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

Chapter 114 First Arrival in Paris
At 10 p.m. on April 22, 1979, a Boeing 707 passenger plane from the Civil Aviation Administration of China landed smoothly on the tarmac in Karachi, Pakistan. Inside the cabin, Liu Yimin sat opposite Ba Jin and Li Xiaolin, wearily rubbing his hair.

In the 70s, before there were direct flights between China and France, the only way to fly to Paris, besides transiting in Moscow, was to depart from Beijing – Yangon – Karachi – Cairo – Athens – Greece. The number of transits was more frequent than the number of times Old Ma had to get up at night.

Direct flights between the two countries began in 73, and the Beijing-Paris route was opened in 74, with a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan.

Ten Boeing 707s were imported into China, making it one of the more comfortable aircraft available. The seats were brightly colored, and the overhead bins were open, where Liu Yimin's two large suitcases were placed.

The box contained more than thirty books and folding fans, and Liu Yimin was already struggling to lift it.

"Tired?" Ba Jin leaned back in his seat, looking slightly weary, but he had been in high spirits throughout the journey. This was the first time he was about to set foot on French soil since he finished studying in France in the 1930s.

As soon as he boarded the plane, Ba Jin began recounting his experience traveling to France. He explained that he had spent over thirty days by ship to reach Marseille, and then by train to finally arrive in Paris. Ba Jin had a deep affection for France; he completed his first novel there, making France, in a sense, the starting point of his literary journey.

“A little!” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Luo Sun, the editor-in-chief of the Wenyi Bao newspaper standing next to him, said, "Yimin, you don't have as much energy as us old folks."

"Editor-in-Chief Luo, revolutionaries are forever young!"

Upon hearing this, both Luo Sun and Ba Jin laughed. Luo Sun was younger than Ba ​​Jin, but he was already over sixty years old.

Among the members of the delegation visiting France, the youngest were Li Xiaolin and Liu Yimin. Li Xiaolin mainly joined the writers' group to take care of Ba Jin's daily life.

"Let's go out for some fresh air. When we get off the plane again, we'll be in Paris."

Ba Jin stood up, straightened his suit, and said with a smile. The group of six walked out of the cabin and sat down to rest in the designated transit area. Karachi's daytime temperatures in April are very hot, but the nights are still quite comfortable.

“Yimin, this suit fits you perfectly. When we get to Paris, let the French have a good look at our young generation of writers,” Li Xiaolin said with a smile.

Luo Sun, Xu Chi, and Gao Xingjian, who were standing nearby, also said with a smile, "We've all seen the poll from China Youth Daily. By the time we get back, the votes might already be tallied."

"Compared to everyone else, I'm just a novice in literature!"

"You're new to the literary world, but your work isn't. The literary scene needs young people like you to hold its own. I read your 'Smoke and Fire over Beiping' and thought it was very well written. It depicts the profound changes from Beiping to Yanjing. Your writing is very mature, much more so than that of a real greenhorn." Luo Sun took the opportunity to sneak a smoke.

However, after smelling the smoke, Ba Jin coughed violently. He quickly stubbed out the cigarette, saying, "Oh dear, I forgot about your health. Don't do it again, don't do it again!"

Ba Jin's health is not good now, after all, he is over seventy years old. Ba Jin said unconcernedly, "Just consider it as smoking for me. I haven't experienced the taste of tobacco in a long time."

Ba Jin's words made Luo Sun feel even more embarrassed.

About forty minutes later, they reboarded the plane and flew to Paris. This time, Ba Jin opened the Moutai liquor offered by the flight attendant and invited everyone to taste it: "After a small sip, take a nap, and we'll be in Paris!"

In the 1960s and 70s, airlines would offer Moutai (a type of Chinese liquor) to passengers on board. Since airfares were very expensive for ordinary people, airlines wouldn't lose out by giving away a bottle of Moutai.

Everyone dozed off for about two hours before waking up again. None of them were sleepy, so they chatted idly. Li Xiaolin suddenly remembered Liu Yimin's submission to *Harvest* magazine and said, "Yimin, your submission has been accepted by *Harvest* and will be published in the April issue."

"What manuscript has Yimin submitted this time?" Luo Sun, the editor-in-chief of the Literary Gazette, asked curiously. Xu Chi and Gao Ye, who were next door, also turned around, wanting to hear what they were talking about.

"I wrote a short story in my spare time, only a little over ten thousand words, nothing to brag about!" Liu Yimin waved his hand and said modestly.

Looking at the modest-looking Liu Yimin, Luo Sun said earnestly, "Being able to submit to 'Harvest' magazine is already quite an achievement!"

"Compared to Yi Min's 'The Flames of War in Beiping,' I think this novel is inferior. However, in terms of subject matter, it is a rare masterpiece. And most importantly, it fits our current era very well, with sincere emotions and very natural emotional expression," Li Xiaolin praised.

Hearing her say that, Luo Sun became even more curious. So he insisted that Li Xiaolin tell him in detail what it was about.

"It's a romance novel about a young couple falling in love. The female protagonist is a descendant of a KMT general. The two meet twice in Lushan, overcome numerous obstacles, and finally become a couple. It's not just about love; the underlying theme is patriotism, calling on Chinese sons and daughters abroad to return and contribute to the nation's development."

It possesses the weight of history, the marks of its time, and the warmth of humanity.

The novel Li Xiaolin is referring to is Liu Yimin's novel "Romance on Lushan Mountain," adapted from the film of the same name. It tells the story of Zhou Yun, the daughter of a GMD general, who returns to Lushan Mountain for the first time in her autumn and reunites with her old friend Geng Hua from five years prior.

Geng Hua was the son of a high-ranking official. The two traveled to Mount Lu together and developed a deep affection for each other. Unfortunately, they could not be together. Five years later, they met again and finally overcame all obstacles to be together, promising to work together to build their motherland.

This was the romance novel that Liu Yimin told Zhu Lin about at the time. The influence of the movie "Romance on Lushan Mountain" in the 1980s can be described as drawing huge crowds.

Liu Yimin adapted the background, changing it to the context of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, in which Zhou Yun returned to her motherland to visit Mount Lu, thus incorporating the broader context of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

It was written as a novel of 12,000 words with a tight plot.

"We are about to start reform and opening up, and development cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of Chinese people at home and abroad. We should call on overseas Chinese to come back and build our motherland. Yimin, your novel has a good theme. It takes a broad perspective but focuses on details, and the concept is ingenious. The love between the two successfully elevates their deep love for their motherland."

After listening to Li Xiaolin's brief retelling of the story, Luo Sun smiled and said to Liu Yimin, his eyes revealing undisguised praise. Xu Chi and Gao Zai next door also began discussing their opinions, and the atmosphere in the cabin became much more lively than before.

“Yi Min, I’m asking you to contribute an article on behalf of the Wenyi Bao. Even Lao Wan, your teacher, has published articles in our Wenhui Bao. You have no reason not to!” Luo Sun turned his head to look at Liu Yi Min.

Ba Jin raised his eyelids slightly and said, "Old Luo, let's talk about the article commission when we get back. We'll be in Paris soon, so think about how to communicate with our French colleagues there!" After saying that, he closed his eyes again.

For some reason, the commercial airliner circled around Cairo again before finally landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

It's more than 30 kilometers from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the embassy at 20 Rue de la Cité in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, but as soon as I got off the plane, the embassy staff came looking for me.

"Hello, fellow members of the visiting writers' group in France. My name is Gu Zhijun. Ambassador Han asked me to pick you up. Ambassador Han is already preparing lunch for you at the embassy. Please come with me to the car!"

After getting on the bus, Gu Zhijun began introducing Paris to everyone. Ba Jin turned to Liu Yimin and said, "Yimin, Ambassador Han is also from your hometown. People from Henan are all over the world!"

"Is this Comrade Liu Yimin?" Gu Zhijun turned to look at Liu Yimin as he drove.

"Hello!"

“When he came, Ambassador Han specifically mentioned you, saying that a fellow townsman had come. Ambassador Han is from Nanle, Henan Province. Ambassador Han especially likes your poem ‘Motherland, My Beloved Motherland,’ and sometimes when he reads it, he can’t help but shed tears,” Gu Zhijun said.

Luo Sun said, "This poem is indeed well written, expressing a deep love for the motherland! You have worked hard doing diplomatic work for the country abroad."

"No matter where I go, I'm serving the people. But there's one downside to being abroad: I miss home!"

Twenty minutes later, the car entered the city of Paris. Ba Jin looked out the window at Paris and exclaimed, "It has changed so much! We have wasted too much time!"

The others also stared in awe at the skyscrapers surrounding Paris. Gu Zhijun smiled and said, "I believe our country will also have so many skyscrapers in the future."

"Why is the sky in Paris so gray?" Li Xiaolin asked.

"Senior Sister Xiaolin, there are many factories around here, and the waste they emit causes pollution, resulting in low visibility in the air, so it looks hazy," Liu Yimin explained with a smile.

Ba Jin glanced at Li Xiaolin: "It's much better now. When I was here, the weather in Paris was even worse than it is now. It was gray all day long. In winter, you couldn't tell the difference between smog and real fog. The Seine was full of sewage. At times like this, no one wanted to go out. Moreover, the security was bad. It was chaotic. People with different political stances clashed in the streets, and there were frequent incidents of vandalism and looting. Whenever I saw these people, I would avoid them."

“Mr. Ba knows more about Paris than we do,” Gu Zhijun said.

“Just revisiting an old haunt!” Ba Jin exclaimed excitedly as he saw a coffee shop flashing by on the roadside. “I’ve been to that coffee shop before. I couldn’t understand the French back then, so I went into the coffee shop to observe them. Later I realized that you can never understand a foreigner.”

Liu Yimin continued, "People from different countries have cultural differences. Although you came here to study and received a Western education, the temperament and way of thinking shaped by Confucian culture in the bones of Chinese people cannot be changed in a short time or even a lifetime. The same is true for how foreigners view Chinese people."

“Yes, you’re right. No matter how much we opposed old literature and advocated new literature back then, our way of thinking and writing logic would not change.” Ba Jin pointed to the restaurant next door: “It’s like how no matter how delicious steak was back then, we always ended up talking about braised beef.”

Upon arriving at the embassy, ​​Gu Zhijun led them into the guesthouse next to it. Previously, the embassy didn't have a dedicated guesthouse; people from China stayed in hotels and small inns in Paris. Later, after direct flights between Beijing and Paris were established, this place became a transportation hub, serving as a stopover for people traveling to Europe, North Africa, and North America, making it increasingly busy.

So the embassy applied for funds and purchased a dedicated guesthouse.

The guesthouse rooms were large, with each person having their own private room. Upon arriving at the embassy, ​​many staff members came out to help carry their luggage and escorted them upstairs. Liu Yimin's room was 202, which was right next to Mr. Ba Jin's.

Stepping into the room, the smell of wood filled the entire space. A single bed stood in the center, its bedding appearing to have been brought from China. A desk was placed beside the window, the white sheer curtains and thick fabric blinds drawn. The desk was spotless, with only a desk lamp on it.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, after you've packed up, come downstairs to assemble. The embassy has already prepared a meal. You can rest after you've eaten."

After finishing tidying up, Liu Yimin stood in the corridor waiting for Ba Jin and Li Xiaolin. The three of them met up and went downstairs together.

French police patrolled outside the embassy. Inside the embassy compound, the national emblem hung above the gate, and the national flag was flying. Led by staff, we entered the restaurant, where the aroma of meat filled the air.

"In case you are not used to Western food, Ambassador Han specially instructed that Chinese dishes be prepared for you, including noodles and rice. Ambassador Han originally wanted to chat with you, but something came up and he will meet with you after you have rested. On behalf of all the staff of the embassy, ​​I welcome you all and hope that you will all have a fruitful trip to France."

After the staff gave their opening remarks, Ba Jin, on behalf of all members of the delegation, expressed his gratitude to the embassy for its warm hospitality.

"Comrades, our plan is to meet with friends from the Paris literary community tomorrow for an exchange. The afternoon is free time, and you can visit the Paris Commune or other places, whichever you decide."

“Of course it’s the Paris Commune. If we come all the way to France and don’t go see the Paris Commune, wouldn’t that be a wasted trip?” Luo Sun said happily.

The rest of the delegation members shared the same sentiment. When visiting France in the 70s, the Paris Commune was a must-see, while the Eiffel Tower and other landmarks were secondary.

After dinner, everyone was so sleepy they could barely keep their eyes open, eager to get back and adjust to the time difference so they could get a good night's sleep. Paris is seven hours behind Beijing, so with the help of the staff, everyone adjusted their watches forward.

Once everything was almost done, everyone dragged their tired bodies back to the guesthouse. To Liu Yimin's relief, the guesthouse had hot water. After taking a shower, Liu Yimin lay down on the bed and fell asleep in less than five minutes.

(End of this chapter)