Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 200 Letter from Qin Bei

The year 1984 is coming to an end. Although it is the end of the year, great events are still happening in the literary world.

First of all, the selection activities for the 1983-1984 National Outstanding Novels and the 1983 National Outstanding Short Novels are in full swing.

The jury published the list of candidates for winning articles in People's Daily and Guangming Daily, encouraging readers across the country to vote enthusiastically.

The candidates are all famous works from this period, including more than 20 short stories including "The Story of Queue Jumping" by Shi Tiesheng, "Topics in June" by Tie Nian, and "Oh, Little Stallion" by Zou Zhian.

More than 30 novellas were selected, including "Nineteen Tombs in the Mountain" by Li Cunbao, "The Red Shirt Without Buttons" by Tie Nian, "The King of Chess" by Acheng, and "Twelfth and First Month" by Jia Pingwa. .

One novella and one short story each written by Tie Nian from Baoding were selected, making him a rising star in the literary world.

Among the many novellas selected, one is very eye-catching, both in terms of author and subject matter.

Author: Minghua!

A well-known avant-garde writer in China, in the 82 session, he won an award for a novella and a short story respectively. He is a very active young author in today's literary world. At the beginning of this year, he completed a novel of more than 60 words, "Crossing Guandong".

In the second half of the year, I suddenly became interested in science fiction novels. I wrote four short and medium science fiction novels in one go, including "Country Teacher" and "Solar Catastrophe". There is also a novel serialized in "Science and Literature".

The nearly dead domestic science fiction market suddenly became active.

What's even more unexpected is that "Country Teacher" has suddenly appeared on this year's shortlist of outstanding novellas.

This is the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China that science fiction novels have appeared in a mainstream literary awards competition.

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Suddenly there were cheerers and critics.

In fact, this novel was published in July and has already caused great controversy, but this time it became completely popular.

Letters from readers flew like snowflakes to the magazine "Science and Literature" and the author Fang Minghua.

"Brother Minghua, your letter."

Fang Minghua had just gone to work in the morning, and before he had time to light up the briquette stove, he saw Zhang Baofu walking in with a smile and a few letters.

Since Fang Minghua privately told Zhang Baofu not to let anyone else collect his letters, he would personally deliver them as long as they were letters from Fang Minghua.

"Thank you."

Fang Minghua took it and flipped through it casually. It seemed that they were all letters from readers.

I have received a lot of letters from readers recently.

Are you like Zheng Yuanjie who bought several houses specifically to store readers’ letters?

Forget it, stop pretending to be so cool.

You can buy a house, but there is no need to store the letter.

"Brother Minghua, let me help you burn the coal stove." When Zhang Baofu saw that the fire in the stove had not started yet, he was about to grab the briquettes with the tongs.

"No, no, I'll do it myself." Fang Minghua stopped him.

He was not old enough, so there was no need for others to take care of him. Zhang Yanqian next door began to offer to help him burn the coal stove, but he declined.

"Brother Minghua, it's okay. You're busy. I'm better at burning the stove than you." Zhang Baofu said.

Fang Minghua understands.

He said that a few years ago, when he was still working as a janitor, Zhang Baofu was almost the one doing the cooking, and he often couldn't burn the stove.

Seeing that Zhang Baofu insisted on doing it, Fang Minghua didn't insist anymore, so he took the thermos bottle to the boiler room downstairs and queued up for two pots of boiling water. By the time he came up, Zhang Baofu had already lit the coal stove, and billows of water were coming out of the chimney leading to the window. Black smoke.

"Brother Minghua, I'm leaving. If you need anything, just call and I'll come up." After Zhang Baofu finished speaking, he was about to leave, but was stopped by Fang Minghua.

"Wait a minute." Fang Minghua took out four apples from the drawer of his desk, put them in a net bag and handed them to Zhang Baofu.

"Take it back and give it to the child."

"Ah? This? Brother Minghua, you often give me things, but I'm embarrassed to take them."

"It's not for you, it's for your son. Be careful, don't let the child eat it when he is still young. Be careful of choking. It's best to mash it and feed it, you know?" Fang Minghua warned.

"I know, then I'll take it? Thank you." Zhang Baofu happily walked away with his net bag in hand.

The apples were brought by Song Tangtang. The girl likes apples very much, but Fang Minghua is not very interested in them and often forgets to eat them. Sometimes they break when left in the office, so she gave them to him when she saw Zhang Baofu coming over today.

Zhang Baofu got married last year, and his baby is just over one year old. He is very cute with a tiger-like head and a big head.

The temperature in the room gradually rose. Fang Minghua made himself another cup of tea and began to read letters from readers.

His principle is: read all letters carefully, but do not necessarily reply, except for those that are deemed worthy of a reply.

Some are encouraging, some are discussing.

One letter was saved by Li.

Since going to Yanjing in the spring of 83 to attend the National Award Ceremony for Outstanding Short and Novella Novels, the two have never met each other and only communicated with each other occasionally.

Today, in his letter, Li Zuan congratulated Fang Minghua for making the science fiction novel shortlist for being selected as an outstanding novella. He also said that he envied you very much because you can handle any subject matter, while I can only write military novels.

Although you only write military novels, each of them is excellent.

"Wreaths under the Mountains", and this article "Nineteen Tombs in the Mountains".

The letter Li saved is to be returned.

There is also this letter, which is from the Qinbei Plateau. It is actually written by Li Yuanfu, the teacher of Guanjiabao Primary School where Shi Tiiesheng and others jumped in line. There is also a detailed list of fund use inside.

The content of the letter was relatively simple. First, it was to thank Fang Minghua for the remittance. He used the 4,000 yuan to hire someone to build a new three-hole cave house for the school. Two serve as classrooms, separating the third grade students. Another hole was used as the school's reading room, and some new desks were added.

When I had some money left, I went to Xinhua Bookstore in the county seat and bought some fairy tales, comic books, and short story books for these lower grade students to read.

"I originally wanted to buy that science fiction novel collection you wrote, but considering that the children can't understand it, I forgot about it."

"The article "Country Teacher" you wrote, we talked about it during the meeting with the teachers in the countryside, and many of them have read it. They may not like science fiction novels, but they all like this article you wrote."

"Thank you, someone finally pays attention to us rural teachers. Although we are not as noble and great as Teacher Li in the book, we all work hard to teach children, worthy of our own conscience and this meager salary."

"I encourage them to vote for your novel. Is it a small favor? You are welcome to come to Qinbei next time."

Fang Minghua looked at it and was speechless.

My own ability cannot change the current situation of these unknown and dedicated grassroots teachers, but I can improve the situation of Guanjiapu Primary School where Teacher Li works.

Since children like reading books so much, why not buy some books suitable for children and mail them to them?

Although knowledge is not so great that it can change the fate of the entire human race as written in novels, in this era, it can really change a person's fate.

In the evening, Fang Minghua saw Song Tangtang and told her about it, and the girl agreed very much.

"Minghua, let me handle this matter.

The awards for outstanding short and medium novels are in full swing, and another major event in the literary world has also begun to quietly take action.

The selection activities for the second Mao Dun Literature Award have also slowly begun.

(End of this chapter)