Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 445: Why not wait a few years?

Lin Chaoyang and his wife went to Hong Kong in mid-April and returned to Yanjing at the end of September. More than five months is definitely not a short time.

After living in Hong Kong for nearly half a year, when Tao Yushu returned to Yanjing, the most obvious feeling he had was that there was indeed a big gap in economic development between the two places.

But what is the same is the enthusiasm and enthusiasm. There are some differences between Hong Kong and the mainland. At this stage, Hong Kong's economic development has reached a considerable level, the upward channel is shrinking, and people are more impetuous in doing things.

On the contrary, the mainland is more energetic and vigorous while being energetic.

In the evening, Tao Yushu told Lin Chaoyang about his feelings after coming back. Lin Chaoyang joked, "Great, you really are the boss now. You can analyze things so well after just one day back."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Look at you, I'm clearly praising you."

The couple told jokes and fell asleep.

The next day, the couple went to Langrun Lake Apartment. It had been almost half a year since they last saw their daughter, and Tao's father and mother were both excited to see Tao Yushu.

Tao's mother held her and looked at her for a long time, then asked Tao Yumo why she didn't come back.

Tao Yushu said: "Someone needs to take care of things in Hong Kong."

Tao's mother asked again: "When can you come back? Don't you miss home?"

"She misses home?" Tao Yushu seemed to have heard something funny. "Mom, you really don't understand your daughter. She really wants to be away from home."

Tao's mother was not happy to hear her words, and thought that Tao Yushu was just making excuses for herself for leaving her sister in Hong Kong.

Tao Yucheng said at this time: "Mom, I don't believe anything else Yushu said, but I absolutely believe this. With your daughter's personality, she won't come back until she has had enough fun in Hong Kong."

After hearing what he said, Tao's mother felt even more unhappy.

"This damn girl really doesn't miss home at all!"

After distributing the gifts to the family members, Lin Chaoyang chatted with Tao's father and asked about Zhu Guangqian's condition. Tao's father said that there was still no improvement.

"He's almost ninety." Father Tao said this with a sad sigh, both for his old friend and for himself.

Tao's father was born in 1920, more than years younger than Zhu Guangqian, so they were close friends regardless of age.

But in a few years he will be seventy years old. As the saying goes, it is rare for a person to live to be seventy. In the past two years, Tao's father can also feel that his health is obviously not as good as before.

At this time, Tao Yucheng came over and joined the conversation, asking Lin Chaoyang: "Chaoyang, I heard from Du Feng that he wants to open a clothing city?"

"Yes, he is still investigating during this period."

Du Feng inspected in Hong Kong for more than a week, but did not return to Yanjing. Instead, he looked for reliable suppliers in Guangdong.

The clothing city is no longer the small-scale clothing stalls of the past. He is more serious about it than ever before and has not returned to Yanjing yet.

Tao Yucheng asked a few more questions, and when he heard Lin Chaoyang finish talking about Du Feng's plan, he couldn't help but be surprised: "He mentioned it to me before, but I didn't believe it. This kid is really brave!"

"The bolder the people, the more fertile the land!" Lin Chaoyang replied with a smile.

In the early days of reform and opening up, this sentence was the secret to many people's fortune.

After lunch, Tao Yushu took Lin Chaoyang's arm and went downstairs for a walk.

She is now in the late stage of pregnancy. She takes a half-hour walk after every meal, which will help her have a natural birth in the future.

As the couple walked near Langrun Lake, they would occasionally meet acquaintances who would greet them warmly.

The two of them have hardly appeared in Yanjing University in the past six months, so when we unexpectedly see them, we can't help but ask them a few questions out of concern.

"I went out." Tao Yushu responded in a low-key manner.

"Did you go to Hong Kong? I even mentioned it when I met your eldest brother the other day."

Tao Yushu smiled and complained in his heart that some people were really gossipy!

"By the way, I saw in Popular Movies that Chaoyang has won several awards in Hong Kong. Is he writing scripts for Hong Kong movies now?"

“Just two film awards.”

For ordinary people in the mainland at this stage, going abroad or going to Hong Kong is considered a very glorious thing, not to mention being able to achieve some results there.

Even in a place like Yanda University, it is inevitable to be asked a few questions by everyone.

After dealing with the neighbor aunt, Tao Yushu said, "Why don't we go see Uncle Zhu? I haven't seen him yet."

"it is good."

The couple walked towards Yannan Garden. Today is the first day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, September 9th.

Tomorrow is the National Day holiday. The weather is clear and cool in autumn, and the Yanda campus is filled with a relaxed and pleasant holiday atmosphere.

"Great! Yan University is still the best!"

Tao Yushu held Lin Chaoyang's arm, squinted his eyes, and looked comfortable and lazy.

"How about we move back to YNU?" Lin Chaoyang asked with a smile.

“What about the company?”

"I quit." Lin Chaoyang said casually.

Tao Yushu immediately said firmly: "That won't work!"

She is a person who cannot sit still. She has no problem taking a short rest, but if she is allowed to sit idle and do nothing every day, she will become sick in less than two months.

Although Hong Kong is a crowded and small place, its temperament suits her style very well. She is energetic and can always find something to do. It can be said that it has fully stimulated the strong gene in her body.

When he arrived at Yannan Garden, Zhu Guangqian was very happy to see Tao Yushu. His current condition was better than what Lin Chaoyang had seen before.

"Is the baby going to be born soon?" Zhu Guangqian asked Tao Yushu with concern.

"Soon, next month."

Zhu Guangqian nodded, "Okay. Although this is the national policy, one child is still a little lonely. It is right to have another one if conditions permit."

At this time, he was not an elder or a scholar, but just an elder who cared about the younger generation.

After chatting with Tao Yushu for a while, Zhu Guangqian turned his attention to Lin Chaoyang again and said excitedly: "You really came true. Nie Weiping really killed Kobayashi Koichi. Not only Kobayashi Koichi, but also Kato Masao!"

In August, two games of the China-Japan Go Challenge were held. Nie Weiping defeated Kobayashi Koichi and Kato Masao, two of the three top players in the Japanese Go world, by 2 points and 4 points respectively.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Chinese team turned the tide, sweeping away the previous slump in which Kobayashi Koichi swept five games.

The victory in these two games not only restored the morale of Chinese Go, but also restored the morale of Go enthusiasts and ordinary people.

The China-Japan Go Challenge has been held for more than half a year due to the competition system. The two sides have been competing back and forth and the competition has now entered a white-hot stage.

The public attention of both countries to this competition has reached an unprecedented level.

Now, both teams have only one head coach left. The Chinese team has Nie Weiping, while the Japanese team has Fujisawa Hideyuki, who has dominated the Japanese chess world for decades.

This is like the end of a martial arts novel, when countless soldiers and generals from both good and evil sides are killed or injured, and only the two protagonists are left to fight a decisive battle on top of the Forbidden City.

Such plots are very common in movies, but in reality, even screenwriters dare not write like this.

"Only Fujisawa Hide is left. Do you think Nie Weiping can do it?"

Zhu Guangqian held Lin Chaoyang's hand, his expression more pious than the good men and women in the temple worshiping the Buddha.

"How could I know that?"

Zhu Guangqian was unhappy, "Are you still pretending to be nice to me? Tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone else."

Lin Chaoyang looked helpless, "We are all Chinese, of course I hope Nie Weiping wins!"

Hearing this, Zhu Guangqian felt relieved.

"I'm also optimistic that Nie Weiping will win. He has a better chance of winning against a Japanese player. That year..."

The old comrade thought he had made a pertinent analysis, but the whole thing was full of idealism.

Lin Chaoyang was afraid that there would be some problems with the timeline. If Nie Weiping really lost, the old man would rush over.

"Go is just a form of entertainment. You shouldn't be so concerned about gains and losses," he advised.

Zhu Guangqian glanced at him sideways, "This is how defeated generals console themselves."

Lin Chaoyang: ...

There is no seven-day holiday for the National Day now, but fortunately there is no evil adjusted holiday.

Yanjing is just clear and refreshing at this time of year. After living in a high-rise building in Hong Kong for half a year, I feel an indescribable comfort when I return to the courtyard house in Yanjing.

Lin Chaoyang stayed at home for two days, living a leisurely and comfortable life, but some people didn't want him to rest.

The day after National Day, the West Courtyard became lively.

Li Tuo organized a party for a group of people and came over to invite him to join them.

After being away for almost half a year, Lin Chaoyang finally came back. When everyone saw him, they were very happy.

Having not seen each other for a long time, Lin Chaoyang naturally became the protagonist of today's party, and all the topics revolved around him.

Everyone first asked him about his life and experiences in Hong Kong in the past six months. During the period, he inevitably mentioned movies and awards. Lin Chaoyang briefly told everyone about them.

Everyone listened with great interest, yet felt it was very far away from them.

Lin Jinlan then talked about Lin Chaoyang's new book and asked him, "Chaoyang, how did you write such a story?"

Before Lin Chaoyang could answer, Li Tuo answered first.

"Old Lin, I can tell you don't care about Chaoyang. When he came back for a book signing, didn't he say in an interview that he was inspired by that Hong Kong movie star Xu Guanwen?"

Lin Jinlan replied: "The report is only about 1,800 words long. What can it say? Only a face-to-face discussion can provide a thorough understanding. This time, The Truman Show is controversial, so of course I have to understand Chaoyang's thoughts."

"The Truman Show" has been released in mainland China for one and a half months. Thanks to the reputation accumulated by Lin Chaoyang over the years and the vigorous promotion by Huacheng Publishing House, sales have been soaring since its release.

Sales exceeded 20 copies in one week, and sales in the first month reached 50 copies, maintaining the high sales volume of Lin Chaoyang's works since their publication.

However, despite the high sales of the novel, the reputation of the novel is not as outstanding as Lin Chaoyang's previous works, and it can even be said to be mixed.

Talking about the reputation of "The Truman Show", Li Tuo said: "I think this has nothing to do with the novel."

Lin Jinlan asked: "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you want to blame someone, blame Chaoyang for writing his last novel, Crossing the Guandong, too well. It's not that The Truman Show is not good, it's just that readers had too high expectations of Chaoyang and this novel.

Even if the quality of "The Truman Show" is comparable to "The Great Wall", it may be seen as a step backward by readers.

Because readers are used to Chaoyang's every work bringing them surprises."

Li Tuo's words made everyone present nod their heads, and he continued:
"I think another issue is the style. The content of The Truman Show is still too novel for many domestic readers.

Even when I first read the novel, I found it hard to accept the reality show format.

I also specifically asked around and found out that Western countries do have reality shows, but the reality show Chaoyang showed us has gone beyond the general reality show. I would rather call it a theatrical experiment in which the whole world participates.

For domestic readers who are used to reading realistic themes, if they want to fully understand the ideological connotation behind this novel, the first thing they need to do is to change their mindset. "

Li Tuo's words elicited a rebuttal from Zheng Wanlong, "You are wrong. Readers are qualified to judge whether a novel is good or not. If you ask readers to change their mindset just to read a novel, then that's not being a writer, that's being a teacher."

After a while of debate, each of them held their own opinion. Zheng Wanlong said to Lin Chaoyang directly: "Chaoyang, I think your novel failed!"

Lin Chaoyang remained calm even though he was criticized in person.

Li Tuo said dissatisfiedly: "You are too arbitrary! You can't call it a failure just because you think it's not good. I think it's good."

Lin Chaoyang waved his hand, "Alright, alright. It's just a discussion, why are you two so excited?"

He didn't mind Zheng Wanlong's criticism. Criticism in person and praise behind the back are both behaviors that should be cherished.

Zheng Wanlong said seriously, "Chaoyang, regarding the novel "The Truman Show", I think what the "Literary Review" said is right: it is divorced from China's reality, making it hard for ordinary people to understand and see clearly, like a castle in the air." Li Tuo couldn't help but retort, "The article in "Shanghai Literature" also said that "The Truman Show" is a classic of absurd novels!"

After knowing each other for so many years, it is normal to have arguments when we have different opinions on something or a work.

The two of them were talking back and forth, and Lin Chaoyang interrupted and said, "You two should let others speak too!"

The two of them stopped arguing, and Lin Chaoyang asked the others, "What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts."

His attitude was gentle from beginning to end, but at this moment Li Tuo and Zheng Wanlong had just had an argument, so everyone was embarrassed to speak.

Seeing this, Lin Chaoyang pointed at someone and said, "How about Yu Hua tell us?"

Yu Hua originally came to Yanjing to revise the manuscript, but was called by Li Tuo today. He didn't expect that Lin Chaoyang still remembered him.

He is the youngest among the writers here today, and also the least famous and experienced, and he never thought about speaking.

When Lin Chaoyang called him out, he was filled with nervousness and his face became hot. It took him a long time to react.

“I think The Truman Show is very well written. Some people think that the novel is not down-to-earth or that it is hard to imagine what the novel depicts. I think these are minor issues.

We might as well leave it to time. Anyway, I think "The Truman Show" is a good work that can stand the test of time.

I also believe that the core of his thoughts is worth reading and thinking about again and again.”

After saying these words, Yu Hua seemed to have put down a heavy burden and breathed a sigh of relief.

Don’t worry about whether what was said was good or bad, at least I didn’t embarrass myself in front of so many senior colleagues.

He showed his unreserved appreciation and love for The Truman Show, which made Li Tuo feel proud, "Hey~ Yu Hua still has good taste!"

Yu Hua quickly waved his hands, looking a little embarrassed.

After he finished speaking, several other people present expressed their opinions one after another.

Overall, the reviews of "The Truman Show" are more positive than negative.

We are all in the same industry and can all understand what Lin Chaoyang wants to express in the novel.

The mixture of biting satire and bitter humor in "The Truman Show" is not something that ordinary people can write.

More importantly, Lin Chaoyang interweaves real-world factors with unrealistic and illusory factors to complete his creation in a realistic manner.

Although it seems a bit absurd and false, it brings the theme and connotation of the novel to an extremely high level.

Lin Jinlan concluded: "Your novel is a little too highbrow for most people!"

After hearing this evaluation, everyone felt it was very pertinent.

Li Tuo asked Lin Chaoyang, "Chaoyang, everyone has said so much, you can also tell me, what were you thinking when you wrote it? How do you evaluate your novel?"

Lin Chaoyang pondered and said, "Actually, what everyone said is very good. Whether it's praise or criticism, everyone has their own reasons. If you ask me what I thought at the time, it's actually nothing, I just simply wanted to write such a story.

Some people think that it is far from the current life and reality of ordinary people, so why not wait a few years and see. "

Why not wait a few years and see!
If Lin Chaoyang didn't have great confidence in his work, he would never have said such a thing.

Everyone present could understand his mentality. There was no problem with the content and quality of "The Truman Show". It was just the innovation in form that triggered these controversies.

Everyone also admits that "The Truman Show" has achieved a very high level of achievement in terms of ideology and artistry, which cannot be erased in any way.

“That’s a good point! Why not wait a few years and see. I’ll write a review tomorrow and use this as the title.” Li Tuo said happily.

"Then you have to pay royalties. Based on Chaoyang's current royalty standards, this sentence should cost at least a few hundred yuan, right?" Lin Jinlan said humorously.

Everyone burst into laughter.

After a while, Lin Jinlan saw that it was already noon and started to prepare dinner.

In the past six months, the West Courtyard of Xiaoliubukou has become the favorite place for Yenching writers and many writers from other places who come to Beijing to revise manuscripts, hold meetings, or go on business trips.

The place is large and the conditions are good. You can stay here and prepare your own food. Writers often gather here. Chang'an Avenue and Tiananmen Square are just outside your door. It is like a paradise on earth.

During the meal, Lin Chaoyang chatted with Yu Hua for a while, and Yu Hua asked, "Is Teacher Tao at home today?"

"Yes, I'll take you there later."

Yu Hua was discovered by Tao Yushu when he was an editor of Yenching Literature. Now that I'm at Lin Chaoyang's house today, of course I have to pay her a visit.

After dinner, he followed Lin Chaoyang to the East Courtyard. Coincidentally, Tao Yushu had also finished her meal and was taking a walk in the courtyard. She was very happy to see Yu Hua.

"Hey, when did Yu Hua come to Yanjing?"

"Teacher Tao!" Yu Hua greeted her first, and then said, "I came here last week. I submitted a manuscript to Yenching Literature. The editor said it was well written and asked me to revise it."

Tao Yushu asked about the specific content of the novel. Although she was no longer an editor, Yu Hua was discovered by her after all.

Yu Hua briefly described the content of the novel. The title of the novel is "Going on a Long Journey at the Age of Eighteen". It tells the story of the eighteen-year-old "me" who is eager to enter the society, go on a long journey, and hitchhike, just like what Kerouac wrote in "On the Road".

But the car broke down halfway, and someone started snatching apples. I tried to help but was beaten. The driver, the real owner of the apples, stood by and didn't care, and even took away my luggage in the end.

Yu Hua handled the ending of the novel into a circular structure, which is a dialogue between "I" and my father.

"You are eighteen now, it's time to get to know the outside world." The previous indifference and absurdity were suddenly thrown away, and the feeling of sunshine and brightness returned.

After listening to Yu Hua telling the whole story, Tao Yushu nodded in approval.

“Yes, this structure is very innovative, and it has made great progress in the past year or so.

The fact that you were asked to come to Yanjing to revise the manuscript this time shows that the editorial department is optimistic about your work. Maybe you will become famous after it is published."

Yu Hua blushed and said, "I'm still a long way from that."

"Hey! Don't underestimate yourself."

As time goes by, the discussion about "The Truman Show" in the domestic literary circles and reading groups has become more and more intense.

Before Lin Chaoyang was in Hong Kong, he did not feel this kind of public opinion atmosphere. After he came back, whether it was his friends or newspapers and magazines, they all talked about this novel.

Who said this is Lin Chaoyang’s new work?
When someone writes a controversial work, everyone takes a look at it and there are one or two debates back and forth, and then it's over.

But Lin Chaoyang is different. He is the most influential writer of China's young generation and also the most popular writer. He is the writer who wrote classic works such as "Crossing the Guandong" that will be passed down to future generations.

The literary world is looking forward to it, the readers praise it, so how could everyone not discuss it when his works are published?
Even when the works received rave reviews, discussions were endless, not to mention that new works nowadays are still quite controversial.

Just two months after the publication of "The Truman Show", articles about the novel appeared in dozens of large and small literary magazines and literary review magazines in China.

There are those who praise it, but there are also many who criticize it.

For a time, it was very popular and became a carnival in the literary criticism circle.

The praise or criticism from the outside world during this period had no effect on Lin Chaoyang.

As winter is approaching, Lin Chaoyang has been busy stockpiling vegetables for the winter these days.

Cabbage, potatoes, radishes... Yanjing cannot do without these vegetables in winter, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem.

After stockpiling winter vegetables, we have to prepare coal for the winter.

Xiaoliubukou Hutong has a large courtyard and many rooms, and has always used a lot of coal. However, Lin Chaoyang's family has never worried about this. After all, they have foreign exchange coupons and overseas remittance coupons, so it is easy to get some coal.

Since the 80s, Yanjing has been suffering from a coal shortage, and it has been difficult for ordinary people to get coal in recent years.

At this time of year in previous years, the coal mines in every street of Yanjing would always be extremely busy.

Sometimes, due to insufficient coal transportation capacity, the street has to hire some farmers in the suburbs who are not working during the farming season to fill out the coal delivery team and ensure that coal is delivered to every household before winter.

This year in Yanjing, the coal plants on various streets are still very busy, but the busyness is not as urgent as in previous years.

Everything looks the same as in previous years, yet seems a little different.

The source of this difference lies in policy. Just a few months ago, the state officially announced that coal prices have entered a dual-track era:

The prices of small coal mines follow market trends; the part outside the quota of state-owned coal mines can be sold at a higher price.

The entry of coal prices into a dual-track stage is an inevitable measure in this particular historical period of reform and opening up, and will inevitably affect every Chinese citizen.

With the relaxation of policies, China's coal output has experienced explosive growth. Mining coal means mining money!
Under such circumstances, small coal mines have sprung up like mushrooms in various coal-producing areas.

The problem that troubles ordinary people is no longer that they cannot buy coal even if they have money, but why the price of coal is so expensive?
But no matter what, it is better than before. At least you can buy coal with money.

On this day, the coal that Lin Chaoyang bought from outside had just been delivered to his home, and the coal transporter was helping to unload the coal.

Xiao Dongdong, who was almost three years old, was very curious about the scene. He ran to the yard with his short legs. He was not satisfied with watching for a while and went to pick up the small pieces of coal that had fallen on the ground.

The black coal slag shone like gems in the sun. He looked at it for a while and liked it more and more.

Tao Yushu saw this and shouted, "Put down the coal. Isn't it dirty?"

Xiao Dongdong didn't react at all and continued playing with the coal.

When Tao Yushu saw that he didn't react, he knew that the little guy was playing dumb again.

As long as it was something he liked to do but adults didn't allow him to do, he would pretend not to hear it.

She saw that Xiao Dongdong's hands were already black, and if he continued playing, his face and clothes would be affected, so she walked over to teach him a lesson.

As soon as he saw her coming, the little fellow immediately put down the coal, hugged her thighs and called out sweetly, "Mom! Mom!"

"Don't hug me, your hands are dirty!"

Tao Yushu expressed disgust, but he couldn't help but pick up his son.

"Ouch!" She suddenly covered her stomach with a painful expression.

"mom!"

Xiao Dongdong didn't know what happened to his mother and kept holding her legs and shouting.

Tao Yushu quickly pushed him and said, "Go call your dad, hurry up!"

Little Dongdong ignorantly took his short legs and ran towards the study.

"Dad! Daddy!"

Lin Chaoyang put down the book and asked, "What's wrong?"

Little Dongdong is not old enough to learn to speak, and can only say: "Mom!"

That means: Mom is calling you.

Lin Chaoyang got up and left the study, and came to the front yard, only to see Tao Yushu leaning against the doorpost with a painful look on his face.

He immediately walked over to support her, "Are you going to give birth?"

"I feel so." Tao Yushu said with difficulty.

Lin Chaoyang quickly called Zhang Guiqin over again. Tao Yushu's due date was approaching, and she had been taking care of her here.

He asked Zhang Guiqin to look after Xiao Dongdong while he drove Tao Yushu to the hospital.

The couple arrived at the hospital, and after the examination the nurse pushed Tao Yushu into the delivery room.

Tao Yushu was sweating from the pain, but he insisted on holding his hand and asked, "Do you think it's a boy... or a girl?"

After becoming pregnant, the couple never checked the gender of the child.

Lin Chaoyang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "At this time, what does it matter if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Why...it doesn't matter? I'm going to hit you now...son, my hands are hurting! And...girls are better!" Tao Yushu was in so much pain that he had no strength left and spoke intermittently.

"Okay, okay, then it's a girl!"

After listening to his words, Tao Yushu finally entered the delivery room with peace of mind.

(End of this chapter)