1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 402 "Give me your phone!"

Jiang Xian was so secretive at first because he was afraid that his place would be targeted by some thieves. He had too many valuables, so he deliberately made it mysterious.

I didn't expect that the news has gone viral in Cuihua Hutong these past two days:
"Yard No. 6, that's the country's newly established confidentiality agency!"

The people back then were simple and honest. When they heard this, they believed it without any doubt.

Yup!

It must be a confidential agency!
Otherwise, in such a big yard, how could there be only two people coming and going in a mysterious and hurried manner every day?

Who knows how many comrades are secretly acting in the corners that we can’t see!
Therefore, during these two days, no one dared to go to Yard No. 6, for fear of being mistaken for an enemy spy and taken away for interrogation.

If it is revealed during the interrogation that I know about the submarine under the Shichahai Sea, then I’m done for!
Because of this, adults don't come here during the day, and they tell children not to play there. If they catch any children being naughty, they will give them a good beating.

Even to go to the public toilet, one has to take a detour and avoid the area near Yard No. 6.

"Auntie, don't worry, it's really okay."

"Hey, young man, look at how old the old lady is. She really can't do this."

"I think you are also in the prime of your life and have some good looks."

"It's not appropriate. It's really not appropriate."

Jiang Xian tried to persuade the old lady, but she kept waving her hands. Finally, she could not stand it anymore and had to give in to Jiang Xian. She raised her camera, took a photo, and completed the task in a hasty manner.

The moment when the editorial department of People's Digest was established was finally captured on film.

In the following days, the three of them concentrated on preparing the first issue of People's Digest.

That day, Wang Meng found Cuihua Hutong, and Jiang Xian ran to the gate of the courtyard.

"Editor-in-Chief Wang!"

"Hey, Jiang Xian, your yard is nice."

Wang Meng took a look into the yard.

This was his first time coming to this place.

Looking up at the plaque hanging next to the gate, the four words "People's Digest" are written with skillful writing, lasting charm and great momentum.

"I had a relative who didn't want this yard anymore, so I asked him for it. It's a nice yard, but after it was renovated, no one lived in it, so it just sat there unused. Now I can use it now," Jiang Xian said with a smile.

Wang Meng nodded.

"This time, it's all thanks to you."

If you want to publish People's Digest, there will be problems everywhere.

The housing and manpower issues are solved, but what about the money?
Of course it costs money to publish a magazine.

This is a big problem.

The Writers Association is a poor government agency, and it happens to be a special period of contracting. If you want to ask the Writers Association for money, it is basically impossible.

So Wang Meng recalled the scene in his office that day. Just when he was at a loss, Jiang Xian stood up very happily:
"I'll pay for the publication!"

"How does this work?"

Wang Meng immediately refused, "You have done enough for People's Digest."

Jiang Xian stretched out his hand: "Give me your phone number!"

Before Wang Meng could react, Jiang Xian made a call using his office phone.

He then signaled to Wang Meng that he had solved the money problem.

"I discussed it with my wife and decided to lend my family savings to the editorial department first. It will be used as a reserve fund for the editorial department, and we can take it whenever we need it."

Wang Meng frowned. "Is this possible? You are lending money to the magazine."

Jiang Xian: "It's not lending money, it's just borrowing money between acquaintances. Don't worry, no matter how much you borrow from me, it's interest-free within 30 days. It's definitely more affordable than borrowing from a bank, and it will last more than 30 days."

Since 1980, with the reform of the economic system and the gradual opening of the financial market, loans have entered the domestic market and gradually developed.

Well, personal housing loans have also been launched.

After all, commercial housing has been built now.

People's Digest is short of money.

Then Jiang Xian would lend money to People's Digest first.

After the journal is published, he will slowly recover the money.

Anyway, he is the editor-in-chief of People's Digest, so this money is like money going from his left pocket to his right pocket.

You can borrow money, but you can’t just pay for it.

Jiang Xian is not a sucker.

I left the house and worked hard.

Do I have to spend money on publishing a magazine for nothing?

"That plaque was given by Comrade Jingzhi?"

"Correct."

Jiang Xian smiled meaningfully, "Comrade Jingzhi is very supportive of my coming to People's Digest."

"Haha, I have another good news for you." Wang Meng said with a smile.

"You speak."

"I went to a meeting the other day."

Wang Meng said:

"After the meeting, Comrade Qiao Mu and I talked about People's Digest. Comrade Qiao Mu not only recognized and affirmed our work, but also asked someone to write a title for the first issue."

"Give me a title?"

Jiang Xian was shocked.

Writing inscriptions is an old tradition of every magazine.

Back then, the first editor-in-chief of People's Literature, Mr. Mao Dun, asked the old man to write a title for the first issue:

“I hope there will be more good works.”

Jiang Xianxin said that it was worthy of being a publication run by People's Literature, and it had a lot of reputation.

Since it is a supplement of the "Royal Publication", it is at least a "Prince's Publication" and the treatment should not be bad.

"Hey, what did the person give the question?"

"I came here in a hurry today. I'll get the adverb for you another day."

Wang Meng said, "The title is: I hope it can be exciting, vivid and diverse."

"Oh, wonderful, lively, and diverse, he said it so well! The standard for publishing a magazine that I told Zhu Wei before was still eight words, called: 'fresh and lovely, true and touching', and the old man only used seven words, wonderful, lively, and diverse, which is so concise."

Jiang Xian's face was filled with excitement. "I will post this old man's words in the editorial department and always understand the spirit of this sentence."

"Ah."

Wang Meng nodded and said:
"There is one more thing, which is about the title of the magazine. I wanted to ask Comrade Ba Jin to write the title for People's Digest, but Comrade Ba Jin declined my request."

"Mr. Ba declined?"

Jiang Xian was a little surprised. Logically speaking, he and Ba Lao had such a close relationship, and it was Wang Meng who asked him for help, so there was no way Ba Lao would refuse.

When I was wondering, I heard Wang Meng explain:
"According to Mr. Ba, he thinks the words 'People's Digest' can be written in Mr. Mao Dun's handwriting, and Mr. Mao Dun's family has agreed to this."

After hearing what Wang Meng said, Jiang Xian finally understood.

"I see."

It is common to use celebrity handwriting as the title of a publication.

In 81, when the magazine "Young Writers" was founded, the four characters of the magazine title were written in Mr. Lu Xun's handwriting.

Wang Meng and Jiang Xian chatted while touring the yard.

Looking at the environment here, Wang Meng was filled with envy.

Although the area of ​​the courtyard in Cuihua Hutong is not as large as that of No. 2 Shatan North Street, it is definitely superior to No. 2 Shatan North Street in terms of refinement. Enter the editors' office.

"Editor-in-chief!" Zhu Wei stood up and greeted Wang Meng.

Wang Meng waved her hand, motioning him to sit down, and then pulled out a chair herself, "Zhu Wei, are you getting used to working here?"

"Adapt, adapt, this place is great."

Zhu Wei nodded willingly, "This place is pretty good. I have to thank you, the editor-in-chief, for transferring me to People's Digest. I think the working environment here is especially suitable for me."

"."

Wang Meng glanced around his office.

With these working conditions, who would say they are not suitable?

In the office, each person has his own large room!
What a luxury!

The average living area per person in Beijing is only 4.8 square meters at the moment, and a family of five or six people often lives in a house of less than 20 square meters.

As a result, at People's Digest, each person's office is over 20 square meters.

They are trying desperately to cram people into People's Literature. The editors don't even have separate offices, let alone per capita space. They have to work in one big office.

"People's Digest" this condition.

Not to mention the editors of People's Literature.

Wang Meng herself felt a little unbalanced watching this.

His tiny office isn't as spacious as Zhu Wei's!
"Editor-in-chief, I have something else to tell you." Jiang Xian said at this time.

"what's up?"

"Look, we are an editorial department and a state-owned enterprise after all. Do you think we should have a special mailroom?"

"Mailroom?"

Wang Meng was stunned, not quite understanding what Jiang Xian meant.

"Why don't you just build one? What's the matter? Are you short of manpower or space?"

“All are available.”

Jiang Xian opened his mouth and showed his fangs.

"Missing a phone!"

In the early years, if you wanted to install a telephone, it depended on your rank. Only leading cadres at the department or bureau level or above could apply to have a telephone installed at home.

However, because there are too few lines, incompetent leaders can only wait in line, while capable ones can use their connections to find someone to approve the application.

In 1981, the country finally implemented an open policy for ordinary households to install telephones.

In other words, starting in 1981, various rotary telephones that were troublesome to dial and looked old-fashioned had begun to enter the homes of ordinary people.

However, the installation cost of the telephone is very expensive.

Therefore, there are very few families that own a telephone, and ordinary people can only use public telephones.

Jiang Xian had inquired and found out that the initial installation fee for a phone ranges from several hundred to several thousand yuan.

Nowadays, workers only earn about 100 yuan a month. How can an ordinary family afford such an expensive price?
Of course, there are those who can afford it.

Don't forget that this is 1984.

Self-employed individuals who have just started their own business and some literary and artistic celebrities have become the first people to try out new things and the first batch of users to pay for packaged phones out of their own pocket.

But installing a phone is still difficult.

It is common for the process to be delayed for several months to half a year.

Some users paid the money, but even after waiting for three to five years, they still can’t install the phone.

It is said that someone from Hong Kong built a big hotel in Beijing, but it could not open for business because it had no telephone. Finally, they sought special approval from Yin Shitai, the chief engineer of the Telecommunications Bureau, and were able to bring in two lines.

Because of this phone call, Mr. Li Binsheng even drew a popular cartoon to satirize it, called "Yugong's New Lesson":
"It doesn't matter how difficult it is to make a phone call. If I die, I still have my son. If my son dies, I still have my grandson. If my grandson dies, I still have..."

Jiang Xian wanted to install a telephone line in Cuihua Hutong. Instead of going to Bureau 46 himself, he decided to ask Wang Meng to solve the problem for him.

"Pull the telephone line?" Wang Meng frowned.

To be more rational, although the courtyard in Cuihua Hutong is now used as the editorial office of People's Digest, in reality, it is Jiang Xian's own courtyard!
If we pull a telephone line here, then the nature of this
Wang Meng was conflicted for a few seconds, then immediately felt ashamed.

Now that People's Digest has been established, it definitely needs a telephone line.

Jiang Xian even generously lent his own yard to People's Digest temporarily.

Now that she has applied for a telephone line from him, Wang Meng is still worrying about these things.

Isn't this judging others by one's own mean character?
"I'll apply for you, it should be available soon."

Wang Meng said, "The Post and Telecommunications Department is planning to introduce a new project. There are about 2 telephone lines in Beijing right now. This time, the Post and Telecommunications Department plans to expand the number to 10. Among these 10 telephone lines, they will definitely be able to get one for you."

"That's good."

Jiang Xian said: "With a phone, it will be much more convenient for me to communicate with you about work in the future."

"It's okay, just don't fight anymore"

Wang Meng chuckled and said, "The phone bill is not cheap."

It is said that at this time there was an old lady in Beijing who made an international long-distance call to her son in Japan. After waiting for a long time, she finally got through, but she couldn't hear clearly what the other party was saying. She was so anxious that she kept saying "hello" for a long time but couldn't say a single serious word.

After hanging up the phone and looking at the phone bill, the old lady was anxious: 460 yuan!
This phone bill is absolutely astronomical.

The telephone issue was quickly implemented within a few days. This time, the capital city expanded its telephone lines by 10, increasing sixfold. This was definitely an unprecedented national investment.

The people from the Post and Telecommunications Bureau were rushing to pull telephone lines to Yard No. 6, which again attracted the attention of the neighbors in Cuihua Hutong.

In their opinion, being able to make a phone call is absolutely a great thing.

Therefore, I am more convinced that Courtyard No. 6 is a high-level unit.

How would Jiang Xian know this?

Sitting in his office, holding the newly installed old-fashioned telephone, he couldn't help but sigh that he finally had a relatively private means of communication.

In the past, when he made phone calls, he used the phone in the switchboard room or other people's phones in the same building. There would always be someone listening, so there was no privacy at all.

That's how things are in this era.

There is a joke going around right now.

It is said that the old director installed a telephone at home, and his home ended up becoming the building’s communication room.

His wife complained about the phone, but he thought it was good:

"I can understand all the employees' thoughts just by sitting at home!"

Jiang Xian asked Wang Meng to help install the phone.

It's impossible to be completely selfless.

He does have a need for a phone now.

And it has to be a relatively private phone.

After all, in a while, the brothers Zhao Zhenkai and Zhong Acheng will go to America to start their careers in a big way.

With this phone that can be used at any time, Jiang Xian can contact the two brothers at the first opportunity, and it will be much more convenient to explain things.

Well, last year the first paging station in the country was also established in Shanghai. Jiang Xian was thinking about getting a pager to facilitate communication.

In short, this phone touched Jiang Xian's heart.

He figured that even if People's Digest moved to another place in the future, he couldn't remove the telephone line.

This is equivalent to him getting a telephone line for free.

Well, it can’t be called freeloading.

He has already lent out his house, so what's wrong with charging some interest?

(End of this chapter)