Chapter 365: 364 [One Guess Right]

During the May 4th Movement, it was the prosperous period of modern Chinese literature. Various literary groups sprung up like mushrooms after rain, among which the literary research society was the most powerful.

But around 1930, the May Fourth New Culture Movement had actually ended. The Novel Monthly, the journal of the Literary Research Association, was also warned by the Shanghai Party Headquarters of the Nationalist Party last year. The commercial press, the publishing unit, was afraid of causing trouble, and also intervened with various greetings, which resulted in many articles not being published in the "Novel Monthly".

Gradually, "Fiction Monthly" lost its appeal to writers and literary youth. Editor-in-chief Zheng Zhenduo, Ye Shengtao and others are helpless in the face of this situation, and they will leave the Commercial Press at the end of this year.

Like literary societies, most literary groups today are at a loss.

On the one hand, the social status quo in China after the victory of the Northern Expedition left writers at a loss as to what to do and lost their passion for creation; Talk as freely as before.

It was under such circumstances that people of insight in the literary world united, under the leadership of the Communist Party, established the Chinese Left-Wing Writers Alliance in Shanghai, and established the official publication "Sprouting Monthly".

Whether it is the Left Wing Writers Union or the "Sprout Monthly", the Chinese literary world has been inspired, and many writers have once again burst out with enthusiasm for writing.

The Nationalist Party is very vigilant about this. Since members of the Left League writers are scattered all over the country, and many of them still live in the foreign concessions, the Nationalist Party has not yet dared or been able to arrest them indiscriminately. However, "Sprout Monthly" is closely monitored by the National Party, and any works published in this magazine with outrageous remarks will be shut down immediately.

Historically, before the Northern Leftist Federation was formally established, Shanghai's "Sprouting Monthly" was shut down, and only five issues were issued.

But this is no big deal, the sixth issue of "Sprout" has been rebranded and renamed "Xindi Monthly" to continue publishing. "Xindi Monthly" was seized after it was published for one issue, but more and more publications of the Left Federation were blocked. There are also magazines such as "Literary Life" issued secretly, and there are also publications such as "Anonymous Literature and Art", "Literature" and "New Novels" published by members of the Left League in their own names.

Even in Japan, there are "Dongliu", "New Poetry" and "Zawen" founded by the Tokyo branch of the Left Federation.

Faced with such a situation, the Kuomintang cannot control it at all, because there are related publications of the Left League everywhere, and even some old newspapers have columns and supplements of the Left League.

"I Love This Land" published by Zhou Hexuan under the pseudonym "Night Breeze" was published in the fifth and last issue of "Sprout Monthly". As soon as this poem came out, it was quickly spread, including many poetry journals that had nothing to do with the Left Federation.

Night Breeze, this little-known poet, suddenly became well-known.

"Why do I often have tears in my eyes? Because I love this land deeply..." These two poems were also copied in notebooks by many passionate young people.

There is even a newly founded literary journal, influenced by this poem, called "The Land".

Shanghai, inside a pavilion in Shikumen.

Lu Xun, Ding Ling, Hu Yepin, Rou Shi and others gathered together to chat while eating pears and knocking melon seeds. Because "Sprout Monthly" had just been seized, they gathered for a short meeting and happily named the new publication "Xindi Monthly".

Lu Xun took a deep puff of his cigarette, pressed it out and asked, "Who wrote the song "I Love This Land"?"

"That's right, I've never heard of 'Night Breeze'," Ding Ling said curiously, "This poem is so well written, could it be written by a newcomer who just started writing?"

Rou Shi smiled mysteriously: "Night Breeze is the pen name of a certain scholar."

"I guessed it." Lu Xun was not surprised, because he had dozens of pen names, and many sensitive articles could only be published under new pen names.

This is extremely normal in the literary world of the Republic of China. It is equivalent to the mixed forums and post bars of later generations. You don’t have a bunch of small vests, and you are embarrassed to come out to meet people.

"Whose new pen name?" Hu Ye frequently asked.

"Guess." Rou Shi laughed.

"Speak quickly, speak quickly, don't hesitate." Ding Ling urged.

All the people here, except Lu Xun, are all members of the Red Party. Lu Xun said: "Since people don't want to disclose their identities, then don't ask."

"Let me guess," Ding Ling rolled her eyes a few times, "Pingfu (Rou Shi) said that he is a scholar, he should be very famous, and he can write poems very well, and he is also a patriot. Who could be a famous patriot who is good at writing poetry?"

Hu Yepin interrupted suddenly: "Could it be Mr. Zhou from the north?"

"Hahahaha, guess right," Rou Shi reminded after laughing, "Don't spread this matter to the outside world. Mr. Zhou doesn't seem to want to get too involved with our Left League. We must respect his choice."

"Understandable." Lu Xun nodded. He was also reluctant to join the Left League at first, fearing that he would be persecuted, but in the end he gritted his teeth and went all out.

"Why do my eyes often have tears, because I love this land deeply," Ding Ling read a few lines holding the poem, and exclaimed, "As expected of Mr. Zhou, his poems are always so emotional and full of philosophy. "

Lu Xun joked, "It's a pity that we got too close to those people from the New Moon Society. Hey, Hu Shi and Liang Shiqiu made a big fuss, pursuing freedom of thought. Now Chinese people don't even have freedom of movement, let alone freedom of thought."

Rou Shi said: "They are against the Kuomintang after all. If possible, I still hope that everyone can ease the conflict and unite against dictatorship and tyranny."

Lu Xun smiled and said nothing, he hated Liang Shiqiu more than Guo Moruo and Chen Xiying. Because he felt that Liang Shiqiu was too insidious. He even publicly wrote an article implying that he was the Red Party when Zhang Zuolin and Chang Kaishen joined forces to fight against the Red Party. Wasn't he sincerely trying to kill him?

As for Rou Shi, he hopes that Lu Xun and Liang Shiqiu can reconcile and fight together for the nation.

A year ago, many literati in the Communist Party called for a boycott of Lu Xun, among whom Guo Moruo was the representative. Later, Zhou Gong came to Shanghai for a trip in person, and the two parties put aside their previous suspicions and jointly established the Chinese Left-Wing Writers Alliance.

When Lu Xun, Ding Ling and others held a small meeting in Shanghai, far away in the Tianjin Concession, a writer friend said to Ba Jin: "When you come to Tianjin for tourism, you must visit someone, otherwise it will be in vain."

"Who is it?" Ba Jin asked with a smile.

"Zhou Hexuan," said the friend.

Ba Jin shook his head again and again: "He is a well-known scholar all over the world, and I'm just a young man in the literary world. It's better not to be rejected."

The friend laughed and said, "How do you know if you don't try?"