Chapter 288 “Youth” published, mother’s reading experience

October 15th.

“Woooooo~”

The weather was gloomy, and the north wind carrying icy rain howled through the narrow alley, blowing umbrellas this way and that, almost blowing people over.

Cheng Kaiyan lowered his body, held the umbrella tightly and walked along the alley to prevent the umbrella from being blown away.

Otherwise, the rain that was almost forming a continuous line would definitely soak us like a drowned rat.

“Hiss, it’s so cold and raining so hard, who would come out to buy books?”

Cheng Kaiyan’s head was covered under a black umbrella, and the cold ribs of the umbrella pressed against her ears, giving her a slight chill.

The bad weather today made him worry about the circulation of today’s “Military Writers Special Issue”.

Generally speaking, literary magazines and art journals are published on the first day of every month.

But this time, the “Special Issue of Writers on Military Travels” was chosen to be on the 15th.

The time is not right.

Besides, it is a new sub-journal, how many readers can it have?
From this, it is not difficult to guess that this first issue of “Military Travel Writers Special Issue” is likely to be a Waterloo.

Fortunately, the royalties are not linked to sales.

Thinking of this, Cheng Kaiyan didn’t care anymore.

He continued to hold his umbrella against the wall of the muddy alley and walked towards the main road.

The destination is a nearby bookstore.

Today is Wednesday, a workday.

Therefore, even though it was raining so heavily, there were still many people on the road.

“Whoa whoa whoa~”

We arrived at a small breakfast shop selling buns.

Cheng Kaiyan was standing in line behind the crowd. Not far away, there was a stream of water flowing down from the water pipe on the balcony above her head. The water was carried down by gravity and hit the bluestone brick floor of the street heavily, splashing rain everywhere.

So many customers were trying to avoid it that the line formed an S shape.

“It’s quite cold today. I heard on the radio that the temperature is only 5 or 6 degrees. I’ve put on my military coat. Shufen, why are you only wearing this? Aren’t you cold?”

“Hiss… I came out in a hurry and forgot to put it on.”

Two young female students in front were huddled under an umbrella, chatting in low voices.

The female student who was asked looked a little bit cold and was shivering in the wind.

“No, you won’t catch a cold. I’ll lend you my sweater later.”

“Thank you, Hongmei. Let’s go to the bookstore later. I’ll buy whatever you want to read.”

The short-haired girl immediately expressed her gratitude.

“It’s okay. I’m not that cold anyway. The military coat is very warm.”

The long-haired girl Hongmei waved her hand generously. When she heard Shufen wanted to ask her to read a book, she thought for a moment and said, “I seem to have heard that there seems to be a new magazine coming out today.”

“But I remember that literary magazines are usually published on the first issue, right? Today is the 15th, right?”

“It is indeed chosen on the 15th. I heard it from several classmates in the writers’ class in school. It seems to be called something like ‘Special Issue for Writers on Military Travels’. It is a sub-journal of ‘People’s Liberation Army Literature and Art’. It should be quite interesting.” Hongmei explained.

“Military field trip special issue? Oh, so Teacher Cheng also participated in that field trip, right? He also won two first-class merits and an honorary title. That’s amazing!”

When Shufen heard this, her face, which had shown little interest just now, suddenly became excited and expectant.

“Yeah!”

“Then this special issue on writers should have his works, right?”

“I don’t know, I just know this is the first issue that has just been released.”

“Forget it, I’ll go ask later.”

……

“Tsk, so I’m so famous now? Now I finally understand why these people insisted on publishing their new magazine on the 15th. It turns out they were trying to take advantage of my popularity!”

Cheng Kaiyan shielded herself from the wind with an umbrella and listened to what was happening behind her. She couldn’t help but feel happy.

If it were a few months ago, he would have thought that people are afraid of becoming famous just like pigs are afraid of getting fat.

But now, after a trip to southern Xinjiang, he has been able to deal with it calmly, and even feels that it is not enough.

It’s a very simple truth, fame = Yuanzi.

He also hopes to make money from writing novels to buy a house.

After a while, it was Cheng Kaiyan’s turn in the queue.

“Give me two baskets of buns to take away.”

After paying a few cents, I picked up the hot paper bag, ate while following the girls to the bookstore.

Today, for the first time ever, there was no queue in front of the bookstore.

Because it was the middle of the month and the weather was not very good, no one wanted to go out.

So Cheng Kaiyan walked into the bookstore smoothly.

“Welcome, fellow comrades, what books would you like to buy?”

The clerk was a middle-aged woman in her thirties with an ordinary appearance, but her voice was quite bright.

“Do you have that magazine… “Military Writers’ Special Issue”? “

Hongmei with long hair stood at the door of the bookstore and asked embarrassedly.

If she wanted to read big magazines like “People’s Literature” or “Yenching Literature and Art”, she would definitely not be embarrassed.

You should know that in the literary youth circle, there is a literary contempt chain, and people are proud of it.

But the Writers’ Special Issue is a small, newly-published magazine. If it hadn’t taken advantage of the fame of PLA Literature and Art and Military Travel, few people would have paid attention to it, let alone known about it.

“Ah? Is there such a magazine? I haven’t even heard of it.”

As expected, the clerk showed a look of surprise. Of course, she had heard about the military field trip that had been circulating in recent times. After all, a combat hero emerged from it.

“Uh uh… I, I don’t know either.”

Hongmei, who was already embarrassed, blushed all of a sudden.

“Yes, yes, this is a new magazine that just came out today. Sister, please help me find it.”

Shufen was speechless for a moment and said in a sweet voice.

“Okay, but I haven’t even heard of this magazine, and I guess the store doesn’t have many copies in stock. I suggest you read more famous magazines. The works in these magazines don’t have much value, and their literary quality is terrible.”

The shop assistant kindly reminded me.

The two of them were as confused as pounding garlic.

The clerk was about to leave when Cheng Kaiyan quickly said, “Comrade, help me get one too.”

“Oh, I see.”

The clerk nodded indifferently.

The two female students were startled by the sudden sound. They turned around quickly and their eyes immediately became surprised.

“Teacher Xiao Cheng? I haven’t seen you for a long time!”

“Yeah yeah.”

The two asked with surprise on their faces.

“You are students from Beijing Normal University, right? Come and buy the special issue of writers. I will treat you.”

Cheng Kaiyan’s tone was gentle.

“We can just do it ourselves. By the way, is your work included in the first issue of Teacher Cheng today?”

The two looked at each other, and although they were moved, they still declined.

Because this is the famous teacher Xiao Cheng, and they are thin-skinned.

“There are some.”

“That’s good. We are here for your work.”

“Thank you for your support.”

Soon.

The clerk came back with a stack of books, which were the so-called special editions for writers.

“Three comrades, here are the books you requested.”

The three paid and left.

Before leaving, the two female students turned around and said, “Comrade clerk, I suggest you take a good look at this little magazine. It contains the works of our teacher Cheng Kaiyan. You will definitely not be disappointed.”

Teacher Cheng Kaiyan?

Isn’t that the famous talent in Beijing?

It seems that he was also published in the People’s Liberation Army Daily last month, and he is an absolute hero on the front line of southern Xinjiang!

His works are in the writer’s special issue?

Hearing this, the clerk’s face showed surprise and shame.

You know, just now, she had told them both explicitly and implicitly to eat something good. This special issue of military writers’ magazine is just a small magazine and is not worth reading at all.

The result was quickly slapped in the face.

“There are actually works by Teacher Xiao Cheng. I must take a good look at them!”

The clerk looked at the three people’s receding backs and thought.

Then he picked up a book and started reading it.

The first article is “Shooting the Wolf in the Sky”.

After a while, the shop assistant was caught up in it.

Shop assistant: “This article Shooting the Wolf is quite good.”

The second article is “Youth”.

Shop assistant: “Hi! As expected of Teacher Cheng! It’s so well written!”

……

……

On the other side, Cheng Kaiyan did not follow the girls back to school, but took the bus.

The destination is Dengshikou Primary School.

For no other reason than that her mother Xu Yuxiu had always wanted to watch “Youth”, a film about Cheng Kaiyan’s military career, in order to understand Cheng Kaiyan’s past that she did not know.

Some time ago, Cheng Kaiyan also promised her mother that she would buy a copy for her immediately after the article was published in “Youth”.

Sitting on the bus, Cheng Kaiyan looked at the rain curtains outside the window that were almost connected together, and felt very peaceful and leisurely in her heart.

After getting off the bus, Cheng Kaiyan did not go into the school immediately.

Instead, he went to several bookstores to inquire about the situation of the “Special Issue of Military Writers”.

It’s really a cold batch.

If Cheng Kaiyan hadn’t asked, the clerk probably wouldn’t have known there was such a magazine.

After leaving the store, Cheng Kaiyan had two or three more books in her hands, all of which were special editions of the author’s works.

He stuffed his luggage into his briefcase and walked into Dengshikou Primary School.

“Hey! The great writer is here, looking for your mother?”

As the child of a teaching staff, Cheng Kaiyan, who graduated from elementary school here, was naturally recognized by the old man who had worked as a janitor for decades. As soon as he saw Cheng Kaiyan, he immediately greeted him with a smile.

“Yes, Mr. Qin.”

Cheng Kaiyan responded and left in a hurry.

Because it was raining. I walked through the familiar stairwells, classroom corridors, and looked at the primary school students wearing red scarves, holding their books high, shaking their heads, and sitting in the classroom.

Cheng Kaiyan also sighed deeply.

When he was a child, he studied for six years under his mother’s supervision.

It’s terrible.

I ran to my mother’s office.

“Bang bang.”

There were quite a few teachers in the office. Maybe because it was raining and they had nowhere to go, these teachers were eating melon seeds and chatting in the office.

After all, they are primary school students, so the teaching pressure is almost non-existent.

“Hey! Teacher Xu, your great talent is here to see his mother!”

A middle-aged woman in her forties with short hair heard the knock on the door, looked back, and suddenly laughed and said with a smile.

“Hahahaha!”

“Looking for mom? Sister Qin, what you said is too mean. Kaiyan is a great writer. Don’t talk like that next time!”

“That’s right! How do you talk like that!”

When everyone heard this, they burst into laughter.

They didn’t mean any harm, they were just joking.

The office is boring.

“And! I watched this kid grow up. When he was in elementary school, whenever he was bullied, he would run to the office to find Yuxiu. It was so interesting.”

Teacher Qin said happily.

“The great writer was so cute when he was a child!”

Hearing this, the teacher in the office laughed again.

“Go away, you bitches, why are you so talkative?”

Xu Yuxiu kept laughing and scolding, and everyone finally calmed down.

She quickly waved for Cheng Kaiyan to come in, and then moved a stool next to him.

The mother and son sat side by side.

“Kaiyan, why are you here?”

Seeing that his hair was a little wet from the rain, Xu Yuxiu took out her handkerchief and wiped it gently, while asking curiously.

Since the incident at the beginning of the year, his child has hardly come to school because he is very busy.

“I’m sending you something, look!”

Cheng Kaiyan smiled, took out a book from his briefcase and placed it on the table.

“A special issue for writers who travel the military under the banner of the People’s Liberation Army Literature and Art?”

Xu Yuxiu stuffed the handkerchief into her son’s hand, looked down, and read word by word.

She was pleasantly surprised and asked, “Fang Hua was published so soon?”

“Yes, didn’t I buy it for you the first time?”

Cheng Kaiyan put his arm around his mother’s thin shoulders and asked with a smile.

“Then I’m going to appreciate Kaiyan’s masterpiece!”

When Xu Yuxiu heard this, her heart suddenly felt warm. She gently patted Cheng Kaiyan’s hair with a serious expression.

“hey-hey.”

……

In the following time, Cheng Kaiyan sat beside her mother and helped her mother with the unfinished homework of her elementary school students.

Xu Yuxiu huddled in her workstation, leaning back in her chair, drinking hot tea and reading a book leisurely.

“Wow~”

Turn to the first page.

Two large characters appeared in front of me under the printed text: Youth

Written by Cheng Kaiyan.

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

Youth, this is the youth of joy, right?
Xu Yuxiu looked at the words in the message and said to herself.

She felt a little nervous and complicated. She wanted to watch it, but she was a little afraid to look down.

After all, she knew very well that this story was created by Cheng Kaiyan based on her own experiences in the army.

“call!”

Xu Yuxiu turned around and looked at her son who was busy correcting homework, and let out a long sigh of relief.

No matter what happened during those years or how much injustice he suffered, it was enough for him to sit here safely.

Cheng Kaiyan gave Xu Yuxiu great courage.

She looked down.

The story takes place in 1974, a time point that Xu Yuxiu will never forget.

as predicted.

The protagonist of the story, Cheng Lu, also graduated from high school in that year. Due to his poor family background, he resolutely joined the army unit stationed in southern Xinjiang despite the opposition of his childhood sweetheart and mother.

On the day of boarding the recruit transport train.

The protagonist bids farewell to his mother and his childhood sweetheart.

Before leaving, the mother held her son’s hand and told him to wait for her on the platform.

The mother used the few dollars she had left to buy Quanjude roast duck, which was the food that all the children in the alleys of old Beijing dreamed of.

When she arrived at Quanjude, the clerk refused to buy her the roast duck because she only wanted to buy half a duck.

The mother tried to persuade the clerk in every possible way, almost kneeling down to beg him, saying that this was what her son wanted to eat the most before going to join the army in southern Xinjiang. Only then did the clerk agree.

After buying the food, my mother carefully wrapped it in clean oil paper and held it in her arms, fearing that it would become cold and taste bad.

On the way to the train station, I looked around, fearing that my bag would be snatched away.

New recruits do not enter the train station with their families when they join the army. Instead, they gather together with other recruits, while their families enter the station in advance and wait.

Perhaps she had wasted too much time on the road, and by the time she arrived at the train station, the train was about to depart.

Holding the roast duck in her pocket, she looked everywhere for her son among the crowd seeing him off on the train platform. She was so anxious that her eyes turned red and tears welled up in her eyes.

But maybe it’s telepathy between mother and child.

When she turned around, she saw her thin son standing not far away, looking at her. His face was covered in sweat and he was smiling brightly.

“Where have you been? I was so worried… wuwu… do you know how anxious I was when I couldn’t find you?”

“Woooo…”

Then the train started, and the protagonist missed the eye contact with his mother because of his greedy bite.

……

“Kaiyan! Kaiyan…”

When I saw this, almost in an instant, the yellowed film-like memories came flooding back like a tide.

Washing away Xu Yuxiu’s sanity.

Suddenly Xu Yuxiu’s eyes turned red, her pretty nose turned slightly red and sour, and she let out barely audible sobs.

Cheng Kaiyan noticed something wrong with her mother almost the next second.

He quickly patted his mother’s back, comforting her silently.

“!!!”

“You little brat, you wrote these things on purpose to make me cry, didn’t you?”

Xu Yuxiu bit her lips, and tears as big as beans overflowed from her peach blossom eyes as clear as spring water and slid down her thin cheeks.

“No, I’m just recording it.”

Cheng Kaiyan argued cunningly.

Xu Yuxiu glared at him, wiped her tears and continued reading.

Although other people in the office noticed the situation of the two, they did not ask much, thinking that Xu Yuxiu might have cried because of the work brought by Cheng Kaiyan.

“What book is it? Cheng Kaiyan’s new work?”

The teachers in the office couldn’t help but feel curious.

And Xu Yuxiu is still immersed in her work.

She was filled with indignation when she saw the protagonist join the army, make friends, participate in training, and be assigned to the front line where he was bullied by veteran soldiers.

Seeing the gentle company commander protecting the protagonist, he felt very fortunate.

When I saw that the protagonist did not forget to write in the diary his mother asked him to write while undergoing hard training in the army, I burst into tears again.

“He’s really a good kid, just like Kaiyan.”

The story then goes to the battlefield, where the protagonist goes to fight. Although his performance is not good, it is already very good.

Then in a brutal blocking battle, the company commander died heroically to save him.

After the war, the protagonist chose to escape and join the art troupe because he helped play the piano in a performance, and Lin Susu, who liked him, resented him for this.

In the art troupe, although he was a hero, he was not treated as a hero, but only received verbal commendations.

The children of the cadres of the art troupe carried out inhumane bullying on the protagonist and Shen Xiaoping for various seemingly unreasonable reasons.

By the time the protagonist realized that this place was different from the battlefield, it was too late.

At this time, he was also insulted by the silent betrayal of his former lover. He resolutely joined the suicide squad and returned to the sharp knife company, determined to wash away his grievances with blood and flesh.

He eventually died on the battlefield.

His bloody diary was delivered to his former lover Lin Susu by his comrades. However, after Lin Susu started dating the son of a high-ranking official, she felt that she must not keep the diary and threw it into the trash can.

It happened to be picked up by Shen Xiaoping.

But this diary written for the mother passed through many owners and never returned to the hands of the mother who was waiting for her in Beijing.

It’s really fate that plays a trick on people.

Read the entire novel.

“Woo woo… Kai Yan.”

Xu Yuxiu was already leaning on Cheng Kaiyan’s shoulder, crying her eyes out.

Because she felt that Cheng Lu in the story was actually her own child Cheng Kaiyan.

“Mom, calm down, I’m still here!”

Cheng Kaiyan hurried to comfort her.

Oh my god, if I had known you would cry like this, I wouldn’t have let her see it.

After a long while, Xu Yuxiu calmed down.

With red eyes, he looked at Cheng Kaiyan, stretched out his hand and asked:
“Where’s the diary you wrote? Show it to mom!”

“What diary? How can I possibly write a diary?”

Cheng Kaiyan was stubborn and refused to admit it.

“hehe.”

Xu Yuxiu rolled her eyes at him and decided to look for it herself when she got home.

(End of this chapter)