wavenovel Chapter 39 I am in the North
Chapter 39 I am in the North
In the gatehouse of the Xiaoyangqi educated youth settlement, Hongye was packing clothes and bedding.
Chen Tuo was on the stove, using an aluminum plate with the word 'US' printed on it, frying the smoked venison that he had just brought back.
Fish oil obtained by frying freshwater fish fat has an earthy taste.
Evenki hunters' smoked reindeer meat has a gamey smell.
But the smoky aroma of pan-fried venison with fish oil really tempted Hong Ye.
Even though the oil has an earthy, fishy, and muttony smell, it is still a rare delicacy in the Xingan Mountains.
Although Songling, located in a cold region, has a higher ration of cooking oil than other places.
But who would be willing to fry food if they had an extra pound or two?
The venison, brimming with the aroma of fat, bursts with flavorful juices when you chew it, making it not only delicious but also incredibly satisfying.
"Sister Hongye, post 'Fish-Catching Diary' on Longjiang Literature and Art for me."
Unlike Hong Ye's slow and deliberate enjoyment of happiness.
Chen Tuo devoured the two palm-sized pieces of venison on his plate in no time, satisfying his rumbling stomach.
After they finished eating, Chen Tuo revealed the delivery route for "The Fish-Picking Diary".
"Huh? Wasn't Huacheng supposed to be the most suitable?"
Chen Tuo, though saying one thing and meaning another, once again dragged the blissful Hong Ye back to the reality of life.
"It's partly due to the readers, and partly due to my own experiences; poetry is in Guangzhou, but I'm in the North!"
The words "But I am in the North" came out of his mouth, and the poetic sentiment directly suppressed the turmoil in Chen Tuo's heart.
He began to silently recite the lyrics of "Nanshan Nan" in his mind.
"That's true! Readers in the South can hardly understand the bitter cold of the North. Chen Tuo, wouldn't you like to go to the South? In my imagination, the South is a place of birdsong and fragrant flowers!"
Hong Ye's lapse into a literary reverie perfectly matched Chen Tuo's sudden surge of poetic inspiration.
"You are in the bright sunshine of the South, where snow is falling heavily; I am in the cold night of the North, where it is spring all year round; I wake from a dream, realizing I have lived a foolish life..."
He blurted out the lyrics to "Nanshan Nan".
Poetry and lyrics are integrated.
A hit song that's been passed down by word of mouth should be easy to submit to Huacheng Publishing House to earn some royalties.
He got up, grabbed some paper, and titled the first part "I am in the North".
Chen Tuo used another sheet of paper to write down "Nanshan Nan" which consisted of only twenty-two characters.
"South of the Southern Mountain, autumn sorrow lingers; on the Southern Mountain lie mounds of grain; the south wind whispers, north of the Northern Sea, tombstones stand in the Northern Sea..."
"Chen Tuo, this poem 'South of the Southern Mountain' is so poignant!"
Chen Tuo wrote too quickly; before Hong Ye could even savor the poetic beauty of "I'm in the North," he was moved by the melancholy opening of another poem, "South of the Southern Mountain."
"This is a song..."
He vaguely stated that he plagiarized the same song.
Knowing that Hong Ye couldn't understand, Chen Tuo softly sang "Nanshan Nan," a song with only twenty-two characters.
"Chen Tuo, who is sitting on the haystack? And whose name is engraved on the tombstone?"
Wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, the sentimental Hong Ye inquired about the aftermath of Nanshan Nan's story.
"Sister Hongye, it's just like 'The night gave me black eyes, but I use them to seek the light,' it only has these twenty-two characters!"
Thinking of Gu Cheng's "A Generation", Chen Tuo looked at the Nanshan South on the manuscript paper.
He wanted to say "That's very Gu Cheng," but fearing that Hong Ye wouldn't understand, he repeated the two-line phrase "a generation."
"The night gave me black eyes, yet I use them to seek the light—what a beautiful line of poetry! May I have them?"
Looking into Hong Ye's large, watery phoenix eyes, Chen Tuo replied helplessly:
"That won't do! This is a poem Gu Cheng wrote this spring. If we publish it for you, they'll attack all the way north!"
As a postal clerk in Songling, Hong Ye thought he had read every well-known literary journal.
Gu Cheng had already produced works in 1973, making him one of the top young poets.
In Songling, Hong Ye will see Gu Cheng's new work before Chen Tuo does.
"Is this a poem written by Gu Chengxin? I've never seen it before?"
Realizing he had spoken too much and made a mistake, Chen Tuo could only use the educated youth who had left the Xiaoyangqi educated youth settlement as a shield.
"I learned about this from other educated youth who returned to the city. It was probably Gu Cheng's early reflections, and he didn't submit it to the press."
It involves the large group of educated youth sent to the countryside.
As one of the educated youth sent to the countryside, it was perfectly normal for Gu Cheng to have a few friends.
Hong Ye didn't pursue the matter any further.
"Chen Tuo, can I have this song, 'South of the Mountain'? I know it's too much to ask, but I really want to improve!"
Chen Tuo smiled gently as Hong Ye held and rubbed his forearm.
"I'll not only give it to you, but I'll also teach you how to sing 'Nanshan Nan,' and I'll make you an overnight sensation in Guangzhou!"
The lyrics of "Nanshan Nan" cannot be compared with those of Gu Cheng's generation.
But when you take the twenty-two characters of "Nanshan Nan" out of context, it's a matter of personal preference which one is better.
In Chen Tuo's view, the version of "Nanshan Nan" that can be sung is far more popular than any other generation.
"It's so kind of you!"
Chen Tuo stroked his cheek where Hong Ye had pecked him and grinned mischievously:
"It's oily!"
"You're so mean!"
Looking at Hong Ye, who could only say "good" and "bad", Chen Tuo shook his head slightly.
"Hongye, you're still not reading enough. Does Songling have a library?"
She changed from Sister Hongye to Hongye, and placed her hand on Chen Tuo's shoulder.
"Yes, but many of the books have been sealed away. Section Chief Sun should be able to get them."
Although the flood has ended, the human problems remain unresolved, and the books in the Songling Forestry Bureau Library have remained sealed away.
Fortunately, this is Songling. If it were anywhere else, it probably wouldn't even have had the chance to be sealed off.
The library of Songling Forestry Bureau is different from libraries in other places; many of its books were transported here during the flood.
However, Songling is a forest area, so not many people are willing to borrow books from the library.
This is also why sealed books can be preserved.
Chen Tuo's suggestion was reasonable, and Hong Ye used both hands to massage his shoulders.
"Then go borrow books from him, and don't forget to bring me a few. Now I'll teach you how to sing 'Nanshan Nan.' If you can record it on a cassette tape, that would be best!"
This gave Hong Ye a shortcut to submitting her work.
Chen Tuo didn't worry about whether she could find a tape recorder, and began to focus on teaching her how to sing "Nanshan Nan" well.
Hong Ye was somewhat adorable to be called "Big Fatty Girl" by Chen Tuo.
After hearing her sweet, childlike voice, Chen Tuo acknowledged his own judgment.
The ethereal quality of her baby voice, the affected pathos—though imperfect, it was nonetheless pure.
"That's wonderful! That's exactly the feeling—ethereal and evocative, poignant and memorable, especially the sorrow of autumn in the north and the sorrow of tombstones!"
Holding Hong Ye's oily hand, reminding her to use the right amount of pressure, Chen Tuo also made a promise.
"Hong Ye, if Nanshan Nan could submit his poem on a cassette tape, it would definitely surpass Gu Cheng's two lines of poetry and make you famous throughout the country!"
Knowing Hong Ye's background, Chen Tuo was not afraid that she would become famous throughout the country with "Nanshan Nan".
The more famous she becomes, the deeper she will be trapped.
Forget about continuing to be a huge star; if they want to maintain the popularity of "Nanshan Nan," they'll have to deeply tie Hong Ye to him.
"Chen Tuo, I feel the same way. Could you write me some more poems?"
Pulling back Chen Tuo, who was trying to break free, Hong Ye boldly moved closer, intending to use his methods to secure his future.
"Hongye, at the town's armed forces shooting range today, Brother-in-law Sun told me, 'You have to eat one bite at a time.' You still need to calm down for a while."
Chen Tuo glanced at Hong Ye, who was about to take long strides and run away, and refused her request without being tactful.
What he wanted was a spokesperson when it was inconvenient for him to take action; he wanted a deep connection with Hong Ye, not to be a mouthpiece on her path to fame and success…