1979: My fiancée is a goddess

"Whoosh!"

The continuous autumn rain outside the window is still falling.

Soft lights had been turned on in the office sometime during the night.

As Professor Ba Jin's gaze swept over the last line of blue text, his muscles tensed, and he read it aloud in a deep voice:

"Even now... I still feel that I was the one who broke them up... So, I want to give them back the happiness they missed, in the novel."

“This is not weakness, nor is it escapism... This is a belated act of mercy, a belated act of atonement. I have returned happiness to them.”

After reading this last sentence, Professor Ba Jin fell into a deep silence.

It turns out that the reunion, the meeting, the falling in love, the apology in the third part... all these beautiful things after the war were fabricated.

That woman in the green dress, who dared to love and hate and remained steadfast in her loyalty, that young man who was falsely accused and fought to the death on the battlefield to defend his country, had long since died under the guns of the Japanese invaders...

The girl who caused all the disaster and suffering survived the war and the turmoil of the times, and eventually went to Taiwan for refuge.

Tormented by boundless guilt and pain, and suffering from a guilty conscience, he ultimately chose to atone for his sins and repent.

But can such a fabricated, beautiful fantasy, such a way of atonement, really be considered true atonement?
To whom is Cao Hanyu atoning for her sins? And who can forgive her?
No one, no one at all, can do it anymore.

"Without a doubt, this is a profound and weighty philosophical thought."

Ba Jin fell into deep thought, and finally sighed, "Some mistakes, once made, can never be truly undone. When the victim is gone and the object of repentance no longer exists, what is the point of atonement?"

However, upon thinking about this, he vaguely sensed that what Cheng Kaiyan wanted to express was not that atonement was meaningless, but something deeper.

Perhaps Cheng Kaiyan believes that atonement here actually has meaning?
"Dad? You've finally finished reading it?"

At that moment, a plaintive voice suddenly rang out in the office.

"who!"

This startled Mr. Ba Jin, who quickly looked up toward the source of the sound.

"It's me! Your daughter!"

Li Xiaolin, sitting on the sofa, turned around and looked over, raising his hand in response.

"Oh my...you scared me! When did you come in?"

Teacher Ba Jin clutched his wildly beating heart and said in an annoyed tone.

"I've been here for a while, but you were so engrossed in your novel that you didn't notice me. Look at the time!"

As she spoke, Li Xiaolin got up and walked over. Standing beside her father, she took an aluminum lunchbox from her pocket and handed it to him. "Let's eat, it's almost two o'clock!"

"Huh? Is it already two o'clock?"

Professor Ba Jin took the lunchbox; it was still warm to the touch, and he couldn't help but smile gently: "It's still warm."

"I've put it in my pocket. How about that? Aren't I good to you?"

Li Xiaolin raised his chin, as if to claim credit.

"Okay, okay, you're the best, alright?"

Teacher Ba Jin chuckled and poked his daughter's forehead. Li Xiaolin's daughter was born relatively late, four or five years ago, when he was already forty-one years old.

Having a daughter late in life, she naturally became his favorite, staying by his side to accompany him and working as his editorial assistant.

"Braised eggplant and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, see if it suits your taste."

Li Xiaolin rubbed his forehead, which was sore from being poked by his father's rough fingers, then snatched the lunchbox, opened it, and asked.

"As long as it's done by you, it's fine."

The father and daughter chatted and laughed for a while, then got up and sat down on the sofa to eat and chat.

Li Xiaolin also took this opportunity to get his hands on the neatly bound stack of manuscripts belonging to Teacher Cheng Kaiyan on the table.

"Dad, what do you think of Teacher Cheng's work? You seem quite engrossed in it, so it must be very good, right?"

She looked at her father with curiosity.

"Um……"

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Ba Jin slowly offered his evaluation, biting his chopsticks:

"Cheng Kaiyan's 'Atonement' far exceeded my expectations."

If Wang Meng's essay "Miscellaneous Colors," published in the third issue of Harvest this year, was a pioneering experiment by Chinese writers in adapting Western modernist literature...

Cheng Kaiyan's "Atonement" can truly be called a landmark work; it represents a further, more complete, and more mature step forward in his exploration of modernist literature.

"hiss!"

Upon hearing these words, Li Xiaolin couldn't help but gasp, instinctively tightening his grip on the manuscript in his arms.

OMG!

Li Xiaolin looked at her father with disbelief and skepticism; to be honest, she couldn't quite believe it.

Wang Meng and Cheng Kaiyan are undoubtedly prominent figures in the contemporary Chinese literary world.

But if we had to choose one over the other, many people would probably choose Wang Meng. He has higher prestige, more seniority, and has gone further in his literary career. His influence is also far greater than that of Cheng Kaiyan.

But now someone actually told her that Professor Cheng Kaiyan has gone further than Professor Wang Meng on the path of modernist literature?!
If the person in front of her hadn't been her father, the world-renowned Ba Jin, she certainly wouldn't have believed it.

"Hehe, I knew you wouldn't believe me."

Ba Jin smiled, put down his chopsticks, and explained:
"First of all, the techniques in modernist literature such as stream of consciousness, symbolism, and existentialism are natural products of the industrialization and urbanization process of Western capitalist society, under the philosophical and historical background of Nietzsche's 'God is dead,' Freud's theory of the unconscious, and the trauma of the two world wars."

We are different from them; our national systems, economic structures, and levels of development are different, and the problems we face are also different.

There's a saying that literature mostly explores social issues.

The West discusses the alienation of humanity in advanced industrial societies after war.

The discussion revolves around universal, metaphysical questions: such as the nothingness of existence, the unreliability of language, the absurdity of the world, and the distortion of human nature...

The ultimate question in contemporary literature, whether it's "scar literature," "reflective literature," or "educated youth literature," is:

How to express the traumatic memories of individuals and groups after the seventeen-year period.

Using foreign writing techniques to write about contemporary China inevitably leads to a problem: the writing is awkward, immature, and incomplete.

This is a minor flaw in Wang Meng's works, but it doesn't affect anything significant.

However, Cheng Kaiyan's "Atonement" is different. As always, his work did not break free from the shackles that have lingered in the Chinese literary world for many years.

Instead, they write the stories they want to write, use the writing techniques they want to use, and follow the literary path they want to follow.

He refused to be held hostage by the buzzing, refused scars and trauma, and I think that's why his literary works are so vivid and unique." Teacher Ba Jin explained in detail, and in fact he was also quite puzzled and surprised as to why Cheng Kaiyan could break free of the shackles.

Humans are social animals, and their thoughts are inevitably influenced by society, as are the words they write.

Cheng Kaiyan's works give the impression that he has never experienced the buzzing.

However, he joined the army in his youth and later went to a cultural troupe, so it seems he really didn't have much experience.

"Now that you've explained it, I understand. But you still haven't said exactly what makes Professor Cheng Kaiyan's work so good."

Li Xiaolin nodded thoughtfully, then asked another question.

The story of "Mixed Colors" is very simple: a middle-aged intellectual named Cao Qianli rides a weak, variegated old horse and travels for a day on the grasslands of Xinjiang to a place to treat a patient.

The story revolves around Cao Qianli and his horse, and what they see, hear, think, and say along the way.

When it was published in March, it immediately sparked widespread discussion in the literary world. Some famous writers commented that this work opened a window for Chinese literature and promoted a shift in Chinese literature towards a deeper exploration of the inner world of its characters.

"Well... I can't give a more complete answer right now."

However, one thing that surprised me greatly was Cheng Kaiyan's subversive approach to narrative structure.

What's most striking is that in the last two volumes, he actually employs the most advanced metafiction techniques from the West. He creates a story within a story, and finally reveals the truth at the end, pointing out that it's fictional, thereby exploring the unreliability of literary narrative and the limitations of character perspectives.

Professor Ba Jin frowned and pondered, "However, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but although his work doesn't dwell on the buzzing traumatic memories, it does subtly touch upon them... for example, the protagonist Cao Hanyu in his later years..."

"Hey, hey, hey... Okay, okay, stop spoiling the plot, alright?!"

Li Xiaolin promptly raised his hand to stop them, saying in an annoyed tone.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anything more."

Teacher Ba Jin shook his head helplessly, picked up his chopsticks, and continued eating.

He sighed inwardly as he watched the rain-soaked windows in the distance, leaving streaks of rain that vanished in an instant.

Li Xiaolin, who was standing to the side, was holding a stack of manuscripts, leaning back on the sofa, reading them patiently and carefully.

Compared to the Western writing techniques her father talked about, Li Xiaolin was more concerned with the plot, emotions, and characters of the story itself.

There is no doubt that Atonement is not a novel that is all philosophy and no plot.

On the contrary, its plot is quite excellent, and the characters' emotions are quite delicate and moving.

The story begins with the romance between three young men and women of different classes, backgrounds, ages, and education levels.

The love story between the servant and the two noble ladies is naturally imbued with a strong class character.

Jiang Ming was facing the dual dilemma of inferiority and self-confidence in the woman he loved. After being falsely accused and imprisoned, he fell into the lowest point of his life.

Cao Yanan is a woman of strong emotions, capable of both love and hate, and willing to break with her family and relatives, waiting for love for many years.

Cao Hanyu started as a naive little girl who believed the world was black and white. A wrong accusation led to a tragedy that affected the fates of three people.

In the second volume, the narrative suddenly shifts from a personal love tragedy to the grand historical catastrophe of the War of Resistance against Japan.

In this turbulent era of poverty, internal strife, and external troubles, individual mistakes and tragedies were magnified infinitely. The weight of war and the times made individual fates seem incredibly uncertain and cruel.

But this only serves to highlight the love between Jiang Mingzheng and Cao Yanan.

Jiang Ming is ruthlessly fighting on the battlefield, all to keep his promise and return alive to see his lover. "My dearest Cecilia... our fate is not over. I will go back, go back to find you, love you, marry you, and then live with my head held high."

Even in his dying moments during the Battle of Nanjing, when he was pierced in the abdomen by a Japanese bayonet, he still thought of her, "My dear, that green vase... that green dress... I dreamt that you were wearing it, reaching out to embrace me..."

In the hospital behind the lines, Cao Yanan endured agonizing waits, every minute a moment, just to see her beloved.

The article describes her torment and perseverance as follows: "Each arrival of the postman was like a miniature cycle of hope and despair. Without her letters, it was hell; with her letters, it was a brief paradise, followed by an even longer hell of waiting for the next paradise."

"She lived her life like a lighthouse, stubbornly and silently shining, guiding him home alone—even though she didn't know if the ship had already sunk to the bottom of the dark sea."

……

"call……"

As dusk fell, Li Xiaolin closed the book, shut her sore and moist eyes, and took a long, deep breath.

"It's five o'clock."

Professor Ba Jin took a sip of tea and offered a reminder.

"I've finished reading Dad. Atonement is indeed a work that Teacher Cheng has been polishing for almost a year!"

Whether it's the writing techniques and literary path you mentioned, or the plot, characters, and emotions I saw, it's all outstanding.

I believe that Teacher Cheng has achieved a harmonious unity between the techniques and the principles of literature.

Li Xiaolin looked at his father solemnly and said in a deep voice.

"That's right. This work would definitely be a top-notch piece even on the international stage. I think it won't be long before it becomes as famous overseas as his children's literature."

"Truly a promising young talent! No wonder your Uncle Yanbing was still thinking about this work before he passed away, wanting Cheng Kaiyan to shoulder the responsibility of China's future literature."

Mr. Ba Jin nodded in agreement. While his daughter was reading, he also carefully reflected on the merits and unique aspects of the work.

Ultimately, a surprising conclusion was reached: although this young man did not produce many works, he had already gone far on his own literary path, leaving the current Chinese literary scene far behind.

"what?!"

Li Xiaolin was already deeply impressed by Cheng Kaiyan's work, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

After Mr. Mao passed away, my father took over as acting leader of the Writers Association, and he will be formally elected at the end of this year.

What my father meant by saying this was that, like Uncle Yanbing and the others, he believed that Teacher Cheng Kaiyan was a future leader in the literary world and a potential successor.

This news is quite surprising.

It took Li Xiaolin a long time to process this before he calmed down a bit.

"I'm just optimistic. Don't say that to anyone. Comrade Cheng Kaiyan is already quite prominent in the literary world. Don't be fooled by his current success. Behind his back, countless writers and intellectuals are green with envy."

Professor Ba Jin frowned slightly and gave some instructions.

"Don't worry, I know what's important. Should we publish this article this month? There are only a few days left this month."

Li Xiaoling nodded and asked.

"Of course! Comrade Cheng Kaiyan has already waited for many days, December is still too late."

Ask the publishing house to arrange for review and proofreading as soon as possible; it must be published by November 1st! Also, write a letter to Comrade Cheng Kaiyan to inform him of this.

"Yes, President." (End of Chapter)