Literary Master 1918: Starting with New Youth

the other side.

No. 18, Zhonggu Hutong.

Due to the severe sandstorm today, Yanjing Huiwen Middle School has decided to dismiss its students to avoid management problems.

Ma Yu, who had been happily going to school, could only return home dejectedly.

Both her parents went to Yenching University for classes, and her grandmother went out to buy groceries but hadn't returned. She didn't have her keys with her, so she could only sit at the door and wait.

"Ugh."

She held her face in her hands and sighed deeply, only to have a mouthful of sand blown in by the wind, almost making her cry.

The letter that Yang Zizhen entrusted to deliver to that gentleman named Zhu has yet to receive a reply.

I don't know if Yang Zizhen didn't send it at all, or if that gentleman was too lazy to bother with her, but it's really making me impatient...

"Yang Zizhen didn't secretly open it to take a look, did she?"

Having learned her lesson, Ma Yu covered her mouth tightly this time when talking to herself.

It's not that I don't trust Yang Zizhen, because she's very reliable in other matters.

However, after I handed him the letter yesterday, he initially seemed surprised and hesitant, unsure of what to do. After dawdling for quite a while, when I explained that I wanted him to deliver the letter, his face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He snatched the letter, leaving only the words "I know," and then ignored me completely.

Difficult to evaluate...

In fact, she was both looking forward to it and afraid of it. She was afraid that her complaints would annoy Zhu Junzi and eventually bring her a scolding.

As for Zhu Junzi's writing style, it's obvious to all that she can berate someone to tears.

"Oh! Little Yu'er, why aren't you at school? Why are you sitting at the door?"

Suddenly, a surprised question came from the sandstorm, and the energetic old woman quickly came to the door.

Ma Yu looked closely and realized it was her grandmother who had returned. She quickly stood up and answered:

"Grandma, the teacher said it's very windy and dusty today, so classes are suspended and we have to come back. Classes will resume when the wind stops."

"What a lousy school... Hurry, hurry, open the door for Grandma, don't scratch my precious granddaughter."

......

Two days later.

Iron Bird Alley, Xuan Nan, Yanjing.

This was the center of Yanjing Newspaper Printing and Distribution, gathering long-established printing institutions such as "Juxing Newspaper Office," which printed the works produced by various editorial departments, and was known as "Newspaper Office Alley."

"Slow down, be careful not to fall!"

"Okay! Thanks for reminding me!"

"Come on, put this stack on top too, and send it to Nanliu Lane."

"Alright! You can rest assured when I handle things!"

As dawn broke, newspaper deliverymen used manpower to deliver the newly printed newspapers to Yongxing Temple in Nanliu Lane nearby for unified trading and sales. The entire industry chain was very mature.

The editorial office of the Beijing Daily, located here, was already open and busy early in the morning.

Chief writer Wu Zizhen, dressed in an old-fashioned scholar's robe, with his hair and beard completely white, still works tirelessly on the front lines, tending to his old friend's business and dedicating himself to "enlightening the people," but is now extremely frustrated.

The *Beijing Dialect Daily* ceased publication after Peng Yizhong was exiled to Xinjiang. When it resumed publication in 1913, its market share had been squeezed out by newspapers such as the *Patriotic Vernacular Daily* and the *Qunqiang Daily*. Furthermore, it was subsequently banned for a period by Yuan Shikai and was now facing bankruptcy and losses.

Enlightening the public and promoting patriotism requires a platform, right? But the recent sales of the Beijing Daily are poor, and he doesn't know how to revive it. He is extremely frustrated.

"Uncle Wu, these are today's submissions. I've screened them first, and there's a novel among them that I think is well worth reading!"

A tall, upright young man approached Wu Zizhen, placed a stack of manuscripts on the table, and his eyes revealed a wild and sharp glint. Combined with his slightly downturned lips, he exuded an air of arrogance.

Wu Zizhen did not rush to check the manuscript, but nodded in approval:

"Shouming, you've worked so hard. You have to teach at Yenching University and also come here to help out. You're running around from morning till night."

"Uncle Wu, what are you saying? You and my father co-authored the book, which is a great thing to enlighten the people. In my opinion, it is in no way inferior to 'New Youth'. The younger generation should naturally pay more attention to it."

Liang Shouming was very humble when facing his elders.

He came to Yenching University two years ago to teach Indian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy. He was naturally very busy, but his father, Liang Ji, was also an editor of the Beijing Daily. He couldn't just stand by and watch his elders work so hard, could he?

"Take a look. If this slice-of-life novel catches your eye, finalize the deal with it as soon as possible."

"Let me see... what is this thing? Is it for raising camels?"

Wu Zizhen put on her reading glasses, picked up the manuscript paper, and fell into deep doubt.

"You're still in a hurry. Take a look further down; he's a rickshaw puller."

"Oh! I saw it. Don't laugh at this old man!"

"No, no, please be patient."

The Beijing Daily welcomes novels about everyday life, and works like "Mahua Liu" and "Dong Xinxin" have received very good responses. Therefore, the editors are very patient with these works and are willing to take a look.

The author of "Camel Xiangzi" used vernacular Chinese throughout, which suited Wu Zizhen's taste perfectly.

Furthermore, the handwriting is also quite good. While it may not have the distinctive features of a master, it is easy to understand at a glance, with no superfluous strokes. Some characters are even simplified, making it easier to grasp the original meaning. This alone makes it worth publishing.

Wu Zizhen was old and read the manuscript slowly, so Liang Shouming waited by his side, neither urging him nor making a sound, but he could not calm down.

His first reaction upon seeing the submission was exactly the same; the more he read, the more terrified he became. When he put down the last page, he felt enveloped in immense despair, and he hasn't recovered yet.

Both in terms of storytelling and writing style, it perfectly suits the style of the *Beijing Daily*. However, in his personal opinion, this version of *Camel Xiangzi* should have been submitted to *New Youth*, where it would have garnered a greater response.

However, since the author submitted to the Beijing Daily instead of New Youth, he must have had his own considerations. What's that saying again... since he's already here!

Your *New Youth* has *Diary of a Madman* and *Medicine*, and my *Beijing Daily* has *Camel Xiangzi*. We two are considered equals in the literary world of Yenching!

While Liang Shouming was pondering, Wu Zizhen had already seen the scene of Xiangzi rising and falling, and actually stood up.

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"

"Keep looking down, the best is yet to come."

"well!"

Wu Zizhen turned on the light, leaned close to the light, and read it carefully, word by word.

Time passed from dawn to noon. During this time, Liang Shouming went out and came back, but he remained unmoved and didn't even drink a sip of tea. He was completely absorbed in the story.

He had seen stories that criticized society, such as the story of Lu Xun and Zhu Junzi, but those stories were too obscure and required readers to savor and reflect upon them, which was a hurdle for ordinary people.

Although "Camel Xiangzi" is much longer than Lu Xun's works, its language is realistic, its writing is concise, and its themes are profound. The whole story is almost straightforward, but it has no shortage of plot twists. It is a treasure for ordinary people.

No wonder this "Yanjing Guest" would submit his work to the Beijing Daily. Not all novels with strong critical elements are suitable for a publication like New Youth!

"Poor Xiangzi...poor ghost at the end of his road."

"Shuna, what do you think?"

Wu Zizhen threw the last page on the table, feeling inexplicably choked up.

Liang Shouming understood this feeling and said in a deep voice:

"After watching 'Rickshaw Boy,' I'm afraid I'll never ride a rickshaw again in my life."

"Sigh, in your opinion, would it even be acceptable to publish this in the newspaper?"

"I think it's a good idea. It has a wide audience and a realistic ending. I'm just worried about the government..."

Liang Shouming did not reveal what happened next.

But Wu Zizhen knew that if the younger generation published such a "treasonous" article under the Beiyang government, and the newspaper was banned in the future, it would be a great loss.

Because this author seems to have nine heads, the entire article is set against the backdrop of the recent situation in Yanjing, with Professor Chen, the police department, and Anfu Club, it's as if he has "I am alluding to the government" written on his forehead, he would be riddled with bullets if he were caught by secret agents!

It's only natural for a junior with limited experience to worry about this; it would be foolish not to.

As for an old journalist like him, although he didn't have much of a foundation, he was already over sixty years old, so what did he have to fear?

"Shouming, you might think we old folks can't compete with young people running a newspaper, but we have an advantage you don't. Do you know what it is?"

"I would like to hear the details."

Liang Shouming really couldn't find any advantage to it. Did his old age and failing eyesight count?

"At my age, what is there to fear? The worst that could happen is beheading, which, for us scholar-officials scorned by the new literature... is called martyrdom!"

"Your Uncle Peng once said that when running a newspaper, you shouldn't be afraid of offending people; you'll speak out even if you have a knife to your throat!"