Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 66 A Great Writer Emerged from the Lending Library

"What does he do? Have we met him before?" the man asked with great curiosity.

"Those who go to the library often must have seen him. There's a young man at the closed-shelf lending desk. Do you have any impression of him?"

"I seem to have some impression of him. What did he look like? I can't remember it right away, but he's the kind you can't find among a crowd of people."

"Yes, this description is accurate. I was quite disappointed at the time. He is not like Xu Lingjun in the novel at all."

"Haha! You're really good at taking novels seriously."

……

The two students were gossiping and working hard, and no one noticed Du Rong and the other person standing beside them.

Hu Wenqiong and Du Rong looked confused and uncertain. After walking a few steps, Hu Wenqiong asked, "Du Rong, the person they are talking about..."

Du Rong spoke with difficulty, "It should be Chaoyang, right?"

There were five people in the closed-shelf lending room, only two young people, Du Rong and Lin Chaoyang. Excluding Du Rong herself, only Lin Chaoyang was left.

Besides, what those two people said was so clear. If they couldn’t find the person in the crowd, wasn’t he Lin Chaoyang?
Hu Wenqiong thought of the time when Lin Chaoyang was slacking off and writing at work. She had previously thought that Lin Chaoyang was just doing it as a hobby, and she had even kindly "given him some advice". Thinking of that scene at that time, Hu Wenqiong felt her face burning.

But she still couldn't believe it. Lin Chaoyang was actually the Xu Lingjun who wrote "The Shepherd"?
"Could it really be him?"

Du Rong was carefree and didn't bother to think about it. She pulled Hu Wenqiong and said, "Why don't we go back and ask?"

Back at the library, Lin Chaoyang saw the two of them and said with a smile, "You're back."

He stood up and prepared to go to the cafeteria to eat, but Du Rong approached him mysteriously and asked, "Chaoyang, has your novel been published?"

Several colleagues at the library knew that Lin Chaoyang was writing, but he had never revealed the fact that his novel had been published. No one took it seriously before and just thought he was entertaining himself.

Now that everyone knows it, Lin Chaoyang has nothing to hide.

But before he could say anything, Du Rong couldn't wait to explain: "I just came out of the cafeteria and saw a few students piling coal at the door. They were chatting and said that there was a young man at the closed-shelf lending desk who was Xu Lingjun."

When saying this, Du Rong's eyes were full of curiosity and exploration.

Everyone in the library knew that Lin Chaoyang was originally a primary school teacher in the countryside. He was able to move to the city because he married the daughter of Professor Tao from the history department, and was arranged to work in the library as a family member of a faculty member.

Most of his colleagues had no likes or dislikes for Lin Chaoyang, but they always talked about his experience with Tao Yushu with great relish.

But where there are people there will be gossip. The library is not a paradise, so there will inevitably be a small number of people who will spread gossip in private.

Du Rong had a good impression of Lin Chaoyang, and they had a very harmonious relationship after working together for half a year. She never participated in such topics. When she occasionally mentioned it, it was mostly for teasing.

But she never expected that this seemingly inconspicuous young man from the countryside, who was able to enter the library thanks to the relationship between his wife and father-in-law, was actually a hidden writer.

Since its publication in October last year, "The Horse Shepherd" has caused a huge response in the literary world and among readers. Almost all readers who love literature have read this short story.

One can imagine how shocked Du Rong was.

"Well, I was lucky to publish one." Lin Chaoyang said modestly.

Although they were mentally prepared, Du Rong and Hu Wenqiong couldn't help showing surprise on their faces when they heard his words.

After being colleagues for half a year, Lin Chaoyang suddenly transformed from a simple country boy into a great writer. The sudden change of his identity made both of them a little uncomfortable.

"It's really you!" Du Rong exclaimed.

"Oh, I never thought there was a great writer hiding among us!"

After the surprise, Du Rong's reaction was consistent with her cheerful personality.

On the contrary, Hu Wenqiong had a gloomy look in her eyes, and she thought of the scene of "instructing" Lin Chaoyang before.

"Chaoyang, now that your work has been published, why don't you tell everyone?"

Lin Chaoyang heard a hint of anger and shame in Hu Wenqiong's tone, and he immediately put on a naive look.

"Sister Hu, since no one asked, I am too embarrassed to tell you. What if people think I am showing off? Then people will start gossiping about me."

He has just turned twenty. If he were one year older, Lin Chaoyang's pretentious behavior would seem greasy.

Although his reasons were not so convincing, it at least saved Hu Wenqiong's face. Hu Wenqiong also knew that there were indeed a small number of people in the museum who had been gossiping about Lin Chaoyang.

"Don't pay attention to the gossip of those gossipers." After she finished speaking, she said self-deprecatingly, "Really, I didn't know the situation before and I was still guiding you."

"You are doing this for my own good." Lin Chaoyang comforted Hu Wenqiong and changed the subject, "How is the food in the cafeteria today?"

“There is hairtail.”

"Let's talk about it later. I have to go quickly." Lin Chaoyang was about to leave with his lunch box.

Du Rong also said excitedly: "I have to go upstairs to share this news with Lao Tu and Lao Zheng. A great writer has emerged in our library." Lin Chaoyang walked out with a smile.

After lunch, Lin Chaoyang returned to the library and saw Zhang Dening waiting at the door.

"Chaoyang!" Zhang Dening greeted him.

"Does the manuscript need to be revised?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

Zhang Dening shook his head. "No. I came here just to tell you that the manuscript can be published. It will be published in May."

Lin Chaoyang said happily: "You are very efficient this time!"

"Mr. Li personally reviewed the manuscript, and Mr. Zhou didn't even finish reading it, but he approved it and published it."

"Comrade Lao Li is very decisive!" Lin Chaoyang joked, and then asked, "What about the royalties..."

"I never forget your manuscript fee!" Zhang Dening couldn't help but complain, then said, "Seven dollars per thousand words, the highest standard. I'll mail it to you in two days, so you don't have to run around."

"That's nice!" Lin Chaoyang cupped his hands.

After talking about the royalties, Zhang Dening asked, "Do you have any new works recently?"

Lin Chaoyang shook his head speechlessly, "I knew you weren't that kind. You came all the way to inform me that the manuscript was used."

Zhang Dening argued: "Don't you want to earn royalties? We offer you the highest royalties, isn't it to give you more motivation and passion for creation?"

"I just finished writing that manuscript a few days ago. Please let me rest."

“Young people have abundant creative inspiration, so don’t stop writing when you need to. When you are older, you won’t be able to write even if you want to.”

Zhang Dening started brainwashing Lin Chaoyang again, but he didn't listen at all. "Are you okay? I still have to go to work!"

Seeing that he was not moved, Zhang Dening had no choice but to say, "Then start writing as soon as possible. Write more when you have time. Earn royalties!"

She finally understood that it was useless to talk about creation and literature with someone like Lin Chaoyang, as the most real thing was the royalties.

"Got it. By the way, has the review of "The Horse Herder" signed by Tao Yushu been accepted?"

Zhang Dening looked at him strangely, "Did you write this?"

"What are you thinking about!" Lin Chaoyang denied.

"It gave me a fright. If you wrote it, it would be very intentional..."

“My wife wrote this!”

Zhang Dening was stuffed with dog food, and the words that were about to come out of his mouth were forced back.

"You two, one writes novels and the other writes novel reviews. Great!" Zhang Dening was almost clapping.

"Don't just say 'ok, ok, ok'. Did you pass it?"

"It should have been passed. I heard Liu Heng mention it." Zhang Dening said after thinking for a moment.

Lin Chaoyang clapped his hands happily, "Okay."

"Oh! You got the news and went home to claim your reward, right?" Zhang Dening teased.

"We call this mutual progress. You should learn from it." Lin Chaoyang replied, and then reminded her, "Go back and ask Lao Li if he can publish both of our works in the May issue."

Joking aside, Lin Chaoyang's idea made Zhang Dening a little envious.

This is probably what the ancients meant by the husband singing and the wife following, and the music of the zither and the Chinese harp being in harmony.

"understood."

When Lin Chaoyang saw Zhang Dening off, three young and beautiful girls were walking across Weiming Lake.

"Gong Yun, can we really meet Xu Lingjun?" asked one of the three girls with pigtails.

"Of course he can. My sister told me that he works in the library. And today is not a holiday, so where else can he be if not in the library?"

Another pretty girl with outstanding appearance said: "My brother-in-law also works in the library. I never thought that he could be a colleague of Xu Lingjun."

The girl with pigtails teased, "Yumo, your brother-in-law is not Xu Lingjun, right?"

Tao Yumo said angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

The face of her brother-in-law appeared unconsciously in her mind, and then the tall and handsome Xu Lingjun appeared in her imagination. The two faces slowly approached each other, and when they were about to get close, they were like bumper cars and could not blend together.

She couldn't help but burst out laughing. How could my brother-in-law be Xu Lingjun?

(End of this chapter)