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

Chapter 389 The Grand Mansion Author's Visit

In the Chinese Department, Liu Yimin was about to leave when Yan Jiayan stopped him and asked him to put his name on the conference invitation letter.

"Professor Yan, what did they say at the American Literature Symposium?" Liu Yimin took the document and wrote his name on it.

Yan Jiayan said, "Shandong University wanted you to give a report last year, and they were very cooperative when they learned that you could go. However, Shandong University wanted the conference to be held at Shandong University, but I refused. Our main target audience is universities in the south. Shanghai is located in East China and radiates to the south. Choosing Jinan is not in line with our positioning."

Yenching University and Fudan University's Chinese departments collaborated to successfully locate the conference venue in Shanghai. The three parties—the Chinese departments of Yenching University and Fudan University, and the Shandong University American Literature Research Association—jointly sent invitations to other departments, member institutions of the association, and renowned scholars.

After signing his name, Liu Yimin provided Yan Jiayan with the names of several inviters before leaving the Chinese Department of Yenching University.

Upon arriving at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, we picked up Zhu Lin and took her home. Sitting on the motorcycle, Zhu Lin, with her arm around Liu Yimin's waist, said:

"Teacher Liu, the premiere date of 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' has been set today. The entire crew is preparing for March 20th. I believe that with Director Xia Chun and Teacher Shan Zun's ability to manage time, they will definitely be able to complete it."

"Linlin, I'll be going to Shanghai on a business trip in early March. I'll need your parents' help to take care of you then," Liu Yimin said, facing the wind.

Zhu Lin smiled and hugged her waist a little tighter: "Teacher Liu, I knew that when you called me so gently, it couldn't be anything good. Go ahead and don't worry. Are you going to receive an award from Harvest Magazine?"

“If you’re going to receive an award, you don’t need to go. Just send it to us. The Chinese Department is going to hold an academic conference in Shanghai in conjunction with Fudan University, and Yenching University is going to promote the textbooks we compiled last year.” Liu Yimin briefly explained to Zhu Lin.

After listening, Zhu Lin smiled and said, "Professor Liu, don't worry. You'll naturally have to put some effort into the textbooks you've written. I hope that by then, Chinese departments all over the country will be using your books."

Back at the courtyard house, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin saw Sanhua playing with "Fugui'er," who was tied to a tree. After feeding the yellow dog for a few months, it had grown from a small Fugui'er to a big Fugui'er.

The three florets jumped around wildly, while Fugui dodged and weaved in perfect coordination. The cat and dog were having a great time.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin made a simple meat noodle soup in the kitchen. After eating, they tidied up the study and set out tea sets to wait for Li Jun and the mysterious guest he mentioned.

As the moonlight began to shine on the bamboo grove in front of the screen wall, the knocking on the door gradually grew louder.

As Liu Yimin walked in, he smiled and called out to the door, "Coming, coming!"

Upon opening the door, Li Jun first gave Liu Yimin a hug: "Yimin, it's been a while!"

"Director Li, it's rare to see you so enthusiastic!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After Li Jun stood still, he said to the man next to him, "Yi Min, this is Comrade Guo Baochang from the Guangxi Film Studio. Comrade Guo Baochang has worked in the film industry for many years and is a veteran director. He came back to Yanjing this time specifically to see you."

Guo Baochang gave Liu Yimin a weary smile, and Liu Yimin said, "Director Guo, please come in."

Guo Baochang was a bit polite on his first visit, but Li Jun pulled him along and strode into the courtyard.

Guo Baochang glanced at the courtyard house out of the corner of his eye, while Li Jun next to him laughed and said, "Old Guo, what brings you back to your courtyard?"

Guo Baochang smiled but didn't say anything. He followed Liu Yimin into the study and looked at the bookshelves full of books and letters from readers. He sighed, "These letters are the greatest praise for a writer. No literary award can compare to them."

Zhu Lin came in from the side room carrying a pot of tea, and then brought melon seeds and other dried fruits.

"Director Zhu, you don't need to be so polite. When I was at the Guangxi Film Studio, after watching 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,' I always thought about what opportunity we could have to collaborate with you. But after all, Guangxi is too far from Beijing. We've already collaborated quite a bit with the August First Film Studio, Beijing Film Studio, and Beijing People's Art Theatre."

Guo Baochang's address of "Director Zhu" resonated deeply with Zhu Lin. Zhu Lin smiled and said, "Director Guo, you're too kind. I really liked your first film, 'The Mystery of Goddess Peak,' and I'll have to learn more about your directing techniques in the future."

Zhu Lin was tired from sitting for too long, so he left the study after chatting for a while.

Li Jun explained Guo Baochang's purpose for visiting: "Old Guo was deeply moved after reading your 'Trilogy of the Times' because he also grew up in Yenching. Given his background, he had a lot he wanted to write about, but fate played a cruel trick on him. There was something in his heart that he had been holding back for countless years."

Guo Baochang picked up where Li Jun left off and began to tell Liu Yimin about his background. Guo Baochang's father froze to death when he was two years old, and his mother sold him to the home of the railway stationmaster for eighty silver dollars.

His third aunt redeemed him, thinking it was a gesture of kinship, but then sold him to Tongrentang for two hundred silver dollars. It has to be said that the maternal relatives are good at doing business.

When he arrived at Tongrentang, his adoptive mother's surname was Guo, so he changed his name to Guo Baochang. Guo Baochang could sing opera at the age of 5 and write articles at the age of 8, showing his artistic talent from a young age.

In the Tongrentang compound, he was both a family member and an outsider. This awkward position allowed him to view the Le family, the owners of Tongrentang, from the perspective of both an outsider and an insider.

The Le family was a large family, and large families inevitably have many conflicts and absurdities. Guo Baochang was determined to write down what he saw and heard in the Le family when he was a teenager, but as a firsthand witness, writing it down was incredibly difficult.

What he was going to write was "The Grand Mansion Gate". Bai Qiye in "The Grand Mansion Gate" was the prototype of his adoptive father. However, in reality, his adoptive father, Le Jingyu, was not loved by the family. Instead, he was ostracized from the family and went to Jinan to make a name for himself. His donkey-hide gelatin became famous all over the world.

In the TV series "The Grand Mansion Gate," Master Bai is mischievous, rebellious, and always the core of the family. He was the core heir while his mother was alive, and became the head of the family after her death.

Guo Baochang wrote and destroyed his manuscript of "The Grand Mansion" four times. The first time he wrote it, his adoptive mother Guo Rong burned it because she felt that it revealed her own identity as a shameful family affair—her adoptive mother was a former dog-carrying maid.

Moreover, if Guo Rong, the adoptive mother, wanted to establish herself in the Le family, her past identity had to be forgotten, so she naturally disagreed with Guo Baochang's decision.

The second time was in 64 when two-thirds of what he wrote was confiscated and burned. During this period, in an attempt to escape his capitalist background, Guo Baochang did many wrong things to his adoptive mother, Guo Rong. In the end, Guo Rong's love turned to hatred, and she never forgave Guo Baochang on her deathbed.

The third time, fearing discovery while in labor camp, he burned it himself.

The fourth time was when he married an unworthy wife. In 80, when Guo Baochang's career was booming and his film "The Mystery of Goddess Peak" was a huge hit, his wife chose to divorce him.

Guo, after his divorce, didn't want anything except his manuscripts. Oh dear, his wife must have hated him so much; the more he cared about something, the less she gave it to him, so she burned it all.

In 81, his career hit a low point because his science fiction film "Hidden Shadow" was criticized for being incomprehensible. However, while his career was unsuccessful, his love life was successful, and he successfully married another woman.

In addition, many young directors have been cultivated in the past two years, such as Zhang Yimou. When Guo Baochang passed away, Zhang Yimou said that without Guo Baochang there would be no fifth generation of directors.

Guo Baochang looks dejected now because Pengcheng Film Company offered him a high salary, which tempted him. However, his wife, who works at the Guangxi Film Studio, was naturally unwilling to accept it, and their marriage is nearing its end.

Guo Baochang said painfully, "I think I really shouldn't have written this novel. Is God warning me and telling me that I shouldn't have written it?"

Liu Yimin looked at Guo Baochang. He felt that Guo Baochang had indeed gone too far in his treatment of his adoptive mother. The debt of gratitude for raising her was greater than the debt of giving birth to her. Guo Rong passed away in 78 when Liu Yimin had just arrived in Yanjing. Guo Baochang did not get to see Guo Rong one last time.

Li Jun whispered words of comfort to Guo Baochang, who looked somewhat pained, and gave him a meaningful look.

Liu Yimin said, “Director Guo, you can rewrite it now. The people who could stop you are gone. If you write it, it will definitely be an excellent family history. But I suggest you start writing at the right time. Writing a novel about a feudal family doesn’t necessarily have to be like Teacher Wan’s ‘Thunderstorm’. You should write it based on your own experiences.”

Guo Baochang quickly said, "When I first wrote it, I used Mr. Cao Yu's 'Thunderstorm' as a template, and wrote my adoptive father as a dictatorial feudal patriarch. Comrade Yimin, you have a lot of experience in writing old Beijing literature. Could you tell me about it?"

The moon was already high above the courtyard. Zhu Lin in the bedroom had fallen into a drowsy sleep. Fu Gui'er squinted in the moonlight, and occasionally his ear, which was facing the study, would twitch.

"So-called Beiping literature mainly showcases the regional features of Beiping, describing the distinctive features in more detail. The so-called Beijing flavor is the cultural resonance that readers experience with the content, allowing them to feel the culture of Beiping."

Furthermore, it's important to showcase the complexity of the era and to create as many typical figures as possible. Tongrentang, as a renowned pharmacy, interacted with all sorts of people, including royalty, nobles, and invaders.

Guo Baochang then discussed many issues with Liu Yimin regarding "The First Restaurant Under Heaven" and compared his own work with "The First Restaurant Under Heaven".

"The novel *The Best Restaurant Under Heaven* is about observing all living beings from the perspective of a restaurant, while mine is about observing all living beings from the perspective of a pharmacy, including both family members and outsiders." "This will definitely become a very famous work, and it will certainly be a masterpiece if adapted into a TV series or movie. Director Guo, I support you in writing it," Liu Yimin said.

Li Jun said, "That's how it is, it's all about observing the masses. Lao Guo, our August First Film Studio is going to turn 'The Legendary Shopkeeper' and 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' into TV series. Just wait and see, they're sure to be loved by the audience."

As Guo Baochang got into the conversation, he also talked about his impending marriage falling apart.

Liu Yimin didn't say much, only that "When a person can't have it all, if you choose one, you naturally have to give up the other. It just depends on what you want."

Don't talk about being reluctant; you've already given up the moment you made the choice!
The atmosphere became slightly awkward when the topic came up. Li Jun glanced out the wooden window; the moon had already passed the rooftop of the opposite wing.

"Old Guo, it's getting late, let's go!" Li Jun said.

Guo Baochang stood up and said, "Some things are much better when they are said out loud. Yimin, thank you for giving me hope that I can write them down."

Liu Yimin escorted them to the door and jokingly said, "Director Guo, when do you feel like you don't want to write anymore? Tell me, and I'll write it for you."

"If I can't write it, I'll definitely ask you to write it, but the script has to be given to me, not to Lao Li, hahaha." Guo Baochang said with a relaxed smile.

Liu Yimin inquired about the filming progress of Li Jun's "The Legendary Shopkeeper," to which Li Jun replied, "It will take another month or two."

After seeing the two off, Liu Yimin slammed the gate shut, bolted it, and then locked it with a chain.

Back in the bedroom, I saw Zhu Lin sleeping with her clothes still on, the book slipping from her hand to the corner of the bed.

Liu Yimin put the book away, slowly took off Zhu Lin's clothes, covered him with the quilt, and then turned off the light to go to sleep.

In a classroom at Yenching University, Liu Yimin was giving a lecture when Wang Meng and Cui Daoyi appeared at the back of the classroom. The students were all holding brand-new textbooks.

After finishing his lecture, Liu Yimin put away his books and handouts and walked over to the two men, asking them what brought them here.

"You're late. Harvest is already preparing to publish it," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Wang Meng and Cui Daoyi came specifically for "Beloved," but unfortunately, after Ba Jin read it, Li Xiaolin wrote to Liu Yimin about the publication in "Harvest."

Wang Meng was extremely disappointed. He had been advocating for improving his writing by using Western literary techniques, but his hard-won representative work was taken away by Harvest magazine.

“We found out too late,” Cui Daoyi said.

Wang Meng said with a hint of anger, "When I visited Lao Zhang's family for the New Year, he didn't mention this matter to me at all."

"The decision for Harvest was made right after the Chinese New Year. Perhaps Lao Zhang thought you knew about it," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Liu Yimin was quite surprised that Wang Meng was unaware of this matter. As the editor-in-chief of *People's Literature and Art*, Wang Meng's circle of influence in the literary world should be very large.

This is something worth pondering.

"Do you have a manuscript? Let me see it. To be honest, I haven't seen the contents yet. I want to read it; maybe I can learn a lot from it."

Liu Yimin took Wang Meng to the Chinese Department and found a handwritten copy from Professor Sun Yushi. Cui Daoyi and Wang Meng sat down in the Chinese Department and began reading it.

Wu Zuxiang spoke softly to Liu Yimin about Ming and Qing literature, and then took out his notes to show Liu Yimin.

"What do you need this for?" Wu Zuxiang asked.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "Professor Wu, I need to think about my master's thesis, otherwise I won't be able to graduate next year!"

Wang Yao gave a soft hum and said, "You're still worried about graduating? I forgot you're a graduate student."

"Professor Wang, although I haven't attended a single class, I can't leave my graduation thesis unfinished!"

It took Wang Meng and Cui Daoyi three hours to finish reading the article. After returning the handwritten copy to Sun Yushi, Wang Meng said, "I originally thought that since I was the first in China to start stream-of-consciousness writing, I would definitely be able to produce good works. Today I realize that my application of Western literary writing techniques is really too naive."

Liu Yimin waved his hand and said, "It's mainly a matter of subject matter; this subject matter is attractive enough."

"It sent chills down my spine," Cui Daoyi joked. "America has ghosts too!"

The two's trip to Yenching University ended without any results. On the way back, Wang Meng said to Cui Daoyi, "Old Cui, why didn't we know this for so long?"

Cui Daoyi shook his head, and Wang Meng frowned even more.

Cui Daoyi felt that Wang Meng was overthinking things, so he said, "It's probably because everyone thinks it's not suitable for our People's Literature and Art to publish. After all, People's Literature and Art represents the country. We have a good relationship with the United States now, and publishing such a novel would not be conducive to future cooperation between the two sides."

After giving this reason, Cui Daoyi felt that it was somewhat untenable.

"Old Cui, we still need to be more cautious. The Fourth National Congress of the Writers Association is about to be held this year. I think something big is going to happen in the literary and art circles."

Cui Daoyi joked, "Actually, we can only blame Yimin. Who told him to be so low-key? If he had been showing off all over the world, we would have known long ago."

Back at the airport, Cui Daoyi called Li Shu with a smile: "Old Li, important intelligence!"

"Tell me, how many meals are you going to get this intelligence for? I'm busy with the publication of Yimin's 'Era Trilogy' right now. It's printed and being distributed!" Faced with Cui Daoyi's suspense, Li Shu directly exposed his true colors.

"Look at what you're saying. With our relationship, this intelligence is worth four meals for you!" Cui Daoyi said with a smile.

Li Shu felt nauseous after hearing this, but still said, "Let me hear if it's worth it!"

"Yi Min has a novel called 'Beloved,' which is a huge hit in the US. It was published in Harvest magazine in March. It's magical realism. I read it, and it's incredibly well-written! Do you think it's worth four meals?"

Li Shu said, "Old Cui, you're practically a literary broker!"

After hanging up the phone, he immediately called Liu Yimin. Liu Yimin answered the call and told him to talk at the courtyard house.

After get off work, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin returned to the courtyard house, where Li Shu was already waiting. Liu Yimin handed the manuscript to Li Shu, who read it while answering Liu Yimin's questions.

Li Shu told Liu Yimin that the "Trilogy of the Times" was published on March 1st. They and the Commercial Press jointly printed 800,000 copies, while the single volume "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven" was printed 1.5 million copies.

Liu Yimin felt that this was in line with the actual number of copies printed. If the initial print run had been six million copies like "The Birth of a Nation," Liu Yimin would have thought that the two publishing houses had gone mad.

After reading it, Li Shu looked at Liu Yimin for advice. Liu Yimin nodded and said, "It's for your People's Literature Publishing House. Your company can definitely handle the sales of this book."

I have an illustration that Professor Huang Yongyu drew after reading "Beloved." You can decide whether it can be used as an illustration or a cover. I need to review the sample book design, and if the aesthetics aren't up to par, I'll definitely request authorization from the Commercial Press.

Li Shu immediately assured her, "I told Sister Wei last time, and she felt extremely humiliated. She coordinated with the US to get several people working in the art design department. I can't guarantee anything else, but the cover design will definitely be excellent!"

(End of this chapter)