Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 121 "Roadside Picnic"

After climbing Mount Huashan with Song Tangtang, Fang Minghua was in his dormitory that night, took out his manuscript paper and started writing by himself.

The poem he recited on Huashan Mountain during the day reminded him of another stream-of-consciousness movie, "Roadside Picnic" directed by Bi Gan.

The film tells the story of a rural doctor living in Kaili, Guizhou Province. In order to find his nephew, he came to a strange town. In this town that was both real and illusory, he reunited with his lost lover in a mysterious time and space. .

This film is Bi Gan's debut film. The creative technique of stream of consciousness is mixed with magical realism. The whole film is like a lyric poem, soft as water and radiant.

That poem is one of the seven poems in the movie.

The film had a good box office and reputation, and won the Golden Horse Award for "Best New Director" and the "International Film Critics FIPRESCI Award".

Fang Minghua decided to once again adapt the movie into a novel.

Of course, there is another problem here, that is, the background of the movie is set in the 1990s. If you want to move to this era, you must change the era background, including some props that appear in the movie, such as motorcycles.

But this is not difficult. The motorcycle can be replaced by a bicycle. As for the train-just move the location of the story to near the Guizhou-Guangxi Railway and just check the map.

that is it.

Fang Minghua once again fell into madness.

I go to work during the day and don’t go anywhere after get off work. I don’t even watch my favorite movie, “Fearless Fearless”—in fact, I can’t watch it.

The color TV set at home was moved to the yard on time every night, and it was already crowded with people. Even people outside the family yard ran in to watch. Fang Minghua couldn't see clearly from outside, but he could only listen to the song "The Great Wall Will Never Fall Down." To make people's blood boil.

Then feel free to write.

"Roadside Picnic" is a short story of about 20,000 words. After Fang Minghua finished writing it, Song Tangtang was his first reader.

The girl knew that he was writing these days, so she didn't bother him. Today she received a call from Fang Minghua and came over to see him.

Of course, I was not empty-handed. I was holding Mingqian Longjing, which was newly produced this year.

Fang Minghua was already used to the girl's care, so he picked up a small handful and brewed a cup to try it first.

Song Tangtang sat beside him and looked at his manuscript quietly.

Fang Minghua sipped tea and hummed softly, while Song Tangtang sat beside him and looked at his manuscript quietly.

红岩 上 红梅开
  Thousands of miles of ice under the feet

What is there to fear in the severe cold of March Nine

A heart of loyalty opens to the sun, opens to the sun
  Ever since watching Song Tangtang's solo dance under the moonlight in southern Xinjiang the year before last, Fang Minghua had become obsessed with this song and liked to hum a few lines whenever he had nothing to do.

He thought Song Tangtang needed to watch for a while, but he didn't expect that the girl was not slow to watch.

"finish watching."

"understood?"

"Well, you used a dream. It seems like it happened in another world. Time seems chaotic, but it's not like that."

"There are three time points in your novel. Chen Sheng and his wife Zhang Xi met eighteen years ago when they were building a reservoir. He was a good brother of Monk Hua. Monk Hua's son had his hand chopped off by his enemy. Chen Sheng avenged him, and the result Sentenced to nine years in prison.

Nine years ago, Chen Sheng was released from prison. Chen Sheng said that he learned a song in prison and wanted to sing it to his wife Zhang Xi. Huang San told him that Zhang Xi died of illness last year. Chen Sheng's mother once hoped that Chen Sheng could become a barefoot doctor and live a stable life.

Now the old doctor is cupping Lao Chen. Lao Chen said he wanted to take leave and go to Zhenyuan. The old doctor took out a photo and a piece of clothing and asked Lao Chen to bring them to Mrs. Lin.

Getting on the train, walking through the tunnel, and arriving at Dangmai, these were actually his dreams! After exiting the tunnel, I woke up from the dream and entered reality again. .Minghua, are you right what I said? "

"The core of the story is about the love between three generations, the old doctor and her sweetheart, Chen Sheng and his wife, the adult Weiwei and Yangyang, Minghua, right?"

Fang Minghua was greatly surprised when he heard this: "Okay, Tangtang, you are not only a good dancer, but I also found that you have strong logical thinking ability. You also quickly figured out the book "The Sun Also Rises" last time in your reply. Story clue."

"The last book was very obscure and difficult to understand, so I spent a lot of time on it." The girl smiled and said, "This book is relatively simple, but the text is more poetic!" "Do you like it?"

"I like it! I also like some of the poems in it! Can I read one to you?"

"Okay."

The girl picked up the manuscript and turned to one of the pages. She stood in the center of the room, looked at Fang Minghua, and recited with great emotion:

hands behind back

Tavern in the subtropics

Blowing in front of the door
  Sit down when it's late

Look at the soft lightning
  Carrying the city
  Subtropical monsoon river bank
  Fang Minghua decided to go to Shanghai.

This "Roadside Picnic" has been written. I need to go to Shanghai to revise the draft immediately. I can't delay it any longer.

So I asked for leave from my boss, then said goodbye to my parents, and carried my inseparable yellow satchel on my back.

I bought a hard sleeper to go to Shanghai and embarked on my journey eastward.

After a day and a night, we arrived in Shanghai on the second afternoon.

The train slowed down and blew its flute, slowly passing through the residential area. There were low bungalows on both sides, and pedestrians were passing by the tracks. They were still so calm when they saw the train coming.

Shanghai in the early 1980s was naturally not as prosperous as later generations, but it was still the most economically developed city in the country!
  It is now the rush hour for get off work, and there are a steady flow of old-fashioned blue buses and various cars on the street, but more of them are office workers riding bicycles, forming a sea of ​​bicycles.

Fang Minghua also saw a white car with a tough appearance that was very eye-catching.

The legendary car of the generation - Santana appears!
  After Fang Minghua got off the bus, he still bought the Zhangshen city map, got on the bus and went straight to the "Harvest" magazine on Julu Road, Jing'an.

By the time he arrived after get off work, Fang Minghua found a state-owned hotel nearby to stay.

In the evening, I took the bus to the Bund.

Oh my God
  so many people!

Fang Minghua was shocked by the sight in front of him.

Along the cement embankment wall of the Bund is the so-called Lover's Wall. It is densely packed with young men and women, almost all lovers! One by one, we made love to each other, making intimate gestures as if no one was around.

Lian Fang Minghua, an old man who had traveled through time, felt a little embarrassed when he saw it.

Isn’t it said that girls in the 1980s were reserved and conservative? Why are there so many people and so brave?
  In fact, he didn't know that it all boiled down to the housing issue.

After 1950, urban construction in Shencheng was in a state of stagnation for a long time, and housing was the biggest problem for people's livelihood. It is a common phenomenon in Puxi area for three or even four generations to live in a ten-square-meter room. It is even more common for two generations to share a room.

In this case, it is already difficult for couples to have sex. They need to find opportunities after their family members go out, otherwise they have to ignore ethics and shame.

Naturally, it is not easy for young people to fall in love. Although there are many shy men and women who have not even held hands after three years of dating, there are, after all, those young people who cannot restrain their "libido".

And the Bund is the best place.

Human psychology is wonderful. When people swarm, the instinct to follow the crowd comes into play. Although most men and women in this era are shy, we see bold couples embracing each other. The more men and women embrace each other, the more they feel ashamed and the courage to break through emerges from their shame.

Therefore, the Bund is really a good place for learning and realization, which has become a secret reason to attract couples who are trying to achieve a breakthrough.

Forget it, stop reading.

I can't sleep at night anymore.

Fang Minghua turned around and left.

(End of this chapter)