【Literary Past】
Author: Chen Jiangong
I have been looking forward to the book "This Emotion Will Still Flow in Your Heart" published by Writers Publishing House and written by Hong Kong writer Poon Yiu-ming. Prior to the writing of this book, Brother Yao Ming had rummaged through boxes and sorted out the collection of modern literati calligraphy, paintings, manuscripts and letters, and held exhibitions at the City University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Baptist University respectively. Subsequently, he wrote down the ins and outs of some of the collections, plus his investigation of the life course and cultural achievements of these scholars and writers. I can't help but be happy that Brother Yao Ming found a brilliant angle to tell us these stories that have been accumulated for many years and are full of affection.
I have known Brother Yao Ming for 38 years. In China in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the country was just opening its doors and exchanges between all walks of life and abroad became increasingly frequent, the writers who took the lead in becoming active in the new era had various opportunities to visit Hong Kong. Pan Yaoming, who was then the head of Hong Kong's Sanlian Bookstore, became a well-known "residence master" in the mainland literary field. With his sincerity, modesty and rich academic accumulation, he forged a friendship with many contemporary cultural figures that survived after the disaster, and had close contacts with his contemporaries who were active in literature in the new period. My relationship with Brother Yao Ming also began at that time.
In 1994, the gathering was held in the "Reminiscences of Bitterness and Sweet Miscellaneous Courtyard" in Peicai Hutong, Beijing, from left: Chen Zufen, Zang Hong, Chen Jiangong, Jin Yong, Mrs. Jin Yong, Liu Mengxi. Photo by Pan Yaoming
In 1984, The Beijing writer Zheng Wanlong and I were invited to visit the United States for a month, and took advantage of the transit opportunity to stay in Hong Kong for a few days. During a tea party, Brother Yao Ming asked me and Zheng Wanlong if, after returning to the mainland, could we contact eight other writers on our behalf—Feng Jicai, Wang Anyi, Liu Xinwu, Jia Pingwa, Zhang Chengzhi, Han Shaogong, Mo Yan, and Shi Tiesheng—plus the two of us, to compile and select their respective works and introduce them to Taiwan for publication. In my understanding at the time, Taiwan had not yet lifted the so-called "martial law," and there was a certain risk in introducing works from the mainland. As one of the ten writers and the mainland matchmaker of this batch of manuscripts, I can't help but express my concerns to Brother Yao Ming. Brother Yao Ming said: The two sides of the taiwan strait are setting off a "mainland fever" and a "Taiwan fever" and publishing a collection of works by cutting-edge writers on the mainland, which is exactly what Taiwan readers are looking forward to. He also informed that it was Mr. Bai Yang who advocated the launch of this book in Taiwan and was willing to serve as the editor-in-chief. I have read Mr. Bai Yang's book, and I know that he has been in prison for more than 9 years because of the "Popeye incident", and now he is taking risks as a "previous crime". As a result, Lindbergh Publishing House published a ten-volume "Chinese mainland Writers Book Series", introducing the works of ten young and middle-aged writers to Readers in Taiwan. When I first interacted, I felt that brother Yao Ming was indispensable in our exchanges with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and even with the World Chinese creative circles.
Reading the book "This Emotion Will Still Flow in Your Heart" today, the figure of Brother Yao Ming's running back and forth has become clearer and clearer. The names of the scholars and writers involved in this book are all thunderous in the history of modern and contemporary Chinese scholarship and literature, and most of them should be regarded as Pan Yaoming's predecessors. From the books and inscriptions of the masters and the memories of Brother Yaoming, it is not difficult to read the simple, modest and rigorous personality of those predecessors, and also let us read the spiritual connection between Pan Yaoming and them. I was amazed by the talent shown in Brother Yaoming's articles, especially his familiarity with the works of each writer he knew and even the history of modern and contemporary literature. The past mentioned in the book, when I met with Brother Yaoming, I heard him mention fragments, and I also know that after the death of writers such as Ai Qing, Bingxin, and Ye Shengtao, Brother Yaoming and his family still maintained contact. The touching points have been recorded in the book and will not be repeated here.
The last article, "A Chapter Beyond the Handwriting: Me and Jin Yong", clarified various rumors, and Pan Yaoming stated that he was not "Mr. Jin Yong's secretary" or "Mr. Jin Yong's spokesman", but only "Jin Yong's small-character friends", and even said that he was a "humble student". This is Brother YaoMing's heartfelt words. However, as far as I know, Pan Yaoming, a "small character", is indeed trusted by Mr. Zha. The text is plain and meticulous to recall the bits and pieces of getting along with Mr. Jin Yong, affectionate and interesting. He received a message from Mr. Dong Qiao, and how unexpected and excited he was to learn of Mr. Jin Yong's appointment. After the greeting, Mr. Cha asked him to wait a while, and he moved to the side of the desk, writing something on his desk. After sitting for half a quarter of an hour, I first saw Mr. Zha get up with a note and hand over the letter of appointment of "ink fragrant nose" written by hand. This pair of "oblivious friends" with similar personalities and "clumsy words" speak with their own strong Chinese, you speak to me. Once, as Mr. Cha spoke, he casually got up, found a bottle of fine whiskey, filled it with a sauce for him, and then poured it on himself. There is no more politeness, each tacitly holding a wine glass, the wine is lifted in the air, the south is adjusted to the north, and the Yixing fly... This situation reminds me of "three sniffs of thin branches and cold buds, and a smile of plum blossoms", sniffing not flowers, but whiskey.
Mr. Cha and Brother Yao Ming also did not always sit alone. In the mid-1990s, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Jin Yong, and it was also because of the introduction of Brother Yao Ming, and that meeting was very lively.
It should be the end of October 1994, when I suddenly received a call from Brother Yao Ming, informing me to accompany Mr. Jin Yong to Beijing, stealing leisure, wanting to feel the old Beijing folk customs, asking if there is a good place to recommend. At that time, because I was writing "Beijing flavor novels", I was involved in the old Beijing folklore. At the time of the Opening Ofcai Hutong on Xidan North Avenue in Beijing, a new "Nostalgia sweet miscellaneous courtyard" was opened, and listening to the name of this restaurant, it was sometimes the taste of the change of the world, and you could feel the life of the old Beijing. Brother Yao Ming listened, and even said good, saying that Mr. Zha was going to find such a distinctive place. He also said that the party is not just for eating, such a leisure, is interesting.
I also suggested, why not invite Zang Hong, the currently active "shouting king", to help entertain?
The city sound of old Beijing attracted the attention of the folklore circles, which should be a matter of the early years of the last century, and since then many writers and scholars have been enthusiastic about this, and the ramblings have been mentioned many times in modern and contemporary novels and essays, and some people have even published monographs to elaborate. In the 1980s, at the Spring Festival Gala one year, the old artists of Beijing Renyi also performed "Old Beijing Shouting Suite". Zang Hong, who came from a family of shed craftsmen, lived at the bottom of Beijing since childhood, once made a living from small business, and after the founding of New China, he studied qu art, especially imitating the old Beijing shouting and selling. When I met Zang Hong, he had already dubbed for many film and television dramas such as "The Old Story of Seongnam" and "Four Generations Together", and he had performed for Hu Yuqing, and she praised him as the "King of Shouting and Selling in Beijing". Brother Yao Ming heard that I could invite Zang Hong, and was overjoyed, saying that it was better and better, Mr. Zha would definitely be very happy, and we were worth the trip.
I have forgotten whether it was Mr. Zha or Brother Yao Ming who did the east, but I remember that before the dinner was over, Mr. Zha secretly stuffed a red envelope for Zang Hong, because Zang Hong repeatedly pushed and gave in, but it became "all eyes". I had no choice but to persuade Zang Hong to accept it, saying that Mr. Zha was following Hong Kong's customs and please understand the good intentions. Invited to come to the gathering, there are also Liu Mengxi, Chen Zufen and his wife. Mengxi is elegant and subtle, and Zu Fen is girlish and lively, whether it is a recipe or a palm, it will always cause her to laugh crisply. The recipe of "Reminiscences of Bittersweet Courtyard" is indeed interesting: one page is "Reminiscences of Bitterness", with varieties such as wo wo tou, stick porridge, roasted sweet potatoes, vegetable dumplings and the like; the other page is "Si Tian", that is, fried lamb with green onions, soft fried tenderloin and the like. On that day, everyone sat around the table, and the topic revolved around the old Beijing snacks. Mr. Cha tasted the bean juice with great interest, and The lady sniffed it and sipped it politely. Talking about the overpass in old Beijing, Zang Hong couldn't stop performing—he raised his hand to cover his ears and shouted loudly. The sound was loud and long, as if it was going to penetrate the courtyard and disappear into the quiet alley... Those who sell rock sugar gourds, those who sell toad bones (tadpoles), those who sell melons, fruits, pears, and peaches, those who sharpen scissors and kitchen knives... Mr. Zha, who was not smiling at first, listened with great interest and sometimes couldn't help but clap his hands. I remember Mr. Zha also curiously asking Zang Hong, "Why do you keep your ears together when you shout?" Zang Hong said, "This is for the sake of the sound." Probably seeing that Mr. Zha was unfamiliar with Beijing, Zang Hong added: "The yangpai's statement is that I have to put this slap together to find resonance!" Everyone laughed, and the uneasiness of the master for the first time disappeared without a trace.
Being sincere and thoughtful, coupled with cultural interests, is the reason why Pan Yaoming is trusted and appreciated by the "yearless friends", and can then be pushed to the heart.
Frankly speaking, when I first opened the book "This Emotion Will Still Flow in Your Heart", I still had a little worry in my heart. I write about celebrities I know, and many of them are teachers I know. Of course, I believe that Brother Yaoming's style, the privacy gossip about celebrities, is certainly not the interest of Brother Yaoming. However, when I looked through the table of contents, I was shocked: the three men who had something to do with Ms. Xiao Hong— Xiao Jun, Duanmu Hongliang, and Luo Binji— all wrote about it, and wrote 6 articles, accounting for 25 pages. About Lao She, Hu Huqing and Zhao Qingge, he even wrote 8 articles. In addition, he also wrote about Shen Congwen and Ding Ling's "enmity and righteousness", the tragedy of Gu Cheng and Xie Ye, and even how Xiao Yingzi in "Ordination" became Wang Zengqi's "a dream of his youth"... These have been lively topics in the history of modern and contemporary literature.
Among them, Xiao Jun, Duanmu and Luo Binji are familiar to me, and we have coexisted in the writers' branch of the Beijing Municipal Federation of Literature and Literature for many years. I remember that as soon as I arrived at the Beijing Writers Association, I attended the PEN meeting held by the Coal Mine Culture Publicity Foundation in Datong Coal Mine with Mr. Xiao Jun, listened to him talk about the shaping of the image of the miners, and still exchanged greetings with Xiao Lao's daughter and son-in-law from time to time. I have also been a neighbor of Mr. Duanmu Hongliang in the "Red Hat Building" at No. 97 Qianmen West Avenue, and the old man has written the title of the novel and TV series "Imperial City Roots" that I co-authored with Zhao Danian. And Luo Binji, I still remember that at the meeting to discuss Zhang Jie's joining the party, he was full of emotions, talking about his interaction with Zhang Jie's parents when he was in exile in Guilin, and he even wiped his tears. It was then that I understood why Zhang Jie kept calling him "Uncle Luo Binji." I was so familiar with the three old men, and the story that happened between them and Xiao Hong, of course, I knew. After graduating from university, I was transferred to the Beijing Writers Association to engage in professional writing, and during a meeting, I suddenly saw three elderly people sitting in the same conference room, and I couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Secretly observing, between Xiao Jun, Luo Binji and Duanmu, they never spoke. As for the story between them and Xiao Hong, it is even more secretive. Although some researchers have published monographs, and there are also good people who add oil and vinegar, people who are generally familiar with each other are reluctant to mention it. I didn't expect Brother Yao Ming to face it without hesitation, and sometimes he would directly ask the parties concerned, and he would never hide the answers he received. I was convinced by his objective, listening position and the principle of presenting the views of all parties as comprehensively as possible. Of course, specific to a certain thing and a certain person, there will definitely be different interpretations and different views. It is inevitable to continue to discuss and explore. However, Yao Mingjie's investigation and statement shift the reader from the curiosity of gossip to the understanding of complex life under different era conditions, the understanding of the emotional process of writers with different personalities, and the understanding of complex human nature that is difficult to hide. This is valuable.
With this kind of cognition, we can understand why these narratives, analyses, and speculations of Brother Yao Ming are fascinating and can beat our souls.
I think this is the beginning of understanding writers, understanding literature.
Guangming Daily (2022.04.29. 15th edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily