1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 306 Red? Green?
As the couple was talking, there was a knock on the door.

Jiang Xian was holding a cup in his hand, and Zhu Lin got up and went to open the door, and saw three unfamiliar faces outside the door.

"You are?"

Ren Weidong smiled and said, "Hello, female comrade. We are from the New X Society and we are here to see Comrade Jiang Xian."

Zhu Lin glanced at the three people outside the door. To her, it was normal for people from news organizations to come to Jiang Xian's house.

"Please come in, please come in!"

She enthusiastically let the three people into the house, turned her head and shouted in the direction of the bedroom: "Jiang Xian, the comrades from the New X Society are looking for you."

"New X Society?"

Jiang Xian took a sip of water and met Ren Weidong, Wu Kelu and Shao Feng. The three of them were very enthusiastic when they saw Jiang Xian.

"Hello, Comrade Jiang Xian." Wu Kelu took out his work ID and introduced himself to him:

"I am Wu Kelu, a reporter from the New X Agency. This is Shao Feng, a reporter from the New X Agency. This is Comrade Ren Weidong, deputy editor-in-chief of the Beijing City Youth League Committee of our New X Agency."

"Deputy editor-in-chief?"

Jiang Xian thought that the level was not low. Such a big shot actually came to visit in person.

He took the kettle from Zhu Lin and poured hot tea for the three of them.

“You came here for.”

"We have just finished listening to your report at Yan University." Ren Weidong took the initiative to speak.

He was really curious about what kind of charm the report "Long Live Understanding" had that could prevent a group of students from squeezing into the auditorium of Yenching University.

With such doubts in mind, Ren Weidong stayed in Yanda until the afternoon. Finally, the veil was lifted and he successfully listened to Jiang Xian's report "Long Live Understanding" in front of the President's Building.

Because he had given himself a heads-up, Ren Weidong had high expectations for the report "Long Live Understanding" from the beginning, but he did not expect that Jiang Xian's speech would be far more exciting than he had imagined.

During the report, the students were like crazy, crying and laughing at times. After the report, the endless applause and shouts of "Long live understanding" were all affirmations of Jiang Xian's report.

Ren Weidong himself was moved by the stories in the report, and couldn't help but burst into tears when listening to the heroic deeds of the soldiers.

At the same time, Ren Weidong even felt a little ashamed.

They are the New X Agency, the country's leading news agency and one of the largest news organizations in the country.

They should have collected and interviewed these stories.

But in fact they did not do so. Ren Weidong heard about these things for the first time from Jiang Xian.

Ren Weidong couldn't help feeling guilty for not doing his journalistic work well.

At the same time, as the emotions of this report gradually sublimated, Ren Weidong's heart was uncontrollably filled with a belief that he wanted more people to hear this report and make the slogan "Long Live Understanding" even louder.

So after the report, he and Wu Kelu waited for Jiang Xian at Yanda for a while. Later, they learned that Chen Huangmei had sent a car to take him home, so they immediately drove to catch up.

Wu Kelu explained the whole story to Jiang Xian, and finally said to Jiang Xian with a sincere face:

"Comrade Jiang Xian, your report "Long Live Understanding" has a profound social background and significance. Our New X Society would like to invite you to give another report on "Long Live Understanding" in the city to call on all sectors of society to strengthen understanding and communication and jointly respond to the challenges of the new era."

After Wu Kelu finished speaking, Jiang Xian looked thoughtful.

Ren Weidong thought he was worried about the report group, so he explained, "Comrade Huang Mei and I are old acquaintances. I will go to talk to him. I believe he also hopes that more people can hear this report and shout out the slogan 'Long live understanding'."

Ren Weidong tried to persuade him a few times, but Jiang Xian remained calm. His attitude made Ren Weidong, Wu Kelu and Shao Feng feel uncertain about what to do.

Just as the members of the New X Society were looking at each other, Jiang Xian finally spoke.

"The report 'Long Live Understanding' was written when I was discussing the film adaptation of 'The Wreath' with Comrade Li Jun. I combined it with some stories I heard in the border areas and shouted this slogan to him.

At that time, I was at Comrade Huang Mei’s home. After hearing this slogan, Comrade Huang Mei felt that it resonated very much and urged me to write such a report. ”

Jiang Xian told the three people the origin of "Long Live Understanding" and then said: "But I am a novelist after all. I can spare some free time once or twice, but if I have to be like you, giving a speech in this unit today and that unit tomorrow, I am worried that I will not be able to calm down and create.

I have parents who are old and children who are about to be born. I have a whole family waiting for me to support them. Deputy Editor-in-Chief Liu, we should also understand each other, don’t you think?”

When Jiang Xian said this, Ren Weidong understood clearly, "I understand that our request is indeed a bit abrupt and lacks understanding of you. How about this, we, the New X Society, will help you publish this report, and you can work hard again and give another report to the citizens?"

Jiang Xian was quite satisfied when he heard this.

The China Writers Association is his unit and Chen Huangmei is his leader. He has to perform whatever his leader asks him to do.

But that's because of Chen Huangmei. Jiang Xian is not someone who can be ordered around by anyone.

Nodding, Jiang Xian said: "XinX News Agency is a well-known domestic news organization. It would be a great honor for me if XinX News Agency could publish the report "Long Live Understanding" for me!"

"What about the report?" Ren Weidong looked at Jiang Xian with anticipation.

"I'll trouble the New X Society to arrange it for me." Jiang Xian took a sip of water to moisten his throat. He was also a little surprised. "This is the first time I attend such an event in the city."

“This is the treatment that ‘Long Live Understanding’ deserves.”

Ren Weidong said, "I have also read the novel "The Wreath". The report "Long Live Understanding" is the same as "The Wreath Under the Mountain". It has unique authenticity and can arouse empathy among the general public.

I believe that after the report is launched, 'Long Live Understanding' will become a new cultural phenomenon, a reflection of the spirit of the times."

After just a few words, Jiang Xian and Ren Weidong reached a consensus.

Ren Weidong asked Jiang Xian some more questions about his life in the south, and finally asked him for a copy of the manuscript of "Long Live Understanding".

He has great power, but this matter cannot be decided in just a few words. Ren Weidong has to go back to the company to make sure that this report can be carried out smoothly in the city.

After the three people from the New X Society said goodbye, Zhu Lin's eyes widened and her tone was quite incredulous.

"Jiang Xian, they came to ask you for 'Long Live Understanding'?"

Jiang Xian nodded. "'Long Live Understanding' doesn't have many words, so I guess it won't pay much if it's published, but I didn't intend to make money from it."

Zhu Lin rolled her eyes. This wasn't the point.

"They want you to give a report in the city?"

"This is too big a scene."

Zhu Lin couldn't even imagine what a huge fame and fortune this would be.

Even her father, a professor, seemed to have never had such an opportunity to give lectures and reports to the people in the city.

I didn’t expect that Jiang Xian, at such a young age, has already left her father far behind.

"I am a model worker after all, so I am qualified to do this." Jiang Xian said with a chuckle. "Virtue."

His Majesty spoke to him with a hint of mockery, but his almond-shaped eyes were full of pride.

"When the time comes, I'll ask my parents and Honghong to go and support you."

Jiang Xian smiled and put his arm around her waist. "Don't think like that. This is a report, not a movie release. Why should we support it or not?"

"Then your family will have to support you." Zhu Lin said in a soft voice.

After saying that, she felt Jiang Xian's big hands becoming unruly, so she gently pushed him away.

"What time is it?"

"Why don't you tell me how strong the information you just gave me is?"

"What are you talking about?"

The couple soon fell into a passionate relationship.

Jiang Xian discovered that Zhu Lin was the type of person who usually looked clean and tidy, but could exude her inherent gentleness at critical moments.

Isn't this the fulfillment of the identity of an empress? She is dignified at ordinary times, but inexpressibly tender at critical moments.

After all, Director Yang Jie is really good at judging people.

The next day, Jiang Xian took some free time to go to No. 2 Shatan North Street, entered the earthquake shelter, and found the area where the editorial office of People's Literature was located.

Just as I walked over, I heard several editors gathered together to discuss something.

"Look at this part before Dai Fenglian died. Her blood dyed her son's hands red, then green, and her own chest green, then red. This is a very good metaphor."

"Red blood, green blood, how do you say that?"

"You have to think about it. Where did Dai Fenglian die? She died in a sorghum field. The sorghum is red, and the leaves and branches of the sorghum are green. Jiang Xian wanted to write about it. Although Dai Fenglian died, she became one with the land. Her anti-Japanese spirit will never be extinguished in Gaomi."

"It makes sense! It makes sense!"

"It's still more interesting to read Jiang Xian's novels. The more you dig into these obscure parts, the more interesting they become."

Jiang Xian heard that these editors were discussing the content of "Red Sorghum".

He was not surprised that Red Sorghum was circulated among editors in the editorial department of People's Literature.

After listening to the metaphorical analysis of Dai Fenglian's death, Jiang Xian quietly walked in without saying a word, fearing that someone would point at him and ask, "What do you know about Red Sorghum?"

"Teacher Wang Fu!" He walked to Wang Fu's desk.

Wang Fu was holding a manuscript. When he heard the noise, he looked up and a look of surprise instantly appeared on his face.

"Jiang Xian, you're back from the South?!"

"It's been a while since I came back."

"It's been a while? Then why don't you come and take a look at your manuscript."

"I was busy giving a report at Yan University and had no time to come."

Jiang Xian smiled and said, "Besides, how could People's Literature lose my manuscript? I'm relieved to give it to you."

"You." Wang Fu smiled helplessly.

She was very clear that, to be honest, Jiang Xian was quite close to their People's Literature.

But looking at the literary world, there seem to be few literary journals that are not close to Jiang Xian.

She picked up the kettle and poured a cup of hot water for Jiang Xian.

Jiang Xian thanked him and then asked Wang Fu about the current situation of Red Sorghum.

"That's what I was going to tell you."

Wang Fu took out a manuscript from the drawer, which was Jiang Xian's manuscript of "Red Sorghum".

"Teacher Cui and I were originally planning to publish your manuscript in the May issue, and it was all finalized, but in the end, Mr. Guang said no, and insisted on organizing a few seminars for your manuscript before publication."

"Symposium?" Jiang Xian put down his water glass.

It is often the case that some articles are dangerous and controversial, so it is necessary to organize a symposium to listen to opinions from all sides before publication.

Guang Weiran wanted to organize a symposium before the publication of Red Sorghum. Jiang Xian couldn't help but speculate that Guang Weiran might feel that the novel Red Sorghum was rather dangerous, so he made such a plan.

"Don't think too much."

Wang Fu saw through his thoughts and said, "You also know that the 'root-seeking' you have advocated is becoming increasingly popular in the literary world, and your article is a very representative work of root-seeking literature.

However, readers did not know much about root-seeking literature before and had not read many works of this kind. I was afraid that if I published it directly, readers would not understand it and this would bury my work. That is why I planned to organize several seminars for Red Sorghum before publishing it.

"So that's how it is." Jiang Xian felt warm in his heart when he knew the truth behind it.

He still looked down upon the editors of that era. The literary boom in the early 80s was certainly due to the revival of a large number of authors, but it was also inseparable from this group of meticulous and daring literary editors.

Guang Weiran's concerns were very prescient.

The novel "Red Sorghum" was created in the middle or even the late period when the "root-seeking literature" trend broke out. At that time, the "root-seeking literature" in the literary world had already flourished. Such a novel with a strong "root-seeking" color, once published, quickly caused a sensation in the literary world.

But if we look at the novel without considering the background, we will find that it is mixed with too many stream-of-consciousness and magical realism descriptions, and the novel keeps jumping around in time. At first glance, it is indeed obscure and difficult to understand, and it is difficult to react to what the story is about at first glance.

How obscure is it?

In another time and space, when Zhang Yimou and Mo Yan proposed to film this novel, Mo Yan was dumbfounded.

He had no idea how Zhang Yimou would film his novel.

However, later facts proved that Zhang Yimou was indeed good at it.

Gong Li's healthy and handsome face like a red apple, the red veil and red sedan chair used by the bride, the red sorghum at the place of wild sex, the newly brewed Shibalihong, and the red color that permeated the sky and the earth after the total solar eclipse.
Looking back now, the quality of this movie is quite good.

When the movie was first made, Chen Ai Ge was preparing to represent China at the Berlin International Film Festival with "The King of Children".

For some unknown reason, Chen Ai Ge suddenly gave up Berlin and took the film to the Cannes Film Festival in France.

"Red Sorghum" temporarily replaced the other team under such circumstances.

No one expected that the final result would be:
"The King of Children" was rated as the "worst film" in Cannes that year, while "Red Sorghum" unexpectedly won the Golden Bear in Berlin.

(End of this chapter)