Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 514 First Experience

After leaving Ba Jin's house, Jiang Tiantian held the painting tube containing Ba Jin's handwriting in her arms.

This painting tube was naturally also brought by Chen Fanshun, because he was afraid of damaging Ba Jin's calligraphy.

Then there is Lin Fengmian's signature on this painting tube, so it should have been used by him before.

If one did not know Lin Fengmian, he had several other students, named Wu Guanzhong, Zhao Wuji, Zhu Dequn, Su Tianci, Xi Dejin, and so on.

If you don't recognize these people either, then he has a fan student named Ai Qing.

That's the poet who wrote, "Why are my eyes always filled with tears? Because I love this land so deeply..."

When Ai Qing was studying at the West Lake Art Academy in Hangzhou, Lin Fengmian was the principal, and it was he who encouraged and supported Ai Qing to study painting in Paris. ...As a result, Ai Qing fell in love with modern poetry in France, and later became more famous for his poetry than his painting.

Chen Fan had originally set his sights on Lin Fengmian's painting "Egret" hanging in Ba Jin's living room, but unfortunately it had the inscription "Painted by Mr. Ba Jin, Shanghai, 1964".

It is said that Lin Fengmian never signed his paintings, except for one when Zhou Gong passed away, in which he painted a picture and signed it "Respectfully dedicated to Zhou Gong. Fengmian". However, the painting in the living room was signed, which shows his friendship with Ba Jin.

Chen Fan then felt too embarrassed to make a move.

But it doesn't matter. In the entire domestic literary and artistic circles, there is no one like Ba Jin who has so many friends with different stances but firm feelings. It is normal for friends to exchange works, so as long as you visit each other often, there will be plenty of opportunities!
No money yet.

Holding the painting tube, Jiang Tiantian wasn't thinking about Ba Jin's original works, but rather about Chen Fan's manuscripts of dozens of novels.

Once she was seated on the back of the bicycle, she tentatively asked, "Xiao Fan, haven't Ba Jin and the others ever seen your old novel manuscripts?"

Ahem, that was just an introduction; she actually knew exactly where those manuscripts were.

Chen Fan was still thinking about the paintings on Ba Jin's living room wall. He thought that his own house walls were too empty, so when he went to the Writers Association for an exchange meeting tomorrow, should he ask for a few works to hang up?

Don't think that writing books and painting are unrelated. These days, if you don't know a few strokes of calligraphy and painting, you're embarrassed to call yourself a scholar. Therefore, the overlap in members of the Artists Association, Calligraphers Association, and Writers Association is very high.

So isn't it perfectly normal to ask a member of the Writers' Association for a few pieces of calligraphy or painting?

Upon hearing Jiang Tiantian's words, he casually replied, "What I sent out were all copies; the original manuscripts are still in the Lujiawan study."

After he finished speaking, he suddenly realized, "Why are you asking this?"

Jiang Tiantian hid behind him, her pretty face slightly flushed, "I...I just wanted to borrow your manuscript to practice calligraphy with a pen."

If I could hide a few manuscripts, that would be best.

"Oh, that's easy."

Chen Fan laughed without turning his head, "I thought you wanted it, but then it's not possible..."

Hearing this, Jiang Tiantian pursed her lips slightly, feeling a little disappointed. They wouldn't even give her a manuscript?
Then I heard him say, "Lili took all the old manuscripts, so I have to keep them for her. If you want to practice your calligraphy, I'll write some more for you later. Or if there are new manuscripts in the future, you can help me copy them, and I'll keep the originals for you."

Chen Fan thought to himself, since he was going to publish calligraphy practice books anyway, he might as well write a few in advance for Jiang Tiantian to practice with, so she could use them directly later.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Jiang Tiantian's mood improved again, and she unconsciously smiled. After a few seconds, she seemed to snap out of a daze and asked curiously, "When did Lili ask you for it?"

That girl tells me everything, how come I don't know?

Chen Fan smiled and said, "That was a long time ago. Back then, she helped me transcribe all my manuscripts. Once, she said my handwriting was beautiful, so I said I would give it to her if she liked it. Later, I didn't give any manuscripts to other people who wanted them, and I kept them all for her. But she never asked me for them back, and they are still in the cabinet now."

Jiang Tiantian's eyes widened when she heard this.

This girl probably thought Xiao Fan was joking and didn't take it seriously, right?

A wave of bitterness washed over her. If any man treated her like that, she would die happy.

Yes, of course, one must have talent like Xiao Fan.

Unfortunately, I probably won't meet him in this lifetime, especially since I've already made up my mind not to get married...

She sat on the back of the bicycle in a daze until she got home, when she suddenly realized what was happening and quickly jumped off the bike to open the door.

Chen Fan pushed his bicycle into the yard, put the painting tube inside the house, and came out carrying two bags.

Two bags were tied together with rope and placed on the back seat of the car. Jiang Tiantian came out of the house with a large shoulder bag on her shoulder.

She was secretly relieved that she didn't have to carry as much stuff as other out-of-town students.

Most of my luggage is in my room on the second floor. Since I can come back every week, I don't need to bring too much stuff with me.

No wonder Xiao Fan sent a telegram instructing that he only needed to bring a change of clothes and no bedding or luggage. Having a home here is indeed much more convenient.

She gripped the shoulder straps of her suitcase with both hands, looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "I'm going to school."

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "Let's get there early while there are still more than two hours before it gets dark. Be careful on the road. When you get to the school, visit the department head and a few teachers. Professor Ba has already called, so don't worry."

correct……"

He suddenly made a gesture, "Wait for me."

He then ran inside.

In less than two minutes, he ran down from the second floor and handed her a small cloth bag. "This is a wood carving I made myself. It's not worth much, but it's quite interesting. It's perfect as a gift for scholars. If you take this over, they will definitely like it."

Jiang Tiantian pursed her lips and nodded, took the cloth bag from his hand, put it into her luggage, pressed it down with her hand, then took a deep breath, raised her head and smiled, "Then I'm leaving, goodbye."

Chen Fan waved and said, "Goodbye."

He walked to the roadside and watched her ride away on her bicycle before turning around, closing the gate, and going home.

After brewing a cup of green tea, Chen Fan lay back on the antique sofa, looking at the withered grass outside the French windows. He silently wondered if he should make another trip to Chongming Island someday to get more flower seeds and plant them all over that grass.

You could also plant a few clumps of bamboo, or put up a hanging basket... but never mind, that's too much trouble.

He lowered his head, blew on it, sipped his hot tea, and thought that once he had settled the matters concerning the Writers' Association exchange meeting tomorrow, he would go and buy plane tickets.

I've been here for almost half a month, and everything's been arranged. It's time to go home and relax.

He dared not stay here any longer, otherwise he would be bombarded with all sorts of social engagements, which would be incredibly annoying.

This is actually the norm for many writers; they usually live in their hometowns to do their writing, and only go to their workplaces when there are important matters to attend to.

He was just following the crowd.

Besides, no one does housework here, so it's better to go home and lie down.

Then he lay down and fell asleep.

He was startled awake when he heard the door open outside.

He picked up the already cold teacup from the coffee table, drank the cold tea in one gulp, and then got up to open the door.

Hearing familiar footsteps, Chen Fan raised an eyebrow, opened the door, and looked at Jiang Lili, who was about to unlock it, with some surprise, "You don't live on campus?"

Jiang Lili leaned against the wall to change into slippers, then hung her schoolbag on the hook on the wall before saying, panting, "I thought you hadn't left yet, so I came back to stay."

She looked inside. "Did my sister go to school? Haven't An-ge and the others come back yet?"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" and her pretty face turned bright red.

Chen Fan picked her up and carried her to the sofa. He sat down on her lap and said, "Tian Tian went to school. She should be settled by now. Brother An and the others probably went to the new house to check out the renovation. They probably won't be back anytime soon, and they won't be back for dinner either."

As he spoke, he lifted Jiang Lili's chin and laughed, "Why are you looking down? Don't you dare to look at me?"

Jiang Lili bit her lip, stole a glance at him, and when their eyes met, she quickly looked away, burying her head in her hands like a quail, her heart pounding wildly.

Chen Fan hugged her, feeling a little emotional. He thought to himself, "Winter clothes are so heavy, it's uncomfortable to hug someone like that."

After a long while, ...

Jiang Lili suddenly jumped up like a startled rabbit, hurriedly straightening her clothes, "I...I'll go cook."

As he spoke, he ran towards the kitchen.

Chen Fan smacked his lips, leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and shook his feet.

Having lived a second life, I finally understand what dating is like.

Hmm, it feels pretty good.

……

Eat, wash up... then go to sleep later.

In the bedroom, Chen Fan turned on the desk lamp and sat down at his desk, writing furiously.

He has finished writing "Love in the Clouds and Lakes" and is now writing a new novel. This time, he does not intend to continue writing a "historical novel" but will push the story's background forward to the Republican era and write a spy thriller.

Today, Mr. Ba told him that after "The Ferryman" was published in "Shanghai Literature and Art", it caused a great social response. Part of the response was sympathy for the protagonist's plight, which made many people with similar experiences feel the same way. Another part of the response was that people were moved by the protagonist's determination to keep his heart turned to the light despite adversity. They wrote to the magazine to express their feelings.

Wenhui Daily, which is also under the management of the Writers Association, originally planned to invite some famous writers to talk about their analysis of this novel, but Ba Jin temporarily suppressed the idea.

He wanted to talk to the author first to understand the author's creative process and true thoughts before deciding on the angle from which to approach the topic.

Okay, we've finished our discussion this afternoon, so tomorrow's Wenhui Daily will feature Ba Jin's commentary.

With Ba Jin's personal affirmation, Chen Fan's status as a "writer" is now secure, and he also has a ticket to enter the circle of "literary giants".

Since that's the case, there's no need to continue writing mainstream articles. If we continue writing like this, we might get "typed" and "defined," and if we switch to writing other types of novels to make money in the future, it will be easy to attract criticism.

He never intended to become a great writer. While being worshipped might look appealing, he couldn't stand being constantly watched and having his daily words and actions judged by saintly standards. He would be criticized for the slightest mistake.

Therefore, this is the best time to make a transition. Before attending the National Writers Association Reconstruction Conference, publish two popular but not so "vulgar" novels. People will only think that he is young and impetuous, unwilling to be confined to one place, and wants to try different styles.

Even if someone has opinions, they'll only offer a couple of reminders at most, and it's fine if they don't listen.

In this way, future transformations will be a natural progression.

As he was writing, Chen Fan's ears twitched slightly. He gently put down his pen, pulled out a chair, walked to the door, and opened it.

Jiang Lili, who was hesitating at the door, was startled.

Chen Fan looked at her and smiled, "Why aren't you asleep so late? What are you thinking about?"

Jiang Lili's lips twitched a few times, then she lowered her head, ultimately not daring to speak.

He looked like he had turned back into the educated youth from Lujiawan, timid and afraid to speak.

Chen Fan simply pulled her in and closed the door behind him.

Jiang Lili was startled again. She looked at the door, then looked up at Chen Fan. Her pretty face had turned red again.

Chen Fan bent down slightly, his forehead almost touching hers, and chuckled softly, "Coming to me at this hour, do you want to continue?"

Jiang Lili shuddered, instinctively wanting to back away, but she forced herself to hold back.

Chen Fan let out a long breath, opened his arms and gently hugged her, patted her back, and rested his chin on her hair. "Alright, alright, if you don't agree, I definitely won't touch you."

Jiang Lili then raised her hands and hugged him, murmuring, "It wasn't that I didn't want to just now, it's just that my mom said we can't do that before we get married."

She took a deep breath and tried to lift her head. "Well, anything but that is fine."

Chen Fan cupped her pretty face in his hands and stared blankly into her eyes.

Jiang Lili was also looking at him.

At that moment, she seemed to have made a decision, her eyes filled with determination as she looked directly into his gaze, "Anything you want is fine."

If you could hold back at this moment, you would be worse than a beast.

Chen Fan looked at Jiang Lili, whose face was full of determination, and hugged her tightly.

……

The next morning, Jiang Lili woke up from her sleep and reached out to touch the empty space beside her.

She suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, and reached out her smooth arm to grab her clothes.

Just as he put on his cotton coat, the door was pushed open, and Chen Fan walked in carrying a tray, saying, "I went to the school to find Teacher Hu and asked her to help you get a day off. You can go to class tomorrow."

Jiang Lili's pretty face flushed red, and she quickly said, "I'm fine, I can go to school..."

As he was about to get out of bed, a pained expression appeared on his face.

Chen Fan placed the tray on the bedside table, picked up a pillow and stood it upright, then pressed her down to lie down. "Go to school? Can you even move?"

He then picked up the bowl and handed it to her, saying, "It was a little cold, but the temperature is just right now. Eat this, rest in bed, and you'll be fine this afternoon."

Jiang Lili took the bowl with both hands, looked at the brown sugar and eggs in the bowl, then looked at him, her eyes filled with sweetness.

Chen Fan patted her head and smiled, "Eat quickly, then get some rest. I have to go to the Writers' Association this morning; I have an appointment with Mr. Ba. I probably won't be back until the afternoon."

Jiang Lili had just nodded when she suddenly realized what she meant, her eyes widening as she asked, "Shanghai Writers Association? Ba Lao? You mean Ba ​​Jin?"

Seeing the shocked look in her eyes, Chen Fan laughed and said, "What, can't I go see Old Ba?"

Jiang Lili was stunned for several seconds before she came to her senses, her eyes filled with surprise and delight. "Yes, of course you can."

In just a few seconds, surprise turned into admiration: "You're so amazing, you even got to meet Mr. Ba Jin."

Chen Fan patted her head and smiled gently, "Eat quickly."

Jiang Lili nodded vigorously, then grabbed the bowl and wolfed down her food, as if afraid of wasting his time.

After she finished eating and lay back down in bed, Chen Fan leaned down and kissed her before leaving with the tray.

Jiang Lili lay on the bed, staring blankly at the door, unable to stop smiling until she fell into a deep sleep, her lips still curved in a smile.

……

Instead of riding Jiang Lili's bicycle, Chen Fan first walked to Ba Jin's house and hitched a ride with him to the Writers' Association.

There were quite a few people here today. Not only were all the staff and cadres of the Writers' Association present, but the writers who could come also tried their best to come.

It wasn't because of Chen Fan, a "minor character," but because today's exchange meeting was personally organized and convened by Mr. Ba.
Of course, Chen Fan is also the main character today.

The theme of today's exchange meeting is "Analysis of 'The Ferryman'".

In front of dozens of writers, Chen Fan talked about his experiences and insights in the countryside, which was the original intention behind writing the novel "The Ferryman".

Well, you should say the right thing in the right place. Who would say in a situation that their initial motivation for writing was to make money?

It's not like he's Yu Hua.

During the exchange, I naturally brought up what I had said to Mr. Buffett the day before, and he nodded in agreement with me.

At the end of the exchange meeting, several leaders, including Mr. Ba, highly praised the novel's theme and story structure. They not only suggested that it be shared within the entire branch, but also that a report be compiled and submitted to the soon-to-be-re-established headquarters.

In addition, Mr. Ba took out the paper with "A Brief Discussion on Hard-Pen Calligraphy" written by Chen Fan yesterday, recommended it to all members, and suggested that the unit's publishing house publish and distribute it separately.

The final result was naturally a consensus.

After the meeting, at the request of many members, Ba Jin organized another calligraphy exchange meeting.

Chen Fan diligently wrote dozens of calligraphy pieces, in exchange for dozens of pieces from calligraphers of varying fame.

He felt he had been cheated, but he had no evidence.

Who knows if anyone will speculate on my future calligraphy works?
If no one speculates on it, it might not even fetch as much as some of the calligraphy works here!
After having a working lunch at the Writers' Association, Ba Jin finally took him to see the Yangtze 750 motorcycle.

In a garage, Buffett had a tarpaulin pulled back and pointed to the car, saying, "Hey, this is it."

(Yangtze River 750 sidecar)
Chen Fan walked around the car twice, stroked his chin and nodded, then looked at the team leader next to him, who still looked somewhat reluctant, and asked, "Can I give it a try?"

The team leader coughed lightly, "You can try it, but this bike is over ten years old. Although it's still rideable, it has quite a few minor problems, and the riding experience isn't as good as it used to be."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It's okay. One of my side jobs is car repair. If it's not a big problem, I should be able to handle it."

Then, under the skeptical gaze of the team leader, who was now filled with doubt, he used the simple repair tools on site to disassemble the car into a pile of parts, then found some replacement parts on the spot and reassembled it.

They even gave the crossbowman a folding cloak?
How did he do that?
The team leader didn't dare blink as he stared at the drastically changed motorcycle. What had just happened?
I don't have a cloak here. I only have some steel bars and tarpaulin. Did he make it himself?

Old Ba also stared at Chen Fan with great interest. This kid is quite interesting!

Chen Fan circled the motorcycle once, tested the engine, then got off and said, "That's it."

Just then, a person hurried over and whispered a few words to Mr. Ba.

Chen Fan's ears twitched slightly, and his face darkened.

Ba Jin waved for the others to leave, then turned to look at Chen Fan and walked over, saying, "I just got a call from Fudan University. Your friend Jiang Tiantian suddenly developed a high fever this morning and almost fell into a coma. She hasn't woken up yet. You'd better go and see her as soon as possible."

Chen Fan nodded and waved to the team leader, "Could you please fill up the tank for me?"

Two minutes later, he rode his sidecar out of the garage and headed towards Fudan University.

(End of this chapter)