Literary Master 1983

Chapter 191 The Butterfly Effect
"Yu Hua, didn't you write me a letter? We chatted in the letter!"

Yu Hua cried out and hit the roof of the car!
"You still remember me!! I thought you just wrote it casually."

"Of course I remember you. You and I are from the same family. We can't write two 'Yu' characters in one stroke."

Yu Hua grinned and said, "I said in the letter that you have influenced my writing career, which is true! I went to Yangcheng this time just to buy your novels. I heard that Huacheng Publishing House has the complete works of the 'New Reality Trilogy'. I used the company's money to buy it. Our county cultural center also wants to buy three sets!"

It turns out to be my own butterfly effect!

Yu Hua is three years older than Yu Qie, but in the business of novel writing, individual achievement comes first. When Yu Hua was still pulling teeth in a small county, Yu Qie had already blossomed in literary brilliance on the big stage of the capital.

Yu Hua is a representative of the avant-garde. By the way, he never participated in the Hangzhou Conference in history, and avant-garde literature happened to be one of the important topics of the Hangzhou Conference.

What is avant-garde literature?

It is very difficult to explain. In short, this is not a kind of literature that is enjoyable to read. Yu Hua only became famous with it, and his novels such as "Xu Sanguan Selling Blood" and "To Live" are probably not avant-garde literature.

This is a rough diamond, probably the most famous dentist in China.

His literary base was in "Beijing Literature" and Shanghai's "Harvest" magazine, and he never contributed to the "October" magazine.

"Yu Hua, are you going to Yanjing this time?"

"I'm not going to Yanjing. I'm going back to the county."

"Yu Hua, this... is possible."

"what?"

Yu Hua was no fool, he understood immediately, "Oh, I can go to Yanjing, but the train ticket to Yanjing is too expensive, and I can't buy a sleeper ticket from Hangzhou to the capital..."

"That's easy!" Wang Meng said, "I'll help you solve it. You just need to go to the capital. As for what...whatever you heard or saw today, don't tell anyone else."

Still talking about Gong Xue!

Yu Qie had to emphasize again: "I'm telling you the truth. Gong Xue and I are just comrades-in-arms! In fact, I have never contacted her privately. Don't think too much about it."

"Wait!" Wang Meng stretched out her hand. "What is the truth of the matter? It is learned through practice. We can observe the two sisters carefully in the next two days and then we will know what is going on."

"You just observe!" Yu Qi had no choice but to leave it alone.

Wang Meng added: "The tape recorder has two positions, A and B, and the tape also has two sides, A and B. Side A is the song "Sweet Honey", and side B is the song "Message to the Affectionate"... Whether you are a sweet honey or an affectionate person, we will soon see."

Yu Qi was too lazy to pay attention to Wang Meng.

On the other side, the Gong Xue sister was discussing "Writer Yu" whom they hadn't seen for a long time.

The carriage they were in was empty, with only the two sisters in it. They drew the curtains, spoke in a low voice, and just talked.

It was the first time that Gong Ying, the younger sister, saw Yu Qie in person. She commented: "Yu Qie is indeed good-looking and has a very young temperament. No wonder my sister is thinking about him."

"You're talking nonsense again!"

Gong Ying said to herself: "It's just that she is too young!"

Gong Xue's expression immediately became gloomy.

Not only is she older than Yu Che, but her sister is also older than Yu Che, and as far as she knows, Yu Che's girlfriend is quite young. She sighed, "If only I were a few years younger and Yu Che was a few years older, that would be great."

"Then you can't succeed either!" Gong Ying remembered, "Doesn't Yu Qie have a boyfriend? How can he form a revolutionary friendship with you?"

"Yes, there is one! She plays Xue Baochai in the crew of Dream of Red Mansions, and she is also an actor."

"Then she is not as good as you! You are a movie queen, famous and capable. It's a pity for you all!"

"Gong Ying, we are all ordinary people. No one is better than anyone else. He will have plenty of time to develop his relationship in the future." Gong Xue did not agree with her sister's nonsense.

Gong Ying couldn't stand seeing her sister like this. In her opinion, her sister always wanted everything, was indecisive and missed good opportunities.

There are not many people like Yu Qie! Many people can't find him even with a lantern.

Alas, woman!

She came over immediately and came up with a new idea: "If it doesn't work... you can add me, buy one get one free - why are you glaring at me? I'm helping you with ideas, let's work together as sisters!"

Pooh!
bah bah bah!
"If you say those words again, I will tear your mouth apart!" Gong Xue was really angry.

Why are you angry?

A great man once said: Make up your mind, fear no sacrifice, overcome all difficulties, and strive for victory! This is just the beginning, and we must first change our thinking.

So, at 11:30 the next morning, everyone met in the narrow corridor of the sleeper berth, talked for a while, and then went to the dining car. The reason was that the train was about to pass the Yangtze River Bridge, which was a famous sight that must be seen.

The dining car has a good view without any obstructions. You can sit down with a clear conscience by simply buying a pack of melon seeds in a brown paper triangle bag.

"Two bags of melon seeds! Two bottles of Shashi and three bottles of Arctic Ocean." Yu Qie took out the money.

"Hello, one dollar and fifty cents."

The conductor pushed a cart and hawked goods. In the cart were salt-baked peanuts, hawthorn slices, White Rabbit milk candies... as well as Xinfeng navel oranges and Baoding duck pears, which were hung in net bags for sale.

"Another bag of navel oranges, peanuts and toffee."

"One dollar and fifty cents." Yu Qie reached into his pocket again, but Gong Xue stopped him: "Let me do it."

"You pay for it?"

Gong Xue was stunned and asked, "What else?"

Her pretty eyebrows were curved into two parts, with a slightly raised brow and sparkling eyes, like a pond with fine water quality.

The 1980s were great. You could eat some oranges and candies and split the bill.

At noon, the golden waves on the river surface and the steel frame of the Guishan TV Tower complement each other. The red brick houses in the Old Hankou Concession on the opposite bank gradually become shorter, turning into a continuous autumn wheat field on the Hanjiang Plain, with yellow and green mixed with unmelted dewdrops, like an overturned matcha powder can.

The only drawback was that the carriages were filled with smoke, and the earliest smoking ban on trains in China was not implemented until 94. A report by the railway boss himself showed that half of the passengers had smoked on the train.

Gong Ying complained: "This smell of cigarettes is so unpleasant! It stinks and the whole carriage is filled with this smell."

Wang Meng was just about to play a shot, but after hearing this, she quietly put her hands back in her pockets.

Gong Xue held her chin up to her hand and looked at the river. From time to time, she turned her head to look at the three writers and smiled to indicate that she was listening.

Her sister's mind raced wildly, and she suddenly found a common point: "Yu Qie, our homes are both by the Yangtze River. Going down the river from your home, the final destination is Shanghai."

Ah! What a fate.

About 40% of Chinese people live in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It is indeed a fate - nearly half of the people in the country have such a fate with the Gong Xue sisters.

Wang Meng obviously thought of this and couldn't help laughing. "Yu Qie and I talked about his family before. He should be able to buy a house in Shanghai, but I really can't tell whether he is from Beijing or Sichuan."

Gong Xue sighed: "Houses in Shanghai are very expensive. My sister and I still live with our parents. It's so difficult to buy a house."

"Is it difficult? Actors can take on private jobs, so saving up some money shouldn't be difficult."

Gong Ying said: "My sister is shy and embarrassed to do these things... As for me, I am not that famous. Yu Qie, your royalties are so high, when can you buy a house?"

"He has already bought it and the property certificate has been obtained." Wang Meng answered for Yu Qie.

This temporarily killed the game, making Gong Xue and her sister a little embarrassed. Wang Meng went back and closed the curtain, and asked, "Brother Yu, Brother Yu?"

"What's wrong?" Yu Qie said.

"It's not you, it's my other brother Yu."

Yu Hua was overjoyed: "Leader, what do you think?"

"What do you think of Gong Xue?"

"So beautiful." "What about her character?"

"It's good. Although I don't have much money to buy a house, I don't spend other people's money."

"Yeah!" Wang Meng agreed deeply.

Writers and playwrights received extremely high royalties in this era, so they often had to treat the guests by default, but Gong Xue was very clear about the distribution. Considering that the three men had to eat more, Gong Xue and her sister were at a disadvantage.

Although it's only a few cents, it makes people feel comfortable. It shows that they are not people who take advantage of others.

Wang Meng added: "But our main purpose has failed. From my observation, I don't see anything wrong."

"Isn't this good?" Yu Qie said, "I told you, it's just a comradeship, and you always think too much."

"No, I always have a hunch... a writer's hunch..."

In the early morning, the bells rang, accompanied by the creaking of the rails, and time rushed to October 1st.

The National Day this year was a "big national day" because there was a military parade. Train attendants were selling enamel pots that said "Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China". Everyone in the carriage woke up. When the national anthem was played on the carriage loudspeaker and the sound came from the old-fashioned loudspeaker on the luggage rack, many people shed tears of excitement.

The train stopped in Zhengzhou, and the broadcasting studio broadcast a program called "Spring Story".

The train conductor said hoarsely: "Dear passengers, this train will temporarily stop at Zhengzhou Station to make way for the military train carrying parade equipment..." Before he finished speaking, a grass-green missile transport vehicle passed by the train, and overlapping cheers and shutter sounds broke out inside and outside the windows.

It was the first time Yu Qie had seen such a thing: "Is it true? Is there something inside?"

Wang Meng, an old Beijing native, replied: "It's fake! There is no warhead or fuel inside. It's just an empty shell."

Gong Xue and her sister were also leaning over the car window to look, waving to Yu Qie.

It's them again.

"Are these two sisters still awake?" Wang Meng asked.

"Not asleep." Yu Hua also saw Gong Xue waving, and she smiled particularly brightly. Gong Xue was a rare exquisite beauty in this era, with a clear jawline and beautiful teeth, almost without any flaws.

Due to material conditions and cognitive levels, many women have some flaws on their teeth to varying degrees.

Wang Meng saw this and felt puzzled.

How come they came as soon as Yu Qie came out? Their behavior was normal, but there was always something wrong.

He went to Yu Hua to ask for help. "Yu Hua, were you ever chased by someone when you were a kid? Do you know what happened?"

"Of course I've been chased, once or twice." Yu Hua answered honestly.

"What exactly happened? How did you determine it?"

"When I was in school, there was a girl in my class who was not only a student but also a part-time librarian at the school. One day, I received a note saying that she found my book was a little torn, but she still accepted it. The note also said that if there are damaged books next time, she will not accept them anymore."

"and then?"

"Nothing happened afterwards. I just knew that this girl liked me."

Yu Qie and Wang Meng were both stunned.

Is Yu Hua a narcissist? What kind of pursuit is this?

According to what he said, the two sisters of the Gong family must be madly in love.

Yu Hua defended herself by saying, "When I was a kid, the phrase 'I like you' was very implicit. People always used other methods to express their feelings. I thought that was what it meant to like me."

It seems that Yu Hua has a unique insight into feelings.

Wang Meng asked the master of emotions: "Since you are talking about your childhood, then I want to ask you, what methods do adults use to judge?"

"With money. It's too hard to make money. Whoever spends money represents love."

"What about Gong Xue?"

"She spent a good dollar and a half."

Yu Qie was amused and patted Yu Hua on the shoulder: "I didn't expect you to be so optimistic. I'll introduce you to a friend named Shi Tiesheng. You two are both very optimistic about life... I used to think that optimism was a pursuit, but now I know it's a state of mind."

This train will also arrive in Yanjing in the morning.

At 6:30, the train broadcast live the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. This time it was particularly solemn and dignified. The moment the national anthem sounded, everyone who could stand up stood up and faced the red national flag specially prepared inside the train.

Yu Hua said: "I seem to hear the sound of the national flag being raised, the sound of the flag rubbing against the pole, did you hear it?"

Yu Qie shook his head: "I am a wood ear. I heard nothing except the song."

"I can testify!" Wang Meng said, "I am not a mute. I go to concerts once a week, but I didn't hear anything."

At 7:30, the conductor was promoting the National Day Braised Pork, with each person limited to one portion. Many people paid for one portion even though they were about to get off the train.

At half past eight, the train arrived at the outskirts of Yanjing and traveled slowly. The Gong Xue sister met several more writers.

"Yu Qie, please recommend some books to us." This time it was Gong Xue who took the initiative to speak.

"What book do you want to read?"

"Any book will do, as long as it can improve one's literary literacy."

"For overseas readers, you can read 1984, as this year is 1984, and One Hundred Years of Solitude, the translation of which was published by the China Normal University Press. I wrote a preface for the first edition, but I don't know if it's still available... In China, you can read the works of Lu Xun, Ba Lao and others."

"No romance novels?"

"No. It is generally believed that pure romance novels have no literary value and can only be used as reading material for middle school students at best."

Gong Xue suddenly said, "It would be nice if reading novels was simpler... Even though they don't have much value, they are fun to read and you don't have to think about the meaning."

Yu Qie suggested that she look for it in the bookstore herself.

The Gong Xue sisters were invited to attend a seminar organized by Beijing. During the seminar, they could find some novels to kill time. Zhang Li also used this method to kill time when she was in the crew of Dream of Red Mansions.

At ten o'clock, Yu Qie said goodbye to the two sisters. Thanks to Wang Meng, the three of them got on a Toyota Crown and headed to the address of October magazine.

The Crown is a luxury car! The top leader stationed in Hong Kong only has a Toyota Crown.

The car doors were electric, and the windows were lowered by pressing a button. The capital was already in a sea of ​​joy, with National Day signs everywhere. People were holding national flags on the streets, walking in an orderly manner, and college students were holding loudspeakers and shouting:

"Long live the motherland!"

"Long live the great unity of the people of the world!"

Every time they shouted, the people behind them repeated it. They circled the entire inner city of Yanjing, running to express their excitement.

"Drip~"

I rolled up the car window and suddenly I couldn't hear any sound at all.

Yu Qie joked about himself: "At the beginning of the year, I took a three-wheeled taxi. A year later, I upgraded my status and became more well-off."

“You brought it up!” Wang Meng said with a smile, “Whether it’s New Reality, military novels, or the current “Way Out” and “Reunion”… If a writer could be nominated for the short story award multiple times, you would probably get more than half of them!”

"Novel Monthly selectively published your novels for a while, and readers were furious and wrote many letters to criticize the editorial department."

“Why are you scolding the editorial department?”

"Because they only care about killing and not burying. They excerpted a passage from your novel but didn't publish the whole thing. Who can stand that?"

Yu Hua listened quietly, with envy in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)