novelonline Chapter 2591: Xiao Xiao Down (75)
Chapter 2591: Xiao Xiao Down (75)
Chapter 2591 Xiao Xiao Down (Seventy-five)
The next morning, Schiller did not drive his own car, but called Killer Croc to come over, and they drove the truck to the second-hand market.
Because there were so many things to buy, such as tents and awnings, which could not be put in a small car, a small truck was required to transport them. Schiller did not plan to make many trips and planned to buy everything at once.
As soon as Killer Croc got out of the car, he gave Schiller a hug and said, "I thought you wouldn't call me. I've been sad for a long time, Professor."
Schiller looked at him with an inquiring look, and Killer Croc said, "You don't know how popular the logo you drew is. People are still talking about the Crocodile Moving Company. They don't know my name, but they know that I'm a crocodile that can move."
After that, Killer Croc did a standard crocodile shaking his head and tail, then laughed and said, "When I heard that you were going to have a camping party, I knew you would definitely need me. If you didn't ask me to go and spent money to find other porters, I would be sad and cry."
Schiller was not used to his enthusiasm, so he just smiled and said nothing. The two got in the car together and soon drove to the second-hand market.
As soon as Killer Croc got out of the car, he hugged Martin again. Martin patted his broad back and said, "You came early, man. A few days ago, someone asked me where the crocodile that you said could move was."
"I didn't make the renovation deal last time. I was so ashamed that I didn't dare come here for several days..."
"What's this?" Martin said something in Spanish that seemed to be a proverb from his hometown, and then said, "We all know that the old man asked for too high a price. A bunch of junkers dared to sell it at such a high price. Fortunately, the matter was resolved smoothly in the end. Come on, I'll take you to the camping supplies area."
They walked all the way to the camping supplies area. In the United States, camping is a very common social activity, so there are a wide variety of things here, much more than Schiller had imagined.
When Martin heard about the camping party, he started counting on his fingers, "If you want to invite hundreds of people, you'll need two super-large marquees, like this one."
Martin pointed out to Schiller that the so-called canopy is actually a tent with cloth that does not touch the ground. The cloth is supported by several poles to block the head, usually to block wind and sunlight.
"And then there's this." Martin patted the long table next to him and said, "One table can seat 30 people, so three tables are enough."
"There weren't that many people. I think there wouldn't be more than 60 people in the end."
"Then we need two tables, and the matching chairs, as well as nails, fixing ropes, and shovels..."
Martin glanced at Schiller and said, "You are not very good at outdoor activities, right? Although the weather is not too cold and the sun is shining, the wind is very strong. If you don't use nails to fix the table and stools, they will definitely be blown away."
Martin then introduced a lot of odds and ends, like thermoses, heated cushions, ashtrays, and so on, all of which Schiller had a vague impression of but didn't really remember buying.
Martin was very familiar with the owner here. After selecting the items, he started to bargain and finally got everything at an astonishingly low price.
Then they went to the fishing tackle area. Schiller said, "I don't know what activities there are in the camping area, but I think the fishing is good. There is a great stream next to the camping site. There should be a lot of people who know how to fish with lures, right?"
"Yes, but you can't just prepare this, Professor." Killer Croc said, "Not everyone likes to be quiet like you. Many of us prefer to move around. How about playing Frisbee?"
"We have to have poker too." Martin snapped his fingers and said, "No one can resist a couple of rounds of Texas Hold'em before the barbecue. Oh, we haven't bought the blankets we prepared for the ladies yet. Don't worry, we can find some in the fishing tackle area."
"Don't you need to prepare some newspapers and magazines?"
"Of course not, Professor. You can't read a newspaper alone in a situation like this. Promise me you won't do that, okay?" Killer Croc said sincerely, "You will be seen as a freak."
"It's been like this for a while."
Killer Croc gave a puzzled look and said, "Do you think you are an alien, Professor?"
"Maybe it's the opposite of you." Schiller still expressed his feelings, "I look more like a normal human being, but in fact I'm not. For example, I can't ask this question so directly."
"But that's not abnormal." Killer Croc shook his head and said, "If someone hesitates to speak to me, indicating that he has a question to ask me but doesn't know how to ask it, I would just think that he is introverted or slow to warm up, but I wouldn't think he is weird."
"So what's different about reading a newspaper at a party?"
"You won't be attracted by those interesting things?" Killer Croc said, "Can you really calm down and read the newspaper when everyone is either concentrating on fishing, playing poker or chatting enthusiastically?"
Schiller wanted to answer, "Of course I can, because I am annoyed and find it all very noisy and completely disrupts the rhythm of my life," but he thought about it and didn't say it out loud.
"Does it make you unhappy to play with other people?" Killer Croc asked again, "Do you like to be alone?"
Schiller nodded.
"Then why have a party?"
Schiller opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Come on, it's not like everyone in this world has to have a party when they move," Killer Croc said. "If you want to let someone know you've moved, write them a letter and tell them your new address."
"Wouldn't they find it rude?"
"Then you could write 'I don't like parties, so you're not invited.' Given your usual style, I wouldn't be surprised to receive a letter like that."
"Don't you think I'm a freak?"
"You obviously don't want to play with everyone, but you insist on gathering people together. It's even weirder that you're reading a newspaper." Killer Croc said, "It's a bit like a faulty program. It was running in one direction one second, and it had to change its track the next second. It's so weird."
Seeing Schiller's slightly complicated expression, Killer Croc said, "Do you think we won't allow you to express your true feelings? Will we stop considering you as a friend just because you're an introvert and don't want to host or attend all the parties?"
Schiller didn't know, because he didn't know how strong the connection he had made with others was, and whether that strength would allow him to express his true feelings.
"No, professor, of course we won't, no matter if you have established a strong connection with us." As if Killer Croc was the one who could read minds, he said: "A smart person should allow others to dislike a certain group, a certain lifestyle, or even choose darkness and loneliness in an incredible way."
"Because humans cannot understand each other, they must have their reasons for doing this. If you can't understand, you should choose to respect it." Killer Croc added jokingly, "Of course, it must be within the scope permitted by law and morality."
"Of course, if you throw a big party but sit there alone reading a newspaper, we will just think you are weird. This weirdness comes from not understanding how you can't be attracted by the excitement, but we don't express it, which means we respect this behavior."
"The thoughts of ordinary people are not necessarily consistent with the choices of the general public. We have all learned to call it our personality when we go against the choices of the general public, rather than trying to live up to the average of this society. That is the real abnormality."
Schiller seemed to understand something. He said: "Because ordinary people often have their own personalities, they cannot live up to the average and are unwilling to do so, so the society they build is very tolerant of this."
"We even encourage it." Killer Croc said, "Otherwise, how could mediocrity become a slightly derogatory word? We all want to have a prominent personality and live a life different from others."
"I pursue the ordinary, and you pursue the unique." Schiller concluded: "So if I want to be truly ordinary, I should retain my uniqueness."
"Yes, Professor, in my opinion, there is nothing special about you." Killer Croc scratched his head and said, "Although I haven't known you for a long time, I think you are nothing special except that you are a little serious sometimes. But considering that you are a teacher, it is normal for you to have dignity."
"Even if I announce that the camping party is cancelled?"
"We were actually surprised that you would hold this party." Killer Croc grinned and said, "It's not surprising that you canceled it now, but you've already spent so much money, wouldn't it be a big loss if you don't hold it?"
Schiller nodded and said, “Speaking of money, would it be weird if I didn’t pursue money like the average person?”
"Who says that ordinary people are chasing after money?" Killer Croc raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, "Although I haven't read many books, aren't there many people in the books who cannot be lusted after by wealth?"
Killer Croc looked at Schiller and said, "So you want to pretend to be a normal person to make money? Is it really not because you have no money?"
Schiller remained silent.
It's true that he has no money, but the salary of a professor at Gotham University is not low, and he doesn't spend much money, so who can he blame for his lack of money?
When Schiller thought of the pile of fancy custom-made suits in his closet, he sighed deeply in his heart.
But in the process of choosing a fishing rod, Schiller carefully thought about what Killer Croc said, and combined with his recent experience, he found that what Killer Croc said made sense.
Schiller has always been pursuing to live like an average, ordinary person. It is like if 100 out of 80 people make this choice, then Schiller will also make this choice, because this is most like an ordinary person.
But in reality, the lives of ordinary people are not like this. They may be one of these 80 people one moment, and become one of the 20 the next. They are the majority in the former choice, and the minority in the latter choice.
And they are a minority not because they are stupid, but just because of their character.
They are living beings with souls, not pieces of paper counted by some algorithm. They cannot be compared above or below an average because they are neither willing nor able to be averaged.
But this is the charm of ordinary people. Their lives have ups and downs, which they cannot predict and are not completely interfered with by others. In the society they have established, everyone fully understands such situations.
Just like a person who is late for work because of a traffic accident on the road, his colleagues will not blame him for not looking at the transportation bureau's road plan a year in advance.
In their opinion, what Batman did, like checking the transportation bureau's road plans a year in advance so that he would never be late, was really crazy.
This kind of understanding and tolerance is extremely beautiful. It is a treasure that Schiller experienced in his youth but could not understand, and was willing to spend the rest of his life pursuing.
Killer Croc saw Schiller holding the fishing rod and staring blankly, so he waved his hand in front of him and asked, "What's wrong, Professor?"
"nothing."
Schiller smiled slowly, and if there were people here who knew him well, they would realize that this smile meant that someone was about to get into bad luck.
I'm back. I'm back.