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

Chapter 584 The Cross-Strait Traditional Culture Exchange Meeting Officially Begins

Upon hearing Yu Hua's words, A Cheng said with a hint of indignation, "Comrade Yu Hua, you're wrong. I'm only saying this because I admire Teacher Liu's talent."

“Yes, oh dear, Comrade Acheng, who doesn’t admire Comrade Liu Yimin’s talent?” Seeing that Acheng was angry, Yu Hua quickly put his hand on the other’s shoulder: “I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, and if there’s a chance, we can go play football with Tiesheng.”

"Playing football?" Acheng glanced at Shi Tiesheng, who was sitting in a wheelchair rubbing his legs. "Tiesheng?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense. Yu Hua is usually irresponsible and I don't know what he's thinking all day. He speaks bluntly, but sometimes he doesn't have any bad intentions." Shi Tiesheng explained on Yu Hua's behalf, telling A Cheng not to mind what Yu Hua had just said.

Ah Cheng wasn't a petty person. He pulled the two of them aside and vividly recounted his visit to Latin America: "What does it mean to overcome numerous obstacles? Venezuela, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, then Cuba, and finally the United States—this isn't just about overcoming obstacles. From honorary doctorate to honorary professor, that's academic recognition. From the Romulo Galagos Award to the Golden Globe Award, that's recognition of professional competence."

From exchanges to the establishment of new international literary organizations, this is a move from an international literary perspective, directly grounded in the global arena. Comrades Yu Hua and Shi Tiesheng, could you have imagined such a level of vision?

After listening, Yu Hua nodded frantically like a fanboy. After a while, he muttered, "Even if I could think of it, I couldn't do it. I'm going to have dinner with Márquez. I have to sit at the kids' table."

"That's right! When I first heard this viewpoint, I was immediately convinced and had the idea of ​​becoming its apprentice. Once this idea took hold, it flowed like the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers," Acheng said, his voice brimming with nostalgia for his trip to Latin America.
"It feels like a dream. Just half a month ago, I was in Latin America exchanging ideas with world-renowned writers such as Márquez, José, and Vargas Llosa, and now I'm back in China. I rack my brains trying to figure out why the Federation of Literary and Art Circles contacted me."

Hearing Acheng's last sentence, Yu Hua gritted his teeth in frustration: "I've thought about it again and again, but I don't know why the Federation of Literary and Art Circles won't let me go."

"Hahaha." Shi Tiesheng and Acheng burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Yu Hua quickly said, "I'm a chatterbox, but don't stop. Comrade Liu Yimin doesn't talk much, and when he does, he's too low-key, so it's not very interesting to listen to. It's only interesting when someone else talks about it."

The delegation had so many people, but he certainly wouldn't have the chance to meet Ma Shitu, Wang Zengqi, and others. Even if they did, they wouldn't talk to him about this like old friends.

They wouldn't, and Cao Yu, Qian Zhongshu, and others would be even less likely to do so.

Liu Yimin, who had just returned from the office next door, heard a lively discussion inside, so he stopped and instead of going in, turned around and called Yan Zhen to check other things.

After get off work, Yu Hua insisted on treating Liu Yimin and Acheng to dinner. Liu Yimin couldn't refuse him, so they found a restaurant not far from Yenching University.

Acheng put the wheelchair in the trunk, and Yu Hua helped Shi Tiesheng into the back seat of the Crown: "Comrade Liu Yimin, this car is nice. I wonder when I'll be able to drive it too."

"Publish more articles, earn more royalties, and you'll have everything you need." Liu Yimin quickly started the vehicle and drove towards their destination.

Upon arriving at the destination, Yu Hua generously ordered several hearty dishes and then lavishly let the others order as well. Shi Tiesheng laughed and scolded, "Yu Hua, you've made money, but you've not become rich."

“Before, when we went to Yanjing, Comrade Liu Yimin would treat us to meals. Now that I work at the Cultural Center, I get paid for my writing in addition to my salary. And now that I’m at the Literature Workshop, I get extra subsidies. I wouldn’t say I’m rich now, but at least I’m no longer a poor country bumpkin,” Yu Hua said cheerfully.

Liu Yimin also laughed and scolded, "There will be many places to spend money in the future, so you'd better save carefully, or you won't be able to save even half a steamed bun in your doghouse!"

Yu Hua chuckled and changed the subject, saying, "The word 'momo' reminds me of Comrade Lu Yao. Comrade Lu Yao's 'Ordinary World' is so well written. I can't write an article like that. It seems plain but contains passion. I can only express my emotions completely through extreme violence."

“You avant-garde writers’ works are all like this; it’s your style,” A-Cheng said upon hearing this.

Yu Hua honestly replied, "I didn't intend to write this kind of novel; this is the only way I know how to write!"

Everyone couldn't help but smile upon hearing this. After all the dishes were served, Yu Hua generously and warmly invited everyone to start eating.

Yu Hua also told them about the interesting things that happened at the workshop, but to Yu Hua's regret, he did not meet many writers with whom he could have a good chat during this session of the literary workshop.

"Now that the literary workshops have resumed for several sessions, compared to others, everyone else's level is not very good," Yu Hua said shamelessly.

With the development of literature, most of the promising writers in China have already gone through the training programs. In addition, after the resumption of the college entrance examination, another group of writers who had not received training program education were admitted to universities and received formal university education.

The literary workshops only awarded undergraduate degrees, which wasn't very attractive to writers who had already attended university. So, the Writers' Association later partnered with Beijing Normal University to establish the Lu Xun Academy of Literature, bringing writers together for postgraduate education.

Liu Yimin proposed to Yenching University to start a writers' class, but unfortunately, after Yan Jiayan submitted the proposal, the Ministry of Education did not approve it, and the matter was dropped.

After the meal, Liu Yimin wanted to take them home separately. However, Acheng had come by bicycle, so he could only return by bicycle.

Yu Hua joked, "Comrade Acheng, it seems you won't be able to enjoy such good treatment. Then Tiesheng and I will take a car back."

"It's okay, my legs can kick fast. Besides, I want to experience Beijing at night."

Yu Hua lived in the dormitory of the training institute. Liu Yimin and he first took Shi Tiesheng back. Shi Lan looked at the car and happily circled around it.

Seeing that it was still early, Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Come on, Shi Lan, I'll take you for another walk."

Shi Tiesheng quickly waved his hand to refuse, but Shi Lan was already happily sitting in the car. Liu Yimin took them for a walk around Tiananmen Square before returning.

Shi Lan leaned against the car window, reaching out to feel the evening breeze. Seeing the smile on Shi Lan's face, Yu Hua said, "When Brother Yu buys a car in the future, I'll take you for a spin too!"

"Thank you, Brother Yu Hua!" Shi Lan said happily.

On April 30th, a group of people stood next to the tarmac at Yanjing Airport. Wang Meng, Xia Yan, and Cao Yu from the Ministry of Culture were present, and Ba Jin also came from Shanghai.

Students from Yenching University Affiliated Primary School, wearing brand-new red scarves and holding flowers, stood at the front of the crowd, nervously watching the tarmac.

Liu Yimin had originally planned a less grand welcoming event, but the Ministry of Culture and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles decided to raise the level of reception, since this was the first time in more than 30 years that writers from the island had entered the mainland on such a large scale.

Li Ao, wearing a baseball cap, stood out in the middle of the crowd. However, before this grand welcoming ceremony, he did not make any more outrageous remarks. Instead, he acted very well-behaved, occasionally taking the initiative to talk to Xia Yan, Cao Yu, and Ba Jin, introducing them to the current situation on the island.

Liu Yimin looked at Li Ao and asked, "Old Li, how have you been feeling these past two days in Yanjing?" Hearing Liu Yimin call him "Old Li," Li Ao's face lit up, and he replied, "Yes, 'Old Li' sounds so endearing. Yanjing is great; it's thriving now. I've been eating douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) and jiaoquan (deep-fried dough rings) for several days in a row. They're delicious; the douzhi in this new China tastes even better than before."

"Hahaha!" Everyone was amused by Li Ao's remark about "New China" in his fermented bean juice.

Li Ao reiterated, "I recently visited the Forbidden City and the old man's memorial hall, and I openly read his books and works. I am utterly impressed. His poetry is grand and magnificent, expressing a myriad of images; this is the spirit that a leader of a great nation should possess."

Although the economy is still underdeveloped and there are various problems in society, I see hope for development. The mainland is constantly recognizing and solving problems. A new wave of progress is underway, with top-level designs emerging one after another.

In particular, this 'Five-Year Plan' breaks down the country's grand goals into smaller, achievable objectives. As long as we steadily accomplish each of these smaller goals, I believe that though the road is long, we will surely reach our destination."

Hearing Li Ao speak like this, Liu Yimin led the applause. Xia Yan, Cao Yu, and Ba Jin's impression of Li Ao improved significantly.

Ba Jin said, "It's remarkable that one can still see the positive side even when faced with problems."

The biggest concern regarding inviting writers from the island to come and exchange ideas is that they can only see the negative aspects from their own perspective and cannot see the positive aspects of things.

If they return to the island and then spread negative messages to the island's inhabitants, this exchange activity will serve no purpose other than slapping themselves in the face.

As Xia Yan spoke, he seemed to have thought of something and immediately said to the secretary next to him, "Comrade Yimin's manuscript is in his bag. He's been reading it for a few days now, so it's time to return it to him intact!"

"Haha, thanks to Elder Shen, I also finished reading this novel," Wang Meng laughed.

Ba Jin nodded slightly: "He has a grand vision and great courage!"

Li Ao asked curiously, "What manuscript?"

Liu Yimin put the manuscript away: "I'll show it to you another day."

Li Ao was itching to see it right away, but at that moment, airport staff came over and told them that the plane was about to land, so they had to give up.

Ten minutes later, the plane landed smoothly on the runway, and the island's writer followed the passengers as they slowly disembarked.

Chen Yingzhen was the first to get off the plane. As he walked onto the runway and looked at the blue sky and white clouds over Yenching, Chen Yingzhen felt just as excited as Li Ao did at the time, but he wasn't as "foolish" as Li Ao.

With tears in her eyes, Chen Yingzhen walked quickly towards the welcoming crowd, saying, "Thank you for the welcome from our compatriots on the mainland! I'm home! I'm home!"

Although Chen Yingzhen was from Fujian Province, he moved to the island during the Qing Dynasty and was born there. For someone with his background, it is especially rare that he maintained a strong sense of belonging to the mainland without falling into the narratives of island folk literature.

Li Ao, fearing that Liu Yimin might not recognize him, grasped Chen Yingzhen's hand and said, "This is Chen Yingzhen; in my heart, he is a true man."

Liu Yimin extended his hand and said, “Mr. Chen Yingzhen, welcome home. This is Mr. Ba Jin, Mr. Xia Yan, and Mr. Cao Yu. This is Comrade Wang Meng from the Ministry of Culture; I believe you have read his works. My name is Liu Yimin; welcome home!”

Chen Yingzhen shook hands with the others in turn to express his respect, and finally looked at Liu Yimin: "Comrade Yimin, I have read all the works you published on the island. I admire your literary talent very much. In addition, I admire your patriotism even more."

"Mr. Chen, you are too modest. I have great respect for your dedication to literature on the island and your fight against the local literature there!"

Chen Yingzhen said, "I can only do things on one island, but you dance all over the world, letting people all over the world know Chinese literature, Chinese history, and Chinese culture, until they understand and fall in love with Chinese culture."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the rest of the group arrived one by one. When the writers on the island learned that Xia Yan, Cao Yu, and Ba Jin had come to pick them up in person, they excitedly shook hands with the three of them.

“Mr. Pai Hsien-yung, welcome back to China,” Liu Yimin said, shaking Pai Hsien-yung’s hand.

Pai Hsien-yung looked at Liu Yi-min and smiled, “Professor Liu, thank you for your film ‘The Battle of Taierzhuang,’ which allowed me to see my father’s figure fighting against the enemy on the screen and gave a fair and objective evaluation of my father’s contributions in this war.”

"Seeking truth from facts is our working principle, Mr. Bai. We welcome you to visit the mainland more often in the future. We are writers; we can only write more if we see more. A broad mind cannot produce narrow-minded writing. A writer's cultural background is his best source of material," Liu Yimin said.

Pai Hsien-yung nodded: "I will. This is my hometown that I can never sever ties with. I am grateful to the mainland for hosting this cultural exchange event."

Dressed in an elegant spring outfit, Chi Pang-yuan looked at Beijing Airport and said, "It's different, completely different."

"Ms. Qi, welcome!" Liu Yimin said politely.

Chi Pang-yuan said, "Professor Liu, thank you. I never thought I would be able to come back. I greatly admire your literary contributions. Márquez said that you would definitely win the Nobel Prize in Literature in the future, and I firmly believe it."

"Haha, Ms. Qi, you are highly respected in the literary world on the island. I hope we can work together to promote the unity and development of Chinese literature."

At the airport, Xia Yan, Ba Jin, and Cao Yu issued a welcome statement on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, the Writers Association, and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, respectively.

Having experienced national salvation and civil war, the three individuals are deeply saddened by the current state of affairs on the mainland and the island. They each recount history, literature, and Chinese culture from different perspectives.

The three repeatedly emphasized that the mainland and the island are a unified entity of Chinese culture, and that the literature created by Chinese writers is a reflection of this culture.

After the three speakers finished, Liu Yimin, as the initiator of the event, spoke: "Writers from the mainland, and writers from the island. Some of us know each other, while others we have never met."

However, we have already known and gotten to know each other through our writing. We are both Chinese writers, shouldering the important responsibility of developing culture and spreading Chinese literature and culture to the world.

Friends, some of you came from the mainland to the island, and some of you were born on the island, but we are all Chinese, and that is an indisputable fact.

Now that the ice and snow on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are beginning to melt, we, as members of the literary community, should also actively engage in exchanges, dispel misunderstandings, and shoulder the important responsibility of cultural exchange.

P.S.: Sorry, only one update today!
(End of this chapter)