Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 441 Mandela's Letter

To ensure Liu Yimin's smooth journey to Italy to receive the award, the Federation of Literary and Art Circles specially assigned him an Italian translator—Lü Tongliu.

Lü Tongliu is a researcher at the Institute of Foreign Literature of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the deputy editor-in-chief of *Foreign Literature Review*, specializing in the translation of Italian literary works. Not only is he an Italian translator, but his wife is too; together they have made significant contributions to the dissemination of Italian literature in China.

In recognition of his contributions, Italy awarded Lü Tongliu the Presidential Knight Medal, the Order of Merit, and the Gold Medal of Science and Culture, making him the only Chinese person to receive all three major awards simultaneously.

He was personally recommended to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles by Qian Zhongshu. Xia Yan said to Liu Yimin and Lü Tongliu, "Comrade Tongliu, although you are older than Yimin and a senior in the literary world, Yimin should be the main person in charge on this trip."

"Mr. Shen, I understand. I will do my translation job well." Lu Tongliu, dressed in a suit, nodded with great poise.

Liu Yimin extended his hand and said, "Editor-in-Chief Lü, it's a pleasure to work with you!"

"Comrade Yimin, it's an honor to accompany you to Italy. To be honest, I work as an Italian literature translator, but I've never been to Italy before!" Lü Tongliu said with a smile.

After giving a few instructions, Xia Yan told Lü Tongliu to go back and prepare, as he would be departing from Yanjing Airport at 8 p.m. the next day.

After Lü Tongliu left, Xia Yan looked at Liu Yimin and said, "Now that you have several experiences traveling abroad, I'd like to say as little as possible, but I'm always worried that I won't feel at ease if I say too little. When you're abroad, be careful, be quick to act but slow to speak. Most importantly, don't lose your identity as a Chinese writer."

“I understand,” Liu Yimin said.

"Don't go out alone, like a foal without a bridle, running wild and playing." Xia Yan said with a smile.

After leaving the Ministry of Culture, Liu Yimin went directly to Yenching University. Yenching University had already started the new semester, and the entire campus was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Banners and colorful flags hung on the main gate, and festive songs blared from the campus loudspeakers. The high-spirited atmosphere made even hunchbacked old men straighten up when passing by the gate of Yanda University.

As you walk in from the south gate, people keep greeting Liu Yimin, and the repeated calls of "Professor Liu" resonate in his heart.

Before leaving, Liu Yimin needed to visit the Institute of Literature and Art one last time, as he had a second-year class in the afternoon.

The Institute of Literature and Art has added another teacher for further training. Li Liangrong from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Fudan University has arrived and is chatting with Wang Liqun, Yan Zhen, and a few others.

When Liu Yimin arrived, Li Liangrong quickly stood up and said, "Professor Liu."

“Comrade Liangrong, if you have any questions at Yenching University, you can talk to Yan Zhen. I won’t be in Yenching recently. You can do some research with some senior professors majoring in journalism. You have free time. If you want to attend classes, you can go with Comrade Liqun.” Liu Yimin said, shaking hands.

Li Liangrong said, "Thank you, Professor Liu, for giving me the opportunity to study at the Institute of Literature. I will definitely study hard in the Department of Chinese Literature at Yenching University."

"Yes, the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences is preparing to cultivate a group of promising young teachers to become the main teaching force in the future of humanities and social sciences. Study hard, and I hope you will make more contributions to the journalism profession in the future and become a senior Chinese scholar."

Liu Yimin's words greatly excited Li Liangrong and Wang Liqun, who were standing next to him, making them feel that Liu Yimin would definitely make great achievements in the academic field in the future.

As Liu Yimin receives more awards, it will greatly benefit the future development of the Institute of Literature and Art, as a person's reputation will have a far-reaching impact.

I had only spoken a few words to them when several professors arrived.

Yan Jiayan and the others inquired about Liu Yimin's schedule with concern, and Liu Yimin explained his plans to them.

"Yan Zhen will teach your classes this month. I had him try it out a few days ago, and I thought he did a good job. He even managed to imitate the teacher quite well."

After Yan Jiayan finished speaking, Yan Zhen immediately looked nervously at Liu Yimin.

“Okay, Yan Zhen, I’ll show you my information in a bit.” Liu Yimin gave him an encouraging look.

When most of the people had left, Yan Jiayan said mysteriously to Liu Yimin, "I have a surprise for you when you come back after you receive your award."

"Professor Yan, can't you tell me now? Why do you have to keep me in suspense?" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Yan Jiayan laughed and said, "Haha, you'll see when you get back."

In the afternoon, Liu Yimin gave the first class of the year on foreign literary thought to the second-year students. Li Liangrong, Wang Liqun, and Yan Zhen sat at the back and listened attentively.

This class wasn't open to the public, but it still attracted a lot of students from other majors, with the Spanish department students being particularly enthusiastic.

In the end, not much knowledge-based content was taught. At this point, the students were not concerned about the textbook or so-called literature; they were only concerned about the literary award that Liu Yimin had won.

The students unanimously requested that Liu Yimin give them another talk about Europe, specifically France and Italy. Liu Yimin sat in the classroom and chatted casually, mainly focusing on the Renaissance in Italy.

"In the past, religion was a part of people's lives in China, but religious authority was always under the emperor's power, and we never had so-called religious fanaticism."

However, religious fanaticism has always existed in the West. The ruling class uses religion to control the people and to seek personal gain by inciting the fanaticism of believers. This is the case with the so-called Crusades. When the Renaissance was beginning to emerge in Italy, many extreme events occurred.

For example, the three churches held a joint trial of Galileo, who did not believe in God's new science. What was their purpose? To eliminate heliocentrism. Who invented heliocentrism? Copernicus. And Copernicus? His body has already been burned.

Some students might say, "We also burned people in our feudal society." Yes, burning people was considered mild in the West. Behind the Renaissance were two million women being hunted and killed.

Liu Yimin talks about the Western "witch hunt" movement that occurred during the Renaissance. Against the backdrop of ideological confusion, various forces, driven by the desire to create an image of justice or their own interests, labeled a large number of women as witches, burned them at the stake, and seized their property.

"Would such a thing happen in China's feudal society? Apart from times of war when there were massacres of entire cities, no dynasty would dare to do such a thing when its regime was stable. If such a thing had happened, everyone would have turned against each other, and if you rebelled, I would rebel too!"
The Anglo-Saxons, steeped in religion, possess an inherent bloodline of aggression and greed, yearning for greater gains. The Chinese, on the other hand, are a stable agrarian civilization. After dynastic changes, emperors rise to power, work diligently to govern, and once they feel the country is secure, they begin to comfortably enjoy their newfound wealth.

You told him not to indulge in pleasure, and the emperor replied, "I've fought wars my whole life, can't I enjoy myself a little?"

Liu Yimin tapped the table with his finger, his expression and movements were dramatic, and the audience burst into laughter.

Li Liangrong said to Wang Liqun, "Professor Liu's lectures are so engaging!"

“I’m also learning from the teaching style of the professors at Yenching University. They explain things in a gentle and vivid way,” Wang Liqun said with a smile.

"Through this comparison, we realize that living on Earth with such neighbors means we need to change our temperament and stop seeking stability. Because once you seek stability, the other party will bite you. We've already been bitten once and haven't recovered yet, so we mustn't let ourselves be bitten again."

When the bell rang, the students stood up and shouted in unison, "Goodbye, Professor Liu!"

"Goodbye, students. Due to well-known reasons, I will not be able to give lectures this month. The course will be taught by Senior Brother Yan Zhen."

When the "well-known" reason was explained, the students in the audience all smiled knowingly.

The students applauded Liu Yimin until he left the classroom, at which point the applause gradually subsided.

Li Liangrong said to Yan Zhen, "Comrade Yan Zhen, I'll listen to your lecture in a while."

"I'm making a fool of myself. I'm no match for Professor Liu," Yan Zhen said hastily.

At the Overseas Chinese Apartment, Liu Yimin's luggage was ready. Zhu Lin and Yang Xiuyun sat in the living room, pondering what else Liu Yimin should bring.

"That's about it, we don't need to bring anything else," Liu Yimin quickly said.

Zhu Lin asked, "Should we bring them some gifts?"

"The Writers' Association has made special preparations," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

That evening, Liu Yimin, panting heavily, patted Zhu Lin's shoulder, trying to catch his breath: "Alright, alright, the taxes will be collected by next month!"

"Look at what you're saying." Zhu Lin gently tugged at Liu Yimin's ear with her left hand and lightly massaged Liu Yimin's thigh muscles with her right hand.

The two didn't chat for long before falling into a deep sleep. When they woke up the next day, it was already 10 a.m., and Zhu Lin had already gone to work.

"Yimin, the boiled eggs are ready." Yang Xiuyun peeled the eggs herself and placed them on a plate, looking at Liu Yimin with a kind expression.

"Mom, I'm sorry to have troubled you while I was away," Liu Yimin said.

Yang Xiuyun said, "What's so hard about it? This is much easier than farming or working in the fields!"

"Daddy, hug me!" Little Liu Yu crawled to Liu Yimin's legs and said in a childish voice.

Xi Mei quickly picked up Liu Yu and said, "Let Daddy eat first." So, Liu Yu broke free from Xi Mei's arms and climbed to the living room and balcony, tearing up copies of "The King of Fairy Tales" to play.

The three-colored cat would occasionally stretch out its paws as if catching a mouse, and the two were having a great time playing together, while Liu Lin was dozing off in the corner.

At 5 p.m., the Writers Association's car arrived, picked up Liu Yimin, and then picked up Lü Tongliu and took him to the Writers Association.

Zhang Guangnian, on behalf of the Writers' Association, gave the two men one thousand US dollars, eight hundred to Liu Yimin and two hundred to Lü Tongliu.

"This box contains some small gifts, a wooden paperweight, and some other trinkets."

Zhang Guangnian handed Liu Yimin another document: "This is more detailed information about the Nonino Literary Prize, including the family information behind it. I think you should need it. You need to know your enemy and yourself when you receive an award."

"Comrade Zhang, thank you all for your hard work!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

“This is what we should do,” Zhang Guangnian said with a smile.

Wang Meng said, "No matter how much we do to win glory for our country, it's never enough!"

Starting in March of this year, Wang Meng officially became the first deputy secretary of the Writers Association.

"If you two need anything while you're abroad, feel free to contact the local embassy or consulate." Zhang Guangnian checked the time and prepared to take the two to the airport.

As night fell, Liu Yimin and Lü Tongliu, with their backs to the airport lights, shook hands with Zhang Guangnian and Wang Meng in turn to say goodbye.

Zhang Guangnian said with a smile, "Yimin, the trophy is back. Let me take a look at it first. I heard that the trophies are made of silver."

"Haha, don't worry, we're off."

"Let's board!"

Liu Yimin and Lü Tongliu exchanged a glance and walked toward the plane parked at the airport. With the help of the flight attendants, they found their seats.

After the two sat down, a flight attendant came over and said, "Comrade Liu Yimin, on behalf of the crew, I congratulate you and wish you a successful trip and that you will bring glory to Chinese literature."

"Thank you, but please don't spread the message anymore." Liu Yimin waved his hand.

"Don't worry, no one will come to bother you again."

After the plane took off, Lü Tongliu said to Liu Yimin, "I wonder how many Italian writers we'll be able to meet."

"Comrade Lao Lü, who do you want to see?" Liu Yimin asked.

“Calvino, the person I most want to meet is Calvino. I feel like we are friends who have never met. Every time I translate his works, I feel like we are having a friendly conversation,” Lü Tongliu said excitedly.

Liu Yimin smiled faintly: "Then I will definitely be able to see him!"

Calvino is currently Italy's most famous writer, a pioneer of modernism and postmodernism. He likes to use Italian folk tales to tell about the predicament of modern civilization, blending magical realism and realism, and has had a significant influence on the works of Gabriel García Márquez.

He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1985, but unfortunately passed away before the nomination. He was only three years older than Márquez, but lived thirty years less.

The two chatted about Calvino's literary ideas, and started to feel sleepy around 11 o'clock.

Liu Yimin said, "Comrade Lao Lü, take a rest, we're still a long way off!"

There are no direct flights between China and Italy, so the two of them needed to fly to Paris and then from Paris to Italy, a truly long journey.

The plane repeated its previous route to France, from Karachi in Pakistan to Cairo, and then from Cairo to Paris.

A short while later, Liu Yimin closed his eyes. Lu Tongliu, who was next to him, was too excited to sleep. Looking at Liu Yimin sleeping soundly, he shook his head helplessly. If it were him receiving the award, he definitely wouldn't be able to sleep so soundly.

Liu Yimin had been working hard the night before, which resulted in him sleeping soundly throughout the journey. When he arrived in Cairo, he was awake for about an hour before dozing off again.

"Old Lu, why are your eyes so wide open?!"

"Can't sleep."

The plane landed in Paris at 10 p.m. Looking down at the brightly lit city, Lü Tongliu exclaimed, "It's so bright!"

"What's so good about it? Too many lights cause light pollution, which harms the survival of plants and insects."

Lu Tongliu silently swallowed the sentiments that were about to come out and followed Liu Yimin to disembark.

Outside the airport, there were many people who came to pick up the passengers. In addition to embassy staff, people from the China-France Friendship Association, PEN Paris, publishing houses, and readers also came.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, embassy staff came forward: "Comrade Liu Yimin, I am Feng Wen, and I am also your French translator in Paris."

"Hello, comrades, you've worked hard and kept us waiting!" Liu Yimin quickly shook hands and said.

Liu Yimin stood at the front of the crowd, greeted those who came to welcome him, and gave a short speech.

After the speech, Liu Yimin immediately left the airport under the guidance of embassy staff. Editor Massey Dani had arranged with the embassy staff to leave in Liu Yimin's car at the same time.

"Liu, after the news of the award came out, your book sales tripled in Paris, Chinese rural literature sales quadrupled, and sales doubled in other parts of France," Marseille Dani reported to Liu Yimin.

"How are things going for you in Africa?" Liu Yimin asked curiously.

"It's doing okay in parts of North Africa and South Africa, but sales are very poor in other places. Of course, it's not that your book is bad, but that all books are bad."

South Africa and North Africa are relatively wealthy, and with a better economy, more people read books.

Liu Yimin will spend a day and a half in Paris before flying to Italy the day after tomorrow afternoon.

Upon arriving at the embassy, ​​the newly appointed ambassador, Ambassador Cao, was already waiting. Ambassador Cao was from Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, and spoke with a strong Shanxi accent.

"Comrade Yimin welcomes you, Comrade Lü Tongliu welcomes you. It's getting late, so we've prepared a simple dinner."

Dinner was Chinese food, dumplings made by embassy staff. After Liu Yimin and Lü Tongliu finished eating, they returned to their rooms to rest.

Lu Tongliu couldn't hold on any longer; he was in a daze when he opened the door.

The next morning, embassy staff knocked on Liu Yimin's door and told him that an East African journalist was looking for him.

This was a Black reporter who, upon seeing Liu Yimin emerge, immediately took off his hat and bowed politely to him.

Liu Yimin's brows furrowed deeply, unsure of what this guy meant.

"Respected Professor Liu, have you ever heard of a gentleman named Mandela?" the reporter asked calmly.

"Mr. Mandela? Wasn't he imprisoned by the shameless South African government?" Liu Yimin asked in confusion.

So you know about his deeds?

"Of course, as you know, I pay close attention to the Black Freedom Movement. Whether it's Black people in the United States or Black people in Africa, to me there is no distinction between them. They are all people who should be born equal and free."

The reporter, moved, took out a letter from his person: "This was brought out by Mr. Mandela's wife from prison. While in prison, Mr. Mandela read your 'Beloved,' and he admired your literary talent and expressed his gratitude for your efforts for black freedom."

The reporter told him that Mandela's wife was allowed to visit him in prison last year, and that Mandela was not completely without freedom on the island, but could move around freely in a limited area, grow vegetables, and so on.

Liu Yimin opened the letter, and Mandela internally shared his thoughts on reading "Beloved," believing that Black people had suffered inhuman hardships over the centuries. On the other hand, he praised the success of the Chinese revolution, believing that it had inspired him.

“I oppose the so-called apartheid policy, and I believe that all people of insight should oppose it. Mr. Mandela should be freed immediately,” Liu Yimin said angrily, slamming the letter on the table.

(End of this chapter)