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

Chapter 240 The list of winners for the Hundred Flowers Award is about to be released.

Zhu Lin escorted him for quite a distance before finally getting home.

Before returning home, Zhu's father was still sighing, telling Zhu's mother, "Sigh, there are quite a few people who like writers like this. You're not at school, so you don't know how popular these young writers and poets are with young girls!"

When Zhu Lin came back skipping and jumping, his parents interrogated him and extracted all the information from him.

Zhu Lin didn't tell his parents about the courtyard house. If they found out, it would be difficult for him to go to the courtyard again.

“Mom and Dad, Teacher Liu is a very nice person. Don’t worry, you can ask around at the Beijing People’s Art Theatre; everyone there speaks highly of Teacher Liu.” Zhu Lin’s mouth was dry, so he quickly took a sip of tea.

"Going to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to inquire is no different from asking you! The Beijing People's Art Theatre only praises him; he's Cao Yu's student!" Zhu's mother snorted.

Mr. Zhu said earnestly, "Linlin, we're worried that the world of young writers is too complicated for you to handle!"

Zhu Lin stood on her tiptoes: "Dad, I'm not stupid. Don't think of your daughter as so stupid! Teacher Liu is improving, and so am I. I'm learning to direct quite well now. Teacher Lan said that when there's a suitable play, I can be the assistant director and rehearse with the others!"

Looking at the determined Zhu Lin, Zhu's mother said, "That's settled then. Linlin, take care of yourself. If you have any problems, communicate with your parents promptly. We like Yimin as a child, but compared to him, we like you even more. It's getting late, you should go to sleep now, you have to go to work tomorrow!"

Zhu Lin raised his wrist to check the time, yawned, smiled, got up, and went back to his room to prepare for sleep.

He placed the photos from his handbag on the table next to his bed.

When Mr. and Mrs. Zhu returned to their bedroom, they were very happy to see the gift Liu Yimin had given them. It proved that he valued their daughter.

Two bottles of ginseng and cinnamon health-preserving wine stood out prominently among the gifts.

Mr. Zhu picked it up and looked at it: "Why did you give this thing away?"

"I've heard this wine is good for your health. I think it's a good gift. You should try it!" Mother Zhu said expectantly.

"I'll drink this? Forget it, I won't!" He had just put it down when he picked it up again: "I'll just take a couple of sips, I've been craving alcohol for so long!"

"If you're craving something, drink more! Don't be stingy with your drinks!"

The two of them had some worries, but along with those worries came happiness. Now that their daughter had a boyfriend, they weren't in such a rush anymore.

The key is that he is very satisfied with the other party, and he is a son-in-law who is extremely rare, one in a million.

I opened the window, and the breeze from outside blew in, instantly making me feel refreshed.

After drinking, Zhu's father lay on the bed and chatted for a while. Then the bed shook slightly a few times.

"Why aren't you moving?"

Mr. Zhu didn't say anything and crawled into his bed. Mrs. Zhu patted him on the shoulder encouragingly, "You've made progress; at least you've gotten the hang of it!"

The rest of the night passed without incident.
Yenching University's Chinese Department also attached great importance to Liu Yimin's winning of the Mao Dun Literature Prize, and asked Liu Yimin to talk about his feelings in the large classroom of Yenching University's Chinese Department.

Besides Liu Yimin, there is also Chen Jiangong, who won the Lu Xun Literary Prize - Short Story Award.

Students from all four years of the Chinese Literature Department squeezed in, so crowded that there wasn't even room to walk.

The Chinese Department also invited the current president, Zhang Longxiang, and vice president, Ji Xianlin. Vice president Ji Xianlin gave a speech first, congratulating Liu Yimin on winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

As you all know, I'm from the Spanish Department. Before coming here, I also learned that Liu Yimin has published a novel in the United States.

This novel circulated widely among international students at Yenching University and was published in the American magazine *The Paris Review*. This magazine is a highly regarded publication in the United States, known for its serious literary approach and commitment to pure literature.

In my opinion, this is a tremendous honor, but Liu Yimin has never actively publicized it. We students of Yenching University should have this kind of humility.

“Yimin, you’ve really kept this a secret!” Yan Jiayan said from the side.

Yang Hui smiled and looked at Liu Yimin, asking Liu Yimin to bring him the novel after the speech.

"Hey, Professor Yan, I didn't mean to hide it. It's a short story that international students find quite interesting. They enjoy reading it, but people in China might not like it!"

"That's not necessarily true. Recently, many literature enthusiasts and professors in China have been interested in studying foreign literature."

As they discussed this in front of the stage, the students below the stage erupted in a commotion and began to talk about it amongst themselves.

Liu Zhenyun asked in bewilderment, "Wasn't Yimin published in France? How did it end up in the United States?"

"It's 'publish,' not 'release.' You must have misheard!" Li Xueqin teased.

"Sigh, even if you misheard, it won't change reality! I was just thinking about when to have a Western meal, but Yimin has already cooked a 'Western meal' for the Americans."

Ji Xianlin said "Quiet" several times on the stage, and the Chinese department classroom gradually quieted down.

Next up was the turn to speak on stage. Chen Jiangong went first. Looking at the students below, Chen Jiangong swallowed all the words he had in his heart.

He prepared a speech, and looked down at the densely written manuscript, which contained words like sharing, creation, and literary spirit.

After thinking about it, I crumpled it into a ball and put it in my pocket.

Thank you to the professors and classmates for their support. I hope to continue learning from Liu Yimin in the future and strive to create even better literary works. Congratulations to Liu Yimin on winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize and on bringing literary creations to the world.

I hope that one day in the future, I can also follow in Liu Yimin's footsteps and have my work reach international audiences. Here, I would like to once again congratulate Yimin!

After a round of enthusiastic applause, Chen Jiangong returned to his seat. Several students from the literary society next to him asked him why he didn't read from his prepared script.

Chen Jiangong said helplessly, "Sigh, I'd better not read it out loud and embarrass myself. What everyone wants to hear is Yimin speaking."

As Liu Yimin stood on the stage, he glanced at the crowd and made eye contact with Chen Jiangong. He then gave his acceptance speech, encouraging everyone to make progress together.

Liu Yimin has become so familiar with these kinds of remarks that he no longer needs to prepare them in advance. There's no other reason than that he's very familiar with them!
If you want to, you can write a long passage anytime, anywhere.

After speaking for a while, several Chinese literature students raised their hands to ask questions.

"Senior, I have a question. What should I do if I feel lost while writing?"

Liu Yimin paused for a moment when he heard the word "senior brother," and said embarrassedly, "I used to be the one calling others 'senior brother,' but now I've finally become one myself!"

"Hahaha"

Feeling lost? The most important thing is to start writing. Writing is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires a lot of thinking and meticulous observation. Everyone's life is like an article, and we shouldn't always think about becoming a great writer all at once.

At the award ceremony, I expressed my deep admiration for Yao Xueyin, who has dedicated over a decade to writing a single novel. I honestly admit I could never do that. I think Professor Yang Hui is right: students in the Chinese Department of Yenching University don't all need to aspire to become writers; we can shine in other fields as well.

Some classmates might think I'm just talking without understanding the situation, but these are my honest thoughts. No matter what we do, we must believe that we all have a bright future!

Though the road is long, perseverance will lead to the destination; though the task is difficult, action will surely bring success!

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, students began to ask questions. The questions were varied, but they all revolved around writing.

After the speech, Liu Yimin found Li Congren and asked him for several copies of "The Paris Review" to give to a few professors.

These copies of The Paris Review have been thoroughly read and turned into a mess, with some even containing students' personal opinions.

"Liu, there aren't any new ones. If you want new ones, you'll have to wait until summer vacation, then I'll bring a few more!"

"That's enough, you don't need to bring any more, don't go in anymore."

Yang Hui flipped through a few pages of "The Paris Review," then smiled with satisfaction: "If you find anything good in the future, think of us old men!"

"Teacher Liu, Director Huang Zumo sent me a letter a few days ago. Guess what it said?" Zhu Lin asked with a grin, gently rubbing Liu Yimin's temples with his fingers.

What if I guess right?

"Teacher Liu, what are you trying to do?"

"Look at you, Mr. Zhu! Huang Zumo must be looking for you about 'Romance on Lushan Mountain.' What about 'Romance on Lushan Mountain'? It must be about this year's Hundred Flowers Awards!"

"Wow, all correct. It's about the Hundred Flowers Awards. The votes are being counted now, and I heard there are a million of them, which is a lot of trouble to count. But Director Huang Zumo said that 'Romance on Lushan Mountain' has a good chance of winning an award, but we don't know what award it will be!"

Zhu Lin said smugly.

The Hundred Flowers Awards were first held in 1961, but were discontinued after three sessions. Last year, Popular Cinema magazine resumed publication, and this year the Hundred Flowers Awards have started their selection process again.

These awards are decided by individual votes from readers. Voting takes place in February and March, and now that it's the end of the month, most of the ballots have already reached the editorial department of Popular Cinema.

It was a sure thing that "Romance on Lushan Mountain" would win an award, and Liu Yimin had no worries at all.

Zhu Lin was unaware that she had been keeping this matter in mind, but she rarely talked about it with others.

After expressing his pride, Zhu Lin added, "But it doesn't matter if I don't win an award. Anyway, this is my first time making a movie, and there will be other opportunities in the future."

"Don't worry, let's make a bet, I'm sure I'll win!"

"What are you gambling?"

"I decide what we bet on!"

"I bet!"

"Row!"

"My parents have been so happy these past few days, they're all smiles every day, and their relationship is unusually good, I don't know why!" Zhu Lin said happily, lying on the chair.

With her parents happy, she naturally felt very comfortable staying at home.

“Really? That’s a good thing!” Liu Yimin said.

After chatting for a while, Liu Yimin returned to his study, organized his essays, and prepared to submit them to Cui Daoyi for publication.

"Travels in Aba" has been completed and revised. At the same time, Liu Yimin has finished writing Xu Chi's preface.

The preface describes the scene of their first meeting, which took place in a conference room at the Ministry of Culture. They truly became acquainted in France. Finally, it praises Xu Chi's contributions to the field of reportage, commending his popularization of dry science in "Göttingen's Conjecture," and so on.

In one trip, he delivered "Travels in Aba" and its preface to the People's Literature Publishing House and the People's Literature and Art Magazine, respectively.

Just as Liu Yimin was about to leave, the phone rang in his study. It was a call from the Beijing Film Studio, informing him that the sample footage of "Mr. Donkey" had been edited and inviting him to watch it.

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Lin asked what it was about, and Liu Yimin said, "The movie 'Mr. Donkey' has been edited, and they want me to go and take a look!"

"They're so fast! It's only been a few months, and the movie was filmed and edited in the same amount of time as rehearsing a stage play!" Zhu Lin said in surprise.

Liu Yimin looked at her and said, "Do you want to come with me to take a look?"

“Okay, anyway, it’s Sunday and I don’t have anything to do! I’ve never been to the Beijing Film Academy before, and I’ve heard that all the actors there are really amazing!” Zhu Lin said, already standing up, looking like he was ready to leave right now.

When the two arrived at the Beijing Film Studio on their bicycles, the sun had already begun to set. The film screenings didn't start until around six o'clock.

When the gatekeeper saw Liu Yimin, he greeted him: "Young man, I know you. What brings you here today?"

"The movie's finished filming, I've come to take a look!"

"Okay, is the lady next to you a new actress?" The old man's gaze fell on Zhu Lin, scrutinizing her carefully.

There were only two words in my mind: "beautiful". There are many beautiful actresses at the Beijing Film Studio, but if you really compare them, none of them are as beautiful as the girl in front of me.

He's very generous and well-mannered; look, he's smiling at me, an old man!

"No, this is an actor from the Beijing People's Art Theatre. We came together!"

"Alright, you can go in!" The old gatekeeper waved his hand and stopped stopping them.

Liu Yimin led Zhu Lin into the main building. Along the way, they encountered many people who pretended to glance at Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin, assuming that the two were new actors who had been poached by the factory at a high price.

As Yimin approached Zhu Dexiong's office, the door was ajar. Just as he was about to knock, Zhu Dexiong saw him and immediately stood up, saying, "Yimin, come in quickly!"

There was another person sitting in his office. A young man saw Liu Yimin, smiled, and extended his hand: "Hello, Comrade Liu Yimin, my name is Liang Xiaosheng!"

"Hello, Liu Yimin!" Liu Yimin sized up Liang Xiaosheng, the young editor who looked young but also a bit older than his age.

Liang Xiaosheng is best known for his literature about educated youth sent to the countryside, which is related to his own experience as an educated youth sent to the countryside. His TV series "The World" is a tearjerker that has moved countless people.

"Who is this?"

"Hello, Zhu Lin, I came with Teacher Liu to watch a movie. You two chat, don't mind me!" Zhu Lin said to Zhu Dexiong with a smile.

(End of this chapter)