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

Chapter 596 Father Zhu: Yimin is my benefactor
Liu Yimin held Zhu Lin's hand and comforted him for a few words. The two little ones would have to go to school sooner or later. If they didn't go this year, they would have to go next year.

Zhu Lin rubbed Liu Yu's head, as if asking someone, or perhaps answering himself: "I wonder how these two little ones will do in their studies in the future?"

"Come on, tell Mom, will you study hard when you get to school?" Liu Yimin squatted down in front of Liu Lin and helped him tear open the bag of snacks.

The two of them didn't know what studying meant, they just kept nodding.

"They're very smart. Besides, by the time they take the college entrance exam, it won't be that difficult anymore. They might even get into Tsinghua or Peking University."

Upon hearing "Tsinghua and Peking University," Zhu Lin's eyes crinkled into slits with laughter: "Teacher Liu, you should take your driver's license test these next few days. Your three-month theoretical study period is over. I already passed the theory and skills tests a while ago, and once I pass the practical road test, I'll get my license."

"I feel guilty every time I encounter a traffic cop without a driver's license."

"Okay, I'll go there when I have time."

Seeing that Liu Yimin was a little sleepy, Zhu Lin told him to wash his face, change his clothes, and lie down to rest for a while.

After Liu Yimin washed his face and lay down on the bed, Zhu Lin carried the two little ones out: "Come on, don't keep Daddy from sleeping."

Zhu Lin led them to the study to tell the two little ones a story. The calico cat squatted under the bookshelf, cleaning its face with its paws.

Not long after, Ximei returned from the market on her motorcycle, bringing back sausage and bamboo shoots that Liu Yimin liked to eat, as well as a large black watermelon.

"Sister Lin, should we wait until Professor Liu wakes up before cooking?" Xi Mei asked hesitantly.

"About an hour later. He doesn't need to rest for too long after coming back from Wuhan. Wake him up when he's almost ready." Zhu Lin glanced at his watch.

Xi Mei put the vegetables into the kitchen: "Okay, I'll go wash Professor Liu's old clothes."

Xi Mei quickly put the items into the refrigerator, closed the door, and hurried to the main room to take out the old clothes from her suitcase to wash.

Zhu Lin smiled as he watched Xi Mei's retreating figure, then turned his attention back to the two little ones: "The story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' teaches us that we must be honest and never lie."

Liu Yimin slept in bed for an hour and a half. When he came out of the room, he saw Zhu Lin, who was about to come and wake him.

"Teacher Liu, you woke up pretty quickly," Zhu Lin said with a smile.

"If I don't wake up soon, I'll freeze to death from the air conditioning. The temperature is set really low."

"I was just worried you'd get too hot." Zhu Lin nudged Liu Yimin, urging him to go wash up again. "The food is ready!"

"I'm going to take a shower." Liu Yimin walked into the bathroom and washed himself.

Back home, I felt much more relaxed. While taking a shower, I couldn't help but hum a tune.

Zhu Lin, who was leaning against the door, said, "Teacher Liu, please stop singing. You've corrupted the two little ones by singing in the bath. You take them for a bath and they keep humming."

"Haha, like father, like son. We'll have the three of us sing a big duet for you another day."

Liu Yimin hummed a song as he walked out of the bathroom. Zhu Lin told him to shave and apply some skincare products: "Look, it's not even the hottest time of summer yet, and you've already gotten a tan after just one trip outside."

Liu Yimin craned his neck to let Zhu Lin apply skincare products for him, and said cheerfully, "A man can't wear this every day!"

"Good skin makes you look younger. Work is busy and stressful, and people age faster that way," Zhu Lin muttered.

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."

When I got to the dining table, the food was already laid out, with a huge plate in the center and a freshly cut watermelon in the middle.

The two little ones held the chilled watermelon with obvious enjoyment, the juice of the watermelon dripping down their chins and onto their bellies.

Like Liu Yimin, Liu Lin basically never spits out the seeds when eating watermelon. Liu Yu ate and spat out a few black watermelon seeds, which stuck to her chin. Seeing Liu Yimin watching her, Liu Yu grinned, revealing five white baby teeth, and then continued to gnaw on the watermelon.

"Xi Mei, the green bamboo shoots you've prepared taste even better than before. In the summer, when you're full of internal heat, a bite of green bamboo shoots makes you feel inexplicably refreshed." Liu Yimin picked up another bite of green bamboo shoots and put it in his bowl.

Xi Mei said, "Professor Liu, I added a little wasabi, but only a very small amount. It doesn't make it pungent; instead, it enhances the flavor."

"It tastes much better now." Zhu Lin took a bite.

"You two shouldn't just keep eating watermelon, hurry up and eat your meal," Liu Yimin urged.

The two lingered for a while before starting to eat.

After Liu Yimin finished eating, he suggested taking Zhu Lin and the two little ones for a walk in the evening.

“Okay, let’s go for a walk in the park next door,” Zhu Lin said happily.

After the sun set and Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin felt less hot, they took the two little ones out.

When Liu Yimin first touched the Audi 80, he found that the Audi 80's space was slightly smaller than that of the Crown, but Liu Yimin felt it was sufficient.

After setting off, a light touch on the accelerator immediately delivers power throughout the car. The Audi 80 is currently Volkswagen's best-selling model, with sales exceeding one million units in six years.

奥迪80是从奥迪100发展出来的，而奥迪100则是奥迪A6的前身，奥迪80后来发展成为了奥迪A4。

"I think this car is quite comfortable to drive, but I can't really say anything else," Zhu Lin said with a smile.

"The handling and smoothness are good, and I think the appearance is okay too. But it's just a car; as long as it can get around, that's fine," Liu Yimin said.

I ran into Aunt Liang when I went out. Aunt Liang greeted me warmly, "Oh, you changed your car again?"

"Aunt Liang, have you eaten yet?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

"You've eaten, you've eaten. Go have fun, it has to be you!"

Aunt Liang waved to him, indicating that he didn't need to stop.

Liu Yimin led them to visit Zhongshan Park, which is not far away. Zhongshan Park also has another name, Xingguo Temple. During the Ming Dynasty, it was a place of worship.

It was called Central Park during the Republic of China period, and renamed Zhongshan Park after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Zhongshan Park is currently undergoing a major construction period, and many of the sights in the park are newly built.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin, holding the two little ones' hands, introduced them to the names of various plants in the park.

In the brightly lit square, many young people, carrying radios, were swaying their bodies unrestrainedly. Dressed in leather shoes, wide-legged trousers, and floral shirts, they were intoxicated by the music and the applause of those around them.

The people watching were mostly children or young people; there were hardly any middle-aged people to be seen.

If elderly people see this, they will not only walk away but also curse it as indecent.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin watched for a while, then, finding it uninteresting, took the two little ones and left.

"How are you? Are you happy?" Liu Yimin asked, looking at the two little ones.

"I'm so happy, Dad! I just saw a cat run through the woods!" Liu Yu said excitedly.

Liu Lin said, "Sister, you're wrong. It's not a cat, it's a dog."

"It's a cat!"

It's a dog!

"It's a cat!"

It's a dog!

"woooooo"

Liu Yimin looked helplessly at Zhu Lin, who gave him a look of utter resignation.

“You two are such little devils, stop arguing. It could be a cat or a dog,” Liu Yimin said seriously.

Liu Yu and Liu Lin rolled their eyes at Liu Yimin, who then slapped Liu Lin on the bottom: "You dare roll your eyes at your dad? You two have really gone too far! Come on, let's go home!"

"Dad, it's clearly a dog, but my sister insists it's a cat!"

"Dad, it's clearly a cat, but my brother insists it's a dog! Humph!"

"Okay, okay, stop arguing, this is giving me a headache."

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin each grabbed one and left, not giving them a chance to continue arguing.

When they got to the car, they saw someone selling popsicles. Liu Yimin went over and bought one for each of the two little ones. The two sat in the car and never mentioned "whether it was a cat or a dog" again.

Back at the courtyard house, Ximei was sitting in the yard reading a book. Liu Yimin asked, "Ximei, have your self-study exam results come out yet?"

"He's out, Professor Liu. He took three exams and only passed one."

Self-study exams offer two exam opportunities per year, with a maximum of four subjects allowed per exam. The number of subjects varies depending on the major. Self-study is essentially taking all the courses required for a university degree in your chosen major; you must pass all the exams to graduate.

"It's alright, there's still plenty of time. Maybe you haven't found the key points for the questions yet. Once you find them, it will be easier to pass," Liu Yimin comforted him.

Xi Mei said regretfully, "I got 59 in the other subject, just one point short."

"That's a bit of a shame, but it's okay. The knowledge we gain is our own," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Xi Mei put down the book: "Sister Lin, I'm going to give Liu Yu and Liu Lin a bath."

"It's okay, I'll go with Teacher Liu, you can read for a while longer." Zhu Lin pulled Liu Yu and Liu Lin towards the bathroom, with Liu Yimin following behind.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were telling the two children stories in the bathroom while washing them with their hands. The two little ones laughed non-stop as soon as they touched the water, constantly splashing the water with their hands.

"Behave yourself," Zhu Lin couldn't help but say.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "They have swimming genes in their bones. You can teach them to swim sometime."

“They’re too young. We’ll wait until they’re a little older,” Zhu Lin said.

Have our parents written to us recently?

"They've arrived, asking how we're doing in Yanjing. It's all just everyday stuff. I told Mom and Dad to come to Yanjing again during the summer vacation, but they haven't replied yet about when they'll come." Zhu Lin rubbed the shampoo in his palm until it lathered up before applying it to Liu Yu's hair.

After giving them a bath, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin were both wet. After Ximei led them into the room, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin took another shower.

Back inside, a fierce battle was inevitable. Only when the moon rose above the ginkgo trees did the commotion gradually subside.

"Teacher Liu, whose telegram is this?"

"Frank's," Liu Yimin said with a smile when he saw the news of winning the Palme d'Or. "As expected, Frank won the award. Now 'Green Book' is a hit even before its release, and I think its global box office performance will be incredibly dazzling."

Zhu Lin took the telegram and read it: "More than twenty countries around the world are having simultaneous releases, mainly Western countries. This is getting bigger and bigger. When will our country's films be released simultaneously around the world?"

"Take it slow, don't rush. It will take some time for our films to catch up with international standards." Liu Yimin couldn't help but make a prediction about the box office performance of "Green Book" in his mind.

In the morning, Wenhui Film Times was the first to report that Green Book had won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and other domestic media outlets subsequently reprinted the report.

Most people in China have read the novel "Green Book," so they can't help but be curious about how the movie turned out.

Unfortunately, "Green Book" will not be released in the country, as China Film Group simply cannot afford such an expensive film.

However, Liu Yimin's screenplays have won numerous international awards, drawing the attention of domestic directors to him. Who wouldn't want international fame? Now, with a seemingly convenient path laid out before them, who could remain calm?

Directors like Huang Zumo became the envy of many.

While filming "The Pilgrimage of One Man," Huang Zumo saw the newspaper, took a deep drag on a cigarette, and without saying a word, continued filming with Jiao Huang.

Zhu Lin went to work, while Liu Yimin spent the morning at home playing with the two little ones, and in the afternoon he wrote the script for the play "God's Visa" in his study.

Around six o'clock, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu arrived at the courtyard on their bicycles. Mr. Zhu had his completed thesis in his bag.

"Grandma, Grandpa!" The two little ones who were playing in the yard immediately put down their things and ran over when they saw Mr. and Mrs. Zhu appear.

Zhu's mother tied up the bicycle: "Come quickly and let Grandma see if you two have grown taller recently?"

Upon hearing the commotion, Liu Yimin immediately came out of the study: "Mom and Dad, please sit down."

"Yimin, you've taken a trip to Shenzhen. What are your impressions?" Zhu's father asked cheerfully.

"I have many feelings about this. Shenzhen's development speed can indeed be described as rapid, but its technological content is really too low," Liu Yimin said.

Mr. Zhu sat down and said, “The Science and Technology Daily reprinted your speech in the Special Zone Daily. I think you are right. While the local government is enjoying the benefits of OEM manufacturing, it should also find ways to support a group of its own technology companies. The competition in the future will be a competition of technology and talent.”

"You two always talk about policy and literature the moment you meet. Yimin is already exhausted, so please stop asking so many questions," Zhu's mother couldn't help but say.

"Mom, it's alright," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Xi Mei brought over the sliced ​​watermelon and tea, and Zhu's father also asked about Xi Mei's exam results.

"Passing one subject is still passing one subject; as long as there is progress, that's what matters," Zhu's father encouraged him.

Zhu's mother then remembered that the groceries she had bought were still hanging on her bicycle, so she got up to take them to the kitchen and help Ximei cook.

Zhu Lin had a last-minute meeting before leaving get off work, and by the time she got home, all the food was ready.

"Yimin, congratulations on your film winning the Palme d'Or. I've heard that this award is very prestigious in the West, one of the most famous film awards." Zhu's father took out a wine cup and wanted to have a couple of drinks with Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin downed the wine in his cup in one gulp: "It's not just my achievement, it's the director's good filming."

"Without a good script, even the best director is like a skilled cook without rice." Zhu's father poured Liu Yimin another glass.

Liu Yimin was worried that Zhu's father would get drunk, so he carefully controlled the amount he drank. Once he felt the father had had enough, he immediately covered the bottle with the lid.

“Dad, drinking less alcohol every day is good for your health; drinking too much is bad for your health,” Liu Yimin said.

When Zhu's father saw that Liu Yimin had taken the wine away, he didn't insist: "Fine, then I won't drink it."

After dinner, Zhu's father went into Liu Yimin's study and handed over the papers that he and his colleagues had written to Liu Yimin.

"Yimin, our thesis is finished. What do you think of it?" Zhu's father asked expectantly.

Liu Yimin opened the paper. He only read the three parts about the current situation of my country's automobile industry and the key points and suggestions for future technological development. He couldn't understand the technical details that were too detailed.

"The oil crisis demonstrated that oil is no longer a safe energy source, especially for our country, which is poor in oil. Once oil security cannot be guaranteed, our national economy will stagnate."

Our future technological research should focus on developing fuel-efficient cars. We've also heard that the West is researching electric vehicles, and we feel we should invest in this area as well. We don't need to go all out to tackle it, but we should at least build up some technological reserves.

Research on electric vehicles began very early, and increased again in the 1960s and 70s. In particular, Japan and the United States, two major automobile manufacturing countries, both formulated development plans for electric vehicles.

“It’s very well written, Dad. I’ll hand it in when I have a chance in a few days,” Liu Yimin said.

Zhu's father was very excited to hear this, but he was also afraid that it would be too difficult to do, so he said, "Yimin, just let nature take its course and don't make things too difficult for yourself."

"It's alright. The higher-ups need papers that delve into the realities of industry and plan for domestic industries. Besides, you write well. If it were poorly written, I certainly wouldn't have given it to them."

Mr. Zhu said happily, "Yimin, do you really think it's well written?"

"It's very well written!" Liu Yimin praised.

Mr. Zhu rubbed his hands together excitedly, his voice tinged with a hint of reserve: "Actually, I think there's still a lot of room for improvement."

"Then you can take it back and revise it?"

"Tsk, that's fine, you kid!" Zhu's father glanced at Liu Yimin helplessly.

Zhu's father then talked to Liu Yimin about avant-garde literature, telling Liu Yimin not to pay attention to the noise.

"Dad, don't worry, the noise won't bother me," Liu Yimin said.

"I can rest assured that."

At nine o'clock in the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Zhu rode their bicycles away from the courtyard house. On the way back, Mr. Zhu couldn't help but hum a song.

Seeing his smug look, Zhu's mother couldn't help but ask, "Is the thesis finished?"

"It's over. Yimin said it's well written." After thinking for a moment, Zhu's father realized that he hadn't been precise in his words, so he emphasized again: "It can only be said that this stage has ended. Academic research is a gradual process, and this is just a stage result."

"If it gets a good response when it's published in the internal reference materials, the higher-ups will definitely support us in conducting a special study," Mr. Zhu said proudly.

Zhu's mother curled her lip: "Look how smug you are!"

"Haha, to have it published in the internal reference—what an honor! Yimin is truly my benefactor!"

"Pah! How dare you talk like that? Yimin is your son-in-law, don't mess up the hierarchy!"

P.S.: Next chapter coming soon.

(End of this chapter)