My era, 1979!

Chapter 107: Discussion on Misty Poetry (5.5k)

"No, you can't do it either!"

"why!"

"There's no reason why, just listen to your brother, you can't go wrong."

Xu Chengjun glared and puffed out his cheeks.

Gu Cheng is actually a writer from Shanghai who works in Beijing, so he shouldn't have come to participate in this youth creative conference organized by the Anhui Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

But there are always exceptions. His work was selected as one of the "Top 30 New Talents," making him an unofficial member of the conference.

But honestly.

Even if they meet Gu Cheng, Xu Xiaomei must keep her distance.

Gu Cheng, like Hai Zi, is a key figure in the argument that poets are inevitably tragic.

Hai Zi could not accept that "poetry is no longer important," and Gu Cheng could not accept that "worldly rules have invaded his fairy tales."

The final outcome was equally regrettable.

But compared to Hai Zi's self-destruction after his spiritual world was completely burned out.

Gu Cheng takes his lover and wife to Waiheke Island hoping to live a happy "three-person world," but lacks basic survival skills and relies on his wife's part-time jobs and writing to make ends meet. He also wants to exert psychological control over his family.

Ultimately, his lover left and his wife filed for divorce, shattering his fairytale illusions.

Unable to accept the reality that he could not control the relationship, he killed his wife with an axe and then committed suicide in 1993.

This is a bit...
Xu Chengjun: A complete madman.
But this guy is still awesome.

In the 1980s, it was possible for three people to travel to New Zealand together.

Her charm is undeniable.

Even more impressively, he co-authored his only full-length novel, "Ying'er," with his wife.

Where is the cow?

About a third of the book is devoted to his unrestricted emotional exchange and uninhibited expression of desire with Ying'er.

Ying'er was his lover.
In 1979, he was still not married.

Therefore, we must guard against fire, theft, and Gu Cheng.

But things don't always go as planned; you might see someone you don't want to see.

When Xu Chengjun entered room 204 of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles Guesthouse.

A scent mixed with the smell of ink and old newspapers wafted over.

The room was small, with two iron-framed beds against the wall and a chipped wooden table squeezed in between. Several copies of "Poetry Journal" were spread out on the table, and there was half a cup of cold water left in the enamel cup, with tea stains on the rim.

Two young people in their twenties were chatting happily; they looked somewhat familiar.

It looks familiar, oh no!
"Is this Comrade Xu Chengjun?"

The young man near the door was the first to stand up. He wasn't very tall and was wearing a blue cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

With a hearty smile on his face, Xu Chengjun noticed that there was still some undried ink on his hand when he reached out. "I'm Liang Xiaobin, a poet. I share a room with you. I heard from Teacher Su yesterday that you were arriving today, so I waited a little longer."

Xu Chengjun grasped his hand; it felt rough yet strong, more like someone who frequently wielded farm tools than someone who wrote poetry.

"Brother Liang, hello! I am Xu Chengjun, and this is my younger sister, Xu Xiaomei. I've long admired your name; it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Liang Xiaobin, a poet, is also a key figure in the collection of poems by the thirty emerging writers. Unlike Gu Cheng, he, like Xu Chengjun, is a young representative of the contemporary Anhui literary scene.

He is also considered one of the core representatives of the Misty Poetry School, alongside Bei Dao, Shu Ting, and Gu Cheng.

His representative work, "China, I've Lost My Key," uses the image of a "key" to metaphorically represent the spiritual predicament and self-discovery of a generation during a special historical period. It was selected for "A Century of Chinese Literary Classics" and included in high school Chinese textbooks.

Another poem, "The Snow-White Wall," depicts a yearning for peace and hope with pure strokes and won the National Young and Middle-aged Poets' Outstanding New Poem Award in 1982.

Currently, he is still a worker at the Hefei Pharmaceutical Factory.

In his previous life, this guy was known to have been hospitalized for a cerebral infarction in 2013. Due to the lack of a fixed income and medical insurance, he faced high medical expenses, which attracted widespread attention in the literary world. People from all walks of life spontaneously raised more than 95 yuan, and he eventually overcame the difficulties.

This has also prompted people to reflect on the existential dilemmas faced by contemporary poets in modern society.

Just as Xu Chengjun opened his mouth, he saw the person sitting on the other edge of the bed slowly raise his head.

In August, the person was wearing a light gray woolen hat, the brim pulled down slightly, covering half of one eye and only revealing a soft-featured chin.

He was wearing a beige knitted sweater with frayed cuffs, holding a pen in his hand, his eyes fixed on the magazine on the table, as if he hadn't heard the noise at the door.

"This is Gu Cheng,"

Liang Xiaobin introduced with a smile, reaching out to pat the man on the shoulder, "You must have read his 'A Generation,' 'The night gave me black eyes,' now everyone in the literary and artistic circles is talking about this line."

Gu Cheng then looked up at Xu Chengjun, his gaze clear but somewhat distant.

He didn't get up, but simply nodded slightly, his voice soft and gentle: "Xu Chengjun? 'Walking Towards the Light' is... quite interesting."

Xu Chengjun's lips twitched at this behavior.

In the literary world, everyone exchanges compliments when they meet, but you're doing this to me?

Xu Xiaomei followed behind Xu Chengjun. As soon as she heard the name "Gu Cheng", her eyes lit up. She secretly tugged at Xu Chengjun's clothes and mouthed "I want an autograph".

Xu Chengjun subtly nudged her arm, signaling her not to rush.

Then he turned to Liang Xiaobin and smiled, “I’ve heard about your book, ‘China, I’ve Lost My Key,’ before. When I read it last year, I felt a tightness in my chest, but also a sense of relief. That’s what it means to write about the spirit of our generation.”

"Hey, just writing nonsense!"

Liang Xiaobin waved his hand and moved the chair in front of the wooden table closer to Xu Chengjun. "My poems are just a way of pouring out the muddled thoughts in my heart. Only great writers like you can establish yourselves by writing books and making your work stand out."

Xu Chengjun waved his hand dismissively.

"Right now, your novel 'The Fitting Mirror' is the most popular in the literary world!"

Fire is controversial.
Xu Chengjun was about to reply.

Suddenly, Gu Cheng stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the sycamore trees.

He had his back to everyone, his shoulders slightly tense, as if he was pondering something, or perhaps avoiding conversation.

Xu Xiaomei stared curiously at his back and whispered to Xu Chengjun, "Brother, does he not like to talk?"

Without deliberately lowering his voice, Gu Cheng's shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly.

Liang Xiaobin quickly smoothed things over: "That's just how Gu Cheng is. His mind is always full of poetry. You have to wait for him to 'wake up' before you can talk to him. Last time we were talking about 'imagery,' he stared at the sparrows outside the window for half an hour, and suddenly blurted out, 'They are the punctuation marks of the sky.' Isn't that amazing?"

It is generally accepted that some poets possess qualities of high empathy and high perception.

They can capture emotional details that ordinary people overlook, but this trait also makes them feel "pain" more intensely.

To put it simply, he's more insane than a normal person.

Xu Chengjun smiled as he followed the conversation.

He didn't initiate any further conversation, but instead placed Xu Xiaomei's cloth bag on the empty bed: "Xiaomei, sit down for a while. I'll chat with Brother Liang and Gu Cheng about the Youth Entrepreneurship Association for a bit, and then I'll take you out for dinner later."

Xiaomei nodded obediently.

He secretly slipped the notebook he was holding back into his bag.

Liang Xiaobin saw through her thoughts and called out to Gu Cheng with a smile, "Gu Cheng, won't you give me an autograph?"

"Brother Gu is thinking about it. Maybe we should just forget about signing it," Xu Chengjun waved his hand.

Gu Cheng then slowly turned around, paused for a moment, and then slowly walked over.

He asked Xu Xiaomei for a notebook, without asking her name, and just started writing with his head down, his pen moving very lightly.

After finishing writing, he handed the notebook back to Xiaomei and then retreated to the window.

Xiaomei opened it and saw the words, "The night gave me black eyes, but I use them to seek the light—Gu Cheng," written in slender handwriting with a touch of free-flowing energy.

Regardless of his personality, his behavior certainly attracts artsy young men and women.

Just as she was about to thank him, Xu Chengjun handed her a glass of warm water: "Drink some water first, don't just focus on the autographs."

Xu Chengjun gave him a look, and Xu Xiaomei obediently sat down to the side.

Xu Xiaomei was puzzled. These intellectuals were really strange. Her brother was much more normal!
Seeing this, Liang Xiaobin laughed heartily: "Chengjun, you're even more thoughtful than my mother as my older brother. By the way, there's a small gathering at the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles tonight. Teacher Su said to let a few of us young people chat first, you have to go!"

Xu Chengjun shook his head.

"Let's forget about it for today. Brother Liang, please apologize to everyone on my behalf. I'll treat you all to a meal later to make amends."

He pointed at Xu Xiaomei and smiled apologetically: "I have to take a little burden with me and find her a place to stay. Besides, it's her first time in Hefei, so I'll take her for a walk around."

Liang Xiaobin felt a little regretful, but he could understand. He glanced at Gu Cheng and sighed.

In 1979, the Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles' guesthouse was not open to the public.

In the early 1980s, with the implementation of the fiscal contracting system and the development of the tourism industry, guesthouses generally began to open to the public.

As non-core government reception units, the provincial literary and art federations' guesthouses underwent a more comprehensive market-oriented transformation later, mostly gradually after the 1990s.

Therefore, Xu Chengjun had to trouble Su Zhongsu again to help Xu Xiaomei check in.

Just pay the normal price! But it's an insider price~
When Su Zhong heard Xu Chengjun say he wouldn't be attending the evening gathering, he wasn't surprised. The guy had told them before: "I don't reject circles, but I don't mingle in them either."

Of course, the sycophant couldn't resist adding a flattering remark: "Working under a senior like Teacher Su, you're bound to get ahead! Oh, no, I mean you'll have to learn from and consult with her!"

Su Zhong: "Get out!"

Xu Chengjun received his supplies as a participating writer at the front desk.

Participant certificates, pre-printed seminar "theme outlines," compilations of works by participating writers, and relevant policy documents, including the latest guiding opinions on the contemporary "let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend" policy.

In addition, there was a 32mo softcover notebook printed with the name of the Anhui Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and a fountain pen, for writers to record the content of the discussions.

Looking at the notebook, Xu Chengjun chuckled; a sense of modernity suddenly washed over him.

Xu Xiaomei found it fascinating and her eyes lit up as she flipped through Xu Chengjun's materials.

In those days, being a writer was a very respectable profession. Due to the underdeveloped state of entertainment, reading newspapers and magazines became a way for ordinary people to relax and have fun. Some writers with well-known works were admired by people of this era, just like celebrities in later generations.

Xu Xiaomei is well-educated and loves literature, so it's hard for her not to be influenced.

Of course, this girl's favorite thing is fashion design.

I just learned from Liang Xiaobin that the theme of this Youth Creative Conference is "Short Story and Poetry Creation," and the conference will last for 5 days, which can also be considered a week.

These are all areas where Xu Chengjun has produced a relatively large body of work and has a certain influence.

As a native of Anhui, Liang Xiaobin paid close attention to this youth entrepreneurship conference.

I also explained to Xu Chengjun that the core goal of this Anhui Youth Innovation Conference is to unify thinking, explore creative directions, and promote the revival of local literature, which is closely related to the grand theme of the current literary world.

It also serves as a prelude to ideological propaganda for the Fourth National Congress of Literary and Art Workers in October.

Xu Chengjun didn't find it strange.

The literary world in 1979 was in such a peculiar and strange state.

The core themes it focuses on are how to review the trauma of the past, how to explore literary paths after the liberation of thought, the emergence of scar literature, the rise of reflective novels, the eager absorption of Western modern literature represented by stream of consciousness and existentialism, the emergence of the Misty Poetry School represented by the avant-garde poetry trend ignited by the magazine "Today", the collective appeal for enlightenment and humanism, and the exploration of "the theory of creative subjectivity" in the theoretical field.

In short, literature at this time was a confused experimental field: the sharp pain of the wounds, the rebellion of the Misty Poetry, the impact of Western learning and the struggle to break free from instrumentalism, and the search for new expressions were all intertwined, and a trend of transformation towards serious literature that deeply reflects on history and explores human nature was quietly emerging.

At this youth entrepreneurship conference, it is difficult for anyone, any writer, to escape the issues of our time.

Apart from Xu Chengjun.

night.

Xu Chengjun brought Xu Xiaomei, who was like a "curious baby," to Changjiang Middle Road, where they visited the Hefei Department Store and the Changjiang Hotel.

The Yangtze River Hotel, which opened in 1956, was Hefei's first hotel catering to foreign guests. Its ground-floor shops sold rare imported candies, cigarettes, and other goods. Although the hotel was mainly frequented by foreign guests, ordinary citizens could admire the items from the shop windows.

Soviet-made "Red Star" brand fruit candies and Hungarian "Bull" brand Eastern European milk candies are the most representative imported candies in stores.

When it was time to eat, Xu Xiaomei, who was reluctant to leave, arrived at Luzhou Roast Duck Restaurant at No. 70 Changjiang Road.

We had a good meal~
作为合肥最负盛名的国营餐馆，主营庐阳汤包（0.3元/笼+ 1两粮票）和鸭油烧饼（0.05元/个），晚间营业至 19:00。

Customers need to queue at the window to buy tickets, and then use the tickets to collect their food.

Xu Chengjun ordered a serving of salted duck for 0.8 yuan per jin and a basket of soup dumplings. The brother and sister ate until they were full.

Xu Xiaomei's mouth never closed all night.

"I need to study hard and get into university. Next year, when I do, I'll bring my parents here to eat!"

"You go ahead and eat. If they want to eat, I'll bring some with me!"

"That's different!"

Xu Xiaomei's initial excitement was dampened by Xu Chengjun.

"It's all the same, I'm your brother~"

That evening, Xu Chengjun took Xu Xiaomei to room 402, where she shared a room with Zuo Feng, a young female writer who was also attending the Youth Innovation Conference.

Seeing Xu Xiaomei's cheerful appearance, Xu Chengjun was still very worried.

"Alright, alright, bro! I'm not a child anymore!"

Xu Chengjun: "Be careful, call me if you need anything."

Zuo Feng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Comrade Chengjun, don't worry, I will help take care of Xiaomei."

"Besides, you're the most famous young writer here this time. Everyone will think highly of you, my little sister. Don't worry."

Xu Chengjun shrugged and went back to his room helplessly.

Liang Xiaobin had just returned, his face flushed and his speech slightly slurred, probably from drinking quite a bit. He was even more excited to see Xu Chengjun than he had been that afternoon.

"Comrade Chengjun, I was so surprised to hear from Professor Su tonight that you are a graduate student at Fudan University!"

He wasn't the only one surprised; the young writers who attended the gathering, including Gu Cheng and Liang Xiaobin, were indeed not particularly academically accomplished.

Only a few people, such as Ji Yu, graduated from Anhui University.

The others were either educated youth sent to the countryside or workers like Liang Xiaobin.

Xu Chengjun replied with a smile, "I caught the opportunity of the times and skipped undergraduate studies to go straight to graduate school. It was also a stroke of luck."

Liang Xiaobin scratched his head, feeling that this person's words were strange.

However, this did not affect anything; Liang Xiaobin and Xu Chengjun engaged in a passionate and lively conversation throughout the evening.

Liang Xiaobin was an enthusiastic person by nature, and he was further emboldened by the alcohol.

Xu Chengjun is a shrewd and worldly person, and he has a good impression of Liang Xiaobin, after all, Gu Chengzhu is a good example.

They had a very pleasant conversation.

The two talked about everything from poetry writing to the development of literature and then to the current state of society.

Liang Xiaobin has benefited greatly, especially from his understanding of the current state and future impact of state-owned enterprise reform.

Although Xu Chengjun may not be familiar with the details, he has a very broad perspective and some of his views are insightful and far-sighted.

Liang Xiaobin initially thought that this young man, who was younger than himself, only had some creative talent, but the more they talked, the more he felt that Xu Chengjun was unfathomable.

When discussing the development of Misty Poetry, Liang Xiaobin believes that Misty Poetry is avant-garde and will continue to exist in the current literary world for a long time.

Xu Chengjun, however, offered a different perspective, which was a revelation to Liang Xiaobin.

Xu Chengjun: "The vitality of literature lies in innovation, and the essence of innovation is often a reaction against the previous school. Misty Poetry itself is a reaction against the political lyric poetry. Similarly, it will inevitably be regarded by younger poets as a tradition that needs to be broken through."

Liang Xiaobin sensed the deeper meaning in Xu Chengjun's words and immediately asked, "Do you think there are flaws in Misty Poetry?"

Xu Chengjun shook his head: "Although Misty Poetry has broken the collective discourse, it has not yet broken away from the elitist poetic tradition: it still pursues the refinement of imagery and the profundity of emotion, and even falls into the trap of obscurity due to over-reliance on symbolism and metaphor. In the next few years, many poets will be obscure for the sake of being obscure, causing poetry to become a mere accumulation of imagery and lose its readability."

However, in the early 80s, the obscurity of Misty Poetry was not a disadvantage, but rather an advantage.

Readers are willing to spend time interpreting the ideas behind the imagery because this interpretation itself is a form of intellectual engagement and a confirmation of self-awakening.

At this point, the relationship between the reader and the poem is one of "collusion," working together to express the emotions of the times.

However, in the long run, this reading model that relies on interpretation is unsustainable.

On the one hand, with the popularization of education and the explosion of information, readers' aesthetic tastes have gradually become more diversified. On the other hand, and more importantly, the personalization of Misty Poetry has always remained at the level of elitist individuals.

Its "self" is a greater self that reflects on history and pursues ideals, rather than the ordinary, everyday self of ordinary people.

Liang Xiaobin asked thoughtfully, "Do you think literature will develop towards popularization?"

Xu Chengjun still shook his head: "Judging from the situation in the past two years, literature has not obviously developed towards popularization, but has shown a diversified development trend. There is an elitist tendency to pursue intellectual depth and artistic innovation, as well as some literary attempts with popular elements, but popularization is not the mainstream trend."

Then he paused for a moment and smiled: "As for future development, Brother Liang, why don't you look forward to it? This is what my Youth Entrepreneurship Association wants to talk to everyone about."

Liang Xiaobin was momentarily speechless.

It's as if I'm seeing the faces of some well-known "exposed chapter dogs" on a certain platform.

However, Xu Chengjun's hook was indeed well laid; at least Liang Xiaobin was hooked and was already looking forward to Xu Chengjun's speech at the conference.

"Chengjun, what kind of subject matter are you working on lately?"

"A full-length novel with a military theme."

A novel?

Liang Xiaobin was taken aback, knowing that there is a hierarchy of disdain in traditional literary creation.

Without a doubt, the novel occupies the very top of the hierarchy of tastes.

It's hard to call any established writer an expert in their field if they don't have a representative full-length novel.

So, this bastard started writing novels at the age of 20?

The following day, the youth creative seminar organized by the Anhui Federation of Literary and Art Circles was held as scheduled.

Chen Dengke, vice chairman of the Anhui Provincial Writers Association, was the host for this event.

Xu Chengjun raised an eyebrow. He was an old acquaintance; this was the same big shot who had given the "fitting mirror" a hard boost earlier.

(End of this chapter)