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

Chapter 207 Heroes' Gathering in the Courtyard
On the alleyway, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin rode their bicycles towards Muxidi. Aunt Liang warmly inquired about their safety and reminded them to be careful on the streets at night.

"Teacher Liu, you've done a great job with the community outreach!" Zhu Lin joked, trying to ease his nervousness.

Liu Yimin glanced at her and said with a smile, "What are you nervous about?"

"Where am I nervous?" Zhu Lin said, feigning nervousness.

"Only those who are nervous know!" Liu Yimin scoffed and rode his bicycle forward.

Zhu Lin snorted and immediately followed, asking about Cao Yu's wife, whether she was easy to talk to, and also about Senior Sister Wan Fang.

"Your teacher's wife can be quite fierce when she's cursing, so be careful!" Seeing her like this, Liu Yimin couldn't help but tease her.

"Ah!" Zhu Lin's face immediately fell. She thought to herself that she was in trouble. Her heart was pounding and she felt extremely anxious. She even had the urge to run away.

Because Cao Yu spoke hastily, Zhu Lin didn't have time to prepare a gift. After leaving the courtyard, she pulled Liu Yimin to the department store to buy some mooncakes and fruit.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, long queues formed in front of the mooncake counters throughout the department store. The two had no choice but to join the queue.

They queued for a long time before finally buying mooncakes of various kinds, including five-nut, red bean paste, and sesame. Buying mooncakes required food coupons, but luckily both of them had them.

The mooncakes were unpackaged, like the flatbreads of later generations. After being weighed, the sales clerks in white coats would wrap them in paper, then put them in a net bag or tie them with a rope, and carry them directly.

They bought some more fruit, but Zhu Lin still felt it wasn't enough. Looking at the sky, it was getting late; they'd already reached this point in line.

"If I take this, will my master's wife be angry?"

"will not!"

Liu Yimin took out two bottles of Ginseng and Cinnamon Nourishing Wine tied with ropes from his satchel and said with a smile, "Add this, and it'll be about right!"

"Teacher Liu, when did you take these two bottles of wine out?" Zhu Lin asked in surprise.

"I went back to my study to get my bag and took it with me."

"You don't want to drink?"

Liu Yimin said with a stern face, "Why would I drink this at such a young age?"

Zhu Lin smiled at Liu Yimin's eagerness to prove himself and said nothing more. He got on his bicycle, checked the time, and urged him to hurry up.

Upon arriving at Muxidi, Zhu Lin looked at the legendary ministerial building and whispered to Liu Yimin whether all the high-ranking government officials lived there.

Liu Yimin smiled but didn't say anything. He waited until they reached the building before saying, "Actually, I haven't met the others before, and even if I had, I probably wouldn't recognize them! Okay, don't worry, don't be nervous!"

Once upstairs, Liu Yimin knocked on the door first. Zhu Lin stood behind Liu Yimin, only a small part of her body showing.

Wan Fang opened the door, saw Liu Yimin, and smiled, "What? You came alone?"

Liu Yimin shifted his body slightly: "Look, he's hiding in the back!"

Wan Fang immediately spotted Zhu Lin behind Liu Yimin and enthusiastically pulled Zhu Lin's arm to walk inside: "Why are you still nervous? I've seen you before. I went to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to watch you rehearse. You performed very well. You weren't nervous at all with so many people watching, but you're nervous now that you're at home!"

Cao Yu was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching TV. When he saw Zhu Lin, he smiled and said, "Comrade Zhu, don't be nervous. Why are you so late?"

Liu Yimin followed behind and said, "Teacher, you notified us too hastily. Zhu Lin wanted to buy some gifts at the department store, but there were too many people, and we've been queuing for so long."

Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin placed mooncakes, fruit, and wine on the table.

Li Yuru, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and said, "Why buy a gift? This is our own home! I told Lao Wan to invite you two over for a meal. This must be Xiao Zhu. She is indeed beautiful. No wonder your senior sister Wan Fang praised you after she came back from the Beijing People's Art Theatre."

"Please sit down, this is home, don't be nervous!"

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "This is Senior Sister Wanfang, and this is Master's wife!"

"Senior Sister Wanfang, Master's Wife!" Zhu Lin addressed Liu Yimin in the same way.

Li Yuru and Wan Fang happily responded. Wan Fang pulled Zhu Lin to sit down, and Liu Yimin went to the kitchen to help. Zhu Lin wanted to go too, but Wan Fang stopped her.

Wan Fang took the initiative to start a conversation about the director. With Wan Fang's guidance, Zhu Lin gradually became more lively, while Cao Yu occasionally chimed in.

Inside the kitchen, Li Yuru occasionally peeked at Zhu Lin in the living room from a distance. The sounds of their conversation reached her ears perfectly. Li Yuru said to Liu Yimin:
"Hey, you're pretty good, you've found a beautiful and talented partner!"

After listening, Liu Yimin pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "Master's wife, I'm not bad either!"

"Yes, yes, very good, a perfect couple!" Li Yuru laughed and tapped Liu Yimin's head with a vegetable root.

“Bring Xiao Zhu to visit me more often in the future! I heard that Xiao Zhu is trying to become a director, which is not easy and requires a lot of effort. She is still young, but she should also pay attention to rest and not overwork herself. You can give her some advice. I think this girl looks delicate, but she actually has a lot of energy!”

Li Yuru said this while cooking.

“She’s not delicate at all. She used to go to a sports school and learned gymnastics, basketball, and swimming. She still exercises regularly!” Liu Yimin said.

"Really?" Li Yuru glanced at her sideways and said, "Not bad, good health is important! Actors and directors can't be too delicate sometimes. Performing on stage repeatedly is also physically demanding."

As a performer, Li Yuru knew the hardships involved. However, Liu Yimin didn't know if her good health had any other purpose.

After preparing the meal, Liu Yimin served it on the table. Zhu Lin and Wan Fang also came to help. As Zhu Lin passed by Liu Yimin, she glared at him and then gave him a smug wink.

At the dinner table, Li Yuru took center stage, showering Zhu Lin with concern and warmth. Zhu Lin felt a little uncomfortable with her enthusiasm, but Li Yuru's sweet words made her very happy.

“If you suffer any injustice at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, tell your teacher’s wife!” Li Yuru slapped her thigh and promised.

"Master's wife, do you have any ideas?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

"We may not have a major solution, but we can find some minor ones. If Ouyang Shanzun comes, we won't offer him tea; if Lan Tianye comes, we won't offer him a chair."

Li Yuru also happily cracked a joke.

After they had almost finished eating, Li Yuru said, "If this boy bullies you, come find your master's wife!"

Zhu Lin glanced at Liu Yimin, then grabbed Li Yuru's arm and said, "He bullied me today!"

Stared at by three pairs of eyes, Liu Yimin felt a chill run down his spine and said, "That's complete slander!"

Cao Yu, Wan Fang, and Li Yuru all looked like they were going to uphold justice.

"Why did he bully you?"

"He said his master's wife was very powerful, which scared me so much that I didn't dare to come. My legs were weak when I came."

Li Yuru pointed at Liu Yimin with a palm-leaf fan and said with a laugh, "You little rascal, if you dare to talk nonsense again, you won't get any braised eggplant next time you come."

"Hahaha!" Everyone in the living room burst into laughter.

Liu Yimin said in a low voice, "Master's wife, I'm a little wronged!"

"Is it wronged you?"

"More wronged than Dou E!"

The room was bustling with activity. Zhu Lin, no longer the reserved person he was when he first arrived, chatted with Li Yuru. Cao Yu and Wan Fang chatted with Liu Yimin, discussing the scriptwriting process, and then heard from Liu Yimin that "Mr. Donkey" was going to be made into a film by the Beijing Film Studio.

"Yimin, this autumn has truly been a fruitful season for you, a season of harvest. I wonder what level the Beijing Film Studio's production of 'Mr. Donkey' will be at, and how it compares to the stage play!" Wan Fang was already looking forward to seeing the movie.

"Under Wang Yang's leadership, Beijing Film Studio has developed quite well in recent years. However, compared with Shanghai Film Studio, it is still a bit conservative," Cao Yu commented.

"Old Shen wants to get together with some old friends for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your courtyard is big enough to enjoy the moon. How about we meet at your courtyard house?"

Cao Yu asked with a smile, seeking Liu Yimin's opinion.

A party? Where would I put that?

"Why don't you want to?"

Liu Yimin straightened up and quickly said, "I'm willing, but I never expected it to be with me!"

“Your place is close to Old Shen’s house, so it’s convenient for him to go there! If you agree, it will be easy. We can go to your yard together to enjoy the moon!”

Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin walked out of Muxidi. As they came out, Li Yuru held her arm reluctantly.

"A gathering in a courtyard house? That'll keep us busy!" Zhu Lin said.

Liu Yimin asked, "Do you want to come too?"

"These are all prominent figures in the cultural world. Would it be inappropriate for me to go?"

Zhu Lin asked nervously.

"What? You're a respectable person, and your head and face are quite good-looking!"

Zhu Lin laughed and said, "You're making fun of me again. Well then, I'll go help you out!"

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, starting in the afternoon, people slowly began to walk towards Liu Yimin's courtyard house. He had cleaned the courtyard house spotless and left the gate wide open to welcome guests from all directions.

It truly lives up to the saying: "Setting up an eight-immortal table allows one to entertain guests from all directions!"

Sanhua sat by the stone drum at the entrance, carefully scrutinizing the visitors.

The first guest to arrive was Mao Dun, and not only him, but also Wei Tao and the nanny next to him were carrying a lot of groceries.

"Yimin, sorry to bother you, hahaha." Mao Dun was wearing a long-sleeved Zhongshan suit today and looked particularly energetic.

"You've come, what dishes did you bring?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

"That's the rule. Since there are so many people coming, we'll requisition your kitchen and each of us will cook some of our own specialty dishes!"

Once inside the courtyard house, Wei Tao and the nanny went to the kitchen and began preparing the vegetables they had brought to cook.

Liu Yimin bought a lot of ingredients, and while Mao Dun was away, Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin were busy in the kitchen.

Mao Dun smiled and looked at Zhu Lin: "I've heard Jiabao mention you. Not bad, young comrade, you performed very well on stage."

Next, more people came in. It was Xia Yan. Shen Yun ran in first, followed by Shen Yun's parents.

When Sanhua saw Shen Yun, she hid in fright. Xia Yan smiled and said, "Slow down, don't fall!"

As a result, a few more people joined the kitchen.

Xia Yan said with a smile, "I think we'll be able to gather all eight major cuisines in this courtyard today!"

After Xia Yan arrived, Zhang Guangnian walked in, followed by his wife. Zhang Guangnian was from Hubei Province and brought Hubei cuisine.

Next, several members of Xia Yan's "Second-Rate Hall" walked in. The Second-Rate Hall was a small group of people during the War of Resistance against Japan. Guo Moruo called these intellectuals "second-rate scoundrels," hence the name Second-Rate Hall.

Most of them were left-wing individuals, and our Party united many intellectuals through them.

After a decade of trials and tribulations, they have now become a food-sharing group. They are all from the South, so they like to cook Southern dishes.

After a while, several more vice-chairmen of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles arrived, and all the leading figures in the literary world came to the courtyard.

On the contrary, Cao Yu was the one who arrived late. After Cao Yu came in, a group of people gathered in Liu Yimin's study filed out and said to Cao Yu with smiles, "Old Wan, why are you so late?"

"Old Wan is waiting for everyone to praise him!"

"What are you praising?"

"Just tell him he has a good student!"

Liu Yimin was under immense pressure among this group of people. Fortunately, they didn't discuss any literary viewpoints, but just chatted casually. Mao Dun and Xia Yan were in Liu Yimin's study, looking at his recent drafts.

As they watched, the others also ran inside.

Cao Yu laughed and said, "No, no, these are the young talents of our literary world. We should all care for our young people!"

Cao Yu patted Liu Yimin on the shoulder, signaling him not to feel pressured.

Shen Yun led several children through the crowd, laughing and playing. A basket of White Rabbit milk candies on the table was completely devoured by the children, who were all drooling.

"This house is nice!" someone said, nodding repeatedly as they looked at the courtyard house.

Cao Yu smiled and said, "Everyone, please sit down. We'll enjoy the show in a bit."

Wan Fang and Li Yuru trailed behind. After entering, Li Yuru pointed at the house and praised it, and even asked Liu Yimin to show them around.

Once inside the second courtyard, Li Yuru said with a smile, "Let those old folks make a fuss, let's just have a nice meal and enjoy the moon!"

Liu Yimin nodded and said, "Master's wife, I understand!"

When it's time to eat and admire the moon, this group of people will definitely get restless and start discussing their literary views, whether to praise or criticize, etc. Liu Yimin can just listen and have some fun.

There were many people cooking, and many others were still outside picking vegetables. Li Yuru squeezed in and saw Zhu Lin working hard, covered in sweat: "Look how tired little Zhu is, your teacher's wife will help you, you go out and rest!"

"It's alright, Master's wife, you rest for a bit, it'll be ready soon!"

Li Yuru said, "Everyone is busy, so I can't just sit idle. I'll cook a few dishes of Beijing cuisine for everyone."

Without hesitation, they got to work and joined the ranks of cooks.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "Now the courtyard is bustling with activity in two places: a bustling study and a bustling kitchen!"

"Brother Yimin, I want to eat ice cream!" Shen Yun ran over and asked.

Shen Yun's mother immediately scolded her, saying that the weather was getting colder and she wouldn't let her eat.

Liu Yimin made a helpless face, and Shen Yun wrinkled her nose and ran away.

(End of this chapter)