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In the history of mainland literature, there is such a writer, whose life experience is legendary. From a child from a poor peasant family to a well-known military writer, he used his tenacity and talent to write a moving history of struggle. He is Gao Yubao, the author of "Chicken Crow in the Middle of the Night", and the creator of the well-known image of "Zhou Papi".
However, the road to fame has never been easy. In Gao Yubao's literary career, the role of "Zhou Papi" has become a double-edged sword. It brought him both a huge reputation and a long-running controversy.
The accusations of the descendants of the Zhou family are like a thorn, always piercing Gao Yubao's heart. So, what is the story behind this controversy? Let's walk into Gao Yubao's world and talk about why this "Zhou Papi" has caused controversy.
The dream of studying in difficult years
In 1927, in a small village in Wafangdian City, Liaoning Province, Gao Yubao fell to the ground. Born into a poor peasant family, this child was destined to fight against fate from an early age. At that time, China was full of wars and the people were struggling to make a living. Gao Yubao's family was not spared, and the burden of life fell on the child's shoulders early.
However, even in such a difficult environment, Gao Yubao's dream of studying is still burning. His eyes thirsty for knowledge were always unconsciously attracted to school.
Sometimes, he would sneak out of the school, prick up his ears, and try to listen to the sound of reading aloud in the classroom. This child, who is thirsty for knowledge, used this special way to start his "path to study".
Once, a kind teacher noticed this child who was always wandering outside the school. Impressed by Gao's thirst for knowledge, he made an exception to allow the poor child to attend school for free.
This is undoubtedly great news for Gao Yubao. However, fate always seems to be playing a joke on him. It didn't take long for the burdens of life to push him in another direction again - he had to leave school and become a long-term worker.
This experience was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the young Gao Yubao. However, this stubborn child did not give up on his dream. Even in the midst of heavy work, he never forgot to learn. Whenever he has a little free time, he will seize the opportunity to learn new words and learn new knowledge. This thirst for knowledge became the spiritual force that sustained him through the difficult years.
The metamorphosis from illiterate to military writer
1947 was a turning point for Gao Yubao. In this year, he joined the army and became a communications corpsman. However, fate seems to have played a joke on him again. As a communications soldier, the most basic requirement is to be able to read and write. However, Gao Yubao was an out-and-out illiterate person at that time.
This cruel reality has dealt a huge blow to Gao Yubao. Once, because he was illiterate, he actually sent information by mistake. This mistake not only made him criticized by his superiors, but also made him deeply aware of the importance of literacy. From that moment on, Gao Yubao made up his mind that he must learn to read and write.
In that era of scarcity of materials, Gao Yubao's learning conditions can be said to be extremely simple. Without paper and pen, he used tiles and spikes. During the march, he would pick up the tiles on the side of the road and engrave words on them with sharp nails; In between battles, he would seize every minute and every second, trying to memorize the newly learned words.
Gao Yubao's spirit of learning deeply touched his comrades-in-arms and superiors. Everyone was infected by this stubborn young man, and they reached out to teach him to read and write. Slowly, Gao Yubao not only learned to read, but also came up with the idea of creating.
During the war-torn years, Gao Yubao began his creative career. He used his own personal experience as a source of material and began to write autobiographical novels. The process was not easy, but Gao Yubao enjoyed it. Whenever he had free time, he would take out a pen and paper and record what he saw, heard, and thought.
In this way, in the arduous military life, Gao Yubao completed a 250,000-word novel "Gao Yubao". This novel not only records his personal experience, but also a microcosm of an era. Most of the characters in the book are real, including the controversial "Zhou Papi".
"Gao Yubao": a famous work and the source of controversy
In 1955, Gao Yubao's novel "Gao Yubao" was officially published. As soon as this work was published, it attracted wide attention and heated discussions. The image of "Zhou Papi" created in the novel left a deep impression on readers.
The role of "Zhou Papi" is a typical image of an exploiting landlord. He was greedy, cunning, and extremely harsh on his tenants. The reason why this image is so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people is precisely because it embodies in a concentrated way the various bad deeds of the landlord class in the old society. In that special era, "Zhou Papi" became synonymous with feudal exploitation.
However, it was the role that made Gao Yubao famous that also caused him decades-long troubles. Because in reality, "Zhou Papi" has a prototype, that is, a person named Zhou Chunfu in Gao Yubao's hometown.
Zhou Chunfu's descendants, especially his great-grandson Meng Lingqian, were very dissatisfied with Gao Yubao's image of "Zhou Papi". They believe that Gao Yubao exaggerated Zhou Chunfu's evil deeds in the novel and cast an injustice on the Zhou family.
Meng Lingqian publicly accused Gao Yubao many times, claiming that he fabricated facts and brought huge stigma to the Zhou family. In Meng Lingqian's view, although his great-grandfather Zhou Chunfu was a rich peasant, he was kind and not as bad as described in the novel. He believes that Gao Yubao's novel has brought an unfair evaluation to their family.
In the face of these accusations, Gao Yubao has also responded in public many times. He emphasized that most of the plot in the novel is indeed based on real experiences, but some are artistically processed. He explained that the image of "Zhou Papi" does not refer to a specific person, but represents a typical type of exploiting class.
Although Gao Yubao's explanation has been understood by some people, the controversy has not subsided. This controversy continued until Gao Yubao's later years.
Beyond the controversy: Gao Yubao's literary achievements
Although the controversy caused by the image of "Zhou Papi" has always plagued Gao Yubao, this has not stopped him from continuing to move forward on the road of literature. On the contrary, these experiences seem to have fueled his creative passion even more.
In the years that followed, Gao Yubao continued to create, and his works were widely circulated at home and abroad, becoming classics in the history of New Chinese literature. His brushstrokes not only record the suffering of the old society, but also depict the great changes in the new China, which has resonated with countless readers.
In 1956, Gao Yubao became a member of the Chinese Writers Association, which was a great affirmation of his literary talent. Not satisfied with his current achievements, he entered the Workers' and Peasants' Accelerated Middle School of the Chinese People's University for further study and continued to enrich his knowledge reserves.
In 1962, Gao Yubao graduated from the Department of Journalism of Chinese People's University. This once illiterate man finally completed the school he had dreamed of since he was a child. His efforts and achievements have been highly recognized by the state. The Duke of Zhou and the leaders called him a "warrior writer".
Gao Yubao's works "I Want to Read" and "Midnight Chicken Crow" were selected into primary school textbooks and influenced several generations of Chinese. He wrote more than 2 million words of novels in his lifetime, among which "Gao Yubao" and "Gao Yubao's Sequel" were selected into the "Liaoning Literary Anthology Series for the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China", which became an important chapter in the history of new Chinese literature.
From a poor peasant child to a famous writer, Gao Yubao's life experience is a wonderful novel in itself. He used his tenacity and talent to interpret what "knowledge changes destiny".
In 2019, at 16:12 on December 5, "military writer" Gao Yubao died of illness in Dalian at the age of 92.
Although the controversy brought about by the image of "Zhou Papi" has always existed, this cannot hide Gao Yubao's great achievements in literary creation. His story is not only a testimony of personal struggle, but also a microcosm of the development of new Chinese culture.
epilogue
Gao Yubao's life is full of hardships and struggles, as well as achievements and controversies. From being an illiterate poor kid to becoming a famous writer who has influenced generations, his experience is undoubtedly inspiring. However, it is inevitable that real characters will be involved in literary creation, which has also brought long-term troubles to Gao Yubao.
The controversy over the image of "Zhou Papi" may never get an answer that satisfies everyone. However, the controversy itself also reflects the complexity of literary creation and the profound impact of social change.
Gao Yubao's story is not only the epitome of personal struggle, but also a portrayal of an era. With his own pen, he recorded history and influenced generations of readers, and this contribution is undeniable.
What do you think differently about this?
Resources:
Reference Sources:
[1] Guangming Daily, ""Warrior Writer" Gao Yubao <我是一个兵>Passed Away in Singing", 2019-12-10
[2] Guangming Daily, "Gao Yubao: <半夜鸡叫>There is a Shadow of His Childhood", 2019-12-08
[3] China Education News Network, "Writer Gao Yubao Passed Away, "Midnight Chicken Crows" and Other Works Have Been Selected as Chinese Textbooks", 2019-12-06
[4] Chinese Communist Party News Network, "How many times did Mao Zedong fight the battle of "people's culture"? Deployment of 4 Literacy Campaigns, 2010-04-21
[5] Literature and Art Newspaper "Gao Yubao: A Symbol of the Transformation of Chinese People's Culture"2020-04-15
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