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

Chapter 324 Two Bombs, One Satellite - A Letter from Qian Xuesen (Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month)
In the evening, Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin finished dinner and lay half-reclined on the sofa to watch the news broadcast.

After a burst of music, Zhao Zhongxiang's voice was about to appear. After watching for a while, Liu Yimin got bored and returned to his study.

"Teacher Liu, come quick! Come quick! You're on the news!" Zhu Lin's voice rang out in the living room. He ran barefoot to the TV and turned the volume up to the maximum.

A delegation of writers, organized by the Ministry of Culture earlier this month, recently returned to China. Young writer Liu Yimin, an associate professor at Yenching University, won first prize in the O. Henry Short Story Award. The delegation received a warm welcome from various sectors of society in the United States. Liu Yimin delivered speeches at Columbia University and the University of Iowa, his words filled with deep love for his motherland.

He said with deep emotion, "I am Chinese, and I should return to China." He earnestly appealed to his fellow Chinese compatriots to actively return to China and participate in socialist construction.

The People's Daily published a special commentary on this topic, titled "The Future of Reform and Opening Up Belongs to Young People; Young People Should Strive to Build the Motherland."

The television program showed several photos taken in the United States, lasting less than a minute in total.

By the time Liu Yimin came out, the video had mostly been played over, and only the audio could be heard.

Zhu Lin said regretfully, "Teacher Liu, we came out late. You seemed to be having a lot of fun on TV!"

"What kind of images are being shown?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

"What else could it be? Americans are shameless, they're friendly to everyone they meet!" Zhu Lin said indignantly, snapping the comb in his hand with a "crack".

Liu Yimin turned to go back to his study, but Zhu Lin pulled him back.

"Teacher Liu, sit down and watch TV for a while longer!"

Liu Yimin chuckled sheepishly: "If you break the comb, you're not allowed to break me too!"

"Oh my, what are you thinking? You wouldn't dare even if I had a hundred lives." Zhu Lin pulled Liu Yimin onto the sofa, wrapped his arms around his neck, and showed a strong possessiveness.

"Was it the left or the right side you kissed?" Zhu Lin asked deliberately.

"Look at you, you're jealous of Americans!"

"Foreign vinegar is even more sour!"

The television footage was transmitted to the Zhu family and then to the Maiji Brigade.

Zhu's parents were also at home cursing the Americans for being shameless: "What are these Americans trying to do? What are these foreigners trying to do?"

"Oh, Zhenzhen, don't overthink it. Watching TV is the important thing. Look at Yimin's eyes; he was caught off guard at the time!" Zhu's father comforted her.

Mother Zhu rolled her eyes and snorted coldly, "Do you even need to tell me that!"

The two continued reading, but Zhu's father was distracted. Although he spoke casually, he couldn't help but glance at the newspaper a few times.

My heart, which had been at ease long ago, is now hanging in suspense again!
In Maiji Brigade, Liu Fuqing rubbed his eyes in disbelief and asked the person next to him, "Was that Yimin just now?"

“Uncle, yes, I saw today’s People’s Daily, the photo is exactly the same!” Li Lanyong said happily.

Yang Xiuyun said worriedly, "Won't Linlin be angry?"

“Let’s write a letter tomorrow and try to find out more from the side!” Liu Fuqing said.

“Uncle, an American university offered Yimin $150,000 to stay in the US, but Yimin didn’t stay!” Li Lanyong said.

"Those American devils are really wicked. Not only did they invite Yimin to America, they also want to keep the second son here!" Liu Fuqing cursed.

After finishing his tirade, he asked, "How much is 150,000 US dollars?"

"According to the official exchange rate, it's nearly 300,000 yuan; it would be even more expensive on the black market!"

"What? Three hundred thousand? That's enough to buy our entire brigade?" Not only Liu Fuqing, but all the other members of the brigade were also taken aback.

"Even a million dollars can't get us to America. The American imperialists have never given up on destroying us. If even one of our people goes there, he'll be a traitor. My Liu family is a well-known revolutionary family in the whole county; we never produce traitors!"

The next day, while the members of Maiji Brigade were repairing the road, a convoy from the county arrived at Maiji Brigade, found Liu Fuqing, praised him for raising a good son, and wanted to give him a red flower.

The roads in Maiji Brigade were in poor condition, so Li Lanyong proposed, and with the support of his father, the commune members began to repair the roads. They repaired not only the farm roads within the brigade, but also carried red flags to repair the roads leading to the commune.

Road repairs are carried out during the winter off-season so as not to delay agricultural production.

County Party Secretary Yang Yushan praised the area, saying it truly lived up to its reputation as the hometown of Comrade Liu Yimin, demonstrating a high level of production awareness. Although the land had been contracted out to individual households, the collective spirit remained strong, and the villagers were working diligently to change their impoverished circumstances.

"As the old saying goes, 'When the army and the people are united as one, who in the world can defeat them?' I would also say, 'When the commune members are united as one, the road to prosperity is sure to be achieved!'"

Yang Yushan asked Liu Fuqing if there were any difficulties in repairing the road, and Liu Fuqing took the opportunity to mention a few problems.

Yang Yushan immediately agreed to allocate funds to help Maiji Brigade repair roads, to buy road repair tools and mules.

After Yang Yushan left, Li Lanyong said with a smile, "It's true that when one person attains enlightenment, the whole brigade ascends to heaven. Our Maiji Brigade has never received such attention from higher-ups before!"

On New Year's Day, "The Acacia Tree in the Minefield" was officially published in People's Literature and Art. At the same time, Liu Yimin was also being interviewed. Since the goal was to establish a role model, it would not be reported once, but continuously.

The China Youth Daily, Guangming Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and some local media outlets that were quick to cover the story all gathered inside the courtyard to conduct interviews.

Liu Yimin's family answered five questions, but because Yu Jiajia was an old friend, they gave her six answers.

Next, each newspaper published its own news, and the media outlets that couldn't attend reprinted articles from other newspapers.

The headline of the China Youth Daily was: "Young people's dreams can be realized not only abroad, but also in China."
The headline in Guangming Daily was: "Young people should take Comrade Liu Yimin as an example and build confidence in the country's development."
The Xinhua News Agency headline was: "Patriotic Spirit Passed Down from Generation to Generation: From Older Scientists to Young Writers."
The article in the Tianjin Daily was titled "Patriotism Cannot Be Measured by 150,000 Dollars!"
Liu Yimin contacted Xinhua News Agency and told them that it was inappropriate to associate himself with the older generation of scientists.

Newspapers from Henan Province also went to Beijing to interview Liu Yimin, with the headline directly titled "Liu Yimin, a writer from our province," full of hometown pride.

After the interview ended, Liu Yimin thought it was all over. Liu Zhenyun, who worked at the *Farmers' Daily*, came running over with a smile, also wanting to write an article for him.

"Yimin, these past few days have been quite lively. Chen Dazhi and Li Xueqin both called to ask me about you." Liu Zhenyun has matured a lot after half a year of work, but his spirit hasn't changed.

That's true. A young person with ideals has only been working at his company for half a year.

However, when talking about work, Liu Zhenyun also felt a bit bitter, and couldn't help but curse a few times when talking about his boss.

"Zhenyun, how are things going between you and Guo Jianmei?"

"Sigh, that's how it is. Xiao Guo is graduating soon. I work at the Farmers' Daily, and I don't know when I'll get a house. It's not easy to live in Beijing!" Liu Zhenyun counted on his fingers. Prices are rising fast, and as a young man with a low salary, he can barely support himself.

“Having a house doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage like yours. Since you two are both employed, you’ll get housing sooner after you get married, as companies give priority to couples. Don’t worry, you have friends too!” Liu Yimin said with a smile, putting his arm around Liu Zhenyun’s shoulder.

Although he didn't say it directly, Liu Zhenyun still said gratefully, "Yimin, thank you so much. Don't worry, I'll be there for you when I need you. But for now, let me interview you and help me earn some money for the article!"

Liu Zhenyun changed the subject and began preparing for work.

"You've already asked all the newspapers what you want to ask!"

"You underestimate my professional abilities. There are no questions left to ask, only angles from which to ask them. Tell me about your work on cultural relics in San Francisco. A writer who grew up from the earth, yet whose heart is with the relics unearthed from the earth—what do you think of this topic?"

Liu Zhenyun handed him the question he had written in his notebook and showed it to him.

"Good for you!"

Most of the media coverage focused on the "$150,000 and the award," with very few mentioning the cultural relics.

The two chatted over tea for more than two hours. Liu Zhenyun then put down his pen, stood up, and said, "Okay, that's all for today. I'm going to earn my royalties."

How are Dazhi and Xueqin doing lately?

Liu Zhenyun said sourly, "Dazhi sits at his workplace all day with just a newspaper and a cup of tea. I heard that his workplace is going to allocate him a house because he's a graduate of Yanda University. I'm so envious. I wish I hadn't stayed in Yanjing. Housing is too tight, there are too many people crammed into the workplace, and the older employees who have moved out of their courtyard houses also need to be resettled. When will it be my turn?"

As for studying hard for a master's degree, that's fine too. The Chinese department is busy, but it's not exactly a free-for-all either!

"Even though you don't own a house, you're still busy!"

Liu Zhenyun: "."

"Haha, don't be impatient. Having a leisurely life doesn't necessarily make you happier. Who among our generation of college students wants to be a bystander in the reform and opening up?" Liu Yimin patted Liu Zhenyun on the shoulder to encourage him.

"That's right, Dazhi often felt it was meaningless and would rather be a clerk in the county and run around!"

Thanks to the newspaper's publicity, Liu Yimin was thoroughly established as a role model, and learning from Liu Yimin became a trend among young people.

Some people saw an opportunity. Some young poets and writers who admired the West were secretly thinking that if foreign universities could give Liu Yimin $150,000, then it wouldn't be unreasonable for them to be worth tens of thousands!

Since the clash between the new poets and Liu Yimin, coupled with the closure of numerous independent poetry journals such as "Today," the new poets have suffered a severe setback. Apart from a very few, such as Shu Ting, who have achieved considerable fame, many have lost their influence and are struggling financially.

They harbored resentment towards Liu Yimin, unaware that Liu Yimin had also saved them. Otherwise, their lives would not have been easy in the latter half of 1983.

January 1983 belonged to Liu Yimin, and to "The Acacia Tree in the Minefield".

Since its publication, "The Acacia Tree in the Minefield" has seen its sales skyrocket. It sold 400,000 copies in its first week, and newspapers and magazines reprinted it.

Riding on the popularity of "The Acacia Tree in the Minefield," Liu Yimin published a commentary on the film in the China Youth Daily:

"The truly proud young people are them, not me. I can only use my pen and my mouth."

The magazine "People's Literature and Art" and the newspaper "China Youth Daily" were sent to the front lines at the same time. The soldiers in the trenches discussed the contents of the newspapers with great interest during the lulls in the artillery fire.

Soldiers who had seen Liu Yimin were talking about him to the newly recruited soldiers.

"Comrade Liu Yimin is young, just like you. He speaks kindly and always carries cigarettes in his pocket. He doesn't smoke them himself, but gives them all to us soldiers. He even writes letters for me!"

Seeing that the newly recruited soldiers didn't believe him, the veteran shouted to the soldier next to him, "Xizi, tell this greenhorn whether I lied to him or not?"

Xi Zi adjusted his slightly crooked helmet and said with a smile, "Comrade Liu Yimin worked with us on the film. We spent a month or two together, and I was his bodyguard during that time. Of course, Comrade Liu Yimin was also a very good shot. I still remember the taste of the roasted mutton that night."

Xizi smacked her lips twice as she spoke, then slurped her saliva. Her face no longer had the youthful innocence of a few months ago; a scar now marred her left cheek.

"Once I've made a meritorious contribution and been promoted, I'll write a letter to Comrade Liu Yimin to share the good news, and I'll include you in it too!"

After Xizi finished speaking, he heard the sound of artillery shells flying in and immediately shouted, "Defend against artillery fire!"

After a burst of artillery fire, the laughter of several people resumed: "The ungrateful bastards are broke, they're out of ammunition!"

After finishing his class on January 10th, as Liu Yimin was leaving Yenching University, an elderly clerk at the south gate of the university called out to him: "Professor Liu, there are a few letters for you!"

"Thank you!" Liu Yimin took the stack of letters and began to read them.

"You're welcome, Professor Liu. You did a fantastic job in the US, and you didn't let Yenching University down!"

"You can just call me Yimin!"

The old man in the gatehouse immediately waved his hand: "That won't do. Once you're in the university, you're a professor!"

"Deputy, deputy!"

"Oh dear, you're being modest. I'll be a professor sooner or later!"

Liu Yimin waved with a smile and left Yenching University. He placed the letters on the table and began to read them one by one. One particular letter caught his attention.

The envelope was addressed to "Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense - Money!"

Liu Yimin quickly opened the envelope. The handwriting was rather messy, with a large number of words written in simplified Chinese characters. However, Liu Yimin immediately confirmed that it was indeed a letter from Mr. Qian.

The second round of simplified Chinese characters was promoted starting in 77 and abolished in 86, mainly to address the issue of low education levels and to facilitate the promotion of Chinese characters.

Liu Yimin still prefers the first edition of simplified Chinese characters.

In the letter, Qian Xuesen mentioned that he had heard from his colleagues at Xinhua News Agency that Liu Yimin had asked them not to associate him with or juxtapose him with the older generation of scientists.

Comrade Yimin:
I recently learned of this matter from colleagues at Xinhua News Agency and feel that your suggestion is inappropriate. Both the literary and artistic front and the scientific front are part of our work; the scientific front strengthens the foundation, while the literary and artistic front strengthens the flesh and blood, and reinforces ideology.

Although you are still young, I believe your ideas are worth promoting. During recent lectures at several universities and research institutes, I've noticed a growing Westernization of young people's thinking.

At the end of the letter, he expressed great interest in Liu Yimin and said that he would like to sit down and have a chat with him when he has free time.

(End of this chapter)