Chapter 877 Semi-hidden life
Hunan Province also arranged for the shortlisted and award-winning writers who participated in the award ceremony, as well as the jury members and other guests to visit Juzizhoutou, Yuelu Mountain, Tianxin Pavilion, and the former residence of the great man for two days before the entire agenda was completed.
Fang Minghua did not follow Bai Miao and the others on the plane back to Xijing, but embarked on a journey to find Han Shaogong alone.
Miluo, where Han Shaogong lives in the countryside, is an administrative county in Yueyang. It is close to the east bank of Dongting Lake and the lower reaches of the Miluo River. Fang Minghua set off in the morning and took a train to Miluo County for an hour. He also asked for the location of the bus station, but did not give Han Shaogong any information. He made a phone call and took a minibus bound for Bajing Township to Qunying Village where he lived.
Fang Minghua got off the car and asked Han Shaogong where he lived at the end of the village. A fellow villager immediately enthusiastically gave him directions.
"Writer Han, I know, he lives there. If you walk along this road, you will see it when you get to the reservoir."
Fang Minghua walked along the village path with his luggage bag, and soon saw the reservoir. A two-story building was located beside the reservoir.
The style of the small building is almost the same as that of local rural houses, with red brick walls, black tiles, and wooden doors and windows. There is a yard in front of the small building. There are bayberry trees, orange trees and other trees in the yard. There is also a pergola with a small dining table inside.
Fang Minghua saw Han Shaogong sitting in the pergola, resting and smoking.
Wearing an ordinary T-shirt, trousers, and sandals, with his trouser legs rolled up high, at first glance, he looks like an ordinary farmer.
Han Shaoye noticed Fang Minghua walking towards him with his luggage bag, and immediately greeted him with a smile.
"Hey. Minghua, why don't you call in advance and I'll pick you up in the county seat."
"Is there anything I can pick up? I'll ask as I'm walking." Fang Minghua replied, and then looked at the environment of the small courtyard.
"Well, yes, this place does have green mountains and green waters."
Han Shaogong smiled and put Fang Minghua's travel bag into the house. At this time, Han Shaogong's wife Liang Xuali came out of the house, greeted him with a smile, and asked him to wash his face at the tap beside the yard.
After Fang Minghua washed his face, he immediately felt much better. Liang Xuli brought a big teapot from the house and poured Fang Minghua a cup of herbal tea.
"Minghua, try the tea I grow and process it yourself. Although it is not as good as the Longjing tea from West Lake and the Baisha green tea from Hainan, it still has a unique flavor."
"You still grow tea?" Fang Minghua was surprised.
"Haha, the tea garden is on the hillside next to the reservoir. In addition to growing tea, I also grow vegetables, raise chickens and ducks."
"Young Master, you are living Tao Yuanming's secluded life." Fang Minghua exclaimed.
"Beans are planted at the foot of the southern mountain, and the grass is thick and the bean sprouts are sparse." Han Shaogong recited a line from Tao Yuanming's "Returning to the Garden and Living in the Fields", and then said with a smile: "I can't reach the realm of Mr. Wu Liu, but living here is indeed better than living in a big city. Much cleaner.”
Fang Minghua took a sip of the tea. The tea was a little bitter in the mouth, but not astringent. It gradually became sweet after entering the mouth. Drinking a cup of herbal tea like this on a hot day is refreshing.
Yueyang is originally the place where tea is produced, such as Junshan Silver Needle, Yueyang Huangya, etc. This tea tastes very much like Junshan Silver Needle.
The two started chatting, and Fang Minghua said: "I originally wanted to come to you with He Liwei, but he said there was an emergency at work, so he didn't come."
Hearing Fang Minghua say this, Han Shaogong's expression changed: "He Liwei? Fortunately he didn't come, I don't want to see him yet!"
"What? Do you have a conflict with He Liwei?" Fang Minghua was a little curious.
Han Shaogong became famous very early. In 1985, he served as vice chairman of the Youth Federation of Hunan Province. But in 1988, he left Hunan Province and went to Hainan. At that time, He Liweiye had just graduated from the Luyuan Academy's workshop. He could only be said to be a rising star in the literary world. The two probably did not have much intersection.
After listening to Fang Minghua's question, Han Shaogong laughed: "He Liwei and I have no personal grudges. I just can't stand these people. What has happened to the well-behaved Hunan Writers Association!"
"What?"
"You don't know that some time ago, two old writers from Hunan Province, Yu Kaiwei and Huang Heyi, announced their withdrawal from the Hunan Writers' Association!" "Ah?!" Fang Minghua was surprised.
Although the Writers Association is only a mass professional group and it is a personal freedom to withdraw, these two people are different.
Yu Kaiwei is the deputy editor and reviewer of "Furong" magazine of Hunan Province Literature and Art Publishing House. He is also a senior critic and has written critical articles such as "Kneeling at the Feet of Truth and Virtue" and "The Metamorphosis of Literature".
Huang Heyi is also an old writer who has written novels such as "Tokyo Trial". It is said that he is also an honorary academician of the Royal Union Academy of Sciences and an honorary doctor of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong.
It is indeed a big deal for two people to announce their withdrawal from the Writers Association at the same time.
"The current Provincial Writers' Association is overstaffed and full of contradictions. Everyone wants to be a leader and they don't focus on creation. Joining the Writers' Association can improve one's status, so many young people want to join. The quality of the entire Writers' Association is low. You Do you know how many members there are in the Hunan Writers’ Association now? The entire Chinese Writers’ Association only has over 3,000 members!”
Fang Minghua was also surprised when he heard this data.
Qin Province is also considered a cultural province, but there are only more than 500 members of the Writers Association.
"The leaders of the Hunan Writers' Association, including He Liwei, are not to blame for the current situation of the Hunan Writers' Association! He still has the nerve to come see me?!" Han Shaogong finally said.
"Okay, please stop saying a few words. You are not a member of the Hunan Writers' Association now. Why do you care so much about others?!" Liang Xuli said angrily, sitting next to Han Shaogong.
Han Shaogong glared at his wife: "I just can't stand it! I don't say anything when others come, but I can't say a few words when Minghua comes?!"
In fact, the phenomenon mentioned by Han Shaogong has appeared more or less in various provincial writers' associations, including Qin Province. However, the leadership team of the Qin Province Writers' Association have relatively good personal relationships. Each has a profound literary foundation and has its own representative works, so everyone Very convinced.
But after these people retire in a few years, I wonder what will happen?
However, Han Shaogong also changed the topic, and the two talked about winning the Chinese Literature Award again.
At noon, Liang Xuli prepared some stir-fry dishes. After dinner, he arranged accommodation for him upstairs and took a break at noon. In the afternoon, when the sun went down, Han Shaogong took Fang Minghua around the village.
The villagers seemed to be very familiar with Wu Gong. Many people greeted him with a smile, and he also smiled.
The next day, Han Shaogong also took Fang Minghua to the Miluo River, where Qu Yuan threw himself into the river.
Standing on the river bank and seeing the sparkling waves on the water, Han Shaogong sighed with emotion: "Qu Yuan was a great poet, but also a politician and thinker. It's a pity that great ambitions are hard to achieve."
"The road is long and long, I will search up and down." As he said, Han Shaogong recited Qu Yuan's famous lines.
Fang Minghua listened quietly and said nothing.
Han Shaogong is not a pure scholar.
But unlike Zhang Xianliang in Northwest China, who is engaged in business, he is full of insight and reflection on society and culture.
From resolutely going to Hainan in 1988 to run "Hainan Chronicle" to reforming "Tianya" magazine in the mid-1990s, his thinking touched on almost all major issues in contemporary China, and even gave his own opinions, so he sometimes seemed out of tune with reality. Even hit a wall.
"Hainan Chronicle" was banned 14 years ago, and now he has resigned as the president of "Tianya" magazine.
Fang Minghua admired him very much for this.
After playing in Bajing Township for two days, Fang Minghua said goodbye and prepared to return to Changsha and then Xijing. Before leaving, Han Shaogong suddenly asked.
"Minghua, do you know Professor Ouyang Youquan of Central South University?"
(End of chapter)