1979: The child's mother is a celestial being.

Chapter 129 Baron Ba Jin writes his thoughts on "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" (Please subscribe!)

This afternoon, near the end of the workday, Mr. Ba Jin received a novel from Chen Fusheng in Beijing in the magazine "Harvest". He did not keep it to read tomorrow, but took it home directly.

After returning home, he locked himself in his study.

Although his daughter, Li Xiaolin, is married, she lives with her father most of the time due to work and family ties.

As for Mr. Ba Jin's wife, she passed away as early as 1972.

He also had a son named Li Xiaotang, who was studying at Fudan University at the time.

"Dad, dinner's ready..."

Seeing that the housekeeper had prepared the meal but her father hadn't come out of his study yet, Li Xiaolin knew that her father was too focused on his studies and had lost track of time, so she wanted to remind him.

As soon as she pushed open the study door, she was stunned to see her father behind the desk, engrossed in reading a novel and with tears streaming down his face.

In my memories from childhood to adulthood, such scenes seem to be very rare.

"Dad, are you alright?" After standing there stunned for two seconds, Li Xiaolin asked with concern for her father and curiosity about the novel.

Mr. Ba Jin took off his glasses, wiped his tears directly with his sleeve, and then shook his head at his daughter, who had gone to get a towel in the process, saying:
"It's nothing." He took the towel his daughter handed him and wiped his face, then said, "It's been a long time since I've seen such a sincere and moving work. I lost control of my emotions for a moment and made Xiaolin laugh at you."

“It’s normal to be moved by a novel, and I’m even more sentimental than you, Dad. If you’re like this, then I’ll be crying my eyes out later too, so how could I possibly laugh at you?”

"Haha, that's true." Mr. Ba Jin continued, "You've come to invite me to dinner, haven't you?"

Before his daughter could answer, Mr. Ba Jin continued, “I’m still caught up in the emotions of the novel and don’t have much of an appetite. You guys eat first. I want to use this momentum to write a review of Comrade Fusheng’s ‘Hachiko’.”

"Then you can eat a little less..." Li Xiaolin tried to persuade him, but she knew her father's temper and knew it would probably be useless.

After his daughter left, Mr. Ba Jin picked up "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" again. This time, he only skimmed through it, then picked up his pen and wrote in his notebook:

"Today I read Comrade Fusheng's new work, 'Hachiko: A Dog'. As I closed the book, my daughter came in to remind me that it was time to eat. When I raised my hand, I found my vision was blurry. I touched my cheek and realized that I was already in tears."

"My 'connection' with Comrade Fusheng's novel started last month in Beijing... At that time, Comrade Fusheng had just finished filming his movie 'The Devotion of Suspect X,' and he invited me to a screening of his movie when I had time. Unfortunately, I had already returned to Shanghai by the time of the screening, which was a great pity!"

"During that meeting, Comrade Fusheng and I discussed many writing techniques and exchanged a lot of creative insights. After our conversation, I urged him to start writing a new novel as soon as possible, and I also had a little selfish motive in mind, hoping that he would submit it to our magazine 'Harvest' after he finished writing it. When I received the novel from Comrade Fusheng in Beijing this afternoon, I was quite surprised, because I didn't expect him to actually write a new novel so quickly."

"I have now finished reading the novel and have many feelings about it. I also plan to write a 'reading notes' for it."

"This novel doesn't have a grand and dramatic plot, but it uses the perspective of a country dog ​​named Hachiko to vividly and movingly portray the word 'loyalty.' Especially for those with richer life experiences, the impact of reading this novel may be even greater, as it will involuntarily evoke those touching memories of 'love' and 'loyalty' hidden in their years."

"The first half of the novel is very heartwarming. From the protagonist taking care of the injured puppy, to the puppy following its owner to and from get off work, waiting quietly at the station entrance, rubbing its fluffy head against its owner's palm, and wagging its tail with joy... these small daily moments lay the foundation for the beautiful and warm tone of the first half of the novel."

"After its owner passed away unexpectedly, Hachiko continued to wait for its owner to appear in front of the train station every day until it died of old age... This affection that transcends species is pure and unadulterated, and it perfectly embodies loyalty."

"This novel is also like a mirror, reflecting things that may have become blurred deep within us—the cherishing of emotions, the adherence to promises, and the yearning for purity. Hachiko is not some deified celestial dog; he is just a common country dog ​​in our daily lives. However, he practiced the meaning of companionship throughout his life, and this meaning is precisely the most precious human warmth."

"Thank you again to Comrade Fusheng for reminding us of the importance of 'kindness,' 'companionship,' 'guarding,' 'persistence,' and 'caring for animals' through such a touching story. I hope that more people will read this story of 'Hachiko,' and I wish that we can all, like Hachiko in the novel, preserve the pure warmth and beauty in our hearts!"

"—Written on September 18, 1981, in my study at home, by Ba Jin."

After finishing writing, Ba Jin put down his pen and noticed that his daughter had been urging him to come to the door several times. He finally got up and said, "Don't rush me, don't rush me, I'll be right there." Hearing this, Li Xiaolin walked into the study and stared at the book "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" and said, "Dad, can I read this novel now?"

"Hehe, so that's what you're concerned about. Here, take it..." Ba Jin was in a good mood at the moment, so he joked with his daughter.

"No, that's not it. I'm also concerned about your health, Dad."

Li Xiaolin took the novel and said, "Of course, this is just a side note."

"Okay, okay, you can take your time reading. I'm going to eat now."

After Ba Jin finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Oh, right, Xiaolin..."

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Um, I have a meeting at the government office tomorrow morning. When you get there, please inform everyone that our October issue will feature this novel as the front page."

"Huh? But the content for the October issue of the magazine has already been finalized."

"It can be postponed to next month."

"Okay, you're the editor-in-chief, you're in charge."

However, this only made Li Xiaolin even more curious about the novel in her hand.

After a long while, Mr. Ba Jin heard sobbing coming from next door, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

……

Beijing, Film Bureau.

Wu Tianming, who went to the Venice International Film Festival with his film "The River Without Beacon", has returned.

He didn't come away empty-handed; the overseas rights to his film sold for $12.

Although $700 seems insignificant compared to the $12 million Chen Fusheng generated in May, it would rank in the middle if compared to other foreign exchange earners.

"Congratulations, Director Wu."

"Sigh, when I went there, I was really worried that no one would pay attention to it. Fortunately, I managed to make some progress and did not disappoint Director Chen's recommendation. However, compared with the foreign exchange generated by your film, Director Chen, my contribution is just a drop in the ocean."

Chen Fusheng was at a loss for words, but fortunately, Deputy Director Shi stepped in to smooth things over for him: "Director Wu doesn't necessarily have to compare his film with Xiao Chen's. Right now, our country is in dire need of foreign exchange, and $12 is not a small amount. Just think about how many clothes their garment factory would have to sell to earn $12?"

Wu Tianming nodded and said, "That's true. Although there are many directors in China, there is only one Chen Fusheng."

"Haha, yes, that's right."

"..."

Chen Fusheng shook his head with a wry smile. Although everyone was teasing him, it was also a compliment!
After getting off work, Chen Fusheng returned home, where his wife gave him a surprise...

(End of this chapter)