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

Chapter 512 Opening of Family Visits

In the study, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin discussed the comments in the newspaper, paying particular attention to Zhu's father's.

In the hospital's family quarters, Zhu's father kept showing off the "Yanjing Evening News" to Zhu's mother, standing up and sitting down repeatedly, his eyes glancing at her while his eyes were glued to the newspaper.

"Alright, stop wandering around. Take your tattered newspaper and get out of here," Zhu's mother said angrily.

Zhu's father's face immediately fell: "I can't explain it to someone like you who doesn't like literature."

"Tsk tsk tsk, oh, literature, what a big title. Professor Zhu's literature can only get published in the Beijing Evening News. Oh my, where is it? If you don't look carefully, you really can't see it. It's almost in the margins of the newspaper." Zhu's mother said sarcastically, and then picked up the chicken leg on the table and started eating it by herself.

After showing off for so long, Mr. Zhu was getting a little hungry. He reached for the chicken leg, but Mrs. Zhu tapped him with her chopsticks: "Professor Zhu, you're going to eat the chicken leg that I, an illiterate man, made?"

"Zhenzhen, I was just saying. You're not illiterate, you're a doctor, a doctor who saves lives." Zhu's father reached for the plate with both hands and quickly put the chicken leg in his mouth.

Seeing his behavior, Zhu's mother snorted, "What a disgrace!"

“You’re getting on in years, you should give me some encouragement. This is a good start, maybe I’ll be publishing articles and commentaries in more and more magazines in the future.” Mr. Zhu gently nudged Mrs. Zhu with his shoulder.

This time, Zhu's mother didn't mock her: "You, how many times did you revise this article? As soon as Yimin's novel was published, you took the manuscript to your science and engineering professor for revisions. You wrote a commentary of more than 10,000 words, which was then revised down to 3,000 words. Isn't that enough trouble?"

"Everyone needs a hobby, and this is mine. When I retire, I'll have more time to write."

Zhu's mother raised an eyebrow and said, "You, surnamed Zhu, if you dare to become a pedantic scholar after you retire, spending all your time thinking about your lousy manuscripts, then you might as well go with your manuscripts."

Zhu's mother's voice startled Zhu's father, who trembled as he held the chicken leg in his hand and dared not say another word.

After dinner, Mr. Zhu sat in his study, engrossed in reading the Beijing Evening News. He felt as if the printed words were jumping and beckoning to him.

After savoring it for a while, he felt something was missing. After thinking for a long time, Mr. Zhu picked up the phone and dialed the number for the courtyard house.

"Ahem, Linlin, have you eaten?" Mr. Zhu asked calmly.

Zhu Lin smiled and said, "Dad, we just finished eating. I'm going to give Liu Yu and Liu Lin a bath."

"Where are the two little ones?"

"They were taken by their grandparents to the alley entrance to chat with the neighbors."

"Where is Yimin?"

"Teacher Liu has gone to take a shower."

Mr. Zhu finally couldn't take it anymore: "What about the *Yanjing Evening News*?"

"What 'Yanjing Evening News'?" Zhu Lin didn't understand.

Upon hearing Zhu Lin's words, a sense of inexplicable disappointment welled up in Zhu's father's heart: "It's nothing, it's nothing. You've all had a long day. I just wanted to tell you to get some rest."

Just as Zhu's father was about to hang up, Zhu Lin finally realized, "Dad, Dad, the newspaper is on the table. We read your comment. Teacher Liu said you wrote it very well."

"Did Yimin really say that?" Zhu's father quickly put the receiver to his ear.

"Yes, I mean you have a very good understanding of the narrative structure and the latest expressive structures of realist literature. Your comments are insightful and profound." Zhu Lin used every word he could think of.

Mr. Zhu said happily, "Yimin, you flatter me. It's nothing special."

At this moment, Liu Yimin finished taking a shower and walked into the yard. Hearing Zhu Lin making a phone call in the study, he walked over curiously. Zhu Lin glanced at Liu Yimin and said, "Dad, Teacher Liu is here. Let him give you a lecture."

"say what?"

Zhu Lin tapped the *Yanjing Evening News* on the table with his hand, then covered the receiver and said, "Praise! Praise!"

Liu Yimin looked enlightened, took the phone from Zhu Lin, and began praising Zhu's father incessantly.

The novel is meticulously structured, logically rigorous, progressively unfolding, and written with profound literary skill and flowing prose. The only missing piece is the statement that Zhu's father is the reader who truly understands "The Pilgrimage of One."

Zhu's mother leaned against the door frame of the study, listening to the voice on the phone, her brows furrowing more and more, and she occasionally pursed her lips.

"Yimin, is my literary review so perfect that it has no flaws?" Zhu's father leaned back in his chair and gave Zhu's mother a provocative look.

Liu Yimin paused for a moment: "Uh, yes, but overall it's not a big deal. Dad, Xiaoyu is crying, I have to go and comfort her. I'll hang up now. You and Mom can come over for dinner when you have time, and we can talk in person."

"Okay." Zhu's father hung up the phone smugly, putting his hands behind his head: "Oh dear, I should have submitted it to a big newspaper like the China Youth Daily or the Literature and Art Daily. What a pity!"

Zhu's mother rolled her eyes: "Old Zhu, I suggest you read an article."

"What article?"

"Zou Ji Advises King Qi to Accept Criticism!" Seeing that her father's smugness had subsided, Zhu's mother swayed her hips and sat down on the sofa in the living room with a smug look on her face.

After Zhu's mother sat down on the sofa, Zhu's father snorted coldly and carefully folded the "Yanjing Evening News" and placed it on the bookshelf.

Upon stepping out of the study and seeing Zhu's mother's appearance, Zhu's father could only silently protest in his heart.

In the courtyard, Zhu Lin and others covered their mouths and laughed uncontrollably after Liu Yimin hung up the phone: "Teacher Liu, you really used all your skills, praising every possible aspect of him."

"Isn't this just following your advice? I wouldn't dare offend my father-in-law!" Liu Yimin gently put his arm around Zhu Lin's shoulder.

Zhu Lin took Liu Yimin's hand away: "Teacher Liu, why don't you call your parents back? I'm going to take a shower. It's time for them to go to sleep; there are too many mosquitoes outside."

"Row!"

Liu Yimin walked out of the courtyard. In the distance, under the dim streetlights, Yang Xiuyun and Liu Fuqing were chatting with Aunt Liang and others, talking about life in their hometown.

Liu Yu and Liu Lin sat on their grandparents' laps, gazing at the stars in the sky.

Liu Yimin walked over and greeted Aunt Liang. Aunt Liang kept praising Liu Yimin to the elderly couple, making him a little embarrassed.

"Father, Mother, it's getting late, let's go back," Liu Yimin said.

Yang Xiuyun replied "okay," and stood up from the stone bench while holding Liu Yu: "Sister-in-law, let's talk again tomorrow."

"Alright, it's getting late, I need to go back to sleep too. I have to go grocery shopping early tomorrow morning." Aunt Liang slapped her thigh with a palm-leaf fan, and the mosquito easily flew away.

Entering the courtyard, Liu Yimin closed the heavy wooden door. Liu Yu and Liu Lin rubbed their eyes; the two little ones were a bit sleepy.

"Take a shower before you go to sleep!" Liu Yimin pinched Liu Yu's cheek; her chubby face was especially adorable.

By the time everything was finished, it was exactly 10:30.

"Mom, once we're inside, remember to put some floral water on them," Zhu Lin instructed.

Yang Xiuyun laughed and said, "Don't worry, I won't forget. Besides, with the air conditioning on, there aren't many mosquitoes in the room."

Everyone returned to the bedroom, and Liu Yimin turned off the light under the eaves, then put his arm around Zhu Lin and walked back into the bedroom.

As literary reviews increased, "The Pilgrimage of One" became a bestseller. Yu Hua sent a telegram to Liu Yimin, asking him what he thought, saying that the plot was too brilliant.

Liu Yimin only replied to Yu Hua with three words: "Take your time." Yu Hua used to get anxious and frustrated about writing because he couldn't get published. Now he's anxious and frustrated because he doesn't have a representative work.

It's been three or four years since my first novel was published, and I still haven't produced any "amazing" works. Lately, I've had even more blisters on my lips.

Liu Yimin bought several copies of "Harvest" and sent them to several foreign publishers, who then arranged for their publication.

At the Beijing People's Art Theatre, Liu Yimin handed over the script of the play "The Pilgrimage of a Man" to Cao Yu.

"Did you write this a long time ago?" Cao Yu asked in surprise.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "After I finished writing the article, I started writing the script."

"You're quite confident. Knowing that we at the Beijing People's Art Theatre wouldn't give up on adapting such a piece of writing," Cao Yu said, opening the script and reading it carefully.

This morning, Cao Yu called Liu Yimin and he knew what it was about.

After a while, Yu Zhi and Su Min entered the room, smiled at Liu Yimin, and then looked at the script in Cao Yu's hand.

Unfortunately, Cao Yu hadn't finished reading yet, so the two of them could only sit on the sofa and keep rubbing their hands together.

Liu Yimin, feeling utterly bored, brewed a cup of tea for the two of them, and while doing so, he showed off his tea-making skills.

Cao Yu handed the portion he had finished reading to Yu Shizhi and Su Min. Three hours had passed by the time the three of them had finished reading. Su Min looked at Cao Yu expectantly: "Lord Jiabao, did you call me over?"

Yu Shizhi said disdainfully, "Old Su, have some self-respect! Look at you, like you haven't performed in eight hundred years." Yu Shizhi then looked at Cao Yu: "Master Jiabao, do you think I'm more suitable to play the male lead?"

Su Min retorted sarcastically, "I thought you were quite promising."

Cao Yu waved his hand to stop the two from arguing: "You two guessed correctly. I think Lao Su is fine as a director, and Lao Yu's age, physique and condition are suitable for playing a retired worker."

"I called you two over here so you could discuss the script."

Yu Shizhi said, "It feels a bit long. If it were staged, it would be much longer than the current play."

"This is a long story, and we're worried that the plot won't be complete when we adapt it. The script is a bit long," Liu Yimin said frankly. "Let's see where we need to cut out, while still maintaining the integrity of the plot."

Su Min waved his hand and said, "Yi Min, you don't need to worry about this. I don't think it needs to be deleted. A true director is good at turning adversity into advantage."

So he thought to himself, "Look at you, putting on an act."

Su Min hadn't had a new play scheduled for more than three months. When Cao Yu read the novel "The Pilgrimage of One Man," he thought of Su Min.

Cao Yu saw Su Min talking big but didn't stop him: "Then Old Su should discuss it with Yi Min and try to premiere it as soon as possible. Our People's Art Theatre's recent new plays are not very attractive."

"Understood, Jiabao Gong, just you wait and see." Su Min tucked the script under his arm.

After leaving Cao Yu's office, Su Min put his arm around Liu Yimin and walked into his office, where they earnestly discussed the script.

So he sat down beside her, observing how the character was portrayed.

"Yimin, should I act tired?" Yu Shizhi asked.

Liu Yimin pondered for a moment, then looked at Su Min: "Director Su, what do you think? I don't think it's necessary to show too much fatigue. People who are too tired don't have time to look back on their past."

“Yi Min is right. We can include a little bit of that, since we want to portray the protagonist’s inner world,” Su Min agreed.

So, holding the script, she took a step in the office and performed a short segment.

During the performance, Yu Shizhi didn't even look at the script. Liu Yimin praised his delivery of lines, saying that after reading for a while, he had memorized them perfectly.

Yu Zhi humbly said, "That's all I'm familiar with. I had to memorize it several times before I could remember it."

The three chatted for about an hour. At noon, Su Min grabbed Liu Yimin and wouldn't let him leave, insisting on taking him to the nearby family compound for lunch.

“My family’s food is delicious. If you don’t believe me, ask Lao Yu. He always comes to our house for a meal, whether he has something to do or not.”

So he nodded and said, "Old Su is right, their food is indeed delicious. Old Su, are you only treating Yimin?"

"I'd also like to ask you, but on the condition that Yimin doesn't leave," Su Min said.

Lan Tianye pushed open the office door: "Old Su, have you forgotten about me?"

Su Min cursed, "Old Lan, get lost! How many times have you tried to take advantage of me?"

Lan Tianye shamelessly walked into the office, and in the end, Liu Yimin had no choice but to go to the nearby People's Art Theatre family compound for dinner with Su Min.

This was Liu Yimin's first time visiting the family compound of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. The compound was where the older generation of directors and actors lived, while the younger generation of actors, except for the second generation, lived in the cramped space above the theatre.

There were two or three families in one corridor, and at lunchtime, the smells of various dishes filled the air.

Su Min's wife, Jia Quan, quickly stir-fried a few more dishes, and Lan Tianye said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, bring me a cucumber salad and a preserved egg."

"Okay, you wait here," Jia Quan said hurriedly.

Su Min said with dissatisfaction, "Old Lan, you're really shameless. I invited Yimin here today."

"Old Su, you're really stingy. You should thank me for not fighting for it for you, otherwise the director's position might not be who it is."

"Old Lan, what you're saying is..." Yu Shizhi chimed in.

"Old Yu, you also benefited. I was thinking that even if I didn't become a director, I would still get to be the male lead," Lan Tianye said slowly.

So Yu patted Lan Tianye on the shoulder: "Old Su, this guy is shameless, acting like we're all doing him a favor."

“Exactly, the Earth doesn’t revolve around you,” Su Min teased.

"Wow, Director Su is quite something, even studying geography now."

After the three of them argued for a while, Lan Tianye shared his understanding of "The Pilgrimage of One": "Chinese people believe that 'pilgrimage' means visiting Buddha or gods. But this book uses this title simply to remind myself of the importance of my own being."

The true meaning of life lies in life itself, and so-called 'sainthood' resides within oneself. Without enlightenment, no matter how many Buddhas you worship or how many temples you visit, it will be useless. Therefore, Lao Yu, when you're acting, you must portray the protagonist's transformation, the process from ignorance to enlightenment.

“That makes some sense, Lao Lan. It seems you’ve thought about this a lot. Why don’t you take the role?” Yu Shizhi said.

"Really?"

"Of course it's fake."

Jia Quan walked over carrying a plate, a floral apron tied around his waist: "The dishes are ready, so stop arguing. Yimin, I don't know if you like cucumber salad?"

"I love to eat this, I'll get it for you."

"No need, no need, I can manage on my own. If you like it, put it in front of you." Jia Quan put down the plate and pressed Liu Yimin back into his seat.

Pu Cunxi knew they were coming to eat, so he didn't go home and went to Yang Lixin's house for a free meal.

Lan Tianye's views on "The Pilgrimage of One" provided Su Minhe and Yu Shizhi with a lot of inspiration.

Lan Tianye originally wanted to compete, but he had just finished directing a play, and it would be a bit unseemly for him to try to take the competition.

After finishing their meal, Liu Yimin left the Beijing People's Art Theatre family compound, while Lan Tianye and Yu Shizhi walked a few steps to their own home.

Back in the courtyard, Zhu Lin was cutting a watermelon when Liu Yimin took a slice and started eating it.

"This melon is good," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Zhu Lin asked, "How's the food at Teacher Su's house?"

“Their family is from Jiangsu Province. They have some decent Jiangsu dishes, and also some cold dishes from the north.” Liu Yimin handed Liu Yu a slice of watermelon.

Yang Xiuyun broke the watermelon in Liu Yu's hand in half and gave one piece to Liu Lin: "We need to go to sleep soon, so neither of you can eat too much, or you'll wet the bed."

Seeing Liu Yu eat while smiling with her eyes narrowed, Liu Yimin squatted down and teased her: "Still smiling? Aren't you ashamed of wetting the bed?"

Liu Yu didn't say anything, and ran away as fast as she could.

The next morning, when Liu Yimin woke up, Zhu Lin rushed in with a newspaper before he got out of bed.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was still a little sleepy, Zhu Lin reached his hand under the covers to tease him, and Liu Yimin, unable to dodge in time, simply stopped trying to avoid it.

"Touch me, touch me as much as you want!" Liu Yimin said indignantly.

"Teacher Liu, good news! This is today's latest People's Daily. The island has officially announced that veterans with relatives on the mainland are allowed to visit their families." Zhu Lin patted Liu Yimin on the head with the newspaper.

"Really?" Liu Yimin snatched the newspaper from Zhu Lin's hand, and sure enough, this news was on the front page.

When reporting on this, the People's Daily made sure to bold the headline and enlarge it.

Liu Yimin read through the entire contents, which lavishly praised the island's measures, believing that they were in line with the trend of the times, the general trend of development, and the veterans' eagerness to see their loved ones.

"There's more. The People's Daily put your 'Nostalgia for My Hometown' at the end, with an editor's note praising the role of you and other members of the literary and artistic circles in promoting cross-strait exchanges." Zhu Lin pointed out the contents to Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin smiled as he turned the page. The People's Daily did not use the title "Hometown Nostalgia," but instead used the original name of Lianhe Zaobao. The content was also largely unchanged.

Liu Yimin dressed neatly and made a phone call to his old leader, who smiled and said, "Yimin, it's been more than thirty years, and you're one step closer to us."

“Yes, it’s been over thirty years.” Liu Yimin then asked a few more questions, including the mainland’s policies on veterans returning to their hometowns and the veterans’ homecoming foundation.

P.S.: It's been reviewed again.

(End of this chapter)