Chapter 272 If You Don’t Write, You’re Not a Human Being
After more than a month, the honey badger appeared in the editorial office of "Contemporary" again. The decadent look in his eyes was gone, which must be the nourishment of love.
"What's going on with you? I thought you had absconded with the manuscript!" Lin Weimin joked.
Wang Shuo sat down in a familiar manner, "Why would I run away? My buddy is busy!"
"Where's the manuscript?"
Wang Shuo curled his lips. He hadn't seen him for such a long time, but he didn't even care about his life or death, and he came up to him and asked for the manuscript.
There are not many people like this who would die of exhaustion.
A stack of manuscripts was thrown onto the table, Wang Shuo looked very proud.
"Pour your own tea."
Lin Weimin said this and started reading the manuscript.
It was almost time to get off work when I finally finished reading it and said, "Not bad, it's finally been changed to look presentable."
"Can it be published?" Wang Shuo asked.
"Other colleagues will have to take a look."
Wang Shuo didn't take it to heart. He had been to Contemporary so many times and was familiar with the working habits here. Anyway, Lin Weimin said it was almost done, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
"When will the royalties be paid?" Wang Shuo asked.
"Give me shit! Your manuscript is not even enough to deduct the money you owe me!"
Wang Shuo sneered, "I knew you would say that!"
As he spoke, he took out a stack of manuscript paper from his bag and said, "Take a look!"
Yoho!
Lin Weimin was a little surprised. "I don't know if you've been holding back for more than a month!"
He felt the thickness of the manuscript and found it was another novella.
Not bad, not bad.
An author with subjective initiative is a good author. He or she will submit the manuscript on his or her own initiative without being urged by the editor. If all your subordinates are such people, the job will be much easier!
I took a look and the quality was unexpectedly good.
After working as an editor for several years, Lin Weimin's vision became increasingly sharp.
"You're making rapid progress!"
Normally, if Lin Weimin praised him like this, Wang Shuo would have been very excited, but this time he showed a bit of shyness, which was unusual.
"It's not me who's improving fast, it's my girlfriend who's improving fast!"
"What do you mean?" Lin Weimin was puzzled.
“This novel was written by me and my girlfriend.”
Lin Weimin looked at the manuscript and then looked at Wang Shuo.
You wrote this with your girlfriend? You're not trying to flatter yourself, are you?
“What’s that look in your eyes? We really wrote it together!” Wang Shuo emphasized.
"Look at you, I didn't say anything, why are you so anxious?"
Lin Weimin's meaningful expression made Wang Shuo's teeth itch with hatred.
After a few seconds, Lin Weimin said in a sly voice, "Did you go to the hospital for a physical examination?"
"Physical examination? What for?"
"Don't you have a stomach problem? Didn't the doctor tell you to eat something soft?"
Wang Shuo was quick-witted and immediately understood Lin Weimin's sarcasm. He cursed, "Fuck you!"
"Look at you, you're getting anxious again. You can do it, but I can't say it?"
Wang Shuo was furious and helpless. He was always harsh with his words, but he could never get the upper hand when it came to Lin Weimin.
While we were joking, it was time to get off work and my colleagues in the office were packing up and getting ready to leave.
Wang Shuo said: "Come on, stop busying yourself, I'll treat you to a meal!"
"Are you treating me to a meal?"
"What? I can't treat you to a meal if I don't have money?"
“Poor guy, you’re so arrogant!” Lin Weimin stabbed Wang Shuo, then said, “Forget it, I’ll treat you.”
Wang Shuo knew that Lin Weimin was afraid of adding to his burden, and he felt warm in his heart, saying, "Goodbye. It's not me who wants to treat you, it's my girlfriend who wants to treat you. If you hadn't lent me the money, I don't know how I would have gotten through this."
"Not really?"
"Why not?" Wang Shuo pulled Lin Weimin, "I'll tell you in detail later when we have dinner."
When Lin Weimin arrived at the corridor, he realized that Wang Shuo’s girlfriend Chen Xujia had been waiting there for a long time.
She had been standing here for at least an hour since Wang Shuo entered the door.
Qu Xiaowei's description was very accurate. Shen Xujia was a beautiful dancer. Perhaps because of her profession, she had an upright posture and a long trench coat that set off her outstanding temperament.
Lin Weimin said embarrassedly: "Look at what a commotion this is, why don't you go in?"
Chen Xujia said: "The editorial department is so busy, you are all talking about work, I will wait here for a while."
With just one sentence, Lin Weimin could tell that this was a sensible and generous woman.
Lin Weimin praised Wang Shuo: "You are blessed to have found a woman like my sister-in-law!"
"That's right!" Wang Shuo raised his chin with a proud expression.
The address chosen by Wang Shuo for the dinner party was Donglaishun. As the weather gradually cooled down, Donglaishun's business started to boom again.
You order food when you enter, and the atmosphere is pretty normal while you wait for the food to be served.
After waiting for the mutton to be served, Lin Weimin looked at Wang Shuo and Shen Xujia who were eating with all their might without even raising their heads, and silently put down his chopsticks.
"Weimin, don't be polite, eat!"
Wang Shuo noticed Lin Weimin when he looked up and poured meat into the copper hot pot.
"It's okay. I'm not too hungry yet. You two can eat first."
"Eat quickly, don't be polite!"
Wang Shuo said this, and without waiting for another word, he stretched out his chopsticks to pick up the mutton in the copper hot pot.
Lin Weimin really wanted to ask, you two are dressed like decent people, are you here to escape famine?
After the sixth plate of mutton was finally put into the pot, Wang Shuo and Shen Xujia finally slowed down their pace.
Wang Shuo was sweating while eating, Shen Xujia wiped his mouth with paper, and smiled at Lin Weimin a little embarrassedly.
"Oh, I finally had a decent meal." Wang Shuo said.
Only now did he have time to explain a few things to Lin Weimin.
Some time ago, Wang Shuo's business failed completely, and his best friend Xie Jing also went out of business. He reached the lowest point in his life, and it was at this time that he met Chen Xujia.
Chen Xujia is a dancer of the Oriental Dance Company. Although there is no obvious gap between different industries in this era, girls from stage troupes will never have trouble finding suitors.
Dating is a very expensive thing, and pursuing Chen Xujia is even more expensive. It just so happened that Wang Shuo had no money, so in early August, Wang Shuo waited for Lin Weimin at the door of the Chinese Literature Society every day.
I thought I could make some quick money by writing, but I didn't expect to fail miserably.
Fortunately, Lin Weimin extended a helping hand in time, and the more than 400 yuan helped Wang Shuo get through the most difficult days in the early days of their relationship.
The good times didn't last long. Last month, Chen Xujia performed at the Yanjing Exhibition Hall Theater. After the performance, she was taking a shower backstage. Unexpectedly, her clothes, watch, and bag were all stolen. This was a big loss.
The most valuable thing among the stolen items was the watch. It was the one Wang Shuo had just bought for Chen Xujia from the Trust Store, a plum blossom women's watch. The new watch cost 360 yuan, while the Trust Store bought a second-hand watch, which did not require a ticket, for 280 yuan.
Most of the more than 400 yuan that Lin Weimin lent to Wang Shuo was spent on buying a watch.
Chen Xujia is a dancer and eats a lot of fortified foods in her daily diet. Most of her monthly salary and bonus goes into her stomach.
The two were in the passionate period of love, and Wang Shuo pretended to be rich. He took her to restaurants whenever he had nothing to do, and spent his money very quickly.
Seeing that he had little money left, Wang Shuo didn’t dare spend it recklessly anymore and held back for almost a month.
It was not until this month that Chen Xujia received his salary and the bonus that had been delayed for two months was finally paid. Chen Xujia suggested treating Lin Weimin to a meal.
Love is always a waste of money, and it is a useless waste of money.
Without the money borrowed by Lin Weimin, the two would not have progressed so quickly.
After listening to the two people's experiences, Lin Weimin silently took a bite of mutton.
Fish seek fish, shrimp seek shrimp, and turtles seek tortoises.
It's really hard for him to comment on this couple.
He calculated in his mind that Wang Shuo should be able to get two hundred and fifty or sixty yuan for the novella "Stewardess". The novella he sent later was called "Floating Out of the Sea". If it could be successfully published, he would definitely get three hundred or four hundred yuan.
Adding up more than 600 yuan, it may not last long.
Lin Weimin never dared to think that Wang Shuo could pay him back.
Instead of waiting for this grandson to pay back the money, I might as well sell the copyright of his novel.
"You, keep writing. With your boasting, how many novels do you have to write to earn the money you spend?" Lin Weimin said.
Chen Xujia was a little embarrassed, "Actually, it's not his fault. I didn't know his financial situation at first. If I had known, I would definitely not let him spend that money."
Lin Weimin shook his head and said, "Sister-in-law, it's not your fault. You don't know that he and Xie Jing used to make a lot of money from speculation, but after two years of working, they didn't save a penny. He is a money-waster."
Wang Shuo said indignantly: "If it weren't for paying his fine, I would have a lot of money in my hand now."
"Okay, I don't know you yet. I'll ask the accountant to issue the royalties form as soon as possible to prevent you from starving to death!" Lin Weimin said unhappily.
Wang Shuo was not angry either, and said with a playful smile: "Thank you!"
The three of them ate and talked. They didn't know how much time had passed. When they felt that they had almost finished eating, Wang Shuo asked Lin Weimin: "Weimin, what time is it?"
He and Shen Xujia both have nothing on their wrists now, so if they want to know the time when they are outside, they have to ask others.
Lin Weimin raised his hand and glanced at his watch. "It's eight o'clock! It's almost time. Let's retreat."
"good."
Wang Shuo stood up to pay the bill, but was stopped by Lin Weimin. "Come on, you're almost unable to eat after all this talk. If I ask you to treat me, won't you stab me in the back later?"
They have only been together for a few months. If Wang Shuo had just started dating Chen Xujia, he would have rushed to settle the bill even if it meant tripping Lin Weimin.
Lin Weimin paid the bill resolutely. Chen Xujia kept saying sorry. It was she who had planned to treat everyone, but in the end, it was Lin Weimin who paid the bill.
"Don't be polite. Aren't you two in a tight financial situation right now? When you have more money, you can invite them back. Let me make it clear first, I have to eat two meals with you, otherwise I won't get my money back!"
His light-hearted humor resolved the embarrassment between Wang Shuo and Shen Xujia.
A few days later, Lin Weimin sent Wang Shuo the bill for his royalties.
The manuscript of "Stewardess" was used, and the manuscript of "Surfaced" was also used. The manuscript fee increased by one yuan. The total manuscript fee of the two manuscripts was just over seven hundred yuan.
Wang Shuo took the money with a smile on his face. He spat on his thumb, counted the money, and then handed part of it back to Lin Weimin.
"Don't worry, just take it and use it first." Lin Weimin said.
"Don't worry, or I'll keep thinking about it and feel uncomfortable!"
Wang Shuo stuffed the money into Lin Weimin's hand. Lin Weimin said, "Okay, you can ask for it when you need it again."
Wang Shuo laughed and scolded: "Can't you just hope for me to be good?"
After joking a few words, Lin Weimin took out another box.
"What is this?"
Wang Shuo took the box and opened it. A brand new, shining Plum women's watch lay quietly in the box.
"You're really good. Have you ever bought a second-hand watch for your girlfriend?"
"What's wrong with second-hand? It costs hundreds of dollars!"
Wang Shuo clicked the watch box and said he would return it.
Lin Weimin refused to take it and said, "Take it. That watch can be considered a token of your love. It would be a pity to lose it. You can't find it back. This watch is new. It won't lose points as a token of your love!"
Wang Shuo squeezed the watch box with a little force, his eyes were sore, and after a few seconds he said, "Damn it, if you used this method to chase girls, your child would be old enough to help with cooking, and you wouldn't be a bachelor now!"
Lin Weimin pretended to be angry and said, "How many times have I told you, I have a girlfriend!"
"Where is it? Why didn't I see it?"
Lin Weimin said unhappily, "Take the watch. The receipt is in the watch box. The total is three hundred and sixty. I spent it in foreign exchange coupons. I will deduct it from my next manuscript fee!"
Wang Shuo spat, "I knew you would do this!"
"Why are you talking so much nonsense? Hurry up and write the manuscript. Submit it and I'll pay you back!"
A man who eats someone's food is soft-hearted, and a man who takes someone's money is grateful.
"I know!" Wang Shuo said helplessly.
After chatting for a while, Lin Weimin said goodbye and left.
While riding the motorcycle, he hummed a little tune.
When Wang Shuo asked about the time at Donglaishun that day, an idea suddenly occurred to him.
Wang Shuo’s two novels are about to be published. What if he starts squandering again after getting the royalties? A few hundred dollars can last for a long time.
He had to find some motivation to write, and it just so happened that Wang Shuo had just mentioned the incident of Shen Xujia losing his watch.
Isn't this an excuse?
What is a good editor?
That means you must think what the author thinks and worry about what the author worries about.
After receiving this watch, won’t you work hard to write articles for Teacher Lin?
If you don’t write, you are not a human being!
"Golden Shield~
Cast with blood~
Show your skills in times of crisis, show your skills~"
Humming a little tune all the way, Teacher Lin drove his motorcycle into the compound of the Chinese Literature Society.
I ran into Leng Jiefang who was carrying a big bag.
"Teacher Lin!" Leng Jiefang greeted Lin Weimin.
"Hey, Jiefang, are you going back today?"
"yes."
Leng Jiefang finally finished writing his manuscript. He submitted it the day before yesterday and received the royalties yesterday.
A full two thousand four hundred yuan. The moment Leng Jiefang received the royalties, tears welled up in his eyes.
Looking back on the two months of time in the small dark room, it was all worth it!
"Come on, I'll take you to the station!"
"No, I can just take the bus."
"Don't be polite, hurry up."
Lin Weimin took Leng Jiefang to the train station, and when they returned to the Guowen Publishing House, it was already past lunch time.
He was just planning to find a place to have lunch before returning to the office when he heard someone calling his name on the street.
(End of this chapter)
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