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

Chapter 513 Deng Lao's Passing Away, A Hero's Tragic Song!

"Any veteran with blood relatives, in-laws, or relatives within three degrees of kinship can return. We will do our best to facilitate their return home and help veterans who have lost loved ones find their families," the old commander said.

Liu Yimin understood that, from an official perspective, there was no resettlement policy yet. Furthermore, carrying out such a high-profile resettlement effort could easily provoke the other side.

"As for the Veterans Returning Home Foundation, our people have already arrived. The Veterans Returning Home Foundation has been officially established. After joint negotiations among multiple parties, its operation is handled by a third party, and the use of funds is jointly supervised."

According to the reports I've seen, Chinese communities around the world have been enthusiastically donating, amounting to about three million US dollars more than when the organization was first established. Song Xilian, in the United States, led a group that donated a considerable sum. The amount of money isn't important; what matters is the enthusiasm.

Three million dollars is indeed not much compared to the initial donation, but it has generated a lot of public opinion.

In August, applications to return home officially opened, but we don't know how things are on the island right now.

After the old leader hung up the phone, Liu Yimin took the newspaper and left the bedroom. Zhu Lin had already finished eating and gone to work.

Liu Fuqing looked at Liu Yimin: "Second brother, how many people do you think will come back?"

“Dad, it’s just a family visit. We have to go back after we’re done,” Liu Yimin said.

"Huh, going back? You're leaving after going home?"

“Yes, there are too many issues involved. It’s not as simple as just saying ‘stay and don’t leave.’ Besides, they’ve lived away from home for so many years, and their lifestyles have changed. Some of them even have families on the island. What can they do if they don’t go back?” Liu Yimin said helplessly.

Liu Fuqing sighed a few times: "I hated them so much when I left back then. They came to our village to conscript men and steal our grain. Now that I'm old, I feel sorry for them. They've been on the island for over thirty years, and I don't know how they've managed to get by."

While eating, Liu Yimin told them about things on the island, and Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun listened with great interest.

"To appease these soldiers, the bald man even issued 'land grant certificates' in their hometowns, promising that everyone would become a landlord if they could win back the enemy," Liu Yimin said.

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius, a one-in-a-million genius at making empty promises.

"Huh—, still thinking of fighting back? Everyone's been a landlord for decades, and they're still reactionaries." Hearing this, Liu Fuqing was so angry he laughed, and his hand clenched into a fist.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "Hey, that was before. Even a fool knows that's impossible now. These veterans gradually retired and went into various jobs. Some have families, and those who don't will be sent to retirement homes."

"Grandpa, what is a reactionary?" Liu Lin asked curiously.

“Reactionaries, that is…” Liu Fuqing scratched his head, not really knowing how to explain it to Liu Lin: “The GMD are reactionaries. As the old man said, they are enemies of the people.”

Liu Lin couldn't understand, so Liu Yimin said, "You're too young to understand now. Grandpa will explain it to you when you're older."

“Grandpa will tell me this when he grows up,” Liu Yu said.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. Grandpa will tell you the story of how I fought bandits in a little while," Liu Fuqing said kindly.

After finishing his meal, Liu Yimin took a walk around the alley and found that everyone was discussing this matter.

Some people were also talking about which family had produced GMD members in the past, and which family had relatives on the island.

On the radio, the announcer spoke of the homesickness of veterans who had fled to the island, urging the public to treat their returning relatives well.

Liu Yimin made a round of visits, then went to the Beijing People's Art Theatre again, and sat down and chatted with Cao Yu for a while.

Cao Yu spent the whole morning following this news, and after reading it, he had to call Xia Yan and others to discuss his views.

Ba Jin, who was far away in Shanghai, made a long-distance call to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to tell Cao Yu about this important historical event.

“When the opportunity arises, we should also invite writers and cultural representatives from the island to visit the mainland,” Ba Jin said.

Cao Yu glanced at Liu Yimin: "We must invite him when the time is right. Yimin is with me here too; we were just talking about this."

"Yimin?" Ba Jin said, "Yimin, you'll play a bigger role in the future. I heard your novel is going to be published on the island. How's it going?"

Liu Yimin took the microphone: "I have signed a commission agreement with Gu Jian, the agent in Hong Kong. He also signed an agreement with the publishing house on the island a few days ago. I estimate that it is already being published now."

Liu Yimin exchanged several telegrams with Gu Jian and found him to be somewhat bookish. Therefore, negotiations with the island's publishing house were conducted entirely by Liu Yimin via telegram. The final result was that 8% of the royalties would go entirely to Liu Yimin, the authorization period was five years, and Gu Jian's agency fee would be paid by the publishing house.

"So fast?"

“They were already preparing to print while the paperwork was in progress. Once the deal was almost finalized, they started printing. There’s not much copyright awareness on the island. Mainly because we’re far away and the central government can’t interfere much with their publishing,” Liu Yimin said helplessly.

Ba Jin said, "That's good too. It will allow the people on the island to read your novel sooner and increase your influence on the island. In that case, it will greatly help with cultural exchange."

Your novel, *The Pilgrimage of One*, should have a large following on the island. The friendship spanning over a thousand kilometers from Shanghai to Beijing—how many people would it stir up feelings of longing for friendship? I think at least tens of thousands.

"You think too highly of me."

“No, no, no, this is precisely the time to apply for family visit permits,” Ba Jin hurriedly said.

Ba Jin believed that "The Pilgrimage of One Man" was fully deserving of the Mao Dun Literature Prize.

The Mao Dun Literature Prize has a rule against winning it consecutively. However, after a gap of one year, there is a high chance of winning it again.

Of course, this also depends on the judges' views on winning consecutive awards, such as winning too many awards and taking away other people's opportunities to win.

The Mao Dun Literature Prize differs from the Lu Xun Literature Prize for short stories and novellas; the number of awards is relatively small, making each one extremely valuable.

Ba Jin reiterated: "Actually, I think your 'Dust Settles Down' fully meets the criteria for winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize. It is strong in both literary merit and realism. But in terms of readership, I believe 'The Pilgrimage of One Man' will undoubtedly win."

Compared to "Dust Settles," "The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" is more accessible, and its lower reading threshold is a key factor in determining its readership.

Cao Yu joked, "Old Ba, when are you going to come to Yanjing? It's been a long time since we last saw each other."

“Jiabao, you’re younger than me. Why don’t you walk to Shanghai to see this old man and get some exercise?” Ba Jin asked rhetorically.

"I did have that thought for a moment. I believe that the journey of over a thousand kilometers will help me figure out a lot of things. But, it's over a thousand kilometers. I'm really afraid that you'll receive my obituary halfway through the journey," Cao Yu said helplessly.

Cao Yu's words amused Ba Jin: "Jiabao, the way you write about more than a thousand kilometers, isn't that another kind of magical realism style?"

The two talked on the phone for a long time before hanging up. Cao Yu was about to chat with Liu Yimin a little longer when the phone rang again. It was the People's Daily calling to ask if Liu Yimin was at the Beijing People's Art Theatre and to interview him. "Comrade, another interview?" Liu Yimin touched his forehead in annoyance.

"Comrade Yimin, we would like to ask, what is the impact of opening up visits for veterans on future cross-strait exchanges? Also, as a member who participated in the Singapore International Chinese Arts Training Camp, do you have any new ideas or expectations for future cross-strait arts exchanges?" the reporter asked quickly.

Liu Yimin answered the reporter's questions directly over the phone. After asking his questions, the reporter then inquired about Liu Yimin's understanding of the role of the veterans' homecoming foundation.

After hanging up the phone, Liu Yimin muttered, "They managed to catch up with me even though I ran all the way here. Their information network is pretty good."

“The People’s Daily is sometimes even more well-informed than Xinhua News Agency.” Cao Yu felt that Liu Yimin wouldn’t have any peace and quiet these past two days, as the newspaper’s interview requests would keep coming in.

Cao Yu was being conservative; it wasn't just newspaper reporters surrounding Liu Yimin, but also Zheng Dongguo, Cheng Siyuan, and other members of the Association for the Promotion of Reunification of China, who were chatting with Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin looked at the reporters in the courtyard and said, "Comrades, you shouldn't be interviewing me at this time. You've got the wrong focus."

"Comrade Yimin, what do you think we should interview?" a reporter from China Youth Daily asked curiously.

"You should get some news from the island, international news, and even some veterans' families, some mothers waiting for their children to return with tears in their eyes. Readers would prefer to see these things rather than me talking at length."

Furthermore, we should boldly provide articles to foreign media outlets, allowing them to understand the history of cross-strait separation and to dare to speak out in foreign media. This is a great publicity opportunity both domestically and internationally.

With this in mind, Liu Yimin decided to call Mu Qing, the president of Xinhua News Agency, after the reporter left, and ask them to pay attention to the coordination between domestic and international publicity.

The reporter from Guangming Daily said with a smile, "Comrade Yimin, we will report your opinion to the newspaper when we get back. We heard that Comrade Yimin's research institute has been conducting research in the field of news communication. It is indeed well-deserved. We really didn't think of this aspect."

“Our people, upon receiving this news, will certainly be eager to know what the other side is thinking. Applications begin in August, and the number of applicants and the journeys of veterans returning home are all worthy of in-depth reporting. We could even follow in the footsteps of the veterans for a more comprehensive report.”

Of course, there are many newspapers present, so we shouldn't all rush to do this. I'm just providing an idea.

Seeing the newspaper reporters at the scene frantically taking notes, Liu Yimin quickly reminded them.

Liu Zhenyun, representing the Farmers' Daily, joked, "Yimin, you should have told me these things in private."

"Hahaha!"

After the reporter left, Liu Zhenyun stayed behind alone and asked Liu Yimin if there were any other points that could be reported.

"Zhenyun, I really spoke my mind just now, and I can't think of any other points for the moment. But now that you're an editor, aren't you? You're still covering the news!" Liu Yimin said.

"I just write some articles on the side. After they're published, I get paid, which helps supplement my household income," Liu Zhenyun said.

Liu Zhenyun stayed at home for a while, and suddenly had a brilliant idea for a good angle for reporting. He ran out of the courtyard without even having time to talk to Liu Yimin.

Yang Xiuyun looked at Liu Zhenyun and said, "This child, how old is he, still so loud and boisterous."

"I'm happy," Liu Yimin said cheerfully.

"Is Zhenyun's wife pregnant? They've been married for quite a while, haven't they?" Yang Xiuyun asked gossipily.

"Probably not yet. If she were pregnant, she would have told us long ago. It's normal that she hasn't gotten pregnant yet, as they're both busy with work, similar to my and Linlin's situation."

Liu Yimin went back to his study, picked up the newspaper and started reading. When Zheng Dongguo and others were interviewed by the newspaper, they kept praising Liu Yimin, calling him a meritorious person who promoted this matter.

Setting the newspaper aside, Liu Yimin wrote a letter to Xie Zhonghou in Hong Kong, inquiring about the situation on the island.

However, after the round trip, I estimate it will be August before I receive a reply.

"President Mu, I just thought of something regarding the issue of veterans returning home. I'd like to discuss with you the key points of the reporting and the issues of domestic and international coverage," Liu Yimin said.

Mu Qing put down what she was holding and unscrewed the pen cap: "Go on, I'm listening."

Liu Yimin repeated what he had just said to Mu Qing, and then focused on the propaganda efforts abroad.

"This is a good juncture. Foreign media will definitely report on it, but their reports will be superficial or distorted. This requires us to raise our voice and let foreign people know the cause and effect, breaking down the information wall created by foreign media," Liu Yimin said.

Mu Qing agreed with Liu Yimin's view and decided to assign a special person to be responsible for writing the articles and submitting them to foreign newspapers and some foreign local media.

"It's best to incorporate local news into your reporting so that it's easy for foreign audiences to understand," Liu Yimin said.

"Okay, I will pay attention. Comrade Yimin, thank you for your suggestion."

"You're welcome. These are all services included in the Xinhua News Agency's research projects," Liu Yimin joked.

"How's your research going?" Mu Qing asked curiously.

"The project should be completed by the end of the year."

“Okay, if it’s suitable, we can continue to sign other cooperation projects.” Mu Qing said with a smile, showing great approval of the Institute of Literature’s research progress.

Liu Yimin hung up the phone and walked out of the courtyard to play with Liu Yu and Liu Lin.

By the end of July, news was almost entirely focused on this incident, with major media outlets actively digging for stories and reporting on many touching events.

News from both the island and the world was constantly published in the newspaper, keeping readers informed and creating a sense that the situation was inevitable and something the world had long awaited.

Internationally, in response to the smear campaign by unscrupulous media, Xinhua News Agency and some Chinese-language media outlets have taken continuous action, and international radio stations have been broadcasting messages to counter the smear campaign.

Liu Yimin quickly sent his articles to newspapers such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Le Figaro in France through Xinhua News Agency.

The Washington Post did not publish it, but The New York Times and Le Figaro published it in prominent positions.

As August was approaching, devastating news arrived: Deng Xiaoping had passed away! The entire society was plunged into grief.

Just 12 days ago, the news people saw was of Deng receiving the medal and certificate of a national model worker in his hospital room.

P.S.: Thank you to the Ancient Criticism Emperor for the 500-point reward.
(End of this chapter)