Back to 80: My Literary Life

The meeting was still held at Tangcheng Hotel, and the provincial leaders still delivered passionate speeches, but the attention of this meeting was much higher than that of the last reading class.

Who will win the first World Chinese Literature Award?

Some media reporters flocked to Tangcheng Hotel to interview the judges attending the meeting.

However, the organizing committee of this meeting issued meeting discipline to the judges: you can accept interviews from media reporters without affecting your work, but you cannot disclose the selection situation!

You can talk to reporters about literature and life, your personal experience and hobbies, but you cannot mention the meeting situation. At that time, the meeting organizers will disclose the progress of the meeting to the media reporters in the form of special reports every day.

So some reporters complained to the organizing committee that it was so mysterious? It was more mysterious than the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards. Do you think it was an Oscar?

The organizing committee was naturally unmoved.

But because of this, it was completely hyped up, and the selection of literary awards became a hot topic in the media recently.

The judges cannot say anything, but non-judges can express their personal opinions, so some reporters have interviewed critics and even some writers in the literary world to express their own views.

Which work will win the grand prize?

Fang Minghua is one of them.

As the person in charge of this meeting and the reviewer of the special report, Fang Minghua naturally knows some inside information, but he is not one of the thirteen judges, so he has become the focus of reporters.

Fortunately, Fang Minghua does not have a mobile phone, not even a pager. He does not stay in the hotel all the time, often disappearing from place to place, and it is not easy for ordinary people to find him.

Of course, there are also reporters who specifically go to him, and Yang Li, a reporter from Guangming Daily, is one of them.

When the World Chinese Literature Award was established last year, Yang Li did an exclusive interview with Fang Minghua. During the interview, Yang Li asked sharp questions, and this report was finally published in Guangming Daily. As a reporter, Yang Li was also appreciated by the leaders.

This girl is also very aggressive. It's not dawn yet, but she is standing at the east entrance of Nanfang Lane in Chaoyang Gate waiting for her. Fang Minghua must pass by here when he leaves Chaoyang Gate.

Sure enough, after dawn, she saw an off-road vehicle coming, and Yang Li waved to the car.

The off-road vehicle slowly stopped beside her, and Fang Minghua stuck his head out of the car window and greeted with a smile: "Reporter Yang, good morning, how come it's such a coincidence?"

"Good morning, Chairman Fang, it's not a coincidence, I'm waiting for you here specifically to interview you." Yang Li got straight to the point.

"Haha, reporter Yang, you are also very dedicated. Have you eaten?" Fang Minghua suddenly asked.

"Not yet."

"Let's go, let's go to Lao Liu's house outside Chaoyang Gate to drink Hu La Tang, his Hu La Tang is a must." Fang Minghua invited enthusiastically.

"Then thank you Chairman Fang for the treat." Yang Li was not polite and got into the co-pilot of the car with a smile.

Chatting while eating, a relaxed atmosphere can get more interesting things.

The off-road vehicle slowly passed through Chaoyang Gate and entered Changle West Road. From a distance, Yang Li saw a shop selling Hu La Tang on the roadside. There were already many diners.

"Let me tell you, this is the only shop selling authentic Hu La Tang nearby. The owner Liu is called Liu Dahu. His ancestors used to sell Hu La Tang in Luohe, Henan Province. It was called Beiwudu Hu La Tang."

"In 1942, the Henan disaster brought the whole family to Xijing and continued their old business outside Chaoyang Gate. This shop has been passed down from generation to generation. Except for that special period, this shop has never stopped. Do you think the taste is not authentic?" Fang Minghua said while driving.

"Chairman Fang, I thought you liked bread and milk. Now many people like to eat breakfast like foreigners." Yang Li said.

"My wife likes to eat that, but I can't get used to it. How can bread be as delicious as Roujiamo and Hu La Tang? Hu La Tang with vegetable boxes is simply amazing. If you don't believe me, I'll get you two later."

As the two were talking, the car had arrived near the breakfast shop. Fang Minghua parked the car on the side of the road and got out of the car with Yang Li.

Seeing Fang Minghua coming, Boss Liu, who was scooping Hu La Tang, hurriedly greeted: "Master Fang, are you here?"

"Boss Liu, business is good. Two bowls of Hu La Tang, four vegetable boxes."

"Yes!"

Fang Minghua took Yang Li and sat on an empty table on the street. Soon Boss Liu brought the Hu La Tang and vegetable boxes.

"Try it, how does it taste?" Fang Minghua asked with a smile.

"Well, it tastes really good." Yang Li took a bite and nodded.

"See. I didn't lie to you." Fang Minghua smiled, and smiled happily.

While eating, Yang Li certainly did not forget today's task. She swallowed a mouthful of the box and said, "Chairman Fang, can I ask you a few questions?"

"I know you must be judging the literature award. Go ahead and ask. I will try to tell you as long as it does not violate the principle."

"Okay, Chairman Fang, what stage has the selection work progressed to now?"

"The list of winners for novels, long, medium and short stories has been released, and only prose and poetry are left. Now the focus of controversy among the judges is mainly on prose, and it is still under intense discussion."

"Controversy? Do you mean that the judges have great differences of opinion?" Yang Li asked back.

"Of course, they are all literary masters, and of course they have their own opinions. Let me tell you a piece of news. Although the judges are all old, they are actually very angry and often argue over a certain work."

"Which prose work will eventually win the award?" Yang Li asked again.

"It's hard to say. I'm not a judge, so I can't answer your question."

"Then Chairman Fang, in your opinion, which of the five essays is most likely to win the award?"

"You must tell me?"

"I want to hear your opinion."

"I personally think that among the five essays, the ones that may win the award in the end are Shi Tiesheng's "I and the Altar of Earth" and Bei Dao's "The Visitor from Poland."

"Why not Yu Qiuyu's "Mogao Grottoes"? That is the genre you created, "Cultural Essays." Yang Li asked.

"Reporter Yang, let me first correct you. This genre was not founded by me. The source should be Jin Kemu and Zhang Zhongxing. I can't take credit for it. This name is just proposed by me." Fang Minghua was very serious.

Of course, Yang Li didn't want to discuss literature with Fang Minghua now, and immediately changed the subject: "Then which poetry collection do you think is most likely to win the award?"

"Haizi's Short and Medium Poems"

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because I like this poetry collection."

"Is that a reason?" Yang Li was stunned.

"Isn't that a good reason? If I didn't like him, how could I think he would win the award? " Fang Minghua smiled.

So cunning.

Yang Li complained in her heart.

"Okay, Chairman Fang, let me ask another question. I see that the shortlisted works include works from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and an American writer. Will these writers come to Xijing to attend the award ceremony? "

"Yes, except for North Island in the United States and Gu Cheng in New Zealand who cannot return to China for various reasons, all the authors of the other candidate works have replied to express their participation in the ceremony. "

"Really? Including Mr. Butler from the United States? " Yang Li was a little unconvinced.

"Yes, including. " Fang Minghua smiled.