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

Chapter 386 is all the result of my hard work.
Liu Yimin's books published in China are all paperback editions, which is the current practice in China, and is generally referred to as paperback editions within the industry. The collection of "Homeland Trilogy" and "Era Trilogy" is currently considered a high-end paperback edition, but it does not reach the level of a hardcover edition.

The price of paperback and hardcover editions naturally differs. Although the paper cost of hardcover editions is higher, the profit margin is also relatively higher.

Inside the Yanjing Hotel, Niki remained silent for a long time before saying, "20% is a bit high, Liu. You're being a little greedy."

“This is in accordance with your rules,” Liu Yimin said without backing down.

Niki Noyce took a sip of tea and looked at the pedestrians on the street with interest, saying, "Liu, I just got off the plane. Let's not talk about 'Beloved' for now. Could you take me to see how Chinese people celebrate the New Year?"

“I would be delighted, Ms. Nikki. We still have about ten days until the Chinese New Year. Our Chinese New Year is a long holiday, and with each passing day, the joy on the streets and on people's faces increases,” Liu Yimin said, pointing to the lanterns hanging in front of the Yanjing Hotel.

Niki got up and said she wanted to go to Liu Yimin's house to experience the New Year atmosphere in the Yanjing Hutong.

Liu Yimin took Nikki into the alley on his motorcycle. Nikki's foreign appearance attracted a lot of attention. Nikki held a camera and kept taking pictures.

It was Niki's first time visiting the courtyard house, and she kept asking about the layout and decorations. Liu Yimin answered her questions one by one, and the two seemed to have completely forgotten about the royalties.

Nikki had intended to use a feigned retreat to advance, but Liu Yimin wasn't buying it. Experiencing Chinese New Year customs, let's go then.

Liu Yimin tidied up the yard nicely, shoveling the snow clean and hanging red lanterns under the eaves.

Niki asked Liu Yimin what he was doing at home today, and Liu Yimin replied that it was a day for spring cleaning, and the yard inside and out had to be cleaned, as did the house.

"You have so many books and letters in your study? Wow, I can hardly believe it in America. Readers are so enthusiastic." With Liu Yimin's permission, Nikki picked up a letter from the bookshelf and began to read.

Nikki has been studying Chinese in the United States for the past few years. She can understand some simple letters, but when she sees complex sentences, she often has to guess their meaning by combining the surrounding text.

After reading a few letters, I'm going to check out Liu Yimin's novels published this year, hoping to see if any of them can be published in the United States, since this trip shouldn't be in vain.

A thick stack of books was placed in front of Niki, making her marvel at the abundance of Liu Yimin's output.

Niki asked Liu Yimin curiously how he came up with so many ideas. Liu Yimin smiled and said, "These are all the results of my hard work. There is a Chinese idiom, 'to write without stopping,' and it is precisely because I have written without stopping that I have achieved so much."

After listening, Niki shook her head and said, "Liu, you are a genius. A true writer can never achieve success through hard work alone! Writing magical realism is a writing technique that tests the plot arrangement very much. Ordinary people cannot make the plot both fragmented and complete. Fragmentation is easy, but completeness is very difficult."

Niki believes that when "Beloved" spreads from the United States to various countries, Liu Yimin will become a Chinese author published worldwide.

"Many of China's older generation of writers are internationally renowned, but very few have been able to publish globally. Ba Jin is one, and your teacher is another. Mr. Ba Jin received the French Legion of Honour last year. When I first met you, I firmly believed that you could win more international awards; the O. Henry Award is just the beginning."

Last May, Ba Jin was awarded the French Legion of Honour, and the French president personally came to Shanghai to present the award to him.

In addition to the Legion of Honour, France also has the Order of Arts and Letters (Knight). Each of these orders has different ranks, with Knight being the lowest.

The Chinese people are quite familiar with the Order of the Arts and Letters, as it is awarded to a large number of people in China, including many in the entertainment industry. It is awarded globally once a year.

The Legion of Honor is awarded not only in the arts, but also in politics, military affairs, and culture, making it a higher-level honor. It's worth mentioning that the bald man also received it, and he is the only one to receive the Grand Cross.

Niki's gaze was drawn to the cover of "The Birth of a Nation," and after examining it carefully, she looked at Liu Yimin and asked, "Is this about the story of China's atomic bomb explosion?"

"Yes." Liu Yimin nodded.

Nikki flipped through a few pages: "This book is going to be published in the United States, and I believe Americans will definitely be interested in it."

Niki already had a picture in her mind: newspapers and covers would be filled with headlines like "Chinese Writer Reveals the Truth Behind the Mushroom Cloud Explosion in the East!"

“There will definitely be a lot of people interested, Liu, weren’t you guys keeping this a closely guarded secret?”

Liu Yimin smiled without saying a word, reminding Niki to take a closer look at the contents.

Around 4 PM, Liu Yimin drove Niki back to the Yanjing Hotel, and the two did not mention the royalty sharing issue.

Niki was going to visit the Writers' Association the next day, and after the visit, she wanted to visit Cao Yu's home. She asked Liu Yimin to inquire with Cao Yu whether it was convenient for her.

"Ms. Nikki, call me if you need anything." Liu Yimin waved to her and rode his motorcycle to the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

The crew of "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven" is still learning at Quanjude. I don't know how well they're learning, but everyone's mouths are definitely greasy.

Liu Yimin went into Cao Yu's office and told him about Niki's visit.

"Darlings has been published?" Cao Yu instantly understood Niki's background.

"Yes, it's published. This is a sample copy and a few newspapers that Nikki brought." Liu Yimin placed the sample copy and newspapers on Cao Yu's table.

Cao Yu read through each document carefully, and when he saw the headline "Shocking," he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking to himself that these American media outlets always liked to make a big fuss.

After reading through the newspapers, Cao Yu said excitedly, "It seems that this novel has really had a huge impact in the United States. Look, this is the January 3rd edition of The New York Times, and these are the ones from the following days. This shows that American newspapers and Americans have been paying close attention to this novel."

Americans should also look at what they've done in the past and what they should do in the future.

"I'm very happy to be able to do something for the racial equality process in the United States," Liu Yimin said with a smile, looking every bit like an internationalist.

"Do you think those white supremacists will change?" Cao Yu asked.

Liu Yimin laughed dismissively: "Literature alone cannot change American society. I don't know all Americans, but I know most Americans."

"Haha, whether or not things can change, you've at least succeeded in the field of literature. Yimin, I'm very proud to have a student like you."

After his initial excitement, Cao Yu immediately called Xia Yan, who had been closely following the progress of the novel.

After hearing over the phone that it had been published in the United States and had achieved great influence, Xia Yan hurriedly took a car to the Beijing People's Art Theatre and took the magazine and newspaper from Cao Yu to read.

Niki brought Liu Yimin a dozen or so sample copies. Liu Yimin planned to send one copy each to Qian Zhongshu and Zhu Guangqian, and another copy to Xu Chi. He would keep the rest in his study for the time being.

After reading the newspaper, Xia Yan had the same reaction as Cao Yu: "Why are these American media outlets making such a fuss? Also, this debate about internationalism versus nationalism is quite interesting, but it's a pity there's only this one news article, and there's nothing more to read."

"You just want to watch the show, huh?" Liu Yimin laughed.

Xia Yan said with a smile, "It's the New Year, so we should have some fun. Ms. Niki is coming without telling the department, so we should entertain her. I'll make a call later to show my hospitality and thank her and her family for their contributions to Sino-US literary exchanges."

Liu Yimin told Xia Yan about Niqi's visit to the Writers' Association tomorrow. Upon hearing this, Xia Yan decided to wait for Niqi at the Writers' Association the next day.

When Xia Yan left the Beijing People's Art Theatre, she made a point of taking a copy of The Paris Review with her.

"Teacher, Nikki would like to visit you in Muxidi tomorrow night."

Cao Yu laughed and said, "She's not an outsider, why would she ask you to tell me?" After saying that, Cao Yu called Niki at the Yanjing Hotel and invited her to his home for dinner.

After hanging up the phone, Cao Yu asked, "Have you finalized the publishing agreement?"

"No, there is further analysis on the specific figures."

Liu Yimin explained the specific differences to Cao Yu. Cao Yu listened but did not say anything, instead telling them to talk it over.

"As long as they don't ask for an exorbitant amount, it's easy to handle. If the Americans can ask for 20%, why can't we?"

As the workday was drawing to a close, footsteps sounded outside; the actors who had gone to Quanjude for training were returning. Liu Yimin and Cao Yu both came out of the office. Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun, upon seeing Liu Yimin, approached him and shared their experiences from the day.

"Isn't it almost time for rehearsals?" Liu Yimin asked.

Ouyang Shanzun replied, "We'll go again tomorrow, and the formal rehearsals will begin the day after tomorrow. We'll go through the basics before the New Year, and then the formal rehearsals will begin after the New Year."

Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun connected the real-life setting of Quanjude with the stage set. The only thing the two of them were a little troubled about was how to express the couplets in "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven".

The four of them walked into the rehearsal room and looked around. Liu Yimin pointed to the side and said, "We should carve a large couplet and hang it in front of the curtain. In any case, we want the audience to feel like they are there."

Cao Yu walked to the middle of the seats, looked around, and said, "This is the best way. Hang a large couplet outside to create the atmosphere of an old Beijing restaurant. Then, carve two more couplets as props inside the play. This couplet is the finishing touch. Without it, the ending won't be able to match the beginning."

Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun agreed with Liu Yimin's idea, and soon they asked the props team to prepare two couplets, one large and one small.

"After the production of 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' is completed, we can't just rely on media publicity as usual. As a classic play to be passed down, I have an idea: we should hold several academic symposiums on 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' to establish its value in the drama and academic circles. The tone must be set."

Cao Yu sat in his seat in the rehearsal room and shared his thoughts with Xia Chun, Ouyang Shanzun, and Liu Yimin.

Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun only focused on rehearsals and didn't really think about publicity.

Ouyang Shanzun said, "Lord Jiabao, these matters can be decided within our courtyard!"

“Although plays are aimed at a general audience, it is very important for academia to recognize the value of plays,” Xia Chun agreed.

In the world of drama, Cao Yu is the most outspoken, but there are many other big mouths out there, and their so-called authority still needs to be verified.

After discussing it, Liu Yimin left the rehearsal room, found Zhu Lin, and prepared to go home. On the way, he bumped into Lan Tianye, who kept complaining about how bored he was.

"Director Lan, look how anxious you are."

Back at the courtyard house, Zhu Lin saw that the yard was spotless, but the house was only half-cleaned, so he deliberately said, "Teacher Liu, you're slacking off today!"

“I didn’t mean to. Niki from the China Publishing House came to talk about publishing. Let’s go to Teacher Wan’s house tomorrow and see Niki again.”

"The publication of 'Beloved'?"

"There may be others as well."

The next morning, Niki went to the Writers' Association to meet Zhang Guangnian. Xia Yan also appeared in Zhang Guangnian's office and talked a lot with Niki.

Zhang Guangnian was curious about why Niki had suddenly come to China. Niki told him that she had come for Liu Yimin's "Beloved".

Zhang Guangnian tilted his head back and pondered for a minute, going through Liu Yimin's works from the past two years, but couldn't think of any novel called "Beloved".

Zhang Guangnian looked at Xia Yan, who smiled slightly, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Okay, Lao Shen, you knew about this?"

I read it last year.

"You started studying here last year?" Zhang Guangnian asked, unwilling to give up.

Xia Yan nodded slightly, and Zhang Guangnian pressed further, "Is it well written?"

“Not just good, it’s excellent!” Xia Yan said.

"Excellent?"

Nikki chimed in, “Yes, excellent. This book has a magic that captivates Americans. It makes us rethink the atrocities of the 19th century and earlier, and it makes us look at other races with more love.”

“Explain in detail,” Zhang Guangnian said.

Niki carefully explained the general content to Zhang Guangnian, but Zhang Guangnian was a little confused at first. Xia Yan explained it a second time before he understood.

"I never imagined that this kid would write a world-famous book right under my nose, and I knew nothing about it."

Zhang Guangnian carefully calculated the time. When Liu Yimin finished writing "Beloved", he was still the editor-in-chief of "People's Literature and Art"!
“Old Zhang, you don’t understand English. Yi Min has Chinese manuscripts. Go and see them yourself,” Xia Yan said with a smile.

Zhang Guangnian was already restless sitting in the Writers' Association, and even had the urge to get up and go to Liu Yimin's courtyard to look at the manuscript.

Niki asked Zhang Guangnian to recommend books that could be published in the United States and Chinese magazines. Zhang Guangnian patiently recommended a few to her.

Xia Yan asked, "Ms. Niki, have you and Yimin finalized the publishing agreement?"

Upon hearing this, Niki shook her head and said with a wry smile, "Liu hopes to offer 20% royalties, so we still have disagreements."

Zhang Guangnian thought to himself that Liu Yimin was really bold to ask for such a question, but he still said, "Ms. Nicky, Yimin's books are so popular in the United States. If you can come to China, why can't other publishers? We Chinese have a saying, 'The first to strike wins.' If we wait for other publishers to come, it will be even more difficult to negotiate!"

Zhang Guangnian's words made Niki's expression change. The reason she had rushed to China by plane so quickly was because she was afraid someone would beat her to it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived in China and didn't see any other publishers, thinking she would have plenty of time to negotiate with Liu Yimin.

Nicky retorted defiantly, "Even if other publishers came, they wouldn't offer a higher price."

“Ms. Niki, although we have no business experience, we know a little about it. For Yimin, a few points are important, but who he collaborates with is not important. For you, a few points are important, but whether he collaborates with you or not is more important. In addition, as Yimin said, the standard of royalties involves respect for the writer's work, not just a simple matter of money.”

Xia Yan's meaning was very clear; he directly pointed out who needed whom more. This resonated with Niki, making her even more eager to sign the publishing contract.

At this comrade's place, Liu Yimin was sitting in Qian Zhongshu's home, giving them a sample copy of the Paris Review magazine. He had previously visited Yenching University and given the magazine to Zhu Guangqian.

Yang Jiang said, "Yimin, congratulations! You've become a first-class international writer at such a young age!"

"Ms. Yang Jiang, please stop joining the American media in making a fuss."

Qian Zhongshu took off his glasses and said seriously, "This isn't just stirring up trouble; we see it the same way. Yimin, we're happy for you. Our young Chinese writers should boldly step onto the international stage and stand before the world, saying, 'I come from China, and we can do it too!'"

At noon, Qian Zhongshu and Yang Jiang invited Liu Yimin to stay for lunch, but Liu Yimin politely declined, saying that he still had many things to do in the courtyard.

Just as Liu Yimin stepped out of Qian Zhongshu's house, he suddenly thought of the painter Huang Yongyu. After all, Huang had given him a painting worth millions, and it wouldn't be reasonable not to send him a sample copy of the magazine.

After knocking on Qian Zhongshu's door, Liu Yimin inquired about Huang Yongyu's address. Qian Zhongshu personally led Liu Yimin to Huang Yongyu's apartment, where a notice was posted on the door:

"I am very busy, so I will not visit those I do not know well; my calligraphy and paintings are precious, so please do not ask for my paintings or calligraphy." - Huang Yongyu

Liu Yimin couldn't help but smile when he saw the notice. Qian Zhongshu said that Yongyu was a straightforward person, and although the notice was blunt, it would not offend anyone.

Liu Yimin nodded. "That's true. Decades later, it'll be another amusing anecdote people will be talking about. Writers, after all, have their own personalities!"
Upon knocking on the door, Huang Yongyu was overjoyed to see Qian Zhongshu first: "Professor Qian, what brings you here? You could have just given me a call, and I would have come directly to you."

Qian Zhongshu pointed to Liu Yimin next to him: "It's not me looking for you, it's Yimin looking for you. 'Beloved' has been published in the United States, and Yimin is sending you a sample copy."

“Professor Huang,” Liu Yimin said.

"Come in quickly!" Huang Yongyu invited the two inside. Several chubby babies were playing on a carpet in the room.

(End of this chapter)