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

Chapter 493 Veterans' Homecoming Foundation

Students at the National University of Singapore were also surprised when they saw the school's announcement, as the notification of the awarding of honorary doctorates came out far too quickly.

The president of the National University of Singapore, Lim Bin, spoke first, explaining the background and context.

"We believe that Mr. Liu Yimin fully meets the academic and educational principles of the National University of Singapore and the standards for awarding honorary doctorates. We are awarding Mr. Liu Yimin an honorary doctorate from the Department of Chinese Studies at NUS in recognition of his contributions to Chinese language and literature and world Chinese literature."

After Lin Bin finished speaking, the school's vice president presided over the ceremony for awarding honorary doctoral degrees.

"Please welcome Mr. Liu Yimin to the stage."

Liu Yimin, dressed in his doctoral gown, walked onto the stage, and Lin Bin personally handed him the honorary certificate: "Professor Liu, congratulations on receiving your honorary doctorate from the National University of Singapore. I believe that the two universities will surely forge a deep friendship in the future."

“President Lin, thank you for the National University’s recognition of me,” Liu Yimin said.

Lin Bin didn't say anything more, turned around and faced the audience, and joined the students and teachers in applauding and congratulating Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin bowed slightly to express his gratitude, then walked to the podium and gave a speech to the teachers and students below the stage.

“I am very honored to receive an honorary doctorate in Chinese Studies from the National University of Singapore. I knew before I came here that the Chinese Studies Department at NUS is the best in Singapore.”

Liu Yimin looked down at the audience, and the teachers and students below immediately applauded and laughed.

Singapore has many universities; besides the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is also very famous. NTU is a polytechnic university, while NUS is a comprehensive university, and its Chinese department is the best.

Liu Yimin shared his impressions of Singapore and thanked the Singaporean people for their welcome.

"The fact that Chinese language and literature has taken root and flourished at the National University of Singapore is inseparable from the Chinese community. Why study Chinese language and literature? Many Western universities also offer Chinese literature studies programs, but they do so to study us, while we Chinese do so to study ourselves."

Literature is thought, and thought is the most fundamental thing deep within our souls; it teaches us to recognize good and evil and motivates us to act.

Lin Bin whispered to the professor next to him, "Professor Liu's impromptu speaking ability far surpasses that of most people. I've never seen him prepare anything when we dine together; he always has a prepared speech in his head."

"It's remarkable that you can deliver a speech logically from your mind, which makes it a bit different from other people's speeches."

In typical award ceremony speeches, winners lavish praise on the organizers and their country, but Liu Yimin only spoke a few words, which seemed insufficient to them.

"He's a writer, and writers are known for being unconventional!"

Liu Yimin's speech lasted about half an hour, and the ceremony officially ended about twenty minutes after he stepped down from the stage.

The group returned to the conference room at the National University. Lin Bin took a stack of documents from his secretary, looked at them, and said to Liu Yimin, "Professor Liu, your article today has really stirred up a lot of discussion. Look, these are telegrams from Chinese associations and reunification promotion associations in various places."

Just as Liu Yimin was about to take the call, Lin Bin eagerly began to read: "The American Chinese Association for the Promotion of Reunification issues the following statement regarding the joint article signed by both sides of the Taiwan Strait: Song Xilian expressed his full support for the content of the article and his support for veterans and their families to return to their hometowns to visit relatives, so that their sons and daughters can see their mother one last time. This is the simplest of wishes."

This is from the Spanish Chinese Association.

This is the France-China Friendship Association.

This is the German Unity Promotion Association.

This is the British Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification.

This is from the Southeast Asian Chinese Business Associations of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand; there's also one from mainland China.

Ignoring Lin Bin's enthusiastic reading, Yao Xueyin quickly took the telegram from his hand and began reading it aloud to everyone.

After reading it aloud, Yao Xueyin couldn't help but say, "Comrades, this is the voice of Chinese people at home and abroad!"

"Professor Liu's article is of great merit; it brings tears to the eyes of readers and saddens the hearts of listeners. The part about sharing soil to eat is especially touching. Soil is home. We are Chinese, and Chinese people know the meaning of our homeland. My father crossed the ocean, and there is still a bowl of soil from our hometown at home." Lin Bin told his family's story—the struggle of two generations of Chinese.

The telegrams, like snowflakes, were in Liu Yimin's hands, causing quite a stir.

Every day a veteran can return home earlier means one more veteran can see their loved ones. So many lie in bed, yearning for their return. Even if they can't go back, they can pass away peacefully.

Back at the hotel, Lin Rihua found Liu Yimin again. Their Fuqing Association was preparing to host another banquet for them that evening to bid them farewell as they left Singapore.

"Professor Liu, people say that a writer's pen is as powerful as a machine gun or cannon, and now I believe it." Lin Rihua and his Fuqing Association and Rongqiao Foundation seized the opportunity to call on overseas Chinese to return to their hometowns to invest in and build factories.

"Alright, I'll accept your kind offer. Thank you for your warm hospitality, overseas Chinese," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

“Let’s go to my house for a while, they won’t arrive until evening,” Lin Rihua said.

They had been participating in activities since morning, and everyone was very tired, but they could not refuse the hospitality of the overseas Chinese.

Liu Yimin waved his hand, and the group followed Lin Rihua into the car. Lin Rihua told Liu Yimin about the shock he felt when he saw the article: "Dividing soil into water for drinking—people of other ethnicities certainly wouldn't understand this, but the Chinese understand it all too well."

After reading it, my father couldn't stop crying. My father is in poor health, and his greatest wish now is to be buried in Fuqing someday.

When they returned to the Lin family home, Lin Rishun was sitting in the courtyard, feeding the birds with a handful of grain.

Lin Rishun scattered the last handful of grain in the courtyard: "Yimin, Mr. Yao, Mr. Qin, Zilong, Anyi, we meet again."

"Mr. Lin, how are you feeling?" Yao Xueyin asked with a smile.

"Thanks to you, I'm happy to see you."

Lin Rishun pulled them to sit under the eaves and talked to them about the jointly signed article.

"When the friends from the Fuqing Association saw this, they were all saddened and asked me to invite you to another meal. That old fellow, Lim Siew Leong, also came to join in the fun. He has already flown back to Malaysia and will be landing in Singapore by plane soon."

After Lin Rishun finished speaking, he looked at Liu Yimin: "Professor Liu, I heard that the National University awarded you an honorary doctorate?" "Hahaha, it was a last-minute notification."

“That’s impressive. It’s very difficult to get an honorary doctorate from the National University of Singapore,” Lin Rishun said.

Liu Yimin knew that Lin Rishun was just being polite. After all, an honorary doctorate does have some value, but it would be quite easy for Lin Rishun and his group to obtain it.

Furthermore, if it were truly too difficult, Dr. Hu wouldn't have been able to obtain thirty-six honorary doctorates.

More often than not, both parties want to gain fame by awarding honorary doctorates.

At 8:30 p.m., members of the Fuqing Association arrived one after another. Most of those who came were businessmen, and quite wealthy ones at that.

In addition, some businessmen from outside Fuqing also called to come after hearing that the Fuqing Guild Hall had invited Liu Yimin.

Lin Shaoliang arrived last and, upon seeing Liu Yimin, immediately extended his hand, saying, "Professor Liu, one article brought tears to the eyes of countless compatriots. Since the War of Resistance, Professor Liu is truly the first person to do so!"

"Chairman Lin, you flatter me. These are just what everyone thinks."

"What a heartfelt statement! Well said!" said Lu Yuntao, the owner of Guotai Cinema, clapping his hands.

Lin Rihua helped Lin Rishun over and said, "Uncles, please come inside and have a chat. The food is ready."

"Okay, Lao Lin's food here is the most authentic." Lin Shaoliang took Liu Yimin's hand and walked inside.

The room was filled with tables and chairs. There were more than a dozen people from the Fuqing Guild Hall, plus the delegation and other people who came because of their reputation, making a total of twenty or thirty people. The Lin family members had already gone to eat elsewhere.

Lin Shaoliang pulled Liu Yimin to sit next to him, and during the meal, he quietly inquired about the mainland's policy towards the island. Not to mention the island itself, they themselves had their own doubts.

"The main goals of the mainland now are openness, exchange, and development, with development being the most important. In fact, we can tell this from the old students in Gongdelin."

Liu Yimin recounted what he knew and the case of drinking water from Weishan Lake.

Lin Shaoliang glanced at the crowd who were listening intently to Liu Yimin's speech, his eyes darted around a few times, and he straightened up, saying in a strong voice, "Sigh, I don't know what we people can do?"

Not only Liu Yimin understood the meaning behind his words, but Lin Rishun also understood them, but Lin Rishun did not speak and waited for Liu Yimin to speak.

"What can we do? I don't really know. But even if they agree to allow family visits one day, I think it will be difficult for some veterans to return home given their financial situation."

Many veterans did not live well and had to work to save up for travel expenses. After returning to the mainland, they dressed well and spent money generously in order to show that they were doing well.

In reality, this was all their hard-earned money. Liu Yimin had read a report about a veteran who raised money to return home by collecting bottles.

Lin Shaoliang patted Liu Yimin's hand and said, "Then why don't we do our part and set up a foundation to help veterans return home and find their families on the mainland? What do you all think?"

"Chairman Lin, you've said it yourself, we'll definitely donate money if we have it, and contribute our time and effort if we can!"

Lin Rishun smiled and said, "We, the S.U.C.C.E.S.S., will also donate

Lin Shaoliang, the wealthiest Chinese businessman present, spoke first: "Then I'll go first. Our Lin family will contribute ten million US dollars."

“Let’s contribute eight million!” Lin Rishun said.

Lin Shaoliang looked at Lin Rishun: "Old Lin, this is the profit of several 'Huo Yuanjia' movies."

"Zhongqiao, Zhongqiao, Zhonghe and Qiao are inseparable!"

"Our Cathay Pacific has five million US dollars."

Lin Shaoliang reiterated, “Everyone should do their best. Those who are under pressure to run the business do not need to contribute. They can contribute when there is a profit. This part of the money will first be operated in the name of the Veterans Returning Home Foundation, opening up donation channels to Chinese people all over the world. In addition, it is also necessary to run the business so that the money can generate more money, so that the foundation can continue to operate.”

“The Lin family can manage it on their behalf. When policies are formulated in the future, people from both sides of the strait can be assigned to supervise it and use it together,” Lin Rishun suggested.

Lin Shaoliang, however, said, "We don't need the Lin family's resources. We'll directly recruit dedicated management personnel, with supervision from all sides."

The basic charter was finalized in a few words, and then people began to announce their donations, the smallest being $100,000. In the end, $43 million was raised.

“And my $50,000,” Liu Yimin said.

Lin Shaoliang quickly said, "Professor Liu, you don't need to take yours!"

"I can't just talk the talk!"

Lin Rishun said, "Then let's listen to Professor Liu. Professor Liu's donation of the literary award funds will attract more funds."

"After Professor Liu returned to China, he asked the mainland to select supervisors as soon as possible, suggesting candidates who have worked in Hong Kong for many years, as they understand capital operations and are good at management. If this is possible, we will not need to recruit additional fund management personnel," Lin Shaoliang said.

"it is good."

Seeing Yao Xueyin and the others eager to try, Liu Yimin stopped them. "Did you all win a literary prize too?"
After finishing their meal, everyone left the Lin family home in high spirits.

After returning, Qin Mu said, "These merchants managed to scrape together so much money on short notice!"

"Director Qin, Lin Shaoliang's assets are several hundred billion US dollars, so this amount of money is not much to them. Lin Shaoliang and Lin Rishun should have discussed this fund."

"how you said that?"

"Lin Shaoliang gave me a message back then!"

(End of this chapter)