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

Chapter 127 Published, Published, and Republished
After leaving People's Literature and Art, Liu Yimin went directly to the publishing house, where he was warmly received by Li Shu, the editor in charge. Upon hearing that Liu Yimin had arrived, the other editors in the editorial office also rushed over.

"Look at you, you're a very popular author here!" Li Shu said with a smile.

One editor after another rushed over to shake hands with Liu Yimin, asking about his experiences in France. This onslaught was almost overwhelming for Liu Yimin. Fortunately, the publisher came over and reprimanded them all, sending them away.

"What kind of nonsense is this? Just take a look and move on to your work. Has the manuscript been reviewed? Have the authors been contacted? Have the revision comments been given?"

President Wei Junyi's three consecutive questions sent the editors scurrying to their offices with their heads down.

"Hello, Comrade Liu Yimin, I am Wei Junyi, the president of the publishing house. I apologize for making you laugh. Authors don't usually come here like this, it's just that you are too famous."

While shaking hands, Wei Junyi carefully observed Liu Yimin. Seeing that he looked normal, she invited Liu Yimin and editor Li Shu to sit in her office.

"Yimin, the second batch of individual volumes has been printed. This time we printed 100,000 copies. We were too conservative with the first batch; the popularity of the individual volumes exceeded our expectations. Going forward, I think you and our publishing house should cooperate more."

"The Flames of War in Beiping could be published as a standalone book! Li Shu, there are so many good novels out there, we need to hurry. There are so many publishing houses in Yanjing, we should take advantage of our proximity and not let others beat us to it."

“Sister Wei, I was just about to talk to Yimin about this.” Li Shu stood obediently to the side.

As a veteran revolutionary and a student at Tsinghua University, Wei Junyi participated in the famous December 9th Movement for National Salvation. She was a senior figure, and people at the publishing house usually called her "Big Sister".

In this day and age, calling a woman of a certain age "elder sister" is not considered uncomfortable; on the contrary, it is quite pleasant. Those who can be called "elder sister" are invariably veteran comrades who have made significant contributions.

"Yimin, I read the suggestions you made at the welcome meeting for the delegation's return to China. I didn't expect that at such a young age, you not only write well, but also have such a high perspective. You not only focus on your own writing, but also elevate it to the level of the entire literary world."

The literary world desperately needs young people with a broad perspective like you.

Wei Junyi first praised Liu Yimin extensively, then steered the conversation to the newly established magazine "Contemporary," talking at length about how great the recent articles in "Contemporary" were.

Liu Yimin knew what it meant, so he kept his eyes down and didn't respond. If he did respond, it was only to praise the articles in "Contemporary" magazine.

Seeing that it wasn't working, Wei Junyi gritted her teeth and said directly, "Yimin, *Contemporary* magazine wants to commission an article from you. Do you have any articles on hand?"

Wei Junyi was slightly plump and extremely capable in her work. Her long-established work style was evident in her aura. When she stared at Liu Yimin, it made Liu Yimin's scalp tingle.

But when I think about how I am the author and not Li Shu next to me, why should I care?
He shrugged, indicating that he didn't have any at the moment. Wei Junyi sighed and could only say that if he had any manuscripts next time, he should remember to submit them to "Contemporary". Liu Yimin walked out of the office, with Li Shu following closely behind.

Once outside, Li Shu's tense body immediately relaxed. He shook his head and said to Liu Yimin, "I'll take you to the finance office to collect your royalties now."

The basic royalties for "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" were 315 yuan. Currently, 130,000 copies have been printed, meaning the total royalties are 315 yuan plus 327.6 yuan, for a total of 642 yuan.

After calculating the money I had, including what I received for "Romance on Lushan Mountain," I realized I only received 84 yuan in royalties for the short story. My current savings total over 2,300 yuan.

It's still a long way from buying land and becoming a landlord.

My last trip to France cost me a lot of money, which significantly reduced my wallet.

After receiving his payment, Li Shu said in a low voice, "Yi Min, if there's nothing else, hurry up and leave, otherwise you won't be able to leave again."

Liu Yimin understood perfectly. He quickly walked out of the publishing house and had just ridden away on his bicycle when Qin Zhaoyang, the editor-in-chief of "Contemporary," rushed over. He had been busy with something and was on his way here as soon as he finished, but he was still a step too late.

"Li Shu, you're Pu Zhigao, why didn't you stall for time! Although you're an editor at the publishing house, we're from the same company," Qin Zhaoyang said angrily.

"Editor-in-Chief Qin, I couldn't stop him! That kid has a keen sense of smell; he's always swarming around every editorial department asking for manuscripts. He's got a trick up his sleeve. Once he gets the money, he's off like a shot. If I could hold him back, I definitely would!"

Li Shu cried out in protest!
Qin Zhaoyang glanced at Li Shu and saw that he didn't seem to be lying before letting out a cold snort and walking upstairs.

Li Shu inwardly groaned. Being a junior editor is really tough. You can't afford to offend the editor-in-chief, you have to be trembling in front of the publishing president, and you still have to think about the authors.

He was caught between Liu Yimin and Qin Zhaoyang—he was practically torn between two men!

Three tickets were given away, and three remained. Liu Yimin kept one for himself, and gave the remaining two to Professor Yang Hui and his wife when he passed by Yandong Garden.

When I first adapted the play "Mr. Donkey," Yang Hui gave me a lot of guidance. Now that the play has been successfully premiered, I can't forget his help.

Yang Hui was a little surprised to see Liu Yimin deliver the tickets; he hadn't expected his student to remember him. His opinion of Liu Yimin rose slightly; at least he wasn't the kind of person who used people first and then discarded them later.

Looking at Liu Yimin, he was pleased and invited him to have dinner and a drink at his home. He asked him how things were going with Cao Yu and told him that he could come to him directly if he had any problems in the future.

“Only those who write plays know how difficult it is. Dean Wan can spend years writing a single play. You can’t go wrong learning from him,” Yang Hui said with a smile.

"Professor Yang, you must be there for the premiere and give us your comments," Liu Yimin said.

"Of course, but with your script and the actors from the Beijing People's Art Theatre, it's absolutely perfect. Also, there's something else. I was chatting with some professors from the Chinese department the other day, and we talked about you. You're different from other students; you don't necessarily have to stay in school all the time like other students."

Last time I went to France for more than half a month, and there might be more of these kinds of things in the future. So we discussed that your education won't rely solely on the classroom; you just need to avoid failing your exams. Of course, your passing standard will be higher than that of the average student.

what do you think? "

"Will the department agree to this?" Liu Yimin asked hesitantly. He was certainly willing to do so, as it would give him much more free time. As for the passing standard, Liu Yimin was confident he would be fine; he could simply cram before the exam like university students in later generations.

"Having served as the department head for so long, I still have the authority to make these suggestions. Even Confucius knew to teach according to aptitude. We, the professors of this new era, can't be more rigid than Confucius, can we? However, you are not allowed to skip classes on weekdays. You are only allowed to take extended leave in case of emergencies."

Yang Hui said with a stern face.

"Understood, I will definitely study hard." Liu Yimin raised the small wine cup beside him and said with a smile, "Professor Yang, it's all in the wine!"

Seeing him do this, Yang Hui laughed and scolded, "It's like we're making some kind of deal. From now on, focus on writing books and screenplays. If you don't write well, I'll criticize you in the newspapers!"

Despite his short stature, Yang Hui was incredibly skilled at cursing! It's safe to say that when it comes to insults, these literary masters are second to none.

On May 28, the China Youth Daily published a report on Liu Yimin, with a lengthy article titled "Young Writer Liu Yimin's Trip to France".

She wrote in detail about everything from her arrival in France to her departure. The interviews totaled over three thousand words, and Yu Jiajia's writing style became increasingly sophisticated, stirring and exhilarating. Especially when readers read about the French publisher relentlessly pursuing Liu Yimin for publication, they couldn't help but let out a soft hum and a smile.

Just like the tax king said: "A bunch of people kiss my ass!"

He was overjoyed when he saw the reporter who had angrily confronted the French newspaper Le Monde.

"Ugh, these bastards, of all people to mess with, they had to mess with Yimin. They're like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth, courting death!" Liu Zhenyun exclaimed excitedly, pounding on the bed.

He was thinking to himself, if he were Liu Yimin, how he would respond when the reporter from Le Monde stirred up trouble.

Li Xueqin and Chen Dazhi, who were standing nearby, also excitedly started gesturing and began role-playing. The two of them had a great time, their cheeks flushed.

No one expected that so many things would happen during the short two-week trip to France.

The news only published a brief report about the writers' group returning from France, without saying much more. People who don't pay attention to this news might not even remember it.

After fooling around in the dormitory for a while, a question came to mind. Liu Zhenyun asked, "Yimin, how much royalties can you earn by publishing a book in France?"

Liu Yimin counted on his fingers and said, "We don't know yet!"

"Let me do the math for you. It's 26 francs per thousand words, not counting the exchange rate and royalties, just 26 francs. If this novel is translated to be 4 words, then the total..."

As Liu Zhenyun calculated, he looked at the four-figure manuscript fee on the paper, swallowed hard, and showed the result to Li Xueqin and Chen Dazhi with a complicated expression.

Both of them felt their mouths were dry and their throats were a little sore.

With a "bang," Liu Zhenyun collapsed onto the bed, his eyes vacant as he pulled the blanket over his head.

He secretly made up his mind that he also had to earn francs!

Tears soaked the braised pork trotter rice, but I vowed to earn a million!

On Yanjing Street, an old-timer, holding a newspaper, angrily confronted a French reporter, spitting on the ground: "He really makes the Chinese proud!"

Ordinary people saw Liu Yimin's experience in France, and writers saw the suggestion to establish a literary prize. With more literary prizes, the probability of winning one will naturally increase.

The leaders of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers Association saw Liu Yimin's suggestion to "name a literary prize after an influential writer in the literary world." In fact, some people saw it even before it was published in the newspaper.

In his office, Cao Yu rubbed his forehead in exasperation. His student had actually gone and said it in the newspaper. However, he didn't understand whether Liu Yimin had told him first, or if Liu Yimin had already said that during the interview.

Ba Jin, Mao Dun, and Cao Yu all reacted differently to the suggestion in the newspaper. If they had to choose a name, the three of them would definitely be among their choices.

If they don't bring it up, someone else will!
Sigh, Old Wan is such a serious student...

On June 1st, a large crowd gathered outside the Yanjing People's Art Theatre, anxiously waiting to enter with their tickets in hand. While queuing, the audience excitedly discussed the novel *Mr. Donkey*, each sharing their own interpretation and hoping the stage adaptation would be even more captivating!
"It's you! Long time no see!" Liu Yimin had just reached the door when a weasel-faced young man bumped into his shoulder.

Liu Yimin glanced at him and realized he didn't recognize him.

"I make candied hawthorns for the Empress Dowager!"

"You, I really couldn't recognize you without your hat on!"

It's summer, so people are wearing thin clothes. The educated youth selling candied hawthorns even got a short haircut, looking like "Feng Xiaogang." Now that it's summer, they can't sell candied hawthorns, and they don't know what else they're trying to sell here.

"Where have you been lately? Did you have trouble getting tickets? Want some tickets for 'Mr. Donkey'? They're only 1.5 yuan each!"

Liu Yimin asked curiously, "Where did you get the tickets?"

“I wander around this area all day, and of course I buy them myself by queuing up. I’ve found that this makes more money than selling candied hawthorns.”

Liu Yimin glanced at the tickets. Tickets for the Beijing People's Art Theatre's plays were divided into three tiers, priced at 2 mao, 4 mao, and 6 mao depending on the seat. His tickets were all 4 mao seats; selling them for 1.5 yuan would be more profitable than selling candied hawthorns!
"I have some. Be careful, don't get arrested by the authorities!"

The "Crackdown Office" is short for the Office for Combating Speculation and Profiteering. His behavior is nothing short of speculation and profiteering!

The man shrank his neck, looked around, and revealed a pair of buck teeth: "I have connections. The local policeman is my fifth uncle's nephew."

Liu Yimin didn't remember his relationship clearly, but just told him to be careful. Under the gaze of a group of people, he walked into the Beijing People's Art Theatre from the side.

Zhu Lin went backstage with Lan Tianye to encourage the actors. She was a little nervous, her cheeks were flushed, her fingers were clenched, and her nails dug a mark into her hand.

"Don't be nervous, it's no different from your previous dance performances!" Liu Yimin encouraged.

Zhu Lin bit her lip and nodded, but then said, "How can they be the same? This is the stage of the Beijing People's Art Theatre!"

"Let me show you a magic trick!" Liu Yimin waved his left hand, revealing a few milk candies with his palm facing up: "Sweep away the tension and be yourself again!"

He really wanted to say, "You coward, have a White Rabbit candy!"
Zhu Lin looked at the milk candy in Liu Yimin's palm, not finding any flaws in this sieve-like trick. With a smile on her lips, she unwrapped the candy and put it in her mouth to suck on.

Seeing the other actors gathering around, Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Everyone has some, there's plenty of candy!"

After leaving the backstage area, Liu Yimin found his seat, next to Cui Daoyi, Zhang Guangnian, Yang Hui, his wife, and Yu Jiajia. Liu Yimin greeted them one by one.

They all knew each other, and before Liu Yimin arrived, they chatted amongst themselves.

"The votes given by Yimin?"

"Yours was also given to you by Yimin?"

"Hey, what a coincidence!"

At 7:25, a bell rang in the theater, indicating that the play was about to begin and everyone was asked to take their seats!
(End of this chapter)