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

Chapter 607 There really is no "Liu Family Clique" in universities across the country.

After reading the article in the Telecommunications News, Liu Yimin simply tossed the newspaper aside, not paying it much attention. However, this phenomenon is worth noting; as more and more Chinese films and novels are exported, similar reports are bound to emerge in large numbers.

Cao Yu deliberately set this newspaper aside, hoping to draw Liu Yimin's attention to this phenomenon.

"Teacher Liu, what's in the folder?" Zhu Lin asked as he opened the door.

"Have the two little ones fallen asleep?"

Zhu Lin nodded wearily. The two little ones hadn't seen her for a few days, and after dinner they clung to her, insisting that she play with them. It took Zhu Lin a lot of effort to finally get them to sleep.

"It's nothing, just some Western newspapers. Mr. He has received widespread attention in Europe and has become a regular feature in major media outlets. Professor Wan wanted me to see how the Western media reported on him." Liu Yimin stood up and stretched wearily.

"A foreign newspaper? Let me take a look and maybe learn some English." Zhu Lin walked curiously to the desk and picked up the newspaper that Liu Yimin had thrown to the corner of the desk.

"Aren't you sleepy?" Liu Yimin asked in return.

Driving from Yanjing to Beidaihe takes a long time, and after playing with the two little ones for a while, Zhu Lin was already exhausted.

Zhu Lin raised his left hand and rubbed his neck: "I was quite sleepy while driving, but I felt less sleepy after getting out of the car. I'm a little tired now, but I can still manage for a while. I don't want to go to sleep so early, I'll get up a little later tomorrow."

"Okay, ask me if you don't understand anything." After stretching, Liu Yimin turned around and tidied up the sheets and blankets, making the bed neatly again.

"How can this newspaper be like this? You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth," Zhu Lin said angrily.

Liu Yimin said nonchalantly, "Don't be angry. I'm not angry, so why are you? It's a normal thing, no need to worry about it too much."

"I just can't understand how they could say that. It's utterly heartless. Mr. He saved thousands of people. To say that is simply cold-blooded. No normal person would say such a thing," Zhu Lin said angrily.

Liu Yimin laughed and said, "This one isn't good. Change it. Don't get angry with the newspaper. Western newspapers don't care about morality or bottom lines. They're either responsible to their employers or to sales."

After the article was published in Telegraph, it attracted a lot of attention and discussion, but Telegraph alone could not shake the mainstream public opinion.

"God's Visa" touches on three groups: Chinese, Nazis, and Taiwanese. Currently, anti-Nazi sentiment is mainstream and politically correct in Europe, so naturally no one will speak for the Nazis.

The publicity surrounding He Fengshan's deeds benefits both China and the Taiwanese. From the publication of "God's Visa" to He Fengshan's numerous speeches, this event has been extensively promoted by media outlets controlled by Taiwanese capital.

As the fathers of the US and Europe, the Taiwanese will not allow such views as those in The Telegraph to spread widely.

Of course, there is a great contradiction between the Chinese narrative perspective and the narrative perspective that Youtai Capital wants. We want to completely shape He Fengshan into the image of a world hero, while Youtai Capital wants to use He Fengshan to further tell about its tragic experience during World War II, and through the experience of World War II, stand on the moral high ground to criticize the United States and the West.

Yu Tai Capital is acting as both a father and a punching bag.

"We thought too highly of Liu, hahaha!" Zhu Lin couldn't help but laugh when she saw this sentence: "Teacher Liu, do you consider yourself a propagandist or a writer?"

"He could also be a literary promoter!" Liu Yimin joked.

Seeing that Liu Yimin was drowsy leaning against the headboard, Zhu Lin put down the newspaper and climbed into bed.

"Teacher Liu, you look so sleepy." Zhu Lin reached out and turned off the light bulb.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "It's not that I'm sleepy, it's that I love being in bed when I see you."

"No, Teacher Liu, please let me go. I'm so sleepy, I don't have any energy." Zhu Lin put her hands on Liu Yimin's chest to prevent him from getting closer.

"Hehe, you don't need to move, I'll find an easier position."

"Well then! Come on!" Since Zhu Lin couldn't avoid it, he might as well enjoy it.

Under the starry sky, the waves crashed against the protruding rocks, creating white sprays.
Under the silent night sky, the sound of the crashing waves was exceptionally clear and melodious.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Liu Yimin tiptoed out of the room and drew the curtains to block out the sun so that Zhu Lin could get a good night's sleep.

"Where's Linlin?" Yang Xiuyun asked.

"Mom, Linlin was too tired from driving yesterday. Let's not disturb her and let her rest." Liu Yimin put his finger to his lips, signaling everyone to speak quietly.

Zhu's mother said, "Then let Linlin get some sleep. Driving all this way must be tiring; you have to keep your eyes, hands, and feet moving. In-laws, let's eat first."

Liu Yu and Liu Lin cried for their mother, but Liu Yimin used a combination of carrot and stick tactics, coaxing and threatening them, successfully calming them down.

Yang Xiuyun said, "I'll save the food in the pot for Linlin so she can eat whenever she wakes up. Linlin works every day, it must be hard for her. In-laws, you've raised such a wonderful daughter-in-law for us."

Hearing Yang Xiuyun say this, Zhu's father and mother were secretly pleased, but on the surface they still had to put on a humble appearance: "In-laws, the fact that the two young people can live their lives well is also inseparable from your tolerance. Linlin often says when she comes home that her parents-in-law are very good to her, and the neighbors all say that she has found a good family."

After Yang Xiuyun and Zhu's mother flattered each other, Liu Fuqing and Zhu's father followed suit. Only after the mutual flattery was over did everyone happily begin their meal.

Both sets of parents tried their best to say nice things to make Liu Yimin's family more harmonious.

After dinner, Liu Yimin took the two little ones to the beach to build sandcastles. The three of them planned to work together to build a large wall. Under Liu Yimin's direction, they built about halfway through when the two little ones started having their own ideas, each complaining about the other's hands and feet.

"Smelly brother!"

"You brat!"

Seeing the two getting ready to have a big argument, Liu Yimin shouted, "No arguing! From now on, build your own buildings!"

"Hmph!" The two snorted at each other and turned to build their own castles, their eyes filled with a competitive spirit.

Liu Yimin plopped down on the beach. Raising twins was really tough; they either wanted the same things or had completely different ideas. The key was that they were the same age and had the same level of maturity, so he couldn't always try to persuade Liu Lin with the old adage that the older twin should give in to the younger one.

Liu Yimin sat between the two, neither taking sides. If he sided with one of them, the conflict would immediately resurface.

Around 10 o'clock, Zhu Lin found them on the beach. The two little ones forgot about their 'castle' and ran to Zhu Lin, shouting that they wanted to go swimming.

"Let's go swimming, Teacher Liu!" Zhu Lin came over just to call them to go play.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin each carried a little one and went to a nearby well-equipped bathing beach to change clothes and go swimming in the sea.

"Shall we watch Mom swim first?" Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin led them to a less crowded and shallower spot.

Zhu Lin asked with concern, "Xiaoyu, are you cold?"

"Mom, it's not cold. We want to watch you swim." Liu Yu shook her head and gently splashed water with her hands.

Seeing that the two weren't cold and that the swimming rings were reliable enough, Zhu Lin felt relieved: "You two wait here, I'll go warm up first."

As Zhu Lin swam forward, she turned back and gave Liu Yimin a provocative look. Like a mermaid, Zhu Lin leaped forward and swam forward with graceful strokes, alternating between various swimming styles within Liu Yimin's and the others' field of vision.

"Look at how smug your mom is, like she's afraid everyone won't know she can swim," Liu Yimin couldn't help but tease.

Liu Yu said admiringly, "Mom is so amazing, Dad is amazing too."

"Mommy swam so far! Daddy, let's go find Mommy!" Liu Lin swung his little legs, eager to try, but unfortunately he couldn't move at all.

Liu Yimin couldn't help but laugh at the sight; it looked just like a tadpole wagging its tail.

The water ahead was deep, and it could be dangerous if there were any large waves. Fortunately, Zhu Lin swam back soon after.

"I can't go on anymore, I haven't swum in so long, I'm running out of energy halfway through." Zhu Lin suddenly surfaced from the water, shaking the seawater off his hair with a sigh of relief.

"Zhu Lin, you want to show me every swimming style you know! If you come back any later, I won't be able to keep up with you."

"what happened?"

"They insist on coming to you. Hurry up and teach them how to swim."

Zhu Lin smiled and approached the two little ones, teaching them how to use their arms and legs to generate power, while Liu Yimin stood by to ensure safety and prevent anyone from suddenly rushing over.

The two little ones followed Zhu Lin's example quite well, but swimming was too tiring, so after about twenty minutes, they were taken ashore to rest.

They played until 11:30, then the four of them sang all the way back to their rented courtyard.

After a morning of playing, the two little ones were exhausted. They ate half a bowl more than usual at lunch and soon after finishing their meal, they lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

In the afternoon, the group went sightseeing in Qinhuangdao, where Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin bought a lot of clothes for both sets of parents.

Both sets of parents kept muttering things like, "That's too much, don't buy it."

Zhu Lin said with a smile, "Mom and Dad, clothes can be worn this year and next year, so they won't go to waste. Before, when you weren't in Yanjing, some clothes you bought didn't fit. Now, if they don't fit, we'll exchange them on the spot."

"My dear in-law, how do you think this dress is? It will definitely look good on you!" Zhu's mother asked, holding up a bright red top.

Yang Xiuyun quickly said, "These are clothes that you city people wear. If we wore them out in our hometown, everyone would laugh at us to death."

"Hahaha." Zhu's mother placed the clothes in front of Yang Xiuyun: "People can say whatever they want, let them say what they want. Looking pretty in old age is fine, but now that you have the chance, you have to look beautiful." They shopped until 5 PM, then returned to their rented apartment with bags full of purchases. Early the next morning, Zhu Lin and his mother drove back to Yanjing.

On July 24th, Yan Zhen led a group of people to Beidaihe by bus. Because summer is peak season in Beidaihe, many guesthouses belong to central government agencies, and only a portion of their rooms were open to the public.

During the summer, too many people from relevant departments came to take vacation, even crowding out rooms open to the public. Yan Zhen inquired for a long time but couldn't find a hotel that could accommodate more than 30 people.

So Liu Yimin asked the staff at the Creative Home to help him find a few courtyards nearby for short-term rentals. Those that couldn't be accommodated there could only stay at the Creative Home.

"Teacher Liu." More than thirty people stood in the courtyard, making the courtyard seem even more cramped.

"Alright, alright, keep your voices down. Your shouts are making it sound like you're about to flip the roof tiles over," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Yan Zhen called Liu Fuqing "Master," leaving Liu Fuqing speechless and stunned.

However, once everyone got to know each other, Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun treated everyone with exceptional kindness.

Liu Yu and Liu Lin played hide-and-seek among the group of people like crazy people, with people occasionally squatting down to tease them.

"Alright, everyone, you don't need to stay in the courtyard anymore. What would it be like to come to Beidaihe and not go for a swim? But there's one thing you all must remember."

Before Liu Yimin could finish speaking, a group of people laughed and chimed in, "Safety first!"

"Yes, safety first!"

After the group of people left, Zhu's father came over and said, "Yimin, others have students all over the world, but you have teachers all over the world."

"Yimin, are these teachers?" Liu Fuqing walked over in confusion. "Teachers? Why are they calling you teachers?"

"I am the teacher's teacher," Liu Yimin chuckled.

These people are all teachers, so they know their limits when playing around. Plus, with Yan Zhen reminding them from the side, nothing bad will happen.

Liu Yimin originally wanted to invite several senior professors from the Institute of Literature, including Wu Zuxiang, to come over, but they felt that they were too old and it was more comfortable for them to stay in Yenching.

When Liu Yimin has free time, he takes the two little ones to the beach to play with them.

On the beach, a group of people gathered in a circle, watching the sunset. Liu Yimin led them in playing poetry relay games or discussing domestic literature.

Some people joked that after being a student at the Institute of Literature for so long, they didn't want to go back to being a teacher anytime soon.

"Have your respective departments notified you to make course arrangements for next semester?" Liu Yimin asked with concern.

“My department has already informed me, but I will be changing my teaching focus to foreign literature and thought.”

"Then you'd better study hard. I'll lend you my old teaching notes later. If you don't teach well, don't say I taught you," Liu Yimin joked.

"Hahaha!" Their laughter was particularly noticeable.

On the way back, Yan Zhen walked up to Liu Yimin and said, "We have to part again. I really hate to see you go."

Liu Yimin patted Yan Zhen on the shoulder: "The Institute of Literature and Art remains unchanged, but the staff comes and goes."

Within the research institute, Yan Zhen spent the most time with this group of people, and they often helped each other with their life and work issues. Their relationship was probably even deeper than that with Liu Yimin.

"Batch after batch of students from the Institute of Literature come from various universities and return to those universities. Now people say that all the future Chinese literature teachers in the country will come from our Institute of Literature," Yan Zhen said.

"Some people are really good at gossiping, isn't this ruining my life?" Liu Yimin couldn't help but swear.

If we can say this now, then in the future we can say that there is a "Liu Family Clique" in the Chinese language education field.

Three days later, the group returned to Yanjing. Liu Yimin collected the evaluation forms from several professors regarding the trainees, and after calculating a comprehensive coefficient, formed a final evaluation.

"I hope everyone will view this evaluation objectively, take their work and life seriously, and strive to be a teacher who loves life, loves their work, and loves their students. The experience at the Institute of Literature and Art may not make your future years shine brightly, but it will certainly become an unforgettable memory for you."

If you have any questions about work or life, please feel free to write to me and discuss them.

Upon hearing Liu Yimin's words, some of the female trainees even wiped away tears.

Liu Yimin asked Yan Zhen to distribute the evaluation forms, and then took a group photo with everyone at Yanda University.

Liu Yimin told them that they didn't need to focus on their studies for another month, but instead to take a good look around Yenching, immerse themselves in society, and observe the changes in society.

In early August, Huang Zumo's phone call finally reached Beidaihe after several transfers.

“Yimin, the editing of ‘The Pilgrimage of One’ has been completed at the Beijing Film Studio. When will you come and take a look?” Huang Zumo said excitedly.

"Finished the haircut? Old Huang, when did you arrive in Yanjing?" Liu Yimin asked.

"After filming, I went back to Shanghai first, and for the past two weeks I've been busy editing the film at Yanying Film Studio. When I got to the courtyard, Comrade Zhu Lin said I had gone to Beidaihe, so I called the Writers Association to get the phone number of the Creative Home," Huang Zumo explained.

From Huang Zumo's words, Liu Yimin realized that he really wanted Liu Yimin to see the movie as soon as possible. So Liu Yimin decided to go back to Yanjing the next day.

Upon arriving at the Yanjing Film Studio, Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang excitedly put their arms around Liu Yimin's shoulders. Having filmed in the summer, both Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang had gotten quite tanned.

"Once things are settled, neither of you should rush back to Shanghai. Go to Beidaihe to rest for a while before returning."

Seeing Liu Yimin's enthusiasm, the two readily agreed, but they would only go after the film had been fully approved.

Before we even reached the screening room, Wang Yang strode over: "Yimin, how was your rest in Beidaihe? Come on, let's go check on him together."

"Director Wang, have you seen it? What do you think?" Liu Yimin asked with a smile.

Wang Yang pushed open the door to the screening room: "I think it's very good. After the experience of 'Hachiko,' Director Huang's work is excellent in terms of visuals, colors, and dialogue. There's just one thing: the locations chosen are all very beautiful, but there are only some shots that highlight the protagonist's dejection when the film is being shown."

Liu Yimin patted Wang Yang on the shoulder: "A beautiful story naturally needs beautiful shots. It's an art film, after all, so the art should be expressed through the shots."

Wang Yang muttered, "It's just a bit too damn artsy. I'm afraid the audience will think it's fake!"

"Let me see."

During their conversation, Huang Zumo smiled without saying a word, pretending to be very calm, but in reality he was very uneasy.

To submit a film to an international film festival, it needs to be reviewed and recommended by relevant departments. His biggest fear is that the relevant domestic departments will not recognize or recommend it.

After Liu Yimin and Wang Yang sat down, the projectionist behind them began the actual screening.

The opening shot was filmed in an apartment building, where an elderly man with gray hair was sitting downstairs sunbathing, and a postman placed a letter in front of him.
As the envelope was unfolded, the movie officially began.

The story itself is simple, but the execution of the plot is anything but. Huang Zumo and Jiao Huang perfectly portray the audience's misunderstanding, bringing the opening dramatic conflict to its peak and keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

If the opening dramatic conflict is bland, the whole story will become dull and uninteresting, just like the way American TV series are presented.

Compared to the novel, the film removed many story segments, retaining only the most dramatic and elevating elements of the plot.

Jiao Huang portrayed an old man's stubbornness, confusion, exhaustion, and insights, revealing the old man's inner journey through his posture and expressions.

The climax of the play is the scene where the two old friends meet. They embrace and reminisce about their friendship that has weathered many storms over the years.

"Director Huang, you did a great job. The colors in this film are much better than before."

Huang Zumo laughed and said, "Director Frank taught me a lot. After returning to the United States, he even sent me several Chinese-language books on directing and related professional skills."

"Yimin, do you think we can report it directly?" Wang Yang asked.

"There are a few parts that need to be revised, as the plot lacks coherence. Art films are inherently slow-paced, so we can't let the audience get too bored, otherwise they'll fall asleep."

Liu Yimin handed the fragments he had just written down to Huang Zumo for reference.

Huang Zumo asked the projectionist to replay the video and discuss with Wang Yang the necessity of making changes.

The team ultimately decided to cut some meaningless lines and empty shots. After this part was cut, the overall length was expected to be shortened to 120 minutes.

Wang Yang asked Liu Yimin whether he thought the film was competitive in the A category of international film festivals.

"I think we could look for film festivals that focus on art films."

"We have the Venice Film Festival, the Hawaii Film Festival, and the Tokyo Film Festival in the second half of the year, and we're torn about which one to go to."

P.S.: Only one chapter today, and I'm feeling unwell again tonight.

(End of this chapter)