British writer

Chichi——

The horses neighed.

A step behind Monson, Lu Shi and others' carriage arrived at the Stockholm Grand Hotel.

Lu Shi got off the car first and handed the driver a Swedish kronor.

"Excuse me, help with the luggage."

He only knows a few words of Swedish.

The driver immediately bowed his head to help.

Lu Shi turned around and helped Kelvin down.

"It's so cold..."

Kelvin stamped his feet, looked around, and said, "It's so dark..."

In terms of time, it is only the afternoon, but Stockholm is at a high latitude, where it gets dark very early, and there is even a polar night from December to May.

Lu Shi glanced at the sky,

The darkness fell like a giant curtain, taking everything under its wings and seeming to swallow everything.

The cold wind blew around the body and penetrated into the skin silently.

Fortunately, Stockholm is relatively prosperous.

The city lights are like bonfires, illuminating patches of darkness.

At this time, the coachman had already finished moving the luggage.

He pointed at the hotel door and made a drinking gesture to a few people.

"Go! Drink! Ton ton ton—"

The old man was also very enthusiastic and even used English and onomatopoeia.

Planck laughed,

"Good! Very good!"

Germans pretending to be British.

Lu Shi: "..."

I was left speechless.

He handed the driver another Swedish krona, and then entered the gate with the three scientists.

Unexpectedly, I bumped into an acquaintance head-on——

Henri Poincaré.

"Professor Lu!"

He was stunned for a moment and immediately greeted him warmly.

Although Poincaré also wrote literary works, his main job was to study mathematics, celestial mechanics, and mathematical physics, so he recognized Kelvin at a glance.

"Lord Kelvin! Are you invited too?"

He turned to Planck again,

"Ah... you are... the 'genius Planck' who studied black body radiation, right?"

The three shake hands.

Immediately afterwards, Poincaré looked at Einstein and found that he did not recognize him.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The silence made the atmosphere a little awkward.

Lu Shi curled up his lips, patted Einstein on the back, and lowered his voice: "Albert, the most important period of the academic exchange meeting is the tea break, right? Show off your social skills~"

Top scientists are all human beings.

Not to mention a proud man like Einstein, he introduced himself very naturally.

The atmosphere relaxed a lot.

Kelvin felt a little cold and breathed into his palms.

"Everyone, let's not chat here. Go in, have a drink and eat some hot food."

After saying that, he prepared to enter the door.

Poincaré pursed his lips for a moment and said to Lu Shi, "Professor Lu, it's best to wait. Professor Monson was having some problems in the bar just now..."

Although the words were not finished, everyone could guess what was going on.

Planck asked: "Is the atmosphere inside very cold?"

Poincaré laughed,

"Cold? Not at all! There is a lively discussion inside now~ They all want to see 'River of Blood'."

A moment of silence,

Immediately afterwards, Planck, Einstein, and Kelvin couldn't help laughing.

“I also want to watch ‘River of Blood’!”×3

They actually spoke in unison.

These people are quite boring.

In Lu Shi's mind, ten thousand grass and mud horses were galloping past.

grass!

It’s not a big deal to watch the fun!

Poincaré patted Lu Shi on the right shoulder.

"The fire of Bagua is burning brightly inside, so it's best for you, the person involved, not to go in and add fuel to the fire."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

How else could Lu Shi answer?

Only depressed acceptance of reality.

Poincaré added: "In that case, let's go to visit Mr. Henrik Ibsen together. Roman will follow later."

Lu Shi fainted,

"Isn't Master Ibsen a Norwegian?"

In his mind, Ibsen had been bedridden in Oslo since his stroke until his death.

This is also the reason why the Nobel Prize was not awarded to Ibsen——

Unable to collect the prize on site.

But what is the situation now?

What kind of storm did the butterfly flap its wings?

Poincaré shrugged.

"I don't know the specific reason."

Lu Shi was also curious,

"Okay, I'll accompany you and Mr. Roland."

Although the three scientists are interested in literary works, they are not interested in much.

Planck said: "Then let's part ways for the time being, and we'll meet again in the evening... um... By the way, Professor Lu, can you lend me the manuscript of "The Way of the Morning"? I would like to ask all my colleagues to read it."

Kelvin and Einstein nodded.

Lu Shi did everything he could,

He rummaged in the suitcase for a while, handed the manuscript over, and said, "Be sure to keep it well."

Since the last time I talked to Picasso, he has decided to open a private museum.

The original manuscript is undoubtedly an important exhibit.

Planck took it reverently,

"Don't worry. Everyone knows what's important."

The three of them left.

After watching their figures disappear through the door, Poincaré said, "Professor Lu, that 'Chao Wen Dao' is your ancient Chinese saying, right?"

He studies beautiful texts and inscriptions, and understands philosophy, so he has heard about it.

Lu Shi nodded,

"'If you hear the Tao in the morning, you will die in the evening.' However, the "Hearing the Tao in the Morning" mentioned by Mr. Planck is a science fiction novel."

Poincaré, who had witnessed the birth of "The Village Teacher", was greatly interested.

"What story are you telling?"

Lu Shi was just about to say it, but thought that he would have to repeat it when Roland came, so he replied: "Wait a minute, Mr. Roland."

"Tsk..."

Poincaré was speechless.

In the next few minutes, he was left scratching his head and scratching his head.

It's like there's a human being living in my heart, teasing me from time to time, which makes me feel uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Roland didn't keep them waiting.

The three of them got into a carriage,

Along the way, Lu Shi was talking about the general content of the first chapter of "Chao Wen Dao".

As a result, just as he was about to proceed, Roland stopped: "Stop, stop! Professor Lu, you'd better stop talking. I don't want to be spoiled."

Lu Shi understood,

"Then I won't..."

Before he finished speaking, Roland said again: "Professor Lu, but I am very itchy. Can you tell me a little bit without spoiling the story?"

Lu Shi rolled his eyes at the other party,

"Do you think I'm a god?"

Roland and Poincaré couldn't help but look at each other,

They thought,

Isn't Lu Shi a god?

There was "Rural Teacher" before it and "Chao Wen Dao" after it. Which one is not the first of its kind?

Roland couldn't help but said: "As a writer, I have to say, Professor Lu, you don't know how awesome you are."

Poincaré on the side was amused and laughed.

At this moment, the coachman's voice sounded:

"Here we are, gentlemen."

The three of them got off the carriage.

The night is getting darker again,

Pedestrians hurried past in the cold night, their faces bitten by the cold wind, either red or white, and their eyes showed a trace of exhaustion.

Poincaré couldn't help but mutter: "This ghost place is really not for humans."

Lu Shi smiled,

"Yes, the climate here is definitely not as pleasant as that of the Mediterranean."

The three of them walked towards a building.

Poincaré knocked on the door.

Soon, a middle-aged woman opened the door and found three people standing outside, including an Asian face. She couldn't help but wonder.

Poincaré hurriedly introduced them one by one.

When the woman heard about Lu Shi,

"Lu!? The Lu who wrote "Yes! Prime Minister"?! Come on! Please come in!"

She introduced herself as she introduced the three of them into the house.

Her name is Sophia Ibsen,

The daughter of Henrik Ibsen.

Lu Shi noticed that Sophia's expression was tired and her movements were even a little slow.

It was an old look that didn't match his age, as if he was very hardworking.

However, there were no signs of cleaning in this house.

The surrounding walls are gray and dull, like a painting that has lost its color, especially on the kitchen tiles, where oil stains and food residue form disharmonious patterns.

The corners of the furniture were covered with a thin layer of dust;

The books on the desk are piled up and messy, like a hill.

Sophia noticed Lu Shi's gaze,

She looked towards the kitchen,

In the sink, pots and pans were piled randomly, washed and unwashed even mixed together.

She couldn't help but feel embarrassed,

"Sorry, I...I have some..."

As he said that, he started to cry.

Lu Shi:? ? ?

Poincaré:? ? ?

Roland:? ? ?

The three elders had never seen this battle before, and they were completely confused.

Fortunately, Sophia wiped her cheeks dry.

"Sorry, I was a little out of control."

Seeing this scene, Lu Shi actually wanted to leave.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

But the two French guys who came with him had no other characteristics, just one word——

wave.

Poincaré waved his hands repeatedly,

"No~no~"

The voice was soft and extremely gentle.

Lu Shi, one with his head on the other, asked, "Madam, haven't you been living in Oslo for a long time? Why did you move to Stockholm?"

Sophia looked directly at Lu Shi,

"Sir, you are one of the reasons."

Lu Shi:? ? ?

Sophia replied: "You and Mr. Verne once told Mr. Oldner, the eleventh president of the Swedish Academy, that my father should be nominated as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He got interested and thought of coming here. have a look."

Is there such a thing?

Lu Shi recalled it for a long time before vaguely remembering it.

He couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed and changed the topic: "Madam just said 'one of the reasons', does that mean there are other reasons?"

Sophia nodded,

"Polar night. Because Stockholm has a polar night."

Poincaré couldn't help but praise: "Romantic."

Sophia sighed,

"Is it romantic? Alas..."

A resentment similar to that of Mrs. Xianglin rose to the sky.

Bad premonitions arise,

Lu Shi winked at Poincaré and Roland, telling them not to ask further questions.

As a result, Sophia poured beans out of her bamboo tube and said, "My father is bedridden due to a stroke. You must know that, right?"

Poincaré nodded,

"Know."

Sophia continued: "I don't know how to describe...my father has become...very self-esteem since he had a stroke."

Lu Shi, Poincaré, and Roland were silent.

Sophia turned her face to one side,

"He has obviously suffered a stroke, but he seems to want to do everything without asking anyone. For example, when he goes to the toilet, he won't say, 'Who will help me pee?' Instead, he lies there and twists, and he won't do it until I ask. Talk. It feels like he didn’t ask for help, but I took the initiative to ask."

With such a vivid and concrete example, only patients who have been on the sickbed for a long time can describe this personal feeling.

Lu Shi glanced at Sophia,

The so-called "communicating in a shallow way and speaking in depth" is generally not a good word.

Unless you've had a few drinks or you're feeling extremely wronged, you'll seize any opportunity to talk.

If you are under too much pressure and don't talk about it, you will suffer from mental illness.

Sophia added: "There is also eating. I asked him what to eat, and he never said a word. After making it, he wouldn't eat this or that. Moreover, he never said that he didn't like it. He only said one sentence, 'It's too sweet.' '. It seems that this is not a request...well...sigh...what did I say."

Sophia looked troubled.

She just said that the extreme night is also one of the reasons. The reason is very simple.

When it’s dark, patients sleep more;

The caregivers will also suffer much less.

At this moment, Lu Shi no longer knew what to say.

He looked at Poincaré and Roland,

As a result, the two Frenchmen could no longer "have fun" and remained silent.

Sophia shook her head,

"Look at me...that's all, you go in."

She led the three of them to a room, then knocked on the door and whispered: "Father, they are here. They also brought Lu, the author of "Yes! Prime Minister" and "Roman Holiday"."

An old voice immediately sounded in the room,

"Please!"

Sophia nodded to the three of them.

Lu Shi and the others entered the house.

This room has been converted into a ward,

Under the dim light, you can see several warm paintings hanging on the walls, giving the deserted space a sense of life.

Ibsen was half lying on the bed, with his back propped up.

"Professor Lu!"

Poincaré and Roland looked at each other and said nothing.

If in the past, they would definitely introduce themselves,

but now……

It’s better to let Lu Shilai take the lead!

Lu Shi glanced at them,

Oh, French people, give a military salute at critical moments.

He sat down on the chair next to the bed, looked around, and said, "This house is like a silent victim, plagued by neglect and forgetfulness of household chores."

Although he is talking about a house, anyone with a discerning eye can see who he is actually referring to.

Ibsen's already pale face turned even paler.

His body was bent into an unnatural posture, with his right arm bent in front of him and his left arm hanging limply by the bed.

His fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the bed,

Da da da--

After a long while, he said: "Professor Lu is a romantic poet. 'Silent victim'... your metaphor is amazing."

Lu Shi nodded slowly,

"I think so."

Ibsen's lips curled up, showing an expression similar to a smile,

"I love your drama."

Lu Shi nodded,

"I like yours too, especially Peer Gynt."

There's a reason why I say that,

He and Bernard Shaw were good friends, and it was under the influence of "Peer Gynt" that George Bernard Shaw began to innovate in drama.

This is a beautiful story that everyone in the theater circle knows.

Ibsen said: "That's right... Professor Lu, what do you like about Peer Gynt?"

In "Peer Gynt", he created the experience of Peer Gynt, a young man who is full of fantasy and lives a lazy life, wandering around the world.

Peer Gynt encountered demons, and later made a fortune by selling slaves (black ones). He did many bad things, and finally went bankrupt and returned to his hometown.

Lu Shi pondered for a moment,

“I love the symbolism in it.”

Ibsen laughed again,

"oh?"

Lu Shidao: "At the end of the play, Peer Gynt on the stage peeled off an onion, layer after layer, but in the end there was nothing. This highly symbolic plot highlights the philosophy of the whole play: selfishness, arbitrariness Those who seek nothing from life will end up with nothing.”

A popular song "Onion" is also taken from this.

Ibsen seemed very happy;

"I also like Professor Lu's work. The bitter satire of "Yes! Prime Minister" has no precedent throughout the history of drama."

"..."

"..."

"..."

For the next two hours or so, they talked a lot,

Until Ibsen was tired and fell asleep peacefully.

If it weren't for what Sophia said just now, Lu Shi, Roland, and Poincaré would have benefited a lot from this discussion.

But now, they have an indescribable and unclear feeling lingering in their hearts.

The three of them exited the room.

Unexpectedly, the outside has been cleaned.

The furniture in the room is arranged in an orderly manner without any clutter, and the dust has been swept away.

The books on the desk are neatly arranged, pens are inserted in the pen holders, and notebooks are placed aside, which looks very orderly.

Lu Shi: "..."

I felt even worse.

He looked at Sophia.

Unexpectedly, Sophia looked grateful and said, "Professor Lu, thank you. I have rarely seen my father communicate with others in a stable mood for such a long time."

Lu Shi was speechless.

He knew in his heart that Ibsen's peace was only temporary.

Elderly people inevitably experience cognitive decline, and some even begin to shrink in some areas of their brains.

Especially stroke patients,

Sudden rages are very common after an elderly person has a stroke, because a stroke can damage the brain. If the frontal lobe happens to be responsible for the emotional control function, it is easy to have a weird temper.

Unfortunately, cognitive impairment was not recognized by psychiatrists until 1962.

People at the beginning of the 20th century had no idea about this.

Lu Shi whispered: "Madam, then we will..."

Sophia said: "Of course, I will send it to you."

After saying that, he took the initiative to lead the way and sent the three people out of the house.

The coolness of the cold night comes,

Lu Shi, Roland, and Poincaré all shuddered in unison and their minds became clear.

After a moment of silence, Roland said: "I didn't expect this."

Poincaré patted him on the shoulder,

"Roman, not every old man will become wise and gentle. The paranoid, the irritable, the greedy... rather, the latter are the majority."

Lu Shi glanced at him,

"Actually, it's physiologically affected."

Poincaré was surprised,

"Physical?"

Lu Shi did not explain in detail.

With the current level of development of brain science, there is no room for him to say more.

There is no brain science!

Lu Shi spread his hands,

"What I'm thinking about now is Professor Monson."

Roland nodded and said: "I have always been puzzled before, always wondering why a historian with such a high status cares so much about fame. Today, after meeting Mr. Ibsen, I realized... Sigh... maybe I will be like that in the future. .”

This is an accurate prediction.

Lu Shi thought,

King Edward VII said,

“If you can’t figure out the problem itself, can’t you figure out the person who asked the question?”

But Monson...

If he really acted according to the idea of ​​"solving the person who raised the problem" and turned Monson into a paranoid, things would be very troublesome.

Being criticized by a well-established historian in journals and magazines every now and then is a big headache just thinking about it.

For most scholars, this is not a bad thing;

For example, during the Republic of China, which scholar was not scolded?

If you don't get scolded, it means you can't get on the stage!

But Lu Shi was different.

He is not an ordinary scholar;

From media to entertainment,

From university trustee to poll controller,

The industry is very big.

How can there be time to argue with people?

Lu Shi muttered:

"I'm not that confused yet..."

Because the voice was relatively quiet, Poincaré and Roland did not hear it clearly.

Poincaré asked: "Professor Lu, what did you say?"

Lu Shi waved his hand and looked at the sky.

"Let's go back in the carriage first."

After being reminded like this, Poincaré felt cold again, crossed his arms and said, "That's right, let's go back and have a drink to warm ourselves up, and take a look at your new book by the way."