Chapter 328 - The hope of Peking University’s Chinese department! (1/2)
Applause!
It was applause throughout!
“It’s really too d.a.m.n awesome!”
“Teacher Zhang! I love you!”
“Teacher Zhang’s too good! He’s peerless!”
“Well said! I’ve never been in such a wonderful lecture before!”
“Teacher Zhang, will you still be the teacher for ‘Appreciation of the Cla.s.sics’ next semester?”
“I’ve decided! I will be signing up for Teacher Zhang’s elective cla.s.s next semester!”
The students were all giving their kudos. Su Na and a few other Peking University lecturers were giving the thumbs up to Zhang Ye from below the stage.
The audience had given him a standing ovation and the scene looked phenomenal. For Zhang Ye, who had done so many programs up until now, it was also the first time that he had encountered such a large standing ovation.
Zhang Ye was already leaving the stage after packing up his research papers and thermos flask, but he stopped and gave a wry smile. Then he put down his belongings and picked up the microphone, “Thank you everyone, cla.s.s has ended. Students, please go back, many of you still have cla.s.ses in the afternoon.”
Bba Bba!
The Peking University students did not want to leave, they continued applauding.
Wu Zeqing, Chang Kaige, and company were also doing the same. They smiled as they clapped along with the students.
No one left the venue. The members from the literary world naturally also stayed. It would be too obvious if they walked off now as the cameras were still recording, so they could only stay behind with everyone else.
“Thank you, everyone, please take your leave.” Zhang Ye clasped his hands together gratefully.
Still, no one left. In fact, the students clapped even louder!
Zhang Ye had nothing else he could do about it, so he said a few more words, “In the 2 cla.s.ses of yesterday and today, we have spoken in general about how the first 80 chapters on the whole of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ were the original words of Mr Cao Xueqin. I believe my conclusion will be able to convince many people, and even if there are questions or doubts, no one can deny the possibility of what I said. You may use my point of view and direction to go carry out your research and a.n.a.lysis, and I hope that this will help the students and everyone else to understand ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ better, but what I want to express has already mostly been expressed in these 2 cla.s.ses, so from here on I will not be repeating these points anymore. If we come across it, I might elaborate a little, but it would not be explained in as much detail as it was today. There is no need for purposely repeat it to insist that it is proven and I will be going forward onto other parts.”
“Going forward?”
“What else is there left to talk about?”
“Right, how will the cla.s.s be taught going forward?”
“If we follow Teacher Zhang’s point of view that another author had continued writing on after the first 80 chapters, it would still be riddled with inconsistencies and flaws. So what’s there to talk about?”
“Yea, there’s nothing to speak about anymore.”
“We are still 7-8 lectures away from the exams?”
The Peking University students began to feel confused and stopped applauding, especially the students from Zhang Ye’s elective cla.s.s. They were more concerned about how Teacher Zhang Ye would continue the cla.s.s from here on.
The department dean, Chang Kaige, also thought about this problem. If there was a problem with the cla.s.s schedule, it would be a big problem!
Zhang Ye smiled, “It seems like everyone still has some doubts. It is correct to feel doubtful, yes. So the question comes, for the repairing of excavators….alright, that is not it. How then shall we continue our cla.s.s from here on?” He paused for a moment, and said, “Please stay tuned to my cla.s.s tomorrow to find out!”
“F**k that!”
“He’s leaving us with a cliffhanger again!”
“Teacher Zhang is so wicked!”
“Haha, but I’m really looking forward to it!”
“I need to get here early tomorrow to reserve a seat! I have to get a front row seats!”
Zhang Ye said, “Cla.s.s dismissed! Everyone quickly go to your next cla.s.s!” Then he looked at the others, “Leaders, thank you for your hard work. Reporter comrades, thank you for your hard work too.”
The students finally began to leave the venue.
When Zhang Ye saw that the reporters were rus.h.i.+ng forward for the kill, he quickly picked up his belongings and left from backstage.
But who knew, most of the reporters were not sprinting towards Zhang Ye. About half of them rushed forward towards the literary world members and pointed their large zoom cameras at them as they surrounded them.
That Jins.h.i.+ female reporter shot a quick question out, “Teacher Yang, as one of the top Redology experts, what views do you have of the lecture by Teacher Zhang Ye today?”
Teacher Yang’s face did not look too good, “Please make way.. no comment.”
Another small Beijing newspaper’s reporter also went over, “Teacher Yang, the question that you asked and those other difficult problems that have plagued the Redology world for a long time seemed to all have been answered by Teacher Zhang Ye. We saw that you and the other Redologists did not refute or speak anymore after that, is this because all of you agree with Teacher Zhang Ye’s point of view? Does this mean that the author of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ after the first 80 chapters was indeed someone else? And not written by Cao Xueqin?”
Teacher Yang held on to his words for a moment, then said, “It’s not that I agree with Zhang Ye’s views, nor that he has explained it fully. His explanation and a.n.a.lysis was just from a different angle. As for the problem of the author of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’, that would still remain an open question for now. It still needs everyone’s input after discussion and further research.”
A male reporter immediately followed up saying, “Then does that mean that the Redology world has now acknowledged that there is plausibility to what Teacher Zhang has proposed? And that the possibility is very high?”
Teacher Yang frowned, “I did not say that. I don’t represent the whole Redology world. Please, let me through. You can go interview someone else instead!”
“Vice-President Yan, what do you think of this man, Teacher Zhang Ye?” Another few reporters had gone over to Yan Yu.
Yan Yu did not dodge and answered, “I will not comment on Teacher Little Zhang as a person, but his literary standard is something that I really admire.”
He has talent?
But is not much of a person?
The reporters all understood the meaning of what she said. They got excited and continued to hound Yan Yu, “Will the Writers’ a.s.sociation consider letting Teacher Zhang join your ranks?”
Yan Yu smirked and answered, “Elder Qian has recommended Zhang Ye before and the National Writers’ a.s.sociation had previously sent Zhang Ye an invite too, but Teacher Little Zhang had posted a poem at that time— “Facing The Sea With Spring Blossoms”. This poem was very well written and was very artistic, but it basically carried a meaning of rejection. What you all need to know is that it is not us who do not want him, nor is it that the Writers’ a.s.sociation is closed to accepting a disputed character. We welcome all kinds of talented people to join us, but Zhang Ye did not wish to join us. So it’s not like we can do anything about that. Maybe you should go ask him instead.”
A middle-aged reporter asked, “Vice-President Yan….”
Yan Yu motioned with her hand, “Alright, that will be all for now. I still have something to attend to.”
When a number of literary world members saw that from the side, they followed Yan Yu and Teacher Yang together out of the venue. They did not wish to be interviewed in any way. It was already embarra.s.sing enough today that a bunch of seniors were outspoken by a junior. Their faces at this moment were burning with embarra.s.sment and if they could have a chance again, they would not have come here. They had literally gifted themselves forward to have their faces stepped on!
Actually, many discerning people knew that what Zhang Ye had said today might not definitely be the correct, but it was only because he could explain it and a large part of his explanations were logical. Even when they felt that some of Zhang Ye’s views on certain details might not be the truth, they could not refute it for no other reason than simply because Zhang Ye could explain these logical inconsistencies. In the world of Redology, Zhang Ye was the only person who had given a reasonable a.n.a.lysis while no one else had. Because of this, they could not be sufficiently emboldened to speak up and thus became the victims of Zhang Ye’s killing spree!
Numbed.
How old was this Zhang even? How did he have such a deep understanding of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’? He alone could refute the entire Redology world? And he’s even more powerful than them?
The literary world members had all walked away with ashened heads and mudcaked faces!
Over there, department dean, Chang Kaige, was currently being interviewed by a reporter.
Chang Kaige said to the reporter with a smile, “Regarding Teacher Zhang Ye, we have always had high hopes for him, nor have we ever for a moment doubted our own lecturers. Everyone can see now that with Teacher Zhang Ye’s literary foundation, he is more than qualified to be a lecturer of the Peking University’s Chinese department. That he can come to Peking University to teach, it is also good for us, as well as a lucky outcome for the students who like cla.s.sical novels. As for the doubts of our student’s parents that you mentioned earlier, and the doubts of the education and literary world, I believe that after today, they will all dissipate. Even if some doubt still remains, our Chinese department will fully support Teacher Little Zhang. We have reason to believe that from today onwards, Teacher Little Zhang’s elective cla.s.s ‘Appreciation of the Cla.s.sics’ would become a feature cla.s.s of our Chinese department. It would become our Chinese department’s headline cla.s.s!”