1980 My literary era

On a midsummer evening, the basketball court in Dongshan Hotel was filled with energetic shouts.

This afternoon, Lin Weimin proposed a friendly match on the basketball court after dinner, which won unanimous support from many writers.

There are three generations of old, middle-aged and young people in this PEN meeting. It is easy to gather two basketball teams.

After dinner, everyone came to the basketball court, divided into teams, and everyone was eager to try.

On the sidelines of the basketball court, not only were other colleagues standing to cheer everyone on, but the staff of Dongshan Hotel were also watching the excitement.

Everyone is curious about what the great writers are like when they play basketball.

What could it be like?

To describe them as ordinary is a compliment.

"Pass the ball! Pass the ball!"

Ma Yuan, who is tall and powerful, is a power forward, but he does not do anything that a power forward should do. When the ball is passed to his hand, it is as if it is sticky. He was so angry that he would try a fadeaway jumper at every turn.

Another mid-range shot from outside the free throw line was missed. Lin Weimin couldn't help but complain: "Can't you just pass the ball?"

There was no father and son on the basketball court, and Ma Yuan was not to be outdone. "What a great opportunity just now. There was no one in front of me. It would be a pity not to shoot!"

"Then did you make the shot?"

"My hand feels a bit worse. I will definitely score next time."

I believe you!

Still want a next time?

Lin Weimin secretly communicated with Yu Hua and Mo Yan that Ma Yuan, a lone wolf, could no longer be allowed to win the ball. This guy was a cancer on the court!

Yu Hua and Mo Yan deeply agreed with Teacher Lin’s words.

Originally, Lin Weimin thought he would just take Shi Tiesheng for a stroll on the court. After all, his team was young and strong, and the opponent with an average age could crush him.

But now I see that these old... comrades have a strong will to fight!

Then don't force me to use my trump card!

"When you two get the ball, pass it to Tiesheng!" Lin Weimin held the handle of Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair and made suggestions.

When the team was just being formed, Lin Weimin kept saying that he wanted Shi Tiesheng to experience the joy of racing on the basketball court.

It’s hard to refuse such an honest and fair reason!

Come on, say yes.

This is where Shi Tiesheng comes on stage.

But these people on the opposite side never expected that Lin Weimin would be so shameless.

Shi Tiesheng is definitely unable to dribble in a wheelchair. When the ball is passed to his hand, he can only hold it. How can you grab the ball from the hands of a disabled person?

It’s simply the loss of humanity! Moral bankruptcy!

Everyone can drown you with just one spit of spit!

Yu Hua and Mo Yan looked at each other, and then they understood the reason why Teacher Lin wanted to bring Shi Tiesheng to the field just now.

teacher LIN……

High!

Mr. Chen, who was a guest referee, blew the whistle and served again, and the players on the court started running.

Lin Weimin pushed Shi Tiesheng and rolled over. He braked suddenly and Shi Tiesheng caught the basketball flying towards him.

Lu Yao on the opposite side put up a posture and wanted to defend, but Lin Weimin pushed Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair and bumped into him.

If he didn't let him, he would have to bump into Shi Tiesheng directly.

At this moment, the words hospital, critical illness, and first aid flashed through Lu Yao's mind quickly, and then his fat body dodged to the side, easily avoiding the basketball court death squad composed of Lin Weimin, Shi Tiesheng, and wheelchairs.

The wheelchair seemed to be in no one's land all the way to the basket, and Shi Tiesheng shot with both hands.

Missed.

It doesn't matter, Lin Weimin let go of his wheelchair to grab the rebound, grabbed it, and handed it to Shi Tiesheng for another shot.

In!

Got two points!

The youth team cheered and celebrated with high fives.

The middle-aged team gathered together and looked at this group of people, muttering.

"How shameless!"

"Yes, who would have thought that it would be such a loss for the people!"

"This kid is using iron to control the stadium!"

The middle-aged team discussed for a long time and decided to make a temporary substitution.

Qin Chaoyang was dragged onto the field by several people.

If I had to describe this game in one sentence, it could probably be described as a basketball game that constantly breaks through the lower limits.

The final result was that the youth team narrowly defeated the middle-aged team by 2 points. The price they paid was that Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair lost a circle.

The situation for the middle-aged team was even worse. Tan Chaoyang lost his temper and Liu Xinwu sprained his foot.

A football game ended tragically.

As the instigator, Lin Weimin was called to the room by Wei Junyi that night.

Across several walls, everyone could hear Mrs. Wei's roar.

"How old is Lao Qin, and you still drag him to the court and torment him?"

"And Tiesheng, he is seriously ill and it's hard for him to go out. How dare you take him to play basketball? And let him hold the ball? What do you think?"

"Do you know what people said about you two just now? You, Tiesheng, and Wheelchair, you three, are the stadium death squads!"

"Thankfully, I thought you would be more stable as the deputy editor. Now I finally understand what it means that a country is easy to change, and a personality is hard to change!"

"Our Chinese Literature Society has been completely disgraced by you!"

"Go back and write a check for me!"

Under Huang Anyi's comforting eyes, Lin Weimin left Wei Junyi's room with a frown on his face, and met the writers who were going out for a "walk" in the corridor.

Lin Weimin saw four words on their faces - gloating.

Half a month of writing passed by in a flash, and it came to an end without anyone noticing.

The night before leaving, the editorial department held a less formal summary meeting.

At PEN, the editors invite authors they are familiar with or think have potential to go to scenic spots for sightseeing, eating, drinking and having fun. What is the purpose?

Of course it's a manuscript.

Therefore, things like the Pen Club may sound nice, but they are all highly utilitarian.

Publishers or magazines spend a lot of money to let writers travel around, but in fact it is a gentle trap to ask for manuscripts and urge them.

Everyone should eat, drink, and play. When it comes to the manuscript, you can't just hesitate and say nothing, right?

Wouldn't that be free prostitution?

The authors are all decent people, so they must have prepared the subject matter long ago. Some of them have even written a lot, just like Liu Xinwu, so that they will not be ashamed of the kindness of the editorial department.

Overall, the results of this PEN meeting are remarkable.

During the PEN Conference, two novels and three novellas were published. One of the novels was "The Bell and Drum Tower" by Liu Xinwu, and the novellas included "Mr. Blue Robe" by Cheng Zhongshi and "Little Baozhuang" by Huang Anyi.

Half a month is neither long nor short. If it is a long or medium-length novel, this amount of time is very tight.

Basically, everyone has already had ideas or started writing before attending the PEN Conference. After attending the PEN Conference, with mutual exchanges and inspirations with editors and colleagues, writing will naturally become much smoother.

In addition to these completed works, writers participating in the PEN Conference also have nearly twenty medium-length works that are still being conceived or created. In the next few months, "Contemporary" will usher in another high-quality exchange. The tide of manuscripts.

On the morning of early August, the room in Dongshan Hotel was a little busy. Everyone was packing their luggage after breakfast, and some people were exchanging messages.

The editorial staff and writers of "Contemporary" who have been here for half a month are leaving.

Arriving at the hotel lobby, Lin Weimin ordered people for a long time, but there was one person missing.

"Where's Lu Yao?"

Cheng Zhongshi said: "I went out in the morning, probably for breakfast."

"What a coward!" Lin Weimin cursed.

There was a burst of good-natured laughter.

After staying together for half a month, everyone knew Lu Yao's habit of going out for breakfast.

After waiting for a long time, I saw Lu Yao walking back leisurely with square steps.

"Get in the car quickly!" Lin Weimin shouted.

When Lu Yao got into the car, Lin Weimin scolded him in a low voice: "If you use half of the energy you spent going out for breakfast to create, you don't have to envy Lao Cheng!"

Lu Yao didn't say anything and silently took out a few pieces of letter paper from his pocket.

"What is this?"

"It's nothing. I wrote the outline of the new novel in the past two days. Please read it!"

He said he wanted to show it, but the expression on Lu Yao's face probably meant: Take the manuscript and shut up!

Lin Weimin read: "I just wrote a summary. Look, I'm going to drive you crazy..."

His eyes fell on the paper, and he was instantly attracted by the name "Sun Shaoping", and he swallowed the words he had not yet spoken.

It was just a few pages of summary of the story. As the bus was walking on the road, Lin Weimin had already read it before reaching the train station.

It was confirmed that what the text on the paper describes is the outline of the novel that became popular in China in later generations.

Raising his head again, Lin Weimin had a happy smile on his face.

"Not bad, not bad. It seems that the half month was not wasted. I still did some serious work."

"We have the outline, when will the manuscript be handed in?" Lin Weimin asked again with a smile.

Lu Yao pondered for a moment, "When I go back, I have to check the information and collect stories first. I won't be able to start writing until after the new year, right? I can't say whether it will be delivered. It will probably take a year or two at least."

Lin Weimin didn't know how long it took Lu Yao to write this novel, but he thought it would be a short time. He felt that Lu Yao was a little too optimistic. Such a million-word epic of struggle would have taken at least three to five years given Lu Yao's urinary temperament.

With this thought in his mind, Lin Weimin said nothing for fear of damaging his confidence and enthusiasm.

"Okay, if you need anything, just call or write me."

Lu Yao nodded, that's right.

You editor, just wait for the manuscript to be received. Why are there so many weird words?

The bus arrived at the train station and everyone got off.

We are all spread out across the country, so naturally we can’t go together by car.

There is indispensable parting before parting. The PEN meeting was short-lived and the friendship formed was not deep, but this kind of friendship is like a seed planted in the soil, which will slowly take root and sprout in the next few years.

The trains came one after another, and there were fewer and fewer people in the queue.

At noon, the train bound for Yanjing arrived. Lin Weimin and other editors of "Contemporary" waved goodbye to the remaining writers.

On the platform, Huang Anyi fell at the end of the crowd, quietly staring at Lin Weimin who was bidding farewell to everyone.

On the return journey, as usual, Lin Weimin carried Shi Tiesheng on the train.

A group of people got on the bus, entered the compartment, opened the windows, and waved goodbye to their friends standing on the platform.

Jin Ying was going back to Baoding and took a train with Lin Weimin and the others. She was next to Lin Weimin, looking at the lonely woman on the platform, and then at Lin Weimin who was joking and saying goodbye to everyone.

A sigh!

The second one will be later.