Back to 80: My Literary Life

"Cousin, I am telling my brother-in-law that I should write more and try to win the Nobel Prize." Li Li said with a smile.

"Him?" Song Tangtang glanced at Fang Minghua: "He has too many chores, and he will do this and that for a while."

"My brother-in-law is still young. The British writer and poet Joseph Rudyard Kipling won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. At the age of 41, he was the youngest Nobel Prize winner to date. My brother-in-law only has If you get it before the age of 40, you will surpass him in more than ten years!”

"You have so much confidence in him. Okay, let's not talk about it." Song Tangtang changed the topic and asked Fang Minghua while taking off his coat: "Minghua, what did you talk about last night about the company publishing the novel Lili brought back? how was it?"

"Lili and I have said that we have decided to publish "A Clockwork Orange" and "Norwegian Wood" written by Haruki Shukami. Both of these books have no Chinese translations in China and will definitely sell well." Fang Minghua said.

"Okay." Song Tangtang nodded after hearing this: "Today at the company, I called the Red Army again and told him about it. He also agreed. I decided to go to Huayue Literature and Art Publishing House to sign the book number with them in Xijing. A long-term agreement to purchase ISBNs so that the Hainan side uses Hainan and the Xijing side uses Huayue without interfering with each other. "

"That's a good idea." Fang Minghua immediately agreed: "When I get to work, find a suitable time to ask President Wang of Huayue Literature and Art Publishing House to have a meal together. You can talk to him on behalf of Shengshi Company. I will help you. I guess the problem won't be solved." big."

"Okay, I'll do as you say. The day after tomorrow, the company's people are going to Hainan. I'll ask them to take these two books over."

The couple were chatting when the nanny came out of the kitchen to greet everyone to dinner.

Li Li wanted to leave but was stopped by Zhou Yunjuan: "Why are we leaving? Just eat here."

"Yes, Lili, why are you in such a hurry to go back?" Song Tangtang also said, "I think it's quite interesting to talk about your experiences abroad."

Li Li didn't hold back and stayed.

After eating and chatting for a while, Li Li was about to ride home. Fang Minghua and his wife stayed for a while, waiting for their daughter Ruirui to fall asleep, then they hugged their son, who was also soundly asleep, and got in the car to return home.

On the road, Song Tangtang drove slowly. Fang Minghua sat in the passenger seat and held his son. He looked at the flickering street outside and suddenly thought of something and asked: "Tangtang, did you give Lili the money?"

"Here, 20,000 yuan. Lili doesn't want it at first. I'll give you the translation fee. If you don't want it, Minghua won't find you to translate next time."

Um.

When Li Li just went to study in the UK, Fang Minghua gave the girl 20,000 yuan in the name of translating for him, and then another 10,000 yuan during the process, and another 20,000 yuan some time ago.

Li Li's parents are both high-level intellectuals, one is a doctor and the other is a university professor. Their family background is not bad, but in this era, the value of knowledge has been greatly depreciated.

There is now a popular saying in society: "Those who sell missiles are not as good as those who sell tea eggs, and those who hold scalpels are not as good as those who hold razors."

Li Li went to study in the UK at her own expense, and the tuition was relatively high. It was quite difficult for her family to support her going to school. You can't let a girl wash the dishes while studying in the UK, right?

I earn so much money now but can't spend it all, so I should help my relatives and friends. Besides, my wife and Li Li have a very good relationship and they are like sisters.

Even if the girl is given too much, she doesn’t want it, so Fang Minghua uses this method to support her.

"Tangtang, Lili said today where she will go after graduation." Fang Minghua thought of something and said.

"Where does she want to go?" Song Tangtang glanced at Fang Minghua, obviously also interested in this topic.

"Now she has two choices: to return to China to teach at Yanch University, or to stay in London. The famous British publishing house Heinemann has sent her an invitation letter."

"Where does Lili tend to go?"

"She didn't say it, and I couldn't tell." Fang Minghua answered truthfully.

Song Tangtang was silent for a while, and then suddenly said: "Minghua, go and persuade Lili to come back and be closer to home. Wandering alone is always worrying."

"Shall I persuade you?"

"Yes, Lili listens to you."

"Tangtang, it's not appropriate for me to persuade her. You understand Lili's thoughts somewhat, and I shouldn't get involved in this kind of thing." Fang Minghua reminded.

"I also know that it is not appropriate for you to persuade me, but there is really nothing I can do." Song Tangtang said quietly: "My second aunt and second uncle are very worried about Lili's whereabouts after graduation. They all hope that Lili will return to China. After all, they only have this daughter. Let her come back first, and let’s talk about it later.”

Fang Minghua was silent, turned his head to look at the street outside, and sighed softly.

Now that he agreed to Song Tangtang, Fang Minghua thought about how to persuade Li Li. Of course, he couldn't be too direct. He had known Li Li for a long time, and he had already felt that this girl looked easy-going on the surface, but was actually very stubborn on the inside.

Let's see the opportunity.

As soon as Fang Minghua went to work the next day, he had just taken a drink of water when Zhao Muchun, the deputy editor in charge of the poetry and prose group, knocked on the door and came in with a poem manuscript in his hand.

"Editor Fang, these are a few poems sent to us by Yanjing's "Trend" Poetry Magazine. Take a look. I think one of them can be launched as a recommendation by the editor."

"Trendency" is a folk poetry journal run by Yanjing poet Xi Chuan, led by the Three Musketeers of Yan University, Ouyang Jianghe, and Chen Dongdong from Shanghai.

Last summer, Fang Minghua went to Lu Academy as a temporary substitute teacher and approached Xi Chuan, who was already working at Global magazine. While the two were chatting, Fang Minghua learned that Xi Chuan and others were preparing to establish their own folk poetry magazine, Tendency.

Due to lack of funds, Fang Minghua called Zhao Hongjun and asked Zhao Hongjun to donate 20,000 yuan in the name of the company, and he also donated 5,000 yuan. Xi Chuan was grateful and invited Fang Minghua to join their poetry group.

Later, Xichuan successively sent some of the better poems from their internal poetry magazine to "Yanhe", and a large part of them were adopted. Some of them, like Haizi's "Dreams as Horses", were recommended by the editor and launched.

This time Zhao Muchun came for this purpose.

Fang Minghua took the poem manuscript and looked at it. There were "Sunset on the Square" written by Xichuan, "When to Speak the Poems of Chanting Rain" by Chen Dongdong, and "September" by Haizi:

A field of wild flowers on the grassland that witnessed the death of the gods

The wind in the distance is farther than the distance

The sound of my piano sobs without any tears

I return this far distance to the grassland

One is called Horse Head and the other is called Horse Tail

The sound of my piano sobs without any tears

This poem is also one of Haizi's masterpieces. It was later composed to music by Zhang Huisheng, who is also a poet and guitarist, and sung by blind folk singer Zhou Yunpeng.

It is regrettable that the songwriter of the song "September" with the same name committed suicide one after another, leaving only a blind man singing this song in the world.

Why.

This is the poem that Zhao Muchun recommended.

"Okay, this poem will also be one of the articles recommended by the editor, and I will comment on it." Fang Minghua made a decision quickly.

After Zhao Muchun left, Fang Minghua recited this poem repeatedly and finally wrote this sentence:

This poem "September" expresses the poet's loneliness through the contrast between the eternal flow of time and the short-term personal insignificance, and expresses this loneliness in the infinity of time and the boundlessness of space...expressing the poet's feelings. In the long flow of time, we experience the loneliness that life is bound to die and the sense of insignificance that arises from being alone in the vast world. There is also the despair after understanding the subtlety of life. It is a painful spiritual break and a reflection of life. The despair itself.

"This reminds me of the poem "Song of Dengyouzhou Terrace" by Chen Ziang, a poet from the Tang Dynasty: There are no ancients before, and no newcomers after. Thinking of the long journey of heaven and earth, I shed tears with sadness."

Okay, that's it.

Fang Minghua called Zhao Muchun to come over for review, and suddenly thought of another thing.

Didn't you talk to Li Li about your graduation destination?

How about using the excuse of translating poetry?