The literary era since 1979

Chapter 134: Timely Rain
February 10, noon.

In the office, Fangyan and his colleagues gathered together for dinner as usual.

Tian Zengxiang picked up a piece of carrot and said while eating:
"Have you received the message?"

"Old Tian, ​​what gossip have you heard?"

Fang Yan, Zhang Shouren, Zhang Zhonge and others looked at each other.

"You don't want to talk about the establishment of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, do you?"

Yan Ming poured hot water into the aluminum lunch box.

"Yes, that's it!"

Tian Zengxiang looked left and right, but saw that no one was surprised at all. "Did you know about this a long time ago?"

Fang Yan nodded. He could be said to be one of the first people to know the news. The selection would be officially launched this month, and the first Mao Dun Literature Prize award ceremony would be held next year.

"The key is the selection range!"

Tian Zengxiang said: "According to this standard, Yanzi's works have a good chance of being selected for the novels published between 77 and 81."

Zhang Shouren said: "He even won an award."

"It's hard to say. There have been a lot of good works in the past five years."

Fang Yan said: "It may not be my turn to win the award."

"Don't underestimate yourself. The first Mao Dun Literature Prize cannot be without Yan Zi's works, just like this October love literature competition cannot be without Under the Hawthorn Tree."

Tian Zengxiang raised his hand.

"What Lao Tian said makes sense."

Yan Ming drank a mouthful of the oily water and said, "Even if Yan Zi is the editor of October, in principle, we should avoid suspicion. However, "Under the Hawthorn Tree" is such a representative work, we must choose it. Otherwise, where is the authority, seriousness and honor?"

Zhang Zhonge was silent. He watched Fang Yan, Zhang Shouren, Yan Ming and others chatting enthusiastically, and sighed softly.

Tian Zengxiang made a very clear analysis: "I estimate that "The Hidden" and "The Great Qin Splitting" have the highest chance of being shortlisted. Both of them represent the highest level in their respective literary fields."

"It's impossible for both to be selected, only one of them."

Zhang Shouren asked Fangyan which one he hoped would be shortlisted.

Fang Yan blurted out, "That's The Great Qin Splitting."

Tian Zengxiang said: "I think so too. This is a masterpiece of reform literature and has the greatest chance of being selected and winning an award."

"What is destined to happen will happen, and what is not destined to happen should not be forced. No matter what the result is, in short, if I get it, I am lucky, and if I lose it, it is my fate."

Fangyan shook his head and laughed.

Rather than winning the award, what I care about is the value, authority, fairness, and most importantly, reputation of the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

"Not pleased, not to have compassion."

Yan Ming smiled and said, "Yanzi's attitude is very good."

"Fortunately, the news about our October Literature Prize was released at the beginning of the month. If it had coincided with the Mao Dun Literature Prize..."

Tian Zengxiang shrugged.

Zhang Shouren said with emotion: "It is true. Now other literary journals have seen that our literary award is very successful, and many of them are holding meetings to study and actively keep up with it."

Fangyan eats quietly and listens to magazines and newspapers such as "Huaxia Youth", "Contemporary", "Children's Literature", "Yenching Literature", and "National Literature". He has the same intention.

"In the final analysis, it's all thanks to Yanzi."

"That's right. Thanks to Yanzi, October became the first magazine among hundreds of literary journals in the country to establish a literary award!"

"There is also "Autumn Memories" which Yanzi recommended to the prose group. The sales of this issue continued the record set by the previous issue of "Life", stabilizing at 65 and continuing to rise."

"........."

While everyone was discussing this, Fang Yan noticed that Zhang Zhonge left without saying a word, and asked in surprise, "What's wrong with Teacher Zhang? He always looks worried lately?"

Tian Zengxiang nodded and said, "I feel like a different person after I came back. I am not as gentle as before at work, and I am a little impatient."

"Zhonge hasn't changed, he's just anxious."

Zhang Shouren said bluntly.

Yan Ming said: "We have overcome the hurdle of the "Bitter Love" incident, but Zhonge is a person with a strong sense of responsibility. He has been trying to restore the influence, make meritorious contributions, and prove himself again. However, if he did not have a solid work, he would never have been able to recover."

“It has to be at least of the quality of Life and Autumn Memories.”

Zhang Shouren glanced at Fangyan and seemed to be about to say something but stopped himself.

"I recently found a good novel from the submissions."

Fangyan took out a manuscript from the drawer.

Tian Zengxiang, Zhang Shouren and others immediately surrounded them.

“Are they co-authors?”

Tian Zengxiang focused his attention on "Sleepless".

"Yes, Ke Yunlu and Xue Ke are husband and wife."

The dialect briefly describes the background and plot of the story.

Although this work "Insomnia" is not as mature and sophisticated as Ke Yunlu's later works "New Star" and "Dragon Year Archives", it is a kind of innovation in reform literature. It does not focus on reform. Instead, it is like official novels, where the reformists and conservatives fight each other to the death, and in the end, good prevails over evil.

"This novel is great, Yanzi, are you going to give it to Zhonge?"

Tian Zengxiang, Zhang Shouren and others guessed his intention.

"What do you mean by 'let'?"

Fangyan waved his hand and said, "Teacher Zhang is the leader of the long and medium-length group. All manuscripts to be published in October need to be reviewed by him. But I have too many things to do right now and I can't spare the time to continue with this manuscript. I can only trouble Teacher Zhang to do it for me."

"Yeah!"

Tian Zengxiang was the first to react and secretly gave him a thumbs up. Zhang Shouren and the others looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

What a righteous man! General Fang!
It is truly timely rain, unparalleled benevolence and righteousness!

Everyone couldn't help but praise it in their hearts.

"Where, where."

Fangyan did this because he had too much to do and had to focus on writing prose, and also out of friendship and to help Zhang Zhonge.

After all, Zhang Zhonge was a very nice person. He could take responsibility, be a guarantee, and manage the group in an orderly manner, making it convenient for him to slack off.

"While Teacher Zhang is still here, let's discuss this?"

Seeing Fangyan being so righteous, Tian Zengxiang and others would not stand idly by. They were all comrades in the same literary trench.

"Yanzi, shall we have dinner together?"

Tian Zengxiang patted his shoulder.

"Let's make an appointment some other time."

Fangyan said: "I will go home to eat today."

...............

When I got back to the alley after get off work, I saw Fang Yan, who had just finished school, laughing and playing with her friends, jumping and shouting:

"A bolt from the blue!"

"The shooting star catches up with the moon!"

"What's the plan?"

Fangyan called out to his younger sister with interest.

"Brother, this is Junko Kojima's 'Thunderbolt from the Blue Sky'."

Fang Yan made a volleyball smash gesture.

Listening to the girls chattering, the dialect finally became clear.

So it’s “The Volleyball Girl”!

This Japanese drama about the Japanese women's volleyball team was one of the most popular TV dramas in the 80s. Almost every local TV station regarded it as a guarantee of ratings and broadcast it repeatedly. Its influence was even greater than that of "Captain Tsubasa" and "Slam Dunk" which were introduced to China later.

Just like there is the "Tiger Shot" in "Captain Tsubasa", the "Outside Serve" and "Tezuka Domain" in "The Prince of Tennis", the important characters in "Volleyball Girls" also have their own exclusive special moves.

Spiral flying ball, meteor fireball, meteor chasing the moon...

The bolt from the blue is the ultimate move of the protagonist Junko Kodo. She jumps high, does a front flip in the air, uses centrifugal force to spike the ball, and directly smashes Newton's coffin.

Therefore, "The Volleyball Girl" is called "Murderous Volleyball" just like "Murderous Football" "Captain Tsubasa" and "Murderous Tennis" "Prince of Tennis", but it does not affect it being a classic of a generation.

It was broadcast time and the theme song played on TV.

"Pain and sorrow,"

"Like a ball,"

"Attack me..."

"Hey, catch the ball, smash it,"

"Come on, see it."

"On the court, the victory flag flutters in the wind,"

"On the court, the fire of youth is burning!"

Yang Xia, Fang Hong and Fang Yan stood motionless, holding the bowls in their hands, staring at the TV, afraid of missing any picture.

Fangyan was also watching with great interest, and suddenly an idea came to him:
"Sister, is there going to be a women's volleyball match soon?"

"Yes."

Fang Hong said that the newspaper published the news that the Chinese women's volleyball team was intensively preparing for the third World Cup Women's Volleyball Championship in November.

Fangyan slapped his thigh and said, "This is it!"

Yang Xia and the other two were startled by his sudden surprise.

Fangyan smiled and said, "Sister, let's design a T-shirt."

“What is a T-shirt?”

Fang Hong and Yang Xia looked at each other, their minds full of question marks.

(End of this chapter)