Chapter 170 A good work that cleanses people’s hearts
Since Lin Weimin came in, the reception hall has become more and more lively.
In addition to the award-winning writers, those attending the award ceremony today include the editors of their respective award-winning works, as well as the editors-in-chief of the publications. These editors can't wait to introduce the outstanding writers cultivated by the publications to their experienced predecessors.
This kind of introduction is completely different from the circles in later generations. Whether it is the editor-in-chief or the responsible editor, no one is seeking fame or profit, but just to give young people a chance.
Lin Weimin is from the Guowen Society. With Wei Junyi's introduction, he has become familiar with almost all the bigwigs present.
As he was greeting, he saw Huang Anyi walking in with two middle-aged men.
Wei Junyi asked quietly: "Weimin, I remember that your "A Penny Matter" was published in "Zhongshan" right?"
"Yes." Lin Weimin didn't know what Wei Junyi meant by asking this.
She gestured to Lin Weimin and walked towards the two middle-aged men who came in with Huang Anyi.
When she got closer, Wei Junyi greeted her, "Teacher Hai Xiao, Zhao Huai!"
"Comrade Junyi!"
The two sides were obviously old acquaintances. Wei Junyi pointed at Lin Weimin and said, "Let me introduce you. This is Comrade Lin Weimin. His debut work was published in your Zhongshan."
Lin Weimin then understood why Wei Junyi brought him here. He extended his hands enthusiastically and shook hands with Hai Xiao and Yu Zhaohuai respectively.
"Oh, Teacher Yu, I finally meet you!"
Lin Weimin was grateful to Yu Zhaohuai, his mentor, and was also grateful to Zhongshan, the magazine that first published his works.
After a few pleasantries, Yu Zhaohuai couldn't help but mention the commission he had made from Lin Weimin some time ago. Everyone around him burst into laughter when they heard that Lin Weimin had turned the short story he had promised to Yu Zhaohuai into a long novel, making him wait for half a year.
It didn't take long for the story to spread throughout the reception hall and became a topic of conversation. It was also expected to continue to circulate in the domestic literary world for some time to come.
Lin Weimin tried his best to invite Hai Xiao and Yu Zhaohuai to have dinner together in the evening, but the two politely declined because they had something to do. After a few more words, they took Huang Anyi to meet Ba Lao.
"Flowing", which won the Outstanding Novella Award this time, was published in "Zhongshan", which is also the reason why she appeared behind Hai Xiao and Yu Zhaohuai.
As a Shanghai native, Huang Anyi had an innate advantage in the reception hall because Ba Lao was there.
After a round of greetings, Wei Junyi got to know everyone she needed to know, and took Lin Weimin out of the reception hall.
It was already noon when Lin Weimin came out of the important state meeting place. He was hungry and couldn't help complaining in his heart that they didn't even treat him to a meal. It was really too frugal!
Wei Junyi had to go to work in the afternoon, so she went back to the Chinese Literature Society first.
Lin Weimin stayed where he was and waited for a few old friends. First, Qin Chaoyang brought Lu Yao out, and then Jin Ying, Huang Anyi and Jiang Zilong.
We just got together yesterday, and everyone has a party tonight. Several people plan to leave Yanjing tomorrow.
I can’t send you off any further, so I can only say goodbye here.
After waving goodbye to a few classmates, Lin Weimin was left with only Qin Chaoyang and Lu Yao.
Lu Yao pulled Lin Weimin aside and started talking about business.
"I want to advance you my royalties. I don't have any money left for the trip back home."
Lin Weimin was surprised and asked, "You have no money?"
Last year, Lu Yao published two novellas, "In Difficult Days" and "Life". The royalties for "Life" alone were 1,300 yuan, and the two novellas combined were at least 2,000 yuan. Now they are asking him for an advance on his royalties?
Lu Yao said embarrassedly: "I've been spending a lot recently."
Lin Weimin thought to himself that this is a little too big.
More than 2,000 yuan is enough for an average family in this era to save for ten years, but this guy spent it all in less than a year.
Not to mention the royalties, Lu Yao's salary is actually not low in this era, it's 66 yuan.
Lin Weimin looked up and down at Lu Yao's clothes, which were washed so white that they looked bleached, and felt a little impressed by him.
How did you manage to spend so much money but not see any results?
In fact, Lin Weimin also understood Lu Yao, and he basically spent money generously even though he was poor.
He is a heavy smoker, smoking more than two packs a day, and he never gives in. He only smokes good quality cigarettes.
During this visit to Yanjing, Lin Weimin discovered that he liked drinking coffee, the kind of "three-in-one" instant coffee in bags.
Even though this thing seems cheap in later generations, it is still very expensive these days.
Another thing is eating. Lin Weimin had recently heard from people on the third floor that Lu Yao often took people to the coffee shops in Yanjing City to eat Western breakfast. At this time, there were very few coffee shops, so eating breakfast in a coffee shop was of course a high-cost option. A breakfast for two people would cost nearly ten yuan.
"Can't you spend more frugally?" Lin Weimin advised.
Lu Yao brought out his perverse theories again, "Weimin, you don't understand. For people like us, our biggest enemy is our own contempt for ourselves. I need an extra level of publicity to offset my extra inferiority complex."
Lin Weimin was completely helpless and said, "Don't ask for an advance on the royalties. It's too troublesome. I'll lend you two thousand yuan first. Anyway, the royalties for Life will be paid soon, and I'll deduct the money directly when the time comes."
Lu Yao said happily: "No problem, it's still for the people to be happy!"
"What the hell are you talking about! I'm telling you, don't just think about your own happiness, don't forget your sister-in-law and niece at home."
"Don't worry, every time I get paid for my articles, I always leave them some living expenses."
Lin Weimin took Lu Yao to the bank and withdrew two thousand yuan for him.
The grand National Excellent Short and Medium Story Awards Conference was over. Lin Weimin had nothing to do that afternoon. He had taken a day off anyway and did not plan to go to work. He rode his motorcycle to No. 26 Lama Temple Street.
In late March, the cold winter in Yanjing was still struggling, but in this small courtyard surrounded by trees, spring had already moved in.
After escaping the hustle and bustle of the award ceremony and entering the courtyard, Lin Weimin felt relaxed by the quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
"Tiesheng! Tiesheng!"
Shi Tiesheng slowly pushed open the door in his wheelchair.
Lin Weimin said: "The weather is so nice, don't stay indoors, go out to the yard for a walk."
As he spoke, he walked forward and pushed Shi Tiesheng's wheelchair into the yard.
"Is the award ceremony over?" Shi Tiesheng asked.
"It's done. The event was full of flowers and unprecedented enthusiasm. It was a successful conference!"
Shi Tiesheng was amused by Lin Weimin's words, "Why do you feel stimulated?"
“No, I just felt a little touched.”
Shi Tiesheng joked, "After winning the award, my awareness has really improved. Bring me the certificate."
Lin Weimin saw the certificate and handed it to Shi Tiesheng.
He admired it for a long time, with a bit of envy in his eyes, "It's really great!"
"If you write well, greater honors are waiting for you." Lin Weimin said firmly.
Shi Tiesheng laughed, "I don't know where your confidence comes from, you are just lying with your eyes open."
"Isn't this a good wish?"
“Well, that’s a good reason.”
After basking in the sun outside for more than half an hour, Shi's father prepared the meal and called the two to eat.
After lunch, Shi Tiesheng asked Lin Weimin to go to his desk and help him get the manuscript.
"How about you take a look at this manuscript I just finished writing?"
"Are there any new works? Is the efficiency good?"
Lin Weimin sat beside Shi Tiesheng's bed with a smile on his face and focused his eyes on the manuscript.
“…I fed cattle for two years when I was sent to work in a production team in a small mountain village in northern Shaanxi—Qingpingwan.
…The old man who was with me to stop the cattle was named Bai. In the Shaanxi dialect, “Bai” is pronounced as “broken”, so we all called him “Po Lao Han”.
...During the Qingming Festival, I fell ill and had severe pain in my waist and legs. At the time, I just thought it was sciatica or lumbar muscle strain, but I didn't expect it to develop to this serious level..."
Lin Weimin spent more than an hour reading the manuscript, then counted the pages. The manuscript paper had a fixed format and the full text had more than 11,000 words, which was considered to be the longest among Shi Tiesheng's works.
"Tie Sheng, is this considered a novel?"
Shi Tiesheng nodded.
Lin Weimin also nodded in agreement, saying that this work should be regarded as Shi Tiesheng's autobiographical novel.
The novel depicts his memories of life in the countryside in the style of lyrical prose, recreating the small mountain village of Qingpingwan on the Loess Plateau in his memory, and the story of a cowherd "poor old man".
"What do you think?" Shi Tiesheng asked expectantly.
Lin Weimin smiled faintly and said, "Good work, leave it to us at Contemporary Magazine."
Shi Tiesheng asked: "I want to hear your evaluation."
Lin Weimin thought for a moment and said, "It is positive, warm, and full of emotion. It makes people unconsciously immersed in it when reading it."
Shi Tiesheng clapped his hands and said, "This is a really high evaluation!"
"Of course!" Lin Weimin looked at Shi Tiesheng seriously, "Tiesheng, you wrote a good work that can cleanse people's hearts. It should be passed down."
Shi Tiesheng waved his hands quickly, "Don't praise me, don't praise me, I'm afraid I'll laugh."
As he said this, Shi Tiesheng could no longer control the smile on his face.
"Laugh if you want to. You should be happy if you wrote a good piece of work."
Then the two of them talked for a long time about the novel "My Distant Qingping Bay". It was not until they were almost done with dinner that Lin Weimin came out of Shi Tiesheng's house.
When he returned to the Shichahai courtyard, Han Zhuangzhuang had already finished get off work. He spent a long time looking at the award certificate that Lin Weimin brought back and was sincerely happy for Lin Weimin.
"Uncle, where do you think I should put this certificate?"
"What's so good about it?"
Han Zhuangzhuang was surprised and asked, "Not posting it? Then what's the point of getting this certificate?"
Lin Weimin was speechless for a moment, "Then how do you say to stick it on?"
"Or, just stick it in my room."
"Why are you sticking it in your room?"
"I want to be inspired by your literary talent. People in my unit say that you are the literary star from heaven who has come down to earth."
"Does your unit still have this kind of feudal remnant?"
"Can you please stop changing the subject?"
"Okay, post it."
Lin Weimin still appreciates his nephew's positive spirit of learning.
"A little lower on the left, a little lower..."
Just when Lin Weimin was directing his eldest nephew to put up the award certificates, there was a knock on the door of the courtyard.
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(End of this chapter)
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