Back to 80: My Literary Life

He Shen, Tan Ge, and Guan Renshan are known as the "three horses" of the Hebei Province literary world. Their works focus on real life, deeply reflect people's livelihood and public opinion, and have profound social significance and humanistic care.

What made them famous in the literary world is precisely this round of realistic works!

All three of them are here today.

Seeing He Shen speak, Fang Minghua smiled and said: "President He (He Shen was the president of Chengde Daily at the time.), I was just about to talk about this issue."

"Although the new realistic novel and the new realist novel seem to be only one word different, and both seem to be written about the present and the present, there is a big difference between the two."

1. Different content:

New realist novel: downplays the background of the characters' survival era, focuses on the helpless and embarrassing life of the little people, and takes the living conditions of the bottom little people and the daily life of ordinary people as the main objects of the novel's realism

New realist novel: often takes major issues concerning the nation, the country, and the society and the realistic issues of the hardships of individual survival as the common narrative content. It is based on the ups and downs of social life, such as the state-owned enterprises getting out of trouble, the hardships of laid-off workers, the conflicts between township cadres and the masses, the urgent need to improve rural education, anti-corruption and the contemporary science and technology to strengthen the army.

2. The narrative posture and mentality of the creative subject are different:

New realist novels: adopt a "zero degree of emotion" narrative attitude and a hidden narrative perspective, and no longer praise or criticize the "reality" written from a preset standpoint, and try to be as objective, calm and emotionless as possible.

New realist novels: inherit the characteristics of traditional realism's strong focus on reality. The author pours unstoppable moral passion and value judgment into the novel text, and even jumps out from time to time to speak for the characters in the work.

Different performance techniques:

New realist novels: emphasize the authenticity of plots and characters, but the plots and themes are not bound by traditional morals and values, pay attention to detailed descriptions, and encourage diversified creation

New realist novels: adopt traditional realistic performance techniques, such as rendering typical environments and portraying typical characters, and less reference and appropriation of modernist techniques

Fang Minghua spoke nonstop, and everyone listened carefully, especially He Shen and the other three, who listened very carefully and kept taking notes.

Fang Minghua spoke for a full hour, and finally said: "In a sense, the new realistic novel is a return from traditional realism to avant-gardeism, postmodernism and other literary types in the history of domestic literature. From the perspective of literary theory, it can be regarded as innovation, but I think the current society needs such novels!"

"Pa pa pa" warm applause broke out in the venue.

At the end of today's meeting, Zhao Benfu found Fang Minghua.

"Chairman Fang, can you organize your speech today and publish it in our "Zhongshan" as a literary review?"

"I originally planned to publish it in "Yanhe". Since you, Editor-in-Chief Zhao, asked, that's fine!"

The meeting ended after three days. Everyone went back home. Wang Anyi returned to Shencheng to continue her writing.

"This seminar has touched me a lot. The article I am writing now may use what I said this time. I will digest it carefully when I go back. Minghua, Yu Hua, how about you, when will you be back?"

"Sister Anyi, Minghua and I have made an appointment. While there is no writing task now, we will go to Nanjing City." Yu Hua smiled.

"That's good. There are many places to visit in Nanjing City, half of the history of the Republic of China." Wang Anyi smiled.

"I won't talk about Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Confucius Temple. I suggest you go to Wutong Avenue and feel the atmosphere of this city."

The next day, Fang Minghua and Yu Hua went shopping together with great interest.

It is said that there are several Wutong Avenues in Nanjing. Fang Minghua walked along the section of Zhongshan East Road from Xinjiekou to Zhongshan Gate.

The two of them walked on the road with their hands in their pockets.

It is early winter now. The branches and leaves of the Wutong trees on both sides of the street are no longer so dense, but the orange leaves make the whole road glow with the unique profound temperament of the ancient city.

There are many buildings from the Republic of China on both sides, including the former site of the Nanjing Branch of the Bank of Communications, the former site of the Central News Agency Building, and the former site of the Inspirational Society of the Huangpu Alumni Association.

Walking through these buildings, it seems to have returned to the Republic of China era.

The former site of the Kuomintang Central Party History and Historical Materials Exhibition Hall is now renamed the Second Historical Archives of China. Entering the antique archway gate, the theme song "Dust Fate" of the TV series "August Osmanthus Fragrance" can be heard.

Dust fate is like a dream, with ups and downs.

Now it has become smoke and cloud.

Love is also empty, like the wind under the sleeves of waving hands.

A faint fragrance.

Floating in the deep old dream.

It was sung by Taiwanese singer Luo Wen.

The song was full of vicissitudes, and Fang Minghua couldn't help but stop and listen for a while.

It is said that this was the exclusive BGM of Sun Liren, a famous anti-Japanese general at that time, but Fang Minghua really didn't understand the relationship between the two.

But the song is really nice.

Seeing Fang Minghua stop, Yu Hua also stopped for a while.

"This seems to be sung by a Hong Kong singer."

"His name is Luo Wen."

"Oh, I don't know much about pop music, I like to listen to classical music." Yu Hua said.

Fang Minghua glanced at him and said nothing.

He is not pretending.

Later, Yu Hua also wrote a collection of essays called "Literature or Music". The first half mainly explains literary works and reviews the style of writers, while the second half focuses on analyzing Western classical music and musicians!

However, it is clear that Yu Hua's mind today is not on the sycamore tree or the Republican-era building, but on yesterday's seminar.

"Minghua, I went back to my hometown this summer, and my father told me a story when we were chatting."

"What story?" Fang Minghua was a little curious.

"My father is a surgeon. He once met a group of people led by a "blood head" who traveled thousands of miles to sell blood here."

Yu Hua simply told the story, and I was inspired by this story and wanted to write a long story.

"Xu Sanguan Selling Blood"!

Fang Minghua understood it immediately.

This is also one of Yu Hua's representative works. Fang Minghua felt that it was more shocking than "To Live".

However, Fang Minghua did not say much, but just asked casually.

"Where are the people your father is talking about from?"

"Henan Province."

Henan Province!

This was the hardest hit area for selling blood in the 1990s.

"Yu Hua, I think your creative idea is good, but I think if you want to write well, it's best for you to go to Henan Province and see the real situation there, which may help your writing." Fang Minghua suggested.

"Is it necessary?"

"I think it is necessary."

Seeing Fang Minghua's meaningful tone, Yu Hua nodded: "Okay, after I leave Nanjing, I will go to Henan Province first."

Three days later, the two left Nanjing at the same time.