Chapter 60 - Using Mo Yan’s Prize Acceptance Speech! (2/2)

This fellow, Zhang Ye, was a person who bore grudges. He glanced at Meng Dongguo and company. Although he knew that at this moment, they were full of wounds and scars, he still made it his obligation to add another stab, “Actually there’s nothing much to say. I’ll just thank everyone for your support. I am a half-past-six poet and am indeed an amateur. I do not know if my poems have any literary value or if it is art. I have also not considered these while composing this poem. As long as everyone likes it, and everyone acknowledges me, I think it is enough!”

What was adding fuel to the fire?

This was what adding fuel to the fire was!

What was rubbing salt in one’s wound?

This was f***ing rubbing salt into one’s wound!

Below, Meng Dongguo, Big Thunder and company’s faces were flas.h.i.+ng red and white. They had never expected this newcomer with surname of Zhang to still be mentioning this thing! He refused to let this go!

Zhang Huo was clearly unsatisfied, “Teacher Zhang, please say a few more words.”

“Yes. From the messages from our listeners, they want to hear you talk about things regarding literature, such as producing works, or for example, the value of literature.” Sun Mengjie added.

Really say his thoughts?

Zhang Ye could not help but have a headache.

He could speak very well and was a broadcast major. All he relied on was his mouth. Since it was his profession, how could he not be able to speak? But this fellow was, most of the time, saying things ad verbatim. It was the same with how he learned in university. If not, he could tease and scold others, which was also what he was good at. But if he had to say something decent, such as speaking seriously about literature, he would be grasping at straws. There was no other way. He did not have the ability.

What should he do?

And it had to have literary value?

Eh. Zhang Ye had a flash of brilliance. I got it!

Zhang Ye pondered over it and decided to use the n.o.bel prize winner from his world, Mo Yan‘s*, words in his acceptance speech. He nearly recited it ad verbatim, “Alright, then. Then I will seriously repeat myself. I want to thank my family and friends. Their wisdom and friends.h.i.+p s.h.i.+nes through my work.”

Mo Yan’s original words were as such.

These words might not mean much to others, but it had a deep meaning for Zhang Ye.

Then he carried on Mo Yan’s acceptance speech, “Just now, we talked about the value of literature. My personal understanding of it is actually very simple. In comparison to science, literature indeed has no practical use. Yet the greatest function of literature is perhaps its lack of function.” With a nod, “Thank you, everyone. I’ve finished speaking.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Dongguo was dumbfounded.

Big Thunder and Little Red Mushroom also gave a surprise look at each other!

Zhang Huo’s eyes lit up and sighed, “Teacher Zhang Ye keeps saying that he doesn’t know art and is an amateur, but his final words have perfectly revealed what sort of literary quality Teacher Zhang has. This is the most thought-provoking acceptance speech that I have heard in the past few years. Let us once again give a round of applause of Teacher Zhang!”

As people applauded, they were deep in thought.

Some people did not understand it, but others could understand a tiny bit!

The greatest function of literature is perhaps its lack of function? Those dozen or so Teachers from the Writers’ a.s.sociation stared at Zhang Ye, who was walking off the stage. This was the first time that they garnered interest in him, a broadcast host who had written “Shuidiao Getou”. An “amateur” poet who had managed to completely destroy predecessor authors, them! A just over 20-year-old young man who could say such an acceptance speech! The things that Zhang Ye had managed to display were things that they could not ignore!

In the middle of the back seat rows.

The moment Zhang Ye returned, everyone began to speak!

“Congratulations, Teacher Zhang!” an editor said.

“You have made our Literature Channel famous!” Aunt Sun was gratified.

“I already said Teacher Little Zhang was formidable. Look at Little Zhang’s words; they are so philosophical. Uh, although I didn’t understand the meaning behind it.” Big Sis Zhou laughed.

w.a.n.g Xiaomei, who had her eyes closed, opened her eyes and said, “Teacher Little Zhang’s mention of function might be referring to the creative powers in actual life. How it can have considerable influence and effect on this materialistic society. For example, science can build skysc.r.a.pers and dams, but literature is unable to have such an effect. However, the biggest function of literature is its lack of function. This meaning of this sentence is that because literature is unable to cause a materialistic effect on other things like other culture, giving the greatest satisfaction from the item, it is not confined to this physical world, but it can have endless sublimation at the spiritual level. It has a pioneering effect on man’s soul. This, then, is its best function. At least, this is how I understand it.”

“Deep.”

“So that’s how it is.”

“If not for Teacher Xiaomei’s a.n.a.lysis, I would have never understood it.”

Actually, Zhang Ye disagreed with w.a.n.g Xiaomei’s understanding. The explanation of how literature may appear useless, but actually had a use to it, was completely opposite of what he felt. It was because it was useless that made literature great. This was what he wanted to express, and probably what Mo Yan wanted to express, as well. However, Zhang Ye did not refute this or give an explanation. If you got it, you got it. If you understood a different meaning, then so be it. There was no need to distinguish. It was up to one’s interpretation. If literature was also one equals one, two equals two, A equals A, B equals B, and did not have multiple interpretations, then literature would not be called literature.

Zhao Guozhou clearly was very interested in that sentence, “Little Zhang, your melody poem was well-written, and your acceptance speech was also very well-said. Not only did you exceed others in poetry, you have even exceeded others in the understanding of literature! Rest a.s.sured, no one will ever dare to say that you do not know anything about art!”

Aunt Sun sighed, “Little Zhang sure is formidable. He can write supernatural novels, fairy tales, modern poems and ancient poems. See, even a simple acceptance speech is enough to shock everyone. Hai, is there anything that you do not know how to do?”

Zhang Ye hurriedly said, “All of you are flattering me. I just said those words without thought. It’s not that serious.”

The acceptance speech was well-said?

That was definite!

Who was Mo Yan? The people from this world may not know, as in this world, no one from the People’s Republic had won the n.o.bel Prize in Literature. However, Mo Yan was famous in his world. He was a person who really stood at the pinnacle of literature. For a person at the peak, he was a real master, so how could what he said be bad!?

A simple acceptance speech had once again made him well-known!

Anyway, Zhang Ye had really stolen the show today!

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