Chapter 40: The Political Nature of Literature and Art
Director Yu's home is also in the faculty and staff family home. Like many faculty and staff, it has the same two-bedroom and one-living house.
This native of Xiangcheng, who was born in the Republic of China, is a typical traditional Chinese intellectual. During the period when he was born, China was in the transition from the old to the new. The political scene in Peking was more of a romance than a romance.
He studied traditional Chinese education in elementary school, and only in middle school did he have the opportunity to be exposed to foreign languages. It was only after he went to university in Peking that he had the opportunity to study in Europe and the United States.
Time flies, time passes, and decades fly by in the blink of an eye. Back then, a young lecturer in his prime had gone through the vicissitudes of life, and today, he has become an old man over fifty years old.
Lin Xiaoguang has collected a lot of information about Director Yu and has full respect for this old man.
Director Yu has a very good personality and does not put on any airs. When we met, he smiled and joked: "Classmate Lin Xiaoguang, you are a top student in our English class in the Humanities Department. I have been famous for you for a long time."
Lin Xiaoguang was very embarrassed: "The director was so complimentary."
Director Yu's wife was also there, an amiable old woman, who greeted him to take a seat familiarly: "Classmate Xiaoguang, sit down. I heard that you prefer rice, so I fried a few vegetables, hoping to suit your appetite.
."
The dean of the department invited him to his home for dinner, and it was the dean’s wife, Professor Yu, who cooked. It was such an honor. Lin Xiaoguang really didn’t know what to say. He had a smile on his face: “I’m not picky about food.
This dish looks very good. You must be a master at cooking and the food must be delicious."
"Whether the food is delicious or not, you can't feel it just by looking at it. It's like an article. You have to taste it slowly to understand the meaning inside. Xiaoguang, what do you think?" Professor Yu stared at him and said slowly with a smile.
Lin Xiaoguang smiled on his face, but there was a sudden feeling in his heart that there was something in Professor Yu's words.
"Let's eat." Director Yu raised his chopsticks, and dinner began.
There were not many people eating. Director Yu and his wife, plus teacher Yu Jianxin, and an outsider named Lin Xiaoguang, the four of them sat at a table around the coffee table, just like eating at home.
Holding a small bowl and eating white rice, Director Yu asked Lin Xiaoguang about his family affairs.
"Xiaoguang, I heard that your grandfather was from the Eighth Route Army?"
"My grandfather was captured in 1937. He first joined the 17th Route Army. During the Luoning uprising in Nanhe in 1945, the army formed the Northwest Democratic Alliance Army. In 1952, the army was reorganized into the Petroleum Army. After a few years of service, he became
He changed his career and returned to his hometown, working as a local police officer. After ten years or so, he retired due to illness and is now retired at home." Lin Xiaoguang recounted the story word for word.
"Speaking of which, your grandfather and I have some connections." A smile appeared on Director Yu's face.
"Really?" Lin Xiaoguang was even more curious, but he didn't find out this.
"Back then, Beijing Normal University moved westward, first to Chang'an and then to Lanzhou. At that time, the Shaanxi army left the border and rushed to the front line. As a representative of the faculty and staff, I had the honor to participate in the expedition ceremony." Speaking of this, Director Yu couldn't help himself.
Professor Yu reached out and grabbed his left hand. Director Yu came to his senses, shook his head and laughed: "When people get old, it is always easy to recall the past."
Lin Xiaoguang said nothing. It was difficult for him to answer this sentence because he was still young and had not experienced what happened in Director Yu's era, so it was difficult for him to comment.
"Xiaoguang, I heard that you have three children at Tsinghua University and Peking University. They are really amazing!" Professor Yu changed the topic.
Lin Xiaoguang was helpless. Many people would make fun of this question. Some people he could directly answer, but Director Yu and his wife could not. They had to come up with a nice answer.
"This is not a good policy of the country. If Professor Zha Quanxing hadn't suggested it and the chief architect had not restored the previous admissions system, no matter how good the children in my family were in their studies, they would not have had the opportunity to go to school. I would still have to thank the country and the party.
"He was very sincere and very grateful.
"Yes!" Professor Yu also sighed with emotion: "National policy is better. If the ten years of turmoil hadn't ended, us old guys might still be in the cadre school!"
"Why are you saying this in front of the children?" Director Yu glared at her.
Professor Yu knew he had made a mistake, so he just smiled slightly.
"Xiaoguang, I read the Youth Digest sample, and I think you are playing a big game, right?" She took the sample that was sent a month ago from the side.
"You saw through it." Lin Xiaoguang smiled shyly.
"Tell me what you think, just talk casually, don't feel pressured." Professor Yu encouraged boldly.
It was a rare opportunity to meet the head of the department. Lin Xiaoguang had been reborn for some time. The officials he had met were Li Jicheng, deputy director of Chang A County Revolutionary Committee, then Zhao Ziyu and her father, and finally the Tsinghua Humanities with administrative level in front of him.
Department Director Yu.
In the current era, if you want to do something that has a relatively big impact, it is really impossible without collective approval.
"I think so."
Who said that students can make mistakes? Since Professor Yu encouraged it, Lin Xiaoguang had no choice but to say boldly: "Tsinghua University and Peking University are in a competitive position. Either you are superior or I am inferior. Tsinghua Literary Society is better than Peking University May Fourth Literary Society. Although
It has a longer history, but due to the disadvantages of science and engineering colleges, its strength is not as good as the latter."
"So, if we want to restore the former glory of Tsinghua Literature Society, we must implement overtaking in corners. Now that the All-China Federation of Literary and Art Circles is implementing the Double Hundred Policy, it is a good opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, there may be no future..."
Lin Xiaoguang said it very seriously, which made Director Yu frown.
Professor Yu smiled and joked: "Xiaoguang, are you very concerned about current affairs? Even the National Federation of Literary and Art Circles meetings know about it."
Lin Xiaoguang chuckled: "Professor, if there was no resolution at this meeting, how would I dare to propose such a charter to the director."
"Are you afraid that you want to do more than just publish a magazine?" Director Yu shook his head.
"The director has a keen eye. I plan to make it a monthly magazine first, and then make it a bi-monthly magazine later depending on the situation." Lin Xiaoguang flattered him a little, and then continued.
"The first step of "Youth Digest" is to become famous in major colleges and universities in Peiping, become the first in the field of college social publications, and beat "Weiming Lake" with established facts. The second step is to rely on Peking.
The National Cultural Center will expand the influence of "Youth Digest" to universities across the country. By then, the Tsinghua Literature Society will naturally be stronger than the Peking University May Fourth Literature Society."
Lin Xiaoguang has great ambitions. Before "Reader" and the real "Youth Digest" came out, he wanted to be No. 1 in this field, but he didn't know if he could convince Director Yu.
"I knew you were up to something big, and I guessed it right." Professor Yu was overjoyed.
Director Yu did not smile, but frowned, obviously thinking. After a while, he said: "Your idea is very creative, but let's not talk about the back first, let's talk about the front. Can it become the number one literary magazine?
I think it’s a big problem.”
"Director." Lin Xiaoguang had no choice but to explain again: "This is what I think. The May Fourth Literary Society is still engaged in elite culture and disdainful of popular literature. The Federation of Literary and Art Circles meeting did not say that literature and art should serve the people. Therefore, the Tsinghua Literary Society
We must engage in popular literature and base it on the people. Even if we add millets and rifles, we can defeat the planes and cannons of the May Fourth Literary Society."
Professor Yu was immediately overjoyed.
Director Yu was also amused: "Okay, let's give it a try first. Do one issue first to see the reaction. However, regarding the review, you need to pay attention. You should always communicate with your teacher Yu. There are some things that are not suitable for publication at the moment.
It would be better to delete the article."
"The most important thing is that you must have a grasp of the political nature of literature and art."