A widower's entertainment

The appearance of Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust" in the latest issue of People's Literature magazine has truly surprised many readers and literary critics.

Undoubtedly, in the hearts of readers, Lin Youcheng, the author who has won the Mao Dun Literature Prize twice, has a very high literary status and influence. He has always been regarded as a writer who is very good at writing about love, and is also recognized as a very imaginative author. Whether it is the plot of his novels or the literary structure, there are often unexpected and amazing aspects.

Like the letter sent to heaven in "Love Letter," which is received by someone with the same name, revealing a long-buried unrequited love; or the murder method of love sacrificed with life in "The Devotion of Suspect X"; or the time-traveling life in "The Human Revenge"; and "The Time Traveler's Wife," "Atonement"...

These novels are undoubtedly quite amazing and moving, but readers are surprised that Lin Youcheng has written such a simple love story this time, so simple that it may not even be worthy of being called love.

Even though the ending for the two protagonists was unexpected, the whole story ended peacefully and quietly, as if it were a natural progression. Everything was too calm, with no thrilling plots. It was just two unfortunate people living together in a very ordinary, even peaceful, way. Moreover, their initial life together was not based on love at all.

But it is precisely this kind of story that has sparked considerable discussion in literary circles, because it is a story about rural life, not a story of the past, but a story that is happening right now.

Although it is now the 1990s and the literary craze has long since passed, Lin Youcheng's literary influence can still be said to be very strong, and his new works will naturally attract great attention as soon as they are published.

Especially since this is a novel published by Lin Youcheng after winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize for the second time, it naturally attracts comments from literary critics.

Just as the editorial department of People's Literature magazine sparked considerable discussion after receiving Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust," literary critics are now also engaged in a great deal of discussion about Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust."

The magazine "Youth Review" was the first to reprint and review Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust." Literary critic Xiang Hui did not hold back his praise, saying that the novel "Hidden in the Dust" was incredibly moving. His review stated: "The details in Lin Youcheng's writing are perfect, the words are delicate and moving, and the novel realistically depicts rural life."

"The novel unfolds along two threads: land and love. The land represents the lives of farmers. As Ma Youtie says, 'The land is fair. Whether you are rich or poor, a sinner or a good person, if you plant a bag of wheat, the land will return ten bags of wheat to you the following year.' Farmers love their land and believe in it in this way. Many people in the countryside go to work in the city, yet they still cling to their land—it's an emotion that cannot be expressed in words. Now let's talk about the love thread. The novel doesn't explicitly mention hardship, yet it portrays it as profound; it doesn't explicitly mention love, yet it is deeply ingrained. The male and female protagonists are both unfortunate; the male is too poor to afford a wife, and the female suffers from illness and is scorned by her family. Fate brings them together. Before marriage, there is no passionate love, but after marriage, they support each other through thick and thin, becoming each other's greatest source of emotional support. Although the ending is a tragedy, in this world, whether rich or poor, in the end, everything returns to dust; even the most magnificent things are but a handful of sand."

……

Similarly, *Yanjing Literature* also published a review of the novel *Hidden in the Dust*, praising Lin Youcheng as a true literary master. The review stated: "In a context where rural literature is rampant, Lin Youcheng chose a rural perspective that is currently lacking, and captured two marginalized individuals, even among rural people, as the protagonists. Lin Youcheng is gentle and romantic; his gentleness and romance constitute a primitive rural fairy tale, giving these marginalized people a warm humanistic concern. However, his romance, to some extent, downplays the crudeness and cruelty of rural life."

"The solid writing, like a gentle stream, reveals the minutiae of life in impoverished rural areas, while like a sharp knife, it quietly peels back the layers, revealing the cruel side of life without reservation, deeply moving the reader. The couple in the novel are both down on their luck; the wife, Guiying, suffers endless abuse and mistreatment from her brother's family, leaving her with a chronic illness, which also hints at her tragic fate. The husband, Ma Youtie, is an orphan, left only with a brother who wants to exploit him. Neither of them has ever felt the warmth of home, merely surviving day by day. By chance, their lives intersect, creating ripples that seem to change everything. Although they still move around constantly and are even exploited by nouveau riche, they experience..." Arriving at the warmth of home, life held hope. He toiled in the rain, protecting the bricks, building a new house, raising chickens, and tilling the land. The work was hard, but there was something to look forward to. Life moved in a different direction until his wife drowned in an accident, yet cruelly justified way. Only then did Ma Youtie realize that nothing had ever changed; there was simply someone else by his side, silently bearing the burden. Ma Youtie pressed a grain of rice into his wife's cold hands, creating a small white flower. That past happiness became the final straw that broke the camel's back. He and she, like wheat husks, were gone with the wind. Ironically, even after the protagonist's death, his nephew demolished their house and profited 15,000 yuan from them. The story seems ordinary, but it is full of foreshadowing, showcasing Lin Youcheng's exquisite writing style.

……

Zhang Chao, a critic for the literary magazine "Literary Review," bluntly stated that Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust" hides the lives of many people. His review reads: "A tragic pair of unfortunate people, a true portrayal of the lower classes, is also a reflection of the lives of most people. The dramatic Rh-negative blood type, constantly being sucked dry, and it is real blood sucking, is probably the biggest metaphor in this novel."

……

The journal *Shanghai Literature* also features a review of *Hidden in the Dust* by literary heavyweight Wang Meng, who writes: "Lin Youcheng's *Hidden in the Dust* focuses on two marginalized individuals in rural areas, showcasing the experiences of these two individuals to represent an entire group. *Hidden in the Dust* reminds us that these groups are real, that these individuals are still struggling, and that we cannot conceal or hide them. We should understand them and help them. This is perhaps the most raw part of the novel—the repeated acts of bloodsucking. They suck the blood while simultaneously finding it dirty, laughing at their own stupidity. Lin Youcheng's writing on this part is quite direct and quite ruthless."

……

While there is praise, there will also be criticism. The criticism is that the modern rural life depicted in "Hidden in the Dust" is unrealistic in terms of suffering, or that the characters and blood donation are unrealistic.

Just as some literary critics have questioned why such an ending had to be written, why Guiying had to leave this world in such a way at the end, Lao Si and Guiying's lives were already very good, why did they have to be torn apart in such a cruel way?
However, such criticisms have been refuted by other literary critics and readers. Birth, aging, illness, and death are an inescapable cycle; whether we accept it or not, it continues to occur, so we can only face reality—that's life. But different people have different understandings of death. Farmers have their own way of thinking.

A person's life is nothing more than birth, aging, sickness, and death. A farmer's life, frankly speaking, is about dealing with life and death. In spring, they raise a pig, slaughter it at the end of the year, and then raise another pig. In spring, they raise a batch of chickens, raise them until the end of the year, slaughter them to entertain guests, and then raise more. The grain is planted, given new life, and harvested in autumn. No matter what this year's harvest is like, next year can begin again.

This is just one part of the debate; there are many other debates as well.

In particular, Ma Youtie is portrayed as a fairytale-like, highly moral altruist. When the landowner in the village falls seriously ill and needs a blood transfusion, Ma Youtie, as the only person in the village with a matching blood type, agrees to donate blood for free at the urging of the entire village, because only if the landowner survives can he possibly pay off the rent and water bills he owes to the village. Even the most oblivious person can see the metaphor in this setting: the farmers' blood is being drained dry.

However, it is clear that some people think such a description is too exaggerated, or even unrealistic.

This also sparked heated discussions, not only in literary magazines but also outside literary circles. Regardless, this story brought a glimpse into the world and its people in rural areas, especially given the heavy burden of paying grain taxes in rural areas today.

This has also attracted the attention of other news outlets to some extent, with reports on the vampires in the novel "Hidden in the Dust," which can be seen as a butterfly effect.

Although it is just a novel, the reality of rural areas today is just as depicted in Lin Youcheng's novel "Hidden in the Dust," where the countryside is indeed supporting the city.

When such a thing is brought up, especially in the works of Lin Youcheng, a literary giant in China, its impact is like a butterfly effect creating a hurricane, having a unique influence.

There was nothing that could be done; Lin Youcheng's influence was too great, and this matter was indeed somewhat sensitive, but even so, the higher-ups had taken notice.

Of course, it may not have any impact, but in any case, at least many people have seen this, especially now that the economy is developing rapidly, rural areas should still be taken seriously.

These debates, or rather criticisms, have also emerged.

Naturally, this led to more discussions, whether in the editorial department, in newspapers, at schools, or in hospitals.

"Zhaoxi, your father's latest novel, 'Hidden in the Dust, It's Too Real,' is so true."

As a college student from a rural area, Lin Zhaoxi's classmate Zhou Xue knew very well how realistic and cruel Lin Youcheng's "Hidden in the Dust" truly was.

Because of their good relationship, Zhou Xue also knew that Lin Zhaoxi's father was the famous writer Lin Youcheng, and that she herself had finally managed to get into Yenching Medical University and become a medical student.

In her opinion, the story written by Lin Youcheng was undoubtedly quite moving, but in addition, the bloodsucking incident also resonated with her because she had experienced harvesting in the fields in the countryside and had also paid the grain tax. Now, thinking about it carefully, it really was the countryside being bloodsucked by the city.

Lin Zhaoxi was surprised to hear her friend's words. She always knew that her classmate was not talkative and was usually quiet, but she had always been very serious and hardworking. Even though she had read her father's novels before, she did not expect that her friend would take the initiative to talk to her about her father's novels this time.

Lin Zhaoxi had also read her father's novels, but she hadn't read them this time. Her classmate mentioned how realistic the novels were, and she could tell that her classmate was genuinely moved by them, which surprised Lin Zhaoxi.

"They also said that the metaphor of bloodsucking was too much. Those people have no idea how hard life is in the countryside. They work hard all year round to tend to the crops, only to be given either chemical fertilizers or grain from the government."

"It's so hard to save any money!"

Zhou Xue felt those days were difficult, which made her work even harder.

Lin Zhaoxi listened to Zhou Xue's words without saying a word, because she hadn't read her father's novel yet. However, since Zhou Xue had mentioned it, it was likely that the novel had indeed been seen by many people.

Indeed, as Lin Zhaoxi thought, Lin Youcheng's novel is considered by many to be true people's literature. Even if the work may only represent a corner of the world, it does reveal, beyond the love story, a corner of the world that is still suffering at this moment.

Lin Youcheng didn't really care about the discussions and controversies, or the praise, because he knew very well that some things are just that cruel.

This may be true literature for the people!

After all, isn't the cruel and painful world also the real world? Isn't that the meaning of literature?

Lin Youcheng was more concerned about whether the intense discussion and controversy would unleash a different kind of storm behind this metaphor; no one could know for sure. (End of Chapter)