1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 240 Supplement

In mid-January, Jiang Ke had already gone on winter vacation.

Nowadays, middle school students do not have so much free time during the holidays. The school has an off-campus activity center, which organizes "Learn XX, Take Action" every day during the holidays.

Jiang Ke followed the service team and had to get up before dawn every day and follow the counselor to clean the mailboxes and fruit peel bins near Liulichang to serve the people.

"Sister-in-law, can I stay at your house?" Jiang Ke approached Zhu Lin. "Your house is closer to where I work, so I can sleep a little longer in the morning."

"Of course."

Zhu Lin agreed with a smile.

"You can stay, but I have some requirements for you."

Jiang Xian had said it in advance, how could he not know what Jiang Ke was thinking? It was just that living in his house, no one would care about her, and she could watch a color TV.

"Your sister-in-law is busy with classes every day, and I'm busy with work too. You have to be responsible for the hygiene of the house. You can only watch TV for one hour a day. It's not good for your eyes."

Jiang Xian blabbered on about a bunch of disciplinary conditions.

Anyway, I don’t want Jiang Ke to spend a beautiful winter vacation lying on her back.

The reason is simple: I have been caught in the rain, so I want to tear up other people's umbrellas.

Even so, Jiang Ke still gritted his teeth and moved into No. 15 Hufang Road.

Who makes the conditions here so good!
There are color TVs to watch and imported snacks, and most importantly, no one is supervising me, so I don’t have to be nagged by my parents.

As it turned out, life was not as comfortable as she had imagined. Sweeping the floor, washing clothes and a host of housework fell on her.

Including cooking.

Of course Jiang Ke can cook. Children of this era have to buy groceries for adults as soon as they can walk and talk, and they have to learn to cook as soon as they are slightly taller than the stove.

The time for watching TV is at night, but Jiang Xian still has to practice calligraphy and writing at night, so she doesn't even dare to turn on the volume when watching TV.

Jiang Ke leaned over to Zhu Lin's ear and complained, "Sister-in-law, do you usually watch TV without sound?"

Zhu Lin nodded, "Yes."

"Then you are amazing. I can't live with my brother for a day."

Zhu Lin smiled and said, "But I don't usually turn on the TV."

"So what do you do at night?"

“I usually read books and study.”

"."

Jiang Ke's mouth twitched. Her brother and sister-in-law really made a good pair.

"Zhu Lin, can you help me take a look at how this calligraphy looks?" Jiang Xian shouted.

Zhu Lin put down the remote control, walked into the room and took a look. He was writing a couplet.

First couplet: "The sky opens up and the spring scenery is beautiful."

Second line: "People celebrate the good harvest and the harmonious solar terms."

Jiang Xian's calligraphy is based on Wei stele style.

The character is written with long left and right strokes, with a sense of vertical and horizontal movement. The writing is sophisticated, the characters are stretched, and the strength yet elegance is revealed.

"Did you write this?" Zhu Lin's eyes lit up, and she felt it was much more beautiful than before.

Jiang Ke also followed in and was surprised when he saw the words on the couplet.

"Brother? Your writing is so beautiful? It looks like it's hanging in a museum!"

Jiang Xian smiled, put down his pen for the moment, and said nothing.

"Who did you write this couplet for?" Zhu Lin asked.

"It was not that Comrade Ru Zhijuan came over the other day and saw my handwriting before she left. She was going back to Shanghai the day after tomorrow, so before she left, she insisted on asking me to write a couplet for her."

Thinking back on this incident, Jiang Xian didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Comrade Ru Zhijuan really gave us enough face.

She is a writer with quite a high status in the literary world. She was even invited by the "International Writing Program" (IWP) of the University of Iowa, which is well-known in the world literary world. Wang Anyi also followed her at that time.

IWP is a world-renowned international literary exchange program. This program only invites 12 writers from around the world each year and is the world's largest and most famous writer-in-residence program.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States in 79, the number of visitors from China in the past 40 years has been only about 60.

Soon after Jiang Xian presented this couplet to Ru Zhijuan, somehow the news that "Mr. Sanduo" had beautiful calligraphy spread in the circle.

On this day, the Beijing Writers Association’s year-end work summary meeting ended.

Director Jiang Xian was just about to pack up and go back when he was stopped by a group of directors.

Liu Shaotang, who is also an editorial board member of Beijing Literature and is known as a "writing prodigy", approached him with a smile and said, "Comrade Jiang Xian, I heard that your handwriting is quite good. The New Year is coming soon, so please write a couplet for me."

Upon hearing this, the president of the Writers Publishing House, Cong Weixi, laughed and said, "Comrade Jiang Xian, I have also heard that your running script is average, and your seal script is outstanding. I have several books waiting to be published. Why don't you come up with a title for them?"

"Hey?" Li Tuo also came over to join in. "In terms of friendship, Jiang Xian and I are pretty close. Can't you write a couplet for me?"

Suddenly, people were surrounding him asking for calligraphy. As the Spring Festival was approaching, the most people asked for couplets. People in Beijing particularly like couplets. Even Zhang Jie came over to make fun of him.

"Little brother."

Jiang Xian felt the situation was tricky when he saw it.

If people come to his door every day to ask for his calligraphy, will he still be able to write novels?

"You guys are so complimentary."

He clasped his fists and said, "My handwriting is just ordinary and mediocre, not worthy of being presented in a high-class hall.

Besides, we are all engaged in literary work, how bad can our handwriting be?"

"Ha ha ha ha."

"You are quite modest."

The whole group of writers burst into laughter.

Only the figure of Liu Xinwu, another resident writer, flashed in the corner.

It is well known in the literary world that Mr. Liu's handwriting is not good. He can only write neatly and clearly, and the characters he writes are square, with straight horizontal and vertical lines, just like those written by a child who has just learned to write.

Even though Jiang Xian declined again and again, he still couldn't completely refuse. He had no choice but to invite them to have tea in the courtyard of Jingshan East.

The meeting was quite serious just now, but now that they were at his house, they felt relaxed instead, and a group of people sat around the coal stove to warm themselves. It was evening, and Lin Jinlan warmed his hands and feet, glanced at Zhang Jie, Li Tuo, Liu Shaotang, and Cong Weixi around him, and chuckled, "We can also be considered to be chatting around the fire."

Lin Jinlan was also a member of the Beijing Writers Association. He was a student of Shen Congwen and was nicknamed the "short story master". Later, he and Wang Zengqi were called the "twin pillars of the literary world".

"I think, since we have caught Jiang Xian today, why don't we talk about Jiang Xian's new novel?" Li Tuo suggested.

What he was talking about was naturally "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood".

“Ever since I read this novel, I have been researching this ‘new novel’ genre.

I have summarized the modernist techniques that are currently popular in China, which can be divided into two main forms: one is the stream-of-consciousness novel represented by Comrade Jiang Xian and Comrade Wang Meng, and the other is the absurdist novel represented by Zong Pu.

This new novel "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood" is of extraordinary significance, and it has brought a new type of modernist techniques to our Chinese literature!"

"Jiang Xian, I'd like to hear you talk about this new novel today." Lin Jinlan became interested and smacked his lips instinctively. At times like this, he wanted to have a drink.

Liu Shaotang saw through his thoughts and laughed a few times, "Jiang Xian, is there any wine at home? Teacher Lin is greedy and his craving for wine has come back."

There is a saying in the literary world about the "Four Immortals of Wine". These four people are: Lin Jinlan, Lu Wenfu, Wang Zengqi and Cheng Shaoguo.

Lin Jinlan is known as a wine lover and prefers strong liquor.

Rumor has it that there are two walls in Teacher Lin’s living room, one is filled with books, the other is filled with wine bottles, and even the wall lamp in the bathroom is in the shape of a wine bottle.

Jiang Xian fetched a bottle of Lao Baigan and poured it quickly. "My understanding is quite shallow. I just wrote it randomly."

"You are just hiding your incompetence."

Li Tuo took a sip of white wine and said, "Jiang Xian, please don't ask all of us old guys to sit down and beg you."

Jiang Xian had no choice but to sit down and briefly tell Li Tuo, Lin Jinlan and others about his understanding of the new novel.

"In fact, in my opinion, it is better to say that this writing style is anti-novel rather than new novel. The so-called new novel is nothing more than an anti-novel writing style."

"Anti-novel?" Zhang Jie's eyes lit up.

Jiang Xian explained calmly: "Our modern novels basically originated from Britain and France, and the writing style has absorbed the great experience of writers such as Balzac, Stendhal, and Flaubert.

Anti-novels are the opposite of the norm, completely negating the previous writing style. We, the authors, are completely the opposite, no longer the creator of the story, but a narrator, without motivation or purpose, showing complete indifference and letting the story develop."

Everyone listened attentively. The new novel was difficult to understand, but when understood from the perspective of anti-novel, it became much clearer.

For a moment, he understood something in his heart, and the more he understood, the more he admired Jiang Xian.

As they are all veteran writers, they can naturally understand at this moment that although Jiang Xian's "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood" looks easy to understand, the technical requirements are actually no easier than other techniques.

When writing an article, what you write about is: time, place, people, and events.

When writing about an event, you need to write: cause, process, and result.

Jiang Xian does not write according to this traditional structure.

He only controls the nonsensical development of the plot through shallow and indifferent dialogues.

After reading it, the readers will not miss any information about time, place, characters and events.

"It's not easy. It's really not easy."

Li Tuo couldn't help but sigh: "Jiang Xian has set a precedent in our country. This precedent is so beautiful."

Liu Shaotang put down his wine glass and thought: "I can't drink today, otherwise I will forget all these words when I go back."

He planned to use Jiang Xian's words to write a review article on "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood".

This review article analyzes the novel "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood" and summarizes his understanding of the "new novel". While clarifying his own views, he can also contribute to the development of the "new novel" in China.

"Jiang Xian, after this novel is published, your reputation will be elevated to a higher level." Li Tuo said with a smile.

Others also nodded in agreement. Once "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood" was published, Jiang Xian was given the titles of a representative writer of "stream of consciousness" and "new novel", and he was truly very prestigious.

"It doesn't matter whether it's of high quality or not. I just think writing novels is interesting. Besides, in China, my understanding of new novels is not the deepest."

When it comes to theoretical understanding in this area, the person who should be considered the most famous in China is Mr. Mao Dun, a famous literary theorist who is well-versed in both Chinese and Western culture.

Cong Weixi said: "Don't be so modest. This is a new path you have opened up. You will definitely publish more 'new novels' in the future."

As he was talking, he brought up another thing, "Comrade Jiang Xian, your article "Glass Moon Shining on Copper Coin Street" hasn't been published yet, right?"

"No."

"Just let our Writer's Publishing House publish it for you." Cong Weixi argued.

Writers Publishing House is a large-scale national literary publishing house, which is under the supervision of the China Writers Association and manages the "royal publication" People's Literature.

It has been nearly three months since "Glass Moon Shining on Copper Coin Street" was published in China. If it were to be published by Writer's Publishing House now, it would probably take another month to two months, including the time required for editing, proofreading, design, printing and other links.

With this calculation, the novel went quite smoothly from announcement to publication. It was published domestically only four or five months after its publication, which is almost the shortest publishing cycle at present.

"Then we have a deal." Jiang Xian agreed immediately, "I will send the manuscript of this novel to Writers Publishing House tomorrow."

He was very willing to hand the novel over to the Writers Publishing House. After all, "Liuli Moon Shining on Copper Coin Street" was too controversial, and handing it over to the China Writers Association for publication would definitely avoid a lot of trouble.

"How many words are there in your novel?" Cong Weixi asked.

Jiang Xian recalled, "About 120,000 words."

Cong Weixi pondered for a moment and said, "Can you add some more content?"

"Additional?"

"According to the conventional meaning of our publishing industry, the word count of a novel should be at least 130,000 words. Your 120,000 words are too many to be called a novella, but too few to be called a novel.

If you add some parts, we will publish it for you as a supplementary edition, which will also be advantageous for sales.”

"That's easy to say."

Jiang Xian agreed.

In the publishing industry, additions and revisions are common, which can improve the quality of works, attract readers' interest in reading, and increase reading diversity. There are two types of publications: supplementary edition and revised edition.

A supplement, also called an extended edition, provides readers with additional content. It is not based on modifications to the original version, but instead adds new chapters, research or information, and will be specially marked when published.

The revised version is based on the original version, and the author has made no more than 30% changes to the text. When it is published, it will be marked as "revised version" or "new version".

For example, the new edition of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" published in the 21st century is a revised edition. Jin Yong directly changed Yin Zhiping's name to Zhen Zhibing.

Of course, there are also cases where the revisions exceed 30%. At this time, the publisher may consider the work as a completely new version, and sometimes even change the title of the book.

After accepting the offer, Jiang Xian quickly finished writing the literary review for Shi Tiesheng and sent it to Zhang Dening.

(End of this chapter)