Small talk

Author: Wei Minglun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-09-01
Features: I am swamped with chores and have no time to spare. I initially wanted to politely decline, but considering that this series is edited by my younger brother Wu Huaxian, and that Mr. Wang Yi of Xiyuan Publishing House personally came to invite me with a letter from Wu Huaxian, it was too kind to refuse. However, I added a condition for the lazy: I wouldn’t do it myself and would let the publisher hire someone else to select passages from my works. How the painter pairs the illustrations is entirely up to you—I won’t worry about it. Editor Wang Yi asked, "What should we name the book?" I blurted out, "Just call it Idle Words." If measured by the depth and breadth of reflecting on history, worrying about life, critiquing societal issues, and exposing corruption, the words selected in this book are not my sharpest "pen," but rather those with fewer edges, able to "pass through" the text. No wonder the editor. This is because my works were written in a certain period, and they were excerpted in another. The stage is different, and the "market" has changed. When you reach a certain mountain, sing a song that suits it. The author hopes this volume of Idle Words serves as a "guide" for the illustrations and also piques the readers' interest. For the full details and original context, please refer to the complete breakdown.