My era, 1979!

Chapter 132: New Poetry and Its Influence on the Wave Literary Society
Zhang Peiheng paused for a moment, then looked around at everyone: "This has opened up a new avenue for the study of Song Dynasty literature. In the past, we always focused on 'major literary styles' and neglected 'minor literary styles' such as inscriptions and letters. But it is precisely these minor literary styles that best reflect the true state of mind of literati. Cheng Jun has set a good example. In the future, the graduate students in our group can also pay more attention to these niche literary styles."

This statement elevates Xu Chengjun to a very high level.

All five people in Zhu Dongrun's group and seven people in Zhang Peiheng's group looked at Xu Chengjun.

Are they going to start the school year with a big event?
Thinking of his stunning literary works.

Perhaps it's talent?
At this moment, Zhu Dongrun, who had been silent all along, coughed lightly, and the conference room instantly fell silent.

The old man looked at everyone and slowly said, "I am very pleased to hear Chengjun explain his ideas and listen to everyone's discussion. The worst thing in academic research is to follow the crowd. Others study words, so you study words too; others talk about boldness and elegance, so you talk about boldness and elegance too. Chengjun did not do that. He found a path that no one had taken and created his own unique style. That is innovation."

He looked at Xu Chengjun, his eyes gentle yet firm: "Keep going. There's still a lot to explore in the inscriptions. Almost no one is researching them now. You can give it a try. On the academic path, it's not about being slow, it's about not stopping. As long as you keep digging, you'll eventually find something."

These words were not only spoken to Xu Chengjun, but also to the graduate students in the audience.

Chen Shangjun, Huang Furan, and others nodded frequently as they listened, writing "Focus on Women's Inscriptions" in their notebooks.

The other graduate students also seemed to be deep in thought, clearly enlightened by the old man's words.

As the seminar came to an end, the sun was already setting, its rays streaming through the windows into the conference room and casting a warm glow on everyone's faces.

Zhu Dongrun walked at the back, and as he passed Xu Chengjun, he patted him on the shoulder: "Do a good job, don't waste your talent."

Xu Chengjun nodded, looking at the old man's back, then at the paper in his hand, which was covered with circles and corrections.

My heart was churning with intense emotions.

This is not just a seminar, but also an academic legacy.

From Zhu Dongrun to Zhang Peiheng, and then to these young students, generation after generation has passed on the torch of classical literature through discussions and expectations.

How should literature, as a vehicle for conveying moral principles, proceed in the new era?
Since the start of the semester, he has been busy with a lot of things, which seem to be a mess, but in fact he is doing things step by step.

Academically, the study of Song Dynasty literature is the foundation of Fudan University, but it is still in the stage of textual research and small-scale output, and needs to be continued.

The modern transformation of classical literature, relying on classical literature research and one's own writing materials, is also a steady process that requires perseverance to achieve gradual and fruitful results.

In terms of writing, "Red Silk" and "Hope" each have their own unique characteristics, and they are just waiting to expand their influence in the literary world. Other works such as essays, poems and short stories have been produced continuously, and the literary landscape continues to expand.

As for the wave, he is still an important participant at this stage. As things gradually get on track, he will move behind the scenes to be a decision-maker rather than an executor. But for now, he still needs to oversee every aspect.

Other ideas are also gradually being implemented.

What's the matter?
so many!

But it's alright, as the King of Scrolls, he's fine.

Literature serves as a vehicle for conveying moral principles, and it is a pioneering and arduous journey.

But the foundation has already been laid, hasn't it?
The group meeting was in full swing here, while recruitment was also in full swing on the other side.

This recruitment also used the same routine that student councils have followed since later generations.

The initial phase involved promotional materials and radio broadcasts; the middle phase involved presentations by various departments and collection of application forms; and the final phase involved club interviews.

At this time, Lin Yimin and others were doing presentations in various departments and collecting registration forms.

Xu Chengjun is so famous among the students that the scale of this club recruitment is unprecedented.

Never underestimate the passion for literature among students of this era.

Moreover, the song "Waiting for You to Return to the North" has already been sung throughout Shanghai and is showing a tendency to spread to the whole country through students and schools.

Overall, the recruitment drive was incredibly successful that day!

In September 1979, the plane tree leaves on the Fudan University campus were just turning pale yellow, but that couldn't dampen the enthusiastic atmosphere at the recruitment event for the "Wave Literature Society".

Starting early in the morning, a red banner was erected next to the large lawn of the Handan Road campus. The large white characters "The Wave Literature Society is recruiting new members - Join Xu Chengjun on a literary journey" were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

Beneath the banner lay a thick stack of mimeographed flyers, the covers of which bore excerpts from Xu Chengjun's poems.

Lines like "Smoke curls around the eaves, travelers return home under the moonlight" drew the attention of passing students who stopped to admire them.

This is a new work.

Lin Yimin gripped the megaphone, sweat beading on his forehead, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

He was wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, and his trousers were still covered with bits of straw from moving materials that morning. He shouted to the students who had gathered around him, "Students! The Wave Literature Society is recruiting new members today! Comrade Xu Chengjun is our society's advisor. He wrote 'Waiting for Your Return in the North' for the society! If you want to discuss literature and write with him, come over here and get an application form!"

If Xu Chengjun were here, he'd probably be completely baffled.

What does "Waiting for You to Return to Beixiang" have to do with the club?

The moment the words were spoken, the crowd erupted in uproar.

Several boys in plaid shirts squeezed to the front, one of whom, wearing black-rimmed glasses, held up his notebook and asked, "Lin! Will Xu Chengjun really participate in club activities? I especially love the psychological descriptions in his novel 'The Fitting Mirror,' and I'd like to ask him how he writes such nuanced characters!"

"of course!"

Lin Yimin patted his chest and assured them, then casually pulled a registration form from the cardboard box next to him and handed it over. "Comrade Chengjun said that he will come to participate in the discussion every week as long as the club needs him! In addition, we will regularly hold poetry readings and novel writing sharing sessions, and outstanding works can be recommended to magazines such as Harvest and Shanghai Literature!"

The students who arrived immediately became lively.

Does Langchao Literature Society have this channel?

It makes perfect sense that Xu Chengjun was the first president of the company.

There is a door!

Not far away, Zhou Haibo was squatting on the ground sorting out registration forms. His military green satchel was lying to the side, with half of a copy of "Poetry Journal" sticking out of it.

That was the issue last month that published four poems by Xu Chengjun; the cover was so worn out from being flipped through by classmates who happened to pass by.

Seeing that Lin Yimin was struggling to cope, he quickly stood up and placed a stack of newly printed mimeographed copies of "Waiting for Your Return in the North" on the table: "Students, don't rush! Take a copy of the poem first! This is a song that Comrade Xu Chengjun composed some time ago. It's being circulated among students all over Shanghai now, and soon the whole country will know about it!"

Hu Zhi also picked up a stack of mimeographed manuscripts and shouted loudly, "Students, Xu Chengjun wrote a poem called 'The Tide' for the Wave Literature Society last night. Interested students, come and take a look."

A buzzing sound immediately arose from the crowd.

Xu Chengjun has written a new poem?
Everyone was making a ruckus, eager to see what the commotion was about.

"Don't worry, we have them all!"

"Don't push! Boys, line up at the back and give way to the girls in front!"

Li Juanjuan, a sophomore majoring in Chinese literature, clutched the poem manuscript and gently traced the words "waves," her eyes shining as if she were holding stars.

The mimeograph paper read:

"wave"

Author: Xu Chengjun

You always try to look the way others like in front of the mirror.
The bursting spray condensed into a white falcon.
It hit my face, and the pain brought me back to my senses.

You ride the wild horse of your ideals, cutting through the waves.
Unfortunately, this is not the true nature of the waves.

You ruthlessly extinguished the light in your heart.
Like the cold winds of the harbor, they blew my ship to its death.

I dare not look at those

The scars worn down by life and the fake face worn for too long

Please, take your heart out.
Don't let darkness engulf us.

Let me gaze upon your myriad forms
The tides at sea keep happening.

Leap, reach the peak, disintegrate, merge, disappear

It happened coldly, in segments, throughout the days.
And so the fervent cries of the past ceased.

And the desperate roars will never be heard again.
The tide rises silently, the tide recedes silently.
Until it was all over, I stood on the beach.

Only then did I realize that this was where the tide was headed.

Some people read it aloud softly, while others, upon hearing it, immediately rushed over to peek at the poem.
The poem strangely aligns with the ideals of the Wave Literature Society, and is associated with Xu Chengjun's name and the founding of the Wave Literature Society.

The scene, like a poem, stirred up waves at Fudan University.

"I just heard Hu Zhi talking about this poem! I thought it was well-written as soon as I heard it, but I didn't expect it was written by Xu Chengjun! I want to sign up; I want to learn how to write poetry from him!"

"I want to apply too!"

A boy in a work jacket raised his arm and shouted that he was Lu Shu, a freshman in the history department, holding a copy of "Dream of the Red Chamber" that he had just borrowed from the library. "I quoted Xu Chengjun's 'Walking Towards the Light' in my homework a while ago, and the teacher even praised me for my literary talent! Now that I can join his club, I can't miss this opportunity!" The recruitment scene was much more popular than expected.

Promotional materials had already been distributed throughout the campus.

Recruitment posters were posted on the bulletin boards downstairs in each dormitory building, with Xu Chengjun's name and a list of his works printed on them.

This was Cheng Yongxin's terrible idea.

Originally, Hu Zhi wanted to draw a large portrait of Xu Chengjun, but Xu Chengjun felt that Hu Zhi's drawing looked like a self-portrait of a death row inmate, so he quickly stopped.

He's artistic but not crazy.

I can't be Van Gogh.

The objections were partially valid, but the self-portrait was not adopted.

However, the names and works titles continued to be used.

The radio station started with the morning news, broadcasting recruitment notices every hour, and at the end, it would recite a line from the poem "The Tide": "Let me gaze upon your myriad forms / The tides on the sea never cease to unfold / Leaping, reaching the peak, collapsing, merging, and disappearing," immersing the entire campus in the "gentleness" of literature.

Perhaps it's gentleness?

Lin Yimin almost cried. He suggested that Xu Chengjun write a poem for the Wave Literature Society.

Who knew he'd give us this thing!

good or not?
Good!

Can't you be a little gentler? Don't be so dark!

During the mid-term presentation phase, Lin Yimin and Zhou Haibo led the club's core members into three groups and ran to the teaching buildings of various departments.

When they arrived at the Chinese Department's lecture hall, it was already packed with people, with students crowding even the windowsills and aisles.

Lin Yimin stood on the podium, with the words "Wave Literary Society - Using the pen as a sword and literature as a sail" written on the blackboard behind him. As soon as he took out the manuscript of "Waves", enthusiastic applause rang out from the audience.

"Students,"

Lin Yimin cleared his throat, his voice tinged with excitement. This was the most meaningful event of his life, at least so far. Given the current momentum, the Wave Literature Society would be able to link his name with Fudan University.

"Literature is not an ivory tower decoration; it is the light hidden in life. Even the old locust tree at the village entrance or the flame in the stove can be turned into poetry. What our society does is to gather these lights together and let more people see the power of literature!"

The students in the audience listened attentively. Zhang Lan, a third-year history student, raised her hand and asked, "Lin, does the student club organize field trips? My hometown is in a rural area of ​​northern Jiangsu. I want to write down the stories of the village. Maybe I can write about real rural life like Xu Chengjun's 'The Granary'!"

"of course!"

Zhou Haibo chimed in, clutching a thick stack of registration forms and smiling, "We've already made plans. We'll be going to the countryside in Songjiang next month for a field trip. Comrade Xu Chengjun will be coming along to help us with the drafts! Register now so you can participate in this event!"

Zhou Yongxin, who was standing nearby, asked Hu Zhi in a low voice, "When will we have a field trip?"

Hu Zhi pouted: "One minute ago."

"Depend on!"

These words made the atmosphere in the classroom even more lively.

Students flocked to the podium to collect their registration forms. The scratching sound of pens on paper, combined with the chirping of cicadas outside the window, became the most beautiful sound.

Zhou Haibo was busy handing out pens to everyone, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the registration forms, but he smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone will get one! Our literary society needs students who love literature like this!"

Meanwhile, long queues formed at the recruitment booths next to the lawn.

Several club members were busy checking the registration forms. One of them, a girl in a floral dress, held a megaphone and shouted, "Students! Hand in your completed registration forms first! Interviews will begin tomorrow in Room 103 of the Chinese Department. Comrade Xu Chengjun will be one of the interviewers!"

"really?"

A girl with pigtails exclaimed in surprise. She was a freshman in the Foreign Languages ​​Department, and she was holding Xu Chengjun's poetry collection in her arms. "I need to prepare well! Maybe I can have a face-to-face discussion about literature with Comrade Xu Chengjun!"

The crowd was filled with chatter; some were discussing Xu Chengjun's poems, some were dreaming about club activities, and others were sharing their own poems.

A boy wearing a military-style jacket pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. On it was a poem he had written, titled "Autumn Scenery on Campus." He excitedly told the classmate next to him, "If I can get into a club, I must ask Comrade Chengjun to take a look at this poem for me! Maybe it can be published someday!"

Lin Yimin ran all over the teaching buildings of the three departments, and by the time he returned to the recruitment point, the sun was already setting.

He took the enamel mug from Li Jihai and gulped down several mouthfuls of cold boiled water, only to find that his throat was still dry and sore.

But when he saw the mountain of registration forms piled on the table, he couldn't help but smile.

In just one day, they received more than 300 application forms, more than all the clubs in the school recruited last year.

"Yimin, look!"

Zhou Haibo pointed to a spot not far away where several students were discussing the lyrics of "Waiting for You to Return to the North Village." One of the girls softly read aloud the lines, her eyes full of longing. "Now, not only Fudan University students, but also students from Tongji University and Jiaotong University next door are spreading this song. I heard that students from other universities have even asked their classmates at Fudan University to help them get the lyrics!"

Lin Yimin nodded, wiped the sweat from his brow, and picked up the megaphone again: "Students! Recruitment is almost over for today, so those who haven't signed up yet should hurry up! Interviews are tomorrow, see you there!"

The setting sun bathed the campus in gold, the banner at the recruitment booth swayed gently in the wind, and the application forms were filled with dense handwriting. Behind each name lay a love for literature.

Lin Yimin, Zhou Haibo, and the core members of the club were busy packing up materials. Although they were tired and their backs ached, they were full of energy.

They believe that with so many literature-loving students joining and with Xu Chengjun's support, the "Waves Literature Society" will definitely get better and better, and this passion for literature will, like the lyrics of "Waiting for You to Return to the North," continue to be passed down on the Fudan campus and in the hearts of more people.

For them, this is youth.

This is one of their most cherished memories, many years later.

And the "wave" became the most vivid mark of Fudan University in 1979.

In 2024, when Fudan University's History Museum documented the "Waves" series, it included the following statement: "Looking back decades later, the founding principles of Xu Chengjun and others have long transcended the society itself: it freed campus literature from the shackles of the ivory tower, proving that youth creation can serve as a 'literary prism' of the times, reflecting both the individual's glimmer and the social tides." The Waves Literary Society is the most faithful practitioner of this principle and an important footnote to the spiritual landscape of youth since the reform and opening up.
-
After Xu Chengjun returned.

201 is still actively discussing recruitment matters.

"Today, many seniors came to ask if they could join the literature club!"

"Cheng Jun said it wouldn't work, it's too unstable."

"How many application forms did you collect today?"

"There were nearly 400 left in the end!"

"Wow, then we've been very successful!"

"It's all wrapped up!" Xu Chengjun's catchphrase has been thoroughly learned by his roommates in dormitory 201.

The moment Xu Chengjun entered, he didn't ask Lin Yimin and the others about the recruitment situation. Instead, he called everyone to the cafeteria, got several meat dishes, and ate until they were stuffed. While eating, the group briefly explained the recruitment situation to Xu Chengjun. Upon hearing that there were more than 400 application forms, Xu Chengjun was extremely surprised.

This was quite a success?
It was much better than he had expected.

Back in their dorm room, the group started flipping through the application forms and conducted the first round of preliminary screening. Many people also attached their own works, such as poems, essays, and novels.

After looking through them, I found quite a few familiar names.

Lin Wei, Chen Yang, Xu Lu, Chen Shangjun
Senior brother just forced it together!

Xu Demin, an economics major he had always been thinking about, was among them. In addition, he also saw Wu Shenyuan from the Department of Economics, Class of '79, and Zhang Weiwei from the Class of '77.

These are all future celebrities, and their inclusion may be considered at the discretion of the individual.

There were also many familiar names, but I couldn't match them up, so I gave up on them.

From over 400 applications, more than half were initially selected. Those who could get into Fudan University in this era and were also interested in literature were indeed quite talented.

During this time, Xu Chengjun also discussed with 201 the core principle of the founding of the Wave Literature Society: "Small but excellent".

The organization prioritizes creation and dissemination, avoiding complex hierarchical structures. With creative output as the core, the organization is divided into "decision-making, execution, and advisory levels," with all staff participating in creation and no purely administrative positions.

The decision-making team consists of 5 people.

Xu Chengjun is the first president of the student association, and Lin Yimin is a possible vice president, but it's not the first year, and the freshmen are still a bit weak in terms of foundation.

Responsible for defining the literary society's purpose, coordinating with the school's Youth League Committee/external resources, leading major events, coordinating literary creation, and integrating diverse perspectives.

The executive level is divided into four departments: creative department, editorial department, liaison department, and organization department. All staff members are part-time, with 8-10 people in each department.

In Xu Chengjun's vision, the advisory team can be divided into an external advisory group and an internal advisory group.

It all depends on how Xu Chengjun and the school use their respective skills. Putting aside the school, Xu Chengjun mentioned to Li Xiaolin when she came that he wanted the future head of "Harvest" magazine to serve as an advisor.

Li Xiaolin was somewhat tempted, after all, it was just a nominal position with appropriate resources, which was child's play compared to the "pie in the sky" Xu Chengjun was promising.

(End of this chapter)