Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 876 Win More
Later, Cheng Yongxin, the editor-in-chief of *Harvest* magazine—yes, the one who appeared on the reading program with Yu Hua—after witnessing the growth and changes of writers such as Yu Hua, Su Tong, Ge Fei, Wang Shuo, Ma Yuan, Bei Cun, and Sun Ganlu, said something when recalling the emergence and development of literature in the 80s:

"These are all related to the tradition of Harvest Magazine and the tone set by Ba Jin. What does an editor do? In Ba Jin's simplest words, it is to produce people and works, so you need to have an inclusive and open mind to face new things."

So in the 1980s, it wasn't that we unearthed a group of so-called avant-garde writers, but rather that the times had reached a point where young people pursuing various writing styles emerged.

Around 80, literary creation was still very rigid, unable to shake off the chill and constraints of a windy day. As a result, for a considerable period of time, the background of literary creation was fixed within those ten-odd years.

In short, the established writers are afraid to write, and the new writers haven't emerged yet.

The idea that "the pen is more powerful than the gun," which was later believed to exist, did not exist in these years, and most writers did not even dare to think about it.

The main concern is getting into trouble.

This is one of the reasons why scars have become popular.

The model is simple, easy to achieve results, and avoids causing trouble, naturally attracting countless people to imitate it.

It was precisely at this point in time that Chen Fan wrote something unique, which enabled him to stand out in the literary world and become unparalleled in popularity.

It wasn't until a group of young people emerged that this literary stalemate was broken a few years later, creating a new era of "new literature".

It was only after this group of young people emerged that the "literary golden age" of the 8s and 90s came about.

Of course, Ba Jin didn't know that a "new era of literature" would emerge in the next few years, but he was very clear about the current situation.

Many veteran writers, including himself, have stopped writing new things. On the one hand, they are no longer able to write, and on the other hand, they are worried about it.

Anyone who's involved in creative work knows that if you're afraid of everything, you won't produce anything worthwhile.

Therefore, they all know in their hearts that liberating minds and promoting the flourishing of literature and art ultimately depends on young people.

However, how to guide young people to liberate their minds and promote the flourishing of literature and art is a significant challenge.

Ba Jin's original idea was to "produce talent and produce works," striving to cultivate a new generation of young writers. This idea was certainly correct; otherwise, the later flourishing of "New Era Literature" would not have occurred.

However, for those who "cannot see the future," even the best ideas are just vague notions.

At this moment, Chen Fan's words provided him with the clearest solution.

That is "original restoration" and "differential diversion".

Mr. Ba lit a cigarette, his eyes full of thought, and said as he pondered, "Your suggestion is excellent and very timely. Although the National Congress of Literary and Art Workers proposed to emancipate the mind, take root among the people, and promote the prosperity of literature and art, there are basically many different opinions on how to do it, and there is no unified opinion."

The biggest problem now is that art and literature are subject to too many and too great restrictions.

Your proposal of 'returning to the essence' means letting art return to its original purpose, to the origin, and to start anew. This requires 'divergent flow'.

"Different directions mean different paths; only by advancing in multiple directions can we achieve diversity in art and literature..."

Chen Fan, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and a cup of tea in his hand, watched as Ba Jin rambled on and on, producing a "paper" in the blink of an eye, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.

So is this the academic attitude of an excellent scholar?
Give him an inspiration, and he'll give you several papers in return?

After speaking at length and taking a large gulp of tea, Ba Jin turned to look at him and said, "I will write an article about the development of literature and art, and it will be co-authored by both of us. Do you have any other good ideas to add?"

Chen Fan put down his teacup and chuckled twice. "There's no need to write my name on it, I was just saying it casually. As for other ideas, I don't have any for now."

He genuinely didn't care about the attribution; his greatest contribution was just those eight words. Besides, many of the things Mr. Buffett mentioned earlier were things he hadn't considered. If it really came down to attribution, he was actually the one who benefited.

Ba Jin frowned. "What's yours is yours. Do you think I would take advantage of you for such a small thing? The reason I'm the one organizing it instead of you writing it yourself is because you're not qualified enough to 'control' it."

Although you can be considered the leading young writer, and even better than many veterans, you've only been in the literary world for a few years, so some of the older writers won't take your arguments too seriously.

This matter concerns the development of the entire literary world, and even the entire arts community; no amount of attention is too much. Therefore, having me publish it under my name will ensure everyone takes it seriously.

He paused for a moment, then said, "You don't need to worry about this matter. But when you have some free time, you might as well attend a few symposiums for young writers. If you have this idea, you can inspire more people. In the end, it will be beneficial to the literary world and to yourself."

Chen Fan immediately accepted the offer humbly, "Okay."

He humbly accepts the criticism, but he's incorrigible; he'll never attend any forums again. He doesn't even want to attend the Jiangnan Writers Association's working meetings—why would he want to cause trouble for himself?!
Old Ba had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing that he readily agreed, he nodded in satisfaction and then asked, "When did you come to Shanghai? Did you go to the Shanghai Film Studio?"

Chen Fan: "I came today. I was tidying up the house at home this afternoon, and I came to see you as soon as I had some free time."

Mr. Ba smiled and said, "It's good to come and visit when you have time. I always hear something new when I chat with you."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "When you have some free time, you might want to visit the Shanghai Film Studio. They've already adapted 'Where the Flowers Bloom' into a screenplay, and they've chosen a director..."

At this point, he suddenly paused, creating suspense, "Do you know who the director is?"

Chen Fan blinked and laughed, "It can't be Xie Jin, can it?"

Xie Jin was also an employee of the Shanghai Film Studio. He joined the studio in 1953 and worked there for more than 60 years.

However, this employee was no ordinary person; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the Shanghai Film Studio's prized asset, and even the studio leaders had to respect his opinions.

Although Director Xie had never met Chen Fan, they had collaborated once.

Chen Fan's first film adaptation, "The Ferryman," was directed by Xie Jin, and the script was personally adapted by Xia Lao. He can be said to have worked closely with these two big names.

It seems that only this legendary director could be treated with such seriousness by Buffett.

Sure enough, Ba Jin laughed and nodded. "It's Xie Jin. He attaches great importance to this film, personally reviewed the script, and wants to meet with you to discuss his ideas for filming the script."

Chen Fan clicked his tongue and said, "When we were filming 'The Ferryman' last time, he didn't talk to me about the script at all."

Ba Jin said irritably, "Back then you were just a greenhorn. Although you wrote the work, who can guarantee it wasn't just luck? Besides, The Ferryman is a story about the water towns of Jiangnan. Director Xie knows much more about this than you do. Why would he need to ask for your opinion? If you want to talk, you should talk to the screenwriter, Lao Xia."

Now you're different. You've been writing one great work after another, especially last year's "Small Town People," which spans thirty years and features more than twenty important characters, each vivid and lively. The social changes are also depicted in great detail. In terms of writing style, you've already developed a maturity that rivals that of established writers of the older generation.

In addition, you have also directed two films, which were very successful, so you can be considered a qualified filmmaker.

at last,……"

Mr. Ba pointed at him and said with a serious face, "You have personally been to the Southwest, so you naturally know the situation there very well, which is also crucial."

Given a combination of factors, Director Xie's willingness to discuss filmmaking with you demonstrates the rigorous attitude expected of a qualified filmmaker. It would be inappropriate not to discuss it.

Chen Fan nodded. "Understood. I'll go there tomorrow and have a good talk with Director Xie."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "When I went to record the film industry gala last time, Wu Haiyan asked me for help, hoping to put in a good word with the director to get her the lead role. Knowing Director Xie's temper, I probably won't have the chance to put in a good word for her."

Old Ba hummed twice and laughed, "That's really hard to say. I know that young lady Wu Haiyan. She starred in your 'Love in the Clouds and Lakes,' right? It wouldn't hurt for you to make a suggestion. As for whether it will be adopted, that depends on Director Xie's own opinion."

The two chatted for a while longer, when suddenly Ba Jin remembered something and looked at Chen Fan, asking, "That's not right. You went to the Southwest and gave Jiang Tiantian enough material to write several novels, but what about your own works?"

Chen Fan scratched his head and said with a troubled expression, "I really don't have time."

As he spoke, he counted on his fingers, "Filming 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain' was assigned by my third master. After completing the tasks assigned by Professor Xu, this film was the highest priority."

Before finishing, I collected a lot of material, including the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Liberation War, and the Korean War. I promised several retired veterans that I would write novels about them.

Then, Takahashi Publishing House, which is in charge of the small book, has signed an agreement with the Jiangnan Writers Association. I have to provide them with at least one novel every year. This agreement is valid for three years, and this year is only the second year.

"Also, as you know, my uncle's publishing company was given to my cousin, and when she's chasing after manuscripts, she can drive you crazy."

After saying that, he spread his hands and said, "Where would I find the time to write about the war in the Southwest? It's unlikely to happen anytime soon."

Ba looked at him thoughtfully, "So you just dumped all this material on Jiang Tiantian and told her to write it?"

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly and hummed twice, "We shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders. Besides, the literary scene is still too lifeless. The emergence of more young writers will bring more vitality."

Ba Jin pointed at him irritably, "If you really have this kind of mindset, you should attend a couple more seminars for young writers and give them some pointers on their thinking. That would be better than anything else."

I think you have a petty, bourgeois mentality. You want to hoard all the benefits for yourself, which is why you only raised one girl, Jiang Tiantian, without considering the bigger picture.

Chen Fan nodded mindlessly, "Yes, yes, yes, you're right."

Just say it. Saying a few words won't hurt you. We're not related, and I didn't pay you. Why should I teach others for free?
unless,……

He suddenly shifted his gaze and looked at Elder Ba, saying in a low voice, "Elder Ba, I have a suggestion, would you like to hear it?"

Old Ba grunted twice, "Speak."

Chen Fan laughed, "Is that so? Now Jiang Tiantian has started her own magazine company, hasn't she...?"

Old Ba turned to look at him, "Don't treat people like fools. What do you mean she set it up? Everyone knows you're the one who started this magazine. Otherwise, why would those old comrades agree to be rehired and come back to help you?"

Chen Fan nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, I did it. Jiang Tiantian helped me manage it. Here's what I was thinking: my magazine is newly launched and we're short of articles, but if we solicit articles from the public, the quality can't be guaranteed."

Upon hearing this, Ba Jin nodded involuntarily. "That's the truth. The quality of articles submitted to the public is indeed uneven. It's only thanks to the literary correspondence courses you set up that have blossomed all over the country, allowing some promising talents to emerge and become passable. Otherwise, they would be truly unreadable."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Yes, yes. Young writers today really need more training, so I was thinking of using the name of this publishing house to run a training course for young writers."

"With so many submissions received by *Shanghai Literature* and *Harvest*, they must know which young comrades have potential, right?"

As she spoke, she pointed outside, "When I came here just now, I saw a group photo being taken at a symposium for young writers downstairs. If the two organizations could compile a list of young writers, our magazine would be willing to hold a short-term literary creation training course, probably only one day or half a day."

"I can also share some things then, including materials I collected in the southwest and materials I gathered from retired elderly men, I can share them all..."

Hearing this, Ba Jin understood his meaning and looked at him, saying, "Then, you let these young writers use your material to create their works, and then publish them in your magazine under your name?"

In the case of one person providing the materials and another creating the artwork, it falls under the category of collaborative creation. The author's name will definitely be signed by two or more people, without a doubt.

Chen Fan clapped his hands lightly and grinned, "That's why I say you're incredibly wise and experienced. You saw right through my little scheme."

But this is also a good thing. The young writer grows and earns a fee, our magazine gets the manuscript, and after publication, readers have more choices and the spiritual and cultural life of the people is enriched. It's a win-win situation, isn't it great!

Old Ba pointed at him and laughed, somewhat annoyed, "You're quite the schemer. Oh, after all that, you asked us to provide you with a list, but the manuscript ended up in your hands. You've got all the benefits, haven't you?"

Winning multiple times? Your "winning multiple times" just means you've won several times over, right?

Once the source material is transformed into a finished product, the publisher can make a fortune, and those writers will also owe you a favor.

And what about us? Did the Writers' Association and the two magazines work for nothing?

Chen Fan immediately said seriously, "How can it be a waste of time? First of all, even if our magazine makes money, we still have to pay affiliation fees to our superiors. Then, we cultivate these young writers. Although their first works are given to our publishing house, they will write countless excellent works in the future."

For any outstanding works they submit in the future, they will definitely prioritize submitting them to "Shanghai Literature" and "Harvest," since these are established magazines, especially "Harvest," which has a very high level of authority. How can our new magazine compare?

It's human nature to strive for better opportunities, right? You're reaping the rewards later, while we've put in all that work, and I even provided the ideas and materials—we can't just miss out on the first taste!

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Ba looked at him and said, “I don’t want much. If this training course is successfully completed, you can choose two manuscripts from the published articles, and then give us two more to choose from. The rest are all yours.”

If you agree, I'll have someone compile the list today.

Chen Fan's expression turned serious. "Deal!"

(End of this chapter)