Back to 80: My Literary Life

Life is so dramatic.

Fang Minghua remembered that it was still the middle of winter the night before, and the cat was holding his cell phone in bed. When he woke up, it was already early autumn. What was even more outrageous was that he was in Xijing City, Qin Province, in September 1980.

Although it is September, the weather in Xijing is still relatively hot, and the cicadas on the plane trees outside the gate are a bit disturbing.

Fang Minghua sat bored in the guard room, staring blankly at the bicycle repair stall across the street and the occasional vendor pushing a bicycle and wearing a straw hat selling popsicles.

"I'm selling popsicles and ice cream. Popsicles cost 2 cents each, and ice cream costs 5 cents each. If it's not sweet, it's free."

A standard Guanzhong accent is full of temptation.

Just half a month ago, my soul transmigrated into the body of this young man named Fang Minghua and became an employee of the security department of "Yanhe" magazine. It was said that he was an employee of the security department, but he was actually the gatekeeper.

Before time travel, he graduated from the Chinese Department of a second-rate university, worked as a third-rate writer, a fourth-rate screenwriter, wrote online articles, and worked in self-media. He can be regarded as a literary young man who loves literature - no, he should have been over thirty. It is not too bad for an old literary young man to come to the most authoritative literary magazine in Qin Province sponsored by the Xijing Writers Association branch.

But he turned out to be the gatekeeper!

Fortunately, they are not temporary workers but regular employees of the magazine, that is, they are established!

We are also considered people within the system, right?

This is because Fang Minghua's father, a former security department employee, retired early and took over as his son.

Fang Minghua is 20 years old this year. After graduating from junior high school, he responded to the country’s call for educated youth to go to the mountains and countryside to join the team in Gansu Province. After staying there for three years, national policies changed and a large number of educated youth returned to the city. Fang Minghua returned to his hometown of Xijing City. After two years of unemployment at home, Finally, he replaced his father and became an employee of the magazine.

After graduating from junior high school, he was naturally not qualified to review manuscripts. Finally, the leader asked him to inherit his father's business and go to the gate.

The job of guarding the door is actually very leisurely. The magazine office is not as good as the key departments of the party and government, and the management of the door guards is not so strict, so they spend a lot of time fishing. However, after the leaders issued their words, they should pay attention to a situation that must not happen - that is, the incident where some young people with literary dreams sneak into the magazine with their manuscripts and ask to see a certain editor for review.

I would even get emotional in the office and argue with the editor: Why don’t you publish such an excellent novel, poetry, and prose of mine? !

But that didn't happen today.

Look at the sun already heading west, and the hands of the wall clock on the wall of the guard room indicate just past five o'clock, with one hour left until the end of the day.

The day of fishing is almost over.

"Brother Minghua"

A young man with a crew cut came in at the door. He was short, stocky, and looked simple and honest.

Fang Minghua knew that his name was Zhang Baofu. He was 19 years old and had just joined the magazine. He lived in a rural area on the eastern outskirts of the city.

He didn't have a staff, so he hired a gatekeeper at short notice - it was said that he was a distant relative of a certain leader of the magazine.

Zhang Baofu is a young man who is very active in his work. No, he rushed over before it was time to change his shift.

"Brother Minghua, please go home from get off work. I'll come and see the door." Zhang Baofu said.

Fang Minghua was not polite and said thank you. Suddenly he discovered that the white shirt Zhang Baofu wore today actually had a pen inserted in the breast pocket.

Ah? He also has the temperament of a cultural person.

Fang Minghua stood up and pointed to the registration book on the table: "This must be registered. There is also the door key in the drawer. Don't lose it."

"Don't worry, brother Minghua."

Fang Minghua nodded and was about to leave when he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his stomach. He turned back to get some toilet paper and walked towards the office building.

After going to the toilet and squatting for a while, Fang Minghua felt more comfortable. After washing his hands, Fang Minghua had just walked to the lobby of the office building when he heard a quarrel coming from the door. He saw Zhang Baofu arguing with a young man about something.

The thin young man was wearing a 65-proof green t-shirt, with a yellow satchel slung across his body, his hair parted to the side, his face full of youthful pimples, and two pens stuck in his chest.

Fang Minghua suddenly remembered a meme he had seen online.

These days, if you have one pen, you are a middle school student, if you have two pens, you are a college student, and if you have three pens, you are a pen repairer.

This is a standard college student.

Fang Minghua walked over slowly and asked, "Baofu, what happened?"

"He insisted on going in to see Editor Zhang! He barged in without a letter of introduction and work permit!" Zhang Baofu said quickly.

Fang Minghua knew that Editor-in-Chief Zhang, named Zhang Pixiang, was the chief editor-in-chief of the editorial department of "Yanhe" magazine, a person who was loved and hated by literary young people.

I don’t know how many manuscripts he shot, and he ended the literary dreams of countless young people.

"I don't have a work ID, but I have this!" The young man pointed to the school badge on his chest, which read "Northwestern Polytechnical University" in red letters on a white background.

The watermelon is big, 985, a school that cultivates powerful talents! Although there is no such thing as 985 these days,

Fang Minghua suddenly stood in awe.

"This is my student ID card!" The young man seemed worried that Fang Minghua wouldn't believe it, so he took out a red notebook from the yellow satchel he was carrying and gave it to him.

Fang Minghua took it and looked at it. It read Class 3, Grade 79, Liu Jianjun.

He returned the student ID card to the other party and said in a friendly tone: "Classmate Liu Jianjun, what do you want to see Editor Zhang for?"

"I have a poem manuscript that I want to submit to Editor Zhang!"

"Yanhe" magazine was founded in 1956 and was sponsored by the Qin Provincial Writers Association. It was a purely literary publication integrating poetry, prose, essays, and novels. It was called "little people's literature" at the time and had a great influence in the northwest and even the country. It is especially popular among young literary people in this province, so it is not uncommon for people to submit articles.

Fang Minghua still looked kind. "Student, you are welcome to submit your manuscript, but according to the regulations, you can only mail your manuscript to the editorial department. If you don't know the address, I can tell you."

"Of course I know! The poem I wrote last time was sent to the editorial office but was ignored. I don't accept it!" Liu Jianjun suddenly became excited: "This time I wrote a new poem, and I want to hand it directly to Editor Zhang!"

"No, Editor Zhang is very busy. How can I have time to see you?! Hurry up!" Perhaps Fang Minghua's arrival gave Zhang Baofu the confidence and his tone of voice became tougher.

"I have my ID, why do you stop me?! I want to see Editor Zhang!" Liu Jianjun didn't show any weakness, and the two of them started fighting at the door.

People coming in and out of the gate looked at them, but they were used to it. Fang Minghua hurriedly pulled Liu Jianjun into the guard room.

"Classmate, don't be so excited. Editor Zhang may not pay attention to you if you force your way in." Fang Minghua still patiently advised.

But he was muttering in his heart.

What a fool.

If I hadn't seen that you are a college student and the pride of heaven, I would have kicked you out!

Looking at this "stubborn cow", Fang Minghua thought for a moment and then said:

"How about you let me read the poem first? Let's study it. If it's really good, I can help you think of a solution?"

"just you?"

Liu Jianjun looked at Fang Minghua.

He is quite tall, fair and handsome, with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

However, what matters these days is talent!

What poetry do you know as a gatekeeper?