Exciting 1979!

Chapter 274 The Right Path of Humanity is Full of Vicissitudes (Part 1)

As a top Kuomintang agent and one of Dai Li's four henchmen, Shen personally arrested and killed hundreds of people. Two or three hundred people confessed in the Gongdelin Prison, and there were many more whose names he couldn't even remember.

At first glance, I couldn't quite remember Jiang Limin.

"And what about Jiang Lizhong?" Shen Meijuan asked again.

Shen Zui was puzzled: "I can't remember. These are two brothers, right? What do they do?"

"It's nothing, they're just characters in a novel, they are indeed brothers," Shen Meijuan said awkwardly.

"Isn't that ridiculous? How could I possibly know a character from a novel? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Shen Meijuan: "You were mentioned in this novel, and it felt quite plausible."

"What? It mentions me? Let me see." Shen Zui perked up and took the copy of "Harvest" magazine.

"Dad, I've only read half of it. Let me finish reading it first."

Shen Zui: "You have a long life ahead of you, of course I'll take a look first."

Shen Meijuan looked helpless. Shen Zui continued looking at the place she had just been looking at and saw her own name, "Shen Zui". Goodness, she used her real name directly, without even trying to hide it, huh?

However, since it was in the middle of nowhere, he couldn't understand it, so he flipped directly to the beginning and saw the novel's title: "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes, Part 1".

Isn't this a line from a great man's poem? Upon seeing this line, he felt as if he had returned to the years when he was forced to revolt in Yunnan by Lu Han.

Shen Zui said that criticism is necessary, and although he is already bad enough, he cannot let others smear him.

~
In the VIP ward of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Ba Jin was visiting Mr. Mao Dun. He had come to Yenching a few days ago, but Mr. Mao Dun's condition was quite serious at that time. He had only recovered a little today, so he was able to see his guest.

Although the doctor said his condition was not suitable for receiving visitors, he felt that his days were numbered and every visit would be one less. Moreover, he had already finished the manuscript of his memoir, "The Road I Have Traveled," and the last task of his life had been completed. All he had to do now was wait for that day to come.

The purpose of this meeting with Ba Jin was to discuss the future work of the Writers' Association. Seeing that Ba Jin, who was eight years younger than him, was in good spirits, Mr. Mao Dun jokingly said to him, "You are in great shape. I think you can live to be at least a hundred years old."

Ba Jin waved his hand: "What's the use of living so long? As a writer, the time when you are most energetic is when you are young. If you ask me to write a novel now, I can't write one, and no one will read it anyway."

"Yes, all I can do is write memoirs."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

After laughing, Mr. Mao Dun asked, "Has this issue of Harvest been published yet?"

"Yes, can you still watch it?"

"Fortunately, my eyes are still working, and I can turn the pages with my fingers."

Old Ba sighed, "I really do have it with me. I bought it myself. I didn't intend to take it out."

“Give it to me,” Mr. Mao Dun laughed. “I’m a loyal reader of Harvest magazine. Let me see what young writers are writing these days.”

He opened the table of contents and was immediately drawn to the words "The Right Path of Humanity is Full of Vicissitudes - Part 1".

"If Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old; the vicissitudes of life are the true path of humanity." He instantly thought of the great man who was full of poetic inspiration. The first line of these two lines was adapted from Li He's poem, while the second line was original. Seeing this line brought back a flood of memories.

Then look at the author's name: "Wei Ming?"

You still remember him, don't you?

Mr. Mao Dun thought for a moment: "At the literary and art congress, I was the oldest and he was the youngest, right?"

"He asked you for a photo, didn't he?" Old Ba asked with a smile.

Mr. Mao Dun has a good memory: "Not only me, but also you, me, and Xiao Shi (Cao Yu, courtesy name Xiao Shi), plus this kid, the four of us even took a group photo."

"It's him. He wrote 'The Herdsman' and 'The Shepherd's Spring.' The key is that he's not even twenty years old yet. He's a true child prodigy with unlimited potential."

“I know, I know. There are cows, donkeys, and ducks too. I’ve seen them all. I heard they were even made into a movie,” Mr. Mao Dun asked again. “Is this a novel?”

"Yes, it's a family history spanning more than 20 years, covering both the history of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party," Ba Jin briefly introduced the novel's content. "At his age, I was initially a little worried about writing on this subject, but I didn't expect it to be so well done. The writing is mature, the historical materials are detailed, and it only took a year. You have to admit that he's a young man. If it were me, it would be good if I could finish it in ten years."

Mr. Mao Dun did not directly read the novel. He remembered something. His son, Wei Tao, was not there. He said directly to Ba Jin: "I mentioned to Wei Tao before that I wanted to establish a long novel award named after me, using my estate as the prize money. Wei Tao and the others agreed. I am still a little uneasy and feel that it is not appropriate."

"What's inappropriate?"

“Use my name.”

Ba Jin asked with a smile, "How much are your royalties?"

"About 250,000."

Mr. Buffett was slightly surprised. So much! That's twice as much as mine! Mr. Buffett began to reflect on whether he had been spending money too extravagantly.

He then said, "Being able to donate such a large sum of money is a lifetime's income. Instead of leaving it to his descendants, he chose to contribute it to the cause of literature. What's wrong with giving it a name? You don't need to worry about this."

Hearing his old friend comfort him like this, Mr. Mao Dun breathed a sigh of relief and held Ba Jin's hand tightly, saying, "Then I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

The tone of his voice carried a sense of entrusting someone's fate to him, and Ba Jin nodded solemnly in agreement.

At this moment, Mr. Mao Dun's son, Wei Tao, and daughter-in-law, Chen Xiaoman, entered. Knowing that he had been there for some time, Mr. Ba got up to say goodbye and told Mr. Mao Dun to get some rest.

Mr. Mao Dun patted his hand earnestly, and Mr. Ba nodded, saying that as long as he was still in that position, he would definitely keep an eye on the Mao Dun Literature Prize for him.

~
The next day, Ba Jin was preparing to return to Shanghai when he received a call from Wei Tao. Upon hearing that it was him calling, Ba Jin looked sorrowful, already prepared to hear the bad news.

Wei Tao replied, "Mr. Ba, this shouldn't have bothered you, and it's not in accordance with the rules, but I still want to ask if I can borrow the manuscript of the later parts of 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes' to take a look."

"Huh?" Old Ba didn't expect to hear this.

Wei Tao explained, “Yesterday and today, when my father was lucid, he was reading Harvest magazine, or more accurately, Wei Ming’s novel. While reading, he reminisced with us about the past, mentioning many comrades and praising them many times. But I know that was only the first part, and it was incomplete. I didn’t want my father to only be able to read an incomplete story before he passed away. I just don’t know if Comrade Wei Ming’s novel is finished yet.”

Ba breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it might be something serious.

"We do have the manuscript, but it hasn't been revised yet. However, Xiao Wei's notes are clear and won't hinder reading. Just wait, I'll make a call."

~
Wei Ming and Wei Hong were packing their luggage, and Liu Rulong was also there. The three of them would be flying to Shanghai together.

An airplane!
Wei Hong was incredibly excited; her brother, grandmother, and mother had all already flown on airplanes.

Old Wei was indignant. After today, he was the only one in his family who had never been on a plane. He really wanted to take a flight sometime.

Just then, the phone rang, and Wei Hong deftly stepped over her luggage to answer it.

"Hello, this is Wei Ming's house. May I ask who you are? Are you looking for... Ba, Ba Jin! No, Mr. Ba, hello, please wait a moment..."

Wei Ming had already walked over, picked up the phone, said a few words, and then hung up.

"Brother, what did Old Ba want to see you about?" Wei Hong asked, and Ah Long and his parents also came over.

Wei Ming took out the manuscript of the last part of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" from his bag: "Mr. Mao Dun just read my novel and is eager to see the plot. Dad, don't go out later. I gave the address to Mr. Ba, and Mr. Mao Dun's son will come to pick up the manuscript later."

Old Wei, unaware of the situation, laughed and said, "This Mr. Mao Dun has quite a short temper."

Of course, he was also happy that his son could gain the appreciation of such a great writer, Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Lao She, and Cao Xueqin.

However, Wei Ming knew very well that a literary giant was about to fall. He remembered clearly that it should be shortly after the Spring Festival in 81, and "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" would not be completed until the end of May. He definitely wouldn't be able to wait for it.

It is an honor for me to be able to let Mr. Mao Dun finish reading my novel ahead of time, so that it could be the last novel he ever reads.

Wei Ming gave a few more instructions, telling Lao Wei to hand the original manuscript over to Mr. Wei Tao. As for returning it, there was no rush, as he could revise it using a backup copy. Besides, Lao Wei and Xu Shufen were going to take their grandmother back to their hometown to prepare for the New Year, and there would be no one at home for a while.

Yunyun will be spending the Lunar New Year at her husband's family home for the first time. She is pregnant with the first third-generation member of the Mei family, so there is no need to worry about her being mistreated.

As for Black Cat Detective, Lao Wei decided to take it to the courtyard house and let it get used to Ginkgo for a few days. After that, he would entrust the cat and dog to Biaozi and Xiaomei.

Wei Ming couldn't wait to meet Wei Tao; the three of them had to catch their flight.

Just after "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" was published, he received a letter from Editor Li urging him to go to Shanghai to revise the manuscript, and the royalties also arrived in his account.

Ah Long is also urging him on. After the final exams, he can't wait to go to Shanghai to find his girlfriend. If Wei Ming hadn't said he would cover the plane tickets, Ah Long wouldn't have wanted to wait for him.

Wei Ming hugged his bag tightly, and the three of them set off.

Inside the bag was a letter that Lao Gui had just sent from Hong Kong. The most important thing inside was a land title deed for the No. 2 garden villa in Jueyuan.

When my great-aunt's family left Shanghai, they entrusted a distant relative of the Shi family to take care of them. Later, the house was confiscated, and this distant relative did not leave any descendants, so it has been used as an office space for government agencies ever since.

Old Gui told his sister in America about it, and she sent the land deed back, saying she'd take it if she could, but it didn't matter if she couldn't. Her husband had passed away, she had no children, and she had no attachment to the old house, so she probably wouldn't come back to live there. If she could get it back, she'd consider it a gift to the younger generation, meaning she wanted Old Wei and his little sister, whom he'd never met, to discuss dividing it together.

This house is much bigger than Wei Ming's; it's probably half the size of my own. But my dad doesn't know yet that he's about to inherit half of a top-tier luxury mansion in Shanghai.

Of course, it also depends on whether Wei Ming's documents can be used to get the house back. Generally, in this kind of situation, it seems that the descendants of the person involved need to return to China to handle the matter.

Besides discussing the ownership of the Jueyuan Old House, Lao Gui also mentioned that he had met Shen Zui in Hong Kong and asked Wei Mingzhi if he knew about Shen Zui's recent activities. Lao Gui was worried that Shen Zui was after him.

~
Shen Zui has been completely engrossed in reading a novel lately, to the point of neglecting to eat and sleep. To be honest, the reading experience is so smooth that he simply can't stop reading.

It wasn't until he saw the second half of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes, Part 1" that he saw himself appear on screen, which immediately piqued his interest, although his role was initially small.

But it feels quite peculiar to see your own name in a fictional novel.

Of course, this novel is not entirely fictional. The main focus at the beginning is the plot of the Whampoa Military Academy. The male protagonist, Jiang Limin, is a graduate of the third class of Whampoa, while his elder brother, Jiang Lizhong, was a Whampoa instructor and later became a big shot in Chiang Kai-shek's inner circle, even more powerful than his superior, Dai Mubai.

Shen Zui spent ten years in Gongdelin, where there was no shortage of Whampoa Military Academy graduates. Shen Zui enjoyed listening to their stories, so although he had never attended the Whampoa Military Academy, he knew a lot about it.

The author's statement is largely accurate, demonstrating that they put a lot of effort into researching the information.

However, as Shen Zui continued reading, he began to sweat. Damn it, how did this person know so many of his little secrets, even his verbal tic, micro-expressions, and habitual gestures?

With just a few strokes, the two seem as familiar as old friends.

It should be noted that Shen Zui has not yet published his memoirs. The reports he submitted were directly submitted to higher authorities and were not circulated to the public. People of ordinary status simply cannot see them.

This author seems to have quite a bit of influence!

Wei Ming did indeed consult a lot of materials, including the CPPCC's archives of literature and history, but this was mainly due to the fact that he had read a lot of books in his previous life and had accumulated a wealth of knowledge.

Wei Ming had read Shen Zui's "My Thirty Years" published in 83, "My Spy Career" published in 86, and "Between Man and Ghost" published in 93. In addition, the old ghost revealed some unknown inside stories, which made the writing very realistic. Shen Zui was stunned when he read it, as if there was an unseen pair of eyes next to him.

His daughter asked him if he knew Jiang Limin. Now Shen is a little unsure. Could there really have been such a person in the Communist Party back then? Is this actually a work of documentary literature?
As he read, he thought about how, in the novel, Jiang Limin couldn't make a living in his hometown when he was young, so he went to Shanghai to stay with his brother-in-law and sister, who were Kuomintang elders.

Coincidentally, when Shen was eighteen, he couldn't make a living in Changsha and was expelled from school. After that, he went to Shanghai to stay with his sister and brother-in-law. It was through his brother-in-law's introduction that he embarked on this path of espionage.

However, Jiang Limin was recommended to Huangpu by his brother-in-law.

After becoming a spy, he was quickly appreciated by Boss Dai and became one of the Four Great Generals.

In the novel, the brothers Jiang Lizhong and Jiang Limin also have a close relationship with Boss Dai, and the two brothers are also involved in underground work.

Suddenly, Shen Zui thought of a possibility: Could Jiang Limin be based on himself?

Shen and Jiang both have the water radical (氵) in their names!
Although there is already a Shen Zui in the novel, some of Jiang Limin's experiences do match my own, and they also have similar personalities, only their positions are different.

If I were a believer in communism, I might become like Jiang Limin.

Despite being a spy, he was once passionate in his youth, and once brought his classmates to his home and shouted "Down with the local tyrants and evil gentry" at his father. Jiang Limin in the novel also did something similar.

Shen Zui thought about it more and more and felt that this was possible. At least he saw a reflection of himself in the male protagonist. So he became more and more interested in the novel and read every paragraph very carefully, as if he could dig out Jiang Limin's true identity from it.

However, Shen Zui's role was short-lived after his brief appearance. The plot continued to develop from Jiang Limin's perspective, and then it ended.

Oh no, it's over already! It's so short!
Actually, it's not short at all, more than 200,000 words. Half of the pages in this issue of Harvest were dedicated to "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes, Part 1".

Even though Shen was eager to see the rest of the story, he didn't have the ability to get his hands on the manuscript. Did he think he was Ba Jin?

Seeing that he had closed the magazine, his daughter quickly ran over and asked, "Dad, can I read it now?"

“Here you go,” Shen Zui thought for a moment and asked, “Juanjuan, how much do you know about this author?”

"Wei Ming, don't you know?"

"Is he famous? How would I know?"

"The song 'The Same Song,' which you usually like to listen to, was written by him. Of course, he is mainly a writer. He also wrote the script for Xie Jin's film 'The Herdsman.' I've always wanted to go see it with you."

"How old is he? Where is he from?"

The China Youth Daily has featured Wei Ming, a role model for young people, quite a bit. Shen Meijuan immediately said, "Comrade Wei Ming works at Peking University. I think he's from Hebei Province. He's about twenty years old."

Is Wei Ming his real name or a pen name?

"My real name."

"Real name? Surname Wei? From Zhili?" Shen Zui suddenly stood up. He went to Shanghai to seek refuge with his sister, and his elder brother was a high-ranking member of the Kuomintang. Suddenly, a name popped into Shen Zui's mind.

Wei San'er!
~
While waiting at the airport, Wei Ming, Xiao Hong, and Along bought three copies of the China Youth Daily. The "Top Ten Favorite Young Screen Characters" selection event was still ongoing, and they could vote for Gong Xue by buying the newspaper.

As for Zhu Lin, forget about her; even if you voted for her, she wouldn't get the award because her popularity is too low.

As they were whispering to each other, Mr. Ba arrived. Wei Ming quickly went over to help him with his luggage, and they realized they were on the same flight when they talked on the phone.

When Ba Jin arrived, his first question was: "Does that newsstand still have 'Harvest' magazine?"

Wei Ming shook his head: "No more."

Buffett laughed and said, "It seems I underestimated your abilities. A circulation of 60 copies probably won't satisfy the readers."

He only thought that "The Human World" was not a popular theme of reflection on educated youth, but forgot that Wei Ming was the most popular writer at the time, the kind who naturally attracts attention.

Wei Ming humbly said, "The works of the other colleagues are also excellent. It's all thanks to everyone. I think Professor Chen's novella is very good."

Besides urging him to revise the manuscript, Editor Li also sent him a copy of this issue of "Harvest," which Wei Ming read. He always maintained a sense of awe for writers of his generation who were able to make a name for themselves.

Mr. Ba smiled and nodded. Although he felt that young people should have some vigor, Wei Ming's restrained vigor was even more commendable.

Afterwards, Wei Ming inquired about Mr. Mao Dun's health, and Ba Jin praised Wei Ming highly: "Mr. Mao Dun has a very high opinion of your work. If it weren't for his poor health, I would have asked him to write a preface for you to use when it is published in the future."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming quickly replied, "It's the same if you write it for me. In my heart, you are all the greatest writers of our time."

Ba Jin burst out laughing this time.

Meanwhile, on Mr. Cao Yu's desk, who had been sidelined, was placed the newly written script of "The Tale of Two Donkeys," the final version, which he could review before rehearsals could begin.

As for Li Guangfu and other members of the "Teahouse" cast, they returned from their European tour last month. However, the content of "The Tale of Two Donkeys" requires a group of young actors, and Li Guangfu is considered old.

He then asked Yu Shizhi about the situation of the Beijing People's Art Theatre's acting training class this year, saying that they needed to put out recruitment advertisements, otherwise all the good candidates would go to the Beijing Film Academy and the Central Academy of Drama.

~
At the home of Song Fan, a member of the Yanjing Writers Association and a children's author, his youngest daughter failed her college entrance exam last year because she was distracted by her relationship, and it seems unlikely she will pass this year either.

When he got home today, he found her still sitting on the sofa reading a novel, not paying any attention to her studies.

"You child, can't you study harder? All you do is read novels," Old Song said with a pained expression.

“I’m reading ‘Harvest’ magazine here, I’m getting cultural enrichment.” She even had the nerve to argue.

"So this is a good find!" Song Fan exclaimed happily. When he went to buy it today, it was already sold out. It had only been on the shelves for a few days.

"Dandan, why don't you let your dad take a look? You can go and review your textbooks. You can't relax even on vacation."

Song Dandan stared intently at the magazine: "No, I've decided not to take the college entrance exam."

"What!" Song Fan's voice suddenly rose.

Song Dandan moved aside the magazine "Harvest": "Don't get excited. When I said I wasn't going to take the college entrance exam, it didn't mean I was going to be a drifter and just wait to die. I've already made up my mind. I plan to take the entrance exam for the Beijing People's Art Theatre's acting training class. They said that those with excellent grades can stay at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and have a secure job."

Are you so sure you can get excellent grades?

Song Dandan said optimistically, "What's so difficult about this? It's just talking, which is my specialty."

Song Fan thought about it and realized it was true. His daughter was only in her early twenties, but she could imitate her grandmother's Shandong accent very well, even mimicking the old woman's tone perfectly. And, to be fair, his daughter had a high nose, big eyes, and was quite pretty.

"Are you thirsty? Are your eyes tired?" Song Fan was plotting against his daughter again, trying to take away her copy of "Harvest".

Song Dandan remained unmoved: "Old Song, you should save your breath. I'll let you read it after I finish reading 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes.' I've been waiting for this novel for a year. I can read the other articles another day."

Song Fan: "So you're reading this novel too. Tell me, what do you think of it?"

Song Dandan replied, "How can this person's head be so big? I heard it's not even as big as mine, how can he be so talented? And he's also exceptionally good-looking. After I finish reading this, I'll have to write him a letter and ask him if he has a girlfriend."

Well, after she said that, Song Fan became even more eager. No, why are you asking if she has a boyfriend?
…………

(Today's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)