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

Chapter 587 Unified Literary Alliance
Li Ao, holding Liu Yimin's manuscript, introduced it to everyone with great enthusiasm.

Cao Yu smiled slightly at Ba Jin, while Xia Yan leaned back in his chair, calmly observing the entire conference room. For Xia Yan and the others, once these people landed on the mainland, their trip would already be considered complete.

"A cross-strait traditional culture exchange meeting can't be all harmony; there should be debate. Truth is revealed through debate," Xia Yan whispered to Ba Jin.

Ba Jin laughed and said, "That's the idea. If we don't make a fuss, some people will say that we've found a group of people to sing our praises."

"Once today is over, we'll all have some free time," Cao Yu said with a relaxed smile.

The rest of the itinerary wouldn't be quite right if three big names from the arts and culture front accompanied the island's writers on their tours.

A stack of manuscripts was divided into several parts and passed around during the meeting. Chen Yingzhen smiled and said to Li Ao, "No wonder I had such dark circles under my eyes this morning. I stayed up all night reading the manuscript. Mr. Liu wrote about the story of the Republic of China ambassador, which shows his broad-mindedness. Starting from the mutual help and assistance of all mankind, it shows the depth of his intention."

"After this novel is finished and made into a movie, the world will know about my ambassador's touching story of saving lives in the 30s, which will help improve the image of Chinese people in the world."

“A truly moving story,” Qi Bangyuan agreed.

Liu Yimin picked up where Li Ao left off, saying, "I agree with what Mr. Li Ao just said. On the other hand, when writers are engaged in literature, they cannot only think about literature. They must think about what they can do for Chinese culture and for the Chinese nation as inheritors and guardians of culture, in the torrent of the times."

We must all use our pens to leave something for history, something for the world to see. I believe that unification is not just our wish, but everyone's. Our ideas may differ, but our goals are the same. Since we share the same goal, we must think about how to achieve it. Qu Yuan wrote in "Li Sao": "What my heart desires, though I die nine times, I will not regret." This is Qu Yuan's belief and patriotism, and it is also the patriotism ingrained in the blood of the Chinese nation.

"The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit!" From a modern perspective, Qu Yuan's "Li Sao" cannot be analyzed solely for its beautiful poetry and lyrics; it should be analyzed for its profound meaning. "Li Sao" contains both romanticism and realism, and is imbued with a deep love for the country. When China was in a special historical period, this love needed to transcend everything. Lan Bozhou quoted lines from "Li Sao" to clearly express his stance.

Pai Hsien-yung lamented, "Our paths may have diverged, but some situations were not what my father or I wished for."

“I naturally agree with the inheritance of Chinese culture, and I also hope for a strong country. I experienced the Nanjing Massacre, and the person I loved most in my life died in an air battle. Mr. Liu said yesterday that I look at things not from the perspective of an ordinary person, but from the perspective of a government official. I don’t quite agree. In terms of my memory of the War of Resistance, I was just a young girl in the torrent of fleeing.”

Chi Pang-yuan's greatest love was a student from Northeast China who had fled to Japan, named Zhang Dafei. The two met amidst chaos, and Zhang Dafei later joined the Flying Tigers, where he sacrificed his life in an air battle against the Japanese invaders, forever remaining in Chi Pang-yuan's heart.

Bai Xianyong was surprised by Qi Bangyuan's words and shook his head inwardly. Qi Bangyuan was both his teacher and friend, and he knew about Zhang Dafei.

"I can understand Ms. Qi's feelings. When a country is destroyed and a family is destroyed, people are less than plants. So after decades of international turmoil, we see the hope of becoming strong, and we must strive towards this hope. A strong country is inevitably a unified country."

I understand your efforts to promote local Taiwanese literature, which aims to find a place for Taiwanese literature within the broader context of world literature. The intention is good, but as Mr. Li Ao pointed out, this is isolating ourselves from other forms of literature and culture, a consequence I believe you would not want to see.

Liu Yimin tried to understand from Qi Bangyuan's perspective, which is a more effective way to persuade someone as highly educated as Qi Bangyuan.

If you keep telling the other person a certain viewpoint, it will undoubtedly cause her to resist.

Wang Zengqi, who attended the meeting, said: "I met with Márquez with the delegation. As writers, Latin American writers are proud, but as citizens of a country, they are contradictory. Their status in international literature is not commensurate with the status of their countries in the international arena. They are entangled in the shadow of colonialism and walk in the dark waters of internal strife and rampant crime."

We have emerged from the quagmire of Latin America and are now moving towards a brighter future. Since the Xinhai Revolution, countless patriots have sacrificed their lives. As Dr. Sun Yat-sen said, "The revolution has not yet succeeded; comrades must continue to strive." The revolution cannot be considered a success without national unification. This requires not only the efforts of the mainland but also the efforts of all of you.

My book has already been published on the island, and while its sales aren't as high as those in Yimin, it's still quite good for me. The fact that our books are well-received on the island shows that we share similar literary tastes, and that the future of literature on the island can lie in its integration into the broader Chinese literary landscape.

Qi Bangyuan did not continue speaking, but began to seriously consider what Liu Yimin and Wang Zengqi had said.

The others began to discuss Qu Yuan and the contents of the Book of Songs and the Songs of Chu. Professor Chu Binjie of Yenching University, an expert in pre-Qin literature, drew applause and agreement from the crowd from time to time for his insights on the Book of Songs and the Songs of Chu.

Around 11:30, the morning's exchange officially ended. Qi Bangyuan suggested to Liu Yimin that she wanted to visit Zhu Guangqian's home: "Mr. Liu, you may not know, but I was Mr. Zhu's student. I greatly admired his scholarship back then. It is my lifelong regret that I did not get to see him when he passed away."

Professor Zhu has passed away, but his wife still lives in Yannan Garden. Hearing Qi Bangyuan say this, the others also wanted to go.

Liu Yimin first led them around Yannan Garden, then they went to have lunch together. Along the way, Qi Bangyuan recounted how she became Zhu Guangqian's student:
"Mr. Zhu once taught at Wuhan University, and I also studied there. I was studying philosophy back then, and Mr. Zhu was in the Department of Foreign Languages. He personally invited me to transfer from the Department of Philosophy to the Department of Foreign Languages. He is one of the people who has had the greatest influence on my life. If it weren't for him, I might not have become a writer."

Even during the difficult times of the War of Resistance, Professor Zhu maintained his passion for aesthetics. We only truly parted ways after he left Wuhan University for Yenching University.

"It's a pity. If you had come last year, you could have seen Professor Zhu. After Professor Zhu's health deteriorated, he worked even harder until he was completely exhausted," Liu Yimin said regretfully.

"I heard you have a good relationship with Professor Zhu?"

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "After I arrived at Yenching University, I listened to Professor Zhu's lectures and later became his colleague. We compiled textbooks on Western literature together."

Upon arriving at Yannan Garden, Zhu Guangqian's wife, Xi Jinwu, was stunned by the large number of people present. After a few seconds of surprise, she fixed her gaze on Liu Yimin and asked, "Yimin, who is this?"

"These are representatives of the island's writers. Madam, do you look familiar?"

Xi Jinwu shook his head. Qi Bangyuan quickly stepped forward, grasped Xi Jinwu's hand, and said, "Teacher's wife, I am Qi Bangyuan. I was Mr. Zhu's student at Wuhan University. I used to visit your home frequently!"

"Bangyuan, it's you! What happened to you?" Xi Jinwu asked incredulously.

“Teacher’s wife, I’m already over sixty. I was just a little girl back then, so it’s not surprising that you don’t recognize me,” Qi Bangyuan said, her eyes welling up with tears.

Xi Jinwu led everyone into the house and showed them Professor Zhu's study. The desks in the study were arranged neatly, just as they had been when Professor Zhu worked.

The desk and bookshelves were spotless. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves and through the window onto the windowsill. From the desk, one could see the flowers blooming on the brick wall outside.

“Old Zhu likes flowers. I asked Professor Yang Hui’s wife for these. When the window is open, the study is filled with the fragrance of flowers,” Xi Jinwu said sadly.

Qi Bangyuan sat in Professor Zhu's seat and glanced out, where she could just see the blooming flowers.

Liu Yimin didn't smell the fragrance of flowers; instead, he smelled the scent of longing.

Qi Bangyuan stayed at Professor Zhu's house at noon, while the others ate at the Yenching University cafeteria.

The group's arrival in the cafeteria immediately caused a commotion. However, the school had already informed the students that they were not allowed to disturb the guests while they were eating.

After the meal, many students shouted questions at the delegation on the island, to which Li Ao, Chen Yingzhen, and others responded enthusiastically. Li Ao did not shy away from radical political topics. "To be honest, I hate the GMD even more than you do. You criticize it, and I'll join you in criticizing it!" Li Ao's words elicited a burst of laughter.

Li Ao continued, "The GMD is America's watchdog. The key is that this dog guards the door for the Americans, but it still has to buy its own dog bones. Students, you are all students of Yenching University. I have seen a lot since I came to the mainland. I have seen hope for development. I hope that one day in the future I will return to the mainland and see a different mainland."

The students followed them excitedly, their applause and laughter never ceasing. After the meal, the delegation returned to the Yenching Hotel.

Liu Yimin stayed at Yenching University, along with Cao Yu, Ba Jin, and Xia Yan. Yan Jiayan and Yenching University President Ding Shisun were reporting to them on the relevant arrangements at Yenching University.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin enter, Cao Yu spoke first: "Today's discussion was truly fascinating. Yimin, please have a seat. I didn't expect that Qi Bangyuan had a connection with Professor Zhu. I observed carefully on site, and although the left-wing writers on the island disagreed with Qi Bangyuan's views, they all respected her."

Chi Pang-yuan is very influential in Taiwan's literary circles, especially among emerging writers. Winning her over would be of paramount importance to cross-strait literary exchange.

“Jiabao is right, but we should do our best. We’ve just opened the door to communication, so we can’t force our views on them. We should do it gently and persuasively,” Ba Jin said.

Xia Yan then told Liu Yimin to pay attention to the upcoming schedule: "We won't participate in the main events from now on, but if you need any support, just give me a call."

In the coming period, in addition to exchanging ideas at Yenching University, I will also give lectures at Tsinghua University, and in my spare time visit the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature.

After their trip to Beijing, they were invited to rest in Beidaihe for two days. Then, they traveled from north to south, finally arriving in Shenzhen, to see how a small fishing village had transformed into a city with exports reaching 1.4 billion yuan since the reform and opening up.

In the afternoon, Liu Yimin led them into a classroom at Yenching University. Liu Yimin saw Yu Hua and Shi Tiesheng, and A Cheng and Liu Zhenyun were also among them.

The classroom was packed with people, and the students below were sweating profusely from the heat. The wall fans, facing so many students, were of little use except to add noise.

Representatives of mainland writers, including Liu Yimin, sat at the front. The mainland writers did not speak, and only four representatives from the island—Chen Yingzhen, Li Ao, Pai Hsien-yung, and Chi Pang-yuan—spoke.

As Chen Yingzhen stood on the stage, looking at the densely packed students, her strange accent was immediately met with thunderous applause.

"I am Chen Yingzhen, a native of southern Fujian and also an islander. This morning I had a conversation with Professor Liu, and I agree with many of his views. I also admire realistic literary writing, and I believe that we should establish a national literary style. What nationality? Of course, it is the Chinese nation."

I studied Marxism-Leninism very early on, and even went to jail for it. I was pardoned after the bald man's death. There are workers, peasants, and soldiers on the mainland, but few know that there are also workers, peasants, and soldiers on the island—that's me.

After his release from prison, Chen Yingzhen launched a scathing critique of the island's local literature, which Yu Guangzhong termed an attack on him as "worker-peasant-soldier literature."

"No matter what they say about me, I will not change my views on literature. In fact, you could say that these views are my views on the development of the country and the two sides of the Taiwan Strait."

The students at Yenching University knew little about Chen Yingzhen. Only after hearing him recount his experiences did they understand the torment and criticism Chen Yingzhen suffered for upholding his stance on the island.

No one expected that Yu Guangzhong, who wrote "Nostalgia," would actually cooperate with the "local faction" on the island to develop local literature.

After Chen Yingzhen finished speaking, Li Ao went on stage and said, "What Editor-in-Chief Chen said just now is very true. That Yu Guangzhong is just a sycophant who likes to flatter the KMT. I can't stand people like that. I, Li Ao, dare to speak my mind, and there are some things I just have to say."

Okay, enough with the rant, let's begin my speech. Just now, Editor-in-Chief Chen was a bit nervous; he was so nervous he only focused on his self-introduction and forgot to thank the guests. I'll say it for him: thank you to the Ministry of Culture and the Institute of Literature for organizing this exchange activity, and especially thank you to Professor Liu Yimin for promoting cross-strait exchanges. Thank you to the professors at Yenching University, and thank you to the Yenching University students present.

My father was a professor at Yenching University, and I grew up in Yenching, which was then called Beiping. So, when I landed in Yenching, I felt a deep sense of familiarity. I came here early because I wanted to see Yenching, to see what it was like under the rule of the new China! To be honest, it's better than the media portrays it in Taiwan.
Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; it cannot be done carelessly. I, Li Ao, criticize this and that every day, but I know I can't do this kind of big thing. I'm probably better suited to be a mayor or a county magistrate.

"I can't do it, and neither can the GMD, otherwise why would they have slunk away like that?"

Since Li Ao took the stage, the laughter and applause from the audience never stopped. Yan Jiayan, sitting behind Liu Yimin, leaned forward slightly and said, "This guy is good at public speaking, he's a natural at it, and his humor can stir people's emotions."

"Yeah, otherwise why do you think he's so famous?" Liu Yimin chuckled.

Li Ao talks about the history of the island, from the Eastern Wu to Zheng Chenggong and to the present, and from the historical background to the current social and cultural situation, to illustrate that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been one since ancient times and that the two sides must move towards unification in the future.

However, everyone had limited speaking time; Li Ao only spoke for an hour. Pai Hsien-yung's speech mainly focused on his love for traditional culture and how to pass it on.

"As you may know, millions of people have come to the island. They come from all over the country and have different cultural backgrounds. There are military dependents' villages on the island. What are military dependents' villages? They are places where families live together. Different accents blend together here, and at the same time, they bring the cultures from all over the country with them. I have been to the military dependents' villages. Some people who know my identity ask me when they see me, 'Young Master Bai, when can we go home?'"

When I heard that veterans were allowed to return to their hometowns, I was overjoyed and wept. No matter the era, Chinese people find it hard to abandon their homeland. However, I also worried that the older generation and their descendants grew up in different environments; how will these traditional cultures be passed down without these elders?

While listening to Pai Hsien-yung's speech, Chen Yingzhen suddenly leaned close to Liu Yimin and said, "Mr. Liu, how do you think people like us should survive on the island?"

“Editor-in-Chief Chen, you said the word ‘survival’ is not an appropriate description. You are a spark that can start a prairie fire. If you want to survive simply, you will survive very well. All you need is for the clear waters of the Canglang River to wash your hat ornaments; and for the muddy waters of the Canglang River to wash your feet,” Liu Yimin encouraged.

A glint of light flashed in Chen Yingzhen's eyes: "Mr. Liu, what you say is very inspiring. Yes, if it's just about survival, going with the flow is all we can do. But I want to do something different, and I often feel that my strength is too small."

"Individual strength is limited, while the strength of a group is limitless. But from another perspective, your strength is not small. As the old saying goes, 'United front, united front. Make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible, unite all forces that can be united.'"

"You mean we should form our own group?"

"Isn't that what you think too? Editor-in-Chief Chen, you're capable of founding a magazine and joining the Left-Wing League; you actually have organizational skills," Liu Yimin said with a grin.

Chen Yingzhen smiled and said, "Let's have a good talk tonight."

After finishing his speech, Pai Hsien-yung stepped off the stage and, seeing the two men's close interaction, asked, "What are you talking about?"

“We were praising what you said, and we were still enjoying it,” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Pai Hsien-yung raised his eyebrows and said, "Really? I have a strong interest in traditional culture, especially opera. If you'd like to chat, I'll come to your room tonight and have a proper discussion with Mr. Liu."

"Oh dear, I don't think that's necessary," Liu Yimin said warily.

P.S.: Next chapter in half an hour.

(End of this chapter)