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

Chapter 464 He is still him, still the genius writer Liu Yimin!
In the courtyard, Liu Yimin was sitting under a yellowing ginkgo tree, with leaves blown off by the wind lying casually on the bluestone slabs.

The two little ones, Liu Yu and Liu Lin, were playing with leaves. Liu Yu usually liked to tear things apart, and the leaves around him were all in pieces. Sanhua was playing with the dead leaves, occasionally pushing them next to Liu Yu.

At this time, Liu Yu would always reach out to touch Sanhua, but unfortunately, he couldn't always succeed, it depended on Sanhua's mood.

Liu Yimin was chatting with Li Shu from People's Literature Publishing House and Huang Chunyu from Commercial Press, with tea sets on the stone table.

"Yimin, given the current sales of 'Legend of the Ancient and Modern Times' driven by 'Huo Yuanjia,' publishing it as a standalone book would sell even better. I even think selling five million copies would be no problem at all."

"We've focused on the works of literary writers for so long that we've neglected this readership. But upon closer examination, we've discovered that this is a large readership," Li Shu said excitedly.

Huang Chunyu also said: "The sales volume is higher than that of the vast majority of writers in the literary world. Although many people's works are published in major literary journals such as People's Literature and Art and Harvest, their lack of sales is exposed when they are actually published as standalone books."

Readers buy magazines to read all the works. Aside from a few bestsellers, or those that directly boost magazine sales like yours, most books are already included in the two-cent magazine fee and aren't worth paying extra for.

There was considerable internal debate within the Commercial Press regarding whether or not to print the novel "Huo Yuanjia." After all, the Commercial Press typically publishes high-quality literary works, and this popular novel was different from their traditional approach.

Another group believes that this is a novel by Liu Yimin, and even just looking at the three characters "Liu Yimin," it should be printed.

In the end, Chen Yuan, the general manager of The Commercial Press, and Huang Chunyu won the debate with just three words: "It can make money."

Publishing houses are now self-sufficient. They have to translate so many foreign literary works and support so many employees. Why not print books that can make money? If they make more money, they can increase benefits. Anyone who doesn't allow printing is an obstacle to making money.

"I have another suggestion: not only should we print individual volumes, but also comic books. Comrade Li Shu or Comrade Huang Chunyu, you need to find a good artist to draw them well. The pictures in comic books have a strong impact on students; who doesn't dream of kung fu?"

Li Shu scratched his head and immediately said, "We'll find an artist for the comic strip. Old Huang, the fees for the artists can be covered by our two publishing houses, or we can sell you the license."

“Take it, Comrade Li Shu. You’re thinking of the Commercial Press as stingy landlords. We can afford this little bit of money,” Huang Chunyu quickly said. It’s better for both parties to pay and print the book. If we buy the license from People’s Literature and Art, we’ll lose a lot of money.

Huang Chunyu had a clear understanding of the situation and wouldn't easily let Li Shu take advantage of him.

"Okay, let's try to get our comic books all over primary and secondary school campuses." Liu Yimin picked up the teacup on the stone table.

After the publication of the standalone book and comic book of "Huo Yuanjia" was agreed upon, the conversation returned to "Amnesty 1959" and "The Battle of Taierzhuang".

"The sales of 'The Battle of Taierzhuang' have reached 3.4 million copies, with overseas sales of 300,000 copies. Sales growth is still very rapid. 'Amnesty 1959' is slightly less successful, but it has still sold 1.6 million copies. Overseas sales are higher than 'The Battle of Taierzhuang,' reaching 400,000 copies. Judging from the sales data, people in the United States and Southeast Asia are particularly fond of it."

Before coming, Huang Chunyu did some research on the sales data of the two books.

"The Chinese in these two places are quite representative. Many of them and their families went to the United States in 49. The overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia have always had close ties with China. They also contributed greatly during the War of Resistance against Japan. Naturally, they want to know how we treated the defeated generals."

"Have some fruit, you can't just drink tea all the time." Yang Xiuyun brought over apples and bananas.

Huang Chunyu and Li Shu thanked them repeatedly. Having visited so many times, they became less formal and started eating the apples.

Huang Chunyu smiled and looked at Liu Yu and Liu Lin, who were playing around, and said, "Auntie, Comrade Zhu Lin isn't home. These two kids must be hard to take care of, right?"

"They're alright, my grandson and granddaughter are very well-behaved. Besides, their father and mother are both busy with work or business trips, so they're used to it," Yang Xiuyun said with a smile.

When Zhu Lin was mentioned, Liu Yu turned her head, her eyes filled with grievance. Seeing that her little mouth was about to pout, Xi Mei quickly ran over to coax her to play with other toys.

“I dare not mention it. If you don’t mention it, she won’t remember. If you do mention it, she will definitely make a scene.” Liu Yimin had a lot of experience with this.

Fortunately, neither the family nor the guests held Liu Yu and Liu Lin and said things like, "Do you miss your mother?"

Towards the end of the conversation, the group discussed the recent "debate between popular literature and traditional literature." Huang Chunyu and Li Shu expressed disdain for the opinions expressed, saying, "That's all the people in the world have."

"Let them talk, we can always yell back if necessary!"

Liu Yimin's words amused the two men, who said that Liu Yimin's insults were truly satisfying. Huang Chunyu said, "With one blow, both flies and tigers are swatted down, and even bedbugs dare not jump around anymore. I think this debate is about to end; the other side is clearly losing ground."

"The main problem is that most of them have only written one or two articles and can't be considered writers at all, but they dare to point fingers and criticize. They might not have been known by anyone before, but by criticizing the people, they have become famous."

Li Shuyi recounted the backgrounds of several people, who had worked in publishing for many years and had many colleagues in the editorial department, as well as friends from other editorial departments. He could find out the truth about these people if he wanted to.

After a long while, Li Shu took out a newspaper from his pocket and tentatively asked, "Yimin, did you write this article?"

Liu Yimin took it and saw that the title was "Did the writer cheat on his wife, or did the mistress push him first?" It quoted the story of the sixth concubine pushing the famous playwright Jin Xiaotian in the play "The Stage", and described how a writer continued to have affairs with many women after marriage.

"I didn't write that!" Liu Yimin cried out in protest. "If I were to write it, it wouldn't be like this at all. Look at the wording here, it could be more intense. Being more subtle here would actually enhance the reader's emotions. And being a little sarcastic here would be even better."

Upon hearing Liu Yimin's words, Li Shu quickly took the newspaper back: "Yimin, I'm sure you didn't write it. You wouldn't stoop to writing something like this."

"Who wrote about Comrade Xianliang's dissolute life?" Huang Chunyu asked, puzzled.

Liu Yimin said, "Old Huang, there's no name mentioned on this!"

Huang Chunyu said, "Who doesn't know about this? No one talks about it on the surface, but who doesn't gossip about it in private? Of all people to be with, why does she have to be with the daughter-in-law of a literary senior? It's disgusting."

"Keep your voice down, there are children here!" Liu Yimin said.

"Recently, there have been many comments discussing popular literature and traditional literature. At first glance, I thought they were written by Liu Yimin, but the author's name is a pseudonym I don't recognize." Li Shu was puzzled by this. If it were Liu Yimin, he would definitely have written his own name directly.

"Since we can't guess it anyway, let's not bother guessing. It's giving us a headache," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After the two left, Liu Yimin looked at the newspaper and pondered. The newspaper that wrote the gossip was not a major newspaper, but it was not a tabloid either. It was the Hebei Daily. Although it was published in a very inconspicuous place, it was able to make the news a headline through word of mouth.

Liu Yimin was at most surprised, but Xian Liang was furious, and also had a series of grievances: "I just cursed him a few times, and this is how he treats me? Does he have no regard for the dignity of the literary world? I just cursed him a few times, is it necessary to treat someone like this!"

A man sat in his office, gazing at the night sky, and felt a pang of sadness, almost to the point of tears. But the next day, he still stood tall and proud, seemingly unconcerned, though his posture was so exaggerated and affected that it felt forced.

Liu Yimin taught classes as usual, but the discussion about popular literature and traditional literature at Yenching University continued unabated. Liu Yimin, the professor who taught foreign literature, was always forced to turn to debate in the middle of his lectures.

Li Liangrong, Dai Jianye, Yi Zhongtian, and others who were listening in would always smile knowingly whenever the students mentioned an article from a certain newspaper.

There was also considerable discussion among the professors. Wu Zuxiang and Wang Yao, among others, largely agreed with Liu Yimin's viewpoint that as long as a popular novel was well-written, it could also become a "masterpiece." The older professors also cited the Four Great Classical Novels as examples, or works such as "The Romance of the Western Chamber" and "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio."

"The Romance of the Western Chamber" is a play and also a ghost story; "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" is also a ghost story. These are Wu Zuxiang's original words.

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, he said, "This is my personal opinion. If you students have your own opinions, you can also share them."

As soon as Liu Yimin finished speaking, Kong Qingdong immediately stood up and said, "Professor Liu, I think popular literature is popular literature and traditional literature is traditional literature. Traditional literature is better than popular literature, just like a more expensive apple and a cheaper apple."

"Whether expensive or cheap, they are all apples, so there is no physiological difference. Qingdong, look at you, you're speaking rashly again. You should at least think for five minutes before you speak."

"If you differentiate between these two types of works, the royalties are the same, which is not appropriate. The two types of literature are like your apples; there isn't a very clear boundary," Liu Yimin said. "Writers aren't a small circle; they can't just produce what they think is good, because readers won't buy it. Regardless of the type of literature, what's most important is that readers like it. Why did our Party rectify newspapers in the 1940s? It was because the content of newspapers at that time was all about international affairs and various theoretical discussions, which the masses and grassroots comrades didn't like to read."

Our bases are all in the mountains. If we talk to the masses about America and the Soviet Union, how can they understand it? Those of you studying journalism, pay special attention to this: newspaper reporting must be grounded in reality; otherwise, ordinary people won't understand it.

Liu Yimin walked out of the classroom amidst applause, and several students from the Institute of Literature and Art immediately followed him, asking him questions as they walked.

Liu Yimin stood outside the school's teaching building, explained the situation to them, and then left Yenching University. Today, the director of "Huo Yuanjia" was here, and Liu Yimin needed to meet with him.

When Zhang Xinyan arrived at the Beijing Film Studio, he kept saying he wanted to meet Liu Yimin, but Wang Yang told him to wait.

In the office, Wang Yang and Zhang Xinyan discussed the script, and Zhang Xinyan shared all his insights about "Huo Yuanjia" with Wang Yang.

"To make this film well, the antagonism between the two sides in the ring must be portrayed to the extreme, so that the audience can accept the character of Huo Yuanjia. Jet Li, you must bring out the tension of this character."

Huo Yuanjia was a boxer, different from the martial monks of Shaolin Temple. Zhang Xinyan looked at Li Lianjie beside him.

"I've read both the script and the novel 'Fearless,' and I'm confident I can do a good job," Jet Li said.

Wang Yang laughed and said, "With Director Zhang and Jet Li, our movie is already halfway to success."

Wang Yang handed the actor information in his hand to Zhang Xinyan, telling him to pick any actors he wanted from the Beijing Film Studio: "If our actors aren't good enough, we can go to other film studios. In short, we must make sure it's a good film. We can't let Yimin down. He poured his heart and soul into this script and suffered a lot for it."

The assistant director who was there to assist Zhang Xinyan looked at each other in bewilderment. "So much painstaking effort? How come they haven't heard about it?"
Upon arriving at the Beijing Film Studio, Liu Yimin was immediately taken into a conference room.

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, Zhang Xinyan immediately stood up: "This must be Comrade Yimin?"

"Hello, Comrade Zhang Xinyan."

"Comrade, that word sounds so warm and familiar. It's been a long time since anyone called me that. Comrade Yimin, I've admired you for so long. I've read every single word of your novel, and it's simply wonderful!" Zhang Xinyan said enthusiastically.

When Li Lianjie saw Liu Yimin's gaze, he quickly said, "Comrade Yimin, my name is Li Lianjie."

"I know, Comrade Jet Li, he's been winning every time in the film industry!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

After Liu Yimin sat down, Zhang Xinyan explained his ideas again. Liu Yimin looked at Zhang Xinyan and said, "The scene should be grand and realistic. The colors should be rich and the overall tone should be warm, not cold and bleak."

“Comrade Yimin, that’s what I think too. Warm colors are good for creating a lively atmosphere, but the equipment needs to be changed.” Zhang Xinyan looked at Wang Yang next to him with a troubled expression.

Wang Yang said directly, "Change!"

"Anything else, Comrade Yimin?" Zhang Xinyan asked.

Liu Yimin then shared his views, including on casting: "Director Zhang, the overall direction should be yours. I'm just the screenwriter. If there are any conflicting ideas, we should go with yours."

“Comrade Yimin, you are the most demanding screenwriter, but what you said makes sense,” Zhang Xinyan said with a smile.

Screenwriters now enjoy a high status, but there's a limit; they're not higher than directors. Most screenwriters behave very obediently next to a renowned director like Zhang Xinyan.

The assistant directors employed by Beijing Film Studio included Zhang Huaxun (director of "The Mysterious Buddha"), director Li Wenhua, female director Wang Haowei, Chen Huaikai (father of the famous director), and Xia Gang (director of "Da Sa Ba").

Most of these people are young directors, and their goal is very clear: to learn by doing.

After the meeting, Chen Huaikai walked up to Liu Yimin and said with a smile, "Comrade Yimin, I've heard so much about you. My son admires you very much. He buys every book you publish. Now he's a director named Chen Kaige."

Liu Yimin grasped Chen Huaikai's hand and said, "We know each other, we know each other. He used to scold me a lot back then." When Chen Kaige was studying at the Beijing Film Academy, he got along very well with Bei Dao and others.

Chen Huaikai's smile froze on his face. He wanted to make a good impression on Liu Yimin for his son, but he never expected that the two had a past together.

Thinking of this, Chen Huaikai couldn't help but curse Chen Kaige, and all he could do was ramble on: "Comrade Yimin, I apologize on his behalf. The child was young and immature back then!"

"Director Chen, you're joking. Everyone has a youthful past. All that is in the past." Liu Yimin followed the crowd into the Beijing Film Studio's canteen.

Wang Yang insisted on having a meal with everyone to get to know each other better, so Liu Yimin had no choice but to come along.

During the meal, the topic of casting the female lead came up. Wang Yang and the other directors from the Beijing Film Studio all suggested Liu Xiaoqing.

Zhang Xinyan shook his head: "Liu Xiaoqing is good, but not the best."

"Director Zhang, who do you think is suitable?" Chen Huaikai asked.

"Comrade Yimin's wife, Comrade Zhu Lin, would be a perfect match. Huo Yuanjia valued patriotism and loyalty, while Comrade Zhu Lin is poised and elegant. They would make a good couple. What do you think, Comrade Yimin?"

Zhang Xinyan looked at Liu Yimin, who said, "She's currently filming in Zhejiang Province, and it'll probably be back by mid-November."

“We can wait,” Zhang Xinyan said.

Wang Yang said, "Then let's go with Comrade Zhu Lin. This play can be filmed in Yanjing, so Comrade Zhu Lin doesn't need to go anywhere else."

With Zhang Xinyan's arrival, the production team's 1.7 million yuan budget is now in place. Starting tomorrow, Zhang Xinyan will begin selecting actors, designing sets, and purchasing equipment in preparation for filming.

After dinner, Wang Yang saw Liu Yimin off at the Beijing Film Studio, apologizing on the way: "Yimin, I really didn't expect a script to cause such a big controversy. I've caused you trouble."

"It's alright, it's alright, Director Wang, this has nothing to do with you. No matter what the content is, there will always be people who like it and people who don't. Truth is only clear through debate!" Liu Yimin said.

"But you made your move and crippled them half to death. Now I see they've given up. Also, that black student in the newspaper is quite righteous."

When newspapers published news exposing Liu Yimin's shortcomings, many people hesitated to criticize him, fearing they too would be exposed. Others tried to find fault with Liu Yimin, but discovered it was actually quite difficult.

“Those are Ethiopian students.”

In an interview with reporters, Mulatu of Ethiopia choked up and said, "If our country had such a writer, we would never be so harsh on him; we would hold him in high esteem."

Foreigners' words have a greater impact on many people. When everyone thinks about it, they realize that it makes sense. We have won glory for our country so many times. It is a bit unfair of us to do this!
Liu Yimin usually has good relationships with various departments, and when they have verbal battles, everyone really goes all out.

Under the influence of various factors, the criticism has gradually diminished, almost to the point of being nonexistent.

After the latest issue of People's Literature and Art came out, many people looked at Liu Yimin's latest work and roared in anger—it's still him, still the Liu Yimin who is at the height of his literary career!
"He writes popular literature not just on a whim. He is a great writer who can write any kind of work that readers like and can handle any subject matter!"

"The facts have refuted the rumors; he is still the same person!"

(End of this chapter)