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

Chapter 563 Marquez's Apology?
Both Cao Yu and Liu Yimin mentioned Neruda in their speeches, and the South American writers and artists present were all deeply moved when they heard Neruda's name.

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet who had a close relationship with China. He once visited China to present the Lenin International Peace Prize to Soong Ching-ling and exchanged ideas with Mao Dun, Ai Qing, and others.

He was a member of the Chilean Communist Party and a diplomat who served in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. His life was one of poetry and constant struggle. In Chile, he was repeatedly suppressed because of his left-wing identity, but he never yielded.

This is why Liu Yimin said that South Americans have a unique romantic heroism, and they actively support revolutions around the world.

He died in 73, and it was later gradually confirmed that he was not killed by natural causes, but was poisoned.

Neruda had a profound influence on Latin American writers, and Gabriel García Márquez expressed his respect for Neruda on more than one occasion.

On the other hand, South America has produced many famous left-wing heroes, but unfortunately only Cuba became a socialist country.

Latin American journalists were snapping photos like crazy, quickly recording every word Liu Yimin said, just waiting to publish it in the newspaper as soon as possible the next day.

As Gabriel García Márquez listened to Liu Yimin's speech, he murmured to himself, "He not only understands Latin American literature, but he also understands Latin America!"

As soon as Liu Yimin's impassioned voice fell, he immediately raised his hand to ask questions, giving Liu Yimin no chance to step down from the podium.

"Dear Mr. Liu Yimin, which South American writer would you most like to exchange ideas with during your trip to Latin America?"

"Of course, it's Gabriel García Márquez!"

"Why? Is it because you like Márquez the most?"

“Because he is the host, and we were invited by him, don’t we want to communicate with the host?” Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"Dear Mr. Liu Yimin, I recently noticed your novel 'House of Cards' published in the United States. Many American media outlets believe that you are smearing the American democratic system. I would like to ask for your opinion!"

Liu Yimin thought to himself, "The question has finally come down to 'House of Cards': 'Smear campaign? No smear campaign. Two-party politics has been like this for decades. You say I'm smearing? Why don't they reflect on why I write it this way? Why do Western readers like to read it? Think about whether they have tried to change things or plug the loopholes in the system over the past few decades.'"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the crowd, everyone astonished by Liu Yimin's boldness.

Do you know Mr. Neruda?

“I don’t know him personally, but that doesn’t stop me from having heard his name. Moreover, I’ve also heard of Che Guevara and Simón Bolívar, both of whom are internationalist heroes of this land.”

Latin America, a land of suffering, but also a fertile ground for heroes. I hope that every Latin American, like Che Guevara, will be filled with revolutionary ideals, maintain a spirit of change, and lead the people of the world against hegemonism. I believe that our blood can become the red carpet to victory.

An official from the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture frowned slightly upon hearing this, suspecting that Liu Yimin was promoting left-wing ideology. However, the cheers from the audience made him realize that Liu Yimin's words had resonated with everyone present.

After answering the question, Liu Yimin walked off the stage, ignoring the reporters' raised hands. The reporters who hadn't asked questions watched Liu Yimin leave the stage, their eyes filled with regret.

You shut-up! Why didn't you shout faster?
Cao Yu nodded slightly to Liu Yimin, and Wang Zengqi and the others patted Liu Yimin on the shoulder with smiles. Acheng's eyes were full of admiration.

"Professor Liu, your lecture was fantastic! It was insightful and substantial. Look, you've captivated all these Latin American writers!" Acheng's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Liu Yimin smiled slightly at him and said calmly, "These are just my heartfelt words!"

"Professor Liu, if you don't mind, what do you think of me being your student at my age?" Acheng asked expectantly.

Upon hearing this, Cao Yu suddenly turned his head and glanced at Acheng a few times, then looked at Liu Yimin, without saying a word.

Ma Shitu patted Acheng on the shoulder: "Young man, don't be in a hurry! How about you become my apprentice?"

"Mr. Ma, I think there's a bit too much of an age gap between us," A-Cheng said tactfully.

“Big? Big is good, I have experience,” Ma Shitu laughed.

Ah Cheng declined again, but his words of refusal made everyone laugh and cry: "I'm too old, I'm afraid we won't have anything in common."

Ma Shitu gave a helpless snort and stopped talking. He then shook his head in frustration, never expecting to be looked down upon today.

Liu Yimin patted Acheng on the shoulder: "I don't take on apprentices so casually!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Shitu said to Liu Yimin, "Yimin, why don't you just drive this old man to his death!"

Amidst the hushed laughter of the group, Márquez began his speech, explaining the reason for extending the invitation: "When I first heard the name Yimin Liu, I thought he was just an ordinary young writer from the East."

When I read his novel "Beloved," I realized that he was not just a young man, but a young writer with an infinitely bright future.

My works win the favor of readers and the respect of my peers through hardship, but Liu is better than me; he wins everyone's favor through the warmth in his writing.

I need countless deaths to move people's hearts in one of my works, but in his "The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" and "Hachi: A Dog's Tale," no one has to die, and in "The Kite Runner," only a few people die.

He was passionate about depicting Chinese heroes, scientists, soldiers, and ordinary people struggling to survive, and his gaze was focused on the anti-colonial wars of people all over the world. He sympathized with the plight of Native Americans and Black people, and he sympathized with the apartheid on the African continent.

His speech just now made me realize that he is also aware of the centuries of suffering endured by the people of South America. As a member of the conscious mind, writers have a responsibility to reflect the hardships suffered by the people; they have a responsibility to use their pens to awaken more people.

Liu, a conscience of an era. I am proud that China has such a writer, a writer who cares about the fate of humanity worldwide. I was very pleased to hear Liu say just now that *One Hundred Years of Solitude* is a work of realist literature.

He just mentioned my respected Mr. Neruda, who deeply loved traditional Chinese culture. I hope we can also become a bridge for cultural exchange between China and Latin America.

Liu, a young man filled with love and compassion, if any Chinese writer were to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in the future, it would undoubtedly be Liu!

As Márquez finished speaking, all eyes were fixed on Liu Yimin, some praising, some affirming, and some envious. Even the bolder Latina beauties were giving Liu Yimin flirty winks.

The Spanish and Native Americans intermarried, inheriting the passionate and outgoing nature of Westerners. Plus, being in the tropics, the area is so hot that people wear very little clothing.

Cao Yu glanced at Liu Yimin with satisfaction and led the applause for Márquez. After the speeches by both writers, the banquet entered its second phase, with the writers exchanging ideas freely and the Chinese writers presenting gifts to them.

The gift from Márquez was presented by Liu Yimin, who walked over to Márquez and said, "Mr. Márquez, thank you for your compliment. It's a pleasure to meet you in Latin America."

“Liu, I’m very interested in what you’ve said about Third World literature uniting. We can have a good exchange of ideas later. Although South American literature is thriving, I also know that we are always within the evaluation framework of Western literature.” Márquez knew that today was not the time for a detailed discussion.

Liu Yimin gently touched Márquez's glass: "I think this is our mission. We don't have to be within the framework of Western evaluation. The Third World should have its own literary style. Most Westerners cannot understand the suffering we have endured; they are already used to being superior."

"Liu, you are truly a thoughtful young man. This is an emerald, a specialty of Colombia, which I present to you in the hope that our friendship will last forever. This is a scimitar, said to have been left behind by Chinese laborers who came to South America years ago. I present it to you in the hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated."

Besides the slave trade, Chinese people in the late Qing Dynasty were also tricked onto ships and sold to South America as laborers.

The suicide rate among Chinese laborers sold to South America as "swine" reached a staggering 500 per 100,000 people, compared to only 25 per 100,000 for Black people. The Chinese were not as docile as the Blacks; they constantly rebelled for freedom, and each uprising was accompanied by bloody suppression.

“Liu, I know you’re heartbroken, and so am I. I abhor the shameful human trafficking.” Marquez quickly said when he noticed that Liu Yimin’s mood was a bit off.

Liu Yimin put the things away: "Mr. Márquez, thank you for your gift. I also brought you a gift this time. I heard that your wife puts a yellow rose in your study every morning. This is a landscape painting called 'Yellow Rose' by the famous Chinese painter Huang Yongyu, which has a Chinese style."

Liu Yimin unpacked the painting, and the surrounding reporters immediately launched a barrage of questions. Márquez said appreciatively, "Thank you all. I like it very much. I will definitely hang it in my study. I believe that with it by my side, I will be able to write more wonderful articles."

During breaks in the banquet, people would occasionally come up to take photos with Liu Yimin. The bold and outspoken Venezuelan female reader made Liu Yimin dodge and weave in and out of the room.

Ah Cheng stood to the side, drooling, and said, "Tsk, why didn't you come to me?"

After a while, he said again, "Attending a banquet in only a simple dress, how shameless!"

The banquet ended at 11 p.m. Venezuelan time, and the Venezuelan side also arranged for accompanying security personnel to provide close protection afterward.

“Liu, I look forward to our exchange tomorrow, if my gift makes you sad,” Marquez patted Liu Yimin’s arm.

Liu Yimin said, “This is part of our history of suffering. Mr. Márquez, I should thank you for reminding me of these predecessors. Our revolution, our bloodshed, and our reforms were precisely to prevent these things from happening again. To forget history is tantamount to betrayal.”

"Liu, I hope we will never forget our history!" Márquez hugged Liu Yimin goodbye.

Back at the hotel, everyone asked curiously about the gifts Marquez had given them, and Liu Yimin showed them to everyone.

"Such a large emerald?" Wang Zengqi asked in surprise.

The pebble-sized gemstones were placed inside the box, refracting a green light under the lamp.

As everyone marveled, Liu Yimin opened another wooden box, inside which was a rusty dagger with a ruby ​​inlaid on the hilt, its luster now dim.

"What is this?" Qian Zhongshu asked, frowning.

"Items left behind by Chinese laborers who were sold to South America in the last century."

This period of history is not as well-known as other historical events, but everyone present was well-read, and Liu Yimin's brief mention made it clear to them.

"Alas, the country is weak and the people are not safe! A country is a nation, but without a country there is no home, and without a home, where does the country come from?" Qian Zhongshu lamented.

Cao Yu closed the wooden box: "Marquez must have put a lot of thought into choosing this gift."

"He must have his reasons?" Ma Shitu asked.

Wang Zengqi said, "Isn't this a disguised apology?"

"It's possible. It might be a hint that Latin America's history of suffering also includes a part of China's history of suffering. But let's not guess anymore!" Liu Yimin said.

Qian Zhongshu asked, "What are you going to do with this gift?"

"When I get back, I plan to donate it to the history museum and see which museum is willing to accept it," Liu Yimin said.

Cao Yu said, "Why not hand it over to the Museum of Modern Chinese Literature? It would serve as a testament to literary exchange and, on the other hand, remind our literary creators what kind of literature they should be creating."

"Teacher, I'll listen to you."

Cao Yu told everyone to go back and rest. After everyone had gone back, Qian Zhongshu asked Cao Yu, "Today, Márquez said that the Chinese writer most likely to win the Nobel Prize in Literature is Yimin and Jiabao. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Yu immediately smiled and said, "Zhongshu, of course I hope Yimin can win the award, but as of now, I don't know when that will happen."

"Look how happy you are. When Márquez was talking, I was watching you, and your face was all wrinkled from laughing so hard," Qian Zhongshu teased.

Cao Yu said smugly, "You're not happy? If you were my student, you'd probably throw down your cane and jump up."

Cao Yu and Qian Zhongshu shared a room so that they could look after each other as they grew older.

That night, Liu Yimin fell asleep quickly, while Acheng tossed and turned in bed, constantly thinking about becoming Liu Yimin's apprentice.

Gazing at the Venezuelan moon, Ah Cheng, who was already extremely tired, couldn't sleep. He recalled Liu Yimin's smile at the banquet and analyzed whether Liu Yimin had agreed or refused.

"Sigh!" Ah Cheng walked to the window and sighed, feeling that he had been a bit hasty today. These things should be done slowly. The two of them hadn't known each other for very long, and he was already asking her to become his apprentice. He wouldn't have agreed to that either.

Furthermore, saying this amidst cheers from the crowd makes him appear frivolous and gives the impression that he is trying to curry favor with the powerful.

"Ugh……"

(End of this chapter)