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

Chapter 451 The First Officially Certified Young Writer

On the plane, Liu Yimin, Tang Dacheng, and Xu Mengxiong barely slept. The two were thrilled by their achievement; setting aside the literary prize, the $1.6 million donation was enough to make the Ministry of Forestry go crazy.

Funding for the Three-North Shelterbelt Project has been consistently short-term, with many areas experiencing insufficient funding. This $1.6 million, combined with last year's $500,000, will significantly fill the gaps in funding and materials.

Liu Yimin couldn't sleep because he was thinking about Zhu Lin, the two little ones, and his family. In just over a month, the two little ones might have even started walking.

Since there was no time to rest, Liu Yimin decided to address the questions that had been puzzling them. For example, he explained why Walmart was willing to spend a million dollars to buy a trophy—not because the trophy had much collectible value, but because it was for advertising purposes.

"Then why was it sent back?"

"It's also a marketing tactic. After half a month, public discussion about Walmart's charity efforts in the United States had already declined. Returning the trophy can reignite public enthusiasm. Everyone only sees how much money she spent; who knows how much she made?"

How much do you earn?

"I estimate it will increase tenfold, and with the US stock market added, it will be much more than just tenfold," Liu Yimin said slowly.

hiss!
The two of them gasped: "This is making money faster than a printing press!"

The two were intellectuals, and very traditional ones at that, who simply couldn't imagine how capitalists made money.

Tang Dacheng did know about the stock market while studying in Shanghai, but the stock market he knew was one where prices were rising and investors were lamenting their losses.

When a commercial airliner crosses the Pacific Ocean and approaches a country's airspace, an announcement is made in the cabin:
"All crew members of Air China welcome Comrade Liu Yimin back to China with honors and thank him for his great contributions to Chinese literature!"

As soon as the announcement ended, the crew members came over with flowers, presented them, and said again, "Comrade Liu Yimin, welcome back to China!"

"Thank you all, thank you to the entire crew!" Liu Yimin said politely as he accepted the flowers.

Less than twenty minutes later, the plane landed smoothly on the runway of Shanghai Airport, where a red carpet was laid out and a crowd of people were waiting.

The literary circles of the South held a welcoming ceremony for Liu Yimin in Shanghai. Mr. Ba Jin stood in the very center, looking expectantly at the plane that had come to a steady stop.

"Father, look how anxious you are. When the French president came to award you the medal, you didn't keep looking around," Li Xiaolin teased from the side.

Ba Jin said with a smile, "A single flower does not make a spring; a hundred flowers blooming together make a hundred schools of thought contend. We old folks will be gone sooner or later, and we can't leave behind a literary world in a state of transition. Yi Min has brought glory to the international stage this time, and he has also given the domestic literary world a boost."

"They're out! They're out!" Li Xiaolin said, pointing to the open hatch.

Liu Yimin, holding a bouquet of flowers, led the way, while Tang Dacheng and Xu Mengxiong served as his left and right protectors.

Tang Dacheng said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Ba Jin and the others. The sun is very strong today. It's been almost forty years since we graduated, but the air in Shanghai is still so familiar."

The group walked quickly toward the welcoming crowd, which numbered about thirty or forty people. Writers' associations and literary federations from major southern provinces and cities had all sent representatives.

“Yimin, the trip to Europe and America must have been really tough. If it were us old folks, we definitely wouldn’t have made it,” Ba Jin said, holding Liu Yimin’s hand tightly.

"Mr. Ba, you're too kind. When you were young, you flew much more often than I did!"

"You've been to many countries, but none as intensely as this. You've been to several major European countries in half a month, and then another half month, you've been to most of the states in the US. Young people are still young, they have great stamina. You look very energetic."

"I also thank the writers for their help."

Tang Dacheng, standing next to him, immediately straightened his chest and smiled at the others.

After Ba Jin finished speaking, the people behind him began to greet Liu Yimin. Yao Xueyin, chairman of the Hubei Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, was also among the group.

"Old Yao, it's been a long time since we last met."

Yao Xueyin said happily, "Although we haven't met, the words still linger in my ears! The comrades have prepared a welcome banquet for you and are trying to keep you in Shanghai for a while. I know you really want to go back, but you're already back in the country, so what's another half a day?"

With Ba Jin here, Liu Yimin couldn't possibly turn around and get back on the plane.

The Shanghai Writers Association made meticulous preparations for the reception, and the meal was held in the banquet hall of a foreign-related hotel on the banks of the Huangpu River.

In the afternoon, Liu Yimin and representatives from literary federations and writers' associations in various southern provinces and cities held a symposium. In addition to discussing literary awards, they talked more about what Chinese literature should absorb or reject when it exchanges with the world.

"Chinese writers can learn from foreign writers when they are writing. But I think the style of realism should never be easily abandoned. In addition, we must first meet the needs of the domestic audience for literature and other spiritual products. We cannot simply cater to the evaluation standards of foreign literature in order to win awards."

Yao Xueyin immediately chimed in, "Yes, our goal is first domestic literature, then Chinese literature, and finally writing for foreigners. Once you've truly mastered your writing, foreigners will put in the effort to study your work."

Yao Xueyin's "Li Zicheng" is based on the history of the late Ming Dynasty and was intended entirely for domestic readers, but with its publication in France, it has already gained considerable influence in Europe.

In the Chinese literary world, few people are unaware of his works.

"Yes, we must use the charm of Chinese culture to inspire them. We writers must also remember that you are people of this land, and your success is the success of this land's culture, not just your personal success."

Many descendants of overseas Chinese also love literature, but most can only engage in literary analysis. They lack experience living in China, and they cannot write works with a Chinese spiritual core. "Ba Jin said, word by word.

As the meeting was drawing to a close, Ba Jin went so far as to call Liu Yimin the number one young writer in China, a leading force among young writers, and a well-known writer in the literary world.

Ba Jin's words were more like an official endorsement of Liu Yimin, telling the people of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers Association that this was his personal acknowledgment, and that it was the chairman of the Writers Association who acknowledged it.

As Ba Jin finished speaking, the others applauded, and the attendees acknowledged Liu Yimin's status in the literary world.

In the evening, Liu Yimin, Tang Dacheng, and Xu Mengxiong had dinner at Ba Jin's house, where Ba Jin and Li Xiaolin listened to the three of them recount their interesting experiences in America.

“Yimin, one million six hundred thousand US dollars, Yimin, you’re more useful than this old man!” Ba Jin joked.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Mr. Ba, you can't say that."

"Yimin, your novel 'The Battle of Taierzhuang' has been so popular that readers have been buying the magazine to read it. This work of documentary literature has caused a great sensation in China." Li Xiaolin praised, "It highlights the role of the main battlefield and, with the seriousness of historical writing, delivers a satisfactory answer to readers and anti-Japanese soldiers."

"Senior Sister Xiaolin, how are your sales?"

"It's selling exceptionally well; as of today, it should have sold over 1.4 million copies."

Li Xiaolin encouraged Liu Yimin to submit more articles to "Harvest" magazine, and Liu Yimin readily agreed.

"That's more like it. Your fairy tale magazine is doing really well. Since the April issue went on sale, it's been on a much stronger roll than the first issue. I heard they printed 150,000 copies. You guys are really bold." Li Xiaolin was very interested in the "King of Fairy Tales" magazine.

There is also a children's literature magazine published in Shanghai, which is currently selling reasonably well in the south, but its overall sales are not high.

“Xiaolin brought me a book last time, and I took a look at it. I wanted to see who wrote it. I flipped to the first page and it was Zheng Yuanjie. I flipped to the next page and it was still him. Goodness, one person is equivalent to an entire editorial department plus more than a dozen contributing writers.”

After Ba Jin finished speaking, he looked at Tang Dacheng and said, "Comrade Dacheng, you have just taken office as the secretary of the Secretariat of the Writers Association and you have a lot of things to do. If there is anything, you can call me directly."

The Writers' Association operates under a dual leadership system. Ba Jin is the chairman of the presidium, and Tang Dacheng is the secretary of the secretariat. However, due to Ba Jin's advanced age and his residence in Shanghai, Tang Dacheng is actually responsible for the daily affairs of the Writers' Association.

That night, the three of them didn't stay at a guesthouse, but went directly to Ba Jin's house. The next morning, they took the earliest flight back to Yanjing.

A welcoming crowd also stood beside the tarmac at Beijing Capital International Airport. Representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Forestry, and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Writers' Association were present, along with student representatives from the Chinese Department of Yenching University and journalists.

Xia Yan and Cao Yu stood at the front of the crowd, speaking in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing at the sky above the airport.

The buzzing sound of the plane reached everyone's ears first, and they followed the sound to find the plane that was descending.

Cao Yu said with a smile, "Finally back! If it weren't for Brother Ba interfering, we would have arrived yesterday."

"Hahaha, Yimin made such a big commotion, how could we not see him! Your student is no ordinary person coming back this time, he's rolling in money! Comrade Yang Zhong, your forestry department has really gotten a great deal!" Xia Yan looked at Yang Zhong from the Forestry Department, who was pacing back and forth excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

Hearing Xia Yan's words, Yang Zhong smiled broadly: "Old Shen, Jiabao, Comrade Yimin is the god of wealth for our forestry department!"

"Haha, he deserves the title of God of Wealth."

Before Liu Yimin could even disembark from the plane, Yang Zhong led the forestry department personnel quickly toward the gangway, clapping as they went.

Seeing this, Xia Yan, Cao Yu, and the education department personnel quickly went to meet them. "What's the meaning of your Forestry Department's rush? Even if you brought over a million US dollars, ultimately it belongs to people from our Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education!"

"Yimin, you've worked hard! Comrades, let's give you a bigger round of applause!" Yang Zhong said excitedly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Yimin quickly walked over to Xia Yan and Cao Yu, calling out, "Teacher, Professor Shen." Cao Yu gently patted Liu Yimin on the shoulder: "Good lad!"

"Let's go back to the department!" Xia Yan said with a smile.

The reporter quickly snapped photos, and Liu Yimin followed the crowd into a car and returned to the Ministry of Culture.

People from various departments sat in the conference room, and the atmosphere was very lively. Considering that Liu Yimin and others were too tired, the meeting did not last too long.

"Comrade Yang, that million-plus US dollars will be transferred back through the embassy in a couple of days," Liu Yimin said to Yang Zhong.

"Good, good, good!" Yang Zhong responded loudly, his voice full of enthusiasm.

After everyone left, Xia Yan, Cao Yu, and Liu Yimin sat alone in the office and chatted.

Hearing Cao Yu's "bang bang bang" sounds, Xia Yan said irritably, "Old Wan, can you please stop fiddling with that trophy?"

“Old Shen, feel it, it’s worth a million dollars, it feels really solid when you tap it!” Cao Yu said generously.

"You, who cares? Let me see you!"

Xia Yan reluctantly accepted the million-dollar trophy and examined it, finding it quite substantial.

"Old Shen, there's another silver thing here, do you want to take a look?"

"Me!" Xia Yan gritted her teeth at Cao Yu's blatant boasting, but her tone softened: "Let me see!"

Xia Yan compared the two trophies and said thoughtfully, "It would be great if this silver thing was also worth a million dollars. Yimin, I heard that your clothes were auctioned for a hundred thousand dollars?"

"I'm ashamed to say that I've only just reached 100,000."

Xia Yan said speechlessly, "What? Only reached 100,000? Look at you two, master and apprentice, oh my, never mind, I'm not saying anything more, Xiao Yunzi is still waiting for me to take him to the zoo!"

Xia Yan got up and left the office. Cao Yu smiled and said to Liu Yimin, "Old Shen is so old, but he still has a temper. Let's go back."

Cao Yu took Liu Yimin directly back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment. Not only were Zhu's parents there, but Li Yuru and Wan Fang were also present, and the food on the table had already been prepared.

Zhu Lin would stand on the balcony every now and then and look down, afraid of missing the moment Liu Yimin walked into the community.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, Zhu Lin hurriedly opened the window and waved her arms, calling out, "Teacher Liu! Teacher Liu!"

Mr. and Mrs. Zhu carried their two little ones to the balcony and told them to shout "Dad!"

Cao Yu said with a smile, "You little rascal, run a few steps."

When we got to the second floor, the family was already there to greet us.

After Xi Mei took Liu Yimin's luggage, she picked up Liu Yu, who was handed to her by Zhu's father.

Do you miss your dad?

Before Liu Yu could answer, Liu Lin stretched out his arms, wanting Liu Yimin to hug him, almost crying with anxiety.

Liu Yimin simply used both hands to pull them both into his arms.

Back home, seeing the food on the table, Liu Yimin smiled and said, "Everyone has prepared such a sumptuous meal!"

“If you don’t come back soon, I’ll have to put it back in the pot to heat up again,” Li Yuru said.

Yang Xiuyun said, "Give me the child, you sit down and eat for a while."

The two little ones were unwilling, so Yang Xiuyun and Ximei coaxed them for a while before taking them away from Liu Yimin's arms.

Liu Yimin answered everyone's questions while eating. Li Yuru specifically inquired about each question based on the newspaper reports.

Cao Yu said, "Yi Min has been giving speeches almost every day for the past month. Tell him to talk less!"

“Teacher, your wife is also concerned about me,” Liu Yimin quickly said.

Li Yuru said, "Then I won't ask anymore. Let's have dinner at Muxidi in a few days."

Zhu's mother and Zhu Lin kept serving Liu Yimin food. After finishing the meal, Liu Yimin's face gradually showed signs of fatigue.

After dinner, Li Yuru and Wan Fang helped wash the dishes, and Liu Yimin took the gifts out of their suitcases for them. However, everyone's attention was not on the gifts, but on the trophy.

After the house was almost cleaned up, Cao Yu smiled and said, "Let's talk again in a few days."

Cao Yu led Li Yuru and Wan Fanggang away. Zhu's parents looked at the weather outside and said, "In-laws, the weather is so nice outside. Let's take the two little ones to see the flowers."

"Okay." Yang Xiuyun nodded knowingly.

The three of them not only took the two little ones away, but also Ximei.

As soon as the door closed, Zhu Lin threw herself into Liu Yimin's arms and pressed her head against his chest.

"Zhu Lin, you're hugging me so tightly I can't breathe," Liu Yimin said softly, smelling the fragrance of Zhu Lin's hair on her forehead.

Zhu Lin said with concern, "Teacher Liu, you must be exhausted!"

"It's alright." Liu Yimin chuckled and carried Zhu Lin into the bedroom.

Zhu Lin pressed Liu Yimin down on the bed, wanting him to take a nap first. Liu Yimin used his hands and feet to laugh and say, "Let's get down to business first. This is a rare moment of leisure!"

They drew the curtains and quickly got to work. A month's worth of savings seemed inexhaustible, and they marveled at the wonders of the Creator.

Afterwards, the two, drenched in sweat, were reluctant to let go, holding each other tightly, feeling each other's body heat, and slowly fell asleep.

When the family returned, the two were still asleep. Around 10 p.m., Zhu Lin turned over in bed, smelling the aroma of food. Feeling the soreness in her back, she couldn't help but gasp.

Zhu Lin, suppressing his discomfort, walked into the living room as if nothing was wrong and said, "Mom, Ximei, you two should rest too. Teacher Liu is too tired and won't wake up for a while. I'll put the food in the refrigerator and heat it up when she wakes up."

Yang Xiuyun said, "Okay, let's go to sleep first."

They strolled around the Summer Palace twice in the afternoon and were tired.

Zhu Lin ate a little something and then lay down to sleep again. Looking at Liu Yimin, whose breathing was even, she pulled the blanket up a bit. Liu Yimin slept soundly until six o'clock the next day.

My voice didn't go hoarse in the US, but it did after I returned to China.

Hearing Liu Yimin's voice, Zhu Lin hugged the blanket and laughed: "You must be starving, hurry up and get up to eat."

As soon as Liu Yimin got out of bed, Yang Xiuyun asked, "Yimin, didn't you get up for dinner last night?"

"Mom, I'm so sleepy. I'm feeling a bit dizzy and my throat is dry."

Yang Xiuyun handed the eggs to Liu Yimin and said with concern, "I'll go make you some herbal tea."

After finishing his meal, Liu Yimin went back to bed to rest for a while, and his mind became much clearer.

Xi Mei took today's newspaper from the mailbox and brought it home, saying to Zhu Lin, "Sister Zhu, the newspaper is full of Professor Liu's photos and news. Please take a look."

Several newspapers reported on Liu Yimin's triumphant return to China, and also reported that Liu Yimin had raised $1.6 million in donations for the Ministry of Forestry's Three-North Shelterbelt Project.

The last $500,000 was hard to report, but this $1.6 million needs to be reported with great fanfare.

Yang Xiuyun, who was standing next to him, was illiterate, so Zhu Lin took the newspaper and read it to her.

(End of this chapter)