Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Li Xiangqian looked at the dust on the floor and the tables and chairs, then looked at the doorway.

Can't run away.

He rolled up his sleeves and started moving the table.

Yang Sen was moving things at the other end. The two of them were busy with their own things, occasionally glancing at each other, but neither of them said a word.

Tian Xiaoxia found a broom and a bucket, swept the floor once, then sprinkled water on the floor to press down the dust, and swept it again.

Xiao Zhao got off the stool. He had drawn a flock of white doves on the golden wheat field. He clapped his hands, looked at the overall effect, and was fairly satisfied. He then helped move the enamel mugs and thermos flasks to the table, placing one mug in each spot.

By noon, the auditorium finally looked presentable.

The tables and chairs were arranged in a large square, creating an open-plan discussion space. Xiao Zhao spread a green velvet cloth on the central table and placed an enamel teapot on it. A banner hung neatly on the backdrop, depicting white doves spreading their wings above golden waves of wheat.

From the outside, it does look a bit like a meeting of cultural workers.

We had flatbread for lunch.

The canteen staff brought over the flatbread and pickled vegetables in an enamel basin, and the group squatted down to eat in the corridor outside the auditorium. Tian Xiaoxia, Xiao Zhao, and Yang Sen ate with great relish, breaking the flatbread into pieces, dipping them in the pickled vegetable juice, and chewing them with a crunchy sound.

Li Xiangqian glanced at the pancake with disdain; it was big and hard, and he didn't know where to start taking a bite.

took a bite.

hard.

After chewing for a long time without being able to chew it properly, I took three mouthfuls of water from an enamel mug before finally managing to push the biscuit down my throat.

Take another bite.

It's still hard.

He drank three more mouthfuls of water.

One bite of bread mixed with three sips of water, is this what you call a work lunch?

If I had known, I would have preferred to go and try to get some of Director Du's carb bomb.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

A large crowd had already gathered outside the auditorium of the county revolutionary committee.

Cultural workers from Huangyuan walked in in twos and threes, each holding a notebook, some even with magazines tucked inside. Most of them were between twenty and thirty years old, dressed more fashionably than the people from Yuanxi County, and spoke with a slightly foreign accent reminiscent of Huangyuan City.

Seeing the crowd surging in, Tian Xiaoxia quickly patted Li Xiangqian, who was slumped in a chair beside her.

"Brother-in-law, they're here!"

Li Xiangqian stood up reluctantly.

Yang Sen and Xiao Zhao were already standing ramrod straight, and Yang Sen even straightened his shirt collar.

In the crowd, Du Lili was chatting and laughing with a tall, thin man wearing glasses. The man was wearing a gray-white shirt with the cuffs rolled up twice. He would occasionally adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his smile was very reserved, completely different from Du Lili's wide-open grin. He was extremely refined.

Upon seeing Du Lili, Li Xiangqian reacted as if he had seen a tiger, instinctively shrinking back and shifting his position further back.

Tian Xiaoxia's eyes lit up, and she tugged at Li Xiangqian's sleeve, whispering something.

"Brother-in-law, look! That's Qi Wenyuan, he's a poet."

Li Xiangqian peeked from behind. Qi Wenyuan stood straight, his steps were very rhythmic, and Du Lili was right next to him.

"Du Lili's eyes can devour a person. That bespectacled man may look reserved on the surface, but he's probably already lusting after her."

Qi Wenyuan smiled politely, his eyes glancing intentionally or unintentionally toward Du Lili's collar.

Yang Sen whispered something to himself.

"Qi Wenyuan, the pen holder of the Huangyuan Poetry Society."

His tone was full of seriousness and reverence.

As Xiao Zhao watched Qi Wenyuan being surrounded by a group of people as he walked into the auditorium, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

"Writing poetry is still the best. Just a few words can make you a guest of honor for the county leaders."

Li Xiangqian smiled and gently touched Xiao Zhao's arm.

"What's wrong, you, Picasso? I think the birds you painted are better than any of those poems that get published in magazines."

"Comrade Xiangqian, that's a white dove. It symbolizes peace."

Xiao Zhao corrected him earnestly.

The crowd entered and gradually took their seats.

Ma Guoxiong sat in the center, with Du Zhengxian on his left and Jia Bing on his right.

Jia Bing was a dark-skinned, thin middle-aged man with sparse hair and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses around his neck. He was the editor-in-chief of *Huangyuan Literature*, and considered a significant figure in Huangyuan's literary circles.

Qi Wenyuan sat down next to Jia Bing. He was the president of the Huangyuan Poetry Society.

The seats were quickly filled. Most of those present were members of the Huangyuan Poetry Society, mostly young people in their twenties, many of whom were students from Huangyuan Teachers College. Those who could join the poetry society had published works in "Huangyuan Literature" and were considered prominent figures at the school.

Those without seats stood at the back. Tian Xiaoxia, Yang Sen, and Xiao Zhao were all squeezed into the back row.

After sitting for a while, Du Lili noticed that the chair next to her was still empty. Her two big eyes scanned the room like radar, and finally locked onto Li Xiangqian, who was pretending to be dead in the corner.

She waved directly at him.

Helpless, Li Xiangqian hunched his head and moved to Du Lili's side, sitting down in the chair. As soon as he looked up, he saw Tian Xiaoxia in the back row waving at him, her eyes sparkling.

Du Lili looked him up and down, frowning.

"Why didn't you even bring paper and pen?"

"I've worked myself to the bone all day, and now you're questioning why I didn't bring paper and pen?"

"You're the only one here who doesn't have paper and pen. You're really something."

Du Lili lowered her voice, her tone extremely aggressive.

She was one of the main organizers of the meeting and could not afford to make any mistakes.

Li Xiangqian looked around and saw that everyone had a notebook and pen in front of them, and their expressions were serious and focused. Only Ma Guoxiong, sitting in the middle, had an empty notebook in front of him.

"He didn't bring any either. Don't just blame me."

Li Xiangqian gestured towards Ma Guoxiong with his lip.

Du Lili rolled her eyes at him.

"He's the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee, in charge of education at the literary and art federation. He's a leader, attending meetings routinely. Who are you?"

"How about I go to another table?"

As Li Xiangqian spoke, he pointed in Tian Xiaoxia's direction.

"Alright, sit down and don't move."

……

The discussion officially began with Du Zhengxian's opening remarks.

Du Zhengxian stood up, his face glowing.

"Distinguished leaders, comrades from Huangyuan, good afternoon."

I am Du Zhengxian, the former director of the Yuanxi County Cultural Center. First of all, on behalf of the Yuanxi County Cultural Center, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all comrades of the Huangyuan Poetry Society.

Although Yuanxi County is small and has limited resources, our emphasis on cultural undertakings is no less than that of Huangyuan. The fact that the Huangyuan Poetry Society has chosen Yuanxi for this symposium is an affirmation and encouragement of our cultural work in Yuanxi. Now, please welcome Director Ma to give his opening remarks.

applause.

Ma Guoxiong stood up and waited for the applause to subside before speaking.

"Comrades, good afternoon. First of all, on behalf of the former Xixian Revolutionary Committee, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the comrades of Huangyuan Poetry Society."

Cultural work is an important component of revolutionary work. Secretary Miao Kai has repeatedly emphasized that cultural positions must not be lost and that cultural work must serve the overall development. The convening of this discussion in Yuanxi is a testament to the trust placed in Yuanxi by the Huangyuan cultural community, and also a test of Yuanxi's cultural work.

I hope all comrades will speak freely and offer suggestions for the cultural development of Huangyuan, so that Huangyuan's voice can become part of the national literary direction, playing an inspiring and guiding role. I wish the conference a complete success.

As soon as he finished speaking, applause erupted. Ma Guoxiong nodded, smiled, and sat down.

Next up is Jia Bing.

Jia Bing put his glasses, which were hanging around his neck, on the bridge of his nose and pulled a handwritten manuscript from his briefcase. His voice was soft, but every word was clear.

"Comrades, our literary landscape has been undergoing profound changes in the past two years. The rise of Reflective Literature and the emergence of Misty Poetry both illustrate one point: our literature is searching for a new direction."

Since its inception, *Huangyuan Literature and Art* has been dedicated to providing a platform for literary workers in the Huangyuan region to publish their works. To date, it has published over three hundred literary works of various kinds, many of which have been reprinted in provincial publications.

The Huangyuan Poetry Society is one of our most important creative forces. Comrade Qi Wenyuan, as the president of the society, published twelve poems in the past year, one of which was included in Yanhe. This is a source of pride for the literary community in Huangyuan.

Today's discussion topic is the direction of literature. I hope everyone will share their understanding and expectations for the current direction of literature, drawing on their own creative practice. Now, I would like to invite Comrade Qi Wenyuan to speak.

The applause was even more enthusiastic than the previous two times.