1979: Literary Master, Starting from the Return of Educated Youth

Chapter 29 "The Shepherd", a great hymn to idealism!
It was late at night, and the sky outside the train window was covered with a black sky.

Li Ji was lying on the berth, and before going to sleep he was still thinking about which writer's submission had amazed Wang Chaoyin again.

Lao Wang, Xiao Chen, or Xiao Liu?

Li Ji counted the names of writers he was familiar with, but missed Xu Yuexin.

He has great faith in Xu Yuexin's abilities, but it takes time for a writer to conceive and produce something.

Xu Yuexin recently wrote a phenomenal work like "The Wreath under the Mountain". According to the general rules of creation, he needs to settle down for a period of time before he can come up with a new work that can amaze the editor.

Therefore, Li Ji automatically excluded Xu Yuexin from the possible list.

……

Two days later, on the platform of Beijing Railway Station.

Wang Chaoyin met Li Ji who had rushed back overnight, and as soon as they met, he excitedly shared Xu Yuexin's new work with him.

"The article I urged you to come back for review is a novel called The Horse Herder, written by Xu Yuexin."

"The novel's concept and content are both very exciting, you will know when you go back and read it."

Wang Chaoyin took the luggage from Li Ji and introduced it to him enthusiastically.

Written by Xu Yuexin again?
How long has it been since then?

Li Ji was deeply shocked. He raised his pale brows and looked at Wang Chaoyin: "He has a new work?"

"That's right. I just wanted to talk to him about some creative inspiration, but I didn't expect him to bring a finished manuscript with him."

When Wang Chaoyin mentioned this, he was still full of praise.

"Well, being productive is a rare talent in itself."

Li Ji exclaimed happily, "Let's go faster."

Wang Chaoyin was very anxious when he telegraphed him to come back for review, but Li Ji is even more anxious now than Wang Chaoyin was then.

He wanted to read the novel written by Xu Yuexin this time as quickly as possible.

The two walked out of the train station and headed to the nearest Jianguomen subway station. After one stop, they got off and took the bus back to No. 166 Chaonei.

After returning to the magazine, Wang Chaoyin and Li Ji walked into the editor-in-chief's office together, put his luggage away, and then went back to their seats to get Xu Yuexin's "The Shepherd" and presented it to him: "This is his new novel, a total of 18000 words."

Li Ji took the manuscript, put on his reading glasses and read it carefully. Wang Chaoyin sat in front of his desk waiting.

On the table was a cup of tea brewed by Li Ji himself. In the faint fragrance of tea, Li Ji was concentrating on reading the manuscript, his eyes occasionally pausing at a certain point, pondering for a moment.

The protagonist Xu Lingjun was abandoned by his father when he was young, and then lost his mother. When he entered adulthood, he was demoted from the big city to a ranch in the northwest. Although he was the eldest grandson of a business family in a big city, he experienced the most miserable start in life.

The turning point of his miserable early life started with a horse...

As the plot unfolds, Li Ji's emotions gradually become unable to calm down.

The simple ranch workers not only did not discriminate against Xu Lingjun who was sent down, but also tried their best to help him, help him out of trouble, and help him start a family and build a career.

Xu Lingjun, who failed to receive the love of his parents in the big city, gained sincere love on the ranch, lived a fulfilling life through labor, and devoted his talents to the ranch's education cause...

Li Ji flipped through the manuscript page by page, and Wang Chaoyin saw all the changes in his expression.

Wang Chaoyin clearly saw that Li Ji's face was full of affirmation for Xu Yuexin's article "The Horse Shepherd", and his eyes were dancing with admiration and emotion.

It is obvious that the manuscript has been highly recognized by the editor-in-chief.

“This is a rare work, much better than the general books describing the life of laboring in the lower classes.”

Li Ji read the entire article and said in an appreciative tone, "The idea and conception are very ingenious!"

"You're right, just like the part about buying porcelain. The blue and white porcelain for 600 yuan and the pickle jar for 2 yuan, the different choices made by the father and son when shopping are clearly metaphors for something."

Wang Chaoyin shared his own insights. "Yes, this kind of clever contrast can be found everywhere in the article. For example, the different choices made by the father and son on the issue of going abroad, and the different endings of the marriages of the two generations."

"The personal destiny of educated youth, their feelings for their country, love, the simple feelings between the masses, and education in mountainous areas..."

“There are few novels that touch on such broad social issues and cover them so comprehensively.”

Li Ji took a long breath and praised it highly, "The Horse Shepherd is a masterpiece."

“It is a work that is rich in content and full of inspirational power.”

"You were right to urge me to come back. I really need to come back early for it."

Excellent article...

Wang Chaoyin was very clear about the weight of these four words spoken by the editor-in-chief.

"I agree with your point of view. It is a novel that explores the meaning of life and helps people find their inner direction."

Wang Chaoyin said with emotion, "After watching it, I deeply understand that a life that only pursues pleasure and material things is poor and monotonous."

"Xu Lingjun's father in the article has earned a lot of money abroad, but in the process of communicating with his son, it was he who was educated and tasted some meaning of life."

Li Ji listened quietly to the insights of his old subordinate, his thoughts constantly extending outward from the novel "The Shepherd".

"Your point makes sense."

After Wang Chaoyin expressed his opinion, Li Ji continued to ponder for a while, and finally expressed his own thinking results, "I have noticed that the trend of hedonism and worship of material things has been on the rise in society recently, and I am a little worried about this."

"As a human being, there's nothing wrong with being realistic. But once money and worldly success become the mainstream values ​​of the public, or even the only standard for measuring life, social trends will inevitably become impetuous."

“After all, only a few people can successfully obtain these two things in the fierce competition. Combined with the changes in values ​​I just mentioned, over time, many people will slide into anxiety and confusion.”

"At this time, excellent works like "The Horse Herder" will shine and show us what a fulfilling life is."

"Until the end of the novel, Xu Lingjun is still a teacher in a remote area, but who can say that he is unhappy?"

"His wife's trust and love for him, his harmonious and happy family, the unanimous respect of his ranch workers, and the sense of accomplishment of devoting himself to the cause of education and cultivating talents for the motherland..."

"In my opinion, this is a great hymn to idealism and a work that will be passed down from generation to generation."

"Then, should we pay Xu Yuexin the highest standard for his work?"

Wang Chaoyin asked for instructions.

"Of course."

Li Ji said with a smile, "Put 'The Horse Herder' on the front page of the June issue, so that everyone can appreciate Comrade Chunfeng's new work at first glance when they open the magazine."

"Uh... the pen name he used for this submission is Chun Yu."

Wang Chaoyin paused for a moment and reminded the editor-in-chief.

Li Ji was reminded and picked up Xu Yuexin's manuscript and looked at it again. Only then did he notice that the pen name under the title of the manuscript was indeed different from the last time.

I can only say that I was completely absorbed in the novel and was so engrossed in reading it that I forgot about this.

"Changed his pen name? Well, he should have his own considerations."

Li Ji put down the manuscript and said, "By the way, I was in a meeting outside a while ago, and the person in charge of the National Federation of Literary and Art Circles told me that this year they will encourage major publications and publishing houses to select outstanding novels."

"The official document has not been issued yet, but we have to prepare."

"Go back and discuss with the editors and make a list for me. The selection range will be all the novels published in our magazine from 1977 to this year. There will be 5 places for novellas, 3 places for short stories, and places for reportage. You can add some numbers to the list you submit so that I can make the final decision."

"That's great. It shows that the country values ​​our cultural undertakings."

Wang Chaoyin was delighted when he heard this and said, "Leader, what do you think about the list..."

(End of this chapter)