it. This novel has no reading value for Chinese people."
"Maybe." Pearl Buck nodded.
Zhou Hexuan changed the subject and continued: "But, if there is a publisher to help run it, "The Earth" may be a bestseller in Europe and the United States. Because your position is American, Americans have no dyslexia, and at the same time they can
Feel an unknown mystery from the East. This book can serve as a window for the Western world to understand China."
Pearl Buck said happily: "This is enough."
"However, this book will also deepen Westerners' misunderstanding of China," Zhou Hexuan said, "because you describe a deformed Chinese rural society, which is just the Chinese countryside in your eyes."
Future Pulitzer Prize-winning novels and Nobel Prize-winning works were thus criticized by Zhou Hexuan as being worthless.
Pearl Buck smiled bitterly, shook her head and said, "Zhou, I really shouldn't have asked you to comment on "The Good Earth". You have dampened my creative enthusiasm."
Zhou Hexuan smiled and comforted: "Don't be too disappointed, it is still very good, it's just that I'm too picky."
"I think Zhou's point of view is very accurate," Booker said suddenly. "We are outsiders after all. It is difficult to understand the thinking of Chinese people and to understand the real China. On the contrary, Mr. Zhou is the real great scholar. He
"The Rise of the Great Powers" is a breathtaking book that provides a comprehensive and profound analysis of the rise and fall of the world's great powers."
"Mr. Booker has also watched "The Rise of Great Powers"?" Zhou Hexuan asked.
Booker said: "Of course, "The Rise of the Great Powers" has caused a sensation in the European history community, and also has a certain influence in the United States. However, it is limited to the academic circle for the time being, and ordinary people have no understanding of it. They have not even heard of it.
This is a masterpiece of history.”
Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "This is normal. Ordinary people prefer popular books."
"This is what amazes me," Booker said. "Chinese students and intellectuals seem to be more interested in understanding the world than Westerners. Academic works like "The Rise of Great Powers" can actually sell well in China."
Zhou Hexuan lamented: "The Chinese people have been closed and backward for too long. If we don't open our eyes to the world, we will be completely hopeless."
Booker smiled and said: "So I am very optimistic about China's future. I have lived in the United States and Europe, and have also been to Japan and India. It seems that only the Japanese have such enthusiasm for knowledge and culture as the Chinese. And India
It's very bad. Some of the intellectuals over there are...how should I put it, some are not enterprising."
"Yes," Booker said, "China's agriculture is still very backward, and there are no conditions for mechanized farming in water towns in the south of the Yangtze River and mountainous areas in the southwest. I have been inspecting rural areas in China for many years, and I have never even seen a single agricultural tractor."
Zhou Hexuan said: "That's because tractors use diesel. Not only are the machines expensive, but the fuel costs are also unaffordable. The big landowners are rich, but they would rather hire a few more long-term workers than use machines."
"That's true." Booker smiled bitterly.
Zhou Hexuan asked: "Why not create a machine with a main structure made of wood, supplemented by a small number of steel accessories, and powered by human power? For example, a small rice harvester or corn thresher."
Booker mused: "Your idea seems feasible."
Zhou Hexuan immediately took out a pen and paper, drew a human harvester based on his impression, pointed at the machine and said: "This is a human pedal. Press the pedal with your feet to drive the track to run the machine. Farmers only need to put the rice ears on the threshing wheel.
Rice can be harvested easily. Moreover, this machine is very light and can be lifted by two adults, making it very suitable for China’s small-scale farmer economy.”
"What a genius idea!" Booker's eyes lit up.
Zhou Hexuan suddenly fell silent, because he thought of the current situation in rural China today. Once human harvesters are popularized, the work that previously required six long-term workers can now be done by two people. Landowners save money and time, and poor farmers
But they are becoming increasingly poor, because the use of machines will inevitably cause some people to lose their livelihood.
In the long run, this is a pain of social development. But when you really put yourself in the situation, it is shocking.
Take the handicraft industry in the Republic of China as an example. Due to the impact of Western industrial products, a large number of handicraft workers became poor. This was a very serious social problem.
Booker didn't care about that much, and caught Zhou Hexuan to ask about the details of the human thresher.
Zhou Hexuan is just following the example. He only knows the general working principle, specific details and accessories, so he needs to seek help from mechanical experts. Especially for the design of the threshing wheel, if the iron ring is installed too thinly, the rice ears will not be able to be removed, and the installation will be too thin.
It is too tight and may jam the machine, so it must be adjusted through repeated trials.
Zhou Hexuan stayed in the hotel for the next three days, discussing agriculture with Booker and literature with Pearl Buck. It was not until the riots in the city completely subsided that they took the train back to Shanghai.
