Back to 80: My Literary Life

Fang Minghua followed Zhou Shunlai into the auditorium. There was no one down there, and a dozen female soldiers on the stage were chattering.

He saw Song Tangtang, who was standing quietly aside.

Song Tangtang also noticed Fang Minghua sitting in the audience and nodded slightly to him as a greeting.

"Okay, sisters!" A female soldier who looked like a coach clapped her hands: "Let's start the rehearsal now. The first is Song Tangtang's solo dance. Tangtang, are you ready?"

Song Tangtang nodded.

"Okay then, music!"

The song from the loudspeaker sounded:

There is a beautiful flower in the world

That's the beauty of youth

The strong bones bloom and bloom

The blood stains it red

Ahhh

"Velvet Flower"!

The theme song of the movie "Little Flower", sung by Li Guyi.

Song Tangtang danced to the music.

The dance was ballet, but Fang Minghua didn't know what the repertoire was, but it was very good.

This reminded him of He Xiaoping's solo dance under the moon in the movie "Youth".

"She danced an excerpt from "Ode to Yimeng", which is also a ballet." Zhou Shunlai introduced in a low voice next to her.

oh.

"Song Tangtang is the best dancer in the art troupe and the most beautiful female soldier."

Yeah?

Fang Minghua took a closer look.

It seems like it is.

In fact, which girl in the art troupe is not beautiful? But Song Tangtang has a different kind of beauty.

Elegant, cool, yet sassy.

"I heard that Song Tangtang's family background is very rich, and her father has a big background, but she can still stay here to train and provide condolences like other female soldiers in the art troupe. I admire this very much." Zhou Shunlai continued.

"I admire you too." Fang Minghua nodded.

After Song Tangtang's solo dance, there was a group dance. Fang Minghua and the others quietly went out after watching it for a while, so as not to disturb the girls' rehearsal.

After returning to the guest house for dinner at noon, Fang Minghua came to the art troupe station again. This time he did not see Zhou Shunlai. In front of the female soldiers' dormitory, he met Song Tangtang, who was carrying a washing basin and preparing to wash clothes.

"Where's Brother Zhou? Why didn't you see it?" Fang Minghua asked.

"It seems that I have a temporary assignment to go to the hospital." Song Tangtang said.

The hospital is a place where art troupes often go to perform. Those injured soldiers not only need physical treatment, but also spiritual comfort. In these days, there is no Internet and little TV, so the performances of art troupes are very popular.

"You don't want to rehearse? Then I'll talk to you?" Fang Minghua said.

"Oh well."

Fang Minghua followed Song Tangtang out of the camp. There was a small river not far away. The two came to the river. Song Tangtang took out soap and a washboard and squatted by the river to wash clothes.

Fang Minghua stood beside her, looking at her serious look, and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Finally, Song Tangtang spoke up: "What did you and Brother Zhou talk about?"

Fang Minghua didn't hide anything and told her in detail what Zhou Shun said.

Song Tangtang pursed his lips and smiled after hearing this: "Brother Zhou is enthusiastic and likes to help others. There are more female soldiers than male soldiers in our regiment, so he does a lot of the dirty work without any complaints."

"He is also handsome. In addition to playing the trumpet, he can also play the accordion and harmonica. We all like him. If he hadn't been married, there would probably be a girl who likes him."

"I heard that the art troupe is not allowed to fall in love, right?" Fang Minghua said.

The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"Of course not, but can something be forbidden?!"

"Song Tangtang." Fang Minghua also squatted down and looked at the girl, and asked cautiously: "I have a question to ask. If it's inappropriate, I apologize."

"Ask." Song Tangtang said while washing clothes.

"I heard that the art troupe is quite chaotic, right?"

"Chaos?" Song Tangtang stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Fang Minghua: "What do you mean? Female soldiers falling in love? Or do you mean the persecution of the innocent, drawing clear boundaries, special treatment for the children of cadres, etc. in your novels? wait?"

Looking at the girl's clear eyes, Fang Minghua didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Song Tangtang lowered his head and started washing clothes again.

While washing, he said: "What I just said, some of the things that happened in the regiment did not happen before, but they don't happen now because of the war."

Having said this, Song Tangtang turned to look at Fang Minghua: Do you think we often go to the battlefield to perform, sometimes braving artillery fire and risking our lives, but we still care about those jealous and trivial things? "

"That's how it is on the battlefield. Especially among the soldiers, there are a lot of people who don't like each other. But once on the battlefield, there is no such thing. We are all comrades and brothers and sisters, and we are people who can trust each other!"

Fang Minghua was silent.

"I don't really like reading scar literature." Song Tangtang suddenly said something out of nowhere.

"Why? Are the descriptions in those novels untrue?" Fang Minghua asked.

"I admit, it's very true, because my dad has suffered a lot and been wronged, but my dad said that now that our country has begun to carry out reform and opening up, we should temporarily put aside this heavy burden and focus on construction. As for this period of history, Let future generations comment after a few years. I didn’t understand it at first, but now I think he was right.”

"Don't worry, the novel I want to write won't be scar literature." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"Actually, I prefer those little poems you wrote, they are very beautiful." Song Tangtang smiled: "My cousin also likes them very much and admires you very much."

"Ha, no need to worship me, I'm just an ordinary person."

"Well, you are an ordinary person, but you are not ordinary either."

"What's the meaning?"

"You are a writer and I think you are very kind."

Kind?

Fang Minghua was surprised.

You say I'm handsome, and I admit it, but what about being kind? This was the first time that Fang Minghua heard someone talk about him like this.

"I feel it. Also, because the book "Into the Dust" you wrote describes a very kind couple. I think a writer must have sympathy and compassion, otherwise he cannot write a novel well."

Why does this sound familiar?

It seems that a writer named Yu Hua also said it, right?

"Song Tangtang, thank you for giving me such a high evaluation. I will work hard." Fang Minghua replied seriously, but made Song Tangtang laugh.

The flower branches tremble.

"Here, let me help you twist your clothes." Fang Minghua saw Song Tangtang finishing washing a coat and quickly helped.

This is how Fang Minghua's life of collecting works went.

In addition to the cultural troupe, he also went to the hospital to chat with patients, and even went to nearby military camps. But the most important thing was the cultural troupe, watching them rehearse, following their performances in hospitals and military camps, and getting deeply involved in daily life.

Of course, what Fang Minghua longs for is to be able to go to the front line and truly experience this war. This of course requires an opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Li Cunbao would seize this opportunity and follow the troops to the front line. When he came back, he told him a lot of stories and experiences, which he enjoyed with great interest.

"Xiao Fang, to tell you the truth, although I am a soldier and have collected stories from my company many times, this is the first time I have been on the front line, which shocked me greatly. Really, there is a thin line between life and death." Li Cunbao As he spoke, he lit a cigarette for himself.

"Okay, I won't talk to you anymore. I want to quickly write down what I saw, heard and felt." After speaking, Li Cunbao took out the manuscript paper and sat at the table to write.

Fang Minghua can only feel envious.

The opportunity came.

At noon that day, Fang Minghua received news from Zhou Shunlai that tomorrow morning his regiment would organize a propaganda team to perform a condolence performance at a military camp somewhere on the front line.

He immediately went to Director Zhang, who was in charge of their collecting work, and told him his request, wanting to go with the propaganda team.

Director Zhang initially disagreed. Although it was relatively safe, it was very close to the enemy's position, but he finally agreed despite Fang Minghua's persuasion.

"Be sure to follow the propaganda team and don't run around!" Director Zhang warned.

"Don't worry, I will definitely obey orders."

Thanks to Xiaojian 1989, 6102 Wolf 2016, bbmm, guorong78, Say Goodbye to Dreams, Book Friends 20230124171739327, Book Friends 20180827194038355, Book Friends 2022110120353649, Quarter Sandwich, Bored Readers, and Nine Vaults Falling Feathers for your monthly votes