The other classmates also did not think much about it.
Teacher Leng heard their conversation and then looked sidewards at Zhang Ye, who was sitting behind. She did find him familiar, but he seemed to have a common face, so she did not pay much attention.
“Little brother, you are?” A parent sitting next to him asked.
Zhang Ye looked at the middle-aged man, “Oh, I’m Mengmeng’s brother.”
The parent smiled while nodding, “Nice to meet you. I’m Pengpeng’s father.”
“I’m Qiaomeng’s mother. Nice to meet you.” Another middle-aged woman interjected.
Zhang Ye had a casual chat with a few parents. He was quite unaccustomed to a “parents’ meeting”. After all, they were in their thirties or forties, while he was still in his twenties.
“Little brother, what do you do for a living?” The middle-aged man asked in interest.
“Me?” Zhang Ye was stumped for an answer. If you said he was in literature, that wasn’t right. If you said he was a host, he was now temporarily suspended. Say that he’s in teaching? It was only to be reported tomorrow. So as he hesitated, the middle-aged woman beside had branched off the topic.
The woman asked, “Big brother, what do you do?”
The middle-aged man laughed, “I’m a newspaper editor. I arrange literature pieces before publishing them. We have even published Teacher Leng’s essays before. Back then, I arranged that edition. I only found a few months ago that the pen name, Cold Moon is our Teacher Leng (Cold). What a coincidence.”
A man beside said, “Ah? Teacher Leng has even gone on the papers before?”
The middle-aged man smiled, “That’s right. Teacher Leng is talented. Our editors were full of praise for that prose of hers. It was written very well.”
Teacher Leng gave a forced smile, “Brother Yang, don’t brag about me. I just got lucky. The bit of knowledge I have isn’t much talent.”
Brother Yang laughed, “You are being modest. If you lack talent, then who has?”
Teacher Leng smiled gently, “Of course Teacher Zhang Ye. I’m a fan of his. His poems are well-written, his programs are also good. He never uses a script, nor does he need to think. He can write anything he picks up. Every word he spews from his mouth is a literary work that stuns the world. Teacher Zhang Ye is a real talent!”
Brother Yang acknowledged, “That’s true. I’ve heard the compilation that Zhang Ye published has already sold more than 200,000 copies already. That isn’t some novel, but rather a literature compilation. This level of sales is defying the heavens!”
Teacher Leng said, “Out of those sales, I contributed three books. Teacher Zhang Ye’s poems are really too good. His essays and speeches are also world class. There’s nothing to pick on!”
The woman said, “I haven’t seen Zhang Ye’s works, by my younger sister loves him. She watches every episode of his ‘Zhang Ye’s Talk Show’ at least two or three times.”
Brother Yang lamented, “Now, in the literary world, the most aggressive newcomer is Zhang Ye. However, if I really want to compare, those masters with seniority are still better than Zhang Ye. In terms of literature, Zhang Ye’s works are probably inferior to those masters.”
Teacher Leng shook her head, “I don’t think so. I think Zhang Ye’s works are already on the same level as those masters. Neither of them is better than the other.”
Brother Yang looked at her, “Teacher Leng, I have a different view. If we are talking about derisive poems, then Zhang Ye can be said to be the most domineering in the country. He can indeed compare with those literary masters. “Dead Water”, “The Answer”, or even that lamenting “Prisoner’s Song” and “My Confession”, “The Song of the Stormy Petrel” too. In this regime, Zhang Ye has reached the peak. I have to admit it, but in terms of love poems, Zhang Ye’s works are basically blank. That “See Me or Not” is not considered a love poem. If one really wanted to count, that “Flying bird and fish” would be one. Hence, in terms of diversity and comprehensiveness, Zhang Ye is still inferior to those masters.”
The woman said, “I’ve heard of ‘Flying bird and fish’. It was very good.”
Teacher Leng laughed, “Just one ‘Flying bird and fish’ is enough.”
Brother Yang said, “But seriously, ‘Flying bird and fish’ is also ‘The furthest distance in the world. At most, it’s just a yearning towards love, and not purely a love poem. At least that’s how I understand it. Hence, in the poetry system, where love is heavily weighted, Zhang Ye has yet to prove himself with his works. If he can produce another modern poem that shows the appreciation of love, then I will acknowledge him as a master.”
Teacher Leng did not want to argue with him, “He will.”
As they chatted, the topic had landed on Zhang Ye.
Sitting amongst them, Zhang Ye could not help but turn red from embarrassment. Listening to how others were praising him, with Mengmeng’s head teacher even claiming to be a fan, Zhang Ye also smiled.
See!
Popularity!
This is what po