Reborn in 1977

After mentioning the first matter related to Chen Fan, He Qingsheng didn't wait for him to exchange polite words before continuing, "The meeting scheduled for the day after tomorrow will discuss the re-establishment of the Jiangnan branch of the National Writers Association, the statistics of old members' information, the recommendation of new members for admission, and voting on these matters.

Like other units that need to be re-established, rebuilding the Writers Association isn't troublesome. You can directly use the original setup.

The voting for new members is also very simple. It depends on the recommender and the works. With your qualifications, you'll pass 100%. So, you just need to know about this. When the meeting agenda comes out, I'll tell you the things to pay attention to, and then just go through the motions.

What's relatively more important is the agenda for the second day's meeting."

Chen Fan's eyes flickered slightly, "What important matters are there?"

He Qingsheng nodded, saying solemnly, "The agenda for the second day is to elect several writer representatives from Jiangnan Province to represent our Jiangnan branch at the National Writers Association re-establishment meeting in the capital in March. At the same time, we need to finalize the outline of the discussion proposals for the meeting."

Chen Fan frowned slightly, "Does the re-establishment of the general association require the participation of branch representatives?"

Shouldn't these things be handled by establishing a preparatory committee, setting up a secretary-general, and then gathering a group of people to solve problems such as venues, institutions, functions, staffing, and benefits?

After that, the work should naturally be handed over to the various branch organizations to handle.

As the branch organizations in each province, they just need to follow the steps of the general association. Why involve representatives?

By the way, the writers associations in each province at this time are not completely independent units. For example, the Jiangnan Province Writers Association is the name after the 1980s. The correct name now should be the Jiangnan Province Branch of the National Writers Association.

Therefore, when people go online to check the establishment time of writers associations in various places in later generations, they are basically relatively late. Provincial-level ones are mostly concentrated in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the writers associations in the cities, districts, and counties below were even established after the new millennium.

In fact, this time refers to the establishment time after the reorganization of the writers associations in various places, and does not include the previous "branch" stage.

If this period of history is also included, almost all regions in the country had literary federations and writers associations in the 1950s, only with different names.

Hearing Chen Fan's question, He Qingsheng didn't answer immediately.

After pondering for a few seconds, he instead raised his head and asked a question, "Do you know what the Writers Association used to do?"

Chen Fan blinked, "The Writers Association, isn't it just a writers' association, managing authors, right?"

He Qingsheng suddenly chuckled, "You are indeed too young. You were probably only a few years old when the Writers Association was disbanded, so it's normal not to know."

Chen Fan was a little curious. Could it be that the Writers Association had some awesome aspects?

He Qingsheng leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Seeing that the water in his cup was almost empty, Chen Fan quickly stood up, picked up the thermos, and refilled it for him. He also poured a little for himself.

He Qingsheng tapped the coffee table twice with his finger, indicating "thanks for the tea." After Chen Fan sat down, he continued, "There are many literary and art institutions in the country, such as the Dancers Association, the Dramatists Association, the Musicians Association, etc. These are all management units for literary and art workers, and these units are also organizational members of the Literary Federation."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, "However, among them, the Writers Association is the most unusual. Not only is it one level higher than other units, but the Writers Association is the only unit that is on an equal footing with the Literary Federation. Moreover, the Writers Association at that time also held enormous power and material conditions.

Higher level, greater power, and more resources created the 'superior' position of the Writers Association compared to other literary and art units.

But in this way, not only did it separate writers from other literary and art workers, but it also made itself a 'sitting duck'!"

After listening to his explanation, Chen Fan vaguely understood why so many military cultural troupes and local art propaganda teams were fine, and even sheltered many people like Jiang Lili.

Only the Writers Association, or rather, the writers, were the most unlucky.

So, the Writers Association of the past was not a service organization, but a management organization!

Think about what the Writers Association does and which way the wind is blowing.

Isn't this just hitting the bullseye!!!

After hearing what He Qingsheng said, Chen Fan also remembered some things about the Writers Association.

The Writers Association in later generations has a very low presence, so low that even the people in the Writers Association themselves are saying that if no one scolds them, most people wouldn't even remember that there is such a unit!

In fact, in the past, at least before the new millennium, the reputation of the Writers Association was not so bad.

So, when did it start to deteriorate?

Not Qian Qian!

But Xiao Ming!

Around 2007, Xiao Ming joined the Writers Association.

Those who knew knew that he had a case that had been judged at the time. And the title of the book related to this case actually appeared grandly on his application form to join the Writers Association.

This is not the key point. The key point is that more than half of the people inside the Writers Association actually supported him.

Wang Meng's sentence, "The Writers Association is not selecting moral models."

Made the opponents feel disheartened and like they were in the cold winter.

Then, the golden signboard fell to the ground, the authority was swept away. Except for occasionally being scolded on hot searches, only a group of online novel authors still wanted to join the Writers Association, but they were openly and secretly blocked by some old guys who were just occupying positions and doing nothing. If you ignore them, they will come to you again, pulling back and forth like this to find a sense of existence.

However, that is in the future.

As for now, and even in the next 20 years, the Writers Association is still the most desirable sacred place for most writers in the country, and the only way for literary and artistic youths to be promoted to authors.

Especially in the 1980s, the magazine "People's Literature" sponsored by the Writers Association was hailed as the crown at the top of literature.

In terms of professional fields, the Writers Association is still a unique behemoth in the domestic literary world, enough to influence the direction of literature. It is still twenty or thirty years away from smashing its own signboard.

Including the current Chen Fan, if he wants to make money by selling articles, he must also lean towards this organization.

Seeing that Chen Fan understood what he meant, He Qingsheng continued, "So, this re-establishment of the Writers Association is very important. After these years of changes, the Writers Association is also reflecting. So, when re-establishing, there are two voices within the association.

One is to restore the original state and manage according to the previous Writers Association's organizational functions. To put it bluntly, it is 'to take back what has been lost'.

However, this idea only represents a part of the people. Another part of the people think that the Writers Association should be like other artists' associations, focusing on art and the artists themselves, and transforming the management organization into a service unit. Only in this way can they do scholarship steadily."

Chen Fan blinked and asked in a low voice, "Editor He, which part are you from?"

He Qingsheng shook his head with a wry smile, "Of course I support the transformation of functions. Those who engage in literature should only engage in literature, follow the banner, and don't participate in other things."

After a pause, he exhaled a long breath, "However, what you think is what you think. What it will eventually look like depends on the decisions of the higher-level leaders."

Chen Fan nodded slowly after listening. That was indeed a big truth.

After a few seconds, he suddenly came back to his senses, "You said this matter is related to me, but I don't feel where it is related to me?!"

He is just a newcomer, he shouldn't be qualified to be a writer representative!

He Qingsheng looked at him sideways and said with a smile, "Since I'm here, of course I have to explain things to you clearly. This time, when selecting writer representatives to go to the capital for a meeting, in addition to veteran members and writers, the higher-level requires that there must be at least one new member…"

Hearing this, Chen Fan immediately understood that he was the "lucky one"!

Before He Qingsheng could finish speaking, he smiled awkwardly, "Editor He, I'm just a pure newcomer. I haven't been writing for a full year yet. I shouldn't be qualified to be a representative."

He Qingsheng waved his hand with a smile, "Hey, you must not underestimate yourself. Although the time you officially published articles is still very short, in terms of achievements, you not only overwhelmingly surpass all other newcomers, but even all the old writers can't match your output.

Moreover, even if you expand this range to the whole country, I don't believe that anyone is more productive than you and can write works of the same quality."

Chen Fan chuckled dryly.

Actually, I just want to make more money.

He Qingsheng was still saying, "As for whether other writers will agree, you don't have to worry at all. As long as you stand there, when I nominate you, I guarantee that no one will object!"

Chen Fan: So, am I awesome or are you awesome?

He Qingsheng, "Not to mention that you have more than a dozen pen names and identities. When I report these pen names, no one will object even more."

Chen Fan immediately said with an embarrassed smile, "There's really no need!"

Mainly, he didn't want to suffer social death.

He Qingsheng looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "You think I'm the only one who can tell that these authors have a consistent writing style?"

Chen Fan coughed dryly and said, "Guessing is always better than confirming."

Seeing his apprehensive expression, He Qingsheng couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "You're quite similar to the old-school writers, using a pen name for each idea. You might even end up 'fighting with yourself' in the future."

Chen Fan understood that the "old-school" he was referring to probably dated back to the Republican era, and the so-called "fighting with yourself" was also a style of some writers from that time.

Using one pen name to discuss current affairs, another to chat about romance, and yet another to write essays for money. If banned, they'd just switch to another one… If they encountered a debate, they'd use several pen names to attack together, turning a one-on-one fight into a gang brawl.

Seeing that he was unwilling to reveal his identity, He Qingsheng assumed he wanted to learn from the older generation, so he smiled and didn't press him further. Then, he said, "Oh, right, I have something else to tell you. Your writing quality and output are both very high. Are you a full-time writer now?"

Chen Fan had just shaken his head when He Qingsheng smiled and said, "It's like this: the Writers' Association has a few positions for full-time writers. Besides receiving稿费 (稿費 gǎofèi, manuscript fees), you can also get a salary.

For example, when the National Writers' Association was first established, its office was located at No. 22 Dongzongbu Hutong in the capital. At that time, there were more than 20 full-time resident writers, including Zhou Libo, Zhang Tianyi, Ai Qing, Bing Xin, Bai Lang, Luo Feng, Ai Wu, and Zhao Shuli.

Their待遇 (dàiyù, treatment; benefits) was very good. The highest, Level 1 in literature and art, had welfare benefits equivalent to Level 9 in administration, but their salary was even higher than the 243 yuan for administrative Level 9, reaching 333.5 yuan. Level 2 in literature and art was equivalent to administrative Level 10, and Level 3 was equivalent to administrative Level 11, and so on."

(Salary table not passing S)

Seeing that Chen Fan seemed quite interested, He Qingsheng continued with a smile, "Although our provincial branch isn't as high-level as the national headquarters, it's not too much lower. If you come to the Writers' Association as a full-time writer, we can set you at Level 6 in literature and art, and you can still get a salary of over 100 yuan.

If you don't want to be a full-time writer, the Writers' Association also has other administrative positions, which involve handling some trivial matters, but if you do well, there's also room for promotion."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "So, what do you think? Are you tempted?"

Chen Fan blinked and chuckled dryly twice, "But I already make more than 100 yuan now."

Adding up his consultant fees from the machinery factory and the cotton mill, plus his technical consultant position at the pottery factory in the 6th team of Lujiawan, his monthly salary was already over 400 yuan, okay? That was higher than some ministerial bigwigs!

Hearing this, He Qingsheng was immediately shocked. He looked at Chen Fan, seemingly unable to believe it, "You clearly said you're only 18 years old. How can your salary be so high?"

No matter the position, you have to start from the bottom. Even college students have to go through an internship before becoming cadres, let alone someone as young as him.

A salary of over 100 yuan already surpassed that of many eighth-grade workers.

Chen Fan smiled shyly, "Although I'm young, I was specially promoted, so I was assessed as a deputy section chief, and the salary level is over 100 yuan."

A proper cadre?

He Qingsheng was even more surprised, "I was just about to ask, which unit are you from?"

Chen Fan's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Editor He, hello. Let me reintroduce myself. I'm the deputy section chief in charge of new technology promotion at the Yunhu Health Department. My main job is to be stationed in the Lujiawan Production Brigade to guide health construction work. I also serve as a health consultant for the Yunhu Machinery Factory and the Yunhu Cotton Mill."

He Qingsheng felt a bit dizzy listening to this, "How did you end up in the health system?"

Chen Fan rubbed his hands, feeling embarrassed, and said, "Mainly because I participated in compiling a medical book in May and June, and I was specially recruited."

"Medical book?"

He Qingsheng squinted his eyes, trying hard to recall if there were any new medical books this year that were worth specially recruiting a deputy section chief.

After a few seconds, he suddenly reacted, widened his eyes, and looked at Chen Fan, "The first aid manual? Chen Fan, the inventor of the Yunhu First Aid Method? Is that you?"

If you were to ask about the major events in the health system this year, other provinces might not know, but in Jiangnan Province, the Yunhu Health Department had launched a big satellite, creating the Yunhu First Aid Method. Moreover, this was different from the sensational chicken blood therapy of the past. It had been verified by doctors to be truly effective, and it was said to have saved dozens of people.

Therefore, led by the Provincial Health Department, a first aid method presentation was conducted in various units throughout the province, explaining various common first aid knowledge in life.

Of course, the most dazzling of them all was definitely the Yunhu First Aid Method.

He Qingsheng was in the literary system, not the news system, so he wasn't very sensitive to these things. Other than hearing that the inventor of this first aid method was called Chen Fan, and being surprised that it shared the same name as the writer Chen Fan at the time, he had put the matter behind him.

But he never expected that it was actually the same person?!

He stared blankly at Chen Fan. After a while, just when Chen Fan was feeling a little uneasy, he suddenly slapped his thigh and sighed, "You've lost out!"

Chen Fan widened his eyes, "Huh?"

He Qingsheng said seriously, "Why not? How many people have been specially promoted based on their skills in recent years? The lesser ones go to provincial units, and the better ones go directly to ministries, and they become cadres, big cadres.

With your contribution, not to mention a small deputy section level, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to promote you to the Provincial Health Department as a deputy director, and even have a chance to be transferred to a ministry after this technology is popularized and saves countless lives.

But a small deputy section just sent you off. Isn't the Yunhu Health Department bullying people? Isn't that a loss?!"

Chen Fan's eyes twitched slightly. Did he have to be so excited? You're not the one who's suffering!

He Qingsheng took a breath, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Chen Fan, "If they don't want you here, there's always somewhere else that will. Come here to me, and I'll get you a proper section chief position. You don't have to do anything else. Just write your novels. Isn't that better than being bullied in the Health Department?!"

Chen Fan's eyes twitched wildly. Which eye saw that I was being bullied?

After a couple of seconds, he touched his head and smiled honestly, "Thank you for your kindness, Editor He, but I really haven't thought about leaving Yunhu."

Not to mention that his previous dream was to lie flat temporarily, and after the world settled down, he would take a few laps around the southeast, northwest, and enjoy life.

And today, after hearing He Qingsheng's words and learning that the Writers' Association was so dangerous, he would be even less likely to wade into this muddy water.

He just wanted to get a membership in the Writers' Association to gild himself, at most, to be a mascot, and go to the capital as a representative to attend meetings. Other than that, he didn't want to get involved in anything else.

He Qingsheng persuaded him a few more times, but Chen Fan's attitude remained firm. He could only give up regretfully, shaking his head and saying, "Alright, you're still young anyway. If you change your mind one day, you can tell me, and I'll handle the transfer for you."

The Writers' Association is the least picky about background. Its members come from all walks of life, including oil workers, steel workers, grassroots farmers, commune members, and, of course, government leaders and government cadres.

Chen Fan, this mascot of the health system, could still become the mascot of the Writers' Association if he came to the Writers' Association.

Why wouldn't he come?

After the matter was discussed, He Qingsheng didn't stay any longer and prepared to get up and leave.

He had already walked to the door when he suddenly turned around, slapped his forehead, "I almost forgot, when will you give me your manuscript? The story of 'Yunhu Love'."

Chen Fan grinned dryly. After saying so much, it was hard for him to remember.

So he said, "The meeting is the day after tomorrow and the day after that, two days. Before the end of the meeting, I will definitely give you the manuscript."

He Qingsheng nodded, then became a little curious, "Such a short time, and you still have to attend meetings. Will you have enough time?"

Chen Fan thought for a while, "Anyway, I will definitely submit the manuscript before I return to Yunhu."

He Qingsheng nodded in satisfaction, "Okay, then I'll wait to read it."

Having received the promise, he left with a slight regret.

The regret was naturally why Chen Fan didn't agree to transfer to his department?

Chen Fan waved to see him off. After he disappeared into the stairwell, he gently closed the door.

So much work, so little money, let whoever wants it have it!