Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 112 of the standalone edition has been printed.

Looking at the three men who were united in their hatred of the enemy, Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Where did you three come from?"

"Today, the members of the May Fourth Literary Society solicited articles and invited us to attend. The society's journal, *Weiminghu*, was filled with discussions about you, making it feel like a seminar on your work. Brother Chen Jiangong encouraged us to write more book reviews of *Wolf Smoke Over Beiping* to support you!"

Liu Zhenyun said with a smile.

"Please thank Senior Brother Chen Jiangong for me when you have time!" Liu Yimin said with a smile, not expecting that Weiming Lake would actually support him.

Chen Dazhi waved the notebook in his hand: "The poem you wrote last time greatly increased the sales of 'Weiming Lake'. The senior students in the editorial department thanked you for it."

The three of them discussed Yu Jiajia's article again, feeling that the analysis was very insightful. They wondered why they hadn't thought of writing something like this; compared to novels, this kind of article was much simpler.

After the conversation, he started racking his brains again about the novel he was reading.

Liu Yimin patted the three of them on the shoulder, offered a few words of comfort, and then left the dormitory.

As April arrived, the weather in Yanjing became much warmer, and the weeds on both sides of the roadbed began to turn green. A patch of green could be seen from a distance, but it was not easy to find it when you got closer.

Liu Yimin walked into the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, where a number of international students had arrived sporadically, but Li Congren and his group had not yet arrived. About ten minutes later, Li Congren finally arrived late.

He was also holding a copy of the China Youth Daily, pointing and gesturing along with the others.

"Liu, what are you going to talk about today? I can't wait to find out," Klif said with a smile.

"Today I'm going to talk to you about the Chinese way of friendship, what constitutes a bad friend and a good friend, and how we should treat friends who are also comrades."

Seeing that most of the people had arrived, Liu Yimin began to speak by quoting Confucius's views on beneficial friends who are upright, understanding, and knowledgeable, and harmful friends who are flattering, obsequious, and glib.

They talked for a full hour, and Liu Yimin asked them to express their opinions.

“Liu, you are my best friend. I would be willing to stab myself twice for you,” Li Congren said, raising his hand.

“Not just a good friend, but also a mentor and friend,” Mulatu said.

"Liu, I really hope you can come to Malta. I heard you are going to France. Marseille in France is not far from Malta. We both live on the beautiful Mediterranean coast. I hope our friendship will last forever."

As Klif spoke with great emotion, Li Congren gave him a disdainful look and said, "You talk so much, but you think your Chinese is good!"

"Thank you!" Liu Yimin nodded and smiled.

After the event, Liu Yimin approached Fernando and asked him about prices in France and whether the only payment method was francs.
“Small amounts in US dollars are acceptable, but most transactions are in francs,” Fernando honestly stated.

"Ahem, Fernando, I'm heading to France." Liu Yimin asked if he could exchange some francs with him, and Fernando agreed without hesitation.

Currently, private individuals in China are not allowed to hold foreign currency. Money remitted from abroad is directly converted into RMB when withdrawing it, and some remittance certificates are also given, which can be used to purchase some scarce resources.

However, these foreigners are different. They need to exchange their money for foreign exchange certificates before they can use them, but it's not mandatory to exchange all of their money. If they don't use all their foreign exchange certificates, they can exchange them back.

Currently, China operates on a fixed exchange rate. If Liu Yimin had the means, he could exchange RMB for USD, USD for Francs, and Francs for RMB, making a considerable amount of money in one go.

Fernando exchanged 300 francs for Liu Yimin at the current exchange rate, which immediately consumed half of the royalties for "The Flames of War in Beiping".

“You’re welcome, it’s just how friends should be,” Fernando said happily.

On April 5th, Liu Yimin returned to Hongdu Clothing Store as agreed. The tailor warmly invited Liu Yimin to try on the garment. After looking at the result, the tailor said with satisfaction, "Except for the waist being a little loose, the rest of the fit is perfect. I'll make some adjustments for you, and then it can be made into a garment. You'll need to come back to try it on after it's finished. Come over tomorrow!"

Liu Yimin touched the fabric. The fabric was very soft, unlike the polyester commonly used for making business attire in this era. However, the color did not look as bright as polyester.

Dacron is very popular these days, but it's not comfortable to wear.

"Young man, which country are you going to?"

"France!"

"France, Europe, it's quite a long journey. It takes a long time to fly from Beijing to Paris." The foreman, wearing reading glasses, gestured with a measuring tape on the sample garment while shaking his head.

He had never been to France, but he knew more about the country than most people. He could get a lot of information just by chatting with people who came to have their clothes made.

"The French ambassador often comes to me to have clothes made. These foreigners are particularly diligent in getting clothes made, and they are all wealthy."

The following morning, Liu Yimin arrived at Hongdu Clothing Store as promised to try on clothes. The gray suit and gray Zhongshan suit fit him very well, but wearing them made him look much older.

"Now that's how you should look when you're going abroad, young man, walk around a few steps and see if you feel uncomfortable?"

The old tailor smiled as he admired Liu Yimin, as if he were admiring his own work. The suit made Liu Yimin look very tall and straight, but the cotton shoes on his feet seemed a bit out of place with the suit.

"Young man, here are a few stores I've listed for you. Just go and buy from them. If they're not there, you'll have to go out of your way to find them."

Thank you so much!

"You're welcome. Come back to me for tailored garments next time!"

A Western-style suit and a Zhongshan suit cost 150 yuan. If you were to get a complete outfit, it would cost around 200 yuan.

The first place on the list was the Yanjing Department Store in Wangfujing. Liu Yimin had passed by the area around Wangfujing countless times, but he had never actually been inside it.

The department store in front of us was built in 55, and its architectural style blends Soviet and Chinese styles. The influence of the Soviet Union on China is evident in all aspects, and Soviet-style buildings can be seen everywhere.

Beneath towering pillars and archways, shoppers come in an endless stream. The square is clean and tidy; this is China's largest department store with the most comprehensive selection of goods, and many foreigners also come to visit, so the windows are naturally beautifully decorated.

Upon entering the department store, the first floor was a section selling daily necessities. Everywhere were revolutionary slogans and calls to learn from Comrade Zhang Binggui.

The famous national model worker, Comrade Zhang Binggui, worked on the first floor, specializing in selling candy.

Last year, Zhang Binggui was awarded the title of "Yanjing City Special-Grade Salesperson" by Yanjing City, and this year he will be awarded the title of "National Model Worker".

He became a representative and a member of the Standing Committee by virtue of his ability to "handle everything".

For a sales clerk to reach this level through such exceptional skills is truly unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated. The counter was packed with people, all wanting Zhang Binggui to personally grab a handful for them and experience the spirit of a model worker.

After his death, a bronze bust of him was placed in front of the building, and he was praised by the leaders as having a spirit that "ignites the nation."

Liu Yimin wanted to go take a look, but unfortunately, he was in a bit of a rush today and couldn't go. So he pushed through the crowd and ran upstairs. After searching for a while, he finally found the clothing counter. There weren't many styles of shirts, so Liu Yimin bought a white shirt and a sky-blue shirt, but there were no ties. They did have leather shoes, but none that fit.

After searching several more places without success, Liu Yimin cursed and returned to the school, planning to come out and look again in a few days.

On April 10th, Cui Daoyi of People's Literature informed Liu Yimin that the standalone edition had been printed and prepared 4 sample copies for him as a gift.

When Liu Yimin arrived at People's Literature and Art Publishing House, Cui Daoyi excitedly handed him the book.

The book still smelled strongly of ink, the paper was yellowish and soft, and the cover illustration was taken directly from an issue of People's Literature and Art magazine.

The book is priced at 6 cents per copy, but that has nothing to do with Liu Yimin. It's not a royalty contract, so he doesn't earn a share of the book's selling price.

The three large characters "Liu Yimin" are below the title on the cover. Cao Yu's preface to Liu Yimin is placed at the very beginning, followed by Zhang Guangnian, Ai Qing, Cui Daoyi, and finally the editorial department of "Poetry Journal".

Cui Daoyi keenly noticed that Liu Yimin lingered on his name for a few seconds, so he smiled and explained, "After you left that day, I saw that the editorial department of Poetry Journal had written so many names, and we couldn't be outdone, so we added my name on top."

Liu Yimin glanced at Cui Daoyi with a grin, noticing that he didn't blush or skip a beat and was too lazy to expose him. However, the other editors next to him said directly, "Old Cui, you've really developed a thick skin. Two names are weak, but three names are not? Why don't you add our names?"

"This is slander! Yimin, let's go inside the office and talk. There are too many people here!"

Cui Daoyi pulled Liu Yimin into his office, leaving the other editors gritting their teeth in anger. Only after the door closed did they turn back with envy.

"Senior brother, could you help me find a tricycle? I want to take this to the Beijing People's Art Theatre."

"Okay, I'll go find you a tricycle right now."

Cui Daoyi rode a pedicab carrying a cart full of sample books to the Beijing People's Art Theatre. With his help, many people came to help and placed the books in Cao Yu's office.

After seeing Cui Daoyi off, Liu Yimin greeted the others from the Beijing People's Art Theatre and went to Cao Yu's office.

"Teacher, is that enough?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

"That's enough, kid. Look how smug you are. Sit here and sign your name before you leave." Cao Yu handed the pen to Liu Yimin, gesturing for him to hurry up and write.

Liu Yimin's face instantly turned sour; over two hundred books, it would take several hours to write.

"Hurry up and sign, but remember to leave me a space."

Cao Yu looked at Liu Yimin's bitter face, showing no sign of sympathy.

"You're signing too?"

"Am I not qualified to sign?" Cao Yu retorted.

“Of course it’s a good match. Your name will make my whole book shine!” Liu Yimin quickly replied.

Stop joking!

The book bears the signatures of both master and apprentice; this means Cao Yu is personally endorsing Liu Yimin.

By the time Liu Yimin had signed over a hundred copies, his hand was already aching; it was much more tiring than writing a normal manuscript. Cao Yu, without looking up, asked, "How are the preparations for going abroad going?"

"I haven't bought the leather shoes and tie yet. I couldn't find any to buy, or they were all sold out!" Liu Yimin said helplessly.

“I still have some foreign exchange certificates. Go to the Friendship Store and buy some, and also two suitcases to pack your things. One suitcase for clothes, and the other for books. You can’t go out empty-handed to talk to people, and then come back to continue signing autographs.”

Cao Yu capped his pen, looked up at Liu Yimin, and then said, "If you cause trouble in France, don't blame me for being your teacher!"

Liu Yimin: I was moved to receive back a foreign exchange certificate.

Cao Yu ignored Liu Yimin's tears of emotion and went into the rehearsal room to ask Lan Tianye if there were any rehearsal assignments for "Mr. Donkey". After learning that there were none, he called Zhu Lin and asked her to accompany Liu Yimin to the Friendship Store to pick out some things.

"Women have good taste, they should help him choose one!" Cao Yu said.

Zhu Lin hesitated for a moment before nodding, but her heart was pounding; she knew nothing about suits. She made up her mind to act as an advisor wherever she went, and to remain silent as much as possible.

The Friendship Store is located at No. 17 Jianwai Street, not far from the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Zhu Lin nervously followed Liu Yimin to the outside of the Friendship Store, where the gatekeeper's sharp eyes scanned the people entering.

Zhu Lin tugged at Liu Yimin's sleeve: "Comrade Liu Yimin, we're not foreigners, we can't go in!"

Indeed, the last time Liu Yimin came to the Friendship Store, he was with Mulatu. Mulatu looked like a foreigner, but Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin did not look like foreigners at all.

Liu Yimin thought for a moment and said, "You put your arm around my arm. When they ask, I'll speak English and say I'm a returned overseas Chinese. I'll show them my foreign exchange certificates, and that should be fine. When we walk past them, don't look at them. We'll walk in confidently."

Zhu Lin bit her lip and nodded heavily.

"Put your arm on mine, relax. It's your hand, not a hook. Yes, relax!"

Zhu Lin placed her hand on Liu Yimin's elbow. She was quite nervous at first, but after Liu Yimin adjusted her position, she became much more natural.

"Follow my footsteps, but don't step on my shoes!"

The two men walked past the gatekeeper with an air of self-righteousness. The gatekeeper stared at them for a long time before loudly saying, "You two, didn't you see me?"

“Hey, Bro.” Liu Yimin turned around and waved.

The security guard came over and asked Zhu Lin, "What did he say? What did he mean by 'no'? Was he cursing at me?"

"No, no, he is an overseas Chinese who just returned to China."

"Shopping," Liu Yimin said, shaking the foreign exchange certificates in his hand.

The gatekeeper sized up Liu Yimin, confirmed the foreign exchange certificates were correct, and then waved his hand: "Come in, come in!"

Zhu Lin patted his chest and said with a smile, "That was close!"

Without her noticing, the hand holding Liu Yimin's arm tightened, and the two walked through the Friendship Store like a real couple. When she realized it, she quickly let go.

(End of this chapter)