Chapter 41 Welcome Party

At No. 675 Julu Road, Gao Jialin stood outside the door, drooling at the yard. He wanted to buy it!

In 1926, Liu Jisheng, a famous industrial tycoon in Shanghai, bought this piece of land and invited Hungarian Hudec to design this garden house. It cost 200,000 silver dollars to build it as a birthday gift for his childhood sweetheart Chen Dingzhen on her 40th birthday.

Therefore, this villa is also called Eros Garden, which can be regarded as a classic of old villas in Shanghai. Gao Jialin was naturally envious when he saw it.

Unfortunately, no matter how rich he was, he could not buy this place, because after liberation, it was nationalized and became the office of the Shanghai Writers Association. The editorial offices of magazines such as "Harvest", "Shanghai Literature", "Sprout", "Haishang Literature", and "Shanghai Culture" are all here.

This is why he chose to submit his manuscript to "Mengya". He can just take the bus to get here, and discussing the revisions with the editor saves the time of correspondence, so he can get the manuscript approved and paid earlier.

He walked over, took out his manuscript and student ID, explained his purpose, and the guard let him in. He also pointed out the floor and room of the "Mengya" editorial office. He had seen many authors who submitted their manuscripts on their own initiative, so he handled the matter according to the usual practice.

Fortunately, he didn't know what Gao Jialin was thinking just now, otherwise he would definitely pick up the broom and chase him out, and even scold him for being stupid.

When you go inside, you will see a two-and-a-half-story building. Walk along the path inside and you will arrive at the lobby with a black and white checkerboard marble floor. Follow the doorman's instructions to find the editorial office of "Mengya".

The door of the editorial office was half open. Several editors were talking enthusiastically about the latest manuscripts they had received. They didn't notice anyone coming to the door. They turned around when they heard the knock on the door. "Who are you looking for?"

"Hello, teachers. My name is Gao Jialin, and I'm here to submit an article!" Gao Jialin answered politely.

"Oh, hello, hello, please come in!" The Sprout also inherited Lu Xun's tradition of enthusiasm for young authors. Someone immediately came over to take the manuscript from him, invited him to sit down, and even poured him water. "Would you like tea or coffee?"

Wow, this is Shanghai after all. Nowadays, people are treating authors to coffee?

"Haha, I'm not from the editorial department. I love drinking coffee myself. If you like it, I'll give it to you to try! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Niu Xinliang, and I'm the editor of Sprout!"

Wow, this is a great surname, most suitable for being an editor. Everyone will call you "Niubian" when you go out, so cool.

"Hello, Teacher Niu. I'm not thirsty, so I won't bother you!" Gao Jialin was tactful enough not to call Editor Niu.

"No trouble, no trouble. Good things should be shared with everyone. Just sit down and it will be ready soon!" Niu Xinliang took out a fine coffee cup, poured it and handed it to Gao Jialin expectantly, "How about trying it?"

"Thank you, Mr. Niu." Gao Jialin took a sip, frowned slightly, and soon relaxed. "It was a little bitter at first, but slowly I could smell a unique fragrance!"

"See, I told you this is good stuff, but you guys didn't know what's good for you. The little comrade tasted it right away!" Niu Xinliang was so happy that he slapped his thigh. It was a very happy thing for something he liked to be recognized by others.

Gao Jialin glanced at his clothes. The style was good, but the cuffs and collar were worn and turned a little white. He probably saved a lot of money on his coffee.

After this little episode, Niu Xinliang liked Gao Jialin even more. He immediately picked up the manuscript and started reading it. Before he even turned the first page, he was attracted by the beginning of "Goose Father". "This picture is so vivid!"

"Oh? What's it about? Let me see it, too?" Upon hearing this, the editor next to him came over. After taking a few glances, he immediately gasped, "The visuals are really strong! Such a young writer has such a good writing style. Is our "Mengya" going to meet the second Peng Jianming?"

Peng Jianming is a writer from Hunan. Last year, he published the short story "That Mountain, That Dog, That Man" in "Mengya", and won the National Short Story Award. More than ten years later, the novel was adapted into a movie, won the Golden Rooster Award, and achieved impressive box office in Japan.

Literary magazines are supported by good works. The one that can publish more good works will have a greater influence. Now that they see such a stunning beginning, their expectations are immediately raised to the maximum.

As he continued reading, Zhong Yuemin, Yu Shanqing, Tian Xiaoxia and other distinctive characters emerged one after another, making Niu Xinliang forget that the author was still sitting opposite him. It was not until he finished a cup of coffee that he realized, "Sorry, sorry, I was so engrossed in reading!"

"Can I take this as a compliment?" Gao Jialin was not angry at all. The fact that he was so engrossed in reading proved that his manuscript was good.

"Haha, it's a compliment, it's a compliment! First of all, the subject matter of your manuscript is novel. It has been six or seven years since the college entrance examination was resumed, but there are not many excellent works that reflect the lives of contemporary college students! Today I finally found one."

"Secondly, your writing is very vivid and the characters are vividly portrayed. You can describe the characters' personalities with just a few strokes! As far as I can see, the college students who appear in the story all have their own characteristics, which makes people remember them immediately! It's amazing!"

"Does my manuscript meet the requirements for publication?" Gao Jialin just wanted to know whether he could get the royalties.

"Well, from the current point of view, it should be possible, but whether it can be published depends on whether the quality can be maintained consistently in the future, and it must pass the review of the editor-in-chief! You are a local of Shanghai, right?" Niu Xinliang touched the thickness of the manuscript, "I definitely can't finish reading it today, the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, so wait until Monday afternoon, come over and we can have a good chat!"

"Oh, by the way, do you have a phone number near your workplace or home? If so, leave one for me. I can notify you in time if I finish reading it in advance!"

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

"I'm studying in Pujiang University. There is a public telephone downstairs in the dormitory building. You can dial this number to find me!" Gao Jialin wrote down a string of numbers. Fortunately, he was in Shanghai, where telephones were more widely used. It might not be so convenient in other cities.

Niu Xinliang suddenly realized, "I think you must be a college student, otherwise you can't write such a work! Okay, I'll make a note and contact you as soon as I have news! You should also pay more attention in the next two days."

After chatting for a while about the process of writing this novel, Gao Jialin said goodbye and left.

After getting on the bus and wandering for nearly two hours, they finally got back to school. As soon as they entered the dormitory, Ma Chuanjie hurriedly dragged him out, "You're finally back. The student union just notified us to go to a meeting to discuss the welcome party. Let's go quickly and don't be late."

(End of this chapter)