1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 108 Interview with People's Daily (Subscription Request)
"Comrade, are you saying that you are a reporter for RM Daily? Is there any big news in our hospital?"

Under the eaves of the east wing.

Liu Yuhao, who claimed to be intellectuals, and his sister Liu Xin were squatting beside the ditch surrounding the courtyard to wash up. They caught a glimpse of several strangers in well-dressed dark uniforms coming to the gate of Cheng Kaiyan's house opposite. Suddenly they heard the young man in the lead introduce himself.

Liu Yuhao stood up excitedly, with a mouthful of toothpaste foam sticking to his lips. He even forgot to take out his toothbrush and ran over excitedly.

"Why did the reporter from RM Daily come to see Brother Kaiyan? Could it be..."

Liu Xin, who was standing by, couldn't help but have a lot of thoughts in his mind.

She went to the countryside to work in the production team after Cheng Kaiyan joined the army, so they hadn't seen each other for four years. In the past, Cheng Kaiyan gave her the impression of being thin and weak, well-behaved, and having a gentle smile. Liu Xin also always felt that he was easy to get along with and a nice person.

I didn't expect that just four years of military service could change a person so much. In a blink of an eye, he became a combat hero and a great writer. I heard from Sister Ruixue that he is still an assistant professor at Beijing Normal University.

"That's amazing. The reporter from RM Daily must be here to interview Brother Kaiyan. Fangcao has been so popular recently."

Liu Xin was filled with emotion. She quickly brushed her teeth and ran to Zhao's house next door. She shouted loudly.

"Sister Ruixue! Are you up yet? Come out quickly, something important is about to happen!"

There were also many people standing in the yard looking over here. They had heard that the reporter from RM Daily had arrived, and they were watching and talking about it.

"The reporters from RM Daily are here? What big deal has Kaiyan done again?"

The old men and women in the yard looked at him with curiosity and awe, this is the RM Daily!
At 7:30 in the morning, these three uninvited guests broke into the small courtyard in the corner of the city.

Just like a whale falling into a small pond, its huge "body" filled the entire yard, and the splashing waves washed over the people in the yard.

After a moment of blankness in his mind, his eyes quickly turned into one of disbelief.

……

"Here I am, wait a moment."

After hearing the noise, Cheng Kaiyan in the room responded and got up and dressed quickly.

When the door of the main room was opened, the sunlight fell on the ground through the door, and a light dust was raised, which was dyed golden by the sunlight in the air, making it look particularly quiet and peaceful.

Cheng Kaiyan looked against the light.

There were three people standing at the door, but I only recognized one of them, Mr. Zhang Guangnian from People's Literature.

Following behind him were a young man in his twenties and a middle-aged man.

In addition, there were curious neighbors watching in the yard and on the eaves of each house.

It's just very quiet.

Cheng Kaiyan welcomed the three people into the house and closed the door.

"Come, come, have tea, have tea."

Cheng Kaiyan poured the leftover boiled water from last night into a cup and handed it to the three people in front of him.

To be honest, he had just woken up not long ago, and was not at all prepared for the visit of Mr. Zhang Guangnian and the reporters from RM Daily, who suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Thank you."

The three of them thanked him in unison, raised their cups to take a sip of hot tea, and exchanged pleasantries.

Zhang Guangnian was the first to speak: "Comrade Xiao Cheng, you really kept it a secret from me. The first volume was written so positively, and the next two volumes seemed to be written by someone else. It almost made our colleagues in the Humanities Press cry. Even an old man like me almost couldn't recover. You have to compensate me!"

compensate?

Cheng Kaiyan didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she heard this. "Please stop joking and get to the point. What's the big deal about your visit?"

"Who is kidding you? Do you know that our People's Literature suffered a huge loss just because we let you run away..."

Zhang Guangnian said unhappily that letting the boy run away was the decision he regretted the most.

In order to go to Jiangcheng to find a date, this guy stubbornly rejected People's Literature and insisted on submitting to that damn Fangcao?
If it had been submitted to People's Literature, the sales would have broken records by now.

A conservative estimate is over one million.

"Forget it. I'll talk about this later. Let me introduce you first. This is Yang Zhenwu, a reporter from the editor-in-chief's office of RM Daily."

Zhang Guangnian felt upset when he thought of this, and pointed at a young man with a camera hanging on his chest and introduced him.

"Hello, hello, Comrade Cheng Kaiyan! I am Yang Zhenwu, a reporter from RM Daily. Nice to meet you."

Yang Zhenwu smiled, stretched out his hand, and said loudly.

"Hello, reporter Yang, I'm Cheng Kaiyan."

Cheng Kaiyan stretched out his hand, shook it, and looked carefully at the appearance of reporter Yang.

ennn...I don't know you.

What he didn't know was that this reporter Yang Zhenwu would rise rapidly in the future and even become the editor-in-chief, a true hero.

“It’s understandable that reporter Yang doesn’t know this person, but can you guess who this person is?

Yesterday, when he knew that reporter Yang was coming to interview you alone, he insisted on coming along to see who the man who wrote "Submarine at Night" and "Fragrant Grass" is. Kaiyan, you must be familiar with this old comrade, right?"

Zhang Guangnian pointed at the middle-aged man next to him with a long face and black-framed glasses, and said to Cheng Kaiyan with a smile on his face.

When Wang Meng heard this, he also found it interesting. He did not introduce himself immediately, but looked at Cheng Kaiyan with a smile.

I am looking forward to whether this young comrade can recognize it. After all, Wang Meng is a well-known figure in the literary world.

Wang Meng looked at him and sighed in his heart.

This young man in front of me, with a youthful face that looks like he is in his early twenties and an outstanding appearance like a movie actor, is actually the author of Fang Cao?
This doesn't make sense at all!

When Wang Meng followed here early this morning, he was wondering what kind of person Cheng Kaiyan was?
Anyone who could write about submarines at night must be a proud, funny and extremely talented person.

The fact that one can write about fragrant grass shows that his thoughts are definitely profound, his life experience is rich, and he must be quite old.

Is it the old scholar wearing glasses?
Or is he a middle-aged man with a thin figure and a rebellious personality?
Unexpectedly, a young man came out when the door opened. Wang Meng thought he was Cheng Kaiyan's son, and was still sighing that his son had grown up so much.

As a result, when Editor-in-Chief Zhang opened his mouth, Wang Meng was shocked.

Is this Cheng Kaiyan?
So young?

"Ahem... I really can't recognize this person..."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled awkwardly. Except for his own sister Xiaoli, whom he recognized at a glance, he couldn't recognize many people at all. Who could recognize the young version of a celebrity?
Sister Xiaoli, that’s because that person is famous and has a very thick health bar. Cheng Kaiyan also watched that person grow up, so naturally she is more familiar with him.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

"Hahaha!"

This answer obviously made Zhang Guangnian and Yang Zhenwu burst into laughter.

In particular, Zhang Guangnian was almost pointing at Wang Meng and making a few sarcastic remarks.

"Comrade Xiao Cheng, please think about it again. Let me give you a hint. The Organization Department..."

Wang Meng put down his teacup, pushed up his glasses, and said reluctantly.

To be honest, he didn't expect this result.

"A young man came to the Organization Department?"

Cheng Kaiyan's mind moved and the name of the novel came out of his mouth.

Then he looked at the middle-aged man in front of him with burning eyes. Wow, it was Wang Meng!

He has won many honors including the Mao Dun Literature Prize and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In 2019, Wang Meng was awarded the national honorary title of "People's Artist" in recognition of his contributions to Chinese culture and literature. He is a true literary giant and literary leader.

"Isn't that recognition? I am Wang Meng."

Wang Meng nodded with satisfaction.

"Okay, okay, you're the most famous."

Zhang Guangnian waved his hand, "No more small talk, don't delay reporter Yang's interview, let's get started."

"Mr. Zhang, you're kidding. It's still early. After the interview, I still have to go back to work, right? So let's start now?"

Yang Zhenwu made a joke, then cleared his throat and took out a pen and paper from his briefcase.

"Let's get started. We haven't had breakfast yet."

Cheng Kaiyan joked.

Everyone made some preparations and the atmosphere gradually became serious.

After all, this is an interview with RM Daily and it cannot be taken lightly.

Yang Zhenwu reminded him seriously, his tone quite solemn: "Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, you must also know that during this period, the two works "Fragrant Grass" and "Xiao Fang" have caused a lot of discussion across the country, and at the same time have aroused great emotional resonance among educated youth from all over the country. Some people have compared this resonance with the impact caused by the scar literature when it was first published in 1978.

Especially after the New Year, with the professional comments of Mr. Ye Shengtao and Fangcao editor-in-chief Yang Shuan, the popularity of this topic gradually increased, until editor-in-chief Zhang Guangnian announced in China Youth Daily that "Once the Fangcao comes out, the scars will die", which triggered a great earthquake in the domestic literary world. Many writers expressed its absurdity, and some young intellectuals also expressed their agreement. Let's put this topic aside for now.

The influence of Fang Cao among young people in China, especially among educated youth, has reached a level that cannot be underestimated. In recent days, news about educated youth from all over the country engaging in inappropriate behavior out of shame has sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. I don't need to introduce them as everyone knows it.

It was precisely because the news aroused widespread social resonance among the educated youth group that the leaders, for certain reasons, conducted this personal interview.

Therefore, before the interview, I hope Comrade Cheng Kaiyan can think carefully before speaking. "

The voice was neither loud nor soft, the tone was neither fast nor slow, but every word sounded serious to Cheng Kaiyan's ears.

Are there any of the above considerations?
After all, the impact is still bad. Has it reached the point where the leaders above have to pay attention to it?

This also explains why it was just the second work of a new literary figure, but it attracted official media reporters to come and interview him in person.

Cheng Kaiyan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Reporter Yang, I understand."

Yang Zhenwu nodded and continued, "Let's discuss the first question first. Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, can you tell us about the creation experience of "Fragrant Grass"?
I understand that you are a veteran, so how did you come up with the idea of ​​writing a realistic novel about educated youth? "

Yang Zhenwu looked at the questions that had already been prepared in the notebook and asked curiously while preparing to take notes.

Zhang Guangnian and Wang Meng on the side also looked at Cheng Kaiyan when they heard this question. As guests observing the conversation, they could not interrupt.

Only those invited by the host Yang Zhenwu could speak. Although the interview was held at Cheng Kaiyan's home, the process was very formal and serious.

What's more, it's an interview with official media, no one would mess it up.

Even the people in the courtyard who were watching outside were very quiet.

This is RM Daily!

"I wonder if you have noticed a very small line of words on the title page of the novel. This book is adapted from real events." Cheng Kaiyan asked.

The three people in the room nodded silently.

"Last December, I returned from the army in southern Xinjiang. On the train back to the city, I met a mother and a daughter who evaded the ticket. They were the prototypes of the two protagonists of Fangcao..."

Cheng Kaiyan spoke in a serious tone, recalling and talking calmly.

Starting from the day he returned to the city, he met Shang Cui and her daughter on the road, and then scared off the bad guys who wanted to steal and traffic the child, until he returned to Beijing and met the mother and daughter again, and recorded his assistance and deeds, as well as the subsequent process of writing the book.

Yang Zhenwu, Zhang Guangnian and Wang Meng listened attentively. As Cheng Kaiyan described the story vividly, they seemed to see the scene of Cheng Kaiyan protecting the mother and daughter, overcoming all difficulties and obstacles, and escorting them from southern Xinjiang to the capital.

"Huh... I didn't expect that Comrade Cheng Kaiyan had such an experience. No wonder Mr. Ye Shengtao called it a great work of realism. The concept of fully respecting facts alone is worth reading.

Sister Shang and her daughter Weiwei were lucky to meet Comrade Kaiyan during their long journey, otherwise their final fate would be the same as that of Fangcao and her daughter in the book..."

Yang Zhenwu let out a long breath, and the white mist he exhaled was particularly obvious in the sunlight.

"Yes, Comrade Xiao Cheng is really kind-hearted. He is worthy of being our people's soldier."

Zhang Guangnian looked at Cheng Kaiyan with admiration in his eyes. It is a blessing for the people to have writers like Comrade Cheng. This is what a literati looks like in the teacher's mind, right?

“Young people are great.”

Wang Meng gave a thumbs up and praised.

……

As the interview progressed, four or five questions came one after another.

"Comrade Kaiyan, can you tell me what you think of Editor-in-Chief Zhang's review? Scars will die?"

"Um……"

Cheng Kaiyan pondered for a moment and slowly said: "Whether Scars will die or not is not decided by one or two people. It is the choice of the times and will inevitably be abandoned by the times. From the class teacher and Scars in 1978 to the present, readers have gradually begun to get tired of this kind of subject matter. No matter how strong the emotional resonance is, it will eventually die and become numb.

We will definitely find a new way, a new genre, and a new way of writing to write literary works for our new generation.

The birth of new things comes from the demise of old things, doesn’t it? "

"Clap clap clap!"

"Clap clap clap!"

Zhang Guangnian, Wang Meng and Yang Zhenwu applauded.

"Well said. Comrade Xiao Cheng is indeed a young man, full of youthful vigor and vitality!"

Wang Meng said with a smile while clapping.

It can be said that Cheng Kaiyan’s ideas and thoughts coincide with those of Wang Meng. You must know that Wang Meng was the first person to open his eyes to the world and bring stream-of-consciousness novels to China.

"Then the last question is, what does Teacher Cheng think of the educated youth and their families and children who are now stranded in the countryside and cannot return to the city for various reasons?"

Now even the reporter Yang from the official media has changed his tone and calls Cheng Kaiyan "Teacher Cheng".

Well, Cheng Kaiyan was secretly happy, and then answered: "This is actually an economic problem. The city can't accommodate so many employed people, so some educated young people have to go to the countryside. This is why young people with jobs didn't have to go to the countryside in the past.

If the huge number of employed people cannot be absorbed, it will cause a crisis in economic and social development.

Rural areas bear part of this risk.

The reason why people are allowed to return to the city now is that the rural economy is overwhelmed by various factors..."

"Cough cough!"

Zhang Guangnian suddenly coughed twice, interrupting Cheng Kaiyan's words.

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and said: "I still support the educated youth returning to the city to contribute to modernization. Even if there will be a short period of pain, it will lay the foundation for future development. After all, they are all young people with culture, knowledge, ideals and goals!"

Yang Zhenwu looked at him with some amusement, then picked up his pen and crossed out the speech he had just written.

He stood up and announced that the interview had come to a successful conclusion. "Then our interview today has come to an end for now. Thank you, Mr. Xiao Cheng, for your wonderful speech."

"Thank you. I also hope that reporter Yang..."

Cheng Kaiyan blinked, stretched out her hand, and the two of them shook their hands together.

"Of course, don't worry."

Reporter Yang smiled at him.

Thanks to Wanfeng Duxingzhou for the 100-point reward (some parts had to be modified.)
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(End of this chapter)