A Literary Life Starting from the First Year of High School

Sunday, Banyan Tree Forum.

Just after six o'clock in the morning, the number of people online on the forum began to surge. Usually at this time, there are only about a hundred people online at most—most of them are night owls who haven't gone to sleep yet, or early risers reading in the morning. But today is different. At 6:15, the number of people online had exceeded three hundred, and at seven o'clock, it broke five hundred. By eight o'clock, the number of people online at the same time had soared to nearly 1,200.

This number ranks among the top ten in the history of the Rongshuxia Forum.

The reason is simple: today, two pieces of news about Lin Shubai simultaneously went viral online.

The first article comes from the Shanghai Youth Daily. The interview with the book signing event on Saturday was published today. The title is "Two Worlds of a Sixteen-Year-Old Writer: Fairy Tales and the War of Resistance Against Japan". The article takes up more than half a page and is accompanied by two pictures - one is a photo of Lin Shubai at the book signing event, wearing a light blue shirt, signing with his head down, his profile clean; the other is the cover of "The Little Prince" and "Charlotte's Web" placed side by side.

The report contained three main points: First, "The Little Prince" was released and sold over 8,000 copies on its first day; second, Lin Shubai's long anti-Japanese war novel "Four Generations Under One Roof" has been completed and will soon be published by People's Literature Publishing House; and third, he is the youngest member of the Shanghai Writers Association.

The second news item came from an online article published by the Shanghai branch of China News Service. The title was even more direct: "High school freshman completes one million-word anti-Japanese war novel 'Four Generations Under One Roof,' publisher says it is of 'superior quality.'" The report quoted Chen Yuanshan as saying that "the literary level of this novel far surpasses that of his peers and is in no way inferior to that of mature writers." It also mentioned that the president of People's Literature Publishing House personally reviewed the manuscript and gave it a very high evaluation.

The two messages were like two pebbles thrown into a calm lake, and the ripples quickly spread to every corner of the Chinese internet's literary scene.

In the "Book Reviews" section of the Rongshuxia Forum, the moderator "Pen and Ink Memories" posted a pinned thread a little after 7 a.m., titled—

About Lin Shu-Pai: From The Little Prince to Four Generations Under One Roof, the Ambition and Adventure of a Sixteen-Year-Old Writer

"I saw two news articles about Lin Shu-pai today and I'd like to talk about them with you all."

The first news is that "The Little Prince" has been released, selling 8,000 copies on its first day. For a 16-year-old author, this is a remarkable achievement. Moreover, as far as I know, "The Little Prince" has already gained popularity, with an initial rating of 9.1 on Douban, and many people say they cried while reading it.

The second point, well, it both surprised and worried me. In an interview, Lin Shubai revealed that he has completed a new novel called "Four Generations Under One Roof," which tells the story of an ordinary family in Beiping after the July 7 Incident.

Surprisingly, this sixteen-year-old did not rest on his laurels from the success of his fairy tales, but instead chose a more difficult path: a war-themed novel, a million-word realistic epic—these three elements combined would be a mountain for any writer, let alone a high school student.

The concern is whether he can handle it. It's not that I doubt his talent; his novel "Life on a String" has already proven that he has a depth beyond his age. But writing a million-word epic about the War of Resistance against Japan requires more than just talent. It also requires experience, historical accumulation, and a comprehensive understanding of that era. Do sixteen-year-olds really possess these qualities?

I'm not questioning him; I just feel that once this matter is made public, he will have no way out.

I don't want to see a genius prematurely ruined by excessive praise, nor do I want to see a potentially good book misjudged because of overly high expectations.

So I'd like to hear everyone's opinions. Do you think Lin Shubai should tackle this kind of subject matter at his age? What are your expectations or concerns about his book, "Four Generations Under One Roof"?

Anecdotes of pen and ink, written on a somewhat contradictory morning.

Within ten minutes of the post being published, dozens of replies flooded in.

The second floor was taken by a user with the ID "Deep Sea Fish". His reply was quite long, and it was clear he wrote it seriously:

"I completely understand the original poster's dilemma, but I'd like to offer a slightly different perspective."

We always say, "This subject matter is too difficult, and we can't handle it at this age," but have we ever thought that it is precisely at the age of sixteen that we adults can write things that we can't?

What is an adult's understanding of the War of Resistance Against Japan? It's the years, battles, and data in textbooks, the black-and-white images in documentaries, and the fragmented stories told by the older generation. These things are accurate, but they are also frozen. We "know" that the War of Resistance Against Japan was very difficult, but we can't "feel" that kind of suffering because we are too far removed from it, and we have been worn down by life to the point that we are no longer able to "feel" it.

But sixteen-year-old Lin Shubai was different. He wasn't "recalling" the War of Resistance; he was "imagining" it. A teenager used his empathy to imagine how people lived and died in that era. This imagination might not be "accurate," but it was "vivid." It carried the warmth of a teenager, a warmth that we adults have lost.

I'm not saying that Lin Shu-pai can definitely write well; I'm just saying that we shouldn't use "he can't possibly write well" as a premise to deny his abilities.

Also, I bought *The Little Prince*, and finished reading it last night. There's a line in the book—"All grown-ups were once children, but few remember that." I think that line is very fitting here. Have we adults forgotten that when we were sixteen, we also believed we could change the world?

This reply sparked another round of discussion.

On the third floor, user ID "Night Voyage" wrote: "Deep Sea Fish said it so well! I've never thought about the difference between 'imagination' and 'memory' before. We are indeed too far removed from that era, so far that we can only understand it through data and labels. If Lin Shu-pai could 'imagine' that era in his own way, he might actually be able to write something different."

On the fourth floor, the user with the ID "Old-fashioned Scholar" appeared. This user had previously expressed doubts in posts about Lin Shubai, and today their tone remained pessimistic:

"I admit that Lin Shubai is talented, but talent is not everything. Writing about the War of Resistance Against Japan is not something that can be done with just imagination. You need to know what the hutongs in Beiping were like at that time, what the layout of the courtyard houses was like, what clothes the common people wore, what food they ate, what language they spoke, and how social order collapsed after they entered the city—all of these require a lot of historical data. How could a sixteen-year-old have time to research these things? High school studies are already heavy. Do you think it's possible?"

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but I'm saying that this whole thing is fundamentally unrealistic. Either what he writes is superficial, or someone helped him. I'm not saying it was ghostwritten, but at least the preparation of historical materials is hard to imagine him doing all by himself.

On the fifth floor, the user with the ID "Passerby A is Also A" immediately retorted:

"You're at it again, you 'old-school literati'! Last time you doubted that Lin Shubai wrote 'Life on a String,' but he showed the manuscript to the editor. This time you doubt that he hasn't done enough research. How do you know he didn't prepare? In the interview, he said that he read a lot of memoirs, diaries, and newspapers, and also studied the local customs and culture of Beiping. Whether you believe it or not is your business, but you can't assume that others can't do it just because you can't."

On the sixth floor, user "Bookworm Aqiang" tried to smooth things over:

"Everyone, stop arguing. I think debating whether he can write well is pointless. We'll know once the book comes out. I'm more interested in 'The Little Prince' right now. Has anyone read it? Can you tell me if it's good or not? I'm about to place an order."

This reply was quickly followed by responses.

On the seventh floor, Zhou Min, whose ID is "Jasmine Tea," appeared:

"I bought 'The Little Prince' yesterday and finished reading it last night. Here are a few words."

First of all, this book is very different in style from Charlotte's Web. Charlotte's Web is warm and full of hope. Charlotte died, but her children returned and spring came. On the other hand, The Little Prince is sad, with a faint, misty sadness throughout.

The story is simple: A little prince leaves his own planet and travels to many other planets, encountering all sorts of strange adults—a king without subjects, a businessman who only likes to count stars, a lamplighter who never rests. Finally, he meets a fox, who tells him: "What is essential is invisible to the eye."

I think this book might be more suitable for adults than Charlotte's Web. If you give it to a child, they might just see it as a story about the Little Prince and the fox. But for adults, every word seems to be talking about ourselves—we've become those "strange adults" who only care about numbers, efficiency, and usefulness, forgetting what's truly important.

I recommend everyone to buy it. You won't regret it.

On the eighth floor, "Literary Novice" replied immediately:

"Jasmine tea is so well said. I just finished reading it too. My biggest feeling is that Lin Shubai's writing has a kind of 'aftereffect'. You don't feel anything when you're reading it, but after you close the book, those sentences will linger in your mind for days."

For example, the line "If you tame me, we will need each other" kept me thinking about it for a long time last night. Isn't the relationship between people just about "taming"? Originally, you were you, and I was me. We were two complete strangers in the vast sea of ​​people. But because we spent time together, because we needed each other, we became different. This kind of relationship is fragile, but also precious.

For example, the saying "The desert is beautiful because somewhere there is a well" illustrates this point throughout the book—the truly important things cannot be seen with the eyes, but must be felt with the heart.

"For Lin Shubai to write something like this at sixteen, I can only say, you can't deny talent."

On the ninth floor, "Deep-Sea Fish" reappeared, this time specifically replying to "Old-Scholar Intellectuals":

"A response to the 'old-school literati's' questions about historical materials."

I looked up Lin Shu-pai's public information. His maternal grandfather was from Gaomi. People from that era have personal memories of the war. Lin Shu-pai mentioned in a previous interview that his grandfather left him many books and photos, so his "closeness" to that era is probably much stronger than that of us who grew up in the city.

Secondly, even if he didn't have enough historical materials, he still had an editor, right? Chen Yuanshan, the editor-in-chief of "October," is a veteran editor with over thirty years of experience. He would help Lin Shubai check the historical materials. A good editor not only helps authors revise their manuscripts but also helps them fill in the gaps.

Therefore, I think we don't need to worry too much about the historical materials. What we should focus on is not "how much information he researched," but "whether what he wrote moved me."

By 9 a.m., the number of online users on the forum continued to climb, and an even more significant post appeared.

The poster was named "Cheng Yanqiu"—this is the account ID of the veteran writer Cheng Depei on Rongshuxia (a Chinese online forum). Cheng Depei rarely posts online; his students usually manage the account for him. But today, he personally posted a long article.

The title is very simple, only four words:

Say a Few Words

"I am Cheng Depei. Today I saw the online discussion about Lin Shubai writing a long novel about the War of Resistance against Japan, and I would like to say a few words."

I have been writing novels for forty years and teaching writing classes for over twenty years. I have seen many talented young people, some of whom succeeded and some of whom did not. The difference between success and failure lies not in talent, but in character.

I've read Lin Shubai's works but never met him in person. However, I read two words in his "Life on a String"—"sinking." His writing is not ethereal or superficial, nor does it deliberately show off his skills. He knows when to rein it in and when to let it go. This kind of control is something that many authors who have been writing for ten years may not have.

Regarding the long-form anti-Japanese war novel, my opinion is: don't be so quick to question it.

Because he dared to write. A sixteen-year-old boy, he didn't take the ready-made path to success—Charlotte's Web sold well, he could have continued writing fairy tales, writing ten or eight more, and making a steady income, but he didn't. He chose a more difficult path, a path he could have completely avoided.

That alone deserves respect.

As for whether he writes well or not, I don't know. Nobody knows until the book is published. But what I want to say is that we shouldn't confine him to the label of "sixteen years old." He is sixteen, but he is also Lin Shubai. He has already proven himself with "The Most Precious Gift," "Life on a String," and "Charlotte's Web"—he is not a flash in the pan. We should give him time and space to write this book.

If something is good, we applaud it; if something is bad, we criticize it. But before that, don't use phrases like "You're too young, you don't understand" to negate him.

Because he might actually understand, we just don't know how he understands it.

After this post was published, the entire forum exploded.

The number of replies exceeded two hundred within ten minutes.

10th Floor: "Professor Cheng Depei! My God! Professor Cheng himself has joined in! Is this really the same Cheng Depei who never goes online?!"

Twelfth Floor: "Teacher Cheng is right. We shouldn't define him by his age. When evaluating a writer, we should look at his works, not his ID card."

Thirteenth Floor: "With Teacher Cheng here to show his support, this is a sure thing."

But some people don't buy it.

Fourteenth floor, ID "Independent Thinker":

"Professor Cheng is a senior, and I respect him, but his words do not represent the truth. Who stopped him from writing? The question is, now that he has written it, can we evaluate it? In an interview, he proactively revealed that his next book will be a novel about the War of Resistance against Japan, so readers will naturally have expectations, concerns, and questions. This is not 'limiting him,' but a normal market reaction."

By 10 a.m., another forum—the "Leisurely Book Talk" section of Tianya Community—also became lively.

A post titled "[Lin Shubai's 'Four Generations Under One Roof': A Gamble or a Leap Forward?]" was featured on the homepage.

Posted by "Fat Rabbit": What does Lin Shubai's writing of "Four Generations Under One Roof" mean to him?

I think this is a huge gamble.

The gamble is on his "reader appeal." Readers who like "Charlotte's Web" and "The Little Prince" may not be able to accept the heaviness of "Four Generations Under One Roof," and he may lose some readers.

The stakes are also his "author identity." If the book succeeds, he will go from being a "fairy tale writer" to a "real writer." If it fails, he may be accused of "overestimating himself."

But he still took the gamble.

This shows that, in his heart, "writing what he wants to write" is more important than "pleasing readers." That alone deserves respect.

As for how this book is, I've decided to buy a copy after it's published, read it myself, and then report back to everyone.

Nineteenth Floor: "I think Lin Shubai probably didn't think that much about it at all. He probably just wanted to write a story about that era. The 'high-stakes gambling' and 'identity' are all things we added to him. He probably just thought: this story should be written."

20th Floor: "The person upstairs is right. We always like to assign all sorts of meanings to other people's actions, but sometimes, things are just that simple—he wanted to write, and he wrote."

21st floor: "No matter what, I will definitely buy it, not for any other reason than to support the courage of a sixteen-year-old boy."

Meanwhile, the page for "The Little Prince" on Douban remains lively, with a stable rating of 9.0 and nearly a thousand comments accumulated in the short review section.

A long comment that was pushed to the top was titled "Dedicated to You Who Were Once a Child," and the author's ID was "April Sky."

"I'm thirty-two years old this year. Last night, after finishing reading 'The Little Prince,' I sat on the sofa for a long time."

I've been wondering when I stopped believing in the saying, "What is truly important is invisible to the eye." It was probably after entering the workforce that I discovered the world doesn't operate on the basis of "importance," but on the basis of "usefulness."

But The Little Prince reminded me of many things I had forgotten. For example, when I was little, I would squat by the roadside and watch ants move their nest for a long time, thinking that it was the most important thing in the world. For example, I would argue with my best friend over a piece of candy, and then make up five minutes later. For example, I believed that as long as I made a wish upon a star, my wish would come true.

I now find these things "childish," but after reading "The Little Prince," I suddenly realized that it wasn't them that were childish, but me.

Lin Shubai was sixteen years old. He may not fully understand how a thirty-two-year-old feels when reading this book, but he wrote these words, and that's enough.

Thank you, Little Prince, thank you, Lin Shubai.

At 4 PM, a netizen named "Data Party" posted an analysis thread:

"Looking at Lin Shu-pai through data: Who exactly are his readers?"

"Today I've compiled some publicly available data about Lin Shu-pai and I'd like to share it with you."

Charlotte's Web: Total sales to date are approximately 60,000 copies. Reader profile: 60% are parents buying for their children, 30% are young women, and 10% are others.

The Little Prince: In just two days after its release, it sold about 12,000 copies. The reader profile is similar to that of Charlotte's Web, but the proportion of "adult men" has increased significantly, from less than 5% to about 15%, indicating that The Little Prince is breaking out of its niche.

"Four Generations Under One Roof": It has not yet been published, but based on the current public opinion, I predict that its readership will be completely different from the previous two books. A large number of "literature lovers" and "history lovers" will join the ranks of buyers, while the proportion of parents "buying books for their children" will drop significantly.

This means that Lin Shubai's readership is undergoing a structural change, and he is transforming from a "children's book author" into a "popular writer".

Whether this change will succeed depends on the quality of "Four Generations Under One Roof". If it is well-written, he will gain a new group of more mature readers. If it is not well-written, he may lose some of his original readers and fail to gain new readers.

Therefore, "Four Generations Under One Roof" was indeed a watershed moment in Lin Shu-pai's career.

Personally, I'm optimistic about it, not because I'm a fan, but because I trust the professional judgment of People's Literature Publishing House.

At 6 PM, a user named "Old Bookworm" posted a thread on Tianya Community with a title consisting of only one line:

"I bet Four Generations Under One Roof will be one of the best Chinese novels of the year."

The main content is very brief:

"No explanation needed. You'll understand when the book comes out. I said 'one of,' not 'first.' Don't argue, this is my pledge."

One comment read: "You're betting way too much." Another asked, "What if you lose?"

"Old Bookworm" replied: "If I lose, I'll eat the book, even the e-book."

This reply was screenshotted and began circulating on various forums.