Literary Master 1983

Chapter 338 The Essence of Literature

People beat drums and gongs, organizing promotional activities for the Asian Games.

Citizens spontaneously organized "Labor Day to Welcome the Asian Games," with hundreds of thousands signing up as volunteers. Female factory workers brought their sewing machines to construction sites to make mascots, retired professors donated their treasured stamp collections for charity auctions, and the "Asian Games Knowledge Handbook" circulated in major cities...

Chen Xiaoxu was able to find a business opportunity in it.

She understood that the real value lay in the "Yuqie" brand itself, so instead of spending a penny, she spent money to register a patent and then donate it to the country.

Yu Qie grabbed Chen Xiaoxu's hand: "You've done me a huge favor! I'll get this done after the New Year!"

Later, while watching TV, Yu Qie was still holding Chen Xiaoxu's hand.

This didn't last long; everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the television.

All I saw was Feng Gong and his partner Liu Wei, who performed a skit called "Clever Matching of Movies and TV Shows." This skit incorporated popular movies and TV shows into its dialogue, and even had the actors speak some of those lines.

Feng Gong has a very distinctive appearance and is very popular with audiences.

Feng Gong became well-known to the audience last year after performing "Talking about Tigers in the Year of the Tiger" on the Spring Festival Gala.

Then Aunt Yu remembered and asked, "Do you know Feng Gong? Back when you went to that place in the south..."

“Laoshan!” Zhang Li said on behalf of Yu Qie.

"This is good, this is good!" Mr. Yu clapped. "I remember now, this actor looks a bit cunning, but he's a real man."

Inside the screen.

Liu Wei said, "I have an idea for you today. Let's talk about a movie couplet."

Feng Gong said, "Using movie clips to create couplets?"

"How about it?"

"Okay, you know I watch a lot of movies. I have a nickname: Movie Warehouse!"

"I also have a nickname, I'm called Movie Factory."

Then a large number of couplets are interspersed, creating a strong sense of rhythm.

From a single word in film works:
"lamp!"

"medicine!"

—Up to two words.

"Small street".

"Old Gun".

"Injuries".

"Love Detective."

"A way out?"

"Hey, you're talking nonsense." Liu Wei was displeased.

“How could I be talking nonsense?” Feng Gong said.

"This is a novel written by Yu Qie. Has it been released yet? You're talking about 'The Way Out,' isn't that nonsense? Do you think I don't know Yu Qie?"

Feng Gongdao said, "I have inside information that this film, 'The Way Out,' has been acquired by Xie Jin, a big director in Shanghai, and is already being filmed. It hasn't been released yet, but it will be released later."

"Where did you get this information? Is this how you compose couplets?"

“Yu Qie said it. He and I were comrades-in-arms, we slept in bunk beds, you know?” Feng Gong laughed loudly.

"This……"

Liu Wei was at his wit's end.

Yu Qie laughed a few times when he saw this, and explained, "Feng Gong is right, I really did sleep in a bunk bed with him."

"You're still laughing! I was furious back then." Zhang Li knew nothing at the time.

Time was tight and the task was heavy, so Yu Qie didn't have time to tell her.

When Zhang Li read the newspaper, the Daily News had already called on everyone to "learn from Comrade Yu Qie," but she learned about it later than others. This matter bothered Zhang Li.

“If this happens again, you should at least tell me first.” Zhang Li poked Yu Qie’s thigh.

"Isn't this because I didn't want you to worry?" Yu Qie said.

Zhang Li shook her head: "I'd rather worry than not know."

Yu Qie wanted to argue further, but his hand was scratched. He was wondering what was going on.
Who's so blind?

Then I looked to my right and realized it was Chen Xiaoxu who did it. Oh, I was holding her hand.

Why is Chen Xiaoxu being so obedient?
I'd completely forgotten I'd been holding her hand the whole time. She was quite well-behaved.

Chen Xiaoxu mouthed, "Listen to—her—words."

Got it!
The two of them teamed up.

On the screen, the number of characters in Feng Gong and his partner's "couplet" kept increasing.

Up to three characters.

Feng Gong said, "The night is vast and dark."

"The road ahead is long."

"The Plum Blossom for the Second Time".

"Fifteen strings of cash."

"Dream of the Red Chamber".

The Legend of the White Snake.

"Little shoes".

Liu Wei was dumbfounded, but in a moment of inspiration, he said, "The final battle!"

Feng Gong then raised a question: "Is there a movie called 'The Great Battle'?"

"Yes, yes. The August First Film Studio just approved the project."

“Isn’t this cheating?” Feng Gong said.

"You started it. You said anything that was filmed was fine."

"I……"

The two agreed: "Those that are still being filmed, and those that will be filmed, don't count."

"Also, we can't let Yu Qie pressure us. He's an international writer; if you try to match couplets with English books, I'll be helpless."

"I promise not to use Yuqie first."

"I, I promise," Feng Gong raised his hand and swore.

This remark caused the audience to burst into laughter.

The TV station gave viewers a reaction—hey, there were a few familiar leaders there too. They were grinning from ear to ear.

This show isn't particularly interesting. It's mainly about showcasing rapid-fire delivery of phrases.

In the 1980s, sketches often incorporated technical elements, relying solely on humorous dialogue to attract audiences, with actors delivering witty and articulate lines. At that time, many people still "watched" the Spring Festival Gala by listening to the radio, making these types of sketches very popular.

We have to schedule these kinds of programs every year.

Later it stopped working.

That makes things too complicated, and it even causes some light pollution.

Yu Qie looked around, and the whole family was captivated, especially when "Yu Qie" was mentioned, which brought them constant laughter.

Even Zhang Li and Chen Xiaoxu are examples.

That's right. The BBC's educational program "Learn English with Me" was so popular that viewers were completely captivated. Who could have imagined that this would happen in the future?
The rest of the meal was rather dull.

Why hasn't Yu Guangzhong come up yet?
What about Fei Xiang this year?
I vividly remember that in the original timeline, Fei Xiang wore a sexy pair of tight pants and wiggled his lower body, which was very daring at the time.

As a result, what later generations saw was only the upper body version. It is said that when it was broadcast live, it was not cut. The director decided, "So what! We're in a new era! Let's just leave it like this!"

The 87 Spring Festival Gala was a classic; Yu Qie had watched it countless times in his past life. He wouldn't say he knew it by heart, but he certainly had it memorized. What he found interesting were the scenes where his presence caused slight changes to the program.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be almost exactly the same as I remembered.

The late Mr. You Benchang, known for his role as "Ji Gong," played the role of "Sun Erniang," dressed as a woman, and in a pantomime. His expressions were vivid and exceptionally lively.

This made Yu Qie sigh: True veteran actors were already veterans when they were young. Some actors are just veterans because they've gotten old.

—It was Li Shuangjiang's turn to go on stage.

This man was also a comrade-in-arms of Yu Qie, having served together on the Laoshan front. Li Shuangjiang sang for hours on end on the front lines without stopping.

After finishing "The Battle of Laoshan," I'll probably have to go to the front lines again. Who knows, I might run into Li Shuangjiang again. There have always been delegations heading to the front lines to offer their condolences; leaders from various provinces, organizations, and levels have come, and it's not uncommon for them to come two or three times.

Several battles took place in 87 and 88, during which the artillery displayed its formidable power, resulting in a series of victories. The situation was quite different from that of previous years.

Finally, it was Fei Xiang's turn to take the stage. He was noticeably taller than the others and sang "Hometown Clouds".

Yu's mother said, "Oh, this young man... looks a bit strange."

“That’s called mixed-race. This person is Fei Xiang, he’s of mixed Chinese and American descent,” Yu Qie said.

"I still can't quite accept it," Yu's mother shook her head.

"What do you think?" Yu Qie asked Zhang Li.

Zhang Li didn't even turn her head: "Not as good as Brother Yu."

Chen Xiaoxu?
Chen Xiaoxu also frowned: "He looks like a foreigner, so much so, he's practically one."

Are mixed-race people unpopular these days?
Yu's mother said, "This young man looks too foreign. Zhu Shimao is much better looking, with thick eyebrows and a high nose."

"Cough cough!" Yu's father coughed a few times.

As Fei Xiang's singing began, everyone turned to watch television.

"When the gentle breeze blows, it carries the fragrance of my hometown soil..."

"Come back, come back!"

"..."

Fei Xiang suddenly burst into tears after singing the song.

This left Yu Qie completely bewildered.

No, did this happen during the Spring Festival Gala?

Fei Xiang suddenly choked up as he talked about his centenarian great-grandmother, a native of Shandong province. He was sitting in front of the TV watching the Spring Festival Gala. It's particularly worth mentioning that when Fei Xiang returned to Taiwan to develop his entertainment career, he came into contact with mainland novels.

The novel is called "The Way Out".

There is a large number of women from Taiwan who have married foreigners. This includes not only those who have married men from Taiwan to developed countries, but also those who have married men from the mainland to Taiwan.

Fei Xiang's mother belongs to the former category. She married an American soldier, divorced him a few years ago, and now lives with Fei Xiang.

She was a very rigid woman who had previously prevented Fei Xiang from learning too much about Chinese culture, which resulted in his Chinese not being very fluent. However, one day his mother took the initiative to recommend several novels from mainland China.

Since Fei Xiang's Chinese proficiency was not good, he could only choose Yu Qie's books—his books have English versions.

Like his Western book lovers, Fei Xiang progressed from simple to complex, from popular books like "Subway" to traditional literature written by Yu Qie. This emboldened him to take the plunge and develop his career in mainland China.

Fei Xiang's great-grandmother is illiterate. After Fei Xiang came to mainland China this year, he read the entire text of "The Way Out" to her. Fei Xiang's grandmother was also in the studio and couldn't help but shed tears after hearing this.

The atmosphere became somewhat somber for a moment.

Yu's mother was both happy and confused: "Why does the TV keep mentioning Yu Qie?"

Yu Qie said, "I was originally most looking forward to Yu Guangzhong's program. Unexpectedly, it was Fei Xiang who surprised me first, because Fei Xiang had never met me, he had only read my book. The unexpected is the most surprising."

Afterwards, Fei Xiang performed "A Fire in Winter," and a legend that had circulated on the internet since a previous life was indeed proven true.

There was indeed no cut to the camera during Fei Xiang's performance back then.

However, Yu Qie was no longer concerned. After all, compared to actually affecting this person, what difference did it make what kind of pants he was wearing?

At 11:50, the grand finale began.

Yu Guangzhong stepped to the front of the stage and recited the poem "Nostalgia" with deep emotion.

When I was a child,
Nostalgia is a small stamp.

I'm on this side.

Mother is on the other side.

……

The entire audience listened in silence.

Even now, this poem is not considered particularly beautiful. Many people question its value; rhythmically, it is very simple and unremarkable; in terms of imagery, "even a junior high school student could write such a poem."

In terms of the ideas they express, such poems are gradually becoming more common. Yu Guangzhong is not a particularly special person; there are now quite a few scholars on the island willing to voice such opinions.

The “ice-melting journey” is a glorious beginning, and many writers want to jump on this ship to buy fame. Interestingly, those writers who did not clearly hold a friendly stance in their previous lives are now also influenced and have publicly stated that they “will follow in the footsteps of the two Mr. Yus.”

In the Chinese community, nothing represents Yu Qie's status better than this.

Even a sip of soup that Qian Zhongshu drank could elevate his literary status out of thin air.

Let alone "Mr. Yu" himself?
Yu Guangzhong was once satirized by Li Ao as a "political opportunist," who believed that he might not be sincere. But for the rest of his life, Yu Guangzhong had to and could only run wildly in this direction.

This incident directly propelled Yu Qie into the "King of Modern Poetry" category of the *Stars* poetry journal, even though he hadn't written a single poem. The public adored Yu Qie; they considered him a true literary figure.

Others can only be "novel writers." They can't even have the word "fiction writer" in their titles.

This is similar to how Guo Jing may not be the strongest in martial arts, but he is a "great hero".

"Later on,

Nostalgia is a low, humble grave.

I'm outside.

"My mother is inside."

Yu Guangzhong continued reciting in a deep voice. His voice was somewhat hoarse, his figure was particularly thin, and the scene was rather simple, yet this moment was incredibly moving.

Many people don't know that Yu Guangzhong's prose is written in a very ornate style. He would meticulously craft even a few words, and many of the words were unfamiliar to readers, requiring them to consult a dictionary. However, his most famous poem is remarkably simple.

Because it's so simple, anyone can understand it. Therefore, it can have a significant impact.

It can be recited without any alteration during the Spring Festival Gala, which is broadcast to a billion people and thirty million Chinese viewers. It's impossible for anyone not to understand the meaning of this poem.

This made Yu Qie think for a moment: what exactly is literature?

In Colombia, Yu Qie received spur-of-the-moment training from Gabriel García Márquez. Subsequently, his novel *2666* equipped him with almost all the writing techniques available today, leaving academics in awe. One book made him a sensation in the international literary world; however, his current novels are becoming increasingly popular and simplistic.

why?
But thinking about it, Márquez's writing became increasingly simpler. Whether it was "Love in the Time of Cholera" or the more recent "The General in His Labyrinth," these writers all seemed to have embarked on this path.

Yu Qie felt that he had touched upon the essence of writing.

"Little Shoes" is not Yu Qie's most accomplished article, but in terms of its reach, after being selected as a primary school textbook, it has become one of the imprints that Yu Qie has left on this era.

Therefore, in 1985, when mainland writers were engaged in "literary research," it was able to become the novel king of the year with its extremely simple language.

People may not remember the series of articles written by "scientist" Su Tong, but hundreds of millions of people will remember the story of Ali saving his sister.

And the once-popular "Spring Rain Action".

"And now,"
Nostalgia is a shallow strait.

I'm on this side.

The mainland is on the other side.

After reciting the poem, Yu Guangzhong explained the reason for its creation. At the time, Yu Guangzhong was in his house, and it was raining outside. He suddenly felt very depressed, and then wrote this poem in less than ten minutes, which immediately had a huge impact.

"I have written many poems and many articles, but I have never been so popular with readers," Yu Guangzhong said.

"why?"

“I think this poem might not have been written by me; it just happened to flow from my pen. I wrote it from a dream! This is something another Mr. Yu once told me, and I want to repeat it. I just wrote down what many people have thought of.”

Here, Yu Guangzhong offered a simple New Year's greeting to the people of the whole country, wishing them a happy new year and good fortune in the coming year.

(End of this chapter)