Zhang Shouren

I have much contact with Wang Lao. Our October magazine has arranged and published his short stories "Three Friends in Cold Years", "Lu" and prose collections "Radish" and "Yan Fu". Wang Lao and I went to the south to collect opinions, gave lectures in Loudi, Hunan, held a meeting with the China Literature Foundation in Huairou Reservoir, and I also took the manuscript from his home. The longest time spent with Wang Lao was during the Hongtashan Pen Club in April, 199 1. They shared a room for half a month, and I learned a lot from him face to face, which I will never forget.

Wang Lao said to me: Writing is writing language. The language of the work is an organic whole, just like the running water in a river, which cannot be separated or integrated with each other, and it will affect the whole body. Therefore, all the works he wrote when he was young can be recited, because the language of his works has internal rhythm and rhythm. I remember that in the process of spreading Shajiabang's script, the manuscript of a scene was lost, and the leaders and typists in the group were very anxious. Wang Lao comforted them and told them not to worry. Then, he sat by the typewriter and recited the script from the first word to the last word.

Wang Lao said: Pay attention to describing the life phenomena you see in written language anytime and anywhere. When he was sent to work and live in Zhangjiakou, there was a tree wall outside. When the night train passed by, the lights in the window shone on the tree wall one by one. How to describe this phenomenon? He wrote in "A Night in the Sheep Shed": "The honey yellow lights on the window shine on the tree wall one by one, chasing it endlessly? 6? 7? 6? Do you always feel that you are scraping branches and leaves all over the floor? 6? 7? 6? The word "scrape" means the intensity and speed of train lighting.

(4) When Wang Zengqi was a visiting scholar in the United States, the topic of his speeches at Harvard University and Yale University was "The Language of China Literature", which shows that he attached great importance to literary language.

⑤ I like to write prose. I have a long talk in the evening and ask Wang Lao for his experience in writing prose. He told me: write prose with restraint, leave blank like painting, and don't be emotional like a little girl. It is always unnatural for an old man to write a love letter. Some essayists' works are in full swing, but after reading them, they feel empty and leave no impression. Writing prose requires experience. You can't write a good article without ups and downs. Prose can't stick to the rules, don't take it to heart. Therefore, he has always wanted to write his prose naturally and simply, like a saying, cordial and simple; Of course, it can also be meticulous and dense. For example, He Qifang's Painting Dreams has a unique style, like a beautiful flower. "But I can't write such prose."

I once said to Wang Lao: I'm not a Beijing opera fan, but I wrote Shajiabang for you. I especially appreciate the lyrics of Zhi Dou A Qing Sao, that is, "Set up a seven-star stove, cook three rivers in a copper pot, and spread out the square table to entertain sixteen parties." Guests are guests, all by mouth. "Wang veteran put a cigarette in his mouth and took a drag. He smiled and said, "Don't take this lyric too seriously. I played a group of numbers games there. Boiling Sanjiang in a copper pot was inspired by Su Dongpo's poems. "It's cool when people leave tea" is also a numerical concept, which means zero. "

⑦ I said, "You can't write this lyric without the cultivation of poetry and the knowledge of ancient Chinese." Then, he recalled his childhood: his grandfather Wang Jiaxun was a tribute in the late Qing Dynasty, and he was urged to recite ancient Chinese at an early age. In the fifth grade of primary school, grandpa personally told him the Analects of Confucius and told him to practice calligraphy more. Grandpa said, "You should be patient and lay a good foundation, which will benefit you all your life." Wang Lao said: "I wrote an eight-part essay when I was 13 years old. Grandfather saw it and sighed,' If you were in the Qing Dynasty, you would get a scholar.' My grandfather saw that I had made progress and gave me some valuable stone tablets and a purple inkstone. "

On those spring nights in the south, Wang Lao talked to me about the National The National SouthWest Associated University. When he was in Zhangjiakou, the Academy of Agricultural Sciences asked him to draw potatoes and potato flowers, so he made an atlas of potatoes in China. Unfortunately, it was not handed down like Shen Congwen's study of ancient costumes. He was very sorry that the manuscript of Huapu was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

One day in Dali, we visited Erhai Lake in Shimonoseki, visited butterfly spring, and watched the "Three te amo" party performed by Dali Baisong Song and Dance Troupe in the evening. When I went back to the hotel to sleep, Wang Lao leaned his head against the railing of the bed and proudly said to me, Xiao Zhang, you know, I wrote these articles about cooking because I am a special contributor to China Cooking magazine. To be a famous chef, you must have rich imagination, be unconventional, innovate constantly and create new dishes and flavors. Cooking according to recipes never has a future. For example, you cut the fried dough sticks into pieces, put minced meat mixed with mustard tuber and chopped green onion in the middle, and then fry them in the oil pan, which is especially delicious. This dish might as well be called "fried dough sticks with stuffing". I have the right to apply for a patent.

Attending Wang Yongyuan is the best. Along the way, women writers surrounded him and followed him to the table where he sat for dinner. What dishes he likes, the female writer followed him, and soon the pot of dishes was finished. Ms Li Ling, winner of Mao Dun Literature Prize, called Wang Lao Brewmaster, Yan Jing and Hu Wen.

After that company, I met Wang Lao. He signed the published collection of Joop's works and gave it to me. He also wrote a seven-character poem and asked me to get it. I remember the first two sentences were "unique wisdom and personality, don't read articles when in Rome."

⑿ Wang Lao is good at poetry, painting and writing, so I call him "the last literati writer" in China. He is not only good at writing ancient poems, but also has good taste in vernacular poems. But what brought him disaster was a new poem "Early Spring".

[13]1In the spring of 992, the authors of Goldbach's conjecture, Xu Chi and Wang Yuanhua, were on vacation in Shenzhen West Lake. One day, Xu was sitting in my room very late and saw an anthology of Wang Zengqi lying on the table. He picked it up and turned it over. Suddenly he covered his face with a book and said guiltily, "I hurt him." I was taken aback and asked him why he said that. He said: "1June 1957, I worked in the editorial department of Poetry magazine and saw a new group of poems" Early Spring "sent by Wang Zengqi. The first song is "bunting", with only two sentences: "When the bunting of the wind is like a wave", I appreciate it very much, and it was published in Poetry Magazine for him, which caused trouble. After the anti-Rightist movement, Early Spring and Colorful Flag were mercilessly criticized, saying that the author's slander on the red flag was free and unfettered. The poem "Early Spring" also made a big taboo. Fei Xiaotong was classified as a rightist because of Early Spring Weather for Intellectuals, and Wang Zengqi's Early Spring was as reactionary as Fei Xiaotong and was also classified as a rightist and sent to Zhangjiakou for labor. If I hadn't given him this set of poems, maybe he wouldn't have had such an experience. "

[14] Wang Lao suffered many setbacks, but always smiled calmly, humorously and optimistically at life, and was a mentor and friend to many people. Although he has never been in a high position, he has influenced several generations of readers with his literary talent and personality charm. He is a warm lake.