Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 48 The Last Day of 1978

When the winter vacation just started, a large number of Yanda students went home, but there were also many students like Liu Zhenyun who worked part-time to pay for their studies, or simply did not go home to save money.

These students who stayed on campus, together with the visits of YNU faculty and staff, made the library somewhat popular during the recent period.

After the Little New Year, the library became really deserted, almost completely deserted, which resulted in some staff in the library being very idle.

Even the colleagues stationed in the library had time to go downstairs for a stroll, and at noon some people organized a study of "Document No. 54".

Different from the middle-aged people, the young people in the library are more literary. A group of young librarians headed by Du Rong get together to read poetry and books when they have time.

Every time at this time, Lin Chaoyang always asked everyone to go to the party, while he himself stayed at the front desk to deal with the scattered readers.

On the morning of the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Du Rong and her colleagues applied to the museum director Xie Daoyuan to hold a New Year poetry reading in the Sunshine Hall. The museum was crowded with people going to join in the fun.

Hu Wenqiong and Lin Chaoyang were sitting at the front desk of the closed-shelf lending area. She asked, "Chaoyang, why don't you join in?"

"Poetry requires too much romanticism and idealism, but I am a pragmatist."

"We are quite similar in this respect. We both can't read poetry. I see you usually write and draw. Aren't you writing poetry?"

Lin Chaoyang would also write in the museum from time to time, and he usually worked with Hu Wenqiong. However, the older sister was very sensible and never pried into his privacy. It was only now that they were getting more familiar with each other, and he happened to be extremely bored today that he asked this question.

"A novel I wrote."

"I saw that you were quite familiar with the students in the literature department, so I thought you were writing poetry.

Writing novels is good, but you can’t just write. You have to submit more. Even if your manuscript is rejected, at least you have the opportunity to communicate with the editor, so that you can know where your writing is not good enough. "

Hu Wenqiong didn't know that Lin Chaoyang's novel had been published, and she said this with good intentions.

As they chatted, Hu Wenqiong said, "You just didn't catch the right time. If you had come in two or three years earlier, you wouldn't have to bear the word 'temporary'."

Lin Chaoyang had heard this from other colleagues before. In the past few years, the Yanda Library only required a junior high school education for its librarians, mainly because there were not many college students at that time.

He smiled and said, "It's okay, we'll talk about it later when we have a chance."

Lin Chaoyang was well aware that in 1979, the college entrance examination admission rate was too low and a large number of young people of school age were unable to receive higher education. The state and the government began to encourage capable units to run their own vocational colleges, night colleges, journal colleges, correspondence colleges, and radio and television colleges to improve the knowledge level of young people. These five types of self-run education were commonly known as the "Five Big Ones" at the time.

Lin Chaoyang would definitely not take the college entrance examination to go to university and waste four years of time. He doesn't want to be an official, so why would he make such a fancy resume?
It would be great to go to night college or something like that. You can get a diploma easily in two years. Isn't that the same as going to the library?

Besides, he doesn't have to go into the library. He just wants to have a stable job to make his wife and father-in-law's family feel at ease. With his talent, do he need to worry about this?

While the two were talking, two students came to return books. One of them was Liu Zhenyun, a student of the Chinese Department, Class of 78, and the other was a female classmate.

After saying hello, Lin Chaoyang found out that the female classmate was Zhang Manling from the Chinese Department of the class of 78. Like Liu Zhenyun, she stayed in school during the winter vacation to work and study.

"Are you going home during the winter vacation?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

"I'll go back today. The train is at 6pm."

"Have you bought your tickets?"

"Bought."

After returning the books, he looked at the time and saw that it was almost noon. Lin Chaoyang said, "The cafeteria is closed these days. I'll treat you to a meal as a farewell party for you."

When they arrived at the Changzheng Restaurant outside the school, Liu Zhenyun and Zhang Manling insisted on paying their own share.

Changzheng Restaurant is a place for students to have a good meal. Usually, everyone pays for their meals, after all, no one is rich at that time.

Lin Chaoyang couldn't persuade them and had to agree.

During the meal, Zhang Manling's eyes kept wandering around Lin Chaoyang. Lin Chaoyang didn't understand why, so he asked with a smile, "Manling, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing... nothing." Zhang Manling was caught peeking and seemed a little guilty.

Liu Zhenyun said: "She is just curious."

"What are you curious about?"

“I’m curious about you, the author of The Horse Wrangler!”

Even Liu Zhenyun and Zhang Manling knew his identity, and it was probably spread to the Chinese Department as well. Lin Chaoyang felt that he was right to confess to Tao Yushu and get leniency.

"Has the news spread throughout your department?"

Liu Zhenyun shook his head. "Probably not? Only the students in our literature club know more about it. Yaozhong even came back to explain that you didn't want anyone to know about it and asked everyone to keep it a secret. Otherwise, everyone would like to talk to you more."

Lin Chaoyang really wanted to pull Zhang Yaozhong over and ask him, is this how you keep it a secret?
In a blink of an eye, it was the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month. In the early morning, the sporadic sound of firecrackers woke people up. It was the New Year, and the naughty children spent a lot of money to buy firecrackers, small whips and fireworks to disturb the people.

After getting up early and having breakfast, the family began to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner. Tao’s father had another important task - writing Spring Festival couplets.

Tao Yumo volunteered to grind it, and his father instructed: "Grind it and add some water to heat it up for your mother."

The ink used to write Spring Festival couplets must be mature so that the words written will have a lustrous look.

Three sheep bring auspiciousness, and hundreds of birds call for spring.

After writing a pair of Spring Festival couplets in one stroke, Father Tao looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction.

"Dad's handwriting is powerful and flowing, showing his real skill."

Lin Chaoyang's hands were covered in flour and he didn't even bother making dumplings. He came over just to flatter the emperor.

Hearing this, Tao Yumo showed a bit of contempt and said to his father, "Dad, your calligraphy is well-balanced, thin and hard, following the decisive force of Wei stele, the strokes are crisp and elegant, and the strength is vigorous. I think you have already got 70% of the true flavor of Liu Gongquan."

hiss~
I was careless. My sister-in-law is much better at flattering than I am.

Lin Chaoyang returned to the dumpling-making camp. Calligraphy was not his forte.

Around noon, Tao Xiwen, who had been playing outside, came home crying with his hands in his hands. His fingers were still a little blackened. When asked, it turned out that he was competing with others to see who could hold the firecrackers in their hands longer after lighting them.

The firecrackers they played with included small firecrackers for the children as well as individual firecrackers removed from long whips. The children would light the fuse and not let go, waiting to see who could throw the last one.

Children in later generations would definitely not be able to do such a thing, but children nowadays are real tigers.

In order to show off in front of other children, they are really not afraid of being bombarded.

Fortunately, the power of the individual firecrackers that were removed was not very strong, and the pain passed after a while.

After being bombed, Tao Xiwen went home crying. It was impossible for him to show off his power, and he was lucky enough not to be laughed at.

Around six o'clock in the afternoon, the Tao family finally had a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner.

Four-joy meatballs, pheasant stewed with hazel mushrooms, braised shrimp, braised pork, bean paste, spring rolls, cabbage and tofu...

Father Tao raised his glass and said, "It's almost 79. Last year, Yucheng was transferred back to Yanjing. This year, Yushu was admitted to university and got married. Next year, it will be Yumo's turn to go to university. Our family changes every year. This is true for our small family and for everyone. The Third Plenary Session of the th Central Committee has just ended, and the country has a lot of work to do..."

At this point, his face became a little excited, and he chanted aloud: "The dark clouds suddenly swept away, and the morning sun shone brightly."

"The future is just around the corner, let's drink this cup to the full!"

Everyone was infected by Mr. Tao's emotions, and felt a little excited, so they raised their glasses together.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, it was already half past seven.

Tao Yumo was busy turning on the TV. A few days before the New Year, CCTV announced that it would broadcast the "New Year's Eve Gala" tonight.

However, due to the small number of televisions and underdeveloped communications in the early years, not many people could enjoy this kind of happiness. This year's Spring Festival Gala is called "New Year's Cultural Evening", and the program arrangement and style vaguely have the shadow of the 83 Spring Festival Gala.

Halfway through the evening party, music from the ballet "Swan Lake" sounded on TV. The male and female actors on the stage also changed into tight costumes and performed the Spanish bullfighting dance.

"Ah! Why is this actor not wearing any clothes?"

Tao Yumo was shouting and screaming, Zhao Li quickly covered the eyes of her two sons, and even Tao's father frowned.

Lin Chaoyang looked carefully at the actors on the screen and said, "They should be wearing ballet costumes. The TV is black and white, so it's hard to tell their costumes."

After listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, everyone looked carefully and found that it was true.

"This director didn't think things through. He probably needs to write a self-criticism!" joked brother-in-law Tao Yucheng.

"The wine is fragrant and the songs are flying

My friend, please have a drink

Please have a drink

......"

1978 came to an end with the singing of "Toast Song" by singer Li Guangxi.

(End of this chapter)