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

Chapter 591 A Family of Loyal Martyrs
After Qi Bangyuan finished speaking, she looked at Liu Yimin and saw that he frowned slightly. Qi Bangyuan continued, "Yimin, you may have misunderstood what I meant earlier. What I meant was that it's better to see the whole picture than to see nothing at all."

Your work is very popular on the island, and readers hope to see more of your work. It would be a regret for both you and your readers if it couldn't be published due to censorship.

As everyone became more familiar with each other, the way they addressed each other changed. Few members of the delegation on the island called Liu Yimin "Mr. Liu" anymore; they all called him "Yimin" or "Professor Liu".

Li Ao explained on behalf of Qi Bangyuan: "Sister Qi meant that even after the works have been edited, they can still serve an educational purpose for readers."

"I understand, I'll think about it," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Li Ao shamelessly said, "If 'God's Visa' is published on the island, please give me the opportunity to write a preface."

“Okay, Lao Li, I’ll leave it to you then,” Liu Yimin nodded.

Pai Hsien-yung joked, "This book will definitely sell very well. Old Li, you should write more words so that Yi-min can help you make some money."

"Haha, I'll donate all the money I earn to veterans who need to return home," Li Ao said nonchalantly.

If the book is published on the island, the preface is paid for according to the word count of the main text, and this money is paid directly to the person who wrote the preface. Wang Zengqi recently mentioned that when reporters from the island came to interview him, they requested that the interview content be used as the preface for the novel's publication, and he later learned that reporters could make money in this way.

Wang Zengqi thought the reporter on the island was very "shrewd," and his seemingly joking words carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

The reason Wang Zengqi told Liu Yimin about this was because both of them had the same Hong Kong agent—Gu Jian—whose publications were published on the island. Wang Zengqi thought Gu Jian was too bookish and should learn more capitalist "tricks" to make money.

What Wang Zengqi didn't know was that Liu Yimin's publishing on the island was different from his own; the revenue sharing was negotiated between Liu himself and the publisher, and Gu Jian was just a mascot.

Li Ao didn't care about the small amount of royalties he earned from writing the preface; what he cared more about was meeting readers along with his novel, "God's Visa."

Upon hearing Li Ao's words, Chen Yingzhen also had his own idea: "Yimin, how about we publish this novel in our magazine 'Renjian'? Publish it on both the mainland and the island!"

Seeing that Liu Yimin did not speak, Chen Yingzhen assumed that Liu Yimin felt it was inappropriate to publish at the same time, and advised again: "Actually, there is nothing wrong with it. The readers on the mainland and the island are not the same reader group."

"Old Chen, if we include the island, then it will be published simultaneously in three places: the mainland, the island, and the United States," Liu Yimin explained to him. The novel was being translated by the American journal *The Paris Review* and would be published soon.

Chen Yingzhen smiled slightly: "That doesn't matter at all, the Paris Review can't even get into the island's market."

"Alright then!" Liu Yimin stopped talking when he saw that even Chen Yingzhen thought there was a problem.

Chen Yingzhen also invited Wang Zengqi to write a few articles for "Renjian Magazine," even those that had been published in mainland China.

Wang Zengqi recently began writing "New Interpretations of Liaozhai", a modern adaptation of "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio". Chen Yingzhen is quite interested in this article.

Wang Zengqi smiled and agreed: "No problem, I'll send it to the island then."

On our last night in Shanghai, we took a cruise on the Huangpu River. At that time, the Oriental Pearl Tower had not yet been built, and there were no luxury cruise ships on the Huangpu River, only ferries shuttling back and forth.

"It's too crowded!" Liu Yimin exclaimed.

Zhang Leping said, "This is just one of the ferries. People now travel between Pudong and Puxi via ferry lines. They work in Puxi and live in Pudong."

“Puxi has not much room for development left. If Shanghai wants to develop, it needs to expand its development space,” Liu Yimin said.

"The development gap between the two sides is too big. Everyone says they'd rather have a bed in Puxi than a room in Pudong." Zhang Leping shook his head helplessly.

The most prominent problem in Shanghai's urban area is that it is too small, whether in commercial or residential areas. In the alleyways of the city, several people may be crammed into a single room.

"Nonsense, I think Pudong is great. Buy as many houses as you can get," Liu Yimin said cheerfully.

Li Ao looked at both banks of the Huangpu River, then at the Shanghai map in his hand: "In my opinion, if Shanghai can develop, Pudong will definitely be valuable."

“Old Li, you’re right. Land in real metropolises is incredibly valuable, but Shanghai isn’t quite there yet. However, I think with policy support, Shanghai will develop rapidly. Old Zhang, if you have money, buy some real estate. You’re guaranteed not to lose money.” Liu Yimin looked at Zhang Leping beside him.

Zhang Leping said with a wry smile, "I do have some money, but it's just enough for household expenses."

There is a large development gap between Pudong and Puxi. Puxi is nearing population saturation and housing is in short supply, so most people can only live in Pudong and their main mode of transportation to and from get off work is the ferry.

Lujiazui in Pudong is a key transportation hub. The ferry crossing from Lujiazui to the other side is designed to handle more than 70,000 passengers. In reality, the highest daily passenger volume has reached 180,000, and the lowest has been 100,000.

Later, due to heavy fog, the ferry was delayed. When the fog began to clear, a group of people rushed to board the ship, which ultimately led to a tragedy.

The accompanying Shanghai reporters interviewed the delegation of writers from the island, asking them about their impressions of visiting Shanghai.

Chi Pang-yuan talked about her past understanding of Shanghai and told reporters that she hoped Shanghai could develop faster.

When it was Li Ao's turn, he said he couldn't wait to visit Shenzhen: "Both Shanghai and Shenzhen are major cities in China's reform and opening up. I've heard that Shenzhen is developing faster than Shanghai now, and I want to go and see for myself."

The reporter looked a little embarrassed and then turned the microphone on someone else.

In the 1980s, Shenzhen's development speed far exceeded that of Shanghai, and later, through the development of Pudong, it achieved accelerated development.

When it was Liu Yimin's turn to speak, while praising Shanghai's achievements, he also expressed his concerns about traffic on both sides of the Huangpu River.

"Reporter, I hope you can publish my original words. With so many people crossing the ferry, safety is a serious concern," Liu Yimin said.

"Okay, Comrade Liu Yimin, I've got it." the reporter said with a smile.

Back at the hotel that evening, Liu Yimin received a call from Li Shifei, the editor-in-chief of "Huacheng" magazine, who hoped that the delegation of writers from the island could visit "Huacheng" magazine and hold an exchange meeting.

"Editor-in-Chief Li, what brings you here?"

Liu Yimin was slightly displeased with Li Shifei's sudden interference. The exchange proceeded smoothly; if it were to be held at the editorial office of *Huacheng* magazine, the entire itinerary would have to be changed.

“Brother Yimin, we’re all heading to Guangdong Province. It would be a shame if our ‘Flower City’ magazine didn’t meet with the writers from the island. The editorial department and the writers from the south were very happy to hear that the delegation was coming soon and insisted that I make a call. If I didn’t make the call, I probably wouldn’t be able to keep my position as editor-in-chief.”

"Please have some understanding of my situation. Our 'Flower City' magazine will definitely make this exchange meeting a success." Li Shifei poured out his grievances, explaining his difficulties.

"Old Li, you're trying to blackmail me. If I don't agree, I'll be seen as heartless. Let's not talk about going or not. What do you want to discuss?" Liu Yimin asked curiously.

Liu Yimin and Li Shifei were not familiar with each other. They had met once before at a literary congress, and their subsequent contact was mainly for commissioning articles. However, apart from one reportage piece published in "Huacheng" at Xu Chi's suggestion, Liu Yimin had not published anything else.

Later, Li Shifei realized there was no chance and stopped contacting them.

Upon hearing this, Li Shifei felt there was a chance and quickly said, "Comrade Yimin, we would like to explore the perseverance of pure literature in the era of commercialization, and on the other hand, discuss avant-garde literature."

"I understand, Lao Li. Let me check the time and also consult with the delegation. If we have enough time, I can visit your side."

Liu Yimin was quite interested in the topic of "Pure Literature's Perseverance in the Commercialized Era." Although the price of "Huacheng" magazine is constantly increasing, it is still not making ends meet.

If even a magazine like "Huacheng," one of the "Four Great Famous Magazines" in the country, is like this, then the rest of the magazines are even more so.

The price of "Huacheng" has risen from a few cents in 79 to one dollar and fifty cents today, and now it is being considered for another price increase.

There was a prevailing sentiment within *Huacheng* magazine that advocated for monetization through commercialization, such as publishing advertisements. However, this commercialization was met with opposition from the majority, who argued that it would compromise the pure literature they upheld. After hanging up the phone, Liu Yimin didn't bother the delegation members further but instead took a shower to prepare for rest.

The next morning at eight o'clock, the delegation members went out of the hotel to eat pan-fried buns at a small shop on the streets of Shanghai. Liu Yimin took the opportunity to ask for everyone's opinions.

“Flower City Magazine? That magazine is quite famous. I think it would be worth the trip if we went out of our way to see it,” Chen Yingzhen said.

Chi Pang-yuan also said that she had heard of Flower City magazine: "Flower City magazine is like the north and south of China. The further south I go, the more I find that the commercial atmosphere and people's thoughts change. Flower City mainly publishes avant-garde literary works, which represent the current development direction of mainland literature."

Avant-garde works can be found in major magazines such as Harvest, Flower City, and People's Literature, but Flower City is now almost entirely dominated by avant-garde literature.

While developing avant-garde literature, *People's Literature* still adheres to the creative direction of realist literature. This was the tone that Liu Yimin and Wang Meng and others set when Liu joined the editorial board of *People's Literature*.

"Huacheng magazine wants to explore how pure literary magazines can survive in the tide of commercialization, as well as the discussion of avant-garde literature," Liu Yimin said.

Wang Zengqi picked up a pan-fried dumpling from his bowl and said, "I would also like to discuss avant-garde literature with them."

“In that case, let’s take a detour to ‘Flower City’,” Liu Yimin decided.

Because their flight was in the afternoon, they had a few hours to rest in the morning. The delegation from the island, led by Li Ao and Chen Yingzhen, wanted to go to a shopping mall in Shanghai to buy some local specialties to take back with them.

Liu Yimin asked Yan Zhen to stay with them so they wouldn't get lost again.

Qi Bangyuan chatted with Liu Yimin for quite a while, and Liu Yimin thought she wanted to talk about the island's local literature.

In the past few days, everyone has felt that Chi Pang-yuan's attitude has changed, and Liu Yi-min is optimistic about her change of understanding regarding the relationship between literature on the mainland and the island.

But to everyone's surprise, Qi Bangyuan said she wanted to go to Nanjing: "Yimin, after arriving in Shenzhen, I will have a day to rest. During this time, I would like to go to Nanjing by myself. After Zhang Dafei sacrificed his life, he was buried in Nanjing. I want to go and see him."

"This matter is a bit of a headache. Sending Qi Bangyuan to Jinling alone is obviously against regulations, and safety is also an issue."

"I finally made it back to Shanghai, which is so close. I can't help but feel uneasy if I don't go and see it."

Liu Yimin then noticed that Qi Bangyuan looked very tired, as if she hadn't slept well the night before.

Seeing how deeply she was in love, Liu Yimin said, "I'll get back to you in a bit."

Upon arriving at the hotel, Liu Yimin first called Li Shifei, a call that took half an hour to finally connect. After learning that the delegation had agreed to visit "Huacheng" magazine for exchanges, Li Shifei immediately began making the necessary arrangements.

"Comrade Yimin, I knew you and the delegation would agree. Don't worry, we will make all the arrangements. The exchange meeting the day after tomorrow will definitely go smoothly," Li Shifei assured Liu Yimin, patting his chest.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "Old Li, there's no need to be as nervous as you say. Just do your job well, and we'll see you in Guangzhou!"

See you in Guangzhou!

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yimin notified the staff of the Pengcheng cultural department, informing them that the delegation's arrival date in Pengcheng would be postponed until after the "Flower City" exchange meeting.

The staff member readily replied, "Then we'll send someone to 'Huacheng' to pick up the delegation. Director Liu, let's communicate promptly if anything comes up. Our tour schedule is fixed; it's just a matter of time."

"Okay, thank you for your help!" Liu Yimin said politely.

"You're welcome. We should be thanking you for letting the Chinese people see Shenzhen! For letting the world see Shenzhen!"

Liu Yimin sensed from the staff's words the confidence that everyone in Shenzhen had in development, and a spirit of high morale and progress.

After dealing with these matters, Liu Yimin wanted to report to Xia Yan about Qi Bangyuan's trip to Jinling, but he couldn't get through on the long-distance call.

Liu Yimin decided to take everyone on a detour to Nanjing to visit the newly built Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. This made the trip a bit rushed, but Liu Yimin thought it was well worth it.

Liu Yimin immediately called the airport and cancelled all of the delegation's tickets for the afternoon.

At noon, Li Ao and his entourage returned to the hotel with bags and packages containing Shanghai specialties and traditional Chinese medicine. Previously, islanders had to travel to Singapore or Hong Kong to buy Chinese medicine, so now that they had the opportunity, they naturally wanted to stock up.

"Distinguished delegates, I have a sudden idea. I'd like to change our route and go to Nanjing first. A memorial hall for the 300,000 victims was built in Nanjing a couple of years ago, and the main purpose of our trip is to commemorate the victims. What do you all think?" Liu Yimin asked.

Lan Bozhou was the first to say he had no objection, and the others immediately followed suit. Qi Bangyuan glanced at Liu Yimin with emotion.

Nanjing is not far from Shanghai, and Liu Yimin thought there was no need to take a plane. However, train tickets were sold out, so he had no choice but to fly.

When they arrived at Jinling Airport at 4 p.m., they hadn't notified the Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. They didn't know where they got the news from, but when they got off the plane, the people were already waiting for them at the airport entrance.

Seeing everyone's surprise, Li Jin, secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said happily, "We are brother organizations with the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers Association. We received the news as soon as you decided to come to Nanjing."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Li. We're planning to visit the Memorial Hall for the Victims of the Anti-Japanese War and the Nanjing Anti-Japanese Aviation Martyrs Cemetery on this trip," Liu Yimin said.

"Cemetery for Aviation Martyrs?"

"Yes, Ms. Qi Bangyuan's confidant, martyr Zhang Dafei, is buried here, and she wants to go and see him."

Upon hearing this, Li Jin was filled with respect: "Come with us, we'll arrange the itinerary."

Sitting in the car, Li Jin was deeply moved after hearing Zhang Dafei's story. He had once been a soldier in the New Fourth Army and knew the cruelty of war.

They originally planned to go to the martyrs' cemetery tomorrow morning, but Qi Bangyuan wanted to go today, so they bought flowers on the street and headed straight to the Air Force Martyrs' Cemetery.

At the tomb of martyr Zhang Dafei, Qi Bangyuan wept uncontrollably. Liu Yimin and the others learned from the explanation given by the cemetery staff that Zhang Dafei was not only a hero himself, but also a descendant of a hero.

When the Northeast Army abandoned Northeast China, the only organized resistance force in Shenyang was the Northeast Police. Zhang Dafei's father, Zhang Fengqi, was ordered to lead the police in a two-day and two-night resistance. After withdrawing from Shenyang, he sneaked back to Shenyang to develop anti-Japanese armed forces, but was captured due to betrayal and was eventually burned alive by the Japanese.

"A family of loyal martyrs!"

"Martyr Zhang Dafei achieved 18 victories against the Japanese. In 44, his younger brother also joined the Air Force. On the eve of liberation in 45, Martyr Zhang Dafei heroically sacrificed his life to protect his comrades."

After the administrator finished his introduction, Chi Pang-yuan was still sobbing. Li Ao and Pai Hsien-yung stepped forward and gently supported Chi Pang-yuan's arms, but for a moment they did not know how to comfort her.

After a long while, Qi Bangyuan wiped away her tears: "Dafei, we finally won the War of Resistance against Japan. Sigh, I wish you could see this. We're leaving now, we'll come to see you again next time!"

"Let's go!"

The afterglow of the setting sun enveloped the entire Anti-Japanese War Aviation Martyrs Cemetery, casting long, slender shadows of the crowd until they disappeared before the cemetery.
On the way back, everyone knew that Chi Pang-yuan was in a low mood, and even Li Ao, who was usually the most talkative, didn't say a word.

As night fell in Nanjing, the convoy drove past the old city wall of Jinling and finally stopped at the Confucius Temple on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The Jiangsu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles invited everyone to stroll along the Qinhuai River in the evening, but knowing the schedule was tight, they did not propose any literary exchange.

"Comrade Yimin, you're quite something. At such a young age, you've taken writers from the island all the way from north to south. Most people couldn't do that," Li Jin said to Liu Yimin in a low voice.

P.S.: Next chapter coming soon.

(End of this chapter)