Literary Master 1978

After hanging out with classmates in the school dormitory for an afternoon, and listening to the legendary love story of Lin Chaoyang and Tao Yushu, Gong Yu didn't remember to go home until she was about to finish dinner. Tomorrow is the weekend, and before leaving, she didn't forget to borrow a few magazines in the dormitory.

On the way home, Gong Yu's mind flashed from time to time the image of Zha Jianying's cheerful and endless talk, and occasionally the face of Lin Chaoyang flashed.

It's really unexpected that he is Xu Lingjun! Xu Lingjun is actually from Yanda!

It's a pity that his face is a little ordinary. It would be better if he really looked like "Xu Lingjun", Gong Yu thought privately.

When Gong Yu got home, the meal was ready. She quickly took a few bites of rice and went into the house. She didn't flip through the magazines she had looted from the girls' dormitory, but picked up a magazine she bought earlier from the desk.

That was the 11th issue of Yanjing Literature and Art in 1978, which published the novel "The Shepherd". She wanted to read the novel again today.

Knowing that the author was the person who lived next to her, Gong Yu had the urge to compare Lin Chaoyang's face to the tall and handsome protagonist Xu Lingjun in the novel.

"Sister! What are you reading?"

Gong Yun, the younger sister who is in the third year of high school at Yanda High School, found her sister concentrating on reading when she entered the room.

"What are you reading? Show me!"

Before Gong Yun came over, Gong Yu put the magazine in her hand on the table, "I haven't read anything."

"You look so guilty, you haven't read anything yet!"

Gong Yun leaned over and said flatteringly: "Show me!"

Just now, Gong Yu didn't know why she felt guilty inexplicably. Now she finally reacted and showed the magazine openly, "I'm reading a magazine."

Gong Yun glanced at the cover of the magazine, "Haven't you read this issue? The issue of "The Shepherd"."

"I have read it, read it again."

Gong Yu's eyes fell on the rough paper. Among the full text, only the three words "Xu Lingjun" deeply pierced her vision. She felt an urge to share with others, "Gong Yun, let me tell you something..."

On Wednesday, Lin Chaoyang didn't go to class. He was on duty at the sixth-floor library. Du Rong sent a message saying that there was a letter for him downstairs.

After taking the letter, Lin Chaoyang was stunned by the sender and address on it.

Sender: Editorial Department of Harvest Literary Magazine, Address: No. 675, Julu Road, Shanghai.

It turned out to be a letter from Harvest?

He opened the envelope and found that the person writing to him was Li Xiaolin, the current editor of Harvest, the daughter of Mr. Ba Jin.

Li Xiaolin was an editor in the editorial department of Zhejiang Literature and Art. After the buzz ended, she was transferred back to Shanghai and worked as an editor in the editorial department of Shanghai Literature and Art. At that time, Mr. Ba Jin was the editor-in-chief of Shanghai Literature and Art.

At the end of last year, Mr. Ba Jin was preparing for the re-publication of Harvest magazine, and Li Xiaolin was transferred to the editorial department of Harvest to help.

Before Li Xiaolin left Shanghai Literature and Art and transferred to Harvest, Lin Chaoyang's "Qiu Ju Goes to Court" had just been sent to the editorial department.

At that time, Li Xiaolin was responsible for the second review of the manuscript and was very impressed by the novel.

In the past two years, "scar literature" has been in the ascendant in the domestic literary world, and more and more publications have set their manuscript collection targets on manuscripts containing such elements.

Some publications even ignore the quality of the manuscript itself in order to cater to readers, just to get involved in popular topics such as "scars".

The style of "Qiu Ju Goes to Court" is completely different from the popular and widely sought-after "scar literature". Realism is its keynote. The plot of Qiu Ju going to various units to file lawsuits in the novel is full of the flavor of satirical novels in the officialdom of the late Qing Dynasty.

When reviewing the manuscript, Li Xiaolin had a hunch.

Such a work may not be popular, but it must be one of the most solid cornerstones of the Chinese literary hall.

"Qiu Ju Goes to Court" was published in the first issue of "Shanghai Literature and Art" in 1979. After its publication, it did not cause a huge response among readers as quickly as "Class Teacher", "Scars" and "Horse Herder".

Nearly a month after the novel was published, the editorial department of "Shanghai Literature and Art" received feedback about this novel in readers' letters.

Although it did not cause a huge response, the evaluation of "Qiu Ju Goes to Court" in these readers' letters was very high.

The style of "Qiu Ju Goes to Court" is simple and sharp.

It starts with a case of intentional injury and the main storyline is a peasant woman suing an official. Although the story is simple, the contradictions and conflicts are very natural. The natural opposition between the people and the officials is vividly displayed in a tangled lawsuit.

At the same time, Qiu Ju's several confrontations with government officials in the story did not fall into the clichés, forming a unique structural method of the novel, thus achieving the effect of stirring up waves and showing the true social outlook of China's rural society in this era.

As time goes by, "Qiu Ju Goes to Court" has been published for more than one and a half months. In terms of the social influence it has caused, it is far less than the scar literature that has been popular recently.

But unknowingly, this novel has won the recognition of hundreds of thousands of readers of "Shanghai Literature and Art", and this recognition is still expanding.

Moreover, Li Xiaolin noticed a very interesting phenomenon when communicating with former colleagues of "Shanghai Literature and Art".

That is, according to the readers' letters of Qiu Ju's Lawsuit, the phrase "ask for an explanation" that Qiu Ju often said in the novel has been deeply rooted in the hearts of readers, and every reader will mention it when writing.

In the future, if the four words "ask for an explanation" can continue to be passed down, the vitality of Qiu Ju's Lawsuit may crush the scar literature of his generation that now seems extremely hot.

In the letter for soliciting manuscripts, Li Xiaolin praised Lin Chaoyang and Qiu Ju's Lawsuit, and then explained the purpose of her letter.

Harvest was re-published in January 1979. It is a literary bimonthly magazine. It has just published its second issue and is in need of manuscripts. The purpose of Li Xiaolin's letter to Lin Chaoyang is to solicit manuscripts.

After being praised in the letter, Li Xiaolin also asked him to write on behalf of Harvest. Lin Chaoyang was in a good mood. After all, this is China's top literary magazine.

However, emotional value is emotional value, and the matter of commissioning an article still needs to be discussed in the long run. Li Xiaolin did not mention the standard of remuneration in the letter.

Do things first and then be a gentleman, and you should say the ugly words in advance.

Lin Chaoyang was about to write a letter to Li Xiaolin to talk about this matter, when the sound of the elevator arriving at the floor sounded, and a note came from downstairs.