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

Chapter 96 The Professional Editorial Department of "Poetry Journal"
Inside the room, Lan Tianye sat opposite Liu Yimin and inquired about Zhu Lin's situation. After learning that Zhu Lin had attended a sports school, studied dance, and even worked as an actress in a performing arts troupe, he was already seventy or eighty percent certain of the truth.

"No wonder this girl has such a good figure, she must have a good foundation. How did you two meet?" Lan Tianye sat on the bed with his legs crossed, and the bed creaked when he moved his legs.

“We met through correspondence. We contacted each other a few times through her reader letters, and later we met at a poetry gathering at Yenching University. She is currently studying at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and will probably graduate next year!” Liu Yimin said in detail.

“Letters from readers? They have to be from young people. That’s how Mr. Ba Jin and his wife met. Their relationship has always been a legendary tale in the literary world.”

Lan Tianye took the opportunity to inquire about the relationship between the two.

“We’ve only met a few times, but I think she should give it a try!”

If Zhu Lin were to hone her skills at the Beijing People's Art Theatre for a few years, it would definitely benefit her acting. Since the 1980s, the Beijing People's Art Theatre has produced many excellent actors.

"They've only met a few times? It seems this young lady still has a lot of work to do!"

After teasing Liu Yimin, Lan Tianye began discussing Zhu Lin's matter, planning to talk to Zhu Lin after the play "A Loyal Heart" was performed.

After Lan Tianye left, Yang Lixin quietly brought in a bowl of noodles and kept thanking Liu Yimin.

"Old Yang, no need to thank me. I just mentioned it casually. Whether you can catch it or not depends on your ability!" Liu Yimin took a sip of noodles, and Yang Lixin handed him a clove of garlic.

"Comrade Yimin, there are many young actors at the Beijing People's Art Theatre. There are sixteen of us living in our dormitory alone. Why was it Teacher Lan who called me today? Not everyone gets this opportunity. I discussed it with Pu Cunxi, and we're planning to invite you to dinner!"

"You two should act well first, and I'll treat you to dinner if you do well." Liu Yimin pushed the garlic over; he still needed to find Zhu Lin later, and he couldn't have someone with a strong garlic breath.

After Yang Lixin left, Liu Yimin opened the remittance slip for the reprinted article fee sent by "Harvest" magazine. It showed 157 yuan, and the reprinted article fee was 50% of the basic fee. With this money, he now had 1,100 yuan in savings.

After reading a book on the table for a while, Liu Yimin arrived at the exit of the play "A Loyal Heart" and saw Zhu Lin looking around.

"What are you looking at?" Liu Yimin walked up and asked.

Zhu Lin quickly said, "I didn't see anything." After saying goodbye to Liu Yimin, he was about to leave when Liu called him back.

Liu Yimin led her aside and asked if she was interested in participating in the Beijing People's Art Theatre's drama rehearsals. Zhu Lin was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

"You mean I'm playing Jiajia in 'Mr. Donkey'? Comrade Liu Yimin, of course I'm willing to participate in rehearsals, but... I'm afraid I won't do a good job. Compared to the actors from the Beijing People's Art Theatre, I don't know anything."

Zhu Lin nervously clasped her hands tightly together in front of her abdomen, her face showing tension, unease, and expectation.

"You're right, you really can't compare to the actors from the Beijing People's Art Theatre. It would be a challenge for you to play this role."

Zhu Lin pursed his lips, thinking to himself, "Shouldn't I say something encouraging at this time? Who would want to undermine someone's confidence?"

"It's okay if you don't know how. Actors at Beijing People's Art Theatre aren't born knowing how. They all go through constant training. As long as you work hard, you'll definitely become a qualified stage actor. You can participate in rehearsals first. If it doesn't work out, we'll find someone else. Zhu Lin, right? Don't worry, if you perform well, Beijing People's Art Theatre will help coordinate things with the school."

Lan Tianye walked over to Liu Yimin, tugged at him, and began to explain to Zhu Lin.

Zhu Lin looked at Lan Tianye gratefully and said, "Thank you, Teacher Lan, for giving me this opportunity. I'll think about it."

After considering for a moment, Zhu Lin looked up at Lan Tianye with a troubled expression and asked when they would be attending rehearsals.

Hearing Zhu Lin agree, Lan Tianye smiled and said, "Tomorrow morning, I'll help you catch up with the other actors' progress, and then I'll join everyone's rehearsal in the afternoon. How about that?"

"Okay, I will definitely attend on time. Thank you, thank you, Comrade Liu Yimin!"

With the matter settled, Lan Tianye didn't relax. He still needed to see the rehearsal results tomorrow, and if it wasn't good enough, he would have to find a replacement. Casting was the first step to a successful performance, and he dared not slack off in the slightest.

"You young people chat!" Lan Tianye said with a smile as he left.

Liu Yimin saw Zhu Lin off at the theater. As they were walking side by side, Zhu Lin took a big step forward, turned around, and bowed deeply to Liu Yimin at a 90-degree angle.

"Comrade Zhu Lin, what are you doing?" Liu Yimin quickly grabbed her arm and straightened her body.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, thank you. I know you must have mentioned me to Teacher Lan, otherwise how could I have had this opportunity? So I am especially grateful to you. Stepping onto the stage is my dream, but actually I'm always afraid of not performing well. I'm timid and feel like I don't have the ability. My head is still spinning, it feels like a dream!"

For Zhu Lin, wasn't this just a dream? She came to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to watch a play, and after it ended, someone told her that she could also stand on the stage of the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Such a huge pie in the sky just fell on her head!

"Since they cast you, it means you have the ability to get on the show. Now it's up to you to see if you can stay on! Still dizzy?"

"gosh."

Liu Yimin joked, hands behind his back, "If you're dizzy, pinch yourself. If you can't bring yourself to do it, I'll pinch you!"

Seeing that most of the people around him had left, and that they were still in a corner, Zhu Lin joked, "Comrade Liu Yimin, how about you pinch me out of revolutionary friendship!"

Liu Yimin didn't stand on ceremony. Taking advantage of her inattention, he twisted his hand on her fair skin, causing her to wince in pain and quickly rub her reddened hand.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, you..."

Zhu Lin wanted to say, "You really pinched me," but remembering that it was her request, she could only shut her mouth.

"How are you? Are you awake now?"

"You're a little more awake now," Zhu Lin said softly, her head lowered, her hand constantly rubbing the back of her hand.

"Luckily you're awake now. You only get one chance to be pinched, and I don't do this for just anyone!" Liu Yimin said with a soft laugh as he looked at Zhu Lin, who was in pain.

"Then thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

See? She even has to thank us!

Liu Yimin turned around and rubbed the fingers he had just pinched Zhu Lin, but it didn't seem like he felt anything special when he pinched him.

Zhu Lin rode her bicycle through the biting cold streets, her mind still reeling. She wondered how she would tell her parents what had happened. Her experience at the Beijing People's Art Theatre kept replaying in her mind like a movie.

Finally, the image lingered on that smiling face: "I don't help just anyone with this!" A surge of energy coursed through my body, converging on the back of my hand where I'd been pinched, and a sharp pain shot through my mind again. Ignoring the strong wind on the street, I stopped my bicycle, used my teeth to remove my gloves, and shone a flashlight on the back of my hand. The pinch marks were gone; only my hand remained, red and frozen.

He gently stroked the back of his hand a few times, then put on his gloves and rode home.

The next day, Liu Yimin found Cao Yu early in the morning and told him about his plan to publish a standalone book, inviting him to write a preface.

"Great! This book's sales should have led to a standalone volume by now. I'll write it for you today, and when the standalone volume comes out, you have to send me a copy!"

"Teacher, I'll definitely give you the first one!"

"No, one copy won't do. I have to give them away. I have many friends. Give me a hundred sets later!"

"We have a thousand sets!"

"Haha, you're so sweet-talking. Come find me this afternoon to pick it up. I've already had someone buy your train ticket. Today is the Little New Year, and in our Chinese culture, the New Year celebrations begin on the Little New Year. I've kept you here for so many days; it's time for you to go home. I've already had someone buy your ticket; go back tomorrow. Come back early for the New Year!"

Cao Yu gently patted Liu Yimin on the shoulder, knowing that his student had indeed been tired lately.

"Teacher, I'll go out today and buy some things to take home!" Liu Yimin said happily, knowing he would definitely bring something home for his family.

"Your teacher's wife has prepared some local specialties from Yanjing for you. Come to my house tonight to celebrate the Lunar New Year's Eve."

"Why are you so embarrassed?"

"Keep a smile to yourself. If you want to go out, just ask Lao Lan for leave."

Liu Yimin found Lan Tianye and asked for leave. He then called the international student dormitory at Yenching University's Shaoyuan campus to look for Mulatu. China is too far from Ethiopia, and the round-trip travel expenses alone would be considerable, so Mulatu chose to spend the Chinese New Year in China.

International students don't need tickets to buy things at the Friendship Store. Liu Yimin asked him to buy him a watch, which he would give to his older brother Liu Yiguo later.

Mulatu readily agreed, hopped on his bicycle, and headed towards the Beijing People's Art Theatre. He knew the theatre's address; the theatre's office often organized activities, one of which was taking them to see plays.

"Old Mu, over here!" Liu Yimin greeted Mulatu.

Mula made a graceful turn, gesturing for Liu Yimin to sit on the back seat so they wouldn't need to ride another bicycle: "Liu, let's go, Friendship Store!"

With his handsome face, he easily slipped into the Friendship Store. The store was filled with all sorts of goods, but he only asked Mula to buy him a watch and two packs of cigarettes. He wanted to buy the rest, but since he wouldn't need them at home, he gave up.
"Old Mu, come on, I'll treat you to dinner and a bath!" Liu Yimin pulled a wad of RMB from his pocket and handed it to Mulatu. He wasn't returning it one-to-one, but adding a little extra. Foreign exchange certificates could be used just like the Great Unity Certificates, but they didn't require coupons to buy things at the Friendship Store, so their actual value was much lower.

Foreign exchange certificates are seen by many as a scarce commodity.

"Liu, don't be so polite. We are all comrades from the Third World and should help each other."

"Old Mu, you are truly remarkable. Having stayed in China for so long, your revolutionary consciousness is indeed different. We must express our gratitude."

Almost all the international students in the dormitory had left, and most of those remaining were Heilongjiang students. Mulatu was practically bored to death at school. Liu Yimin took him to a state-run restaurant for a meal and then to a state-run bathhouse for a soak.

Every year around the Lunar New Year, public bathhouses in the north are always packed with people, all wanting to get a good cleaning before the holiday. In those days, public bathhouses were scarce, and the two of them waited in line for a long time before finally getting a turn. By the time it was their turn, the water in the bath had already turned into broth.

It was already afternoon when Liu Yimin saw Mulatu off, but he didn't go straight back to the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Instead, he rode his bicycle to the editorial office of "Poetry Journal," where he had arranged to pick up the preface he had made with Zou Huofan the day before.

When I arrived at the editorial office of "Poetry Journal", the office was still the same as before, except that there were even more letters piled up in the corridor.

Liu Yimin pushed the door open and waved his hand in front of his nose: "Aren't you all annoyed by the stench?" The smell of unburned coal briquettes mixed with the smoke made Liu Yimin feel like he was starting to lack oxygen as soon as he entered.

“We’re all used to it. Come on, the preface is already written for you!” Zou Huofan happily pulled the manuscript out of the drawer and handed it to Liu Yimin.

"Our first meeting with Yimin—when I first dug out Yimin's submission from a pile of letters and saw the words on it, I thought, 'Who is this arrogant person who dares to spout such nonsense?'"

"Okay, stop reading. Mine is finished, what about yours?"

Zou Huofan moved his stool, facing Liu Yimin directly, and crossed his arms, as if to say he wouldn't let him leave unless he got what he wanted.

“Comrade Zou, this is clearly a matter of courtesy among intellectuals, but you’ve made it sound like a transaction.” Liu Yimin carefully stuffed the preface into his satchel and looked helplessly at the persistent Zou Huofan.

"Yimin, if you can produce a few more poems, Old Zou is willing to make any deal with you," Ge Luo teased.

"Comrade Lao Ge, are you staying in Yanjing for the New Year?"

"My wife and children are here, so I'll stay in Yanjing."

Zou Huofan said with dissatisfaction, "You two stop singing in unison. The most important thing is the manuscript."

"Don't worry, I always keep my promises," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Zou Huofan eagerly took the manuscript from Liu Yimin's hands. Ge Luo picked up a teacup, took a sip of chrysanthemum tea, and also bent down to come behind Zou Huofan, carefully reading Liu Yimin's poem.

After a while, the other editors who were sitting couldn't resist and gathered around. Unfortunately, the space was limited, and many people on the outside craned their necks and couldn't see anything at all.

"Old Zou, read it aloud, read it aloud!" an editor on the periphery couldn't help but say.

"Don't rush, let me finish reading first!"

Inside, Ge Luo watched while complaining, "Don't press down on me, don't press down on me!"

A group of people craned their necks, and Comrade Ge Luo was the one who suffered the most from the jostling. Yan Chen came out of the office, saw this scene, and said with dissatisfaction, "Do you guys even have the demeanor of editors?"

Seeing that his words had no effect, Yan Chen smiled apologetically at Liu Yimin: "Yimin, don't laugh at me. Our editors at Poetry Journal are all professionals. Unless we encounter an exceptionally good manuscript, this situation will not occur."

“I understand, I understand!” Liu Yimin laughed.

After Yan Chen poured Liu Yimin a cup of tea, Zou Huofan inside hadn't started reading yet, so he couldn't help but call out, "Old Zou, what are you doing?"

(End of this chapter)