Back to 80: My Literary Life

The editor-in-chief of this issue of "Yanhe" recommends the novella "A Kind of Reality" written by Yu Hua, which tells the story of brothers killing each other in order to eliminate each other's troubles. The author tells the thrilling "reality" in an extremely cold narrative tone.

Since Yu Hua returned from studying in Luyuan last year, her mastery of avant-garde novel techniques has become increasingly mature, and her creation has entered a climax. She has successively published "The Noon of the Northwest Wind" and "The World Is Like Smoke", and this time she wrote "Reality" A sort of".

An absurd novel with a avant-garde experimental flavor, Yu Hua tells a thrilling "reality" in an extremely cold narrative tone, showing the fragility and absurdity of reason, and full of anger and anxiety about the evil of human nature.

Yu Hua's style has become familiar to the public readers. Some people call him the "bloodiest and most cold" author in China, which of course refers to his articles.

However, what interests readers the most in this issue is not this avant-garde novel, but the article "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit" written by Fang Minghua.

There are not too many obscure sentences, and there are no erratic and changing characters' thoughts, or cross-spliced ​​plot paragraphs. It uses plain language to write about a rural woman's persistence in fighting a lawsuit.

"Ask for an explanation." is the most common saying of the heroine.

This Qiu Ju, and the village chief Wang Shantang who is the "villain" in the novel, their every move seems so familiar, and those stories seem to be happening around them.

It was the first time I saw a citizen sue an “official” and actually won in the end!

After the novel was published, it immediately aroused heated discussion. The famous critic Li Tuo published a comment in "Literary News":

"The novel describes it like this: women on the street wear scarlet lips, their hair is permed into layers of curls on their heads, and their high heels click; pedestrians walk in a hurry and have no time to feel the hot air around them - everything They all began to move forward faster and more prosperously, as if some kind of power was awakening.

"This is China now, old and yearning for modernity, slow and eager to burst out. Among the uneven street scenes in the city, next to the cheap hotels are "new trendy hair houses"; on the New Year picture stalls in the town market, pictorials and pictures of Hong Kong and Taiwan stars The portraits of great men are juxtaposed, and it all seems like a metaphor.

Fang Minghua used his delicate pen to slowly unfold this picture of life for mediocre people: how a pregnant woman relied on her tenacity and stubbornness to "petition" step by step, and finally got an explanation. If this is the awakening of legal consciousness, I would rather add a comment: this awakening contains the warmth of human feelings. "

Finally, I want to ask Comrade Fang Minghua: From last year's article "Platform" to this year's "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit", if you also include the article "No One Can Be Missed" written a few years ago, all the articles written about real life are small The joys and sorrows of the characters, does this mean that in the literary world, which is shrouded in "avant-garde", it still has the survival foundation of realistic novels? And you call it new realistic fiction. "

It was three days later that Fang Minghua saw this review article.

He recognized Li Tuo's comments and was worthy of being called "Master Tuo" later on. Of course, Fang Minghua did not intend to answer Li Tuo's question at the end of the article.

No hurries?

Aren’t we going to hold a seminar on new realistic novels later?

Also invite Li Tuo over so that everyone can speak freely and have a good debate.

This was the last novel hot spot in the literary world in the 1980s.

Fang Minghua drank tea and read the newspaper leisurely.

At this moment, the phone on the desk rang. Fang Minghua took the phone and heard a man's voice.

"Is it Comrade Minghua?"

"Standing Committee Member Liu? Hello, I am Fang Minghua." Fang Minghua said quickly.

"Minghua, the novel "Qiu Ju's Lawsuit" you wrote is very good. Did you read yesterday's People's Daily? The newspaper specifically commented on this novel."

"Really? Standing Committee Member Liu, I've been busy with work recently and I haven't had time to read it yet."

"Then you have to read it carefully, but I greatly appreciate your novel. The article said: This novel has taught ordinary people and ordinary cadres a vivid legal lesson. How can ordinary people protect their own rights and interests? Grassroots cadres must change If you do something that violates the law, you will be taken to court by the people. This is better than reading the legal provisions a hundred times. "

"If we can really achieve this effect, then I will be satisfied." Fang Minghua was very humble.

"Haha, of course, but I don't think it's enough."

"Oh, you said."

"The audience of novels is still relatively small, and the general public, especially rural people, rarely read magazine novels. In order to expand its influence, I suggest making it into a movie!"

Standing Committee Member Liu expressed his opinion on the phone: "Didn't our Qin Province have a famous director? Let him film!"

"You mean Zhang Yimou?" Fang Minghua asked.

"Yes, that's him! He just won an award abroad. It is a glory for our country and our Qin Province! I will ask the comrades from the Department of Culture to communicate with Director Wu of Xiying Film and let him persuade Zhang Yimou to shoot your novel!"

"Standing Committee Member Liu, don't bother me. Zhang Yimou and I are relatively familiar with each other. I'll tell him."

"That's good. If we join forces, we will definitely make a film that has both aesthetic value and educational significance!"

"Thank you, Standing Committee Member Liu, for your encouragement."

We chatted for a few more words before hanging up the phone.

Fang Minghua sat on the chair, picked up the teacup and took a sip, remembering what he just said.

Let Zhang Yimou make this movie?

Isn't this a natural thing?

I just don’t know, what is Zhang Yimou doing now?

There was no telephone installed in Zhang Yimou's home, and a director like him did not have a fixed office at Xiying Studio. Fang Minghua had no choice but to call Wu Tianmin to ask for news about Zhang Yimou.

At this time, Zhang Yimou was still shrouded in happiness.

Just this year (1988), at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival held on February 12, Zhang Yimou won the Golden Bear Award for Best Film for his movie "Red Sorghum". This was the first time for a Chinese filmmaker to win a junior film in Europe. Won the top prize at the film festival.

At that time, Zhang Yimou was wearing a suit that he had just made before going abroad. He laughed and took the "Golden Bear" he won for "Red Sorghum" and then raised it high above his head. The golden bear shone brightly above his head.

Because of his laughter, Yimou's mouth opened very wide, his eyes almost narrowed into a line, his short, thick and thick eyebrows squeezed towards the center of his eyebrows, and the lines at the corners of his mouth on both sides of his nose became more and more distinct.

Later, Mo Yan saw this photo and commented: "With this dignity, he really looks like the production captain of our village."

Now, he is at home, admiring this photo.

Although some people gave it bad reviews, he felt very satisfied.

Elegant? Personable?

That's not yourself.

I'm a fool to begin with, so you have to make me wear a suit?

In Berlin, he always refused to wear a suit. If he hadn't been "threatened" by someone in advance to safeguard national dignity before going on stage, he thought it would be fine to wear his usual coarse cotton-padded jacket.

At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door outside.

Zhang Yimou went over and opened the door. It was Wu Tianmin, the director of Xiying Film Studio, holding an old briefcase in the creaking nest.

"Director, why are you here?" Zhang Yimou was a little surprised.

"When I came to see you win the Golden Bear Award, did you become a different person?" Wu Tianmin said and entered the room.