The story, story and textual modifications of The New Children's Heroes

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, there were countless battles, wars, and heroic figures emerging in various base areas, centering on activities such as rent reduction and interest rate reduction, joining the army and supporting the army, military struggle, and united front. For a long period of time, various relations, including the Japanese army, the puppet army, the nationalist army, the Eighth Route Army, and the local bandits, were intertwined in Jizhong and various forces were lost and lost, and all kinds of small and medium-sized guerrilla warfare and ambush warfare that occurred in the area centered on Baiyangdian were innumerable. The labyrinth of reeds, the haunting "Wild Goose Plume Team", the endless anti-Japanese heroes, and the intricate historical relationships all provide rich materials and profound themes for literary creation. This is also the root cause of the emergence of many literary classics in Jizhong, such as "Little Soldier Zhang Ga", "Lotus Flower Dian", and "Armed Forces Behind Enemy Lines". Similarly, yuan jing and Kong Yue's "Biography of the New Children's Heroes" is also a work of art based on typical characters and stories during the Jizhong War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and generated after artistic processing, and its creative background, skills and stories are also closely related to the natural shape and history of the Anti-Japanese War in the Baiyangdian area of Jizhong Province. It has spread rapidly and widely among readers at all levels since its initial publication in The People's Daily in May 1949. Thus, Jizhong, as the base area of the Anti-Japanese Resistance Against Japan, and Jizhong, as the object of literary writing, mutually corroborated, supplemented, and explained each other, and with their unique presentation methods and effects, confirmed each other's important position in the literary history of the Liberated Areas.

Regarding the motivation, process and purpose of the creation of "The Biography of the New Children's Heroes", Yuan Jing elaborated in a conversation, she and another author, Kong Yue, because they have worked together for a long time, they are quite familiar with the relevant characters and stories, and the understanding and practice of the spirit of the Yan'an Literary and Art Symposium are highly consistent, so although it is a co-author, it is not separated. They first listed major events, wrote outlines, and then jointly deliberated the storyline and formulated the structure of the novel, and then Yuan Jing wrote the first draft, and Kong Yue was responsible for the revision and polishing of the text, and finally completed the first draft after constantly soliciting the opinions of the leaders of the party committee in Jizhong and cadres and masses from all walks of life. The characters in the novel have factual basis, but most of them have been synthesized and processed, that is, the heroic deeds of the real characters have been transferred to the characters such as Niu Dashui and Yang Xiaomei, and then through cross-telling, they concentrate on reflecting the history of the War of Resistance in the Jizhong base area and revealing the growth of young people in the war environment. For example, niu Dashui's heroic struggle experience and spiritual outlook in the chapter "The Moment of Life and Death" are mainly based on the prototype of a heroic figure named "Zhang Fusheng", supplemented by others (such as Zheng Shaochen, the captain of the "Yanling Team"), and then comprehensively constructed. Yang Xiaomei is also based on several prototypes, as Yuan Jing said: "Some of her models are still working locally, some have gone south, and some have been sacrificed." Among them, the unfortunate encounter and struggle experience of Ma Shufang, who was the director of the Women's Federation at the time, were the first motivation that inspired Yuan Jing to decide to shape this typical. Zhang Huizhong, who served as a district civil affairs assistant and a member of the Women's Federation, expanded his legendary story. This fully shows that "The Legend of the New Children's Heroes" has facts to rely on from the characters to the story, although the names are fictional, but some plots or many details have a certain non-fiction. This kind of literary creation, which is based on ability and force in presenting the overall historical landscape, can also be seen as an image record of a period of history in the form of a novel. Because of this record, the anti-war deeds of the "Yanling Team" in Baiyangdian were gradually legendary, and their transformation from ability to novel story, that is, witnessing the evolution of literature or literary generation. However, this kind of simplified treatment and similar "evolutionary" writing also has the suspicion of weakening and obscuring the cruelty and complexity of the course of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in Hebei, which is undoubtedly a regret of this book.

Whether in the Liberated Areas or during the "Seventeen Years" period, the primary duty of writers as literary and artistic workers was to serve the Party's revolution and construction. One of the important reasons for the "explosion of popularity" in the Liberated Areas in 1949 and its subsequent fame is that compared with many contemporary texts, it has irreplaceable missionary value and exemplary significance in the discourse field of "New China" because of its timing. From the story level, the novel mainly tells the story of the struggle process of Hei Lao Cai, a communist party member who returned to his hometown, organized a group of civilian anti-Japanese armed forces composed mainly of peasants to negotiate with the Kuomintang and Japanese puppet forces, and although they experienced a series of setbacks and sacrifices, they finally won victory. In this process, it is interspersed with the growth experience of a group of young people from the countryside during the War of Resistance, especially highlighting the spiritual transformation of Niu Dashui and Yang Xiaomei in their emotions and struggles. The image of Black Lao Cai's fortitude and leadership ability obviously show the pillar role played by the party in the War of Resistance. The encounter between Yang Xiaomei and Niu Dashui and their struggle experience from hesitation to firmness and from spontaneous to conscious are obviously also showing the party's strong leadership and cultivation achievements. The portrayal of villains such as He Shixiong and Zhang Jinlong is even more judgmental of good and evil, and its counter-contrasting power very clearly shows the author's writing intentions. The above shows that in the process of evolution from the skill to the story, the practice of the author's concept first and directly cutting into the theme was promoted as the most important quality, both at that time and in the "seventeen years" period. In today's view, this does have its conceptual drawbacks, but the combination of literature and politics and its super-literary appeals, especially in the era of popularization, writing for workers, peasants, and soldiers, popularization and improvement have become the main theme and main demands of the times, and its achievements and boosting role in these aspects also show its most important value at that time.

Of course, the literary value and significance of "The Biography of the New Children's Heroes" does not stop at the above conclusions. As one of the important masterpieces of the "New Hero Legend Novel" in the Liberated Areas, it has been serialized in the literary and art edition of the People's Daily (May 25 to July 12, 1949) and first published by Haiyan Bookstore in October of the same year, and has been deeply loved and discussed by readers and experts and scholars at that time for its vivid telling of the story of the eight years of anti-Japanese resistance in Jizhong Province, the concentrated shaping of new character images, and the creative absorption and transformation of folk art, especially the mass language and traditional chapter body. At the same time, as one of the typical texts that successfully practiced the spirit of Mao Zedong's speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art, the "Biography of a New Children's Hero", which was "born" on the eve of the founding of New China, has also been popularized because of its exemplary practice of popularizing and popularizing literary and artistic trends, especially the effective demonstration effect of "popularizing and improving literature and art", and has become a representative work of literature in the Liberated Areas and the literature of workers, peasants, and soldiers in New China. In fact, as early as 1950, through the interpretation and promotion of "important people" in the literary and art circles such as Guo Moruo, Xie Jueya, Wang Yaping, Xiao Yimu, and the rapid and wide dissemination among the vast number of readers through newspaper serials, book publishing and film adaptations, its thematic connotation and artistic characteristics of the "red classic" were reinterpreted in the "contemporary" dimension, and thus further consolidated its status as a literary history classic. Born in the "modern" context, "The Biography of the New Children's Heroes" absorbs and shares the revolutionary connotations and art forms given by "modern Chinese literature", and at the same time, it is deeply rooted in the "contemporary" context, interpreting and participating in the construction of the original appearance of "contemporary Chinese literature". This dual value and significance is precisely the new dimension that we need to pay special attention to and explain again when we re-read classic works in the Liberated Areas such as "The Biography of new children's heroes" created on the eve of the founding of New China today.

There are many editions of "Biography of new children and heroes", the most common ones are: "People's Daily" in early 1949, Haiyan Bookstore in early 1949, People's Literature Publishing House in early 1956, Writers Publishing House in early 1963, People's Literature Publishing House in 1977 and 1978. In addition, there are the 1950 film edition (script) of the Times Publishing House, the 1978 rural edition of the People's Literature Publishing House, and various picture album editions. If it can be said that the change from the first edition of the People's Daily in 1949 to the first edition of Haiyan Bookstore was only a few text modifications, and basically did not involve changes in the semantic system of the text, then the change from the first edition of the People's Literature Publishing House in 1956 and the first edition of the Writers Publishing House in 1963 to the 1978 edition of the People's Literature Publishing House was manifested as an all-round change from rhetoric to the text system. Here, only some of the important different texts that appear in the early 1963 edition of the Writers Publishing House (hereinafter referred to as the Writers' Society Edition) to the 1978 edition of the People's Literature Publishing House (hereinafter referred to as the Humanities Society Edition) are briefly sorted out and briefly explained.

On page 1 of the Writers' Club edition, there is "Niu Dashui is twenty-one, and he has not yet married his daughter-in-law", and the Humanities Society edition changes the age to "twenty-three". On page 10 of the Writers' Club edition, there is "Singing the March of the Volunteers: Rise, / People Who Don't Want to Be Slaves! / Build Our Flesh and Blood / Build Our New Great Wall", and the Humanistic Society edition is changed to "Sing the March of the Great Knife: The Great Knife Cuts the Heads of the Devils! / Brothers of the National Armed Forces, / The Day of the War of Resistance Has Come, / The Day of the War of Resistance Has Come". The third paragraph on page 19 of the Writers' Club edition reads: "After the two men were cut for a while, Shuangxi whispered again: 'Dashui, I ask you, do you think it will be good to practice communism in the future?' DaShui said stupidly, 'Communism, not my land?' I still have five acres of land!' Shuangxi straightened up and nodded at him with a small scythe and said, 'You fool! What are you doing with all five acres of land?"' The water was still cutting, and Shuang Xi said angrily: 'Don't cut it, let's go!' The two men carried Chai He on their backs and returned without saying a word. The humanities society version deleted the third paragraph and added: "Then asked: 'How do you see the black old Cai?' Dashui immediately replied, "Then you still need to say!" He's such a good look, and I'm most convinced of him! I'll do whatever he says!' Shuangxi nodded. They cut it for a while, and then they came back with firewood on their backs." On page 28 of the Writers' Edition, there is "Still singing the 'Youth March': Forward!/ Chinese Youth! / Fighting Forward! / Chinese Youth." On page 29 of the Humanities Society edition, there is "Still singing the "New China March": My Heroic Chinese Youth / Hurry up, / Get up! / Go to the front line together." On page 101 of the Writers' Edition, "Spring and autumn come, and the enemy's 'great sweep' begins." This brutal 'May Day Sweep' was in 1942. At the beginning of page 101 of the Humanities Society edition, adds: "1942 -- In the fifth year of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army led by the Communist Party and the Communist Party grew day by day, and the newly established anti-Japanese base areas and peasant guerrillas grew from scratch, from small to large, and became stronger and stronger in the war." This made the Japanese devils gradually understand that the Kuomintang was not terrible, and that the Communists were the ones who were in the heart of the Kuomintang, so they transferred the main forces against the Kuomintang to deal with the Communists and launched a large-scale attack on various anti-Japanese base areas. In Jizhong, the brutal 'May Day Sweep' began. ”

The fourth paragraph on page 104 of the Writers Club edition was completely deleted in the Humanities Society edition. On page 110 of the Writers' Club edition, there is "Xiaomei has a grievance in her stomach and sits on the temple platform and cries." Think of enemies everywhere. A group of comrades died, scattered scattered, big water, double happiness, black old Cai... I don't know if I'm alive or dead, how can I win the War of Resistance?" The Humanities Society edition deletes the last sentence. Page 141 of the Writers' Society edition reads, "Just whisper the Youth March: Forward!/ Chinese Youth! / Fight Hard! / Chinese Youth! / China is just like / Ship broken in a storm, / We must know / Today's danger; / With all strength / Strive for victory tomorrow!" Page 147 of the Humanities Society edition was changed to "Just sing the New China March in a low voice: My heroic young chinese hurry up, / Get up!" Go to the front together, / Forty million awakened masses / No longer endure the devastation of this tyranny! / The blood of the full heart has boiled, / The tears of the heart will not dry, / Do not sweep the violent enemy and vow not to be born, / Do not restore the land and vow not to return!"

The above different texts can be roughly divided into three categories: one is to render momentum, elevate the character image, or directly strengthen the text modification of the theme presentation. For example, the "Youth March" was replaced by the "New China March", and its grand style and momentum stood out; Through the mouths of characters or direct discourse expressions, the mainstay role played by "Party organizations" and "Communist Party members" in the course of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was strengthened. The other is to delete sentences or paragraphs that express low emotions, negative emotions, and show the backward appearance of our masses. For example, such as "How can the War of Resistance be victorious?" Communism, communism my land?" Women chased bare butts, devils clapped their hands and laughed" and other inappropriate sentences or paragraphs were all deleted. Other discourses, such as the vilification of the masses in page 101 and the promotion of pessimism in page 111, were also deleted. After this change, the 1978 version has become a "clean book", the theme is more prominent, the road is brighter, and the characters such as Black Old Cai and Niu Dashui have been raised again. Obviously, the first two modifications are deeply imprinted with the imprint of the concept of precedence, the face of the characters is more prominent, the theme presentation is more direct, compared with the first edition of the Writers Publishing House in 1963, its literary nature has been weakened. There is also a change made to meet the requirements of current politics. There are two main points for this: one is to change the age of Niu Dashui from 21 to 23 years old to meet the minimum age requirements for marriage (the marriage law at that time stipulated: "Men must not be older than 22 years old"); Another is to change the author's signature from "Yuan Jing Kong Jie" to "Yuan Jing and other works" (the 1956 edition, the 1977 edition, and the 1978 "Rural Reader Edition" of the People's Literature Publishing House are also signed "Yuan Jing et al."), which may be the result of the publisher's intention, but how to understand and judge is obviously not uniform, and the writers' publishing house still signed the names of the two in the early 1963 edition, which is a good example.