Pictured with Jiang Zilong (left)
◎Jiao Jinmu
The first time I met Teacher Jiang Zilong was in the early spring of 2015 when I accompanied Teacher Liu Xinwu to Guangzhou to participate in the "2015 Huadi Literature List" awards event. I remember that in the lounge, Teacher Liu and Teacher Jiang had a cordial conversation in a corner. Teacher Jiang asked Teacher Liu if he was considering renewing his relationship. Teacher Liu frankly told him that concerned people in Beijing had introduced several ladies to him one after another, and one of them After contacting her, she had a good impression. The two parties drank afternoon tea, ate Western food, and attended concerts together. But later, the lady asked Teacher Liu: "I really like your book "The Bell and Drum Tower"! Will you read this book in the future? "Where will the copyright be handed over to me?" Teacher Liu was surprised. The so-called copyright inheritance means that within fifty years after the author's death, the copyright transfer and income will be enjoyed by the author's relatives or persons specifically named in the will. "Now I am living well. Yeah, we haven’t gotten married yet, so why are we thinking about this?” Later, they made a “soft landing” and stopped dating. Teacher Liu told Teacher Jiang such a secret, which shows that they have a deep mutual trust. Teacher Jiang also said to Teacher Liu straightforwardly: "Your situation is indeed special, and it is right to be cautious."
December 2018, "Wen Cui Qiantang— The "Nong Chao Cup 2018 People's Literature Award Award Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of the Second Hangzhou Qiantang River Cultural Festival" was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Both Teacher Jiang and Teacher Liu were awarded the "Special Contribution Award for the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up". Teacher Liu was invited to attend the meeting. I met Teacher Jiang again in Hangzhou. On the high-speed train to Hangzhou, Teacher Liu told me about Teacher Jiang's contribution to literature in the new era of reform and opening up. He said that he had read "The Taking of Factory Director Qiao" published in 1979 again a few days ago, and it was still very interesting. Touched, "You were born too late. Social life has changed a lot since then. Directors of state-owned factories like that have become blemishes in history..." However, Teacher Liu said that he still remembers how society developed. In the early days of reform and opening up, there were a large number of cadres like Factory Director Qiao who were determined to reform. Without their courage, their courage, their leadership, and their courage to "eat crabs", social progress would not have been so rapid. Open, "You and your son will not enjoy the rich dividends of reform and opening up for two generations!"
At the Hangzhou event, Teacher Liu and Teacher Jiang met again and went on stage to receive awards. There are two details of Teacher Jiang that impressed me deeply. 1. Opposite the large stage at the event site are several rows of large sofas. On the coffee table next to each sofa in the first row, there are pre-written signs to facilitate seating. After Teacher Liu sat down in his seat, Teacher Jiang entered. At the scene, he found that the seat assigned to him was on the side perpendicular to the row of sofas in the front row. There were two sofas there, obviously prepared for the most important people. There were two signs on the coffee table in between, one said It was him, and the other one should be the name of a leading cadre from Hangzhou. The leader had not entered the venue at that time. Teacher Jiang stood in front of the sofa and stared at it for a few seconds, and then calmly and quickly changed his sign to the same one. Change the sign on the coffee table next to the first sofa in the row. Later, the Hangzhou leader came. It turned out that the person assigned to sit at the head of the sofa was a leader of the Chinese Writers Association. When he arrived, he sat down next to the Hangzhou leader. 2. After Teacher Jiang accepted the award, he asked seriously: "If I are said to be a representative figure of reform literature, does reform literature refer to literature about reform or literature that has reformed literature?"
On the high-speed train from Hangzhou back to Beijing, I told Mr. Liu my observations about Mr. Jiang. Regarding the change of signs, he just smiled. When asked by Mr. Jiang, he said: "It's amazing. Some people are just happy to receive the award. Zilong But there is such questioning. This spirit of inquiry is worth learning from!"
Photography/Liu Xinwu