Chapter 290 Youth is a Poem
Southern Xinjiang Art Troupe.

A dormitory in the girls’ dormitory building.

The green-painted iron door was tightly closed and the light in the room was dim, but the lights were not on.

Only the square hole on the dormitory door for people to peek in and the dim light coming from the balcony could barely illuminate the dormitory.

The dormitory is simply furnished without any decorations. There are only four iron beds placed two by two on both sides of the dormitory. Tables and benches are placed between the iron beds. There is also a line of propaganda slogans hanging on the wall at the head of the bed.

The bed was clean and tidy, the quilt was folded neatly, and the sheets were wrinkle-free.

It reveals the simplicity and toughness of a soldier.

It was broad daylight and the dormitory members gathered together in the dormitory, which was rare.

Some leaned on pillows and quilts, some curled up in front of desks, some lay directly on the bed, and some sat on the floor…

These slim and youthful girls from the art troupe have different postures, but they all have a book in their hands.

The dormitory was very quiet. So quiet that one could hear the sound of fingers twisting papers and the deepening breathing, which was particularly obvious in this claustrophobic environment.

“call……”

Sitting upright on the desk, the girl with a ponytail slammed the book shut. Her face was a little flushed and her eyes were a little moist. She recalled the soul-stirring fragments in the novel and couldn’t help herself for a moment.

“Is Cheng Kaiyan writing an autobiography?”

Zhuo Yun couldn’t help but have a thought in her mind.

But she denied it the next second. First of all, before joining the art troupe, Cheng Kaiyan had never been to the battlefield, nor had he been a hero, and there was no girl in the art troupe who liked him.

If I have to say, there is only one Amy Yip, but I only fell in love with her after she came.

Thinking of this, Zhuo Yun subconsciously glanced at Ye Zimei, who was lying on the bed beside her with her hair loose. She saw that her face was slightly red, and there seemed to be some annoyance and anger in her eyes.

As if she noticed Zhuo Yun’s gaze, Ye Zimei glanced over from the corner of her eyes, restrained her emotions, and asked calmly, “What’s wrong? Xiao Yun.”

“Zimei, have you finished reading it?”

Zhuo Yun blinked, and suddenly an idea popped into her mind: she wanted to tease Amy Yip.

“Almost there, I see the protagonist going to the battlefield.”

Amy Yip nodded and explained.

They went to the military district’s bookstore early in the morning to queue up to buy the books. Normally, not many people frequented the military district’s bookstore, but the things to be published today were different. This was the “Special Issue for Writers on Military Travels.”

What’s more, there is Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, who just won the honorary title last month, and his works were published there.

Naturally, everyone bought it enthusiastically.

After getting the book, everyone in the dormitory spontaneously turned to the work written by Cheng Kaiyan about the art troupe – “Youth”.

In fact, everyone knew the news that Cheng Kaiyan would create a work with the art troupe as the background as early as August when he came.

After all, this subject matter has never been seen on the market.

In addition, this is a work written by the famous talent, Cheng Kaiyan.

The lesbians and gays in the art troupe were all looking forward to seeing the side of them that would be revealed in the novel.

So as soon as they got it, everyone immediately went back to the dormitory, closed the doors and windows, and even quietly escaped today’s dance training.

It is just to read Cheng Kaiyan’s works, to see what the art troupe and everyone are like in his eyes and in his memories.

“Do you feel that the prototype of Lin Suisui in the novel is you?”

Comrade Zhuo Yun winked and teased Amy Yip with a smile.

“Well……”

When Ye Zimei heard this, her heart trembled, and she immediately glared at Zhuo Yun in reproach.

In fact, she had thought about this question as early as when she saw the character of Lin Suisui.

She has a lively, generous and bold personality, and has superb dancing skills. She is a star in the art troupe, and she also likes the protagonist Cheng Lu.

Isn’t this just based on yourself?
“A little bit, maybe. Although I’m sure Lin Suisui is not me, there is definitely a bit of my soul in the character of Lin Suisui.”

At first, Amy Yip stroked her hair on her forehead a little embarrassedly, but later when she said that Cheng Kaiyan definitely had her own soul when she conceived this character, she even raised her face with pride.

This proves that she, Amy Yip, is indeed obsessed with Cheng Kaiyan because of her love for her.

When Cheng Kaiyan was fourteen or fifteen years old, a deep and colorful mark was left in his heart.

This is something that many people have never done.

How could this not make Amy Yip proud?

Of course, there is also Zhao Ruixue!

Even though many years have passed, Amy Yip still hates him to the core.

However, this childhood sweetheart must have become a loser just like her former self, having her home stolen.

“Are you still feeling proud?”

Zhuo Yun observed Ye Zimei and noticed his rosy face, raised eyebrows, and raised toes. She immediately reached out and pinched the woman’s slender thigh in silence.

“Huh! What’s the matter?”

Amy Yip snorted lightly, not caring at all.

At this time, the other girls heard the two people talking without restraint, put down their books and came over, “What are you talking about?”

“You’re not ashamed to talk about this woman!”

Zhuo Yun curled her lips and explained with a smile.

Everyone burst into laughter and started to make fun of each other.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. What do you think of Fang Hua written by Cheng Kaiyan?”

Amy Yip couldn’t stand the ambiguous looks from everyone and immediately changed the subject.

She has a high status and prestige in the dormitory and the art troupe.

Seeing her unwilling.

Zhuo Yun, Lu Yuanyuan and others stopped talking.

“Speaking of this, I am a little confused. Obviously, there has never been any vicious incident in our art troupe. As for bullying Cheng Kaiyan, this has never happened!”

When Lu Yuanyuan heard this, she immediately started chattering.

The implication is that how could Cheng Kaiyan write about exclusion, hostility, bullying, and collusion to frame others?

And putting it in their harmonious and united Southern Xinjiang Art Troupe will really affect their image.

When Youth is published, people outside don’t know what they will think of their art troupe.

“That’s right! Especially at the end of the novel, the silent silence and betrayal of the people in the art troupe. The protagonist is a hero. How could we slander a hero? He can’t lie with his eyes open!”

Another girl named Li Xin was also filled with righteous indignation and waved her fists.

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Only Zhuo Yun was so angry that his face turned red, and it seemed as if a flame of anger was burning in his heart.

The girl leaned back in the chair, tightly grasping the magazine in her hand, crumpling the soft paper and making a squeaking sound.

This is especially evident in the dormitory.

“Bang!!”

Finally, Zhuo Yun couldn’t suppress the anger in her heart anymore and slapped the table hard.

The sudden loud noise scared everyone instantly, and Li Xin was even frightened.

Amy Yip, Lu Yuanyuan, and Li Xin all looked at Zhuo Yun.

Looking at the only pretty girl in the dormitory who was not a cadre’s child and came from a poor family.

“Are you crazy? Zhuo Yun?”

Lu Yuanyuan pointed at Zhuo Yun angrily, almost giving her a heart attack!

“I’m not crazy!”

Zhuo Yun glanced coldly at the frightened faces of the three people and said, “You are the ones who are crazy, right? First of all, Cheng Kaiyan wrote a novel, not a memoir. Some of the things that happened in the novel are true, and some are false. You don’t take the novel seriously, do you?” After saying this, the three people paused for a moment.

“That’s true.”

Amy Yip thought about it and realized that this was the truth.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re just complaining, why are you so angry?”

Li Xin nodded repeatedly. To be honest, she was just agreeing with Lu Yuanyuan’s words.

As for Lu Yuanyuan, her face looked a little unhappy.

I was filled with indignation.

This Zhuo Yun!

Are you just protecting Cheng Kaiyan like this?

Who is he to you? Why are you protecting him so much?

Thinking of Cheng Kaiyan’s current identity and the close relationship between Zhuo Yun and Cheng Kaiyan’s sister.

Lu Yuanyuan held back her anger and didn’t ask any questions.

You will suffer in the future!
You’re not a cadre’s son, why are you so proud?!
Lu Yuanyuan snorted in her heart.

“Alright, alright, everyone, stop arguing. It’s just a novel. What’s there to argue about? Don’t hurt the harmony between sisters.”

Amy Yip waved her hand and spoke calmly.

“I’m just telling the truth. Li Xin, didn’t you say you didn’t slander me? I was almost bullied by Xu Xing that time, and Cheng Kaiyan saved me. When Xu Xing turned the tables on me, wasn’t that slander?

Didn’t everyone in the art troupe remain silent? Is this true or false? This is exactly the same as what is written in the book.”

Zhuo Yun also calmed down and insisted on finishing what she was saying.

The three of them were silent for a while.

Especially Amy Yip’s face looked a bit ugly. Her behavior at that time could not be said to be exactly the same as that of the heroine Lin Susu in the novel, but it could be said that there was no difference.

But soon, the beautiful description of the art troupe in “Youth” flashed through her mind, and she said in a very complicated tone:

“In fact, Cheng Kaiyan didn’t just write about the bad side. I can feel his beautiful description of the art troupe. The article is lyrical and poetic.”

After hearing this, everyone remembered it.

Because Cheng Kaiyan described it this way, everyone turned to the page with the folded corner, looked at each other tenderly, and read in unison:

“Green painted white walls, mottled rotating ceiling fans, hot weather…

The warm sunlight shines through the clear windows and flows across the wooden floor like melted honey.

The sixteen girls stood on their pointed toes rising and falling in the beam of light, their white gauze skirts rippled, and beads of sweat fell on their eyelashes and condensed into diamonds.

The “Song of Yimeng” flowing from the old tape recorder danced in the dust, the shadows in the mirror overlapped like spring silkworms spinning silk, and the arc of the arms cutting through the air hid the flexibility and pain of an entire era.

The dazzling halo just stopped at Lin Suisui’s raised slender neck——

There lives the everlasting Seventies.”

The text shots in the novel flow like piano accompaniment, freezing the passion and purity of youth between light and shadow.

The girls’ clear and sweet recitation voices echoed in the dim and closed dormitory.

Personal emotions are once again suppressed by the collective.

Flourish upward and burst out.

“Yes… Cheng Kaiyan was an eyewitness and witness. With his sensitivity and delicacy as a writer, how could he be wrong about the beauty and cruelty of that memory?”

Even Lu Yuanyuan couldn’t help but have red eyes at this moment, and murmured in a complicated tone.

“We should not focus on the dark side of the novel. The beauty of youth is fleeting, which is the core theme of the work “Youth”. Besides, Comrade Xiao Cheng is so gentle and sunny. Just looking at his appearance, we can feel the beauty of youth.”

Zhuo Yun took a deep breath and raised her rosy face.

I recall that year in 1975, a thin, pale and sickly boy stood under the tree of the art troupe building.

He was carrying a military green and yellowed marching backpack that was taller than him, and holding an old red bucket. He timidly stopped me and asked for directions.

Zhuo Yun still remembers that the green sunlight looked particularly beautiful in the boy’s eyes.

I remember when I was young, the rain hit my thin spring clothes.

……

North and South.

On this October 15th, not long after the National Day, my elder sister passed away on the front line in southern Xinjiang.

By coincidence, a group of people came across this book “Special Issue for Writers on Military Travels” by chance in a bookstore or on the recommendation of a friend.

I found Cheng Kaiyan’s work dedicated to youth, ideals, and beauty——

“Fang Hua”

……

“Red Army! Red Army! Have you heard?”

“What did you hear?”

“The new work of Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, the pioneer of battlefield literature and art and the fighting hero on the southern front line, who made a lot of noise some time ago, has been published!”

“What? So soon? Why hasn’t any news come out?”

The man named Red Army was immediately surprised and asked quickly.

“Because the work was published in a new literary magazine, which is jointly sponsored by PLA Literature and Art, the General Political Department, the China Writers Association and other large organizations. It is specially used to publish the works of writers who performed well in the recent military field trip!”

“So amazing! Come on! Let’s go check it out!”

at the same time.

Conversations like this frequently take place in every corner, in the streets and alleys of the city, in the brigade headquarters in the countryside, in the production workshops of the factory, in the groves of the school…

Slowly the days passed.

The news of the publication of the new work of the combat hero and well-known writer Cheng Kaiyan swept in like a gust of wind, gradually brewing into a storm.

What was manifested was that after hearing the news, young literary people and students ignored the things at hand and the fact that it was getting late, and rushed to the bookstore without stopping.

“Comrade! I want a special issue for writers who write about military life!”

“I want two! Give them to me quickly.”

“what?”

The clerk was stunned when he heard about this magazine, which he had never heard of before.

But looking at the enthusiastic customers waiting at the store door, he didn’t care about anything else and ran to the warehouse to look for it.

For a time, the amount of books sold in bookstores across the country could not meet the needs of the majority of young literary people.

The news of expedited printing spread from all over the country to Beijing.

It’s not over yet.

After reading this work, young literary people started to communicate enthusiastically, discussing youth, the growth story of the protagonist Cheng Lu, the art troupe as a large collective that was both beautiful and cruel and oppressive, and the vivid and complex characters in the story.

“The cowardly hero is truly a subversive character! He strengthens his body in the flames of war, and sharpens his soul and will in the pain of youthful ideals, love, and betrayal.”

“It is like a flower seed that has taken root in the soil of war and gunpowder, and has grown into a gorgeous flower nourished by blood and flesh, love and hatred. But it is also like a flower that blooms brilliantly like a shooting star and then quietly dies!”

“This is youth!”

“There are so many beautiful flowers in the world, they are the blooming of youth!”

“This youth is so shocking, so amazing, and so memorable…”

A week later, a literary review was quietly published in the Literary Gazette.

Title: “Fang Hua: Youth is a poem!”

(End of this chapter)