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

Chapter 362, "A Sudden Birth," resonated throughout the literary world.

Inside the courtyard of Ji'an Police Station, Liu Yimin and his old superior sat in the study, drinking tea and playing chess.

Seeing the old commander's calm and composed demeanor, Liu Yimin couldn't help but ask, "Commander, the Capital Airport and Nanyuan Airport are quite far from here. Half an hour must be a bit of a struggle!"

"Don't worry, Secretary Li has a plan." The old leader smiled slightly, then picked up his cannon and slammed it hard onto Liu Yimin's rook: "Take your rook, concentrate on the game!"

Liu Yimin thought to himself that Secretary Li would probably have to delay the flight by more than ten minutes to arrive.

The Capital Airport is not far from Ji'an, about 30 kilometers away. However, the road is not in good condition, and cars don't travel very fast these days.

Later, the speed of cars increased and the highway was built, but with more cars, the roads became congested, and the time from Tiananmen Square to the Capital Airport became even longer.

Unexpectedly, twenty minutes later, Secretary Li called to tell the old leader that the manuscript had been successfully delivered.

"Look, there's nothing we can't do!" the old commander said with a smile.

"Secretary Li is quite capable!"

"Focus on the game, or you'll lose again."

When Secretary Li returned, Liu Yimin saw that he was covered in sweat, as if he had run a lap.

"Okay, that's enough. I have something to do and need to go to Zhonghai."

"I'll play chess with you again sometime."

The old leader went inside to tidy his clothes, and Liu Yimin followed Secretary Li out, saying, "Secretary Li, you're really fast!"

"The driver practically wanted to floor the gas pedal, so sitting in the car felt like being in the cargo bed of a military truck," Secretary Li complained.

After waving goodbye to Secretary Li, Liu Yimin returned to the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

"The commander really values ​​this highly, sending the manuscript to Shanghai by air. This is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing," Cao Yu exclaimed.

"Usually, Harvest magazine hasn't been printed yet at this time, but if you're sending a letter, it's hard to say."

The magazine "Harvest" is published mid-month, and the initial print run of each issue is quite large, so the printing process must have started at the beginning of the month.

"I think this issue of Harvest magazine will break sales records again. There aren't many people who can resist reading about the secrets behind the nuclear program. Apart from news of the explosion, the development of the atomic bomb is so mysterious to us Chinese people that even the slightest news about it will cause a stir among the Chinese people."

Liu Yimin chimed in, "Yes, the success of this book is not due to my efforts, but to the scientists and soldiers behind it."

"You can't say that. Different people writing about the same subject will produce different results. Come back to Muxidi with me for dinner today, with Xiaolin. Your senior sister misses you too."

Liu Yimin said with a grin, "I was just thinking of coming to your house for a meal."

"The food was good, but you need to get the script sorted out quickly. This time, the script should go to the People's Art Theatre, how about that?"

"You said it yourself, of course there's no problem. I wouldn't agree to it no matter who came!"

Cao Yu looked at Liu Yimin and nodded in satisfaction. He began to think about which director would be most suitable. For such a big production, several directors would be needed.

Have you seen Liu Jinyun, the screenwriter who came last year?

“I rarely deal with playwrights at Beijing People’s Art Theatre; I mainly interact with directors and actors, though you are an exception, of course.”

Liu Jinyun, the second-generation director of Beijing People's Art Theatre, came to the theatre last year. Liu Yimin calculated that he had only met her once from afar.

"In the future, you should communicate more with the playwrights at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and give them some guidance."

"With you here, do you still need my guidance?"

"Haha, they don't want to bother me with many questions, so you guys can communicate more. I hope that in the future, our Beijing People's Art Theatre will produce more hard-hitting dramas."

Liu Yimin stayed in Cao Yu's office until the end of the workday. Cao Yu asked Liu Yimin if he had any writing ideas for the future.

Liu Yimin wanted to rest for half a month, so Cao Yu didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he started discussing with him the current state of drama in China.

After getting off work, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin rode their motorcycles to Muxidi.

"How are you feeling?" Liu Yimin asked with concern as they went upstairs.

"Teacher Liu, it's nothing, it's just a bit hot, and standing for a long time is a little uncomfortable," Zhu Lin said with a smile.

By calculation, Zhu Lin is almost three months pregnant. She hasn't had any symptoms, and her belly isn't getting any bigger.

Lan Tianye told Liu Yimin that Zhu Lin was busy all day at work but there was nothing unusual about her.

When Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun learned that Zhu Lin was pregnant, they wanted to come to Yanjing to take care of her, but Liu Yimin politely declined.

The eldest sister-in-law is much more pregnant than Zhu Lin, and there's no one else at her house. The eldest brother has to go to work, so the eldest sister-in-law needs the care of the two elderly people even more.

After her elder brother became the deputy section chief, he was assigned a house by the mining bureau. Although it was small, Yang Xiuyun had no problem moving in.

"Are there any plays to stage right now?" Liu Yimin asked.

"Yes, Teacher Liu, everyone is waiting for you. Small theater plays are popular in China now. Recently, they staged 'The Station,' directed by Lin Zhaohua and several other directors. There are many directors at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, but not many are actually working on it now."

The play *The Station* is rather obscure; I didn't particularly like it. I liked what you said: works of high artistic value increase the difficulty of understanding for the audience. I still prefer plays that are straightforward and clear to the audience.

"Zhu Lin, are you trying to flatter me indirectly?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

Zhu Lin gently pinched Liu Yimin's arm: "Do I need to beat around the bush when I'm flattering Teacher Liu? I just flatter him directly!"

"Haha, since you're not busy at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, I'll take you to Beidaihe to rest for a while. Anyway, there aren't any shows to film, so it'll be a good opportunity to relax and have a safe pregnancy!" Liu Yimin asked softly.

Zhu Lin, who was in front, didn't seem to feel anything after hearing the first part, but when she heard about the pregnancy support, her expression showed some interest, since she had finally gotten pregnant.

Zhu Lin scratched her cheek and hesitated, "But there's no leave. Maternity leave is only 56 days in total, and there are only a few days before delivery. Besides, I'm only three months pregnant now."

"Don't worry about it, we have connections!" Liu Yimin teased, patting Zhu Lin on the waist.

"Don't always bother Teacher Wan, it's not good!"

"What's wrong with you two? Why are you dawdling at the door? Why aren't you coming in?" Wan Fang shouted as he opened the door.

Cao Yu returned first; the door was ajar. As soon as the two stepped out of the elevator, Wan Fang overheard Zhu Lin's last words.

"Nothing, senior sister. Why are you here so early?" Zhu Lin strode into the apartment, with Liu Yimin following closely behind.

"It's been so long since I've seen my junior brother, and as his senior sister, I miss him terribly!" Wan Fang teased.

Liu Yimin walked in and said to Wan Fang, "Senior Sister, it's not enough to just say it; have you made me something delicious?"

"Yes, it's hot, so I learned how to make a cold bamboo shoot salad. It's refreshing and helps cut through the grease, and it tastes great. Linlin is newly pregnant, and oily food makes her feel nauseous, so this is perfect."

Wan Fang led the two into the house and pointed to the fresh bamboo shoots that were being cut while soaking in water.

"Thank you so much, senior sister. I thank you on Linlin's behalf."

"To quote you, just saying thank you isn't enough. Father just mentioned your new novel, 'The Birth of a Nation.' Hurry up and finish writing the script for it and submit it to us for publication. Let your senior sister finally get some recognition in the editorial department."

"Just you wait and see, you definitely won't be disappointed!"

After the two had joked around, Li Yuru, who was busy in the kitchen, turned around and said, "Yimin, let me see how tanned you are?"

After Zhu Lin used cold cream and clam oil to care for Liu Yimin's face day and night, his sunspots have basically disappeared, except for a slight dark redness.

Li Yuru checked and found it was almost done, so she said, "Yimin, be more careful when you go out in the future. The braised eggplant and braised tofu are almost ready, you can try them first."

"There's another dish I learned to make: braised sea cucumber with scallions. Sea cucumber is nutritious, and it's good for Linlin's health," Wan Fang said.

Liu Yimin went up to Wan Fang to ask, "Senior sister, where did you learn this from?"

“It definitely wasn’t learned from Fengzeyuan. They don’t share their sea cucumber recipes. I met a chef from Shandong Province a while ago and learned from him, but it’s not as authentic as Fengzeyuan’s,” Wan Fang said with a smile.

Fengzeyuan is a Shandong cuisine restaurant, and it is also a time-honored brand with a long history. It shares the same name as Fengzeyuan in Zhonghai. Braised sea cucumber with scallions is one of its signature dishes.

"I haven't tried it yet, but I'll go with Linlin to try it another day," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After Wan Fang finished cooking, the group tasted it and found it to be truly delicious. Cao Yu said, "Master Wang Yijun, the chef at Fengzeyuan, is remarkable. This year, the country is holding its first National Master Chef Competition, and I think he can win an award."

As Liu Yimin ate, his eyes darted around, and Cao Yu couldn't help but ask him what he was thinking.

"I was thinking that there are many century-old restaurants in old Beijing. In the 100 years of ups and downs in Beijing, these time-honored brands must have experienced a lot of stories. This is also part of the history of old Beijing," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Cao Yu put down his chopsticks: "You have an idea?"

"I was just thinking about it."

“It’s good to have ideas, Yimin. After Lao She’s Teahouse, there haven’t been many authentic old Beijing literary works. Your ‘Beijing in Flames’ is one of them. I remember that Yanjing Literature and Art held a seminar on Beijing literature at that time. Everyone was looking forward to literary works with the flavor of old Beijing.”

"You've taken up the mantle of Lao She's Beiping literature, and you must continue to carry it on. I have high hopes for you," Cao Yu said expectantly.

Wanfang, who was standing next to her, was very interested, but she didn't know how to write this century-old brand name. Should she just write "cooking"?

After finishing their meal, Liu Yimin dragged Cao Yu slowly into the study.

"Speak, what do you need me to do?"

"You said that."

"I'm old but not deaf. Xiao Fang heard it, so naturally I heard it too," Cao Yu said with a laugh, tapping his fingers.

“Teacher, as you know, Xiaolin has been quite worried about the baby recently, and now she's pregnant. The Beijing People's Art Theatre is short of scripts and doesn't have many plays to rehearse. I was thinking of asking for a leave of absence for her. It's too hot, and I'd like to take her to Beidaihe to rest for a while, but she doesn't want to because she's afraid of troubling you.”

Cao Yu asked directly, "How long?"

"It shouldn't take more than a month, right? We'll get through the hottest part of the day!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Cao Yu pondered, "For the past month, Comrade Shizhi has been in charge of the actors' daily management!"

"Is it difficult?"

"I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Can you give me a reason?"

What if I gave the People's Art Theatre three scripts this year?

"Huh? Three?" Cao Yu's droopy eyelids immediately lifted: "You brat, don't you dare go back on your word!"

"Every word is a promise!"

"Alright, I'll go to the courtyard to talk to them!" Cao Yu smiled, his face showing a hint of smug satisfaction.

On the afternoon of July 29th, just before the end of the workday, a strange thing happened in the editorial department of *Harvest* magazine. Li Xiaolin saw a flight attendant in an airline uniform run into the editorial department saying she had urgent documents and specifically asking for her name; her mind went blank for a few seconds.

"So you're editor Li Xiaolin? Our leaders in Yanjing asked us to give you an urgent document, saying it's a manuscript, but we don't know the specific contents," the flight attendant quickly said.

Her crew had a layover in Shanghai, and they kept her behind to handle this matter. Judging from the almost murderous look on the secretary's face when she delivered the manuscript, it was clear the matter was urgent, and she was terrified of making a mistake.

"Comrade, which leader gave it to you? Our journal, *Harvest*, has very strict publication standards. It can't be just because it's from a leader."

"Sorry, you'll see when you open it. I'm only responsible for delivery; I don't care about anything else." After saying that, the flight attendant ran away from the editorial office of Harvest Magazine.

Li Xiaolin nervously opened the file, thinking that if some former leader wanted to use connections, he would have to find a reason to politely decline.

Upon seeing the name "Liu Yimin" on the envelope, Li Xiaolin breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help cursing, "What the hell is this brat up to?"

"Who is it, Xiaolin?" an editor asked.

"Junior Brother Yimin, that brat scared me half to death!"

Li Xiaolin smiled as he walked to his seat and poured out the manuscript. After reading the first two pages, he suddenly stood up.

"What's wrong, Xiaolin? Did I scare you again?"

Li Xiaolin's throat was a little dry: "The subject matter, the subject matter is a little..."

"Something?"

"The subject matter is a bit too wild, I'll go find Comrade Ba Jin."

Li Xiaolin immediately got up and walked towards Ba Jin's office. The flight attendant who had just left returned and stood at the door tentatively asking, "Could you write me a receipt?"

The editors all looked at Li Xiaolin, who was about to leave. Li Xiaolin turned around and said loudly, "Write it for her!"

This sound terrified everyone.

Li Xiaolin barged into Ba Jin's office without knocking: "Father, would you like to see this article Yimin wrote?"

“Look, he’s getting impatient again. Don’t call him ‘father’ in the editorial department.”

Li Xiaolin didn't have time to argue and handed the manuscript directly to Ba Jin: "Father, we have to hurry, there's been a nuclear explosion!"

"Didn't it already explode? No, Yimin's article is about the atomic bomb explosion." Li Xiaolin quickly explained.

Ba Jin was taken aback, and quickly began to read it carefully. After calmly finishing, he looked at Li Xiaolin with suspicion: "How does he know so much? This is a state secret!"

"Yeah, won't this leak secrets? It's written like he developed it himself."

Ba Jin was also a bit stumped and asked Li Xiaolin to call Liu Yimin to verify, but unfortunately no one was home.

It wasn't until evening, after being transferred multiple times by the long-distance station, that the call finally reached Cao Yu. Cao Yu laughed and said, "My dear brother Ba, you really guessed right, Yimin really is gone. This is the central government's decision, so you can publish it without worry."

"Haha, very well. Jiabao involves state secrets, so I have to be careful. After this article is published, it will surely resound throughout the literary world like Miss Qiu's explosion in the desert. It seems that our Harvest is about to have another great harvest."

Ba Jin and Cao Yu chatted on the phone for a while before hanging up.

"Father, thankfully we haven't printed it yet. We can still remove one copy and replace it with Yimin's," Li Xiaolin said excitedly from the side.

“Take down one of the articles, and have the graphic designer change the cover as well,” Ba Jin said, taking a deep breath. “Use the picture of the atomic bomb explosion.”

"Okay, I understand."

"This has truly unveiled the nuclear veil of our country."

On August 1, the Yanjing Military Region held a celebration and invited Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin to attend.

The cultural troupe of the Yanjing Military Region will be singing "The Motherland Will Not Forget" on stage. Zhu Lin, sitting on the motorcycle, tightly hugged Liu Yimin's waist and said, "Teacher Liu, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I'll give you a surprise!"

The party was held directly on the playground. Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin sat in the front row. Wei Wei next to them said, "Yimin, you wrote a great song. I've been humming this tune lately. I heard that most scientists in research institutes are singing this song. Some old scientists who have worked for the country for decades cried when they heard this song."

Liu Yimin said, "Comrade Wei Wei, please don't praise me."

"If you do well, you should be praised; if you do poorly, I will scold you."

The moment the vast yet passionate song began, it ignited the enthusiasm of the commanders and soldiers present. Waves of cheers rose higher and higher, and even the audience began to sing along.

Wei Wei looked at the commanders and soldiers behind him: "Your song will definitely win an award from the General Political Department again this year."

The celebration party was very lively today, but very few leaders from the Yanjing Military Region and other units attended.

Liu Yimin felt something was off. Wei Wei noticed his confusion and whispered, "On the night of the 29th, something happened in Longhua, Hebei Province. The garrison was showing movies to the people for free to celebrate, but an explosion occurred. It was a big deal."

"Has the cause been found?"

"Not yet, sigh, a good thing has turned into a bad thing!"

In mid-August, "The Emergence of a Novel" was officially published in "Harvest". When people from all over the country saw the sample cover, they were equally surprised. After reading the contents, they all requested to increase their orders.

"With just this cover, sales will double compared to last month!"

As it turns out, the prediction was correct. When readers saw the title of the magazine, "The Birth of a Nation—The Story Behind the Atomic Bomb, by Liu Yimin," hesitating for even a second before buying it would be disrespectful to literature.

(End of this chapter)