●Jiang Chung
"Ruins and Rainbows" is a wall of remote background, artistic conception of the high artistic conception of the golden relief, it is the hammer and chisel of the meticulous carving of the results of labor, is dedicated to a great era of removing the old cloth and the new, carrying forward the past and forging ahead into the future.
Before I started writing, I mentioned to a few amateur writers that they were going to write a novel about the 80s, and they were quite excited about it, and encouraged me to say that it was an unpopular and good topic. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter what others say, the point is that I have a special affection for this period, leaving an unforgettable impression, and I don't write about it.
What is the main theme of this novel? The ruins are a metaphor for the predicament of the city and villages that are in ruins after ten years of turmoil, and the rainbow symbolizes the hope for the future and the bright prospects that can be seen and reached in the eyes of the people after the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee. Between the two, there may also be a snow-white and piercing zero degree line, that is, a new starting line, indicating a promising pursuit of the journey, which is in the inevitable and motivating progressive form. In connection with this, what precious memories did the 80s leave behind? At that time, the people dispelled the shadows on their souls, the whole society was thriving, peaceful and tranquil, idealism, collectivism, and romanticism were all brilliant and beautiful popular colors, the fine traditions and work styles of arduous struggle and thrift in building the country occupied the mainstream, the folk customs were simple and pure, the people's spiritual outlook was vigorous and upward, and everyone believed that the motherland had a bright future and that individuals had a bright future. However, in people's eyes and hearts, a timeline as an intergenerational marker needs to be moved forward, and it takes the starting point of the great social change that conforms to the will of the people as the zero degree line, and it has become accustomed to extending the starting point of the 80s to the smashing of the "Gang of Four" in October 1976, the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977, and the convening of the Third Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee at the end of 1978.
During those unforgettable years, the Communist Party of China (CPC) dared to face reality, uphold the truth, correct mistakes, and lead the people of the whole country to embark on a righteous path of reform and opening up on earth with great political courage, strategic boldness, broad-mindedness, and outstanding foresight. Looking back at that great era, the scenes are still heartstrings: at that time, people would get up before dawn and rush to the front of Xinhua Bookstore to queue up to buy new books, at that time, a movie was screened and its theme song would spread quickly, at that time, learning from Lei Feng to do good deeds was everyone's conscious action, at that time, people were jealous and hateful to harm the public and private, and used power for personal gain, at that time, people were not only tolerant but also longing for new things, at that time, everyone was red-faced and red-faced to identify difficult and heated discussions, but they were not afraid to grab braids, buckle hats, and beat sticks. The wise policy of cherishing talents has promoted the upsurge of knowledge among the whole people to study hard and move toward modernization. Frankly speaking, at that time, the organization selected and employed talents, adhered to the supremacy of political integrity and ability, emphasized quality, and stressed principles, and countless grassroots talents without any background were always taken by Bole without their knowledge, and they did not need to play "tricks," "tricks," engage in "operation," and carry out "backstage." At that time, it was rare for leading cadres to dare to commit public anger and engage in personal speciality, which is simply inconceivable from today's point of view!
That great era is really like a beautiful rainbow rising from the clear sky after a storm, she does not hang in the sky, but always shines in the hearts and minds of every hot-blooded tide people.
In the autumn of 2017, during a special meeting held by the Sichuan Provincial Prose Literature Association in Luzhou City, I went for a walk on the bank of the Yangtze River with the late well-known writer Wu Songqiao and Li Hua, then the chairman of the Zigong Writers Association. As for whether this novel is well written or not, whether it can be published or not, I don't care, I just want to write it. He suggested that I learn from the writing characteristics of Yan Zhen's "The Water of the Waves" and encouraged me: "You don't have the burden of fame and fortune, and it is just easy to write well with this mentality." "After Wu Songqiao added a fire, and returned to Zigong, I focused on making novels for more than a year, and I mention this episode here to express my gratitude to this excellent writer with noble character and high-end works.
The 80s was an era of change in which ideas were stirring, ideas collided, and new things were constantly emerging. "Ruins and Rainbows" takes the implementation of reform and opening up in Nanchuan as the background of the story, and takes the life trajectory of the young cadre Kuang Wangping as the main line, focusing on portraying the veteran of the New Fourth Army, Cai Hua, a retired cadre of the prefectural party committee, Huang Heqing, secretary of the county party committee, Jiang Dehua, the head of the organization, Liu Xiangqian, secretary of the district party committee, Peng Dagui, Guo Tongli, secretary of the commune, Zhuo Jiawen, a grassroots cadre, Fu Dan, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency, a veteran of the expeditionary force, and Li Guoying, a painter who has suffered a lot of hardships. Jiang Xiaobai, a college student, and other characters from all walks of life with their own personalities, with the depth of the great era, the ups and downs of the great fate, vivid plots, and vivid images, to objectively narrate and deeply perceive the necessity of urban and rural reform, as well as the inevitability of historical logic, linger throughout the heartstrings of the policy of sincerely supporting the benevolence of the people, and cast an admiring gaze on the social backbone that does not need to be expressed in words. In this novel, there is no lack of scenes of opening and closing, the conspiracy of the grass snake gray line, and the unexpected suspense, with a realistic tone that takes turns to show all kinds of social roles with high or low status, and looks back in front of the reader to interpret a period of times that is both overwhelming and breathtaking.
It took me two years to write "The Ruins and the Rainbow", put it on hold for a year and then revised it, and when I finished it, I still wrote my debut novel "Bird Through the Clouds", and first passed it on to my trusted and respected Fushun sage, the winner of the first National Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Book Editor Award, and the former deputy editor-in-chief of Chongqing Publishing Group. Unexpectedly, Yang Xizhi replied to me, he didn't give anyone a preface in the past, and he was a little hesitant. I told him that I trusted him very much, that this Master of Arts who graduated from the Department of Chinese at Sichuan University in the early eighties was a scholar Lin Qiaochu, who studied Lu Xun's writings with profound knowledge, profound knowledge, gentle temperament, and thoughtfulness, and that I had a "Bazi impression" of his writings: objective, rational, pertinent, and modest. Yang Xizhi saw that I had made a deliberate and careful choice, so he agreed to my request. After getting Yang Xizhi's preface, I began to ask seniors, friends, and literary friends to seek a way out for "Ruins and Rainbows", and Huang Changjun in Beijing, Gu Xiangyu, Hu Ge in Rongcheng, Shi Yibai in Yangcheng, and Wen Huaiqing in Yandu have worried about it, and several well-known publishing houses in China have also communicated and negotiated with me. Under the circumstances of similar conditions, I decided to choose Chongqing Publishing House, the reason is very simple, my debut novel "Bird Through the Clouds", which has won the first prize of the "China Educated Youth Writers Cup" global essay competition, belongs to the first and second editions of Chongqing Publishing House, and "Ruins and Rainbows" is its sister article, Yang Xizhi is also a teacher and friend, and the well-educated editor Zhou Beichuan has always been rigorous and sincere, they have spent so much effort for their humble work, how can they not cherish it, how can they live up to it?
Here, it is necessary for me to mention the trust and support of Liu Jianyong, the current party secretary and chairman of the Zigong City Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and when I met him by chance, I briefly mentioned to him the plot outline of the clumsy work "Ruins and Rainbows", and he said to me with great interest, you are writing about the theme of reform and opening up in the 80s, and praising the line, principles, and policies since the Third Plenary Session of the 11 th CPC Central Committee. I added with a little concern that I was a general citizen, and did not occupy the port of any associations or societies, and perhaps no one communicated to me. He replied heartily, "We'll inform you!" and sure enough, he hadn't forgotten. In addition, the leaders and editors of the Zigong Daily, the organ of the municipal party committee, far exceeded expectations and gave me too much attention and care, they sent a strong combination of words and photojournalists, interviewed me on the status of my creation, and as the cover of the special issue of the centenary of the founding of the party to promote to the society, I am ashamed that my horse's teeth have increased, and I have wasted my years, I really can't afford such a solemn courtesy, and I am terrified, how dare I dare to take a seat in the text? "Ruins and Rainbows" is still going through the process in the publishing house, Wang Shiyuan, Chen Xingsheng, deputy directors of the Zigong City People's Congress, He Weiping, Zhong Chang'an, former vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Ni Wenyuan and other respected veteran leaders of Delong have repeatedly expressed their expectations for the clumsy work. Zhao Yongsheng, former political commissar of the Armed Forces Department of Fushun County, Wang Wu, director of the Culture, Culture and History, and Study Committee of the Zigong CPPCC, Wu Heping, Yin Yiyao, and Yin Yumei of the Tengchong City Cultural Center and Heshun Town Library in Yunnan Province have either created good conditions for me to experience life in the border city, or provided me with precious cultural and historical materials; there are also many respectable municipal party and government leaders, department heads, and township sages Gong Huankai, Nie Jingwei, Wang Xiancang, etc., who have given me valuable support and encouragement in different ways, which I will not mention one by one.
Special thanks are needed: After the third review procedure of the Chongqing Publishing Group and the final approval and resumption of the project by the Propaganda Department of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chen Dabin, a national authority on the "three rurals", a famous writer, a strong promoter and drummer of China's rural reform in the 80s, and a media giant who has been in charge of the pen administration of the "Lookout" news weekly for a long time, Meng Xiangyong, a famous writer who has trained a large number of new literary talents and president of the Chinese Educated Youth Writers Association, and a famous writer who is active in the literary and calligraphy circles, and Chongqing "Hongyan" Liu Yang, editor-in-chief of the magazine, Ou Zhide, a well-known military and local amphibious writer, former vice chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman and secretary general of the Writers' Association, and editor-in-chief of "Frontier Literature"; and Deng Li, a famous writer and professor at Southwest University who has cultivated peaches and cultivated Li for decades and has written many books, enthusiastically recommended "The Ruins and the Rainbow" to readers; Li Jiajian, a leading writer in the literary circles of Zigong City and a national first-class writer, not only placed expectations on my writing novels on the theme of the 80s, but also worked hard and changed several drafts to write a passionate recommendation poem "Dedication" for "The Ruins and the Rainbow".
In "Ruins and Rainbows", the author is faithful to life, and objectively and coldly reproduces the realistic scenes of the transformation of light and dark, the intersection of truth and falsehood, the contest between good and evil, and the contrast between beauty and ugliness, but more than 90% of the characters in the book can be called "good people", and they can leave a familiar and intimate deep impression. Looking closely at the many characters in the novel, it is not difficult to see that their tired footprints and the ruts of social development frequently overlap, and personal honor and disgrace are closely linked to the rise and fall of national fortunes. The author came out of the storyline that he had already felt empathized with, and was reborn without discrimination from the characters in the book. Undoubtedly, "Ruins and Rainbows" is my tribute to the great era of grace and countless "good people" and the pen of gratitude writing, full of wind and clouds, full of scenery, full of love, full of expectations, it is an inspirational fountain to chase the future, a heart of the heart to look back, like erecting a monument to the eventful years!
Thank you for the countryside in Znianzi, thank you for the benefactors and old people who dream of God, thank you for life, thank you for fate!