Literary Master 1983

Chapter 345 Yan University Students Have a Full Meal

A Yenching University student needs to prepare meal tickets in advance before eating in the cafeteria. There are four types of meal tickets: vegetable tickets, noodle tickets, rice tickets, and grain tickets.

Students receive 32 jin of coupons per month, with female students receiving slightly less, all of which is higher than the national average, but still far from enough for university students.

Eating meat is not enough.

The daily food cost is about 6 cents, and even less for girls, who can spend 4 cents on a meal of ribs.

Think about it, it's not easy for poor students to eat ribs; they have to go hungry for two meals to eat one serving of ribs.

What should we do in this situation?

There's no other answer, I'll just go hungry for two meals.

However, it's not as reckless to operate.

At Tsinghua University next door, there was a student surnamed Bai who later became the dean of the School of Economics and Management. He recalled that when he was young, he would save up his meal tickets in order to "eat pork ribs". He would consciously starve himself and exchange them for pork ribs when he could finally have a treat.

He ended up hoarding grain coupons so much that he refused to exchange them, even going hungry. As a result, after the grain coupon system was abolished, he still had a huge pile of coupons. I deeply regret writing this down… I really should have eaten more ribs back then!
Yu Qie is there to help these people.

Anyone who consistently doesn't eat meat and keeps accumulating receipts will receive extra receipts. But receipts alone aren't enough; they also need to be used, and the cafeteria will compile a list.

Tickets have an expiration date; once they're gone, they're gone.

This is a disguised way of forcing students to eat meat.

Hu Daiguang approached Principal Ding Leisun to discuss this matter. The principal said, "Five hundred thousand is not enough. Yu Qie is too young. If he does this, everyone, whether rich or poor, will hoard their tickets and trade them with each other, and then everyone will just meet the standard! I know our Yanda students too well. They are all gluttons, they can never get enough to eat."

"And what about the students? What about the teachers? Do you think teachers have a good life? Their salaries are lower than taxi drivers'! I also want to eat ribs, I'm a big eater too."

"And once it's implemented, they won't go anymore. You've already eaten your fill, why would you want to go hungry? They'll not only say that Yu Qie didn't let people eat, but they'll also say that I, Old Ding, took that 500,000!"

"I thought we needed to think about this matter some more..."

Still want to think about it? How can you possibly think about it anymore!

If you think about it further, you should consider going to the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University!

Tell him: Your doctoral student Yu Qie, the future head of the School of Economics and Management or the School of Humanities—was originally ours!
Hu Daiguang shattered the principal's illusions with a single sentence: "Yu Qie said that Tsinghua University would definitely support him."

Principal Ding's expression changed, and he said, "Go ahead, go ahead. Yanda University is not a school without human touch."

……

Starting today, the number of meal tickets will be counted monthly.

On Friday, this sign was displayed in the No. 1 canteen of Yenching University.

What's the point of clearing out meal tickets?
So you're saying you're going to take it back? It was issued by the state, not by your Yenching University. This is ridiculous.

Lu Buxuan noticed this and shook his head inwardly.

Yenching University has several canteens, from Academic Canteen 1 to Academic Canteen 5, each with its own unique characteristics. Last year, a halal canteen, Tongyuan Canteen, was also built. Among them, Academic Canteen 1 is the most popular among Yenching University students, not only because of its pleasant environment but also because of its affordable prices.

Yenching University also has large and small dining halls, but those places are often used for lectures, so they're quite noisy. Aside from reselling goods, Lu Buxuan doesn't like going there.

"Two steamed buns, please."

Lu Buxuan handed over the ticket in one hand and held a steamed bun in the other, having dinner with Chu Fujun, a famous figure from Yenching University. Yenching University has a "campus poet" every year, and since the retirement of the three musketeers, including Luo Yihe and Zha Haisheng, this generation of campus poets is none other than Chu Fujun, who is standing in front of him.

To be honest, although Yenching University produced many poets and writers, it always fell short in terms of influencing the whole country before Yu Qie.

What about the Misty School? The Weiming Poetry Society at Yenching University was very active, but it all benefited others.

Poets Bei Dao, Shu Ting, and Gu Cheng—which one has any connection with Yenching University?
They've all come here to boost their reputation! They've gathered a large number of fans from Peking University who are praising them.

They gained fame and fortune, then packed their bags and left! They went to New Zealand, Europe, and England for "study tours," never to return! I wasted my time reading your books!

Thinking of this, Lu Buxuan said indignantly, "I don't understand poetry, but I don't like those literati either."

“What about Yu Qie? He’s a scholar too,” Chu Fujun said with a smile.

Lu Buxuan immediately showed a respectful expression: "Yu Qie is naturally different. He was originally our senior brother, and he is already so famous. He has never said a bad word about us, and he always hopes that we will do better."

"Do you know why Lu Xun was different from those traitors? Because some people criticize us because they hate us! Others criticize us but try their best to help us... Naturally, they are different."

Chu Fujun said, "We know Yu Qie because he writes novels. And you can't condemn everyone with one blow! Who doesn't want to be great? But this is too difficult."

Lu Buxuan said, "Too difficult? If it's too difficult, then don't become a writer. This is not a shortcut! And by saying that, you mean you want to take Yu Qie as your goal?"

Chu Fujun blushed and said with a hint of longing, "I only need one-tenth of that."

"Then I wish you success! You're a brilliant student in our Chinese Literature Department!"

Chu Fujun has a pen name, "Ge Mai," which is probably more famous. Since entering the school, Ge Mai has quickly gained fame. His poems are often copied by his classmates. This year, he created "Old Dreams of Jinshan," which caught the eye of Luo Yihe of "October," so he can be said to have a bright future.

Moreover, Chu Fujun always takes "Yu Qie" as his goal. He is not only charitable, but also often participates in school activities, has taught himself Spanish, and is currently translating the works of the Latin American writer Borges... Everyone privately feels that Chu Fujun is very much like Yu Qie.

"Steamed buns again? Nothing else?" Chu Fujun said. "How about I treat you?"

"We're lucky to have any steamed buns to eat!"

"You've already met Yu Qie. I'm insanely jealous... You should have your soul cleansed by now, shouldn't you celebrate? I'll treat you to ribs, and I've also received my royalties."

Upon hearing this, Lu Buxuan recalled Yu Qie's message from that day and let out a long sigh.

People are different.

Some people are born to suffer, with no end in sight. Although Lu Buxuan is in business, he does it on behalf of others; he doesn't have much money of his own, and the pager isn't even his.

Chu Fujun, however, was able to earn royalties from writing poetry. It wasn't much, but for a student, it was a huge sum of money.

And it's very clean!
Unlike doing business...

Subsequently, Chu Fujun, as a poet, began to talk about "literary inheritance." He always liked to talk about this.

Chu Fujun was the top scholar from Baoquanling Farm in Heilongjiang Province. That place was close to the border and belonged to the "Great Northern Wilderness".

Labor, the black soil, the frontier, and the harsh cold inspired writers to create many works here. Northeast China has the highest per capita education rate in the country. In this era, only in Northeast China can you see unassuming old men speaking Russian and playing the accordion on the street.

They understand writers and support them.

"Our place is born to write literature; everyone who comes here is a born writer."

“Look at the writers who have come here, Dingling, Xiao Jun, Robin Ji…aren’t they all famous? There are also great contemporary writers, Zhang Kang, Liang Xiaosheng…we people from the Great Northern Wilderness are born to make achievements in literature!” Lu Buxuan felt very uncomfortable listening to this.

Chu Fujun may not be a truly strong-willed or self-disciplined person. He either boasts about himself or the things he boasts about, which is a form of disguised self-praise.

Think about what kind of place Wanxian is.
Yu Qie made sure that all Chinese people knew about this place!
After the "candlelight talk," Lu Buxuanjun realized that true strength lies in calm self-affirmation, not in waving a big flag to cheer himself on.

He can stir people's hearts simply by calling everyone "friends".

He puts himself in a humble position, which makes him even more respected, and he often does this to his friends.

Afterwards, Chu Fujun's friend Cheng Guoping also arrived. Cheng Guoping was also a campus poet, writing under the pen name Xidu. Upon arriving, Cheng Guoping also noticed Lu Buxuan's steamed buns and said with a smile, "Steamed buns again! Shall I treat you to some ribs? I just received a payment for my writing."

"You also received royalties? Who paid you?" Chu Fujun asked.

“I submitted an article about my senior classmate Yu Qie, titled ‘Yu Qie’s Poems,’ which was selected by the ‘Stars’ poetry journal. They sent me eighty dollars. If it’s reprinted in the Taiwanese magazine ‘United Literature,’ I’ll receive another payment.”

At this point, Cheng Guoping couldn't help but feel proud. "I'm currently drafting a literary study specifically for the writers who emerged around the 1980s at Yenching University. Luo Yihe, Zha Haisheng, Liu Zhenyun, Chen Jiangong... and the strongest class in the history of the Chinese Department, the Class of '77!"

Cheng Guoping spoke with longing: "They're all established writers now! Even the eccentric Zha Haisheng is famous now. You know, just a few years ago he was self-publishing poetry, and nobody wanted to read it..."

Chu Fujun was extremely envious: "Be a recorder and witness of the times! These are Yu Qie's original words when he published them in the New Reality Society! If you take your research to Taiwan, you'll truly succeed!"

"I also benefited from Senior Brother Yu's influence! Now he's a big name. At the end of last year, Liu Shahe, a senior editor of 'Stars', and Luo Yihe, an editor of 'October', wrote articles on Yu Qie, interpreting Yu Qie's 'poetry', which were very popular with readers."

"October magazine has also released 'A Cultural Journey,' which was just written and more than ten publishers have joined forces to compete for it. I think that in the next few years, studying Yu Qie himself will be a hot topic in literature. Why is Yu Qie not included in my research? Because he needs to be listed separately."

After listening, Lu Buxuan said from a business perspective, "Moreover, Yu Qie is still in his creative period. You can write for as long as he writes. No wonder everyone is writing about Yu Qie."

“Well, that’s really true.” Cheng Guoping didn’t try to hide it.

To do literary research, one must naturally study promising works. Readers will enjoy them, editors will approve them, and newspapers will pay them.

Ba Jin also wrote about Yu Qie in his "Random Thoughts". You absolutely cannot write a literary history of this era without Yu Qie.

Future readers will wonder if you were even on the list of top-tier writers back then. Otherwise, how could you have failed to match Yu Qie?

You're saying you lost?
Even if you lose, it's still a matter of experience; at least you're in the highest rank of the game.

……

For three or four days in a row, Lu Buxuan kept running into Chu Fujun and Cheng Guoping. The two were good friends and understood each other's literary stances very well, so talking about them too much would be pointless.

They most liked to ask Lu Buxuan for his opinion, but Lu Buxuan knew he was not qualified to participate in literary discussions, so he never expressed his stance.

Lu Buxuan was afraid of being ridiculed.

Lu Buxuan genuinely knew nothing about Borges or the study of Yuqie. Although he was a Chinese literature major, Lu Buxuan felt that his first 20 years hadn't given him any literary foundation, and he feared he'd be more skilled at butchering pigs than writing articles in the future.

It wasn't until Yenching University's student magazine published an article, "Candlelight 'Night' Talk," that things changed. The student magazine is a bimonthly publication, released on the 18th of even-numbered months. Now, in mid-February, that date has arrived.

The cafeteria at No. 1 School exploded that day! Along the way, Lu Buxuan encountered several people reciting poems and shouting slogans.

They shouted, "It's right to be full, it's a sin to be hungry."

Some say, "Success is temporary, but failure is a constant throughout one's life! But how we face failure divides us into two categories!"

These students, as if vying to perform a poetry recitation, portrayed Yu Qie with dramatic intonation, as if they were there, standing at the highest point, like great figures embodying the power of heaven and earth!
Who knew that Yu Qie was helping others stand up? That's the key!

madman!

Normally, many people hold speeches only in the large and small dining halls, especially the large dining hall—because that place is right in the student dormitory, making it very convenient for gatherings.

The student cafeteria is like this too!

Lu Buxuan came to eat, ordering two steamed buns as usual. Something unbelievable happened: the usually most expensive "ribs" stall was now packed with people. A serving of ribs cost four cents, and they were buying them like they were free.

The cafeteria staff already knew Lu Buxuan. She was a slightly overweight middle-aged woman who handed Lu Buxuan a ticket as soon as she saw him.

"You've been eating steamed buns for seven days straight, each meal costing less than a dime. So, according to the cafeteria's new rules, you can get a ticket for pork ribs. Go, go eat some meat."

Lu Buxuan was about to be stunned when the aunt smiled and said, "I heard that this was donated by the students of Peking University themselves. There are more than 4,000 students in Peking University this year. After deducting the international students, there are only more than 3,000 left. Only about a hundred of them live frugally, eating only steamed buns and porridge every meal. We all know them."

Lu Buxuan flipped open the food ticket, and on the left side was a picture of steaming pork ribs.

It reads: Yenching University Student Canteen; one space, four corners.

The following is February 1987.

This means that this ticket is specifically for eating pork ribs, and it has to be used up this month.

The school gave out freebies? Who would give me this ticket?

Lu Buxuan was worried that all the ribs would be gone, and while he was still thinking about it, people had already lined up. The closer he got to the window, the more he craved them. The aroma of scallions and the savory smell of oil awakened his uncontrollable physiological instincts. He couldn't think of anything else; he could only focus on eating his fill of ribs.

Fewer and fewer people are living here, and fewer and fewer spare ribs are also becoming available.

The pork ribs in the student cafeteria are served in a huge pot. It's so tall that you have to stand on a stool to scoop them out. Students outside don't know how much is left, but the more effort the cafeteria staff have to scoop, the less is left.

It was obvious that the kitchen staff working to get the ribs from the back of the line was having a hard time getting to the front.

"Here! This is my ticket!"

The food tickets I just received were handed over in the blink of an eye.

I actually spent four cents to eat this?
Just as Lu Buxuan was about to feel regretful, the serving of spare ribs was delivered. "This is the last one; there aren't any more after this."

Those standing behind them had been standing there for nothing, and naturally began to complain.

The employee at the window said, "I didn't expect so many people to come to redeem tickets today. You can check if they still have any other meat dishes that cost four cents. You can use those to redeem tickets."

The person behind said, "I just want to eat ribs! Chicken isn't as good as meat, and fish has no oil at all. Only braised ribs are the best!"

"I guarantee there will be plenty of spare ribs from now on!"

Lu Buxuan heard this.

He was a very smart man, and he immediately understood the meaning of those words: the school would need to increase its procurement volume later.

To whom?
There aren't that many places for lavish meals and drinks at school. Things are tough right now; even professors are complaining.

(End of this chapter)