Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 50: One Night at Yan University (Part )
After Zhang Chao finished recording "Three Generals" in Yanjing, he did not return to Fuhai immediately. Instead, he asked his staff to change his flight ticket to Sunday afternoon and called home.

Although Zhang Chao's mother was worried, she had no choice but to obey the orders of the emperor. Zhang Chao coaxed her that the staff of the threesome program would accompany her for the next two days, and she reluctantly let her mother hang up the phone.

After saying goodbye to Dou Wentao and others, Zhang Chao went downstairs, took a taxi, and headed straight to Zhongguancun Street. The office of the three people was in Chaoyang, and Zhongguancun was in Haidian. After running more than 20 kilometers along the North Third Ring Road, Zhang Chao stood at the quaint gate of Yenching University.

He had less than 24 hours to visit Yenching this time. He was a Chinese student in his previous life and was destined to pursue a career in literature in this life, so it was natural for him to make a pilgrimage to Yenching University. At that time, universities did not have strict access control, and people were basically free to enter and leave, especially on weekends. Only the library and laboratories on campus required credentials.

Zhang Chao got off the bus at the west gate of Yanda University, which is considered the main gate of Yanda University. Looking up, it is a classical three-door red lacquer palace gate with strong ethnic characteristics. However, this is not a relic of the imperial gardens of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but was built by alumni in 1926, so it is also called the Alumni Gate.

Northern cities are built facing south and back to the north. According to this tradition, the south gate should be the main gate. However, when Yanda was first established, the west gate was used as the main gate. This was determined by Murphy, an American who was in charge of the planning of Yanyuan.

When Murphy was drawing the campus plan, he got inspiration from the ancient tower on Yuquan Mountain and thought that the main axis of the school should point to the ancient tower, and the main school gate should be located on the main axis. Therefore, he went against tradition and placed the main school gate and the office building inside the school gate facing west.

This setting is in line with the rebellious youth temperament of Yanda University. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence. It’s not long since the start of the school year and it’s the weekend, so the campus of Yanda University is full of leisurely and relaxed college students.

Zhang Chao followed the crowd into the Yenching University campus from the west gate, crossed the Alumni Bridge, passed Shao Garden, crossed the lawn of Beigong Building, and came to Minghe Garden. There is only a small lake and a small pavilion on the lake, which is particularly small and exquisite, and has a unique charm.

As he strolled around, Zhang Chao couldn't help but sigh that Yanjing University is indeed a top institution of learning built on the foundation of nine classical gardens. It can be said that there are scenery everywhere and paintings at every step.

Unconsciously, Zhang Chao arrived at the Jingyuan Lawn, which is the largest lawn in Yanyuan. On this warm spring day, the lawn is full of teachers and students relaxing here.

Just when Zhang Chao was about to skip this place and continue his tour, his attention was attracted by a dozen figures having a heated discussion under the blooming cherry trees.

The reason was simple, because one of the girls shouted in a high-pitched voice: "Zhang Chao is destined to be just a shooting star in the literary world, and his light will soon fade away!"

People's hearing is always the most sensitive to the pronunciation of their own names. Zhang Chao curiously leaned under the cherry tree, and in a very idol-like manner, he used a scarf to cover half of his face.

Behind these people, there was a banner tied between the branches of two trees, with five big characters "Literary Debate" written on it.

These dozen people seemed to be mostly students, except for one who was obviously two years older, with a big head and a round body, especially his eyes, one larger than the other, and one higher than the other. Without looking closely, Zhang Chao knew that this was Kong Qingdong, a famous scholar and troll in the Chinese Department of Yenching University.

Kong Qingdong was obviously not here to participate in the debate among students. He was probably there to listen or host.

After the girl finished shouting out her decisive conclusion, a boy spoke up. He said slowly, "If Zhang Chao is still addicted to online debates and popular novels, then I will agree with you. But have you noticed his recent novel "Young Babylon" published in "Huacheng"? It should be said that it has subverted people's perception of him.

"Young Babylon" is not only a pure literary work with a pure style, but also Zhang Chao demonstrated incredible literary skills for his age. Not only did he construct a complete literary ecology within 3 words, but he also superimposed reality and memories to form a narrative maze, which reminded me of Wang Xiaobo's "Wanshou Temple"... "The boy spoke for a full five minutes before stopping, still unsatisfied. At this time, another girl took over and said, "I think the most important contribution of "Young Babylon" is that it has opened up a new literary field of "county narrative" or "county writing" in the literary world. He captured the spiritual qualities of young people in small counties on the edge or in the cracks of big cities, and wrote about their confusion, anxiety and loss.

There are actually some examples of literary and artistic works that reflect life in county towns. For example, the film director Jia Zhangke’s films Xiao Wu and Platform are about the lives of young people in small inland county towns. But Zhang Chao’s Young Babylon is very different, but I can’t really say where it’s different…”

At this time, other people started to discuss this issue.

Zhang Chao listened silently, and in his heart he still admired the level of these Yan University students who were obviously only freshmen or sophomores. In his previous life, he also claimed to love literature, but when he was a freshman, he obviously didn't have this level of interpretation.

Seeing that the students had been chatting for a long time without getting to the point, Zhang Chao finally couldn't help but speak up and said, "Let me talk about it."

Everyone then noticed that there was a young man of the same age as them. A girl asked, "Which department are you from? Why haven't I seen you in the Chinese department?"

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "Do you have to be a Chinese major to participate in the discussion?"

The girl said, "Although we are not necessarily from the Chinese Department, we are all members of the Zhengming Society, and this is our internal activity."

At this time, Kong Qingdong said, "The purpose of Zhengming Society is to discuss literature regardless of major, age, gender, or status, only opinions. If this student has a good opinion, why can't we let him speak for himself?"

Since the teacher who was the host had spoken, the others naturally shut up.

Zhang Chao was a little surprised. In his memory, Kong Qingdong, at least on the Internet and in the media, was very surly and vicious, giving people the impression that he was difficult to get along with. But in real life, he was very much like a teacher. No wonder the two courses he taught were always very popular and hard to get a seat.

Zhang Chao sorted out his thoughts and said slowly: "The county youth in Jia Zhangke's films are all marginalized people in society, such as prostitutes, thieves, and, haha, literary and artistic workers. They are not only 'marginalized' by the local society, but also generally have a self-identity disorder. Their confusion is accompanied by a strong sense of panic.

However, Lu Xiaolu in "Young Babylon" is an apprentice of a master in a state-owned factory. In terms of identity, he belongs to the mainstream group of society. In the economic wave, the county town either becomes a vassal of the big city, further losing its cultural independence and the closedness of the social group. Or it cannot adapt to the transformation of the economic structure and falls into the dilemma of being abandoned by the times. Factories close down, young people leave, and the county town gradually becomes hollow. In this situation, even "mainstream people" like Lu Xiaolu will inevitably fall into spiritual desolation and hardship.

His aimless wandering is more like a kind of self-exile. So in terms of the temperament of the protagonist, the two are fundamentally different; and the temperament of the protagonist determines the temperament of a work..."

Gradually, the last ray of sunset glow also concealed the remaining light, and the thick black of the northern night sky enveloped the world. The lights on the campus were just coming on, and in the dim light and shadow, Zhang Chao's shadow on the grass was stretched very long...

(End of this chapter)