Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 106 What a great Xu Lingjun!

That night, Tao Yushu returned home with a few magazines and handed them to Lin Chaoyang like treasures.

What she brought back was the magazine "Foreign Drama", which was first published in 1962. At that time, it was called "Foreign Drama Materials" and was an internal distribution material of the Drama Association. Later, it ceased publication due to buzzing.

It was just resumed this year, and three issues have been published. Tao Yushu found them in the afternoon when she and Wu Yingfang and other classmates went to the Liubukou post office. They cost 7.6 yuan per copy, and three copies cost 2.28 yuan.

This magazine, which mainly introduces foreign theatrical activities, has a wide range of selection and content. It not only publishes articles on research and introduction of foreign drama at home and abroad, and news on academic exchanges between the Chinese and foreign drama circles, but also publishes one or two important current foreign drama or TV drama scripts in each issue. It is very helpful for many Chinese people who want to understand and learn about foreign drama.

However, because the magazine was previously distributed internally and had little influence among the public, sales were not ideal after it was renamed and resumed public publication.

This is also the reason why Tao Yushu found these magazines at the post office.

"Do you really want me to be a screenwriter?" Lin Chaoyang teased.

"There's no harm in learning. When you write novels, you can learn a lot of drama creation techniques and experiences. Generally, good writers are good screenwriters. Take Mr. Lao She for example."

When it comes to studying, Tao Yushu can always talk about a lot of reasons, but reading more relevant materials does help Lin Chaoyang write scripts.

In mid-November, the first draft of the script was finally completed. After reading the entire script, Tao Yushu was even happier than Lin Chaoyang.

"Chaoyang, even if you don't write novels, you can just be a screenwriter. You will definitely be a famous screenwriter!"

Tao Yushu's praise certainly came from her admiration and worship for her husband as a wife, but it was more based on rational judgment.

"As long as you are satisfied." Lin Chaoyang looked at Tao Yushu's smile and felt happy.

Tao Yushu happily held the script and read it over and over again. He thought it was good no matter how he read it.

The next morning, she went to school with the script, eager to show her classmates her husband's work.

There was a class in the Chinese Department that morning, titled "Modern Drama Research" taught by Associate Professor Huang Huilin.

After waiting for a long time, the class was over and the students were busy leaving, but Tao Yushu gathered together several key drama talents in the class.

“The script is out!”

With just one sentence, everyone gathered around her like ants smelling honey.

As soon as Tao Yushu took out the script, Wu Yingfang snatched it away. She quickly shouted, "Don't tear it up!"

Wu Yingfang ignored her concern and stared at the script. The script was just an ordinary piece of manuscript paper, but her eyes were immediately attracted when she saw the title of the play on the first page.

"The Best Restaurant in the World".

The name of this play...

“This play title is really bold!”

The classmates next to her spoke out Wu Yingfang's real thoughts.

"Yushu, your writer Lin is really extraordinary! Just based on the title of the play, we are sure to surpass Yan University." Classmate Li Luyang said in an exaggerated tone.

His words caused everyone to laugh. Eight drama fanatics gathered together and chatted non-stop without even waiting to read Lin Chaoyang's script.

There was only one copy of the script, and everyone wanted to see it first, so they were scrambling for it, which attracted the attention of Huang Huilin, who was packing up her things on the podium.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she walked down from the podium.

"Teacher Huang, it's nothing." Tao Yushu said.

Wu Yingfang spoke quickly, "Teacher Huang, we are going to put on a play. Yushu asked his wife to write a script for us. She just brought the script over today. Everyone wants to see it."

Huang Huilin laughed when she heard this. She had heard about the craze that was created by students of Yan University some time ago. She taught drama literature and was also very interested in this aspect.

The students even took out their scripts, showing extraordinary initiative. She said, "We have a set of mimeograph equipment in our office. We can just print a few more copies for you. Why are you fighting over them?"

This statement was greeted with cheers from everyone.

"Come on, let's go eat first. After dinner, I'll print the script for you."

Walking with the students, Huang Huilin felt that she had regained some of her youthful vitality.

Everyone followed her to have lunch, and then went to the office, where they spent an afternoon printing out several copies of the script.

Now everyone has a copy of the script, and no one is fighting over it anymore. Everyone impatiently starts flipping through the scripts in the office.

When everyone was quietly reading the script, Huang Huilin asked Tao Yushu: "Yushu, can you lend me a copy of this script?"

It was no longer a secret at Yanshi University that Tao Yushu's lover was the writer Xu Lingjun. Huang Huilin was also very interested in this script written by the famous writer.

"His script is poorly written. If you have time, you can help give it some pointers." Tao Yushu handed over a script.

After finishing the script, Tao Yushu said to everyone, "Okay, okay, the script has been printed, and it's time to get off work soon. Let's not disturb the teacher. Everyone go back and take a good look at the script, and discuss it tomorrow."

Everyone was so engrossed in watching the movie at the moment, but after hearing Tao Yushu's shout, they could only close the script and leave the office.

The few people said goodbye in front of the building gate. Tao Yushu rode his bicycle back to Yanda, and the others looked at each other.

"Do you want to go eat?" Wu Yingfang asked.

"I have two steamed buns. Just put them on the heater for a while. No need to go to the cafeteria." One of them picked up the script and went back to the dormitory.

"I'm not going either. Zhenyu, please get me some food." Li Luyang also wanted to go back to the dormitory, so he handed the task of getting food to a classmate in the dormitory.

He started this and others followed suit.

"Zhenyu, help me get one too."

"Bring me a copy."

Li Zhenyu had four or five lunch boxes hanging on his body and felt like crying but had no tears.

You guys are anxious to go back and read the script, but am I not anxious too?
Wu Yingfang looked at Li Zhenyu with some sympathy, "These people are so evil!"

Li Zhenyu nodded, "Yingfang, you are right."

She glanced at the lunch box on Li Zhenyu's body and said, "Give them less food later, don't let them eat too much."

After saying this, she clutched the script and walked away briskly. Li Zhenyu shook his head helplessly. There was no good person.

Since it couldn't be done quickly anyway, he simply stopped rushing and walked slowly to the cafeteria to eat a full meal. He then served food to everyone in turn and then slowly returned to the dormitory.

There were eight of them, five boys and three girls, in a small group of drama lovers. The boys lived separately on the third floor of the southwest building. Li Zhenyu and Li Luyang lived in the same dormitory, both living in room 322.

After delivering the meal to everyone, he returned to the dormitory and placed the lunch box at the head of Li Luyang's bed.

"Lu Yang, it's time to eat."

At this moment, Li Luyang seemed to have put all his energy into the script in his hands and was not aware of his voice at all.

Li Zhenyu was not surprised by this. In the afternoon, a few of them had already had a sneak peek at the script in the office. He hadn't even finished reading the first scene, but his mind had been firmly attracted to it. If he didn't have to bring lunch for everyone, he really didn't want to go to the cafeteria.

Now that everything was finally fine, he took off his shoes, lay down on the bed, picked up the script, and entered the ups and downs of the world of the play again.

"it is good!"

I don’t know how long it had been, but when Li Zhenyu was immersed in it, a sound suddenly exploded in his ears, waking him up.

He turned his head and saw that Li Luyang had sat up from the bed at some point, his eyes wide open, his face full of excitement, and he was patting the bed excitedly.

"'What a dilapidated building, who is the host and who is the guest; just three old rooms, sometimes the moon is bright and sometimes the wind is blowing'! What a Xu Lingjun!"

His voice was passionate, and at the most excited part he couldn't help but walk barefoot to the ground, holding the script in both hands, his eyes full of piety, and muttering to himself:

"Lao She was no more than this when he was alive! Lao She was no more than this when he was alive..."

Li Zhenyu was shocked by Li Luyang's performance, but he could understand it. If he hadn't been interrupted by Li Luyang, he would have been immersed in the joys and sorrows of the era created by Xu Lingjun.

He shook his head and was about to continue reading the script, but Li Luyang, perhaps because he was not satisfied with what he had said, came over and grabbed him.

"Zhenyu, stop watching, let's talk about the script."

Talk about a hammer!

You have finished reading it, but I haven’t!

He looked at Li Luyang fiercely, "Don't say anything. If you dare to reveal the last half word, you will have no food to eat in the future!"

Li Zhenyu's fierce attitude finally made Li Luyang regain some rationality. He sat back on the bed muttering and put on his shoes again.

Only now did he see the food on the bedside table. He didn't care whether it was cold or not and just stuffed it into his mouth.

While stuffing the book into his pocket, he stared at Li Zhenyu, wanting to see when he would finish reading so that they could exchange their feelings.

He hadn't finished his meal yet when he heard the dormitory door slam open. Several classmates who had just been there stood at the door, holding scripts in their hands.

"A masterpiece! A masterpiece!"

The rice grains on Li Luyang's mouth did not prevent him from grinning. It turned out that everyone had good taste.

He threw the lunch box aside and said, "Yes, this is a masterpiece that deserves to be called a masterpiece!"

Several people gathered together at once, as if they were underground party members who had received a secret signal for contact. They talked loudly about the script, their eyes shining and their spirits high.

Li Zhenyu was so disturbed by the others that he couldn't concentrate on the script at all. He listened to them constantly spoiling the content he hadn't seen yet, and looked very hopeless.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought any food with me. You bastards will starve to death!

Yanshida, Building 6, one of the staff and family buildings of the Normal University, is still a tube-shaped building.

Even before dinner, night had already fallen. When Huang Huilin was washing the dishes, it was already pitch black outside.

She came back from the bathroom with a bowl in her red hands. She put her hands on the heater to warm them and noticed that her husband was sitting at the head of the bed, reading the script she brought back intently.

After a long pause, she came over and asked, "How was the viewing?"

Her husband Shao Wu is also a teacher at Yanshi University. He has also published some novels and has made great achievements in literary creation.

Shao Wu looked up blankly, "Who wrote this?"

“Written by the family of a Chinese Department student.”

"Students' family members?" Shao Wu was stunned again because of this answer. How could he be related to students' family members?

"Do you remember Tao Yushu?"

Shao Wu immediately thought of the students his wife would talk about from time to time, but what impressed him most was the news his wife brought back some time ago. Tao Yushu’s husband turned out to be Xu Lingjun, who wrote "The Shepherd" and "The Little Shoes".

"You mean...Xu Lingjun?" Shao Wu asked in surprise.

Huang Huilin nodded and explained, "Didn't the students of Yanjing University put on a play a few days ago? It has set off a trend in the universities in Yanjing, and every school is putting on a play."

Shao Wu smiled and asked, "Didn't you say Xu Lingjun is from Yanda University? If our Yanda University students invite him to participate in a play, wouldn't that be helping him to gain prestige?"

Huang Huilin smiled lightly, "One of the thirty-six strategies is called the beauty trap."

The couple joked with each other and laughed out loud.

After the joke, Shao Wu said, "I just read one scene of the script. It's very tasteful and gives me the feeling of Tea House."

Huang Huilin looked surprised. She knew her husband's character very well and it was rare for him to praise a work so directly.

Moreover, as Mr. Lao She's representative work on the stage of drama, "Teahouse" is one of the insurmountable pinnacles of modern Chinese drama and has long become a classic in the minds of countless readers and audiences.

Shao Wu gave such an evaluation after watching only one scene, which naturally surprised Huang Huilin.

"The evaluation is so high?"

"I'm just saying it's like that. I think his script has a very good beginning and end. If he can keep up this level, it will be really extraordinary!"

Huang Huilin felt itchy at the words of her husband, "Let me take a look first!"

After saying that, he snatched the script away. Shao Wu looked at his wife, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

(End of this chapter)