Ten years old

Author: Cheng Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: This day she experienced too much, as if everything seemed to surface in this moment. Originally, she had a lot of grievances, but now they had all turned into grievances and tears. Ten Years Old showcases the astonishing writing talent of the author. She meticulously and vividly depicts the folk life of the 1970s from her childhood, a period already dimmed in memory. She handles the living environment and life atmosphere of Tang Dongqing and her family, as well as those around them, with ease. It reminds one of her brilliant portrayal of the life of ordinary Beijingers in Love Class. This talent stems from her ability to observe life and her outstanding imagination. Cheng Qing is truly gifted; she has never encountered the prototype of the young protagonist in her life, but in Tang Dongqing's every gesture and emotion, we see Cheng Qing's imagination crafting such lifelike characters for the readers. And within this lies a certain reflection. As a writer who has systematically received higher education, Cheng Qing possesses the ability to absorb theory and knowledge,, and through reflection, incorporate it into her creations. In the novel, Tang Dongqing learns to "complain" without a teacher, complaining at all kinds of meetings, focusing the attention of the crowd, which becomes her greatest moment. The author's inspiration for Tang Dongqing's performance of "complaining" comes from the book Space·Memory·Social Transformation, prompting her to reflect on the deeper meaning of "complaining." "In my opinion, 'complaining' not only serves the superficial purpose of evoking sympathy but also carries a more profound significance that transcends daily and conventional norms: it uses a strengthened form of past suffering to cover all other forms of suffering, while also attempting to alleviate the suffering of everything happening. In reality, the unspeakable suffering in life may be the greater, true suffering." The "suffering" of the ten-year-old Tang Dongqing does not lie in the "suffering" she "complains" about—in fact, the successful performance of "complaining" brings her the fame she longs for, but this fame cannot conceal the harm and torment her soul and body have endured. That is the true "suffering," as well as the unchangeable and unattainable nature of this "complaining" performance in light of her life's suffering—this is the tragic essence of Tang Dongqing's suffering. Through Tang Dongqing, we deeply feel Cheng Qing's reflections on life, especially her profound, meticulous, and subtle exploration and understanding of human nature. Cheng Qing writes in the Afterword: "Deep down in my heart, I have always had a desire to pierce through the surface of life. This makes it seem as if I hold a hard chisel in my hand, easily able to remove the calcified layer on the surface of life to directly confront its soft and tender core." In terms of exploring and revealing the essence and truth of life, Cheng Qing's novels can be said to inherit the style of Eileen Chang's novels, delving into the hidden and subtle, cutting straight to the heart, presenting a bleak aesthetic style.