Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 732 Field Trip
The three sat at the bow of the boat, basking in the sun and chatting. Without being disturbed by outsiders, they all felt exceptionally relaxed and comfortable.

As the sun began to set and the temperature dropped considerably, Chen Fan hurriedly caught a few large fish and rowed back home.

Before long, people returned to work one after another, and the neighborhood became lively again.

Chen Fan prepared a table of dishes in advance, and everyone ate together. Afterwards, he made a pot of fish stew and placed it in the living room, waiting for certain people to arrive.

Sure enough, not long after, He Qingsheng, Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen arrived together.

After the two sisters came out to greet them and served them tea, they went back to their room, leaving the living room to the four of them.

Chen Fan sat at the head table, poured four glasses of wine, and chuckled, "I knew you guys would come to freeload. Look, the pot is already stewing, just waiting for the three of you to enjoy it."

He Qingsheng took off his scarf, threw it on the chair next to him, and sat down to his right without hesitation. He said irritably, "It's the New Year, and you don't even come to wish us a Happy New Year. We're the ones wishing you a Happy New Year, and we have to listen to your sarcastic remarks. This is really going against the grain."

Tan Yong, however, didn't seem to care at all. He sat opposite He Qingsheng, first smelling the rich aroma of the fish hot pot, then picked up his wine glass and sniffed it. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Chen Fan, "I've been craving your fish hot pot for a long time. It still tastes the same as always, making my mouth water. And your wine is extraordinary too. It's from a top-quality cellar, and it has a unique aroma... Did you brew it yourself?"

Xu Qizhen sat down at the lower end of the table as usual, and waited for Tan Yong to finish speaking before smiling and asking, "How was your trip back to your hometown? How many days are you planning to stay this time?"

Chen Fan chuckled and turned to look at He Qingsheng. "Look at you, Sister Xu is the one who truly cares about me. Uncle Tan is a bit better; he knows I should eat fish and he can even praise me a few times. But you, even with all the good food and drinks, still have to say a few things to criticize me."

He Qingsheng didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, exhaled a long breath, then picked up his chopsticks, put a piece of fish in his mouth, swallowed it in a few bites, and at the same time his eyes lit up as he picked up a piece of tofu.

Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen, not wanting to be outdone, quickly started eating, afraid of missing out if they were too slow.

It must be said that Chen Fan's culinary skills seem to be even more refined than his writing, making them irresistible.

After taking another sip of wine, He Qingsheng turned to Chen Fan and said, "Given our current relationship, it doesn't matter whether you come to this New Year's greeting or not. We won't hold it against you."

But now that I'm in this organization, there are some rules I need to follow. At least I should keep a low profile and avoid causing trouble. And I should still show some appreciation to the older colleagues.

Chen Fan smiled and nodded. He had already eaten with the two sisters and was just keeping them company, so he didn't eat much. He just picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said, "I won't talk about rules, but I know the most basic manners."

She paused for a moment, turned to look at He Qingsheng, and smiled, "But after returning to the provincial capital, I haven't even visited my teacher yet, so how can I go to other people's homes to wish them a Happy New Year?"

He Qingsheng blinked, then nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, that makes sense."

Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen nodded in agreement. Chen Fan had returned to his hometown of Yunhu and hadn't been able to pay his respects to Old Master Xu for the New Year, so no one could find fault with that. Now that they were in the provincial capital, it wouldn't be convenient for him to visit his teacher this afternoon, so it was only right that he go over early tomorrow morning to pay his respects.

For others, there wouldn't be any particular rules, but since Master Xu studies traditional Chinese culture and Chen Fan is his personal disciple, there's an unintentional need to follow some old customs. When paying New Year's visits to elders, one should do so in the vibrant morning. If it's after noon, when time is late, it would be considered taboo for the elderly.

These things won't be discussed openly, but you must understand what you need to know, otherwise all that history and culture you've learned will have been for nothing.
Before he went to wish Teacher Xu a Happy New Year, it was obviously not appropriate for him to wish others a Happy New Year first. Faced with He Qingsheng's suggestion, Chen Fan could speak with confidence.

He Qingsheng didn't have any bad intentions, but today was already the eleventh day of the first lunar month, and he was worried that Chen Fan would soon be sending his fiancée and sister-in-law to Shanghai. If he missed paying New Year's respects to the elders, people would probably say that he was young and impetuous and didn't know how to behave.

Since Chen Fan already knows what's going on, there's no need to say more.

He then changed the subject, saying, "In a few days, the comrades who will be going to the United States to participate in the 'International Writing Program' will be setting off. If things go smoothly, you'll get even more credit for your contributions."

There has also been recent progress in our connections with countries in Europe, Africa, and South America.

Hearing this, Chen Fan was somewhat surprised, "You don't celebrate the New Year? You're still working during the Spring Festival?"

Xu Qizhen chuckled twice and looked at him, saying, "Isn't working during the Spring Festival normal? It's only this year that the higher-ups issued a notice officially restoring the Spring Festival holiday, and even added two more days, extending it from three days to five, that everyone was able to celebrate the New Year in a lively atmosphere. Otherwise, with the previous notices in place, taking a holiday during the Spring Festival would be considered a violation, you know?!"

After taking a bite of food, Xu Qizhen continued, "Furthermore, we celebrate the Lunar New Year, but those international students from Europe and Africa don't have that custom. If we can organize a few activities to let them experience our traditional festival, it will be more conducive to deepening communication and exchange."

As she spoke, she looked up, her smile widening. "Through these exchange meetings, we have successfully made contact with arts and cultural institutions in the UK and France. Both sides are exploring the establishment of a regular communication mechanism and discussing matters related to sending personnel for mutual visits."

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Not bad. Is Deputy Director Duan in charge of this? What about Xiao Bian? Has she played a role in it?"

Tan Yong shook his head and laughed, "It's rare that you still remember you have a secretary named Xiao Bian. She's quite something now, a big star in our unit."

Chen Fan turned to look at him, "What did she do? How did she become so famous?"

At this moment, Xu Qizhen interjected, "Old Tan, don't flatter Xiao Fang. The reason everyone gives her face is mostly because of Xiao Fan. If it weren't for Xiao Fan standing behind her, who would pay attention to a little girl like her?"

Chen Fan looked at her and smiled, "Don't say that. Everyone in the company knows that you introduced her. It's a favor to you."

Xu Qizhen waved her hand, "Then you're wrong. I can only protect her from being bullied, but I don't have the ability to make people smile at her. In the end, it's all because of you."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly lowered her voice and looked at Chen Fan, asking, "You should know what the situation is like in the domestic literary world right now, right?"

Chen Fan nodded. "I know."

This afternoon, he also mentioned to Jiang Tiantian that the literary world is indeed no longer as popular as it once was.

The works published, including those in authoritative magazines like People's Literature, are truly hard to describe.

Why did Chen Fan's decision to stop contributing to other magazines cause such a huge reaction, with even He Qingsheng and Ba Jin personally questioning him and only feeling relieved after receiving a promise from Chen Fan that he would continue contributing?

The problem is that while there are many submissions, the quality is simply not good enough.

This situation arises not only because the new authors' abilities are far from sufficient, but also because the veteran authors are hesitant to fully unleash their creativity.

You know, winter hasn't been over for very long, and who knows if a sudden cold snap might come one day?! Only Chen Fan knew that this situation wouldn't change until after the Fourth National Congress of Literary and Art Workers at the end of this year.

It was only after the old political commissar personally spoke out and encouraged everyone to create more good works that the authors were able to unleash their creativity a little.

Nevertheless, it was not a one-step process. Instead, it took several more years of careful exploration, coupled with the gradual growth of a new generation of writers, before finally ushering in a decade of literary prosperity that began in the mid-80s.

But what does this have to do with me?

Seeing Chen Fan's gaze, Xu Qizhen guessed what he was thinking and couldn't help but smile and say, "Among the younger generation, you are the only one who can carry the weight. Although a few good newcomers emerged last year, they are still far from being able to compare with you in terms of both their works and fame. Just for that reason alone, everyone has to give you some face."

She had barely finished speaking when she suddenly slapped her forehead, turned to look at the master bedroom door, and whispered, "Your sister-in-law is also a rising star in the literary world, haven't you paid much attention to her?"

Chen Fan was taken aback upon hearing this, and turned to look at it as well. He then turned back, blinked, and said, "I really haven't been paying much attention."

He Qingsheng had been showing off for a while and was already about 60% full. Now he finally calmed down, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and laughed, "Then you're not a very good brother-in-law. You should at least pay attention to the achievements of the rising stars in the literary world. When will you have a good work? Even just another song like 'A Generation' would be great."

Chen Fan was somewhat speechless. "Could you write a poem of this caliber?"

He Qingsheng's face stiffened slightly. "You're talking about your aunt, why are you dragging me into this?"

Just kidding, if he were asked to write, he could probably produce a few good poems. But a work like "A Generation," which is truly groundbreaking, is something he simply couldn't come up with, no matter what.

It's not like Li Bai, who wrote poetry as easily as drinking wine, producing as many poems as he had wine.

However, he also understood that after that famous little poem, the rising star of the literary world, Jiang Tiantian, really hadn't produced any new works.

What a pity.

If Jiang Tiantian knew what they were talking about, she would probably be furious.

She does want to write poetry and good literary works, but that takes time.

Besides attending classes at school every day, I'm also constantly being pushed to study at the magazine office like a beast of burden. Where do I find the time to brainstorm and write?
At this moment, Chen Fan also thought of this point.

Although in his mind, Jiang Tiantian's literary talent wasn't particularly high, she was still a hard-working person.

If someone truly had no talent whatsoever, they wouldn't have suddenly had a flash of inspiration and recited that poem after hearing a few of his own words.

Perhaps it was my own fault for letting her learn more about how to work at a magazine, which hindered her creative work?
Seeing that Jiang Tiantian indeed had no new works, He Qingsheng and the others stopped discussing the topic.

Xu Qizhen continued, "Besides being a leading figure among the new generation of writers, you are also the main person in charge of our association's external communications. Your successful exchange visit to the Little Notebook before the Lunar New Year has given many people hope of going abroad and broadening their horizons."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly sighed softly, "I heard from the people who came back that the people in Japan are much more advanced than us. They have abundant resources, and their shopping malls are filled with a dazzling array of goods, with several times the variety of ours."

Moreover, they can buy whatever they want, as much as they want, as long as they have the money; there are absolutely no restrictions. In comparison…

Seeing Xu Qizhen fall silent, Chen Fan smiled and said, "Actually, it's nothing. Japan's economic development to this point wasn't built in a day. They started focusing on economic development after 45, and now, thirty years later, it's normal for them to have achieved what they have today."

He picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. He looked up at the three people staring at him and continued with a smile, "We've shifted our focus to economic development, haven't we? I believe that in thirty years, our country's economic achievements will be even better and stronger than those of the US."

Upon hearing this, He Qingsheng suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed heartily, "As expected of the leading figure of the new generation in the literary world, his spirit is truly different."

He raised his glass and said, "Come on, let's clink glasses, just for Xiao Fan's words, and wish that we will be even stronger thirty years from now!"

Chen Fan refilled his glass, clinked glasses with them, and drank it all in one gulp.

He Qingsheng put down his wine glass, but then suddenly sighed, "If we had focused on developing the economy from the beginning, we might be stronger now."

Seeing that he was still somewhat downcast, Chen Fan couldn't help but laugh and say, "You can try to look on the bright side. We haven't wasted our efforts over the past thirty years. Miss Qiu, Dongfeng, and Kuangbiao—these are things that not just any country has."

Furthermore, China possessed a comprehensive industrial system, unique among nations outside of the US and the Soviet Union. These were achievements in construction, though they hadn't yet been translated into consumer goods. The Japanese, on the other hand, had simply taken an extra step in developing consumer goods.

Now we need to shift our focus to economic development and people's livelihoods. The day we catch up with Japan isn't far off.

The pent-up frustration that had just risen in He Qingsheng vanished in an instant.

The next second, he picked up his glass again, "Come on, let's have another one."

Xu Qizhen and Tan Yong couldn't help but smile wryly, wondering if they really had to drink so quickly.
But thinking about what Chen Fan said, it was indeed very inspiring, so I clinked glasses with him.

After quickly eating a few bites of food to calm her drunkenness, Xu Qizhen continued, "In short, since you're in charge of external communications, Xiao Bian, as the person in charge of the specific execution, will definitely give you some face and be more accommodating to her unless one of them doesn't want to go out at all."

Chen Fan nodded to indicate that he understood, then looked at the three of them and asked, "I don't think I have any missions this year, right?"

He Qingsheng quickly said, "There are no assignments from your work unit, but you haven't published a full-length novel in a long time. Shouldn't you hurry up and finish it?"

Chen Fan nodded without hesitation, "No problem, I guarantee one will be published this year."

After a pause, he said to He Qingsheng, "However, Uncle He, I might go out to collect folk songs this year. Could you give me a letter of introduction, preferably one with high authority, so I can go anywhere?"

He Qingsheng readily agreed, patting his chest and saying, "No problem, I'll get it ready for you tomorrow. Just use the name of 'Jiangnan Literature and Art' and get it stamped by the Jiangnan Military Region. You can even go to the frontier for field research; I guarantee no one will stop you."

(End of this chapter)