1968: Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Hong Kong.
This office is not very big, only about a hundred feet in size. In addition to a desk, three chairs, and a small bookcase, there is also a small tea table for fans and thermoses.
At the moment, the fan is slightly blowing the cool wind, which brings a rare cool in the hot summer. But it can be seen from this that the fan of some years is still too small, the room is small and stuffy, and there are no windows, which can not play a role in relieving the heat. The two people sitting in the room have already been sweating.
"Director Huang, thank you for your help this time. If it weren't for you, I would have another ups and downs in staying at school as a teacher." Huo Yaowen said as he pulled out a pack of the most expensive Marlboro cigarettes on the market from his pocket. Instead of taking out the pack, he opened it and handed it to Director Huang behind the table, Smiling, he said, "Director Huang, smoke a cigarette first."
Director Huang rudely drew a cigarette from the cigarette case. As soon as he put it to his mouth, he heard a "click". The spark on the tip of the match flashed in front of him, but he did not refuse. He leaned out slightly, leaned close to the match, took a few puffs, lit the cigarette, straightened up, looked at Huo Yaowen and said:
"Yaowen, as for me, I watched you grow up from school, and I know your ability. This time you can stay in school as a teacher outside the editorial staff, and you are diligent enough!
Mr. Zhang, who is old, also made a retirement report. After taking the last batch of students in the first half of next year, he will retire to take care of his children. You are one of Mr. Zhang's favorite students. He also told the headmaster that you are the most suitable student to stay in school, so if you want to thank Mr. Zhang, you should thank him well. "
Speaking of this, Director Huang took a deep breath of the cigarette in his hand, looked at the pack of Marlboro cigarettes that Huo Yaowen had purposely put on the table. He smiled and said, "Don't say, good cigarettes are good cigarettes. They don't taste bad at all."
Huo Yaowen understood in his heart and said without delay, "If Director Huang likes it, I will come next time to show my respect to you and repay you for your cultivation over the years."
"Farewell, the general mood in Hong Kong is not good recently."
Director Huang had a headache when he thought of the content published in the newspaper recently. Originally, Huo Yaowen didn't work as a part-time teacher in the university, but now the whole Hong Kong is talking about anti-corruption, and the University of Hong Kong is no exception. Some time ago, the President deliberately repeated his harsh words to reject any corruption. Otherwise, the "good position" of the lecturer of philosophy course in the School of Liberal Arts of the University of Hong Kong would be Huo Yaowen, who has no money, no power and no background.
Huo Yaowen smiled and didn't say a word. Of course, he knew that he could be a non editorial teacher in the philosophy class of the University of Hong Kong, not because of Director Huang, but because of the recent anti-corruption craze in Hong Kong and the support of Teacher Zhang. However, as his immediate leader in the future, Director Huang still had to do what he should do.
Huo Yaowen knew this very well both in his previous life and in his whole life, but since he could not stop it, he might as well join them.
The two exchanged a few simple words,
Director Huang was sincere and said in a friendly manner: "OK, you should prepare materials and some content for the class. School will start in another month. You should take advantage of this opportunity and don't let Mr. Zhang and our bosses down."
Huo Yaowen lifted his gold rimmed glasses that slipped to the tip of his nose and said with a smile, "It's natural. Don't worry, Director Huang. I will prepare my lessons well."
When Director Huang saw this and was about to wave Huo Yaowen away, he suddenly thought of one thing and said, "Teacher Zhang should have told you about salary."
"Already said." Huo Yaowen nodded.
Director Huang said softly, "Four hundred mosquito money is really a little less, but now you are... a substitute teacher. The school needs to see how your teaching ability is. When you become a regular teacher, the salary must be the same as everyone else."
Huo Yaowen pursed his dry lips, smiled and said, "I know that."
"Well, Yaowen, go back and prepare. You should work hard in the past half month and learn more from Mr. Zhang. He has worked in school for more than 20 years and is very experienced in teaching. You should study hard."
"I will certainly learn from the teacher about my teaching experience. In this case, I will not bother Director Huang. I will prepare my lessons well after I go back."
"Well, remember to come to the school the day after tomorrow, and I will arrange for you in the teachers' dormitory building."
"Good Director Huang."
...
A few minutes later,
At the gate of the University of Hong Kong,
A young man with Elvis Presley hair style and bell bottoms squatted on the curb opposite the gate of the University of Hong Kong, smoking inferior cigarettes and looking at the scattered young female students who passed by the gate from time to time.
Suddenly, he noticed a man wearing a white shirt and trousers coming out of the school gate. "Elvis Presley" stood up excitedly, waved his right hand and shouted: "Brother Yaowen!"
Hearing the cry, Huo Yaowen, who was walking, curled his mouth and said, "I will tell you why you are shouting so loudly! I'm afraid I'm deaf!"
"Hehe." Mingzai wiped his long hair on his head with his right hand and said with a silly smile, "I'm afraid you can't hear Yaowen, can you? How about that? I've promised to do it?"
Huo Yaowen nodded with a smile and said, "Well, it's a promise to let me come to teach next month when school starts."
Mingzai seemed happy that he had successfully applied for the job, and shouted: "That's great. Aunt Li would be very happy if she heard the news, the teacher of Hong Kong University!! What a good job! How decent it is to talk about it."
Huo Yaowen took a Marlboro cigarette out of his trousers pocket, took one out and held it in his mouth. He skillfully took out a match and lit it. He took a deep breath, letting the smoke wander around his lungs. Just then, he slowly took a deep breath of smoke. After hearing Mingzai's words, he curled his mouth and said, "It's only 400 mosquitoes a month, not even as good as the grandma who sells bowls of wings on the street. What's so happy about that?"
Mingzai said hurriedly, "That's different! How can you sell bowls of wings to be a teacher of Hong Kong University? If you ask me, I can't be happy without a penny!"
"If you don't accept a mosquito of money, you can do it." Huo Yaowen glanced at Mingzai. He could do nothing but read at the primary and secondary school. He had been fooling around outside all the time as a feizai. Otherwise, he was lucky enough to have an undercover policeman named Old Dou who could get money in the police station. He might have starved to death on the street.
"If I want to be a teacher, my old man must be happy to death!"
Hearing Mingzai's incoherent words, Huo Yaowen shook his head helplessly, afraid that he might say something else, and hurriedly said, "OK, stop talking, have you done what I asked you to do?"
Mingzai patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Brother Yaowen, there is nothing that can not be done for Mingzai! I have entrusted someone to collect all the newspaper and office information in Hong Kong and put it at your home. You can see it when you go back."
"Well, let's go home." Hearing this, Huo Yaowen couldn't wait to go home.
Mingzai suddenly stopped, "Wait for Brother Yaowen."
"What's wrong?" Huo Yaowen looked back.
"Well, Brother Yaowen, can you smoke a Marlboro for me?" Mingzai touched the back of his head and smiled a little embarrassed.
"Fool."
Huo Yaowen burst out laughing, took out cigarettes and matches from his pocket and threw them to each other.
"I don't need so many Yaowen brothers. I just want to smoke one. I've smoked this cigarette too. I stole it from my old bean. He has good cigarettes every day in the police station, but I envy him."
"Here you are. I won't smoke anyway."
"Stop smoking? Brother Yaowen, do you want to quit smoking? Why do you want to quit smoking?!"
"To live a few more years."
Huo Yaowen smiled, then ignored Mingzai's regretful eyes, threw away the cigarette he had only smoked, took a deep breath of the air mixed with the hot summer breath, looked at the blue sky and the dazzling sun, felt the vitality of the young body, and felt an unprecedented pleasure in his heart.
He had been smoking for more than 20 years in his previous life. He often coughed and didn't say anything. When he reached middle age, he felt uncomfortable at night. He thought about not smoking, but he could not stop smoking at that time.
Now God has given us a new opportunity. When we came to Hong Kong in 1968, with this young, handsome and energetic body, how can we repeat the mistakes of the past.
