Chapter after-2: Author's thoughts
At the end of the end, it is time for my thoughts on the completion of this novel.
Once, I thought there would be countless things I want to say. There is gratitude, and also resentment-towards lack of understanding, towards misunderstandings and speculation, criticism without even having read it, unable to understand and thus scolding.
I even thought about making a thesis-style rebuttal towards a few sorts of viewpoints that I once tolerated.
Yet, as I sit here at this moment, feeling tipsy from the wine, beginning to write it at 4pm. I suddenly found that all that is not important, is not stifling, does not get me down...there is also no need to explain it.
I think that this is my growth.
There are many regrets in this novel, many parts that were not written well. Therefore, since the novel is already completed, I hope you dearest, adorable people...can we remember those good times and the feels?
Even if you have shed tears.
Let us...
Remember Little Xiang Ning skipping in, in their first meeting once more; remember you already having chosen me in my previous life, and the prank on Valentine's Day that shocked Uncle and everyone; Also, the headstrong, stubborn girl retorting her Mum and Dad, asking her why they were still raising the price; remember that she has natural Fuxi bones, yet actually her actual good life is because of her sunlight and ocean-like personality; In two lifetimes, she waited for the same person, not knowing the date he might return yet not hesitating;
Remember that there is a type of brothers called Xu Tingsheng, Fu Cheng and Huang Yaming;
Remember Old Zhou who poured water for students in cloth shoes, loving to sing Beijing opera when in high spirits;
Remember Xu Tingsheng and his junior spending fourteen uneventful days and nights in the quarantine area during SARS; From Libei to Qingbei, ever waiting, and that I actually wish you were very useless. I'd still want you, anyway...also, junior tied him a white hair knot;
Remember Mr Xu who is like a mountain, the Xu family's fireworks on New Year's Eve; once, Mr Xu and his son raced to see who was faster;
Remember that infinitely alluring Apple, she who sent Xu Tingsheng to school; on the day they distributed flyers, she as she stood in the snow;
Remember Fang Chen who captured the hearts of all, and targeted all;
Remember that performance at the school anniversary of Xinyan Junior High, Xu Tingsheng wishing Little Xiang Ning happy birthday.
Remember Fang Yuqing charging a long, long way to propose, Yu Qing unwilling to say it for four years but calling him hubby when he was most destitute;
Remember Old Wai who, stained all over in blood, protected Li Linlin behind him;
Remember Lu Zhixin giving a scarf and confessing before the dormitory building and that football match in which Xu Tingsheng became Yanzhou University's hero for the first time; remember Lu Zhixin drinking wine to the point of internal bleeding for two hundred thousand a glass
Remember Zhang Xingke, from enemy to friend, a friendship of a sixty percent full glass; also, his mighty life in which he can only be the CEO; he said that the road to becoming a Buddha is first raising the blade of slaughter;
Remember Fu Cheng having a crush in senior high, the night he stood guard outside Ms Fang's door and refused to enter, him kneeling on the podium at Libei Senior High, the songs he sang on stage, the words he said; he was the All-citizen Nanny-dad;
Remember Ms Fang's choice, Fu Cheng at Dujiangyan, the pitiful and adorable Niannian;
Remember the little hoodlum Li Wan'er fell in love with, remember her saying that if I can choose, I will go with you. I don't eat much, anyway; remember how many times they said 'we're even'
Remember Lil' Bro's gentleness, how some people are always right in how they love another;
Remember Li Xingming saying what the heck does this old man need love for;
Remember Tan Yao's life that was short but brilliant like fireworks;
Remember Tongtong's life in which she did not have a choice;
Remember the wound Chen Jianxing was unable to mend, the rage and vengeance of this man;
Remember the most charming pair of Old Jin and Little Jinshan; Bingzhou's Jin Twenty-four, ruthless and never erring; that devilish son of his;
Remember Huang Yaming who will never look back from his philandering ways, going from first bastard to charming magnate; he does not have much conscience, a great majority of it having been given to his lifetime brother, Xu Tingsheng;
Oh, right. There's still someone, Xishan Tower's Xu Tingsheng.
He may be one of the least domineering male leads in rebirth web novels. Maybe to the end of the novel, his accomplishments were not as great as you imagined; maybe he always made you feel despondent, because he always felt that he could take care of everyone, bearing everything on his shoulders. And how he actually devoted his life to doting on a little girl to the heavens; and also...a lot.
Let's not talk about him anymore.
There are still many more. I'm drunk and can't recall them...still, as long as someone, somewhere has once moved you, I feel grateful and happy.
At the end of the end, the most important sentence:
Thank you for this meeting. I told a story, and you all were listening. I hope I have moved you.
***
I replied to every comment in the evaluation section for the first few months. Afterwards, my replies became fewer. Sorry, everyone, but actually, I still definitely read every one of them.
I remember having said before that Uncle is a wilful person, wilful to the point that I can lose well-paying, stable jobs time and time again, wilful to the point that I had an advantage in the ranking, but told the examiner for the third question of the public servant interview that I was actually just there to play.
Therefore, it is really a tough miracle that this novel could persist throughout!
It's because of these people down below.
c5game炊烟 (An earthen immortal who doesn't speak much, complaining that my content is fillery every once in a while. I remember correctly, right?)
含笑半步癫70575 (Human immortal, all comments are praise for me, haha)
寂寞大血崩 (We live so close. The wine we agreed on, I'll go look for you when we both have time)
fa黎 (The friend who suddenly appeared and threw 2000 down before leaving in the most difficult stages of my novel. I owe you a mass release, I owe you thanks.)
iceˋcream (Take good care of yourself in America)
(Yanshan Night Talk) 燕山夜话1226 (There's a character in the novel named Shao Yanshan. I don't know which of us is older, but because of those encouragements, I'm used to addressing you as older brother)
ernest. (A fraternity chief who's never said a word to me at all. Just so domineering)
eswxs (A real life friend...the guy who brought me into the pool of web novels. While you swindled back the money for fraternity chief, you really took my starting. You've got to write well! I will recommend everyone to read it.)
听说要下雨 (Someone I'm really grateful to. Still, one of your evaluations really disrupted my tempo, sob)
miterl (Frequently rewarding me, not speaking often)
云开霖雨 (A friend who likes Zhang Xingke, approving of my forging of his character)
wy大男孩 (A longtime friend, many comments. I read all your comments tonight)
谦晋泰临 (Evaluating my novel highly, supporting me on important matters. I'm very grateful)
时光冲淡一切 (Thank you for creating that group before)
张小刀3826081 (May your business prosper! A godlike person who earns money based on discerning vision)
快更新呗 (Just how many IDs have you changed)
(Uncle Qiaoqiao who loves honey)爱蜂蜜的乔乔大叔 (That's Uncle Black Bear)
(Novel group) 书友群2927910 (The group created by 时光)
夜的影传说是白昼 (How's your life in university?)
池藻 (Come back and take a look when you're done with all your business. The novel's complete.)
(Long live Xiang Ning's faction) 项凝党万万万万岁 (I remember the war between you lot with the same series of names, haha)
艾涤生 (A friend who provided a high evaluation, even though you seem to like another author better, ha)
(I am Xiang Ning's faction) 我是项凝党 (The one above above says long live you)
为你不可取代 (It's been a long time. Thank you for your former support. If not for you guys initially, I couldn't have written until now)
许oo (Are you the one who looked for me on QQ?)
(Xiao Hua is a good student) 小花是个好同学 (Xiao Hua's identity is still a mystery even now! A very popular reader.)
转身已陌路46349 (Someone from the beginning, my sub-moderator. I really must thank you a lot for having reached this point)
安子轩轩轩丶 (A friend who gave me a lot of support from the beginning)
骁骑校 (A fan of 校长 who gave me a lot of encouragement)
野性入骨.25242 (The first 18 yuan red packet, I remember. Those encouragements, I remember)
你的大白 (You are as warm as your name. Thank you, thank you for always having been here)
朴小暖 (Take good care of yourself overseas, girl)
empty77888 (It's been a long time. Are you still here?)
景观陈 (Likes Old Jin and his son. I really want to write about them too)
(I'm indeed a bastard, right) 我果然是个混蛋吧 (No you aren't)
赟赟赟赟赟 (Apple's Chinese name is Cen Xiyu. Are you still here?)
威灵顿公爵 (A friend who came over from the pirated version to throw red packets. This isn't the pirated version anymore, right. Haha)
(I am your Big Bro Gu) 我是你谷哥 (Big Bro Gu should be younger than me. Still, during this toughest period of this time, thank you for often appearing. I didn't reply often, but I read it all)
听风念故人丶 (We didn't interact, but thank you)
纯良有欲 (Right, the novel is over. Thank you for persisting till the end)
可乐加冰块520 (It's been a long time. Are you still here? Thank you for that period of time)
笔尖未止,青春待续 (An author, huh. We can interact if we have the chance! Late nights harm the body, take care of your health.)
(Dumpling kid) 饺子子 (Big dumpling used to have a harem in the group)
秋风吹过77 (I hope everything goes well for you)
finback (A wilful friend who only gave red packets when I wrote about Xiang Ning)
一盒周幸
黄金捣蛋 (Heavens, an author friend who gave me so much support for so long but never once asked me to promote his novel; For friends who are interested in the supernatural genre, you can search his name and go see!)
书145987199
zllzygzk
睡什么觉
青山玉姑娘
zzzwq
coffeecat4
额额小荷叶
喜项为凝
守侯你长大
x131452011
马大帅帅帅帅
ic30055635
原谅我的温柔
随风飘扬的老司机
重生之等她长大
长大的孩子78006
嘻嘻64897138
蔡菜菜蔡
黑色虎鲨
帅的小分队
海与王尔德
启友此礼
用户ru3f5
奥发87816478
李祥1992123
fshyn
siimple
陌路情缘1
秋叶空蝉
阿画画
花楼老板
银眸仙仙
许老幺也是可以
喃喃的傀儡
虚空deva
若此世唯爱秀晶
聚散沉浮
゛未来つ
迷茫小易
折翼的老喵
yzn1107
小翼
不凡造我
少年如此机智
冰清芽瑠724971
图图是个大好人
与世界素昧平生
ヾ 难绘虚妄.难解惆
叶子中书
怒龙1
小小流风
许凤年
I'm too tired. I can't comment for everyone...
There are still many friends, here and on other official mediums. Sorry, due to the namelist, I can't type so much...thank you. It's precisely because every one of you subscribed, rewarded me with even just one yuan, that I could shoulder the responsibility, feeling grateful and writing to the end.
At the end of the end, the most important sentence:
Thank you that we met. I told a story, and you all were listening. I hope I have moved you.
***
I posted this in the chapters hoping that friends reading elsewhere will be able to see it too. Otherwise, those websites won't upload this. So, don't misunderstand!
Goodbye for now. For the time being, I'll be replying to story evaluations, Weibo and chatting. I'll go to sleep first.
...........................................
I'll be shameless (is it?) and write down my own (translator's) thoughts on the novel's completion too.
I started out on this novel 2 years back with this guy called nym. Novel licensing issues was one aspect-HSSB which I was translating at the time was not licensed and subject to DMCAs and stuff. We had also signed some contracts with a few Chinese ReadNovelFull websites like 17k which this novel is from. So I convinced nym (ha) that translating a ReadNovelFull would be mildly profitable (which was not the case) and thus worth it. We started translating. He stopped. I continued at my own pace which was (at least in my opinion) a little crazy and admirable in my first year.
During the process, stuff happened and I seriously wondered if I would be able to see this novel through. I stopped at some points...Still, as is obvious from me writing this, I've lived to see this through. Great.
I won't be translating anything new right away. The reason is that what seems to be my final semester of university (early graduation) is coming up. I might want to maintain my GPA which I have basically let float around however it wants. I also have to think about what to do in the future. Just now I thought all of a sudden that writing stories for games might be nice. So, I may want to do something to get a 'portfolio' this semester. I've translated for 40 hours a week in my very first university semester before, so I doubt I'll have not enough time to do extra stuff in a week's time starting(exactly).
I'm going off topic. I'm gonna quickly go back to the novel and finish up.
To summarise: Meh happy that meh finished. Mehbe eat pizza soon. Big thank you to all this great people who read meh TL.
Ignore that, I went back to some old habits. But seriously, I have to say that I translated this novel for all of you, all you people reading it. It seriously felt for me, at least, that as long as there is just one person reading this TL, I feel encouraged to finish the rest of it to bring this story which I seriously think is good for them to read. And I have been reading all the comments for quite some time-I feel happy whenever there are more and perhaps I would reply if I'm not lazy (and bad) at technology and probably terrible at thinking of stuff to say.
Finally, about the novel itself. It's about the feels. It gets you, hard. One part that is a bit more memorable for me, off hand, is Fang Yuqing's wedding. As the author has said, the MC is not OP. (Personally, I do not like full-blown OP MCs). The author tried to incorporate a sense of realism in this novel (though I personally feel that having so many potential wife candidates is the most unrealistic thing in this novel, ha). I feel that this sense of realism is the biggest thing in this novel. One can tell that it is written by someone who has experienced many things in life and likes to evoke nostalgic, emotional feelings (though sometimes one cannot relate). I ultimately hope that people could have been enlightened by it, see through life, better
achieving
Eudaimonia.
Until we meet again?
Dear readers, this meeting was a marvelous, meh-in-no-way-at-all fate.