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

Chapter 358 "The Motherland Will Not Forget"

After that, Liu Yimin became a sensation at the base. As he walked out of the guesthouse, soldiers and their families smiled at him from a distance.

Liu Yimin went over to greet everyone and offered them cigarettes.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, you are so young!"

"Haha, thanks everyone for coming to see me. Let's go to the cafeteria for lunch together!"

"No, no, we have homemade food," a family member quickly replied.

Liu Yimin followed them for a few steps. These family members were soldiers who had married and moved to the army. Their relocation was not just a simple matter of accompanying the soldiers; they also had to do chores.

In the words of one of the family members, "The construction of all the buildings in this base owes half the credit to their family."

"When I was born, my second child was born right here in the Gobi Desert. I was busy weaving steel bars at the time! Writer Liu, you have to be careful. It's windy and dry here, and you're prone to nosebleeds. If you don't like the food in the canteen, come to my house. I'm also from Henan Province. I'll make you a bowl of egg tea."

“When we first arrived, each person only received 45 jin of food per month, and no one was getting enough to eat. On the day of the nuclear explosion, we held a celebration party, and each person received an extra ten yuan for the meal. That was the first time I knew there was red wine.”

Liu Yimin was pulled away by the family members who were taking him to the base to eat, but everyone's food rations were limited, so Liu Yimin quickly refused.

At this moment, Luo Xianglin arrived in his car: "Writer Liu, it seems you have completely integrated with the people in our base."

"Comrades, I appreciate your kindness, but I'll go eat in the canteen. Goodbye, comrades!"

Liu Yimin got into the jeep and headed towards the canteen.

Staff Officer Luo laughed and said, "Yesterday someone even came to my house to ask what you were doing here and what kind of person you are. My dear writer Liu, you are more popular than the commander now."

"Staff Officer Luo, the people at our base are so welcoming!"

When they arrived at the canteen, the cook gave Liu Yimin a few extra eggs after he got his meal: "Writer Liu, we don't have much to offer you here, but these are eggs sent by the logistics company. Please try them."

"Aren't you sorry?"

"The logistics company specially sent you food, and they've already cooked it, so you can't just return it, can you?"

Liu Yimin took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and placed it beside him, saying, "These are cigarettes I'm treating my comrades to!"

Sitting on the stool, Liu Yimin gave one egg to each of Staff Officer Luo and the soldier: "Let's eat together!"

Staff Officer Luo said, "We're going to Bosten Lake today, which is a long drive, and we'll be coming back during the hottest part of the day. Comrade Yimin, can your body handle it?"

"It's alright, I can handle this." Liu Yimin pounded his chest and joked, "We farmers' sons are tough as nails!"

After finishing their meal, the group set off for Bosten Lake with plenty of dry food and water. They departed from the base at around eight o'clock; the weather was quite cool, even slightly chilly.

They frequently encountered patrolling soldiers along this road.

"The nuclear explosion zone is very, very far from here, hundreds of kilometers away. I can't take you there; it's very dangerous. Soldiers have to wear radiation suits when they patrol. At the time of the explosion, everyone was given special sunglasses. First, we saw a huge fireball rising in the sky, then we heard a rumbling sound from the ground, like an earthquake. The glass was shattered."

Throughout the journey, Staff Officer Luo spoke eloquently, with the two soldiers behind him occasionally interjecting with their own words.

When encountering water trucks on the road, people honk their horns at each other as another way of saluting.

Liu Yimin took a few photos with his camera. After driving for about two hours and crossing a sand dune, the azure Bosten Lake appeared before everyone.

"The moment we crossed the sand dunes, a huge lake appeared before us. The awe was indescribable. If we felt this way, then our exhausted soldiers, who were short of water and food, felt it even more so." Liu Yimin couldn't help but stand up, holding onto the jeep window, and feel the moist lake breeze.

"Bosten Lake, the largest inland freshwater lake in my country, is the source of life for the people of Malan and for our nuclear industry."

The two soldiers in the back row were also visiting Bosten Lake for the first time. They excitedly rolled up their trousers and went into the lake to play in the water.

Bosten Lake has not only benefited the nuclear industry, but also the potash industry in Lop Nur.

Liu Yimin and Staff Officer Luo strolled around Bosten Lake. Staff Officer Luo smiled and said, "Writer Liu, can you swim?"

"I can, but I'm not familiar with this lake," Liu Yimin said.

"It's so hot in this weather, I'm going for a swim. If you want, you can come down too."

"I'll go take a look from a distance first!"

Liu Yimin walked up the sand dune, looked down at Bosten Lake from the top, and then looked at the sand dunes behind it.

After sitting on the sand dune for a while and thinking about it, the scorching heat became unbearable, so I ran down the dune and rushed into Bosten Lake.

Liu Yimin did not go swimming, but instead stood on the shore of the lake and took a bath.

Staff Officer Luo swam over, stood up, and while scrubbing himself, said, "Writer Liu, Comrade Jiaxian and Comrade Sanqiang won't see you. What are you going to do?"

"Let's think of a way, do our best and leave the rest to fate!" Liu Yimin said with a smile, then asked, "Staff Officer Luo, do you have any good ideas?"

Staff Officer Luo said with a wry smile, "Where would I get any? I rarely see the two of you. You are the core and brain of the entire base!"

Two soldiers swam over and started offering suggestions, including waiting at home or camping out at the scientists' canteen.

Liu Yimin wiped the water off his clothes and said, "This is all unreliable. Let me think of another way!"

After taking a shower, the group washed their clothes and put them on. The car had been driving for less than half an hour when they were already dry.

"Staff Officer Luo, how about we go check out the hilltop closest to the base?"

"Sure, no problem, but the road is a bit difficult to travel, the car can only go up to the foot of the mountain."

Staff Officer Luo led Liu Yimin to the hillside, where the land was completely bare and unobstructed, whether viewed from below or from above.

"Writer Liu, binoculars!" Staff Officer Luo handed the binoculars from his waist to Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin looked around, sat on the rock looking down at the base, took out his notebook, bit the pen, and slowly wrote.

The soldier next to him wanted to speak, but Staff Officer Luo stopped him with a gesture, gently pressed the cigarette in his hand onto the stone, waved to the two men, and walked away.

The mountain wind was howling next door. Liu Yimin continued writing, glancing at the Malan base at the foot of the mountain from time to time.

Staff Officer Luo felt the mountain wind getting stronger, so he stood to the side and called out, "Writer Liu, the mountain wind is too strong, let's go down!"

“Okay!” Liu Yimin said.

Staff Officer Luo, standing beside Liu Yimin, looked at the notebook he had put away and said with a smile, "Writer Liu, what were you writing just now?"

"I just thought of a lyric. When I came here, a comrade asked me to write a song. I just had a bit of inspiration, but I've only come up with half of it."

Liu Yimin handed the notebook directly to Staff Officer Luo, asking him to take a look.

Staff Officer Luo stopped, leaning against the rock, and opened Liu Yimin's notebook:

In the vast sea of ​​people, which one am I?

In the surging waves

Which flower am I?

In the army conquering the universe

That's me, quietly making sacrifices.

In the long river of a glorious career

"

Staff Officer Luo read it aloud as if it were a poem, finding it very inspiring. But seeing that he hadn't finished, he said regretfully, "Writer Liu, I shouldn't have called you earlier. Oh dear, I disturbed your train of thought."

"Staff Officer Luo, I couldn't figure it out while I was sitting up there. Let's go back. It's getting dark. Maybe you'll remember it on the way."

On the way back, Staff Officer Luo kept asking, "Writer Liu, would you say this is lyrics or poetry?"

"It's a poem; once it's set to music, it should be able to be sung. Staff Officer Luo, who in our base knows how to compose music?"

"Many scientists at the base can sing, but I don't know if they can compose music. The performing arts troupe is only so-so, they probably can't handle it."

Liu Yimin softly hummed the song "The Motherland Will Not Forget," and Staff Officer Luo asked curiously, "Writer Liu, you can compose music?"

"I don't know how, but I've always had this feeling in my heart."

As Liu Yimin spoke, he completed the song "The Motherland Will Not Forget," making several corrections along the way.

After watching the full version, Staff Officer Luo felt even more strongly that if it were sung, it would definitely spread throughout the military camps near Malan.

"Composing music is a big problem!" Staff Officer Luo was anxiously waiting in the car, and unconsciously stepped on the gas pedal harder.

“Then let’s send out invitations to all heroes. I see there’s a notice board outside the cafeteria. Let’s post the lyrics there and ask any scientists who can compose a melody for us,” Liu Yimin said.

"This feeling is good."

After they returned, they immediately copied a document and wrote an explanation next to it before posting it on the cafeteria's notice board.

Around 8 or 9 o'clock, it was still not dark in Malan. Scientists working at the base saw the notices on the canteen as they passed by. Some didn't pay attention, while others looked at them curiously.

"I thought it was a big-character poster someone had put up that read 'The Motherland Will Not Forget'!"

"Liu Yimin, the writer Liu!"

"This wording is quite interesting, Lao He, come and take a look." The staff member at the base waved to Lao He, signaling everyone to come and take a look.

"The mountain knows me"

Rivers know me

The motherland will never forget
"You won't forget me." These lyrics are so inspiring! Does anyone know how to compose music for this? Could you please help me set it to music?

More and more people gathered around the notice board, and some even took out notebooks to copy it down. After finishing, they stuffed their notebooks and pens into their pockets and said with a smile, "This writer is really something. There aren't many words, but they all touched our hearts."

In the cafeteria, people would discuss the lyrics while eating.

The next morning, almost everyone in the base compound knew about the existence of this poem.

Liu Yimin had just gotten up when Secretary Li called him to the old leader's room.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, you quietly turned the entire base into a festive place, and overnight, everyone in the base knew about it. When the old commander heard about it, he immediately asked me to call you over."

The room door was open, and the old leader was standing by the window, with Comrade Zhang sitting next to him, also holding a notebook.

"In the long river of a glorious career"
That which is forever surging forward is me.

As the two people finished reciting, Liu Yimin knocked on the door: "Old Chief, Comrade Zhang, you wanted to see me."

The old leader turned around and saw Liu Yimin, and immediately smiled broadly, but then said with a hint of reproach, "You little comrade, you didn't even show it to me after you finished writing it. I only found out after someone reminded me."

"I'm sorry, sir, we got back from Bosten Lake too late yesterday and didn't dare to bother you!"

"After a few days of walking, it's gotten dark, and my lips are peeling. Not bad, not bad!" the old commander asked. "I've already sent a telegram to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, asking the art officer to compose the music. Oh my, it's really well written."

"You can tell if someone's expertise is top-notch as soon as they make a move!" Comrade Zhang said, standing up.

"Actually, I have a tune in my heart, but I don't know how to play it or whether it sounds good or not."

“Sing a song for us.”

Liu Yimin cleared his throat and sang it once in the room, while the old leader and Comrade Zhang clapped along to the beat.

"The rhythm is good, but your singing is terrible. The base has the Chunlei Art Troupe, go sing for them and let them study it. We can't just rely on the comrades from the Science and Technology Commission. We should use whoever is good."

After the old leader finished speaking, Liu Yimin was about to leave when he called him back and said, "The Americans say Comrade Xuesen is worth five divisions, but I think you're worth five cultural troupes. Secretary Li, take Comrade Yimin with you!"

Secretary Li led Liu Yimin to the auditorium, where several members of the cultural troupe in military uniforms were already waiting.

When Liu Yimin arrived, everyone eagerly extended their hands to him, saying, "We've heard so much about you, Comrade Liu Yimin. You've worked hard coming to Malan."

"It's not hard work, let's start composing the music!"

There were about a dozen people sitting below the stage of the cultural troupe. Liu Yimin stood on the stage and sang several times. The head of the cultural troupe pointed to a member next to him and said, "Sing it once with Comrade Liu Yimin."

"Yes!"

Liu Yimin taught it twice, and then began to correct the pitch based on what he had heard: "As expected of someone who studied bel canto professionally, you are better than me. Yes, you need to express a sense of vastness."

"Writer Liu, is this alright?"

"What do you think? After all, you're the professionals."

While the Chunlei Art Troupe and the Science and Technology Commission were composing the music, the scientists and soldiers had already started singing. However, everyone sang according to their own understanding, resulting in a wide variety of styles.

On the third day, Liu Yimin and Staff Officer Luo walked around the base and could already hear people singing in public.

"Writer Liu, the charm of literature and music is indeed boundless. My son came home and said that the teachers at Yonghong Middle School specifically asked everyone to write reading reflections in class!"

Liu Yimin said, "If I can bring some fun to everyone's leisure time, I think I've done something quite meaningful."

“Writer Liu, you are too modest! My husband said he’d like to invite you to our home for a meal sometime so our son can learn from you and try to get into university.”

(End of this chapter)