Literary Master 1983

Chapter 56 Cold Wave (Part )

Luo Yihenian said: "After you get through it, won't you soar to the sky? When Liu Xinwu wrote scar literature, didn't he also endure for a while before establishing his position?"

"Why was he transferred to People's Literature? Wasn't it because he made the right bet at a critical moment in history?"

"——That's what you said, but times are different now, and... Alas." Huang Xiu Ji and Tang Huan didn't talk any more, but gave Yu Qie, who was much younger than them, an encouraging smile.

How could it be that easy?
A large number of writers have written scar literature. The quantitative change has led to a qualitative change, and a series of excellent works have been born, allowing them to see the support of the masses - what is support? It is the letters like snowflakes flying to the publishing house, eager to see more works.

It was the editors of the publishing house who were bold enough to think that "some articles that could have a social impact could be published."

Even the officials who have been reinstated said that they were reading these "not very presentable but very popular" articles.

Eventually, scar literature alarmed the top brass, who gave it status, and thus a new genre was born. Scar literature writers were rewarded and became the mainstay of the literary world.

Liu Xinwu made the right bet, but those writers who wrote model operas lost. Where did they go?
The two seniors said, "At most you can come to October for an internship in two years. Now you can stay out of the spotlight. You will definitely have a position in either the review group or the novel group. Our salary is very high, 90 yuan a month, and it is said that it will increase by another 5 yuan... Hey, why are you two leaving?"

"Let's go find Editor-in-Chief Wang!"

Wang Shimin has a special office, although it is not very big.

When Yu Qie and Luo Yihe arrived, they were startled by the smell of smoke in the whole room. Luo Yihe asked while coughing, "Editor-in-chief, what are you doing?"

Wang Shimin brushed off the cigarette ash on his body. He was still in the mood to joke: "Yu Qie, they have made a move, where are your moves?"

Yu Qie said honestly: "I still need to think about it."

"That's right," Wang Shimin stood up slowly and paced between Yu Qie and Luo Yihe. "Things should be planned before taking action. I didn't expect that you would encounter such a thing as soon as you came to our October... However, doing big things is never easy. Our October has not made much progress yet and has suffered a lot."

"Last time I told you a story. This time, I'll tell you another story..."

Wang Shimin's eyes seemed to travel through time. He talked about what happened a few years ago:
"October was founded before the reform and opening up, in July 77. At that time, Mr. Qiao had resumed his various duties, but we didn't know what was going on... On July 7, at an international football invitational match at the Workers' Stadium, Mr. Qiao suddenly appeared on the rostrum - did you know? All the audience stopped watching the game. There was a huge silence at first, and then everyone stood up and applauded crazily and shouted... I was there, and I don't know why, but I was also shouting. I have never seen such warm applause in my life..."

Wang Shimin's eyes were shining. He was not looking at the two people in front of him, but seemed to be still recalling that day.

"In August, a symposium was held to focus on science and education. In October, it was decided to resume the college entrance examination. Then I saw the news and decided to start a literary journal with others. At that time, the leader of pure literature journals, Harvest, had not yet resumed publication, so we were the first...

"After we founded the magazine, we didn't know if we would have so many works to publish, so we asked Lao Zhao, who was originally from the Beijing People's Art Theater, to organize some activities to attract young people to write novels. Liu Xinwu was one of them. Shi Tiesheng, whom you know, and your senior brother Chen Jiangong from Yanda, are all here. I know that even though ten years have passed, everyone still secretly loves literature..."

"I asked around for those old writers and heard that they kept releasing news that they were going to 'come back'. I thought, come back, come back, literature needs your remaining light. I also heard that those writers who had been suppressed were still working hard to create novels. In the cowshed and on the farm, they are 'reblooming flowers'. Even they cannot do without literature! Literature will never die."

"After the publication, there were several disturbances. Everyone thought it was over. The two biggest ones were the lack of a publishing number and the requirement that we control ourselves and hold the line - that is, not to publish random novels... Later we won, and everyone thought it was my contribution. The outside world also spread that. I'm telling you quietly today, Yu Qie..." Wang Shimin put out his cigarette and said heavily, "In fact, I never knew whether I could succeed. Do you believe it?"

Yu Qie's mouth was dry and he said, "I believe it."

Wang Shimin smiled and nodded, "I didn't know at all, but I still did it. Do you know why?"

Without waiting for Yu Qie to answer, Wang Shimin said, "Because if you want to do something big, you can never be 80% or 90% sure. If everyone can do it, then it's not a big thing."

"Editor-in-Chief Wang..." Luo Yihe murmured.

A huge anger arose in Yu Qie's chest, and this anger almost made him burn.

I just want to write a novel, and to do my best to help everyone live a smoother life and avoid detours.

Why do I always have to encounter these?

Why is literature so difficult?
Liu Xinwu is not a small cadre who only knows how to use his power to bully others. He is a genuine and capable writer and a literary researcher.

Therefore, after reading "A Moment of Romance", he discovered the shortcomings of the novel: Indeed, in order to attract readers, the novel has some dramatic settings and plots, which themselves come from its original work - necessary commercial elements as a feature film.

However, in the early 1980s, this was somewhat abrupt and strange.

This makes the novel likable, but also reveals its vulnerability: it is fantasy, it is unlikely to happen.

I'm afraid Liu Xinwu was laughing when he wrote this article: When Yu Qie encountered a social event that led to his novel receiving extraordinary popularity, another event was also taking place in the literary and art circles. You would never have thought that I could make such a connection.

Wang Shimin didn't want the two young men to be too anxious, especially Yu Qie. "Yu Qie, you are a writer. Your task is to write novels well. We will handle these off-site matters."

He sighed, "Fantasy literature... Isn't fantasy good? People love fantasy. Why do we have to classify fantasy into valuable and worthless ones? Who doesn't like to daydream?"

"I will attend a high-level symposium soon. I will communicate with Liu Xinwu on behalf of October at that time."

"——Then what should we do?" Luo Yihe asked.

"Writing novels, the job of a writer is to write novels that everyone likes. It's the simplest thing to say, but also the most difficult."

(End of this chapter)