Literary Master 1983

Chapter 359 North and South of the Yangtze River
On the 10th, "October" and "People's Literature" were published simultaneously.

The October issue published Chen Dongjie's article "A Record of the Oracle Bone Inscription Conference", which mainly describes Hu Houxuan and Yu Qie.

It's more like a report.

People's Literature is the first book in the collection of Yu Qie's novels, "Carrying Dad to School." Opening the table of contents, the first story is Yu Qie's article, which has historically often represented the propaganda direction of the literary and artistic circles.

For example, the first issue of People's Literature in January 1978 contained a reportage about mathematician Chen Jingrun called "Goldbach's Conjecture," which caused a sensation after its publication and was reprinted by major newspapers and periodicals.

For a time, whether in factories or government offices, on the streets and alleys, people all over China were discussing Chen Jingrun and the idea that "one plus one equals two".

However, this was to be expected, because writer Xu Chi was ordered to write the report and was specially transferred by the organization.

His article was written during the preparation for the National Science Conference. At that time, everything was in need of rebuilding, and society needed a voice that "advocates science" and "vindicates scientists," which is why it caused such a sensation.

It was not a coincidence. After Chen Jingrun was widely reported on, he was immediately received by the leaders as a representative of those unknown scientists.

This taciturn, seemingly unmanly, eccentric mathematician suddenly received thousands of love letters, with countless people declaring their love for him. Fanatical followers compared him to top mathematical giants like Gauss and Newton.

Although Chen Jingrun was aloof, he knew very well that he would have to stay away from visitors for a long time and hoped that this storm would pass soon.

The wave of people leaving their hometowns to start businesses after the reform and opening up has, over the past few years, reached the extreme of the "reading is useless" theory. Even top universities like Yenching University are experiencing a decline in students' aversion to studying and dropping out.

Yu Qie's article was like timely rain, finally becoming a powerful tool for advocating for learning.

In the main dining hall of Yenching University, the students who had read the novel were extremely excited and came out one after another to express their opinions.

A third-year student from the 84 chemistry department jumped out, stood on the stage, and said:

"Yu Qie has written a new novel! It's based on a true story! In Ning County in Northwest China, there was a little boy who, starting from winning the Olympiad, studied hard step by step and eventually got into the local teachers' college. After graduating, he took the postgraduate entrance exam and came to Renmin University... By the time he was thirty, he had earned his doctorate and had a very happy work and family life, but he chose to return to his hometown to become a university teacher."

The student thought of himself: "I will also face the problem of job assignment after graduation! I am a chemistry major. Yanjing is currently cleaning up polluting factories in preparation for the Asian Games. I will definitely be assigned to a chemical plant in Hebei Province in the future... I was very distressed."

His classmate, upon hearing this, said, "Isn't this just another fairy tale for adults? Like 'Children of Heaven,' it touches children the most, and I was moved too. But I know that Ali won't become a tycoon, and Li Yong won't go home... If I get a doctorate, I definitely won't go back to my hometown! I'll go into business! Go abroad! I'll live only for myself!"

Others who overheard this said, "You're just being unreasonable! Artistic works are based on reality, but they should transcend reality and give people some strength."

"I'm being unreasonable? You're followers of Yu's ideology, you only listen to him!"

Yenching University students are nothing like those at Jinling Academy of Arts. They have strong opinions and dare to challenge anyone.

Principal Ding Leisun is frequently surrounded by people offering their opinions! When the vice-principal misspoke at the freshman assembly, the entire audience burst into laughter without any regard for his feelings. The leader was forced to apologize, his face flushed with embarrassment.

An academician came to Yenching University to give a lecture, which the university arranged to be held in the auditorium. However, students blocked the car and demanded that the lecture be held in the dining hall (because it was right next to the dormitory). They were completely lawless.

What if I cut it off?
It's impossible to be satisfied with everything!

Those who objected immediately said, "According to you, isn't Yuqie praising suffering? This is turning a tragedy into a celebration! It's clearly a bad thing, but you're making it sound like a good thing!"

"You're a madman! If that's the case, then Xu Lingjun from 'The Herdsman' is even more bizarre! The wealthy man's biological father comes to acknowledge him and wants to take him to America and Hong Kong to enjoy wealth and luxury! But he would rather be a village teacher in that run-down village—at least Li Yong is a university teacher!"

Those who support Yu Qie said, "Look at 'Under the Bridge' again. A young man gets together with a widow with a child. The widow is just a seamstress who initially looks down on him... Do you think this movie is interesting?"

"Furthermore, in 'The Fiancée's Letter,' the wife sends a farewell letter, but the comrades do not abandon her and launch an attack! Aren't these facts? In 'The Kiss of Death,' the nurse kisses the dying soldier, showing that women also go to the battlefield... In our society, there are certainly those who are afraid of fighting, and there are certainly those who get divorced—there are many, many such people—but there are also those who persevere, and many who do it for others!"

The man angrily retorted, "We don't write stories about the latter, but instead focus solely on the dark, writing only about the dark, like a stinking ditch, thinking this is the depth of literature. But what's the point of this kind of literature?"

This barrage of words stunned the entire audience.

Moreover, the person speaking was a girl.

She took the lead and stood at the very front, exuding an air of absolute dominance. First, she confronted others, then looked down at the audience to see who dared to contradict her.

Come at me all at once! I'm not afraid!
Who is this...who is this?
Someone recognized him: Isn't that Zhao Zehong, the top scorer in the college entrance examination in Beijing?

Last month, she represented the students in giving feedback to Ding Leisun, and it's said that Ding Leisun has already stopped avoiding her. If she's not even afraid of the principal, why would she be afraid of other students?

And so, the debate paused for a moment.

However, verbal battles are inevitable. After the top female student went to class, the others started giving their opinions again: the new novel is very good, very good, but... there are always flaws to nitpick.

Going into business is better than studying!

What? You actually mentioned Yu Qie? Are you taking advantage of the fact that my New Reality Club is leaderless due to a leadership change this year?
I'll have to bring my fists to argue with you!

……

The large dining hall connects to the student dormitories, and now that it's early summer, it's getting hot.

For several days in a row, I saw some students, dressed disheveled, even shirtless, talking about the novel like madmen.

Yu Qie's novels are good, but you can't wear them like clothes!
Lu Buxuan, a student in the Chinese Department, thought to himself: Professor Yu has created another dream!

He came here for a meal.

Two months ago, Yenching University introduced a "shared meal" program—free pork ribs. Recently, they've introduced cheap steamed buns. For example, between 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM, a steamed bun costs five cents, but after 12:30 PM, it only costs three and a half cents.

The same applies to stir-fried cabbage. A discount is offered immediately after 12:30.

The students all said: "This school must have fired too many professors and become so wealthy that they're now thinking about feeding their brothers."

Based on this alone, Principal Ding should not be criticized too much.

During his tenure, figures like Yu Qie emerged, and Cui Jian even held a concert... Although it was a bit of luck, it shows that he was capable of being the second Cai Yuanpei.

Now he's fed his brothers too. This place has already achieved a comfortable standard of living ahead of schedule. The professor's complaints about reduced pay don't concern us; I'm a student, I should be the one benefiting.

"I am the hope of our motherland." "Who exactly did this? Was it really Principal Ding?" Lu Buxuan asked his friend.

Cheng Guoping and Chu Fujun both shook their heads.

What a pity!
None of these people were from Beijing, nor were they from wealthy or influential families, so they couldn't get any information. Like Luo Yihe back then, when he heard that Yu Qie had escaped unscathed after Ji Xianlin's meeting with him, Luo Yihe knew the May Fourth Literary Society couldn't outmaneuver him.

After much deliberation, the former president actually switched jobs to New Reality.

Lu Buxuan and his group queued for quite a while before handing in their tickets. Lu Buxuan ate steamed buns, while the other two ate free spare ribs.

Cheng Guoping asked curiously, "Why don't you use your ticket? This ticket has an expiration date. If you don't use it this month, it will become worthless next month."

Lu Buxuan said, "I exchanged the tickets at the market! I didn't eat meat once last month, so I had a total of eight tickets. I used them to exchange for Yu Qie's novels 'Lurking' and 'The Way Out'."

“We all have this book, why don’t you borrow it from us?” Cheng Guoping asked.

Lu Buxuan said, "What's yours is yours, and what's mine is mine. I've been reading Yu Qie's books for two months, so I should buy a few copies."

Chu Fujun, who was listening nearby, was so shocked that he almost spat out his food.

He and Cheng Guoping exchanged a glance, and both saw regret in each other's eyes.

I originally intended to recommend one of China's best writers of recent years, but I never expected you to go hungry to buy his books and even give up your small business. The key point is that Lu Buxuan's family is in dire financial straits, making literature a luxury for him.

Lu Buxuan didn't apply to the Chinese Literature Department not because of literature, but because he heard that a degree in Chinese Literature could lead to an official position. At least half of the students in the 85 Chinese Literature Department got in this way.

However, precisely because he had never read any famous works, when he came into contact with Yu Qie's works like a newborn, his aesthetic sense completely changed to Yu Qie's, and he could no longer read any other books.

Although Chu Fujun was arrogant, he was loyal at heart. He took out a food coupon and gave it to Lu Buxuan: "Brother, take this and use it. I'm giving it to you for free. I'm going to a writers' seminar next week. The food is covered and I still have a few dollars left... I don't need this."

“Yes, yes!” Cheng Guoping said, “When we can eat free ribs, we have to eat them as much as we can! Who knows how many more meals we can have? Maybe the school will say tomorrow that all these tickets are invalid.”

"I can buy Yu Qie's books later, but I can't wait until later to eat my fill of ribs."

Lu Buxuan took the ticket and examined it carefully.

The tickets were made of special cotton paper. Lu Buxuan soaked the tickets in water and found that the words on them did not change.

What does this mean?

This indicates that this is a good vote.

Early grain coupons were made of ordinary cotton paper with a high wood pulp content. When soaked in water, the writing would bleed, making the coupons difficult to read. However, these low-end grain coupons were only gradually replaced with special cotton paper a few years ago, which was more expensive.

In Lu Buxuan's hometown, there are still some places where the old grain coupons are used.

If Yenching University's notes were temporary, it wouldn't have used such high-cost materials. They must have had a considerable amount of capital and some surplus funds to afford to produce such high-end notes.

Let's take another look at the receipt:
Yenching University student cafeteria; four corners.

August 1987.

Lu Buxuan analyzed, "My family slaughters pigs. I may not understand literature, but I have some market acumen. These tickets should be printed for more than just these few months. What we see now is April, but they've probably all been printed and are ready to be issued in May, June, July, and August."

"As for whether it was Principal Ding who did it... I think it's impossible. Because the meal tickets are not for teachers, only for students. Principal Ding has offended the old professors and is already under a lot of pressure. He even set aside money to give students free ribs and kicked the teachers out. I don't believe he would do such a thing."

Cheng Guoping and Chu Fujun nodded repeatedly.

First you target professors, then you target teachers... You should know that Ding Lei was elected principal by the teachers. How can a principal stay in office for long if you're so ruthless and dismantle those connections?
Yenching University has a bunch of masters from the Republican era. Aren't they all better than Ding Lei and Sun? If any random person feels wronged and complains to the bridge game, what can Ding Lei and Sun do?

"Then who do you think should do it?" Chu Fujun asked.

A candlelight suddenly flashed through Lu Buxuan's mind. He looked at Cheng Guoping, who had just made a name for himself with his research on "Yu Xue" in "Miscellaneous Talks on Contemporary Writers," and was now deep in thought.

Cheng Guoping once said that some writers do not write their own stories; their stories can only be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, using snippets of information from other people.

This is a major characteristic of the study of "Yu Xue" (余学), because Yu Qie did not keep a diary and rarely wrote narrative essays.

There is no official answer here.

Many writers are like this; when they reach an extreme, they become like that foreign professor in Beijing, Jin Jiepu, who understands the young Shen Congwen better than the stroke-stricken Shen Congwen himself.

Shen Congwen's family would say, "He thought that way when he was young...", but Jin Jiepu would directly stop him, "No, Shen didn't think that way back then. You don't know him as well as I do."

"What nonsense! I'm his son, how could I not know my father?"

"It is precisely because he is Laozi in front of you, but Shen Congwen in front of me."

This is somewhat like a priest interpreting God's Bible, and the priest also benefits from it.

Just think, Cao Xueqin passed away, leaving behind some little secrets, and for hundreds of years, countless people have been eating around him!
Could it be that Yu Qie made it?
Yu Qie gave me a food ticket, but I used it to exchange for his book... If it were really that dramatic, even someone like him would probably feel quite emotional.
-
Chengdu, in the south.

The five elders of Sichuan gathered together and heard about the foreign professor's journey to the mountains. By this time, the news had spread throughout the country, and local newspapers had reprinted Yu Qie's letter in full.

The original text is titled "A Letter to Li Yong, a Primary School Student," and some newspapers also refer to it as "Yu Qie's Letter" or "A Letter to a Primary School Student."

Ba Jin believed that reading is of course good. A person's life is long, and society is bound to change, sometimes even undergo earth-shattering changes. Only the ideas formed through reading will not betray you.

He believes that the five elders could also write a letter in support of Yu Qie.

“We should write a letter to Yu Qie, publicly,” said Ba. “The five of us gathered here are already old men. No matter how much we reminisce about the past, it won’t have any impact on society, while young people have unlimited potential.”

(End of this chapter)