Back to 80: My Literary Life

During the break in the meeting, Fang Minghua just came out of the conference room to get some air when he saw a group of young people in the corridor.

The young man standing at the back caught Fang Minghua's attention.

He looked very young, younger than his own age. He looked like a student and was carrying a green satchel. He looked very shy. When other young people in the corridor saw their favorite writers coming out, they swarmed up to him, signing autographs and handing over manuscripts. Manuscript.

He was the only one standing behind the crowd, looking like he wanted to step forward but didn't dare.

After Fang Minghua signed autographs for several young women, he saw him standing not far away. After thinking about it, he took the initiative to say hello.

"Hello, this classmate."

"Hello, Editor Fang." Seeing someone greeting him, the boy felt flattered.

"Are you looking for someone to sign an autograph? Or?"

"Are you looking for someone to sign? No, I'm here to submit a manuscript." The boy quickly took out a stack of manuscripts from his green satchel and handed them to Fang Minghua with both hands.

"I am a student from the Chinese Department of East China Normal University. My name is Liu Yong. I am a junior this year." The boy calmed down and began to introduce himself.

Fang Minghua was just about to open the manuscript he handed over. When he heard his self-introduction, he raised his head and looked at the other person, feeling a little surprised: "You are from East China Normal University? Your name is Liu Yong?"

"Yes, this is my student ID card." The boy thought that Fang Minghua didn't believe it, so he took out his student ID card from his school bag.

"No, no need."

Fang Minghua stopped the other party's move and read the manuscript carefully.

It’s actually a stream-of-consciousness novel!

It is a pity that perhaps due to lack of experience and too much emphasis on using this writing technique, the structure of the whole novel is unreasonable, and in the end it just falls into gibbering.

This is not a stream of consciousness.

This is a kind of self-pleasure, the author murmured in his dream.

However, the author's talent can still be felt in the writing.

The article was not long, only about 5,000 words. After reading it, Fang Minghua looked at the expectant boy and said, "I'm sorry, I can't use this novel."

Seeing that the other party couldn't hide his disappointed expression, Fang Minghua continued: "You are very talented and have mastered some stream-of-consciousness writing skills, but you focus too much on writing skills. I call it showing off your skills."

"This is a common mistake made by some new authors with great literary potential. I think you should not show off your writing skills too much, but tell the story well first. Stream of consciousness writing can easily fall into a vicious circle of self-showing, so you should pay special attention to it. ."

"For example, in this paragraph, there is no need to use metaphors or drop book bags. You can just write it honestly. Simple words can touch the hearts of readers more than you do."

"Isn't that just a stream of consciousness?" Liu Yong asked.

"Why do you have to use stream of consciousness? Is it because it comes from the West and is so-called advanced?" Fang Minghua asked rhetorically.

Liu Yong nodded, he indeed thought so.

"Classmate Liu Yong, I suggest you read an article I just published in a literary newspaper called "The Advantages and Limitations of Western Modern Literature". It may be helpful to your writing."

"Thank you, Editor Fang."

"Classmate Liu Yong, you have good writing skills and are very talented. If you write well, you will definitely become a writer in the future." Fang Minghua added.

"Really?!" Liu Yong's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yeah" Fang Minghua nodded firmly.

Liu Yong took the manuscript and left happily.

Before leaving, I said that I would go to the Literary and Art Newspaper to study it carefully when I got back, and then revise this article according to your instructions.

Fang Minghua looked at the boy's back with a smile on his face.

From the slightly naive article just now, he had already guessed who the student named Liu Yong from the Chinese Department of East China Normal University was.

It will take another two years for him to stand out.

His pen name should be Ge Fei, who is as famous as Yu Hua and other avant-garde novel writers.

However, Ge Fei, who is still a college student, is here, so why hasn’t the dentist Yu Hua come yet?

Fang Minghua walked into the conference room and thought leisurely.

Yu Hua is really here.

I came with my new novel.

It's just that the health center has been very busy recently, and there are more patients coming for tooth extraction, so he, the only dentist, can't leave.

Seeing that the young and middle-aged symposium held in Shanghai was coming to an end, he became anxious and simply pretended to be sick during work. Only then did he get the dean's approval for a day's leave and rushed to Shanghai.

First, we took the shuttle bus to Jiaxing, then immediately transferred to the train from Jiaxing to Shanghai, and finally arrived in Shanghai in the evening.

After leaving the train station, he took the bus and went straight to Shenjiang Hotel, but he got on the wrong bus and ended up getting lost!

How could a dentist from a small place have ever seen such a bustling city?

The various neon lights made him dizzy.

In the end, I asked while walking. By the time I arrived at Shenjiang Hotel, it was already ten o'clock in the evening.

Where to live?

Naturally, he couldn't afford to stay in such a hotel, but it was not something he considered now.

What he is thinking now is, who should I give this manuscript to?

He was unfamiliar with both editors and writers.

After thinking about it, I decided to find a young editor. Young editors are easy to communicate with.

So he walked to the front desk and asked in substandard Mandarin: "Excuse me, which room does Comrade Fang Minghua, who is holding a writers' seminar here, live in?"

"Hold on."

The waiter quickly found the room number for him.

"Comrade Room 404, do you still want to go so late? The writers are probably all resting," the waiter reminded kindly.

"I'm his second cousin!" Yu Hua replied and swaggered upstairs.

Fang Minghua and Lu Yao were not in the room at this time. They and Zhang Xianliang were walking around Nanjing Road.

It is a short distance from Nanjing Road. When they have nothing to do in the evening, the three of them like to go for a walk together.

We also went to the Bund, but seeing the spectacular scene of the Lovers’ Wall on the Bund, the three grown men all chose to go home.

Walking around Nanjing Road is not bad. Although it is not as prosperous as in later generations, it is also the "cabbage heart" of Shanghai. In this era, this was not a pedestrian street. It was busy with traffic at night and was extremely lively.

The stores of Shencheng Clothing Company, No. 1 Department Store, and Shanghai No. 1 Food Company were filled with a dazzling array of products, and Lu Yao and Zhang Xianliang were dazzled by them.

It's just that things are too expensive.

Can't afford it.

However, at the cosmetics counter of the department store, three men still bought some skin care products, "Maximum" brand.

This was Fang Minghua's instigation, saying that if you two big brothers come to Shanghai, why don't you buy some gifts for your sister-in-law?

Don't know what to buy?

Skin care products.

As long as they are women, they all like this!

I'll buy two sets!

One set for my girlfriend and one set for my sister!

Mom, forget it, I'll probably get scolded if you take it back.

In addition, Fang Minghua also bought two "Golden Rabbit" brand sweaters produced by Shencheng 14th Wool Sweater Factory as gifts to his parents.

Goods from Shanghai.

This allows mom to go out and show off.

After shopping, the three men happily returned to the hotel. As soon as Fang Minghua went up to the fourth floor, he saw Yu Hua squatting by the stairs.