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

Chapter 501, a separate supplement to "Deng Jiaxian" (7 chapters)

After listening to the broadcast from the Central People's Broadcasting Station, Liu Yimin happily got dressed and got out of bed. Seeing Zhu Lin looking at him with a resentful expression, Liu Yimin was somewhat confused.

"What's wrong with our Zhu Lin? She seems a little unhappy?" Liu Yimin cupped Zhu Lin's face in his hands and asked with a grin.

Zhu Lin lifted the blanket to show Liu Yimin her thigh, which had a red handprint on it.

"Huh, what's going on?" Liu Yimin didn't understand.

"Teacher Liu, you can pat your leg if you want, but why are you patting mine? Look, it's all red, and you still have the nerve to ask me what happened." Zhu Lin snorted.

Seeing Zhu Lin's feigned anger, Liu Yimin quickly reached out and gently rubbed his leg, saying with concern, "Oh? So you were patting your leg. I thought it was mine. No wonder it doesn't hurt. I thought I was dreaming."

"Hmph." Zhu Lin didn't say anything more, but gently pinched Liu Yimin's arm and said admiringly, "Teacher Liu, you are really amazing. You have promoted the development of both sides of the strait all by yourself."

Liu Yimin sat on the edge of the bed and laughed, "This is not my achievement alone; it is the general trend of the times."

While I was having breakfast, Zhu's father called to tell Liu Yimin about this. Zhu's father's excitement was palpable, and he subtly inquired whether Liu Yimin had any further inside information.

Liu Yimin glanced at Zhu Lin beside him, then told Zhu's father some information that he knew but wasn't exactly confidential. However, he still told Zhu's father to keep it a secret and not to tell everyone he met.

As Mr. Zhu was engrossed in his conversation, Mrs. Zhu shoved him aside, saying, "Yimin, have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Mom, we're eating right now."

"You all eat well. Linlin has been tired lately. Is there anything she wants to eat? I'll go over and make her something after get off work tonight," Zhu's mother asked with concern.

Liu Yimin handed the microphone to Zhu Lin, who said to her mother, "Mom, don't worry about me. I'm just a little busy. I'll be fine after one night's sleep."

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?" Zhu's mother continued to ask.

Braised crucian carp with scallions.

"Okay, I'll come over tonight."

Just as Zhu's mother was about to hang up the phone, Zhu's father quickly said, "I'll go too. I'll have a drink with Yimin tonight to celebrate."

Before Zhu Lin could speak, her mother decisively hung up the phone. Zhu Lin put the receiver back and gave Liu Yimin a helpless look. Liu Yimin joked, "Our dad's status in the family is almost down to the point of being humble."

“I’ll talk to Mom when I have time. It’s okay now that we’re both working, but if we wait until we both retire and stay home every day, how will Dad stand it? If he starts a big uprising in his old age, it’ll be a laughing stock of him to rebel against oppression.” Zhu Lin picked up the bowl he had just put down.

After finishing their meal, the two left for work. Ximei held the hands of the two little ones and said goodbye to them at the door.

The elderly men and women in the alley were speaking fluent Beijing dialect, excitedly recounting the news that had just been broadcast on the radio.

The words "Liu Yimin" were occasionally heard in the Beijing dialect. Upon hearing this, Liu Yimin couldn't help but loosen the throttle on his motorcycle and strain his ears.

Seeing that his strange behavior had drawn the attention of the elderly men and women, Liu Yimin smiled kindly and said, "What you gentlemen say makes sense, and I wholeheartedly agree."

After Liu Yimin left, the elderly couple took a while to realize: "Who was that? He's really funny. These young people nowadays, you can't tell who's who just because they're riding a motorcycle!"

On the campus of Yenching University, the radio broadcast news relayed from the Central People's Broadcasting Station over and over again. After the news was relayed, songs such as "My Chinese Heart," "The Five-Starred Red Flag Fluttering in the Wind," and "We Must Liberate Taiwan" were played continuously.

Large numbers of students gathered in the dining hall or the triangular area to share their thoughts, and some even engaged in debates, drawing cheers from countless students nearby.

The entire campus was filled with a festive atmosphere, as if the Lunar New Year were approaching. Inside the Chinese Literature Department, several senior professors were discussing the impact of this event.

"This is a major turning point in cross-strait relations after Bald Head fled to the island. China's future lies in unification; without bloodshed, the world's hearts will naturally be won over," Wang Yao said, shaking his head.

Wu Zuxiang waved the book in his hand: "Comrades, comrades, let's wait and see how things develop."

Upon seeing Liu Yimin, Wang Yao and the others grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up in unison.

Liu Yimin cupped his hands in greeting: "Good morning, professors."

"good, very good, excellent."

After arriving at work, Yan Jiayan did not stay in his office, but instead sat in the large classroom, analyzing the world situation with the professors.

Liu Yimin jokingly suggested that the Chinese Department should be renamed the Political Science Department, to which Yan Jiayan laughed and said, "The people in the Political Science Department are probably discussing this even more enthusiastically than we are."

After more than two hours of discussion, everyone expressed optimism about the future.

"After all, we share common cultural roots, and the international community doesn't support them. Once we regain our UN seat, we'll be the legitimate representatives. As long as we're united, those with ulterior motives won't be able to cause any trouble." With a heavy thud of books hitting the desk, the discussion officially ended.

Liu Yimin patted Wu Zuxiang on the shoulder: "Professor Wu, you're not young anymore, don't get too excited."

Upon arriving at the Institute of Literature's office, the young people were even more excited than the professors, rolling up their sleeves and occasionally uttering profanities.

Liu Yimin stood at the door without saying a word. When Yan Zhen saw him, she quickly coughed, and the Institute of Literature and Art immediately fell silent.

"It's alright, I understand how everyone feels. I was so happy when I heard about this today that I slapped my thigh until it turned red," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Hai Zi, who was usually not very talkative, stood up and said, "Professor Liu, I wonder if I will be able to visit the island in a few years. I also want to write a poem about Sun Moon Lake."

"Focus on your academic and poetic studies, and take good care of your health. You'll definitely succeed. Don't let people say we're not eating well and look malnourished when we go to the island." Liu Yimin waved for Haizi to sit down.

Hai Zi swept his bangs back, revealing his entire face, and smiled as he nodded at Liu Yimin.

Hai Zi's hairstyle, in later terms, exuded an artistic aura.

Liu Yimin pulled up a chair and chatted with them for about half an hour.

"Whether from the perspective of national bloodline, cultural identity, or geographical location, it should be taken back. What a wonderful location it is, a natural defensive line protecting the mainland of our motherland. We literary scholars should not only look at this issue from the perspective of writers."

We need to look at things from multiple perspectives and in a comprehensive way, avoiding the pitfall of generalization and preventing others from saying we can only see the smallest details. The key is to avoid using a magnifying glass to praise or criticize!
If you have the opportunity, you can also learn about Shi Lang's "Memorial on the Abandonment of Taiwan," which can be considered the enlightenment of Chinese maritime thought. Our century-long history of humiliation is also part of our history of maritime humiliation.

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, he prepared to return to his office. Yi Zhongtian quickly got up and called Liu Yimin back, respectfully handing him a paper for Liu Yimin to evaluate.

"Professor Liu, this is my recent paper. Could you please take a look?" After Yi Zhongtian finished speaking, the other trainees craned their necks, waiting for Liu Yimin's comments.

Liu Yimin could only sit down and read it carefully. The paper wasn't very long, only about six thousand words.

"The paper is well written, but there's one thing it's not good about," Liu Yimin commented softly.

Yi Zhongtian was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly asked what was wrong.
Liu Yimin said calmly, "The bad thing is that the instructor wrote my name on it. Are you afraid that no one will scold me and that I will get scolded instead?"

If I had a rival, you could write his name on it and make him lose face!

Yi Zhongtian didn't react, but the others did. They suppressed their smiles, their bodies trembling involuntarily.

"Teacher Liu, is there anything I wrote wrong?" Yi Zhongtian's face turned a deep shade of liver.

"Looking at Cai Wenji's emotional changes in the Three Kingdoms period through the lens of modern emotional theory? Are you Cai Wenji? And you write this? Look at the arguments in it, they're all based on unofficial history, aren't they? Besides being 'unofficial,' it's utter garbage!" Liu Yimin returned Yi Zhongtian's paper to him.

Liu Yimin then said, "Everyone here is here to study literature and culture, but you've come here to study Cai Wenji's love life?"

"Teacher Liu, Teacher Liu, this is just something Yi wrote casually, not a formal paper." Dai Jianye quickly came to Yi Zhongtian's rescue, and the other students echoed him.

Liu Yimin's expression softened: "I've emphasized this many times: historical nihilism is unacceptable. Scholars' research must be rigorous. What you write casually today may circulate tomorrow. People will think: Yi Zhongtian from Wuhan University is just average; even after joining the Institute of Literature, he hasn't changed."

Yi Zhongtian quickly said, "Teacher Liu, I understand."

Liu Yimin patted Yi Zhongtian on the shoulder and said nothing more until Liu Yimin returned to his office.

Seeing Yi Zhongtian's somewhat worried expression, Liang Yong'an smiled and said, "To be honest, Teacher Liu's last four sentences are quite catchy."

"Let me think of something else." Yi Zhongtian showed no interest whatsoever in Liang Yong'an's teasing.

After finishing his classes in the afternoon, Liu Yimin went to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to watch the rehearsal preparations for their production of "The Overseas Chinese Sons and Daughters".

Ouyang Shanzun showed him around the entire scenic area: "We brought some photos of Mr. Chen Jiageng when he was young. We had communicated with Mr. Jiageng before, so we know him very well."

"I'm here today to see if there's anything I need to revise in the script."

"Yimin, you're joking. So many people from the Film Bureau went up and couldn't find anything that needed to be changed, so naturally the two of us didn't find anything either," Xia Chun said cheerfully.

"Okay, if you need anything, either of you can tell me or have Zhu Lin relay the message."

Liu Yimin went to chat with Cao Yu for a while and collected the royalties for "The Overseas Chinese Sons" from Yu Shizhi.

"Three thousand yuan, Yimin, here you go." So Zhi handed the envelope that the finance department had sent over to Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin quickly counted and said, "That's enough, Dean Yu, I'll be going now."

"Go ahead, go ahead!" Yu Shizhi waved cheerfully, and after Liu Yimin left, Yu Shizhi muttered, "Writing screenplays really makes money!"

Liu Yimin waited until Zhu Lin got off work and then went back to the courtyard house with him. Zhu's mother and Xi Mei were cleaning fish, while Liu Yu and Liu Lin were playing in the water nearby.

Twenty minutes later, Zhu's father arrived at the courtyard house on his bicycle.

“Our university is very lively today, but I imagine Yenching University is even more lively. The students at Yenching University are more active than those at our university.” Mr. Zhu wiped the sweat from his face and neck with a wet towel.

Liu Yimin said, "Dad, learn how to ride a motorcycle. I'll go buy another one. It's a bit far to come back from the western suburbs, and a motorcycle will make things easier."

"Forget it, I'm too old for that. If I fall off a bicycle, I'll just get a scrape, but if I fall off a motorcycle, my back will break," Mr. Zhu quickly refused.

Zhu's mother agreed, saying, "There are too many people on the road, and it's not safe for the elderly to ride motorcycles. We've ridden bicycles for most of our lives, and bicycles are still the most comfortable."

Zhu Lin also tried to persuade Liu Yimin for a few minutes, but when he couldn't convince him, he simply gave up.

Zhu's father pulled Liu Yimin aside to talk about national affairs, while Liu Yu and Liu Lin sat in their laps listening attentively, even though they didn't know what was being said.

That evening, Liu Yimin and Zhu's father drank a few cups of wine, and the aroma of braised crucian carp with scallions filled the courtyard.

Father Zhu was in a good mood today, and his alcohol tolerance was much better than usual. Around eight o'clock, Zheng Dongguo, Cheng Siyuan, Zheng Tingji, and others arrived at the courtyard house.

It was their first time visiting, and they were very curious about Liu Yimin's home. After carefully observing it, they began to get down to business.

The so-called important matter was nothing more than today's breaking news. Zhu's mother and Ximei cooked a few more dishes, and Liu Yimin had a few drinks with them.

Zheng Dongguo and the others were all old, but they still happily drank three cups.

"But I grieve that I cannot see the unification of the Nine Provinces. I hope I can see the unification of the Nine Provinces!" Zheng Dongguo sighed.

Cheng Siyuan recounted the information he had heard from Bai Chongxi's son, Bai Xianyong, believing that a formal policy would be released within half a month to a month. "Old Cheng, Old Zheng, let's wait and see." Liu Yimin poured the last bit of wine from his bottle into his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Your alcohol tolerance is just like mine when I was young," Zheng Dongguo said approvingly.

At 11 p.m., we saw them off from the courtyard house. Zhu's father had drunk too much and stayed there that night.

In late May, Liu Yimin met Jiao Huang, who was fifty years old. Jiao Huang was tall and looked very imposing. His expression was dignified and his hair was a mix of black and gray, but black was more prominent overall.

"Hello, Comrade Yimin." Jiao Huang grasped Liu Yimin's hands with both of his, looked Liu Yimin up and down with wide eyes, and spoke in a strong and resonant voice.

Liu Yimin said, "Comrade Jiao Huang, you don't look fifty, but more like forty. You have a very robust physique."

Upon hearing Liu Yimin's praise, Jiao Huang happily said, "When I was young, I was very muscular and could do many difficult moves. I can still do them now, but I'm not as agile as I used to be."

Huang Zumo didn't say much, but instead paid attention to Liu Yimin's expression and tone, carefully observing whether Liu Yimin's evaluation of Jiao Huang was true or false.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was indeed praising him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Yimin invited the two to his study, where Jiao Huang said, “Comrade Yimin, Comrade Huang Zumo has already told me the details. I think I am fully capable of this role.”

"I have complete faith in Comrade Jiao Huang. I have a few movies here. You and Lao Huang can take a look at them in a bit, learn from the actors' performance techniques, and study the characters themselves."

Jiao Huang took out a notebook and a pen from his bag, and his serious attitude immediately won Liu Yimin's praise.

"Comrade Jiao Huang, I think you are the most studious comrade among the actors." Liu Yimin gave a thumbs up.

"First love of learning? Hahaha, Comrade Liu Yimin, you flatter me too much. As an actor, this is what I should do." Jiao Huang's laughter was much more casual than when he came in.

When he saw Liu Yimin just now, his face was calm and indifferent, but he couldn't help feeling nervous, afraid that Liu Yimin's words would make him slink back to the Shanghai Drama Troupe in disgrace.

Jiao Huang watched the movie very attentively, and would specifically ask Liu Yimin about anything he didn't understand, which greatly benefited Huang Zumo, who was sitting next to him.

"Comrade Jiao Huang, the focus of this play is on your interaction with the dog, the intimate emotional connection between humans and animals, which should be revealed unintentionally in every gesture. In addition, to put it bluntly, the affection you show with the dog is more important than yourself."

"I see."

Huang Zumo found a trained dog, and after Jiao Huang took his place, he let Jiao Huang and the dog spend time together to enhance their relationship.

Jiao Huang stayed at the courtyard house for dinner that night, and Zhu Lin was also surprised by Jiao Huang's acting skills: "The Shanghai Drama Troupe is full of hidden talents, and your skills are exceptionally profound."

"Comrade Zhu Lin, your performances in movies and plays are better than mine. I need to learn from you and strive to win a Best Actor award one day," Jiao Huang said politely.

Huang Zumo picked up his wine glass and clinked it against Jiao Huang's: "This is also my wish."

After drinking that night, Huang Zumo rode a borrowed bicycle with Jiao Huang wobbling back to the guesthouse of the August First Film Studio.

Under the moonlight, Zhu Lin said worriedly, "Director Huang is so stubborn. He could have just rested in the courtyard for the night after drinking, but he insisted on going back to the guesthouse. Won't something bad happen?"

"It's alright, Lao Huang didn't drink much."

Lying in bed, Zhu Lin was still worried about Huang Zumo. Liu Yimin made a phone call to the August 1st Film Studio guesthouse, and the duty room told them that the two of them had already returned.

"Don't worry about my classmate Zhu Lin now that we're back," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Zhu Lin met Huang Zumo through the film "Romance on Lushan Mountain," which was also Zhu Lin's first time acting in a movie. She also hoped that Huang Zumo could direct better works.

The following morning, Cui Daoyi called Liu Yimin to inform him that an academic symposium on "Ordinary World" would be held on May 26.

“Lu Yao has confirmed his arrival time in Beijing. Since he’s coming early, the date has been moved forward as well,” Cui Daoyi explained.

"Okay, I understand. I will definitely participate."

Cui Daoyi then mentioned several other names, all of whom Liu Yimin recognized, as well as Jiang Zilong and Wang Zengqi, who were also attending the symposium.

"This is a great opportunity to rediscover realist literature through authors other than yourself. We have specially invited newspapers such as People's Daily, Guangming Daily, and Wenyi Bao to participate in the discussion." Cui Daoyi expressed People's Literature's high regard for Ordinary World.

People's Literature and Art magazine sold 1.5 million copies in May thanks to "Ordinary World," and Liu Yimin recommended it to people on various occasions, which played a good role in promoting the book.

The first volume of "Ordinary World" will be published by People's Literature Publishing House and is expected to be available for sale in mid-June.

On May 24, Lu Yao arrived in Yanjing, wearing a clean suit, which he had made especially for himself after receiving the royalties for the first part of "Ordinary World".

Lu Yao glanced at Liu Yimin, then at her own attire, and complained, "It's true what they say, 'dog meat can't be served at a banquet.' You look like Ximen Qing in a suit, and I look like Wu Dalang selling pancakes in a suit."

"Ximen Qing? Then I'd be beaten to death by your brothers." Liu Yimin said, feigning exaggeration.

"Hahaha." Lu Yao lit a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and after exhaling a few puffs of smoke, thanked Liu Yimin, "Yimin, thank you for your recommendation and for writing the comment. It has been a great help to this novel."

When "Ordinary World" was being written, everyone who read the manuscript ridiculed it. But after it was published, the ridicule disappeared, and everyone praised Liu Yimin's insightful analysis of "Ordinary World" and lauded Lu Yao's excellent writing.

"Sigh, I get it now. When a writer reaches a certain level, the writer himself becomes more important than his work. What a bunch of snobs!" Lu Yao cursed.

Liu Yimin reassured them, "Scholars have always been jealous of each other, so there's no need to take it too seriously. But we can't let a bunch of crooked monks chanting scriptures all day long."

Lu Yao nodded in agreement and then showed Liu Yimin his draft and ideas for the second part.

"It will take at least another six months to finish the second part," Lu Yao said.

Liu Yimin glanced at him and couldn't help but say again, "You should be careful with your royalties. Writing a book takes too long, and there won't be any extra royalties to supplement your living expenses."

“I know, I’ll try my best to control it,” Lu Yao said immediately.

After reading it, Liu Yimin gave him some guidance based on his own reading of "Ordinary World".

"Oh dear, now that I think about it, it makes sense. That's the part I was struggling with. To be honest, Shao Ping's story in the mine, Jin Bo's love story, and the entanglement between Tian Runsheng and Hao Hongmei are more complicated to handle than Sun Shaoan's storyline."

Jinbo is one of the important characters in the original novel "Ordinary World." He is Sun Shao-ping's best friend and a romantic flower that blooms in the barren Northwest. After joining the army, he is remembered by more people because of his romantic love with a Tibetan girl. Unfortunately, the two violated discipline, and Jinbo was discharged from the army while the Tibetan girl was transferred away.

After recovering, Jinbo resolutely embarked on a journey to find the Tibetan girl.

The TV series adapted from "Ordinary World" removed this important character, and the experiences of other people were combined into one person, Tian Runsheng.

After helping Lu Yao sort things out, Liu Yimin extended an invitation, asking if he could participate in the "Youth Night Talk" program.

"I'm a bit clumsy with words, I'm afraid I won't say it well." Lu Yao hesitated for a long time, afraid that she would make a fool of herself.

“Broadcast recordings can be modified. Let me explain the basic principles of recording to you.”

Lu Yao was relieved to learn that her mistakes could be edited out.

In the evening, Jiang Zilong also arrived in Yanjing and went to Liu Yimin's courtyard house to "report for duty". Upon seeing Lu Yao, the two excitedly embraced each other.

Lu Yao and Jiang Zilong hadn't seen each other for a long time, and after they sat down, they began to talk about the past.

Jiang Zilong admired Lu Yao's writing style: "Comrade Lu Yao, your in-depth research is something I can't do."

"Comrade Zilong, I'm rather slow-witted, so I can only resort to slow methods." Lu Yao flicked the ash from his cigarette.

Zhu Lin said from the side, "Comrade Lu Yao's 'Ordinary World' can also be adapted into a stage play, it's just that it's not finished yet. Once it's finished, we can start adapting it."

"Comrade Zhu Lin, if the day ever comes for an adaptation, I'll appoint you as the director," Lu Yao said with a relaxed smile.

"Okay, that's settled."

A group of people sat in the courtyard eating hot pot. The two little ones were very happy eating. Fearing that the meat was undercooked and would cause them to get diarrhea, Ximei specially cooked it for a little longer before feeding it to them.

"I'll go cut another watermelon." Zhu Lin wiped his hands, got up, and went into the kitchen.

Jiang Zilong tried to be polite, but Liu Yimin interrupted him directly.

During the meal, Liu Yimin and Jiang Zilong exchanged opinions on the symposium.

“Fine, I’d like to see if realism is ‘outdated’ or not. Will realism die out?” Jiang Zilong said through gritted teeth.

On the morning of May 26, an academic symposium on "Ordinary World" was officially held in the conference room of the editorial department of "People's Literature and Art".

More than ten colleagues were sitting in the meeting room, and Liu Yimin greeted them one by one.

Wang Zengqi shook hands with Liu Yimin warmly: "Yimin, is this your first time attending someone else's literary symposium?"

"This is my first time." Liu Yimin had always participated in events related to his own works before, and this was the first time she had ever helped someone else.

Wang Zengqi smiled and said, "It seems that you are very fond of 'Ordinary World' and Comrade Lu Yao."

"It's not that I'm hiding anything; it's really well-written," Liu Yimin said.

Wang Meng and Cui Daoyi chaired the meeting, with Liu Yimin sitting next to Wang Meng. After Wang Meng finished her opening remarks, she asked Lu Yao to talk about the reasons why she wrote "Ordinary World".

Taking advantage of the lull, Wang Meng whispered, "Yi Min, what are you up to?"

"What?" Liu Yimin was very puzzled.

"Zhonghai asked us to prepare a separate supplement for People's Literature and Art, without telling us anything about the content. They just told us to be ready and to start printing as soon as we received the order and the articles. But I've heard that you wrote these articles?" Wang Meng asked suspiciously.

Liu Yimin understood; Wang Meng was probably referring to "Deng Jiaxian," which would be declassified in June. However, "People's Literature" was scheduled to be published on June 1st, so it couldn't be printed in advance and would require a supplement.

A supplement is a separate issue published in mid-June, added to the June and July issues.

"The higher-ups said we could publish several separate articles at the same time. Could you tell us more about that?"

Seeing that Wang Meng was a little anxious, Liu Yimin pressed down his hand: "Comrade Wang Meng, it's not that I don't want to talk about it, but if I say it like this, it would be considered a leak."

"A leak? Is it that serious?" Wang Meng was even more curious, and even lost interest in organizing the symposium.

"It will be decrypted in due time, just wait and see."

After Lu Yao finished explaining his reasons, Jiang Zilong immediately followed up, talking at length about the status of "Ordinary World" in the hearts of readers, and proving that homegrown realist literature is not unsophisticated, and even if it is, it is "unsophisticated" in the hearts of readers.

P.S.: I'll add the missing words tomorrow. Today I went to a cultural site and watched several sitcoms and plays to brainstorm ideas, so I got back late.

(End of this chapter)