1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 612 Please Answer: 1988
At the end of 1987, "Yellow Story," directed and starring Sylvia Chang, a Golden Horse Award-winning director from the province, was released in the province.

During the post-production phase of the film, the lead singer for the end credits song was left vacant.

A popular singer has given up performing for some reason.

So someone recommended a newcomer.

Sylvia Chang then hoped that this newcomer would compose a song to serve as the end credits song for the film.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, this unknown singer in the province released an album. Someone asked this skinny man who came from a stunt background how many copies of his album he could sell.

The young singer said, at least 300,000 copies.

This remark immediately became the laughing stock of the entire company.

Because at that time, even the best-selling records in the province couldn't sell that many copies.

And then, in early 1988, something happened that prevented the three major provincial television stations—CTV, CTS, and TTV—from promoting the song.

This situation makes the future of this album even more uncertain.

The worst part is that the box office performance of "Yellow Story" was rather dismal after its release.

It seems that none of the conditions are in the newcomer's favor.

What no one expected was that terrible movies often produce amazing songs.

The movie flopped.

However, the movie's end credits song became an overnight sensation, spreading throughout the province.

This led to the album selling like hotcakes as soon as it was released, creating a sensation and even filling the void left by Teresa Teng's retirement.

This album is called "A Game, A Dream".

As for this young singer, his name is Wang Jie.

Just as this singer was gradually coming into the public eye, the province's literary and artistic circles also launched a reading craze for a writer and poet from the mainland.

This writer first gained popularity in the province for his poem, "Before Arrival".

"The journey home is always longer than the journey of getting lost, longer than a lifetime."

"Reunions are always fewer than farewells, only one less."

It was also due to the circumstances at the time that countless compatriots in the province longed to reunite with their families, and their enthusiasm for visiting relatives remained high.

This poem, written by Jiang Xian, a poet from mainland China, quickly became popular after it was introduced to the province. With its unique connotations, it soon became a source of spiritual sustenance for the people of the province.

The well-known provincial literary journal *United Literature* even explored this poem in its latest issue, boldly publishing a commentary entitled "Wandering and Homecoming: A Poem's Cross-Sea Resonance":
A short poem titled "Before Arrival" circulated quietly among intellectuals and ordinary people through copying and reciting by literature enthusiasts, becoming a spiritual maxim that many people silently recite.

How could a short poem from the other side of the strait evoke such a wide resonance in such a short time?

Poet Jiang Xian, with his more concise verses, expressed the collective sentiment of an era.

In this issue, we attempt not only to interpret the exquisite artistry of the poetry, but also to explore the accidental yet inevitable encounter between the text and history.

From a poetic perspective, Jiang Xian's "Before Arrival" is a prime example of "achieving more with less."

In this issue's "Poetry Talk" column, critic Wu Zhiliang points out that the charm of this poem lies first and foremost in the philosophical tension created by its powerful logical paradox.

The “return journey” should be the end of the “lost path”, a definite and predictable path, but the poet asserts that it is “longer than the lost path”, even “longer than a lifetime”.

This is not an extension of physical space, but an infinite extension of psychological time.

It reveals a cruel truth: when we embark on our journey home, what we seek is no longer the geographical origin, but the "past" in time, and the past can never be truly reached.

Similarly, "reunion" and "farewell" are a pair of equal actions, but the poet uses the calm count of "only one less" to point out the absolute asymmetry of the end of life—after the last farewell, there is no possibility of reunion.

In his submission, sociology professor Chen Guangzhong wrote: "'The journey home is always longer than the journey home.' For hundreds of thousands of veterans who long to return home, this line of poetry is the most concise footnote to their nearly forty years of life. Their 'journey home' was a historical accident, while their 'journey home' carries too much trepidation about returning home and the anxiety of things changing. This journey is indeed 'longer than a lifetime.'"

The saying "Reunions are always fewer than farewells, only one less" cruelly foreshadows the fate many will eventually face: when they finally receive their return permit, their parents are no longer alive. That farewell when they left home in their youth truly becomes their last meeting.

Poet Xiang Yang stated at this issue's symposium: "The reason why Jiang Xian's poetry can transcend ideology and become a shared emotional vehicle for both sides of the Taiwan Strait lies in its successful transformation of grand historical narratives into the subtle experiences of individual lives. It does not accuse or sensationalize; it simply calmly states a law about distance and time."

Publishing such an article is undoubtedly very bold.

But it's like they're testing the limits.

Through the efforts of Chen Yingzhen, a well-known literary figure in the province, Jiang Xian's novels, such as "The Drifters" and "The Hunger Games," were introduced to the province and quickly became popular.

People then realized that Jiang Xian was not only a good poet, but also a good writer.

Of course, some people have raised questions and wondered why works by someone like Jiang Xian could be published within the province.

Those involved acted quickly, locating Chen Yingzhen and demanding accountability.

Chen Yingzhen was very tough:

"What's the matter?"

“I wasn’t imported from the mainland.”

"These works were all published in the United States! Americans are reading them, so why can't we?"

Upon hearing this, those involved found it quite reasonable and were at a loss as to how to deal with him. They could only watch as Jiang Xian quickly became a sensation in the province, gaining a large number of fans.

It's Chinese New Year in China right now.

This year is the Year of the Dragon.

CCTV then hosted the Spring Festival Gala, inviting eight hosts—Sun Daolin, Jiang Kun, Hou Yaowen, Wang Gang, Xue Fei, Wei Hua, Ju Ping, and Li Yang—to co-host.

The cast and program list are also quite classic.

Zhao Lirong, who played the Queen of Chechi Kingdom, made her stage debut and collaborated with You Benchang, who played Ji Gong, on a skit called "Emergency Room".

The crosstalk performer Niu Qun performed a crosstalk piece called "Inventing a Pretext".

Dancer Yang Liping made her debut, performing a solo dance titled "Spirit of the Peacock" for the people of the whole country.

Singer Mao Amin also performed, singing "Longing," the theme song for the TV series "Stories from the Editorial Department."

Jiang Xian was not idle.

He was invited to direct the Spring Festival Gala, but he declined.

He declined an offer to be a consultant for the Spring Festival Gala.

Finally, the Spring Festival Gala got desperate and simply sent him an invitation to perform. What should he perform?
Well, since "Journey to the West" became a hit, CCTV organized the actors from "Journey to the West" to go on stage and greet the audience.

Jiang Xian is Tang Sanzang.
Logically speaking, only one actor can appear on stage for each role. Historically, there were three generations of Tang Sanzang, but you will almost never see three Tang Sanzangs appearing together in any program in later generations.

Each time, Tang Sanzang would come on stage, and then the Monkey King and his companions would go over and hold hands, reminiscing about the four of them as master and disciples.

Actually, there were six people in total, but two of them didn't come.

Jiang Xian also had such concerns.

He told people, "If you're going to make a 'Journey to the West' series, then let Liu Xiao Ling Tong, Ma Dehua, Chi Zhongrui, and Yan Huaili do it. I won't go."

They simply didn't agree.

Director Deng Zaijun stated directly, "The national audience may not see the four disciples, but they cannot miss the Emperor and the Queen of the Women's Kingdom!"

It’s hard to refuse such hospitality.

So, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Xian and Zhu Lin went to the large studio of the color TV center.

Live broadcast!
The couple, Jiang Xian, were dressed like Jia Baoyu, not in Tang Sanzang's monk's robe, but as the lover from the Queen's dream of strolling in the garden together. He wore a purple-gold crown, a headband, a light blue long-sleeved dress, a necklace, a long tasseled sash at the waist, and blue boots. He was dashing and handsome.

Zhu Lin's outfit was also the most captivating for the Queen. She wore a headdress adorned with sandalwood and jade, a brocade feather robe, a long, bright pearl belt around her waist, and lotus-patterned shoes. As she walked, her slender waist swayed gently, her steps were light and graceful, and her demeanor was elegant.

The two of them made their appearance in front of the television.

The whole nation was incredibly excited.

This is definitely the most adorable couple of the year!
What's even more exciting is that these two are actually a married couple. Watching Jiang Xian and Zhu Lin, this loving couple on TV, makes the audience smile like doting aunts, eagerly sharing this dose of sweetness.

Zhu Hong stayed in the United States and did not go home for the Chinese New Year. Jiang Xian was worried that Zhu Lin's parents would miss their daughter, so he made several extra trips to his father-in-law and mother-in-law's place.

The elderly couple lived in Zhongguancun. Jiang Xian had acquired many courtyards in the suburbs of Beijing and cleared out one that was close by for them to move into.

However, the standard of living in the suburbs of Beijing is poor, and the standard of living in the courtyard houses is even worse. In winter, Jiang Xian planned to move the old couple to the city to spend the winter. He planned to renovate an apartment for the old couple.

Unfortunately, the buildings of this era are the opposite of those in later generations; they are more valuable than courtyard houses and are extremely rare. Jiang Xian only managed to acquire a house in Tuanjiehu after much difficulty.

After pondering it all winter, the apartment building project still hasn't been finalized.

When Professor Zhu heard Jiang Xian express his guilt with a look of shame, he quickly waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, Jiang Xian. Your mother and I are quite comfortable living here. We know you are a filial son. You are so busy all the time, so don't keep thinking about this."

"Yes."

Dr. Liu quickly added, "Your father and I have nothing to complain about living in this courtyard. Before, the four of us squeezed into such a small room, but now the two of us live in such a big courtyard. You know, your father and I never thought we would have to live like this in our lives."

The couple were very content and kept comforting Jiang Xian, but he clearly wasn't listening to them.

"This year, we will definitely achieve this goal."

Why does Jiang Xian have the confidence to say this?

The main reason is that there's a place in Beijing that's been particularly popular this year.

Fangzhuang.

It is said that the name of this place was given by "Carpenter Liu", a local genius.

Because he was highly respected in the area and was the most educated among the elderly, having completed two years of private school, equivalent to primary school graduation, he was very respected.

Not only Fangzhuang, but even the mysterious name "Puhuangyu" was given by the old man. Without a detailed explanation, no one would know what these three characters mean.
Actually, this was because after liberation, eight units under the jurisdiction of Beijing came to the Puhuangyu area to build dormitories, which were initially called the "Eight Units Dormitory Area".

But the word just felt awkward, so I thought of a more formal name.

Just then, the leader went out to buy something and saw a supply store with the name "Puhuangyu" written on it. He thought it sounded nice and asked who had given it that name.

The leader of this supply cooperative is a big liar. He said that the name was given by Liu the carpenter, a great man in our area. This man knows everything about astronomy and geography, and can predict the past and the future. Before he even returned to the shop, he had already decided on the three-way division of the world into Puhuangyu.

From then on, the place was named Puhuangyu, and Pujiazhuang, Huangtukeng, and Yushuzhuang were the three villages that formed one entity.

Then in the 80s, when the exploration and design department came here, it was carpenter Liu who suggested using Fangjiazhuang as a representative, so it was named Fangzhuang.

There's a rumor that the village was named Fangzhuang because it was the smallest village back then, with only about 10 households.

What does this mean?
They lack power.

By using their names as representatives, other large villages and families stopped competing with each other.

Everyone understands these things in the countryside.

Fangzhuang was later part of the city, and it has long been developed to the point of being fully mature.

But now, or even a few years ago, that area was basically all rural, except for a few small factories, like yarn factories, and the rest was all farmland.

This has one advantage: lower demolition costs.

Everyone knows about the three large slab buildings in front of the gate, so why were they built along the line from Chongwenmen to Xuanwumen?
The reason is simply because the cost is low, and the demolition cost is low.

Because the area along this route was previously a riverbed and unclaimed land, it naturally became construction land after being converted into a culvert, which saved a lot of demolition costs.

In any construction project, the most difficult part is demolition and relocation, regardless of the era or system.

A blank sheet of paper is easier to work with; once the amount of demolition and relocation becomes large, trouble is bound to arise.

Not to mention now, even in ancient China's imperial society, there were many holdouts. Forced demolition was a last resort because it was too costly.

Even people know that the area around Gongzhufen and Wukesong is called "New Beijing", but where did this name come from?
During the Japanese occupation, they treated Beijing as their own and wanted to rebuild it.

However, the cost of demolition and reconstruction in the city center was too high. Even the Japanese, who were notorious for killing people, did not like to cause trouble. That's why a new capital city was planned in western Beijing, in order to save costs.

As a result, Fangzhuang was developed and constructed.

I won't go into the planning level or anything like that.

It is said that the design plan alone took half a year to study, representing the highest level of planning and design in China at that time.

Moreover, this is the first large-scale property management community in the country, and the only large-scale community in Beijing that not only never beat up the homeowners, but was also bullied by them from the very beginning.

Because the homeowners are all too powerful, mostly celebrities, and we can't afford to offend them.

Song Dandan once said that she met Zhang Guoli because she moved to Fangzhuang, since he was her neighbor.

This was definitely the earliest "rich area" in Beijing.

Although Fangzhuang's glory did not last for more than a few years, Jiang Xian still set his sights on it as the first high-end residential area in Beijing to be planned in a key way.

(End of this chapter)