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

Chapter 605 Yu Hua: "I want to be awesome too!"

The first half of "Piglet" describes the journey before arriving in Cuba, portraying the cruelty of the colonizers and the helplessness, fear, disease, and death of the laborers captured on the ship.

Through contrast, the film reveals the bleak living conditions of the laborers. However, amidst death and despair, it also lays the groundwork for the laborers' spirit of resistance, though this is not explicitly described in the beginning, but rather conveyed through hints and dialogue.

The latter half depicts life after arriving in Cuba. The Chinese laborers, who survived disease and hunger, were resold to Cuban sugarcane plantations. Toiling like animals under the Caribbean winds and sun, they were subjected to the whips of the plantation owners. They had no rest, only work. Beyond work, however, was the ever-present threat of death.
As these Chinese laborers gradually became familiar with the local environment, the Lin brothers (Lin Ashui and Lin Ahua) gradually won the trust of the laborers in the sugarcane plantation through their strength and the spirit of resistance they displayed.

Unlike the Black people on North American sugarcane plantations, they did not place their hopes solely on the mercy of God or the white colonists.

They knew they had to unite overseas, and after experiencing hardship firsthand and recognizing the brutality of the plantation owners and colonists, everyone became imbued with a spirit of sacrifice.

To avoid unnecessary sacrifices, they appeared docile but secretly covered for each other, using sugarcane harvesting as a training method. They treated the sugarcane as colonizers and farmers, showing no mercy in their actions.

The farmer Havel was cruel and ruthless. Every day, he would ride a tall horse with a shotgun and whip, showing off his power and treating the laborers as prey in the sugarcane plantation. However, in order not to harm his wealth, he would often tease the laborers by "outlining" them with bullets, and if they were slightly displeased, he would be treated with a whip.

He was proud of having a group of docile laborers, while news of riots frequently came from his friend's plantation.

Just as he was feeling triumphant, all the Chinese laborers in the sugarcane plantation opened their eyes in the darkness, their eyes gleaming with the flames of revenge. They rushed into the warehouse, grabbed their usual sickles, and slipped like ghosts into the rooms of the farm owners and managers.

With incredulous looks on their faces, their heads were chopped off.

They seized the farmers' guns and ammunition, helped the Chinese laborers in the surrounding sugarcane plantations to be liberated, and charged into the cities occupied by the colonists, shouting slogans of freedom, to overthrow the colonists' rule with their lives.

The Spanish colonists frantically mobilized their troops, and ultimately, all the laborers, led by Lin Ashui, perished on the road to freedom.

However, the ending uses the reactions of other laborers upon learning of the incident as a metaphor, suggesting that the next struggle for freedom is not far off.
The writing primarily employs realism as its mode of expression, but incorporates elements of romanticism and stream of consciousness. It uses romanticism to express the Chinese laborers' yearning for freedom and their selfless spirit of sacrifice.

Stream of consciousness often depicts the inner world of laborers, showcasing their psychological activities. Through the contrast between inner thoughts and reality, it focuses on the individual survival dilemmas of laborers.

Liu Yimin first sketched out the entire story and depicted the personalities and images of the main characters in advance, so that he could write with ease.

In the evening, after preparing dinner, she left the courtyard. At the dinner table, Yang Xiuyun kept praising Ximei for her cooking: "She's a good girl, skillful and clever. That Liang Xiangdong is truly blessed to have married Ximei."

Although Ximei was young and worked as a nanny at home, Yang Xiuyun treated her almost like her own daughter.

The Liu family has two sons, and the lack of a daughter is Yang Xiuyun's regret. If it weren't for poverty, Yang Xiuyun would have considered adopting a girl in the past.

The reason why Yang Xiuyun and Ximei could get along so well is inseparable from Yang Xiuyun's desire for a daughter. In their daily interactions or when working together, Yang Xiuyun never deliberately made things difficult for Ximei.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were initially worried that the two wouldn't get along, but later found that they had no such concerns at all. When Yang Xiuyun was really bored in Yanjing, Ximei would sing a couple of Henan opera excerpts to help her pass the time.

"Mom, when you were back in our hometown, Ximei always talked about you!" Zhu Lin smiled and took a bite of the steamed bun, the aroma of wheat filling her mouth.

Hearing this, Yang Xiuyun felt even happier and couldn't help but say, "If Ximei were the third child, that would be wonderful. You need both a son and a daughter."

"Alright, hurry up and eat. You're so old, and you're still thinking about having a daughter." Liu Fuqing couldn't help but interrupt Yang Xiuyun and rubbed Liu Yu's head with his hand: "Come on, eat more."

Liu Fuqing placed a chicken leg on his plate for both Liu Yu and Liu Lin, thinking to himself how he wished he had more grandchildren. Liu Fuqing also hoped for a prosperous and flourishing Liu family, because in the agrarian era, children meant productivity.

But he also knew that it was impossible now. His eldest brother was a professor and his second brother was a government official, so he could only keep this regret to himself.

After dinner, the two elderly people carried the two little ones to the alley to look at the stars. In the afternoon, Aunt Liang received sesame oil from them and specially fried some crispy pork in the alley that evening, waiting for them.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Zhu Lin went into the study and saw Liu Yimin writing. A smile appeared on his lips.

She quietly walked to the side and sat down to read a book. When she looked up, she noticed that the mosquito coil in the corner had burned out, so she lit another one.

Zhu Lin was reading "Selected Plays of Brecht" published by People's Literature Publishing House. Brecht was a German playwright who had a deep understanding of Marxism-Leninism.

In addition, he is very fond of Chinese culture and philosophy, as well as Lao Tzu, Mozi, and Confucius, and incorporates their philosophical ideas into his theatrical creations.

After the Nazi regime came to power in Germany, he went into exile. In 1940, while in exile, he wrote a play called "The Good Man of Sichuan Province," which was set in China. The play begins with a Chinese mythological background and tells the story of a prostitute who is bestowed with great wealth by a god.

She used the money to start a tobacco shop to help the poor, but her charitable work brought her to the brink of bankruptcy. To avoid bankruptcy, she had to pretend to be her cold-hearted cousin and use exploitative methods to run the tobacco factory, eventually making a fortune.

Everyone missed the good person from before, but eventually they discovered the reality that the good person and the bad person were the same person.

Through a dual narrative of good and evil, the film reveals the absurd reality that good people need to commit evil in order to maintain their good deeds.

As Liu Yimin put down his pen, lay back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest, Zhu Lin asked, "Teacher Liu, why do you think good people have to do evil to maintain their good deeds?"

"It's very simple. In the drama, you can't make money by being good at it. No matter how wealthy a boss is, he needs to make enough money first before he can be wealthy. For example, our brigade seems to be making a lot of money now, but if we distribute all of this money to the team members, the factory will eventually die."

Such factories are burdened with heavy costs and lack the ability to withstand risks. Only sufficient profits can cover the factory's dividends. If you compare dividends to doing good deeds, and not distributing dividends or distributing fewer dividends to doing evil, you'll understand. The starting point for everything is the factory; if the factory survives, everything else will survive. Liu Yimin gently rubbed his temples.

Seeing this, Zhu Lin closed the book, walked behind the chair, and gently massaged his head and temples with her hands: "I am Shen Dai, I am both a good person and a bad person."

Zhu Lin softly shared her insights on the script, and before long, she had Liu Yimin almost falling asleep.

Seeing that Liu Yimin's mind was starting to go out of control, Zhu Lin picked up the manuscript on the table and placed it on the side of the table, and put the pen in the pen holder: "Let's go, Teacher Liu, go to sleep. I just realized today that I am also a hypnotist."

"It's mainly because your soft whispers are so enchanting," Liu Yimin chuckled, then strode towards the bedroom.

At this moment, Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun came back with the two little ones. Liu Yimin greeted them and then prepared to go back to sleep.

Yang Xiuyun and Liu Fuqing helped the two little ones wash up before returning to their room to rest.

The next day, Liu Yimin took them to Muxidi to visit Cao Yu and Li Yuru.

In the afternoon, I went to Xilaishun with Mr. and Mrs. Zhu for a meal. The in-laws were very polite to each other.

Liu Yimin suggested taking everyone to Beidaihe for a period of time during the summer vacation, but Zhu's mother and Zhu Lin did not have time to go except on their days off because they had to work.

Taking leave was out of the question, as Zhu Lin was busy with rehearsals for "God's Visa".

So Liu Yimin, Zhu's father, Liu Fuqing, and Yang Xiuyun took the two children to Beidaihe for a vacation. Zhu Lin and his mother would visit occasionally, and Zhu Lin would take a break after the play rehearsals were over.

"It's so hot in Yanjing this year, there are people suffering from heatstroke in the hospital every day. It's a good thing for the two little ones to go to Beidaihe to escape the heat." Zhu's mother agreed wholeheartedly.

The child has a weak immune system, and the two of them don't like to stay in air-conditioned rooms all day. They often want to wander around the alleys instead of just being in the yard.

Although Zhu Lin wasn't there, both of them had cars and could drive there or back at any time.

Xi Mei's wedding is on the 13th, and Liu Yimin plans to wait until after attending the wedding before going.

There are still a few days until the 13th. Besides writing, he goes to Yenching University to give lectures to the teachers he is training.

Yu Hua occasionally attends classes at Yenching University. Their literary workshop currently offers a six-month training program. The program is now essentially nearing its end, and Yu Hua spends his days wandering around aimlessly, preparing to return to Haiyan at the end of the month.

Yu Hua came mainly to discuss avant-garde literature with Liu Yimin. The debate over avant-garde literature, which started in May, is still raging.

After hearing Liu Yimin's explanation that "avant-garde literature" cannot always rely on "extreme stimulation of readers," Yu Hua was completely convinced. "It's like the story of the boy who cried wolf. After crying wolf three times, no one believes it anymore. At first, avant-garde literature seemed novel to everyone, but if it just has form without content, people will stop reading it after a while," Liu Yimin said.

Yu Hua nodded after listening, but was not influenced by Liu Yimin's point of view: "Professor Liu, I agree with your point of view, but for me personally, I will persist for a while, because I think my avant-garde literature is still in its infancy, far from reaching its climax."

A flower can only wither if it has bloomed; I cannot remain unbloomed. I feel like I have a fishbone stuck in my throat; I must spit it out to feel better. I think my idea is pretty brilliant, but I wonder if writing it down will make it as brilliant as yours!

Liu Yimin was amused by Yu Hua's idea, and he was also used to Yu Hua occasionally throwing in some profanity. A person with such a violent writing style couldn't possibly be very refined in everyday life.

"Then I wish you a speedy recovery so you can get rid of your 'fishbone'," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Yu Hua said confidently, "I'll start brainstorming when I get back to Haiyan, and I think I can finish writing it this year. You write several books a year, so I'm going to give it a try this year too. We're all human, why can't I?"

"Several novels?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hua immediately deflated: "It's probably a short story, or maybe a short story or a novella."

"Oh, that's still impressive!" Liu Yimin said with a faint smile.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hua felt an overwhelming sense of distress and helplessness. He even wanted to crack open Liu Yimin's head to see how his brain structure differed from his own.

Yu Hua looked up and saw Liu Yimin looking at him. He said helplessly, "You write so fast and so well. If I could write several novels a year, I could run naked from Haiyan to Yanjing to show off."

"No, you may be willing to take your clothes off, but others may not be willing to watch!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hua chuckled and then shared his own thoughts.

After leaving the Institute of Literature, Liu Yimin took Yu Hua back to the Writers' Association Guesthouse.

As Yu Hua watched Liu Yimin's car drive away, just as she was about to turn her head, the car exhaust fumes hit her face again: "Professor Liu, why did you come back again?"

"I wish you all the best when you get back!" Liu Yimin said before leaving without waiting for Yu Hua's reaction.

1987 was a pivotal year for Yu Hua's avant-garde literature, during which he published several short stories and novellas, including "A Long Journey at Eighteen," "Noon When the Northwest Wind Howled," "1986," and "The April 3rd Incident."

By exaggerating violence, Yu Hua quickly became a representative of avant-garde literature.

On July 13th, Liu Yimin took his family to Liang Xiangdong's house to attend Ximei's wedding. Liang Xiangdong's family lived in a courtyard house in Dongcheng. The three-section courtyard housed about five families, and compared to other courtyards, theirs was relatively spacious.

The courtyard was filled with tables and chairs. In addition to giving money, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin also gave a brand-new electric fan and a tape recorder.

The moment these two appliances appeared, they made the gifts like the thermos and basin next to them look dull and insignificant.

Mr. and Mrs. Zheng Yuanjie also came to attend the wedding, and the Liang family specially arranged for them to sit at the same table.

Zheng Yuanjie was dressed in a brand-new suit, looking quite respectable. He had gained a lot of weight compared to before, and was a completely different person after becoming wealthy.

"Old Zheng, have you been investigating piracy again lately?" Liu Yimin asked.

"We went, but nowadays piracy is becoming more and more sophisticated, making it really hard to catch. However, the attitude towards piracy in China has also changed. The Federation of Literary and Art Circles has strengthened its supervision of publishing through the Publishing Association and is actively investigating clues about piracy."

"A report to the publishing association is far more effective than one from me personally." A mocking smile appeared on Zheng Yuanjie's lips. He was a writer, yet he had to do the work of investigating piracy.

Liu Yimin suggested that he could find someone to help chase down the thief of "King of Fairy Tales" and use the remaining energy to write stories, turning the bimonthly magazine into a monthly magazine.

Zheng Yuanjie hesitated and said, "I'm afraid that the articles in the monthly issue won't keep up, while the bimonthly issue can give me a break in between. No matter how much it's delayed, I can always finish it in the end."

"I'm here for you!" Liu Yimin reassured him.

Zheng Yuanjie was still a little apprehensive. Besides, "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit: The Seven Swordsmen" had been serialized for so long, and through analysis, Zheng Yuanjie knew that the finale would be coming soon. Once "Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit: The Seven Swordsmen" ended, the pressure of writing would fall entirely on his shoulders.

Seeing Zheng Yuanjie's worries, Liu Yimin laughed and said, "I can write other fairy tales, Lao Zheng, just go ahead and publish the magazine, I'll back you up."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. I also want to earn more money." Zheng Yuanjie made no secret of his desire for royalties.

In the past two years, printing costs have been rising continuously. The price of "King of Fairy Tales" has increased from a few cents per issue to 1.2 yuan per issue, and the comic book version of "King of Fairy Tales" has increased to 2 yuan.

However, unlike other magazines, the price increase of "King of Fairy Tales" did not lead to a decline in sales, but only a slowdown in the growth rate.

"Our current issue of 'King of Fairy Tales' is expected to sell over 700,000 copies, and based on this trend, it may surpass one million copies by this time next year," Zheng Yuanjie said happily.

Liu Yimin hadn't paid attention to the sales figures for a long time and was slightly surprised: "Seven hundred thousand copies? There are still half a year until the Chinese New Year. We'll try to break one million copies this year."

Zheng Yuanjie's smile froze on his face after hearing this. He thought to himself that Liu Yimin really dared to say such things. He could only think about breaking one million copies next year, no matter how hard he tried.

“Yimin, have you been unaware of the magazine market lately? For pure literature magazines, which have the largest readership, it’s already quite difficult to easily break a million copies.” Zheng Yuanjie explained softly.

"Old Zheng, be bold and decisive! Let's work hard towards this goal!" Liu Yimin waved Liu Yu's arms, applauding and encouraging Zheng Yuanjie.

“Okay, I’ll try my best. After all, you’re the investor, so you’re in charge,” Zheng Yuanjie said.

With a few firecrackers going off, the two stopped their discussion. Xi Mei, dressed in red, took Liang Xiangdong's arm and walked into the courtyard, whereupon applause and cheers erupted from the crowd.

When Xi Mei saw Liu Yimin and the others, she nodded to them without making a sound.

Now, traditional wedding ceremonies are gradually being restored. After a series of ceremonies, Liu Yimin went on stage to announce the completion of the ceremony.

Hello everyone, my name is Liu Yimin, and I am honored to be the officiant for the newlyweds.

In the spring breeze of reform and opening up, we witnessed a newlywed couple's journey from acquaintance to understanding, love, and affection. We wish the newlyweds a harmonious and loving life, mutual respect, filial piety towards their parents, and many children, so as to cultivate successors for the Four Modernizations.

It is now announced that the two newlyweds are officially husband and wife, the ceremony is complete!

During the meal, Liang Xiangdong and Ximei came over to toast them, and Yang Xiuyun happily drank a glass as well.

"Professor Liu, Uncle Liu, Aunt Yang, thank you for taking care of me. Xiang Dong and I would like to toast you." After saying this, Xi Mei drank the wine in her glass in one gulp.

Liu Yu and Liu Lin kept wanting Xi Mei to hug them, so Zhu Lin took them aside and gave them a lecture.

Liu Yimin looked at Liang Xiangdong, who was wearing a suit, and said, "Xiangdong, take good care of Ximei from now on. You can't let Ximei down."

"Professor Liu, don't worry, even if I'm sorry to myself, I will never be sorry to Ximei." After saying that, Liang Xiangdong raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Professor Liu, thank you! The tape recorder and electric fan are too expensive for you and Sister Lin."

"Haha, don't be so polite, it was all arranged by your sister Lin."

The guests nearby looked at them with envy. Some wanted to come over and greet Liu Yimin and Zheng Yuanjie, but for a moment they didn't know how to start.

(End of this chapter)