Chapter 480 "A Bowl of Clear Soup Soba Noodles"

The story continues.

As Melvin watched, he imagined the possible reversal later.

There is still a heart-warming plot ahead.

[The hot and fragrant Yangchun noodles were placed on the table. The mother and son immediately gathered around the bowl of noodles and started eating with their heads touching.

"It's so delicious!" said my brother.

"Mom, eat it too!" The younger brother took a chopstick of noodles and brought it to his mother's mouth. 】

It can be judged from this that the three of them were starving, but they only bought a bowl of noodles because they were short of money. So the boss's move to add more noodles touched Melvin even more.

There are not many such kind people in this society.

For an average noodle shop owner, if he sees three people asking for just a bowl of noodles, it's fine if he doesn't roll his eyes.

Where else would you take the initiative to add noodles?

Melvin originally guessed what would happen to the noodle shop next, and then the mother and son came to help in order to repay their friendship, but in the end it benefited them instead. This kind of reversal is in line with the main point of the short story.

But.

He guessed wrong.

Nothing happened.

Even in the work, it is another year later in the blink of an eye.

It’s also New Year’s Eve.

There are the same three people, mother and son. Even the clothes the mother wears are exactly the same as last year. She even only ordered a bowl of Yangchun noodles like last year.

The lady boss looked at them and seemed to realize something.

["Hey, daddy, give them three bowls, okay?" the landlady whispered in the boss's ear.

No, they might be embarrassed if that happens. "

The boss said, grabbing half of the noodles for each person and putting them in the pot. 】

See this.

Melvin's heart skipped a beat and his expression changed a little.

He had some thoughts before: Although this boss is kind-hearted, his kindness is limited. Since you added noodles, can't you add a little more? It would be great if the mother and son could eat well during the Chinese New Year.

But now he feels a little ashamed.

It turns out that the boss not only showed his love, but also maintained the possibly fragile self-esteem of the mother and son. Therefore, even though he wanted to give the other party three bowls of noodles, he still did not do so.

Melvin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he was warmed by a little story.

A warm current surged through my heart, which had been dull just now.

"Could it be that there is still a third year?"

After seeing the mother and son leaving, he thought to himself.

Just as he expected.

Sure enough, the next sentence is that as the noodle shop's business is booming, the third year of New Year's Eve is ushered in.

[From nine-thirty onwards, although neither the boss nor the landlady said anything, they both seemed a little uneasy. Just after ten o'clock, the employees left work. The boss and his wife immediately turned over the price tags of various noodles hanging on the wall one by one, and quickly wrote "Yangchun noodles 15 yuan." In fact, starting from this summer, As prices rise, the price of Yangchun noodles is already 20 yuan a bowl. 】

See here.

Melvin raised his eyebrows again.

This story really reveals every aspect that makes him heartwarming.

Obviously, he, the reader from the highest position, knew why the boss and the landlady were upset and why they changed the price to the original old price.

"It turns out that short stories can be so attractive when they don't satirize the dark society, don't worship money, and don't have sharp criticism."

An idea came to Melvin's mind.

At this moment, he was also looking forward to the arrival of the mother and son.

The proprietress even put up a "Reservation Seat" sign at table No. 2.

Until half past ten, there were no customers in the store, but the two of them were still looking forward to it.

They were not disappointed, mother and son came.

The mother is still wearing the faded short coat that is out of season, but the clothes of the two children change every year because they have grown up.

A simple sentence is more poignant than long descriptions in many novels.

Just this time.

Mother ordered two bowls of Yangchun noodles.

In Melvin's opinion, it was most likely because his two sons had grown up and a bowl of Yangchun noodles was not enough.

But the boss was as warm as ever and put three bowls of noodles into the pot.

This time, the mother finally explained clearly the family situation of the three of them when talking to her two sons.

It turns out that the child's father died in a traffic accident early, but he owed a foreign debt, and the pension was still not enough after paying off the debt. So the mother can only slowly repay the loan in installments, which is why they are so embarrassed.

I was so embarrassed that I could only eat a bowl of Yangchun noodles on New Year’s Eve.

The two children also understand their mother's hardships.

["Okay! Mom, brother, from now on, it's up to me to cook every day!"

"I will continue to deliver newspapers. Brother, let's work hard together!"]

certainly.

It wasn't here that really touched Melvin.

But next, my brother said that his younger brother had written an essay, and the title of this essay was "A Bowl of Yangchun Noodles".

["The topic of the essay given by the teacher was, 'What kind of person do you want to be in the future'? All the students wrote it. My brother's topic was "A Bowl of Yangchun Noodles". As soon as I heard the title, I knew it was about Beihai Ting Noodle House. It’s something. How could my brother write such embarrassing things?” I thought at the time.

There is no description of my brother's expression here.

But Melvin seemed to see a child with shining eyes, talking excitedly.

[The composition is written as follows: ...On the night of December 31st, the mother and son had a bowl of Yangchun noodles, which was very delicious... The three of them only bought one bowl of Yangchun noodles, but the uncles and aunts at the noodle shop still welcomed them warmly. We, thank you and wish us a good year. Hearing this voice, my brother couldn't help shouting in his heart: You must not fail, you must work hard, and you must live well! Therefore, when my younger brother grows up and wants to open a noodle restaurant that is the best in China, he also wants to say to his customers, work hard, I wish you happiness, thank you. The younger brother read the composition loudly...]

In the noodle shop.

Behind the counter, the boss and the proprietress were squatting facing each other, each holding a towel, wiping the tears that came from their eyes.

And the story is outside.

Melvin also felt a little sore in his nose.

He didn't expect that such a short story would touch him several times.

At first, I was moved by the hardship of the mother raising two children. In the middle, I was moved by the kindness and warmth of the boss and his wife. Now, I am moved by the sensibleness and hard work of the two children.

"They are about to pay off their debt, so next year, they should be generous enough to order three bowls of Yangchun noodles, right?"

Melvin wiped his hazy eyes and thought to himself.

However, he once again failed to guess the result.

After the fourth year, the mother and son never came to the noodle shop again.

However, the boss and his wife still reserve table No. 2 on New Year's Eve every year, as if they have been waiting for their arrival.

Even after the business boomed and the tables and chairs were replaced with new ones, table No. 2 remained the same. Instead of feeling out of place, the boss and his wife placed table No. 2 in the center of the store.

"Why is this old table placed in the center of the store?" Some customers wondered.

So, the boss and his wife told them the story of "A Bowl of Yangchun Noodles".

In this way, the story about Table No. 2 made Table No. 2 a happy table.

Customers spread the word everywhere, and some people came from far away, including female students and young lovers, to eat a bowl of Yangchun noodles at table two. Table No. 2 also became famous.

day to day.

Year after year.

Until many years later, many people felt that they might never be able to wait for the guests at table number two.

But on New Year's Eve of this year, two young men in straight suits and coats on their arms walked in, and in the middle was a woman wearing brand-new clothes.

"What a coincidence, the store is already full," the proprietress said apologetically.

"Ah...three bowls of Yangchun noodles, okay?" the woman said calmly.

Hearing this, the proprietress became overwhelmed. She immediately recognized the three people in front of her as the mother and son from more than ten years ago.

"We are the customers who shared a bowl of Yangchun noodles on New Year's Eve fourteen years ago... That's it. Today, we, mother and son, came here specially to visit, and we want to trouble you to cook three bowls of Yangchun noodles."

Hear this.

The boss and his wife couldn't bear it any longer, and tears fell in strings.

"Huan... welcome, please, please sit down... The child's father, three bowls of Yangchun noodles at table two -"

"Okay - three bowls of Yangchun noodles -" The tearful husband almost couldn't respond.

Melvin, who was outside the story, was sitting in the noodle shop in a daze, applauding along with the surrounding customers.

Little story.

Spanning more than ten years.

From one bowl of Yang Chun noodles to three bowls of Yang Chun noodles.

That table No. 2 that has been there for more than ten years.

Melvin clapped, feeling his eyes become moist again. Although it is still early spring, it is freezing outside. But he seemed to feel bursts of warmth, making his heart feel like fire.

He stared at the novel on his computer.

He stopped applauding and was lost in thought.

The editor-in-chief of "Bookstore", he has read countless short stories in his life.

It is no exaggeration to say that this "A Bowl of Soba Soba" is not impressive at all in terms of plot conception, story twists and turns, and there is even no highlight at all.

Even the ten short stories selected by Bookstore in this issue seem to be much more exciting.

Because this novel, just like its name, is like a bowl of clear noodle soup, simple and plain.

However...when reading those short stories with twists and turns, Melvin's heart was still intact. But after seeing the dull story in front of him, his heart rippled several times and he almost cried.

This is a rare situation for a middle-aged successful man.

In fact, in this society where hundreds of flowers are blooming, he has read many similar tender and touching short stories, but those previous stories were either boring to read, or they were deliberately written.

"A Bowl of Soba Soba" made Melvin think a lot, especially at his age and with rich experience, he can see many precious things between the lines that others cannot see.

Maybe it was those things that touched him.

It is not easy for a short story to touch him.

Even if it was a short story written by Nolan and Andrew, he could only appreciate it at most, and it was far from touching his heart. Only masterpieces by the three major short story masters who stand at the pinnacle of today's literary world can move him.

So after feeling the fluctuation in his heart, Melvin took a few deep breaths.

He has determined that this novel is extraordinary.

Maybe he just thinks it's good, but that's enough.

"West Tower..."

Melvin's eyes were fixed on the name of the author of the novel.

The background of the story is China, which has a big city, a magical city, and unique Chinese noodles... So is this Xilou really the fairy tale king Xilou?

He was trying to confirm the other party's identity.

Then there was a knock on the office door.

Then, the deputy editor Cassel rushed in with a panicked look on his face: "Sorry, Mr. Melvin, I have to interrupt you because I got some very bad news."

When speaking, Cassel almost stuttered, obviously very excited.

Melvin frowned: "Calm down, what's the matter?"

Cassel couldn't calm down, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead before saying: "I just got the news from a friend. Mo Hai and Literary Fenghua invited famous novelists Nolan and Andrew respectively to write articles for their magazines in May. . Damn guys, we invited them so many times, but they all rejected us because they had no inspiration. But I didn’t expect that they were not uninspired, but were moved by the evil money and signed with our competitors.

This is bad.

Because in May our "Bookstore" did not have any famous people to take the lead. Especially the position of the first seat is still up in the air. In this case, if May comes, the three magazines will publish together. Then the quality of our magazine's works will definitely be inferior to the other two, which may lead to a decline in sales. "

If Melvin had heard the news half an hour ago, his expression would not have been much better.

The competition between Shuge, Mohai and Wenfenghua has always been there.

If the quality of Shuge's monthly magazine is not as good as the other two, it will inevitably lead to the loss of many readers.

But at this moment, Melvin smiled slightly: "Casel, is it just this little thing?"

Cassel was stunned: "Is this still a trivial matter?"

Melvin said: "If Louis, Rick, and Elvis were poached by two companies, then I would be a little worried. But just Nolan and Andrew, there is nothing to worry about."

Cassel's eyes widened.

I feel like I don’t recognize the editor-in-chief in front of me.

God!

When did Melvin become so arrogant?

Louis, Rick, and Elvis are the troika in the world of short stories. Who can easily poach them among today's literary giants?

Although Nolan and Andrew are not as good as them, they are also famous in the field of short stories, and their popularity is not much worse than that of the Troika. But now Melvin actually looks down on these two people?

Brother, are you confused?

Of course, Melvin knew what Cassel was thinking. He did not explain, but pointed to "A Bowl of Soba Soba" on his computer and said: "Mr. Cassel, please read this novel first."

Cassel spread his hands.

How could he still be in the mood to review the manuscript after what time had passed?

But seeing the smile on Melvin's brow, Cassel had an idea in his mind, nodded and started reading.

At first, he was almost nonchalant.

But soon Cassel subconsciously sat on the chair and his eyes became focused.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Cassell read the article of less than 4,000 words for ten full minutes, chewing almost every word carefully.

It wasn't until Melvin finished drinking two cups of coffee that Cassel raised his head. Tears were already streaming down his face, and his emotional reaction was even greater than Melvin's just now.

Melvin asked curiously: "Mr. Cassel?"

Cassel wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and then said in a bitter voice: "I thought of my mother. She was also such a kind person. She brought up my five siblings and me, but she didn't have the mother in the article. We lived a good life, but when the five of us, brothers and sisters, had just made great achievements, we left with all the pain in our bodies. Now... When we, brothers and sisters, have dinner together, there will always be an extra pair of bowls and chopsticks. That is forever. My mother's place."

Take a few deep breaths.

Cassell finally calmed down, and when he looked at the article again, his eyes became a little incredulous: "Mr. Melvin, whose work is this?"

His expression looked extremely shocked.

This article seems to be as plain as water, but the writing is sophisticated, and it is written by a famous writer at first glance.

Especially the sincere emotions contained in the story evoked my fragile heart. This ability to stir emotions is far beyond what ordinary novelists can achieve.

at the same time.

He suddenly understood why Melvin was so calm just now.

Thinking of this, Cassel said excitedly: "No wonder you are so calm, Mr. Melvin. It turns out that you have invited a famous short story writer. Tell me, who is this famous writer? Phoebe? Abado? Or Brown? rather?"

The three people he mentioned are all short story writers who are good at writing emotional stories, and their reputations are no less famous than Nolan or Andrew.

Melvin smiled and shook his head: "None of them."

neither!

Cassel was really shocked now, and his breathing became rapid: "Is it one of the Troika? Oh, God!"

Melvin spread his hands: "You are thinking too much. If I could invite any one of the three Louises, how could I not let you know? I have already informed them widely. And this article, although it can It touches you and me, but the public may not be able to accept this type of music.”

Cassell heard this and nodded in approval.

After all, short stories that take the route of warmth, no matter how well written they are, rarely win the love and praise of the public.

It's plain, it's a flaw.

It is difficult to get recognition from readers.

After all, there are only a few middle-aged people like them who have experience and can be moved by warmth.

Melvin didn't sell it, and said directly: "The writer who wrote "A Bowl of Soba Soba"... is most likely a newcomer in the short story world."

"Newcomer?"

Castle screamed.

With such writing style and such emotional interpretation, would you tell him that he is a newcomer?

"Actually, he can't be considered a newcomer."

Melvin told Cassel his guess. He believed that this West Tower was the fairy tale's West Tower.

This time, Cassel was even more confused.

A king of fairy tales, why don’t you write fairy tales instead of short stories?

But I have to say, this story is really well written.

Cassel rubbed his eyebrows: "Xilou is the world's fairy tale king. It was rumored a while ago that he was still writing fairy tales about China. Why did he suddenly come to the novel world again?"

But whatever.

Both of them can tell that the quality of this article "A Bowl of Soba Soba" is fully qualified to be ranked first in May. Although they don't know what kind of work Nolan and Andrew have written, there is a high probability that Xilou's article will not be comparable.

This is enough!

What surprised them even more.

After sending an email to inquire, Melvin quickly got a definite answer: This West Building is the West Building of the Fairy Tale King.

In this way, even if the short story is not as good as the other party, they will start to hype up Xilou's identity and use the popularity to increase their popularity.

…

When Wang Mo received an email from Melvin asking about his true identity, he immediately admitted the fact that he was the "Fairy Tale King Xilou".

After all, the purpose of writing the short story this time is to enhance the reputation of Xilou.

There is no reason to hide it.

At the same time, Melvin's email also dispelled his concerns, allowing an editor-in-chief of the other party to personally send an email to inquire, which meant that "A Bowl of Clear Soba Soba" had passed the other party's review.

However, Wang Mo could judge from Melvin's words: Although the other party praised the work as excellent, he still revealed that it might not be accepted by the public.

Regarding this, Wang Mo just smiled.

Not likely to be accepted?

This short story, hailed as a national treasure by Fuso Country and even driving the global noodle shop business, is definitely not as simple as Melvin imagined.

Next, Wang Mo no longer paid attention to this matter, but fell into writing "Journey to the West".

This is the big deal!

Writing short stories only lays the foundation for this.

finally……

The time has come to the end of April, and the editorial departments of the three major magazines have received the brand-new May issues.

…

Sea of ​​ink.

The editorial department looked at the newly printed "Mohai May Issue", and everyone smiled brightly.

Everyone was even more excited when they saw the work "Tomorrow's Small Market" by short story writer Nolan who ranked first.

"As expected of Nolan, the quality of his works is extraordinary."

""Tomorrow's Small Market" is so well written."

"The irony of this story is really strong, and it vividly demonstrates the faces and money worship of the small bourgeoisie."

"I think although it is not as good as the Troika's works, it is not far behind."

“I heard that this month’s Bookstore didn’t invite any famous short story writers?”

"Yes, I heard from the staff at the Bookstore that they couldn't even choose the first work."

"Literary Beauty has invited Andrew, and we have Nolan. If Shuge does not invite a famous short story writer this time, their May issue may be unsaleable."

Everyone was talking a lot and feeling excited.

…

Literary magnificence.

At this moment, the employees in the office area were also excited.

"In May, the quality of every novel is good. Especially Mr. Andrew's "This Little Clerk Is Very Careful" is very well written."

"Beautiful! The ending of this story is so amazing!"

"It is indeed Mr. Andrew's masterpiece. The twist at the end almost made me unable to recover."

"Although I heard that Mo Hai invited Nolan, we also have Andrew. So Mo Hai can't take advantage at all."

"Where's the Bookstore? It seems like there aren't any leading figures in this issue of the Bookstore?"

"In May, it's our competition with Mo Hai, let's go to Shu Ge."

…

And at the same time.

Melvin, the editor-in-chief of Shuge, also received the May issue of Shuge, which smelled of ink.

"I hope this novel by Xilou can be accepted by readers..."

Melvin said secretly.

If the market feedback is not good, he can only hype up the reputation of Xilou to increase the sales of the monthly magazine.

…

that's all.

At a time when the three major literary holy places each had their own little thoughts.

May is finally here.

At the same time, the May issues of "Bookstore", "Ink Sea", and "Literary Elegance" appeared in countless libraries, newsstands, and magazine stands around the world. (End of chapter)