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

Chapter 421 The International Writing Camp's Backside Is Exposed
"The Most Beautiful Youth" tells the story of a group of young college students who went to Saihanba and formed an advance team with the original forest farm workers to plant trees on the mountain.

The story is set against the backdrop of the national call for afforestation in the 1960s, which led to the construction of the Saihanba State-owned Forest Farm. At that time, Saihanba was covered in yellow sand, and the people on the dam couldn't even find wives.

A young man from the city was among the first to respond to the nation's call and applied to be transferred to Saihanba, where he went from being a university teacher to a forestry worker.

Feng Cheng brought a stray dog ​​he had adopted on the road into the forest farm. As soon as he arrived, he got into an argument with the cook, Master Liu, over feeding the dog. The two then got into a fight over the issue of killing the dog.

After the leader mediated, Master Liu learned that Feng Cheng was the only child of Captain Feng, who died fighting as a guerrilla in the area. The two cleared up the misunderstanding, and Master Liu allowed Feng Cheng to feed the dog with leftover food.

Master Liu led Feng Cheng to the tree where Captain Feng was buried, which was the only remaining tree in Saihanba.

Under the arrangement of the Forestry Bureau, Feng Cheng went to the dam to plant trees, but unfortunately the survival rate was extremely low. Afterwards, he humbly learned techniques from veteran technical experts and took over the tree planting business after the experts passed away. In order to improve the survival rate, the forest farm sent an advance team to build a seedling base.

Then, against the backdrop of the establishment of the national forest farm, the forest farm recruited a group of students to come to Saihanba to join the advance team.

The college students, who only knew theory but not practice, and were not used to the harsh environment, constantly clashed with Feng Cheng and other advance team members.

To college students, dugouts were just cellars for storing cabbages, not places for people to live. The boys complained, and the girls cried. Many of them started to have second thoughts.

Of course, there are also pragmatic individuals among these college students, with college student Qin Xuemei being a prime example.

However, Qin Xuemei, who had a solid theoretical foundation, got into a fight with Feng Cheng, who was a novice in the field, on their first meeting. Qin Xuemei was almost sent flying by Feng Cheng with a hoe.

Feng Cheng's actions led the forest farm to believe he had mental problems and that they wanted to send him to a mental hospital. After all, he hadn't been able to grow a single tree in three years on the mountain and had turned himself into a wild man...

Afterwards, conflicts continued between the two sides, but as time went by, the college students gradually began to adapt to Saihanba and strengthened their determination to stay.

Feng Cheng and the college students worked together to plant trees and discovered that the seedlings from other places could not adapt to the local climate, and the local seedling cultivation methods were also ineffective. In the end, they used the "all-light seedling cultivation" method to improve the survival rate of the planted trees.

The so-called "full-sun seedling cultivation" actually means that there is no need for shading. The seedlings begin to endure the harsh effects of sunlight and wind and snow in the nursery. After they grow up, they are planted on the mountain, which greatly improves the survival rate.

Flowers grown in greenhouses cannot withstand wind and rain, while children raised in free-range environments are more resilient as they grow up.

Through a series of technological improvements, the speed of afforestation in Saihanba has accelerated, and over time, Saihanba, once a desert, has finally become an oasis.

Besides Qin Xuemei, who eventually settled down in Saihanba, Wu Yansheng, a suitor who followed Qin Xuemei, always wanted to leave. He caused trouble during the tree planting process and had no bottom line in his attempt to win Qin Xuemei's favor.

Seeing that Feng Cheng and Qin Xuemei were getting closer, she constantly targeted Feng Cheng and created misunderstandings. In the end, her tricks were exposed, and Qin Xuemei and Feng Cheng became a couple, settling down together in Saihanba.

Many touching stories also unfold within the main storyline. For example, there's the story of Mr. Liu, who froze to death on the way to deliver supplies to the forestry station, and the story of a forestry worker who forgot to deliver supplies to the forestry station because his wife was giving birth, resulting in the advance team being without food for more than half a month when the mountain was blocked by heavy snow.

For more than half a month, the advance team survived by eating rat meat and leftovers from college students that the cooks collected on weekdays. They almost froze to death on the way when they tried to go out to ask for help.

Upon learning of this, Master Liu mounted his horse and set off alone to deliver supplies. Shortly after Master Liu departed, the forestry station leadership received a notification from the Air Force, and a distress sign indicating the forest was running out of food was posted. The forestry station immediately organized a rescue effort, but by the time they caught up with Master Liu, he had already frozen to death in a snowdrift.

Liu Yimin made slight modifications to the content to suit the storytelling style of the 1980s. He also addressed the fate of the supply officer who caused the advance team to run out of food and for Master Liu to freeze to death due to his work error—he was sentenced to prison.

The following day, the Yanjing Daily published news about Liu Yimin's courageous exposure of a conspiracy after being recruited by the CIA in the United States.

The relevant departments chose the Yanjing Daily in order not to excessively provoke the United States.

This must have been the best-selling issue of the Yanjing Daily since its establishment. The newspaper mobilized all available printing presses that day, printing as many copies as needed, and had no worries about sales.

Apart from having a relatively complete sales channel in Beijing, the Yanjing Daily is not as good as national-level media in other places.

However, this issue of the Yanjing Daily is quite different. With the help of a mysterious force, citizens in the south woke up to find the Yanjing Daily in bookstores.

Readers, newspaper in hand, launched into a tirade against the United States, deeming the Americans utterly wicked. Even attempts by so-called rational commentators to offer seemingly insightful remarks were drowned out by the public's cacophony of words.

"Damn it, didn't you see these pictures are from American newspapers!" the reader cursed.

Next, local media outlets across the country began reprinting the news from the *Yanjing Daily*. Unlike the readers' outbursts of criticism, scholars and professors from universities and research institutes reacted differently, offering a variety of opinions. Leaders began to be more cautious when approving international cooperation projects, issuing warnings to professors being sent abroad before their departure.

The Ministry of Education has also been issuing relevant policies in quick succession, imposing strict restrictions on foreign funding entering universities. Schools must report to the education authorities and undergo review when accepting foreign funding.

The literary and artistic circles have not imposed restrictions on writers' overseas visits, but they have begun to investigate the financial background behind various invitation projects. However, it is naturally impossible for the literary and artistic circles to conduct such investigations on their own, since they can only manage internally most of the time and cannot extend their reach beyond the literary and artistic circles.

After publishing the story, the Yanjing Daily conducted a brief interview with Liu Yimin, mainly to confirm to readers that the matter was true.

After parking his motorcycle, Liu Yimin wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly went inside. Yan Jiayan saw Liu Yimin and pulled him aside, saying, "You're from Ruxian County, Henan Province, right?"

"what happened?"

"Your county did quite well in the college entrance examination this year; two students got into Peking University."

"How did you know?"

"I was just flipping through the freshman roster and I saw it by chance. Two students from a small county got in, and they both ended up in our Chinese Literature Department."

Wu Zuxiang happened to walk over and, hearing the discussion, said, "Every year I go through the roster, just to see if anyone from my hometown has passed the exam, but unfortunately I haven't found a single one in all these years. Yimin, how does your county educate its students?"

"The secret is simple to explain, but it's also quite brutal," Liu Yimin briefly explained the teaching and problem-solving methods used by gathering high-achieving students from Ruxian High School together.

After listening, Wu Zuxiang said, "Cruel? I don't see it that way. Some students have suffered a lot, but their grades haven't improved. At least this method has given some students a glimmer of hope!"

“I’ve seen this method being used in places with a lot of high-scoring test takers,” Yan Jiayan said.

The elite class education program in Ru County has been going on for several years, and it's finally starting to bear fruit. I should take a look at the roster when I have time to see which two fellow villagers have come.

Wu Zuxiang and Yan Jiayan both pulled Liu Yimin aside to tell him about his experiences in America. Liu Yimin took their hands and said, "Professors, the newspaper articles already provide a very detailed account!"

"Despicable!" Wu Zuxiang cursed.

On the first day of school, Liu Yimin spent most of his time in the Institute of Literature and Art. Now that the foreign exchange quota had been obtained, it was time to use it. Which items should be purchased and which could be postponed all needed to be discussed and approved first.

After reviewing the documents, Liu Yimin had a clear understanding of their contents and completed the approval process for all the documents on the table.

The $10,000 foreign exchange quota was enough for the newly established Institute of Literature, but it was not enough for the professors who were eager to conduct research and had finally secured funding. They wanted to buy back as much material as they could think of.

The Institute prioritizes purchasing materials related to its research projects; as for other materials, it won't be taken advantage of when funds are tight.

"Yan Zhen, organize the materials you approved, and then coordinate with the professor," Liu Yimin put down his pen and called out.

"Okay, Director." After saying that, Yan Zhen took a stack of documents out to sort them.

Is Director Liu here?

The four people who were organizing the documents immediately looked up when they heard the sound at the door. Yan Zhen saw that it was Cui Daoyi and quickly said, "Editor Cui, the director is in his office. I'll go and call him for you."

Liu Yimin opened the door and went out before Yan Zhen could come in. Cui Daoyi laughed and extended his hand to shake hands with Liu Yimin. When he entered the office, he did not forget to glance at Yan Zhen.

After closing the door, Cui Daoyi pointed outside and said, "This young man who just graduated is quite good. If he keeps going, he could become a qualified secretary."

"Senior brother, stop joking with your junior brother. What brings you here today?"

Cui Daoyi took the tea poured by Liu Yimin and said, "I've come to ask you for a manuscript. I saw the newspaper and was wondering if you could write about your experience in the United States, preferably while everyone is still discussing it, and publish it as a standalone piece." "Oh, sure, but you'd better think about the timing. Next month is October, and this isn't the way to rush things!" Liu Yimin warned.

Cui Daoyi said with a smile, "We've already considered this; the timing will be staggered."

Seeing that People's Literature and Art had already made up its mind, Liu Yimin didn't say anything more.

Cui Daoyi looked around Liu Yimin's office again, then asked, "Have you read this month's issue of 'People's Literature and Art'?"

"It's the start of the semester, so I've been quite busy and haven't had time to read it yet. Are there any major articles?" Liu Yimin asked curiously.

"Liu Zhenyun's article has been published, and so far the response has been quite good. It portrays some stubborn old leaders, which aligns perfectly with the country's current push to rejuvenate its cadres. The Writers' Association has praised the article highly!"

Hearing Cui Daoyi's words, Liu Yimin was happy for Liu Zhenyun. After writing for so long, he finally had an article that had a good impact.

Liu Yimin brought over a copy of "People's Literature and Art" from outside and started reading. This article had been placed on the second front page of "People's Literature and Art".

After glancing through it, Liu Yimin said, "Senior brother, Zhenyun has adopted many of your suggestions."

"Editors are there to give feedback," Cui Daoyi said, a hint of smugness in his voice.

As they were discussing Cao Cao, Cao Cao called. As soon as the call connected, Liu Zhenyun on the other end exclaimed that he wanted to treat Liu Yimin to dinner: "I'm really excited to treat you to dinner! It'll wash away years of pent-up frustration!"

"What? Are you upset about us being roommates?" Liu Yimin asked with a grin.

Liu Zhenyun said matter-of-factly, "That's for sure. After graduation, I didn't dare to say that we were roommates, for fear that people would ask why we were so different when we were roommates."

"Alright, alright, I'll give you a chance to shake off your pent-up feelings. You decide the time and place. Senior Brother Cui is here with me, so think it through before you answer."

"Senior Brother Cui is here too! That saves me the cost of a phone call; I don't need to look for him separately anymore. Come to Xilaishun on Fuchengmen Inner Street after get off work this afternoon; it's my treat!" Liu Zhenyun drew out his words in a very long, drawn-out tone, just like a genuine Manchu nobleman from Beijing.

Cui Daoyi, who was sitting next to Liu Zhenyun, nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Liu Zhenyun's words.

As Cui Daoyi left, Liu Yimin grabbed his arm and said, "Senior Brother Cui, there's one more thing I need your help with!"

"What's the deal?"

“You know a lot of people, so please help me find a nanny. I’ll be going back to work after this summer vacation, and my mom is really exhausted taking care of two kids at home,” Liu Yimin said.

Cui Daoyi rubbed his head: "What kind of person should I look for?"

"I'm looking for someone who can talk to my mom. She gets bored at home alone and wants to help take care of the kids."

Yang Xiuyun didn't want Liu Yimin to hire a nanny, but after thinking it over, he decided it would be better to find one.

“I’ll find you a young one. She can chat and take care of the children, and she’s quick on her feet. If you find someone older, she might get too engrossed in chatting with Aunt Yang and then become a little slow, and Aunt Yang wouldn’t have the heart to bother her.”

"What my senior brother said makes sense!"

“But we have to take our time finding a young woman; it can’t be rushed,” Cui Daoyi said.

"Okay, just keep an eye on it. I'll ask a few more people to help."

"Okay!" Cui Daoyi said, then got up to say goodbye and left.

"Senior brother, remember to come tonight."

Liu Yimin called home and told Yang Xiuyun that she didn't need to cook dinner that night and that she would be home later.

After getting off work, Liu Yimin rode his motorcycle to the entrance of Xilaishun, where Liu Zhenyun and Cui Daoyi were already waiting.

Xilaishun used to be as famous as Donglaishun. Xilaishun was most famous for Ma Lianliang's duck, but unfortunately, the recipe has been lost. Xilaishun has only recently revived its name. Nowadays, in order to develop the economy, old brands that had been lost are being revived one by one.

“We used to eat at Donglaishun, so we’ll try Xilaishun too. Even if it’s not good, we’ll just try it out of curiosity,” Liu Zhenyun said happily.

Cui Daoyi patted Liu Zhenyun on the shoulder: "That sounds just like something a person from Yanjing would say."

"Hahaha, let's go!"

After the three of them went inside, Liu Zhenyun generously handed the menu to Liu Yimin and Cui Daoyi, telling them to choose whatever they wanted.

Liu Yimin joked, "Senior, didn't you pay him too much for his writing?"

Liu Yimin and Cui Daoyi both knew about Liu Zhenyun's situation. They each ordered two relatively decent but inexpensive dishes, and Liu Zhenyun ordered a beef dish, making a total of five dishes.

It was too hot, so they didn't choose to eat hot pot.

During the meal, Liu Yimin brought up Liu Zhenyun's novel again, "College Students in Government Offices": "It's better than we expected. You gained a lot from your field trip to Shanxi Province. That's the charm of realist works."

"Actually, my understanding is not very deep. An organization is composed of many different kinds of people, and you can only truly understand it by working in an organization," Liu Zhenyun said modestly.

Cui Daoyi said, "Realistic works are a mirror of reality. The authorities believe this work is very helpful in improving the work style of government agencies. Zhenyun, you have written some novels before, but this novel can be considered your true debut work. Keep up the good work in the future, and let me see any manuscripts you have first. Our two units are close to each other, so it is convenient for us to communicate."

Liu Zhenyun felt that Cui Daoyi's face looked somewhat familiar. Then he remembered the smile Cui Daoyi had given Liu Yimin when they first entered university. It was exactly the same.

"Senior brother, I'll definitely let you take a look at any good manuscripts first. Thank you for your help. Yimin, thank you for your help as well," Liu Zhenyun said, raising his beer.

After finishing their meal and beer, the three of them walked out of Xilaishun with satisfaction.

"Xi Lai Shun does a better job of blending Chinese and Western flavors than Dong Lai Shun. It's worth coming back to again," Liu Zhenyun said with satisfaction after looking at the Xi Lai Shun signboard.

After Cui Daoyi rode away on his bicycle, Liu Zhenyun asked, "Aren't you tempted by $100,000 a year?"

"I won't be able to sleep if I take it. Besides, it's not for me; it belongs to a research institute."

“That’s 100,000 yuan. It’s supposed to be for the research institute, but it’s really for you.” After saying that, Liu Zhenyun looked at the night sky and sighed again, “That’s 100,000 yuan. If it were given to me, to be honest, I definitely wouldn’t know what to do right now.”

Liu Zhenyun reached into his pocket; he had only a few coins left. After receiving his royalties and wages, he sent part of it home and used the rest to help Guo Jianmei's mother with her medical treatment.

Instead of going home, Liu Yimin went to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to wait for Zhu Lin to go back together. For the past two weeks, the popularity of "Good Luck Building" has not shown any signs of declining.

A few days later, Liu Yimin received a letter from the United States, signed "Li Congren" on the envelope.

Could it be that the matter entrusted to this kid has come to a conclusion?
Liu Yimin quickly tore open the envelope, and Li Congren's crooked handwriting immediately appeared on the paper.

"Liu, after my investigation and review of relevant information, I found that the funding for the Iowa International Writing Program training camp does not come from the University of Iowa, but from the Falfit Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and also from funds raised personally by Mr. and Mrs. Nie Hualing."

At the end of the letter, Li Congren shared his views on these foundations. Of course, at this time, Li Congren was unaware of the true identities of these foundations.

The Iowa International Writing Program's backside has finally been revealed!

After reading the letter, Liu Yimin stuffed it into an envelope and began to think seriously while looking out the window.

(End of this chapter)