106, Literary Society Gathering
Bai Gui has become a well-known figure in the first high school because of his "arrogant" challenge letter. So some Japanese students, after seeing the Japanese students circulating the serialized novel in the newspaper, also wanted to read it.
Bai Gui gave away more than 80 of the 100 newspapers without charging a penny. The remaining 20 or so were quickly bought by the students of the first high school who came out of curiosity and sold out quickly.
Selling more than 20 newspapers is not really a hot sale.
After all, there are nearly 1,000 students in the first high school.
Standing at the forefront of public opinion, Bai Gui's masterpiece aroused the curiosity of many people.
This is fame!
In other words, black and red are also red!
Everyone wants to know what that person can write. As long as some people have the desire to buy, his first step to fame is considered to be a success. It rang.
The newspapers here at Bai Gui were sold out, so the students of the first high school found someone to go to Tokyo to subscribe, and it was estimated that there would be one or two hundred copies.
Three days later, the newspaper company also replied to Bai Gui.
It said that the sales of the newspaper were good, but it was mainly purchased by overseas students from various schools, and only a small number of Japanese people bought it. This is also easy to understand. The Democratic Progressive Daily is a tabloid in Japan, but it is a "big newspaper" among the overseas students. If a good novel is published, they will buy a copy.
However, in the eyes of the Japanese, there will obviously not be so many preferential treatments.
However, the prospects are very good, and the proportion of newspapers sold to Japanese people is gradually increasing. So the newspaper company printed another 500 copies.
In addition to reporting some sales to Bai Gui, the editor-in-chief and writer, the letter also asked him to return the next manuscript. The manuscript fee was also mailed. Come here, it is paid in advance.
Bai Gui also prepared a 30,000-word manuscript and mailed it to the newspaper.
Tokyo's postal system is very developed and can arrive in one day.
And this day is also the day for the literary club to get together.
The literary club of No. 1 High School has always had a good relationship with the women's high school in Tokyo and some women's private schools.
This is a very common thing in literary clubs.
Since it is an exchange of literature, it is impossible to be complacent. And the literary club is also the easiest to get together with other women's high schools.
Private schools are schools in the old days of Japan.
This is different from the private schools in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The private schools in China generally refer to elementary schools, which are used for enlightenment. For example, Bai Gui's ancestral hall school on Bailuyuan belongs to a private school. The private schools in Japan are similar to Bailu Academy, which is a higher-level academy. For example, Qing Ogijuku was also a private school, which later became Keio University.
As for the place where elementary education was taught, it used to be Terakoya. However, after the Meiji Restoration, Terakoya was abolished and changed into elementary school.
Private schools were rare at that time, and most of them only admitted women to teach music, Japanese songs, art, Western studies, etc. Most of the people who entered them were local noble ladies.
The place for the social gathering was in the villa of the great writer and artist Okakura Tenshin.
Okakura Tenshin was the first graduate of the University of Tokyo, and he had a deep connection with the University of Tokyo, so the general literary club gatherings and social gatherings would be held in his house.
The villa was located in Shibuya District.
It was quite secluded.
One carriage after another came from the suburbs.
"Brother Meihe, you only have less than four days left to fight those reckless men in the Kendo Club and Judo Club. Are you still planning to come to the literature department to participate in the social gathering? Aren't you worried about failure at all? "
At the door, Tohei Saburo was surprised to see Bai Gui also got off the carriage.
One after the other, a few minutes apart.
As long as you join the literature club, you will receive an invitation. Whether you come or not depends on the mind of the invitee. The literature club is undoubtedly a big club, where you can meet many celebrities, so it has always been regarded as a must-attend interest club.
"I am still confident about some seniors from the Kendo Club. "
Bai Gui casually took out a one-cent copper coin from his pocket and threw it into the coachman's hand as a tip, responding.
As Japan becomes more and more westernized, there is also an unspoken rule of collecting tips, which is regarded as a romantic and elegant thing in the upper class. If you don't give it, it will be a shame in the eyes of the upper class.
He didn't lie.
He issued a letter of challenge, saying that he would challenge all the kendo and judo clubs of No. 1 High School and the University of Tokyo. But how could he be a famous warrior when he first appeared? It must be the apprentice under the door who served first.
Only after defeating the apprentice can you beat the master, which is the case in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad.
"Brother Meihe, as long as you are sure."
Deputy Minister Tohei Saburo did not feel the shame of the country and the family. Maybe he did, but not much, and the challenge or not did not matter to him much.
Chatted a few words.
A noble lady and a celebrity got off the carriage that came later.
"Let's go, I was here once before. "
Higashino Saburo led the way, and the two walked into the living room.
The living room is very luxurious, and the decoration is European style. Semicircular arched windows and corner stone masonry, the entrance hall stretches to the north and south, with many low windows and hexagonal viewing bay windows, the floor is paved with black marble, and there are gorgeous crystal pendant lights...
"Yes, that's Tanabe Ryuko, a famous female writer."
Higashino Saburo pointed to a young woman in her thirties leaning against an exquisitely carved bookcase. She was wearing a thin layer of powder, her face was a little delicate, and she was not a beauty. She was wearing a dark kimono and was sipping red wine.
"Higuchi Ichiyo decided to write a book when she heard that she wrote "The Oriole of the Forest" and the money she earned was equivalent to her family's expenses for three months..."
When he introduced her, his face was full of pity when he mentioned Higuchi Ichiyo.
The three writers printed on later Japanese coins, including Murasaki Shikibu who wrote "The Tale of Genji", were ancient figures, probably from the Song Dynasty. The other two are current writers from the Meiji period, namely Natsume Soseki and Higuchi Ichiyo.
What is a pity about Higuchi Kazuha is that he has been writing novels for many years and is somewhat famous, but his life is difficult. When he wrote the novels that have been handed down for generations, he fell seriously ill due to years of fatigue and finally passed away.
As for Tanabe Ryuko, although she is not as famous as Higuchi Ichiyo, her works have always been best-selling, and she is also a well-known female writer today.
"That's Erye Pavilion's Four Stories, which Fuyun is serializing..."
"This is Mori Ogai, a great writer as famous as Natsume Soseki..."
"..."
Saburo Tohei introduced the famous writers in the hall one by one.
Tokyo is not far from this place, so the invited writers will often come over if they have free time. Not to mention the status of the owner of this place, Okakura Tenshin is no less important than Fukuzawa Yukichi, but Fukuzawa Yukichi advocates "leaving Asia and joining Europe", while Okakura Tenshin advocates "now is the time when Eastern spiritual concepts are deepening. time in the West." Promote Asian values…
After hearing Saburo Tohei's introduction, Bai Gui immediately felt that his trip was worthwhile.