Walking above the rings of years

Author: Shuimu Niao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: In recent years, I've read many novels about high school life, some of which also depict high school romance. However, most of them are vague and ambiguous. They claim it's romance, yet it's not entirely clear. They deny it's romance, yet the relationship seems somewhat flirtatious. This hidden affection makes people feel restless and anxious. The reason for this hesitation is that we have long been reluctant to acknowledge the emotions of middle school students—such feelings are considered untimely and improper.
I remember over a decade ago, a writer published a novel titled Bright Moon Tonight, which vaguely touched on the emotions of a young couple, sparking a debate about "innocent love." The discussion raged on, yet no one dared to openly defend the legitimacy of such emotions. Some even claimed that such feelings don't exist—they're not love at all. Privately, I harshly told a friend that those who said such things either had a problem with their thinking or their physiology and psychology. I also said, "Even Jia Baoyu didn't fall in love at this age!" But that was just something I said in private.
When we see young lovers holding hands in the streets or being intimate in quiet doorways or under the shadows of trees, we still cannot acknowledge the existence of such emotions—even if we do, we don't give them a legitimate place. In the eyes of many, such emotions are even evil.
Today, things have changed greatly. At least we now acknowledge the existence of such emotions. Yet, when literature depicts them, it still feels constrained, like a hidden melody half-covered. Now, we see Walking Above the Wheel of Time. It boldly writes about a high school romance—a truly moving and heartwarming story.
This is a very realistic story, one that happens in every city and in the vast countryside. There is a pair of innocent young lovers who fall in love with complete purity. The novel shows us that love at this stage is not only beautiful but also pure. This love is free of any impurities, commercialism, corruption, hypocrisy, vulgarity, or crudeness. There is only poetry, fantasy, romance, warmth, kindness, and boundless purity.
This love is not only justified but also sacred—it stands up to aesthetic judgment. Of course, there is pain. This pain comes half from the rigidity of the adult world and half from their own immaturity. The suffering tortures the young souls of the lovers, and it also tortures us, the readers.
Though we believe that such emotions at this age truly need guidance and restraint, we are still moved by their purity. These are very lovable young lovers. Despite loving deeply, they do not act recklessly or defy their families, schools, or society. They acknowledge the legitimacy of their feelings while also understanding the concerns of the adult world. They do not let their love create a rift with the adult world.
The novel does not portray this love in an overly dramatic way—were it to do so, this love might lose its beauty and our sympathy. The author keeps the emotions within a delicate balance that is worth preserving.
After breaking up, the boy has a conversation with his friend in an arcade. His friend asks nothing but says what he truly felt at the time: "So, it's helpless?" The boy nods in agreement.
I really admire the depth and style of this novel. There is none of the vulgarity and filth found in contemporary novels, nor the slang or unruly attitude of delinquents. There is only solemnity, elegance, and seriousness. In Chinese literature, a few delinquents are enough. If everyone spoke in such a manner, and the entire nation followed suit in reasoning and debating, that would hardly be a blessing.
Today's Chinese people are already too lacking in seriousness—whether in their actions or words. If literature were to further fuel this trend, that would be the fault of literature. Slang and humor are not the same thing.
"At the coast where the sun sets, there is a small coffee shop. The base is brown, and several wind chimes are hung on the eaves." Appreciating such writing might be criticized as being pretentious, but being pretentious is better than being pretentious about vulgarity—in truth, true elegance often begins with pretension.
Cao Wenxuan
February 22, 2004
At Luanqiying, Peking University