The Cicadas’ Song That Year

More than five years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, January 21, 2018, I was waiting for someone at the KFC in Changzhou's Xinbei Wanda Plaza. I found a seat by the window, happily munching on fried chicken while drinking a carbonated drink filled with ice. Behind me, a pretty young woman was helping a boy in a middle school uniform with his homework. Her voice was lovely, soft, even a little childlike. I couldn't help but think: if a girl like that became a high school teacher, it would surely be very interesting! So, I casually jotted down this opening line in my notebook, which happened to be open at the time: ...

It was very impactful, leaving me with a slight sense of melancholy after reading it. Firstly, regarding the story itself, the initial pacing was very slow, and the plot was somewhat unremarkable. In short, the original homeroom teacher was stabbed, and a recent graduate became the new homeroom teacher. The entire story revolves around "a topic (the person I most want to kill)" and "a case (who stabbed the previous homeroom teacher)," with a tiny element of suspense, but not much. At first glance, it seems like one of those overused, formulaic youth novels about teachers and students bickering. However, upon reaching the end, I discovered that the structure was truly ingenious, and the overall plot was not overly clichéd, even somewhat...

My memories of Lin Zong are still based on his novels *The Flower Contract* and *The World's Decree*. If I were to talk about these two works today, most people probably wouldn't even have heard of them, especially the former. But for me, Lin Zong's books truly accompanied me through that summer of my elementary school entrance exams—although that was eight years ago. In 2015, I did poorly on my elementary school entrance exams, you could even say I did terribly. Then, during that incredibly boring summer, I used a broken cell phone that my older brother had given me, riding my bicycle every day under the scorching sun to tutoring classes. And then, by sheer chance, I came across Lin Zong's *The World's Decree* on SF (a Chinese online forum), and later, a friend in a group recommended it to me...

The book is titled *The Cicadas' Song That Year*, but the author translated the English title as *Listening for You*. Frankly, after reading the entire book, you'll find the title incredibly clever. *Listening for You* could be translated as "Hearing You" or "Listening to Your Heart's Voice." Under the entire exam-oriented education system, students' voices are like the unheard, even drugged, chirping of cicadas. No one cares; some even intentionally try to suppress or eliminate them. But Li Muyang didn't. As a recent college graduate, she threw herself into it with immense enthusiasm...

I originally just wanted to read it quietly without paying, but the sudden news of Coco's passing reminded me of this book again. —Live on, Xiaoxi! Live on with all your might! …You are the indispensable one, the purpose of love. …The world exists because of you! When I saw Li Muyang grabbing Chen Xi's collar and shouting this long passage with all his might, I was truly moved to tears. When I was in high school, there was a boy in my class who was like Li Muyang's younger brother—very cheerful and good-looking. He sat behind me back then, and I remember him always having a playful, grinning face and speaking incredibly loudly…

First, a side note: I'm deducting one point because I didn't really like the ending's compromise with Director Fu. I must say this is an extremely excellent work, outstanding in its theme, narrative pacing, character development, and plot. The story is largely told from the first-person perspectives of four different characters, revolving around an investigation into Teacher Shi's stabbing. As the story unfolds, its themes gradually emerge: the clash between nihilism and reality, education and life, past and present. It must be said that Lin Lao's character development is truly fascinating; whether it's Xiao Ying, Xiao Qu, Chen Xi, or Li Muyang, they are all distinct personalities, and...

—Review of *The Cicadas Singing That Year* After finishing this book, one thought kept running through my mind: I must write something! Born in the South, I hate the sweltering summers, but I will never forget the summer the author described. Once again, I was deeply moved by Lin Zong's work; the fictional campus felt incredibly real, and every detail of the story touched me. This is definitely a book worth reading carefully and repeatedly. I find it difficult to summarize the book's main theme, nor can I fully analyze the author's writing style, so I will simply express some simple feelings. Speaking of cicadas singing, I recall…

A large part of my reason for reading *Cicada's Song* was my admiration for Mr. Lin. After all, his writing and poetry possess a natural humor and infectious charm, demonstrating a profound literary foundation. My previous impression of Mr. Lin was from *The World's Decline* and the *Longing for Home Trilogy*. At that time, I thought Mr. Lin was incredibly talented, not only with a wildly imaginative mind but also with excellent writing skills. I remember crying more than ten times after reading *Butterfly Marks* and *Longing for Home*… Only then did I realize that Mr. Lin's greatest strength lies not only in the direct emotional impact but also in the lingering aftertaste, like savoring a cup of hot tea that leaves a lasting impression. Thinking back, I'm quite surprised: every…

Wow, that's awesome! (A smaller person praising a larger one)

That's great! After reading the author's work, I'm a little more determined to write stories myself.