咖啡师的手账残页 Remnants of a Barista's Handbook

从某本秘密手账上脱落下来的手写活页。 A handwritten page from a secret book.

【3月20日 周一】

Monday, March 20th

客观地说，我这种人是最纯粹的小说家，只想看到什么就写什么，把我所见所得通通写到小说里，而不是为了生计到处奔波。要不是看在亲戚一场，我真的不想来咖啡馆帮忙。

Objectively speaking, people like me are novelists in the purest sense. I don't write for money. I write whatever comes to mind. Everything I've seen and all my experiences from traveling are reflected in my novels. If it wasn't for family, I really wouldn't be helping out at the cafe.

【3月21日 周二】

Tuesday, March 21st

今天来的顾客基本都是小情侣，其中有一对有点奇怪，那个男的一直在跟女的大谈自己「白手起家创业史」，尬吹了老半天，那个女的居然也不嫌弃。我站在柜台前听了很久，腰疼死了，本来还想找什么写作灵感，笑死，根本找不到。

The customers today were basically all young couples. There was one curious pair. The man was yakking on to the woman about his history of "starting a business from scratch." It was so awkward, but the lady seemed to enjoy it. I stood in front of the counter and listened in for a long time until my back hurt. I was trying to look for some inspiration, but there was laughably none to be found.

【3月24日 周五】

Friday, March 24th

连续两次都是那个女顾客买单，看衣着打扮多半也是女富男穷。虽说爱情的本质并非嫌贫爱富，但这种家境差距的故事，用来当作小说素材是再好不过了。一个富裕但纯情的姑娘，一个贫穷但别有用心的情场浪子，爱情在谎言中生根发芽。

Two times in a row, it was the lady who paid the bill. And judging from their clothes, she was rich, and he wasn't. While the nature of love does not discriminate based on wealth, the "rich girl, poor guy" trope is excellent writing material. A rich but innocent girl meets a poor loaf with an ulterior motive. Love takes root from the seed of lies.

「她沉浸在这幻梦里，全然不顾轻易得之的美梦背后暗藏的虚假。这可能是她青春里第一次有人愿意这样耐心地与她说话，对爱情的幻想和渴望，与来自家庭的束缚挤压在一起。哪怕只在咖啡厅里见过两次，她已完全沉溺在这莫大的苍白的快乐里，不知所形。她甚至不会怀疑这是一场骗局，因为在她迄今为止的生命里，别人连欺骗她的兴趣都提不起来，更何况欺骗是要以时间为成本的。」

"She was immersed in this fantasy, completely ignoring the falsehood it concealed. This may be the first time in her youth that someone is willing to talk to her so patiently. Her fantasy and thirst for love, and the shackles of her family that bind her have now come so closely together. Even though they have only met twice in the café, she is already at a loss, completely absorbed this great white bliss. So much so that she would not doubt that this was all an elaborate ruse. Because up till now, no one else has even had the thought of deceiving her. Not to mention, deception also costs precious time."

【3月26日 周日】

Sunday, March 26th

那对情侣第三次来咖啡厅，叫「比尔」的男的带了文件让女的参股投资。可怜的姑娘，没见过人心的险恶，不懂得拒绝，被不怀好意的浪子玩弄于股掌之间。

The couple came to the cafe for the third time, and the man named "Bill" brought the girl some papers — documents to invest her family's wealth in. The poor girl, who has never seen the dark side of the human heart, does not know how to refuse, and is played like a fiddle by the cunning loaf.

「这份投资书无时无刻不在戏谑着玩弄着她的羞耻心，警醒着她期待的恋爱永远不可以僭越某条界限。面对无由来的示好，早已形成深入骨髓的应激回应，除了红着脸点头，她什么也无法拒绝。即使生长在优渥的环境里，她也甚至从未期望过社会的宽容与善意。」

"The investment document incessantly tugs at her shame, a constant reminder that the love she longs so dearly for can never overcome a certain line. Faced with such a sudden advancement, she is struck to the bone with nervousness. All she could muster were a few shy nods, unable to refuse anything. Even though she grew up in a generous environment, she never expected the tolerance and goodwill of society."

小说的大纲写完了，估计过一两个月我就能完稿。

The novel's outline is complete, and I estimate that I should be able to finish it in a month or two.

【4月3日 周一】

Monday, April 3rd

铁卫的人过来说裂界会很快侵蚀到边缘通路这边，让我通知店主做好搬迁的准备。有点可惜，我最近才刚喜欢上咖啡厅的生活。我喜欢那种认真研磨咖啡豆、精心冲调却只能泡出一团苦涩浆糊的感觉，很讽刺却又无可奈何，就像大多数人的人生一样。

Some Silvermane Guards came and said that the Fragmentum's corrosion will soon spread to Backwater Pass, and that I should tell the cafe owner to prepare to move. It's a pity that I've only recently started to like the life at the cafe. I love the feeling of carefully grinding coffee beans and meticulously brewing, only to come up with a bitter lump of paste. Ironic and helpless, just like most people's lives.

【4月4日 周二】

Tuesday, April 4th

那对情侣差不多有一周没来了吧，也许是候车广场那边已经不通车的原因。「深情是一桩悲剧」这是众所周知的事，所以就用悲剧来给新书结尾好了。

The couple hasn't been here for almost a week. Maybe it's because the transport hub has been closed to traffic. That "Love is tragedy" is something everyone knows. So, let's end the new book with a tragedy.

【4月5日 周三】

Wednesday, April 5th

那对情侣今天居然来了，没点咖啡，只要了一杯热水。那个女的哭了一场，说父亲知道了他们的事把她的经济来源给断了，现在自己连饭都吃不起。比尔拿了笔钱给她，让她去酒店住几天再给父亲认个错。这个比尔一看就是老手，不像新手，钓鱼总舍不得下鱼饵。

The couple actually came today. They didn't order coffee, just a cup of hot water. The woman cried a lot. It seemed that her father had cut her off after knowing about them, and now she can't even afford to eat. Bill gave her some money to stay at a hotel for a few days before going back to make amends with her father. This Bill is no novice. He's playing the long game.

【4月7日 周五】

Friday, April 7th

周围的商铺都已经搬得差不多了，咖啡馆里收拾完了还得去广场管理处那边办退租手续。没想到我在那里见到了比尔，那家伙在跟广场管理处的人哭诉，说什么自己被开发商家的大小姐骗钱了，但管理处的人说那个叫「拉雯妮」的女孩只是个房产中介，根本不是什么老板的女儿。哈？还有这种事？人生起起伏伏真是太有意思了，远比小说要精彩。

The surrounding shops are almost all done moving. After cleaning up, I had to go to the Plaza's Management Office to go through the procedures of ending the rent. I didn't expect to see Bill there. The guy was crying to the people at the Management Office about how he was cheated by the young lady of the developer's house. But the people at the Management Office said that the girl named "Lavonne" was just a real estate agent. She wasn't the boss's daughter. Ha? Wouldn't you know? Truth really is stranger than fiction.

【4月9日 周日】

Sunday, April 9th

还有一箱糖，四箱户外家具没搬走。累晕了，舅舅真的抠门，怎么不请人搬，非要自己来。哎，我的手稿都还没装订好，但愿不会落下什么东西。

There is still a box of candy, and four boxes of outdoor furniture that have not been removed. Despite all his tiredness, my uncle can still be so stingy. Why didn't he ask for help? He just had to come by himself. Oops, I realized I haven't bound my manuscripts yet. Hopefully nothing gets left behind.