1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 136: Winning the Award
The award ceremony was about to end and everyone dispersed.

The Children's Literature Award has a few fewer steps in the awarding process than the Short Story Award. For example, there is no work seminar. After all, it is already half past five after the awarding ceremony.

Of course, there was still a dinner party.

But Cheng Kaiyan didn't plan to eat anymore. He needed to go home as soon as possible.

After informing Mr. Ye, he walked out the door with his things. Suddenly, a female voice called him.

"Leaving so early? Comrade Cheng Kaiyan!"

Cheng Kaiyan looked back.

In the bright hall, a beautiful middle-aged woman wearing a black women's suit, a coat draped over her shoulders, and boots clattered over.

It was the leader of the Ministry of Culture who chatted with Mr. Ye in the morning. I think his surname was Tang.

Cheng Kaiyan was pondering in his mind, and although he was confused, he still stopped at the door, waiting for the beautiful woman to come.

At this time, the sky was about to get dark, and there was a warm and cool breeze and the red sunset blowing from the Tiananmen Square in the distance. It was particularly quiet.

"I wonder what the boss wants? I'm in a hurry to go back for dinner."

Cheng Kaiyan looked at the face in front of her that was gradually becoming clearer and felt that it was somewhat familiar.

"You must be Cheng Kaiyan that A-Ting always mentions, right? My name is Tang Minghua, and I'm your Aunt Jiang's sister-in-law."

Tang Minghua had a gentle smile on her lightly made-up face and extended her hand generously.

"I see. I'm Cheng Kaiyan, nice to meet you."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded slightly, reached out and lightly squeezed the man's fingers, then let go.

My aunt's sister-in-law is the fierce Ning Wanjia's mother. However, she is very gentle and friendly in dealing with people.

I can only say that he is worthy of being a leader.

Tang Minghua laughed when she saw Cheng Kaiyan take her hand back after a quick taste. This was not an etiquette that ordinary people understood.

The woman looked at him and whispered, "Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, how do you feel about winning the award today? Although you were unknown in the morning, the award ceremony in the afternoon made everyone know you, a young talent."

"Not bad, but a great talent can't take it."

Cheng Kaiyan didn't understand why she came, so she just responded with a few words.

"You are too modest. Next time you have the chance, come to my house as a guest, and be with your Aunt Jiang."

Tang Minghua stared at him for a while and knew that the young man in front of her didn't want to talk more and was very sensible.

"Then...see you again if there's a chance."

Cheng Kaiyan subconsciously raised her hand and waved, and the bag in her hand suddenly appeared in front of the beautiful woman.

Tang Minghua laughed, "This is... This is the packed meal, right?"

"Ha ha……"

Cheng Kaiyan smiled awkwardly.

This was the food for the three lunch boxes he packed with Jiang Zilon, Wang Meng and others at noon, not because they were greedy, but because everyone was doing the same.

It’s just like a banquet in the countryside, where you pack up what you can’t finish and take it home.

Especially this kind of state banquet-level meal is even rarer.

Rare delicacies such as abalone and bird's nest are also available this time. Since everyone is curious about them, they will naturally be wasted.

Food shortage and thrift are the common conditions nowadays.

Cheng Kaiyan packed up three boxes, all of which were untouched and very clean. After all, all the people at his table were leaders, and they didn't come here just to eat and drink.

"Pfft..."

"You are quite frugal, that's a good thing. Go ahead, see you next time."

Tang Minghua raised her hand to cover her red lips, and bent over with laughter, as if she found it very interesting to see Cheng Kaiyan's awkward look, but she soon spoke softly.

"Goodbye."

Cheng Kaiyan breathed a sigh of relief and then left quickly.

In the dim sky, Tang Minghua watched his back gradually disappear into the darkness.

By the time Cheng Kaiyan rode his bike back home, it was already six o'clock and it was getting dark.

Only the street lamp under the big camphor tree at the entrance of the alley was on. Seven or eight old men and women were squatting at the intersection sitting on small stools and chattering.

Seeing Cheng Kaiyan riding her bike into the alley, Wang Cuihua called out, "The great writer is back. Where did you go to collect folk songs today?"

"I went to the People's Hall to have fun for a day."

Cheng Kaiyan replied casually while riding his bike.

"People's Hall?! Can you enter that place?"

"See you later."

Cheng Kaiyan was busy going home, then dealt with the situation, and disappeared from everyone's sight.

"You can't brag without thinking. It's not that easy to get into the People's Hall."

……

Back to the courtyard, as I passed by the entrance, I looked at the messy and old yard and the green moss on the corners of the wall.

It can be said that in just that instant, the luxurious and prosperous scenes seen in the People's Hall today were dispelled.

Cheng Kaiyan finally felt at ease.

"Mom! I'm back."

After parking the car, Cheng Kaiyan walked into the kitchen with cold food in his pocket and shouted loudly.

There was a sliver of smoke coming out of the kitchen, and the dim chandelier was swaying slightly on the ceiling.

In the inner corner, next to the pile of firewood, a woman in an apron was sitting in front of the stove, making a fire. She supported her chin with one hand and waited boredly, occasionally pulling out a few branches from her side and stuffing them into the stove to maintain the fire.

The orange-yellow flames danced on the woman's face, flickering.

There was a strong smell of wood fire and the aroma of rice in the kitchen.

This is a wood-fired meal.

"came back……"

Xu Yuxiu saw that his eyes lit up a little and was about to ask something, but swallowed it back.

"It's done."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled at her and then placed the cloth bag distributed at the award ceremony on the table. There was a crisp clattering sound, which was the sound of lunch boxes colliding.

This time, I not only packed these rare foods, but also got three brand new lunch boxes.

"really?"

Xu Yuxiu took a deep breath and repeated in disbelief.

"real."

Cheng Kaiyan sat down, picked up a peanut with chopsticks, then took out three lunch boxes, award certificates, yearbooks, and an envelope with money from the cloth bag and placed them quietly in front of her mother.

"Oh my god, it's true..."

Xu Yuxiu was mentally prepared, but when she looked down and saw the first place written clearly in calligraphy on the certificate, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

My son really won a literary award!

Although it is just a children's literature award, it is still very rare.

She picked up the certificate and stroked it with her fingers. The huge surprise lingered in her heart for a long time.

"Please heat up these three boxes of food and prepare to eat. There is a bonus of 100 yuan inside."

Cheng Kaiyan put down her chopsticks and tapped the aluminum lunch box with her fingertips.

"Take it yourself."

Xu Yuxiu shook her head, finding it a little funny.

She thought that in other families, the children would ask their mothers for money, but in her own family, her son would give her money specifically, and it wasn't just small amounts like one or two dollars, but a hundred dollars at a time.

Yesterday, the editor of People's Literature brought me 1,100 yuan in royalties, and the savings at home added up to more than 8,000 yuan.

Adding the wages of mother and son, the total monthly salary is over a hundred yuan.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuxiu always felt as if she was in a dream. Such a good day is really hard to find even with a lantern...

Xu Yuxiu came back to her senses, picked up the lunch box on the table, opened it and asked in surprise: "Where did this come from?"

"At the luncheon, no one touched my table. These were all rare delicacies cooked by the state banquet chef at the People's Hall."

"Okay, I'll go and warm it up."

Xu Yuxiu looked at the precious dishes in the lunch box and felt warm in her heart.

With her knowledge, she could naturally recognize the abalone and bird's nest. Bird's nest, which is a nutritious food, is particularly precious. She knew that Cheng Kaiyan brought it back specifically for her to eat.

But... at such a banquet, all the guests had to be polite. If a poor family packed up their food, they would be laughed at. Xu Yuxiu silently carried the three lunch boxes to the pot to heat them up, then returned to the table to eat. She sipped the sweet bird's nest in her mouth, and her heart was also sweet.

"After dinner, take a shower and go to bed. I guess you are tired after today."

"Ah."

After dinner, Cheng Kaiyan stood in front of the stove and scooped water.

Generally speaking, there are two pots on the stove, one for cooking and the other for boiling water for washing. Although it is not as fast as using electricity, it is still good.

However, the water boiled in this pot will have a slight oily sheen on the surface and feel a bit greasy to the touch.

Even someone who loves cleanliness like Xu Yuxiu cannot avoid such things even if she scrubs the pot clean.

When I have saved enough money, I will move into a small Western-style building, which will be much more convenient than a courtyard house.

He took the water and thought about it.

Xu Yuxiu, on the other hand, walked out of the kitchen carrying a box of untouched food.

It was the time when factories were getting off work, and every household was having dinner or had just finished dinner.

Therefore, the courtyard was very lively.

By the well, the three sisters of the Xiao family were sitting there drawing water. Each sister had her own division of labor: some washed dishes, some washed clothes, and some helped draw water.

As for the pointed-faced Xiao Wenyuan, he was sitting on the doorstep of his house, gnawing on a chicken leg and smiling with a picture book in his hand.

The lights in the Zhan family next door were also on, and from the kitchen on the Cheng family's side came the sound of opera singing from the radio.

Xu Yuxiu took a good look at the crowd, sighed to herself, and went into the Zhan family's kitchen.

In the kitchen, a family of six sat at the octagonal table eating and drinking.

As for why there are six people?
That’s because their eldest daughter, Zhan Wenlei, who had been working in the countryside for seven or eight years, returned to Beijing with her husband and children and arrived home this morning.

The family met in the morning and everyone cried.

"Aunt Yuxiu."

A young woman with a tired face and red and swollen eyes, as if she had just cried, stood up from the table.

She was plump and simply dressed. It was Zhan Wenlei. When she saw Xu Yuxiu walk into the room, she quickly stood up and called out.

"Wenlei, Xinyu, you two sisters, come and try some of these fresh fish. They have never been touched before. Look at this big abalone..."

Xu Yuxiu smiled and nodded at her, then handed over the lunch box and said with a smile.

"Oh! This is a good thing, Yuxiu, where did you get it?"

Aunt Wang Qiang glanced down and was shocked to see the greasy food neatly arranged inside.

"Kaiyan went to attend an award ceremony today and brought this back from the People's Hall. This is a dish made by the state banquet chef~"

Xu Yuxiu said with a smile, her eyes full of pride.

"Kaiyan has gone to the People's Hall? She has really made great progress. No wonder..."

Zhan Wenlei looked at her honest husband who had been silent all day and was shocked.

"That's a blessing from Kaiyan!"

Aunt Wang Qiang couldn't stop laughing.

That night, the yard became lively again, just because... the kid from the Cheng family had not been seen the whole day and actually went to the People's Hall to receive an award!

Now no one dares to make fun of this title anymore. This time he has really become a great writer!

……

On the other side, the Ning family.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Tang Minghua rode her bicycle back home.

In the brightly lit living room, the old man was lying on a recliner, wrapped in a blanket, watching the news broadcast.

The predecessor of "Xinwen Lianbo" can be traced back to September 1958, 9, when Beijing Television's "Television News" was launched.

However, the real "News Broadcast" was officially launched on January 1978, 1. It was broadcast every day at 1:19, with a duration of 00 minutes, and the subtitles of the column name "News Broadcast" were officially displayed.

It suddenly became a must-see program for countless educated young people and leaders.

"came back?"

The old man heard the noise and asked casually.

"Dad, have you eaten?"

Tang Minghua changed her shoes at the entrance and then walked in.

"I ate it. Your daughter came back and said that Cheng Kaiyan, whom Jiang Ting introduced to me, was not suitable. You know that she has very high standards and doesn't like ordinary people at all."

"I saw him today."

"Today? Didn't you go to the ceremony on behalf of the Ministry of Culture?"

The old man asked curiously. At his age, he is basically in a semi-retired state. It is the time for him to stay at home and play with his children and grandchildren. Naturally, he cares a lot about his eldest granddaughter's marriage.

"Yes, I didn't expect that the young man introduced by A Ting is so talented in literature. He won the first place in the Children's Literature Award today. In addition, the National Excellent Short Story Award is also a sure thing next year." Tang Minghua explained casually.

"Just a little rumor." The old man said lightly.

Tang Minghua shook her head and said nothing more.

She thought to herself, "After all, the old man is the boss of the family, and he is particularly stubborn. If not for this, the third brother and A Ting would not have come to this point.

Ugh……

Whether they succeed or not, let them be.”
-
The next morning, there were no classes on Thursday.

Cheng Kaiyan resumed her daily routine, first sending her mother to school and then riding her bike to work at Beijing Normal University.

He was running in the playground as usual to exercise, but today, there was a fat old man gritting his teeth and following him, panting from exhaustion.

"Why are you doing this? You are so old, but you are still trying to be brave. How old are you and how old am I?"

Cheng Kaiyan supported old man Qi Gong, who was too tired to walk, and sat him on the chair next to him.

"Humph! I was the running champion of the teacher group in last year's school sports meet."

Mr. Qi Gong panted and tremblingly took out a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat on his forehead and face.

"The running champion of the teacher group?"

When Cheng Kaiyan heard this, she blinked and said, "I really wanted to laugh. I wonder if this was given to you by someone else?"

However, he did not say this out loud, even though Mr. Qi Gong was not a high-ranking leader like the president at Beijing Normal University.

But he is a cultural celebrity representing the brand of Beijing Normal University. In addition, he is highly respected and knowledgeable, and is widely loved by teachers and students in the school.

"Of course! By the way..."

Mr. Qi Gong raised his chin proudly, but unfortunately his neck was not long, so he looked a little funny and cute.

Then he thought of something and smiled, "Congratulations! You won the first prize of the National Excellent Children's Literature Award, the same treatment as Jiang Zilong. Both of you have been published in the newspapers. This time you are truly a great writer."

"Thank you, I'll give you some candy."

Cheng Kaiyan took out two big White Rabbits, stuffed them into his hands, then turned and left.

This is what my mother Xu Yuxiu stuffed into his pockets before she went out. She stuffed it into three pockets, two shirt pockets and one inner pocket.

There are probably dozens of them.

He said that someone congratulated him, so he gave it to that person to eat.

On the way back to the office, as expected, many students greeted him.

"Good morning, I haven't seen you for a few days, Teacher Cheng."

"Good morning."

"Congratulations! Teacher Xiao Cheng, congratulations on winning the Children's Literature Award!"

"Thank you, please have some candy."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and gave out the candies in her pocket.

When he returned to the office, people came to congratulate him one after another. The news could not be kept secret.

In the last report, "Fragrant Grass" was only mentioned briefly, and Cheng Kaiyan's name never appeared.

But in this report, his name and works, as well as his personal profile, were actually mentioned.

It is described as follows: "Yesterday, the Second National Short Story Award Ceremony was successfully held at the People's Hall. Mao Dun presented the awards, and young writer Cheng Kaiyan called out the names of the novels. Jiang Zilong's "The Record of Director Qiao's Taking Office" won first place.

In addition, the first session of the National Excellent Children's Literature Award, a new literary award in the domestic literary world, hosted by the China Writers Association, was successfully held in the Great Hall of the People. Ms. Bing Xin, Chen Bochui, and Ye Shengtao attended the award ceremony. The work "Submarine at Night" by the well-known young writer Comrade Cheng Kaiyan won the first prize..."

As a result, the news spread throughout the school at lightning speed.

"This time, Beijing Normal University has really produced a great writer! The winner of the first National Excellent Children's Literature Award!"

(End of this chapter)