1980 My literary era

Mercedes-Benz entered the country only after 1987. Before that, almost all the Mercedes-Benz running on the streets of Yanjing were vehicles of embassies and consulates of various countries.

In front of the Yanjing Hotel, where Lin Weimin occasionally goes, many of the luxury cars parked all year round are Mercedes-Benz, all with embassy or consulate license plates.

The name "Da Ben" gradually emerged after the 1990s.

Ma Dudu got into the car and touched it excitedly for a long time, asking questions from time to time. For a young man like him, Lin Weimin's running is as eye-catching as a yellow flower girl who takes off her clothes.

The two came to the restaurant and ordered a few dishes. Lin Weimin asked, "What do you want from me today?"

Ma Dudu has been collecting antiques for Lin Weimin for more than a year. The two of them would meet from time to time. Ma Dudu always carried the old objects he collected, but this time he was empty-handed.

Ma Dudu had a somewhat mysterious smile on his face and pretended to be secretive, "Guess?"

Seeing him like this, Lin Weimin became interested and asked, "It must be related to me?"

Ma Dudu nodded and smiled without saying a word.

"Did you pick up a rare treasure?"

Ma Dudu shook his head.

"Does that mean you have a recommendation for a good house?"

Ma Dudu shook his head again.

Lin Weimin waved his hand, "I wouldn't have guessed that."

Ma Dudu then smiled and said: "This matter has something to do with you. But it has nothing to do with the antique calligraphy and painting or the house, it has something to do with your career."

"Want to recommend a good seedling to me?"

Ma Dudu said: "Okay, I won't let you guess. To tell you the truth, I came across news about your lost manuscript."

manuscript?

Lin Weimin frowned and immediately remembered the manuscript of "The Ming Dynasty 1566" that was lost to thieves in the editorial office.

"Is it the manuscript of "The Ming Dynasty 1566"?" he asked.

Ma Dudu nodded, "That's right!"

"what happened?"

Ma Dudu told the situation he encountered.

In the past two years, because Ma Dudu collected old things for Lin Weimin, he had many opportunities to interact with all kinds of religions in Yanjing City, and he got to know many people who were wandering in the gray area.

A few days ago, Ma Dudu met an antique dealer who claimed to be collecting antiques in the countryside. Ma Dudu fell in love with an amphorae from the Qianlong period in his hand. The two chatted for a long time, and Ma Dudu finally spent the money. I bought the amphora for one hundred and twenty yuan.

After the transaction was completed, while chatting with the dealer, I heard that Ma Dudu was not buying things for himself, but for others.

The dealer then talked about a broker he knew. He had just sold the broker a Ming Dynasty Xuande furnace some time ago, and the two of them had a meal together.

During the meal, the broker told the dealer about the business he had done for others. There are many big bosses in Xiangjiang who like ancient things from the mainland. This broker is responsible for buying things for these big bosses, and he earns a formality from it. Fees, making hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars a year is just like playing.

When the broker said this, he naturally wanted to win over the dealer and let him pay more attention to some fine antiques for him.

The dealer then asked about the specific preferences and hobbies of this group of Xiangjiang bosses. The broker mentioned that they were all diverse, and he even gave the dealer an example that impressed him deeply.

The broker had spared a manuscript when collecting the things before, which was Lin Weimin's "The Ming Dynasty 1566".

Unexpectedly, a boss from Xiangjiang took a fancy to it and bought it for HK$200,000.

"You mean, after the manuscript of "The Ming Dynasty 1566" was stolen, it was packaged and sold to a broker, and then it was taken away by the boss in Xiangjiang for 200,000 Hong Kong dollars?" Lin Weimin frowned and concluded.

"It should be right, that's the manuscript you have living abroad, right?" Ma Dudu confirmed.

Lin Weimin nodded, "Just that one."

"That's right." Ma Dudu said, slapping his hands.

"But..." Lin Weimin frowned, "Who would spend 200,000 Hong Kong dollars to buy my manuscript?"

Ma Dudu laughed and said, "You have to continue to listen to what I have to say to find out what's going on."

Lin Weimin waved his hand and asked Ma Dudu to continue.

At that time, the dealer also asked the same question as Lin Weimin. It is true that Lin Weimin is a famous writer in China, and he is also well-known overseas. However, it is an exaggeration to say that the big boss in Xiangjiang is willing to pay a high price for his manuscript.

It would be possible if another twenty or thirty years passed, or Lin Weimin passed away.

Facing the dealer's question, the broker remained calm and explained the reason to the dealer in detail.

It turns out that since the publication of "The Ming Dynasty 1566", this work, which is regarded as a classic historical reform novel by the domestic literary world, has spread to Xiangjiang through unknown channels.

At this time, Xiangjiang was still under the rule of the British.

It is not difficult for domestic publications to flow into Hong Kong, but it is very difficult to publish them.

A few years ago, Lin Weimin's "Lover" and "Farewell My Concubine" were serialized in "Sing Tao Evening News". Sing Tao Newspaper originally planned to publish these two novels, but encountered difficulties from the British during the review stage. Can give up reluctantly.

Compared with book publications, the British are more relaxed in censoring newspapers and magazines, so this is why novels such as "The Lover" and "Farewell My Concubine" can be published.

Including Lin Weimin's later recommendation of Mo Yan's works to Xiangjiang Literature, they were also successfully published.

After "The Ming Dynasty 1566" published by Guowenshe spread to Xiangjiang, it was only circulated on a small scale among a small circle of intellectuals at first. Later, I don't know when, it was noticed by several bosses in Xiangjiang.

The power and strategy shown in this novel are often promoted at gatherings, which is also of great benefit to business people.

In the small circle of businessmen, everyone has always exchanged what they have, and everyone is very willing to share good resources and channels as long as they do not harm their own interests.

Ever since, "The Ming Dynasty 1566" has become strangely popular in the business circles of Xiangjiang in this way.

I heard that the broker had the manuscript of "The Ming Dynasty 1566", and a boss who was obsessed with this novel directly shouted out a sky-high price of 200,000 yuan that people could not refuse.

Among the ancient antiques that brokers usually get for bosses, the most expensive ones are only one or two hundred thousand. Now a packaged manuscript of a contemporary writer can be sold for two hundred thousand. Naturally, he happily agreed to the deal.

In this way, the manuscript of Lin Weimin's novel "The Ming Dynasty 1566" was sold to Xiangjiang by a broker.

After listening to Ma Dudu's story, Lin Weimin didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Losing a manuscript is, of course, a bad thing. It may be sold for a sky-high price of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, which seems to be quite awesome.

Lin Weimin couldn't even feel hatred for the hawker who stole the manuscripts and the broker who sold them.

Without them, how could he know that his manuscript was still of such value?

If it were a few years later, Lin Weimin would be confident that his manuscript could be sold for more than 200,000 yuan.

But it is only 1987, and I am only 27 years old.

"Then my manuscript is considered to have been collected?" Lin Weimin asked.

Ma Dudu joked: "Why do you still want to go to Xiangjiang to find someone to come back to?"

Lin Weimin also laughed. If there was absolutely no way he could come back, he could only treat this matter as an anecdote in the literary world.

Ma Dudu reminded: "You should be careful these days. A manuscript sells for 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, and those thieves may have set their sights on you."

Two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars is enough to make many people take risks.

Lin Weimin smiled and said: "It doesn't matter. People are willing to spend 200,000 Hong Kong dollars to buy the manuscript of "The Ming Dynasty 1566" because this novel appeals to them. My other novels do not have such appeal to those businessmen."

Ma Dudu thought for a moment and said, "That's true."

He came today not only to tell Lin Weimin about the manuscript, but also to relieve his inner emotions.

When he first heard about this, Ma Dudu thought it was like a fantasy.

It was just a manuscript, but someone paid 200,000 Hong Kong dollars to buy it, and he was a big boss in Hong Kong.

In the past, everyone knew that Teacher Lin's novels were popular overseas, but no matter how popular they were, it was not "The Ming Dynasty 1566". After all, there are high cultural barriers here.

Unexpectedly, this novel would actually spread in Xiangjiang, and the circle of circulation was quite high-end.

No matter how I listen to it, I feel a bit dreamy.

Chatting casually about his inner feelings, Ma Dudu admired Lin Weimin's creative talent more and more.

The spread and popularity of "The Ming Dynasty 1566" in the Hong Kong business community may seem accidental, but it is actually the best confirmation of Teacher Lin's talent.

At around eight o'clock in the evening, when the meal was almost done and the chat was finished, Lin Weimin took Ma Dudu back to the Chinese Literature Society and asked him to pick up his bicycle.

The two were about to say goodbye when Lin Weimin suddenly remembered Wang Shuo's invitation and muttered to Ma, "Are you free on the weekend?"

"What are your instructions?"

"It's okay. There is a party on the weekend. Some of the people who went there are also from the military compound and are people from the literary and art circles. Are you going?" Lin Weimin asked.

Ma Dudu was overjoyed when he heard this. He was a smooth and worldly person who never refused to join the social circle. Teacher Lin invited him personally, how could he refuse.

We made an appointment to have dinner on the weekend, and Ma Dudu happily rode away on his bicycle.

Lin Weimin was sitting in the car, thinking about what he heard while eating just now, and smiled helplessly and shook his head.

Driving back to the Tuanjie Lake Apartment downstairs, the eliminated Crown was parked quietly there.

This Crown has only been driven for two or three years and still looks like new.

After going upstairs, Lin Weimin called Tao Huimin downstairs.

"What are you doing?" Tao Huimin asked as she came downstairs.

Lin Weimin pointed at the Mercedes-Benz and then at the Crown. "I have replaced my Crown. From now on, you can drive it. When your skills are almost perfect, I will buy you a new car."

Tao Huimin has no interest in cars and said, "I can't drive. Besides, driving is so dangerous. What if I accidentally hit someone?"

Lin Weimin smiled and said: "You can practice driving if you don't know how to drive. It's not that difficult. I'll teach you tomorrow and you'll learn it soon."

There are few cars on the road these days, and the road conditions are not complicated. Without electronic eyes, it is not easy to drive.

"I still have to film!"

"Take time!"

Lin Weimin's tone was irresistible, so Tao Huimin changed her approach and said, "Zhuang Zhuang has been coveting your car for a long time!"

"Wait until you are eliminated and then give it to him!" Lin Weimin said.

Han Zhuangzhuang, who was far away in Berlin, Germany, didn't know that the crown he longed for now had its next owner.

Too bad it wasn't him.