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

Chapter 164 The French royalties have finally arrived.
Li Xueqin and Chen Dazhi were overjoyed. Because of the different publication schedules of newspapers and magazines, their articles were published earlier than Liu Zhenyun's, whose articles were still waiting to be published in "Yanjing Literature and Art".

As for when it will be published, Zhou Yanru only said that it depends on the schedule!

Li Xueqin exclaimed, "Is this what they mean by 'when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'?"

Chen Dazhi nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice: "I was about to tear up the manuscript, but I never thought it would be published. The three of us have to treat Yimin to a meal at the Long March Hotel!"

On the Yenching University campus, in the Chinese Department, everyone was talking about "reforming literature." When the magazine "Weiming Lake" approached Liu Yimin for a manuscript, he politely declined, saying he really couldn't write it.

Liu Yimin recommended Liu Zhenyun, Li Xueqin, and Chen Dazhi to Chen Jiangong, claiming that after several days of discussion, they had absorbed some of the spirit of reform literature.

Chen Jiangong sighed, looking at the three eager men, and said, "Fine, let's choose the best among the worst."

Then write it; whether it can be published is another matter.

In the Chinese literature department, the professors who taught modern literature would occasionally ask Liu Yimin to talk about reform literature and share his own understanding of it.

Upon returning to Tianjin, Jiang Zilong sent a letter, enthusiastically praising Liu Yimin's comments on "reform literature."

As the first work of "reform literature", Jiang Zilong was flattered by the treatment he recently received.

Lu Yao and Jiang Zilong, two leading figures in literary reform, closely united around Liu Yimin.

Inside the courtyard, Lu Yao smiled broadly as he read the discussions in the newspaper. He was getting more and more into his current work.

"As a literary trend, reform literature, like other literary trends, is bound to decline!" Liu Yimin said calmly, looking at his happy expression.

"What should we do then?" Lu Yao asked.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "That's normal. This is the normal law of development. No one can go against the law!"

Lu Yao said, "You're really calm about this. If someone else had made such a big fuss, they would have lost their temper long ago."

By publishing various literary reviews, Liu Yimin earned a total of over two hundred yuan, plus a bonus of three hundred yuan, making a total of five or six hundred yuan.

After paying 5,000 yuan for the courtyard house, Liu Yimin had less than 1,000 yuan left. He bought some furniture, made some minor renovations to the courtyard house, and repaired the roof boards that had been removed from the house, spending about 500 yuan.

My royalties and bonuses these days have barely kept me breaking even.

"I still have 2,500 yuan in debt," Liu Yimin sighed. "I need to speed up my earning pace." He was currently writing a novella, which he expected to reach 80,000 words, and would earn him 500 to 600 yuan in royalties upon completion.

"Money!"

At the end of April, Lu Yao left the courtyard house, shouldered her luggage, and prepared to go home. Before leaving, she declared, "My novella will be finished within three months, and I'll definitely send it to you then!"

The courtyard house was very close to Yanjing Station. After helping him get to the platform, Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Be willing to spend money on yourself. Money can be earned if you can spend it."

Lu Yao stared at Liu Yimin for a long time before saying, "Everyone else advises me not to spend money recklessly, so why are you advising me to be more willing to spend?"

"Isn't the point of earning money to spend it?"

Lu Yao remembered that the man in front of her could spend money even more than herself, and had even bought a courtyard house with debt. She held Liu Yimin's hand and said, "Comrade Liu Yimin, you are the one who understands me!" Liu Yimin said again, "If you spend the money you earn on yourself and your family, then the money you spend is meaningful."

He waved and saw Lu Yao into the car.

When Liu Yimin received the remittance slip, Marseille Dani, who was far away at the Flammarion publishing house in France, sneezed loudly, a commotion that drew the attention of everyone at the publishing house.

Marcel Danny awkwardly covered his face with a newspaper, not knowing why he suddenly sneezed.

If Liu Yimin were there, he would definitely tell him that this was a token of gratitude from the far East.

The number on the remittance slip made Liu Yimin keep counting the zeros with his fingers. After counting several times, he spat out, "How come it's only a little over seven thousand francs!"

The French translation has sold 20,000 copies so far. At a price of seven francs per copy, the royalties should be close to 20,000 francs. He thought it was 70,000 francs.

Are these Frenchmen trying to screw themselves over?
After receiving the letter from Massey Dani, Liu Yimin finally understood the key point: this portion of the income had already been taxed. After the tax deduction, that was about all there was left.

The document detailed all sorts of taxes, and Liu Yimin got a general idea of ​​what it contained.

France has high taxes, using a progressive system, with the highest reaching 60% or 70%. However, copyright can receive various reductions, such as deductions for the author's creative costs (travel expenses, etc.) and other subsidies, indirectly improving the treatment of writers.

But Liu Yimin is Chinese, so the concepts of creative costs and subsidies don't apply to him at all; this heavy tax burden hit him squarely.

He was beaten until he grimaced.

The two countries have not signed a tax treaty in this regard. Generally, countries with close relations will sign a tax treaty to avoid double taxation.

However, even if a contract is signed, it won't make a difference. Currently, royalties in China are not taxed, although in the near future, they will be subject to personal income tax, but not yet.

The main tax levied on him is withholding tax, which is 30 percent of the royalties an undocumented author receives from publishers or sales.

Seven thousand it is, it's still a courtyard house!
There's no rush to withdraw the money, since it will be directly converted into RMB anyway, and individuals have no way to hold foreign currency.

In the letter, Massey Dani thanked Liu Yimin, saying that it was Liu's book that officially launched his editing career, and that he was trying to become a French editor specifically responsible for publishing Chinese writers.

Selling 20,000 copies would make it a bestseller, which shows how weak the French market is. In China, 20,000 copies wouldn't even make a ripple in the publishing market.

Liu Yimin wrote back to Marseille Dani, praising his efforts in promoting cultural exchange between China and France and hoping that he would continue his efforts to sell more of Liu Yimin's books.

If he wants to publish books by other Chinese authors, he can introduce them to others.

Back in the courtyard house, Liu Yimin looked at the yard, which was beginning to show signs of spring, and smiled contentedly. Now that he had money, he figured he could renovate the courtyard house, perhaps even transforming it into a secluded paradise with flowing water and a charming little bridge.

At the very least, one should be able to lie under the eaves and watch the clouds roll by, or lean against the window and listen to the rain fall.

After wandering around for a while, I felt that something was missing and the place was empty. Just as I was thinking about it, someone gently knocked on the door of the courtyard house.

(End of this chapter)