1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 399 I decided to bring my talent to People's Digest

"Editor-in-Chief Jiang, such a big yard is all ours?" Zhu Wei looked around in disbelief.

Jiang Xian's yard in Cuihua Hutong covers an area of ​​more than 800 square meters.

A few years ago, he asked his father Jiang Guoqing to renovate it.

His father said he didn't care, but in fact he was addicted to repairing the yard and came over every few days to tidy up it.

Gradually, the yard has become completely different from when it was first bought.

What was it like when I first bought it? The house was in ruins, with only a few earthquake shelters left in the yard, and only half of the north room was intact. Even the trees were left with only stumps.

It was a yard of broken walls and ruins, with large holes made by artillery shells all over the ground. If you dug, you could find shrapnel.

Now.

The bare 800-square-meter yard was built into a large courtyard with three entrances.

After entering the gate, the first thing you see is the slightly long and narrow front yard. There are five back houses on the east and west sides of the front yard, a total of five rooms.

From the front yard, pass through the hanging flower gate and enter the inner courtyard.

The main house on the north side of the inner courtyard has been neatly built. It faces south and is three rooms wide, with an ear room on each side.

In addition, there are three side rooms on the east and west sides, all made of blue bricks and gray tiles, with slightly upturned eaves and a gable roof. There is also a winding corridor connecting the side rooms and the main house.

There were no houses in the backyard, only some trees. Jiang Xian didn't know where his father transplanted them from. There were pomegranates, spring peaches, and jujube trees, all standing tall like a canopy.

Zhu Wei looked like he had never seen the world before, and he admired the exhibits as he toured around.

"Nice yard, nice yard."

This is much better than the earthquake shelter of People's Literature!
What are the conditions at People's Literature? An office can accommodate five desks, and I wish I could squeeze in ten.

Moreover, the offices are all arranged in large open spaces.

There are rows of long tables, and there are people at both ends of the tables.

Every day when Zhu Wei sat there, he would either elbow others or be elbowed by others. It was so crowded.

What now?
"Choose a room for yourself and use it as your office from now on." Jiang Xian said.

"Really?"

Zhu Wei looked around: the main house, the wing house, the back house. So many houses for him to choose from?

Zhu Wei had never fought such a rich battle in his life, and had never experienced such a generous choice.

"I'll just use the back room on the east side." Zhu Wei said shyly.

The one he chose was the smallest one.

Zhu Wei now lives with his wife in a compound, and their home is about the size of a back room.

Zhu Wei feels happy enough to have an office space as spacious as his home.

"Old Zhu, why are you being so polite to me?" Jiang Xian said with a smile, "All the rooms in our courtyard are empty. Why do you choose the smallest room at the back? Don't be so nervous. Since you have come to People's Digest with me, we are brothers from now on. In addition to the main room in the inner courtyard, you can choose any room in this wing."

"."

Zhu Wei was actually moved for a moment when he heard Jiang Xian's words.

Editor-in-Chief Jiang is treating him as a national hero!

Zhu Wei felt a little ashamed for a moment when he thought about the fact that he couldn't sleep well all night because he was assigned to People's Digest.

"Then I'll use a west wing?"

"Well, there's no one else in this yard except the two of us, so just use them as much as you can." Jiang Xian patted Zhu Wei's shoulder and said.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning the house and tidying up the yard to look like an editorial office.

Zhu Wei was busy sweeping the floor, wiping the table, dusting and moving things. He did not act like a clerk but more like a cleaning staff.

Even so, he had no complaints.

There's nothing to complain about.

Looking at the house in front of him, he felt like he was about to be overwhelmed by happiness.

In the past, the earthquake shelter in the editorial department of "People's Literature" was built in a simple manner.

It was drafty everywhere in the winter and as hot as a steamer in the summer. The working conditions were extremely difficult.

This doesn't even mention the problem of leaking rain or water.

Sometimes, when these editors were looking at manuscripts, water would drip from the roof. Some of the water would fall directly on their heads, and some would flow into their collars. That was still considered safe. Sometimes, the water from the roof would fall and directly wet a stack of manuscripts, which was really annoying.

Looking at the brick house in front of me, it is obvious that it was built not long ago. After entering the house in the hot summer, I hardly feel how hot it is. It is well ventilated and breathable.

"Xiao Zhu, come out and give me a hand."

Jiang Xian's voice was heard outside. Zhu Wei quickly responded and ran out. He watched Jiang Xian and two masters carrying several boxes into the yard.

There are only seven courtyards in Cuihua Hutong. Courtyard No. 6 is making such a big fuss today that residents from other courtyards have all come over to join in the fun of the mysterious Courtyard No. 6.

There were people living in Yard No. 6 two or three years ago, but suddenly one day that family moved out and no one lived there since then. Then there was a lot of turmoil, and after two or three years, no one seemed to move in.

At this moment, they suddenly saw someone moving things in, obviously planning to move in, so they were naturally curious.

"Xiao Zhu, take it." Jiang Xian took a box off the tricycle and handed it to Zhu Wei.

"Editor-in-chief, what is this?"

Zhu Wei looked at his hands, and then at the big and small boxes that the masters were holding.

"Oh, this is a TV."

"What? Television?"

"I went abroad a while ago and was able to buy some home appliances at the duty-free shop. I thought it would be a waste if I didn't buy some, so I decided to get a TV for our editorial office."

"Hey, what brand is it?"

"Sony."

As they were talking, they arrived at the house. Zhu Wei put down the box, took the TV out of the box, leaned over to take a look at this Sony 14-inch color TV, and was shocked.

“What a big TV!”

"Wow, is 14 inches still big?" Jiang Xian's eyes were full of contempt for someone who had never seen the world.

Zhu Wei looked at the other boxes that the two masters had moved in.

"Editor-in-Chief, what are these?"

“These.”

Jiang Xian listed them one by one for him, "This is an air conditioner, made by Hitachi, my family uses this thing, it's very cool in the summer.

As for these two items, I was thinking that sometimes we are busy with work and may have to eat in the editorial office from time to time, so I just bought some things. Look, this is a refrigerator, Panasonic, and this is a rice cooker, Sharp."

Zhu Wei watched Jiang Xian introduce these home appliances to him one by one, and for a moment he was dazzled.

Of course he had heard of these things, but they were rarely seen on weekdays. Now they were all placed in front of Zhu Wei, and for a moment the only word that came to Zhu Wei's mind was luxury.

"Hey? What about this? What is this?" Zhu Wei pointed to a square box-like object in the corner.

He had heard of refrigerators and rice cookers before, and had seen them a few times, but he had never seen this rectangular metal box before.

"This? This is called a microwave."

Jiang Xian introduced that "this is very popular in foreign countries and Hong Kong. It heats rice very quickly. You put the rice in and it will be heated in half a minute or a minute."

"That's great!" Zhu Wei exclaimed in amazement, "It saves a lot of trouble with this."

"What's good?"

Jiang Xian blurted out: "These are things for cattle and horses."

"What? What cows and horses?"

"Well, this is a self-deprecating expression of the working class that I learned from foreign writers. Rich people abroad don't use microwave ovens. They use them just for convenience. The rice heated up in them doesn't taste as good as the rice we heat ourselves."

"Oh."

Zhu Wei agreed.

Feeling that something was wrong again? He glanced at Jiang Xian.

what's the situation?
Am I just a beast of burden in your eyes?

The abdominal slander is the abdominal slander.

Looking at the editorial department where home appliances are arranged one by one.

"Oh, whoever wants to reply to People's Literature can do so."

Zhu Wei sat down on the chair and suddenly felt a great sense of familiarity with the editorial department of People's Digest.

Work?

He has no objection to letting him live here in his old age!
As for "People's Literature"?
Well, you know, Jiang Xian is my idol, this guy is unbelievably strong. Sometimes it’s hard to make a decision. After many days and nights of thinking, I decided to bring my talent to People’s Digest. I can’t wait to become a member of People’s Digest. As for others, I wish them all the best in People’s Literature.

This is what Zhu Wei is thinking now.

Even if in Jiang Xian's heart he is a cow or horse, he is the happiest cow or horse in the world.

As soon as Jiang Xian went out again, the old lady who was squatting at the gate of the yard came over immediately.

"Comrade! Little comrade!"

"Auntie, what's up?"

"Comrade, I'm from the next yard. I saw you busy moving things just now and didn't have time to talk to you."

"Hey, what's there to say? I don't think this is Chaoyang District."

The old lady came up to Jiang Xian and said, "Young man, I don't think this yard of yours is for living, what is it used for?"

Jiang Xian glanced at her and coughed twice.

"It's a public institution."

"Hey, which unit?"

"It's hard to tell you. You know, in our line of work, everything has to be kept secret. Anyway, try not to come and hang around our door when you have nothing to do. It's not good for you or us."

"I understand. I understand."

The old lady looked like she was actively cooperating with the work, and she turned around and boasted to others: "I found out everything, it's a state secret unit! From now on, don't hang around in front of people's doors, let alone strolling, just try to walk around them, or you'll be taken away as an enemy spy one day."

"Politics, philosophy, economics, history, literary works, fine arts and comics, literary criticism, characters and memories, education, science and technology. Jokes, short stories, fairy tales, these are probably the only columns I can think of in one issue."

In the main room, Jiang Xian held the first internal meeting of People's Digest for Zhu Wei.

Zhu Wei took notes of Jiang Xian’s words and felt a headache after he was done.

"Editor-in-chief, are you saying that I have to compile so many columns by myself?"

"We are short-staffed here."

"This this."

Zhu Wei looked at these columns.

I'm thinking about returning to People's Literature again.

Is this something I can handle?
"It's not difficult, actually. You just go find a few authors, make an appointment with them to submit articles to you, and then you just need to review them. It's actually very simple. Just remember that our articles are based on eight words: fresh and lovely, and truly touching."

“Fresh and lovely, truly touching.”

After listening to Jiang Xian's instructions, Zhu Wei thought about his spacious office.

Just grit your teeth, isn't it just a matter of compiling manuscripts?

He still doesn't believe that he can't form a group.

For the rest of the day, Zhu Wei rode his bicycle through the alleys of the capital.

He was so busy that he almost had a heat stroke, and he didn't even get many articles published.

When he returned to Cuihua Hutong in the evening, Jiang Xian took a look at several manuscripts from his group.

“None of these work very well.”

"This"

Zhu Wei was quite shocked for a while.

After running around for a whole day and working hard to compile the manuscript, Jiang Xian sent it down with just one sentence.

This is equivalent to him doing nothing all day.

"Alas, you are still young and don't understand what I mean. I understand."

Jiang Xian first denied, then confirmed, completely following the ICU routine:

"When we do our work, we have to pay attention to methods and approaches. Let's do this. I'll give you a list tomorrow. You go find the residences of these people and ask them for manuscripts. Just mention me when you make the appointment. These people should all give me face."

"Is it?"

Zhu Wei, who felt dizzy after being in the ICU, was a little dumbfounded.

In all his years of work, this was the first time he had heard of this way of commissioning an article.

However, this was the first time he met an editor-in-chief like Jiang Xian.

So I agreed with some hesitation.

The next day, Zhu Wei first met with Youth Daily reporter Pan Ying at the gate of the Youth Daily office.

Pan Ying listened to Zhu Wei's self-introduction with a stern face, and remained indifferent.

Seeing this, Zhu Wei immediately mentioned Jiang Xian's name, and Pan Ying's tense face immediately became friendly.

"Ask me a manuscript?"

"Yes, our editor-in-chief said that if you have any inspirational people or things, you can write them down for us and we will pay you for them."

"Oh, really?"

Of course Pan Ying would not go against the royalties.

Nowadays, all units are engaged in contracting, and their Youth Daily is also doing it, but the benefits are average. Pan Ying's life has suddenly become difficult, and now many people in the unit are discussing resigning and going into business.

When People's Digest asked her to write an article, Pan Ying really couldn't find any reason to refuse.

Who can't get along with money?
After chatting with Pan Ying for a while, Zhu Wei rode his bicycle again and met Wang Shuo, who was called by a neighbor, at the entrance of an alley.

The boy was wearing shorts, a round-necked shirt and had a flat head. He looked quiet and a little shy, but he spoke appropriately and not in a rigid manner.

"Comrade Jiang Xian introduced you to me?"

"Correct."

"Oh, Comrade Jiang Xian is really my savior."

The roast duck restaurant that Wang Shuo opened with his childhood friend has gone bankrupt. After thinking about it, he decided to go down the path of writing novels.

He had just finished a masterpiece, but he didn't expect Zhu Wei to come to him.

"Let me take a look at your manuscript."

"I'll go back and get it for you."

Wang Shuo thought about it and felt that something was wrong. "How about you come with me to my house to get it and sit down with me on the way?"

Zhu Wei thought about it and decided that reading the manuscript at the entrance of the alley was not a big deal.

"fair enough."

I went to Wang Shuo's house, took his manuscript, and wrote it on grid paper.

Glanced.

To be honest, the handwriting is not very beautiful. The strokes are clear without many connected strokes, but the structure is poor, stiff and lacks variation.

"What's it about?"

"It's a love story between an innocent female flight attendant and a demobilized navy soldier." Wang Shuo said honestly.

Zhu Wei: “?”

(End of this chapter)