Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 32: Going to Southern Xinjiang to collect customs (please collect and vote for further reading)
  Fortunately, Du Pengcheng, vice chairman of the Writers' Association, walked in, and the conference room immediately became quiet. Fang Minghua quickly took out his notebook from his yellow satchel and prepared to take notes.

Du Pengcheng is sixty this year. After Liu Qing, another literary figure in Qin Province, died of illness three years ago, he is the only remaining outstanding figure of his generation and has a high prestige in the literary world of Qin Province.

Today he was wearing a blue Chinese tunic suit and spoke with a strong Guanzhong accent: "I have called you here today mainly to tell you one thing. The National Writers Association is going to organize a writer-collection activity and has assigned a target to our Xijing branch."

Writer collecting stories?

Good thing.

Go out for a walk, go deep into cities, companies and rural areas to accumulate materials for writing, not to mention this is an activity organized by the National Writers Association.

Isn’t one indicator a bit too few?
  Everyone started talking in low voices below.

But Du Pengcheng's following words surprised everyone: "This collection activity is mainly to the troops in southern Xinjiang. We will go deep into the front lines, understand the soldiers' battles and lives, discover touching deeds, and write high-quality military works."

Military work?

No one has written about this kind of subject, right?
  Everyone looked at each other.

We have to go to southern Xinjiang, where there is a war!

"Who is willing to sign up?" Du Pengcheng asked.

There was silence in the venue.

Du Pengcheng looked at everyone secretly anxious.

There is a lack of writers writing about military themes among the writers in Qin Province.

This may be related to the experience of these writers. Unlike writers with intellectual characteristics such as Liu Xinwu and Lu Xinhua from Yanjing, writers from Qin Province have more characteristics of worker and peasant writers: they are basically farmers and workers. Lu Yao, Chen Zhongshi and Jia Pingwa all wrote rural stories.

Why.
  I am getting older, and I am afraid of bringing trouble to the organization. Otherwise, I want to go to southern Xinjiang in person and go deep into the army, just like when I wrote "Defending Yan'an". As a war reporter, I moved to the northwest battlefield and became one with the soldiers. I will definitely write a touching novel.

But he is old.

"I'll go."

Suddenly a young man stood up and Du Pengcheng saw that it was Fang Minghua who had just joined the Writers' Association.

Of course he knows him, he's the magazine's janitor, but now he's the youngest writer in the Xijing Writers Association.

"Chairman Du, I am young and have not experienced war yet. I want to see it." Fang Minghua said.

Du Pengcheng greatly appreciated Fang Minghua's attitude, but he still reminded: "Comrade Xiao Fang, this interview is not for fun or freshness, but to write a work! In addition, there is still a war in southern Xinjiang, which is relatively dangerous. You have to think it through."

"I've thought it over carefully." Fang Minghua looked indifferent: "Someone has to do dangerous things, right? Besides, after all, we are going to collect stories and not really go to fight. Besides, we are going to collect news and not really fight."

At this point, Fang Minghua paused: "I have never written military works, but I want to try."

"Okay! Young people are very motivated! Comrade Xiaofang, then we recommend you to go. We will notify the leaders of the club. As for you, be prepared."

"Ok."

The meeting also discussed some things that the Writers Association had to do recently, and then adjourned the meeting.

"Xiao Fang, you really need to pay attention to safety when you go. Don't go to dangerous places." Li Tianfang warned.

"Don't worry, Sister Li, I will pay attention. I will definitely not go to dangerous places." Fang Minghua said jokingly, "I am still young and not married yet."

This moment made Li Tianfang laugh again.

"Look. You said you don't want to find a partner? Are you saying what's in your heart?"

"Xiao Fang, I admire you!" Jia Pingwa also chimed in at this time: "But Sister Li is right, you must pay attention to safety, we will have a drink together when we come back."
  Fang Minghua was a little bit dumbfounded. He just went to the front line to collect news, which made him feel like he was parting from life or death.

Fang Minghua is going to southern Xinjiang to collect news!

The news quickly spread throughout the magazine, and everyone started talking about it.

Some people praised Fang Minghua's courage, but some secretly called him a melon.

Writers go out to collect stories every year, so why do they have to go to that place?
  Of course, some people analyzed that this was because he had just joined the Writers Association and wanted to be in the limelight.

Of course, Fang Minghua doesn't care about these discussions.

Before traveling, he had seen and heard too much on the Internet, and he wanted to see this great war with his own eyes.

After I told my family when I got home, my mother was very worried: "Xiaohua, please don't go there. I heard it's very dangerous there, just in case something happens to you."

Dad Fang Changhe was calm: "I'm just going to collect news, not fight, what are you afraid of?"

Soon, the official documents for the interview in southern Xinjiang were distributed to the magazine. President Huang expressed his agreement with a stroke of his pen, and Fang Minghua immediately started preparations for departure.

In fact, there was nothing to prepare for. The janitor job was assigned by the leader of the unit, and I only brought some changes of clothes. Of course, there was one more thing, I was going to Western University. I couldn't take correspondence classes for a few months and had to ask for leave.

We are going to leave on Wednesday. Today is Sunday and we have to go to Western University to attend classes. After class, Fang Minghua found the Chinese teacher in charge of their class, Mr. Xu. He naturally knew Fang Minghua and admired this student who was serious in class and excellent in Chinese. .

But when Fang Minghua took out the leave request slip and the letter from his unit, he was still surprised.

"What? You are a member of the Writers' Association?! Then why are you taking correspondence courses?!"

Fang Minghua was very humble: "I just joined the Writers' Association. Besides, correspondence courses are not just about Chinese writing, but also English, mathematics, etc. I want to improve myself comprehensively."

"Hey, there is a writer in our class. As a Chinese teacher, I don't know how to teach." Teacher Xu said with emotion.

"Look at what you said. Teacher Xu, I still ask you to keep this matter a secret. There is no need to let more people know. I still want to concentrate on my studies." Fang Minghua reminded.

"I understand what you mean. Okay, just go and collect the news in peace, and pay attention to safety!"

Back in the classroom, Fang Minghua called Zhao Hongjun out again after class and told him this, which surprised him.

"Minghua, why did you go there to collect information? Do you know? There is a war in southern Xinjiang! A war!"

"I know." Fang Minghua said with a relaxed look: "I'm just collecting stories and not going to the battlefield, so what are I worried about?
  "You are just like Song Tangtang!" Zhao Hongjun sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Tangtang obviously doesn't have to go to the Southern Xinjiang Art Troupe, but she actually signed up to go on her own. I heard that she is currently performing on the front lines to express condolences. And you, you obviously don't have to go to the Southern Xinjiang Art Troupe, but you actually signed up!"

"I can't compare with Song Tangtang. I can only stay for two months at most, but he stayed for two years." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"It's the same anyway! Hey, Minghua, can you see Song Tangtang when you go to southern Xinjiang this time?" Zhao Hongjun asked.

"I don't know about this." Fang Minghua shook his head.

"When you see her, say hello to her for me. Be sure to pay attention to safety. Don't be so active. You always want to perform condolences performances with the company, and you are as tan as a loach." Zhao Hongjun said.

"As long as I can see her, I will definitely take your words with me." Fang Minghua said, and then asked: "Red Army, you are very familiar with Song Tangtang. What is your relationship?"

"That's my sister!" Zhao Hongjun replied lazily: "His brother and I are classmates in elementary and middle school. We live very close to each other and we have a very close relationship. As for her, she is a few years younger than us and she liked to run behind us when she was little. .”

That's it!

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  (End of this chapter)