Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 239 The road ahead
【At 2006:8 pm on August 1, 2, the award ceremony of the 244th "New Concept Essay Competition" was held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. A total of 33 contestants from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao participated in the semi-finals of this competition. In the end, 109 contestants won the first prize, another 102 contestants won the second prize, and contestants won the third prize. The leaders of the Shanghai cultural department, Zhao Changtian, the editor-in-chief of "New Sprout" magazine, the famous writer Alai, and the famous young writer Zhang Chao jointly presented awards to the winners. ……

It is reported that this year's preliminary round received more than 3 submissions, far exceeding the scale of the previous round. In addition, the innovative competition system, the expansion of the competition area, and the highly topical semi-final topics have attracted widespread attention from all walks of life. It is generally believed that this competition is the first in the new year of the "New Concept Composition Competition". …

Zhang Chao, the young writer who planned this year's competition, accepted an exclusive interview with our reporter after the award ceremony and said that the "New Concept Writing Competition" will not only build itself into a golden platform for discovering new literary talents across the country, but also radiate its influence to the entire Chinese world in the future, providing a stage for young people around the world who write in Chinese to shine. ...】

Zhang Chao put down the newspaper, leaned back in his seat with his tired body, and turned his head to look out the window to overlook the whole of Shanghai. After the award ceremony, he stayed in Shanghai for two more days to help Shuang Xuetao and the first prize winners Zhou Linnan, Gong Wanying, Chen Chuncheng, and several other promising newcomers sign literary agency agreements.

Some authors are not yet 18 years old, and their parents signed the agreements on their behalf. These agreements are very loose and do not limit the amount of work they must write within a certain period of time.

Because Zhang Chao knows that most young writers cannot afford to be overwhelmed by the output. In the original time and space, there is a reason why some of them only emerged in their 20s or even 30s.

Winning the first prize of the "New Concept Essay Competition" and having their works published in the "Youth Piece" magazine are, on the one hand, the temptation of "becoming famous as early as possible", but on the other hand, they may also lose the accumulation process that could have made them better.

For example, 17-year-old Chen Chuncheng was able to write a prototype of "Submarine at Night" in a live competition, but he might not be able to polish this prototype into the style and level that Zhang Chao was once familiar with when he was 27 years old.

Therefore, Zhang Chao did not rush to use hard terms to bind them. The only exception was Zhou Linnan, an 18-year-old girl from Shanghai who had a strong desire to express herself and output enthusiasm. She directly said that she could hand over a long novel to "Chaotide Culture" within this year and hoped that "Chaotide Culture" could help her run it well.

This may be the natural constitution of a best-selling author.

Just as he was closing his eyes to rest, someone suddenly tapped Zhang Chao's arm gently. Zhang Chao turned his head and saw a little girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, squatting next to his seat. Her eyes were full of excitement and she asked softly, "Are you Zhang Chao?" She was obviously very excited, but had to control her body language and tone of voice for fear of disturbing other passengers who were resting.

When Zhang Chao saw that she was holding a copy of his newly published book "Glory of a Criminal Policeman", he understood what was going on, so he nodded with a smile and said, "I am." This book was handed directly to Yanshi University Press as one of the graduation works in the "Writer Class" series, so he did not pay much attention to details such as cover design and binding.

The little girl couldn't help but whisper "Wow", and then asked expectantly, "I like you...your novel, can you sign it for me?" After saying that, her face turned red.

Zhang Chao took the book from the little girl as a matter of course: "Thank you for your love, what's your name?"

The little girl blushed and whispered her name: "My name is Zhou Wanjing, Zhou from Xia Shangzhou, Wan from Wanli, and Jing from BJ."

Zhang Chao skillfully signed his name on the title page and wrote a blessing message for her.

After the little girl got it back, her eyes were full of stars. She said incoherently: "Thank you, thank you. When you boarded the plane just now, I felt that it was you. I really like you...your work."

Suddenly he stood up and shouted to the back, "It's him, it's him." He then waved the book and said, "I want an autograph!"

Zhang Chao immediately heard a commotion behind him, and heard a lot of "wows". The flight attendant was so scared that she quickly reminded him through the radio: "Please try to keep quiet..."

Zhang Chao did not buy a first-class ticket for his return to Yanjing this time, but only a seat near the front of the plane. He boarded the plane late, so he was a little confused. The girl quickly explained: "The people behind are all my classmates. Several of our classes went to Shanghai for summer research and study, and we are returning to Yanjing today."

Zhang Chao leaned back and looked, and sure enough, it was a group of young people of similar age, almost filling up the entire economy class. Many students stood up from their seats, and many were even preparing to walk towards him.

Although the plane had already reached the stratosphere and passengers could unbuckle their seat belts and leave their seats, the flight attendant was still nervous about so many people moving around at the same time, so she had to use the radio to make a statement. Zhang Chao quickly waved his hand to stop the flight attendant, and stood up and said to the students behind him, "Students, please stay in your seats. If you need an autograph, I'll go over."

At this time, a middle-aged woman who looked like a teacher also stood up to maintain order: "Students, please sit down. It is dangerous to walk around on the plane."

Only then did the students return to their seats.

The female teacher's seat was very close to Zhang Chao. She obviously recognized him and apologized, "Student Zhang Chao, I'm really sorry to bother you. I'm the team leader this time, and the Chinese teacher of the attached middle school. My name is Liu Hong."

Zhang Chao said modestly: "It is my honor that my classmates like me. How can I say that I am disturbing them?"

Liu Hong said: "Your works are very popular among our students. Our school's literature club even held a seminar and debate about you."

Zhang Chao smiled embarrassedly.

Liu Hong touched Zhou Wanjing's head lovingly and said, "Wanjing is the most promising writer in our high school. It's a pity that she didn't make it to the semi-finals of the competition this time..."

Zhou Wanjing blushed again, and quickly interrupted the teacher's words, pulling Zhang Chao to the back: "Teacher Liu, the students are waiting anxiously."

Liu Hong and Zhang Chao exchanged helpless looks and watched Zhang Chao begin to sign autographs for students in rows.

Of course, it is impossible for every student to carry their own works with them, but there are quite a few people. In addition to Zhou Wanjing, there are four other students who bought the latest issue of "Youth" or "Youth·Grand View".

As for other students, Zhang Chao either signed his name in their notebooks or simply signed their school bags or even school uniforms with a marker.

Many students took their cameras and took photos of him, and of course, there were also various group photos. No matter which row Zhang Chao walked to, there were students who excitedly told him how much they liked his...works.

Zhang Chao never thought that he would be so popular among middle school students of his age. As the country's top best-selling author, Zhang Chao is actually quite "out of touch with the masses".

This is mainly because he has been in a state of "three mores" in the past two years - a lot of schoolwork, a lot of writing debts, and a lot of gossip - most of his time is spent dealing with these "three mores". Therefore, he rarely holds activities such as book signings.

As for how popular he is, Zhang Chao is more concerned with the sales of his works. But after having so many works that have sold millions of copies, he has become a little numb.

Now, Zhang Chao was really flattered to suddenly meet a group of boys and girls aged sixteen or seventeen on the plane who loved him and his work so sincerely, so he tried his best to meet their requests.

It was more than half an hour before Zhang Chao returned to his seat. Even though the cabin was fully air-conditioned, beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Zhou Wanjing followed him all the way back to Zhang Chao's seat, still half squatting, and asked timidly, "Can I talk to you again?"

Zhang Chao said with some embarrassment: "It's not good for you to squat like this all the time. After all, this is an aisle..."

At this time, a classmate sitting on the other side generously stood up and said, "Hey, Wanjing, you sit here and I'll sit in your seat. You can switch back later!"

Zhou Wanjing thanked her immediately. After exchanging seats, Zhou Wanjing shyly explained, "Actually, what Teacher Liu said just now was both right and wrong. I did submit my work to the competition. But it was my classmate who submitted it for me. I always felt that my writing was not good enough..."

Zhang Chao said: "In fact, not making it to the semi-finals does not mean that you are not good enough. There are more than 4 articles in the preliminary round, and it is inevitable that some are missed. In fact, you can write a topic for the semi-finals and have a chance to be published in our magazine."

Zhou Wanjing nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice, and then continued: "I actually have some confusion about writing..."

Zhang Chao smiled gently and said, "You tell me." Zhou Wanjing did not directly express her confusion, but first talked about her family: "I was born in a military compound in Yanjing. Before I was 13, I rarely left the compound. There was everything in the compound..."

Zhang Chao patiently listened to her story. In fact, Zhou Wanjing's story is not special. There are too many "children of the big courtyard" like her in Yanjing. Many of them also have a deep interest in music, literature, film and other arts, and eventually become symbolic figures.

Cui Jian, Wang Shuo, Jiang Wen... If we add in the "kids from compound schools" from old cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou, they might make up half of China's literary and art circles.

Before Zhou Wanjing could express her confusion, Zhang Chao asked directly: "Do you feel that you always encounter invisible barriers in writing - in terms of concepts, expressions, worldviews, content...

I always feel that no matter how I write, I can't escape the circle of "compound culture". Especially the language and subject matter, which seem to have become an insurmountable barrier, trapping my writing? "

Zhou Wanjing looked at Zhang Chao in surprise and said in disbelief: "Yes... that's right. How did you know? You... you're more accurate than me."

Zhang Chao smiled and said, "If it weren't for this, you wouldn't have talked so much about your family life. 'Compound culture' is a strong culture in China. Its spiritual core contains a strong sense of self-awareness, a sense of mission and superiority, and has a strong cultural appeal.

You live in a compound, and you are influenced by the language and expression habits you see and hear. You cannot fight against them on your own at this age. Many artists who came from compounds only gradually get rid of the imprint of "compound culture" when they are very mature.

Even from a national perspective, Wang Shuo's novels can be said to have influenced the thinking and expression of a generation of people. This is something that other cultural groups of the same period could not even dream of. So it's normal for you to feel limited."

Zhou Wanjing's mood became depressed when she heard this, and she said, "Is there no other way?"

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "The fact that you are aware of this problem now means that you are more likely to get rid of it sooner than your predecessors."

Zhou Wanjing's eyes lit up and she asked, "Really?"

Zhang Chao said: "From the late 70s to the beginning of this century, the children of the big courtyards did have unique advantages in education and resources. But now it is different. The popularization of education, economic development and cultural diversity have greatly diluted these advantages.

Our people have formed a very rich and appealing cultural type. For example, the rise of the "Northwest Writers Group" in the 90s and the revival of "Shanghai Culture" are both representative. Take the recent two New Concept Essay Competitions as an example -

Last year, two Northeastern authors won the award, and together with Shuang Xuetao from our Tide Culture, they were called the "Tiexi Three Musketeers". This year, several Southern authors won first prizes, two of whom were from Fuhai. Some people called this "New Southern Writing" and said that I was their "leader".

Of course, neither of these two is very popular at the moment, and it is mainly the literary criticism community that is making the fuss.

You realize that you are trapped in the "compound culture" because these new cultural groups have shown charm that attracts you and makes you feel that the "outside world" may be more exciting, so you are dissatisfied with the current situation.

am I right? "

Zhou Wanjing didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment. Zhang Chao's words just now were like the most skilled surgeon holding a scalpel, accurately dissecting her heart and analyzing her chaotic feelings in detail.

Since Zhang Chao could make such an accurate analysis, there must be a way. Zhou Wanjing asked expectantly, "Then what should I do?"

Zhang Chao was silent for a while, and said with some embarrassment: "You are still too young to make these decisions yourself. If I say it, it may cause conflicts in your family..."

At this time, Liu Hong, the team leader in the back seat, leaned over and interrupted, "Wan Jing has always been very opinionated, and her parents basically listen to her. Haven't you already applied for a high school in Hong Kong? Maybe you will go there next semester?"

Now it was Zhang Chao's turn to be surprised. He looked at the little girl who had always seemed a little timid, but he didn't expect her to be so courageous. However, there were many Yanjing students who chose to go to Hong Kong, Macau, or study in high school abroad, so it was not worth making a fuss about.

Zhou Wanjing blushed and nodded: "Maybe next semester, or the semester after next at the latest."

Zhang Chao was relieved at this time and said, "That's easy. In fact, changing the environment, especially changing to an environment with a completely different cultural atmosphere from Yanjing, is one of the solutions I want to talk about.

Changing the environment does not mean getting rid of the influence of "compound culture", but it allows you to re-examine the compound where you grew up from a new perspective and at a certain distance, and to figure out its value and limitations.

Hong Kong is a very suitable place. In addition to changing the environment, I also hope that if possible, you can write literature that belongs to your generation. "

Zhou Wanjing looked at Zhang Chao in confusion and asked, "Is there any difference?"

Zhang Chao explained: "Each generation has its own literature. In fact, if the age difference is a few years and the upbringing is slightly different, in the spiritual world, maybe you are two generations apart. I see in you different qualities from those of the 'old and young', including me."

At this point, Zhang Chao stood up, turned around, looked at the students from the attached middle school who occupied 90% of the seats in the cabin, and said in a slightly louder voice: "You are all the darlings of urban life in the new era, regardless of poverty, ignorance, struggle, status, or wealth as generally understood by people.

Many people think that at your age, you have not experienced the hardships they have experienced, nor the hunger they have gone through, so you are spiritually fragile and mentally immature, and it is difficult for you to develop broad feelings and deep emotions.

But I never think so. It is precisely because your life is rich and comfortable enough that there will be writers among you who are free from the identity anxiety, class anxiety and wealth anxiety that were prevalent in the previous generation.

You no longer have a typical, stable, and complete life reference system. You may be more likely to see the pain of ordinary people on the margins that often cannot be realized. You may focus more on the unknown spiritual corners in everyone's heart...

Just like me, my works still have a strong sense of regional color and hometown consciousness, but your works do not have to be about rural scenery.

The world of literature is not just about suffering and anger. Every different kind of life has its own perspective on the world and value in describing life. You cannot choose where you were born, and you don’t have to deliberately taste the bitter fruit that was not born in your life.

As long as you live your life according to the path, you will naturally encounter your own literature. So..."

Zhang Chao looked back at Zhou Wanjing and said gently, "Go ahead and write. I think I will wait for one or even several of you in the future."

After saying that, Zhang Chao sat down.

There was silence in the cabin at first, and soon, sporadic applause came from different corners, gradually merging into a sea of ​​applause.

At this time, the plane also entered the sky above Yanjing. Zhang Chao listened to the applause, closed his eyes, and suddenly felt that he had accomplished something very special, setting a direction for a group of post-90s literature lovers and "vindicating" children of this age group.

The flight attendant told all passengers to return to their seats, fasten their seat belts, and put away the tables...

(Two chapters in one)

(End of this chapter)