A widower's entertainment

The People's Literature magazine office in Beijing.

As an old acquaintance of Lin Youcheng, Zhang Wei naturally knew that Lin Youcheng was writing a new novel recently. He had been closely following Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust" and would visit him from time to time, repeatedly urging Lin Youcheng to submit the manuscript to "People's Literature" after it was completed.

Lin Youcheng and Zhang Wei have always had a good relationship, so naturally he wouldn't refuse.

It's no longer the Lin Youcheng of the past, rubbing his wrists and looking at the densely written words on the grid paper; now it's typing on a keyboard and computer.

This can be considered as Lin Youcheng being one of the earliest authors to use computers, which shows that he was at the forefront of the times and did not stick to the traditional handwritten manuscript.

However, Zhang Wei lamented that while the times were developing and technology was advancing, Lin Youcheng, an older author, was now proficient in using advanced computers to type, the stories he wrote were about rural Northwest China that had nothing to do with the cutting edge.

What surprised Zhang Wei the most was that the story was so ordinary, and the story between the two people didn't even seem like a love story.

After finishing the latest draft, Lin Youcheng called Zhang Wei of People's Literature magazine to inform him. This was something Zhang Wei had told him earlier, to just call him and he would come to pick up the manuscript in person.

Upon learning that Lin Youcheng had finished the manuscript, Zhang Wei naturally rushed to Xinghua Hutong as soon as possible. He had been eager to read the completed manuscript of "Hidden in the Dust" because Lin Youcheng had told him the general plot of the story before, but he did not know how Lin Youcheng would use words and plot to tell this special story.

Zhang Wei took Lin Youcheng's manuscript of the novel "Hidden in the Dust" and brought it back to the People's Literature magazine.

Clearly, the editors in the editorial department already knew that Lin Youcheng was writing a new novel, and the other editors were also very curious and looking forward to it.

The colleagues in the editorial department were also eager to read Lin Youcheng's "Hidden in the Dust," and naturally, they all wanted to get a photocopy and read Lin Youcheng's latest novel as soon as possible.

Zhang Wei sat down and began to look through Lin Youcheng's original manuscript.

Just like that, I flipped through the pages...

Zhang Wei flipped through the pages one by one, and then stepped into the story titled "Hidden in the Dust".

Zhang Wei was genuinely shaken. The tragic life story of Ma Youtie and his wife in the novel deeply moved him. The tragedy was an external manifestation of fate, but the delicate emotions, the sincere and hardworking attitude towards life, and the yearning for and understanding of love touched Zhang Wei deeply.

Although the story lacks a grand structure, major plot points, and extensive dialogue, it unfolds the life journeys of two tragic figures through a series of scenes and details. In Lin Youcheng's writing, their family roles and social status, as well as their identities within the small society of the village, confine them firmly to a small mud-brick house and that piece of land. However, their hope and enthusiasm for changing their lives despite their loneliness and helplessness are gradually revealed through these small scenes, allowing him to witness the tragic life of this unfortunate couple.

At the same time, we also witnessed the love between this unfortunate couple.
Yes, this must be love!
Zhang Wei never expected that Lin Youcheng would write such a realistic and cruel story. His first impression was that this was the real ordinary world.

Most importantly, he had no idea how the story would end. Zhang Wei even imagined Ma Youtie returning the ten eggs on the bridge, leaving the crowd and walking into the cold night. After a few steps, he looked back at the villagers, seemingly wanting to say something, paused for a moment, and then left.

At that moment, he seemed like that donkey that, after being released, turned back to look at it again.

The villagers said that Ma Youtie now has a house and grain, and can live a comfortable life.

Material wealth can never replace the five-petaled flower imprinted on the web of the right hand with rice grains.

Kind and honest people don't always get a good ending. Ma Youtie and Guiying had just started to have hope for life, but Guiying drowned. Ma Youtie's hopes for a better life were shattered, and everything fell apart. In despair, Ma Youtie paid off his debts, sold everything he owned, drank pesticide, and committed suicide, eating the eggs that Guiying had never delivered.

Zhang Wei felt as if his heart had been struck by something, causing him an indescribable discomfort. He was completely moved by the ending.

The writing was calm and the details were simple and real, yet it pierced the hearts of both the editor and the reader with a sharp pain.

Zhang Wei put down the manuscript and said from the bottom of his heart, "Lin Youcheng's novel may be about a more ordinary world."

A more ordinary world?

This praise naturally surprised the other colleagues in the editorial department as well.

What does "a more ordinary world" mean?
Could it be even better than the novel "Ordinary World"? Soon, after the editors read "Hidden in the Dust," they understood why Zhang Wei said it was an even more ordinary world.

It can be said that all the editors in the editorial department were moved after reading Lin Youcheng's "Hidden in the Dust".

This novel, "Hidden in the Dust," is truly like a calm corner of a ruthless world, where the calm words are like a bullet that hit the heart of the entire editorial department of "People's Literature," exploding with a bang. In that instant, hot and fiery blood was surging even through the simple and unadorned words. It was the most primal and fierce impact of literature, which moved them all.

The editors in the editorial department are now seriously discussing Lin Youcheng's latest novel. From the perspective of plot and realistic literary significance, they are completely impressed by Lin Youcheng's novel.

"I have to praise Lin Youcheng's writing style. The details are so well described and so realistic. Before marriage, Ma Youtie swallowed his three meals a day, not caring whether they tasted good or not, just to survive. After marriage, the two, who were both orphans and suffering from the hardships of life, came together and became each other's comfort and took care of each other."

Their previously taciturn personalities gradually softened, and their speech became more emotionally charged. The warmth of companionship filled their inner loneliness, like a bright lighthouse standing tall on the vast night sea. "Later, Ma Youtie built a house, planted crops, harvested grain, exchanged it for money, raised chickens, and pigs. A vast expanse of yellow earth, with sandstorms raging, the two sat on a high desert slope, like two resilient blades of grass, unyielding to the wind—a scene of romance amidst desolation." Lin Youcheng's vivid description is truly remarkable.

"That's right. In winter, the soil is barren and the earth is lifeless. When spring comes, everything comes back to life. Seeds are sown in the fields, and in autumn, a golden wheat field is harvested. It's like a real scene appearing in front of everyone, full of color and warmth."

"Actually, the best part is the detailed portrayal of Ma Youtie and Guiying's interactions. Every little detail is precious. When Ma Youtie saw Guiying being mocked for being dirty, he picked her up in front of everyone and put her on the donkey cart, proving through his actions that Guiying was cared for. Guiying worried that Ma Youtie wasn't getting enough to eat while working away from home, so even with a fever, she brought him two boiled eggs. You care about me, and I care about you; the companionship between these two people was so simple."

"In my view, 'Hidden in the Dust' is a poem written with the texture of soil, full of poetry. It does not complain or evoke emotions, but quietly describes Ma Youtie and Guiying making a living in the loess soil. Yet, the hardships of the lower class and the warmth of their mutual support are like grains of wheat that pierce people's hearts. The tenderness hidden in the details is like the wheat flowers imprinted on the hands, the plastic sheet to block the wind, and the donkey that is released at the end. It is a glimmer of light in the midst of suffering, with a heavy weight of life."

……

Zhang Wei listened to his colleagues' comments and nodded repeatedly, feeling the same way.

The entire editorial department is currently discussing Lin Youcheng's novel, and various viewpoints are clashing wildly.

"While 'Hidden in the Dust' may not be a comprehensive panorama of rural China today, it undoubtedly dissects the neglected individual life states amidst the current tide of social development. It focuses on timeless philosophical questions: the relationship between people and the land, the dignity of life, and the love and death of the marginalized. In this sense, this novel is truly extraordinary."

……

"The story seems calm, but it's actually very sad and depressing. It reflects the real lives of farmers at the bottom of society. They can't get married, they live at the very bottom of society, they have no money, no security, and their lives are a true reflection of toiling in the fields from dawn till dusk. They work, work, work, and more work all day long, the farm work never stops. They've worked the land their whole lives but have never even been to the provincial capital. This group possesses the noblest qualities: honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, optimism, and selfless dedication, yet they live the most unfortunate lives. They have to borrow money to buy things like seeds and fertilizer. After the autumn harvest, they pay off all the debts they've signed immediately. They're incredibly honest and straightforward, they don't know how to bargain, and they're easily cheated and taken advantage of by cunning people. A year of hard work, all the hardships they've experienced, and all the immense suffering they've endured only yields a meager income. It's truly heartbreaking, but this is probably the reality."

……

"I think these are two lives as insignificant as blades of grass, pushed together by life, living a hard and mundane existence. From beginning to end, it's all bitter, except for the middle part, where the swaying cardboard box lamp is sweet, the slowly flowing river is sweet, the home built piece by piece of mud and the hope for life are sweet. But even that is not much, and soon it collapses with the demolished house. Indeed, for them, the underlying tone of life is suffering."

……

"In fact, the story of Ma Youtie and Guiying is about two lonely souls who found each other amidst the hardships of life. Although it was full of unfamiliarity and awkwardness at the beginning, as time went by, their mutual affection gradually emerged. They didn't communicate much, but they could convey the deepest understanding and support in silence. This progression of emotions made people feel the purest warmth of humanity."

……

"I think Lin Youcheng's novel has multiple themes. It praises ordinary people's fight against fate, shows the conflict between urbanization and the existence of rural areas, reflects on the dialectical relationship between fate, people and land, and even satirizes the indifference of human nature. Of course, the core theme should be to find poetry and self-respect in suffering and to praise the brilliance of human nature, which is the different kind of love between Ma Youtie and Guiying."

The editor hesitated for a moment, then said with some emotion, "Perhaps they themselves haven't even considered whether this is love."

……

The editors couldn't help but discuss and exchange ideas, because they truly saw another story in Lin Youcheng's "Hidden in the Dust" very clearly. They also sincerely liked Lin Youcheng's novel from the bottom of their hearts. The writing was delicate and realistic, and full of literary weight. The key point was that every plot design was quite poetic, as if it were a poem in the midst of suffering.

Although there were different discussions about this novel, no editor thought the story should not be published. It can be said that after three rounds of review and proofreading, "Hidden in the Dust" was naturally published in the latest issue of "People's Literature" magazine.

As the students in Lin Zhaomei's short film team said, every novel by author Lin Youcheng excites countless young readers who love literature, and each of Lin Youcheng's novels has a significant impact.

There was no other reason than that the author of the published novel was Lin Youcheng.

Now that writer Lin Youcheng has published a new novel, and it's said to be a romance novel, it's naturally causing quite a stir.

Who wouldn't want to read a love story written by Lin Youcheng? Even in the spy novel "Lurking," the love between Yu Zecheng and Cui Ping moved countless readers. Keep in mind that it wasn't primarily about romance. Now that Lin Youcheng has published a love story titled "Atonement," readers who heard the news immediately spread the word and went to read Lin Youcheng's story.

Not to mention the critics and authors in the literary criticism field who were directly stunned by Lin Youcheng's "Hidden in the Dust and Smoke," their hearts pounding as they felt the power of words.

Those young readers who read Lin Youcheng's novels never expected that Lin Youcheng would bring such a realistic story.

Whether it's love or not is actually not important.

The important thing is that they saw the real world, the story of that more ordinary world, which brought a variety of emotions to their hearts. They felt as if they were on that yellow earth, experiencing the changing seasons and the ups and downs of life with those two. Even though the whole story had no thrilling plot or dramatic emotional conflicts, it moved them deeply in its ordinariness.

Moved, saddened, sympathetic, compassionate...

Regardless, in that more ordinary rural world of 1995, such stories still existed.

Their stories and emotions, even if they fade into obscurity, should still be seen.

Yes, they deserve to be seen! (End of Chapter)