Sun Yunxiao's long youth novel "Shaking Hands at the Age of Sixteen" (fragment)

Sun Yunxiao

Youth is a topic that never grows old.

Just as the sun is new every day, the youth of every generation is vivid, like a flower with dewdrops, so bright and so moving.

What exactly is youth?

Some people say that she is the dawn of life;

Some people say that she is the bud of life;

Some say that she is the first movement of the Symphony of the Times;

……

These parables are good, poetic, philosophical. However, in my opinion, youth is more like the second birth of man, and it can even be said that it is the birth in the true sense. She is a new great life force, like a round of rising sun that erupts from the darkness.

Since it is birth, it is difficult to avoid blood stains and cries, and it is always accompanied by severe pain and danger. However, the new vitality has amazing tenacity. Although her shoulders are young, they carry the floodgates of death, let their glory stain the sky red, and bring heartfelt joy and hope to mankind. Of course, there will also be unfortunate things, such as deformation in birth, suffocation in birth. It can be said that youth has both unparalleled brilliance and tragic splendor.

This is my general reflection on the fate of contemporary boys and girls. I say young boys and girls but not middle school students because some of the young people in adolescence are no longer students.

For a while, I received letters from more than 2,500 boys and girls. The reason for this is this: in the summer of 1990, one of my collections of essays, Reflections on the Age of 16, was published by the Children's and Children's Press, and then, at the invitation of two influential magazines, Young Literature and Art and Boys and Girls, I wrote two articles, "Who Will Hold My Hand" and "The Whip That Roared.". Maybe my works and articles are like monsters, which make it difficult for sensitive and thoughtful boys and girls to calm down, and they write to me to discuss various issues. I was deeply touched by their sincere and serious attitude.

I dare say that boys and girls are the most enthusiastic and honest readers. If their letters were merely compliments to me, or merely a desire to communicate with a writer, it would never excite me. On the contrary, they recognized me as a trusted friend, told me all kinds of secrets hidden in the depths of my soul, detailed some of the secrets that were ashamed to say, and even sent me diaries and "love letters" that they regarded as super secrets. At the same time, they commented on the work of me and my peers, unceremoniously criticizing and suggesting. Many of the letters are seven or eight pages long, which is quite difficult for middle school students who are highly competitive academically. A middle school student told me that in order to write this long letter safely, he used the cover of reviewing his homework to stay up until his parents had gone to sleep, because their parents had always opposed him from doing such things that had nothing to do with learning. Some middle school students said that this was the first time they had written to a stranger and opened their hearts for the first time...

These letters came from the southeast, southwest, and northwest of the motherland, some from the Coconut Grove of Hainan, some from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, some from the banks of the Songhua River, some from the Zhoushan Islands, and some from Shenzhen and Xiamen... Obviously different from the letters received by adults on weekdays, the letters from young boys and girls are folded very artistically, some are stacked in the shape of a boat, some are folded into girls wearing bucket hats, and more are folded into the shape of flying pigeons, and the eyes are painted on the head, triggering the recipient's infinite reverie.

After carefully reading each letter, I was surprised to find that most of the letters were around 16 years old and especially enjoyed discussing 16 years old. Maybe it was the title of my book, "Reflections on 16 Years Old," or maybe my question in the article, "What age is 16 years old?", which actually sparked a discussion about 16 years old.

I suddenly understood, just like early spring does not fully show the charm of spring, at the beginning of adolescence, young boys and girls in the great changes are busy, and it is difficult to calmly show the style of youth. When they are 16 years old or have experienced the age of 16, it is like raining over the sky, birds are singing, and poetry is like a spring tide. Although all kinds of ups and downs and tribulations are still entangled, this gives them the opportunity to try their first chances to understand society and life. The age of 16 is the age of poetry, the age at which the meaning of life begins to be realized.

What is youth? Youth is a rushing river, a river full of terrifying waves. Every boy and girl drove alone in a boat over this river of life. However, not every sailor can ride the wind and waves to the other shore safely. What river in the world has not swallowed up ships? Not to mention such a river full of reefs, such a group of sailors whose enthusiasm is greater than their senses!

What is youth? Youth is a towering mountain, a mountain full of clouds. Every boy and girl is a mountaineer with the dream of a conqueror. However, since it is a mountain, it is inevitable that it will be bumpy, inevitable the temptation of wildflowers and the danger of getting lost, and even inevitably infested with poisonous snakes and beasts. The god of the mountains and forests left only one secret - only the wise and brave have a way at their feet.

What is youth? Youth is a vast sea, a sea that does not see the sky. Every boy and girl is a stream, flowing into the sea with no choice. The stream is sweet, and the sea is salty, and it doesn't matter whether you like it or not. The reason is very simple: a person who eats sweets alone cannot strengthen his body, and only by absorbing salt will the bones become stronger day by day. Therefore, to embrace the sea is to embrace hope.

What is youth? Youth is a blue sky, a vast and boundless sky. Every boy and girl is a fledgling bird, longing to soar freely. However, if the test of the storm cannot be tolerated, waving wings in the sky means disaster. If you don't have a broad mind like the sky, you will be depressed even if you travel thousands of miles. Ah, let us look at the blue sky, it is an arena, it is a garden of joy, it is also a dictionary of youth!