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

Chapter 394 China's Márquez

Inside the rehearsal space, two huge wooden couplets hung in front of the stage, and Qian Zhongshu's calligraphy appeared even more vigorous and powerful after being carved out.

Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun were on stage giving instructions to the actors when they saw Liu Yimin and quickly walked off the stage.

Xia Chun pointed to the couplet and asked with a smile, "How does it feel? Doesn't it have the grandeur of the number one restaurant in Beiping?"

Liu Yimin pointed to the actors' costumes and the stage set and said to Xia Chun, "When I walked in, I felt like I had gone back to the past!"

Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun's eyes lit up with pride upon hearing Liu Yimin's praise. They then pulled Liu Yimin aside to discuss the details of the stage set and the actors' costumes, noting significant improvements compared to the beginning of the year.

After watching it, Ouyang Shanzun joked, "Comrade screenwriter, the stage is ready, please inspect it!"

Liu Yimin, supporting Ouyang Shanzun's arm, said, "Director Shanzun, should I say 'proceed according to the established plan'?"

“It is my pleasure, Yimin. I have to thank you for allowing me to rehearse this play. I didn’t rehearse the previous ‘Teahouse’ and Comrade Jiao Juyin also rehearsed ‘Longxu Ditch’, which has always been a regret of mine. Entrusting ‘The Best Restaurant Under Heaven’ to me can be considered as fulfilling this regret in my heart.”

Ouyang Shanzun held Liu Yimin's hand tightly, looking directly at him with sincere and earnest words. Xia Chun waved to Liang Guanhua beside him, who immediately jumped off the stage and ran towards the rehearsal hall entrance.

As he ran, his fat jiggled, making everyone laugh.

"This kid, I don't know how he got so fat!" Xia Chun teased.

When Liang Guanhua returned, Cao Yu arrived with several directors and screenwriters to see how Ouyang Shanzun and Xia Chun's final version turned out.

Cao Yu looked at Liu Yimin and smiled, "How's it like being in Shanghai?"

"I didn't feel anything special, I just felt that Shanghai, the old city, was gradually becoming lively again."

"What a magnificent old Shanghai! But nowadays, Shanghai no longer belongs to foreigners."

Several directors were also talking about the changes in Shanghai. Some of them frequently performed in Shanghai, so they were naturally very familiar with the changes there.

Cao Yu waved for everyone to sit down. Ouyang Shanzun and Xia Chun exchanged a glance and clapped their hands, indicating that the stage was ready to begin the performance.

After a few chimes, the curtain was drawn back, and the "Quanjude" signboard above the stage was particularly eye-catching. The noisy sounds of serving dishes and announcing accounts filled the stage. At this time, Quanjude was doing very well, and all the lotus leaf pancakes were sold out.

A shout from outside interrupted the lively atmosphere inside the shop—"Hanging up the dragon flag!"

An old policeman was hawking his wares throughout the streets, calling for people to hang "dragon flags" to celebrate the emperor's re-ascension to the throne. Quanjude restaurant bought a dragon flag from the old policeman and quickly hung it at their entrance. The old policeman appears throughout the entire play, with several scenes of him selling flags, each flag symbolizing a change in the political landscape of the capital.

Liu Yimin held Zhu Lin's hand and watched the play carefully. As he watched, Zhu Lin analyzed the directing techniques of Ouyang Shanzun and Xia Chun.

The play lasted about 150 minutes, and every actor performed with ease and skill, eliciting bursts of laughter from the director and playwright in the audience.

"Ke Wu's acting is really good. He successfully portrayed the image of a good-for-nothing playboy who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun."

The play begins with a series of laughs, mainly from the character "Ke Wu," a truly foolish son of a landlord.

Ouyang Shanzun said in a low voice, "We put in a lot of effort to make him act like this."

“It’s easy to act silly, but it’s very difficult to make silly seem clever,” Xia Chun chimed in.

After the entire play was performed, the audience applauded. Lan Tianye, Su Min, and the others all looked on with admiration, wondering what kind of play they would put on if they were to direct it, and whether they would disgrace the script of "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven".

After the performance, Liu Yimin stood up and said to the actors on stage, "On March 20th, the people of Yanjing will witness your wonderful performance here. Comrades, you have rehearsed very well. Thank you for your hard work."

So Yu Zhi wiped the sweat from his temples and walked over, saying, "It was tiring to act for more than two hours, but it was all worth it! Yi Min, I didn't let the character 'Chang Gui' down, did I?"

"I think you are Chang Gui'er!"

Cao Yu laughed and said, "In the past, Shi Zhi could really support himself by being a head of the hall."

The cheerful atmosphere offstage infected the actors onstage. Liang Guanhua hugged another young actor tightly, his excitement almost like he was "bullying" him.

After leaving the rehearsal room, Cao Yu spoke in detail with Ouyang Shanzun, Xia Chun, and Liu Yimin about the later promotional work for "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven".

"We will premiere on March 20th, and by the 22nd our reputation will be established. On the 24th, we will invite people from the arts and media to hold a symposium. Then on the 29th, we will hold another symposium with the arts department of the People's Daily at the Qianmen Roast Duck Restaurant."

The People's Art Theatre, which premiered on March 20th, kept about fifty tickets for itself and gave them all to influential scholars, critics, and journalists in the arts and journalism circles.

Cao Yu's arrangement put even more pressure on Xia Chun and Ouyang Shanzun. After their conversation, they hurriedly left the office to go to the rehearsal hall for practice.

"Yimin, how are the sales of the 'Era Trilogy'?" Cao Yu asked with concern.

"So far it's not bad, the collection has sold nearly 200,000 copies in half a month."

Upon hearing the numbers, Cao Yu's eyebrows immediately rose: "These figures are quite impressive. Old Buffett's 'Torrent Trilogy' probably didn't even reach this sales number back then."

"Teacher, when the Torrent Trilogy was published, there were few readers in China. Now there are more and more educated people in China, and the readership is growing."

Cao Yu smiled and took a document from the table, handing it to Liu Yimin. It was a document from the Dramatists Association outlining its plans to expand membership. The document required member units across the country to invite more young playwrights or actors to promote the rejuvenation of domestic drama creation and performing arts.

"Teacher, what's this?" Liu Yimin put the document back on the table, guessing Cao Yu's intention.

"I'd like you to join the Dramatists Association. Would you be willing?" Cao Yu asked with a smile, looking at Liu Yimin's expression. "What? You're not willing? Our Dramatists Association gives out a bag of flour for the New Year."

Cao Yu's words amused Liu Yimin, who quickly replied, "Of course I'm not unwilling!"

"Alright, I'll submit your information. As a young playwright, you have to shoulder the responsibility for the development of domestic drama and theater. It's too late for the script of 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' to win an award this year. The next award will be in 86, and winning first prize shouldn't be a problem."

Cao Yu briefly explained the organizational structure of the Dramatists Association to Liu Yimin, who will join the association as an ordinary member.

Afterwards, Cao Yu handed him an article, which was a review Cao Yu had written for "The First Restaurant Under Heaven", titled "'The First Restaurant Under Heaven' - A Symphony of the Fate of the Times, Society, and Humanity".

In the article, Cao Yu directly introduces "Teahouse" at the beginning, with the obvious purpose of placing "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven" after "Teahouse".

"Teacher, I still have a lot to learn from you in terms of literary criticism!"

Cao Yu said, "This foundation in literary theory is the culmination of my decades of experience. It can't be learned overnight; it requires hard work."

After the Beijing People's Art Theatre finished get off work, Liu Yimin drove Zhu Lin back to the courtyard house.

In the Chinese Department of Yenching University, Cao Wenxuan walked into the office with a list in his hand and went straight to Liu Yimin: "Professor Liu, this is the list of winners of the Yimin Academic Scholarship. Please take a look!"

"Thank you all for your hard work in judging the awards. I hope nothing went wrong?" Liu Yimin took the list of the twenty-four winners and looked at it carefully.

The subsidies for impoverished students are accompanied by the students' family information. Many of these students come from single-parent families or families where both parents have passed away, and their families have very meager incomes.

The information above has been carefully checked against the information in the file, so there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, Liu Yimin had seen many poverty applications. Later, when the national policy of "two exemptions and one subsidy" was introduced, the students in his class all came from families with "meager incomes, relying on only a few acres of barren land for a living." Their applications were all cut from the same mold, and the richer the students were, the more enthusiastic they were in applying.

The selection of outstanding students is very simple: each year in the Chinese Department has three majors, and the top student in each major is selected.

“Professor Liu, some of the teachers shed tears on the spot after reading the students’ applications. Many of the students come from very poor families, and the Chinese literature students are also very good at writing. It’s heartbreaking to read them,” Cao Wenxuan added from the side.

Liu Yimin handed the list to Cao Wenxuan: "Post a notice at the entrance of the Chinese Department. If there are any objections to the list, you can apply for a review!"

"Okay, Professor Liu!" Cao Wenxuan took the list, turned around, and left the office to get busy.

Students from freshmen to juniors have been keeping a close eye on this list since the start of the semester, and it attracted the attention of Yenching University students as soon as it was posted.

Liu Yimin changed the name of the "scholarship for impoverished students" to "scholarship for education" to protect students' self-esteem. Some students who had applied for the "scholarship for education" were disappointed when they saw that their names were not on the list, while others wondered why others had been selected.

In one morning, the award committee received several review applications. Seeing this, Cao Wenxuan and others were afraid that it would cause misunderstandings among the students and the department, so they quickly invited Liu Yimin over.

After reviewing the application documents, Liu Yimin chatted with each student in turn. He discovered that one student's case was rather special, as the misjudgment was caused by the student's file not being updated in time.

The student's father was a soldier who died on the front lines in Guangxi Province last year. However, the student's school records still contained his father's information, so when Cao Wenxuan and others saw the application, they assumed that the student had filled in the information incorrectly in order to fraudulently claim the scholarship.

"Let's add one more spot!" Liu Yimin said to them.

Cao Wenxuan said, "Professor Liu, these spots are fixed, it's not good to break this rule, is it?"

“Special cases require special treatment. Do as I say. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll take the money!” Liu Yimin made the decision. After speaking, Liu Yimin set a rule for the selection: “From now on, students are required to provide relevant proof when explaining the relevant situation.”

"For anything that's questionable, we need to communicate with the students. After all, eighty yuan is enough for their families to live on for half a year if they send it home!" "Professor Liu, we absolutely did not abuse our power for personal gain," Qian Liqun immediately said.

Liu Yimin smiled and said, "No one is saying you're abusing your power for personal gain. It's just that the students' situations are complicated. Plus, they come from all over the country, so it's difficult for us to get familiar with many of their circumstances. Every year, we have to remind prospective students to bring the relevant documents, otherwise it's too much trouble to send letters home to get the documents."

Liu Yimin was well aware of the concerns of the judges and comforted them with a few words: "I believe in my comrades!"

Back in his office, Liu Yimin sat down and thought to himself that he needed to find a way to get some more money from the student aid fund.

Two days later, the academic scholarships were distributed. Students from all grades in the Chinese Department were encouraged to emulate their achievements and strive to win awards the following year.

With the incentive of academic scholarships, the Chinese Department students' enthusiasm for learning has increased significantly, and students from other departments at Yenching University are very envious of the Chinese Department for having scholarships to receive.

On March 14th, after finishing their classes, all the professors in the Chinese Department of Yenching University told their students to remember to go to the bookstore early the next day to buy a copy of "Harvest" magazine, as this issue of "Harvest" contained a big surprise.

As for what the surprise was, all the professors remained tight-lipped, at most saying, "Tomorrow, Professor Liu Yimin's work written last year will be published in Harvest."

"Written last year? Why wasn't it published last year?"

"Students, just go and buy them. Would the teacher harm you?" The professor said smugly as he left the classroom.

The professors aroused the students' curiosity, and before dawn the next day, the Chinese literature students got up early and lined up at the entrance of the school bookstore.

Seeing this, students from other departments curiously asked them what book they were waiting for, and one by one they said they were waiting for "Harvest".

"Has Harvest magazine produced any good works?"

"I don't know, our professor reminded us to buy it," a Chinese literature student said, shaking his head.

"I'll also take a look and see if your Chinese literature professors are reliable."

The students spread increasingly outrageous rumors, saying things like, "Good works will be published, and you'll regret it if you don't line up!"

When the school bookstore opened at eight o'clock, the line outside was already several hundred meters long.

The sales clerk opened the door, stood on tiptoe to glance at the seemingly endless queue of people buying books, and quickly ran behind the counter to collect money and sell books.

"A March issue of Harvest magazine!"

"Comrade, I'd like a copy of 'Harvest' too!"

"Harvest!"

"The latest issue of Harvest."

The students in front received the magazine and immediately stood to the side of the line to read it. The students behind craned their necks and shouted, "Hey, what's in 'Harvest'? Everyone's buying 'Harvest'!"

"Yes, are there any good works?"

The student flipped through the magazine, read the editor's short commentary at the beginning, and then looked at the title and author's name. He excitedly exclaimed, "China has produced its own Márquez!"

"China has produced its own Márquez!" The students who had bought the copy of "Harvest" held up their copies as if they were carrying torches and ran to the back of the line.

"Who!"

"Professor Liu Yimin from the Chinese Department!"

The students in line watched their classmates cheer and run away, murmuring the names they were calling out.

"Professor Liu Yimin, the Chinese Márquez?" After pondering the question, the students in line said, "That makes sense. Professor Liu Yimin teaches magical realism, so it's perfectly reasonable that he could write it!"

The students nearby agreed, but the increasingly excited laughter from the front made them feel uneasy.

"Hey student in front, can you hurry up? If we wait any longer, we won't even have any leftover food from the cafeteria!"

Many of the students in line hadn't gotten their meals yet, and those who had already bought their meals joined the line after hearing the call.

The academic community's research on "Beloved" had already begun with the convening of the Shanghai Comparative Literature Conference. After all, hundreds of professors each had a copy of "Harvest" magazine, and they would definitely share it with others after returning home.

With the release of Harvest magazine, today's Literary Gazette's masthead headline reads: "Chinese young writer publishes magical realism novel 'Beloved' in the United States."

On his way from home to school, Liu Yimin could clearly feel the extraordinary enthusiasm of the students. If he hadn't been pressing the accelerator quickly, he would have been surrounded by students on the way from Weiming Lake to the Chinese Department.

When he arrived at the Chinese Literature Department, quite a few students followed him. Liu Yimin said directly, "Students, 'Harvest' has just been released. You haven't read the content yet. Just looking at the subject matter isn't enough to warrant your enthusiasm. You should read the content. If you haven't read the content, you won't know what to ask me. Go back!"

The students found it quite reasonable, and they all left with copies of "Harvest" magazine.

He entered the office, placed his bag on the table, and opened the window for ventilation. Many of the coal stoves in other offices have already been removed, but since his office houses many elderly professors, he'll have to endure the carbon monoxide inhalation for a few more days.

"It's so lively! The whole school is in complete chaos! There's only one bookstore on campus, and the door is practically being torn down!" Sun Yushi walked in laughing, holding the latest issue of the "Literary Gazette" in his hand.

As Liu Yimin poked the coal stove and changed the coal briquettes, he chatted idly with Sun Yushi. As time passed, the office became even more lively.

The office was bustling with people in the morning, with the most professors from the Department of Western Languages ​​and Literature coming in. One of them even said, "Yi Min is not suitable for your Department of Chinese Language and Literature, but is more suitable for our Department of Western Languages ​​and Literature. I want to make a suggestion that the school should transfer Yi Min to the Department of Western Languages ​​and Literature."

Upon hearing this, the professor from the Chinese department put down his teacup, nearly spitting tea leaves into the other person's face, and chased him away with a barrage of insults.

Wu Zuxiang grumbled, "Reading 'abcd' like that is driving people crazy!"

"A wolf in sheep's clothing!" Wang Yao exclaimed, his beard bristling and eyes wide with anger.

Around 11 a.m., the newly appointed principal, Ding Shisun, rushed to the Chinese Department and said to Liu Yimin, "Professor Liu, your article is very well written. I have been reading it all morning. I can't wait to see you."

"Principal Ding, you teach mathematics, but you haven't given up your love of literature either!" Wu Zuxiang said with a smile.

Ding Shisun spoke candidly about his understanding of "Beloved," revealing his down-to-earth nature as an elected principal.

Last year, Ding Shisun was studying at Harvard University in the United States when a notice stunned him—he had been voted by the faculty and students of Yenching University to become its president.

Hearing the principal's voice from next door, Yan Jiayan also came over. Ding Shisun said to Yan Jiayan, "Professor Yan, your Chinese department has achieved remarkable results this year. You truly deserve to be called the number one department in the world. The university should strongly support your development."

"Principal Ding, shouldn't we get more funding?" Yan Jiayan's expression was exactly the same as when Liu Yimin asked Yan Jiayan for money.

Ding Shisun was momentarily speechless: "Well, let's talk about that later!" He then immediately changed the subject, praising Liu Yimin's novel as sure to win countless awards around the world.

"Unless the judges are blind!"

Yan Jiayan said, "Nothing is more worthwhile than providing some funding."

“Professor Yan, your Chinese department has a lot of funding too! Besides, I don’t have the final say on funding.” Ding Shisun said helplessly.

Seeing that there were too many people, Ding Shisun and Liu Yimin went into Yan Jiayan's office. After closing the door, Ding Shisun angrily said that Yan Jiayan was putting him in a difficult position and forcing him to resign in the crowd.

Liu Yimin said, "Professor Ding, the Chinese Department is really short of money, Professor Yan and you can't do anything about it!"

Ding Shisun looked at Liu Yimin and said, "Then tell me, where did you spend your money?"

Yan Jiayan winked at Liu Yimin, who quickly explained the practical difficulties in teaching, and then added, "Our department has established a scholarship."

"I know, it's the Yimin Academic Scholarship!"

Liu Yimin gave an embarrassed smile: "This is the name everyone came up with. The original intention of the scholarship was to help students study better, but unfortunately, the funding is not enough at the moment. This is the first time we've awarded it this year, and many students' families are indeed in financial difficulty. If the school could provide some financial support..."

"This is a good thing, but if the school supports it, what about the other departments?" Ding Shisun thought for a while and then said, "How about this, I'll go back and discuss it. The funding definitely won't be approved for too much. This is a good thing, so you should also report it to the ministry. Maybe the ministry will approve more."

After Ding Shisun finished speaking, he proposed his idea to Yan Jiayan: to allow Yenching University students to freely change their majors.

Yan Jiayan was suddenly in a dilemma. Ding Shisun had just suggested increasing funding for the Chinese Department, and now he couldn't very well not support it. But if students were allowed to freely switch departments, what would happen if all the students flocked to the Chinese Department?
In addition, the country has professional plans every year. It would be a waste for the country to find that all the students in Yenching University's plan have gone to the Chinese department after graduation, and the country cannot recruit graduates for the professional gaps. That would delay the national plan.

"Professor Ding, did you study in the United States?" Yan Jiayan stalled for time, trying to clear his head.

"I think students don't understand their major, and they may not like it when they get to school. If we put them in another major, they might be able to show unexpected strengths."

(End of this chapter)