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

Chapter 93 Script Fees
Ba Jin is hailed as "the conscience of 20th-century Chinese literature," and his political status among domestic writers is also extremely high. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was constantly sent to various countries for visits and exchanges. Shen Congwen once joked that although flying around in the sky is glorious, it is a hard job for an old man.

“Yimin, if my older brother sees you, he’ll definitely put you to the test. You can’t let me down. How’s the script revision going?” Cao Yu asked with a smile.

Unbeknownst to him, Li Yuru frowned slightly, thinking to herself that even eating a meal couldn't be peaceful. Feeling sorry for Liu Yimin, she picked up a piece of braised pork and told him to eat well.

"Thank you, teacher's wife. The script has been revised, and I'm making the final changes!"

Cao Yu glanced at Liu Yimin in surprise and chuckled, "Not bad, you're fast enough. It seems that having you live alone at the Beijing People's Art Theatre has been helpful for your writing. In my estimation, you'll only be able to revise up to the third act at most."

“Yimin doesn’t go to bed until midnight every night, how can he not be fast? Father, you are too strict with Yimin!” Wanfang couldn’t help but say.

Cao Yu said, "Great, you've only known him for a short time and you're already on his side."

After dinner, Liu Yimin, led by Cao Yu, went to his study. The study wasn't large, but under the dim light, it exuded a scholarly atmosphere. A large desk was placed near the window; his desk was about the same size as the two desks used by the editors of *People's Literature*.

Manuscripts and a desk lamp were placed on the desk, and behind the desk was a solid wood bookshelf, on which were placed a plum vase and a square inkstone.

Liu Yimin handed the script to Cao Yu, who sat down at the desk, put on his glasses, and began to read it carefully: "There are records over there. If you want to listen to music, you can play whatever you want. This is your own home."

"Teacher, may I take a look at the books behind you?"

"Look!"

Cao Yu held a pen in his hand, circling any parts he thought were problematic. The bookshelf was filled with all sorts of books; Liu Yimin spent a long time choosing before picking up a copy of Alphonse Daudet's *The Last Lesson*.

It tells the story of the Franco-Prussian War, after which France was defeated and ceded territory to Prussia. A French village primary school on the ceded land is having its last French lesson. After the lesson, they will no longer be able to learn French.

Telling the story of a nation's defeat and expressing patriotism from a child's perspective offers a unique approach. Connecting innocent children with war makes the cruelty of war and the importance of the nation all the more palpable.

"What are you thinking about? You've been reading a short story for so long?" Cao Yu interrupted Liu Yimin, who was still reading, with a smile after finishing the script.

Liu Yimin put the book back on the shelf: "Teacher, I was thinking that when you were in school, many similar 'Last Lessons' happened in our country."

"Yes, this is cultural control carried out by those people, especially targeting children, trying to make them forget their mother tongue and start communicating in Japanese from a young age. This is a common tactic used by invaders, and I really like this book!"

Cao Yu handed the script manuscript to Liu Yimin: "You're very perceptive and quick to learn. There aren't many parts of the script that need revision. I originally thought Quan Quan would fill the entire script with corrections, but you're doing great. I think the theater can already use this version for rehearsals and casting!"

"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, teacher!"

Cao Yu looked at Liu Yimin with satisfaction and said, "I don't want this credit. It's because you have good comprehension and a deep understanding of the stage of drama. Tomorrow I will go to Lan Tianye and ask him to use the script of the first two acts to cast the roles. You can then refine it and go home!"

Cao Yu originally intended to give Liu Yimin a good scolding and put his apprentice in check, but after revising the script, he realized that there weren't many parts that really needed to be changed. He couldn't very well give Liu Yimin a good scolding with a script that basically didn't need any modifications.

In the eyes of Cao Yu's older generation of mentors, while early success is certainly something to be happy about, they also feared it might lead to complacency. Like wheat in winter, it needs to be tamped and threshed before it grows better the following year. The Beijing People's Art Theatre also employs this method of "three tamings" in training its actors.

I prepared a whole bunch of lines today, but I just couldn't bring myself to utter them!
Standing outside the door, Cao Yu instructed Liu Yimin to write more good scripts. The Beijing People's Art Theatre has completely unleashed its potential this year, and scripts are now its biggest weakness. It's not obvious yet, but the longer it goes on, the more apparent this weakness will become.

In the 1980s, the Beijing People's Art Theatre was so short of scripts that it imported many American scripts to perform "foreign plays in a local setting".

"Yimin, remember to come often!" The teacher's wife and Wanfang waved goodbye to Liu Yimin from the doorway.

After closing the door, Wan Fang asked Cao Yu, "Are you really going to choose young people to go to France with Uncle Ba?"

"It's not decided yet, that's what Lao Ba thinks. But there's too much uncertainty surrounding young people, so the relevant departments can't make a decision," Cao Yu said.

“Young people are more uncertain, so let’s choose young people with more certainty. Uncle Ba won’t be choosing people from Shanghai, will he?” Wan Fang pressed.

"The current generation of young writers in Shanghai is still quite inferior to those in other places. I know what you want to ask. Otherwise, when your Uncle Ba comes to Yanjing in a few days, you can ask him yourself."

Upon returning to the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Liu Yimin immediately began revising the script according to Cao Yu's suggestions. He needed to speed things up; the Lunar New Year was fast approaching. His elder brother, Liu Yiguo, sent several telegrams starting in January, inquiring when Liu Yimin would return home.

Cao Yu mainly wrote suggestions for revising the storyline of Jiajia going to Yancheng. He drew a circle and wrote outside the circle, "The transition is too abrupt. We need to plant foreshadowing earlier so that the audience doesn't feel abrupt."

After thinking for a long time, Liu Yimin decided to add a scene where Jiajia secretly reads a progressive publication, and then make no other changes.

The next day, Liu Yimin handed the script to Lan Tianye early in the morning. After reading the script, Lan Tianye said happily, "Young people are efficient. In terms of time, you are three days ahead of Jiabao Gong's expectations!"

As Lan Tianye read the script, he recounted the bet Cao Yu had made with him about how long Liu Yimin would revise it. The revisions were completed three days faster than Cao Yu had predicted, and Lan Tianye hadn't expected to have it ready before the Spring Festival.

Inside the rehearsal hall, the two were reading the script when they heard Cao Yu's laughing and cursing voice outside: "Where's Yimin? Tell that kid to get out here!"

Lan Tianye glanced at the entrance and said in a low voice, "Did you make Jia Bao Gong angry?"

Liu Yimin was also completely baffled, not understanding what had happened: "No, I'm trying my best to please my teacher, how could I have angered him?"

Cao Yu and Yu Shizhi walked in. When Yu Shizhi saw Liu Yimin, he raised his eyebrows, looking like he was ready to watch a good show.

"Master Jiabao, what's wrong?" Lan Tianye asked.

"Ask the kid next to you when I ever locked you in the room to revise your manuscript? He told my husband that I changed the lock and locked him in the room to revise the manuscript during the day. He doesn't go out and revises until midnight every day, and he's not allowed to sleep before midnight!" Cao Yu said angrily, his hands behind his back.

After leaving last night, Li Yuru kept telling Cao Yu about the way of being a teacher, how to care for one's apprentice, and subtly hinted at it. Cao Yu was completely confused. After asking her carefully, he learned that his apprentice had secretly spoken ill of him in front of his daughter and Li Yuru.

Because of her mother, Wan Fang was always Cao Yu's favorite daughter. When she was little, he often brought her to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to watch plays and rehearsals, nurturing her literary and creative abilities. No wonder his precious daughter reminded him even while eating!
"I'm innocent, teacher! I never said that!" Liu Yimin hurriedly cried out that he was innocent.

"We story writers, who doesn't know how to foreshadow something!"

Lan Tianye and Yu Shizhi walked aside and started reading the script. The two pretended to be detached from the situation, but their ears were glued to the scene of the loving relationship between the master and apprentice.

"This disciple of Jiabao Gong..." Yu Zhi didn't finish his sentence; he didn't know how to describe him halfway through.

Lan Tianye glanced at him and said in a low voice, "We're all getting old. Who wouldn't want a mischievous young person by their side? I think Jiabao is enjoying it. Wanfang has also grown up. After getting married, he can't be by his side often. Now he has a student with him. Look at his happy face. He doesn't look angry at all."

"My dear Jiabao, it's been a while since I've been this happy."

Cao Yu achieved fame at a young age, but in the second half of his life, he failed to create works that matched his reputation, which fueled his discontent. He painstakingly plotted to reignite his passion once more. In 83, the painter Huang Yongyu wrote a letter to Cao Yu, telling him that he had "shrunk from an ocean into a small stream."

Faced with the criticism from his juniors, Cao Yu was not angry at all. Instead, he framed the letter to warn himself, but in the end, he still left with resentment.

The Beijing People's Art Theatre acted swiftly, and under Lan Tianye's direction, began casting and rehearsals. First, Yu Shizhi was cast as the principal in *Mr. Donkey*, and Lü Zhong as Zhang Yiman. The names might sound unfamiliar, but if you mention she played Wu Zetian in *Detective Dee*, everyone will recognize her.

Now that she's thirty-eight, with a little makeup, she'd be perfect for playing Zhang Yiman.

The character Pei Kuishan in "Mr. Donkey" is played by Xiu Zongdi. Liu Yimin had just seen his performance in "The Loyal Heart" a few days ago, where he played a cunning and chameleon-like character, which was quite suitable for Pei Kuishan, who went on a rampage of slander after his advances were rejected.

The young Zhou Tienan was betrothed to Wu Guiling, the husband of Lü Zhong, who played Zhenyuan Daxian in "Journey to the West".

However, due to her age, despite several rehearsals, she simply couldn't capture the essence of the young Zhou Tienan. The young Zhou Tienan was impetuous and prone to rash actions. Wu Guiling's portrayal, however, conveyed a mature and composed impulsiveness, lacking that certain recklessness.

The coppersmith's wife was Yan Minqiu, the Abbess Miejue from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber".

However, Lan Tianye didn't have many suitable candidates. Those with a significant age difference wouldn't be noticeable after makeup. So, without the roles of Jiajia and the coppersmith, Lan Tianye began his first rehearsal.

As arranged by Cao Yu, Liu Yimin sat beside the actors with his script, watching their performance and immediately revising the script if anything was unsuitable for the actual situation.

"Xiaolin wants your script. Once it's been revised twice and is almost finished, you can send it to her," Cao Yu said.

"Okay, teacher."

"In addition, the playwright plays a very important role in the play. You are a young person, so you should listen to the opinions of veteran comrades Lan Tianye and Yu Shizhi, and ask them for advice if you don't understand something. Let Yu Shizhi talk to you about the script fee. I need to avoid any appearance of impropriety between us."

"Teacher, I understand."

"I'm glad you understand!"

After Cao Yu left, Liu Yimin revised the script on set, and many actors offered good suggestions. For example, Lü Zhong said that some of Zhang Yiman's lines were too convoluted and did not fit her easygoing personality.

After spending an afternoon with everyone, Liu Yimin learned a lot. Although some roles were small, everyone performed them seriously. The coppersmith's wife had very few scenes, and while others rehearsed, Yan Minqiu would sit on the sidelines, pondering how to make the character more memorable.

The actors were also very satisfied with Liu Yimin, and they accepted all his suggestions as long as they were reasonable, unlike some veteran screenwriters who were difficult to work with when they offered their opinions.

"Yimin, how did it feel?" Yu Shizhi asked after the rehearsal.

"There's a reason why Beijing People's Art Theatre's plays are so popular: 'One minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage!'"

“There are no small roles, only small actors. No matter how small the role, if you perform it well, the actor is no small actor.” So Zhi led Liu Yimin into his office to discuss royalties.

"Yimin, the Beijing People's Art Theatre has just reopened, and our internal script royalties standards are still a complete mess!"

As soon as Yu Zhi opened his mouth, Liu Yimin felt a chill in his heart. Wasn't this just setting the stage for low royalties?

"Teacher Yu, it's alright. I personally agree with the Beijing People's Art Theatre's arrangement for royalties." After saying this, Liu Yimin placed his slightly swollen hands on the table, intentionally or unintentionally showing them off.

So Zhi's eyelids twitched, and he helplessly looked away: "Some comrades offered 100 yuan, but I didn't agree. After all, we've seen how hard you've worked, and I severely criticized them."

"Mr. Yu, we're all family, so there's no need for all this. Just tell me!" Liu Yimin glanced at the cunning Yu Shizhi, who was still playing these tricks on him.

First, set low expectations for you, then raise them slightly higher at the end, exceeding your expectations and making you incredibly touched.

"Two hundred and forty-nine yuan, plus a share of the revenue from subsequent performances. As for the revenue share, it's eighty cents per performance, settled once a year!"

Liu Yimin wasn't surprised by the revenue sharing. He knew the rules of the Beijing People's Art Theatre: the revenue sharing continued while the person was alive, but after fifty years, the scripts became uncopyrighted.

"Two hundred and forty-nine yuan? How come there are odd amounts?" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"Two hundred and fifty yuan doesn't sound good either!"

Liu Yimin laughed and joked, "Then why not two hundred and fifty-one?"

So Zhi laughed and said, "That missing dollar is your share of the profits from the first performance of your script!"

Two hundred and forty-nine yuan, plus subsequent profit sharing, is roughly the same as the novel's royalties of three hundred and sixty yuan. However, if the script is submitted to "Harvest" magazine, with the royalties from "Harvest," I can get at least five hundred yuan!
(End of this chapter)