I am not a literary giant

Chapter 142 One Hundred Years of Solitude

Wang Zixu quickly introduced her: "This is Lu Qingxuan, a junior student. She is Xiao Mengyin's cousin."

"I know. I've known her for a long time longer than I've known you," Ning Chunyan said irritably.

Lu Qingxuan stepped forward: "Sister Xiaochun."

She stood gracefully with her legs together, a serene smile on her face, her jade-like complexion radiant. Wang Zixu suddenly realized: no wonder he had felt this girl's demeanor was familiar; she seemed to be a lady from a prominent family. High society was a large circle; it turned out she and Ning Chunyan already knew each other, and should have known each other.

Ning Chunyan greeted Lu Qingxuan and pointed at the two of them, asking, "How did you two meet?"

Lu Qingxuan said, "He came to apply for graduate school. I was one of the examiners for this application. There was a small misunderstanding, and that's how we met."

Ning Chunyan asked curiously, "What misunderstanding?"

"Well..." Lu Qingxuan blushed slightly.

Lao She said that a young girl's blush is more powerful than a long confession. Nineteen-year-old Lu Qingxuan blushed, making her even more beautiful. Twenty-six-year-old Ning Chunyan felt the pressure of that youthful glow and felt even more resentful, poking Wang Zixu's arm with her finger.

"Prince Xu, your wife ran away, what have you done this time?"

Wang Zixu felt greatly wronged: "I said it was a misunderstanding, but now you've misunderstood me even more. I didn't do anything at all."

Lu Qingxuan's mouth dropped open: "You have a wife?"

Ning Chunyan said, "You could say no. But he's thirty already, why do you care if he has or doesn't? Tell me quickly what happened?"

Lu Qingxuan pulled her aside and whispered a brief explanation of what had happened. Ning Chunyan laughed so hard she almost fell over:

"Finally, someone understands how I feel! I was a victim too!"

She immediately launched into a long, detailed account of her first encounter with Wang Zixu to Lu Qingxuan. Lu Qingxuan listened with a peculiar expression, but felt much better. She turned and asked, "So how did you two become friends?"

Ning Chunyan said, "I tried to reason with him and appeal to his emotions... Ugh, does that make me sound like I'm being clingy? I told him it was impolite to talk to a girl like that, and then I accepted his apology."

After saying that, Ning Chunyan turned to him and asked, "Why have you reverted to your old ways again?"

Wang Zixu said, "I didn't want to refuse, but my subconscious helped me."

Ning Chunyan said, "You can't blame everything on your subconscious!"

"Really," Wang Zixu said, "We are so much older than each other and our lives don't overlap much. After becoming friends, we might greet each other a few times and chat for a bit at first, but as we are pushed along by life, living exciting or mundane lives, we gradually forget each other and eventually become a silent presence on each other's message lists."

"Sometimes I might suddenly think of them, but then I think about how long it's been since we last contacted each other, and I know that saying a few words might disturb their life, so I put that thought aside. Years later, when I hear news of them again, it's during a major moment in their life, like getting married or having a baby. Only then do I finally say hello again, carefully defining our relationship, what kind of blessings to offer, and whether or not I should give them a gift."

"In the dead of night, I might think that the other person might have been quite compatible with me, and that I should have chatted a little more. But what would have been the point of chatting a little more? It would only have left me with more regret. So, without a valid reason, I won't just add someone as a friend."

After Wang Zixu finished speaking, Ning Chunyan and Lu Qingxuan both looked horrified. After a long while, Ning Chunyan said, "You're overthinking things. I never imagined that becoming friends with you would put such a heavy burden on you. Maybe we should just delete each other's contacts."

Lu Qingxuan pondered for a moment, then pointed to a finger and said, "Avoidant personality disorder. He seems to have some signs of avoidant personality disorder."

Ning Chunyan thought for a moment and said, "It seems so. Let me tell you, he had an ex-girlfriend before..."

As Ning Chunyan walked, she recounted Wang Zixu's story. The two whispered amongst themselves not far from him, occasionally laughing and glancing at him. Lu Qingxuan's face sometimes showed a thoughtful expression.

Prince Xu thought to himself that, given Ning Chunyan's personality, this little thing of his would eventually spread throughout the entire Nanjing University.

He asked, "Where are you taking us?"

"My magazine publishing house is all set up. Wouldn't you like to take a look?" Ning Chunyan said.

"think."

"That settles it then? Just come with your sister."

The prince humbly considered, "Sister?"

Lu Qingxuan asked, "What name does Sister Xiaochun plan to give the magazine?"

Ning Chunyan said, "New reward. 'New' in news, and 'reward' in giving a reward."

Lu Qingxuan silently repeated the name: "It sounds like it has a lot of character."

"Right!" Ning Chunyan said, hands on her hips. "My goal is to make *New Appreciation* the most distinctive literary magazine in the country!"

Wang Zixu cheered her on for her dream, but felt that her dream didn't sound very promising in terms of making money.

Ning Chunyan's "New Appreciation Magazine Society" was very close to Nanjing University, or rather, it was practically integrated with the university. Wang Zixu felt as if he had entered the magazine society's door before even leaving the school gate.

This is a building with a sense of history, with half of its yellowish-brown walls peeling off and the iron gate rusted. It looks as if a disheveled man dressed in the style of the Republic of China era might walk out of it at any moment, gesturing wildly as he recites the Book of Songs.

Ning Chunyan used a small key to unlock the U-lock on the gate, raised the roller shutter, and placed the iron hook in the umbrella holder beside the door. She led the two up the narrow stairs to the second floor, pushed open the office door, dusted the table with a towel, and invited them to sit down.

She did all this with remarkable ease. Wang Zixu's previous impression of her was that of a refined, wealthy young lady; he found it hard to imagine her working with her own hands. Now, seeing her bustling about amidst the ruins like a woman struggling financially, he suddenly realized that Ning Chunyan genuinely wanted to build a career.

"Well then," Ning Chunyan sat down opposite Wang Zixu, "we'll begin the interview now. Wang Zixu, what have you been up to these past few months?"

Wang Zixu said, "Is this a question that should be asked in an interview?"

Ning Chunyan slammed her notebook shut, looking fierce: "I decide what to ask in the interview!"

Prince humbly thought that the magazine was already putting on airs when it was just a lone commander. He wondered what would happen when it grew bigger and bigger.

But he still answered honestly, "I'll stay home and write."

Ning Chunyan said, "Look, this shows that you're insincere and careless. It's been several months since we last met. Besides writing, haven't you done anything else? Haven't you eaten or chatted with your colleagues? Haven't you played cards or drunk with Ye Lan?"

Wang Zixu asked dejectedly, "Does this have anything to do with the interview?"

Ning Chunyan said, "Of course it's related. Our magazine is so short-staffed. Hiring an editor might affect the company culture. Shouldn't I learn more about it?"

Wang Zixu said, "For the past few months, I've basically done nothing but write at home. I go out once every three days to buy groceries. While buying groceries, I observe people and gather material. I write for two hours when I get home in the morning, spend two hours in the afternoon organizing the outline and revising the previous text, then write for another hour, and then cook..."

Ning Chunyan stopped him from continuing, asking, "You have no social connections whatsoever?"

"No," Prince Xu shook his head.

Ning Chunyan looked at him with a hint of pity: "You're so pitiful. Is writing always this miserable?"

Writing isn't always this grueling; it's just that Wang Zixu has an exceptionally large amount of work to do. Besides submitting his work to the Fei Shi Literary Award, he also has to write two scripts every day. So, he's constantly either writing or preparing to write; he simply can't stop.

Ning Chunyan then asked, "Did you bring the manuscript you wrote?"

Wang Zixu said, "I brought it." He turned around, took out a thick stack of file folders from his bag, and threw them in front of Ning Chunyan.

Ning Chunyan took the manuscript: "What's your name?"

Prince Xu scratched his head: "I haven't decided on a name yet. This time I want to tell a story about 'eternal reincarnation'."

Lu Qingxuan came over to watch. Ning Chunyan, while unpacking the file, asked, "Nietzsche's concept of eternal reincarnation?"

"Yes. History is an infinite series of cycles, and I want to represent it on a more micro scale."

Ning Chunyan tilted her head and asked, "How are you going to perform?"

"On January 1, 1900, the first generation of male and female protagonists were born in a small village on the eastern coast of my country. The male protagonist's father was originally a tenant farmer for the female protagonist's family. He participated in the Boxer Rebellion and died tragically during the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance. The male protagonist was later adopted by the female protagonist's family, and the two grew up together as childhood sweethearts. After the Xinhai Revolution, the female protagonist's father started a factory, and the male protagonist became their family's apprentice..."

"Wait a minute," Ning Chunyan interrupted him, "'The first generation of male and female protagonists,' are you going to write a story about more than one generation?"

Wang Zixu nodded: "Yes, I plan to write about four generations, from 1900 to 2020."

Ning Chunyan took a deep breath: "Good heavens, a Chinese version of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'?!"

Wang Zixu said, "Don't interrupt. This is just the beginning, let me continue..."

Ning Chunyan and Lu Qingxuan, dumbfounded, heard a story with the most magnificent and ambitious aspirations.

The first generation of protagonists grew up together. The female protagonist became a female student at Yenching University, while the male protagonist worked in the factory owned by the female protagonist's father. The male protagonist was kicked out of the house by the female protagonist's father for participating in a strike, while the female protagonist participated in the May Fourth Movement as a student.

The male protagonist was stranded in a foreign land, conscripted into the army, captured in battle, and eventually joined the Red Army. The female protagonist, on the other hand, was pursued relentlessly by a Kuomintang official, but because she always loved the male protagonist, she never reciprocated his feelings.

The male protagonist later joins the Special Branch and becomes an underground worker, sent back to his hometown to infiltrate under a false identity. There, he meets the female protagonist again. At that time, the organization assigns him a fake wife. Upon discovering this, the female protagonist angrily marries a Kuomintang cadre who is pursuing her. Heartbroken, the male protagonist and his fake wife develop a real-life relationship. They later each have a son and a daughter, who are born on the same day.

After the July 7 Incident, the city where the male and female protagonists lived fell to the enemy. The female protagonist's family planned to flee westward, but the male protagonist chose to entrust his wife and daughter to her and stay behind to defend the city, where he fought to the death. The young children of the male and female protagonists grew up amidst the chaos of war; they became the second generation of the male and female protagonists.

With the founding of the People's Republic of China, the second generation of male and female protagonists have grown up. The son of the first generation female protagonist was sent down to the countryside due to his family's political background, while the daughter of the first generation male protagonist chose to go to a poor area to provide assistance. She was assigned to the village of the second generation male protagonist and became a village cadre.

Despite their vastly different social statuses and numerous entanglements, they ultimately did not end up together. After starting their own families, they each gave birth to a son and a daughter on the same day, month, and year.

Later, the second-generation male protagonist saved half the village during a flood, but died from exhaustion. After his death, he finally cleansed himself of the original sin of being from a "bad family background." The female protagonist, following family tradition, adopted the male protagonist's son and raised him together with her own daughter. These are the third-generation male and female protagonists.

The third-generation protagonists, a man and a woman, grew up in the same family but had different values. The man hoped to stay in his hometown and contribute to his country, while the woman was determined to study abroad and obtain a US green card. They were also the couple who loved each other most passionately.

The male lead is strong, hardworking, and ambitious. Even if the female lead wanted the moon, he would meticulously plan how to save money to buy it. However, due to differing ideals, they constantly break up and get back together. To gain an opportunity to study abroad, the female lead cheats on her boyfriend, becomes a mistress, and does everything she can. Meanwhile, the male lead is pursued by a female student. Ultimately, under societal pressure, the male lead hastily gets married, and the female lead becomes unexpectedly pregnant.

On the day the male protagonist's wife was about to give birth, the female protagonist summoned the male protagonist to her side to accompany her during childbirth. She gave birth to a daughter, and on the same day, the male protagonist's wife also gave birth to a son.

After the third-generation female protagonist finished her postpartum confinement, she finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and gained the opportunity to go abroad. She left her son with the third-generation male protagonist and secretly went abroad herself. The male protagonist, to repay her family's kindness in adopting him, decided to raise her son. As a result, his relationship with his wife broke down, and they divorced.

Ten years later, the female protagonist returned to her hometown in triumph. By then, she had obtained a US green card and married a foreigner. Unfortunately, she was no longer able to have children, so she returned to China and brought her daughter to the United States. Another ten years passed, and the fourth generation of the male and female protagonists had grown up.

The fourth-generation female lead becomes a famous musician and returns to China to develop her career, while the male lead makes a fortune through the internet and becomes a hidden tycoon. The two meet again at a performance, but do not recognize each other.

The two families seemed to be bound by some kind of destiny, adopting each other's children and falling deeply in love with each other, yet their differences in thinking, ideals, and beliefs prevented them from being together. The fourth-generation protagonists finally broke this fate, and after a series of entanglements, they came together, ending this family history that had lasted for over a hundred years.

After listening to Wang Zixu's story, Ning Chunyan couldn't catch her breath for a long time.

The story of Prince Xu spans 120 years and includes elements such as history, espionage, romance, war, ethics, urban life, marriage, and crime. The love and hatred of four generations are always closely intertwined with the fate of the nation.

If he can truly write this book to a very high standard, he might even win the Nobel Prize in Literature, let alone the mere Jacques de la Liberté!

But the writing difficulty is also at the Nobel Prize level!

Ning Chunyan picked up his manuscript: "Your idea is magnificent, an epic concept, but I wonder how well it will be completed."

Wang Zixu said, "I've already written 50 words, and I just need to finish it. However, Xiao Mengyin said that the word count is too high, so I'm hesitating about whether to cut it down."

Ning Chunyan said, "Don't rush, let me see your opening first."

In novel writing, having an idea is one thing, but actually putting pen to paper is another.

There are plenty of people with wildly imaginative ideas who can talk to you for a whole day about their thoughts, which sounds very interesting. But when you actually put them down in writing, you'll find that they're actually a pile of crap.

Ning Chunyan had read two of Wang Zixu's novels and knew that he was by no means a complete novice when it came to writing. However, she also knew that the longer the work and the more elements it contained, the easier it was for the writer to reveal his ignorance.

For example, "Ordinary World" is just the story of a pair of brothers, spanning a mere ten years. The writer Lu Yao almost exhausted his energy to write it: he read extensively on politics, economics, philosophy, history, religion, agriculture, meteorology, taxation and other fields, and consulted nearly 10 years of bound volumes of five newspapers year by year and month by month. It took him three years to prepare and write this book.

Even so, *Ordinary World* was not well-received by the mainstream literary world and was repeatedly rejected. After the first part was published in *Huacheng* magazine, critics at a symposium were extremely harsh and critical of the work, almost completely denying its value. While writing the second part, Lu Yao himself was impoverished and ill, and also encountered internal power struggles within *Huacheng* magazine; the second part was rejected and never published. The third part was published in a relatively marginal magazine.

It wasn't until 1988, when China National Radio broadcast the work as a long-form program, that it became a sensation among readers, reaching an audience of 300 million, and the book finally became a hit. In 1991, the book won the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

A year later, Lu Yao passed away.

Ning Chunyan was amazed by Wang Zixu's ambition and admired his concept, which was no less impressive than "One Hundred Years of Solitude." But was this ambition a result of years of hard work and a sign of overestimating his abilities? Ning Chunyan was unsure.

With a touch of trepidation, Ning Chunyan turned to the first page of Wang Zixu's novel.

Lu Qingxuan quietly moved closer.

(End of this chapter)