My era, 1979!

Chapter 172 I was also a music lover in my past life

He immediately became more friendly: "Comrade Chengjun, you flatter me! I just wanted to clear things up in the chaos, how can I compare to your creative work? I heard that you have unique insights into 'artistic empowerment of practice'. Director Xu has mentioned it to us several times, and I am looking forward to listening to your lecture later."

You're too kind~

Sun Yong, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward and said, "Comrade Chengjun, we've met before, so I won't introduce myself. I'll be learning a lot from you during tonight's lecture!"

Xu Chengjun laughed: "Comrade Sun is too modest! I have read your 'Young Friends'. Director Xu said you are a promising talent, and in my opinion, this talent has already grown up."

"elder brother!"

Xu Xiaomei, standing behind Xu Chengjun, gently tugged at his sleeve and complained softly, "If we keep talking, the symphony will start soon!"

Xu Chengjun then remembered the girl behind him and introduced her with a smile: "Oh right, this is my younger sister, Xu Xiaomei. She works at the Fudan University Library. I dragged her here to listen to the lecture and the symphony. Xiaomei, quickly say hello to Professor Guo and Comrade Sun."

Xu Xiaomei quickly put away the book in her arms and bowed respectfully: "Hello, Teacher Guo, hello, Comrade Sun. My brother always says that I can't just bury myself in painting and that I need to listen to more literature lectures, but I think..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Chengjun interrupted her with a look, so she stuck out her tongue and swallowed back the words, "It's better to go to an art exhibition."

Watching the interaction between the brother and sister, Guo Yushi couldn't help but smile: "This little girl has a good spirit! Young people should have their own ideas. Let's head to the auditorium first, and I'll tell you about the lecture arrangements on the way."

Director Xu specially arranged the event in the large lecture hall, and many key teachers came, as well as some students who had heard the news and wanted to sit in. They were all hoping you would share more about the "practical tips" of creative writing!

Xu Chengjun nodded and walked side by side with Guo Yushi.

I had just arrived at the entrance of the auditorium.

Many students from East China Normal University were waiting at the entrance.

Guo Yu looked a little embarrassed.

Everyone is really looking forward to your lecture!

No matter what, Xu Chengjun is from Fudan University, and the large number of people waiting for his autograph made him feel somewhat embarrassed.

Some sharp-eyed students even chased after Xu Chengjun, hoping to get his autograph. His behavior led more people to imitate him. Even other students from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music who were rehearsing heard that this was Xu Chengjun, the one who wrote "The Fitting Mirror," "Red Silk," "The Granary," and a series of other works, and they also came to ask Xu Chengjun for his autograph.

Xu Chengjun even felt a different kind of significance for these students from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

He is also a poet and a musician.

This has a somewhat mesmerizing appeal to the young people at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music who are involved in the arts.

Some students have told me that the Shanghai Conservatory of Music has established a "Xu Chengjun Poetry Research Association" to analyze his poetry and musical works and to recognize him as the foremost figure in modern poetry in southern China.

Since Xu Chengjun's works were not yet published as standalone books, they brought various magazines, mostly Harvest, but surprisingly, some people even brought Anhui Literature.

"Teacher Chengjun, please sign your name for me," the students said.

"I'm a student too," Xu Chengjun said, signing autographs as he complained.

These days, a writer's autograph isn't just a signature; if it's for a more formal occasion, there's also a blessing, like "There will be times when the wind and waves will be broken, and the sails will be hoisted to cross the vast ocean" or "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Xu Chengjun picked the ones that looked easiest to read and wrote a few signatures, then casually said that he could sign more for everyone during the evening lecture so as not to disturb the class.

Holy crap, why are there people here with Wenhui Daily?
This is the same episode where a university professor scolded me.
Xu Chengjun's lips twitched slightly.

But the student readers couldn't stand it anymore: "Sign here. I finally managed to run into you once in a while..."

here?

Guo Yu, standing to the side, was unaware of the situation and was somewhat confused.

Sun Yong had been paying attention to Xu Chengjun and knew about the comments, so he adopted the airs of a senior graduate student.

"Junior, next time get Chengjun to sign a different magazine!"

The reader urged again: "But this is all I brought with me today, Comrade Chengjun, please sign it for me!"

"Hey, what are you doing—"

Xu Chengjun shook his head, interrupting Sun Yong who was about to erupt, and picked up a pen to quickly sign his recently researched artistic signature.

The following sentence was added: "May you bravely face the undercurrents of life."

Sun Yong's eyes lit up: "Comrade Cheng Jun, you really have a broad perspective!"

Xu Chengjun: "Why make things difficult for them!"

Enter the auditorium.

Xu Chengjun's seat was in the second row.

The first row is reserved for VIP guests, all booked in advance.

Leaders from Shanghai in charge of the cultural field, Dean He Luding and Vice Dean Ding Shande from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, leaders from East China Normal University, and even the cultural counselor from the US Embassy in China and the Consul General of Shanghai, Xiao Rizi, were present.
These foreigners were extremely happy.

Such a grand performance was indeed rare in China during this period.

Just as Xu Chengjun sat down in the second row, the dark red velvet seats still carrying the coolness of the auditorium, his elbow was gently nudged.

Looking up, I saw Zhou Xingyan from Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House.

I had met him before at a writers' association event.

He smiled so broadly that fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes: "Comrade Chengjun, it's great to see you! I heard that 'Red Silk' has been reprinted for the third time. Everyone says that you've blazed a new trail for modern Chinese literature!"

"Hey, it's all thanks to the readers' support; there's no such thing as some mysterious new approach."

Zhou Xingyan laughed even harder.

Other young people who gain power are afraid that others won't know they are important figures.

But Xu Chengjun does have that air of neither arrogance in victory nor discouragement in defeat.

The future life is terrible!

A true gentleman!

He was just about to continue the pleasantries and deepen their relationship when he realized that it would be wonderful if he could acquire the standalone copyright for "Red Silk"!
Unexpectedly, Comrade Chen Qingquan, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Liberation Daily, also came over and offered him a cigarette with great force.

"Old Zhou is right! Before, we were worried that no one would dare to write 'reflective literature,' but you did it well. The way you openly discussed the past in 'The Barn' was neither evasive nor sentimental. Even the old leaders of the Writers' Association praised you for 'the courage of a pioneer'!"
I've already reserved a good seat for the lecture tonight; I really want to hear you talk about 'Artistic Empowerment in Practice'—Director Xu has been raving about it to us three times, saying your idea could really revitalize the literary world!

Zhou Xingyan rolled his eyes.

You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, are a sycophantic scoundrel too!
Xu Chengjun was about to wave his hand politely.

Out of the corner of my eye, I first caught sight of what was happening in the front row.

The three of them suddenly lost the opportunity to offer each other cigarettes and chat.

Take a closer look.

Dean He Luding of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music was sitting down with Vice Mayor Li, who was in charge of culture, and Dean Zhao Feng of the Central Conservatory of Music was behind them. The group was talking in hushed tones.

Xu Chengjun glanced at the program and the titles of the songs "Ode to the Red Flag" and "Sengjidema" caught his eye.

Meanwhile, in the foreign guests' seats diagonally in front.

Louis, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed cultural attaché at the U.S. Embassy in China, is taking pictures of musicians tuning their instruments on stage.

The students nearby looked on curiously.

Such a small, handheld camera was still a rare find in China at that time.

Even more strangely,

A reporter from The New York Times was nearby, quickly taking notes in his notebook, the faint sound of a pen scratching across the paper filling the air.

Is this music exchange event really of such a high standard?

"Teacher Xu! Could you please sign your name?"

A sudden sound from behind interrupted my thoughts, and several students in blue school uniforms crowded in front of me.

A female student from the composition department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, blushing, handed over a specially made sheet music: "Our 'Poetry Research Society' just used your 'Walking Towards the Light' to try writing a string quartet last week. Would you like to sign it on the sheet music?"

They arrived in a hurry.

They're about to go on stage to perform, so this is definitely a case of "lack of organization and discipline."
Xu Chengjun smiled as he signed his name for the girl from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

He now understands why great writers all practice their art signatures.

Besides preventing others from engraving their names.

The most important thing is that the artistic signature can be written in a couple of strokes; if you were to write it stroke by stroke, it would be excruciating. The boy from the Chinese Department of East China Normal University next to me was even more direct, spreading the book "Harvest" on his lap: "This is the publication page of your early poem 'Trying Out the Dressing Mirror.' I searched for three months before I could borrow it!"

In no time, Xu Chengjun was surrounded by a large group of people.

Louis looked over curiously.

He asked Vice Mayor Li, who was standing next to him, "Is this a famous person from your China?"

Mayor Li had done his homework and nodded with a smile: "This is our most sought-after national treasure-level writer, Xu Chengjun."

Louis's eyes lit up.

Foreign attachés like them, aside from special missions, have really nothing interesting to do in Shanghai in this era of China.

If I had the chance to meet the social elites of this country.

Not bad?

Xu Xiaomei blushed at the commotion and quickly took out Xu Chengjun's pen from her canvas bag and handed it to him: "Brother, sign slowly, don't break the nib."

He turned to the girl and smiled, "Your sheet music paper has such fine texture, is it a special edition?"

The girl's eyes lit up: "You know about this too! The department head said that when setting Professor Xu's poems to music, we need to use the best paper!"

Just then, Mr. Liu from the Orchestral Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music squeezed through the crowd, holding a yellowed draft of the program, which was marked with the words "Guerrilla Song Brass Quintet": "Comrade Chengjun, I've revised this program three times, and I'm hoping you can give me some feedback. The students all say that if you wrote a symphonic poem, it would definitely be a hit!"

Xu Chengjun: "I'll definitely try writing it if I get the chance, and I'll need to consult with professionals like you."

For a moment, Teacher Liu was actually quite excited.

I was even a little envious.

The young captain was the most dashing, achieving great merit at twenty and being appointed a marquis.

Who doesn't dream of achieving success and fame by the age of 20?
Xu Chengjun was actually quite puzzled.

He discovered that the teachers and students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music were particularly fond of him, especially his poetry.

The writing is just so-so.

Suddenly the lights in the auditorium dimmed, and a slight commotion arose in the front row.

Li Guoguang, the vice president of Huazhong Normal University, took the stage to introduce the background of this exchange.

Subsequently.

Dean He Lüting stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand, his voice carrying throughout the venue through the loudspeakers: "Today's concert is a clarion call for cultural revival! We must not only perform national treasures like 'Sengidema' well, but also bring Beethoven's 'Fate' back to the stage. This is a dialogue between Chinese and Western cultures, and even more so, our hope for the future!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Xu Xiaomei quickly tugged at Xu Chengjun's sleeve: "Brother, look at the command post! It's Mr. Huang Yijun!"

He was one of the founders of China's symphony orchestra and China's first professional symphony conductor.

Sure enough, Huang Yijun, dressed in a black tuxedo, walked out from the side of the stage, and with a light tap of his baton, the brass section instantly erupted.

The melody of "Ode to the Red Flag" surged forth with power, and Xu Chengjun saw his sister's eyes light up, like falling starlight.

Didn't you say you didn't like coming?
When the first half of the song "Sengjidema" began, the long and melodious tune of the Mongolian music brought tears to Xu Xiaomei's eyes. She leaned close to Xu Chengjun's ear and said, "Brother, this song is really beautiful."

Xu Chengjun nodded, explaining that the charm of symphonic music lies in its ability to transcend time and space.

Such music will still be good even 40 years later.

Before the start of the second half, Xu Chengjun saw Isaac Stern walk out from backstage, accompanied by Lu Siqing, a young piano student from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

The old man was teaching him how to hold a bow.

When the first note of Beethoven's "Fate" rang out, Xu Chengjun clearly felt Zhou Xingyan clench his fists beside him.

This piece, once criticized as "bourgeois music," now resonated so powerfully in the auditorium that it made everyone's hearts race.

Some students in the back row quietly nodded in rhythm.

Everyone knows what it means for such a piece of music to be performed on such an occasion.

Spring seems to have truly arrived.

The spring of literature and art.

The most exciting part was the solo performance of "The Butterfly Lovers". Xu Weiling walked onto the stage with her violin, and as soon as the "Butterfly Lovers" melody began to flow from the strings, Xu Xiaomei couldn't help but wipe her eyes.

When the solo ended, the applause from the audience lasted for three minutes. When Xu Weiling took her bow, she made a point of nodding in Xu Chengjun's direction.

Coincidentally, she was also a fan of Xu Chengjun's poetry.

I especially love Xu Chengjun's "To People of the Old Days".

There is no reason.

It's a purely artistic, intuitive liking.

Xu Chengjun was baffled.

However, all the audience's eyes followed Xu Weiling's nod and swept towards Xu Chengjun.

Many students who knew Xu Chengjun exclaimed in surprise.

A collective gasp filled the room.

Xu Chengjun,
This period has been incredibly popular.

For a moment, cheers of "Xu Chengjun! Xu Chengjun!" could be faintly heard from the back row.

He quickly lowered his head.

It's not a good thing to steal the spotlight from someone else's performance.

During the encore, Huang Yijun conducted "Yao Dance," and the lively rhythm made many audience members clap along, even the US counselor swayed his head.

When "The Internationale" was played, the entire audience stood up in unison.

Xu Chengjun watched as Xu Xiaomei beside him joined in the chorus.

Dean He Luding, sitting in the front row, sang along softly to the melody as he watched Stern raise his camera to take pictures.

The significance of symphony transcends time and space—

As Dean He said, this is a cultural revival and a window for China to open to the world.

When the show ended, Teacher Liu specially brought over a complete program, which was signed by Xu Weiling and Zhao Xiaosheng, with the words "Hoping to explore the boundaries of art and literature with Comrade Chengjun" written on the back.

Do I understand music?

I could play guitar and sing folk songs by "Fatty Song" downstairs in the girls' dormitory.

Xu Chengjun felt like a million zebras were galloping through his mind.

Xu Xiaomei hugged the program to her chest and said with a smile, "Brother, I'll come again next time there's a concert."

"So you've decided to come again?"

"I had no idea there could be so many celebrities!"

"whispering sound!"

"I'm wrong! You said it yourself, you need to balance work and rest!"

"Ah, yes, yes!"

"If you do this, I'll tell my sister-in-law later!"

"You really are my sister."

This afternoon was not only filled with music, but also with countless new possibilities slowly growing within the melody.