The literary era since 1979

Fangyan's journey to western Shanxi ended after visiting the Foguang Temple on Mount Wutai in Xinzhou.

A national seminar on the theme of "Root-Seeking Literature" will be held on the 25th. Although there is plenty of time, someone is needed to coordinate the arrangements.

Therefore, as soon as he confirmed the list of participants of the Jin army, he did not linger in western Jin any longer, but returned home and headed straight for Yanjing.

The two of them didn't even go home for the first time. After leaving the station, they went straight to the editorial office of People's Literature.

At this moment, Wang Meng, Liu Jianqing, Chen Xiaoman and others were passing around novels written in dialect that they brought back from western Shanxi.

"There are still so many." Wang Meng sighed, "This is really a lot."

"Otherwise, how can we say 'the rise of the Jin army'?"

Fang Yan said that his favorite play is Zheng Yi's "Old Well", but it is still in the outline stage.

"No hurry, no hurry." Wang Meng waved his hand.

Liu Jianqing added that the latest issue of "People's Literature" will be released in a few days, and the manuscripts of these young writers from western Shanxi will definitely not be able to be published in the October issue. If they are to be published, they can only be arranged in the next issue of "People's Literature".

"Alright!"

Fangyan nodded and said, "When the time comes, we can publish it together with the content discussed at the seminar to expand the influence of root-seeking literature."

Wang Meng looked at him and Zhu Wei kindly, "Thank you for your hard work. Go back and have a good rest later."

Zhu Wei said: "Editor-in-chief, I am not the one who works the hardest. The one who works the hardest is Director Fang. This business trip with him really broadened my horizons."

Wang Meng smiled, then called Fang Yan to his office alone, and the two sat down face to face.

Fangyan thought that the next topic would be the list of participants of the seminar, but unexpectedly, they talked about something else——

"The World of Reasoning".

Wang Meng handed him an outdated literary and artistic newspaper, with a large section of the newspaper warming up for the release of "The World of Reasoning".

"I heard that this is something you and the editors of Science Fiction World came up with?"

"Yes, that's my idea."

Fangyan remained calm, "There is a blank in the field of mystery novels in China right now. I think China should also have a publication that specializes in publishing mystery crime and criminal investigation novels. This can not only expand the field of popular literature, but also help Science Fiction World Publishing House to generate revenue, killing two birds with one stone."

Wang Meng cast a meaningful look at him. "According to the news, you wrote all the articles for the first issue?"

"Not entirely. There are also quite a few translated manuscripts of foreign mystery novels."

Fangyan openly admitted, "As for the original part, it was indeed all written by me."

"You always come up with new ideas for me."

Wang Meng smiled and said, "I also heard that the editorial office of this magazine is located in Yanjing, and the editors are Wang Shuo, Zhong Acheng and others."

Fang Yan did not deny it, but said that the contact person responsible for requesting articles from him was the president of the publishing house, Yang Xiao.

“You can write, but if you have good works in the future, you should think more about Renwenshe.”

Wang Meng said, “Even if you can’t publish in People’s Literature, there’s still Contemporary! The editors of Contemporary have always wanted to arrange an appointment with you.” Then he patted him on the shoulder, “Editor-in-Chief Qin Zhaoyang even blocked my door several times to talk about this.”

"I'm thinking of publishing my mystery novel in Contemporary Magazine. It's not serious enough. I'll do it next time!"

Fangyan pretends to know the truth but actually is confused. Can the royalties he earns from "The World of Mystery" be compared with those from "Contemporary"?
"You, you better be more careful, okay?"

Wang Meng did not pursue the matter any further but asked him for a sample of "The World of Reasoning".

Fang Yan smiled and stood up. "That's no problem. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

…………

As it was getting dark, we didn’t go back to Shichahai but went to Nanluoguxiang.

Yang Xia walked out of the kitchen, thinking it was Fang Yan coming home from school, but unexpectedly it was Fang Yan.

"Yanzi, you're finally back!"

"Mom, what's wrong? Is there something wrong at home?"

"No, no, it's your sister who asked me to tell you that the final casting for the Dream of Red Mansions crew is about to begin."

"Why would I ask you to tell me?"

"Busy!"

Yang Xia said: "During this period of time, your sister has been very busy and has not even had time to go home."

After asking, Fangyan found out that the costume design company that the "Dream of Red Mansions" crew had originally cooperated with was actually raising the price. Each costume and stage design drawing was priced at 300 yuan. This was like adding insult to injury for the "Dream of Red Mansions" crew, which was already short of funds.

After an urgent meeting, it was decided to abandon the original clothing design unit and hand over the work to Shi Yanqin and Fang Hong.

Originally Fang Hong was just here to help, but now, she has really become the costume designer for Dream of Red Mansions.

"On the day your sister asks you to attend a meeting, go to her place first."

Faced with Yang Xia's repeated instructions, Fangyan wrote them down.

Five days later, the meeting was held as scheduled in the guesthouse in Taoranting Park.

Consultants from the advisory committee, leaders of the TV station, and staff from the TV drama crew arrived one after another.

As soon as Fang Yan entered the room, he was called aside by Fang Hong, who was waiting at the door, with a look of worry on her face.

"Sister, why are you here? Didn't you ask me to come to your office to find you?"

"That's too late."

"what happened?"

Fangyan was very puzzled.

Fang Hong lowered her voice and said, "When we select the actors later, can you say a few good words for Deng Jie?"

"What's going on?" Fang Yan understood, "Is there something fishy going on with Deng Jie playing Feng Jie again?"

Fang Hong nodded. With Le Yun's withdrawal, Deng Jie had a greater chance of playing Wang Xifeng. However, the leaders of the station and the Redologists on the advisory committee all felt that Wang Xifeng was the mainstay of the Jia family, and Deng Jie's looks and height did not make her stand out from the crowd.

There are some concerns as to whether such an actor can support the role of Feng Jie.

"No!"

She said helplessly: "We are considering letting Deng Jie play Ping'er."

"Nonsense!" Fang Yan frowned.

"That's right. We have all seen Deng Jie's efforts. Others only have one or two skits."

Fang Hong said: "Deng Jie rehearsed for five times, like she was possessed. No one acted with her, and they all practiced facing the stones in the Old Summer Palace."

"I know it well."

Fang Yan glanced at the girls pacing back and forth in the yard and said, "Sister, while you have some free time now, you can do this..."

Fang Hong listened quietly, and her eyes suddenly lit up, "Okay, let's do it!"

Then, he walked towards Qiu Peining, Deng Jie, Chen Xiaoxu and others and gave them advice in dialect:

"This meeting will take at least two or three hours, why don't we go out and watch a movie?"

"See a movie?"

Chen Xiaoxu, Zhang Li and others were hesitant and couldn't make up their minds.

"Yes, and someone invited us to see it!"

Fang Hong brought up the topic of "dialect" and immediately got the approval of Qiu Peining, Chen Xiaoxu and others.

Deng Jie knew very well that Teacher Fang was deliberately trying to get her out of the way. She certainly didn't want them to overhear any discussions and results regarding the actor selection.

This was exactly what everyone present wanted. Instead of standing in the yard, like a criminal prisoner, suffering while waiting for the verdict, it would be better to go to the cinema and watch a movie leisurely.

Afterwards, a group of beautiful young girls followed Fang Hong and left the guesthouse in groups.

Along the way, there was chatter and laughter, sweeping away the uneasiness just now. Deng Jie was in the team, forcing herself to smile, trying not to think too much about Wang Xifeng's casting, but she just couldn't help it.

"Are you still thinking about the casting?" Fang Hong nudged him lightly with her elbow.

Deng Jie nodded and smiled bitterly, "Do you think I really have no chance?"

"Stop imagining things."

Fang Hong comforted her by saying that most of the people in the crew, including Wang Fulin, fully supported her in playing the role of Feng Jie.

Deng Jie frowned, "But..."

"Not only do we support you, but my brother does too!"

Fang Hong said: "He is the first person who supports you to play Wang Xifeng. Even if you don't have confidence in yourself, you should always believe in him!"

"Teacher Fang?" Deng Jie's heart was shaken and her eyes flickered.

At this moment, a voice suddenly emerged from the crowd, "Look at the newsstand over there, why are there so many people queuing?"

Qiu Peining and others looked over and saw a long queue in front of the post office newsstand, and almost everyone in the queue was looking for the same magazine.

"I saw in the newspaper that this 'Mystery World' has a new work by Mr. Fang, right?"

"Yes, and it's a mystery crime novel!"

"I know, I know. It's called 'Song Ci, the Chief Justice of the Song Dynasty'. The Literary Newspaper said that it was the first forensic mystery novel created by Teacher Fang. Looking around the world, I'm afraid there is no other work of this type! It is a unique feature of our Chinese literature!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I wanted to buy a copy just because of the name. What's so great about this novel?"

"........."

The discussion was getting louder and louder, and Chen Xiaoxu couldn't wait any longer. "Why don't you guys go to the cinema first? I'll catch up with you guys right after I buy the magazines."

Zhang Li couldn't help but be moved. "It's too dangerous for you to queue alone. Xiaoxu, can I stay with you?"

Unexpectedly, compared to watching movies, the mystery magazine "Mystery World" is more attractive to the girls.

Even Deng Jie, who had never been interested in literature, wanted to read "Song Ci, the Chief Justice of the Song Dynasty" for the first time because the author wrote in dialect.

…………

After buying magazines and watching movies, when I returned to the guesthouse, it was surprisingly quiet and you could hear a pin drop.

The smiles on everyone's faces froze instantly, their relaxed nerves became tense again, and the atmosphere gradually became solemn and tense.

Fang Hong was nervous, but when she saw Shi Yanqin, her eyes lit up:
"Sister Yanqin, what's going on?"

"How about what?"

"The result? What was the result?"

Fang Hong was extremely anxious, and actors such as Chen Xiaoxu and Deng Jie who were waiting for the results were staring eagerly.

"It's a good thing you guys just went out."

Shi Yanqin said that while they were out watching a movie, Wang Fulin and Fang Yan discussed the casting issue with their leaders and consultants for a long time. They almost had a battle of words and almost quarreled in the meeting. Fortunately, they finally convinced the advisory committee and the leaders of the station.

"Really!?"

Fang Hong was surprised and delighted, "So, Deng Jie can play Wang Xifeng?"

Shi Yanqin nodded, "Congratulations, Deng Jie, and you, Xiaoxu, Lin Daiyu, and Zhang Li, you, Xue Baochai..."

Hearing that they had finally gotten the roles they wanted, Deng Jie, Zhang Li and others were so excited that they burst into tears of joy.

Deng Jie held Fang Hong and Shi Yanqin's hands tightly, and thanked them with sobs, her voice intermittent and tearful.

"No, no, no, if I really want to thank someone, then thank Director Wang and Teacher Fang. Without their support, this would definitely not be possible."

Shi Yanqin clapped her hands, "Alright, everyone, wipe your tears and go into the house. Director Wang and the others are waiting for you to come back so they can announce the final casting results."

As soon as these words were spoken, the girls all burst into laughter, wiped away their tears, held hands, and walked into the meeting room happily.

Dai Linfeng, Wan Jiabao, Qi Gong and others were seen sitting in a circle around the table, while Fang Yan was sitting in the corner on the right.

Wang Fulin asked them to take their seats and began to read out the list:
"Ouyang Fenqiang plays Jia Baoyu!"

"Clap clap clap."

Amid the applause, Fang Yan looked at Ouyang Fenqiong with a smile. His chin was obviously much fuller than before he joined the group.

Because silicone was injected into it, all of this was a sacrifice made to get closer to the image of Jia Baoyu.

"Qiu Peining..."

"Gong Ying..."

"Guo Xiaozhen..."

"..."

"Xu Fei, Jia Yun!"

When Wang Fulin announced the contents of the list, everyone present felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Casting is only the first step in a long journey. The following filming will be the real test for you."

Dai Linfeng, as the person in charge of the TV series "Dream of Red Mansions", stood up and said a few simple words of encouragement.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa."

More and more people applauded, especially when the news that the filming would officially start in mid-October was announced, the applause was like thunder.

Wan Jiabao noticed that they all had a copy of "Mystery World" in their hands, and suddenly remembered something, so he called Fangyan over:

"I remember you told me that this is the serialized version of your mystery novel, right?"

"You have a very good memory."

Fangyan grinned. Unexpectedly, their conversation aroused the interest of other bigwigs in the advisory committee.

As there was still some time before dinner, those who had not read it began to pass it around, while those who had read it gathered together and started chatting:

"Xiao Fang's novel is a masterpiece. It has the form of ancient detective novels and the meaning of modern mystery novels."

"The plot of the key case is cleverly designed, full of suspense and yet interlocking, and the ideas and intentions behind it are even more profound."

"Brother Qigong, are you talking about the last article, 'The Du Song Murder Case'?"

"As expected, great minds think alike. This is the article. The character 'Diao Guangdou' in this article is portrayed to perfection!"

"........."

Seeing the rave reviews, Fangyan took a sip of tea, shook his head and laughed.

Don’t be fooled by the lively chat now. The further “Song Ci, Chief Inspector of the Song Dynasty” is serialized, the darker and more depressing it feels.

The theme of the whole book is not like "Bao Gong'an", "holding the golden hoop stick to sweep away the dirty world."

It is a tragedy. Song Ci's opponent is Diao Guangdou on the surface, but in fact he is against a system. This system can create countless Diao Guangdou and Yuan Tongpan. Even these "Diao Guangdou" were a copy of "Song Ci" before their fall.

It’s just that countless “Song Ci” entered the officialdom with high spirits and were beaten beyond recognition, and in the end they couldn’t even recognize themselves.

Minister Xue is the "Song Ci" who compromised with the world.

Magistrate Lu is the "Song Ci" who used autopsy technology for personal gain.

County Magistrate Bai is the old and confused "Song Ci"; Yuan Jie is the "Song Ci" with unfulfilled ambitions and no background...

Diao Guangdou, on the other hand, is the "Song Ci" who sees through the darkness and resolutely throws himself into it. As he said, "Can you, alone, carrying the banner of the Song Dynasty's law, sweep across the world and clear the sky?" The result was that the Emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty burned the evidence of the officials' crimes.

The real tragedy is not just tearing beautiful things into pieces for people to see.

Also, there is the disillusionment of idealists, where beautiful ideals are destroyed by the cold reality.

It is precisely because of its combination of entertainment and seriousness that the "Mystery World" serializing "Song Ci, the Chief Justice of the Song Dynasty" became a hot seller as soon as it was released! (End of this chapter)