1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 596 Terrifying Situation

"Old Fan, you did a great job!" Shen Changwen was also very excited after reading Bing Xin's preface to "The Little Prince".

"Don't get too excited yet," Fan Yong said mysteriously.

"Oh?"

Shen Changwen still didn't quite understand Fan Yong's meaning.

However, the prefaces sent by Jin Jin and Yan Wenjing soon made him grin from ear to ear.

As one of the founders of Chinese children's literature, Mr. Jin Jin's language is simple and warm. His writing not only praises Jiang Xian's "The Little Prince" but also expresses his love for children and his reflections on society.
"I am deeply honored and a little nervous to be invited by the publisher to write a preface for Mr. Jiang Xian's 'The Little Prince'. Since its publication, this novel has been read by many readers and has opened the hearts of readers of different ages. Now that it is about to be officially published, I would like to talk about why it is worth reading again and again."

Jiang Xian's "The Little Prince" may seem like a fairy tale, but it contains philosophical insights deeper than many grand works. The blond boy from asteroid B612 observes the adult world with his clear eyes: kings, merchants, geographers. They are busy with "important things," but forget why the stars twinkle and why the roses weep. This is Jiang Xian's precious reminder to us: what is truly precious cannot be seen with the eyes, but can only be perceived with the heart.

Mr. Jiang Xian's writing is as light as clouds and as profound as the starry sky. He writes about the Little Prince's conversation with the fox, his parting with the rose, and his longing to find a well in the desert.
These fragments are both allegories and gentle commentaries on human loneliness and love.

In today's increasingly affluent world, such stories are especially precious: they make us pause and ask ourselves whether we, too, have lost the well of our childhood as we grow up.

Chinese children are embracing a wider world. They read science and learn history, and they also need a book like this to nourish their souls. "The Little Prince" teaches people to be sincere and curious, and to understand the responsibility of taming. The fox says, "You have wasted your time on your rose, and that is how she became important." This coincides with the traditions of "benevolence" and "trustworthiness" in our culture.

Adult readers may find themselves reflected in it: have they already become that geographer who 'never asks questions'?

May *The Little Prince* be like a seed, falling into the heart of every reader, and blossoming into a unique rose. —Jin Jin, 1987.

Compared to Jin Jin's gentle writing style, Yan Wenjing places more emphasis on philosophical speculation and the analysis of Jiang Xian's poetic and metaphorical statements.

In his preface, he interprets the essence of "The Little Prince" from both adult and child perspectives, and his writing is equally brilliant:
"I remember when I first read 'The Little Prince,' I suddenly thought of 'The Song of the Stream,' which I wrote more than 30 years ago. The ever-flowing stream and the little prince from outer space in front of me have a wonderful connection. They both question the meaning of life in the purest way."

In this work, Jiang Xian accomplished an extraordinary feat. He sent a child across the stars to Earth, a child who maintained a clear gaze throughout. This clarity, precisely, illuminated many of the self-righteous absurdities of our adult world: adults only interested in numbers, kings chasing authority, and businessmen indulging in possessiveness. This is Jiang Xian's profound allegory for the alienation phenomenon in modern civilization!

In today's era of reform and opening up, I think our youth especially need works that are both imaginative and philosophical.

My favorite part is the dialogue between the Little Prince and the fox about 'taming,' which reveals a simple yet profound truth:

The real value lies in building emotional connections and in investing time and effort.

This aligns with our goal of building socialist spiritual civilization and cultivating a new generation. Modernization is not just about material abundance, but also about spiritual enrichment.

I believe that our readers will gain some insights from this novel. Children will fall in love with this blond little man, while adults will re-examine their own lives and ideals in front of this clear mirror.

As the Little Prince said, "What is essential is invisible to the eye." We should use our hearts to feel those precious sincerity, friendship, responsibility, and dedication.

May every reader reserve a pure place in their heart, where the Little Prince's rose will forever bloom.

—Yan Wenjing, 1987.

With these three prefaces in hand, Shen Changwen couldn't think of any other published work that could surpass the prestige of The Little Prince.

Bing Xin needs no introduction; she was a senior literary giant, a name almost everyone has heard of.

Jin Jin is another of the most important names in the field of children's literature, having devoted almost his entire life to creating children's literature.

Yan Wenjing holds an even higher position in the literary world. He is a senior leader of the China Writers Association and has served as the editor-in-chief of People's Literature, the president of the People's Literature Publishing House, and the editor-in-chief. He is a very important figure in the literary world.

With three people jointly recommending "The Little Prince," Sanlian Bookstore's publishing task this time can be described as incredibly successful, and it also demonstrates sufficient sincerity to Jiang Xian.

Although our Sanlian Bookstore doesn't have the size of Humanities Publishing House or Writers Publishing House, we are certainly no less sincere than them.

Shen Changwen was excitedly saying he wanted to tell Jiang Xian about it, but Fan Yong stopped him and told him to wait.

Shen Changwen was stunned.

Are there any experts?

Just as he was wondering what surprise Fan Yong would prepare for him next, another cartoon arrived at Sanlian Bookstore.

It's Hua Junwu's comic!

The entire painting adopts a style that combines ink wash and light color with cartoon lines, possessing the unique humor and liveliness of Hua Junwu's cartoons.

In the center of the picture is an open hardcover book. The Chinese title of "The Little Prince" is printed on the left page, and the Little Prince in a paper-cut style stands on the right page. He is wearing a cape, holding a rose, and is standing on tiptoe to touch the stars floating above the page.

On the left side of the book stands Jiang Xian, holding a pen and smiling. On the right is a little girl, presumably his daughter, sketching the image of the Little Prince with a paintbrush.

The background outlines the planet B612, and the meteor belt wraps around the spine of the book to form a visual link. What's particularly ingenious is that the rose in the Little Prince's hand extends two vines, which gently wrap around the wrists of the father and daughter, connecting the whole picture together.

In the lower right corner of the image is Hua Junwu's signature and inscription: "Congratulations to Comrade Jiangxian and little Jiang Niannian on the publication of 'The Little Prince'."

"Old Fan, oh Old Fan."

Shen Changwen was so surprised he could hardly speak. "Just how many surprises have you prepared for me?!"

Having worked in publishing for many years, Shen Changwen naturally knew Hua Junwu, a prominent figure in the art and cartoon world. Hua Junwu had personally designed the cover illustration for the inaugural issue of "Children's Literature," making him no less important than Bing Xin, Jin Jin, and Yan Wenjing.

Such a person was invited by Fan Yong to draw this illustration for "The Little Prince"?!
Shen Changwen was finally convinced.

It was due to both Fan Yong's ideas and his network of connections.

Fan Yong's idea was brilliant; finding a veteran in the comic book industry to promote "The Little Prince" has made the book a household name! People will be paying attention to "The Little Prince" not only in literary circles but also in the comic book world.

Shen Changwen also found it unbelievable that Fan Yongneng could approach Hua Junwu. This was the current vice chairman of the China Artists Association, not someone you could just meet whenever you wanted. Moreover, every cartoon by Hua Junwu attracted a large number of readers, so his paintings were not something you could just ask for.

"Why don't we use this painting as the cover? It's much more exquisite than our design," Shen Changwen suggested.

“I had the same idea.” Fan Yong nodded in agreement. “Now I can go and share the good news with Comrade Jiang Xian.”

Shen Changwen said with a smile, "With these three prefaces and this painting, I don't believe Jiang Xian can't feel the sincerity of our Sanlian Bookstore."

"Hey, Lao Shen."

Just as Shen Changwen was becoming impatient, Fan Yong stopped him again, still with a mysterious expression:
"Don't be impatient."

"Don't rush?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Changwen was completely stunned, and his voice rose considerably.

"What? There's more?!"

"."

Seeing that Fan Yong remained silent as if in agreement, Shen Changwen disregarded his status and grabbed Fan Yong's shoulder in a flash.

"Old Fan, who else is there?"

"Don't worry, you'll see it when the time comes."

Fan Yong smiled and kept Shen Changwen in suspense, refusing to reveal the answer until the very last moment.

"Ouch."

Shen Changwen paced anxiously, racking his brains trying to figure out who else Fan Yong might find.
However, the answer was soon revealed.

A woman personally delivered a letter to their Sanlian Bookstore.

This woman introduced herself as Wu Zhen, the eldest granddaughter-in-law and secretary of Mr. Ye Shengtao.

Upon hearing this, Shen Changwen stared blankly at Fan Yong. Seeing the meaningful smile on Fan Yong's face, Shen Changwen had an answer in his mind and couldn't wait to open the letter.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed written by Mr. Ye Shengtao himself. His small characters were elegant and unrestrained, revealing extremely skillful writing techniques and a strong scholarly atmosphere.

Although Mr. Ye once said that he "did not understand calligraphy," this was of course a self-deprecating remark. With Ye Shengtao's comprehensive calligraphy skills and the literary atmosphere that permeates his calligraphy works, he far surpassed many so-called "calligraphers."

Many people have actually seen his calligraphy.

Because the term "Chinese language and literature" was coined by Ye Shengtao, the two characters for "Chinese language and literature" on the textbooks during school years were personally inscribed by Ye Shengtao.

But if you're younger, you probably won't see it. What you'll likely see is Guo Moruo's version, or the work of calligrapher Qi Gong.

Shen Changwen was at a loss for words to describe the shock he felt.

As is widely known, Mr. Ye Shengtao was a famous modern writer, educator, publisher, and social activist.

His other identity is also quite interesting; he is hailed as a "literary talent scout".

Back when he worked as an editor, he was particularly adept at discovering and helping new writers. Among those who became famous writers after being mentored by him were Mao Dun, Ding Ling, and Dai Wangshu.
If we're talking about seniority, then Mr. Ye Shengtao was of a higher generation than the deceased Mao Dun and Ding Ling.

Receiving a preface written by Mr. Ye Shengtao himself is like a dream come true.

Shen Changwen thanked the woman, Wu Zhen, saying that he would definitely visit Mr. Ye Shengtao another day to thank him for writing such a preface.

On the other side, Fan Yong was also eager to quickly read through the preface written by Ye Shengtao.

I was startled when I saw it. I had only expected Mr. Ye Shengtao to write a hundred or two words, but I never expected the old man to write such a long and eloquent piece:

"At the request of the publisher, I wrote a preface for Mr. Jiang Xian's 'The Little Prince'. While reading it, I couldn't help but recall the time forty years ago when I co-translated 'Heart' with Mr. Xia Mianzun. It turned out that we both saw the world through the eyes of children, and both were written so well, touching and moving in every way."

This work, seemingly simple, actually contains profound insights into life. The Little Prince's travels to various planets are like a gentle examination of modern civilization. For example, the king who only obeys orders and the merchant who keeps counting remind us that if we blindly pursue authority and possession, we will lose the true essence of life. This is quite similar to Confucius's teaching of "benevolence is loving others" and Mozi's advocacy of "universal love."

The people of the whole country are currently working towards the Four Modernizations, and it is especially important to cultivate young people with ideals, morality, culture and discipline.

The pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty, and the adherence to responsibility and commitment in "The Little Prince" can serve as a supplementary reading material for moral education of teenagers, in my opinion.

Furthermore, the reminder that one must look carefully to see clearly serves as a warning to adult readers: in the great tide of reform and opening up, we must not slacken in the improvement of spiritual civilization.

May our readers, especially young people, gain inspiration from the story of the Little Prince, not only to see the world with their eyes, but also to feel it with their hearts, and cultivate a noble sentiment of caring for others and nature.

I also believe that Mr. Jiang Xian's work will make a positive contribution to promoting the development of children's literature in my country and enriching the spiritual life of the Chinese people.

Fan Yong read it carefully several times. Mr. Ye Shengtao's writing style is simple and rigorous. As an educator, he never forgets to examine the educational significance of the novel. His writing is simple and sincere.

"Old Fan, oh Old Fan."

Shen Changwen felt utterly shocked and was now completely exhausted. "I need to know, you don't have any other surprises in store for me, do you?"

"Nothing."

Fan Yong gave a wry smile. "With my abilities, this is all I can do."

"You call this 'just'?"

Shen Changwen coughed a few times, "If word gets out about this, I wonder how many people will be envious? Oh dear, even the authors at Sanlian Bookstore might say we're being biased."

"How could it be favoritism?"

Fan Yong said calmly, "If they could write as well as Jiang Xian, we would put together a similar effort for them."

(End of this chapter)