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

Chapter 541 Comrades, live well!
Inside the recording studio, Li Lanyong was so nervous that his palms were sweating. When he heard Liu Yimin's introduction of him, large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and he hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat.

Seeing his expression, Liu Yimin quickly said, "Don't be nervous, take it slow."

"Yimin, my mind is completely blank, I've forgotten everything I remember," Li Lanyong said, trembling.

"Give it your all! Treat this like a business meeting. Aren't you nervous when you're doing business with others? You're going to be building the team's business into a big and successful one, meeting even more people. This kind of mentality won't work," Liu Yimin joked.

“I was nervous when I first started doing business. I smoked three cigarettes outside someone’s door before I mustered up the courage to go in.”

"Is there still this matter?"

“At the beginning, I had no experience. Before going, I had a bottom line in mind, but I was afraid the other party would think it was too expensive. I thought about all the possible scenarios in my mind. When I got there, I smoked three cigarettes before I calmed down.” Li Lanyong showed a shy smile, just like a novice who had just started doing business.

"If you want to smoke now, you can smoke."

Upon hearing this, Li Lanyong immediately took out a cigarette, but instead of smoking it, he tucked it behind his ear.

Liu Yimin rambled on about various topics, finally putting Li Lanyong at ease. Most of the questions Liu Yimin wrote about were mundane, with a few more profound ones interspersed among them.

Li Lanyong's manuscript did not use any grand and passionate words; it tended to use colloquial expressions, revealing his true inner feelings in ordinary sentences.

Li Lanyong slowly recounted his experiences, from his initial idea to join the army to his discharge, before introducing the story that followed.

“I’ve wanted to be a soldier since I was a child. My dad used to be a militiaman and also dreamed of joining the People’s Liberation Army. After junior high school, I couldn’t join the army several times because of the limited number of recruits. In late 1978, the number of recruits increased significantly, and I finally fulfilled my dream of joining the army.”

"This aligns with Comrade Li Jinsheng's motivation for joining the army. Social attitudes have changed a lot, and many people say that soldiers fight for money. What's your opinion on that?"

"Bullshit, for money? Why not make money anywhere else? Why risk your life for it? If it weren't for protecting our country, what bastard would be willing to stay on the battlefield for even a minute? Nobody does it for money, or for promotion or wealth. It's for the country, for the people, and to be worthy of the uniform they wear."

Starting this year, the standard for issuing one-time death benefits has changed to be based on the total amount of salary base, allowances, etc., multiplied by the number of months.

Seeing that Li Lanyong was emotional, Liu Yimin not only comforted him but also vehemently criticized such remarks and recounted the true situation he had witnessed.

"Our soldiers are admirable. A country cannot be without heroes. Only by respecting heroes can we have countless heroes. Our soldiers are all heroes. They know that some people do not understand, but they still point their chests at the muzzle of a gun without hesitation."

After Li Lanyong finished recounting his battlefield experiences, Liu Yimin quickly steered the conversation to the post-war period, listening to how he arrived in Yanjing feeling lost and uneasy, and how he gradually rallied his spirits as he witnessed the changes in society.

"When I came to Yenching University, I felt that university and the battlefield were completely different. We were about the same age, but it was two different worlds. I worked as a gatekeeper at night and studied knowledge eagerly during the day, hoping to make a difference in this era of change."

"My foundation is too weak, I can't learn much," Li Lanyong said with a smile, his face now dry of sweat.

"In fact, the country is now popularizing education, and self-study exams have become the first choice for many young working people. Since 1984, the military has started to promote self-study education. I think soldiers should actively apply for the exams to improve their knowledge and cultural level."

At this time, self-study degrees are highly valuable. Having this degree makes it easier to find a job after military service.

When it came to his experience of leading the brigade to prosperity, Li Lanyong spoke with great enthusiasm, recounting the twists and turns and the achievements one by one.

Finally, speaking as a wounded veteran, he tried to persuade the wounded soldiers who had come from the front lines: "Comrades, I know you are all suffering. When I woke up and found that I didn't have an arm, I wished that the shell could have killed me."

Day and night, I felt utterly hopeless, but then I understood. Compared to our fallen comrades, at least we are still alive.

Perhaps because of our injuries, we can only sit at home and observe this era from afar through the window; unable to adapt to this rapidly progressing era; but compared to those comrades who sacrificed their lives, we are much luckier.

Our parents can still see their son, and when they come home, they can still call out "Dad" and "Mom".

I was wounded by the bomb, and my comrades dragged me back. Some comrades even sacrificed their lives to protect me. We may be forgotten, but let's not forget that we should live for our fallen comrades and help them see the home we protected.

After Li Lanyong finished speaking, he glanced at Liu Yimin, who nodded at him. Li Lanyong composed himself and said, "Comrade, live well!"

In his last sentence, Li Lanyong's calm voice carried immense power; it contained little emotion, yet was also brimming with emotion.

Liu Yimin stood up, gently hugged Li Lanyong, and gestured to the outside that it was over.

Li Lanyong didn't say anything. He took the cigarette off his ear, put it in his mouth, went outside, lit it, and took a deep drag: "It's easy to say, but it's really hard to understand!"

Liu Yimin didn't say anything, and put a cigarette in his mouth as well. Li Lanyong snatched it back: "You don't even know how to smoke, you're wasting my cigarette. I only smoke this when I meet clients."

"mean!"

After the recording was completed, Liu Yimin did not leave. Instead, he took out the royalties from Wu Zuxiang's cassette tape of "Dream of the Red Chamber". The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television produced 3,000 tapes, but it was unknown how long it would take to sell them all.

“Zhang Tai, this sells for five yuan domestically, but it’ll fetch ten dollars abroad. Foreigners have money; this is knowledge, it’s culture. Don’t sell our culture cheaply!” Liu Yimin said.

"We plan to sell it for eight yuan domestically."

"That's outrageous! It sells for twenty dollars overseas," Liu Yimin laughed.

"What do you mean by 'black or white'? You're talking about culture, so the price has to be higher. People who buy this tape all have radios, and people who have radios are rich. People who listen to this are either students or professors."

Liu Yimin chuckled, put the envelope containing the money into his bag, and walked out of the office.

Seeing that Li Lanyong was still smoking, Liu Yimin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Come on, let's go eat. Smoke less in the future, it's bad for your health."

"A cigarette, you know, people aren't always available to talk to, but this cigarette is always here." Li Lanyong stubbed out his cigarette, smiled, and got into the car.

Liu Yimin didn't go back, but took him directly to Fengzeyuan. The two sat together and chatted some more.

"Would you like to go see Zhonghai?" Liu Yimin asked.

"May I?"

"The ministry provides tickets for visitors."

“Great! We shout ‘I’m following the Party’s orders every day,’ I’ll go see where the Party is.” Li Lanyong said happily.

"What are your plans for today?"

"Come on, I'll go to Yenching University with you."

"Go to Yenching University?"

“I want to visit the professors who taught me back then; some of them were quite good to me,” Li Lanyong said.

“Okay, you can ask me some questions about this.”

Liu Yimin took Li Lanyong to the mall to buy some gifts. When they arrived at the gate of Yanda University, Li Lanyong got out of the car and walked into Yandongyuan.

"Lan Yong, come find me in the Chinese Department after you've finished reading."

"Know!"

After arriving at the Chinese Department, Liu Yimin found Wu Zuxiang and paid him the copyright fee for the tape.

Looking at the thickness of the envelope, Wu Zuxiang said, "Quite a lot?"

“A little over three thousand, less than four thousand yuan. Professor Wu, please take this. I estimate there will be more to come. I’ve already made three thousand tapes,” Liu Yimin said.

The TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber" is about to be broadcast. After its broadcast, Wu Zuxiang's cassette tapes on "Dream of the Red Chamber" will usher in a new sales peak thanks to the popularity of the TV series.

Wu Zuxiang wrote a receipt for Liu Yimin and then asked, "Now that the lecture on 'Dream of the Red Chamber' is finished, what's next?"

“Putting the four classic novels together in order will also boost the cultural confidence of our young people.”

Liu Yimin planned to invite other professors from Yenching University to give lectures; the Chinese department was never short of professors.

Wang Yao leaned over and said, "The program has already shown great success. When I was teaching a class with first-year students, one of them talked about 'Dream of the Red Chamber' with great knowledge. When I asked him, he said he listens to 'Youth Night Talk' every week."

"Haha, Professor Wang, you study Lu Xun, could you talk about Lu Xun?"

"Do you think I can do it?"

"It will definitely work!"

"I'll give it a try when I have time," Wang Yao readily agreed.

Back at the Institute of Literature, Liu Yimin called Mu Qing to inquire about future collaborations.

“Yimin, don’t worry, we’re discussing it internally. But what’s certain is that we will continue to have you work on the project from the beginning of the year, with funding no less than last year’s 60,000,” Mu Qing said.

Liu Yimin felt reassured: "Thank you." "Oh, it's nothing. Several central media outlets, including the People's Daily, are studying your research. The comrades in the Propaganda Department even held a special discussion meeting." Mu Qing assured Liu Yimin that there would be no shortage of research funding.

Liu Yimin called Yan Zhen over and asked him about the year-end meeting.

"Teacher, everything is arranged. Director Xu Sangchu of the Shanghai Film Studio will also be attending the meeting."

"Okay, we'll still arrange for the school bus team to pick them up then."

Liu Yimin then called Xia Yan's secretary at the Ministry of Culture and asked him for a tour ticket to Zhonghai.

After get off work, Li Lanyong came over from Yandongyuan: "Professor Liang is so enthusiastic, he wanted to invite me to have dinner at his home."

"Haha, it seems the professor has a pretty good impression of you," Liu Yimin said.

“Yeah, I’m probably the only one-armed student the professor has ever taught,” Li Lanyong joked, glancing at his left sleeve.

As Li Lanyong walked out of the Chinese Department, he was struck by the tremendous changes at Yenching University. The students looked more fashionable than before, and several new buildings had been constructed.

“The number of students enrolled each year is increasing, and if we don’t build more buildings soon, we won’t have enough space,” Liu Yimin said.

"Yes, there are more and more college students, which is a good thing."

Li Lanyong stayed in Yanjing for another three days. On Sunday, he took his ticket to visit China Overseas Holdings Limited. After the visit in the morning, he took the train home in the afternoon.

Having been there for so many days, Li Lanyong was really worried about the factory, and Liu Yimin, seeing this, did not try to stop him from staying any longer.

"It's a bit of a pity. It's going to air tonight, so you might not be able to hear it if you're on the train," Liu Yimin said.

"It's okay, maybe they'll broadcast it on the train. If not, I'll just go back and listen to other radio stations."

Drive slowly and be careful.

"I know, I only have one hand, but I'm not someone to be trifled with."

Li Lanyong walked onto the train with his back straight, and Liu Yimin only walked out of the train station after the train started moving.

After dinner, Liu Yimin didn't go to write; instead, he played with the two little ones in the living room.

Ximei isn't here today, so the two of them will have to exhaust the little one before they can get a good night's sleep.

When it was time for the "Youth Night Talk" program to air, Liu Yimin brought the radio into the living room.

Seeing that the two little ones were about to sit down and listen, Liu Yimin quickly stopped them and let them continue walking and playing.

"Whoever walks the best will get candy from Dad!" Liu Yimin encouraged.

Liu Yu shook her head and said, "But Dad, I'm really tired!"

“Look, your brother is already walking. Take a step forward and learn from your brother.”

Liu Yimin straightened Liu Yu's head, signaling her to continue.

Zhu Lin said with a smile, "These two are about right!"

"Let them play a little longer."

Before the radio program was even halfway through, the two of them were already too sleepy to keep their eyes open. Liu Yimin raised an eyebrow at Zhu Lin, who rolled her eyes at him and led the two little ones into the bedroom, where they fell asleep almost immediately.

After listening to the broadcast, Liu Yimin turned off the radio, and Zhu Lin said, "Lan Yong's last sentence was simple, but it was really well said."

"Yes, it's simple but powerful."

"I wonder how many people are listening tonight!"

"There are definitely a lot of people!" Zhu Lin gestured to Liu Yimin not to worry and to go to sleep.

The next day in class, many people were talking about the radio program. University students were one of the main audiences of the program, and almost two-thirds of the students at Yenching University had a regular listening habit.

"Professor Liu, do you sell your wheat-flavored melon seeds at Yenching University?"

"Probably not. Wheat-flavored melon seeds are currently in their initial stage, and their main market is in several provinces in central China."

"We'll definitely try it when we have the chance."

Liu Yimin waved his hand and began his lecture. Judging from the current situation, the sales of wheat-flavored melon seeds and roasted nuts will definitely take a leap forward.

That evening, the Yanjing Evening News published a special commentary on the content of "Youth Night Talk," which focused on caring for veterans who have returned from the battlefield and analyzed the experiences recounted by Li Lanyong.

The following day, several media outlets, including People's Daily and China Youth Daily, published reports analyzing the psychological problems encountered by soldiers who participated in the war and their resettlement after discharge.

The China Youth Daily also planned to interview Li Lanyong in Ru County. Liu Yimin asked Li Lanyong for his opinion. Li Lanyong said in a telegram that after returning from Yanjing, the factory had received some orders by phone, all of whom said they heard about it on the radio and wanted to support it.

Li Lanyong hesitated to agree easily, fearing he might encounter a scammer; he insisted on signing a contract in person before any cooperation could be established. However, he did agree to the interview.

So Liu Yimin gave the address to the China Youth Daily and inquired about Yu Jiajia's situation. Yu Jiajia was originally temporarily transferred to the Southern Branch, but the temporary arrangement turned into a formal appointment.

At the end of December, with the release of "Brotherhood of Blades", the Institute of Literature and Art held its 1986 annual summary meeting.

Having convened two meetings in a row, the procedures were already very familiar, and Liu Yimin didn't need to spend too much time on them. He reviewed the Institute's work from last year, especially the collaborative projects with Xinhua News Agency.

"Xinhua News Agency rated the project as excellent and said they would continue to cooperate with us next year, but the specific funding has not yet been determined. Comrade Mu Qing replied that it would exceed this year's 60,000 yuan."

After Liu Yimin finished speaking, he led the applause.

Xia Yan said with a smile, "Since the beginning of this year, the Institute of Literature has made great strides in self-financing, not only achieving its research goals but also generating huge social and economic benefits. Leaving aside the Xinhua News Agency project, 'Youth Night Talk' is a stroke of genius from the Institute in recent years. A central leader once said that this is a radio station set up by young people for young people."

Several research groups reported on their progress, but each of them subtly hinted at a funding shortage and suggested that more funding would be allocated to them next year.

This year's budget is higher than last year's. With last year's surplus and profits, plus the ministry's allocation, the available funds for next year will exceed 300,000 yuan. Once the funding from Xinhua News Agency arrives, the funds will be even greater.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio has a new project: collaborating with Zheng Yuanjie to produce adaptations of his previous fairy tales.

Xia Yan gave special praise to "Calabash Brothers" produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio: "Our animation is currently mainly aimed at satisfying the domestic market. We will consider going global after satisfying the domestic market."

This year, the Shanghai Animation Film Studio is exploring reforms to its production system, but it has encountered considerable resistance from both above and below. They prepared a special report and gave it to Xia Yan.

The reforms are basically based on the suggestions made by Liu Yimin last year: first, teams will contract out production, and the teams will take the lion's share of the profits from the animated films they produce; second, the plans for these teams will be relaxed, which is equivalent to relaxing the number of animated films that Shanghai Animation Film Studio can produce each year to a certain extent.

Xia Yan also had this idea, but did not make a decision. Instead, he planned to go back and discuss it within the Ministry of Culture.

After the meeting, Liu Yimin spoke privately with Xia Yan about Xinhua News Agency's plan to jointly train students with the Institute of Literature and Art.

"This is a rather important matter, and we need to discuss it thoroughly. It involves not only the Institute of Literature and Art, but also Yenching University."

"So let's take it slow and discuss this in detail after the New Year."

Xia Yan didn't continue but instead brought up the "Report on American Cognitive Warfare": "Many commanders have read this report. You quietly dropped a bombshell, and Mu Qing is using it to ask for funding!"

"Haha, I understand that Xinhua News Agency is short of money," Liu Yimin laughed, knowing that Mu Qing was not one to do business at a loss.

"As long as you understand, I can see that your report only mentions the harm, but not the measures."

"The measures need to be studied!"

"You're doing great. The Institute of Literature and Art has done a good job overall this year. Several of the films are outstanding. 'Hachi: A Dog' has already been released in the United States, but the specific box office data hasn't been sent over yet."

"I'm going to the United States in a few days, so I can take a look!"

"You're going to America? What for?"

"I'll go sign the contract for starting the company!"

"Oh, I see. Then you can go to the US to promote the movie."

P.S.: I'll finish this tomorrow!

(End of this chapter)