Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 109 Envious? If you're envious, go write one!

In Su Min's office, Liu Yimin quietly sipped his tea, listening to the two men's verbal sparring without uttering a word. They knew each other too well; after a heated exchange, neither could break the other's defense.

Just as the two were talking, the office door rang again. Liu Yimin got up and opened it; it was another elderly colleague.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, right? I am Ouyang Shanzun!"

After Ouyang Shanzun finished speaking, the arguing inside instantly ceased, and everyone stood up and looked towards the door. Ouyang Shanzun shook hands with Liu Yimin and then strode into the office.

He glanced sideways at Su Min and Lan Tianye, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Why are you arguing? I couldn't hear clearly from outside, so I came in to listen. You stopped as soon as I came in. Did I come in for nothing?"

He then sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and watched the two of them as if they were watching a show. When they still didn't speak, he urged them twice more.

Su Min and Lan Tianye are about the same age and have similar directing experience, but they are no match for Ouyang Shanzun. Ouyang Shanzun, along with Jiao Juyin, Xia Chun, and Mei Qian, are known as the four great directors of Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Now, Ouyang Shanzun is the vice president and deputy director of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, so he immediately puts on airs in front of Lan Tianye and Su Min. He has been giving guidance to other drama theaters recently.

“Go ahead and argue, keep arguing, let Yimin laugh at you. You two are over a hundred years old combined, and you’re ruining the unity of our Beijing People’s Art Theatre’s directing team over a script.”

Ouyang Shanzun looked at him with a disappointed expression, and Lan Tianye quickly said, "We were arguing too loudly. The main problem is that we really don't want to miss out on good scripts. As you know, there haven't been any good scripts available lately!"

"Yes, we were arguing too loudly. Let's quiet down!"

Upon hearing their words, Ouyang Shanzun angrily slammed his hat on the coffee table: "Can't you two at least show some of the modesty and humility that we at the Beijing People's Art Theatre have?"

"Old Lan, the dean said, could you be a little more accommodating?" Su Min asked.

"Can't you even be a little bit modest!"

"Then neither of you should direct anymore. This is outrageous, absolutely outrageous!" After saying this, Ouyang Shanzun smiled and looked at Liu Yimin, then stood up and said, "Yimin, let's go to my office and have a proper discussion about the script."

Lan Tianye then realized that Ouyang Shanzun had his own plans, so he grumbled, "Oh? The people who put on a big show have come to put on a show for us!"

"Comrade Shan Zun, you're already the deputy director, so don't try to steal our thunder!" Su Min said angrily.

On ordinary days, the actors and directors of the Beijing People's Art Theatre usually call Ouyang Shanzun "Shanzun," and even the children in the family compound call him that. Ouyang Shanzun is not angry at all; on the contrary, he finds it very endearing.

Finally, Cao Yu came to Liu Yimin's rescue, letting him leave first, and led the three of them into his office.

After leaving his office, Liu Yimin went to the rehearsal hall. He had originally planned to go to the Writers' Association guesthouse after leaving the Beijing People's Art Theatre. When he first started writing "The Flames of War in Beiping," Lao Ma kept saying that he must see it when he finished writing it.

Now that it's finally finished, it's time for Liu Yimin to fulfill his promise. But then he thought, it's not noon yet, it'll be better to go in the afternoon. He can invite him to have lunch together and offer Master Ma a few drinks.

Inside the theater, rehearsals for "Mr. Donkey" took place in the morning and "Wang Zhaojun" in the afternoon. A new play typically requires forty to sixty days of rehearsals, and "Mr. Donkey" is about to premiere.

Even though Lan Tianye wasn't at the rehearsal venue, the actors were still rehearsing very hard.

After a while, Lan Tianye came out of Cao Yu's office. He smiled broadly when he saw Liu Yimin, but did not mention anything about directing "Wolf Smoke in Beiping".

"Yimin, how are you feeling? Are you even better than before? Since Comrade Shanzun came back, he has given a lot of guidance on the movements. Comrade Shanzun is a master of directing major productions; he has a keen eye and can tell at a glance where changes are needed!"

Then Lan Tianye pointed at Zhu Lin and said, "Look at Zhu Lin, how well her eyes are conveying that despair doesn't seem fake."

“Well, I came to see the play, not her,” Liu Yimin said.

“I know!” Lan Tianye sat down next to Liu Yimin and patted him on the shoulder.

A performance of "Mr. Donkey" lasts 120 minutes, a full two hours. Going through the whole show from beginning to end is exhausting for those with poor stamina. After the performance, the next step is to focus on correcting the problems mentioned earlier.

"Zhang Yiman's movements were a bit too daring in some places, so we made some adjustments to make the movements appear less exaggerated. There was no other way but to make changes."

Lan Tianye explained.

Liu Yimin nodded; he understood all of this. He himself was someone who had been constantly scrutinized and tested by censorship, so he knew all too well what was going on!

"Ten-minute break!" Lan Tianye said.

Seeing Zhu Lin looking this way, Lan Tianye stood up and joked, "I'm getting old, I still have to make way for the younger generation!" After saying that, he added in a low voice, "I know this principle, how come Comrade Shanzun doesn't understand it? Why are you trying to take it from us?"

It seems he hasn't let go yet. Liu Yimin said, "I'm just a screenwriter."

"Really? You make it sound so easy, as if anyone can write a script. Take your time revising 'Wolf Smoke Over Beiping,' no need to rush!" After saying that, Lan Tianye walked over to Lü Zhong (Zhang Yiman) and prepared to give her some more pointers on the play.

"Hello, Comrade Liu Yimin, it's been a long time!" Zhu Lin said with a smile, extending his hand.

"Yeah, it must have been more than half a year!" Liu Yimin joked.

Zhu Lin did the math and said playfully, "It'll probably take about a year!"

"Then we need to have a good talk, shall we?"

“Nothing is impossible. Teacher Lan said my movements are basically fine, and I can go straight to the premiere. Now I mainly need to practice with everyone.”

The role of Jiajia in the play doesn't have a lot of screen time, so the pressure of playing her isn't that great.

"Waiting for your premiere!"

"Is 'The Flames of War in Beiping' also going to be adapted into a stage play? My dad really loves this novel; he's completely engrossed in it. He's read it several times at home, and even when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he'll still read it under the lamp. My mom asked him what was wrong, and guess what he said?"

"How to say?"

"He said he dreamed that he became one of the characters in 'The Flames of War in Beiping,' and was talking to the characters in the book. He got up and thought about whether the other person was worth befriending!"

After Zhu Lin finished speaking, he laughed out loud, but then, afraid that his movements were too exaggerated, he lowered his head and laughed again.

"Uncle is quite interesting!" Liu Yimin thought for a long time before finally managing to say this.

"Although my dad is an engineering student, he also loves literature. He reads every issue of your magazine and carefully annotates the articles in the newspaper. He even said he'd like to invite you over for dinner sometime!"

"Is that really what they said?" Liu Yimin asked, half believing and half doubting.

Zhu Lin forced a smile and said, "That's true! But I'm telling you, your time is precious. You have to go to school, write novels, poems, reviews, and revise scripts. How could you possibly have time to eat with him?" Liu Yimin scoffed and teased, "Are you afraid I'll come to your house for dinner? Is the portion not big enough?"

"How could that be?" Zhu Lin hurriedly explained, "If you're willing, I'd definitely welcome you with open arms. My family's ration is enough, and even if it's not, I'll give you mine."

"I will definitely pay you a visit another day when I have time."

"When?" Zhu Lin realized he was being a bit hasty, so he quickly changed his mind and said, "Whenever, just let me know in advance and I'll be ready!"

"Okay!" Liu Yimin said meaningfully, "It's getting hotter and hotter."

"Yes, it's getting hotter and hotter!" Zhu Lin didn't know what Liu Yimin meant by suddenly saying that, so he could only repeat it. After repeating it, he still didn't understand and didn't know how to reply, so he simply stopped talking about the hot weather.

"It'll be a while before it gets hot in Yanjing. Yanjing is dusty. Comrade Liu Yimin, are you getting used to it in Yanjing?" Zhu Lin asked.

"Keeping my mouth closed is fine, but I'm not used to opening it in public. I opened my mouth while riding my bicycle, and guess what?"

"What's wrong?"

"When I closed my mouth again, good heavens, there was a whole bunch of sand in it. Anyone who didn't know better would think I was going to build a house in my mouth," Liu Yimin joked.

Zhu Lin was amused by Liu Yimin, and when he realized he was laughing too loudly, many actors turned to look at him, including Lan Tianye. Lan Tianye gave Liu Yimin a wink, as if to say, "You're something else!"
Zhu Lin blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone. Only after their gazes left did she breathe a sigh of relief, a hint of relief on her face. Without saying anything more, she quickly reached into her bag, rummaged around inside for a while, and, feeling something soft, happily handed it to Liu Yimin.

"Another bicycle seat cover?"

Liu Yimin asked instinctively.

"No, it's a face mask. It's very windy and dusty in Yanjing, so wearing a face mask makes me feel much more comfortable. I brought this from school!" Zhu Lin explained.

Liu Yimin picked it up and examined it under the light. The mask was very thick, the kind of cotton mask that doctors used to wear. It was perfect for this situation, as it kept his mouth from freezing and protected him from wind and sand.

It was a muzzle!
Liu Yimin looked at Zhu Lin suspiciously and asked, "This isn't something you used, is it?"

"New!" Zhu Lin pinched himself hard inside his sleeves with both hands.

"Oh!"

"Oh?"

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome. The instructor said that comrades should help and love each other!"

After he finished speaking, Lan Tianye clapped his hands and called on everyone to continue rehearsing.

Liu Yimin ate lunch at the Beijing People's Art Theatre canteen, but since he wasn't revising the script, he had to pay for his own food. The chef piled up a mountain of food for Liu Yimin, leaving Yang Lixin stunned.

I've never seen a chef be so generous before!
I stayed at the Beijing People's Art Theatre until two or three in the morning. The actors from "Mr. Donkey" were watching the rehearsal of "Wang Zhaojun". Lan Tianye is the director in the morning and an actor in the afternoon.

Zhu Lin watched Liu Yimin's departing figure, then turned her gaze back to the stage.

Yang Lixin put his arm around Pu Cunxi and said, "Old Pu, when it gets hot in a while, I'll invite you to swim in Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace. I can dive right from here to there!"

Hearing this, Zhu Lin pursed her lips and glanced in the direction Liu Yimin had left.

Liu Yimin went to *People's Literature and Art* to collect his payment for his work; he hadn't yet received his payment for *Smoke Over Beiping*. The editorial office of *People's Literature and Art* was unusually lively today, with many editors putting pressure on their authors.

"How long have you been writing? You can't just play around all the time, you know? Look at what you've changed! Yimin's here?"

Liu Yimin greeted them and then found Cui Daoyi.

"Senior brother, I've come to collect my royalties!"

“I’ll get it for you, Yimin. Have you read the Yanjing Daily?” Cui Daoyi asked.

Liu Yimin shook his head. He rarely read newspapers like the Yanjing Daily, and he couldn't keep up with reading the central media outlets like the People's Daily.

Cui Daoyi excitedly handed the Yanjing Daily to Liu Yimin: "Take a look at this book review. It says that your book, 'The Flames of War in Beiping,' is a history book of old Beiping. People from all walks of life can be seen in the novel. It reflects the life of the people of old Beiping and the hardships they suffered before liberation in a comprehensive way."

Based on our previous experience, we printed an additional 200,000 copies in the first batch.

After glancing at it, Liu Yimin said, "Senior brother, quite a few people are criticizing me too. Some say that Xu Jinge has too many scenes and that he is portrayed as too positive."

"Don't worry about it. Xu Jingge's later years perfectly illustrate the magnanimity of our Party, turning a spy stained with the blood of his comrades into a new man of the times. If the GMD had arrested one of our people, would he have survived?"

Cui Daoyi helped him collect 637 yuan in royalties. "The Flames of War in Beiping" was over 91,000 words long, making it the longest novel he had ever written.

Liu Yimin's savings are about to break the 2,000 yuan mark, making him one-fifth of those with over 10,000 yuan in savings. The basic royalties for the standalone book haven't been paid yet; Liu Yimin inquired and learned that the publisher is working overtime to print it.

Zhang Guangnian came out and said, "Yimin, I will urge the publishing house. You are about to go abroad to visit France. You should bring some of your books to exchange with foreigners. It's a pity that there are no translated versions."

"Comrade Zhang, we must thank the Writers Association for their trust!"

“No, it’s the trust you placed in the Writers’ Association! The Writers’ Association has prepared US dollars for everyone, but not many. If you have connections and want to buy something, you can exchange it at a currency exchange before you leave and take it with you,” Zhang Guangnian said in a low voice.

"I see!"

“This is not a problem for Yimin. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press is such a large organization with a bunch of international students under its command,” Cui Daoyi joked, emphasizing that Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press is a large organization.

If Liu Yimin wanted to exchange more US dollars or French francs, he could only turn to the group of overseas students at Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

When Liu Yimin left People's Literature and Art, Cui Daoyi gave Liu Yimin 637 yuan in royalties in front of everyone in the editorial department. This surprised the authors who had been joking and haggling with the editor. Looking at their own royalties of only a few dozen yuan, they felt a mix of emotions.

"What, are you envious because Yimin gets so much royalties? If you're envious, go write some! If you're so capable, write a medium-length novel of over 90,000 words!"

Cui Daoyi crossed his legs and said with a sour face, looking extremely irritating.

(End of this chapter)