The literary era since 1979

Chapter 40 The world is so big

There is only one bathroom in the entire workshop.

Every Saturday, the boiler is heated to supply hot water. The girls take a bath first, followed by the boys. Before going home, Fangyan takes a good bath.

"It is loneliness that slowly occupies my heart..."

"Who stole my heart secretly, unable to distinguish between night and day." Fangyan walked out wearing shorts and a vest, humming a song.

"You were singing in the bathroom, right?"

The five-person room where Wang Anyi lives is closest to the bathroom, with the back window facing it. Even with the window closed, the sounds from the bathroom can be clearly heard.

"I'm so quiet, can you guys hear me?"

Fangyan was very surprised.

"of course."

Tie Ning put down the pen in his hand and said, "Do all you gay men like to sing in the bathroom? Even someone like Jia Dashan who doesn't talk much usually opens his voice to sing."

Wang Anyi nodded. "It seems that he sang the opera from his place. Yanzi, what did you sing?"

"I learned Xintianyou from northern Shaanxi."

She is not afraid to sing dialects, but pop music is taboo nowadays, and songs like those of Teresa Teng are all decadent.

"Are you going home later?"

Tie Ning showed hesitation on his face.

Fangyan nodded, "Yeah."

Tie Ning made up his mind: "Can I take up a bit of your time? I have a problem with my creation and I want to ask you, my teacher, for help?"

Fang Yan smacked his lips. Ever since Mo Shen and Gu Hua took the lead in calling him "Teacher Xiao Fang", the name quickly spread among the other students.

I shouted so much that I was too lazy to correct myself.

But being called "teacher" actually makes me feel good.

“I can’t control the direction of my creation now.”

Tie Ning pursed her lips.

"Have you ever thought about the identity of your protagonist?"

Fangyan walked to the window and put the washbasin on the ground.

Tie Ning replied: "I want to write about a rural woman or girl who longs for the city or the county town."

Fangyan asked: "How did you come up with the idea of ​​writing such a character?"

"I found that both scar literature and reflective literature were about educated youth, but very few were about rural areas and farmers."

Tie Ning said frankly: "I have worked in the production team and in the countryside. The life in the village where I stayed was really poor, closed and difficult."

"You and I are thinking the same thing. When I went to Yenching Literature and Art to revise my manuscript, I said something similar to Mr. Li and his colleagues."

Fang Yan said: "I support you to write in this direction!"

“But I don’t know where to start.”

Tiening said that what he remembered most vividly was the school in the brigade. There was no glass or window paper in the classroom. A group of children were doing exercises in the loess yard, and a few pigs were walking through the team.

“Then write about these children.”

Wang Anyi watched the two of them talking about their ideas and experiences, unable to interrupt, his eyes full of envy, and he just listened to the description in dialect:
"The hope of leaving the countryside lies in the younger generation. Perhaps a ballpoint pen, a pencil case, or even seeing a train once, can ignite their desire for the outside world..."

"Train? Train, yes, train!"

Tie Ning's eyes suddenly lit up.

"How does that sentence go? 'The world is so big, I want to go see it.' Try writing something in that direction."

Fangyan picked up the washbasin again.

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao Fang. I'll bring this for you to eat on the way."

Tie Ning smiled and grabbed a handful of peanuts from the table.

"Then I won't be polite."

Fangyan took it as a consulting fee and said, "I've finished writing the novel. If you're willing to submit it to Yanjing Literature and Art, remember to contact me."

…………

When I returned to the alley, the night was as dark as ink.

Not far from the front door, Fang Yan saw Fang Hong pushing a cart and going home with Su Ya, and as expected, there was another figure beside them.

It’s not Lu Dacheng, but Han Yuemin!
"What are you..."

Fangyan ran up and greeted the three people.

"There's been some unrest around here lately, so Xiaoya and I were going home after our night shift, and he happened to be on our way, so we hooked up."

Fang Hong looked at Han Yuemin: "We are here, thank you."

"You're welcome, you're welcome, it's just a small favor."

Han Yuemin rode on his Hongqi bicycle and said, "I'll go first then."

"Slow down, Brother Han!"

Looking at his receding back, Fang Yan waved his hand.

"Don't wave it, everyone has gone far away."

Fang Hong seemed a little embarrassed and said: "Go home!"

"Eh."

Fang Yan shrank his head. There was nothing he could do. His sister's suppression of his brother's bloodline was too strong!

"These are letters and money orders addressed to you."

After the siblings returned to their room, Fang Hong took out three letters from the cabinet and said, "My mother and I didn't touch anything. You can open them and read them yourself."

Fang Yan glanced at the surface of the envelope. There were remittance slips from Shanghai Film Studio and Xi'an Film Studio, and a letter from Xie Jin.

He tore open Xie Jin's letter without hesitation, and saw that it said that the script of "The Shepherd" had passed the review of the Film Bureau, and it was a pity that he could not take the opportunity of revising the script to invite him to Shanghai as a guest. As for the actors, whom he was most concerned about, auditions were being held.

After reading it, my attention immediately shifted to the remittance slip.

"Loess Plateau", 300 yuan.

"The Horse Wrangler", a full 800 yuan, a huge sum of money!
"Yanzi, how can there be so much? It's almost as much as my salary for two and a half years!" Fang Hong stared at his remittance slip.

"Yeah, Iwako."

Yang Xia had the same idea.

"Mom, sister, you are too impatient."

Fangyan waved his hands and said, "This is just the beginning. To be honest, I have another novel to write. If it can be published successfully, I will probably get dozens of Great Unity Awards."

"Dozens of them, that means hundreds of dollars more!?"

Fang Hong's voice trembled and her hands shook violently.

Yang Xia's eyes widened and her mouth opened wide. "Does literary creation make money this way? Wow, hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a time."

"Otherwise, why would so many people be vying to become writers?" If this dialect were used in later generations, it would have to be changed to "star".

Yang Xia urged, "Then hurry up and write a few more articles to earn more money. Mom will save it for you to get married in the future."

"Mom, how old is Yanzi?"

Fang Hong chuckled.

Fang Yan coughed and said, "Yes, there is something more important than getting married. Sister, do you still want to go to college?"

Fang Hong was stunned. "Study for university?"

Fang Yan said seriously, "I know your dream is to go to college. It was impossible before because your family needed your salary to support them. But it's different now. I can share this burden with you."

"I...I...I'd better forget it."

Fang Hong's eyes lit up, but soon dimmed.

"Are you worried about us?"

Yang Xia comforted him, "Don't worry, Yanzi can also earn money for the family when he goes to work, not to mention there is so much money for his writings. Our family has the conditions now. If you want, Mom will support you."

"I haven't read a textbook in years."

Fang Hong shook her head helplessly and laughed.

"Sister, it's okay. Look, Jianjun has failed the exam for three consecutive years, but that guy is still taking it. He's very determined." Fang Yan advised, "Take your time. You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself."

"You forget, I'm going to be 24 soon."

Fang Hong rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Fangyan slapped his forehead and almost forgot about it.

Before 1980, when the college entrance examination was resumed, the age limit was relaxed to 30 years old, but after that, the age requirement was tightened again.

Only unmarried people under the age of 25 were allowed to take the college entrance examination, and this policy was implemented until the millennium when it was abolished.

"Age is not important. The key is that I have been working in the factory for so many years and I am used to it."

There was a hint of sadness in Fang Hong's smile.

Fang Yan said: "Sister, the noodle factory is just a small world. The world outside is so big. When you get into college..."

"Forget it. I am very honored and satisfied to have a great writer like you as my brother. Forget it whether I take the college entrance examination or not."

Fang Hong waved her hand, indicating that she should stop trying to persuade him.

Yang Xia frowned and let out a long sigh.

"Sister, if you don't want to take the college entrance examination, what about night school?"

Fangyan asked suddenly.

"Night University?"

Fang Hong was stunned.

“It’s all in the newspapers.”

During the time Fangyan was in the training institute, he also read the newspaper every day. Not long ago, the education department required all regions to vigorously develop correspondence education in higher institutions and night universities, or night schools.

For example, the first district-run part-time university in Yenching, the Hongqi Night University, has resumed enrollment, and there will be more and more night universities in the future.

“That’s something you can consider.”

Hope rekindled on Fang Hong's face.

"Sister, I will reimburse you for your tuition and miscellaneous fees!"

Fangyan patted his chest.

"Stay away, you don't need to pay for me. You're so greedy after earning the royalties!"

Fang Hong's eyes turned red and she punched him excitedly.

"hey-hey."

Fangyan grinned, and then told Han Yuemin about his sister's night school, hoping to make progress together.

(End of this chapter)