My era, 1979!

Chapter 104 This is the novel I wanted to write (Two chapters combined, 4.2k)

He was naturally showered with compliments.

It was far more intense than the competition in later generations for whose child got into Fudan University.

This essentially reflects the collective mentality of an era.

After the denigration of knowledge, society's desire for "knowledge to change one's destiny" reached its peak.

Being a graduate student not only signifies a bright future for an individual, but also symbolizes the possibility of upward mobility.

In an era of vast urban-rural and occupational disparities, a young person from a small county entering a top university through education was almost akin to "a carp leaping over the dragon gate," bringing hope to countless ordinary families.

Upon seeing this, Xu Chengjun immediately withdrew.

Although Xu Xiaomei's face was flushed with excitement, she saw her second brother slip out the back door and hurriedly followed him.

The elder brother and Xu Zhiguo exchanged a glance, and then, realizing the situation was dire, they made their escape.

The entire family was left with only Empress Dowager Lu inside, who seemed to be floating on air.

The legend of one man "fighting alone" against a group of heroes remains in Guangming Street.

Back then, when Xu Chengjun was admitted to Fudan University's graduate program, Lu Xiulan was incredibly proud.
In this era, the recommendation system has basically been abolished, and the college entrance examination is like crossing a single-plank bridge. Whether it's envy, jealousy, flattery, or parents pushing their children to excel, everyone's mentality is understandable.

After all, the national college entrance examination admission rate in 1979 was about 6.1%.

That year, a total of 468.5 million students took the college entrance examination, and 28.4 were eventually admitted.

This proportion was at a moderate level in the early years after the resumption of the college entrance examination (1977-1980), slightly higher than 4.8% in 1977 and 7% in 1978, but far lower than the admission rate in subsequent years.

It's easy to see everyone's aspiration and approval for their children to go to university.

This reaction is not only a congratulation to individual success, but also a collective yearning of an era for knowledge and the future.

Xu Chengjun, a graduate student from Fudan University, will be a "legend" in the small county of Dongfeng for a long time. His story is told repeatedly, inspiring generations of children in the county: "Study hard, and like Xu Chengjun, leave the county and see a bigger world."

Of course, when the child gets beaten, Xu Chengjun just sneezes a few more times.
-
Back inside, Xu Chengjun took out the 40,000-word novel he had already written.

"Brother, can you take a look at these contents? I need your opinion."

“You write yours, I’m just a soldier, what opinions could I possibly have?” Xu Jianjun shook his head.

"We agreed last time that you would help me check it out."

Xu Chengjun wanted to show his work to Jianjun, but he himself wasn't confident, feeling that something was missing from what he had written.

While writing this novel, he had countless ideas in his mind about the self-defense counterattack against the enemy.

With "Garland at the Foot of the Mountain" as a masterpiece, how can he write a work that is more narrative, literary, and artistic?

It focuses on storytelling, like a modern-day wish-fulfillment novel, depicting Xu Jianjun's personal journey of overcoming adversity.

From this perspective, there is indeed no problem.

He can easily surpass the current trend of "feel-good" novels by simply using some of the logic from later online novels.

A passionate young man participated in the Third Front construction. Unaffected by family factors, he honorably joined the Party through hard work and dedication. After serving for six years, he joined the army and participated in the southern front war. He rose from a private to a deputy company-level platoon leader and was awarded a second-class merit!

How awesome is this era?
To enhance the storytelling, Xu Chengjun also created several key characters, including Huang Siyuan, Xiao Shitou, and Gu Daqiang. Huang Siyuan went missing while trying to save his platoon leader Xu Jianjun; Gu Daqiang, a former veteran who lost a leg while covering his comrades' retreat; and Xiao Shitou, the youngest but most courageous fighter.
Through their blood and tears, the film showcases the brave and fearless character of Chinese soldiers. At the same time, in order to avoid stereotyping and becoming overly idealized, the film also added a love story: the story of Huang Siyuan and his fiancée Lin Chunyan, the girl Xiao Shitou misses in his hometown, and the love story between Gu Daqiang and Li Xiaoman, a member of the cultural troupe, which was inspired by the movie "Youth".

The love story between Huang Siyuan and Lin Chunyan is a typical tragic narrative.

During a visit to his family in 1977, the two got engaged under an old locust tree at the village entrance. Huang Siyuan spent most of his monthly salary on a piece of red silk cloth, saying, "When I come back, I'll use it to wrap a wooden comb." After his sacrifice, among the belongings Lin Chunyan received were her Communist Party membership card, a carpenter's plane, and a half-carved wooden comb. The most touching detail is a sentence in Huang Siyuan's diary: "Chunyan said she wanted to teach the village children to read. I want to build a classroom, with the beams carved with her favorite locust flowers." This unfulfilled promise was echoed in the "Siyuan Primary School" that Lin Chunyan, who remained unmarried for the rest of her life after the war, actually built. The classroom beams are indeed carved with locust flowers, which she carved herself.

Gu Daqiang and Li Xiaoman's love underwent the most brutal test.

After Gu Daqiang was injured, he was sent to a rear hospital. Fearing that it would hinder Li Xiaoman's future, he asked someone to send a message saying, "Forget me." However, Li Xiaoman recognized him during a performance, where he was using crutches on one leg. She burst into tears while singing "Ronghua" on stage, and rushed into his arms after going offstage. The two did not end up together, leaving behind regret.

Xu Jianjun and Zhao Lin's relationship was restrained yet profound.

At the infirmary, while Zhao Lin was treating Xu Jianjun's left shoulder wound, she, despite being shot herself, still remembered to retrieve the enamel mug from her bag and asked, "Is this mug more important than your life?" Xu Jianjun remained silent for a long time before saying, "It contains human lives." During an attack, Zhao Lin was shot while protecting the wounded. While unconscious, she repeatedly murmured, "The red silk wasn't wrapped properly." Xu Jianjun stayed by her bedside and, for the first time, expressed his guilt towards Huang Siyuan to someone he had no relation to.

The novel employs a combination of a "feel-good protagonist," character development of supporting roles, a romance subplot, and non-linear narrative techniques.

The novel already has a story.

The story is there, but what about the literary merit?

How can we write content to make it more meaningful?

Xu Jianjun spent two hours carefully reading the entire article.

"Chengjun, your novel is very well written. It portrays me and Siyuan in a wonderful way, and I can roughly predict what will happen next. There is brotherhood, love, camaraderie, and many human details that I haven't observed."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Although literary works are supposed to be higher than reality, I don't think they're realistic enough. Don't portray me as fearless just because I'm your brother."

Xu Chengjun had barely opened his mouth when Xu Jianjun interrupted him.

"Tell you a story."

"It's about a Vietnamese soldier. After the battle of Lang Son ended this March, we dug him out of the collapsed foxholes while clearing the battlefield. It was just dawn, and the fog hadn't lifted yet. He was curled up in the rubble, his left leg pinned under a precast concrete slab, his trousers soaked black, and he was clutching a cloth bag tightly in his hand. Wang Tieniu shouted 'Don't move!' with his gun raised, but he didn't look up. He just stuffed the cloth bag deeper into his arms."

Xu Chengjun listened intently, while Xu Jianjun looked up at the eaves, lost in thought.

“I moved over and lifted the brim of his hat, and saw that he had high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a fresh scar on his chin. He looked no older than me. Seeing that he didn’t struggle, I asked the medic to treat his leg injury first. He could speak Chinese, but he spoke haltingly with a southern accent. He said, ‘In 1965, a Chinese person also lived in my house.’”

Xu Chengjun understood; this was a veteran who had participated in the 1965 Monkey War.

"Actually, our platoon all knew that the veteran's unit was the one that caused Huang Siyuan's disappearance. The number of missing, wounded, and shot was far more tragic than you can imagine. The soldiers were in a frenzy and wanted to... but the veteran and I stopped them."

"The second time I saw him was when he was being transferred to a centralized resettlement point. It was a very foggy day, and I suddenly remembered the day Siyuan sacrificed his life. It was also foggy then. When he pushed me away, this Vietnamese veteran must have been there too."

"Do you think I should hate him, Cheng Jun?"

Xu Chengjun didn't need to answer; his elder brother clearly had a better answer.

"I hate him! I hate him so much I want to devour him alive! Siyuan, that kidnapper!"

"Actually, I really did have murderous intent."

At this point, Xu Jianjun's face was wet with tears, and he gritted his teeth.

Xu Chengjun didn't know how to comfort him, so he just patted his older brother on the shoulder.

"He saw me and suddenly asked, 'Platoon leader, why? You helped us fight the Americans in 1965, why are you fighting us now?'"

"My comrades around me were all laughing at me, and I was disdainful of them too. I just wanted to live! He was scared!"

"But thinking back on what he said later, was he also confused? Suddenly I didn't hate him as much anymore. He was for his country, and I was for my country. He was confused, but we were not."

"Defending the country is a soldier's duty."

"We are soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, we love our country, and we have the people behind us."

"I have to fight back for Siyuan's share!" After saying that, Xu Jianjun patted Xu Chengjun on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Xu Chengjun was left alone to think quietly.

Yes, he seemed to have found the path for this novel.

He thought of the book he was reading before he traveled through time, Ning Zong's "America Against America".

We have no right to talk about peace, reflection, or anti-war when it comes to war like this.

It is the greatest disrespect to our ancestors.

However, the essence of war can be reflected in novels—

hegemony.

Perhaps his book can be compared with "America Against America" ​​in history.

For whom does the bell toll?

We speak out against the enemies who hinder our country's development and the rejuvenation of our nation.

We speak out for hegemonism, imperialism, and the enemies who humiliate our people.

He added another character to the novel outline and made some artistic modifications.

This underpinned the ambition behind his book.

Vietnamese soldier Nguyen Van Hieu.

He is the "mirror perspective" of the novel.

This soldier from the 304th Division had personally experienced the War of Resistance against France, had a propaganda poster about Sino-Vietnamese friendship hanging in his home, and had witnessed the construction of a cement plant aided by China in 1965. He re-enlisted in 1978, and on the battlefield of Lang Son, he witnessed Huang Siyuan pushing Xu Jianjun away. After being captured, he questioned his guards: "In 1965 you helped us fight against the Americans, why are you pointing your guns at us now?"

The bilingual Chinese and Vietnamese characters he carved on the walls of the prisoner-of-war camp became a silent testament to the absurdity of war.

In 1979, China's number one enemy was Russia, and 80% of China's army was deployed on the northern border.

The 1979 attack on the monkeys stemmed from the monkeys' 1978 invasion of Cambodia. We do not want to see Cambodia swallowed up by the monkeys, who are seen as followers of the Russians.

Our goal is to resolve our security issues in the South.

In essence, we are also a larger piece in the struggle for supremacy among eagles.

The rabbit-monkey conflict lasted for a full decade, from 1979 to 1991.

From our perspective, the final outcome was as follows: the monkeys withdrew from Cambodia, their industrial and economic base in the north was almost destroyed, the Russians' deployment was hindered, the monkeys were unable to carry out normal economic activities for ten years, and the rabbit and eagle entered a ten-year honeymoon period.

In fact, from the 1970s to the 1980s, war was a whole, and it was incorrect to view each war in isolation.

Regional wars are also an outward manifestation of the power struggle between the US and China.

Ordinary people are simply forced to move forward and shout loudly.

To date, they remain immersed in each country's own narrative.

How to solve?

Of course, we should build a community with a shared future for mankind, led by peaceful nations!
Peace is an eternal theme.

You see, I've also reflected on the war and now yearn for peace.

Does that make sense?
This is also the central theme of Xu Chengjun's novel.

Our soldiers will not falter. With the mission of national rejuvenation on their shoulders and the people and brothers behind them, they have defended the dignity of the Chinese nation and our country with their own blood and flesh.

They are heroes.

But Vietnamese soldiers could be confused.

There were no righteous wars in the Spring and Autumn Period; it was the monkeys who were righteous.

The bewilderment of the soldiers reveals the true nature of the war and exposes the suffering inflicted on civilians.

From the perspective of our soldiers, we further deepen the theme that backwardness leads to being bullied, praise the bravery of our soldiers, pay attention to their personal feelings, and do not shy away from exposing some of our own problems.

Xu Chengjun's eyes lit up.

This is exactly what I wanted to write!
These past few days, many interesting things have happened because of Xu Chengjun's graduate school admission notice.

In 1979, in this small county town, most people still had a vague concept of "graduate student".

Undergraduate students are already considered "the cream of the crop," while graduate students are at the very top of the pyramid.

When the news came, the first reaction of the neighbors on Guangming Street was often disbelief: "His son? He's usually so quiet, how could he get into Fudan University? And as a graduate student?"

Some people repeatedly questioned the source of the information, and even went to the school and education bureau to "verify" it, until they saw the admission notice before they dared to believe that this was not a "joke".

"Cheng Junxing! You've made something of yourself!"

“Tell our experience to our kids later, Chengjun.”

"When you go to Shanghai, remember us, your neighbors!"

These past few days, whenever Xu Chengjun's family goes out, they are surrounded by his aunt on the left and his other aunt on the right, asking them questions.

How does your child study? What books do they usually read?

"My child just can't concentrate on studying, and I gave him a good beating yesterday!"

Xu Chengjun expressed his regret for the children of Guangming Street.

But there was nothing I could do to help.

In the close-knit community of a small county town, a neighbor's success can make the whole neighborhood feel proud.

As a result, the neighbors became more friendly.

Some brought vegetables they had grown themselves, or grain coupons they had saved up.
Anyone need help mending luggage?
An elderly person remarked, "This child is destined for great things, and we neighbors are all proud of him."

Some people even boast when chatting with people from other streets or villages: "Our street produced a graduate student from Fudan University!"

Until yet another major event occurred on Guangming Street!

This once again thrust him, a Fudan University graduate student, into the eye of the storm in Dongfeng County.

Upon hearing about the deeds of Xu Chengjun, an outstanding young man, Wu Meifen from the County Education Bureau immediately came to Guangming Street to verify the situation and then reported it to the County Government.

The Xu family was informed that the county government would be holding an awards ceremony.

Lu Xiulan was even more excited, as for Xu Chengjun!
Xu Chengjun: "."

(End of this chapter)