The Lively Treasure of Chen Village

"Who are you?"

Editor Peng turned to look at the newcomers, a puzzled expression on his face, and asked Huang Wenbin, "Are they your friends?"

The man looked to be in his mid-twenties, not very tall, quite thin, with messy, unkempt hair, wearing large-framed glasses, and looking somewhat sleazy.

"I don't know him." Huang Wenbin shook his head.

The others shook their heads as well.

Only Lu Yao replied, "I've met him twice, and he even offered me a cigarette."

"My name is Chen Cun. I'm here to revise a manuscript at the invitation of Shanghai Literature." The man chuckled and walked up to me, speaking in a very familiar manner.

Editor Peng's face showed a hint of realization: "You're the young man who wrote 'Two Generations'? I've heard Editor Bingkun next door mention you."

"Yes, Yu Bingkun is my editor." Chen Cun nodded, then said something surprising: "However, I just got into a fight with him, so I'm planning to join your Harvest magazine."

Editor Peng's face stiffened, and he was stunned: "So you're the one who caused Bingkun's injuries? Why were you fighting?"

"He wanted to delete my manuscript," Chen Cun said righteously. "That's my own child, and he wanted to dismember it. I absolutely refused and argued with him word for word."

Editor Peng asked, "And then, he made the first move?"

Chen Cun replied with a smile, "No. I let him delete it, and when he asked me to rewrite it after he finished, I copied everything he had deleted back."

Hearing this, Huang Wenbin thought this guy was pretty shrewd.

"He got angry and said that this wouldn't work, the article couldn't be published, and it had to be deleted."

Chen Cun then explained what happened next, speaking in a calm and measured tone: "I resolutely refused to delete it, and we started arguing. Then he hit me and said why I was so stubborn, so I hit back and accidentally hit him on the nose."

Editor Peng said speechlessly, "I knew it! Bingkun has such a gentle temper, how could he possibly get into a fight? He even told us it was from a wrestling match."

"If the editor tells you to delete something, just delete it." At this moment, the seasoned veteran Zhang Xianliang said with a smile, "As long as it can be published, everything is fine. If it can't be published, what's the use of keeping it all? Can it breed or something?"

"You're absolutely right," Chen Cun grinned. "So, I knelt down on the spot, called him 'Dad,' and asked, 'Would you really be willing to dismember your own grandson?' Hey, Editor Bingkun actually agreed not to delete it."

The two female writers were speechless, thinking that this guy was really something else, that he must have some kind of mental problem.

Huang Wenbin suddenly remembered who this person was: the future art director of "Rongshuxia" and "99 Bookstore", as well as the vice chairman of the Shanghai Writers Association.

Chen Cun was born in 1954. He was a posthumous child; his father died while he was still in his mother's womb, so his original name was Yang Yihua.

He is currently studying at Shanghai Normal University for a junior college degree. After graduating next year, he will become a teacher at the Second Municipal Engineering Company.

I only started writing at the beginning of this year, and all of my works are short stories. The most famous one is "Two Generations," which I submitted to Shanghai Literature.

This is a person with strong emotions, or you could say a bit neurotic.

I act spontaneously and don't like rules and regulations.

"Can I join you?" After Chen Cun explained his reasons, Editor Chong Peng said, "The magazine 'Harvest' is quite famous, and it's qualified to publish my novel. I don't mind, really."

Editor Peng found it somewhat amusing: "Well, I should thank you for thinking so highly of me. I'll have to go back and ask the editor-in-chief about your desire to join the writers' association."

"Absolutely no problem." Chen Cun laughed, looking two or three years older. "I admire Ba Jin the most. His magazine must be all-encompassing. I will become a great writer in the future, and I will not disgrace 'Harvest'."

After making his boastful statement, he then softened his tone, saying, "Editor Bingkun is still angry with me. If your 'Harvest' magazine doesn't take me in, then I'll have to go back to where I came from, and I won't be able to stay at the guesthouse anymore."

Editor Peng laughed and scolded, "You're as annoying as a monkey. Fine, you can come along for now."

"Alright, thank you, Editor Peng Xiyan. If I had known you were such a righteous person, I should have come to you directly." Chen Cun laughed and immediately took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to each of the men and women present.

"Hey, we're women, are you blind?!" Lu Xing'er glared at him, not one to back down.

Chen Cun laughed and said, "Isn't it all about gender equality? What's wrong with women smoking!"

"You!" Lu Xing'er immediately fell silent, only giving him a sidelong glance: "Let's go, ignore him."

Zhang Kangkang smiled sheepishly at Chen Cun.

"I don't smoke, thank you," Huang Wenbin refused.

Lu Yao and Zhang Xianliang simply put them away and hung them on their ears.

"Let's get to know each other," Chen Cun couldn't help but ask. "What are your pen names? I'd like to read your works and learn from them."

Lu Yao laughed and said, "If you ask that, who will tell you?"

"Why?" Chen Cun asked, puzzled.

Zhang Xianliang explained the reason: "Everyone has a sense of shame. If you ask him that, and he answers, it will seem a bit arrogant."

"Oh, that explains why I always got glared at when I asked people before." Chen Cun scratched his head. "Well, how about we become friends? I already told you my name is Chen Cun."

The three male authors, Huang Wenbin, gave a brief self-introduction.

"I know you! You've been incredibly famous these past few months!" Chen Cun pointed at Huang Wenbin, saying with some envy, "All the girls at my school talk about you every day, saying how amazing your novels are and how handsome you are. Not a single one of them talks about me!"

Huang Wenbin said, "You are very talented. Sooner or later they will know your name."

Chen Cun said in a serious tone, "What you said makes me feel good. I won't be jealous of your handsome looks anymore."

"Hey, ladies, what are your names?" Chen Cun jogged a few more steps and caught up with Zhang Kangkang and Lu Xing'er.

Lu Xing'er retorted with dissatisfaction, "What do you want to do?"

Chen Cun explained, "No, we're all writers, and we'll be together for several days at the writers' conference. It would be very disrespectful not to know each other's names."

"My name is Zhang Kangkang, and her name is Lu Xing'er," Zhang Kangkang replied.

"The names are all very nice and unique," Chen Cun said with a smile. "Nice to meet you all. Where are you all from?"

Lu Xing'er rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Huang Wenbin and said, "Comrade Huang, come here for a moment."

Huang Wenbin was discussing recent "scar literature" with Lu Yao and Zhang Xianliang when he heard someone call him. He walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"We're really curious about your short stories."

With a gentle smile, Lu Xing'er asked softly, "I'd really like to know about the creative process behind 'The Heart-Shaped Stone' and 'Going Out into the World at Eighteen.' Could you tell me about them?"

Chen Cun knew that Lu Xing'er was deliberately targeting her.

He might not necessarily have feelings for the two female writers in front of him; it was purely driven by hormones that he wanted to show off in front of the opposite sex.

When they arrived at the editorial office of "Harvest", everyone met with the editors.

Li Xiaolin also returned and chatted with them for a few minutes. She also told them that she would take them to see Mr. Ba in the afternoon.

"Since you've come all the way to Shanghai, feel free to tell us if there's anywhere you'd like to go."

Li Xiaolin said to the writers in front of her, "I'll have Xiao Peng take you there."

Some said they wanted to visit the City God Temple, some said they wanted to visit Yu Garden, and others wanted to visit a museum.

Huang Wenbin wasn't very interested in these places, because he had already been to them before he transmigrated. Now he just wanted to visit the old man Ba ​​Jin.

"May I go and check out the Shanghai Women's Products Store?"

When it was Chen Cun's turn, he was indeed different from everyone else: "I heard that many new things that women can use were introduced last year."

"Chen Cun, have you no shame?!"

Lu Xing'er snapped at him, "What are you doing going to a women's goods store, a grown man like you?!"

Chen Cun couldn't help but mutter softly, "Aren't I also a women's product?"

"You're such a fool!" Lu Xing'er finally heard it and couldn't help but yell.

Huang Wenbin couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. This Chen Cun was indeed a bit eccentric. But the future Chen Cun was a quiet and reserved person; perhaps it was because of some past experience.

Or rather, in this era, many writers have undergone some peculiar changes in personality because they have been crushed by the times.

It is precisely this change that has given the literature of this era an extremely dazzling brilliance.