Reborn in 1977

Chapter 672: Teacher, are you in?

Chen Fan rowed the oars, and the small boat slowly approached the dock, perfectly aligned without a single shake.

He first tied the cable, then picked up his bamboo hat and raincoat and walked onto the trestle bridge before asking, "Did they say when they would arrive?"

He Qingsheng and the other two also hurried ashore, staring eagerly at Bian Huifang.

Just now, they were discussing that after opening up communication channels with the Japanese, the next step would be to establish communication channels with the Americans.

What they wanted was not a purely academic exchange channel like the International Writing Program, but one that, like Takahashi Publishing House, could export culture and generate foreign exchange.

And this task, without a doubt, could only fall on Chen Fan's shoulders. As long as they could get in touch with his uncle, they wouldn't have to worry about not having the opportunity to cooperate?!

Unexpectedly, before Chen Fan could contact him, Bian Huifang came to deliver the message.

Being stared at by three pairs of fiery eyes, Bian Huifang was not nervous.

Since following Director Chen, she had seen many such gazes and was not fazed by them.

Well, although he is now Vice Chairman and Deputy Director, she has decided to follow the leader to the end. Chen Fan's main job is to lead the External Liaison Department, and he also holds the position of Director of the External Liaison Department. If she stays, she will definitely work in the External Liaison Department, so calling him Director Chen is perfectly fine.

Hearing Chen Fan's question, Bian Huifang immediately said, "It was Director Qi's secretary, Sister Gao, who personally came to inform us. I asked her carefully, and she said that Mr. Zhou arrived in Beijing yesterday and contacted us through official channels. This morning, Sister Gao came to the office."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the four leaders in front of her.

The meaning was obvious: the leaders were not around, so she, a nobody, could only receive them and then come to find someone.

Xu Qizhen coughed dryly, "We were on the boat all morning for a meeting and made a preliminary decision to increase the staff of the External Liaison Department. When the Personnel Department recruits people, you have to guide them more."

Bian Huifang said "Oh" and her eyes unconsciously glanced at the small boat.

If it weren't for the smell of vegetables in the cabin and the four people's reeking of alcohol, she would have believed it.

However, this matter was better left unsaid, so she immediately cheered up and continued, "According to Sister Gao, the people in Beijing said that Mr. Zhou's itinerary is very tight this time, and he may not have time to come over. If it is convenient for you, Director, it is best to go to Beijing to meet Mr. Zhou."

Chen Fan had just been thinking that according to the normal itinerary, from the United States to China, he would need to transit in Tokyo, and the plane back from Tokyo would stop in Shanghai.

He had already sent a telegram to inform them that the house in Shanghai had been renovated and was ready to move in at any time, but he didn't stop in Shanghai and went directly to Beijing.

Also, it wasn't him contacting himself, but contacting through relevant units. As for why it was the Department of Culture, it was because the Writers Association was currently under the management of the Department of Culture, unlike the future when it would be under the Propaganda Department, so they conveyed through the Provincial Department of Culture, which fully complied with the work process.

So now it can be determined that Zhou Zhengdong's visit to China this time must be for official business, and very important matters, even not to be contacted casually.

Thinking of the current time, Chen Fan suddenly understood what he was doing.

It's just that he had new doubts in his mind, why would he get involved? It doesn't make sense.

After Bian Huifang finished speaking, he came back to his senses and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand."

He Qingsheng immediately said from the side, "Don't just say you understand and be done with it. This is such a good opportunity. Didn't you say just now…"

Chen Fan waved his hand to interrupt him, and chuckled, "Uncle He, you don't want to be blowing the cold wind by the lake, do you?"

Hearing this, Xu Qizhen immediately cooperated, shivering and walking towards Chen Fan's house in small steps, "Let's go inside, let's go inside."

The others immediately followed behind.

At the door of the house, Chen Fan hung the bamboo hat and raincoat on the outer wall, stomped his feet, changed into a pair of cotton shoes at the door, and then walked in.

As for the others, they had already changed their shoes and entered the door.

Tan Yong was still complaining, "You're really particular, changing shoes when you enter the house."

Chen Fan closed the door, shutting out the cold wind, and then turned on the light before saying, "Changing shoes can maintain hygiene and save you from having to mop the floor all day long."

Then he looked up, good heavens, without anyone telling them, He Qingsheng and Tan Yong were sitting on the Arhat bed on the left and right, leaning against the bed table, looking lazy, not treating themselves as guests at all.

Xu Qizhen was sitting on the other side, pulling over the electric heater and turning it on, as close as if she was grilling.

Fortunately, Bian Huifang was able to find her place, busy pouring tea and water.

However, who asked her to bring out the fruit plate too?

Chen Fan could only sit next to Xu Qizhen, watching He Qingsheng eat melon seeds, "Since you want me to go, then I'll go to Beijing in a couple of days. But let's make it clear first, my uncle has already given the publishing house to my cousin. He basically doesn't care about the publishing house's affairs now, so talking to him won't be of much use."

This wasn't him deliberately shirking responsibility, but the truth. Apart from Chen Fan's own works, Zhou Zhengdong didn't ask about the publishing house's work at all, leaving it all to Zhou Yali to handle.

For this kind of "small matter" of connecting with the Provincial Writers Association, he would definitely let Zhou Yali handle it. This was a rare opportunity to train her, and besides, Chen Fan was here to keep an eye on things, so how could he let it go easily.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, He Qingsheng was stunned for a moment, then pondered for two seconds and said, "It's okay, whether it's your uncle or your sister, just get in touch with them, explain the situation clearly, and we'll arrange someone to follow up."

At the same time, he was also complaining in his heart. He had also met Chen Fan's cousin in the first half of the year, and she was clearly just a student, but her family had given her such an important publishing house to practice with. As expected of a big capitalist who even provincial leaders had to come forward for, they simply didn't treat money as money.

Speaking of which, Zhou Yali really doesn't seem to treat money as money now. The first part of "The Legend of the Dragon Knight" has already sold more than two million copies, and has also opened up sales channels in Europe, looking for printing partners locally. This number will continue to grow.

If a book is not discounted, the publishing house can recover about half of the funds, including the author's royalties. And the total selling price of this set of books is 8 US dollars, and it has already recovered nearly 10 million US dollars. As the European market expands, this number will continue to increase.

With so much money, she is of course rich and powerful, so what is a mere publishing house.

Chen Fan took out a cigarette and lit it, ignoring He Qingsheng and the others, and said with a smile, "Okay, since that's the case, then I'll buy a plane ticket for the day after tomorrow."

At this time, Tan Yong said, "Isn't there a flight this afternoon? There's still time to go now."

He Qingsheng also nodded repeatedly, "Or tomorrow is fine, will the day after tomorrow be too late?"

Chen Fan couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Uncle Tan, you are really a good cadre who is wholeheartedly for the public. It's not you who's going on a business trip, is it? You're not even giving me any time to prepare."

After a pause, he added, "There's a reason for leaving the day after tomorrow. The teacher assigned me homework and asked me to hand it in before the end of the month. I don't know when I'll be back after this trip, so I can only hand in my homework first before I can leave."

Speaking of which, he had been running around everywhere this semester and hadn't even handed in a single assignment. If it weren't for the last time he came up with a promising new topic and fooled the teacher, the consequences would have been serious!

If he's not careful, the homework will be doubled!

Hearing him say this, He Qingsheng and Tan Yong were silent. They were senior, but Professor Xu was even more senior, and his academic status was even higher. When faced with this kind of thing, what else could they say other than, "It is the duty of students to hand in their homework"?!

The few of them chatted for a while, and Chen Fan drove them out.

Then he closed the door, turned off the electric heater, lit the fire kang, moved the computer to the kang table, and frantically typed on the computer.

According to the topic he proposed himself, the paper should be approached from the perspective of national treasures, delve into the social culture of the corresponding period in ancient times, and then come out from the perspective of culture, or rather literature, to draw a certain conclusion.

Originally, the first national treasure in the first season of "If National Treasures Could Talk" was a human-headed pot from the matriarchal society period.

Chen Fan certainly wouldn't choose this hell-level difficulty right away. He chose a relatively simple one, which was the first national treasure that Curator Zhang took him to see when he went to the museum to study, the bronze tripod.

Bronze tripods basically have one thing in common, that is, there are inscriptions inside the tripod body. These inscriptions are divided into two types, cast inscriptions and engraved inscriptions, and are also known as "Jinwen".

Writing is the source of culture, and naturally the foundation of literature. Starting from Jinwen, and then exploring the social customs, etiquette, and cultural foundations of the time, is of great significance.

At the same time, it is also very easy to write.

Chen Fan didn't even need to look up information. The entire bronze tripod, and the relevant information and classics of the Western Zhou Dynasty at that time, appeared in his mind, and then, through the constant tapping of his fingers, turned into lines of text on the computer screen.

There weren't many classic works during the Western Zhou Dynasty, only a few such as the "Classic of Poetry," "Classic of Documents," and "Classic of Changes," but they are the origin of Chinese civilization, and there's plenty to write about.

Moreover, Professor Xu has a deep understanding of both the "Classic of Documents" and the "Classic of Changes." Last semester, he took classes with Professor Xu, enjoying one-on-one service, and Professor Xu's academic achievements naturally became his resources.

Combining this with other works he had read and his own thoughts, he unknowingly created a paper, "Tracing the Source of Culture from Bronzeware."

By the time he finished writing the paper, the sky outside had already darkened.

Even the heated kang beneath his buttocks wasn't as warm as before.

Unknowingly, another day had passed.

Chen Fan quickly reheated the kang, casually made a bowl of seafood and meat mixed fried sauce noodles, slurped them down, and went to bed.

…

The next morning, he took the printed paper to school.

In Professor Xu's office, Chen Fan sat obediently in front of the desk, staring at his teacher checking his homework.

Well, not one teacher, but three teachers.

Coincidentally, the two old gentlemen, Liu Dengzhuo and Xi Tianping, were also there. The three elders of Jiang University had gathered again.

After a long while, Professor Xu finally looked up, handed the manuscript to Xi Tianping, and looked at Chen Fan with a smile, "The data is detailed, the arguments are well-founded, and the content is very exciting. You must have spent a lot of time on it."

Chen Fan "ah"ed, nodded with a sincere face, "From the moment the teacher assigned the task, I was thinking about how to write this paper. When I was learning from Curator Zhang at the museum, I was also sorting out the data simultaneously, working until midnight every day. Then I started writing, even brainstorming during unit meetings, and finally finished it late last night."

Professor Xu nodded with satisfaction, "I can see that you put your heart into it."

After a pause, he added, "Actually, there's no need to rush. The deadline I set for you is before the end of the semester. There's still time. Although you are young and healthy, you still need to combine work and rest."

Hearing his teacher's caring words, Chen Fan felt a little embarrassed, rubbed his hands, and said softly, "The main thing is that there are many things to do at work. My main work has shifted from the correspondence center and the Literary Youth magazine to the Foreign Affairs Department.

I'm going on a business trip to the capital tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be back, so I wanted to finish the assignment as soon as possible, so as to get it off my mind."

Professor Xu nodded in understanding, "So that's how it is."

Then he looked at him and asked, "Are you very busy with work?"

Chen Fan smiled shyly, "It's okay. The main thing is that the beginning is difficult. Once the channels for foreign exchanges are established, the follow-up will be easier."

Professor Xu nodded and said, "That's right, everything is difficult at the beginning. It's the same with anything."

He smiled at Chen Fan again, "You must also strike a good balance between studying and working. If you are really too busy, you can tell me directly.

Your learning progress is already very advanced, so it's okay to slow down for a few days."

Chen Fan nodded seriously, "Understood, thank you, teacher."

Professor Xu smiled, didn't say anything more, but turned to look at the two people next to him, "Haven't finished reading yet?"

Xi Tianping raised his head first, "I've finished reading it, but there are some things inside that can still be carefully pondered."

Hearing this, a smile couldn't help but appear on Chen Fan's face.

Professor Xi is as famous as his teacher. For him to say the words "carefully pondered," this paper is enough to be rated as excellent.

What's more, there is also the old gentleman Liu Dengzhuo, who hasn't said a word yet.

After a while, Liu Dengzhuo put the manuscript on the table, exhaled a long breath, and said with emotion, "The younger generation is to be feared."

He turned to look at Professor Xu and said with a smile, "Old Xu, this paper starts from a completely new perspective, cutting from objects to history, and then drawing out the cultural context from history. Many of the viewpoints inside can be said to draw on the strengths of many schools of thought, not only containing your academic insights, the research results of the two of us, but also the viewpoints and content of other scholars.

The most commendable thing is that, in addition to these, he can also come up with his own unique ideas and express new ideas, thinking about what predecessors have not thought of…"

Speaking of this, he turned to look at Chen Fan, then turned back and smiled, "Based on this paper alone, if it were in the past, a full doctoral degree could be awarded."

Before the education system reform, China studied the Soviet degree system for a period of time. After graduating from a 5-year university, one could apply for an "Expert Degree" after passing the assessment, which was equivalent to a bachelor's degree, but the standard was slightly higher.

After that, after passing the exam or being recommended, and then studying for about 3 years, one could obtain a Deputy Doctoral Degree, also called a Doctor of Science Degree, which is equivalent to a master's degree.

After the Deputy Doctoral Degree, there is the Full Doctoral Degree, which is equivalent to a doctorate. After the Full Doctoral Degree, there is also a Regular Doctorate, which is equivalent to a postdoctoral degree.

Professor Liu said that Chen Fan could be awarded a Full Doctoral Degree, meaning that his paper could be directly awarded a doctoral degree without the need for a master's degree transition.

Unfortunately, the degree system has not yet been restored, and we have to wait a while.

Hearing Professor Liu's approval, Chen Fan naturally couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth upwards.

Professor Xu looked at the two old partners and said with a smile, "Then what do you think of my proposal the day before yesterday?"

Liu Dengzhuo and Xi Tianping turned to look at Chen Fan together, and then nodded in unison, "I think it's possible."

Chen Fan was a little confused. What kind of charade were they playing?

Professor Xu smiled, looked at him, and said, "Previously, there were calls in the education system that, given the current serious mismatch between the number of schools and the number of people who want to go to university, many excellent students are not getting the opportunity to continue their studies at university, wasting a lot of talent.

Therefore, many professors hope to be able to restore and add a batch of universities, and the three of us have also signed our names. Now this proposal has been submitted to Xiyuan, and if there are no accidents, it will be approved within this month.

But universities are not so easy to establish. Each new university requires multiple universities to provide teaching staff assistance. In this way, there are not enough qualified teachers.

At the school meeting the day before yesterday, this issue was also raised. At that time, our school will definitely have to send a batch of teachers, so there will also be a shortage of our own teachers…"

Hearing this, Chen Fan's little heart was pounding, and his pupils couldn't help but dilate.

Could it be what I'm thinking?

Then he heard Professor Xu continue to say, "At that time, I proposed that a group of people could be selected from outstanding students to stay at the school as teachers, and the most outstanding student in the Chinese department of the whole school is undoubtedly you, so I proposed considering staying at the school as a part-time lecturer."

After a pause, he smiled again, "Of course, if you are willing to leave the Writers Association, I can arrange for the school to issue a transfer letter to transfer you over. You are now the vice chairman of the Provincial Writers Association, and the school can also give you a corresponding level, so you won't suffer. What do you think?"

Chen Fan opened his mouth wide, somewhat unable to close it.

The school is short of teachers, so they want to transfer me over?

Oh my god, did I hear correctly?

People who travel back in time are working hard to get into university, and then making friends to build connections, preparing for future development. But I'm going to be a teacher at a university? A deputy director-level position can at least be exchanged for an associate professor, right?

If I'm lucky, I might be able to exchange it for a full professor, level four or three.

Is this difference a bit too big?

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xi Tianping said from the side, "Originally, the school leaders also wanted to conduct an assessment on you and entrusted this task to me and Old Liu.

However, based on your current paper and the new topic you proposed before of interpreting culture from the perspective of national treasures, Old Liu and I both believe that you have the knowledge and academic qualifications that a university teacher should have.

So, from an academic point of view, you don't need to have any ideological burden. If we think you can, you definitely can."

Liu Dengzhuo and Professor Xu also nodded in unison.

After a long while, Chen Fan "uh"ed, exhaled a long breath, and said with a dazed expression, "Can you let me think about it?"

Professor Xu smiled and said, "There's no rush. Even if we want to add new schools, it's a matter for the second half of next year. You have plenty of time to consider."

After a pause, he smiled again, "Actually, with your conditions, it's better to work at the school, and it won't affect your position in the Writers Association at the same time. Writers Association members themselves come from all walks of life. As long as you are not responsible for specific affairs, being a teacher and the vice chairman of the Writers Association are not in conflict."

Chen Fan smiled awkwardly and said, "Thank you, teacher. I will consider it carefully."