Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 644: Nanjing City, Half of the History of the Republic of China
He Shen, Tan Ge and Guan Renshan are known as the "three horses" of Hebei Province's literary world. Their works focus on real life, deeply reflect people's livelihood and public opinion, and have profound social significance and humanistic care.

It was this wave of realistic works that made them famous in the literary world!

All three of them are here today.

Seeing He Shen speaking, Fang Minghua smiled and said, "President He (He Shen was then the president of Chengde Daily), I was just about to talk about this issue."

“Although the difference between the new realistic novel and the new realist novel seems to be only one word, and both seem to be written about the present and the present, there is a big difference between the two.”

1. Different performance contents:
New realist novels: downplay the background of the characters' lives, focus on the helpless and embarrassing life of the little people, and take the living conditions of the little people at the bottom and the daily life of ordinary people as the main objects of the novel's realism
Neo-realist novels often present major issues concerning the nation, the country, and society, as well as the real problems of individual survival, as the common narrative content. They are based on the ups and downs of contemporary social life, such as the difficulties faced by state-owned enterprises, the hardships of laid-off workers, the conflicts between cadres and the masses in townships, the urgent need to improve rural education, anti-corruption and the strengthening of the military through science and technology.

2. The narrative attitude and mentality of the creative subject are different:
New realism novels adopt a "zero-emotion" narrative attitude and a hidden narrative perspective. They no longer praise or criticize the "reality" they write about based on a preset standpoint, and try to be as objective, calm, and unemotional as possible.

New realism novels: Inheriting the traditional realism's strong focus on reality, the author pours unstoppable moral passion and value judgments into the novel text, and even jumps out from time to time to speak on behalf of the characters in the work.

Different performance techniques:
New realist novels: emphasize the authenticity of the plot and characters, but the plot and theme are not bound by traditional morals and values, pay attention to detailed descriptions, and encourage diversified creation

Neo-realist novels: use traditional realistic expression techniques, such as rendering typical environments and portraying typical characters, with less reference and appropriation of modernist techniques.

Fang Minghua spoke incessantly and everyone listened attentively, especially He Shen and the other three, who listened very carefully and kept taking notes.

Fang Minghua spoke for a full hour, and finally said: "In a sense, the new realist novel is a return from traditional realism to avant-gardeism, postmodernism and other literary genres in the history of domestic literature. From the perspective of literary theory, it can be considered an innovation, but I think that today's society needs such novels!"

"Clap, clap, clap" There was warm applause in the venue.

After today's meeting, Zhao Benfu found Fang Minghua.

"Chairman Fang, could you organize your speech today and publish it in our Zhongshan as a literary review?"

"I was originally planning to publish it in Yanhe. Since you, Editor-in-Chief Zhao, have asked, then that's fine!"

The meeting lasted for three days and everyone went back home. Wang Anyi returned to Shanghai to continue her writing.

"This seminar has had a great impact on me. The article I'm writing now may be based on what I said. I'll digest it carefully when I get back. Minghua, Yuhua, how about you? When will you be back?"

"Sister An Yi, Minghua and I have an appointment. Let's go around Nanjing now that we don't have any writing tasks." Yu Hua said with a smile.

"That's fine. The city of Nanjing has a lot of places to visit that cover half of the history of the Republic of China." Wang Anyi said with a smile.

“I won’t mention Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum or Confucius Temple. I suggest you take a walk along Wutong Avenue and feel the atmosphere of this city.”

The next day, Fang Minghua and Yu Hua went shopping together with great interest.

It is said that there are several Wutong Avenues in Nanjing City. Fang Minghua walked along the section of Zhongshan East Road from Xinjiekou to Zhongshan Gate.

The two of them were walking on the road with their hands in their pockets.

It is early winter now, and the branches and leaves of the plane trees on both sides of the street are no longer as dense, but the orange-yellow leaves make the entire road exude the profound temperament unique to the ancient city.

There are many buildings from the Republic of China period on both sides, including the former site of the Nanjing Branch of the Bank of Communications, the former site of the Central News Agency Building, and the former site of the Whampoa Alumni Association Inspiration Society.
Walking through these buildings, it feels like going back to the Republic of China era.

The former site of the Kuomintang Central Party History and Archives Exhibition Hall has now been renamed the Second Historical Archives of China. As I entered the antique archway gate, I heard the theme song "Dust Fate" from the TV series "August Osmanthus Fragrance"

The earthly relationship is like a dream, with ups and downs, always uneven

Until now, it's all gone to smoke

Love is gone, like the wind blowing under the sleeves

A faint fragrance
Floating in the Deep Old Dreams was sung by Taiwanese singer Roman Tam.

The song was full of vicissitudes, and it gave off a feeling of seeing the flowers bloom and fall. Fang Minghua couldn't help but stop and listen for a while.

It is said that this was the exclusive BGM of the famous anti-Japanese general Sun Liren at that time, but Fang Minghua really didn't understand the relationship between the two.

But the song is really nice.

Seeing Fang Minghua stop, Yu Hua also stood there for a while.

"This seems to be sung by a Hong Kong singer."

"Rowan."

"Oh, I don't know much about pop music. I like listening to classical music," said Yu Hua.

Fang Minghua glanced at him and said nothing more.

I'm not pretending.

Later, Yu Hua also wrote a collection of essays called "Literature or Music". The first half mainly explains literary works and comments on the writer's style, while the second half focuses on analyzing Western classical music and musicians!

However, it was obvious that Yu Hua's mind was not on the sycamore tree or the Republican-era building today, but was still thinking about yesterday's seminar.

"Minghua, I went back to my hometown this summer, and when I was chatting with my father, he told me a story."

"What story?" Fang Minghua was a little curious.

"My father is a surgeon. He once met a group of people led by a 'blood head' who traveled thousands of miles to come here to sell blood."

Yu Hua simply told the story briefly, and I was inspired by this story and wanted to write a long novel.

"The Story of Xu Sanguan Selling Blood"!
Fang Minghua understood immediately.

This is also one of Yu Hua's representative works. Fang Minghua feels that it is more shocking than "To Live".

But Fang Minghua didn't say much, just asked casually.

"Where are those people your father was talking about from?"

"Henan Province."

Henan Province!

This was the hardest hit area for blood selling in the 1990s.

"Yu Hua, I think your creative idea is good, but if you want to write it well, I think it would be best for you to go to Henan Province and see the real situation there. It may help your writing." Fang Minghua suggested.

"Is this necessary?"

"I think it's necessary."

Seeing Fang Minghua's meaningful tone, Yu Hua nodded: "Okay, after I leave Nanjing, I will go to Henan Province first."

Three days later, the two left Nanjing at the same time.

(End of this chapter)