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

Chapter 428, "The Most Beautiful Youth," has been published.

"White people?" Both of them had some doubts.

"Yes, white people should reminisce about the time when they arbitrarily controlled the lives of Black people. Most of those who could afford to see plays were still white. Most Black people still lived miserable lives, struggling to make ends meet. Black communities had high crime rates, and the government didn't invest much in their development."

Liu Yimin explained a few words to the two of them, and then said, "White people look down on black people, but black people are just as useless."

Lan Tianye and Su Min didn't know much about Black people and raised a few questions, which Liu Yimin answered one by one. He also told them about several riots in Black communities.

"Those who do not strive for self-improvement cannot become strong!" Lan Tianye said.

Su Min asked, "Yi Min, what brings you here today?"

"Me? I forgot, I'm delivering a script to the People's Art Theatre."

Su Min: "Script?"

Lan Tianye asked with a smile, "What script?"

“This is not a big production for those telling the story of Saihanba. It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut for you to rehearse it.” Liu Yimin showed the two of them the play.

After watching the first act, Su Min said, "Actually, I..."

“Actually, we think it’s more suitable for Xiao Zhu Pai!” Lan Tianye said first.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "Teacher Lan is right, I think so too. It's not a big scene, let Teacher Wan make the arrangements!"

Su Min belatedly said, "Old Lan, why did you steal my lines?"

After Liu Yimin entered Cao Yu's office, Lan Tianye laughed and scolded, "You're really getting a good deal and still acting innocent."

"Sigh!" Su Min shook his head and said, "We're in a bit of a rush."

"Let's go talk to the screenwriters at the theater. Maybe they have a script that's suitable for us to adapt!"

In the office, Cao Yu finished reading Liu Yimin's script and asked, "The novel hasn't been published yet?"

"It will be published in a few days. I knew our Beijing People's Art Theatre was short of scripts, so I quickly wrote one and brought it to you!"

"Ha!" Cao Yu's laughter almost came from his nose.

"What do you think?"

"The script is good; it showcases the heroic spirit of the working class who fought against nature at the Saihanba Forest Farm. The sandstorms are about to return, so I think something like 'Hachiko' would be fitting. Who do you think would be a good choice for rehearsals?"

"Zhu Lin!"

"I thought you'd be a little hesitant!"

"What if I'm just being polite and you take it seriously?" Liu Yimin laughed. "She has absolutely no problem rehearsing this script; it would be a waste of her talent to have any other director do it."

Cao Yu laughed and said, "Xiao Zhu should get some more experience. 'Good Luck Building' was very well staged. He should take advantage of the success of 'Good Luck Building' and launch another play that he will lead. It's settled then."

Cao Yu called Zhu Lin over and solemnly handed her the script: "Rehearse well. If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask, whether it's the director or me."

"Teacher Wan, I will definitely do my best to arrange it and not let you down."

“Wrong. What does my old face matter? As long as you don’t embarrass yourself,” Cao Yu said.

After Zhu Lin left, Liu Yimin talked with Cao Yu for a while, and Cao Yu asked him what he had been busy with lately.

"The research institute's affairs, and also the Guangxi Film Studio's plan to film 'The Battle of Taierzhuang,' and they asked me to write the script," Liu Yimin honestly stated.

“Taierzhuang? What a great subject! It can be performed as a play. Back then, everyone was very excited when they learned about the victory at Taierzhuang. The old man said that we should win a victory like the Pingxingguan Victory and the Taierzhuang Victory every month to boost the morale of the people and the military across the country.” Cao Yu told Liu Yimin a lot of information he knew.

After spending the morning at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and having lunch, Liu Yimin went to Yenching University for class.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin did not discuss the script in the morning. Unlike other directors, they could discuss the script in bed.

Since attending Liu Yimin's first class, Kong Qingdong, a sophomore, has become much more well-behaved in class and no longer says anything strange.

However, he still says some strange things from time to time, just a little less than before.

The content of that class was recorded by journalism students and published directly in the school newspaper, causing a great uproar not only among students but also among professors.

Overall, there are many supporters of Liu Yimin's views. The head of the history department later wrote an article, "True Scholars and False Scholars," which analyzed the fame and fortune that scholars sought to gain through indirect means in officialdom.

During a break in class, a student asked Liu Yimin if he could help him buy a ticket to a play.

"What ticket?"

""darling""

"The Favourite, tickets are quite hard to get. Tell me why you want to see it?"

The student replied, "I want to write a short essay about the living conditions of Black people."

"Leave it to me, but don't thank me. Thank your teacher's wife when you have time."

"Professor Liu, I'd like to see it too."

“If you want to see it, you can buy it yourselves. This student wants to write a paper, so I'm helping him. Are you all writing papers?” Liu Yimin said cheerfully.

The other students sighed helplessly, "Oh dear!"

Sitting in the back, Wang Liqun felt very envious of Liu Yimin's way of interacting with his students.

"Liqun, you specialize in classical literature, how come you have time to attend my class?"

“Professor Liu, our institute studies the protection of traditional culture. Through your lectures, I have come to understand the importance of cultural invasion, which has made my research more urgent and made me realize the necessity of inheriting classical culture,” Wang Liqun said.

Liu Yimin nodded approvingly and pointed to the other students, saying, "Everyone should chat with Teacher Wang more often in the future. Teacher Wang graduated from Hebei University and has a very solid foundation. We should learn from Teacher Wang, be humble, modest, and knowledgeable."

Kong Qingdong felt that Liu Yimin was talking about him, so he stood up and asked, "Professor Liu, I think everyone should have the freedom to express their own opinions."

"Kong Qingdong, please sit down. Everyone has the freedom to express their opinions, but you can't just say whatever comes to mind, making a lot of mistakes and becoming a laughing stock. That's not the result you want when you express your opinions, is it?"

Students, a viewpoint can be imperfect, and the imperfect can be perfected, but it cannot be foolish! I hope you will all take this as a warning!

After the second lesson, Liu Yimin and Wang Liqun left together.

After Kong Qingdong and the others left, he whispered to his roommate, "I suspect Professor Liu is targeting me."

"Targeting you? Don't be ridiculous. The only people Professor Liu would openly criticize are poets, writers, or professors. You?"

"Sigh, why don't you believe me!"

"Professor Liu wasn't referring to anyone specifically, but rather in general. He wanted us to maintain a humble and cautious attitude. Professor Liu's intentions are truly commendable!"

Outside the classroom, Liu Yimin asked, "How have you been finding the food and lodging at Yenching University?"

"Professor Liu, I think it's already very good."

"Come to me if you need anything."

"Thank you!"

"You are welcome!"

On the way, Wang Liqun asked Liu Yimin a few more questions, mainly about things he didn't understand about Western cultural aggression.

“I have a paper here, you can take it over and take a look in a bit,” Liu Yimin said.

"Thank you, Professor Liu!" Wang Liqun said happily.

In Dongzongbu Hutong, the continuous autumn rain pattered against the fallen leaves on both sides of the alley. After parking his motorcycle in a corner by the wall, Liu Yimin quickly walked to the door of the courtyard house next door and knocked on the door.

While the owner was opening the door, Liu Yimin took off his raincoat and tidied his clothes and hair.

After the door opened, an elderly man cupped his hands in greeting to Liu Yimin and said, "Are you Comrade Yimin?"

"Are you Commander Cheng?" "That's me!"

Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Chief Cheng, I'm sorry to bother you today."

"Oh, don't say anything about disturbing me. I thought you weren't coming because of the rain. Please come in, please come in. You are my most honored guest today." Cheng Siyuan pulled Liu Yimin's hand and walked inside.

After Cheng Siyuan returned to China with Li Zongren, he lived in Dongzongbu Hutong.

This alley is quite special. It is located on the east side of Wangfujing, behind the Yanjing Hotel, and to the north is Zhao Family Building, which was burned down by Professor Yang Hui. This alley has always been a gathering place for political figures, and American Stilwell once lived here.

The courtyard was simply furnished. Cheng Siyuan invited Liu Yimin to sit in the study for a chat. After entering the study, Cheng Siyuan opened the window, looked at the rain falling from the eaves, and said, "Have you ever heard Jiang Jie's 'Listening to the Rain'?"

"I can."

Cheng Siyuan sang while clapping the rhythm:
"The young man listened to the rain in the pavilion, with red candles dimly lighting the silk curtains."

In my prime, I listened to the rain from a traveler's boat; the river was wide, the clouds were low, and a lone wild goose cried in the west wind.

Now, listening to the rain beneath the monk's hut, my temples are already gray.

“This is not a monk’s hut, it’s a courtyard house in the capital,” Liu Yimin replied.

"Haha, yes, I'm a little better off. Not a single person is standing under the monk's hut worrying about the country and its people, lamenting the unfulfilled ambitions!" Cheng Siyuan laughed.

This poem uses three different insights gained from listening to the rain in different aspects of life to express the vicissitudes of the world and the ruthlessness of time. What remains unchanged is the rain, while we ourselves change.

The conversation between the two began with a poem, and Cheng Siyuan said again: "I served under Bai Jiansheng during the Battle of Taierzhuang. Bai Jiansheng and De Gong (Li Zongren) often talked about this battle. It was a battle of great sorrow, but also the battle he was most proud of in his life."

Cheng Siyuan found the map and explained it to Liu Yimin again, but his perspective was mainly that of Li Zongren, looking at it from a global point of view.

"De Gong was a local general who was not on good terms with the central army, but this background also made him good at uniting miscellaneous troops. In order to unite the Northwest Army, De Gong became sworn brothers with Pang Bingxun of the Northwest Army. No one wanted Deng Xihou's Sichuan Army, but De Gong took it."

The Sichuan Army was pitiful. They traveled thousands of miles out of Sichuan only to face all sorts of difficulties. Yan Xishan kicked them aside, and Cheng Qian of the First War Zone refused to serve them. However, they were given important positions under De Gong. The Sichuan Army fought to the death and refused to retreat, which could be considered a way of repaying kindness with kindness.

The only one they couldn't unite was Tang Enbo of the Central Army. If he had been faster, they could have annihilated even more Japanese soldiers. This was Tang Enbo's location; a corps commander who "feared the enemy like a tiger."

Cheng Siyuan pointed to the location on the map and described the terrain, indicating that he had indeed heard a lot from Li Zongren.

"Guan Linzheng, the commander of Tang Enbo's 52nd Army, was quite courageous. If it weren't for him, Tang Enbo would probably have fled to Nanjing long ago. After the victory at Taierzhuang, influenced by Tang Enbo's desire to preserve his strength, the Northwest Army dared not launch any more fierce attacks."

Cheng Siyuan believed that because of the shadow cast by Li Zongren's repeated attempts to force Li to abdicate, the bald man always thought that he would win over the miscellaneous troops. Li Zongren's good words for the Northwest Army and the Sichuan Army were also interpreted as such.

"How can a theater commander not have rice in his hand?"

Cheng Siyuan brought Liu Yimin several books, all of which he wrote himself, including "J-Li Relations and China", "Li Zongren in His Later Years", and "Biography of Bai Chongxi".

"Chief Cheng, what is your Guangxi clique's view on Bai Chongxi?" Liu Yimin asked.

"Little Zhuge, his overall military command ability was still quite good. He cooperated very closely with De Gong. The two fought side by side and were known as 'Li Bai' by the world. However, in 49, the two sides turned against each other, and De Gong went to the United States to begin his exile. De Gong saw this more clearly than him. What did he get when he arrived on the island? He had a miserable old age and died mysteriously at home."

Cheng Siyuan, a former secretary, is very talkative and speaks in a very organized, concise, and to-the-point manner, which is a skill he has developed through years of secretarial work.

"After talking with you today, most of the twists and turns have become clear," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"The matter is what it is, and it's enough that I can make a small contribution. Director Yang Guangyuan also contacted me, and he repeatedly assured me that he would definitely make it a classic."

"I assure you, I will definitely write a classic script," Liu Yimin said.

Cheng Siyuan nodded in satisfaction and said, "I trust what you've written. If there's anything you don't understand about this part of history, you can ask others besides us. If you want to learn more about the past, you can interview the former members of the Literature and History Department."

Huang Wei and the others are still here, but the number decreases year by year!

"At that time, it will not only be made into a movie, but the Beijing People's Art Theatre will also stage it as a play."

"A stage play? Great! I saw the Beijing People's Art Theatre's 'The Birth of a Warrior,' and it was incredibly moving. That's why the CCP is better than us!"

After the rain stopped, Liu Yimin said goodbye to Cheng Siyuan. Cheng Siyuan escorted Liu Yimin to the door, bowed to him in farewell, and only turned back into the courtyard after Liu Yimin had walked away.

Next, someone took the initiative to approach Liu Yimin and provide him with materials. Qin Yizhi, the chief of staff of the 25th Division near Taierzhuang at the time, was one of them.

Qin Yizhi was the chief of staff of the 25th Division under Tang Enbo, and he provided a great deal of information about Tang Enbo's fear of war and self-preservation at that time.

The director of the Film Bureau visited Liu Yimin's home to ask if he had any difficulties. He told him to let him know if he had any difficulties, and that the higher authorities would firmly support his creative work.

"Director Chen, don't worry, this information is sufficient."

Film Bureau Director Chen Bo asked, "How long will it take to write it?"

"Give me some time," Liu Yimin said, without specifying a time.

“Okay, I have a documentary here, it’s called ‘The 400 Million People,’ which was filmed by Dutch journalist Joris Ivens about the Battle of Taierzhuang. Take a look.” Chen Bo said.

“This is a good thing,” Liu Yimin said, looking around the courtyard. “It’s a pity I can’t show it here; I’ll have to go to the August First Film Studio or the Beijing Film Studio. Director Chen, do you sell projectors to private individuals?”

There are plenty of rooms in the yard, so it would be nice to set up a screening room. Then we wouldn't have to go to the film studio to watch movies every day.

"You'll have to ask the film studios about that, get it from them. The two film studios are too far apart, you can go to the Film Bureau instead."

Liu Yimin followed Chen Bo to the Film Bureau and watched the documentary, where he saw touching scenes such as "human ladders to cross the bridge" and "battle on the canal".

"Comrade Liu Yimin, I wish you success in your writing. Our Film Bureau's opinion on this script is similar to that of the film studio: it should be a true historical account. If anything goes wrong, our Film Bureau will support you."

"Thank you, Director Chen. I'll be going now!"

"Walk slowly!"

As November arrived, the northwest winds began to blow from the Siberian Plateau into China, passing through Mongolia and Inner Mongolian provinces, carrying large amounts of sand and dust into Beijing.

Standing on the city wall and looking out, you can see clouds tinged yellow by the sand. Outside the city wall, people wearing hats or headscarves stand with their hands in their pockets, cursing the sandstorm.

When "The Most Beautiful Youth" was officially published, just like "Hachiko: A Dog's Tale" at the time, people were discussing the control of sandstorms while holding "People's Literature and Art" magazine.

"Calm down, all of you. The sandstorms in Yanjing are much less severe than before. Back in the Republic of China era, when the sandstorms blew, you couldn't even see the road. So many young men and women from all over the country helped us plant trees!" The old man leaned against the city wall, telling the young people about old times.

"Next year on Arbor Day, when the school takes me to plant trees, I will definitely plant them well and learn from the older students in Saihanba," the middle school student said confidently.

"Good lad, you've got guts! Your third grandfather didn't spoil you for nothing!"

After the publication of "The Most Beautiful Youth", the Ministry of Forestry quickly published a report in the People's Daily, which detailed the construction of the Three-North Shelterbelt Project.

In addition to the achievements, the speaker also talked about the sacrifices made in the past few days, focusing on the deaths caused by the snowstorm in Saihanba.

People only realized after seeing the news that Liu Yimin's book contained true stories.

"That supply clerk should be shot, damn it!"

[The modernization of the Three-North Shelterbelt planting project accelerated in the second half of this year, with a significant increase in mechanization. We thank Comrade Liu Yimin for his outstanding contributions to the construction of the Three-North Shelterbelt.]

Many readers have searched high and low but have not found the answer to the second half of the sentence. Some people who have dealt with the Ministry of Forestry have privately inquired and learned that Liu Yimin obtained 500,000 US dollars for the Ministry of Forestry. As for how he obtained it, no one knows.

Within just a few months of the $500,000 arriving in the account, the Forestry Department had already spent $300,000 of it, using the remaining $300,000 to purchase various types of machinery and transport them back.

Most of the machinery we bought was imported by the Ministry of Forestry in previous years and is suitable for domestic use, with practicality as its main selling point.

Seeing the positive response to "The Most Beautiful Youth," higher-level national departments allocated funds to purchase a large number of magazines and sent them to the construction forest farms of the Three-North Shelterbelt Project, using the story of Saihanba to inspire forest farm construction across the country.

The People's Daily published a major commentary entitled "Man Will Conquer Nature, Deserts Can Be Turned into Green Mountains; With Unwavering Determination, Even the Foolish Old Man Can Move Mountains!"

The Ministry of Culture issued a document praising People's Literature and Art, stating that as a national publication, it should publish more articles that are conducive to the implementation of national policies and guidelines, and publish content that is rooted in China. It also encouraged newspapers and magazines across the country to learn from People's Literature and Art.

Taking advantage of this trend, the Beijing People's Art Theatre announced in the newspapers that the novel would be adapted into a stage play, and that the people of Beijing were welcome to come to the theatre to watch it.

As Liu Yimin entered the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Ouyang Shanzun and Xia Chun, beaming with joy, pulled him aside and said, "The performance of 'The First Restaurant Under Heaven' is almost two hundred shows now. We heard that we're going to receive the Yanjing Model Worker Award."

Who leaked it?

"This is no secret, but the official announcement hasn't been made yet."

(End of this chapter)