Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 529 was finally buried.
Before the 80s, my country did not have any fixed, permanent literary awards. The four major literary awards, namely the Mao Dun, Lu Xun, Lao She, and Cao Yu awards, were all established in the 80s.

Previously, there were only temporary selection events such as "Outstanding Short Stories" and "Outstanding Novels," which were organized by newspapers and magazines and did not offer prizes, only certificates.

The award certificates were sometimes mailed out, and there was no award ceremony, publicity, or commendation. The selection results were known only to the selecting organization and the author.

They shouldn't have at least published it in the newspapers, but they didn't.

The reason for not establishing a literary prize is quite simple.

One reason is that the literacy rate was too low back then!
Illiteracy is widespread in rural areas, and most people in cities are also illiterate. How many characters do they recognize after graduating from primary school? Yet they are considered to have "high education"!
You want him to do creative work?
Back then, if there were to be awards, it would just be a small circle of people entertaining themselves behind closed doors, or simply mistaking weeds for flowers. What good would that be?

Another reason, of course, is that the timing didn't match.

Once basic literacy was finally achieved, a national education system was established, and a certain level of cultural development was created, "intellectuals" who had gone to school would even look for a piece of paper with writing on it when they went to the toilet... not to wipe their bottoms, but to read. After reading it this time, they could continue reading it next time.

Unexpectedly, a strong wind suddenly came, and the writers all went to the fields to experience life. Naturally, they stopped bothering with awards.

To this day, there is still nothing.

All legitimate awards are established to promote the development of a particular industry.

Therefore, the purpose of establishing literary awards is to stimulate the prosperity of literature, select outstanding works and writers, and at the same time expand the social influence of literature.

At this time, the country had been established for nearly 30 years. Through persistent efforts in literacy campaigns and the popularization of basic education, more and more people could read and write. Middle school students were commonplace, and university students were also frequently seen.

This led to 80 years of extreme prosperity in literature.

Establishing a permanent literary prize at this time is both timely and necessary.

Back at the guesthouse, He Qingsheng hung his coat on the clothes rack and couldn't help but wipe away his sweat.

Winters in Jiangnan are also cold, with the perceived temperature even colder than in Beijing, but there is no central heating, so people wear many layers of clothing both indoors and outdoors.

If you don't use a fire, you'll need to wrap yourself up even more when you're indoors, because you don't generate heat when you're not moving. It's also warmer when you're outdoors.

The capital is different. There is heating in the houses. You have to take off your clothes as soon as you enter the house, otherwise you will be like him now, covered in sweat after climbing only two floors.

Taking off his cotton-padded coat, He Qingsheng picked up his towel, threw it into the basin, poured in some hot water, wrung out the towel, rubbed his face, exhaled a long breath, and then turned to look at Chen Fan, smiling, "When this award is established, you will definitely be among the first batch of winners. If it's an individual award, it will certainly be yours."

Chen Fan was squatting on the ground, opening his suitcase, and said with his head down, "Not necessarily. It's my suggestion, so to avoid suspicion, I have to choose someone else."

He Qingsheng shook his head. "One thing at a time. Good suggestions should be adopted, and good works should be awarded. Otherwise, there is no point in holding an unfair award."

He wrung out the towel, poured the water from the basin into the sewage bucket, hung the towel to dry, and turned around to say, "The only difference is whether you choose Chen Fan's 'Reed Marsh,' Chen Dong's 'Ferryman,' or Potato's 'Old Stories,' or Tomato's 'The Sea'..."

Chen Fan closed his suitcase, turned around, and raised his hands, pleading, "Please let me go."

He Qingsheng's eyes suddenly lit up, "Is this 'Love of Cloud Lake'?"

Chen Fan handed over the thick manuscript in his hand, "I've been writing this for a long time, and I only finalized it last night. Could you take a look?"

He turned to pour tea, saying without looking back, "Anyway, that's how it is. You can either send it directly or find someone to edit it. I'm not changing it; it's too tiring."

It was really tiring.

They first wrote 320,000 words, and Huang Ying and the other five of them spent half a month copying them together.

Later, after getting together with Lili, he had an epiphany and added more than 40,000 words of detailed descriptions that no one liked to read. It didn't affect the plot much, but it did enhance the artistic feel. It was definitely not for the sake of earning more royalties.

It's not easy to support a family.

He Qingsheng hummed twice, then walked to the sofa chair and sat down without looking up.

Seeing this, Chen Fan didn't disturb him. He took the cotton-padded coat and quietly went out.

……

First, I went to the fabric store and bought a bundle of extremely strong fabric rope, and then I bought several dozen feet of the cheapest Dacron fabric.
Yes, at that time, Dacron cloth was indeed the cheapest, or at least one of the cheapest cloths, costing only 24 cents per foot, and no coupons were required.

The expensive items are Dacron shirts, which cost between 10 and 15 yuan each, which is outrageous.

Fine cotton fabric costs five or six cents per foot, but a shirt made from it only costs seven or eight dollars. Although coupons are required, this pricing is indeed a bit puzzling.

After buying the fabric, Chen Fan asked the salesperson and found a sewing shop in a nearby alley.

There are many such private tailor shops, scattered in alleys of all sizes. Except for the two years when the wind was strongest, they are basically unregulated and have more freedom than those selling steamed buns.

Usually, it's the best tailor in the neighborhood. After his reputation spreads, neighbors come to him to have clothes made. He only charges two or three yuan for each garment, which is his way of earning a little money for his hard work.

Chen Fan didn't need the boss to do anything. He gave her a dollar, borrowed a sewing machine, spread the newly bought polyester fabric on the cutting board, picked up the scissors, and started cutting.

The seamstress's eyelids twitched as she looked at him. "Young man, what are you trying to do?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Make a few umbrella canopies."

The middle-aged woman blinked rapidly, "Then your umbrella is big enough!"

A little while later, she saw that Chen Fan had cut a lot of strips of fabric and couldn't help but ask, "How many umbrellas are you going to make?"

Chen Fan: "Not many, maybe five or six."

The woman quickly said, "I only have one sewing machine here, but so-and-so has one. How about I take it over and sew it for you? It's only 50 cents for an umbrella canopy."

Chen Fan thought for a moment, "That works too."

He took out another dollar, "Then please sew two for me."

The older woman was about to ask for one or two more when she saw Chen Fan sit down in front of the sewing machine with a piece of cloth. He started sewing quickly and finished two edges in the blink of an eye. Startled, she turned and ran away, afraid that she would miss the deadline.

In less than an hour, two simple parachutes were made. The larger one had four canopies strung together, while the smaller one had only two. The canopies were about 2.8 meters in diameter, larger than later parasols. The corners were connected with strips of synthetic fiber cloth, and the weight-bearing capacity was more than sufficient.

I'll use the big one myself, and hang the small one on my suitcase.

It's just for emergencies, so it should be enough.

Then Chen Fan used the remaining fabric to make two parachute bags. With these, he was no longer afraid of flying!
This thing is basically useless to ordinary people, but in his hands it is an escape tool. As long as he is not too unlucky and falls into a volcanic cave, he can land safely anywhere else.

Are there any active volcanoes in mainland China?

That's right, he's just that cowardly and greedy for pleasure, so what!

Whistling happily, he returned to the guesthouse with his parachute pack. As soon as he reached the room door, he saw Ba Jin sitting next to He Qingsheng, holding a stack of manuscript papers and reading them.

Hearing the noise, the two of them looked up at the same time.

Ba Jin waved the manuscript in his hand and said with a deliberately stern face, "You hid it when you were in Shanghai. That's not very honest."

In Chengdu dialect, "不地道" means "unethical" or "unprincipled," and he actually blurted out his hometown dialect again.

Chen Fan, however, was not intimidated at all. He tossed the two parachutes onto his suitcase and said matter-of-factly, "The manuscript wasn't finished back then, so of course it wasn't appropriate to show it to you."

"fart."

Ba Jin swore angrily, then laughed and scolded, "The handwriting in this manuscript is clearly not yours. You still dare to say it's not a final draft? If it's not a final draft, why did you have someone copy it for you?"

Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, he'd forgotten about the flaw.

Then, his eyes darted around slightly, and he coughed lightly, "If you look through it again, you'll see my handwriting inside. I added those later after I made changes."

Without Ba Jin lifting a finger, He Qingsheng flipped to the back and indeed found quite a few pages inserted between the pages.

Upon seeing this, Ba Jin remained silent.

He looked up at Chen Fan and said, "I'll let you off this time. Next time you have a new manuscript, let me take a look first, and I'll check it for you."

Chen Fan smiled sheepishly, "There is indeed one more..."

No sooner had he spoken than He Qingsheng abruptly looked up at him.

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly as he said to him, "You don't need to look at me. This book is about underground workers in Shanghai. It would be more appropriate to publish it in Shanghai, or even just publish it as a book."

Upon hearing this, He Qingsheng continued to read his book with his head down.

Old Ba, however, seemed more interested, looking at him curiously, "You mean underground workers? How did you come up with this topic?"

Chen Fan made a gesture and nodded, saying, "Starting from the 50s, there were many anti-espionage works, including quite a few comic books."

When I saw these works, it suddenly occurred to me that we also have a group of comrades who infiltrated the enemy for the sake of revolution and ideals. For a long time, not many people have paid attention to them, so the idea of ​​creating works on this subject came to me.

There are many spy dramas in my country, but for a long time they have focused on "counter-espionage" and were told from the perspective of our own people. The first one was the TV series "Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp" produced by CCTV in 80.

This nine-episode TV series is also my country's first "long-form TV series".

However, Chen Fan did not copy the story of this TV series. Later generations produced a plethora of spy dramas, many of which were of high quality. Shanghai, as the most prosperous city in the Far East at the time, was a melting pot of people and forces, and naturally became the most active intelligence center.

The story revolves around an underground worker who disguises himself as a small business owner, navigating the complex relationships between various factions, with the main adversary being the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong). He actively works to obtain a wealth of intelligence for the organization and makes significant contributions to the War of Resistance against Japan and the liberation of China.

The story portrays various opposing forces as antagonists, highlighting the positive image of our personnel. Through the role of these positive characters, the importance of the protagonist's task force is emphasized. Furthermore, through a series of character developments and mission executions, the protagonist's bravery, resourcefulness, and fearless spirit are highlighted.

It perfectly aligns with the three key principles.

The constraints of the past decade continue to affect literary and artistic creators across the country. Literature and film creation still follow this principle, and it was not until after 80 that things began to relax a little. It was not until the rise of "harmful writing" that this creative principle was destroyed.

At this point, even "injury writing" hadn't emerged yet, let alone become rampant. Chen Fan dared not take too big a step; it was safer to follow the formula for creation.

This applies not only to the novel *Shanghai Spy Shadow*, but also to *Cloud Lake Romance*.

The clash between old and new ideas, the conflicts between national and family affairs, and the confrontation between protagonists and antagonists are all incorporated into the story... Otherwise, how could he have written more than 300,000 words? All of these need to be filled with stories!

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Ba Jin slowly nodded, then suddenly asked a question, "So what you write should lean towards popular fiction?"

Upon hearing this, He Qingsheng, who was reading the manuscript, also suddenly looked up.

Chen Fan was slightly taken aback. He had almost forgotten that Ba Jin had always been a staunch supporter of serious literature, but he was not averse to popular literature.

The core characteristic of serious literature is its profound reflection on human experience and existence.

In other words, a serious literary work needs to use realistic, absurd, stream-of-consciousness, and postmodern writing styles as its mode of expression, and use literary forms to explore the inner world of humanity, the relationships between people, the relationship between people and society, and so on.

The most common approach is to depict the characters' inner conflicts, emotional struggles, and life's difficulties in order to evoke resonance and reflection in the readers.

In short, it must be "meaningful".

At that time, the mainstream literary world held a "rejection" or even "contempt" attitude towards popular literature. Many writers believed that popular literature was merely entertainment, lacking substantial spiritual content and not worth repeated reading. ... This was exactly the same as the popular writers who later rose to prominence and looked down on online literature.

The hierarchy of contempt is passed down from generation to generation, and no one is exempt.

Therefore, it is quite rare that Ba Jin was able to be tolerant of popular literature at this time. Chen Fan pondered for two seconds, looked at the two of them, and said, "It's not exactly pure popular literature, nor is it very orthodox serious literature. This story is just one of my attempts."

My idea is that popular literature has a wider reach than serious literature. However, by employing the writing techniques of serious literature, popular literature can be given a core, imbuing it with social significance and humanistic value.

Ba Jin nodded slowly, his eyes thoughtful. “It’s good that you have the courage to try. Literary creation cannot remain unchanged. Back then, when we learned from the West to write in vernacular Chinese, didn’t that cause a debate between vernacular and classical Chinese? You can write boldly and confidently. As long as the writing is good, I will take care of everything.”

He Qingsheng also said frankly, "It's okay. If anyone dares to criticize you later, our Jiangnan Writers Association won't take it lying down."

Seeing Ba Jin's sincere feelings and He Qingsheng's righteous words, Chen Fan was moved and immediately blurted out, "It's already finished writing, and now Tian Tian is helping me copy it."

Ba's eyes flickered slightly. "Oh, she didn't mention that. Okay, when I get back to Shanghai, I'll go ask her to let me see."

He paused for a moment, then looked up and smiled, "I came here today because there's something that concerns Comrade Xiao Jiang."

Chen Fan was stunned. "What's wrong with her?"

Is it related to Jiang Tiantian? He really couldn't figure out what Jiang Tiantian, who wasn't even a complete beginner, could have done to alarm Master Ba. But judging from his attitude, it probably wasn't anything bad.
Ba looked at him and smiled, “Shortly after the meeting ended, I received a call from Shanghai. Comrade Xiao Jiang, inspired by you, wrote a short poem. The comrades in Wenhui Daily and the Shanghai Literature and Art Editorial Department all agree that it is an epoch-making poem and want to publish it.”

But Comrade Xiao Jiang disagreed. She believed that she was inspired by your analysis of literary works, which led her to unintentionally compose this poem. She argued that even if it were to be published, your name should be credited.

Chen Fan's eyes widened; it felt a bit surreal.

Jiang Tiantian wrote a poem? And a groundbreaking one at that?! Are you kidding me?!

He immediately asked, "What did she write?"

At this moment, He Qingsheng also put down his manuscript and looked at Ba Jin with a face full of curiosity.

Ba Jin's expression gradually turned serious, but his eyes were filled with a complex look as he read out, word by word, "The night gave me black eyes, but I use them to seek the light."

Chen Fan: (⊙⊙) ? ? ?

This feeling is like you've returned to the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Taizong of Tang is reciting "Qinyuanchun: Snow" to you—it's so moving!
Ba Jin stood up, looked at Chen Fan, who was staring blankly, and He Qingsheng, who was looking shocked, and paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. “You are both people with profound literary knowledge, and you can see the meaning of this poem.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at Chen Fan and said, "When you were discussing this with me, you said that no matter what kind of career you are pursuing, whether you are engaged in literary creation or doing something else, even if you are in darkness, you should yearn for the light in your heart and have light in your eyes. Comrade Xiao Jiang was also there at the time."

This morning, Comrade Xiao Jiang quoted your speech in a Fudan class and expanded on it. At the end of her speech, she was inspired and recited this poem, which drew enthusiastic applause from all the teachers and students in the class.

The teacher who taught the class immediately contacted Wenhui Daily and recommended that the poem be published. However, Comrade Xiao Jiang insisted that she was only summarizing your speech and was not qualified to be published as the author. If it must be published, the author should be you.

This has never happened before, which is why they called me and asked me to ask for your opinion.

Chen Fan finally came to his senses and said seriously, "Since this poem came from her mouth, she is the author by right. There is no reason for me to be credited."

He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. In the end, Gu Cheng was buried, even though he didn't do it himself, it was still related to him.

Thinking about how Jiang Tiantian was able to come up with this sentence, it's clear she has some literary talent, and I can't help but feel happy for her.

After a pause, Chen Fan continued, "If the editors at Wenhui Daily think it's acceptable to publish, then publish it under Jiang Tiantian's name, don't write it about me. As for her, I'll give her a call later..."

He suddenly hesitated, "Is she at school or in the editorial office?"

Mr. Ba, "I'm still in school."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "Okay, I'll make the call in a bit."

Mr. Ba smiled and nodded, "Okay."

After saying that, he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You have literary talent yourself, and the person you recommended is also good. He does have the air of a literary senior."

Chen Fan grinned awkwardly, "Saying 'recommending the worthy without avoiding relatives' is also acceptable."

Ba laughed heartily, "I heard that Xiao Jiang is applying to the school to start a school journal. I will have someone keep an eye on this matter."

Chen Fan was overjoyed. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Mr. Buffett waved and strode away.

At this moment, He Qingsheng jumped over and said seriously, "What is your relationship with that Comrade Jiang Tiantian? How well do you know her?"

Chen Fan blinked, then said hesitantly, "You want to commission an article from her?"

"Of course."

He Qingsheng clapped his hands and said confidently, "With just this poem, she is qualified to join the Writers' Association. I will be her recommender, and you can help her get in. She can submit her works internally, wouldn't that be great!"

Chen Fan pursed his lips. "But she's a student at Fudan University now. Can you... compete with Ba Jin? Or can you compete with the Shanghai Writers Association?"

He Qingsheng's face fell, and he turned around to continue looking at the manuscript, not even wanting to say a word.

Chen Fan shrugged and went to call Jiang Tiantian.

First, register at the front desk, then go into the communications room, close the door, sit down at the telephone, pick up the phone and dial "113". This is the long-distance telephone number; you must dial this number to make long-distance calls.

Despite having hundreds of operators at the 113 long-distance hotline, you still have to wait at this point.

After the call is connected, give the organization's phone number. Here it is the guesthouse of Qiushi Magazine. The number is posted on the table. After that, give the organization's account number, such as "Account 189". Only after everything is verified can you give the number to call, such as "Shanghai 86267, call back 50869", and then hang up and wait.

Compared to going to the post office to make a phone call, the entire process is handled by the clerk. All you have to do is fill out the form, pay the fee, and then sit and wait.

Chen Fan sat in front of the phone, picked up a magazine at random, and saw that it was the latest issue of "BJ Literature". He opened the article "Old Stories" written by Tudou and became engrossed in reading it.

As expected of a world-renowned young writer, his books are indeed well-written. I wonder when CCTV will pick them up and pay for the adaptation rights.

I'm out of money!
Before he knew it, he had finished reading half of the magazine when the phone on the table finally rang. Chen Fan grabbed it and said, "This is Chen Fan."

Jiang Tiantian: "Xiao Fan, it's me."

The next second, her voice trembled with panic, "Xiao Fan, listen to me, I really didn't mean it. I don't know what came over me, I just blurted out that sentence. That must have been your poem..."

Chen Fan immediately interrupted her, "Hey, don't talk."

Jiang Tiantian, “…?”

I'm so scared.

Chen Fan took a breath and laughed, "What you wrote is what you wrote, how did it become my poem? Just now, Ba Jin came to me and told me what happened. Let me tell you, don't overthink it. This poem is your original work, why should you feel guilty?"

Jiang Tiantian, "But..."

Chen Fan interrupted again, "No buts. Hey, let me tell you, just listen to Ba Jin and the others. Tomorrow, Wenhui Daily will publish your debut work, so you should buy a few copies to give me as a souvenir."

Also, Mr. Ba knows you're going to start a literature school journal. He says it will attract attention, so you should seize the opportunity and squeeze as much benefit as possible. Losing something is a small matter; losing my reputation as a 'master of fleecing' is a big deal.”

Just kidding! Wherever I go, I never leave empty-handed!

Hearing him say that, Jiang Tiantian burst out laughing, and the tension in her heart instantly dissipated.

She glanced shyly at the teacher opposite her and whispered, "I understand, thank you."

Chen Fan laughed heartily, "No need to thank me. You and Lili have been helping me take care of the old house all this time, and I haven't said a word of thanks to you. By the way, are you both doing well?"

Jiang Tiantian: "We're both doing well. She went home a couple of days ago on Sunday. She's in great shape and has already gotten back into studying mode..."

She thought for a moment, but ultimately didn't say the words, "It's just that she misses you a little."

The teacher is sitting right across from me.

After pausing for two or three seconds, he continued, "Anyway, everything is fine, you don't need to worry."

Chen Fan said, "That's good. There's one more thing. When Wenhui Daily publishes your poem tomorrow, you'll be considered a celebrity. With your newfound fame, the most important thing is to stay true to yourself and not let fame go to your head."

Also, once you become famous, countless people will flock to you. You need to keep your eyes open and distinguish who is a good person and who has ulterior motives. Don't assume everyone is a good person; be more discerning.

Jiang Tiantian laughed and said, "Don't worry. I'm not that stupid."

Chen Fan: "Okay, call me if anything comes up. I'll be staying here for two more days. They're really slow these days. If there's nothing else, I'll be going back to Jiangnan the day after tomorrow. Just call Lujiawan."

Jiang Tiantian listened to the dial tone and gently put down the phone.

Professor Ye looked at her with a kind expression. "Are you relieved now?"

Jiang Tiantian smiled and nodded gently, "I'm sorry to have worried the teacher."

Professor Ye waved his hand and smiled, "It's a good thing that you have this awareness; it proves that you are not someone who fantasizes about appropriating other people's academic achievements."

However, from a creative perspective, I still have to say that you did take some shortcuts in the creation of this poem. You are undoubtedly the author of this poem, but the core is not your own thoughts and insights; it is someone else's. You used someone else's ideas to achieve your own success.

I hope that one day you can publish articles with your own core thoughts, whether it's poetry, fiction, or documentary literature. Even if it's not as stunning as this poem, it will still convince everyone.

Jiang Tiantian pursed her lips and nodded vigorously, "I understand, teacher, I will remember."

……

When Chen Fan returned to the room, he saw He Qingsheng still reading, so he consciously walked over and sat down. He took out two cigarettes, handed one to He Qingsheng and put the other in his mouth, and took out a lighter and said, "What's the matter that requires a three-day meeting? Didn't the reconstruction of the Jiangnan Writers Association only last half a day? There's no activity this afternoon?"

He Qingsheng picked up a cigarette, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and said, "There are no activities this afternoon, don't you know that?"

Chen Fan's eyes darted around slightly. "The matter of establishing a literary prize?"

He Qingsheng raised his head and said, “When Ba Jin came over just now, he told me that after the meeting, Zhou Yang, Mao Dun and a few others held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles to discuss the establishment of a literary award. They are striving to hold an authoritative literary award selection this year, based on the reconstruction of the Writers Association.”

Chen Fan frowned slightly. "So eager?"

He Qingsheng shrugged. "The film industry has had the Hundred Flowers Award for 62 years, but the Writers Association, the largest organization under the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, doesn't have an influential award. How can they not be anxious?"

I estimate we'll have a result tonight. Anyway, someone with connections is handling it, so let's just wait and see.

Chen Fan took a drag of his cigarette and was about to speak when the phone on the table suddenly rang.

He walked over and answered the phone. Lin Yuanxiang's voice came through the receiver, "Are you free now?"

Chen Fan glanced at He Qingsheng and said, "I'm free."

Lin Yuanxiang said, "Then come over here now, and I'll take you to meet an elder."

Chen Fan blinked. "Oh."

He hung up the phone, put his coat back on, waved to He Qingsheng, and said, "I have to go out. I probably won't be back tonight."

He Qingsheng looked up and shouted, "Don't forget the meeting tomorrow morning, don't be late."

Chen Fan's voice came from the corridor, "I know."

(End of this chapter)