Ordinary World: Starting with a divorce from Tian Runye

Qi Wenyuan stood up amidst applause.

He didn't bring any manuscript; he rested his hands on the table and scanned the entire room with his gaze.

"Comrades, it is a pleasure to meet you all in Yuanxi."

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and his speech was neither too fast nor too slow, with a trained sense of rhythm.

"Today we're discussing literature, which has many components, such as poetry, prose, essays, and novels. First, I'd like to talk about poetry, which is the oldest and purest form of Chinese literature. From Qu Yuan's 'Li Sao' to Li Bai and Du Fu, and then to the poems interspersed in the narrative of 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' poetry has never been an embellishment of literature, but rather its skeleton."

He paused for a moment.

"The literature of our time is undergoing a transformation. The old models can no longer meet our needs for expression."

For example, the emerging Misty Poetry movement is an exploration of the future direction of poetry, which reflects the enterprising spirit of our young people in literature.

New directions are still being explored. I believe that the future of literature should be about looking up at the stars; we should look further and focus on the spiritual world beyond the material.

Literature should be a concise expression of emotions, pursuing the purity of language and the transcendence of spirit. This is the lifeline we must adhere to in exploring the direction of literature; we must never allow literature to degenerate into a vulgar tool.

Qi Wenyuan's gaze swept across the entire room.

"Currently, there is a growing trend of greed and money worship. As literary workers, we must not only criticize this in our writing, but also lead by example and practice what we preach. The purity of literature is paramount."

After he finished speaking, he sat down.

The applause was thunderous and prolonged. Several people stood up and applauded.

Standing in the back row, Tian Xiaoxia's eyes sparkled as she cheered enthusiastically. Yang Sen also clapped his hands vigorously, a rare expression on his face that didn't resemble his usual self. Xiao Zhao clapped twice politely.

Li Xiangqian also clapped twice.

Looking up at the stars sounds nice, but just don't look up at Du Lili's neckline.

Next, other members of the poetry society spoke in turn. Most of their speeches were brief, simply echoing Qi Wenyuan's ideas. Phrases like "looking up at the stars," "pursuing purity," and "unity of knowledge and action" appeared repeatedly, like a chorus of echoes.

It was Du Lili's turn.

Du Lili stood up and looked around.

"Comrades, first of all, on behalf of the cultural workers of Yuanxi County, I would like to once again welcome the Huangyuan Poetry Society."

She paused, then looked down at the manuscript in front of her.

"I have a view on the direction of literature. Literature should be ahead of the times."

Upon hearing this, many people nodded in agreement. Qi Wenyuan also gave Du Lili an approving look.

Who wouldn't agree that we're ahead of the times?

Du Lili continued.

"Literature should not merely dwell on past suffering or personal self-perception. Literature should get its hands dirty, focus on the lives of ordinary people, and pay attention to their aspirations for a better life. Literature should speak out for the people's right to pursue a prosperous life."

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

There was silence for about three seconds.

Then a buzzing sound of whispers arose from all directions.

Qi Wenyuan's expression shifted between light and dark.

Having mud on her hands is the exact opposite of what he meant by gazing at the stars. Of course, gazing at the stars and having mud on one's hands are not inherently contradictory, but what did Du Lili mean by her next sentence?

Speaking out for the people's right to pursue a prosperous life?

Isn't this just letting literature endorse money?

Du Zhengxian's face turned bright red, and he secretly glanced at Ma Guoxiong.

Ma Guoxiong's face darkened. Speaking out for the people's right to pursue a prosperous life—what kind of perverse trend is this? If these words were taken back to Huangyuan by the comrades of the Huangyuan Poetry Society and reached Secretary Miao Kai's ears, what would become of them? Secretary Miao had just specifically criticized this "perverse trend" during his last inspection.

Jia Bing didn't react much. He pushed his glasses up to his nose, smoothed his thinning hair, and looked thoughtful.

Du Lili didn't notice any of this. She continued on.

"Literature cannot merely dwell on the past, otherwise it will only degenerate into a eulogy for an era, reeking of decay. Literature should be like a knife, slicing through the veil of prejudice, praising the struggles of ordinary people, and celebrating their pursuit of a better life..."

"Alright!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Du Zhengxian slammed his hand on the table, interrupting his daughter's speech.

"Where did you get your twisted theories from? You're so young and can't even tell right from wrong, yet you're spouting nonsense here!"

Du Lili was taken aback.

Before she could retort, Qi Wenyuan had already stood up.

"Comrade Du Lili, please forgive my bluntness."

Qi Wenyuan's voice was both steady and sharp.

"What you just said is the tail end of a typical bourgeois literary trend. It makes literature speak for money, stand up for money, and become a slave to money."

He paused for a moment.

"If this is the future of literature, then I would rather there be no literature at all."

Applause rang out, and people stood up to echo Qi Wenyuan's words from time to time.

"Yes, the so-called affluent life is just about looking at money. If everyone looks at money, then the whole society will become a utilitarian society."

"Yes, literature still needs to speak out against this kind of individual greed for money. President Qi is right. If this is the future of literature, then we don't need such a future."

"Yes, from the suffering literature of Soviet Russia to the reflective literature that is emerging today, and even the literature of the old society, no great work is made to uphold personal greed. They are all satirizing the corruption of money and the social collapse brought about by hedonism."

The buzzing of discussion grew louder and louder.

Du Lili stood there, never having seen such a scene before. Her face flushed red and paled in turns. The buzzing questions, Qi Wenyuan's reprimands, her father's dark face, and countless strange gazes stabbed at her from all directions like knives.

She lowered her head and glanced at Li Xiangqian beside her.

Li Xiangqian was huddled in his chair, gesturing towards her with his lips.

The meaning is clear: this is your fault, it has nothing to do with me.

Du Zhengxian looked at his daughter's expression, feeling both angry and anxious. He knew that what his daughter said couldn't have come up with on her own. Phrases like "hands covered in mud" and "the smell of rotting corpses" were not Du Lili's style.

He slammed his hand on the table again.

"Where did you get these words from? Or did you hear them from someone else? Tell me!"

Du Lili's lips trembled as she looked down at Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian quickly buried his head.

Don't look at me. Don't look at me. Don't look at me.

Du Zhengxian looked at his daughter and shouted loudly.

"Who?"

Du Lili remained silent for a few seconds.

He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the side.

"It was...it was Xiangqian who told me."

Wow!

All eyes in the room turned to him.

Dozens of eyes fell on Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian slowly raised his head.

Diu Lei Lao Wei (a type of old-fashioned snack).