Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 269 Sales of "The Death of Van Gogh"

On another weekend after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Lin Chaoyang and Tao Yushu came to Mianhua Hutong in the morning. As soon as they entered the door, they saw Zhang Guiqin packing her luggage.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Lin Chaoyang asked. He looked around the room but couldn't find any trace of Lin Erchun. "Where's my dad?"

Zhang Guiqin said helplessly: "I'm going to buy a train ticket."

"You want to go back home? It's just after the New Year, and there's still a long way to go before the spring."

"Don't mention it. Yesterday, your accountant uncle wrote him a letter saying that the policy has come down from above and our family will be dividing the land soon.

Your father was so anxious when he heard this that he didn't sleep well the previous night. So when he woke up this morning, he asked me to pack my things while he went to buy train tickets."

The policy of distributing land to households has been debated for three or four years. Finally, on January 1 this year, the central government issued the "Minutes of the National Rural Work Conference", which is also the first No. 1 document on rural work in the history of our country.

The document clearly points out that the various responsibility systems currently implemented in rural areas are all production responsibility systems of the socialist collective economy, reflecting the strong desire of hundreds of millions of farmers to develop socialist agriculture in accordance with the actual conditions of China's rural areas.

This means that the rural household contract responsibility system, a major initiative related to China's rural reform, has been recognized and endorsed by the central government and will soon be promoted nationwide.

In recent years, many rural areas across the country have implemented different forms of the household contract responsibility system, but the small county town where Lin Chaoyang's hometown is has always been a "good student", waiting for orders from above before daring to implement it.

"What's the point of him going back? The production team will no longer exist."

As the mother and son were talking, Lin Erchun came back from outside with a gloomy face.

"What's the matter? Didn't you buy the train ticket?"

"I bought it." Lin Erchun said in a muffled voice.

"Are you not happy after buying it?"

Lin Erchun glanced at Lin Chaoyang. When he went there, all the train tickets were sold out. In order to return home earlier, he did not hesitate to find a middleman and spent ten more yuan to buy two hard sleeper tickets.

On the way back, he became angrier and angrier the more he thought about it. What a black-hearted ticket scalper!

Seeing that he had a grumpy face, Lin Chaoyang thought that he was worried about the land distribution to households in his hometown.

"That's enough. Generally speaking, the distribution of land to households is more beneficial than harmful to the common people. You can't always think of occupying the position of production team leader. You are so old now, wouldn't it be better for you to come to Yanjing and enjoy a peaceful life?"

When Lin Erchun heard this, he seemed to be stepped on the tail, and shouted loudly: "I have been the production team leader for 20 years. I was elected by everyone."

"I didn't say you weren't elected by everyone. What I meant is that you have to give young people a chance, and retire when it's time to do so."

"Young people? Young people are all thinking about their own affairs. Who would think about bringing benefits to everyone?" Lin Erchun snorted coldly.

Old comrades who are about to retire are always particularly manic, and this situation is even more common in later generations. Seeing this, Lin Chaoyang ignored him and let him sulk on his own.

The next morning, Lin Chaoyang went to the train station to see the old couple off, and Lin Erchun held his hand.

"You are making a lot of money now and you are famous. I don't need to worry about anything else. You just need to pay attention to the matter of having a child."

"I know, I know. Isn't this just trying hard?"

"It's just talk of working hard, but there's no progress."

My own father’s complaints were extremely harsh.

It has been less than two months since the two parents urged the birth of their children. "It's only been a short time. I will definitely let you hold your grandchild by this time next year."

Even after getting Lin Chaoyang's promise, Lin Erchun was still a little worried. "When we get home, I'll have someone get you some deer antlers."

Lin Chaoyang: ...

"It's time, get in the car!"

After seeing off Lin Erchun and his wife, the day for school to start was getting closer.

On the second day of late February, Liu Xinwu came to the library and brought Lin Chaoyang two good news.

One is that Lin Chaoyang's new novel has been confirmed to be published in the next issue of "October". The full text of the new novel is 24 words. The standard remuneration given to him by "October" is 3 yuan per thousand words, and the publication fee is 14 yuan. The fee bill has been remitted.

Another piece of news is that Yenching Publishing House plans to launch a single volume of "The Chess Master" in early April.

"It shouldn't take that long for your publishing house to edit and proofread, right?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

"Of course it's not because of this problem. Last year, our publishing house used 1300 tons of paper. This year, our publishing house used 80 tons more paper than last year, but we have used 320 tons so far in the first quarter.

According to this situation, by the end of the first quarter, at least 480 tons will be produced. The editorial departments will definitely have to reduce the topics for the next quarter.

Our magazine "October" is highly valued by the publishing house and is listed among the "must-publish" topics. Your "The Chess Master" is also a key topic of the publishing house.

It is scheduled to be published in early April, and there is sufficient paper for production. Even if there is a shortage of paper during the reprinting process, it can be supplied first.”

After talking about the situation in their publishing house, Liu Xinwu said, "Your novel The Death of Van Gogh is amazing. It impressed our publishing house leaders. They said they would guarantee the print run of The Chess Master at all costs. They have high hopes for you!"

In mid-January, Renwen Press published Lin Chaoyang's "The Death of Van Gogh". The first print run of 200,000 copies was sent to all parts of the country and sold out in less than half a month.

In less than a month and a half, Renwen Press has reprinted "The Death of Van Gogh" twice, and the print run has reached 50 copies. According to feedback from bookstores across the country, the print run is basically equal to the sales volume.

This also made "The Death of Van Gogh" the first dark horse in the domestic book market in 1982.

Everyone knows that Lin Chaoyang's works have always been popular, but the sales of 50 copies in a month and a half still impressed many publishing houses.

If the sales of "The Death of Van Gogh" continue at this rate, it would be a piece of cake for it to sell over a million copies, and it would be easy to sell two million copies within a year.

Everyone still remembers the horrific sales of three million copies of "The Garland under the Mountain" in one year when it was released two years ago. Now, "The Death of Van Gogh" has been on the market for a month and a half, and it is like another "The Mountain".

How could this not shock many domestic publishing houses?

Other publishing houses could only be shocked bystanders, but Yenching Publishing House obtained the publishing rights of Lin Chaoyang's "The Chess Master".

Seeing the hot sales of "The Death of Van Gogh", the leaders of the publishing house naturally placed high hopes on "The Chess Master".

The day after Liu Xinwu left, the remittance slip from October arrived. Compared with the royalties from his previous novels, his current royalties were gradually increasing, which made Lin Chaoyang very happy. Two days before school started, Zhu Wei from China Youth found Lin Chaoyang.

Since being invited by Zhu Wei to be a judge for the "May Fourth Youth Literature Award" essay contest of "China Youth" last year, Lin Chaoyang has been flipping through the magazine every now and then.

Their essay contest will last for a year and will not enter the final selection stage until June of this year, which is also when judges like Lin Chaoyang will come in handy.

Zhu Wei came to see Lin Chaoyang this time because their editorial department wanted to organize a creative writing class in Guilin and invite some potential writers discovered in the magazine over the past six months to participate. Inviting Lin Chaoyang was a benefit for the judges.

In the 1980s, it was gradually becoming a habit for magazines and publishing houses to hold writing clubs and creative classes, and they also used this method to cultivate and attract groups of writers.

In order to organize the creative class this time, "China Youth" specially found a connection with the Ministry of Health and arranged for the creative class to stay in the Nanxishan Hospital Guesthouse in Guilin, which is a military hospital and is adjacent to the Nanxishan Park. It has green trees and a beautiful environment.

"I won't go to the creative writing class because school is about to start, and I have a script to write."

Lin Chaoyang declined Zhu Wei's invitation. Xie Jin was in a hurry for the script of "High Mountains". He had called him twice in more than half a month since he returned to Shanghai.

On the one hand, we communicated some details about the script of "High Mountains", and on the other hand, we also talked to him about the preparations of the crew and put pressure on him.

After being rejected by Lin Chaoyang, Zhu Wei left with a little regret.

Two days later, Yan University, which had been quiet for a winter vacation, became lively again. When Lin Chaoyang was at work, Zhang Manling ran to the library and said she wanted to treat Lin Chaoyang to a meal.

Last year, she asked Lin Chaoyang to help her look at novels. Lin Chaoyang was very supportive and recommended both of her novels to Yanjing Literature.

In February just past, her novella "There is a Beautiful Place" was successfully published in "Yenching Literature" and received quite a response, bringing the previously unknown name of Zhang Manling to the attention of the literary world.

This month, her other novella "Cloud" will also be published in "Yenching Literature".

For Zhang Manling, entering the literary world was originally out of reach for her. When she came to Lin Chaoyang for help, she was just trying her best to save the situation.

She never expected that in just two or three months, she would complete the transformation from an unknown person to a rising star. This result made Zhang Manling full of gratitude to Lin Chaoyang in her heart.

"There are many good horses in the world, but there are few good horse trainers. Without your help, my work would not have been published so smoothly."

While praising Lin Chaoyang, she also praised herself, which is in line with Zhang Manling's somewhat narcissistic personality.

"I have received the second payment from Yenching Literature. I earned 700 to 800 yuan from the two payments. I must treat you to a big meal."

Zhang Manling is a senior this year and has not yet started working. Seven or eight hundred yuan is a huge sum of money for her.

She had said before that she wanted to treat Lin Chaoyang to a meal, but Lin Chaoyang declined, saying it would not be too late to invite her again after his work was published.

Now that the work has been published and Zhang Manling is so kind, Lin Chaoyang can't refuse.

However, Lin Chaoyang still had to consider the impact of having dinner with a female college student.

"It's not economical to eat out. I'm quite familiar with Liu Zhenyun from your class. You can invite two more people to my house and I'll cook for you."

Zhang Manling was bold and generous, and didn't care about details. She didn't even think about what Lin Chaoyang was thinking about. She said, "Okay, I'll call a few people. But let's make it clear first, I'll buy the food."

"Row."

On the weekend, several students from the Chinese Department of Literature Class of 78 at Yan University appeared at the gate of the Overseas Chinese Apartment. They entered the compound only after the security guard at the gate informed them.

Liu Zhenyun had been here several times and was not unfamiliar with the place. Dai Jinhua beside him looked around curiously.

Then he said to Zhang Manling, "Manling, when you earn more money from writing, you can buy a house like this. The interior is really well decorated."

"This is the Overseas Chinese Apartment. Except for the ones in Zhongnanhai, the housing prices here are the most expensive. They are even more expensive than those in Baiwanzhuang. How many novels do I have to write to afford this?" Zhang Manling said.

Dai Jinhua corrected him, "No, the apartment buildings over at Tuanjie Lake are more expensive than here."

"The one in Tuanjie Lake looks a lot worse than this."

"That's true."

As they talked, they came upstairs. Lin Chaoyang greeted them warmly. Looking at the things they were carrying, he smiled and said, "You really bought a lot of things."

"It's my agreement to treat you, so it can't be too shabby," said Zhang Manling.

Lin Chaoyang shook hands with Dai Jinhua. Among the three, Dai Jinhua was the only one who did not know Tao Yushu, so Lin Chaoyang introduced Dai Jinhua to Tao Yushu.

"This is Dai Jinhua, a classmate of Zhenyun and Manling and a talented lady in the Chinese Department."

When seeing Lin Chaoyang again, Dai Jinhua's face showed a bit of restraint.

The year she first entered school, she was fearless and happened to catch up with the publication of "Little Shoes". She discussed it in front of the author Lin Chaoyang in the library.

Now that she is a senior in college, she has become much more humble and low-key. She looks embarrassed when talking about what happened back then.

Tao Yushu couldn't help laughing after hearing this. "It doesn't matter. Readers are not authors, and their feelings are subjective."

After chatting for a while, Lin Chaoyang started to prepare the dishes, and several people came forward to help.

While they were cooking, another guest came to the house. It turned out to be Li Tuo and Zhang Chengzhi who had appeared at Lin Chaoyang's house in the middle of the night a few days ago.

"How come you two have time to come here?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

Li Tuo said, "Chengzhi just received the royalties for Black Stallion and said he would treat you to a meal."

"You came at an unfortunate time. Someone has already invited you."

Liu Zhenyun had come to Lin Chaoyang's house before and had already known Li Tuo and Zhang Chengzhi. Lin Chaoyang introduced them to Zhang Manling and Dai Jinhua.

When Li Tuo heard that Zhang Manling was the author of "There is a Beautiful Place", his eyes lit up.

"I didn't expect that the author of "There is a Beautiful Place" is actually a beautiful female college student." Li Tuo came forward and started chatting with Zhang Manling.

(End of this chapter)