Literary Master 1918: Starting with New Youth

Halfway up the alley, Shaoxing Guild Hall.

The setting sun shone on the window frame of the Bushu Study, but could not penetrate the grid paper pasted on the window frame.

The environment of Zhou Shuren's house was dark.

He originally lived in the south bedroom, but since Zhou Zuoren came to Beijing last year, he gave that bedroom to his younger brother and lived in the north room, where he had to light candles before sunset.

Unlike the usual somber atmosphere, the atmosphere inside the house seemed much more relaxed today.

Zhou Shuren sat behind his desk, his back straight, comparing the collected "Records of Extant Epigraphy from Huaiyin" with his brush, his hand wielding ink on the Xuan paper.

Copying inscriptions and rubbings from ancient books were his remedies for the darkness of the times and for relieving his depression.

He's now working at the Ministry of Education; he'll eventually pull himself out of his depression.

A fighter is a fighter after all. Even if he is attacked from behind as soon as he leaves the iron house, and his heart is chilled and his teeth are clenched, the passion in his bones still remains.

Da da da—

Familiar, hurried footsteps approached from afar.

The next moment, Qian Xuantong pushed open the door and entered, bringing in the coolness of autumn.

"Well, you Zhou Shuren, you recovered but didn't even say a word. You're hiding here in peace and quiet! If I hadn't come today, I wouldn't have known you had already come out."

"not yet."

Zhou Shuren put down his pen, got up, lit a cigarette, and stood quietly behind the table, lost in thought.

Qian Xuantong smiled and didn't press for more questions. He poured himself a cup of tea with practiced ease. The tea was cold, but he didn't mind and gulped it down.

"Did you read today's 'New Youth'?"

"We await the return of humanity."

"No need to wait for him, I brought him to you!"

Qian Xuantong took out a copy of "New Youth" from his pocket and slammed it on the table.

Zhou Shuren remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable, but he inhaled the cigarette faster and soon finished. In the end, he picked up the magazine.

He opened the book and immediately saw "Kong Yiji" on the first page. He read it slowly, very slowly.

He read the novel, which was less than three thousand words long, three times over, from sunset to the moon high in the sky. One cigarette after another was lit, and the room remained silent for a long time, with only the crackling of the lamplight making a sound.

"Hey! Looks like I can get a free meal at your Tree Repair Bookstore again. Go and order some food!"

In the end, it was Qian Xuantong who spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.

Zhou Shuren put down "New Youth" and did not rush to express his opinion.

"So, what do you think? Do you think this young man can take over your mantle?"

"I don't know if the author has told you, but this writer is my student. He's young but incredibly insightful! He greatly admires you and keeps asking me to introduce him to you. Why don't you go out and explore?"

Qian Xuantong was not a patient person. Before Zhou Shuren could say anything, he had almost revealed all his secrets, and his smile was somewhat ostentatious.

But Zhou Shuren didn't answer, as if he was deliberately ignoring him.

But he happened to be the kind of person who was even more anxious, and eagerly pressed for answers:

"Tree Man! Say something!"

"Xuantong, do you remember what I said at the end of 'Diary of a Madman'...?"

"I remember! You said 'Save the children!'"

"Then tell me, when the tavern waiter in 'Kong Yiji' sees Kong Yiji's destitution, hears the ridicule of the crowd, and only hears the nagging of 'nineteen coins,' who will save this child?"

Zhou Shuren pointed at the magazine, as if questioning himself or challenging it.

Qian Xuantong's eager smile suddenly froze. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then fell silent.

Yes!

The words, though calm, were more intense than any criticism.

The question is not directed at the children, but at all citizens living in this environment.

When you are determined to awaken the masses, their inherent flaws are gradually formed and solidified in this environment, and even passed down from generation to generation. What should you do if you consider yourself the only one who is awake?

And his attitude towards Wu Zhu is also revealed in this sentence.

"Kong Yiji" continues the most poignant questioning of "Diary of a Madman," which in itself is the best answer.

As for whether to go out and meet that rising star, Zhou Shuren picked up his pen again and continued copying, demonstrating his final answer through his actions.

Qian Xuantong knew the chat was over. He was already satisfied to see his comrade getting better step by step. He gave up his idea of ​​getting a free meal and silently got up and walked to the door.

Before he left, he looked back.

"Tree Man, I'm so happy that you're getting better every day."

"My student said that one day he would call you out of this house, pick up your pen again, and together smash the iron house."

Zhou Shuren nodded, his knuckles, which were slightly white, as he held the pen.

......

at the same time.

No. 9, Doufuchi Hutong.

The unique aroma of Hunan cuisine, with its oily spiciness, lingers in the air, constantly tempting passersby to eat.

The dining table in the main living room was a mess, with the skeleton of a steamed fish standing upright and only a few red chili peppers lying on it.

The women in the house were cleaning up the mess, but Yang Zizhen pretended not to see anything. She squatted under the oil lamp with a copy of "New Youth" in her hands, engrossed in reading the contents. She would sometimes frown and sometimes smack her lips, completely absorbed in the story.

"Alas! Utterly indifferent!"

Yang Zizhen shook her head repeatedly at the book, her tone always carrying a sense of feigned profundity.

"You're the most insensitive one in my family!"

Yang Yunjin held a pair of chopsticks, carefully controlling her strength, and tapped her brother on the head.

"Ouch! What are you doing—!"

Yang Zizhen was startled, covered her head and let out a strange cry. The magazine slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, which she quickly picked up and dusted off.

Faced with his younger sister's sneak attack, he stood up angrily:

"What numbness... I'm researching new ideas, don't try to slander me out of thin air!"

"Heh! What innocence? Wipe your drool first, you look like a dazed fool."

"I was engrossed in reading, does that count as being senile?"

Yang Zizhen stiffened her neck, her face flushed red, and the veins on her forehead bulged.

The living room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Yang Yunjin thought of the image of Kong Yiji and was amused by her elder brother, laughing heartily.

"Was this 'Kong Yiji' written by Wu Zhu, the one you mentioned before?"

"Exactly!"

"Oh! What a pity, he must have been incredibly annoyed by you back then, being such a blockhead!"

"Don't talk nonsense. Wu Zhu's achievements today are largely thanks to me, Yang Zizhen! Look at what this is written, it's so cringeworthy... no, it's like an iceberg piercing your heart, look at the beginning..."

Yang Zizhen wanted to show off her knowledge, but she had already forgotten what she had just read, so she had to open "New Youth" again to read it, which made her younger sister roll her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky.

Sitting upright in the main seat, silently sipping his tea, Yang Huaizhong sighed deeply, slowly raised his head, and looked at his simple-minded son with a disappointed expression:

"Yang Zizhen, I see you've become Wu Zhu's messenger; he even gives you pocket money. Tell me, what's so good about his story 'Kong Yiji'?"

Yang Zizhen thought her father was going to test her, so she plopped down at the table, cleared her throat, and solemnly said:

"This is great... its greatness lies in its excellent writing. The vivid descriptions and distinctive characters bring the old-fashioned literati to life with remarkable depth, and the satire is thought-provoking!"

These were comments he heard from his classmates, and that was the limit of what he could remember.

"Anything else?"

"Um... Also, the use of vernacular Chinese is skillful, well-written, and exquisite. It's a model of vernacular writing, truly deserving of the title 'Excellent'! I've absorbed its secrets, and I'm sure I'll be able to surpass it in the future!"

"If these are all your insights, you should give up your dream of becoming a literary giant as soon as possible, lest you become a laughing stock in the future."

Yang Huaizhong's finishing blow was merciless:

"You saw Wu Zhu staying at home the day he was there. You saw how confident he was, how he pondered silently, and how he stayed up all night studying. That's the kind of tenacity that comes from being afraid of poverty. You don't have that. If you only envy his fame after publishing his novel and are unwilling to suffer the torment of studying under the lamp, you should settle down sooner rather than later."

Yang Zizhen lowered her head and stroked the magazine cover.

Although the words weren't particularly serious, they were still very discouraging, like a bucket of cold water had been poured on him.

The women in the house fell silent immediately, and only the clatter of dishes filled the living room.

Yang Zizhen came to the eaves in dejection, sat on the steps, cupped her cheeks, and began to ponder her father's advice.

He's not young anymore. Although he's still in high school, he's facing a choice: whether to study humanities or sciences. He needs to make a decision as soon as possible so he can prepare accordingly.

Even though he longed to be a literary icon like Wu Zhu, he knew he wasn't cut out for it and should give up some of his daydreams...

"Hey! Are you free tomorrow?"

Yang Yunjin untied her apron and sat down next to her dejected brother.

Yang Zizhen raised her eyelids:

"What's wrong? You want me to do hard labor?"

"Come with me to Sanyan Well Hutong. My dad told me that Brother Li and his family live in cramped conditions, with seven or eight people crammed together. They can't even turn over in bed properly. He told me to go and ask them what they need when I have time, so I don't keep quiet and ruin my health."

Yang Yunjin's voice was very soft, but her eyes darted around erratically, clearly showing that she was feeling guilty.

Yang Zizhen almost got stressed when she heard the name "Three-Eyed Well".

But after hearing what his sister wanted to do, and remembering the interactions between his sister and Brother Li when he stayed at their house a while ago, a wicked smile immediately appeared on his face:

"Oh, Sanyan Well Alley... Going to visit everyone? I bet you're just pretending to ask, you're really looking for someone! Why don't you just go to the Yenching University Library..."

"You're talking nonsense! How can your thoughts be so impure! I was just following my father's orders to check on our fellow villagers and friends. The members of the New People's Society are living in poverty in Beijing, and my father is usually too busy, so I went to see what was wrong!"

Yang Yunjin grabbed Yang Zizhen's ear.

Hunan girls are really ruthless...

Yang Zizhen immediately begged for mercy:

"I'll accompany you! I'll accompany you! Please spare me, little sister!"

"Hmph! Why didn't you do this sooner!"