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

Chapter 94 The Publisher Makes an Exception

After leaving Yu Shizhi's office, Liu Yimin returned to his room and began organizing his script. However, the first draft had many revisions, so he had to make another copy and submit it.

Copying in the dead of winter is truly a grueling task!

Liu Yimin returned to his room on the third floor with a worried look on his face. There were already quite a few people cooking, and when they saw Liu Yimin, they all warmly invited him to come and have a taste.

Liu Yimin politely declined each request, returned to his room, put down his things, picked up his lunchbox, and prepared to go to the cafeteria for a meal.

As soon as the door opened, a rich aroma wafted out. Yang Lixin stood at Liu Yimin's door with the food in his hand, hesitating whether to knock or not. Unexpectedly, Liu Yimin came out, and the two stared at each other in disbelief.

A hint of helplessness flashed across Yang Lixin's face before he licked his dry lips and said awkwardly, "Comrade Liu Yimin, you haven't eaten yet, have you? This is some noodles with soybean paste that I made myself. Would you like to try some?"

Liu Yimin glanced at the noodles; the sauce contained diced meat. Yang Lixin was from Yanjing and loved this kind of food.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was about to refuse, Yang Lixin mustered up his courage, barged into Liu Yimin's room, put the noodles on the table, and then ran out to bring in a plate of scrambled eggs and scrambled potatoes.

"Screenwriter Liu, my cooking is amazing! You should try it. I've always had a strong palate, but I didn't put any chili peppers in this time. If you want it spicy, I have some chili peppers here, just put them in. It'll be delicious!"

Yang Lixin gradually relaxed after initially feeling awkward. Sometimes, you hesitate before doing something, but after you've done it, it doesn't seem like such a big deal!
Yang Lixin kept encouraging himself, determined to seize the opportunity. Even if he couldn't seize it this time, he could seize it next time.

"Then I'll try your cooking today. Give me some chili sauce, I like it too!"

"Okay, this braising sauce is my own recipe, and everyone who's tried it says it's great. If you don't want to go downstairs anymore, just come to my place. I make it myself, and it's just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks since I'm all alone."

"Thank you for your help, it's great!" Liu Yimin tasted it and found it to be delicious and fragrant. With the addition of some minced meat, it tasted even better.

With meat and eggs, Yang Lixin had really gone all out for this meal. Liu Yimin knew what he was thinking; he either wanted to play the young Zhou Tienan or the coppersmith.

When the Beijing People's Art Theatre selects actors, there are two backup options: an A and an B. If an actor is not suitable, the other actor will be replaced.

How many years have you been with the Beijing People's Art Theatre?

Once the topic was set in motion, Yang Lixin began to tell his story from the beginning, with a hint of cunning in his words, telling a poignant little story in an attempt to gain Liu Yimin's sympathy.

"Actually, we're all the same!"

Yang Lixin looked at Liu Yimin in surprise. He didn't see any hardship in Liu Yimin's life. He seemed so glamorous!

Walking down from the third floor felt like going to some movie set. One person on the left said, "Screenwriter Liu, you're back?" Another said, "Yimin, come try my cooking!"

"You only see this side of me, laughing and chatting with Mr. Yu and Mr. Lan, revising the script. You didn't see me staying up late writing the script. Look, my hands are already a little swollen from the cold. Tonight I have to rewrite the revised script again. After I finish copying it, I'll submit it to Harvest magazine. There are so many words. I probably won't be able to sleep all night."

Lixin, it's tough for me too!

Upon hearing this, Yang Lixin realized it was true and quickly comforted him, teaching him some ways to protect his hands, such as soaking them in warm water frequently.

"Screenwriter Liu, you've really had a tough time!"

"Yes, it's really not easy to copy!"

Liu Yimin picked up a piece of egg and continued, "It's so hard to scoop this up; you can't even hold an egg steady!"

Yang Lixin kept his head down, feeling that asking Liu Yimin for help in this way was too much trouble for him. Screenwriter Liu was so busy, was it appropriate to ask him for help?

Ugh!
Suddenly, he looked up and saw Liu Yimin still staring at his hands. He looked at his hands thoughtfully and then had a sudden idea: "Screenwriter Liu, how about this, you give me the task of copying. I'm free tonight anyway, so I'll just treat it as calligraphy practice and I'll definitely copy it for you!"

"Isn't this too much trouble for you?"

"What's the trouble? It's not troublesome at all. You still have your hands to do other things!" Yang Lixin immediately put down his chopsticks and started looking at the manuscript, estimating how long it would take him to finish copying it.

"I'm fine. Copying the script can even help me understand the characters in the script, which is a good opportunity for me!"

"Alright then, thank you so much!"

Yang Lixin packed the manuscript and was ready to go back and copy it.

"Iron Man!"

"Huh? What did you call me?" Yang Lixin asked subconsciously.

"Oh dear, look at my brain! You were so loyal just now, I mistook you for Zhou Tienan from 'Mr. Donkey'! Oh dear!"

Yang Lixin felt his blood rush to his head. He felt as if his heart would jump out of his throat if he opened his mouth. He swallowed hard to calm himself down and said excitedly, "Screenwriter Liu, I'll bring it to you first thing tomorrow morning!"

Watching Yang Lixin excitedly run back to his room, Liu Yimin hummed a little tune and sat down at his desk.

The next day, early in the morning, Yang Lixin knocked on Liu Yimin's door and handed him the script.

"So fast?" Liu Yimin looked at Yang Lixin's hands. Had he really been copying all night?

"Don't worry, Screenwriter Liu, I checked it twice after I finished copying it, and there were no mistakes!"

"Okay, thank you so much. I'll treat you to dinner another day. And please don't call me Screenwriter Liu anymore, just call me Yimin!" Liu Yimin said with a smile after reading it over.

"I'll call you Comrade Yimin!"

"Anything works!"

Yang Lixin felt uncomfortable that people like Teacher Lan and Teacher Yu called Liu Yimin "Yimin" and that he should do the same.

In the morning, during rehearsal, Lan Tianye walked up to Liu Yimin and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Liu Yimin commented: "It was even better than yesterday, but Comrade Xiu Zongdi, who played Zhou Tienan, still failed to capture the feeling of youth."

"Sigh, I'm worried too, it's true! Lao Xiu is good at everything else, but he's still an old cucumber that can't be painted green anymore. Do you have any recommendations?"

Lan Tianye's analogy made Liu Yimin laugh out loud. He glanced at Yang Lixin sitting in the back and said in a low voice, "That young man is quite young and good-looking. He's a good match for the young Zhou Tienan!"

"Yang Lixin, then I'll let him give it a try!"

After saying that, he called out, "Yang Lixin, come here!"

Yang Lixin suddenly stood up, his leg slamming against the back of the chair in excitement, the sound echoing throughout the venue.

“Young people are so easily excited!” Lan Tianye laughed. Following Lan Tianye's instructions, Yang Lixin performed a few lines of Zhou Tienan's dialogue, then acted out the role of the coppersmith. Finally, he said, “He's suitable for the role of Zhou Tienan, but we're still missing a coppersmith!”

Yang Lixin immediately said, "I have someone in mind!"

"You? You should focus on playing Zhou Tienan well first!" Lan Tianye couldn't help but say. If Liu Yimin hadn't been there, he probably would have gotten angry.

“Teacher Lan, Pu Cunxi has lived in Heilongjiang Province, which is close to Mongolia. He knows a few words of Mongolian. Otherwise, there aren’t many people here who understand Mongolian.” Yang Lixin braced himself and finally decided to fight for a chance for Pu Cunxi.

“Old Su’s son, Yimin, what do you think? He’s in the Air Force Political Department Drama Troupe now.”

Yang Lixin leaned close to Liu Yimin's ear and whispered, "Comrade Yimin, he also plagiarized 'Mr. Donkey' yesterday!"

Liu Yimin glared at him. Yang Lixin's words seemed to imply that the two of them were the ones who bribed him yesterday!
"Well, how about we let him try it too? If it doesn't work, we can switch to another one!"

Seeing that Liu Yimin agreed, Lan Tianye immediately asked Yang Lixin to contact Pu Cunxi.

Yang Lixin excitedly ran to No. 56 Shijia Hutong. After copying a few pages last night, he felt that he couldn't finish copying them by himself, so he came here to ask Pu Cunxi for help.

When he stood before Pu Cunxi, he completely lost the humility he had shown before Liu Yimin, revealing the ugly face of a second-hand contractor. He pointed at Pu Cunxi's nose and said, "This is an opportunity given to you by Comrade Liu Yimin. Others wouldn't even have a chance to copy it!"

Seeing this, Pu Cunxi assumed it was already agreed upon and excitedly copied it all night. Today, when Yang Lixin went to inspect it, he casually told him—"To be determined."

Pu Cunxi was a few years older than Yang Lixin, and he almost couldn't resist beating him up.

As Yang Lixin ran, he thought to himself that he had done everything he could to be kind and righteous.

When Pu Cunxi saw that Yang Lixin still dared to come, he angrily cursed, "Is there something else that needs to be copied?"

"Hey, you should thank me. Hurry up and go. Teacher Lan will let you go through the play of Little Coppersmith. Seize the opportunity, maybe you can be transferred back to the Beijing People's Art Theatre!"

"How dare you lie to me!"

"Come if you want, don't come if you don't!"

After Yang Lixin finished speaking, he ran back on his own, not wanting to neglect or lose his role.

This copying was really worthwhile; I'll have to copy it again in the future!

Pu Cunxi ultimately dared not gamble, and rushed to the Beijing People's Art Theatre without bothering to get dressed properly. Only after arriving did he realize just how righteous Yang Lixin truly was!
"You two go up and do a short skit. If it's good enough, then we'll start rehearsing together. Let's make it clear beforehand: perform well. If you don't perform well, we'll have to replace you!"

Lan Tianye returned to the stage to give instructions, while Liu Yimin took a short leave and left the rehearsal hall.

I put the script for "Mr. Donkey" in an envelope, affixed a stamp, and dropped it into the mailbox. The recipient was simply "Li Xiaolin," not the editorial department of "Harvest" magazine.

"I wonder what kind of payment my dear Senior Sister Xiaolin will offer for the manuscript!"

In any case, this royalties were a pleasant surprise.

In the afternoon, Liu Yimin was in the rehearsal hall when Cui Daoyi and his men found him.

"Senior brother, what brings you here?"

Upon hearing the word "senior brother," Cui Daoyi shuddered and said with a complicated expression, "I feel ashamed that you call me senior brother now. I never expected that you would become Elder Cao's student. When I heard the news, I confirmed it several times."

He also went to Zhang Guangnian to confirm, and Zhang Guangnian told Cui Daoyi that he had long suspected that Cao Yu was just someone who wrote book reviews for others.

"You'll always be my senior in the Chinese Literature Department!"

"Just for that statement, I'll accept all your manuscripts from now on, no matter what they are!" Cui Daoyi said warmly, shaking Liu Yimin's hand.

He took them all? This Cui Daoyi is even more shameless than I am!
"I'm not kidding you. This is Li Shu, an editor from the publishing house. Do you have time now? I'd like to talk to you about publishing. I'm afraid you'll be going home for the New Year in a few days!"

The middle-aged man carrying a briefcase next to Cui Daoyi immediately extended his hand and said, "Hello, Comrade Liu Yimin, I am Li Shu, an editor from the publishing house. Your novel published in People's Literature and Art magazine has sold very well and has generated a huge response throughout the country and in higher education."

We're thinking of taking this opportunity to release a standalone volume. What do you think?

"Editor Li, isn't now a bit of an inopportune time? Everyone's already seen it," Liu Yimin said with a smile. He checked the relevant regulations and found that only the basic royalties had been restored, not the print run royalties.

In other words, if Liu Yimin chooses to publish, he will only receive a few hundred yuan!

Li Shu said with a smile, "A standalone book is a standalone book, and a magazine is a magazine. It won't affect anything. In fact, the sales of standalone books will far exceed those of magazines."

"Is that so!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was considering, Cui Daoyi took out an envelope from his bag: "Yimin, this is the payment for your novel being reprinted by Harvest. We didn't expect Harvest to reprint it. For us at People's Literature, this is a huge opportunity for exposure. Aren't you surprised?"

"Senior brother, I saw the sample copy at Teacher Wan's house. Senior sister Xiaolin brought it over."

Cui Daoyi suddenly realized that it was because of the address "Senior Sister Xiaolin" that had alerted him.

"Yimin, think about it. The government hasn't reinstated royalties based on print runs yet, but our editor-in-chief feels it's unreasonable not to pay royalties based on print runs for a book like yours. After all, policies are gradually adapting to development needs and inevitably lag behind actual demands. We've decided to take a roundabout approach and pay you 3% of the print run royalties. Once print run royalties are reinstated, we'll follow the national standards."

Or how about waiting until print run royalties are reinstated, and then paying this portion of the royalties according to the new standard?

When Li Shu heard Cui Daoyi talking about royalties, he realized that the most important thing hadn't been mentioned yet.

"Is this an exception? I hope it won't put you in a difficult position?" Liu Yimin asked.

Li Shu patted his chest and said, "It's alright, there's always a way. Our publishing house has always respected authors and guaranteed their basic rights when it comes to high-quality novels. Yimin, you are an author we want to respect!"

The 3% royalties per print run means that for every 10,000 copies sold, an additional 3% of the basic royalties will be paid. Liu Yimin calculated that the basic royalties for "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" were 315 yuan, so 3% would be a little over 9 yuan. The royalties for a print run of one million copies would only be about 1,000 yuan.

It's really cheap, but compared to current prices, it's still a huge sum. Who knows what the standard will be when royalties for printed copies are reinstated?

"Since we've come this far, thank you to the publisher for respecting us authors who are just showing off our skills!" Liu Yimin grinned in his classic way and agreed to the request to publish the standalone book.

"Then it's settled! Also, Yimin, you'll need to find a few more people to write a preface. Old Cao is definitely one of them, but do you have any other candidates?"

Liu Yimin smiled and looked at Cui Daoyi, who quickly waved his hand: "How could I be worthy of appearing in a book with Elder Cao?"

(End of this chapter)