Chapter 78: I’ll Just Stand and Watch

On the way to the post office, he suddenly passed by the Xinhua Bookstore on Nanjing East Road.

In 1979, Nanjing East Road was one of Shanghai’s most bustling commercial avenues, renowned as “China’s Number One Commercial Street.” The Xinhua Bookstore was located in the Donghai Building on Nanjing East Road, and at this time was also known as the largest bookstore in the Far East. It was no exaggeration; Shanghai’s commercial scene had been preeminent nationwide since the Republic era.

Driven by curiosity, Xu Chengjun stepped into the famed bookstore of this era. The Xinhua Bookstore of these days was nothing like the later ones, which always seemed on the verge of closing. As soon as he entered, he was struck by the crowd—so many people!

It was understandable; entertainment was scarce, and after the hardships of the previous years, books had become the best solace for the soul. The air was filled with the scent of ink and paper, mingled with the murmur of low conversations, and occasionally the crisp sound of clerks quoting prices in Shanghainese. The wooden glass counters gleamed from careful polishing. A few steps inside, he saw many bespectacled youths standing before the literature shelves. Lu Xun’s “Call to Arms” and “Wandering,” wrapped in brown paper, were neatly stacked. The collected works of famous writers like Mao Dun and Ba Jin were, of course, highly popular.

In the most prominent spot were magazines like “People’s Literature” and “Harvest,” recently revived. The covers featured images of workers, peasants, and soldiers, with old editions and new novel selections displayed side by side. Liu Xinwu’s “The Class Teacher” and Lu Xinhua’s “Scar,” both released as single volumes, were sealed in plastic at the center of the showcase. Readers frequently picked them up, flipping through and quietly discussing the stories. No matter how these books are viewed now, in 1979 their status was akin to “Lord of Mysteries” in 2022.

Popular literature.

The social sciences section was comparatively quiet. Before the reference book shelves, self-taught workers stood, and practical technical books like “Mechanical Drawing” and “Basics of Electrical Engineering” were the most sought after, their spines bearing red labels reading “Recommended Reading for Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers.” At the corner foreign language booth, several young people held “Xu Guozhang’s English” and softly practiced reading together.

The queue for the cashier stretched from the counter all the way to the entrance, bamboo book baskets filled with all kinds of books. But where was the hottest spot? The comic book counter on the left as you entered! The half-foot-high glass counter was stacked with colorful-covered picture books. Classics like “The Feather Letter” and “Tunnel Warfare,” red-themed stories, were still displayed prominently. In this era, “Tunnel Warfare,” “Landmine Warfare,” and “Campaigns North and South” were known as “The Old Three Battles.”

In earlier years, these had been adapted into films and were regulars at cinema replays. This, too, reflected the monochrome entertainment of the era. Yet, newly stocked titles like “Nezha Conquers the Dragon King” and “The Monkey King Wreaks Havoc in Heaven” were even more beloved by children. A group of little girls in pigtails stood on tiptoe at the counter, pointing at Nezha on the cover and clamoring, “I want this one!”

Clerks dressed in blue work uniforms swiftly restocked from the drawers beneath the counter, the tin abacus clattering. Xu Chengjun, following the crowd, browsed the books and suddenly spotted “Maple,” published in the eighth issue of “Comic Book Report” in 1979.

And the person reading the book was a familiar face.

“Oh, Comrade Xu, you’re here too!” Lin Wei, still wearing a ponytail, greeted him cheerfully.

“Yes, just happened to be passing by and thought I’d take a look.”

“Hey, Lulu, Lulu, come here!” Lin Wei waved toward the corner, pulling over a girl who was engrossed in “Selections of Tang and Song Poetry.”

“Let me introduce you. This is Xu Chengjun, author of ‘Towards the Light’ and ‘The Letter!’”

“Wow, he’s Xu Chengjun!” The girl called Lulu’s eyes widened, and the poetry collection nearly slipped from her hands. “The section in ‘The Letter’ about the educated youth returning home—I cry every time I read it!”

She, too, had been an educated youth who passed the college entrance exam to enter Fudan University. She was something of a local role model.

“Yes, Comrade Xu is very kind! Last time he even signed an autograph for me!”

“He’s just... not very confident!”

So they were off chatting! How am I not confident?

Girls in this era, when they get excited, can be even scarier than those in later times!

After much talk, they suddenly remembered Xu Chengjun was still standing there, and Lin Wei, blushing, quickly introduced him, “Comrade Xu, let me introduce you—this is my college roommate, Xu Lu. She’s also from Anhui, just like you!”

Xu Lu shyly reached out for a handshake. “Comrade Xu, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

The handshake was brief; matters between men and women in those days were kept discreet.

“Oh, Lulu, be more open—Comrade Xu should be our junior next semester!”

Junior? Wait till school starts, you’ll be shocked. Everyone wants to be my senior, don’t they!

“By the way, how did your Fudan interview go? Chen Yang and I were thinking of visiting you at the educated youth dorm these days.”

“Thanks to you all, I managed to get in,” Xu Chengjun replied with a smile.

“Wonderful! Next semester we’ll get to attend class with the great poet!”

“You’re reading ‘Maple’?”

“Yes, the story is so touching. Lulu was crying halfway through.”

“Don’t blame me!” Xu Lu’s expression hardly convinced anyone.

“I wasn’t the one crying like a little kitten!”

Lin Wei’s Sichuan pepper character was on full display.

“Comrade Xu, have you read ‘Maple’? I think it’s better than ‘Scar’ and ‘The Class Teacher.’”

“I suppose I have.”

Does reading it in a past life count?

Zheng Yi’s “Maple” was published in the February 1979 issue of “Wenhui Daily,” and this July it appeared in “Comic Book Report” as a comic. What was the story? It told of the young students Lu Danfeng and Li Honggang facing...

People nowadays hardly know this novel, but in 1979 it was indeed popular. Through the tragic love of youth, it depicted suffering.

The plot was ordinary, but in this era, a novel adapted into a comic was even more impressive than later web novels adapted into films. There was simply no other entertainment for the masses!

The plot of “Tiny Times” is unbearably cliché now, but back then, how popular was it?

“Comrade Xu, what do you think of the recent scar literature?” Xu Lu beside him wasn’t about to let Xu Chengjun off.

“Me?”

“I stand and read it, just like you do.” Xu Chengjun smiled even more brightly.

Xu Lu: ?

Lin Wei: ?

Who is this guy, anyway!