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

Chapter 549 Providing Zhu Lin with a Car (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
They chatted until noon, but neither Liu Yimin nor Cao Yu went home. Instead, they ate at the Beijing People's Art Theatre's canteen. While they ate, people would come over to greet them from time to time, creating a lively scene.

After dinner, on his way back, Liu Yimin stopped by Muxidi to visit Li Yuru. Li Yuru was at home listening to the radio, which was Wu Zuxiang narrating "Dream of the Red Chamber".

When the door opened, Li Yuru was lying on the sofa, half asleep. Seeing that it was Liu Yimin, she quickly pulled him into the living room.

"Yimin, what brings you here today?" Li Yuru asked curiously.

Liu Yimin said, "I took Linlin to work today, and I spent the morning chatting with the teachers at the Beijing People's Art Theatre. I came over this afternoon to have a chat with you."

Li Yuru turned off the radio: "I haven't been sleeping very well lately. I fell asleep almost immediately while listening to Professor Wu talk about 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' Isn't that strange?"

"Haha, if Professor Wu knew that his lectures had a hypnotic effect, he'd probably be so angry he wouldn't want to eat all day." Liu Yimin laughed immediately.

Wu Zuxiang was old, so he spoke slowly and softly, lacking in energy. If someone didn't understand "Dream of the Red Chamber," it would sound like chanting, and it would be normal to fall asleep.

Besides, Li Yuru is too lonely at home alone; listening to the radio might help. Cao Yu has to go to work, Wan Fang can't come over, and Li Yuru's child with her ex-husband is even less likely to come.

Liu Yimin sat on the sofa and talked with Li Yuru for an hour, slowly recounting his experiences in the United States to her. Li Yuru listened attentively, and always laughed heartily when he mentioned the interesting parts.

"I never imagined that a dog could be so popular with Americans. From what you're saying, it's almost like they're treating it as a spiritual totem," Li Yuru said loudly.

Liu Yimin suggested, "Our dog is very cute, and with the movie, it's normal for them to like it. Madam, if you're ever bored, you should get a dog or a cat too."

"Keep a dog or a cat? Very few people keep pets in this apartment. Cats and dogs would have problems with pooping and peeing, and their fur would fly everywhere. Keeping them would just add to my workload. Forget it, I'd better not keep one. I think your teacher will be retiring soon, then things will be better." Li Yuru quickly waved her hand.

"Then you two mustn't fight. The teacher complained to me today, saying you're meddling too much!"

Seeing Li Yuru frown, Liu Yimin quickly said, "Master's wife, I'm on your side, you don't need to question that. She's getting old, so it's time to keep her in check. But please, please don't let them quarrel."

"Hmph, he dares to complain! Tell me, how can an old man's body withstand this? I know he sometimes feels unwell and often sighs in his study, but he can't afford to ruin his health," Li Yuru said with a worried expression.

"Yes, so it's good that you're in charge."

Liu Yimin knew he would have to come back to pick up Zhu Lin soon after going home, so he simply stayed and chatted with Li Yuru until 5 p.m. before saying goodbye and leaving.

After seeing her off at the bottom of the stairs, Li Yuru turned back, closed the heavy wooden door, and looked at the empty room. The joy on her face disappeared.

Liu Yimin picked up Zhu Lin at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and rushed home. On the way, Zhu Lin took out four tickets from his pocket: "Tomorrow is Sunday. There's a children's performance at the Children's Palace. How about we take Liu Yu and Liu Lin to see the show?"
The two children are growing up; they should see more of the world.

"Sure, whatever you say. What kind of performance?"

"I don't know, it's a performance by elementary school students from the whole district, with all kinds of programs."

"Where did you get these tickets? Shouldn't a lot of parents be going?"

"It was issued by the Beijing People's Art Theatre's labor union," Zhu Lin said with a smile.

Union tickets were not given to employees free of charge. Before 1978, the union charged employees 1% of their monthly wages as membership fees. After 1978, in order to reduce the burden on employees, the membership fees were reduced to 0.5%.

As soon as we got home and unlocked the door, Liu Yu and Liu Lin ran over excitedly, each holding a toy.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin each held one of the children on their laps. Liu Yimin looked at Zhu Lin and asked, "What good TV shows are on tonight?"

"TV? There's nothing good to watch. Everyone's looking forward to 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' but it probably won't air until May," Zhu Lin said helplessly.

"Alright then." Liu Yimin patted Liu Yu's bottom: "How about Mom and Dad take you to the Children's Palace tomorrow?"

The two were puzzled when they first heard the words "Children's Palace". Zhu Lin wiped Liu Lin's mouth with his hand and said, "There are many children in the Children's Palace. They are going to perform. Let's go and watch the older brothers and sisters perform."

Xi Mei cooked the food and quickly brought it up. After finishing her meal, Xi Mei hurriedly went to wash the pot. At this time, Liang Xiangdong was probably already waiting for her downstairs.

"Professor Liu, Sister Lin, I'm leaving now." Xi Mei untied her apron. "Is there anything else I haven't done?"

Zhu Lin said with a smile, "Everything is ready. Hurry up and come downstairs. It's getting colder and colder. In the future, invite Xiang Dong to come up and sit down."

“I called out to him, and he felt embarrassed,” Ximei said.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You two drive back carefully, it's windy!" Liu Yimin said.

"it is good."

After Ximei left, Zhu Lin played with Liu Yu and Liu Lin in the house, while Liu Yimin played games with them, holding candy. When they were exhausted, Zhu Lin let them go to sleep.

After taking a shower, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin lay naked on the bed. Feeling the fighting spirit beneath them, Liu Yimin smiled and hugged Zhu Lin, whose beautiful eyes were shining.

"Teacher Liu, shouldn't we let the two little ones sleep in our room? Otherwise, we won't be able to hear them crying," Zhu Lin said with concern.

Liu Yimin kissed him forcefully: "After you finish your business, bring them in. Time is tight and the task is heavy, don't think too much, look at me!"

The two kept exchanging their experiences and changing their communication methods until they were drenched in sweat and had exhausted their energy.

Zhu Lin took out a tissue and wiped Liu Yimin's sweat: "Quickly cover yourself with the blanket, don't catch a cold."

Zhu Lin took the thin blanket next to her and covered herself with it. After the sweat dried, she put on her pajamas, went to the bedroom next door, and brought in the two little ones who were fast asleep.

Looking at the two sleeping, Zhu Lin chuckled softly, "Look, Xiaoyu is clenching her fists when she sleeps. Teacher Liu, who does she look like?"

"Who does he look like? He's just a kid, maybe he looks like you when you were little. Look at Liu Lin, oh my, his butt's up in the air, is he alright?" Liu Yimin asked worriedly.

Zhu Lin gently corrected Liu Lin's sleeping position: "It's okay, it's okay. I checked him, and Mom took him to the hospital for a check-up too. He's perfectly healthy. Children sleep like this probably because they feel safe."

Seeing that the two were sleeping soundly, Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin turned off the light with peace of mind. The two chatted quietly about Liu Yu and Liu Lin, wondering what they would be like when they grew up.

"Teacher Liu, do you think they won't listen to us when they grow up?"

Liu Yimin patted Zhu Lin's chest to reassure her: "Children need proper education. How they grow up depends on how adults educate them. Besides, they don't necessarily have to listen to us. What if they do it themselves and do it even better?" Zhu Lin gently slapped Liu Yimin's hand: "Teacher Liu, you're right. I'll leave the education of these two children to you from now on."

"Alright! Time to sleep!" Liu Yimin rolled over and pulled the blanket up to his shoulder. Zhu Lin kicked Liu Yimin and said, "Turn over and sleep."

"It's hot! Belly to belly, better than an electric blanket."

"So you won't get cold." Zhu Lin pulled Liu Yimin back and curled up in his arms.

The next day, when the two woke up, they found Liu Yu and Liu Lin sitting on the bed watching them.

"what happened?"

Liu Yu and Liu Lin shook their heads, their small eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin helped them get dressed, and after they were dressed, Liu Yimin got up to make breakfast.

The performance at the Children's Palace was in the evening, so Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin took the two little ones to visit their maternal grandparents during the day. They hadn't told them beforehand, so they gave Zhu's parents a surprise when they arrived.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhu tried various ways to make the two little ones happy, and Mrs. Zhu remarked that the house had become more lively.

"What do you two want to eat? Grandma will make it for you." Zhu's mother happily pinched Liu Yu and Liu Lin's cheeks.

Zhu Lin said, "Mom and Dad, don't always spoil them. They can have whatever they want for lunch."

"We don't spoil them, we're just happy to see these two little ones." Father Zhu picked Liu Lin up high and gently rubbed his nose against Liu Lin's nose. Laughter filled the 70-square-meter house with the sounds of laughter from the old and young.

After they had finished playing around, Liu Yimin and Zhu's father discussed their thesis in the study. Liu Yimin had brought back a lot of materials for him, all about the history of the development of the automobile industry in the United States and the West.

Mr. Zhu was very happy to see these materials, but his English was not very good, so Liu Yimin had to help translate many of them.

At 5 p.m., Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin had an early dinner and took the two children to the Children's Palace to watch a performance. The Yanjing Children's Palace is located at No. 11 Jingshan Back Street and is a building with a palace-style red wall.

It wasn't intended to be built like this; rather, it was originally a palace converted from the Shouhuang Palace. The concept of the children's palace here is quite advanced; children can even learn how to send telegrams during a military march.

The elementary school competitions in Chaoyang District mostly consisted of singing and dancing, lacking any distinctive features. There was one classic play—"Hero Wang Erxiao." Even the young and sensible Liu Yu and Liu Lin, witnessing Wang Erxiao's tragic end, sadly lowered their heads.

The following performances had Liu Yu and Liu Lin laughing non-stop, because the program consisted of either short skits or short vignettes rehearsed by the students. One of them was a skit performed by Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao; the students' immature performance style, however, had its own unique charm.

The venue was filled with parents and teachers, but some audience members like Liu Yimin found it uninteresting and left early.

Zhu Lin asked in a low voice, "Teacher Liu, I heard that the Children's Palace offers some children's dance classes. Would you like to join?"

"It's still early, they're only a few years old. You're just worrying too much about the two little ones. Don't worry, just take it one step at a time and let nature take its course. If Xiaoyu likes dancing when she grows up, she can learn; if she doesn't, she doesn't have to." Liu Yimin held Zhu Lin's hand, telling her not to worry too much.

After the performance, applause erupted. The judges in the front row scored the performances, and the students from Chaoyang No. 1 Primary School won first prize for their performances of "Hero Wang Erxiao," "Young Pioneers," and "Red Scarf," while "Roasted Lamb Skewers" won second prize.

Some people left, while others waited until the children finished their performance before leaving. Once most of the people had dispersed, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin carried the two little ones out of the children's palace.

Outside, a fierce wind howled, sand and stones flew everywhere, and plastic bags danced in the air. Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin took off their coats, wrapped the two little ones in their arms, and quickly placed them in the back seat when they reached the car.

"It's so cold!" Zhu Lin got into the car, constantly rubbing Liu Yu and Liu Lin's hands, afraid they would get cold. When they got home, they cooked a pot of ginger soup, and everyone drank some before going back to their rooms to sleep.

The bodies were warm, but the two little ones wet the bed that night.

In the morning, after taking out all the sheets and duvet covers and throwing them into the washing machine, Zhu Lin smelled the room and only stopped when she found that the urine smell was gone.

Liu Yimin was planning to go to the school when Yang Weiguang, the deputy director of the station, called to tell him some good news.

"Yimin, we have the cars you wanted, a Santana and a Volkswagen Santana. Do you like them? We also have a Polish Polonez. Which one do you want?"

The Santana was a legendary car of its time, dominating the Chinese market for many years. The Polish Polonaise was a hatchback, modeled after Soviet sedans. It was relatively inexpensive, arguably the cheapest sedan in China at around 20,000 yuan.

Of course, the price is cheap, but the disadvantages are also obvious. First of all, Russian cars have many minor problems, and the imitations are even more so.

"A Volkswagen Santana, how much is it? Thank you, Master Yang."

"It costs over 67,000 yuan, with taxes payable separately. Of course, you'll also need a quota of 8,500 US dollars, but foreign exchange shouldn't be a problem for you," Yang Weiguang said.

The price of the Volkswagen Santana has increased significantly this year compared to last year, mainly due to exchange rate fluctuations. China is facing a severe shortage of foreign exchange, which is why a foreign exchange quota is required to buy a car.

"Yang Tai, when can we go see the car?" Liu Yimin asked.

"If you have time today, go. Cars are in high demand, and there are countless people eyeing them. The sooner you get them, the better."

Liu Yimin checked the time: "Okay, I'll go today."

"Teacher Liu? The car?" Zhu Lin asked curiously.

"Yes, there is one. This one is for you. After you learn how to use it, you won't have to worry about wind or rain when you go to and from get off work."

Zhu Lin's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, but it was quickly replaced by worry: "Learning to drive is so difficult, I'm a little worried."

"It's alright, the experienced driver will help you," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Today, Zhu Lin went to work by herself, while Liu Yimin took the bus to the car pick-up location, inspected the car, found no problems, and paid the money directly.

With taxes and such, the car cost over 70,000 yuan. After receiving the invoice, Liu Yimin floored the gas and sped away. The Santana's design was classic, and the interior was relatively decent; for cars of this class in this era, nothing was particularly refined.

Liu Yimin drove to the Public Security Bureau to get a license plate. After completing all the formalities, Liu Yimin drove the car back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

Those who can afford to live in the Overseas Chinese Apartments are all financially well-off, and the two cars parked downstairs did not attract much attention.

P.S.: Another chapter will be sent later.

(End of this chapter)