At the ancient canal dock outside the West Gate of Huai'an, it was raining drizzly. A group of teenagers, wearing white shirts, blue cargo pants, and a pennant, are about to board a small steamship heading south. A pair of straw shoes, an umbrella, a small satchel, a set of movie projectors, several anti-Japanese films and dozens of song records are all their possessions. This group of young teenagers is a powerful force that cannot be ignored in the War of Resistance Against Japan - the Xin'an Tour Group (referred to as the "New Brigade").
In October 1935, the Chinese nation was facing a critical juncture of life and death. Under the leadership of Principal Wang Dazhi, 14 students of Xin'an Primary School formed the "Xin'an Tour Group", which set out from Huai'an and embarked on the journey of publicizing the anti-Japanese struggle to save the dead. These little good men used literary and artistic performances to sow the seeds of anti-Japanese resistance, set up a "rural mobile screening team", founded the "first children's newspaper" in the liberated areas of northern Jiangsu, and convened the "first children's congress" in central China. He has left a strong mark in the history of China's children's movement and has been praised as the "trumpeter of national liberation".
In the past 17 years of revolution and 50,000 miles of salvation, the members of the "New Brigade" have tempered and grown up in the fires of war; today, in the Xin'an Primary School, the alma mater of the "New Brigade," the spirit of "New Brigade" of "people with great ambitions and patriotic love for the world" is inherited. With this as the theme, the novel "Chinese Teenager", which tells the story of the growth of two generations of young good men, was recently co-published by People's Literature Magazine and Jiangsu Phoenix Children's Publishing House. What kind of thinking and insight will the growth stories of the little good guys bring us? The CCTV Voice of China program "Chao Hua Xi Shi" interviewed Han Qingchen, the author of the novel, and Shi Zhanjun and Chen Wenying, who planned the publication.
Han Qingchen is a first-class writer, a police officer of the Press and Propaganda Center of the Public Security Department of Jiangsu Province, and the vice chairman of the Nanjing Writers Association
We must not forget these lives, but move their stories into the book
Speaking of the origin of creation, writer Han Qingchen said that the children's stories are recorded in the annals of history that few people read. She once saw a video footage: on the streets of Guilin in 1940, a group of children wearing military uniforms that covered their knees and wearing a large belt around their waists were performing anti-Japanese song and dance dramas. At that moment, Han Qingchen sat in front of the screen with tears in her eyes, and she remembered her child and her own childhood. Looking at the soft and thin bodies of the children, with an innocent smile on their faces, "As a mother and a children's literature writer, I would love to hug them. Their weak bodies went to resist the war, to call for the country and the nation. "We should use the best paper, the best words, the best pictures to represent them and remember them."
Han Qingchen admitted that when she first received the invitation to write, she had concerns about the theme of "new brigade". But after digging deeper into the story of the little good guys, she decided to desperately devote herself to the creation. "We cannot forget these lives. We're going to put their stories into the book and follow the wheel of our time to the most beautiful places. Therefore, letting these historical stories be understood and remembered by more people has become The original intention of Han Qingchen to create "Chinese Youth".
Let us walk forward, hold their hands, see their smiling faces, hear their voices
How to tell the story of the "new brigade" well, Han Qingchen can be said to have worked hard. Through in-depth interviews to collect excavation materials, she read a large number of literature and historical materials, so that the ears, eyes, and heart can enter that era as soon as possible. Han Qingchen said that at night, she often dreamed of her and the children of the "New Brigade" posting leaflets, marching together, and charging together. "I want to be intimate with them wholeheartedly so that I can write about them well."
Han Qingchen lamented that writing "New Brigade" is simply providence, "it is an unexplainable encounter." When she first entered the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department, she often went to the campus of Nan normal University to read and walk, stopping in front of the statue of Wu Yifang. On a snowy day more than 80 years ago, on the same land, the children of the new brigade wore straw shoes and sold newspapers and periodicals on the street, and accidentally met Wu Yifang, president of Jinling University. Principal Wu bought all the newspapers and periodicals they had and gave them some money to buy food. The "New Brigade" staged an anti-Japanese drama at 56 Danfeng Street in Nanjing, and Danfeng Street was where Han Qingchen once lived.
Illustration of "Chinese Teenagers"
These wonderful fates made Han Qingchen more and more fascinated. "They are not only in my eyes, but also in my heart, as if they were right next to me." Walking on the streets of Nanjing, Han Qingchen seems to have "crossed" back to 1935, when the "New Brigade" first came to Nanjing, walking on the gravel road wearing straw shoes, lined with plane trees, she saw the smiling faces of Mr. Wang Dazhi and Mr. Tao Xingzhi, and saw the children of the "New Brigade" running out one by one.
Han Qingchen felt that he had withdrawn from the present and was with the "New Brigade", but he was in the present moment, hoping to make their spirits last forever through the book "Chinese Youth". "Let our descendants walk forward, hold their hands, see their smiling faces, hear their voices, and remember everything they have done for the country and the nation."
Chen Wenying, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Jiangsu Phoenix Children's Publishing House, Editor-in-Chief
The most important spiritual core of young people is national righteousness
Chen Wenying, deputy editor-in-chief and editor-in-chief of Jiangsu Phoenix Children's Publishing House, said that the entry angle of "Chinese Teenagers" is very attractive. In the novel, the young actors of Xin'an Elementary School are rehearsing a drama about the Xin'an Tour Group. In the process of learning and discussing the history of the young actors, the story of the "new brigade" slowly unfolded. At this time, it was positive and enterprising in the process of growth, and it was the war to forge ahead for the country. The two lines of history and reality are intertwined, realizing a cross-time dialogue between two generations of teenagers.
Shi Zhanjun, member of the party leading group of the China Writers Association, secretary of the Secretariat, and editor-in-chief of the People's Literature magazine, said that character shaping is a major highlight of "Chinese Youth." The character settings in the novel refer to the characteristics and relationships of the members of the "New Brigade", thus forming a blood connection between the protagonist and the historical figures. At the same time, we can see the true appearance of contemporary teenagers from the vivid characters. "The characters are versatile, diverse, very vivid, and the children can see themselves." Chen Wenying believes that "this work fully shows the spirit of diligence and optimism among young people in the new era. ”
In Chen Wenying's view, for the young people of an era, the most important spiritual core is the national righteousness, "when the country and the nation need him, not absent, not timid, and responsible." "This is a big background for the creation of 'Chinese Youth.'" Different eras must have different eras of deeds," Chen Wenying said, in the era of "new brigade" we pursue national independence and liberation, now we are pursuing national rejuvenation. "In this way, both generations are thinking about the future of the country and the nation, and this spiritual inheritance is consistent."
Shi Zhanjun also believes that "Chinese Youth" is full of a spirit of action, fully displaying the theme of "the rejuvenation of a strong country with me" in the actions of the characters, "It will fully spiritualize the mission of inheriting the red gene and continuing the red bloodline." ”
Shi Zhanjun is a member of the Party Group and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Writers Association, the editor-in-chief of The People's Literature Magazine, and the vice president of the Chinese Novel Society
"Life is education, society is school" Today's school education is still needed
Mr. Tao Xingzhi, the founder of Xin'an Primary School, once put forward the educational idea of "life is education, society is school", which later became the action guide of "New Brigade". Up to now, it is still advanced and precious. Han Qingchen believes that this idea is still the goal that school education needs to practice and pursue today.
Shi Zhanjun stressed that the education of values in the long river of history is very important for the growth of each generation, and this kind of education should not be limited to the campus. In the process of growing up, how to deal with the relationship between school and society, life, and the relationship between book learning and the big times? "Chinese Teenagers" provides us with a lot of useful enlightenment. "The novel tells the story of the heroes and teenagers of history, and also tells the story of today's little good men, in this field are growing, everyone is growing, and in the big way, our country and nation are also growing, just like China is growing tall." Shi Zhanjun said, "How children grow up to the sun is a major issue. This work gives an artistic answer, which is very valuable. ”
Shi Zhanjun hopes that the book "Chinese Teenagers" can pass on the spirit of "fighting for the nation and for happiness" to more Chinese teenagers, "the feeling of breathing with the people of the motherland and sharing a common destiny will run through the whole process of study, integrate into the pursuit of career, and become a new person of the times who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation." ”
Producer: Bai Zhonghua
Reporter: Su Yang
Editor: Wu Xiaowei Chen Ming