Chapter 00055: UFO
# UFO
Chapter 55
Novel: 1979 Golden Age
Chapter 55: UFO
"People flocked to the bookstalls like MacArthur charging towards Christmas!"
—Musk
Seven large book-selling points were set up, displaying books in seven categories: social sciences, literature and arts, children's books, natural sciences, engineering and technology, and more.
Even the engineering and technology stall was packed with people.
Chen Qi and his group were immediately separated as soon as they entered.
He adjusted his shoes, looked around, and spotted Jiang Shan first.
Jiang Shan, despite her small stature, had managed to squeeze to the front of the stall and was holding on tightly, refusing to let go.
He hurried over and called out, "Where's Cai Ming?"
"She got swept away in the crowd!"
"Stay here for now. I'll buy you a few books!"
"I don't need you to buy me anything!"
"I'll ask your dad for the money later. Did you think I was giving it to you for free?"
Chen Qi patted her head and glanced at the stall.
It was selling children's books, and he casually picked up a set of the famous "One Hundred Thousand Whys."
This book series was originally written by a Soviet author in 1929 and later introduced to China, spawning many versions.
Over time, the content grew more extensive and increasingly unreliable, eventually including topics like the Bermuda Triangle, which was treated as a legitimate subject in astronomy and geography.
Chen Qi wasn't biased; he had believed in the Bermuda Triangle as a kid too!
He even believed in democracy back then!
"What do you want to read?"
"I want to read some good novels!"
"Then why don't you go to that stall over there?"
"No, I can't take those home. My dad would kill me..."
Jiang Shan was one of countless rebellious elementary school students, yearning to read something different but too afraid to do so.
She dawdled, picking and choosing.
Chen Qi selected a set for her and said, "Buy this one. Your dad definitely won't hit you!"
"Five Thousand Years of History," first published in 1979, was compiled by Lin Hande and Cao Yuzhang, consisting of five volumes.
After its release, it sold over five million copies, becoming a classic of its time.
"It's so expensive! Are you really buying this for me?"
Jiang Shan was shocked by the price.
A single book cost 73 cents, and five books would total 3.65 yuan.
Her daily allowance was only two cents, which she usually spent on ice pops or sunflower seeds.
"It's just a small amount of money!"
Chen Qi was carrying a thousand yuan, a huge sum, but he rarely found opportunities to spend it.
Now that he finally had a chance to splurge, he wasn't going to be stingy.
He bought Jiang Shan a set of "Five Thousand Years of History" and a few children's literature magazines.
He also picked up a set of "Five Thousand Years" and "One Hundred Thousand Whys" for himself, not to read but to keep as collectibles.
The old editions were quite interesting.
He led Jiang Shan out and managed to snag a bench under a cypress tree.
"Stay here and read. Don't wander off. I'll go look for the others."
"Okay!"
"Wow, if only you were this obedient all the time."
"Who told you to always bully me!"
Jiang Shan wrinkled her nose at him and ignored him, burying herself in her book.
Chen Qi squeezed back into the crowd and found Cai Ming.
He tapped her shoulder and said, "Jiang Shan's over there on the bench. Let's all meet there later!"
"Got it, got it!"
Cai Ming didn't even turn her head.
This was the literature and arts stall, naturally the most crowded.
Not far from Cai Ming, Ge You was holding a book and chuckling to himself, while Liang Xiaosheng looked like he had entered a treasure trove, wanting to buy everything but lacking the funds.
Chen Qi quickly scanned the area, surprised by the level of openness.
There were many modern Chinese classics, but also a surprising number of ancient classics.
He had thought that "feudal superstitious" works like "Journey to the West" and "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" wouldn't be available, but there they were, openly displayed on the stalls.
Old familiar names like Hugo, Balzac, Chekhov, and Tolstoy were also present, along with books about the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Of course, authors like Qiong Yao, San Mao, Jin Yong, and Gu Long were nowhere to be found.
Chen Qi picked up a 1970 edition of "Journey to the West" and a 1972 edition of "Three Strikes Against the White-Bone Demon," a comic series.
The artwork in the comic, done by Wang Yiqiu, was absolutely stunning.
Why was "Journey to the West" allowed to be published? Because Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, was seen as a symbol of resistance.
As the poem goes:
"The golden monkey wields his mighty staff, Clearing the skies of ten thousand miles of dust."
The next two lines are:
"Today we cheer for the Great Sage, For the demonic fog has returned once more!"
...
Gong Xue and Zhang Jinling had gotten separated.
Gong Xue stood in front of a stall, holding a book and reading it intently.
As she read, a voice came from behind her, "How many have you bought so far?"
"Not yet. I want to buy this one."
She held up the book, its cover bearing the title "Jane Eyre."
"I suggest you wait. The movie adaptation of 'Jane Eyre' just premiered in China this year, and it's quite popular. The publisher will definitely release a new translation soon. This one is from the Republican era, and the language might be a bit outdated."
"Oh, then I'll wait."
Gong Xue obediently put the book back and picked up a copy of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."
She asked, "Are all these foreign classics old translations?"
"Pretty much. If you like them, you can buy them as collectibles."
"Collectibles? I don't have anywhere to keep them."
She shook her head and asked, "What about you? What did you buy?"
"I bought a lot. They're all over there on the bench. Once you're done picking, go over there to meet up... Oh, and today's on me. Whatever you buy, I'll cover it."
"I have my own salary. You don't need to worry about me. Go check on the others."
Gong Xue couldn't help but smile at this.
She pulled out a small wallet from her pocket and waved it.
It was made of blue cloth, finely stitched with beautiful embroidery, and had several compartments.
It looked like she had made it herself.
"Truly a lady of means. Everyone else uses handkerchiefs, but you have a wallet."
"You!"
Gong Xue bit her lip.
The issue of her family background was a sore spot for her, and this jerk kept bringing it up.
Chen Qi, however, didn't care.
He whistled and walked off, "I can't even find a way to spend my money. What's the world coming to?"
There were seven of them today, and Chen Qi was the third youngest, but he acted like the leader, arranging everything.
Around noon, everyone finally gathered under a towering ancient cypress tree.
A pile of books sat on the bench as they excitedly went over their purchases.
Liang Xiaosheng had picked out a stack of classics.
Ge You and Zhang Jinling had chosen a few novels.
Cai Ming, surprisingly, had bought a lot of science books.
Gong Xue had bought about a dozen books, covering various genres.
Chen Qi, however, had gone overboard.
His stack of books was towering.
He had originally wanted to see if there were any ancient or rare books, but he hadn't found any.
He made a mental note to check out the China Bookstore later.
This was a great time to find hidden treasures, as there was almost no competition.
Even Ma Weidu, the famous collector, was still working as a milling machine operator in a factory...
"Why did you buy so many books about movies?"
"From the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe... wow, even Hong Kong!"
Ge You flipped through Chen Qi's haul, clearly impressed.
"Just broadening my horizons. I'm a screenwriter now, but I don't want to be one forever. Like how you're just running errands in the theater troupe—do you want to do that for the rest of your life?"
"No!"
"Exactly. People always want to move up in the world... I need to find something to carry all this, or I won't be able to take it with me."
Chen Qi left for a moment and returned with Yu Xiuli, who was carrying a bag and a bundle of rope.
She smiled and said, "You must all be Xiao Qi's friends! What a coincidence, I was just helping out over there."
"Auntie, hello!"
"Auntie, hello!"
This was the first time the group had met his parents, and they quickly greeted her.
Yu Xiuli, with a mother's instinct, discreetly but quickly scanned the group:
Zhang Jinling: Too old.
Jiang Shan: Too young.
Cai Ming: Hmm.
Then she looked at Gong Xue, her eyes lighting up.
This girl was pretty, fair-skinned, and clean-looking.
She wondered how old she was—she seemed quite young...
Yu Xiuli made a mental note, then tied up the stack of books and packed them into the bag.
She warmly invited everyone to her home for lunch, but they all politely declined, going through the usual social niceties.
After buying their books, Chen Qi and the others rested under the tree.
Ye Shengtao and some others were coming later, and they all wanted to see what they had bought.
Not far away, a group of people had gathered, discussing something excitedly, their voices loud.
Chen Qi overheard a few snippets and his expression turned微妙.
"Nonsense! There's no such thing as aliens!"
"Last year, the People's Daily reported on UFOs. How could that be fake? Would the People's Daily lie?"
"Actually, I think I saw one once. Three years ago, I was in the countryside. One night, I got up to use the outhouse and saw a light in the sky. It was blurry, and I couldn't tell what it was. It stayed for a few seconds, then whoosh—it was gone. I bet it was one of those UFOs you're talking about!"
(End of Chapter)