Chapter 486 Assistant

Nan Zhiyi and Lin Yuan discussed the current publishing market and changes in readers' tastes for a while. She took out her notebook and jotted down a few key points.

The discussion has come to an end.

Lin Yuan: "There's something else. The Literature and Art Newspaper and the Literature and Art Department of the radio station would like to invite you for an interview, around the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Would that be convenient for you? We'd mainly talk about your creative experiences and your views on literature in the new era."

He lowered his voice: "It's a great publicity opportunity, especially on the radio, which has a wide reach. You remember Xu Ke, the host from the Arts and Literature Department, we recorded a video together once before?"

Nan Zhiyi pondered for a moment. Xu Ke was indeed professional; he wouldn't ask embarrassing questions.

She didn't mince words and nodded: "Okay, the timing should be fine. You can confirm with the radio station and the newspaper for the specifics."

“Alright! I’ll arrange the specific time and send an editor with you so they can look after you on the way and help out on-site.”

Nan Zhiyi smiled and said, "Great! Editor-in-Chief Lin even assigned me an assistant? That's an improvement in my treatment."

Lin Yuan chuckled and said, half-jokingly, "If it weren't for the fact that I really couldn't leave the company, I would definitely be your assistant myself."

Nan Zhiyi laughed out loud at his words and shook her head: "You really know how to flatter me. If you keep flattering me, I'll get carried away."

Lin Yuan made an exaggerated expression of surprise: "If I don't promote you, who else should I promote? Among all the writers and teachers under my tutelage, you are the one who makes me feel the least troubled and gives me the most face!"

There's some truth to that.

Among the many authors under her wing, Nan Zhiyi is a special one. Not only is she talented and hardworking, but what's even more remarkable is her composed and appropriate demeanor, and her insightful remarks. Clearly, she received an excellent upbringing from a young age, a testament to her family's rich cultural heritage.

He privately felt that anyone who had interacted with Nan Zhiyi would find it hard not to develop a liking for her. She didn't possess the aloofness or eccentricity of some intellectuals, nor did she have the vulgarity of deliberately pandering.

Although Nan Zhiyi couldn't hear Lin Yuan's true feelings, she was amused by his exaggerated tone: "Don't just say these polite things. Let me be clear from the start, if the serialization really goes on hold, you'll have to find a way to help me cover it up."

She said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that since the publisher valued it so highly, Lin Yuan should also shoulder some of the related support and responsibility.

Lin Yuan readily agreed, but in his heart he was actually quite certain that Nan Zhiyi wouldn't give him a chance to back out.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Nan Zhiyi got up to say goodbye.

Lin Yuan made a phone call to the reception desk and hailed a taxi. After hanging up, he called out to the outer room, "Xiao Zhao, come here for a moment!"

A young editor wearing glasses and exuding a scholarly air responded and strode in. "Editor-in-chief, you wanted to see me?"

Lin Yuan introduced, "Comrade Zhiyi, this is Xiao Zhao from our editorial department, Zhao Cheng. In the future, if I'm too busy with any of the company's announcements or errands, he can contact you. He'll also accompany you for this interview so you can get familiar with the process."

Nan Zhiyi smiled and nodded: "Hello, Editor Zhao."

She had met this editor Zhao a few times before when she visited the magazine office, but they hadn't spoken much.

Zhao Cheng's face flushed instantly, and he didn't know where to put his hands. After a moment of hesitation, he finally said, "Hello, Ms. Huaiwei! I'm... I'm a big fan of your books; I've read every single one of them..."

Before Nan Zhiyi could say anything, Lin Yuan patted Zhao Cheng on the shoulder: "Alright, the car is almost here. Give me a hand and take these two packages to the door for Comrade Zhiyi."

Zhao Cheng quickly said "Hey," and he and Lin Yuan each picked up a package and followed Nan Zhiyi to the entrance of the publishing house, where a yellow taxi had just come to a stop.

Zhao Cheng put the things into the trunk and then solicitously opened the car door for Nan Zhiyi.

"Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Lin. Thank you for your trouble, Editor Zhao." Nan Zhiyi got into the car.

"Take care! I'll have Xiao Zhao inform you of the specific time and precautions!" Lin Yuan waved from the steps.

The taxi stopped at the gate of the courtyard. Hearing the noise, Sister Zhang came out of the house to greet them and helped carry the things inside.

As Nan Zhiyi changed her shoes, she asked, "Where's Gu Zhao? Isn't he home?"

"Xiaoman ate two pieces of jujube cake and said she was going to go play with Huzi and the others. This child knows what she's doing. She promised to be back before dark."

Nan Zhiyi nodded, found a pair of scissors, and sat on the living room sofa to start unpacking the package.

The publisher's return gift was more generous than she had expected, including tea, cigarettes, snacks, pens, notebooks, and so on... It seemed that all the writers in the publishing house received the same thing.

In Lin Yuan's package, besides the cured meat he mentioned, there were two jars of jasmine tea with small labels, clearly of the quality of an internal special supply... There were also candies and snacks, and at the bottom was a set of newly published children's books, as well as several literary works that received good feedback last year, including a standalone edition of a literary award-winning novel.

Lin Yuan really put his heart into it.

She asked Sister Zhang to put away the cured meat, tea, milk candy, and other food items into the kitchen and storage room, while she carried books and pens upstairs.

After a quick wash and changing into a comfortable light gray cotton house coat, she sat down on the sofa by the window in the study, pulled out the award-winning novel from the pile of books, and began to read it in the daylight.

Now that she writes more books herself, when she reads other people's works, she approaches it more with a learning attitude.

She would study the pacing of other people's narratives, observe how the characters' dialogues advance the plot, and think about how those touching details were foreshadowed.

Sometimes, when I come across something particularly insightful, I'll stop and think about it for a while, or even jot it down on a sticky note...

It wasn't until it was completely dark and the writing became blurry that she realized how much time had passed. Just as she was about to get up and turn on the light, Gu Zhao's clear voice came from downstairs: "Aunt Zhang, I'm back! Is Mom back?"

"You're back, upstairs," Sister Zhang replied from the kitchen.

Nan Zhiyi casually turned on the floor lamp next to the sofa, and a warm glow spread out.

A moment later, Gu Zhao poked her little head into the study doorway, her face flushed from the cold wind, and held up a pretty tin box with foreign letters printed on it, which she handed to her.

"Mom, look! Honghong gave this to me!"

It is an imported product that is rarely seen on the market.

She asked, somewhat puzzled, "Chen Hong? Isn't she from our compound? Did you run away?"

Shen Hong was Gu Zhao's good friend from kindergarten. The little girl was smart and clever. Her father worked at the municipal party committee and lived not far away, but Shen Hong attended a key primary school outside the compound and did not come to the compound often.