Mr. Ma Shiqi and I gathered less and more, but even if we didn't see him for a long time, we couldn't forget him.
He met Ma Shiqi at a meeting in February 1981. At that Symposium on Literary and Art Creation in Ziyang County, nearly 30 writers and literary and art lovers gathered, one of whom was dressed in a police uniform, medium-sized, and had big ears, who looked very capable and eye-catching, and he was Ma Shiqi, from the Ankang Branch of the Xi'an Railway Public Security Office, the Ziyang Railway Station Public Security Police Station. As a literary youth from a grassroots school, I felt fresh about everything at the meeting, and the names of the participants were written down, but I only knew Ma Shiqi and did not communicate in depth alone. After the meeting, we went our separate ways and there was no contact. In the past few decades, many acquaintances of literary and art lovers have been indifferent to time, and even forgotten without a trace, but Ma Shiqi has always been a stubborn existence.
Ma Shiqi (fourth row from right, first from right) and Zeng Deqiang (third from left in the third row from left) attended the Ziyang County Literary and Art Creation Symposium held at the Ziyang County Guest House from February 21 to 26, 1981. Photograph: Wang Qianguang
Ma Shiqi worked at the Ziyang Railway Station Public Security Police Station in March 1981. Photograph: Wang Qianguang
I know that he was later transferred to Ankang and then to Xi'an. Not because he "goes high", but because of the works he publishes from time to time— the "business card" that a writer, critic, and calligrapher does not send out. For example, after he left Ziyang, I saw his calligraphy works hanging in the hall of Ziyang Railway Station, the "Nanshan Bao" organized by the Ziyang County Aging Committee was the masthead of his inscription, and the "Lucky Treasure Book" published by Wen Youtian was the title of the book he inscribed... How can such a person who is everywhere hot and glowing, forget it!
On March 23, 1985, Ma Shiqi wrote calligraphy for passengers outside the waiting room of Ankang Railway Station. Photo: Ji Hui
The second time we met was in June 2007, when I was working at the Ankang Municipal People's Congress. This afternoon, I received a phone call, introducing myself as Ma Shiqi, who was traveling from Xi'an to Ankang, and asked me if I had time and wanted to meet and talk. I haven't forgotten him, and he hasn't forgotten me! Friends from afar are happy, and I immediately welcome them. Although we have not met for more than twenty years, we have no sense of strangeness, talk about the past, exchange reading experience, literary creation experience, and seem to have endless words. I gave him three books, including my own collection of reportage, "There is a Sun in My Heart," and he told him: Sign, and don't write words like "Yazheng", but write them in a targeted and commemorative way. Oh, before I gave books to others, I have not met the master who has made special requests for the content of the gift, this horse teacher is quite interesting, but the requirements are not high, just obey the order. After a little thought, I wrote on the title page of the reportage collection "Top of Life" that "travel thousands of miles, read thousands of books, and send ten thousand works." On the title page of the long-form reportage "The Pain of China - The Secret of the Medical Industry Insider", it is written that "Humble gifts to friends, courtesy is light and affectionate." ------------------------------------ The conversation learned that he was a hard-working, well-read writer, good at thinking and summarizing, and at the same time, he felt that he was a very enthusiastic and sincere good friend worth interacting with.
On June 14, 2007, Mr. Ma Shiqi (left) and the author were in the office of the People's Congress of Ankang City. Photo: Wang Jing
More than a month later, Ma Shiqi called and said that he had read the book I sent, and praised "The Pain of China - The Secret of the Medical Industry", and pointed out the flaws in the proofreading and other aspects of the book, saying that if it was republished, it would have to be proofread and revised. He was justified and had to marvel at his extreme enthusiasm and sincerity for his literary friends. I have given a lot of books to others, only after I joined the Chinese Writers Association, the number of books I gave to others is also hundreds of volumes, some readers have given feedback, and a very small number of high-level literary friends have also written comments, but there are very few readers like Ma Shiqi who read carefully word by word, correct mistakes, and write down comments when they are feeling!
After 22 years, he returned to his hometown - on October 27, 2004, Ma Shiqi returned to Ziyang. Photo: Yang Xiaomin
The idea of visiting Ma Shiqi has become stronger and stronger as time goes on. In November 2012, I took the opportunity of a business trip to Xi'an to bring him my new book and a box of Ziyang selenium-rich tea, and when the phone rang, he asked to come home to talk, and I couldn't ask for it. His home in Hongqing is not very large, giving people the feeling that the most things in the house are books and materials, which are full of dazzling and seem to be a bit crowded. This is the real home of readers, this is the characteristic of the home of books! The two of us talked about everything again. At that time, he was close to retirement, and his work tasks were generally not very heavy, but several publishing houses in the province often asked him to review and correct zhishu, etc., coupled with the large number of people who asked for it under the fame, there were many things to do in his spare time, and I was worried about delaying his precious time, but he did not care. My long-form reportage "China Tourism in Vientiane" was about to be published, and he asked him to write the title of the book for me, and he immediately wrote a horizontal and vertical style (later, because it was a series of examples, the title of the book was asked to delete the word "China", and the song character determined by the publishing house was uniformly adopted). He also wrote a four-foot banner for me, "Divine Fusion Pen Chang", and after printing it, he used a small piece of rice paper to expand the imprint twice, dried it, and carefully folded it before solemnly handing it to me. I know that this is Teacher Ma's encouragement to me. He gave me 3 books and a box of well-packed apples. One of them is Mr. Cao Yan's "Manga Comic Literary Circle Shaanxi Army Style", I immediately opened it and read it, and saw the poems and paintings given to Teacher Ma.
Since then, I have sent ma Shiqi every time a new book comes out. I didn't dare to expect him to write me a book review, but I just felt that books should be given to real book lovers and readers. In order to respect this unusual literary friend, he tried to write "unusual" words when signing and giving away books. For example, for the book "Review of Zeng Deqiang's Literary Works" compiled by the Shaanxi Literary and Art Critics Association, it is written as "exchange, exchange, friendship, and friendship"; for my long reportage "The Road is on the Feet", it is written that "Virtue and art are both xin and teacher and friend are Shi Qi".
Time flies, and we haven't seen each other for nearly ten years, but our hearts are connected. Using my mobile phone WeChat as a bridge, I connected the information highway between Ankang and Xi'an, and paid attention to his study, life and social activities, especially his literary and calligraphy works in groups such as "Maitian Academy". I remember a few times, he called to report the good news, saying that a certain journal of "Book Sea" magazine published my work, what is the title. Because he had a very close relationship with the magazine, sometimes before the magazine was printed, he got the news and told me the good news about the publication of my work. He has a lot of activities and is a very busy person, but when he learned that my "Ankang City Endowment" won the first place in the National Essay Contest of the Propaganda Department of the Municipal Party Committee, many readers commented on it, and he said that he also wanted to comment on it. Sure enough, within a day, a four-word "poetry commentary" of nearly 100 words, "Joyful Recitation< Ankang City Endowment >", was sent, and after a while, it was sent again, prompting a modification. The whole poem goes like this: "Virtue is strong and pen-wise, and praises well-being." Chant throughout, swinging back to the intestines. Sit high on Bashan Mountain and drink the Han River. Historical origins, thick and long. Cultural inheritance, ancient Ding and present Chang. Humanistic landscapes, full of huazhang. Sages and brilliant stars. The intention is grand, and it can be brilliant. Exquisite words and beautiful rhymes, literary brilliance. Won the first place, Shenzhou was strong. Congratulations Sir, Great Endowment. The spirit of well-being, eternal radiance. Although the "poetry review" is affirmative and praised, it is not difficult to see from it that his accurate understanding and grasp of the works, and the enthusiastic encouragement and expectation of the literary friends seem to be a warm current, which makes people have to be moved.
Immediately afterward, he sent me his third new book, "Ma Shiqi Shu Yue Ren Zi Seventy Questions", and 3 copies of "Hundred Flower Ridge" magazine containing his works. When I looked through them, I found that the mistakes in these publications had been caught and corrected by him, which showed his usual earnestness and the "golden eyes" that were good at finding problems. I wondered, he sent the corrected magazine, probably to "clear the barricades" and "avoid the traps" for me and other readers, right? A few days later, he sent a photo of xingshu 'Xi Shu < Ankang City Endowment >" on WeChat, saying that the book was not very satisfied; I also felt that this did not show the highest level of his calligraphy, and made two suggestions. He immediately replied, "Rewrite." "We are both friends and slanderous friends, and we are honest with each other, and we do not need to hide, let alone "polite".
I can't forget Ma Shiqi, not only because his literary and calligraphy works often bump into the eye, but also his excellent character and personality charm of erudition, ancient morality, serious love, seriousness and responsibility, but also unforgettable and sincere admiration.
Zeng Deqiang
September 24, 2021 Grass
(Note: The author is currently a member of the Chinese Writers Association, the vice president of the Shaanxi Provincial Biographical Literature Society, a member of the Shaanxi Calligraphers Association, and the secretary general of the Ankang Municipal Working Committee for Caring for the Next Generation.) ）
Editor: Zhou Fengchuan