A widower's entertainment

Chapter 312 [The Widower's Shocking May-December Romance] (Please Subscribe)
The People's Literature magazine office in Beijing.

Beijing isn't a large city, especially considering that the Third and Fourth Ring Roads were only recently built. The literary circle in Beijing is also relatively small, so news spreads very quickly. Rumors about Lin Youcheng's latest manuscript have already circulated within Beijing's literary circles. A story that might not even be made into a movie naturally has many literary workers eagerly anticipating its release.

Who wouldn't be looking forward to Lin Youcheng's new novel?

For many young comrades, Lin Youcheng is a role model. His prolific creative passion is truly admirable, and of course, what they admire most about Lin Youcheng is his literary works.

Last year's novel "Atonement" was hailed as the last work of atonement literature from the late 1980s. It was widely praised by the literary world as a novel worthy of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, receiving the highest acclaim. It's worth noting that literary critics often have differing opinions on the works of various writers, sometimes even offering unanimous criticism. However, Lin Youcheng's "Atonement" has received absolutely unanimous praise and affirmation.

Lin Youcheng is now writing a new manuscript, which naturally arouses the curiosity of many literary workers, who are all eager to know what kind of work Lin Youcheng will bring after his previous work, "Atonement".

Zhang Wei had read the first part of the manuscript for "The Reader" and had also discussed the development of the story later in the novel with Lin Youcheng. Naturally, he was very much looking forward to seeing how this love story between people more than twenty years apart would end in Lin Youcheng's writing.

After learning from Lin Youcheng that the novel was finished, Zhang Wei immediately rode his bicycle to the courtyard house in Xinghua Hutong and brought the manuscript back to the People's Literature magazine office.

"Director Zhang, I heard that Lin Youcheng's manuscript this time is quite extraordinary. What do you think?"

Early on, editors would come to ask Lin Youcheng about his latest novel manuscript, their eyes always fixed on the manuscript in Zhang Wei's hand. Zhang Wei also made a copy of Lin Youcheng's manuscript and then handed it over to other editors for review.

"You'll see when you look; it's quite extraordinary."

Zhang Wei didn't say much to his colleagues. He flipped through the later parts of Lin Youcheng's manuscript to see the final fate of the fifteen-year-old boy Jiang Xia and the thirty-six-year-old woman Yang Ju.

As Zhang Wei said, the entire editorial department of People's Literature was astonished by Lin Youcheng's latest manuscript.

They never expected that Lin Youcheng would write about the love between a fifteen-year-old boy and a thirty-six-year-old woman. This is too crazy!

The key point lies in Lin Youcheng's writing: the fifteen-year-old boy Jiang Xia is madly infatuated with the body of the thirty-six-year-old woman Yang Ju, and they constantly study together in bed. What impressed the editors the most was that before the two started studying in bed, Yang Ju asked Jiang Xia to read the text to her.

This plot is truly unbelievable and too unique!

Of course, what's most special is that Lin Youcheng actually wrote such an unbelievable love story with such a huge gap between the two. Even the editors were wondering whether the relationship between the two was based on desire or love. There was a huge gap in age and experience between the two. In this relationship, the thirty-six-year-old Yang Ju initially only saw Jiang Xia as someone who could satisfy her own needs. When faced with Jiang Xia's questioning of love, her hesitation revealed the inequality and uncertainty in their relationship.

The editors, too, were astonished to find that Lin Youcheng's love story this time actually began in bed, and the explicit descriptions of this love affair between a couple with a more than twenty-year age gap left them all speechless.

This was the first time Lin Youcheng had written about the lovemaking between two people in such detail, depicting every action and every breath with words.

The fact that the two main characters in this love affair are so unconventional and unorthodox makes it all the more shocking to the editors.

But what was even more shocking and astonishing was yet to come. As they continued reading, the editors, like Zhang Wei, began to understand how Yang Ju's sudden departure had dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Xia. He was deeply mired in the pain of his first love and could not extricate himself. However, just a few years later, with the victory of the Liberation War, when Jiang Xia, as a law student, witnessed Yang Ju executing comrades who had been imprisoned without any remorse, disappointment and heartache instantly overwhelmed him.

At this moment, the evil represented by Yang Ju is a naked display of the dark side of human nature, which is chilling.

What the editors didn't expect was that some of the crimes were framed against Yang Ju by her colleagues. She was illiterate and unaware of many of the execution orders; she was merely an executioner carrying out orders. However, Yang Ju had always hidden the truth that she was illiterate. In order to prevent others from knowing that she was illiterate, she directly confessed to some crimes that were not her own.

At this moment, I felt a chill run down my spine!

It really gives me goosebumps!

The editors were all astonished.

Neither of them expected that Yang Ju, who always made the boy read the text aloud before going to bed with him, would actually be an illiterate person who couldn't read a single word!

This is amazing, and unbelievable!

The crucial point is that Yang Ju, for the sake of her dignity, hasn't revealed that she's illiterate. This plot point was like a thunderbolt, shocking all the editors. But it was also at this moment that they realized Lin Youcheng had actually planted some clues and foreshadowing beforehand. For example, Jiang Xia's book should have her name written on it, but Yang Ju didn't know it; Jiang Xia wanted to show Yang Ju one of the books, but Yang Ju pushed it aside without looking at it; and Yang Ju's expression was very unpleasant when she saw children who could read…

These clues had previously hinted that Yang Ju was illiterate.

Most importantly, Yang Ju herself never reads; she only listens to Jiang Xia read. This is an obvious, overarching theme in the plot. The editors were shocked, but even more shocked that Yang Ju, who is illiterate, would rather confess than compromise her dignity. Is dignity really more important than freedom and innocence?

Even more astonishingly, when Jiang Xia knew the truth, he stepped forward to reveal that Yang Ju was illiterate. Perhaps it was to protect Yang Ju's self-esteem, or perhaps it was to avoid getting involved and letting people know about his secret relationship with Yang Ju, which involved a significant age gap.

"Comrade Lin Youcheng is truly amazing!"

"It's amazing!"

One editor couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and stand up, looking at Lin Youcheng's manuscript while exclaiming how amazing Lin Youcheng was.

Zhang Wei felt the same way. Looking at the ending Lin Youcheng had written, Jiang Xia could have revealed the truth to lessen Yang Ju's punishment, but ultimately chose to defend this humble secret with his life, just like Yang Ju. Their story didn't end with Yang Ju's imprisonment. In the years that followed, Jiang Xia gradually came to understand Yang Ju's thoughts. He began sending her various cassette tapes of himself reading aloud, and Yang Ju began to learn to read, sending Jiang Xia letter after letter, but he never replied. More than ten years later, Yang Ju, having behaved well in prison, was granted parole and was finally able to meet Jiang Xia again. However, faced with this opportunity, Yang Ju lost her courage and ended her life by hanging.

This ending also sent chills down the spines of the editors!

Too bad!
That's freaking awesome!

Zhang Wei was already cursing in his mind; he was truly shocked by Lin Youcheng's "The Reader".

Clearly, like Zhang Wei, the entire editorial department of People's Literature was also shocked by Lin Youcheng's "The Reader". They never thought that the scene of young Jiang Xia and thirty-six-year-old Yang Ju studying wildly in bed was a taboo subject to societal norms, and they never thought that the story would be rejected by Lin Youcheng. They all knew very well that this was a boundary of literature, not as limited as the boundaries of film, and more importantly, the literary quality of the work.

Clearly, Lin Youcheng's novel "The Reader" is a truly literary work, which has excited the editors in the editorial department, who have all begun to discuss it.

"Director Zhang, you must convey my admiration to Lin Youcheng. This program, 'The Reader,' is truly excellent."

These words were spoken by one of the editors, but they also reflect the true feelings of the other editors in the editorial department.

"Yes, it is just as good as Lin Youcheng's previous work, 'Atonement,' and you could even say that 'The Reader' is the real atonement. With its unique perspective, it leads us into the subtle aspects of human nature and prompts us to constantly reflect on the true meaning of love, sin, and humanity. I also think the love between Jiang Xia and Yang Ju is written so well."

"That's right, I also believe that Jiang Xia loved Yang Ju. Deep down, he had an indelible love for her, but at the same time, he never truly forgave her for her crimes. Lin Youcheng's writing on this contradiction between love and unforgiveness is truly brilliant, vividly portraying the complexities and multifaceted nature of humanity. Only after Yang Ju's death did Jiang Xia finally confront the fact that he had loved her. Loving a criminal was a heavy burden for Jiang Xia. His silence during the trial, though criticized, truly reflects the complex state of humanity struggling between morality and emotion."

“I think Jiang Xia’s silence is more out of selfishness. He doesn’t want people to know about his relationship with Yang Ju. Even when Yang Ju wrote to him from prison, he was very cowardly and dared not reply. He felt ashamed of this relationship that was not age-matched, and even more disgusted with the identity of his lover. In this respect, it is also a true reflection of human nature. Of course, I do not deny that Jiang Xia loved Yang Ju in his heart.”

"That's right. He kept silent back then, partly out of respect for Yang Ju, and partly out of shame for revealing this illicit affair. He had a very strong sense of pride. He had loved the woman of his life, recorded for her with all his heart, decorated his home for her with care, and picked her up from prison with flowers, but he wouldn't even give her a little tenderness or a hug. At that time, Yang Ju was already old and frail. She lowered her head and begged for his love. It was pride and universal morality that made her so desperate. I can't imagine how desperate Yang Ju must have been when she committed suicide. The person she had longed for for twenty years, the person she thought cared about her, treated her outstretched hand so coldly. All the beliefs she had built up through reading collapsed. Under the weight of inferiority and pride, she lost her reason to live."

"I think Jiang Xia loves Yang Ju. Everyone would forgive that boy because they all know that it is a weakness that exists in our human nature as well."

"Actually, I think the most special character in Lin Youcheng's novel is Yang Ju. She's truly unique. She's illiterate, completely uneducated, yet she's always pretending, not wanting anyone to know she's illiterate. You could even say that because of her illiteracy, she's also ignorant. What she did for the opposing party at the time might have seemed like serving the country to her, especially since she couldn't read and her understanding was certainly incomplete. In that era, people's thinking was different from peacetime. Yang Ju was just doing her duty, but Jiang Xia wanted her to reflect on her actions. How could she reflect? In wartime, what was clearly the right thing to do was obey. What could she change by reflecting? Furthermore, this illiterate woman from the lower class, Yang Ju, is a person with extremely strong self-respect. Her human foolishness, persistence, and even absurdity are so natural, worthy of sympathy, and even respect."

"Yes, Yang Ju was passionate about listening to readings. The stronger her yearning for the beautiful things in the cultural world, the stronger her disgust and fear of her illiterate status became. These were two sides of the same emotion. This drove her almost madly down a path of maintaining and pursuing dignity, for which she did not hesitate to lie, abandon her job and the people who loved her, and in the end, in order to maintain her dignity, she confessed to all the crimes."

……

Clearly, the editors in the editorial department had a very heated discussion. This wasn't a controversy, but rather they were completely overwhelmed by Lin Youcheng's novel.

All of this is because Lin Youcheng's story is quite intense. A woman in her thirties and a fifteen-year-old boy are passionately in love in bed. Such a relationship, which can even be described as unconventional in the eyes of the world, is already torn to the extreme. Not to mention that there are also discussions about humanity and dignity, as well as war and crime. All of these make this unbelievable May-December romance even more astonishing.

But no matter how intense the plot or how torn human nature is, it does not change the fact that Lin Youcheng's "The Reader" is about love, a beautiful and sad love story.

Without a doubt, the astonishing May-December romance depicted by Lin Youcheng, a widower, truly shocked the editors of People's Literature.

They all clearly saw that sentence about love—

"I fear nothing. The more painful it is, the more I enjoy it. Danger only makes me love her more, elevates love, and brings joy to love... There is only one thing that can make the soul whole, and that is love!"

(End of this chapter)