My era, 1979!

Chapter 164 There is actually only one way

"Chengjun! Look! Someone is secretly saying that our 'Wave' magazine is 'using the name of upholding our roots to actually worship the West,' and they've even brought up your previous talk about Grass!"

Lin Yimin rushed into the literary society office carrying a stack of "Literary Newsletter".

Xu Chengjun had just finished organizing his field trip notes from the Nanjing Military Region when he heard this and reached out to take the publication. He saw the headline: "Beware of the 'Hidden Westernization' in Campus Publications: Starting with the Inaugural Address of a Certain Publication."

The very first sentence is it.

“Some young creators, while shouting ‘preserving local roots,’ frequently quote Western writers’ theories, ostensibly criticizing ‘public intellectuals,’ but in reality replacing local literature with Western discourse.”

These so-called "public intellectuals" are still not up to par!

So they've already shown their heads?
Don't they know that squirrels get beaten up if they show their heads?

In later generations, Xu Chengjun would be praised first, then his words would be taken out of context and he would be labeled as an extreme right-wing figure.

What, you think you're going to do about resisting reform and opening up?

Isn't this blatantly referring to you?

Xu Wei brought over a freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea, and when she saw the words "hidden Western worship" in the article, she angrily slammed the enamel cup onto the table.

"How can these people be so shameless? When you talked about Grass's 'The Tin Drum,' you were saying that 'literature should dare to criticize,' how did that become 'replacing the native with the West'?"

"Shameless?"

Xu Chengjun raised his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "When I criticized those 'spineless sycophants' before, they probably thought I was pretty 'shameless' too."

"How can that be called shameless?"

Xu Wei's face flushed red with anxiety. She stood in front of the table, hands on her hips, her ponytail swaying. "We're speaking from the perspective of national righteousness, we're on the right path of literature! They're deliberately distorting things, how can they be the same?"

Xu Demin, who was sorting through the submissions, pushed up his glasses and whispered, "But according to the article, the author also said that he was 'vigilant against cultural infiltration,' which seems quite patriotic."

"Can that be the same?"

Xu Wei turned and glared at him, her tone even more urgent, "We're talking about 'staying true to our roots and not blindly following others,' while they're 'taking mentioning the West as a sign of worshipping the West.' We're standing on the standard of truth!"

"Then who sets this 'standard of truth'?"

Xu Chengjun put down the publication and glanced at the few silent people in the office.

Lin Yimin clutched the manuscript paper without saying a word, while Xu Demin looked down and picked at the corner of the table, clearly stumped by the question as well.

You're still too inexperienced!

Xu Wei was speechless for a moment: "You... why are you taking their side? Isn't this obvious? Does it mean we have to follow them and treat Western things as gospel to be right?"

Xu Chengjun smiled, got up and walked to the window: "I'm not helping them, I just wanted to tell you something."

This is not a simple literary factional struggle, but a debate in this era about the future path of rabbits.

Some want to crawl on their knees, believing that following the West is the only safe way; some don't want to leave, fearing they'll lose their roots; some want to stand tall, seeking a way out while preserving their roots; and still others want to have it all, wanting to gain attention through Western influence while also profiting from their own local resources.

"so smart?"

He turned around, his gaze falling on everyone's faces: "This is a battle of wits, not a dinner party."

The article equates "quoting Western theories" with "worshiping the West," seemingly referring to "implicit worship of the West," but in reality, it fears that young people will find a path that belongs to our own language.

They either want to drag us back to the old path of 'blind xenophobia', or they want to force us into the trap of 'democracy', but they absolutely don't want us to walk our own path.

The struggle for roads is never a simple matter of inviting someone to dinner.

Instead, it was a bloody struggle and covert battle.

"So what do we do?"

"We can't just stand by and watch them label us as 'pro-Westerners,' can we?"

"Easy to handle."

Xu Chengjun picked up the magazine "The Tide" on the table, turned to the inaugural issue's opening statement, and pointed out the sentence: "Cultural confidence is not populism, institutional confidence is not rigidity." He continued, "Keep publishing, keep writing rabbit stories. They say we 'use the Western discourse system,' but we'll prove that our discourse system has always been rooted in our own land. The struggle for truth isn't about shouting, but about the truth."

Xu Wei stammered, "That's too long!"
"When will we be able to defeat them?!"

"Don't try to get fat in one bite. Our goal is not to win a war of words with them, but to dig out the soil in which they live."

Lin Yimin suddenly laughed: "It's not over yet, comrades, we still need to work hard!"

As for who to defeat...

In fact, public intellectuals in this era include those from the left, center, and right, and represent all kinds of ideologies.

Some people are genuinely reflecting on social problems, but occasionally they say the wrong thing or make extreme statements.

Some people have limited understanding and unrealistic fantasies about the West.

However, the "public intellectuals" that Xu Chengjun was targeting in his inaugural address were never these "unintentional mistakes," but rather those who believed that "foreign things are better"—they did not make occasional errors, but deliberately used false narratives to deceive Chinese people, packaging the West's shortcomings as advantages and distorting China's progress as problems.

In fact, people like Wang, Lang, and Cha, who are often mentioned by later generations, cannot be considered public intellectuals.

However, people like Fang Long and Jiang Gao need no further explanation.

Behind every round moon is actually a form of assistance.

There was actually a clever trick behind Da Su's affair.

Government-funded overseas students + scholarships + internal infiltration.

Among these 10,000 international students, there was one who caused the death of Da Su; that person was Master Ye.

What about us?

They used the same trick.

Fortunately, over the years, Xu Chengjun has come to know that our country's overall strength will continue to grow stronger.

Therefore, many of the "die-hard fans" and "pink nationalists" they talk about genuinely hope to have a good relationship with this country.

Therefore, cultural aggression has never stopped, but we have withstood it, especially our post-90s and post-00s generations. It is the strength of the country and the rise of the nation that have given them the greatest cultural confidence.

Xu Chengjun always knew there was only one way to solve the problem of the moon being round—

To help this country become stronger.
-
The following week.

As the anonymous article in "Literary Newsletter" gained traction, more and more voices with the undertones of "public intellectuals" began to emerge in cultural circles in Shanghai and even across the country.

They openly or covertly targeted "The Wave" and Xu Chengjun.

Their statements, though seemingly different in emphasis, all follow the same logic of "belittling the local and praising the West," launching attacks in a progressive manner.

Some people have been labeled as theoretical speculators.

These kinds of comments often come from so-called "academic public intellectuals" who are accustomed to using obscure theories to package double standards. They appear to be objective and neutral, but in reality, they hide traps.

"Xu Chengjun's approach is, to put it bluntly, theoretical speculation."

The person speaking happened to be an old acquaintance.

Professor Wu Zhengping of Nanjing University.

At this time, he still considered himself an "expert in comparing Chinese and Western cultures," and it just so happened that he came to Shanghai for exchanges and discussions.

one look--

Has Xu Chengjun gotten into trouble again?
How can he feel comfortable if he doesn't get stepped on?
He made this public at an internal symposium of the Shanghai Writers Association.

"Isn't it a contradiction to cite Grass's critical spirit one minute and shout 'preserve local roots' the next?"

True literary research either requires immersing oneself in the essence of Western theories or diligently conducting textual research on local documents. His approach—using Western theories as a "stepping stone," discarding them afterward, and then accusing others of "worshipping the West"—is fundamentally disrespectful to scholarship.” Upon hearing this, Ru Zhijuan slammed her hand on the table: “What nonsense is this!”
Another writer, Liu Cunfa, who published a short article in Literary Review, wrote: "The inaugural issue of The Wave said, 'Kafka's castle cannot contain the rabbit man's longing.' This statement seems to have backbone, but in fact it exposes the narrowness of its theoretical vision."

He hasn't even grasped the core of Kafka's "alienation" yet dares to use Western writers as examples. He's just using Western "fame" to glorify himself, and at his core, he still holds xenophobic populist ideas.

This kind of 'implicit Western worship' is more dangerous than blatant foreign worship because it is disguised as 'cultural confidence'.

He doesn't have any bad intentions.

He's a complete Kafka fanboy.

I used to be a progressive young person.

Later, I briefly went abroad to study for work, and upon returning, I regarded some aspects of Western culture as classics.

He genuinely believed that the moon was always brighter abroad, and that the gap between China and the West was too vast to be true.
They belong to the same group as the "progressive people" who saw the industrial gap during the War of Resistance against Japan and immediately decided to withdraw their investments.

After all, Wang Jingwei was a patriotic and progressive figure back then.

This type is nothing new.

There is another type of cultural commentator who moves quickly, has advanced ideas, and is good at "deconstruction".

They dismissed the real-world concerns of local works as mere slogans, while endlessly elevating the value of Western works.

It has already made a respectable appearance in some prestigious newspapers.

"The articles in 'The Wave', including the inaugural address, are all empty slogans, such as 'using the pen as a blade' and 'guarding the roots and establishing the soul.' They sound passionate, but in reality, they lack any analysis of reality."

A columnist known for his "sharp" criticism wrote an article.

“Western writers first delve into the social fabric before offering their own thoughts. Unlike Xu Chengjun, who relies on slogans like ‘patriotism’ and ‘preserving roots’ to grab attention, this is not literary creation, but political propaganda.”

He further mocked: "The so-called 'ice-breaking wave' is not breaking the ice of thought, but the bottom line of literature."

The essence of literature is to explore human nature, not to sing praises. The reason why Western literature is profound is because it dares to confront the darkness of human nature and the defects of the system, while "The Wave" only sings praises of "national backbone", which is essentially instrumentalizing literature.

This kind of 'instrumental' literature damages the purity of literature even more than 'worship of the West'.

These comments and ideas are constantly evolving and changing.

It has gradually become a focus of discussion in literary circles.
-
These discussions, criticisms, or praises did not affect Xu Chengjun's normal life.

There were actually quite a few people on campus discussing it openly and secretly.

After all, fame often brings trouble.

Xu Chengjun, on the contrary, devoted more of his time to the study of Song Dynasty literature. Considering the current turmoil outside the school, Zhang Peiheng canceled all the classes that Xu Chengjun was temporarily filling in as a teaching assistant and replaced them with the original lecturers.

For the first time, he actually became a "real teaching assistant" in these people's classes, handing out materials and assigning homework!
It's not easy!

Su Manshu was also worried that Xu Chengjun would be affected by these incidents.

She showed Xu Chengjun even more gentleness and consideration.

Every evening, I would accompany Xu Chengjun for a walk on Handan Road.

Under the dim streetlights, let's share another romantic hug and a long kiss.

Every time Su Manshu leaned into Xu Chengjun's arms, she would ask suspiciously, "Were you unaffected?"

Xu Chengjun naturally stopped his groping.

cough cough.

"They were definitely, probably, affected to some extent!"

"Pah! You're acting up now that you've been influenced! Get your big pig's trotters off me!"

"That's called love blinding people!"

"Hmm? You feel wronged by coming to me?"

Su Manshu's eyes instantly filled with tears, her gaze filled with questions directed at the unfaithful man.

She's such a great actress!

I don't know what kind of personality you have!
Xu Chengjun was screaming inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged; "Don't be angry, darling~"

"Who is your dear!"

Su Manshu stopped crying instantly and glared at him.

"Take your hands out!"

"I'm coming!"

Beijing.

A small gathering of the core creative team of Peking University's "Weiming Lake" project.

Cha Jianying, Liu Zhenyun, Zou Shifang
The incident began when Liu Zhenyun received a copy of the magazine "Waves" from Wu Fangyun, the editor of "Summer Rain" at Huazhong Normal University.

The two had gotten in touch through previous literary exchanges, and they would swap copies of "Summer Rain" and "Weiming Lake" each issue.

Unexpectedly, this time there was an extra copy of "The Wave".

At first, he didn't take it seriously.

Fudan University is a prestigious university after all! Shouldn't they create a campus fan publication?

When I opened it, wow, it was an inscription by Buffett!

Endorsed by a top professor from the Chinese Department of Fudan University?
Liu Zhenyun lightly slapped the table at the May Fourth Literary Society: "This 'Wave' is coming on strong! They even got Ba Jin to write an inscription!"

"We have Professor Shen, and it's perfectly normal for Professor Ba to write an inscription for Fudan University, one of the top universities in the south!"

Cha Jianying was flipping through a magazine: "Wouldn't it be interesting if we had a Southern 'Wave' and a Northern 'Unknown'?"

In September of this year, Mao Dun was invited by the Peking University Youth League Committee to write the inaugural address for "Weiming Lake" and inscribe the journal's title, laying the foundation for the inheritance of the May Fourth Movement's literary tradition.

It can be said that half of the popularity of "Weiming Lake" was due to this old man.

Zou Shifang frowned: "This seems different! This 'Wave' is going a bit too far! Recently, the literary circles in the south have been discussing the dialogue between Glass and Xu Chengjun, and the trend seems to be off."

Zou Shifang was no nobody either.

He proposed to revive the May Fourth Literary Society, and suggested establishing the journal "Weiming Lake" and serving as the chief editor of the "Weiming Lake" special issue of the Peking University Journal.

Although he was a philosophy major, he also published two poems in Weiming Lake under the pen name "Shifang".

It has achieved some influence.

Cha Jianying, Liu Zhenyun, Zou Shifang, and others.

This generation is one that Peking University will find difficult to replicate in history.

"See for yourselves."

Liu Zhenyun poked at the title page, his tone filled with undisguised surprise, "How long has it been since Ba Jin wrote anything for the campus magazine?"
The last time was thirty years ago when he wrote an inscription for "Literary Series," right? Fudan University has invited half of the literary world in the south to endorse it.

With a preface by Zhu Dongrun and annotations by Jia Zhifang, this is hardly a campus fan fiction publication! It's even bigger than our "Weiming Lake" magazine!

Cha Jianying's brows furrowed: "'Is the true meaning of openness to lose oneself and flatter others?' This statement... is it aimed at the Glass incident a few days ago? Xu Chengjun is directly responding to the controversy in the inaugural issue."

She looked up at the crowd, her voice a little deeper: "When our 'Weiminghu' was first published, Mr. Shen's inaugural address was 'Inheriting the torch of the May Fourth Movement, recording the voices of the campus,' taking a steady and solid approach, publishing mostly campus life and memories of educated youth, without encountering this kind of tough challenge of dialogue between Chinese and foreign literature."

But "The Wave" immediately confronts reality, even daring to write about "cultural confidence, not populism," which means it's going to take a different path from us.

(End of this chapter)