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

Chapter 363 Carrying the Banner of Old Beiping Literature Again (Two Updates, 10,000 Words)
A buying frenzy swept through bookstores across the country, with incidents even occurring where bookstore counters were knocked over due to shoving from behind customers because sales clerks were slow to serve magazines to readers.

News stories like this are constantly appearing in newspapers across the country. Every day, bookstores are greeted by huge crowds when they open their doors, and they can only close their doors after putting up a sign that says "Today's Harvest is sold out" when they close for the day.

Telegrams urging delivery arrived at the editorial department of Harvest Magazine and the printing plant that Harvest Magazine partnered with, like snowflakes.

Inside the printing plant, magazines that had just been placed in the warehouse would be cleared out before the end of the workday. As a result, Harvest Magazine had to contact another printing plant in Beijing, so that printing in both locations could be done locally.

Major state media outlets published their own commentaries without needing any prior approval or coordination from higher authorities.

The People's Daily published a lengthy editorial entitled "'Emerging from Nothing' Unveils the Mysterious Veil of Nuclear Power—A Tribute to the Great Scientists and the Great Soldiers of the People's Liberation Army"

The China Youth Daily called on young people to take scientist Lu Guangda as their role model, arm themselves with knowledge, and serve the country with science.

The Guangming Daily published a commentary entitled "'Appearing out of nowhere' is truly an unexpected emergence."

The night after "The Emergence of a Novel" was published, the evening news program "Xinwen Lianbo" broadcast live footage of readers rushing to buy the book and randomly interviewed two passersby.

Zhao Zhongxiang broadcast to the whole society in his unique voice:

The novel *The Birth of a Nation* has inspired patriotism throughout society. It is because of people like these that our country can stand tall. The song "The Motherland Will Not Forget," with lyrics by Liu Yimin, the author of *The Birth of a Nation*, expresses the sentiments of countless scientists and soldiers. Please believe that the motherland will not forget your contributions.

Just as grains of sand form a tower, and streams of water form a deep pool, the progress of our nation cannot be separated from the efforts of every compatriot.

Sales were like waves crashing against the shore, one higher and one louder than the next.

The song "The Motherland Will Not Forget" was sung in front of Tiananmen Square, and it was also the song played most frequently on radio stations across the country.

As sales skyrocketed, those who knew Liu Yimin learned that he had returned from the nuclear base, and that he had actually witnessed this vital national asset.

At that moment, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were listening to the radio at their creative home in Beidaihe. The Beijing People's Art Theatre had granted Zhu Lin a month and a half's leave, from early August to mid-September.

When Cao Yu told Yu Shizhi that he could exchange three notebooks for a month and a half of vacation, Yu Shizhi thought it was a very profitable deal.

He even came over in person to ask Liu Yimin if a month and a half would be enough, and if not, he would add more. He offered a 40% discount for three months, meaning only four books would be needed.

Liu Yimin's face darkened upon hearing this, almost forgetting the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young.

Cao Yu didn't tell the directors below, but Yu Zhi intentionally or unintentionally revealed it, and the entire Beijing People's Art Theatre was in turmoil as the directors were all vying for the script.

Not only the Beijing People's Art Theatre, but also several other publishing houses, including the Commercial Press and People's Literature Publishing House, frantically searched for Liu Yimin after seeing such high sales, but unfortunately, none of them could find him.

No one could find Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin, whether at Yenching University, Beijing People's Art Theatre, the courtyard house, or the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

This was a secret that Liu Yimin had asked him to keep quiet. Only Zhang Guangnian in the Writers' Association knew that Liu Yimin had gone to the "Creative Home" to escape to a quiet place.

Although the conditions here aren't great, it's quiet, and no one will bother them. The nearby hotels are too crowded, and the constant coming and going of people would easily disturb them.

Besides, there are security personnel here. I know the staff member Lao Zhao (Zhao Xiuwen) and the manager Li Ji. I can just pay an extra fee when I leave.

The two of them lived here, oblivious to everything else. On weekends, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu would take the train to bring them some good food.

"Tomorrow I'm going with Lao Zhao to tend to the apple trees. Teacher Liu, would you like to come with us?" Zhu Lin asked happily, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with her bare feet.

"Look how happy you are."

Liu Yimin sat at his desk and spoke without turning his head.

"Teacher Liu, of course I'm happy not to have to go to work. Although I enjoy directing plays, I get tired of the same few, so this is a good opportunity to relax."

In half a month, the script for "The Birth of a Nation" was almost finished. Once we returned from Beidaihe, we could hand the script over to the Beijing People's Art Theatre and Wanfang's "Script Monthly".

The next morning, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin opened the window and breathed in the fresh sea air.

Old Zhao was cooking when he heard the noise and came out to look at Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin: "Comrade Liu Yimin, Comrade Zhu Lin, how did you rest yesterday?"

"I'm so glad I was born here!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

As Old Zhao picked vegetables, he looked up and continued, "Comrade Liu Yimin, everyone in the city has been talking about your novel and your songs lately. Did you hear them? They're playing them at the military sanatorium next door. If you want some peace and quiet when you go out, remember to wear a hat or something so no one recognizes you."

"Okay, Lao Zhao, thank you!"

“It’s alright. I’ve met plenty of writers. Comrade Yimin, you are the most talented young writer I’ve ever met. Everyone is eager to get to know you. Nobody would have guessed that you’ve come here to find some peace and quiet.”

As Old Zhao was speaking, he heard a noise from the kitchen and quickly ran inside.

Manager Li rode his bicycle into the courtyard and said to Liu Yimin, "Writer Liu, I brought you today's newspaper. Take a look. It's still about 'A New Birth.' It's a commentary written by Qian Zhongshu himself. Take a look."

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin quickly walked down to the second floor, the wooden stairs creaking as if rats were gnawing on them.

"Take a look." Li Ji handed the newspaper to Liu Yimin.

A Tribute to the Unsung Scientists – Qian Xuesen

Lu Guangda in "The Birth of a Nation" represents countless scientists. I pay tribute to these unsung scientists. Compared to them, I am lucky. From the day I returned to China, I became known to the people of the whole country.

Compared to them, they are a much greater group of people.

Li Ji said, "There's more, there's more. These were written by some leaders and published by the newspaper."

Li Ji showed Liu Yimin the stacks of newspapers, and Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Thank you, Comrade Li!"

"Don't be so polite! It's an honor for others to come to the Writers' Home through the Writers' Association, and it's an honor for our Writers' Home to come." Li Ji turned to the kitchen and asked, "Isn't that right, Lao Zhao?"

"Yes, it's the glory of a creative family." Old Zhao walked out of the kitchen, his arms covered in flour.

The four of them got along very well, and when the meal was ready, they all sat down in the kitchen to eat.

"Comrade Zhu Lin, you're pregnant. Try this fish. Eating fish will make your baby bright and intelligent. But you shouldn't eat too much seafood. What would you like to eat? I'll go buy it and cook it for you."

Old Zhao said with a chuckle.

"Thank you for your hard work, comrades."

"It's alright. Our place isn't very nice, so not many people come here. We just want to find someone to chat with."

After lunch, Zhu Lin couldn't stay idle in the morning. Since she couldn't swim now, she could only follow Lao Zhao to do some farm work in the courtyard of the Creative Home, taking care of the apple trees around.

"Comrade Zhao, what do you think about planting apple trees in the courtyard in Yanjing?" Zhu Lin asked while working.

"Great! Apple trees symbolize peace and safety, but they might not taste as good in Yanjing. If you'd like to plant one, I'll graft an apple tree and send it to your home next spring. What do you like to eat? Yellow Delicious apples or something else?"

"Teacher Liu likes to eat red fruit, but doesn't like to eat Golden Delicious fruit," Zhu Lin said.

"Then let's go with the red jade."

Zhu Lin and Lao Zhao were doing farm work downstairs, while Liu Yimin was writing inside the house. When he got tired of writing, he would go downstairs to chat with Lao Zhao and the others.

Or Zhu Lin could go with him, while Liu Yimin swam a couple of laps in the water by himself.

"Teacher Liu, your swimming skills are getting better and better. I'd like to go for a swim too."

"Let's go, don't you know your own situation?" Liu Yimin patted Zhu Lin's waist and walked towards the locker room.

Back in his room, Liu Yimin exclaimed, "Time truly flies when you're in the mountains!"

On Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu visited the Creative Home together. Mrs. Zhu brought a lot of food and cooked a special meal for everyone at the Creative Home.

Holding the newspaper, Zhu's father said, "In just over half a month, the sales of Harvest magazine have exceeded one million. This is another sales breakthrough. As your father-in-law, I am truly honored."

Zhu Lin laughed and said, "Dad, stop being so formal."

"Well, I'm really happy for Yimin. It's summer vacation now, and many teachers have come to our house to ask how Yimin wrote it, how it's so realistic!" Mr. Zhu said with great enthusiasm.

"Dad, what did you say?"

"What can I say? I don't know anything. I just got them drinking, and after a few drinks I passed out. Who cares what happened to him!"

The people in the room exchanged smiles, and then Zhu's mother called out to everyone that it was time to eat.

At the dinner table, Zhu's mother chatted about literature for a few minutes before changing the subject to other topics.

"The economy is developing faster and faster, but the public security in this society is really bad. Not to mention petty theft, there are robberies and even thefts!"

Liu Yimin said to Zhu Lin, "From now on, when you're working at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, don't eat lunch at the courtyard house. Just eat in the canteen. I'll take you to and from get off work." Zhu Lin nodded without objecting. Zhu's parents, who were standing next to him, said in unison, "That's good. We should be careful."

Old Zhao and Li Ji don't need to worry about the Creative Home. It's surrounded by sanatoriums of various government agencies and is a very important place. Currently, there is no place in the entire city that is safer than this.

In the afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu went to the seaside for some time alone. Mr. Zhu didn't need to go to work, but Mrs. Zhu did, so they could only take the train back to Yanjing in the evening.

"Mom and Dad, be careful on your way back," Zhu Lin said worriedly.

"Don't worry, you two can rest here."

At the end of the month, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin left Qinhuangdao with farewells from the staff of the Creative Home.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, Comrade Zhu Lin, I'll send you some more when the apples are ripe."

"Goodbye, Comrade Zhao, Comrade Li!"

Although the weather at the beach was cool, the ultraviolet rays were strong, and Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin both got quite tanned.

Back at the Overseas Chinese Apartment in Yanjing, Zhu Lin didn't rush to work, but planned to wait until the holiday was over before going back to work.

Before Liu Yimin could even take a stroll around the school, Huang Chunyu from the Commercial Press knocked on the door.

Upon seeing Huang Chunyu, Liu Yimin looked up and down the stairs with a puzzled expression: "Old Huang, you haven't been squatting here the whole time, have you?"

Huang Chunyu chuckled and walked into the living room. Liu Yimin asked again, but Huang Chunyu wouldn't explain why.

He bribed the security guard at the Overseas Chinese Apartment with several packs of cigarettes, so that he would call Liu Yimin immediately whenever he saw him return.

Huang Chunyu has really gone too far.

"Yimin, you've really opened my eyes. I thought 'Triumph at Midnight' was your sales peak, but I didn't expect another one like 'The Birth of a Nation.'" Huang Chunyu then told a joke: "Yesterday after get off work, I was riding my bicycle and asked a few kids to give way. Do you know what they said to me?"

"What?"

"They all said NO, go to hell, hahaha!" Huang Chunyu laughed loudly, quoting Feng Shi from the book to illustrate the immense influence of Liu Yimin's "The Birth of a Nation".

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were amused by Huang Chunyu, who then said, "I'm here to ask about the publishing rights. Don't you dare give me a 'NO, go to hell'."

"Old Huang, how about you two publishing houses jointly publish it? You definitely can't print it all by yourself. Comrades Wei Junyi and Chen Yuan are both veteran comrades. They were inseparable when they were in the United States. They should cooperate even more closely after returning to China. Don't you think so?" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After a moment of contemplation, Huang Chunyu nodded and said, "Alright, how about we, the Commercial Press, design the book? As you know, our designs are far superior to those of People's Literature Publishing House."

“Great, a unified cover design is also good for sales, so there’s no need for strict differentiation.”

After Liu Yimin agreed, Huang Chunyu asked mysteriously, "Did you go?"

"Where have you been?"

"You know," Huang Chunyu said, making a "boom" sound with his lips.

"Haha, have some tea, have some tea," Liu Yimin said noncommittally.

Huang Chunyu then asked Liu Yimin where he had been these past two days. Liu Yimin smiled and said, "I took Comrade Zhu Lin to rest for a while."

Huang Chunyu turned to Zhu Lin and said, "Comrade Zhu Lin, congratulations!"

"Thank you, Comrade Chunyu!"

In front of Huang Chunyu, Liu Yimin directly called Li Shu of People's Literature Publishing House to confirm the joint publication by the two publishing houses.

“Yimin, you really just ran away without lifting a finger, leaving us all running around like ants on a hot plate. Your senior brother, Lao Cui, was even more unlucky, losing ‘The Birth of a Nation.’ They just changed editors-in-chief, and the new editor-in-chief was making his mark with reforms, when ‘Harvest’ dealt them a heavy blow.”

Li Shu's words carried a hint of schadenfreude. It wasn't that Li Shu was disloyal, but rather that Cui Daoyi had been "too much" in exploiting him.

"Old Li, tell my senior brother that he is my own senior brother! The publication is settled, and the design will be handled by the Commercial Press."

"Alright, Huang Chunyu is really fast." Li Shu shook his head helplessly.

After hanging up the phone, Huang Chunyu talked about the publication of this year's Lu Xun Literary Prize-winning collection of novellas.

"So far, we've sold a total of 300,000 copies. There's a market for anthologies, but in practice, it's not a very large market. But the editor-in-chief said he'll stick to this path. The royalties should arrive soon."

After finishing his business, Huang Chunyu left the Overseas Chinese Apartment briskly. Before leaving, he glanced at the air conditioner in the study and said enviously, "When will we be able to install one in our office? The office fan is half dead, but it's better than nothing."

"Conditions will improve; having a fan is much better than most places."

"Let's go! Let's look forward to the good news of the publication!"

After seeing Huang Chunyu off, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin watched TV for a while.

"Teacher Liu, when are you going to start working at the school?"

"What? Are you in a hurry for me to go to work?"

"No, I'll make some arrangements. It'll be boring for me to be home alone while you go to work, so I might as well go to work too."

Liu Yimin said, "I will go to work after school starts on September 5th. In the meantime, I plan to go to Fengzeyuan to learn how to make braised sea cucumber with scallions."

"You? Learn how to make braised sea cucumber with scallions? From Fengzeyuan?"

Liu Yimin pinched Zhu Lin's chin: "You look down on people, huh?"

"No, would Fengzeyuan teach you that?"

"I'm not going to be a chef. Besides, I'll promote Fengzeyuan Restaurant, they'd definitely be happy to!"

"publicity?"

"I read the history of Fengzeyuan. The history of Fengzeyuan represents the changes in the food culture and history of old Beijing. I think it's quite interesting to write it down."

Zhu Lin nodded and said, "This is the old Beiping literature you told your teacher about. People in Yanjing are indeed particular about food. It might just be another 'Teahouse' written about it."

"So, I plan to visit Fengzeyuan in the next couple of days!"

Zhu Lin said mischievously, "You're not allowed to come back until you learn how to make braised sea cucumber with scallions!"

The following day, August 29th, Liu Yimin went to Fengzeyuan and tasted their signature dish, braised sea cucumber with scallions.

After tasting it, Liu Yimin called over a waiter and asked, "Which chef made this braised sea cucumber with scallions?"

"What? This was made by Comrade Wang Yijun's apprentice."

Is Grandpa Wang Yijun here?

"This old comrade is a state banquet chef, a guest of honor of the Japanese. He even went to Japan last year to demonstrate his skills. What? You want this old comrade to cook you a ten-yuan dish of braised sea cucumber with scallions?"

"I'm here to visit Comrade Wang Yijun. My name is Liu Yimin, and I'm a writer."

"Yeah, so what?"

This attitude is exactly like the eunuch in "Yongzheng Dynasty" who gets slapped in the face by the Fourth Prince. Even though Fengzeyuan is now a state-owned enterprise, the employees' bad temper hasn't changed at all.

"Comrade, how can I meet Comrade Wang Yijun?"

"I can't see him. Not just anyone can see the old man!"

"Are you Comrade Liu Yimin?" someone asked from the side.

Liu Yimin turned his head and saw that it was also a waiter.

"Yes, comrade, I'd like to see your manager!"

“Our manager is in the kitchen. I’ll go call you. You wrote ‘The Birth of a Nation,’ right? I love it so much.”

After a while, the manager came over from the kitchen and warmly extended his hands when he saw Liu Yimin: "Comrade Liu Yimin, welcome, welcome. I'm really sorry, the kitchen has been busy all day, so I stayed inside and didn't come out."

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Manager, while you focus on the kitchen, don't forget to train the service attitude at the front. If all the staff at Fengzeyuan were like this comrade, Fengzeyuan probably wouldn't last three months."

P.S.: Thank you all for your support. The book has reached 2,000 average daily subscriptions. I'm thinking of increasing the average subscriptions by splitting it into two chapters. I wonder if it's possible to reach the "Featured" status. Anyway, thank you all for your support. I'm deeply grateful to all my patrons.

(End of this chapter)