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Lu Yao: Affectionately write about ordinary workers

Lu Yao: Affectionately write about ordinary workers

"Ordinary World" is a famous novel completed in the 1980s, which vividly portrays the great changes that took place in the 10 years before and after China's reform and opening up and the image of ordinary strivers with realistic brushstrokes. Its author is the famous writer Lu Yao.

Lu Yao, formerly known as Wang Weiguo, was born in December 1949 to a poor peasant family in Wangjiabao Village, Qingjian County, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province. At the age of 8, he was passed over to his uncle and moved to Guojiagou Village, Yanchuan County, Yan'an City, a hundred miles away. At that time, people's lives were generally hard, but Lu Yao's adoptive parents still gritted their teeth, collected tuition fees, and sent him to school.

In 1969, Lu Yao, who pursued progress, joined the Communist Party of China. In 1972, he and Gu Xi and others founded the "Mountain Flower" literary and art tabloid, and published many of his early works such as "Fusheng Red Flag" and "Cornerstone" on it. After making a name for himself in the literary world and achieving minor achievements, Lu Yao was recommended to study in the Chinese Department of Yan'an University. There, he continued to absorb literary nutrients and made a lot of solid preparations for the future take-off of literature.

After the reform and opening up, the young Lu Yao turned his attention to the real life in the change of art creation, and began to pay attention to the emotions and destiny choices of young people. He spent three years and three drafts to create the novella "Life", which was finally published in the 3rd issue of Harvest magazine in 1982. As soon as "Life" was published, it aroused widespread concern from all walks of life, produced a wide range of social impacts, and effectively stimulated the young people at that time to think and choose about the "fate of the motherland and the future of mankind". Two years later, the film of the same name adapted from the novel", "Life", was released, and its influence continued to ferment, which also profoundly changed Lu Yao's fate and made him one of the famous writers.

However, Lu Yao did not indulge in flowers and applause, but was determined to take the road to a higher level and write more and better literary works. To this end, he carefully studied nearly a hundred domestic and foreign literary works, and carefully read newspapers and periodicals such as People's Daily and Guangming Daily to understand the background of the times and major events involved in the works he was conceiving. In order to go deep into life, he carried a large box full of books and materials, returned to northern Shaanxi, returned to the yellow land he loved, went to the mine in the Yakou Coal Mine of the Tongchuan Mining Bureau, and walked into the masses to understand the joys and sorrows of the people, what they thought and hoped for. After making full preparations, Lu Yao went to Tongchuan Chenjiashan Coal Mine, Yulin Hotel, Ganquan County Guest House and other places, and began a three-year arduous and long writing process of "Ordinary World".

At the end of 1986, the first part of "Ordinary World" was published in Flower City magazine. However, due to various reasons, the novel did not attract enough attention from all walks of life at that time. In the face of adversity, Lu Yao was not discouraged and always adhered to his literary concept and writing methods. Finally, at his insistence, the second and third parts of "Ordinary World" were published by the China Literary Association Publishing Company in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Since then, this long work of more than 1 million words spanning 3 years and condensing Lu Yao's 6 years of hard work and sweat has finally come out, and has been deeply engraved into the history of contemporary Chinese literature and the spiritual life of Chinese. In 1991, "Ordinary World" won the third Mao Dun Literature Award. In November of the following year, Lu Yao died young due to illness.

"Labor like an ox, dedicate like the land" is Lu Yao's lifelong belief. In December 2018, he was awarded the title of "Pioneer of Reform", and in September 2019, he was awarded the honorary title of "Most Beautiful Strivers". He affectionately depicted ordinary working people, and used his works to inspire generations of Chinese especially young people to be upward and self-reliant, actively participate in the torrent of the times, and play a song of the times.

(Source: Party Building Magazine, No. 2, 2022, Author: Wang Biwei, Author Affilications: Party Building Magazine)

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Lu Yao: Affectionately write about ordinary workers

Producer/Li Xiaobiao Editor/Liu Wentao Editor/Bai Mengjie Production/Bai Mengjie

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