People always hesitate when they are hesitant. Traveling back to the 1970s for more than two years, Lin Chaoyang actually did not have any firm goals to achieve, but more of a drifting mentality.
It's like those children who have been fostered for twelve years and finally get to college, but they just want to lie down and rot.
Over the past year or so, he had gotten used to working and living at Yanda, and also getting used to writing part-time to earn some extra money. He usually didn't think anything of it, but when a seemingly better choice appeared in front of him, he didn't have any idea.
Heartbeat.
At that moment, Lin Chaoyang knew what choice he should make.
Different choices are before you, and sometimes you don't actually need to know which one you want, just knowing which one you don't want is enough.
In Lin Chaoyang's heart, at least his current work and life at Yanda is what he likes.
On the last day before National Day, Lin Chaoyang went to the humanities club again and handed the preface written by Wu Zuxiang to Li Shuguang.
"Wu Zuxiang? Do you have a good relationship with him?" Li Shuguang looked at the signature of the article and was very surprised.
Of course, Lin Chaoyang couldn't say that this preface was free of editing costs, "It's okay, the neighbors upstairs and downstairs."
"Oh, by the way, you are also from Yan University."
Li Shuguang sighed, "It's better for you to work at Yanda. If you pick a colleague at random, he might be a famous master."
The master also needs retouching fees, who would have thought of this, Lin Chaoyang complained secretly in his heart.
After chatting for a few words, Lin Chaoyang thought it was over, but he didn't expect to be pulled back by Li Shuguang.
"Chaoyang, your book "Garlands Under the Mountains" has become very popular recently. Have you ever thought about publishing a single book?"
The Humanities Society is willing to publish a single volume of his novel, and Lin Chaoyang is of course happy because he can collect royalties again.
However, because of the special subject matter and content of "Garland Under the Mountain", he did not dare to agree rashly. He might as well ask his uncle Du Ruolin later.
After understanding the situation, Li Shuguang nodded, "You have considered it very carefully. You should take a breather. Then I will wait for your news."
"good."
After the two finished chatting in the office, Lin Chaoyang wanted to leave, but was stopped by Cui Daoyi from "People's Literature" next door.
"Chaoyang, have you started writing recently?" Cui Daoyi asked.
Lin Chaoyang shook his head, "No."
"What are your ideas? If you have any ideas, we can exchange them."
"I just wrote two novellas this year, how can I have so many ideas!"
Lin Chaoyang just mailed out the manuscript he agreed to "Harvest" two days ago. He hasn't stopped writing in the past few months. Recently, he just wants to relax and fish.
Cui Daoyi was very sorry to hear this, "You young people are active in thinking. When you have ideas, you still have to write them down in time."
While the two were talking, they heard Wang Fu, who had walked to the entrance of the editorial department, shouting happily: "Old Cui, look who I invited you!"
The two of them followed the sound and saw Wang Fu leading an old man who was nearly sixty years old into the editorial office. The old man had gray hair and was wearing a white t-shirt, black trousers, and cloth shoes, both in terms of clothing and temperament.
All very simple.
Cui Daoyi stood up, but before he could speak, Wang Fu said: "Comrade Wang Zengqi from the Yanjing Peking Opera Troupe!"
Cui Daoyi stepped forward and shook hands with Wang Zengqi. He and Wang Zengqi had known each other many years ago, when Cui Daoyi had just started working.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a few words, and Cui Daoyi introduced Lin Chaoyang to Wang Zengqi.
"This is Comrade Lin Chaoyang. You should have heard of his pen name, Xu Lingjun!"
Wang Zengqi looked surprised, "I didn't expect that Xu Lingjun, who is famous all over the country, would be such a young comrade."
"Thank you very much. I've read your prose and it's really good." Lin Chaoyang said politely.
Hearing this, Wang Zengqi's face became even more surprised.
Wang Zengqi was born in the Southwest Associated University and began writing novels and poems in 1940. She was quite talented in her early years. However, because it was difficult to make a living through her creations, she devoted herself to working as a teacher for several years in a middle school run by her classmates at the Associated University.
On the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, he participated in the work group of the Four Fields Going South, which was regarded as participating in the revolution. In 1950, he was transferred back to Yanjing and became the literary editor of the Yanjing Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
At that time, the Yanjing City Federation of Literary and Art Circles launched two publications, which are the predecessors of today's "Yanjing Literature and Art". Later, he was transferred to the Folk Research Literature Association as a literary editor, just to get a two-level salary increase.
The Folk Literature Research Association has its own publication "Folk Literature". During his tenure as editor, Wang Zengqi wrote many essays, which were scattered in publications such as "Poetry Magazine", "People's Literature", and "Yanjing Literature and Art".
But after that, the political environment became treacherous, and Wang Zengqi suffered a lot. Although he created many creations, they were all concentrated in the field of Peking Opera model operas. They were all collective creations and wasted some years.
What surprised him was that at Lin Chaoyang's age, he must have read a lot of books to be able to read his prose.
At this time, magazines and periodicals from the 1950s were not easily accessible to anyone.
"I work in the Yanda Library and like to read in my spare time." Lin Chaoyang explained with a smile.
Wang Zengqi nodded clearly.
Later generations will know Wang Zengqi's name mostly because of "The Ordinance". In the early 1980s, Wang Zengqi became famous in the literary world. After that, he published a series of influential novels and essays, becoming a pivotal writer in the literary world in the 1980s and 1990s.
At this time, Wang Zengqi has just broken out of the buzzing mud, and has not even published a decent work.
Years of wasted time have made Wang Zengqi not well-known in today's Chinese literary circles, but to the old people in the Yanjing literary circle, his name is not unfamiliar.
In "Yenjing Literature and Art", he was Mr. Lao She's right-hand man; in "Folk Literature", although he was named editor, his real power was the director of the editorial department; even when he was in the Yanjing Peking Opera Troupe, he participated in the creation
It is also a well-known play like "Shajiabang".
Putting aside political factors, Wang Zengqi's reputation in the Yanjing literary world is not small, and her friends are all famous people like Lin Jinlan and Deng Youmei.
He came to "People's Literature" today, and Wang Fu invited him several times, and he took a fancy to his newly written novel "The Biography of the Cavalry".
This novel was written based on his understanding of the revolutionary experiences of several veteran cadres in Inner Mongolia when he was collecting folk songs in the grasslands and writing the script for the Peking Opera "Prairie Beacons" in 1974.
Coinciding with the meeting, Lin Chaoyang chatted with Wang Zengqi for a few words, and then said goodbye to Cui Daoyi.
After sending the preface, Lin Chaoyang has nothing to worry about when publishing the single volume of "Little Shoes".
On this eleventh day, he didn't take a break. On weekdays, his colleagues often took over for him, and occasionally he had to return the favor.
This morning, he met Amao in front of the library, whom he had not seen for a long time. However, compared with his previous optimism and cheerfulness, Amao looked a lot more melancholy after not seeing him for two or three months.
"Amao!" Lin Chaoyang waved to Amao from a distance.
When the two of them walked to the opposite side, Lin Chaoyang asked, "I haven't seen you for a long time. Why did you go?"
"Hi, Lin." Amao greeted Lin Chaoyang with a melancholy expression, "Nothing, I went on a trip and then returned to the United States."
The first thing Lin Chaoyang noticed was that Amao's Chinese was much more fluent. He could see that Amao was depressed, but since he didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't ask more questions.
After chatting for a while, he was about to go to work in the library, but when he turned around, he heard Amao calling him.
"Lin, do you think mankind's ideal of communism can never be realized?"
The melancholy Golden Retriever suddenly asked such a profound question, catching Lin Chaoyang off guard.
"Why do you ask that?"
The big golden retriever's expression was cryptic, "It's nothing."
Lin Chaoyang took a look and realized that the child was in trouble and needed to be enlightened.
"Amao, do you know what the word 'ideal' means in Chinese?"
Amao shook his head.
"Ideal is a beautiful imagination and hope for future things, and a concept of reaching the most perfect state of something, so you can understand it as the highest goal and pursuit of human beings. Do you know what words it is most commonly associated with?
Are they connected?"
Amao shook his head again.
"Strive, pursue, and sacrifice for a lofty ideal."
Lin Chaoyang's eyes were sacred and solemn, which gradually infected Amao, who was in a depressed mood. He muttered: "Ideal, ideal..."
Seeing that Amao had become more energetic after being fooled by him, he asked: "What have you been doing during this time?"
Amao looked hesitant, and after a while he said, "I'm going on a trip."
"In America?"
"China."
Lin Chaoyang looked surprised, "How did you do it?"
"I made a fake letter of introduction."
Lin Chaoyang's face was even more shocked. He was shocked by Amao's courage and shocked that he could still see him in Yanda.
"Tell me specifically, what's going on?"
Curiosity is human nature. Lin Chaoyang followed his inner call. This cannot be called gossip.
"that is……"
Previously, under the deception of Lin Chaoyang, Amao developed a strong interest in life. In addition to reading Mao Xuanxuan every day, he also had to exercise. After a period of time, he felt that he was gradually improving both mentally and physically.
Meet the requirements of a *fateful person.
So I came up with a bold idea to go to China's largest rural area and take a look.
These days, the country’s management of foreign students is very strict. Most international students’ activities are limited to Yanjing City. Even eating at the home of their classmates requires approval from the International Student Management Office, not to mention such a long-term stay.
Traveling.
Amao simply secretly got a blank letter of introduction from the International Student Management Office, got a fake seal, and swaggered out of Yanjing City during the summer vacation.
He took the train all the way south, passing through Hebei and Anhui, and spent half a month shopping around before the local government noticed something fishy and called Yanda University to verify it.
It turned out that Amao did not get permission from Yan University at all, and was immediately arrested as a spy.
These days, everything involving foreigners is a big deal, and the local people didn't dare to do anything to Amao, so they sent him back to Yanjing.
After returning to Yanjing, Amao was imprisoned for three days and was finally released through the mediation of the American History Museum.
A magical journey has come to an end. After being released, Amao felt a little disheartened. He took advantage of the time left in the summer vacation to go back to the United States, and returned to school again after the semester started. He had been living in a haze lately.
According to Amao, he was disheartened not because he was arrested or suffered unfair treatment, but because what he saw along the way south made him disillusioned with the communist ideals he upheld in his heart.
Since studying abroad, he has been staying in Yanjing. Although it is relatively backward compared to Western countries, it is still a city and has the basic foundation of industrial civilization.
But Amao traveled to many poor and backward rural areas along the way, and the collision between his beautiful ideals and the hard-core reality shattered his nascent idealism, and he still hasn't regained his composure to this day.
He couldn't understand why China still has so many poor and backward places thirty years after the founding of the People's Republic of China?
Lin Chaoyang did not expect that Amao would actually practice his own ideas. Feeling the seriousness of this foreign young man, Lin Chaoyang felt a little embarrassed. In the previous interactions, he was more or less joking.
He sincerely apologized to Amao, but Amao was a little at a loss.
"No, no, Lin, although you always have a relaxed and humorous attitude, I can feel that you recognize the concept you said."
"certainly!"
Just kidding, how could he instill those ideas into Amao if he didn't approve from the bottom of his heart.
Putting aside his thoughts of joking, Lin Chaoyang said seriously to Amao:
"Amao, you still know too little about China. Count our enemies in the past thirty years, the United States, the Soviet Union, India, Vietnam...
Every country's military force value is at the forefront of the planet. To not fall behind in the fight against these enemies, or even to win, has consumed too much of our energy.
Lin Chaoyang's attitude is neither humble nor arrogant, and he has a strong self-confidence that makes people unconsciously trust his words.
Unknowingly, the two discussed it for a long time, and Lin Chaoyang's discussion made Amao come out of his disappointment and discouragement.
"I always liked to joke before. I invite you to my house for dinner tonight as an apology to you."
At the end of the conversation, Lin Chaoyang patted Amao on the shoulder and said.
Amao said happily: "That's great."
Chapter completed!