Back to 80: My Literary Life

Among a group of students, a girl with a ponytail stood in the middle and read a poem aloud:

If I love you——

It’s definitely not like a climbing flower in the sky,

Use your high branches to show off yourself;

If I love you——

Never imitate the infatuated bird.

"To the Oak" written by Shu Ting.

The two of them stopped and watched the girl reciting not far away.

"Li Li." Fang Minghua called.

"Um?"

"I remember, when we first met, you seemed to have recited this song at Western University, right?"

"Yes, it's so fast. Almost four years have passed." Li Li sighed with emotion, and suddenly turned her head to look at Fang Minghua: "Do you want to listen to me recite again?"

"OK."

Li Li walked over, waited for the girl to finish reciting, then stood in the middle of the crowd and thought for a while, then recited loudly in her Mandarin with a slight Wu accent:

My sadness is because of your shining

A faint halo of light rose up.

on your chest

I have become a singing iris

The breeze of your breath blows me

Under the tinkling moonlight

with your broad palm

temporary

cover me

"Singing Irises" by Shu Ting.

The breeze blew, and Li Li's short hair was slightly raised, which reminded Fang Minghua of that summer at Western University.

Blue sky, white clouds, she is wearing a white shirt and blue suspender skirt, reading poetry.

The youthfulness has gradually faded away, and he has matured a lot.

This poem was relatively long, and Li Li only recited a fragment, and received warm applause in the end.

After a while, Li Li came out with a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and long hair.

It's Nishikawa.

Although Fang Minghua had only seen the elderly Xi Chuan online before he came to this era, the slightly childish young man in front of him was him, with a slightly worried look in his eyes.

But he smiles cheerfully.

He walked up to Fang Minghua and said respectfully: "Hello, Editor Fang, I just heard from Senior Sister Li that you are welcome to participate in our poetry meeting."

"You're welcome, I'm just here for a casual visit." Fang Minghua was just about to explain his purpose when he saw Xi Chuan turn around and say loudly to his classmates.

"Students, Comrade Minghua, my country's famous avant-garde novel writer and poet, and deputy editor-in-chief of Yanhe magazine, is here today at our poetry meeting. Welcome!"

"Papa pa pa"

The students watched and applauded. When students not far away heard the news, they also gathered around. There were suddenly more people on the grass.

Fang Minghua had no choice but to walk to the middle and said to everyone with a smile:

"Students, I came to see Nishikawa-san for something. I am honored to participate in your poetry meeting."

“Yanda is rich in scholars and poets, including Liu Bannong and Shen Yinmo during the Republic of China, and later He Qifang and Bian Zhilin, not to mention you in the 1980s. Please all students who love literature and poetry, pick up the pen in your hand and write poetry. , to record this era!”

"Of course, the more important thing is to submit articles to Yanhe magazine. I am waiting for your masterpieces in Xijing! Thank you all!"

"Papa pa pa"

There was another round of warm applause.

The girl with the ponytail who just recited Shu Ting's "To the Oak" said to Fang Minghua: "Editor Fang, today is the day when our May Fourth Literary Club reads poetry. Can you also recite a poem for everyone?"

"Yes, recite one too!"

"Also, you can't recite what others have written, you have to recite what you have written!"

“It’s best if it’s newly written and not published!”

"That's right, Editor Fang recited a new poem. If we don't submit our poems to "Poetry Magazine" or "Stars" from now on, we will submit them to Yanhe!" The girl with the ponytail shouted the loudest.

Later, Fang Minghua learned that her name was Zhang Wan, and she was now the girlfriend and future wife of Luo Yihe, one of the three swordsmen of Yan University.

The scene is a bit out of control.

Zhang Wan simply said loudly:

"Now, I would like to ask the editor-in-chief of Minghua to recite a new poem he wrote for everyone! Everyone is welcome!"

"Papa pa pa"

There was another burst of warm applause.

Li Li also stood at the outermost edge and looked at him with a smile.

It seemed that it was impossible not to do what they wanted today, so Fang Ming had no choice but to walk to the middle of the circle and said, "In that case, I will recite a new poem on the spot. It is spring, and I also read poetry in spring!"

After speaking, he cleared his throat and read aloud:

a flower,

Come to work in the human world,

What you earn is the favor of passers-by and your sweethearts.

I light the spring breeze,

Taking advantage of the dusk night to attack,

When will we meet?

It lasts until the last flower blooms.

“Wow, it’s so beautifully written!”

Zhang Wan was the first to praise loudly.

Another round of applause.

Li Li, who was standing on the periphery, also listened quietly to his recitation of poetry.

It is rare to hear him write poetry.

He now only writes novels.

realism, magical realism, stream of consciousness

But in my heart I still like his poems, which are simple, pure and clean.

Just like the poem "Youth and Flowers" he once wrote to himself in a letter

The beauty of this spring is related to flowers

The green lavender has not been dried,

In that northern city with your warm cotton skirt

Spreading in the silence of snow.

Did he also write poems to his cousin Tangtang?

I must have written love poems, right?

Li Li fell into a certain emotion, while Fang Minghua and Xi Chuan stood aside and talked.

"Nishikawa, have you written poetry recently?"

"Editor Fang, I recently wrote a poem. I don't know if it will work. I just recited it at the poetry meeting." As he spoke, Xichuan took out two crumpled papers from his clothes and handed them to Fang Minghua.

It is a long poem:

There's a mystery you can't control

You can only act as a bystander

Let the mysterious power

Send a signal from a distant place

Let the light shine through your heart

Like tonight, in Hargai

Oops

This is Nishikawa's masterpiece.

"Looking up at the stars in Hargai"!

Fang Minghua read it carefully again and then said: "This poem is very good. I plan to publish it in the poetry column of "Yanhe" next month. When I go back and give you a formal letter and royalties, do you have anything else? Poetry?"

"Yes, yes" Nishikawa was surprised and happy.

"Looking Up at the Starry Sky at Hargai" was originally intended to be published in the "Weiming Lake (Internal Communication Edition)" sponsored by the May 4th Literary Society of Yan'an University. Now it can be published in a national-level literary journal, which is certainly a joy.

"I have another song that was published in our club's internal journal. Wait a minute while I go back to the dormitory."

After saying that, Nishikawa quickly ran towards the dormitory.

"Fang Minghua, isn't a poem from Xichuan not enough?" Li Li asked.

"Of course it's Han Xin's decision, the more the better." Fang Minghua said: "I'm going to run a special issue of college poets and launch a batch of poems!"

Not long after, Nishikawa ran over panting and took another poem manuscript.

It's "Autumn Sound":

Let me savor the sound of autumn

like an old horse

Chew the earthy-scented grass

like blue sky

Chewing the disappearing thunder

The molten steel in this converter

This is also an early work by Nishikawa.

Very good!

"I want this poem too. Write down your resume and ask Li Li to hand it over to me." Fang Minghua said with a smile, "By the way, where's Luo Yihe from your literary club? And Zha Haisheng?"

"It seems that Senior Sister Li Li has told you everything about our literary club." Want to see him?"

"Yes, I want to meet him."

"Then let me take you there?" Nishikawa said.

"No, as you are the president, you should continue to host the poetry meeting. We cannot do without you here." Fang Minghua said, "I will go alone, I am familiar with Yanjing."

"Xichuan, I'll accompany him." This is what Li Li said.

Fang Minghua looked at her: "You have no class this afternoon?"

"No."

"Oh well."