Rain-soaked river

Author: Chi Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: This series is compiled from the short stories awarded in the 1st and 2nd Lu Xun Literature Awards. Named after the great flagbearer of the New Cultural Movement in China, Lu Xun Literature Award, it is the most prestigious literary prize in China. Due to its winning works being selected through repeated evaluations and rigorous screening—，—they embody the high-quality essence of the series. The series is published based on the "Suggested Extracurricular Reading Materials" formulated by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, aligning with the needs of students' Chinese language learning. It collects contemporary China's outstanding short stories, guiding students to correctly understand and apply their mother tongue, enriching their vocabulary, and fostering the development of their Chinese literacy. This series is beneficial for the formation and growth of students' moral character and aesthetic tastes.
The selection of the series considers the reading psychology and level of young readers, employing a humanistic and multidimensional approach to compile these works in an engaging manner, stimulating their interest in reading. It is hoped that with its excellent quality and depth, the series will become a treasured part of young readers' growth memories!
Target Audience: Suitable for students from the third grade of primary school to the third grade of junior high school.
Dear young readers, the series you are holding is compiled from the short stories awarded in the two Lu Xun Literature Awards. People often perceive Lu Xun's name as awe-inspiring; the literary prize named after him is solemn and renowned; and the winning stories must be profound and substantial, carrying the depths of adult worlds that may seem closed off to young readers. In reality, this often underestimates the understanding of young readers. Perhaps due to this underestimation, young readers may miss out on these stories.
I recall my youth in the early 1970s, a culturally barren era. Beyond the hollow textbooks, we had no books to read. Fortunately, my family retained a few outdated literary classics, which brought me secret joy in reading. These works were not written for children, their content far removed from my lived experiences, and I did not fully grasp their profound meanings. Yet, I immersed myself in them, experiencing an indescribable sense of happiness. Among them, the French author Roman Rolland's John Christy left an especially lasting impression on me. To this day, when asked what book had the most profound impact on me during my youth, I without hesitation place this four-volume novel at the top. Though the plot is now hazy in my memory, the two lines quoted as the preface I can still recite:
"True light is not the absence of darkness, but the fact that it is never extinguished by darkness. True heroes are not those who never feel low, but those who are never subdued by low sentiments."
These words shook the narrow and tender heart of a young boy, igniting a clear desire within me to cultivate a noble soul and to make a difference in the world. Though I did not know what I could do for the world at the time, I believe this is the magic of literature. Beyond the classroom, it quietly opens one's mind, broadens one's horizons, enriches one's understanding of the vast world, and nurtures one's aesthetic tastes.
I believe that the healthy growth of a person's soul should be accompanied by truly exceptional literary works. This Selected Short Stories from the Lu Xun Literature Award undoubtedly possesses such qualities. Each story and tale is unique, with each author telling their story in their own way. If novels are the art of narration, you will see how different styles and flavors emerge from varying narrative techniques, making these stories stylistically diverse and engaging. Alongside these stories, a cast of characters—some close to you, some distant—will also enter your heart. Some are urban dwellers, some rural figures; there are fathers in a son's eyes, soldiers at border posts, heroines in war, town mayors whose complexities are hard to fathom, mothers in nursing, women in grand mansions harboring hidden schemes, innocent girls, sensitive teenagers beneath the "August Fog Bullpen," and even tales of a "life without language," reflections on "before and after," the heartfelt warmth of homemade cloth shoes stitched with thousands of needles, and the intoxication of two men "boasting" on a fertile grassland.
How does a simple old house, in the hands of an author, radiate a divine warmth? How does a river glisten under the rain? Does the heart grow old before the body? What secrets lie within the "Pisces Constellation"? And how can a simple bowl of water and a knife submerged in it be described so vividly and dramatically? The act of carrying tea leaves to Beijing may not be as poetic as the novel's title suggests, but the events in the kitchen—whether real or imagined—remind us of an unspoken yet ever-present "war" between men and women.
"Dreams never reach Xie Bridge," yes, the childhood dreams there are a blend of joy and sorrow, wit and melancholy. It is a child's discovery of her father, a discovery that also shapes her lifelong aspiration: to attain genuine human affection. Though difficult, it is attainable. After we "wash away the dust" and welcome a new year, our hearts, cleansed by such stories, should shine as clearly as a starless winter night.
These novels, though diverse in theme and style, share an undeniable commonality: they all focus on reality, care for the human spirit, and do not shy away from life's challenges. Regardless of their starting points, they ultimately express a sincere understanding of life, a keen grasp of reality, a sincere hope for goodness, an endless exploration of the vast human heart, and a guiding light for spiritual well-being.
Additionally, this series includes photographs of each author from different periods in their lives, along with relevant reviews and interviews, allowing you to learn about the authors from multiple perspectives as you read their stories. When you gaze at their youthful photos, you might wonder: when did they first dream of becoming writers?
The "Introduction" accompanying each work is written by the female author He Yuru. Her words are insightful yet accessible, orderly yet graceful, delicate yet measured. This "Introduction" is a literary critique by one writer of another, a sincere dialogue between their works. I choose to believe that all of this is beautiful.