Back to 80: My Literary Life

The days when he was not writing novels were relaxing. Fang Minghua slept until almost six o'clock in the afternoon. When he saw that it was time to get off work, he rode his bicycle home.

The mother was making dough, and she was both happy and distressed to see her son back.

Happily, my son finally came home after finishing writing the novel!

What’s distressing is that I haven’t seen you for a few days. Why have you lost some weight again?

"Really, you don't know how to take care of yourself at all. It seems I have to find you a wife as soon as possible!" Mom Zhang Fenglan complained while rolling out the dough.

"Don't, don't, never!" Fang Minghua was shocked when he heard this: "Mom, I'm still young."

"You're not young anymore, you will be 21 soon and you can get married!"

"No! The Marriage Law has been revised this year. Men must be 22 years old or older to get married!" Fang Minghua hurriedly retorted.

"Really? How come I don't know? It's true for the country, so why delay it? It's a man who's going to get married and a woman who's going to get married. Isn't it a good idea to start a family long ago?" My mother began to complain again.

“For Planned Parenthood!”

Fang Minghua added.

What he said is correct. The new version of marriage was just announced this year (1982), which revised the marriage age for men and women.

But what his mother said later made him feel frightened: "You can talk about your partner first. Are you interested in free love now? It's just right to get married after dating for more than a year! Xiaohua, my sister's high school classmate is named Dongmei, what do you think? Sample?"

Oh my God.

It’s that winter plum again!

Now Fang Minghua feels embarrassed when he hears this name.

"Mom, I really don't want to talk about a partner right now! Oops. The water is boiling. I'll help you get down there." Fang Minghua quickly changed his words.

Seeing her son like this, Zhang Fenglan could only sigh.

After his father came home from fishing and the whole family finished eating noodles, Fang Minghua was forced to drink a bowl of fish soup - said to replenish his health.

Drinking fish soup on a hot day is very hot.

Fang Minghua was about to cry but had no tears, so he could only go back to the work unit and take a few more cold showers at night.

The next morning, while Fang Minghua was still sleeping - he didn't have to get up so early since he wasn't coding today - he vaguely heard someone knocking on his window.

"Xiao Fang! Xiao Fang!"

It was Lu Yao's voice.

Fang Minghua opened it and looked at the alarm clock beside his pillow. It was only ten o'clock.

Lu Yao got up so early?

The sun rises from the west?

He put on his vest and big pants, opened the door, and saw Lu Yao holding a magazine in his hand, looking excited: "Xiao Fang, my novel has been published!"

Yeah?

Historically, it seems to be early 1982, right?

Why is it so many months in advance?

Anyway, it would be great to be able to publish it!

Fang Minghua asked Lu Yao into the room, took the magazine and took a look: Hey, why is it "Harvest"?

Fang Minghua was a little confused and couldn't help but ask: "Brother Lu, weren't you invited by the editor of "Youth Literature" to write this novel? How did it get published in "Harvest"?"

"'Harvest' will be published in full, and then 'Youth Literature' will publish a single volume." Lu Yao explained.

ah? Is there such an operation?

Fang Minghua was stunned.

Lu Yao then explained that this was the intention of the editor of "Youth Literature" magazine, to expand the influence through publishing in well-known magazines, and then release a single book so that sales would be higher.

That? Will I receive double contributions of royalties?

Fang Minghua was ready to ask in detail, but he swallowed his words again.

Why do you always think about money?

Very vulgar!

"Congratulations, Brother Lu, you want to treat me!" Fang Minghua quickly expressed his congratulations.

Lu Yao was even more excited: "No problem, I will call Zhongshi and Pingwa this time!"

"When?"

"Only this Saturday, we won't come home until we get drunk!"

Fang Minghua was really happy for Lu Yao.

This piece of "Life" can be said to have established Lu Yao's dominance in Qin Province, no, in the Chinese literary world.

"Ouch. I was so busy with this happy thing that I forgot to find your business." Lu Yao said and took out a thick stack of manuscript paper from the briefcase he was carrying. It was the "Youth" given to him yesterday.

"Xiao Fang, to be honest, I can't fault the novel you wrote."

"Brother Lu, are you modest?"

"No." Lu Yao said seriously: "On the one hand, your writing is really good. On the other hand, I have never been a soldier and am not familiar with military life. I know nothing about the art troupe, so I can't give random opinions."

Oh, I see.

"Xiao Fang, I suggest you find someone to help you check." Lu Yao suggested.

"who?"

"Du Pengcheng, vice chairman of our Writers Association."

oops

Why did you forget him?

Du Pengcheng wrote "Defending Yan'an"! That is a long military novel.

only

"Brother Lu, Chairman Du is now the executive vice-president of the Writers' Association. I heard that he had a very busy day at work. Isn't it appropriate for me to disturb him?"

"Of course it's appropriate! Chairman Du likes to read military novels the most! Let's do this, wash up quickly, and I'll accompany you to find him when you're done."

"Then I'll trouble you."

Fang Minghua hurriedly washed up, got dressed, and went to the Writers' Association with Lu Yao carrying his yellow satchel.

Du Pengcheng's office was in a small courtyard behind the Writers Association. Lu Yao and Fang Minghua knocked on the door and went in. They saw him sitting at his desk, wearing reading glasses and reading documents.

Seeing Lu Yao coming in, Du Pengcheng showed a smile on his face. He took off his reading glasses and stood up: "Xiao Lu, your book "Life" was published in full in "Harvest". I read it last night and it was so good. Pretty good."

"Thank you and Teacher Liu Qing for your teachings." Lu Yao was very humble and respected Du Pengcheng.

Writers like Qin Sheng, who were famous in the 1980s, were more or less influenced by Liu Qing and Du Pengcheng.

"Ouch. Isn't this Comrade Xiao Fang from the magazine?" Du Pengcheng spotted Fang Minghua following Lu Yao and greeted him.

"Hello, Chairman Du." Fang Minghua also greeted quickly.

"Xiao Fang, you took the initiative to sign up to go to southern Xinjiang to collect scenery, and you still went even though you knew there were certain dangers. I appreciate this! What can a young man do if he doesn't have any blood and courage?" Du Pengcheng asked after he finished speaking: "Novel How's the writing going?"

"Chairman Du, Xiao Fang's novel has been finished. I thought it was very good after reading it, and I would like to ask you to review it," Lu Yao said.

"Did you finish it? So quickly? Let me see it." Du Pengcheng's voice became urgent.

Fang Minghua quickly took out the manuscript from his yellow satchel and put it on the other party's desk.

"You guys sit down, sit down," Du Pengcheng greeted, "You can pour your own tea, you're welcome." After saying that, he sat down on the chair and put on his reading glasses to look carefully.

"Chairman Du's tea is pretty good." Lu Yao whispered, then picked up the thermos bottle and started making tea.

"I'll come." Fang Minghua said quickly.

"No need." Lu Yao pointed at Du Pengcheng quietly, meaning to let him pay attention to what the other person was saying.

Fang Minghua sat on the somewhat old cloth sofa and started working in the office.

The office is not big, with two large bookcases filled with various books, as well as stacks of documents on the desk.

Lu Yao had already made tea, and Fang Minghua tasted it.

It seems that the tea from the Qinba Mountains is good but not as good as what Zhao Hongjun sent.

Thanks to Silence 1999, Xinglin Jujing, and Book Friends 20170206113652916 for their monthly votes.