Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 27 Lan Ting's Doubts

The holiday for the senior high school students at No.3 Middle School is already on the twenty-eighth day of the lunar year. There are still two days until New Year's Eve.

Zhang Chao finally had some peace and quiet after returning home. Although some curious relatives came to visit, they were all sent away by his parents.

Zhang Chao's parents did not use their child as a tool to show off among their relatives, which also made Zhang Chao feel relieved.

The next morning after returning home, Zhang Chao wanted to tell his mother about going to her unit to write a novel on the computer, but just after breakfast, someone knocked on his door.

When Zhang Chao opened the door, he saw that it was Lan Ting, standing under the door with a charming smile on her face.

Zhang Chao was surprised and asked, "How do you know I live here?"

Lan Ting said: "I asked Teacher Wang. I wanted to call your home first, but the tone was busy. I was afraid that you would go out early, so I came here early."

Zhang Chao explained sheepishly, "Too many people have called these days. I wanted some quiet time, so I asked my mom to unplug the line."

At this time, Zhang Chao's mother also came out. Seeing that a beautiful young female classmate was looking for Zhang Chao, she hurriedly said, "Zhang Chao, don't let anyone stand at the door. Let the classmate come in and sit down."

Lan Ting said, "No, Auntie. I came to see Zhang Chao for something today."

Then he asked Zhang Chao, "Today is a holiday. I want to ask you something and take up some of your time. Do you have time?"

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "I'm free. What do you want to ask?" The novel "A Boy Like You" is not an online novel. It has a fixed update time every day, so it's okay to write a day and a half early or a day and a half late.

Lan Ting said, "Have you had breakfast? Let's talk while we walk?"

Zhang Chao said, "Okay!" Then he said goodbye to his parents, went back to the house to change his shoes and coat, and went out with Zhang Ting.

Zhang Chao's mother watched the two people close the door and leave. She waited until the sound of their footsteps disappeared before she nodded to her husband and said, "Here, your son."

Zhang Chao's father held a newspaper in one hand, carefully reading an article titled "One Battle to Fame: A Fuhai High School Senior Writes a Literary Legend" and in the other hand, holding a bun, eating it slowly, and replied, "He's your son too."

Zhang Chao and Lan Ting walked slowly on the narrow stone road in the alley. Zhang Chao's family lived in the old city of Changfu, which was full of self-built houses or ancestral houses left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

White walls, black tiles, bluestone roads, every household has a piece of open space in front of the door as a yard, using clay pots, stone mortars and broken water jars, filled with soil, and planted with various flowers, plants and ornamental trees.

Fuhai is located in the south, so there is no lack of greenery even in winter.

Lan Ting was so calm and confident just now, but now she didn't know how to start the conversation. However, Zhang Chao didn't ask her any questions, but just walked with her silently.

After walking through two alleys, Lan Ting finally spoke up, "I didn't expect your area to be so charming."

Zhang Chao said, "Yes. This area is called 'Dengyun Road', which means ascending to the sky. Since the Southern Song Dynasty, this has been the seat of Changfu County and the most prosperous place. Many people with the surnames Zhang, Lin, and Huang who lived here have passed the imperial examinations and become famous people in history."

Lan Ting was looking at an old house from the Ming and Qing dynasties with high gate walls that she was passing by. On the lintel hung a plaque with the words "Jinshi Di". The gate was painted red, with two large characters on each side, namely "Lanzhi" and "Meizhu".

Lan Ting said: "Since I can remember, I followed my father to study in another county. When I was in the third grade of elementary school, my father was transferred back to Changfu, and I followed him back. I have never been here before."

Zhang Chao said: "After the county government moved to Shengli South Road, the center of the county gradually moved there, and Dengyun Road gradually became quiet. This is good, as there is no need for demolition and construction.

Some places, like people, are good to grow old with. "

Lan Ting looked back at Zhang Chao and said, "You are talking like you are writing an article now." Zhang Chao laughed and said, "Isn't there an old saying that goes 'my hand writes what my mouth says'? What's so strange about this?"

Lan Ting finally couldn't help it and asked, "I, I just want to ask you this time, how did you cross that threshold?"

Zhang Chao was stunned and asked, "What threshold?"

Lan Ting said: "It is the threshold between student composition and real literary creation. I have read your award-winning composition in junior high school, and I have also read your composition posted in the grade display board for every exam after high school. I think you are indeed a little better than me, but it is still in the category of student composition.

But since you wrote the poem "I am one of the many events that make my parents old", I felt that you were different. That poem is like - no, it is a real "poem". Later, I found "Southern Weekend" and read the three articles you wrote. It is not something that an ordinary student can write.

Even better than those students who won the 'New Concept Essay Competition'. I want to know, how did you cross that threshold? "

Zhang Chao thought: "That means I need to live twenty more years, accumulate twenty more years of reading and writing experience..." Of course, he couldn't say that verbally. He thought for a while before saying: "The biggest difference between 'student composition' and 'writing' is motivation. The motivation for 'writing' is essentially to pass the exam.

As long as it is an exam, it must contain some kind of standard. This standard is set by others, not from the heart of the writer. Even the "New Concept Essay Competition" that advocates "new thinking", "new expression" and "true experience" has an implicit standard. "

"What standard?"

"'Seeking novelty'. Although literature has always been seeking novelty and change, like our New Culture Movement, the written expression of the entire country suddenly changed from classical Chinese to vernacular Chinese. However, this change is not based on the opinions of one party, but is the internal driving force of the entire society and the entire nation.

The "New Concept Essay Contest" obviously does not have the depth and power to guide change. So after consuming the enthusiasm of a whole generation of young people who love literature since the reform and opening up, this contest has fallen into a vicious cycle from anti-routine to routine.

Because the real passion for writing cannot be maintained by winning competition awards and university admission requirements. If you want to write, you need to find out deep in your heart whether you have the strong urge to write..."

Zhang Chao told the story in this way, and Lan Ting listened quietly.

She originally thought that Zhang Chao would talk to her about writing skills and rhetoric, but unexpectedly he talked about the motivation for writing.

Yes, why do I write? Lan Ting couldn't help asking herself.

The two chatted and walked, sometimes sitting on the horse hitching stone at the entrance of the alley, and sometimes swinging on the swing in the small park in the county town.

The topic of conversation gradually shifted from writing to reading, life, and learning... Before we knew it, it was almost noon.

Zhang Chao looked at his watch and said, "It's getting late. I have to go back. I have to go to my mother's workplace in the afternoon."

"What are you doing there?"

"I don't have a computer at home. Writing articles by hand is exhausting."

"Then come with me." Lan Ting said, and took Zhang Chao to her home. Changfu County was very small, and it only took ten minutes to get to No. 2 Shengli South Road.

Lan Ting said to Zhang Chao, "You wait." Then she ran back home.

Five minutes later, Lan Ting appeared in front of Zhang Chao again, panting, holding a small exquisite bag. Lan Ting stuffed the bag into Zhang Chao's hand and said, "I'll lend it to you."

Zhang Chao took a look and found it was a Sony VAIO laptop. This type of laptop was definitely a symbol of high-end, thin and compact in 2004, and the price should be more than 2 yuan.

(End of this chapter)