Literary Master 1978

While Zhang Chengzhi and Lin Chaoyang were chatting, several more people arrived with gifts, all invited by Li Tuo.

Lin Chaoyang was not surprised to see Chen Jiangong bringing Liu Zhida to his home. Li Tuo and Chen Jiangong knew each other, but he was surprised to see Wang Zengqi and Lin Jinlan also coming.

Lin Chaoyang stood up and shook hands with Wang Zengqi and Lin Jinlan, and greeted them warmly.

"Last time I came to eat with Yanru and others, I have always been obsessed with your cooking skills!" Wang Zengqi said with a smile.

People who are familiar with Wang Zengqi know that he has studied food deeply, and being able to get such a high evaluation from him is enough to show Lin Chaoyang's cooking skills.

Lin Jinlan smiled and said: "I heard Zengqi talking about your cooking skills some time ago, so I came here to have a meal."

"Welcome, welcome!"

Seven guests came to the house today, and the living room was crowded all of a sudden. Everyone talked about everything, and the atmosphere was lively and festive.

At around ten o'clock, Lin Chaoyang went to the kitchen to prepare meals, and Wang Zengqi volunteered to help.

"It's just right that you're here today, take a look at my Zhenjiang pig's trotter dish."

Lin Chaoyang took out the pig's trotter that had been cut in the morning and showed it to Wang Zengqi. This was a dish that Wang Zengqi taught him when he had dinner with Zhou Yanru and Zhang Dening at Lin Chaoyang's house last time.

"The lean meat is deep red, and the fat is as white as mutton fat." Wang Zengqi first looked at the color of the pig's trotter meat and nodded, "The color is fine."

Lin Chaoyang picked up a small piece for him. After eating it, Wang Zengqi tasted it carefully with a smile on his face, "Not bad, not bad, the meat is firm and chewy, and it's not greasy. It would be even better if it's served with aged vinegar and shredded ginger."

"What to eat?"

While the two were talking, Li Tuo came over. Seeing that the pig's trotter on the plate looked great and the color was tempting, he couldn't help but pick up a piece.

"The dishes haven't been served yet, can you be more particular?"

Others followed Li Tuo's actions and robbed him of the dish before it was served.

Lin Chaoyang was holding the empty plate and didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "You are the reincarnation of starving ghosts!"

Chen Jiangong gnawed the pig's trotters, his mouth full of oil, "This shows that your cooking skills have been recognized by us, and the title of Xunweizhai master is not in vain."

"So I have to thank you for recognizing my cooking skills when you come to our house for a free meal?" Lin Chaoyang teased.

"How can it be called a free meal? We are guests after all, and we came with gifts."

Chen Jiangong brought two bags of peanuts when he came, which was the cheapest thing among all the people. His words attracted Lin Chaoyang's contemptuous eyes.

Jokes aside, the atmosphere of the party was actually very good.

Everyone was engaged in writing, and the topics they talked about when they met were mainly literature and writing. Before they had dinner, Li Tuo and Chen Jiangong poured two glasses of beer.

Lin Chaoyang's family didn't have beer, this beer was brought by Liu Zhida.

In the early 1980s, the bottled beer that people in later generations could only see in foreign-related hotels and some larger state-owned restaurants.

Liu Zhida brought bulk beer, 56 cents per liter.

At this time, many restaurants and snack bars had glass beer cups, a large cup was one liter, and last year, extra-large plastic beer cups appeared, one cup was two liters.

Liu Zhida's beer was made with a thermos, nearly two liters per cup.

It looked like a lot, but in fact it was less than four bottles of bottled beer. Li Tuo and Chen Jiangong each poured a large cup, and only half was left, and the two drank it happily.

Lin Chaoyang then brought a plate of cold pig ears, "I've never seen you so impatient, and those who don't know would think you were born of alcoholics."

Li Tuo took a bite of the pig ear, which was salty, spicy, and slightly fragrant, with a crisp taste.

"I haven't eaten your cooking for several months. I miss this."

"That's right. Chaoyang's cooking skills are so good. It would be a pity if he didn't open a restaurant."

While everyone was talking and laughing, the dishes were served one after another. Eight dishes filled the table. Four meat dishes, four vegetarian dishes, four cold dishes and four hot dishes. They looked delicious.

Chen Jiangong took the initiative to get up and pour wine for everyone. He first took Liu Zhida's thermos. Just as he walked to Wang Zengqi, Wang Zengqi pressed the mouth of the cup.

"I don't drink horse urine!"

Since the bulk beer came out, many Yanjing people who love to drink have always called this thing horse urine. It was not until the mid-1970s that it was gradually accepted by young people.

But for Wang Zengqi, who is used to drinking white wine, this thing is still horse urine.

"Then you drink this, Li Tuo brought it." Chen Jiangong poured him a glass of white wine.

The wine and food were ready. Everyone raised their glasses to Lin Chaoyang to thank him for his hard work.

While eating, everyone kept talking about the topic. Chen Jiangong talked about his feelings after reading "The Death of Van Gogh" some time ago.

It has been more than two months since the publication of this novel. The first issue of "Contemporary" in 1981, which published "The Death of Van Gogh", sold 1.15 million copies.

Not only did it more than double its highest sales, but it also made the influence of "Contemporary" a qualitative leap.

You should know that before the publication of "The Death of Van Gogh", although the development momentum of "Contemporary" was quite good, it could not be compared with top literary magazines such as "Harvest" and "People's Literature". They could not even compare with "Yenching Literature".

But with the publication of "The Death of Van Gogh", one issue of the magazine sold millions of copies, making "Contemporary" the hottest literary magazine at the beginning of 1981.

This issue is dedicated to novels. The magazine's sales are all supported by "The Death of Van Gogh". All readers bought "Contemporary" because of this novel.

In two months, the influence of "The Death of Van Gogh" continued to grow. Thousands of letters from readers poured into the editorial office of "Contemporary" with rave reviews.

During this period of time, many writers and critics in the literary world have expressed their opinions on this novel in various magazines. "The Death of Van Gogh" has also achieved a very high reputation in the professional field.

"...I think Chaoyang's stream of consciousness creation techniques have reached the point of perfection. In fact, the stream of consciousness style of "The Death of Van Gogh" is obviously not as outstanding as "The Summer of Raiko", but this change does not make people feel It's unexpected, but it feels reasonable.

Because he put the rupture and interweaving of the sequence of time and space, inner monologue and free association on the character of Van Gogh, and Van Gogh's own mental state was not so stable.

This setting is so wonderful, it’s so natural! "

Chen Jiangong shook his head and said, and everyone became interested. Zheng Wanlong asked: "Chaoyang, many critics are now saying that you are the first person in stream-of-consciousness literature in our country. I sometimes practice this creative technique, but I always It’s almost funny, do you have any thoughts?”

Everyone looked at Lin Chaoyang after hearing this. Stream of consciousness literature is still a fashionable genre in China today, especially after Lin Chaoyang started this trend. Many writers are eager to try it, but few can grasp this trend. The creative essence of the genre.

Lin Chaoyang shook his head, "What's the point?"

"Actually speaking, stream-of-consciousness literature itself is somewhat anti-literary. Because the expression of literature must be concrete and often appeals to the senses.

However, when stream-of-consciousness literature deals with text, it often prefers abstract processing. If this degree is not grasped well, it will easily lose its literary qualities and turn into philosophical science. "

Everyone listened thoughtfully to Lin Chaoyang's words, and Zheng Wanlong asked: "Then how do you balance this scale?"

"Always remember that the first thing I want to tell is a story. Let me give you an example. There was a fire in the house. The servant went to the master in a panic and said: Oh no! Oh no! It's on fire!

This is abstract writing. The reader does not receive the information, but feels the emotion first.

Of course this doesn't mean it's bad, but the mood needs to be improved.

Suppose you write to the servant: There was a fire in the house, the house was burned down, and the young master could not be rescued.

At this time, events and scenes are created, the sense of picture comes immediately, and the emotional triggers also come, and then the character comes to life and he can open his mouth to speak. "

The examples Lin Chaoyang gave were very vivid, and everyone understood them immediately.

Lin Chaoyang's speech focused on theory. Most of the people here are people who have made achievements in creation. They are not bad in practice and skills, but few people pay attention to theory. When they listen to his words, they are all excited. It feels refreshing.

"Chaoyang said that well, say more, say more!" Li Tuo urged.

Lin Chaoyang waved his hand, "There's nothing to say. In fact, it's just a problem that everyone encounters. It's just my habit to summarize it."

Seeing that he refused to talk anymore, Chen Jiangong sighed: "I see Chaoyang's current level, I can just teach."

Zhang Chengzhi laughed and said: "Teaching the Chinese department will definitely be no problem."

After this topic ended, everyone changed to another topic, and Li Tuo talked about Kafka.

Wang Zengqi sat among a group of young people who were more than ten or twenty years younger than him, or even in their thirties. He rarely spoke and mostly listened. From time to time, he would pick up some food and drink a glass of wine with Lin Jinlan next to him.

The two old comrades know how to drink and love to drink. Today, there are many people and the atmosphere is lively. They are in the hustle and bustle, but they are contented. They keep pushing glasses and changing glasses.

Compared with the way these young people treat literature in such a hungry and voracious manner, these old writers in their fifties and sixties are like old scalpers. They have experienced too much in the first half of their lives, and what they need now is constant rumination and digestion.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Wang Zengqi leisurely looked at everyone's excitement, with a narrow smile on her face, and asked Lin Chaoyang in a low voice: "Do you think they are being chased by dogs now? Pants, but still enjoying it?”

Wang Zengqi's metaphor is very accurate. In the past few years, we have been suppressed for too long, but now we finally have the opportunity to absorb knowledge. Everyone always has a sense of urgency to eat a fat man in one go.

Lin Chaoyang had a smile on his face. There was nothing wrong with this. This atmosphere would not be the same again in a few years.

While everyone was drinking and drinking, they went back for half the afternoon. At the end of the day, all the food and wine on the table were gone, and everyone moved to the living room to drink tea and talk.

It wasn't until the sky got dark in the evening and the wine was almost sober that Wang Zengqi was the first to get up and said: "It's getting late. I think that's it for today. Let Chaoyang and his family rest early."

After the delicious food was eaten, the wine was drunk, Tian'er also chatted, and everyone got up together.

Lin Chaoyang sent everyone out. Lin Jinlan pulled Lin Chaoyang and said, "Thank you Chaoyang for the hospitality today. Zeng Qi and I will be hosting another day. Let's go to Donglai and have a good time."

Wang Zengqi joked: "You are so insincere when you say 'another day'. When is another day?"

The two old friends were used to trying to undermine each other. Lin Jinlan simply said: "Then next week, I will go to Donglaishun next week and I will treat you."

"Okay!" Wang Zengqi cheated his old friend and applauded.

Li Tuo heard the conversation between the two and came over, "Take me with you!"

"I can't afford to invite so many people."

Lin Jinlan rejected Li Tuo's request, which made him feel indignant, "You have money to invite Chaoyang, but not me?"

"He invited me to dinner, did you?"

"You invited first this time, I'll treat you next time." Li Tuo said cunningly.

After a while of chatting and laughing, everyone left.

Another week later, Lin Jinlan really invited Lin Chaoyang to Donglaishun for a meal of mutton.

In the cold weather, there is nothing more soothing than a copper pot hot pot mutton. Li Tuo finally got a meal of mutton despite Lin Jinlan's teasing.

A few days after this meal, major universities in Yanjing entered the school season, and the long-silent Yanda campus was full of youthful and energetic figures.

That afternoon, Du Rong had been discussing the application for professional titles with several colleagues, a topic that Lin Chaoyang had no interest in.

When he got off work, he rode his bicycle to go home. When he passed by the International Students Building, he saw Liang Zuo walking out of the building with a gloomy and indignant look on his face.

When he saw Lin Chaoyang, he took the initiative to say hello.

"Are you going to steal the TV again?"

Lin Chaoyang thought Liang Zuo was in this attitude because he failed to steal the TV.

"No, I went to play Go."

"Is this a loss? What a big deal!" Lin Chaoyang comforted.

Liang Zuo shook his head, "It's okay to lose, but the key is to lose to a Japanese, which is disgusting!"