Chapter 52 postscript

It began serialization in Ming Pao on October 24, 1969, and ended on September 23, 1972.It was serialized for two years and eleven months.My habit of writing serials has always been to write a serial every day and publish it the next day, so this novel has been written continuously for two years and another eleven months.If there are no special accidents (there are always special accidents in life), this is my last martial arts novel. However, it is no longer like a martial arts novel, but rather a historical novel.When this novel was published in the newspaper, readers kept writing to ask: "Is it written by someone else?" Because they found that it was very different from my previous works.In fact, this is of course entirely my own writing.I am very grateful to the readers for pampering and pampering me. When they don't like a certain work or a certain paragraph of mine, they conclude: "This is written by someone else." A "ghostwriter" in mind.

It's completely different from my previous martial arts novels, and that's on purpose.An author should not always repeat his own style and form, but try to create something new as much as possible. Some readers are dissatisfied, for the character of Wei Xiaobao, the protagonist, is too contrary to the general values.Readers of martial arts novels are used to substituting themselves into the heroes in the book, but Wei Xiaobao cannot.I am sorry for taking some of the fun out of some readers in this regard. But the protagonist of the novel is not necessarily a "good guy".One of the main tasks of a novel is to create characters; good guys, bad guys, good guys with flaws, bad guys with good qualities, etc., can be written.In China during the Kangxi era, it was not impossible to have someone like Wei Xiaobao.When the author writes a character, the intention is not necessarily to affirm such a typical character.Hamlet is indecisive, Luo Ting can talk but can't do it, the priest in the novel commits adultery, and Anna Karenina betrays her husband. The author only describes such characters, and does not encourage readers to imitate their behavior. Readers of "Water Margin" had better not be like Li Kui, who robbed money after losing a bet, and don't be like Song Jiang, who killed his mistress who kept blackmailing him.Lin Daiyu is obviously not an object of imitation for modern female readers.The women Wei Xiaobao had sex with were not as many as Jia Baoyu. At least, Wei Xiaobao was not gay like Jia Baoyu. There were both Qin Zhong and Jiang Yuhan.When Lu Xun wrote Ah Q, he was not advocating spiritual victory.

If the characters in a novel are perfect, it is unreal.Novels reflect society, and there are no absolutely perfect people in real society.Novels are not moral textbooks.However, many of the people who read my novels are teenagers and girls, so I should remind these innocent children: Wei Xiaobao values ​​loyalty, which is a good character, and as for other behaviors, you must not follow suit. I have written twelve novels and three short novels.He once used the fourteen characters of the title of the book to make a couplet: "Flying snow shoots the white deer in the sky, and the laughing book hero leans on the biyuan".The last unimportant short story was not included.

The earliest began writing in 1955, and the last was written in January 1970.It took fifteen years to write fifteen short stories.Revision work began on the third of 1970 and ended in mid-1980, some for a decade.Of course, I did many other things during this process, mainly running Ming Pao and writing editorials for Ming Pao. One of the most frequently asked questions when meeting first-time readers is: "Which of your novels do you like best?" This question is difficult to answer, so I often don't answer it.As far as "I like it", I prefer the ones with stronger emotions: ,,,.People often ask: "Which of your novels do you think is the best?" This is asking about skills and value.I believe I have improved in the process of writing: the novel is better than the short novella, and the later one is better than the earlier one.Many readers disagree, however.I love how they disagree.

1981.six.two two