Writer 1979: Writing for the People

"Going to be an editor at Yanhe is a good thing, you should go!"

First, editing is a respectable job, and it's very rare!

Secondly, you are now a writer, and staying in the magazine office and communicating with other cultured people will definitely help your writing.

Besides, the conditions in the city are much better than here, so you definitely can't miss this opportunity!

Soon, Li Xiuzhi adjusted her state and pretended to be nonchalant as she analyzed the various benefits for Xu Lu.

Xu Lu knew all this, but he just couldn't trust her!

He wanted to say something more, but Li Xiuzhi interrupted him first. She looked at Xu Lu and said earnestly.

"Listen to me, go!"

I know you're worried about me, but don't worry, I can take care of myself.

She even patted his hand gently as she spoke!

She wasn't as delicate as Xu Lu thought, and she didn't want Xu Lu to miss out on such a good opportunity because of her.

Seeing her like this, Xu Lu finally nodded!

He didn't speak again after that.

Li Xiuzhi remained silent throughout; she was usually quiet, but today she was even more so.

  

The two of them went about their own business and then turned off the lights and went to bed early!

In the darkness, Li Xiuzhi bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and slipped into Xu Lu's bed.

She was a young, unmarried woman and too shy to take the initiative, so she had been waiting for Xu Lu to make the first move.

But today, she didn't want to wait any longer!

Sensing the unusual sensation coming from under the covers, Xu Lu turned his head toward Li Xiuzhi and met her burning gaze. A part of his heart instantly melted.

The next second, Xu Lu stood up!

"Brother Xu~"

"Hmm~"

The two leaned against each other in tacit understanding, as the gentle night spread out.

……

I slept soundly through the night, and when I woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky!

As Xu Lu stretched lazily, she didn't feel tired at all. Instead, she felt refreshed, and the sadness of parting had faded considerably.

Li Xiuzhi has already left for work. Although she has a bicycle, the journey is still long, so she usually leaves early.

However, today, she switched seats with Zhang Qiaoqiao and sat in the back.

Last night's events were too intense, and she hasn't recovered yet.

Just thinking about what happened last night made her face turn bright red with embarrassment!

Zhang Qiaoqiao, however, did not understand Li Xiuzhi's "suffering" and instead rode around happily!

……

After breakfast, Xu Lu strolled over to the village's double-item store to pick up letters from readers.

Since the publication of "Maike" in July, the number of reader letters, which had been declining, has started to pile up again.

In addition to receiving a letter from a reader, Xu Lu also received another letter this time.

The address reads "No. 7 West Chang'an Street, Beijing".

Xu Lu didn't realize it until he saw the sender's name, "Zhang De Ning," that this was the office address of "Beijing Literature."

Oh no, it's only 1979 now, and it's still called "Beijing Literature and Art." It won't be renamed until next year.

It was one of the earliest local publications established after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and its first editor-in-chief was Lao She.

It was suspended and then resumed publication midway through its run, but it never achieved any particularly outstanding results in the field of literature.

It wasn't until Li Qingquan was transferred to the position of editor-in-chief last year that the publication began to transform, and it quickly rose to become one of the top literary publications in the country.

Despite being at the same level as "Yanhe" and both being provincial publications, their influence is worlds apart.

As for Zhang Dening, this recurring NPC in the literary giant's novel, he will be the editor of "Beijing Literature and Art".

Since graduating from the Chinese Department of Peking University in 1976, she has worked in the fiction group of "Beijing Literature and Art". Although young, she is highly professional and has already undertaken a lot of front-line manuscript review and author liaison work.

In the original history, nearly 10 of the works she edited won national literary awards, making her one of the most awarded female literary editors in China.

In the 21st century, she will become the head of the publication "Beijing Literature and Art" and will also establish "Beijing Literature: Novella Monthly," the most influential platform for selecting novellas in China.

She's writing to me now, probably to ask for a writing assignment...

Xu Lu already had a guess in his mind, and when he got home and opened the package, he found that it was indeed the case.

Comrade Xu Lu:

Hello.

I am Zhang Dening, an editor in the fiction section of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles' "Beijing Literature and Art" editorial department. We recently read your short story "The Wheat Harvester," published in "Yan'an." After several colleagues in the editorial department circulated it, they all felt that the work was deeply rooted in rural life, with realistic characters and genuine emotions…

"This letter is on behalf of our magazine's fiction section to formally solicit manuscripts from you. There are no strict restrictions on the subject matter. Whether it is about the new changes and conflicts in rural areas today, or about looking back at life and human relationships in the past, as long as it is a short story that is rooted in life and deeply touches people's hearts, we welcome it."

"At this great time of ideological liberation and cultural prosperity, we look forward to reading your new works in the BJ Literature and Art magazine."

To be honest, Zhang Dening's letter came at just the right time.

Since Xu Lu will soon be working as a seconded editor at Yanhe, according to industry unspoken rules, it is not appropriate for him to continue publishing his works in Yanhe to avoid suspicion.

Xu Lu was originally wondering where would be a suitable place to submit a new article if she did write one.

I hadn't decided on a target yet, but now I think it would be a good idea to submit my work to "Beijing Literature and Art" and give it a try.

After all, this magazine has quite a lot of influence!

As for what to write in his new work, he already has some ideas in mind and plans to start writing in the next couple of days.

However, he probably won't be able to finish writing it in a short time, since he will be attending a seminar for "Maike" and joining "Yanhe" next, so he won't have much time.

……

When Li Xiuzhi returned home in the evening, Xu Lu had already prepared dinner. He had gone to the commune that day and bought a lot of delicious food.

He's leaving soon and probably won't be back for a while, so he wants to take advantage of this time to cook some good food for Li Xiuzhi.

As for Li Xiuzhi, this young lady is indeed shy, and she was a little embarrassed when she saw Xu Lu.

Xu Lu couldn't help but smile. The two of them exchanged glances, and although they didn't say anything, the atmosphere inexplicably became ambiguous!

After dinner, Xu Lu intended to write something, but after writing only two words, his mind wandered off.

Finally, he got up, closed the door, and carried Li Xiuzhi to the bed.

The latter nestled in her arms, her face turning even redder!

"Blow out the light... Waaah... Waaah..."