Chapter 528 Zhou Keqin's Memorial Service
Fang Minghua still saw this obituary from Guangming Daily:
In the early morning of August 5, 1990, the famous Chinese writer Zhou Keqin, who was called a close friend by contemporary farmers, became ill due to overwork and died suddenly at the age of 53, leaving people with many regrets: his novel "The Hungry Plains" 》I haven’t had time to revise the first draft yet, and there are two more conceived novels, as well as many materials, ideas and drafts that have been written down on paper and notebooks...
Fang Minghua felt very sad after seeing it.
In the territory of contemporary Chinese literature, local literature has always been a big tradition. This large rural literary tradition is mainly known to Sun Li and Zhao Shuli from the north.
In fact, besides this large tradition, there is also a small literary tradition that relatively few people understand in depth.
For example, the local literature in Sichuan Province has formed and accumulated a very powerful aesthetic experience and creative wealth. They wrote about local life in Sichuan Province, with Sichuan cultural characteristics, and used language with local characteristics of Sichuan Province, among which Zhou Keqin was an outstanding representative.
His masterpiece "Xu Mao and His Daughters" is rich in local color and rustic flavor. The plot is twists and turns, fascinating, and very contemporary.
Zhou Keqin left a very good impression on Fang Minghua. Fang Minghua had met him several times. In 1985, Xijing College of Literature invited Zhou Keqin to give lectures and stayed in Xijing for a period of time.
Also at the end of the same year, Fang Minghua went to Chengdu to attend the first Galaxy Science Fiction Awards. He was hosted by the Sichuan Writers Association and met Zhou Keqin, the vice chairman of the Writers Association. The two chatted for a while.
The other party is very simple and unpretentious, a bit like Chen Zhongshi.
Unfortunately, passed away.
That afternoon, Fang Minghua suddenly received a call from Hu Cai, chairman of the Provincial Writers' Association, asking him to go to Chengdu to attend Zhou Keqin's funeral on behalf of the Provincial Writers' Association to express his condolences.
"We have always had a good relationship with the Writers' Association of Qin Province and Sichuan Province. Zhou Keqin was also invited to come to our Xijing to give lectures. Now that he has passed away unfortunately, it is reasonable and reasonable to send someone to express condolences. Minghua, you also know Zhou Keqin. If you don't have anything on hand, It’s urgent. Please go on a business trip to Chengdu and take me to say hello to Chairman Ma.”
"No problem, Chairman Hu, I'll leave tonight." Fang Minghua promised immediately.
When Song Tangtang came back from work, Fang Minghua explained the reason. After eating, Song Tangtang drove Fang Minghua to the train station.
There are many trains from Xijing to Chengdu. Fang Minghua bought a sleeper ticket and embarked on the journey south.
After crossing the Bashan Mountains in the Qinling Mountains and spending one day and two nights, we arrived in Chengdu at around nine o'clock in the morning on the third day.
After getting off the train, Fang Minghua took a taxi directly to the location of the Sichuan Writers Association in Section 2 of Hongxing Road. However, he did not immediately go to the leaders of the Writers Association. Instead, he found a hotel nearby to stay and washed up before going to the Writers Association compound.
Soon, he found Ma Shitu of the Sichuan Provincial Writers Association. Fang Minghua explained his intention and expressed his condolences to Comrade Zhou Keqin.
"Thank you to the Qin Provincial Writers Association, thank you to Chairman Hu for your concern, and thank you to Chairman Fang for coming to Chengdu in person." The two exchanged a few words, and Ma Shitu told Fang Minghua that Zhou Keqin's memorial service is scheduled to be held at the funeral home at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.
"Okay, I'll attend on time tomorrow."
Ma Zhitu asked Fang Minghua to stay with him for lunch, but Fang Minghua declined. After Zhou Keqin's death, the Writers' Association must have a lot of things to do.
Zhou Keqin's family members are in rural areas and do not live in Chengdu, so the Writers' Association has to take part in receiving official condolences.
Don't cause trouble to others.
Chengdu was also very hot in August, and Fang Minghua was too lazy to go out and run around, so he just watched TV in the hotel.
I pressed a random station and "Desire" was still playing!
hehe
This time, Shengshi Film and Television won.
However, after watching this kind of TV once, Fang Minghua has no interest in it, let alone the script he wrote, so he knows everything.
I tuned in a few more channels and found them boring, so I turned off the TV and lay on the bed to sleep.
Fang Minghua suddenly thought of someone.
Shang Zhongmin, a poet from Sichuan Province.
The acquaintance between Fang Minghua and Shang Zhongmin was quite dramatic. It was in 1984. Not long after Fang Minghua became the deputy editor-in-chief of poetry and prose at Yanhe magazine, he held a call for poems from college students. Because his poetry concepts were different from those of Shang Zhongmin, For this reason, Shang Zhongmin, who was still studying at Chongqing University at the time, took a train to Xijing and held a debate on poetry creation concepts with Fang Minghua in the West Auditorium.
In the winter of 1986, the Chengdu "Stars" poetry magazine held a week-long "Chinese Poetry Festival" and invited poets who had won the title of "China's Top Ten Young and Middle-aged Poets" to gather in Chengdu.
Fang Minghua also attended the party after participating in the second Galaxy Science Fiction Awards.
At the meeting, Sichuan poets such as Yi Wan Xia and Hu Dong suddenly attacked Bei Dao Shu Ting, accusing them of writing obscure poems that were too obscure and out of date, and shouted the slogan "Hit Bei Dao! PASS Shu Ting!" , including Shang Zhongmin.
Fang Minghua stood up to defend Bei Dao and the others and read a vulgar poem written by Wan Xia that insulted women. As a result, Wan Xia was kicked out of the venue by the tough Chengdu girls, and the farce ended.
But in the end, Shang Zhongmin also treated Fang Minghua to a Sichuan hot pot meal, saying it was in return for Fang Minghua's hospitality in Xijing.
Since then, the two have never contacted each other again. Fang Minghua only occasionally saw Shang Zhongmin writing articles in the newspaper to promote their "non-nonism" poetry school and oral poetry concept. However, after the second half of last year, he rarely saw any news about him.
I wonder what he is doing now? Is he still in Chengdu?
Is he still writing poetry?
Fang Minghua suddenly wanted to meet him.
Let's talk about it after paying tribute to Zhou Keqin.
Zhou Keqin's funeral ceremony was held at the Municipal Funeral Home at 9 am on August 10. Well-known figures in the cultural circles of Sichuan Province and leaders of relevant provincial and municipal departments all attended. In addition to Qin Province, the surrounding Gansu Province, Qinghai Province, and Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, and Hubei Province Writers Association all sent representatives to pay tribute.
Feng Muye, vice chairman of the China Writers Association, rushed to Chengdu on behalf of the Writers Association and gave Zhou Keqin a very high evaluation.
Comrade Zhou Keqin is an outstanding literary and artistic worker cultivated by our party and people. He devoted his life to the cause of socialist literature and art and made outstanding contributions. He was in his prime, but unfortunately he died suddenly due to overwork. Our party lost a good member, and the literary and artistic cause lost a strong, excellent fighter, good cadre, and good comrade. This is a sad loss for the party's literary and artistic cause.
Fang Minghua met a writer of similar age, from the Daliangshan area, named Alai.
He was the young man who wrote "Dust Settles" and won the Mao Dun Prize.
Of course, he had not written it at this time, and his identity was the editor of the literary magazine "Grassland" under the AB State Cultural Bureau.
After the simple and solemn memorial service, Zhou Keqin's body was cremated, but the ashes were not buried immediately. It was said that at the request of his family, he was going to be buried in his hometown Jianyang.
After the memorial service for Zhou Keqin, Fang Minghua prepared to find Shang Zhongmin.