Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 553 Chapter 552 "Old Black Slave" "Alive"

The two squeezed onto a bus, and Fang Minghua asked about Yu Hua's recent situation.

"This spring, I returned to my hometown after graduation and now work as deputy editor-in-chief of Yanyulou magazine, which is affiliated with the Jiaxing Federation of Literary and Art Circles."

Fang Minghua was a little surprised when he heard this.

"Don't you want to keep Yanjing?"

"How can I stay if I don't have a house?" Yu Hua said with a wry smile: "I went to Jiaxing and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles allocated me a house. Although it's not big, it's a place to live. I will move my family to Jiaxing and settle down first, and then find a way to return to Yanjing later."

Fang Minghua originally wanted to ask how your relationship with your wife is now?

And what about Chen Hong?

Where did Chen Hong go again?
But the words didn't come out.

There is no need to ask so many questions about other people's private affairs. Besides, isn't history there?
In the end, Yu Hua returned to Yanjing.

"Okay, don't worry, Yu Hua. With your literary talent, you will definitely be able to stay in Yanjing in the future." Fang Minghua comforted.

Yu Hua laughed and said, "To be honest, I think so too. I am only coming back for a temporary transition."

Haha. This guy is quite thick-skinned.

"Minghua, what are you doing in Shencheng? For a meeting?" Yu Hua asked back.

"No."

Fang Minghua did not hide anything and simply told her about his plan to establish a Chinese literature award. Yu Hua's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why, no?" Fang Minghua asked back.

"Sure! Definitely! If someone else said they were going to win a literary award, I would definitely say he was bragging, but since you said it, I believe it!"

Ah?
Are you praising me or hurting me?

"Minghua, my book "Crying and Drizzling" has been published. Can I participate in the review?" Yu Hua asked again.

"Of course you can. When the call for submissions for the grand prize begins, I will personally call Editor-in-Chief Xiao of Harvest and ask them to recommend your book! But I don't know whether it will win the prize or not."

"Hey, it's good enough to be included in the competition. As for winning the award, I've never thought about it."

The bus stopped at the southeast gate station. Two people got off. Not long after, they saw another bus coming from the opposite direction. The bus stopped across the road, and a beautiful girl wearing a T-shirt and jeans got off the bus.

It was Li Hongying.

"Teacher Fang, Yu Hua!"

The girl standing on the opposite side of the street waved and ran over with a smile.

"Hongying, don't call me teacher, just call me Minghua, just like Yu Hua." Fang Minghua said.

"That won't do. No matter what others call you, I will call you Teacher Fang."

Fang Minghua had no choice but to go with her.

The three of them found a restaurant nearby, ordered a few dishes, and started chatting while eating.

Of course, they talked about their recent situation.

Li Hongying graduated from Fudan Writers Class in June this year. When she heard that Yu Hua had returned to Jiaxing and moved her home from Haiyan to Jiaxing, she snorted, but didn't say anything, and turned to look at Fang Minghua.

"Teacher Fang, I've read your two new books. They're so well written, especially the essay collection Fragments of Civilization. I was very surprised when I read it. I traveled a lot to many places and wrote some travel notes, but why didn't I think of writing essays like this?"

"You still have time to write now." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

Li Hongying shook her head and said, "No, I've thought about this. I'm not as good as you, nor do I have as much historical and cultural knowledge as you. If I write it down, people will laugh at me."

Ah?
"Teacher Fang, you just came to Shanghai. Are you here for a meeting?" Li Hongying asked again.

"What kind of meeting? Minghua came to Shanghai this time to handle an important matter." Yu Hua took over the conversation. "What important matter?"

"Establish a world-class literary award!" Yu Hua told the story again.

"Wow, Mr. Fang, is this like the Nobel Prize in Literature? You are so amazing, I admire you so much!"

"It's not like the Nobel Prize in Literature. It's a bit like the Booker Prize in the UK. I reward the work, not the author himself," Fang Minghua explained.

"Hongying, you can also submit your work from last year or this year for the award. Yu Hua is already prepared."

"Me? I mainly studied, and I didn't write anything good." Li Hongying shook her head: "But."

"But what?"

"Teacher Fang, does your literary award preparatory team still need anyone? When I graduate, I can come and help you with the work!" Li Hongying suddenly said.

"Didn't you say you were going abroad after graduation?" Fang Minghua asked puzzledly.

"It's not that easy to go abroad. Just look at the long queue in front of the British Consulate General on Yongfu Road waiting for visas," Li Hongying explained.

"Even if I apply, it will probably take a long time to get approved. I have nothing to do during this time, so I might as well go to your preparatory group to help. I can also take the opportunity to see more free works and listen to the judges' comments on the works. It's killing two birds with one stone!"

Fang Minghua hesitated for a moment and said, "Well, I do need someone there, so please contact me after you graduate."

Li Hongying smiled sweetly.

After dinner, I first sent Li Hongying to the bus stop and then took the bus back to school.

Fang Minghua and Yu Hua also said goodbye on the roadside.

He suddenly thought of something and asked hurriedly: "Yu Hua, after completing this book "Cry and Drizzle", do you have any preliminary ideas for your next work?

"Next step?"

Yu Hua lit a cigarette skillfully and took a puff before saying, "Minghua, have you ever heard of an American song called "Old Black Slave"? "

"I've heard of it. It's an American folk song. The lyrics are about an old black slave who went through a lifetime of hardship. What's wrong?"

"I heard it by chance not long ago. Maybe it was because of the rainy day, I was very moved by the song. Later I read the lyrics. Although the old slave had experienced a life of hardship and his family had all passed away before him, he still treated the world with kindness and without a word of complaint."

"I was very moved and touched at the time, and I thought that I could also write a novel about people's ability to endure suffering and their optimistic attitude towards the world. I wanted to write about people living for the sake of living itself, not for anything other than living."

Isn’t this “To Live”?

Fang Minghua nodded after hearing this.

"That's a good idea. Go ahead and write it. But don't rush to submit it once you're done. Let me take a look first."

"Okay, I'll let you take a look after I finish writing it and help me revise it." Yu Hua said quickly.

Hehe
Modification? That's not the point. The point is that I want the publishing rights of your book, published by Shengshi Books!
After saying goodbye to Yu Hua, Fang Minghua returned to the hotel and went to see Wang Anyi again the next day.

At this time, Wang Anyi was no longer working at "Childhood" magazine, but had become a professional writer at the Shanghai Writers Association.

Fang Minghua met her, on the one hand to reminisce about the past, and on the other hand to tell her that he was going to establish a literary award.

"Minghua, you are so brave. You dare to do things that others dare not even think about!" Wang Anyi looked admiring.

"The Lu Prize has not been soliciting papers yet, and I can't wait." Fang Minghua said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Sister An Yi, you have to participate too."

"Okay, but I haven't been in good shape recently. I'll submit my work even though it's not very good. It's my support for you!"

Fang Minghua also wanted to go to East China Normal University to find Ge Fei, but unfortunately when she went to the school to ask, she found out that Ge Fei had gone out of town for a meeting, so she had to give up.

After staying in Yanjing and Shencheng for more than 20 days, Fang Minghua finally returned to Xijing.

(End of this chapter)