1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 36: Comments by Literary Masters
The sun was shining brightly outside, but a cold wind was blowing against the windows.

Jiang Xian was still breathing out white air. He rubbed his hands which were frozen from the journey and took out a thick stack of manuscripts from his bag.

There are more than 5 words, more than pages of manuscript paper, cm thick, like two Xianghe meat patties stacked together.

"What subject matter?" Zhang Dening asked curiously.

"Youth novel."

When it comes to the word "youth", I always think of Mr. Li's essay "Youth".

Youth novels are not a very new subject matter. They have been created in China for a long time. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Ye Shengtao published "Ni Huanzhi", after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang Meng published "Long Live Youth" in 57, and Yang Mo published "Song of Youth" in 58.
These novels all have a "passionate" color, interspersed with idealism, heroism and hazy romanticism. They tell of high-spirited fighting spirit and poetic and melodious youthful enthusiasm.

As for "Season of Flowers and Rain", Qiong Yao and Xiao Fuxing's youth trilogy, those were all later events.

"Animals are ferocious." Zhang Dening took a thick stack of manuscripts and asked, "Why did you choose such a strange title?"

Zhang Dening quickly thought of the pigs and dogs in George Orwell's Animal Farm.

There is nothing romantic or beautiful about the title of this book.

How can a youth novel be named like this?

This is like going to Antarctica to watch penguins making snowmen, but ending up going to the African savannah to watch lions chasing wildebeests.

"Any other titles?" she asked.

Jiang Xian thought for a moment and said, "It was also named "Sunny Days", but I don't think it's as profound as "Fierce Animals."

"This one is obviously better, why not use it?" Zhang Dening didn't quite understand.

"It's hard to explain right away." Jiang Xian didn't answer. He looked up at the gold cup clock on the wall of the office. "You can take a look first. We can discuss it later. I'm in a hurry to attend a meeting at the Humanities Society."

Jiang Xian left in a hurry. Many editors of "Beijing Literature and Art" looked at him and nodded in greeting.

"De Ning, did Jiang Xian bring you a manuscript?"

"What did you write?"

"It's so thick! Much thicker than The Chess King!"

Although they were curious, no one scrambled for the manuscript, nor did anyone disturb Zhang Dening while he was reviewing it. Everyone maintained the most basic professional ethics.

Zhang Dening took a sip of water and calmed himself down.

Jiang Xian's handwriting is as neat as ever, and reading his manuscript does not require much effort.

But a novel of more than 50,000 words also takes a long time to read.

When she looked up again, it was almost noon.

The office was empty and Zhang Dening sat in his seat as if all his strength had been drained away.

"Are animals ferocious?"

"Correct."

“That’s what it should be called!”

Only at this moment did Zhang Dening realize the unique artistic conception of the title of the book. She could not think of a more appropriate word than this title.

Although it is not elegant to compare a group of half-grown children to animals, what is the difference between those children in adolescence and a group of animals in the wilderness?

What Zhang Dening didn't know was that Wang Shuo, the original author of "Animal Fierceness", was absolutely a genius at naming. He was the originator of the title party and was very good at using book titles to capture the public's interest. Many of his book titles have even become famous memes: "Playing with Heartbeats", "Die After Having Fun", "Don't Treat Me Like a Human", "I'm Your Dad".
"It's so well written."

She was sour in the morning, but now her face was full of "I am not familiar with "Middle-aged People"".

"De Ning." Li Qingquan knocked on the door lightly, and Zhang Dening came to his senses and raised his head.

"Old Li? Why are you back from Renwen Press?" As the main person in charge of "Beijing Literature and Art", Li Qingquan naturally also attended seminars at Renwen Press these days.

"I heard that Jiang Xian handed you a manuscript?" Li Qingquan walked to the table and glanced at the thick manuscript on the table, "Have you read it?" "I have read it."

"how."

"I haven't had time to write the review yet, but it is definitely a good manuscript that breaks through the 'three highlights' principle popular in Buzz Buzz."

The "three highlights" principle was proposed by F4, namely: among all characters, positive characters should be highlighted; among positive characters, heroic characters should be highlighted; among heroic characters, major heroic characters should be highlighted.

"I'll take it and have a look first, and then I'll ask Yan Ru to conduct a second trial." Li Qingquan made the decision immediately.

According to regulations, he should be responsible for the final review and read the manuscript first, that is, he should review the manuscript bypassing the second review leadership team members.

But this is Li Qingquan's working style. If he values ​​a manuscript or author, he will never wait until the second review is over before reading it.

"Old Li, don't you still have to go back to the meeting?"

"I'll take the manuscript back and read it over there." Li Qingquan didn't even have time to drink a glass of water. He hurriedly packed the manuscript, put it in his bag, and rode his 28-inch bicycle back to Renwen Press.

The afternoon meeting ended quickly.

Li Qingquan did not go to eat. Instead, he sat in the office temporarily arranged by Renwen Publishing House and took out Jiang Xian's manuscript to read.

[I envy those who come from the countryside. In their memories, there is always a hometown that is full of aftertaste. Even though this hometown may actually be a poor, desolate and unpoetic remote place, as long as they are willing, they can indulge in the fantasy that some of the things they have lost are still reliably stored in that unknown hometown, thus self-forgiveness and self-comfort.]
The introduction of the novel quickly caught Li Qingquan's attention and ignited his interest in reading the novel.

Two things happen at the end of the story.

"I" used beast-like violence, and when Milan stopped resisting, "I" was suddenly surrounded by a huge sense of shame and hurriedly fled from Milan's home.

That summer, I went diving in the swimming pool and ran into the comrade I had beaten before. I was kicked into the water again and again and couldn't get out, so I kept drinking water.

[I sobbed and cried, weeping silently in despair as I swam.]
Li Qingquan was immersed in the atmosphere created by Jiang Xian, his heart was in turmoil.

As a middle-aged man, he clearly experienced the sense of reminiscence described in the article.

Those days of free, unbridled, primitive animal-like emotional outburst become tiny sparks in memory.

That young man who dared to think, act and was full of vigor and vitality seems like a lifetime ago.

The tone of the ending is rather gloomy, but that gloom is not a satire on current events; it is because youth is gone and the once fierce hormones have been tempered by the years to become bland and tasteless.

All in all, it is a good work with excellent writing, ideas and story.

At night, Li Qingquan visited Mao Dun, who was staying in the same suite in the guesthouse, as usual.

The writer gave comments on the symposium.

“Our business is developing rapidly, but the translation of foreign literature is still insufficient.”

Li Qingquan could tell there was something else behind the old man's words.

Mr. Mao was clearly lamenting that this generation of writers had a weak foundation in classical Chinese and could not read foreign languages, so what they wrote was far from the depth and breadth expected of modern literature.

"There's a kid named Jiang Xian who writes pretty good stuff."

"What did you write?"

"He wrote 'The Chess King' before, but I only have a copy of his other novella here."

"Take it and let me see it."

Li Qingquan returned to his residence and took out "Animals Are Fierce".

Mao Dun held up his glasses and browsed a few pages before returning the manuscript to Li Qingquan.

“Language has a style of giving and giving.”

(End of this chapter)