1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 8 Sister-in-law is not at home?
"The calluses on my hands are getting thicker and thicker."

After working hard for several days, Jiang Xian's fingers also left marks of his labor.

Speaking of pen calluses, we have to mention Wang Meng. He spent most of his life writing in an era without computers, and the calluses on his fingers were as big as soybeans.

When he woke up in the morning, Jiang Xian checked the manuscript again.

I have finished writing it, but I am just admiring myself and I won't make any money.

Regarding submission of articles, you can ask Zhao Zhenkai for advice.

As mentioned before, he and Zhao Zhenkai are really familiar with each other, and they are like brothers to each other. They met when they were in the underground literary circle during the time when they were sent to the countryside to work.

I put the freshly-made "The Chess King" into my bag, rode my 28-inch bike, turned left and right, started from Xinanyuan Hutong, and rode along Liulichang West Street towards Qianmen.

Along the way, there are popsicles, snow yogurt, mung bean soup, and even people selling ice cores in baskets.

Ice cores are the debris that falls to the ground when ice is being transported. There are ice cellars in Sanlihe and Zhushikou. Ice is transported on carts, and it is easy for ice cores to fall off along the way. They are picked up by children, who either eat them or put them in baskets to sell. Ma Ji did this job when he was a child.

But there are also some bad guys who throw bricks at things and then say, "I thought no one wanted this, so I just picked it up."

There is an alley behind Qianmen called Xidamochang.

Jiang Xian leaned his bicycle against the alley wall and squeezed sideways into the aisle at the gate which was piled with bicycles.

"A six-hour lonely journey

Place a bunch of red camellia next to your head
I wait, the night is long

You lie down and listen to the gossip of the sea waves
"

The sound of poetry recitation could be faintly heard in the courtyard. Jiang Xian recognized it as Dai Wangshu's "Impromptu Poem at Xiao Hong's Tomb". Dai Wangshu was known as the Rain Alley Poet. After liberation, for some reasons, he, Zha Liangzheng, Chen Jingrong, and Zheng Min all stopped writing and switched to literary translation. The Western poetry he translated was widely circulated and copied in the underground literary circles during a special period.

"Read another one, Chen Aige."

"What are you reading?"

"Recite a poem by my grandfather called 'I Love This Land'."

Jiang Xian followed the noisy sound and walked inside, avoiding the coal cakes stuck on the wall.

"Jiang Xian?"

Zhao Zhenkai, who was cooking under the shed outside the house, noticed him and forced a smile on his signature bitter face.

"Why are you here?"

"I came to ask you something. I'm busy."

"You're here. Several friends are here this afternoon. Let's get together."

Jiang Xian then realized that the small room that Zhao Zhenkai stayed in was already full.

Oops.

Feng Jicai, Yu Youze, Chen Aige, a student of Beijing Film Studio, Shi Tiesheng, and Ai Weiwei.
Feng Jicai is one of the writers whose works have been included in the most Chinese textbooks, and his representative work is "Carved Pipe".

Yu Youze's pen name is Jiang He, and his representative work is "Motherland, Motherland". Later, he and Zhao Zhenkai had different ideas and broke up.

Ai Weiwei is the son of poet Ai Qing, and is involved in performance art. Ai Qing and Zhao Zhenkai were close friends, and they were considered close friends regardless of age difference. Later, the two broke up, and even criticized each other in the most sharp language in the literary world.

Of course, that's a story later.

Today, these big names and celebrities are still relatively unknown, and they still have a tacit understanding and simplicity like the sound of flowing water in the mountains.

Jiang Xian greeted them one by one and saw the huge Chinese painting hanging on the wall.

"Sister-in-law is not at home?"

"No, she has an art exhibition to attend."

"Wow, are you so confident that she can go alone?"

"How could that be possible? I asked Huang Rui to go with her."

"?"

No one paid much attention to Jiang Xian's arrival. After chatting with him for a few minutes, they immersed themselves in a discussion of literature.

It's not a deliberate snub.

Jiang Xian has no decent works and is not very enthusiastic about literature, so it is difficult to regard him as a fellow traveler.

A large casserole of dried shrimps and cabbage was boiling on the honeycomb coal stove.

Zhao Zhenkai sat down on the chair next to Jiang Xian.

"Didn't you say you had something to ask me?"

"I want to ask you something about submission."

"Submitting? Are you submitting or is someone else submitting?" "Just me. I just finished writing a novel these days."

"Novel?" Zhao Zhenkai was curious. "What kind of subject matter? Did you bring it? I've written a novel called "Waves" before, so I have some experience. If you don't mind, let me take a look at it first."

"Then help me take a look at it." Jiang Xian took out the manuscript from his bag and handed it to Zhao Zhenkai.

Zhao Zhenkai placed the manuscript on the table.

Feng Jicai heard the noise and leaned over.

"Novel. Is it the scar literature that is popular recently?"

"No." Jiang Xian shook his head.

Scar literature is works like "Class Teacher" and "Scars" that reveal past traumas. "The Chess King" has no torture and no compassion, and is the pioneering work of the later "root-seeking literature".

"Jiang Xian, can I read it?" Feng Jicai asked.

Jiang Xian nodded generously.

Feng Jicai moved closer to Zhao Zhenkai's side. He was very tall, at 1.92 meters. He tried to lower his head and supported his hand on the table. His originally sleepy eyes gradually began to brighten and shine.

The article was more than 14,000 words long, and it took the two of them half an hour to finish reading it, head to head.

Feng Jicai was a little old and had a bad spine, and in the end he was lying on the table in a very seductive manner.

He raised his head and looked at Jiang Xian beside him, his eyes full of admiration.

"Have you written other novels before?"

"No, this is the first time." Jiang Xian answered honestly.

"First time?" Feng Jicai raised his eyebrows and his eyes widened, but soon returned to normal, gritted his teeth, and a hint of envy appeared on his face.

“I wrote it so well the first time I wrote it!”

It was not the first day that he knew Jiang Xian. He had met him at a literary salon before, but he did not have much impression of him.

I didn't expect that he is a reserved and talented person. If he doesn't make a name for himself, he will make a big splash!
Zhao Zhenkai held the manuscript in his hands and reread the first paragraph on the front page several times before he looked up and said in surprise, "Jiang Xian, the beginning of your novel reminds me of a poem!"

"This is Yanjing at 4:08," they said in unison and smiled at each other.

This is the representative work of Guo Lusheng, who was the most influential "underground poet" during the Buzz Buzz Buzz period. Almost all contemporary writers and poets have been influenced by him. Zhao Zhenkai began to write poetry after he was shocked after hearing his poems by chance.

"How to relieve worries? Only chess. The artistic conception is really good. Your novel is really well written. I definitely can't write a better one!" Zhao Zhenkai praised generously.

When the others heard about the unusual situation, they curiously asked for Jiang Xian's manuscript to take a look.

The pages were passed around and soon all were read.

“It’s such a pleasure to read.”

“Can a novel be written like this?”

"Can I take it back and show it to my old man?"

"Jing Tao Paian! Well written, well written, you are very good at writing!"

Jiang Xian was surrounded.

Unconsciously, he, who was a little unknown just now, has become the most popular core figure in the room.

"Brother Jiang, I want to make your novel into a movie!" Chen Ai Ge excitedly pulled Jiang Xian's arm.

In another time and space, "The Chess King" was remade twice, starring Xie Yuan and Tony Leung Ka Fai respectively, and Tony Leung's version is relatively famous.

But in Jiang Xian's opinion, neither of these two versions was very successful.

"Let's cooperate if there's a chance."

An article titled "The Chess King" was as powerful as a grenade, shocking everyone in the room.

Zhao Zhenkai pulled Chen Aige away and said, "Jiang Xian, you just said that you want to publish this novel, right?"

"Correct."

"Then let's go."

"Where to go?"

"Looking for Li Tuo."

Zhao Zhen took off his apron.

He can't wait to share "The Chess King" with the world.

(End of this chapter)