The literary era since 1979

It took a week to handle all the company's affairs, big and small.

Despite his busy schedule, Fangyan still did not forget to continue working on "Spirited Away" and he was only one-fifth away from completing the first draft.

"Dong dong dong."

There was a knock on the door, and a familiar figure stood at the door.

"Yuanjie!"

"Teacher Fang, sorry to bother you. Are you free now?"

"Of course."

Fang Yan invited Zheng Yuanjie to sit on the empty chair in front of him. "You are a rare guest. Why did you suddenly think of looking for me?"

"I should have come to congratulate you on winning the Best Picture Oscar for Farewell My Concubine, like Wang Shuo and the others did some time ago."

Zheng Yuanjie adjusted his glasses.

"You were attending a children's literature seminar."

Fangyan picked up the kettle and made tea for him while saying, "This meeting is more important than me!"

Zheng Yuanjie nodded and said, "I came here this time to report to you about the children's literature seminar."

Fangyan said "oh" and asked what important gains had been made from the contact with the children's literature delegation from Taiwan.

"I think the understanding and creation of children's literature in Taiwan is quite different from that in the mainland."

Zheng Yuanjie spoke nonstop, then changed the subject, "But there is one thing we have reached a consensus on, that is, children's literature must pay attention to the 'art of simple language'. Children's literature works of different age groups must have 'simple language' that conforms to the general cognitive and expression characteristics of children of different ages. We must not blindly pursue the refinement of words. Otherwise, we will lose the language art of children's literature itself, and even lose the unique sensitivity and expression of childhood..."

"It seems like your trip was not in vain, you gained a lot!"

Fangyan smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks to you for giving me this opportunity to attend as the editor-in-chief of Children's World."

Zheng Yuanjie smiled coldly, otherwise it would be impossible for him to attend the seminar given his situation of being excluded and marginalized by mainstream children's literature.

Although he saw through the dialect, he did not speak out, but instead turned the topic to the contact and exchanges with the Taiwan Children's Literature Delegation.

"In addition to discussing the situation of Children's World, I also shared some of my works with them."

Zheng Yuanjie listed them all: "The Story of Pippi Longstocking, The Story of Lu Xixi, The Magic Cube Building, Shuke and Beta..."

"If I remember correctly, your film "Shuke and Beta" was picked up by the Shanghai Film Studio and is being adapted into an animated film, right?"

Fangyan raised his eyebrows.

"That's right. Director Yan from the Shanghai Animation Studio called me and said that the animation "Shuke and Beta" will be broadcast in a while."

A gleam of joy flashed across Zheng Yuanjie's eyes behind his glasses.

Fangyan smiled. The cartoon "Shuke and Beta" is a childhood classic for those born in the 80s, 90s, and even 00s. The theme song is also very classic and catchy, "Shuke Shuke Shuke, Shuke who flies a plane! Beta Beta Beta, Beta who drives a tank!"

The story is not complicated. It is about the mouse Shuke, who is branded as a "thief", and the mouse "Beta" who left his home. They drove a plane and a tank respectively to help others, defeated pirates, and finally defended the peace of mankind. But for children, the story is innocent and exciting.

Just as I was thinking about notifying Han Yuemin to increase investment in the production of Shuke and Beta-related children's clothing, I heard Zheng Yuanjie's question:

"At the seminar, Chairman Hong and others said that you have also been writing children's literature recently, is that right?"

"It's because the delegation members begged me again and again that I couldn't refuse, so I had to agree with reluctance." Fang Yan was helpless and waved his hands.

"So how did you write?"

Zheng Yuanjie's eyes gleamed with greed.

"I'm writing it right now. You just happened to be here. Can you help me see if there's anything I need to revise or if there's anything wrong?"

Fang Yan handed over the manuscript and said, "After all, this is my first time writing a children's literature novel."

Zheng Yuanjie felt honored and took a closer look, and the name of "Spirited Away" came into his sight.

Seeing him slowly immersed in the story while flipping through the pages, Fang Yan quietly took a sip of tea.

Since the name is the same as in "Spirited Away", the heroine also still uses the name "Chihiro". Although the surname "Chi" is not common in China, it does not mean that there is no such surname. The biggest change in the novel is that all Japanese mythology has been changed into authentic Chinese mythology.

For example, the Japanese-style bathhouse where the "river god" was bathed has also been converted into a bathhouse, how authentic!
"Teacher Fang, you must serialize this novel in Children's World!"

Although Zheng Yuanjie didn't finish reading the whole book, he could get a glimpse of the whole picture. How could he write a children's novel to this extent in his first time?
"It's natural. Good things should be kept within the family."

Fangyan knocked on the table.

"Haha!" Zheng Yuanjie was delighted. "If the Shanghai Animation Studio saw the novel Spirited Away, they would definitely ask Mr. Fang to let them produce Spirited Away without hesitation."

"That's a pity."

Fang Yan said that he had already agreed to collaborate with Hayao Miyazaki on an animated film, so "Spirited Away" could not be handed over to Shanghai Animation Studios.

"Ugh."

There was a trace of worry between Zheng Yuanjie's brows.

Fangyan was curious and asked, only to find out that the Literature Publishing House was having a hard time now, and the Shanghai Art Film Studio was also having a hard time.

"This is actually due to the fact that the production model and profit model of Shangmei Factory are not suitable for the current 'market-oriented transformation'."

"Shanghai Animation Studios also has the same idea, so they want to invest resources in animated films and make profits from them."

Zheng Yuanjie touched his nose and said, "It's just that my novels are not very suitable for adaptation into animated films."

Fang Yan hesitated for a moment, and suddenly a cunning look flashed in his eyes, "Yuan Jie, you should know "Chinese Hero", right?"

Zheng Yuanjie nodded. "I heard that the movie "Chinese Hero" had a box office of over 6000 million in Hong Kong alone. This news made the headlines of many newspapers at the time. Unfortunately, I can't find a channel to buy the complete set of comics in Yanjing, so I can only buy a few copies here and there. The story is indeed very exciting, but "Chinese Hero" is a martial arts theme, which seems to have nothing to do with children's literature, right?"

“Why can’t children’s literature or animated films have martial arts stories suitable for children?”

Fangyan's mind suddenly flashed with "Legend of the Seven Heroes of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit", "Painting Rivers and Lakes: The Bad Guys", "Fog Mountain Five Elements"...

"Teacher Fang means..."

Zheng Yuanjie was puzzled.

"I'm wondering if the "Comic World" in Hong Kong can be connected with the "Children's World" in the mainland?"

Fangyan was planning to turn the children's literature in "Children's World" into comics, and the comic works in "Comic World" into novels, and publish them serially in each other's magazines. He could also take advantage of the fact that Shanghai Mei Factory was focusing heavily on animated films to allow the excellent works in the two magazines to be animated or even made into films. Perhaps he could also help Shanghai Mei Factory's commercial transformation in the process of cooperating with it.

It is not like the previous life, which declined at a lightning speed in the early 21st century, so fast that people were caught off guard. After releasing "The Lotus Lantern" and "I Am a Singer", it is like being cursed, either living off the past or studying too hard. (End of this chapter)