Literary Master 1983

Chapter 48: All of Us
"when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, you will be meeting with the editor-in-chief of October magazine. I... will join the crew at Yuanmingyuan and receive training for a while." After saying this, Zhang Li seemed a little reluctant.

During these days, the two did develop some feelings.

Yu Qi took the woolen gloves given by Zhang Li, thanked her solemnly, and sent her back to the guesthouse.

Then he ran back, borrowed Luo Yihe's bicycle, and headed straight for the Friendship Store.

It was still snowing in Yanjing and it hadn't stopped yet, so Yu Qi planned to buy Zhang Li a nice and thick coat.

At that time, the Friendship Store only accepted foreign friends, and the sales clerks were often intellectuals who graduated from foreign language departments. The store did not accept RMB, but only foreign exchange coupons, and at most US dollars.

However, there are scalpers outside the store who specialize in dealing in this kind of currency. No matter how the remainder is exchanged, it is definitely lower than the official USD/RMB exchange rate of 1 to 1.49, probably around 1 to 2.something.

Yu Qie took out the foreign exchange coupons and RMB he had exchanged, bought a gray-black coat that suited his taste, rode back in the wind and snow, and arrived at the door of the guesthouse.

The corridor was dimly lit by kerosene lamps, and the air was a little chilly, with a mixture of soot and wet snow. The floor was old cement, with wet footprints from the soles of passing shoes, leading from the door to the depths of the room.

There were only a few people in the lobby on the first floor, sitting on benches, holding hot tea and wrapped in military coats.

The glass on the window was a little blurry, covered with a layer of white mist due to the heat in the room. Occasionally, one could hear the slight sound of snow falling and the sound of wind blowing.

The receptionist at the guesthouse already knew Yu Qie. "Yu Qie, what are you doing here? Are you looking for Zhang Li?"

"Don't rush to call her. I'll leave a piece of clothing here. Please give it to her when she leaves tomorrow morning... Hey, do you have a pen and paper? I'll write a few words for her."

The receptionist said, "You two are really good. You buy her clothes and she knits for you. Not bad at all!"

The next day, Zhang Li woke up, packed her things, and went out to see the silver outside:

The heavy snow swirled down, covering the courtyard and the path in front of the door with white; long icicles hung under the eaves, and the pointed icicles glowed faintly in the cold night.

Oops, this is too cold.

Just as Zhang Li was thinking this, the front desk clerk handed over the coat that Yu Qie had left here yesterday. "Zhang Li, your boyfriend gave you this coat. He rode his bike to deliver it last night. There was snow all over his head... I don't think it's cheap. He was very thoughtful."

After a series of operations, Zhang Li put on the coat and immediately felt much warmer.

Yes, it’s a real leather coat.

The front and back pieces, sleeves, lapels and collar of this dress are all made of real leather, and the belt is a whole cowhide belt.

It is said that when the US President visited China, in order to show our momentum without being too aggressive, all the privates welcoming guests at the airport changed into coats, which left a deep impression on the president.

Zhang Li is a literary and artistic soldier, so of course she prefers coats.

The receptionist praised her beauty and said, "She also left a note for you to see. It was folded over and locked. I didn't read it."

Zhang Li took it and opened it, and said two words:
If you have any problem, come to Yanda to find me.

After that, learn more, watch more, and think more.

As the saying goes, seeing a letter is like seeing a person...Yu Qi's image of walking in front of her in the snow and turning back to smile at her suddenly appeared in front of Zhang Li. There was also Yu Qi riding a bicycle quickly towards her under the dim light, carrying a packed coat.

Somehow, she suddenly thought of the Dream of the Red Chamber, which she had been reading repeatedly recently:
Jia Baoyu, a second-generation rich man, can't even protect the women around him, but so many people like him. This Brother Yu is really much better than the characters in the book!

Alas, I should really call you Brother Yu more often...

------

"Oh, I didn't see them just now. These are woolen gloves. Did your girlfriend give them to you?" Luo Yihe saw Yu Qie's big gloves.

Yu Qie also admitted, "My girlfriend hit me. She's an actress in the TV series Dream of the Red Chamber. She just went there today." "——Dream of the Red Chamber?" Luo Yihe said, "Our October magazine may also be related. Although I'm not from the film and television system, I heard that their TV show invited many literary masters."

Luo Yihe brought Yu Qie to the editorial office of October magazine today.

He said tentatively: "If we go to visit their TV show, it will be considered a business trip."

Yu Qie nodded, "I'll trouble you later."

Luo Yihe was delighted. Since Yu Qie agreed, the meeting with the editor-in-chief was halfway done.

"October" magazine is affiliated with Yenching People's Publishing House and is currently located at No. 51 Dongxinglong Street, Chongwenmenwai, about kilometers away from Yenching University.

It's not just October that is far away. People's Literature is also in this area, and a little closer to Yan University, about 17 or 18 kilometers away.

Otherwise, why did he borrow Luo Yihe's bicycle? He commutes between the magazine and school every day.

Luo Yihe said: "Teacher Yu, our magazine is indeed a bit far from the school, but this difficulty can be overcome..."

Yu Qi thought, Luo Yihe, you have never experienced the long distance commute from working in Yanjing to other provinces by train.

"We have several groups under October magazine, including the children's group - Liu Xinwu, the current editor-in-chief of People's Literature, was originally in the children's group. There is also a poetry group, of which I am one. There are also literature and history, translation, science and technology, political studies, fine arts... and so on. At the same time, we have our own editors, and many of them can write articles and work part-time as literary critics..."

"So, if there is anything, we will discuss it together. Many people know that you are coming to our magazine, Mr. Yu, and everyone welcomes you."

"They all know your work—"

Before he could finish his words, Wang Shimin came out in a hurry. As soon as he saw me, he shouted, "I'm late... This is Yu Qie from Yanda University. We are all creators, so there's no need to introduce who he is... Please welcome Yu Qie!"

Blah blah blah~
Everyone put down what they were doing and clapped in a uncoordinated manner. Many people stretched their heads to see who Yu Qie was.

Then I was surprised. We all knew Yu Qie was young, but I didn’t expect he was good looking!

This is...really good!

"Yu Qie? You look like this. I say, why are you writing novels? You should be a movie star!"

"Don't talk nonsense. If he doesn't write novels anymore, what should we write?"

——"These are Huang Xiu Ji and Tang Huan. They are both from Yanjing University. They mainly do literary criticism and are planning to write an article reviewing your novel A Moment of Romance." Luo Yihe introduced.

Yu Qie: "Nice to meet you, nice to meet you! I'd like to ask you two brothers to show some mercy."

"Yu Che! You are Yu Che!" Suddenly, a middle-aged man wearing a hat was very excited and waved to Yu Che from a distance: "I read your book "Latin American Realism". It is really well written. It writes things that I can't write!"

Who is this?

"This is Mr. Zhao Deming. He also works at our Yenching Publishing House. He mainly studies and translates Latin American literature and often comes to visit us. Yu Qie..."

Luo Yihe whispered, "Teacher Zhao Deming is teaching at the Spanish Department of Yanda University. He will be promoted to professor next year!"

Of course Yu Qie couldn't neglect it, "Hello, Teacher Zhao."

Shit, this October issue is full of our own people.

　This time, I tried to combine several previous points together to create an explosion. I don’t know if I can write out that kind of passionate feeling, and then, whoosh, I soar into the sky.

　　It feels like it will be very interesting, so I might as well give it a try. Then I’ll finish the first volume and start the second.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)