Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 42 A little shock
Alai seemed not to notice Pang Lijuan's expression, and continued to talk to himself: "I also wrote poems at first, and also wrote some short stories. At that time, I had to teach students every day, so I could only write after correcting homework in the evening.

Later, I became a little famous, and the state transferred me to the Grassland magazine under the Cultural Bureau as an editor. To this day, I am still very grateful to the Aba and Sichuan cultural circles for their love and care for me, and for providing me with a good creative environment..."

Yanming and Changtian are writers and poets who can hear the hidden meaning of words. They are also aware of the recent offensive and defensive battles in the media of Zhang Chao, a rising star in the Fuhai literary world. I originally thought that the questioning of Zhang Chao by the Southeast Morning Post was normal media behavior, but combined with Pang Lijuan's attitude today, there may be some personal grudges involved.

The two looked at Pang Lijuan with less friendly eyes. You used a VIP like Alai as a pawn, not only did you end up losing more than you gained, but you also let the VIP see that he was being used as a pawn.

How can these two old men who are about to retire put their faces?
Alai then asked Zhang Chao: "Aren't you from Fuhai City?"

Zhang Chao nodded and replied, "I'm from Changfu County. It's a small county, but it has a history of thousands of years, and has produced many celebrities. The scenery is also very beautiful."

Alai's eyes suddenly lit up: "I came to Fuhai to collect folk songs, why don't you take me to your Changfu?"

Although Zhang Chao was surprised, he said cheerfully, "Okay! When will you come?"

Alai said: "It is better to do it today than to wait for a day."

Pang Lijuan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly became anxious and said hurriedly, "Teacher Alai, you have a symposium this afternoon..."

Yanming and Changtian also advised: "We have many old friends in the Fuhai cultural circle who want to meet you tonight..."

Dissatisfaction with Pang Lijuan was one thing, but if Alai really left with Zhang Chao, it would be shame for the entire Fuhai cultural community. Although Alai was not yet fifty years old, everyone in the circle knew that it was a foregone conclusion that he would take over as chairman of the Sichuan Writers Association in a few years, and it was only a matter of time before he became an influential leader in the National Writers Association.

Fuhai's literary world has been relatively quiet for the past two or three decades. Yanming and Changtian are only well-known writers in the province, lacking national influence and limited ability to promote younger generations. The invitation of Alai this time was proposed by the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers Association, and the Southeast Morning Post was responsible for organizing it through the coordination of the leaders of the cultural department.

This activity is meant to make the younger generation of Fuhai familiar to future bosses. We can't let Zhang Chao take the cake alone.

Although Zhang Chao is also a native of Fuhai, he has never published any articles in Fuhai's local literary magazines, nor has he interacted with local writers in Fuhai; secondly, the things he did seemed to have nothing to do with Fuhai...

Therefore, both Yanming and Changtian had very complicated views on him. They couldn't be distant from him, but they couldn't be too close to him either.

Alai pondered for a while and said, "Okay, I won't go today. But please help me arrange Changfu's itinerary."

Everyone had no choice but to agree.

Alai was in high spirits. He immediately took out a SLR camera from his bag, installed a lens, asked Zhang Chao to stand alone in front of his poem, and took a picture of him.

Then he asked Yanming to take a photo of himself and Zhang Chao.

Finally, he agreed with Zhang Chao that he would be his tour guide when he went to Changfu to collect folk songs, and then he let Zhang Chao leave. It was already past 11 o'clock.

Zhang Chao went downstairs and found Lan Ting and Zhang Ting on the first floor of the Cultural and Art Center, waiting for him anxiously. The other students and teachers should have gone back.

Zhang Chao smiled relaxedly at this moment and said, "I'm sorry to have made you worry. It's okay. Teacher Alai is a very nice person and praised me."

The two of them were relieved at this time. Zhang Ting said, "I just heard Lan Ting's explanation of the situation, and I was afraid that you would be too flamboyant." Zhang Chao said, "Actually, I have to thank Lan Ting. Without her, I would have stood there like a fool, not knowing what to do next. Lan Ting, how did you come up with this idea?"

Lan Ting smiled and said, "After seeing the poem you wrote, I feel that even if I am given another 10 hours, I can't write a better one than yours. In this case, why waste time there? I just didn't expect that everyone thought the same as I did."

The three of them chatted and laughed. Zhang Ting treated the two students to a simple meal, and then they each took the bus back to Changfu. Because they were short on time, they just called home to say they would not be going home this week, and went straight to school.

For the next two days, Zhang Chao was immersed in the finishing work of "Young Babylon".

This is a short novella of more than 3 words, which is 80% shorter than the original work in the original time and space. However, because it is narrated from the perspective of a child who follows Lu Xiaolu around to play and wander, a large number of psychological activities and overly complicated character relationships in the original work can be cut out, and the focus is on the state-owned factories and small towns, their withering in indifference and numbness, Lu Xiaolu's confused, impulsive, decadent state of mind, and his passionate and fragile love with Bai Lan.

The novel is not narrated in a linear way, but in a circular and interlaced form. My memories of playing with Lu Xiaolu; Lu Xiaolu's own past events; the stories I heard about Lu Xiaolu from adults; my fruitless search for Lu Xiaolu and Bai Lan...

The past is intertwined, like a mist covering this story. At the end of the story, the grown-up "I" returns to the closed state-owned factory and the dilapidated small county town, and finds Xiao Puzui, Changtui, and Xiao Li who still live there. Each of them has their own story about Lu Xiaolu's whereabouts... "I" never met Lu Xiaolu again, and never knew what the Bai Lan he mentioned looked like...

These 3 words took more brainpower than the 10 words of "Youth Like You". As a pure literature magazine, "Huacheng" has very high requirements for the quality of text. Although Zhu Yanling helped me "cut in the queue", if the quality of the novel is not up to standard, I will be the one who is let down.

Therefore, as he got closer to the end, Zhang Chao wrote slower and slower. He no longer had the elegance of writing ten thousand words a day, but instead chose every word and sentence carefully.

On Tuesday afternoon, Zhang Chao was still daydreaming in math class, his mind full of how to write a novel, when Gu Yan suddenly appeared at the classroom door and called him out.

Zhang Chao was dragged to the school gate in a daze, and saw a large red banner hanging above the gate, which read:
"Warmly welcome Mao Dun Literature Prize winner Alai to visit Changfu No.3 Middle School for inspection and guidance"

Zhang Chao woke up with a start. He knew Alai was coming, but why was he coming to No. 3 Middle School?

Principal Wu Xingyu was beaming with joy. He came over and patted Zhang Chao on the shoulder and said, "Student Zhang Chao, Alai came to Changfu to collect folk songs and specifically told me that I must let you be the tour guide. Perform well and bring honor to the school!"

After a few minutes, I saw several cars coming from afar and stopping at the gate of No. 3 Middle School.

Alai got off the bus with several county leaders and Pang Lijuan, the editor-in-chief of Southeast Morning News. She was the person in charge of Alai's column. Changfu was the first stop after leaving the city, and no matter how reluctant she was, she had to follow him.

After the greetings, Alai said, "I came to No. 3 Middle School today on my own initiative. I just wanted to see what kind of school has produced a young man like Zhang Chao. Editor-in-Chief Pang, has the poem from that day been published?"

Everyone laughed along, and Wu Xingyu's smile was the most sincere.

Pang Lijuan could only laugh and said, "Um... Zhang Chao wrote a poem the day before yesterday. We published it yesterday morning and the readers responded very enthusiastically. Zhang Chao, if you write good articles in the future, please submit them to us."

She was just being polite, but Zhang Chao said, "Okay. But I've been writing a commissioned article for Huacheng magazine recently, so let's do it later." After saying that, he showed a bright smile.

Pang Lijuan's inner thoughts: Just pretend I didn't say anything...

(End of this chapter)