788
A few days later, He Tiantian finally finished reading it.
He Tiantian wanted to make changes, but found that she didn't know how. In the end, she only corrected a few typos and punctuation marks.
Perhaps because He Tiantian had been praising the book so much these past few days, Huo Zhekun was also very curious.
"Sweetie, is it really as good as you say? Why don't you show it to me?" Huo Zhekun said. "I can also give your students some advice."
“Okay!” He Tiantian said with a smile. “However, this is a manuscript, so please be careful when you look at it and don’t damage it.”
Huo Zhekun nodded and said, "Okay!"
Huo Zhekun liked it very much after receiving it and kept looking at it until late at night.
If Jiang Lifang hadn't gotten angry, Huo Zhekun probably would have stayed up all night reading it, which shows how appealing the novel is.
The next morning, Jiang Lifang asked, "Tiantian, that book is so good, your father-in-law read it until midnight last night. If I hadn't gotten angry, he probably would have read it all. He's getting old, and if he doesn't sleep, his dark circles are really noticeable."
Huo Zhekun, who was eating breakfast across from him, looked a little embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, saying, "It's been a long time since I've seen you like this! You see, I usually just relax by reading documents, so please don't say anything to me. I won't stay up late anymore."
"That's more like it." Jiang Lifang stopped there; she couldn't keep mocking her husband in front of her daughter-in-law.
"Dad, do you also think this book is good?" He Tiantian asked, wanting to hear Huo Zhekun's opinion.
Huo Zhekun nodded and said, "Hmm, very good, excellent. The plot is intricately woven, the characters are vivid, better than any novel I've read before. By the way, who wrote this?"
“One of my students is from my class,” He Tiantian said proudly. “Our class has a writing activity, and many students are writing in their spare time. Several of their works have already been published in newspapers and magazines.”
“That’s right,” Huo Zhekun said. “Cultural fields have become more open now. Although it’s not as diverse as during the Spring and Autumn Period, many excellent works have emerged, enriching the cultural market.”
“Yes, that’s what I think too,” He Tiantian said. “So many outstanding people can’t all become officials; some of them also need to pursue cultural endeavors. By the way, Dad, do you think it’s okay for me to send this book to Hong Kong to submit it for publication?”
Huo Zhekun thought for a moment and said, "Well, there aren't any newspapers or magazines in China that publish this kind of novel right now. Submitting it to Hong Kong is a good idea. Why not give it a try? Maybe it'll get published!"
"That's what I think too," He Tiantian said with a smile. It was He Tiantian's first time being a proper homeroom teacher, and she hoped that the students in her class could give full play to their strengths and have a broader space for development in the future.
Having received affirmation from her father-in-law, He Tiantian began to get things done.
These manuscripts were all handwritten by Tang Ping'an, stroke by stroke. He Tiantian couldn't bear to mail them out, so she went to the library to make copies.
He Tiantian roughly calculated that this stack of martial arts novels, totaling 100,000 words, had only one-third of its content written. The handwriting was neat, so it was ready for submission.
He Tiantian went to the library, spent five yuan to photocopy the stack of manuscripts, and then neatly bound them.
He Tiantian called Tang Ping'an to her office and said, "Tang Ping'an, this is your manuscript. Take it back first. I've already read it, and it's very well written. You should continue with the rest of the writing."
When Tang Ping'an heard He Tiantian tell him to take the manuscript back, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, thinking that he hadn't written it well enough to submit it.
So, dejected, he stood aside.
He Tiantian then asked, "By the way, what pen name are you planning to use?"
"Pen name?" Tang Ping'an was taken aback. If you can't even submit articles, what's the point of having a pen name?
“Yes, I’ll be submitting your work through some channels, but I usually use a pseudonym. You should think of a cool pseudonym too,” He Tiantian said with a smile. “Don’t rush, you have three days to think about it.”
"Huh?" Happiness came too fast for Tang Ping'an to handle. "Teacher, didn't you return the manuscript to me? So what are you going to use to submit it?"
He Tiantian smiled and said, "This is your manuscript. How can you submit something so precious? Besides, you should keep a copy for yourself, just in case. Also, if you become a great writer in the future, these things will be priceless. They might even fetch a high price at auction. Take the manuscript back and keep it safe. I have a photocopy here, take a look."
He Tiantian took out the photocopies that had already been ordered, and they were neat and tidy.
Tang Ping'an was deeply moved when he heard He Tiantian say that, and tears almost welled up in his eyes.
Back home, my parents always said he wrote random things that might bring trouble to the family; relatives and friends also said he was indulging in wishful thinking.
Almost no one had a good opinion of him.
But after entering university, he met a good teacher.
We care for them in their daily lives and guide them in their studies.
He Tiantian may not be a teacher with extensive knowledge, but she is definitely a good teacher who is good at broadening students' thinking and encouraging them.
There are many knowledgeable teachers, but very few who have an open mind like Teacher He.
"Thank you, Teacher He," Tang Ping'an said, bowing to He Tiantian.
"You're welcome." He Tiantian smiled. "When I returned the manuscript to you earlier, you were very disappointed and sad, as if you had lost all hope. Your state of mind worried me. When it comes to submitting a manuscript, no one knows whether it will be published. If it fails, I hope you will become more resilient in the face of setbacks, rather than becoming discouraged. You are still young, and having such a strong sense of gain and loss will have a negative impact on you. As your teacher who gave you advice, I will also feel guilty."
Tang Ping'an wiped away his tears and said, "Teacher He, don't worry. I was disappointed just now, but I won't be discouraged."
Even so as not to make his teacher feel guilty, he could not be listless.
Just like the teacher said, the more setbacks you encounter, the more courage you will become.
"Okay, good luck, young man," He Tiantian said with a smile. "Go back first, and come back to me when you've made up your mind."
"Okay, goodbye, Teacher He." Tang Ping'an bowed respectfully and left.
After Tang Ping'an left, Teacher Wu, who worked in the same office, asked with a smile, "Teacher He, are you really submitting your student's work? Sending it to Hong Kong must cost a lot of money, and there's no one there, so I doubt anyone will even read it."
He Tiantian smiled and said, "The point is to try. They are my students and they are very talented. I can help them if I have the ability, so I will do my best. As for the money, it didn't cost much. I have relatives in Hong Kong. When my family sends things to her, they also send this manuscript to her so that she can submit it for publication."
Upon hearing this, Teacher Wu was filled with envy, saying, "I really envy He Tiantian; you have so many overseas connections." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com