Chapter 3 3. Resign from office

Tu Guangqun, an old editor who worked at "People's Literature", recalled that one day in 1953, when Ding Ling came to the editorial office of "People's Literature" at No. 3 Xiaoyang Yibin Hutong to chat with everyone, someone asked her about her future creative plans. She said, A writer should devote his main energy to writing, what kind of writer is he if he doesn’t write works? Zhang Fengzhu also said: "In the 1950s, I read a letter written by Ding Ling to Qiao Mu. I also hoped that I could resign and let her engage in creative work. I remember a sentence in her letter saying that 50 years old is a painful experience for lesbians. age."

As far as temperament is concerned, Ding Ling is a person who does not want to be an official and only wants to write. She does not like to manage people and affairs, but only loves freedom.What's more, Ding Ling's official position is not very satisfactory. In November 1979, in her speech at the Third Writers Congress, she recalled when she was the Director of Literature and Art in the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and said: "When I went to the Literature and Art Department, Comrade Qiao Mu talked to me three times. I said, I am not the material, let me do the creation. Comrade Qiao Mu also said that I support your creation, knowing that you are not a person who does work, but there is no way now, you have to do it for a period of time. I went, in I've been "mixing" there for more than two years, and I didn't do any work. I don't even have a desk there! Comrade Yan Wenjing can prove it! Comrade Qiao Mu said, give Ding Ling a desk and a house, and let her come every day Office. But no one gave me a desk, and no one gave me a house. Every time I go, I either sit at Lin Mohan’s desk or Yan Wenjing’s house for a while, and I’ve been doing this for more than a year.”

At that time, the Central Propaganda Department was working in Zhongnanhai, and there were only three people in the literature and art department, Ding Ling, Lin Mohan, and Yan Wenjing.She feels tired.Later, she recalled the situation at that time and said: "I personally lacked work experience. At that time, I was also in charge of the specific work of the Institute of Literature and the "Literary Newspaper". I was also the editor-in-chief of "People's Literature". I asked Comrade Qiao Mu Just focus on the Department of Literature and Art, and find someone else for the rest of the work. Comrade Qiao Mu promised to find someone else. Therefore, I had a heavy burden at that time. The work was complicated and I found it difficult to handle, and I was in a state of desperation."

Being an official is not good, but her creation is affected. The prose close-up collection "Ou Xing San Ji" published in June 1951 contained 18 articles in total. I wrote on and off in Beijing for a year. In August 1956, Ding Ling reviewed her own work in the review book and said: "On the one hand, I feel that I am not competent, and on the other hand, because of the contradictions in creation, I often take responsibility and place myself outside the leadership. Especially When the work is complicated, difficult, or not smooth (this is inevitable in work and in life), I don't know how to rely on leaders and organizations, I am not good at getting help from organizations, and I don't pursue to understand these things. ; and I can’t bear the burden of hard work and persist in my work, but I’m afraid of trouble, complexity, struggle, criticism, and making mistakes. Instead, I feel that I’m not understood, feel wronged, and shrink back, escape reality, and focus on creating. I don’t have enough understanding of the seriousness of my weaknesses and mistakes, and I always excuse myself with the views of ‘I am specialized in creation, and the job is too unsuitable, as long as I can leave the job, or it will not have a big impact’ ".

Ding Ling can write articles, speak and make reports, but she may not be able to manage people, affairs and administration.She is not very good at dealing with complex interpersonal relationships. She lacks, or more precisely, is unwilling to learn and master the qualities that leading cadres must possess.Throughout her life, Ding Ling has always been a cultural person and a writer. She is a good writer, but she has never been a good material for an official.Her interest is in writing, and her specialty is also in writing. She is very clear about what she is suitable for and what she is not suitable for. She has self-knowledge.After receiving the Stalin Prize for Literature and Art, she became more confident in her creative ability, and became more eager to write another successful work. On August 4, 1952, she wrote to Xu Guangyao, who was experiencing life on the Korean battlefield, saying: "Because you have published a book, you have readers, and your readers and friends will ask you to follow up and write a second book." Good book." This is also her own voice.There is an opinion that the later "one book doctrine" originated from this.

What Ding Ling values ​​is not high-ranking officials, but works. She believes that works can better explain a person, and the effect is long-lasting. As long as there are works, no one can defeat them. But to concentrate on writing, she must step down from the leadership position. She holds many important positions, and it is not easy to hide and retreat.Just at this time, she had a reason to retire smoothly: her back pain worsened, she couldn't stand up when sitting, and couldn't sit down when standing. After examination, the doctor diagnosed three-stage lumbar hyperplasia. In September, Ding Ling was admitted to Beijing Hospital for treatment.

On September 4, 1985, Chen Ming and Ding Ling recalled the past when they talked at Union Hospital. Chen Ming said, "Your back hurt at that time, and you couldn't get in by car. Once you got in, you couldn't climb out or stand up."Ding Ling said: Feng Mu also said that day that I was "restless" when I held meetings in the 1950s. Back pain is an old problem. In the winter of 1946, when she was writing in Shoutouwan Village, Fuping County, Hebei Province, her back hurt so badly that it was difficult to walk two miles to the district party committee. You have to rely on a hot water bag to fall asleep.She endured illness to complete the novel.This time the illness was even worse. In October, she wrote a report requesting her resignation from several positions, including director of the literature and art department of the Central Propaganda Department, secretary of the party group of the National Association for Literature and Art, and deputy editor-in-chief of "People's Literature".After submitting the report, she went to Luda University to recuperate.During her convalescence, she received a notice from Vice Minister Hu Qiaomu, who agreed with her opinion and removed her from the positions of Director of the Literature and Art Department of the Central Propaganda Department and Secretary of the Party Group of the All-China Cultural Association.