Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 590 Poets Yu Guangzhong and Haizi
These two days, he has been busy going to the train station or airport to pick up people, including judges from all over the country.

These are all big names in the literary world, and they are all relatively old. Driving to pick them up is convenient on the one hand, but more importantly, it is a form of etiquette.

In fact, he shouldn't have to do it himself, but people in the jury office like Zhang Yanqian don't know how to drive, and going there in person would also show respect.

This afternoon, he went to the airport to pick up the Taiwanese poet Yu Guangzhong.

Yu Guangzhong is not only a famous poet but also a famous essayist. Liang Shiqiu once commented: "Yu Guangzhong writes poetry with his right hand and essays with his left hand. His achievements are unparalleled in the world."

Of course, in the mainland, his poems are mainly circulated.

"Homesickness", "Homesickness in Four Rhymes", "Looking for Li Bai", etc. are widely circulated in the mainland.

In the waiting hall, Fang Minghua was holding a sign, and soon he saw a white-haired old man with a young man next to him - his student and assistant.

It should be him.

Before Fang Minghua came to this era, she had seen photos of Yu Guangzhong on the Internet, and he was very thin.

He hurried over holding the sign, and the other party also saw him coming.

"You are Mr. Yu Guangzhong, right?" Fang Minghua took the initiative to speak.

"I am, are you?"

"I am Fang Minghua, welcome, welcome." Fang Minghua extended his right hand.

Their hands were clasped together.

"Mr. Fang, you are really young," Yu Guangzhong sighed, "At such a young age, you can organize such a big competition and promote Chinese writing to the world. It's amazing!"

"No, Mr. Yu, we have to thank you for your support to us younger generations. You have worked hard all the way."

There were no "three links" in this era, so Yu Guangzhong flew to Hong Kong first, then went through customs in Shenzhen and took another flight to Xijing.

After hearing what Fang Minghua said, Yu Guangzhong smiled heartily: "Going home is worth it no matter how hard it is!"

Fang Minghua certainly understood what he meant by this sentence.

I moved to Taiwan with my family in 50 and haven’t been back for more than 40 years!
In the early 70s, Yu Guangzhong, who had not returned to the mainland for more than 20 years, was homesick and wrote "Homesickness" in his old residence on Xiamen Street in Taipei.

When I was little

Homesickness is a small stamp
I'm here
Mother over there

There are four paragraphs in total, but I heard that Yu Guangzhong later added the fifth paragraph:
And the future,
Nostalgia is a long bridge.
I'll go over there.

Come this way!

For more than 40 years, this poem has been widely circulated among Chinese people at home and abroad.

I followed Fang Minghua out of the terminal hall, got into the SUV and drove towards the city.

In the car, Yu Guangzhong sat in the back seat and looked out the window at the hustle and bustle of traffic outside.

Fang Minghua drove the car and asked with a smile: "Mr. Yu, is this your first time in Xijing?"

"Yes, I was born in Nanjing. When I was young, I studied at Jinling University, and then transferred to Xiamen University. I basically stayed in the Jiangnan area and never came to Xijing. I didn't see that this was once the capital of the Tang Dynasty."

"But, Mr. Yu, the poems you wrote have already been written before the Tang Dynasty."

As Fang Minghua spoke, he chanted the popular poem.

When wine enters the heart, seven parts become moonlight
The remaining three-pointed roar becomes sword energy

Embroidered mouth speaks, half of the prosperous Tang Dynasty from Kaiyuan to Tianbao, from Luoyang to Xianyang

Yu Guangzhong laughed out loud: "The poem arrived before the person, but now I am here too! I must go to see the Terracotta Warriors and the Huaqing Hot Spring. Although I am old, my legs and feet are still strong. I must climb up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, ride my horse galloping in the spring breeze, and see all the flowers in Chang'an in one day!

It is true that he is still strong despite his age.

"Okay, I'll accompany you to climb the Big Wild Goose Pagoda!"

As the two chatted, Yu Guangzhong suddenly changed the subject: "Mr. Fang, will Haizi, the author of the book 'Selected Short and Medium Poems of Haizi', come to attend this literary award ceremony?"

Originally, according to the arrangement of the jury's office, the final review meeting of the jury was expected to take ten days. After the winning works in five categories were selected, they would not be immediately published in the newspapers.

Two days after the conference, the first World Chinese Literature Award ceremony will be held. The authors of the 25 shortlisted works will be invited to attend the ceremony, and the award presenters will announce the winners on the spot.

Haizi's collection of poems had been shortlisted, so he was naturally invited.

Now, hearing Yu Guangzhong asking about this, Fang Minghua's expression darkened, and he said truthfully: "Haizi is not doing well recently, and our office has not received a reply from him to attend the meeting yet."

After that, Fang Minghua briefly explained Haizi's condition and that he was still receiving treatment in a hospital in Yanjing.

Yu Guangzhong repeatedly expressed regret after hearing this: "Mr. Haizi's poems are full of romanticism and are easy to read. He is simply a genius in writing poems!"

"Mr. Yu, according to you, this collection of Haizi's poems is better than Mr. Luo Fu's Moonlight House?"

"Haha, of course, Moonlight House is good. It was rated as an excellent extracurricular reading material for primary and secondary school students in Taiwan. However, Luo Fu and I are both old and lack the passion of young people. Poetry is about expressing emotions and songs are about expressing aspirations! I don't think you can write good poems without passion." Yu Guangzhong finished speaking and added:

"Mr. Fang, don't let Luo Fu hear this, or he will come to my house to settle the score with me." He then laughed.

"There's hope!" Fang Minghua was secretly delighted.

Among the 13 judges, the only real poet is Yu Guangzhong, who plays a crucial role in determining which poetry collection will eventually win the grand prize.

After sending Yu Guangzhong and his assistant to Tangcheng Hotel for arrangements, Fang Minghua went downstairs to the front desk and made a phone call to Xichuan in Yanjing.

Of course, I asked about Haizi.

"Xichuan, can Haizi come to Yanjing to attend the award ceremony?" Fang Minghua asked directly without beating around the bush.

"Yihe and I are communicating with the doctor in the hospital. The doctor said that his condition is basically under control and he is about to meet the discharge criteria. It's just that he has been a little depressed recently and doesn't want to eat. I don't know what he is thinking."

Fang Minghua sighed after hearing this: "Why don't you come? Maybe it will be better if you see the poems he likes."

"Okay, then, I'll take some time off to accompany him to Yanjing, that would be more appropriate."

"Sure, thank you for your hard work. Give me a call when you get here and I'll pick you up."

"Okay, bye."

After hanging up the phone, Fang Minghua sighed softly.

Ever since Haizi attempted suicide but was rescued and sent to a mental hospital, Fang Minghua has paid attention to information in this regard.

Schizophrenia is a relatively difficult disease to cure and cannot be completely cured, but through timely diagnosis and treatment, about half of patients can achieve clinical cure or basic cure, and regain the ability to work and take care of themselves.

I hope Haizi recovers soon.

Wang Meng, Feng Mu, Qian Zhongshu, Liu Yichang and others arrived one after another, and literary superstars gathered in Xijing.

On Monday, April 4, the final selection of the first World Chinese Literature Award kicked off.

(End of this chapter)