1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 251 Daggers and Javelins

"The work can move me, and it will definitely move my readers." Jiang Xian said to Wang Weiguo confidently.

He couldn't wait to publish this article "Life", and immediately pulled Wang Weiguo to discuss how to revise it.

The two had an in-depth conversation about Wang Weiguo's original intention of creation and how to revise "Life".

Wang Weiguo's "Life" was inspired by Liu Qing, who is Wang Weiguo's "literary godfather". Wang Weiguo said that when he was studying at Yan'an University, he admired Liu Qing very much and read his representative work "History of Entrepreneurship" four times in the school library.

The article even directly quoted Liu Qing's most classic saying: Although the road of life is long, the critical points are often only a few steps, especially when people are young.

Jiang Xian gave Wang Weiguo several suggestions for revisions.

It can be said that apart from Wang Weiguo himself, Jiang Xian is the person who is most familiar with the novel "Life".

He gave Wang Weiguo the modification plan bit by bit, and Wang Weiguo listened carefully. The conversation lasted until late at night, but Wang Weiguo did not feel sleepy. Instead, his eyes became brighter as he listened.

Jiang Xian told him many unique insights as if the world was vast and boundless, and every one of the suggestions he made touched his heart, forcing him to believe them.

He even felt a little respect for her.

Starting from the second draft of "Life", Jiang Xian was like a lighthouse, pointing the direction for his night ship.

He admired Liu Qing very much. If Liu Qing was his "literary godfather", then Jiang Xian might be his mentor in life.

They all acted like compasses, guiding the direction of his literary path.

After discussing the revision plan, Wang Weiguo took the manuscript and said goodbye to go back to revise it.

Jiang Xian simply washed up and tidied himself up. He didn't rush to bed. He sat at the desk with his coat on and lit a cigarette.

He pulled out a page of manuscript paper, pondered for a few seconds, held the pen, and with the remaining heat in his mind, a long and fluent review article appeared on the paper.

During this period, Yingda devoted himself to his drama "The Nine of Us".

The drama troupe is very popular at YNU, and the teachers there are very supportive of the troupe's activities.

Not only did they organize a performance in the school auditorium, but they also asked their drama troupe to select a play to participate in this year's "May Fourth" performance.

In Yingda's view, the play must naturally be the "Nine of Us" that he had carefully polished.

Since its release, this play has received unanimous praise from the members of their drama team.

But now there is an additional variable.
"The World's Number One Restaurant" was choreographed by Liang Zuo and Wang Xiaoping. I heard that the script was written by Jiang Xian.

Yingda has never found the time to read the script, but he is proud of it in his heart.

Apart from that period, it can be said that he almost grew up in the Capital Theatre.

The Capital Theatre is where the Beijing People's Art Theatre performs and is the highest temple of drama art.

When he was very young, he watched his father perform "Thunderstorm" on stage. So, he comes from a family of drama actors and considers himself a leader among the younger generation in this field.

So what if it’s Jiang Xian’s script?
It is true that he is a good novelist, but what about drama?

He has never been involved in a drama.

Even if it is published by "Script", it does not necessarily mean that the work is of high quality, because "Script" prefers realistic works.

In Yingda's opinion, those realistic works published in "Scripts" are already outdated and the audience simply don't like to watch them.

Even if the Beijing People's Art Theatre insists on realism, its attendance rate has been precarious in recent years. Audiences are not willing to buy tickets for those old-fashioned works that have no innovation. It is difficult for the Beijing People's Art Theatre to produce a big drama that is influential and well-established and reflects the strength and style of the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Not to mention all that, this is Yenching University, the place where new ideas are most popular.

Thinking of this, Yingda felt relieved and plunged into rehearsal again.

As the days passed, the coldness in the capital gradually faded away and summer began to arrive.

Jiang Xian was invited by Liang Zuo again to watch the rehearsal of "The World's Number One Restaurant".

"In order to stage this play well, Wang Xiaoping and I experienced life in Quanjude for a week," Liang Zuo told Jiang Xian.

"Is it?"

Jiang Xian was surprised, "What do you think?"

"Yes, I have."

Wang Xiaoping told Jiang Xian that in their original choreography, a large wine jar was placed in the middle of the stage, with a thick board placed on top of the jar to serve as a dining table.

As a result, after they learned about the history of Quanjude firsthand, they felt the grandeur of Quanjude.

In the past, Quanjude was one of the four major restaurants in the old capital, and all the important people went there to eat. It was obviously inappropriate to put a wine jar on the stage to serve as a dining table.

So it was changed into a square coffee table, a chair with an armchair, and a stool, the most imposing “one table and two chairs” in China.

"Okay, that's very attentive." Jiang Xian said affirmatively.

He watched their rehearsal in the classroom. They were all a group of inexperienced students. Their acting was very immature and the conditions were very simple, but it was obvious that they were all very dedicated.

"How to present this last couplet on stage? I think you need to think carefully about this part."

The most wonderful part of "The Number One Restaurant in the World" is the couplet at the end. Even Cao Yu and Ying Ruocheng said that this couplet lifted the whole play.

Liang Zuo and Wang Xiaoping had no experience and were completely confused. They thought that it would be enough to just put it on the stage for the audience to see, so what else could be done to perform it?

Jiang Xian smiled and said, "I have an idea on how to present this couplet."

The publishing work of "Glass Moon Shining on Copper Coin Street" has reached the final stage. The manuscript has been reviewed and proofread three times, and the book number has been applied for. The progress was originally smooth, but some troubles arose due to the symposium before publication.

This is related to Li Rand's views on women in "Copper Coin Street". Li Rand's image in the article is mean and venomous, and his views on women are quite sharp:
"No sensible man would marry a pleasing woman."

"Women can do nothing but talk about love."

"They attach great importance to love and want to convince us that love is the whole life of a person."

"Women are tools for my pleasure. I hate them asking me to be my assistants in my career or my life partners."

The appearance of these words is very consistent with Leland's harsh and ruthless image, but it has caused some female readers to feel extremely hostile towards the novel.

At a symposium, a female writer from the Avengers severely criticized this part of "Copper Coin Street".

Who would have thought that after the meeting, the female writer published an article in the magazine "Beijing Women" sponsored by the Beijing Avengers, criticizing the unfriendly remarks against women in "Bronze Coin Street".

The circulation of "Beijing Women" is not large. It is considered an internal publication of the Beijing Avengers. The appearance of this article did not attract the attention of the public, but it caused a great response within the Avengers organization.

Several Avengers officials went straight to the door of the Writers Publishing House and blocked Cong Weixi in the office. It was the first time that Cong Weixi encountered such a thing, so he had to postpone the publication of "Bronze Coin Street" and think of other solutions.

Jiang Xian didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard this from Wei Xi.

He kind of understood the frustration of Black Myth being attacked, but he never suffered in silence.

He disliked elegant and noble silence.

He liked Mr. Lu Xun's style of doing things, like a fighter, turning articles into spears and stones.

I read the manuscript of "Bronze Coin Street" and after organizing my thoughts, I sat down at the table and wrote an article.

After signing my name, I sent the article to the first women's magazine in China.

——《Chinese Women》

The specific content published in "Chinese Women" is very rich, including articles explaining guidelines and policies, as well as introductions to medicine and health.

There are not many members in the editorial department of the journal. Early in the morning, editor Jian Shaoli came to the editorial department, drank a sip of hot water, yawned, and then slowly started today's review work.

After reading several submissions, a special letter caught her attention. The name of the sender was very special:
Xu Fei.

She vaguely remembered that she seemed to have heard this name somewhere, but she couldn't remember exactly.

I opened this manuscript and glanced at the first line:
"On the criticism of women in "Copper Coin Street"!"

Jian Shaoli cheered up.

She is an Avengers worker, so she had naturally heard about the controversy caused by "Copper Coin Street" in the Avengers during this period. The novel caused quite a stir.

The author of the article, Xu Fei, first introduced the novel "Bronze Coin Street" and then mentioned the controversy that this novel has caused recently.

Then, he summarized the three main female characters in the novel "Copper Coin Street":

"Mrs. Chen Si is a sober and rational woman who controls her own destiny amidst the storm of emotions.

Mrs. Dai, a woman without self, will eventually end up in an emotional dead end.

Country women use one-sided dedication to fulfill the other's ideals. "

Xu Fei believes that the article can reflect the situation and status of women in society.

The three female characters are a perfect summary of three types of women in reality.

"In love, women often lose themselves because they are too emotional. "Copper Coin Street" deeply analyzes love and the role of women in it."

"What Leland criticizes and hates is the image of women who see themselves as dependents of men. Rather than criticizing women, it is better to say that he conveys the author's desire and hope for women, and idealizes the image of independent women who can hold up half the sky."

Hiss.

Jian Shaoli looked inside slowly.

Due to the controversy that has been raging within the Avengers in recent days, as a progressive woman, she felt a resistance to "Copper Coin Street" in her heart and felt that it was a very unfriendly article.

Now, after reading the interpretation of this article, she realized that the truth was not as one-sided as she had heard.

In Xu Fei's opinion, Jiang Xian's novel makes use of the results of Western women's in-depth exploration of the fields of culture and literature, namely, the feminist literary criticism method.

He conveys his hopes and visions for women from a critical perspective.

As an editor engaged in literary work, Jian Shaoli naturally loves reading and is impressed by the content of "Bronze Coin Street".

After listening to Xu Fei's analysis, I suddenly realized the connotation of this article.

She continued reading, and at the end, Xu Fei said sharply:

“The feudal custom of binding feet has been untied, but some people have bound their own thinking brains.

These people have built a prison on their own, and their imaginations are particularly leaps and extraordinary at this time.

As Mr. Lu Xun said: When I see short sleeves, I immediately think of white arms, naked bodies, genitals, sexual intercourse, hybridization, and illegitimate children.
They did not fully understand the connotation of the novel, did not read the article, and only accused the author of implying misogyny in the article. This is extremely one-sided and narrow-minded! It is a naked slander and defamation of the novelist in broad daylight! "

The article is not long, just over 3,000 words.

Jian Shaoli took seven or eight minutes to finish reading it.

She put the manuscript down and spread it on the table. Looking at the page of manuscript paper, she felt as if there was a sword with a cold and shining light hanging in front of her, with sword energy and murderous aura rolling in it.

"So this is what the novel wants to express." Jian Shaoli felt ashamed of her previous misunderstanding of "Copper Coin Street".

She claims to be a progressive woman, so how can she just believe everything she hears and not have any independent judgment of her own?

Can this article be published?
Jian Shaoli couldn't make up her mind, so she handed it to the editorial board above her. After reading it, the editorial board still didn't know whether it should be published or not.

I wanted to ask the editor-in-chief of the editorial department for advice, but the editor-in-chief had gone to a meeting and had not returned for a long time.

It was not until the afternoon that the editor-in-chief returned to the editorial office. Jian Shaoli greeted her, handed the article to her, and explained her confusion and concerns.

The editor took a sip of water, quickly read it, and his eyes lit up. "Publish!"

Jian Shaoli had never expected the editor-in-chief to be so decisive.

After listening to the editor-in-chief's explanation, she realized that the superior leader mentioned the novel "Copper Coin Street" at today's meeting.

She said that Mr. Song, who was in hospital, wrote a letter, and she believed that the Avengers had some misunderstandings about Comrade Jiang Xian.

"A writer who wrote such a beautiful article as "The Grass House" must have a beautiful heart and would never insult women. I hope this matter can be studied seriously and not be unfair."

This comment by Xu Fei can be said to be a pillow handed to someone who is sleepy.

Interpreting this article from this perspective can clarify all misunderstandings of "Bronze Coin Street" among female comrades, and can also make those comrades who are afraid of chaos in the world shut up every day.

In May, "On "Bronze Coin Street"" was published in "Chinese Women" and was first circulated within the Avengers. Soon after, "Wenyi Bao" reprinted this review.

"On "Copper Coin Street"" came into the public eye.

This review interpreted the novel "Copper Coin Street" from the most controversial perspective before, and attracted the attention of readers.

Of course, there are also a small group of careful people who recall an article that caused a sensation in the Hunan Daily two years ago, "How to open the door to individual business?" which was also signed by Xu Fei.

Is it the same name or the same person?
According to the introduction of Xu Fei in "Chinese Women", all we know is that he is a contributor from Beijing.

Some people have speculated that Xu Fei might be an educated youth who went to the countryside to work in Hunan two years ago and has now returned to Beijing. That is why "Chinese Women" indicated that his address was Beijing.

There was a lot of discussion in the outside world, and the publication of "Copper Coin Street" was finally unobstructed.

One afternoon, Jiang Xian received a sample copy of "Copper Coin Street" from the Writer's Publishing House.

The cover depicts a bright moon hanging high in the sky, appearing so white and peaceful.

On the side were written the words "Glass Moon Shining on Copper Coin Street" in large letters, and it was specially marked as "Supplementary Edition".

After half a year of publication, it is finally published!
(End of this chapter)