The story of Kong Yiji flowed through Lionel's mind. That down-and-out scholar, drinking wine in his long gown, gradually resonated with this era.
As a classic literary figure, Kong Yiji represented the group of old Chinese intellectuals who were lost and struggling in the cracks of their time.
In France, this group was equally large—the glory of the First and Second Empires, and the long, repeated eras of monarchy, created a vast number of supporters and dependents for "His Majesty the Emperor/King."
Each time France had a revolution and the monarchy was overthrown, they were the ones who were abandoned and marginalized.
From Paris to the provinces, these people lost their original status and respect, some even falling to the bottom of society.
Maupassant later wrote a short story, "The Minuet," which, through a pair of court dance teachers from the Louis XV era, poured out an elegy bidding farewell to the old times. (Hands up if you did this as a reading comprehension question in the 2019 National College Entrance Examination, Paper II!)
Compared to "The Minuet," the story Lionel wrote, which was inspired by Kong Yiji, was less "tender" and no longer depicted "cultural figures" but rather the soldiers of France, those who were loyal to Napoleon.
He wanted to tear off this layer of decency and portray the spiritual decay of the country after the fall of the dynasty—
"The layout of the taverns in the Alps is different from elsewhere: they all have an L-shaped bar facing the street, with ice buckets and hot water simultaneously prepared behind the bar, allowing every type of wine to reach its suitable drinking temperature in the shortest time. Working men, when they finish work in the afternoon or evening, often spend 1 sou to buy a glass of iced brandy—this was more than twenty years ago, now each glass costs 2 sous—standing by the bar outside, drinking heartily to rest; if they were willing to spend one more sou, they could buy a small dish of salted boiled beans, or a few olives, as snacks; if they spent 5 sous, they could buy a pickled salted fish, a slice of fried cured meat, or a small piece of cheese, but most of these customers, who were workers wearing coarse work clothes or short jackets, were generally not so lavish. Only gentlemen in decent woolen coats or long formal wear would stroll into the private rooms behind the bar, order wine and small dishes, and drink slowly while seated."
When writing this passage, Lionel carefully scoured his original body's memories of his hometown in the Alps, ensuring that every detail matched the French background of the time.
However, he also "surprised" himself by discovering that from 1850 to the early 20th century, the world's monetary system seemed to be in a relatively stable state, with the exchange rates between the British pound, French franc, US dollar, and China's Guangxu silver coins, and Japan's silver coins, fluctuating little.
Next was the second paragraph. The original text narrated the story from the perspective of "I"—but the protagonist was not "I," but rather one of "my" observation subjects.
This is a typical writing style where "the narrator is greater than the character," meaning that the "I" who narrates the story of Kong Yiji is greater than the "I" who overtly participates in the story in the novel, the twelve-year-old shop assistant.
The mature "I" of more than twenty years later examines and observes the experiences of the "I" of childhood, forming a narrative effect that combines both "adult" and "child" perspectives…
This also needed to be preserved in this novel—
"From the age of twelve, I worked as a bartender at the 'Edelweiss Tavern' at the town's entrance. Mr. Legrand, the boss, said I looked too foolish to serve customers in long formal wear, so I should do something outside. Although the short-coated customers outside were easier to talk to, there were also many who were endlessly nagging and unclear. They often wanted to personally watch the brandy poured from the bottle, check if there was any water mixed at the bottom of the glass, and then personally watch the glass being chilled in the ice bucket before they felt reassured: under such strict supervision, mixing water was very difficult. So after a few days, Mr. Legrand again said I couldn't do this job. Fortunately, the introducer's influence was great, and I couldn't be dismissed, so I was reassigned to the boring task of just carrying trays."
With the background environment and the perspective character established, it was time for Kong Yiji to make his appearance.
"From then on, I stood at the bar all day, dedicated to carrying my trays. Although there were no mistakes, it always felt a bit monotonous, a bit boring. The manager had a fierce face, and the customers were not friendly, making it impossible to be lively; only when the old guard came to the shop could I smile a few times, which is why I still remember him to this day."
"the old guard was the only one who stood to drink wine and wore a woolen coat. He was very tall; his face was pale, with scars often mixed among the wrinkles; he had a messy, grizzled beard. Although he wore wool, it was an old blue formal coat of the Imperial Guard, with the epaulets already frayed, dark patches on the elbows, and a tattered, greasy hem, as if it hadn't been washed since the Battle of Waterloo."
"When he spoke to people, his mouth was always full of 'His Majesty the Emperor,' 'columnar attack,' 'for the honor of France,' which made people half-understand, half-not. Because he always mentioned the Emperor and the Imperial Guard, people nicknamed him 'the old guard' from the tune of an old, half-understood military song he often hummed, 'The Guards die but never surrender.'"
"As soon as the old guard arrived at the shop, all the drinkers looked at him and laughed, some shouting: 'Mr. the old guard, you have a new scar on your face again!'"
"He didn't answer, and said to the bar: 'A glass of brandy, and a small dish of salted beans.' Then he put out 3 sous in copper coins."
"They then deliberately shouted loudly: 'You must have stolen something from someone again!'"
"Mr. the old guard opened his eyes wide and argued: 'How can you so groundlessly stain my innocence…'"
"'What innocence? I personally saw you stealing sausages hanging from Mr. Dupont's house the day before yesterday, and being chased and bitten by the watchdog.'"
"the old guard's face turned red then, veins bulging on his forehead, as he argued: 'Taking… taking spoils of war cannot be considered stealing!… Can something done by someone who shed blood for the Empire be considered stealing?' This was followed by incomprehensible words like 'the honor of the Imperial Guard,' 'Long live the Emperor,' and the like, which made everyone burst into laughter: the tavern inside and out was filled with a joyful atmosphere."
By the time he wrote this, Lionel himself was laughing. He suddenly realized that France, as one of the few European countries that truly implemented an imperial system and central authority, had some similarities with imperial China, in terms of human relations and public sentiment.
However, it was already late at night, and this novel was not in a hurry to be finished. Lionel decided to stop here for now; he had class tomorrow and didn't want to be late.
And on that very same night, Victor Hugo, residing on Avenue Hoche in Paris, received a letter from his good friend and fellow French Academy academician, Professor Hippolyte Taine—
"Dear Mr. Hugo,"
"More than a year has passed since we parted at Sorbonne. I hope your health has recovered well…"
"If you could attend this year's 'Poetry Society' at Sorbonne, it would be an honor for the 'Poetry Society.'"
"P.S.: The proud students participating in the 'Poetry Society' have begun submitting their works to us; although these works are immature, it would be a great honor for these students to receive your comments, sir."
"Sincerely yours, Hippolyte Taine"
"…"