1980 My literary era

Military Arts is located in Weigong Village on Zhongguancun South Street in the northwest corner of Yanjing City. It is close to the Third Ring Road in later generations and more than ten kilometers away from Chaonei Street.

If Mo Yan were to take the bus by himself, it would take more than an hour at least, and he would definitely not be able to catch up with the registration.

That's why Lin Weimin drove him here personally.

On the eve of the start of the military art class at the end of August, a few tables were temporarily set up under the big poplar tree on the right side of the military art gate, and several staff from the department were setting up there.

Seeing the Crown car stop, several people looked surprised. Then when they saw Mo Yan getting out of the car, they secretly guessed the identity of this person.

Mo Yan took out his ID and admission notice, filled out various forms, and the staff gave him a key to the dormitory.

After asking the staff to open the door, Lin Weimin pulled Mo Yan into the school.

At this time, many students had returned to school, and some were freshmen who came to report.

The magnificent crown drove around the campus, attracting the attention of many students.

Seeing a Crown on a campus in the 1980s is even rarer than seeing a Maybach on a campus in later generations.

Feeling the students' attention all the way, including the reaction of the staff when they entered, Mo Yan's mood was very subtle.

Crown Park parked downstairs in the school dormitory. He and Lin Weimin moved their luggage down and found their own dormitory.

There are four iron beds, four brand new apricot yellow desks, and four electroplated red plastic chairs with cushions in the dormitory.

Mo Yan was a little excited. Compared with the living environment he lived in the army, this dormitory was luxurious.

While Mo Yan was packing his things, someone walked into the dormitory with a washbasin, and Lin Weimin was very happy to see it.

"Li Cunbao?"

Li Cunbao looked at Lin Weimin with some surprise, and the two shook hands.

Li Cunbao is the author of the novel "Garland Under the Mountain". He and Lin Weimin both won the National Outstanding Novella Award the year before last and had a close relationship.

Lin Weimin introduced Mo Yan to Li Cunbao, "Mo Yan is the author I am responsible for."

Then he said: "You guys are really hiding dragons and crouching tigers this time!"

"It's better to meet by chance than to invite. Let's have dinner together tonight!" Lin Weimin invited.

As soon as he finished speaking, the other two people in the dormitory appeared together as if they heard what he said.

One is Qian Gang, who has won the National Reportage Award, and the other is Song Xuewu, a military writer from Lin Weimin's hometown.

"Just right, let's do it together."

Lin Weimin warmly invited.

It can be said that the four people in Moyan's dormitory have all achieved good results on the path of writing. After successfully admitted to the Department of Military Arts and Literature, their future is even more unlimited.

Another crop of good leeks was wasted if not cut.

Under Lin Weimin's warm invitation, Li Cunbao and others couldn't refuse their hospitality.

What's more, given Lin Weimin's status, several people also wanted to make friends.

This area of ​​Weigong Village was a bit deserted. Li Cunbao and the others were still thinking about where to go out to eat, when they saw Lin Weimin opening the door of the Crown car.

…

Several classmates, including Mo Yan, looked at each other and got into the car silently.

It took more than two hours to eat. It was already past nine o'clock when Lin Weimin sent Mo Yan and the other four back to the dormitory. It was already completely dark. Fortunately, Lin Weimin drove.

After Lin Weimin left, Li Cunbao couldn't help but ask: "Mo Yan, Lin... the teacher is so kind to you!"

He originally didn't want to call Lin Weimin "Teacher Lin", but when he thought about Mo Yan calling him that, he might feel uncomfortable calling Lin Weimin by his first name.

Mo Yan never talked much, but when it came to Lin Weimin's topic, he was particularly eager to participate.

"Teacher Lin is kind to everyone. He is not only kind to me, but also my benefactor!"

"benefactor?"

Several other people looked at him in surprise, not knowing where to start.

When they were having dinner just now, Lin Weimin and Mo Yan didn't talk too much about their acquaintance. Everyone only knew that Lin Weimin specially sent Mo Yan to sign up this time.

Mo Yan said: "You all know the "Folk Tales" and "Transparent Carrot" I wrote, right?"

Several people nodded.

Mo Yan told the story of his acquaintance with Lin Weimin from the beginning. After listening to it, several people were a little emotional. Qian Gang said: "This is really a gift of knowing someone!"

Li Cunbao and Song Xuewu nodded in agreement.

"No, no, Teacher Lin's kindness to me doesn't stop there..." Mo Yan then talked about the twists and turns of his enrollment in the Department of Military Arts and Literature.

When everyone heard that Lin Weimin had signed up for Mo Yan, they all found the leader of the Literary and Art Association who was in charge of daily work, and their hearts were filled with envy.

At the same time, I also felt the gap between them and Lin Weimin even more. It seemed that they were not only in the same car, but the level of communication was also different.

"This is really no ordinary kindness!" Several classmates sighed in unison.

Mo Yan said nothing and nodded seriously.

The four classmates, who were originally strangers, gradually became familiar with each other over a meal, and with the common topic of "Lin Weimin", they chatted enthusiastically in the dormitory.

When Lin Weimin's car drove into Junyi, he greeted the staff. It was already off duty when he went out at night, and there were only guards at the door.

This is different from military arts and ordinary universities. There are guards standing guard at the door.

Lin Weimin got out of the car and said hello, and the guard verified the registration information before letting him go.

Just as he was about to get in the car, he heard a voice full of surprise.

"teacher LIN?"

Lin Weimin turned around and looked around. The first thing he saw was a pair of buck teeth in the darkness, and then he looked closer and saw a tall and thin young man.

By the light at the entrance of the Military Arts Gate, Lin Weimin looked familiar to the young man.

"Hey! Teacher Lin, it's really you! This is really like looking up at the Big Dipper!"

When Lin Weimin heard this sentence, he stopped mobilizing his brain cells. Being able to flatter him was so refreshing and refined that he didn't think twice about the people Lin Weimin knew.

Small steel cannon, Feng pants.

"you are……"

Lin Weimin pretended to be ignorant, and his pants at this time were indeed not famous.

"My name is Feng Xiaogang, I..."

"Comrade, please drive away without affecting normal traffic."

Feng Xiaogang's words were interrupted by the guard. Lin Weimin said sorry and quickly moved the car. As he was moving the car, Feng Xiaogang followed his car closely, with an eager light in his eyes.

Lin Weimin drove the car to a place out of the way of the school gate. Seeing Feng Xiaogang still standing outside the car waiting for him, he rolled down the window and said: "It's a coincidence today, it's so late, where are you going, I'll give you a ride!" "

"Hey, thank you, thank you!"

Feng Xiaogang is a person who climbs along the lines. He hurriedly thanked him for getting in the car. After getting in the car, he looked left and right, "Your car is really good!"

It was dark in the carriage at night, and there was actually nothing visible.

The young man is young and doesn't say a word of truth. No wonder you can get ahead.

Lin Weimin chatted with Feng Xiaogang while driving. He seemed extremely approachable, which made Feng Xiaogang a little excited.

While chatting all the way, Feng Xiaogang told Lin Weimin everything he knew.

He just returned from the army at the beginning of this year and was assigned to the Publicity Section of the Xizhimen Grain Warehouse. Just by the name of this place, you can tell how pitiful it is.

When Comrade Gein Pants was in the army, he provoked the daughter of an old comrade. As a result, they didn't take a fancy to him at all, but only used him as a shield.

The final result was that Comrade Pants reaped no benefits at all, and suffered no less from the anger of the old comrades. Other comrades were assigned to the public security and judicial fronts, but he became the "Xiliang Prefect".

Pants was also tough, and he directly chose to refuse the job. After I came back, I asked people around to find jobs. When I had nothing to do, I hung out with my childhood friends and comrades to pass the time.

Just messing around like this, time passed by like this.

Comrade Pants' mood gradually became uneasy. He didn't know how long this kind of life would last.

Today, he was invited by his comrades to go to a party at someone's house. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the door, he saw several flower-like female soldiers. When he was introduced, they turned out to be in military arts.

Only then did he realize that today was the intimate party.

Comrade Pants was also assigned a female soldier comrade. After the dance, he volunteered to send the female soldier comrade back to school.

"Otherwise, it's all fate. If I hadn't gone to my comrade's dance party today and sent that female soldier back to her military training, I would have met you, the Big Dipper!"

Lin Weimin asked with a smile: "The limelight has just passed, how dare you have a dance party?"

"Hey, I didn't know about it until I went there. If you had told me in advance, I would never have dared to go."

When the car arrived near the Huayuan Bridge, Feng Xiaogang said, "Teacher Lin, just drop me off at the intersection of Sanlihe Road. My family lives in Sanlihe District 3."

"It's not that far away. It saves you a lot of trouble."

Feng Xiaogang smiled with two big teeth, "Thank you so much!"

As the car turned onto Sanlihe Road, Feng Xiaogang was at a loss for words and said, "It's a coincidence that the more I talk about it, our house is only a few steps away from Mr. Wan's house."

Everyone in Yanjing City knew that Lin Weimin was Mr. Wan's disciple.

The high-rise building in Muxidi where he lives is just across Fuxingmenwai Street from Sanlihe District 3.

"Haha, it's quite fate."

The car quickly stopped at the entrance of the Academy of Sciences. Behind the Academy of Sciences is Sanlihe District 3.

Feng Xiaogang got out of the car, leaned over and said to Lin Weimin through the car window: "Mr. Lin, it's a great honor to meet you today. Thank you for sending me back."

"You're welcome. You also said that we are destined to meet each other!"

"Yes, I'm so happy to meet you today. I really looked up and saw the Big Dipper!"

Feng Xiaogang repeated what he just said, just because he was out of words.

"That's it, see you again when you have the chance."

Lin Weimin waved his hand towards Feng Xiaogang, and the crown roared away.

Feng Xiaogang was left standing there, looking at the taillights of the Crown in a daze.

"Great writers are just different!" Feng Xiaogang murmured to himself.

What Feng Xiaogang said was not a lie. For him, who was unemployed at home, Lin Weimin was really like the Big Dipper in the sky, a figure that could only be seen but not reached.

He talked endlessly in the car, just to try to improve relations with others. It's a pity that this Teacher Lin is kind and kind, but deep down he probably still doesn't think highly of himself.

The moment he stood under the car, Feng Xiaogang had the urge to ask Teacher Lin if he could help him find a job.

But his reason and self-esteem allowed him to restrain this impulse. They had only known each other for less than half an hour, and they were not relatives but friends. He asked someone to find a job. Not to mention the feelings of Teacher Lin, Feng Xiaogang himself felt dumbfounded.

He looked up at the sky. The Big Dipper was still hanging there, out of sight and out of reach.

August flew by, and Cheng's "The King of Trees" was published in the September issue of "Contemporary".

There was "The King of Chess" before him, and "The King of Trees" after him. The mature style and quality of the two books are in the same line, making Cheng the favorite of countless readers.

Influenced by "The Tree King", the sales momentum of this issue of "Contemporary" has been extremely rapid since its launch.

With two consecutive short stories, Cheng became famous in the literary world.

At the same time, "Contemporary" has been praised by readers for its "unique discernment" because it has published Acheng's works in two consecutive issues. It is able to discover and promote Acheng, a literary genius, among the vast number of submissions.

Comrade Lao Meng looked at the letters from readers, and the corners of his mouth twitched wildly. Lin Weimin said helplessly: "Don't bear it anymore, it's so hard!"

Meng Weizai glared at Lin Weimin, and finally laughed.

"Okay! Great! For the people, you have trained another outstanding writer for our "Contemporary"."

Lin Weimin said: "I didn't train him. He is such a talented person!"

"Oh? I've never heard anyone speak so highly of you."

"Be honest. You'll know when you meet him next time."

"Hearing what you said, I'm really looking forward to it."

Meng Weizai put several letters from readers back on the table and said to Lin Weimin: "I'll go to the front building when I have time. I want to ask you to research the publication of "The Thief of Officials"."

It's been half a year since "The Thief of Officials" was published, and the club finally thought of publishing it.

Lin Weimin went to the front building. In fact, there was nothing to talk about. He never worried about selling his novels when they were published. The only difference was whether the first printing quantity should be more conservative.

Among all his published novels, the best-selling novel is "Farewell My Concubine". The total sales volume has exceeded 3.5 million. The royalties from additional printings every year can bring Lin Weimin a lot of money. Nearly ten thousand yuan.

In the past two years, the Chinese Literature Society has paid Lin Weimin tens of thousands of yuan in royalties for printing and reprinting each novel.

This number is certainly a drop in the bucket for Lin Weimin's overseas royalties for publishing his novels, but in today's domestic literary world, Lin Weimin's royalties are unique, far behind all his peers.

Speaking of manuscript fees, prices are now fluctuating, and the standards for manuscript fees are also showing signs of loosening. The maximum standard for manuscript fees for many publications is twenty yuan per thousand words. Lin Weimin also has to fight for his own rights.

According to the subscription volume reported by bookstores and post offices in various places, the first printing quantity set by the publisher for "The Thief of Officials" is still 500,000 copies. This number is a ceiling in the current domestic publishing industry.

It’s not that Lin Weimin’s novels can’t possibly sell more than half a million copies, but more than that is unnecessary.

There is a cycle in book sales, and it will take three months to sell 500,000 copies no matter how fast it is sold.

If the first printing quantity is too large, it will occupy too much funds and prevent the risk of unsaleable products.

After receiving a few words from Mrs. Wei, Lin Weimin raised the basic publishing fee to 25 yuan per 1,000 words, and this time the fee for the printing reached 75 yuan per 1,000 words, totaling 100 yuan per 1,000 words.

In 1984, this figure was a sky-high price for the domestic publishing industry.

But in fact, based on the price of one yuan per book, half a million books means sales of half a million yuan. The total number of words in "The Thief of Officials" is just over 200,000 yuan, and the standard royalties are 100 yuan for 1,000 words. , the total royalties are only 20,000 yuan.

If calculated using the royalty calculation method, the remuneration paid to Lin Weimin by the Chinese Literature Society is actually only equivalent to 4% of the royalties.

Lin Weimin left the editor's office and sighed slightly.

If we writers want to live a life of wealth and freedom through writing, we have a long way to go!