Chapter 613: Are intellectuals so great?
"Jin Ping Mei" is a rare book, but it has been controversial since its birth and has always been listed as a banned book by rulers, even in the open-minded Republic of China.
But after the founding of the People's Republic of China, this novel was published.
In 1957, with the old man's approval, Guowen Publishing House, under the name of its subsidiary "Literature and Ancient Books Publishing House", reprinted 2,000 sets of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" based on the photocopying of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" funded by the Yanjing Ancient Lost Novels Publishing Association in 1933. The photocopied version of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" consists of two boxes and 21 volumes, including 20 volumes of text and one volume of 200 illustrations.
The so-called "box" is a box set, which refers to the method of using book boxes to package ancient books.
The envelope is usually made of straw paper as the lining and cloth as the outside. It can be used to protect ancient books and contain the entire book.
The Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua published by Guowen Publishing House is a four-piece set, that is, the envelope wraps the front cover, back cover, spine, and book edge of the entire book. In addition to this packaging method, the envelope also has a "six-piece set" that wraps the entire six sides of the book and a "cloud-shaped set" with a cloud ring shape carved out at the opening of the envelope.
This set of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" was sold for 40 yuan in the year of its publication. The target readership was very narrow, and there were three conditions for buyers: 1. At least 45 years old; 2. Married; 3. Must be a senior official, deputy secretary, or director or deputy director of the same level in each province.
Each book was numbered and had to be registered when purchased. Therefore, this version of "Jin Ping Mei" is also called the "Changbuben".
Guowen Publishing House is also the only publishing house in the country that can publish and distribute "Jin Ping Mei".
In 1985, Guowen Publishing House published an abridged version of "Jin Ping Mei Cihua", which is also called the "clean version".
According to statistics, the clean version of "Jin Ping Mei" deleted a total of 19,184 words of relevant descriptions from the original text.
But even though it is a "clean version", Guowen Publishing House still enforces very strict regulations on the distribution of this novel. Nationwide, only provincial, prefectural and municipal officials, members of the National Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and classical literature workers can purchase it with certificates or cards.
In 1989, the authorities suddenly granted the publishing rights of the clean version of Jin Ping Mei to the Qilu Publishing House in eastern Shandong, and prohibited Renwen Publishing House from reprinting its version.
Based on this, Qilu Book Society published the "Newly Printed Embroidered Illustrations and Critical Commentaries on Jin Ping Mei" without any deletions. Cheng Zaochun angrily found the theory above.
You said that you would give the publishing rights of the clean version to other publishing houses, and we have no objection to that. However, this clean version suddenly became the revised version without a single word deleted, which is a bit hard to understand.
The clean version published by Guowen Publishing House is based on the cihua version, and has many excellent aspects compared to Zhang Zhupo's annotated version "Newly Printed Embroidered Illustrations of Jin Ping Mei". Since Qilu Bookstore is allowed to publish the collated version, there is no reason to prohibit Guowen Publishing House from publishing the clean version.
After all the arguments were made, the higher-ups felt a bit guilty and finally agreed to allow Guowen Publishing House to continue publishing.
Over the years, many experts and scholars of classical literature have been hoping that Guowen Publishing House would reprint more copies of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua", but Guowen Publishing House only reprinted it once in 1988, and then again this year. Last month, the new print of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" was internally distributed and only available to researchers. The price was 420 yuan.
Wang Shuo and Jiang Wen, two contestants who had never seen the unabridged version, got so angry about bragging that they both called each other a boaster. In the end, in order to compete with each other, they agreed that whoever could produce the unabridged version of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" first, the other would have to shout "I'm an idiot" three times in front of the entire crew.
After hearing what Wang Shuo said, Lin Weimin couldn't help but shook his head, "You two are really bored!"
"Don't worry about whether I'm bored or not, just sell me one first." Wang Shuo said.
"No. You are not of high enough rank. The restrictions on the sale of the New Edition of Jin Ping Mei Ci Hua are not so strict now, but you must be at least a department or bureau-level cadre to be eligible to buy it."
Wang Shuo said anxiously, "You are the editor-in-chief. Isn't this just a matter of your words? Don't think I don't know. When people buy books, they just need your signature."
"You have found out a lot!"
"Nonsense, I want to buy a book, so I have to find out the truth, right? Just this once, buddy, please give me some face?" Wang Shuo pleaded.
Lin Weimin shook his head. "Other things are easy to discuss, but this one is not negotiable."
"Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" was only distributed internally, and each set of books had to be signed by Lin Weimin, the editor-in-chief of Guowen Publishing House, before it could be sold.
Although this matter was within his authority, he did not want to show favoritism, so he rejected Wang Shuo's request without hesitation.
"Don't worry, it's so cold and I finally came here..."
While Wang Shuo was begging, the phone at home rang again. When Lin Weimin answered it, it was Jiang Wen.
Needless to say, it was also about the "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua".
In order to show off, these two people are really trying their best.
"Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" was only published by Guowen Publishing House in the country, and Lin Weimin was the editor-in-chief of Guowen Publishing House. The two of them thought of him at the same time.
Lin Weimin rejected Jiang Wen in the same way, and Wang Shuo on the side finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Don’t worry about whether Lin Weimin can help him get the "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua", as long as he doesn’t help Jiang Wen get it.
After understanding this truth, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He sat there, rolled his eyes, and then said, "Are you qualified to buy books now?"
"Don't try to hit on me. That's all I have."
Lin Weimin had a hobby of collecting books, but the 1957 edition of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" was not circulated on the market at all. He was not qualified to buy a copy in 1988, but this time, his level was high enough and Guowen Publishing House happened to reprint it, so he bought himself a set.
"Can't I borrow it?"
Lin Weimin said speechlessly: "Is this interesting to you two?"
"Interesting, of course it's interesting. Last time, that thief Sun abandoned me in the middle of the night, and this time I must get back at him." Wang Shuo said gritting his teeth.
"In one word, will you lend it to me or not? If you don't, we will no longer be friends and we will break off all ties!" Wang Shuo threatened Lin Weimin unreasonably in order to make him understand the seriousness of the matter.
Lin Weimin certainly didn't take his threat seriously, he just shook his head helplessly, "Okay, I'll come back in a few days."
Wang Shuo said, "Don't worry, I'll send it back to you right away after I've dealt with that thief Jiang Wen."
Lin Weimin led Wang Shuo to the study. Wang Shuo looked at the bookshelves on the four walls with a bit of envy in his eyes.
"You have at least five or six thousand books in your study, right?"
"I don't know. I haven't counted them."
Lin Weimin took down two volumes of New Edition of Jin Ping Mei Ci Hua from the bookshelf and said, "They are all here. I want to send them back as soon as possible."
"Don't worry." Wang Shuo agreed and held the book with both hands.
The two boxes of twenty-one volumes of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" were not heavy, but because of the packaging, Wang Shuo felt a little uncomfortable holding them in his arms and moved them back and forth.
Lin Weimin's heart tightened, "Be careful, this is Hua Lingjin's letter."
The packaging of "Newly Printed Jin Ping Mei Cihua" in a bluebell flower brocade box is common, but the packaging of a flowered satin brocade box is rare, so it is particularly precious.
Lin Weimin said he was worried and found a leather bag specifically for Wang Shuo.
Wang Shuo borrowed the book and went out with great confidence.
Han Zhuangzhuang came close to Lin Weimin and said, "Uncle, is the "Jin Ping Mei" you told Wang Shuo about so rare?"
"The abridged version is not rare, the unabridged version is rare."
Han Zhuangzhuang said, "Then lend me your set later."
Lin Weimin looked at him without saying anything, and took out a set of "Newly Printed Embroidered Illustrations of Jin Ping Mei" published by Qilu Book Society from the study.
"Look."
Han Zhuangzhuang didn't expect Lin Weimin to give him the book so readily. He opened a book and took a look. It was a traditional Chinese vertically bound book. He felt a little dizzy after just one glance.
It's okay to let him read a script, but it's really a bit difficult for him to read this thing.
Han Zhuangzhuang silently put the book down, then looked at Lin Weimin with resentment.
Is this cultural humiliation?
Isn’t it great to be a cultured person?
"Why are you looking at me? You wanted to read the book, and I gave it to you. Why don't you read it?"
Han Zhuangzhuang said depressedly: "Traditional Chinese characters, and they are arranged vertically. I am not used to it."
Lin Weimin shook his head, put the book back on the bookshelf, turned around and said to Han Zhuangzhuang earnestly: "I'm going to teach you a lesson today. Some books are bought just to show off."
Han Zhuangzhuang suddenly realized, and at the same time looked at his uncle with a bit of contempt.
It turns out that you cultured people also like to show off so much. I thought you were so cultured.
Lin Weimin looked at his eyes and took out two volumes of "Jin Ping Mei Cihua" from the bookshelf. This set of books was a clean version, reprinted in 1989.
“This kind of book is meant to be read.”
Han Zhuangzhuang took the book, flipped through it, and put it down silently again.
He originally thought that he was just not used to reading traditional Chinese characters in vertical binding books, but now he finally realized that he just couldn't understand "Jin Ping Mei".
He flipped through the book again and saw the price on the back cover: forty dollars.
These publishing houses are too shady!
Feeling the blatant cultural discrimination again, Han Zhuangzhuang put the two books away in frustration.
Since you're here, you can't come for nothing. You can take it home and use it as table legs!
Han Zhuangzhuang took away two clean copies of "Jin Ping Mei Cihua", but Lin Weimin didn't take it to heart. He was about to leave the study when he suddenly thought of Wang Shuo's words.
"That thief Jiang Wen is busy painting the chimney!"
I was so busy listening to Wang Shuo yelling that I forgot about the important thing.
The thief Jiang Wen took advantage of his absence and started making trouble again.
Lin Weimin said something to Tao Huimin and then left in a hurry.
The crew of "Sunny Days" is now filming in Prince Gong's Mansion. There is a plot in the script where Ma Xiaojun climbs the chimney to please Milan. Jiang Wen chose Prince Gong's Mansion as the filming location, mainly because there happens to be a big chimney in Prince Gong's Mansion.
The Prince Gong Mansion was originally the residence of Heshen. It later became the Prince Qing Mansion during the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods. After Xianfeng, it became the Prince Gong Mansion which went through four dynasties and witnessed the decline of the middle and late Qing Dynasty. Mr. Hou Renzhi, a historical geographer, once commented: One Prince Gong Mansion represents half of the history of the Qing Dynasty.
After the founding of New China, this place was once turned into office and dormitory for many units including the Ministry of Public Security. It was not until 1980 that it began to be vacated. After 11 years, only part of the evacuation of Prince Gong's Mansion has been completed. However, the back garden of the palace was opened to tourists in 1988, and people can enter by buying tickets.
The large chimney where the film "Sunny Days" was shot was an annex to the boiler room built by those units back then and has long been abandoned.
It was already past three in the afternoon when Lin Weimin arrived here. He could see something hanging on the chimney from a distance. When he got closer, he saw that it was a worker sitting on a hanging basket painting the chimney.
Lin Weimin looked at the workers in the air. When the wind blew, the hanging basket swayed, and Lin Weimin's heart trembled.
"Jiang Wen! Jiang Wen!" Lin Weimin shouted Jiang Wen's name loudly before he even reached the crew.
Jiang Wen, who was explaining the scene to the actress, instinctively panicked when he heard his voice. He stood up quickly and wanted to run, but before he could do so, he saw Lin Weimin. The two looked at each other, and Jiang Wen's heart sank.
It’s over!
After this thought flashed through his mind, another thought flashed through his mind: How could Teacher Lin know about this?
An image of a round-headed flat-headed monster flashed through Jiang Wen’s mind.
Wang Shuo, you are such a bastard!
(End of this chapter)
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