Back to 80: My Literary Life

"Oh, I'm just trying to make a metaphor. Don't devote yourself to your brothers and sisters regardless of the cost. As for relatives and friends, if you can help, forget it if you can't. For example, your distant relative today, tell him directly that your family is in trouble. That’s all.”

"But where should I put my face? What should I do if his hometown says something about me?" Lu Yao asked.

"What's more important, face or sister-in-law, or Mingming?" Fang Minghua asked rhetorically.

"People should first live for themselves and the people they love. Who cares about anything else?!" Fang Minghua said.

Lu Yao didn't speak anymore, just drank in silence.

"You drink slowly while I go to the toilet."

Fang Minghua stood up, walked to the counter and waved quietly to the boss.

"Comrade, how much is the total?"

"A total of eighty-six cents, four taels of food stamps."

After Fang Minghua pawned the money, he said: "Hurry up and give me some noodles!"

He walked around outside, pretended to go to the toilet and returned. Soon the two of them drank a bottle of wine. The master also brought Qishan noodles, and the two of them started to eat.

After dinner, Lu Yao wanted to pay, but the boss told him that he had already paid.

"Xiao Fang, this is...I told you I was treating you." Lu Yao said.

"Next time, next time, treat me to a big dinner!" Fang Minghua said, and the two of them walked out of the small restaurant.

Fang Minghua sent Lu Yao to the small courtyard where Lu Yao from the Writers Association lived. When he saw the lights on in his room, he said, "I won't go in. Brother Lu, are you okay?"

"It's okay. This little drink is nothing. It's not like you don't know my drinking capacity."

"Will my sister-in-law talk about you?"

"No, just ignore me at most, thank you!" After saying that, he walked home.

Fang Minghua saw him entering the house and then returned to his unit.

After drinking some wine, Fang Minghua did not dare to go back to Tongzilou, fearing that his mother would nag him. Anyway, he stayed at work all day and his parents did not say anything.

Fang Minghua originally didn't plan to say much about Lu Yao today, but since they were both drinking, they talked a bit too much. They tried to persuade him, hoping that he could change some of his ideas. Of course, it's not clear how effective it will be.

New Year's Day is coming soon, and the magazine office is also preparing to decorate the unit with lanterns and decorations to welcome the New Year. Things like hanging lanterns fall on the Security Department.

As a young man from the security department, Fang Minghua has an unshirkable responsibility. No, in the cold wind in the morning, Fang Minghua climbed up the ladder to the pillar at the gate and hung the newly purchased red lantern.

"Brother Minghua, go higher and be level with the lantern on the left." Zhang Baofu, who was standing below, commanded.

At this time, Fang Minghua saw Linda coming on a bicycle and stopped at the door of the magazine to look at him.

"Good morning, sister-in-law." Fang Minghua greeted.

"Good morning, Xiao Fang, you go ahead and finish your work and I'll ask you something." Linda said.

"Okay, wait a moment." Fang Minghua said.

After hanging up the lantern, Fang Minghua got off the ladder and patted the dust on his hands, then walked over and asked, "Sister-in-law, what do you want from me?"

"Tell me this way."

Linda pushed the bicycle for a certain distance, then stopped and said to Fang Minghua: "Xiao Fang, you were drinking with my Lu Yao that day. What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything. I heard him say that he had a few quarrels with you, and I felt unhappy. When I was drinking, I tried to persuade him to put your little family first. If your relatives can take care of you, take care of them. If you can't, just take care of them. Come on, don’t suffer for the sake of saving face, we are not living for others.”

Fang Minghua explained and then asked, "What's wrong? Brother Lu quarreled with you again?"

"No. No wonder he sometimes talks about taking care of the family these days. It's not like he used to be a hands-off shopkeeper. I worry about everything at home, and he even takes the initiative to buy New Year's goods. It turns out you told him."

"I just gave a few words of advice. I guess Brother Lu has figured it out." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"I hope so. Xiao Fang, please find opportunities to talk to him more in the future. He seems to still be able to listen to your words."

"Really? Okay. But, sister-in-law, Brother Lu has such a temper, you have to worry about it sometimes." Fang Minghua took the opportunity to say again.

"Hey Xiaofang, you are trying to persuade both sides. I can't tell that you write well and speak well. I might as well give President Huang a suggestion and transfer you to the Women's Federation to give full play to your strengths." Linda actually started talking. Just kidding.

"No, please don't let me, a big man, work with a bunch of old ladies?" Fang Minghua pretended to be surprised.

"I'm kidding you. You have such a great talent. It's a waste to go to the Women's Federation. Come to my house to play when you have free time. My sister-in-law will cook some dishes for you to try my cooking skills."

"No problem, I'll definitely come."

"Let's go, I'm going to work."

"goodbye!"

Linda got on her bicycle and quickly disappeared into the traffic.

It can be seen that she is in a good mood today, and she is humming a song while riding:

Sweet work, sweet work is infinitely better. Hello,

Sweet songs, sweet songs are flying all over the sky, hello,

Industry and agriculture are moving forward hand in hand,

Our tomorrow is sweeter than honey.

1981 is coming to an end soon. I hope today is a good sign, right?

In 1981, a major event occurred in the literary world. When the famous Chinese writer Mao Dun was on his sickbed, he dictated to his son Wei Tao to write down the will he left to the Secretariat of the Chinese Writers Association:

"Dear comrades, in order to promote the creation of novels, I will donate my royalties of 250,000 yuan to the Writers Association to establish a novel literary and artistic prize fund to reward the best novels every year. To the most noble salute."

Two weeks later, Mr. Mao Dun died. One month and ten days later, the National Writers Association held an enlarged meeting of the presidium to discuss Mao Dun's dying request, and finally decided to establish a national outstanding novel award named after Mao Dun and establish a Mao Dun Literature Prize Committee. Ba Jin served as the chairman. In this year, the Chinese Writers Association began the selection process for the first Mao Dun Literary Award.

This is a big deal.

In this era, literary awards activities are very lively, and people's enthusiasm for those literary awards is beyond imagination.

In this era, there are no text messages or online voting. It all relies on readers to cast their literary votes by mail. It is said that the national outstanding short story selection event received more than 400,000 votes from readers last year (1980)!

You have to buy the eight-cent stamp yourself.

At the first Mao Dun Literature Award, several novels such as "Xu Mao and His Daughters" by Zhou Keqin, "The East" by Wei Wei, and "Furong Town" by Gu Hua became the favorites to win the award.

However, this matter is still far away from Fang Minghua. Tomorrow he will accompany his sister to attend the English Corner.

Thanks to Xinglin Jujing, reader 175470975537889280, book friend 20190723080817552, heart is flying when the wind rises, book friend 20201225071256676, book friend 20230731702_de, Huotianda, lay people can’t exchange for gold, born V passionate and have monthly votes.