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

Chapter 292 Marriage
On May 20th, while saying the courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations might be an exaggeration, the entire courtyard was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun put a lot of effort into the areas they could manage, decorating the entire courtyard with red couplets and red silk.

The characters on the couplets were all written by Cao Yu, who also wrote a short article to congratulate students Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin on their marriage.

A large stove was built in the second courtyard, and the chef was cooking at full speed. Piles of cabbage, vermicelli, and pork were stacked in the middle of the courtyard, and people were hired to serve the dishes.

The pork was bought directly from the production team in Yanjiao by Cui Daoyi and Li Shu.

My senior colleague really put in a lot of effort for this wedding. I'll express my gratitude in future articles.

Fifteen students from Yenching University, led by Liu Zhenyun, Li Xueqin, and Chen Dazhi, arrived at the courtyard. With the addition of Liu Zhenyun and the other two, there were a total of eighteen people, which was considered an auspicious number.

All eighteen people were wearing brand-new white shirts, had short hair, and looked very energetic. Yan Zhen was among the eighteen people.

"Kids, come in and eat!" Liu Fuqing called out.

Liu Zhenyun greeted Liu Fuqing in Henan dialect. Upon hearing that Liu Fuqing was from Henan, he shook Liu Zhenyun's hand even more warmly.

Li Xueqin curled his lip and said to Chen Dazhi, "Look, Zhenyun has only been working for a few days, and his mouth is already like it's been coated with lubricant."

"Hahaha!" Chen Dazhi chuckled softly.

Because the courtyard house is not far from Zhu Lin's home, there is no need to set off before dawn like when Liu Yiguo got married, so there is plenty of time.

After a while, a black sedan drove into the alley, and Xia Yan got out of it.

Liu Yimin grasped Xia Yan's hand and said, "Mr. Xia, why did you come so early?"

Those who arrived early were mostly there to help with the work; people like Xia Yan would only come closer to the wedding procession.

"Hahaha, here's a gift for you. See that car? The ministry has decided to send you one, considering your contributions to our country's arts and culture and how much foreign exchange you've earned. You can use it as you like today, but you'll have to pay for the gas!"

Xia Yan said with a smile.

Liu Yimin glanced at the car outside in surprise and asked, "Isn't this against the rules?"

"Haha, this is an exception. Your book is going to be published in the United States, which will earn a lot of foreign exchange for our country and bring honor to the ministry. This is a reward from the ministry," Xia Yan said.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Senior brother, could you please hang a few red flowers on the car? We'll use them when we pick up the bride!"

“Okay!” Cui Daoyi hurriedly went to get the red flower, and Liu Yiguo also rushed to help.

Cao Yu walked over and said to Xia Yan with a smile, "Old Shen, you really gave your student a lot of face. As his teacher, I thank you on his behalf. I'll have a few more drinks with you later!"

"I didn't steal your student, Lao Wan, there's no need to specifically mention that Yimin is your student!" Xia Yan walked in with a smile.

"Yimin, it's time to set off for the wedding!" Cui Daoyi said with a smile.

"Let's set off then!"

Liu Yimin was wearing a Zhongshan suit, the one he had made with his clothing allowance when he went to France last time, with a red flower pinned to his chest.

The car had been prepared and was draped in red cloth, looking very festive. Both sides of the alley were lined with onlookers, who were discussing the spectacle.

In our alley, are cars already being used for weddings?

An old man in shorts pointed at Liu Yimin as he got into the car and cursed, "Holy crap, this young man!"

The car was in front, followed by bicycles. A young man was also carrying Yu Jiajia, who was holding Liu Yimin's camera and taking pictures continuously.

As soon as they reached the alley entrance, they saw Wang Yan and Li Jun. Wang Yan pointed to the car in front and asked, "Is this Yimin?"

"Who else could it be but someone getting married? It must be!"

The two hurriedly waved and greeted him, panting as they asked, "Yimin, where did this car come from?"

"What are you doing here in the ministry?!"

"Look what we brought you! A camera, what do you think?"

The camera was rather bulky, so Wang Yan rode a bicycle while Li Jun carried it from behind. Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Directors, this is quite a generous gift!"

"Haha, we naturally have to bring something special. You guys go ahead, don't go too fast, the two of us will follow." Li Jun patted the camera he was holding.

"Why don't we get in the car?" Liu Yimin suggested.

"Let's get on the bus after we pass Tiananmen Square. I'll shoot some other scenes. I am a director, after all, so the footage can't be too sloppy!" Li Jun said.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work!" Liu Yimin nodded.

Upon seeing the camera, Liu Zhenyun quickly said, "Students from Yenching University, we need to put in some effort and not film ourselves looking hunched over."

"Okay!" Everyone straightened their corsages and took out their school badges, pinning them to their chests.

The wedding procession started again, and Liu Zhenyun whispered to Li Xueqin, "This wedding is like a movie shoot, with newspaper reporters as photographers and film studio directors as cameramen!"

"Haha, be envious!" Li Xueqin laughed a few times, and when he saw the camera pointed at him, he immediately straightened up.

The large group headed towards Zhu Lin's house. Everyone who saw the wedding procession on the way couldn't help but turn their heads and inquire who was getting married.

This commotion is like a foreign leader's visit!

Traffic police officers on the road saw this and took the initiative to help direct traffic.

The Zhu family compound was also tidied up and looked brand new. Everyone knew that the Zhu family's daughter was getting married today, and they had also found out who she was marrying: Liu Yimin, the most popular writer at the moment.

When the convoy arrived, the windows and balconies of the tenement building were filled with people. Considering that there would be many guests at the courtyard house, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu decided to hold a separate banquet in the family compound to entertain their relatives.

The strong scent of incense in the hallway successfully masked the smell of coal briquettes and dampness.

Li Jun and Wang Yan found a good spot to shoot, while Liu Yimin was followed by a group of young men as they headed upstairs.

Wang Yan also took the opportunity to ask a few questions, which made the people in the family compound a little suspicious. Was this a wedding movie being filmed?

Who doesn't know that Zhu's daughter is a well-known actress?
After exchanging opinions among the neighbors, it felt more and more like a movie shoot.

Chu Hong and several of her roommates blocked the door of Zhu Lin's house. Liu Yimin knocked on the door, and someone inside smiled and pushed out a red envelope.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, we don't want any red envelopes!"

"Then what do you want?"

“You know what we want!” Chu Hong said with a loud laugh.

The people behind them exchanged bewildered glances, none of them able to guess what they wanted. Liu Zhenyun suggested that they simply break down the door.

However, Liu Yimin knew what they wanted: poetry.

"It's about love!" Chu Hong smiled, confirming Liu Yimin's guess.

"You have to give me a pen and paper!"

The moment the door opened, Liu Zhenyun seized the opportunity and pushed it open. Chu Hong didn't resist much and let them in.

The ghost chuckled and said, "This is just one checkpoint. There's a second one. If you don't write it down, they won't open the door!"

Chu Hong handed Liu Yimin a pen and paper, and Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Then I'll write down what I've been thinking about lately."

Under the Stars
We walked hand in hand in the darkness.

There is starlight above your head.

It is the boundless Milky Way.
sometimes

I'm worried a dog might suddenly jump out.

Get your skirt dirty
The hill was always quiet.

Several shooting stars streaked across the sky.
It disappeared in a flash in the low-lying area.

In the valley

Many flowers are blooming and falling.

I won't easily describe this kind of beauty.

……

I lowered my head
Ask a question gently

Are you willing?

After Liu Yimin finished writing, Chu Hong egged him on to read it aloud, and the camera lens was also pointed at Liu Yimin.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Liu Yimin actually became shy, pursed his lips bashfully, stood in front of Zhu Lin's bedroom, and read it aloud.

We held hands

Walking in the dark

Ask a question gently

Are you willing?

"Great!" Everyone in the living room clapped, and the door was suddenly opened, with laughter and applause coming from inside.

Zhu Lin rushed out of the bedroom dressed in red, her eyes red-rimmed, as if telling a story of longing.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhu Lin smiled, wiped the corner of her eye, hugged Liu Yimin tightly, pressed her cheek against Liu Yimin's, and said with a smile, "Teacher Liu, I do!"

Zhu Lin recalled the night she rushed to the Yanjing Hotel when she heard that Liu Yimin had returned from France, and the smiling face of Liu Yimin when he escorted her home...

A round of applause erupted in the living room. Liu Yimin held Zhu Lin's hand and bowed to Zhu's parents. Like Zhu Lin, their eyes were red. Zhu's father kept telling Liu Yimin to treat Zhu Lin well.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry!"

Upon hearing Liu Yimin call out "Mom and Dad," the elderly couple finally broke down in tears.

Zhu Lin wiped away his parents' tears and said through sobs, "Mom and Dad, I'm leaving with Teacher Liu!"

Amid cheers, the two began to descend the stairs. Zhu's parents saw them off, looking at Liu Yimin with a puzzled expression. Hadn't he said he would arrive on a motorcycle? However, they remained silent.

Seeing Liu Yimin pull Zhu Lin to the car, they realized that the two-wheeled vehicle had been replaced with a four-wheeled one.

The relatives next to her kept praising her, and Zhu's mother was very proud. Four wheels, what a glorious wedding!

On the way back, when the car stopped by the roadside near Tiananmen Square, Liu Fuqing specifically instructed Liu Yimin to bow to the old man and to the Monument to the People's Heroes when passing through Tiananmen Square.

His uncle is enshrined in the monument to heroes.

After bowing, the car started moving. There were already quite a few people in the alley, and it became crowded as the car went further in.

Wang Yan was filming with his camera when he saw two familiar faces standing at the door. He turned to Li Jun and said, "What brings these two clowns here?"

"Who knows!"

Feng Xiaogang and Chen Peisi stood at the door acting as doormen. When they saw the visitors, they reached out and invited them inside: "Oh my, you've arrived! Come in quickly!"

This left many people completely bewildered, wondering who this person was and not recognizing them!
When Liu Yimin got out of the car and saw the two guys at the door, his vision blurred. Damn it, these two are here to cause trouble!

The way the two men bowed and smiled obsequiously made them look exactly like two traitors!
Liu Yimin looked at Wang Yan and Li Jun, and the two quickly shook their heads, saying they didn't know them, didn't know them, and hadn't arranged anything with them!

Firecrackers went off, their fragments flew through the air, and wedding candies were scattered all over the alley.

As they passed by the door, Liu Yimin glanced at the two of them, and Chen Peisi and Feng Xiaogang immediately said to Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin, "Congratulations! Happy wedding!"

Li Jun was filming when Wang Yan walked over and asked, "Why is it just the two of you? Where are Zhu Shimao and Zhang Fengyi?"

“Zhang Fengyi didn’t come, but Zhu Shimao did. He’s standing in the corner!” Chen Peisi said.

Zhang Fengyi didn't come? I'll remember that!
None of the four people could explain it, but only Zhang Fengyi actually believed it.

Wang Yan glanced at the two men, then looked at Feng Xiaogang and said, "Let Zhu Shimao take your place. You come in and carry the camera!"

The suona horn rang out in the courtyard, playing "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix." Congratulatory voices echoed throughout the courtyard. Shen Yun ran over and gave Zhu Lin a flower, saying in a childish voice, "Brother Yimin, Sister Zhu Lin, congratulations on your marriage!"

Upon seeing this, the people in the courtyard burst into laughter.

More than half of the professors from the Chinese Department of Yenching University came, including Yan Jiayan, Wu Zuxiang, Yang Hui, and Wang Yao.

Zhang Guangnian, Ge Luo, Ai Qing, and others from the Writers Association were all present! Yan Chen, Zou Huofan, and others from Poetry Journal, as well as Lao Ma, also came.

Zhou Yanru from Yenching Literature and Art Publishing House, Li Shu from Yenching Publishing House, Huang Chunyu from Commercial Press, and others.

In addition, there were Mao Dun's son, Wei Tao, and others, making Xia Yan's second-rate hall a chaotic mess.

Wang Yang from Beijing Film Studio, Liu Peiran from August First Film Studio, and Wei Wei from the Yanjing Military Region
Directors from Beijing People's Art Theatre, such as Lan Tianye and Ouyang Shanzun.

Scanning the crowd, Liu Yimin spotted a familiar face with a bald head and hurried over to ask, "Comrade Xu, what brings you here? Weren't you in Hubei Province?"

"You think I wouldn't know just because you didn't tell me!" Xu Chi said with a smile.

"Isn't this too far? I'm worried you'll have to go through all that trouble."

"What's the trouble? It's just a 20-plus-hour train ride!" Xu Chi said dismissively.

The ceremony proceeded under Zhang Guangnian's direction, with Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin smiling as they served tea to Liu's parents. Shortly afterward, Cao Yu and Li Yuru also sat down and accepted the tea offered by the two.

"Good boy, good!"

Li Yuru took an envelope and stuffed it into Zhu Lin's hand, but it wasn't a red envelope; it felt like jewelry.

As Cao Yu read the wedding vows, he expressed his hope that the two, as emerging forces in the arts, would continue to contribute to the nation's cultural and artistic endeavors.

Liu Yimin bowed to thank everyone in the courtyard, as another round of firecrackers went off.

Then the banquet began. There were quite a few people, so two extra tables were added. However, most people came alone and didn't bring their families, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough room.

Just as they were starting, another person walked in through the door, carrying a gift.

Liu Fuqing saw the person who had arrived first, walked over, and said in surprise, "Director Zhang?"

(End of this chapter)