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

Chapter 429, "The Bloody Battle of Taierzhuang," submitted.

The title of model worker can be awarded to an individual or a team. The regional characteristics of Beijing showcased in "The Best Restaurant Under Heaven," coupled with the sensation it caused after its performance, made it a key production promoted by Beijing's cultural authorities. At this time, it wasn't just performed at the Beijing People's Art Theatre; various drama troupes also used it for performances.

Liu Yimin has received many awards in China, but this is his first time receiving an award like "Model Worker." Furthermore, for the production team, with nearly two hundred performances in a short period, that's certainly enough to qualify them as model workers.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, Yu Shizhi smiled and said, "Not only should Yanjing University award you a model worker award, but our Dramatists Association should also award you one, and the Federation of Literary and Art Circles should definitely award you one!"

"Shi Zhi, how did you know I had such thoughts?" Cao Yu appeared behind the group at some point.

"This isn't just guessing what you're thinking. Yimin writes so many scripts every year; he's truly a model worker!" Yu Shizhi said with a smile.

Cao Yu said, "The level is acceptable, acceptable!" Although he said that, everyone could see the pride in Cao Yu's eyes.

Lan Tianye said, "If there really is an election, I will definitely cast my vote for the people!"

"How about we all have dinner together tonight? The audience's recognition of 'Beloved' has really exceeded our expectations. When Lao Lan and I were rehearsing these past few days, you probably don't know how much pressure we were under. As we get older, we're getting more and more afraid." Su Min's voice trailed off, carrying a sense of helplessness in the face of the changing times.

Lan Tianye and Su Min were both afraid that this classic work would be ruined by their own hands, and also afraid that the play they were directing would go unnoticed, thus embarrassing the two veteran directors.

Cao Yu said with a smile, "Make a note of this meal and have it on Sunday. You should also consider the feelings of your two little grand-disciples! If you don't consider it, I will."

Su Min and Lan Tianye exchanged a glance and chuckled kindly, "Bring those two little ones with you on Sunday. It's been a long time since we've seen them."

"We'll try to get 200 performances of 'The Best Restaurant Under Heaven' before the Lunar New Year, and then we'll publish it in the newspaper to celebrate," Cao Yu instructed Yu Shizhi.

So he pretended to pound his body and said, "I'll work harder with these bones. I can't be a model worker for nothing."

After everyone finished laughing and said goodbye, Liu Yimin went to the rehearsal room to watch Zhu Lin rehearse "The Most Beautiful Youth". Zhu Lin selected the actors and rehearsed the play all by herself. There was no director to help her. Liu Yimin, the screenwriter, was also often not there to help.

Liu Yimin didn't go to the front row; he just sat in the back corner watching Zhu Lin rehearse.

Because "The Most Beautiful Youth" mainly tells the story of young people, the play naturally uses a large number of young people, and fresh and beautiful young faces can be seen everywhere on the stage.

The cast includes over twenty young actors with substantial roles (A and B), plus those with smaller roles, totaling over thirty people. Young people who previously rarely had screen time now have opportunities to shine.

If we're talking about which editor is most popular among the young actors at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, it would definitely be Liu Yimin.

"Liang Guanhua, your Tianjin dialect isn't standard. You need to practice more and listen more when you get back!" Zhu Lin said loudly.

Upon hearing this, Liang Guanhua quickly replied, "Okay, Director Zhu, I'll listen to it and practice every day these days!"

"I'll give you ten days. You must learn the Tianjin dialect in the script!" Zhu Lin said in an unquestionable tone.

"Director Zhu, don't worry."

The actors on stage lined up, and Zhu Lin pointed out their mistakes one by one, explaining in which aspects they should be improved.

She had the air of a female general, a stern and patient one, quite unlike the timid and submissive woman she was when she first became a director.

"Comrades, you must take a good look at the information about Saihanba that I have compiled for you. Put yourselves in Saihanba and think about what kind of state you should be in."

Zhu Lin said in a deep voice that if it weren't for the fact that Saihanba had already started to snow and close off the mountains, she really wanted to take the actors to see it.

After Zhu Lin finished speaking, he dismissed the actors. Rehearsal time for "The Most Beautiful Youth" was over, and some of the actors had other rehearsal tasks to complete.

Actor Li Guangfu pointed behind him and said, "Director Zhu, your wife is here!"

Zhu Lin was momentarily stunned by Li Guangfu's words, only realizing a few seconds later that he was referring to Liu Yimin. Almost no one in the theater addressed Liu Yimin as "your lover" to Zhu Lin; Li Guangfu was the only one to do so.

Zhu Lin turned around to look, but because of the huge difference in lighting between the stage and the audience, and because Liu Yimin was sitting far away in the dark, Zhu Lin didn't notice him at first.

Li Guangfu pointed it out to Zhu Lin again, and Liu Yimin stretched out his arm and waved towards the stage. Zhu Lin laughed and said, "You have pretty good eyesight!"

"Hey, you're right, the old saying is true, small eyes are good at focusing light!" Li Guangfu said with a smile.

Li Guangfu is one of the older actors in this cast, just two years shy of forty. He joined the Beijing People's Art Theatre earlier than Yang Lixin, Liang Guanhua, and others, but unfortunately, he wasn't very lucky.

After graduating from the training program in the 60s, he stayed briefly before being sent to work as a farmer, soldier, miner, and barefoot doctor. He worked at Peking Union Medical College Hospital for three years before returning to the Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Despite his extensive experience, he has acted in fewer dramas than Yang Lixin and Liang Guanhua. However, he possesses the relaxed demeanor and a touch of world-weariness characteristic of people from old Beijing, which is why he has appeared in many dramas set in Beiping (Beijing) since then.

Zhu Lin walked towards Liu Yimin with a smile on his face. Li Guangfu did not leave, but followed behind Zhu Lin nervously, wanting to come over and greet Liu Yimin.

"Teacher Liu."

"Director Zhu is doing a great job!" Liu Yimin joked.

Zhu Lin said with a smile, "I have to be responsible for the script and the production team!"

"Hello, Professor Liu." Li Guangfu shrank back slightly as he greeted him, which made him look a little comical.

"Hello, you did a great job on stage just now."

Li Guangfu quickly said, "It's all thanks to Director Zhu for giving me this opportunity."

“I know you. Director Xia Chun said you’re a good actor, but unfortunately you don’t have any good roles right now,” Liu Yimin said.

When Li Guangfu heard that Xia Chun had specifically told Liu Yimin about him, he said with trepidation, "Director Xia has been very good to me."

"Some people achieve success at a young age, while others achieve great things later in life. You will have a great future at the Beijing People's Art Theatre. You are from Yenching, and the Beijing People's Art Theatre is, after all, the Beijing People's Art Theatre. As long as there are plays set in Beiping, your background will be an advantage."

Plays set in Beiping (Beijing) often tell stories of the older generation, which, over time, will have their place and opportunities will arise. In the future, plays like *Teahouse*, *The Best Restaurant Under Heaven*, *The Legendary Manager*, and *Beijing Under the Smoke of War* will offer you plenty of opportunities.

Li Guangfu's eyes instantly turned red with envy after hearing Liu Yimin's words; Professor Liu really understood him too well.

"Thank you for your guidance. I will play the role well, whether it's a big one or a small one," Li Guangfu said with a bow.

"Opportunity always favors the prepared mind."

At his age, Li Guangfu mostly played the roles of diners and passersby in "Teahouse." Xia Chun thought highly of Li Guangfu and even revised the script for him.

As Li Guangfu walked out of the rehearsal room alone, with his back to Zhu Lin and Liu Yimin, he silently slapped himself and sighed softly, "Sigh, with your meager skills, you dare to show off in front of Comrade Liu Yimin? He's already seen through."

Li Guangfu wanted to become a familiar face and see if he could get more roles in the future, but before he could even exchange a few pleasantries, Liu Yimin pointed him out.

In "The Most Beautiful Youth", Li Guangfu plays the supply officer who is sentenced to prison, with about five lines of dialogue.

Zhu Lin looked at Li Guangfu's back and said, "He's a good actor. Teacher Liu, you have a good eye for people. His role will gradually increase."

As they left the rehearsal room, Zhu Lin asked Liu Yimin what he had come for. Liu Yimin replied, "This play involves more actors than 'Lucky Mansion.' I was worried that without a screenwriter by your side, you wouldn't be able to handle it all by yourself."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lin affectionately took Liu Yimin's arm and said sweetly, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you, Teacher Liu—"

Upon seeing someone approaching, he immediately lowered his hand.

That evening, Yang Zhong, a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Forestry, came alone to the courtyard to personally express his gratitude to Liu Yimin.

"Comrade Yang, you're too kind. Writing books is simply our job as writers," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

"This is different, after all, you were commissioned by our Ministry of Forestry. The book's content exceeded our expectations, writing about the journey of young people from initially disliking Saihanba to actively settling down there, and their inner thoughts."

"If you hadn't been to Saihanba, you definitely couldn't have written this." Yang Zhong took the melon seeds from Yang Xiuyun's hand and thanked her.

Liu Yimin recounted his experiences in Saihanba over the past few days, then added, "At this time, the lookout towers on the Saihanba mountain are already covered in snow and ice, and the couple living inside won't be able to come down the mountain for another two months." "Yes," Yang Zhong said with a smile, "the two of them have to stay on the remote mountain for half a year, the loneliness is unimaginable. This year, with the money they have, the forest farm has renovated the towers on the mountain, built kang beds, and stocked up on coal. The workers in the lookout towers will be able to have a warm winter."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin happily said, "That's good. It's tens of degrees below zero up here, and it's hard to endure without a heated brick bed."

"When the first batches of college student technicians who came up the mountain read your article, they all wept uncontrollably. What you wrote was not just an article, but their entire lives."

Upon hearing Yang Zhong's words, Zhu Lin, overwhelmed with emotion, replied, "Director Yang, once our People's Art Theatre's play is rehearsed, we'll perform for our comrades in Saihanba."

"This is great, this is great!" Yang Zhong said happily.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Yang Zhong walked out of the house to go back. The northwest wind lashed against the roof, and the yellow sand mixed in with the wind rustled between the roof tiles and ridge.

"This year is another year of strong winds," Yang Zhong said helplessly, stretching out his hand to feel the gale.

"Governance cannot be achieved overnight. I'm afraid that if we manage to control it here, Mongolia will start to desertify," Liu Yimin said, shaking his head.

Yang Zhongdao said, "Let's at least get started. We can't control others, but we can at least reduce the sandstorms as much as possible."

After closing the courtyard gate, Zhu Lin rubbed his cold hands and said, "It's getting colder and colder. We have to move again!"

It's getting colder and colder in the courtyard house. We're planning to move to the Overseas Chinese Apartment when the heating comes on. The biggest reason for our hesitation is the two little ones. We're afraid they'll cry nonstop if they don't see Zhu Lin for a day.

Inside the Institute of Literature and Art, Liu Yimin was assigning tasks to Yan Zhen and a few others, while Wang Liqun sat listening in.

"Yan Zhen, it's almost the end of the year. Compile the research results reports for each project and work with the finance department to sort out the accounts. Make sure everything is clear. Everyone else, focus on your own tasks. If you have any questions, let me know."

The Institute of Literature and Art Research has not been established for long, so organizing these materials is not too difficult. The main thing is to be careful, as there are millions of dollars involved and mistakes cannot be made.

"Understood, Director." Yan Zhen nodded heavily.

"Also, please note that our institute will be holding an end-of-year meeting on December 10th. Please make sure to inform everyone."

After arranging his work, Liu Yimin went to Yan Jiayan's office and handed his graduate thesis to Yan Jiayan for review.

"Has Dean Wan already read this paper?" Yan Jiayan asked with a smile.

Liu Yimin said, "I've already looked at it. The teacher didn't give any comments. I wanted you to take a look, since you'll be the one reviewing the graduate theses next year."

“Dean Wan’s judgment is more accurate than mine. Let me take a look.” Yan Jiayan crossed his legs and began to examine the document.

Liu Yimin generously handed his thesis to Yan Jiayan, assuring him that it contained no fabricated laws, unclear data, or illogical statements.

"Exploring the Path of Protecting and Developing Traditional Culture in the New Era is quite suitable for your Institute of Literature and Art," Yan Jiayan said without looking up.

"I want to submit this as one of the achievements of our institute," Liu Yimin said, revealing his purpose.

Upon hearing this, Yan Jiayan immediately looked up and burst out laughing, "No wonder you brought it to me to show; you were planning to use it for two purposes!"

Liu Yimin chuckled dryly, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a few sips of tea. The paper was about 50,000 words long, and Yan Jiayan read it very carefully. By the time he finished reading it, it was already noon.

"The content is very practical, which is exactly the kind of content that your institute should have. It needs to be both academic and feasible, and have some guiding significance for reality. The protection and development of culture is an emerging topic, but also an eternal one."

"Since you proposed this topic, you must study it thoroughly," Yan Jiayan encouraged.

"Okay, do you think there's anything that needs to be corrected?" Liu Yimin asked.

After listening, Yan Jiayan lightly marked a few points with a pencil: "These points of argumentation are a bit flawed and can be slightly revised. However, even if they are not revised, there is no major problem."

"I'll go back and take a look." Liu Yimin got up to leave.

Yan Jiayan took Liu Yimin's hand and said, "Let's talk about what will happen after you graduate with your master's degree."

"You speak?"

"Let Dean Wan be a doctoral supervisor again!"

“This is no problem. It’s just another doctoral degree, right? Professor Wan will definitely have no objections,” Liu Yimin said.

Most of the time, Liu Yimin was left to his own devices; he didn't even need to be taught or have his papers revised. Where can you find such an easy student?

"Teacher Wan, could you take on one more student?"

"Who?"

"Me? Do you think I'm suitable?" Yan Jiayan said with a smile, "I don't even have a doctoral degree yet!"

"Professor Yan, I consider you my superior, would you like to be my junior?"

Yan Jiayan: "You brat, can't I be the senior brother?"

"I entered the sect first, so of course my fellow disciples have to follow the time."

Yan Jiayan waved his hand and said, "Get out of my sight right now, and pretend I didn't say anything."

Liu Yimin dusted himself off and left Yan Jiayan's office, not taking Yan Jiayan's words seriously. After revising the paper, he kept a copy for his records and wrote a new one, which he included in his year-end results document.

Inside the Institute of Literature, after Liu Yimin left, Yan Zhen and the others picked up Liu Yimin's paper and started reading it. He and Wang Liqun were the most attentive.

Inside the Overseas Chinese Apartment, Liu Yimin was sitting in his study organizing the script for "The Battle of Taierzhuang," which he had finally finished after two months.

In mid-November, the family moved into the Overseas Chinese Apartment, a five-bedroom, one-living-room house that was large enough for the whole family plus Ximei. The house was 160 square meters, and at that time there was no shared area, so it was a true 160 square meters. If you include the balcony area, it was much larger than 160 square meters.

Just as we finished tidying up, Zhu Shimao and Chen Peisi arrived.

When Liu Yimin saw the two men, he was very puzzled. He wondered why they were there. After asking, he learned that they had just returned to Yanjing from the Shanghai Film Studio.

Liu Yimin frowned and asked, "Why are you two only now returning to Yanjing? The movie 'Button' shouldn't have taken this long to film, right?"

"Button" is a low-budget, small-production film. It's already November, so why are the two of them only coming back now?
Chen Peisi explained the reason to Liu Yimin: "We spent a month experiencing life in Wenzhou, and just when we were about to start filming, another problem arose: the equipment broke down. At that time, the budget given by Shanghai Film Studio was limited, so we had to apply for a new budget to buy equipment. This back and forth delayed us a lot of time, and we finally finished filming at the end of September."

The directors at the Shanghai Film Studio thought we both acted well, mainly because I acted well.

"Hey, how dare you talk like that?" Zhu Shimao rolled up his sleeves, clearly indignant.

Chen Peisi ignored him: "When the director saw this, he realized that only the two of us could play the roles, so he grabbed our hands and wouldn't let us leave, and we filmed for almost two more months."

"Another director has taken a liking to you?" Liu Yimin asked with a half-smile.

“That’s right, but we can’t stay long, because we’ve been invited to perform at the Spring Festival Gala again this year,” Chen Peisi said proudly.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shimao interjected, "We're performing 'Making a Movie,' a script we came up with at the beginning of this year. We even performed it in front of our comrades, and the response was quite good."

"This play is very realistic; it tells the story of our two experiences," Chen Peisi said.

"Making a Movie" tells the story of Chen Xiaoer, who, in order to realize his dream of having actors film in the snow wearing only thin clothes, eventually froze to death. It can also be considered a true reflection of Chen Peisi's dream of becoming an actor.

During their conversation, Ximei went into the study and poured them both a cup of hot tea.

(End of this chapter)