Chapter 45 Nineteen, I like this (1)

Two days after the novel "Group" was published, a staff member of "People's Literature" magazine rode a motorcycle to my home at No. 27 Xiaorongxian Hutong, Xisi North, and sent me a manuscript fee of 476 yuan. 476 yuan, equivalent to more than 5 times my monthly salary of 87 yuan, 60 cents and 4 cents.This is also earth-shattering. First, I heard the explosive reaction of the comrades who were seated in the work department to the novel: mainly "this is not the case here" and the like.In fact, most of these people are my acquaintances and friends.Then, the magazine "Literary Learning" edited by Wei Junyi and Huang Qiuyun started a discussion on "Group".I couldn't have been happier when I received this issue of this massively discussed magazine.The title of the first article that praised the novel unreservedly was "The Torrent of Life is Running".The second one is harshly critical.A criticism pointed out: Lin Zhen is not a revolutionary breakthrough but a petty bourgeois fanatic.A group of young writers, including Liu Shaotang, Cong Weixi, Shao Yanxiang, and Liu Binyan, all wrote articles praising this novel.And a group of comrades-in-arms of my Communist Youth League cadres, including Li Youbin, Dai Hongsen, Wang Enrong, etc. wrote articles criticizing it.These latter people are also my friends, acquaintances and half-acquaintances. Comrade Wang Enrong is still my old classmate. I introduced him to join the peripheral organization of the underground party.In terms of identity, I am exactly between the two groups of people who are in favor of and against.However, I am also the author of the novel, and I have an untransferable and unshirkable responsibility for the novel.This itself is also strange.

Seeing that the work caused such a big commotion, seeing people arguing about "Organization Department", and seeing the frequency of the word "Wang Meng" appearing so frequently in the neatly lined typefaces, I was mainly complacent.I like this, I like being five people, I like being famous, I like being the center of attention, I say this in my mind, rather embarrassed to say it. At the same time, my revised draft of "Long Live Youth" has passed the third review of the China Youth Society.We made a contract and I got an advance payment of 500 yuan. It's also considered an overnight success, although the claim is disgusting.Mr. Mei Duo, the staff of Pu Xixiuming, head of the Beijing office of Shanghai Wenhui Daily, who is preparing to republish, and the famous film critic Mei Duo, approached me for an appointment.They have already learned from the Writers Association and other places that my novel will be published soon.Comrade Liu Baiyu, the leader of the Writers Association and a veteran writer, wrote an article in the "People's Daily" to predict the achievements of new literary talents. He said that Zhang Xiao's "Starlight on the Construction Site" and Wang Meng's "Long Live Youth" reflected the achievements of new literary talents.So people from Wen Wei Po brought the advance payment of 500 yuan in cash and demanded that the full text of "Long Live Youth" be serialized from January 1, 1957 onwards.I told them that the story of the novel is not strong, and it may not be suitable for newspaper serialization.But they insisted on loading.

In January of the following year, I didn't see the serialization in the newspaper. I asked what was going on, and after a while, they said that they planned to publish a 50,000-60,000-word series.I was upset, so I returned 500 yuan and announced that the matter was over. At the same time, the tone of criticizing the Group gradually increased.A few rumors emerged. Editor-in-Chief Zhang and Deputy Editor-in-Chief She of "China Youth Daily", two leaders who cared about me, supported me and had a good personal relationship with me, talked to me. They were worried. They thought I had made a big mistake. They told me that someone had Compare this article with Wang Shiwei's.They prepared me mentally to be self-critical.They also quoted a female leader comrade from an old district who had just been transferred to work in our district as saying: "Wang Meng, you are a bit disobedient."

At the same time, Wei Junyi and Huang Qiuyun, the editor-in-chief and deputy editor-in-chief of "Literary and Art Learning", which organized the discussion, also approached me to talk, saying that they did not expect this matter to be so big and it would not end well.Huang sighed again and again, recited the words in the novel, and expressed that he might encounter trouble, while he himself appreciated the novel a hundred times.His performance was both moved and helpless.Wei expressed his respect and love for me, and at the same time tried to help me realize some flaws in the novel so that I could deal with criticism correctly.Wei's lover was Yang Shu, who was then the Secretary of Culture and Education of the Municipal Party Committee. I knew that Wei's opinion contained the meaning of the city leaders, and I had to listen carefully.

Jun Yi also conveyed Yang Shu's criticism of my prose poem published in the supplement of "Beijing Daily", saying that the article did not show the characteristics of the times.Yes, I wrote about time, but I didn't deliberately write about the characteristics of the era such as the eradication of counter-revolutionaries, cooperation, and the general line.But I think that the kind of cherishment and sensitivity to time is definitely not what the literati in old China could write. At this time, the education and training of the party that I had received since I was a child took effect.If there is, change it, if not, encourage it.I said that I must listen to opinions carefully, raise awareness, reflect on myself, and be happy if I hear it.At the same time, I also defend: "Group" is not something of the opposition party.Of course, no matter what the motivation is, if there are serious consequences, I should face up to it and learn from it.

In February 1957, Wen Wei Po suddenly (I feel it was a sudden) published a long article by Li Xifan, which severely criticized "Team". From a political point of view, it simply exposed and criticized the novel to the hostile side, with the intention of killing it with one blow. .I was taken aback. It wasn't that I didn't think of the small troubles in getting along with the newspaper, but I was sober. Fighting against the opposition in politics needs to be taken seriously. This is a big thing, while other things are just small things. I can't let go of the burden of my glorious history, I can't believe that Li Xifan is more revolutionary than me, and I can't accept that Li represents the revolution to expose me.I quickly wrote a letter to Comrade Zhou Yang, the recognized supreme leader in the literary and art circles, explaining my identity, asking for advice and advice.

I had heard Zhou Yang’s report as early as when the middle school students’ summer study group was in charge of the meals. The relevant leaders also specifically mentioned that the students in the new liberated area only knew Ding Ling and Ai Qing, so how did they know Zhou Yang’s status and influence!