Literary Master 1918: Starting with New Youth

Yang Zizhen didn't have time to collect the books this time.

This led to Yang Huaizhong discovering the "Fiction Journal" immediately. However, unexpectedly, he did not react on the spot. Instead, he gave him a "you wait" look, as if he was about to pick up a broom and give him a good stern dressing-up after the other person left.

He was extremely guilty, caught between a rock and a hard place, so he obediently got up from the recliner, lowered his head and remained silent, wishing he could swallow the entire "Fiction Journal" whole.

As his eyes darted around, he spotted the person approaching, and a storm raged within him.

The man was not tall, in fact, rather short, with a slightly hunched back, but unlike the typical slender scholar, he appeared quite robust.

Her round face didn't have many distinctive features, but behind her round-framed glasses, her eyes held a stubborn sharpness.

As a die-hard fan of "New Youth" magazine, Yang Zizhen reacted almost immediately—

This is the legendary Qian Xuantong, who defected from the Zhang School to the New Culture School and proposed that "Tongcheng School is a distorted lineage, and the selection of scholars is a monster," thus pinning the Tongcheng School's classical prose and the Six Dynasties' parallel prose to the bullseye of the New Literature movement!

Although his father was a professor at Yenching University, he had only taken office a few months ago. He didn't visit Yenching University often and rarely met the editors of "New Youth," dreaming of shaking hands with each of them.

How could he not be excited when a prominent figure suddenly appeared in his own yard?

Besides, why would Qian Xuantong come all this way? He must have something important to do; judging from his appearance, he's looking for someone.

As for who to look for, isn't it obvious? The old folks were right, gold always shines!

Immediately afterward, under Yang Huaizhong's gaze, Yang Zizhen seemed to come alive, wrinkles forming on her face. She tucked the miscellaneous books under her arm and stretched out her hands to greet Qian Xuantong.

Qian Xuantong wondered who this cheerful young man who had come to greet him was, but he still extended his hand politely. As the old man and the young man shook hands tightly, he asked earnestly:

"My name is Qian Xuantong. You must be Wu Zhu, right? Truly, a hero emerges from among the young!"

Yang Zizhen's smile froze on her face.

What the heck?

Why did you come to find Wu Zhu?

Thinking back to what Wu Zhu had said last night, he had a bad feeling...

It felt like a literary dream was about to shatter...

Unable to bear his son's disgraceful behavior any longer, Yang Huaizhong stepped forward, pulled Yang Zizhen's hand away, and explained:

"My son, Yang Zizhen, has made a fool of himself, Brother Qian."

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

An awkward silence fell over the three of them.

Qian Xuantong was somewhat embarrassed. What could be more awkward than visiting someone's home and then mistaking them for someone else?

"I am Wu Zhu. I have long admired your name, sir, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you today!"

Wu Zhu watched a good show and immediately displayed high emotional intelligence by taking Qian Xuantong's hand.

Qian Xuantong, now with a way out, softened his expression considerably. While sizing up the young man before him, he wondered where he'd heard that voice before, but his polite greetings didn't stop:

"I've heard so much about you. I never expected you to be so young. It's truly beyond my expectations."

"Sir, you are in your prime and full of energy!"

"Oh, not at all. The novel you asked Brother Yang to bring me was so captivating that I almost thought it was about a tree spirit emerging from the mountains. Zhongfu felt the same way; it was only after seeing your request that we realized it wasn't the same person!"

Yang Zizhen was stunned.

The way these two were talking was clearly not the kind of instruction a teacher gives to a student, which is quite intriguing.

Then there's the content. What does it mean to be "greatly shocked" and what does it mean to "almost think it was a tree spirit coming out of the mountains"?

You're a liberal arts professor and a pioneer of modern literature. It's one thing to be moved by rural students, but how could you compare Wu Zhu to Lu Xun?

This isn't right! Something must have gone wrong!

He had no time to think further, as Qian Xuantong's conversation with Wu Zhu continued.

"Your piece 'Medicine' is ingeniously conceived with two interwoven storylines, and its level of descriptive writing is unparalleled, even surpassing that of Shuren. It not only exposes the national character but also leaves ample room for hope. The entire piece uses modern punctuation and a new left-to-right layout, which perfectly suits the needs of 'New Youth.' I've tentatively decided to place your version as the first article next month!"

"Thank you for your kind offer. Does this count as approved?"

"Of course it counts! Tell me the truth, did you really write this yourself? Or did you have someone else write it for you?"

"I only arrived in Yanjing yesterday. I wrote this novel last night. Mr. Yang and Zizhen can testify to this. There is absolutely no possibility of it being ghostwritten."

Yang Huaizhong immediately chimed in, saying that he had borrowed paper and pen from Yang Zizhen and finished the paper in just one night, also writing a thesis along the way.

Qian Xuantong was shocked. The more he looked at Wu Zhu, the more he felt that it was a great treasure.

I wish I could drag him to Yenching University right now and show him to the editorial team of "New Youth" magazine. He's the best of the younger generation!

This production speed is truly astonishing!

As for Yang Zizhen... he didn't say anything, because his world had collapsed.

As a leading figure in the new literature movement, Qian Xuantong's literary achievements are beyond question. Such praise for a hastily written novel speaks volumes about how well Wu Zhu wrote it.

Unfortunately, he slept in late this morning and didn't see it right away...

But that's a different matter!

The important thing is that a literary genius has actually arrived by his side, and he, who was just mocking Wu Zhu, now feels like the red-nosed clown in a Russian circus, trying to liven things up...

As a result, his dream of becoming a literary giant began to falter, and could be shattered at any moment!

The three of them sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, ignoring the dejected middle school student.

With the praise preceding it, Wu Zhu didn't hesitate and asked quite generously:

"Sir, may I see my final royalty request?"

"I understand! New Youth is not a profit-making magazine, but your novel is very important to us, and I value you as a person even more! I believe you know the rules, so this money can only be paid by Zhongfu personally."

"How many exactly?"

"At the current maximum rate, it's five yuan per thousand words. Long-term contributions can be discussed further."

Because of Gu Hongming, Wu Zhuben was a little depressed, but when he heard about the royalties, he was overjoyed and his heart was filled with happiness.

Five yuan per thousand words may not be much, but it was enough to put an end to his financial difficulties.

Keep in mind that this was in the early years of the Republic of China, when the purchasing power of silver dollars had not yet collapsed. Five silver dollars were enough for a working family to live on for ten days or half a month.

He was guaranteed at least twenty silver dollars for this one piece, "Medicine".

Before coming to Yanjing, his father and brothers scraped together thirty silver dollars by selling all their family property and with the help of others. Now, he can earn that back in just one short story.

Intellectuals are a rarity in this era, and those who achieve something are even rarer. The income from mental labor is still much higher than that from physical labor.

Therefore, he has no reason to bargain about his current treatment.

The journal *New Youth* advocates for non-profit contributions, and Chen Zhongfu has many personal expenses; this is the maximum he can afford to fund. It's a truly sincere effort—contributing regularly to earn a basic living, and worrying about the future later!

Who knows, if the sales of "New Youth" improve, the fees for articles will also rise steadily in the future.

Besides, if you make a name for yourself with New Youth magazine, you can earn extra money by submitting articles to business magazines.

"Young Master Wu, what's your decision?"

"Can!"

"That's good. I've completed the task Zhongfu assigned me. What pen name will you use when it's published?"

"Can't I use my real name?"

"I don't recommend it. It'll make you a target and cause trouble..."

"...Hmm, let's use 'Bamboo Gentleman' as my name."

"Good! I hope you, like your pen name, possess noble character and integrity!"

Having agreed on a price, the two changed the subject and began discussing their intention to cooperate long-term.

Occasionally, he would interject with his insights on literature. The more they talked, the more terrified Qian Xuantong became. The young man in front of him was dressed in shabby clothes, like a decadent scholar from the countryside, but he was surprised to find that his knowledge was on par with Qian Xuantong's. Some of his views were even things that Qian Xuantong had never thought of before!

splat—

Yang Zizhen's copy of "Fiction Journal" slipped from her armpit and fell to the ground, as if accompanied by the sound of a heart breaking.

His dream of becoming a literary giant, just like this miscellaneous book, was shattered!

Five yuan per thousand words! What does that even mean?

He doesn't even get five yuan a month in pocket money!

Wu Zhu had only arrived in Yanjing yesterday and stayed up all night to finish a novel, which was easily accepted by "New Youth" magazine and he even received the top-tier royalties. This was quite a blow to him.

Not to mention that he was now talking eloquently with his idol, displaying the demeanor of a learned professor, which made him even more uncomfortable.

Why is it so infuriating to compare yourself to others?

Could it be that he really isn't cut out for literature?

Yang Zizhen fell into deep self-doubt...

When Yang Huaizhong saw his eldest son like this, he could understand what he was thinking. He felt that it was worth it to let Wu Zhu stay overnight, finally letting his son understand him clearly.

After all, Han Xin once said, "Don't dream of something that can't be realized."

As Yang Zizhen's father, how could he not know her literary talent?

There is absolutely no possibility of him becoming a literary giant...

Otherwise, I wouldn't have kept urging him to study science so he could serve the country through industry.

Seeing that Wu Zhu and Qian Xuantong were nearing the end of their conversation, he asked about another matter of concern:

"Wu Zhu, did you pass your researcher interview?"