Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 11 I'll be arbitrary just this once.

Continuing into the main editorial office of "People's Literature and Art", the door to the second room is ajar. On the wall next to the left door frame is a wooden plaque with white background and red characters, which reads "Chief Editor's Office".

After Cui Daoyi politely knocked on the door, a strong voice rang out from inside. Cui Daoyi opened the door with a smile, and the "Old Zhang" he mentioned was sitting behind his desk, holding a damp towel and wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck.

Old Zhang is Zhang Guangnian, the editor-in-chief of *People's Literature and Art*, and also known as Guang Weiran. If you still don't know him, then everyone should know about the *Yellow River Cantata*.

He is the composer of "The Yellow River Cantata". His classic composition was not only sung before the founding of the People's Republic of China, but is still frequently mentioned today, decades later.

"I've been away from Yanjing for years, and I'd forgotten how unbearable the summers here are." Zhang Guangnian slipped the towel inside his shirt again.

Zhang Guangnian began engaging in progressive drama and literary movements in the 30s, and even participated in progressive activities with Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo.

During the first ten years, he fared relatively well, but was later sent to a labor camp. During this time, he constantly reflected on his actions. Last year, after being brought to Yenching University, he was immediately appointed editor-in-chief of *People's Literature*.

From the moment he took over *People's Literature*, he began making various preparations for the revival of the literary and artistic circles. Liu Xinwu's *The Class Teacher* is the pioneering work of scar literature.

When Liu Xinwu wrote this article, he did not expect it to be published. He was even prepared to destroy the novel "The Class Teacher", but he was unwilling to give up, so he submitted it to the sister magazine "People's Literature".

He is currently an editor at People's Publishing House. Before becoming an editor, he was a teacher and witnessed firsthand the impact of ten years on his students. Therefore, writing the novel "The Class Teacher" can be considered as writing about his personal experience.

The other editors had a heated debate after reading "The Class Teacher," and the manuscript was almost rejected. Left with no other option, Cui Daoyi took it to Zhang Guangnian. Zhang Guangnian waved his hand dismissively, saying he wasn't afraid of writing about conflict, but rather that the conflict wasn't explored in depth enough.

So Cui Daoyi was asked to give the manuscript to Liu Xinwu, who was instructed to revise it further, delving deeper into the conflicts to ensure it was well-reasoned, supported by evidence, and fully exposed the issues. Ultimately, it was successfully published. "The Class Teacher" served as a bellwether, signaling a shift in literary trends and prompting the literary world to adjust its creative direction.

To a certain extent, Cui Daoyi was Liu Xinwu's mentor.

"Old Zhang, I have a novel here that I was deeply moved by after reading it, but I can't make up my mind, so I'm letting you take a look."

Hearing this, Zhang Guangnian quickly put on his glasses, took the manuscript from Cui Daoyi's hand, and began to read it carefully.

"What is 'Mr. Donkey' satirizing through the 'donkey'?" Zhang Guangnian asked curiously as he watched the film.

"Old Zhang, how do you know it's sarcasm?"

Zhang Guangnian looked up and laughed, "You wouldn't actually write about a donkey, would you!"

"Take a look first, it will absolutely blow your mind." Cui Daoyi walked over, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat down on the wooden armchair next to him with his legs crossed.

Zhang Guangnian's curiosity grew even stronger after hearing this, and he watched even more intently from then on.

"Absurd, utterly absurd. But for some people, embezzling salaries without working was all too common in that era!" Zhang Guangnian said, sounding both excited and angry.

"This is just the appetizer; the real fun is yet to come."

It took Zhang Guangnian a full hour to finish reading the article. For an editor, that's a long time. Even with careful reading, an article of this length wouldn't take long.

But the various details in "Mr. Donkey" made Zhang Guangnian ponder them repeatedly while reading. Zhang Guangnian put down the manuscript in his hand, took off his glasses, and gently pressed his temples and gently rubbed his eye sockets.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Cui Daoyi thought something was wrong, so he said, "There's a joke that goes like this: Liu Shiming, the inventor of eye exercises, is nicknamed Liu the Blind. He and his children are both highly myopic, so why does he continue to promote the eye exercises he researched in schools?"

"Haha, Lao Cui, you're too narrow-minded. Actually, this thing is really useful, especially for people like us. After reading manuscripts for a long time, our eyes get sore, and we need to relax from time to time." Zhang Guangnian put his glasses back on.

What do you think of this article?

"Sigh!" Zhang Guangnian sighed, "To be honest, I don't even know if this is a comedy or a tragedy! It contains too many things. The first half satirizes those who receive salaries without working, while the second half is extremely tragic."

Human selfishness is laid bare in the face of self-interest and oppression, with individuals being harmed under the guise of the collective. The helplessness of women and the inherent gender inequality are starkly revealed. Love, hate, and resentment intertwine, ultimately leading to hatred born of love.

It's hard to imagine so many elements all in one book. It feels like drinking plain water all the time, and suddenly a glass of it has sugar added.

"So you also think this article is good?" Cui Daoyi asked.

“Okay. I come from a theatrical background, and I even think that with some revisions, this work could become a classic. It may not be comparable to ‘Teahouse’ or ‘Thunderstorm,’ but it will certainly be better than most.”

Zhang Guangnian felt that the various absurd writing styles in the story were suitable for the theatrical performance.

"Who knows, one day it might actually become a stage play script. Does that mean we should use this article?"

Zhang Guangnian thought for a moment and said, "I've adopted my suggestion. In a little while, you can let the other comrades take a look and fully incorporate everyone's opinions."

“What if someone objects?” Cui Daoyi asked.

Cui Daoyi has been working at *People's Literature and Art* since graduating from Yenching University, rising from editor to deputy editor-in-chief for over twenty years. Arguments over a single article are commonplace within the editorial department, especially now at this sensitive time.

In addition, scholars are all proud and arrogant, or in other words, they all have bad tempers, making it difficult to reach a consensus.

“Someone objects? Then I’ll make a decision on this one and publish it directly,” Zhang Guangnian said domineeringly.

"it is good!"

Cui Daoyi was very pleased. After serving as deputy editor-in-chief for so many years, what he needed most was a leader who could handle things. As a subordinate, what you fear most is a leader who can't handle things.

He worked at People's Literature and Art for many years, especially during the ten years when the editor-in-chief changed frequently. People's Literature and Art was also known as the royal magazine, representing the opinions of the upper class to a certain extent.

When something goes wrong, they replace the editor-in-chief. There's a saying that's used to describe Cui Daoyi: "Editors-in-chief come and go, but deputy editors remain." Many people think that Cui Daoyi has been able to stay in his position for so long because he must have done something to wrong everyone.

Cui Daoyi was suffering inside, with nowhere to vent his bitterness. The reason he had remained unscathed was because he had always focused on business and avoided getting involved in politics.

(End of this chapter)