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

Chapter 465 Everything Has Settled

In November, People's Literature published Liu Yimin's latest novel, "Dust Settles Down," a long novel that the editorial department of People's Literature had high expectations for.

When Cui Daoyi took the novel, he anticipated the uproar it would cause in the entire Chinese literary world after its publication.

Wang Meng sat in his office, beaming as he read the discussions in the newspaper. This was, in his opinion, one of the best novels Liu Yimin had submitted since he took office as editor-in-chief of *People's Literature*.

"Beloved" is good, but it was written after all, it came from the United States. Compared with works like "The Stage," the best thing about this novel is that it depicts the customs and culture of the entire Sichuanese ethnic group, as well as the abhorrence of the old system, and expresses a joyful mood for the arrival of the new era.

Wang Meng lay leisurely in a chair, eyes closed, tapping his hands on the chair to the rhythm, swaying his head as he sang: "I stand on the city tower, gazing at the mountain scenery, hearing the commotion outside the city. Banners flutter and cast empty shadows, it turns out to be Sima's troops."

Wang Meng imagined the scene of "People's Literature" selling like hotcakes in bookstores, with clerks constantly shouting that it was out of stock!
Wang Meng has been at the helm of *People's Literature and Art* for over two years. While *People's Literature and Art* has improved compared to before, the improvement is not significant and does not prove that her editorial approach is better than her predecessors'. Publishing several high-profile works this year will definitely solidify *People's Literature and Art*'s position in the literary world.

The sound of knocking on the door interrupted Wang Meng's thoughts. She said to the door, "Come in."

Cui Daoyi walked in with a smile: "Comrade Wang Meng, just as we expected, a good work is a good work. Many people have called to congratulate us. When Yimin presented this novel, I knew that those who criticized him for losing his talent would regret it."

"Yi Min's mind is truly remarkable. This novel is exceptionally well-written. Reading it once feels like being transported to the rugged mountains of western Sichuan, gaining insights into the century-long changes in the region and a profound understanding of its politics and culture," Wang Meng praised again. Wang Meng personally wrote a review for "Dust Settles Down," which was featured as the lead article in the review section of "People's Literature and Art."

“This must have been the inspiration he got after his field trip in Sichuan. You know, a true writer is like an iron foot, writing wherever he goes. I did a quick calculation, and including his previous works, he wrote three pieces during that one field trip: ‘Red River Valley,’ ‘Mountains High and Rivers Long,’ and ‘Dust Settles Down.’” The more Cui Daoyi thought about it, the more he felt that Liu Yimin was unfathomable, and his literary talent was as immeasurable as the sea.

"There's a saying that goes, 'The world isn't lacking in inspiration, but in eyes that can see it.' But isn't he having far too many eyes?" Wang Meng couldn't help but click her tongue, coming up with a perfect analogy:

“When we go to a place to collect folk songs, it’s like harvesting wheat. A wheat stalk only grows one ear of wheat, but he’s digging up sweet potatoes. When you pull one up, you see three or four sweet potato dumplings inside.”

“And they’re all huge.” Cui Daoyi gestured with his hands in front of his chest to show what a “sweet potato” looked like.

Wang Meng suddenly thought of the "Huo Yuanjia" story and couldn't help but ask, "How many copies of 'Legend of the Past and Present' sold last month?"

"According to reliable sources, they sold more than 3.2 million copies!" Cui Daoyi said with a bitter expression when he said the number "3.2 million".

A popular literature magazine that was founded not long ago has managed to defeat a group of veteran writers in just a few years, making them feel ashamed.

Upon hearing this number, Wang Meng's hand trembled: "Sigh, Yimin is right. We have a huge readership of popular literature, and they need literature in their daily lives. Especially now, I've noticed that children are increasingly fond of popular literature. In the future, it will be difficult for literary magazines to compete with popular literature in terms of sales!"

Cui Daoyi nodded, and after leaving Wang Meng's office, he didn't return to his own desk. Instead, he hummed a song and told people to load all the reader letters he had recently written for Liu Yimin onto the tricycle, using his position to his advantage and go chat with Liu Yimin.

When Cui Daoyi reached the door, he was still humming. He reached out and pulled the brake in front of his crotch, jumped down quickly, stubbed out the cigarette butt in his mouth on the stone steps, and knocked on the courtyard gate with a smile.

The door was ajar. After knocking to indicate that someone had arrived, he began carrying readers' letters inside. Xi Mei and Liu Yimin saw this and quickly came out to help.

“Look, there are also some readers from Southeast Asia. I guess they have some thoughts after reading ‘Amnesty 1959’.” Cui Daoyi patted the envelope, and a layer of dust fell off.

"Senior brother, please sit down and have some tea." Liu Yimin and Ximei placed the letter in a nearby room specifically for storing mail.

After Cui Daoyi sat down, he told Liu Yimin about the events following the publication of "Dust Settles Down" and the reactions of magazine editors: "Zhang Shouren from 'October' called and said that, just as the book title 'Dust Settles Down' suggests, the discussion about 'Liu Lang's talent running dry' will also settle down."

Liu Yimin also received many calls from Qian Zhongshu, Zhang Guangnian, Huang Yongyu, Liu Zhenyun, and others. Some praised him, while others wanted to know Liu Yimin's thoughts on writing this novel.

The novel "Dust Settles Down" tells the story of the last chieftain of Sichuan XZ District. The protagonist is the youngest son of the Maggie family, who has been called a fool since childhood.

The eldest son of the Magi was strong and warlike, while the younger son was dull and simple-minded, often speaking in ways no one could understand and doing absurd things with the servants. Even his mother didn't like him much, believing his stupidity was due to the Magi chieftain's drunken escapades.

This seemingly foolish son gradually reveals extraordinary wisdom, and some of the foolish things he does turn out to be right in hindsight, to the point that old Maggie and his brother suspect he is faking his foolishness.

Maggie's family wasn't powerful at first, but old Maggie knew the true owners of this land; he knew the Han people were the ones he should rely on. When others seized his land, he chose to go to the Han territory to report to the authorities and ask them to uphold justice.

The GMD sent a strategist who led a platoon of soldiers and utterly defeated the other chieftains.

Maggie's family colluded with the Han Chinese regime in Sichuan and possessed a powerful army. Under the guidance of the Han Chinese, he planted poppies and exchanged them for a large amount of money.

While other chieftains followed suit, old Maggie listened to her foolish son and planted all her land with wheat. The following year, the poppy harvest was bountiful, but food was scarce, and countless starving people flocked to Maggie's house.

Meanwhile, the foolish son, having already arrived at the official residence in the north after being tested by his father, made a fortune from wheat. The chieftain, starving, could only exchange silver for grain when he saw his people starving to death.

The foolish son not only made money, but also married Tana, the daughter of the Ronggong chieftain, the most beautiful woman in Tibet, with the grain and the army he commanded.

Through grain trading in front of the official residence, he gradually built up a market. His caravans acted as intermediaries, traveling between the Han and Tibetan regions and earning a great deal of wealth.

The Han Chinese advisor who originally led the army to help Chief Maqi came to Tibet and helped him establish a modern tax and banking system, making his wealth immeasurable.

The foolish son gained the approval of the steward and executioner of the Maggie family (the chieftain's family had a family that specialized in executions) and the people, and everyone supported him in seizing the chieftain's position.

Chief Maqi, fearing his foolish son would grow too powerful, recalled him from his northern official residence and declared his elder brother his successor. The arrogant brother then seized Tana, Maqi's wife who longed to become the chieftain's wife, but the brother was soon murdered by his enemies.

Tana didn't care who she married; she would marry whoever could make her the chieftain's wife.

This enemy was the same one Old Maggie had made years ago; his brother had died in place of the old chieftain.

And so, the simple-minded son became the sole heir.

Shortly afterward, the liberation of the whole country began, the KMT suffered a crushing defeat, and the People's Liberation Army prepared to enter the snowy area of ​​Aba. The simple-minded son originally wanted to join the People's Liberation Army, but after being intimidated by a Tibetan who had joined the People's Liberation Army, he developed a wrong impression of the People's Liberation Army and fled to Tibet with his family.

Old Maggie and the GMD joined forces to resist. Amidst the rolling cannon fire, the official residence collapsed, the chieftain died, and an old era came to an end. The foolish son met the People's Liberation Army and learned about the real People's Liberation Army.

The simple-minded son was excluded from the center of power from a young age. He played and mingled with the servants. He knew the hardships of slaves and later reduced their burden through tax exemptions and other means. He also funded the purchase of airplanes to resist Japan. He is someone our Party can win over.

This novel won the Mao Dun Literature Prize and was later adapted into a television series, with Fan Bingbing playing Tana, the wife of the mentally challenged son. The book comprehensively recounts the religious politics, cultural traditions, and customs of the Aba snow region, exposing the cruelty of slavery.

The foolish son could easily take a maid's virginity and then marry her off to a servant. Every time he patrolled the territory of a chieftain, the chieftain would choose a young girl to spend the night with him. The only girl who tried to resist was thrown to his servants like trash.

The slaves in the territory were like walking corpses, and specially trained executioners were used to help them carry out cruel rule. The various instruments of torture were horrifying.

The filming location was the Zhuokeji Tusi official residence where Liu Yimin lived. Zhuokeji was also the prototype of the Tusi Maiqi and his foolish son in the book.

"Yimin, you made everyone realize how abhorrent the serf system in Tibet was, with exploitation far exceeding that of the landlords and wealthy landowners. You also let people know why the people of Tibet are so grateful to the old man. The People's Liberation Army is truly a force that breaks iron chains!" Cui Daoyi exclaimed.

Liu Yimin said, "Senior brother, I really hope that everyone can remember this history."

"Of course it will! The eyes of the masses are discerning!" Cui Daoyi said cheerfully.

The first print run of "People's Literature and Art" was two million copies, and judging from the current trend, it will definitely sell out.

"The advanced literary techniques, narrative storytelling, and critical historical reflections in the manuscript far surpass those of most domestic writers today. When I took your manuscript, I said some people would shut up. See, wasn't I right?"

All arguments are based on merit; someone only dares to argue with you if they think you're not good enough. When "Dust Settles" was widely recognized in literary circles, who would dare to shamelessly question it?

Comrade Xianliang also became honest. After thinking it over several times, he finally deduced a reason: Liu Yimin did it on purpose, always showing weakness to the enemy and then making a decisive move when the enemy was advancing triumphantly.

"That's insidious! That was a truly cunning move. Old Ji, he watched so many people jump off the cliff! Once everyone was out, he made his move. The two articles came one after the other, only a month apart. Who would believe it wasn't a long-planned scheme!"

"Old Zhang, don't think about it anymore." Old Li patted Zhang Xianliang on the shoulder. Zhang Xianliang glanced at Old Li's table and asked, "What are you doing?"

I'll write a commentary.

"What comment?"

"I don't need to say anything, do I?" Old Li said awkwardly.

"Dust Settles Down?"

Old Li remained silent in embarrassment. Zhang Xianliang slammed his hand on the table and said, "Do you know why we can't win the debate? It's because we're not united. You, Old Li, just finished cursing and then went to help others carry their sedan chairs."

"I finally had a bit of inspiration, how could I not write it down? Don't worry, it's a critical review."

How critical is it?

"Kind of."

How much is "one point"?

"Just a little bit."

Zhang Xianliang: "."

In Aba, local educated residents are carefully reading "People's Literature and Art" magazine. The state government specially purchased a batch of "People's Literature and Art" magazines and sent them to teachers' colleges and government departments for everyone to read.

The full text of "The Dust Settles Down" was published in the AB state newspaper, along with a commentary entitled "The People of Aba Must Remember the Past Sufferings and Create a New Life in the Great Era of Reform and Opening Up".

Zhuoma lay on the grass with a copy of "People's Literature" in her hand, while Aji next to her was eating grass idly, occasionally snorting and looking into the distance.

"Aji, the writer from the capital still remembers his story at the Zhuokeji official residence!"

"Zhuoma, your father is calling you home!" A herdsman rode up from afar and shouted loudly.

"Okay, I'll be right back!"

After watching "Dust Settles" at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Cao Yu couldn't help but watch it again. The lyrics contain many Tibetan song lyrics, as well as some metaphors that Tibetans like to use.

Cao Yu's assessment of "Dust Settles Down" is that it reads like it was written by a Tibetan who grew up in Aba, Tibet.

"This looks like barley milk flowing from the Tibetan region of Sichuan and Kangding!" Cao Yu said with a smile as he looked at Liu Yimin. The directors next to him also laughed, their faces beaming as if it were New Year's Day.

From "Amnesty 1959" and "Fearless" to "Dust Settles Down," these three works were all thrown into the melting pot of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, and each director got a share of the profits.

The Beijing People's Art Theatre's production of "Dust Settles" was perfectly timed, with all the right conditions in place. They had previously rehearsed "Mountains High and Rivers Long" and "Red River Valley," which cultivated a large number of actors who knew about Tibetan customs, clothing, and culture.

The director will be more comfortable using them again, and most of the costumes and props made at the time will not need to be redone, saving a lot of money.

The first two Tibetan plays were directed by Ouyang Shanzun, Lan Tianye, and Su Min, and the Beijing People's Art Theatre will again lead the cast this time.

"Huo Yuanjia" was directed by Xia Chun and Gu Wei, while "Amnesty 1959" was directed by Lin Zhaohua.

The actors, on the other hand, were vying for roles.

After the director left happily, Cao Yu asked Zhu Lin about her role in the movie "Huo Yuanjia".

How long will it take to film "Fearless"?

"It's not decided yet; it will take at least three months."

Cao Yu calculated the time; Zhu Lin would be back in three months, just before the New Year. Ouyang Shanzun wanted Zhu Lin to play Tana in "Dust Settles," so they would have to find someone else.

"I heard from Lao Shen that you are really confident about the movie version of 'Huo Yuanjia'?" Cao Yu couldn't help but ask.

Liu Yimin said, "It will definitely have a better effect than other films shown overseas."

"If you think it's okay, then go for it. If anything goes wrong, we old guys will take care of it. Anyway, we earn foreign exchange through movies by exploring step by step, so losses are normal," Cao Yu said earnestly.

Liu Yimin felt a warmth in his heart: "Teacher, at the beginning, we should say more auspicious words."

"Haha, then I wish you every success." Cao Yu stood up and laughed loudly, then turned around and took out a bag from under his desk and handed it to Liu Yimin: "These are walnuts sent by your teacher's wife's family. These walnuts are quite good. Your teacher's wife asked me to bring them over so you can take them back for the two little ones when you come."

Walnuts are great for the brain, especially for kids. Of course, since you write every day, you should also supplement your diet with walnuts.

Liu Yimin accepted the gift and thanked Cao Yu. As he walked out of Cao Yu's office, he ran into Pu Cunxi, and Liu Yimin gave him a few walnuts.

Pu Cunxi stared blankly at the few walnuts in his hand. Yang Lixin took them from him, cracked them open, and happily ate them: "Where did you get these?"

"Given by Comrade Yimin."

"How will Comrade Yimin give you walnuts?"

"We just happened to run into each other!"

"Do you think you're brainless and want me to give you some brain-boosting treatments?"

Pu Cunxi kicked Yang Lixin in the butt: "You bastard, you're so mean!"

When he got home, Zheng Yuanjie was already waiting for Liu Yimin, holding a pile of data in his hand, and reporting the latest results to Liu Yimin. Accountant Liang Xiangdong was also there.

“Yimin, our sales have reached 250,000 copies. We printed 300,000 copies this month, but 50,000 copies haven’t sold. I’m getting a bit too radical,” Zheng Yuanjie said, shaking his head.

"Fifty thousand copies? That's a small number. The cost wasn't much. What about the books that won't sell?" Liu Yimin asked.

"They're in the printing factory's warehouse. They asked if we could move them, saying they're taking up too much space in the factory. But we don't have anywhere to put them, there are so many copies!" Zheng Yuanjie was very distressed; the cost of 50,000 copies was over 2,000 yuan.

Liang Xiangdong said, "We can transport it directly to the paper mill and make some money from it."

Zheng Yuanjie thought this method would work and could even recoup some of the costs.

"What a spendthrift! These are 50,000 new books! It would be so much better to donate them to children in mountainous areas, and at least get our names published in the newspaper," Liu Yimin said.

Zheng Yuanjie's eyes lit up: "Great idea! Children in mountainous areas don't have money to buy children's books, so they can't take away our market."

After agreeing on the destination of the books, Zheng Yuanjie talked about the huge success of "Huo Yuanjia". He had an idea in mind, thinking that combining elements of fairy tales and martial arts would definitely create fairy tales that children would love.

"But I haven't figured out how to write it yet?" Zheng Yuanjie said helplessly.

(End of this chapter)