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

Chapter 332 Welcoming the Return of Cultural Relics
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin left home early for the train station. On the tractor, Li Lanyong kept asking Liu Yimin for advice on what the brigade should do next.

Li Lanyong became a squad leader and a member of the Party branch. With the successful road construction, his prestige in the brigade has soared.

Li Lanyong asked this question only so that his father, Li Dashan, would hear it. He wanted his father to agree with what he was doing. Sure enough, when Liu Yimin spoke, Li Dashan listened very carefully.

Liu Fuqing sat beside him, appearing nonchalant, but he was actually listening attentively.

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, Liu Fuqing smiled and tapped the tractor carriage with his pipe, saying, "Old Li, what do you think of what Yimin said?"

“Yi Min is a professor, he definitely knows more than us!” Li Dashan said with a smile.

Liu Fuqing said, "I think you should follow my example and support Lan Yong. You're getting old; it's time for the younger generation to step up!"

“You’re the one who’s old. I’m the Party Secretary. If anything happens, the brigade members won’t be cursing you!” Li Dashan said with a laugh.

Upon hearing this, Liu Fuqing agreed with Li Dashan's statement: "That's true!"

"Uncle Dashan, don't worry, let Lan Yong venture out. You just steer the ship from the side, nothing will go wrong!"

When they arrived at the train station, Liu Yiguo and his sister-in-law Gu Ping were waiting for them at the entrance. The two had come directly from the mining bureau to see them off.

"Yimin, don't worry about home when you get to Yanjing. I'll take care of things here!" Liu Yiguo said reluctantly, patting Liu Yimin's chest.

"Brother, remember to send me a telegram if anything happens!"

Liu Yiguo took Liu Yimin's hand and said, "This watch should be replaced. You're a professor now, it's not appropriate to always wear an old watch!"

The watch Liu Yimin is wearing now is the one Liu Yiguo gave him when they were in school. Liu Yimin raised his wrist to look at the watch and said, "It's a bit old, but it keeps accurate time!"

"Brother, this is a gift from you, I can't bear to exchange it!" Zhu Lin said with a smile.

Liu Yimin pulled Liu Yiguo aside and said, "Brother, there's something I've been wanting to tell you. The country will probably open up private coal mines soon. We have a lot of coal here, so there will definitely be a lot of small coal mines too."

"Be careful when you work in the safety department. Private coal mine owners will do anything as long as they can make money, so we must avoid violating any rules or laws."

In November 1983, the state officially allowed private individuals to enter the coal mining market, and various small coal mines sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

These small coal mines promoted economic development, but their extensive development brought many serious consequences, even casualties.

Mining disasters caused by money-driven practices and lax management
"Yimin, don't worry, I understand everything you're saying. Some things are indeed unhealthy these days, but I'm content and not greedy. You seem to know a lot about the policies; rumors have been circulating in our mining bureau too. Some well-informed people are already making moves—coal is money!"

Seeing that Liu Yiguo agreed, Liu Yimin was relieved, but still advised, "Be careful in everything you do, or you can simply not do it!"

"it is good!"

"Dad, Mom, eldest brother and sister-in-law, Uncle Dashan, Lanyong, we're leaving!" Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin waved to everyone and boarded the train together.

The train departed, and the group of people on the platform began to disperse. On the way back, Gu Ping, the eldest sister-in-law, asked what the two brothers had been talking about. Liu Yiguo explained in detail, "Yimin was worried about me, afraid that I wasn't happy working at the mining bureau."

"You two brothers really care about each other. Sigh, I wish I had a younger sister or brother!" Gu Ping said enviously.

When they arrived in Zhengzhou, it started to snow. However, the snowflakes were light and did not affect the plane's takeoff. Having had the experience of flying for the first time, Zhu Lin was much more at ease.

"I wonder if it's snowing in Yanjing!" Zhu Lin said.

After a two-hour flight, the plane finally arrived in Yanjing, passing through thick clouds.

The New Year's atmosphere in Yanjing was undoubtedly more intense than in Ruxian. As evening fell, the streetlights came on. The buses were packed with people returning from various places of travel.

"Hey, what's so fun about the Summer Palace? I've been there four or five times already. To be honest, it's just a suburb. If you want to have fun, you should go to the Forbidden City!"

"What's so interesting about the Forbidden City? It's better to watch a movie, but there aren't many movies to watch during the Chinese New Year. 'Triumph at Midnight' won't be available for another two days!"

"Have you bought your tickets yet? I've been to several cinemas, and I haven't been able to get a single ticket. Tickets for 'Triumph at Midnight' are in high demand right now!"

"Hey! Sorry, buddy, I managed to snag two tickets. Want them? Ten yuan each!"

Ten dollars? Go rob me!

"Hahaha!"

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin stood on the bus, listening to the authentic Beijing dialect around them. They only exchanged glances and did not speak.

After getting off the bus, Zhu Lin shook his head: "Finally, it's quiet! The bus was so crowded there was nowhere to stand, and it was so noisy it gave me a headache!"

"Let's go!" The motorcycle stopped downstairs at the Zhu family's house, and the two people carrying their luggage went to the Zhu family's house first.

In the Zhu family home, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu were sitting on the sofa watching TV, bored. The dishes and chopsticks on the table had not yet been cleared away.

Upon knocking on the door, they saw Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin, who quickly took the items from their hands.

Zhu's mother asked with concern, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go and make you something. What would you like to eat?"

"Mom, let's go back to eat!" Zhu Lin said.

"Go back? You still have groceries at home? Is it too late to buy groceries now?" After saying that, Zhu's mother ran to the kitchen and started busying herself.

Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin wanted to go in and help, but Zhu's father stopped them: "You two sit on the sofa and rest for a while. Your mother and I will go and cook."

The Spring Festival Gala was being rebroadcast on TV. Zhu's parents chatted with him while cooking in the kitchen.

"Yimin, how are your parents' health?" Zhu's father asked with concern.

"I'm in good health. There's nothing to worry them about at home now, so I'm in good spirits," Liu Yimin said.

Zhu Lin chimed in, "My sister-in-law is pregnant, and the whole family is overjoyed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu's mother and father exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with deep worry and anticipation.

Zhu's mother coughed and said, "Yimin, you and Linlin need to hurry up. You two are getting married late, and you're not getting any younger!"

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were extremely embarrassed. Zhu Lin regretted bringing it up and stammered, "Mom and Dad, we know!"

"You know it won't work, but you still have to try!" Zhu's mother said calmly. Zhu's father looked away, pretending not to know anything.

Liu Yimin said, "Understood, we will definitely work hard!"

Zhu Lin picked up his bowl and pretended to eat as if nothing had happened, but kicked Liu Yimin hard.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was very nice, Zhu's mother smiled kindly and said, "You two should give me a few more grandchildren so the house will be more lively." Zhu Lin hummed in agreement while eating, and the two prepared to leave after finishing their meal.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhu wanted them to stay at their home, but the two insisted on leaving. So Mrs. Zhu went to the kitchen and packed a bag of vegetables and meat for them to take with them.

As he went downstairs, a thin layer of ice had formed on the seat of the motorcycle. Coupled with the cold weather, it was difficult to start the engine. Liu Yimin pedaled hard for a long time before he was able to get it going.

The sound of motorcycle pedaling echoed throughout the residential compound, and many people curiously poked their heads out of the windows to see what was happening in the yard.

"You two drive carefully!" Zhu's mother instructed.

The motorcycle sped out of the courtyard, and only then did Zhu's parents return upstairs to prepare for bed. Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin were freezing when they got home, and they held onto the radiator pipes for a long time before letting go.

Zhu Lin kicked Liu Yimin again: "What nonsense are you talking about with my mom? What do you mean by 'definitely work hard'? It's so embarrassing!"

"Haha, didn't you see the situation? They can't just stay silent!" Liu Yimin said with a laugh.

Once they felt warm, they took a shower and prepared to sleep. After showering and lying in bed, they reflected on the hardships of their journey.

The two chatted casually, and just as Liu Yimin was about to fall asleep, Zhu Lin deliberately kicked him.

"What?" Liu Yimin asked, still half asleep.

"Get up and work hard!"

Liu Yimin rubbed his sleepy eyes, glanced at Zhu Lin who was wide awake, turned over and said, "Try harder tomorrow!"

"Finish today's work today, and don't rest until it's done today!" Zhu Lin whispered into Liu Yimin's ear.

Feeling the heat on his ear, Liu Yimin turned around, forming a "本" shape: "Zhu Lin, why don't you take the initiative!"

Seeing Liu Yimin's shameless behavior, Zhu Lin spat lightly, "Teacher Liu, you have no manners. Is that how you use it?"

The most anticipated thing for the audience was the release of "Triumph at Midnight". On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the cinemas were bustling with activity, and handmade posters of "Triumph at Midnight" were hung at the entrances of various cinemas.

Smaller cinemas simply used chalk to write the screening times for "Triumph at Midnight".

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, a heavy snowfall blanketed Beijing. Many businesses temporarily suspended operations due to the snow, but the snowstorm did not dampen the audience's enthusiasm for watching movies.

The shutdown of various businesses further fueled the film's popularity.

From the morning onwards, all the major cinemas were packed with people, and the snow near the cinema entrances was trampled into a black slush.

The cinema was packed, with everyone intently watching the movie screen. "Triumph at Midnight" used the most advanced domestically produced camera, resulting in a higher resolution than most domestic films.

When the audience saw the soldiers beating up the monkeys, the entire movie theater erupted in cheers.

When viewers across the country saw the "kiss of death" scene, tears welled up in their eyes.

After the movie ended, everyone was reluctant to leave the cinema, and some people had already run to the ticket window to ask if there were any screenings of "Triumph at Midnight" available.

"No more, all sold out!" the ticket seller explained, his throat dry.

"Increase the number of screenings! Increase the number of screenings!" many viewers shouted at the entrance of the cinema.

Seeing this, the cinema staff were overjoyed and ran outside to explain to everyone, "We will definitely increase the number of screenings. Thank you all for your love of 'Triumph at Midnight.' Starting tomorrow, our cinema will be showing 'Triumph at Midnight' 24 hours a day, with at least five screenings every day!"

"it is good!"

Cinemas across the country have increased the number of screenings. In some areas with limited copies, only one copy is available, which is then passed back and forth between several cinemas.

After one screening ends, quickly remove the film reel and have it delivered to the next cinema. If it's delivered too slowly, the audience at the next cinema will be cursing!

Audiences in Yanjing were the luckiest, because most cinemas had their own copy, and they could show it all day if they wanted.

In order to make money, the August First Film Studio and the Beijing Film Studio took out their own copies and converted the large conference room into a screening room, opening it to the public to screen "Triumph at Midnight" all day long.

Because it's a large conference room that can seat hundreds of people at a time, the price is five cents cheaper than a movie theater. With ten screenings a day, they can earn close to a thousand yuan.

The film studio used the money to provide employee benefits. If this visitor traffic can continue for a month, each person can receive an extra half month's salary.

It may not seem like much, but something is better than nothing!
While the film was being shown in cinemas outside the military, it was also being shown in cinemas and open-air theaters within the military. The cinemas serving the Yanjing Military Region saw a constant stream of viewers, and the seats were never empty.

The soldiers on the front-line high ground heard that the movie was being shown and they all wanted to see it, but unfortunately, being on high ground, only the soldiers on rest in the rear could see it.

"I wonder if we'll ever see me in a movie!" The border guards leaned against the tunnel, smoking and discussing excitedly.

"Whether you can see me or not is uncertain, but you can definitely see me!"

"Screw you!"

"It's a pity Old Liu can't see this!"

Newspapers continuously publicized the film industry's fervor, and reviews praised the film's brilliance. Some lamented that if it had been released before the new year, it could have been nominated for the Hundred Flowers Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards this year.

The film was released two months late, so the awards can only be considered next year!

While the film industry is buzzing with excitement, the cultural relics sector is also buzzing with activity. A delegation from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, carrying twelve cultural relics, will officially arrive on Chinese soil on February 19th.

At Yanjing Airport, a group of leaders from the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and the National Museum of China stood quietly on the tarmac, waiting for the plane to land.

A strong northwest wind was blowing, and everyone was shivering from the cold. Liu Yimin stood next to Cao Yu and Xia Yan, who were talking in hushed tones, their expressions excited.

After the plane landed and the cabin doors opened, the passengers who had just stepped out of the cabin were quite surprised to see such a large group of people.

Is there an important person on this plane?

A group of people got off the plane with a mix of nervousness and excitement. They wanted to stay for a while, but were ushered away by airport staff.

A group of history museum staff boarded the plane. After a while, the delegation members led the way, followed by history museum staff carrying boxes and suitcases.

The members of the cultural relics delegation quickly approached Zhou Yang and Xia Yan. Sun Yiqing, the head of the delegation and the current director of the Cultural Relics Bureau, said excitedly, "Comrades Zhou Yang, Xia Yan, and Wan Jiabao, you have lived up to our expectations!"

"Good, good, good, you've worked hard!" Zhou Yang excitedly shook hands and thanked the members of the delegation for their efforts.

Sun Yiqing continued, "One Shang and Zhou bronze artifact, a pair of Han jade hooks, and a Ming wooden Buddha."

(End of this chapter)