Nobel laureate Mo Yan recently shared a humorous anecdote in a social media post. He recounted suggesting to comedian Feng Gong that he should adopt the pseudonym Bi Zui ("shut up" in English), a recommendation that sparked laughter. Mo Yan then highlighted the shared artistic philosophy behind both Bi Zui and his own pen name Mo Yan ( meaning "don't speak" in English), both essentially meaning to not say a word.
At their first meeting during a winter dinner two years ago, Feng Gong praised Mo Yan's success and asked Mo to give him a pseudonym. Mo Yan suggested "Bi Zui". Feng first exclaimed "Alright!" before bursting into laughter and quipping, "But how could I perform my crosstalk then?"
After colleagues warned that his joke might offend Feng, Mo felt uneasy despite believing the master of humor would understand. He reflected on his past tendency of speaking bluntly — a hard habit to break that had caused him some trouble. His worries vanished when Feng Gong later shared their conversation video online.
Mo concluded that Bi Zui for Feng mirrors his own pen name of Mo Yan, urging creators like himself to deepen their life experiences and accumulate insights before expression. He encapsulated this philosophy in a couplet: "To master crosstalk, first shut your mouth; To write great fiction, refrain from rash words."