Chapter 160 Top Journals
The second hand of the wall clock ticked, and every tick struck Gu Qiuyue's heart. The short ten minutes of waiting seemed as long as a century. She couldn't help but tidy up the clutter on the table, but her eyes kept drifting to the phone.
“Ding-ling-ling——”
The phone rang suddenly, and Gu Qiuyue almost rushed over to answer the phone: "Hello, this is Gu Qiuyue."
"Qiuyue, this is Professor Zhu." A familiar, anxious voice came from the other end of the line. "I just spoke to your mother-in-law. How's the situation with Professor Liu? I've been really tied up with a few meetings and haven't been able to go. I'm really worried."
Gu Qiuyue's heart warmed, and she hurriedly told Professor Liu about his latest situation in detail. After listening, Professor Zhu sighed: "Old Liu has such a bad temper. He's in such a bad state, but he still doesn't know how to rest well... Oh, let's not talk about this, Qiuyue, I have something else to talk to you about today."
She gripped the receiver tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white.
"Director Zhao from the Provincial Institute of Economics spoke with me about the manuscript preparation and mentioned your involvement. This is a great opportunity, you should seize it." Professor Zhu changed the subject. "But I'm looking for you today because of something else. I have an old friend in the editorial office of Economic Research in Beijing. They're preparing a special issue on the cutting-edge of economic reform. I told him about your article on 'Integrating Planning with the Market,' and he's very interested."
Gu Qiuyue's heart skipped a beat. "Economic Research"? That's a top journal in the field of economics.
"Teacher Zhu, these are just some rough ideas. I'm afraid they're not good enough to be published..."
Professor Zhu interrupted her, "Don't underestimate yourself. Your ideas are very novel, especially the integration of practical observations. I suggest you complete the article as soon as possible and submit it directly. If necessary, I can help you write a letter of recommendation."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Qiuyue was still holding the receiver in a daze until she heard a busy tone.
Publication in a national journal and Professor Zhu's recommendation are undoubtedly a powerful boost to the opportunity to organize the manuscript...but this also brings greater pressure: the quality requirements for the manuscript are higher and the time is more urgent.
"Mom, look at my drawing!" Shuangshuang ran over holding a graffiti, the colorful lines were full of childish innocence.
Gu Qiuyue squatted down and carefully admired her daughter's work: "It's so beautiful! We are both little painters."
At this moment, Xie Shiyu pushed the door open and saw that his wife was uneasy. He took his daughter's painting and praised it exaggeratedly, making the child giggle. Then he turned to Gu Qiuyue and asked, "What's wrong? What did Professor Zhu say on the phone?"
Gu Qiuyue frowned slightly when she mentioned the submission. "It's a good opportunity, but I always feel unsure. It's Economic Research..."
Xie Shiyu held her hand, his eyes firm. "Yueyue, do you remember that actual combat exercise in our division? Everyone said it was impossible to complete the deployment within the stipulated time, but we did it. Sometimes when opportunities arise, you have to be bold and daring. I believe in your ability."
His words were like a reassurance, gradually calming Gu Qiuyue's restless heart.
In the following days, Gu Qiuyue became even busier. After school every day, she locked herself in the study, with the table covered with manuscript paper and materials.
Late at night, under the desk lamp, Gu Qiuyue sometimes wrote furiously, sometimes stopped to ponder. She repeatedly studied the limited information she could find, combined with Professor Zhu's advice and her own thoughts, and made drastic revisions to the article.
The writing process was not smooth. Sometimes she would worry about the lack of depth in her explanation of a theory, and sometimes she would worry about insufficient case support. Late one night, she stared at the four words "based on reality" left by Professor Liu, and suddenly an idea came to her.
She thought of the small vendors that had quietly appeared in the market recently, the cram schools run privately by some teachers in the school, and the large-scale orders received by the military workshop in the compound... Aren't these subtle changes the most vivid embodiment of the combination of planning and the market?
This discovery made her very excited. She quickly recorded these observations and incorporated them into the analysis of the article. Before she knew it, the sky outside the window had turned white.
A week later on the weekend, Gu Qiuyue finally finished revising the paper. She carefully copied the manuscript onto manuscript paper, attached a brief explanation and recommendation request that Professor Zhu asked her to write, and solemnly put it into an envelope.
"Let me accompany you to the post office." Xie Shiyu picked up the car keys.
In the sunshine, Gu Qiuyue stood in front of the mailbox, took a deep breath, and threw the letter in. The moment the envelope fell into the box, her heart also settled. She stood there, looking at the green mailbox, as if watching her hopes being sent far away.
In order to thank her family for their support, Gu Qiuyue put down her work on Sunday afternoon and went to the park for a picnic with her family. The autumn sun was warm, and the children were chasing and playing on the grass. Xie Shiyu was there to play with them. Gu Qiuyue and her mother-in-law sat on the picnic blanket, watching them and chatting about family matters.
"I haven't seen you so relaxed in a while." Wang Xiulan handed her an apple. "Now that you're done with your work, take a good rest."
Gu Qiuyue took a bite of the apple, and the sweet juice spread in her mouth: "Well, it's over. Next, we just have to wait for news." She leaned on her mother-in-law's shoulder and said softly: "Mom, thank you for taking care of me these days." Wang Xiulan patted her hands, and everything was said without words.
When she arrived at school on Monday, Gu Qiuyue returned to her teaching work. Standing on the podium and looking at the students' eager eyes for knowledge, she suddenly felt that her hard work had a deeper meaning - not only to realize her personal value, but also to set an example for these children to constantly pursue progress.
Correcting homework, preparing lessons and attending classes, the days seemed to have returned to their usual rhythm, but there was a secret expectation in her heart. Every time she passed by the school's message room, she would involuntarily slow down her pace, looking forward to the reply letter from the capital.
Three days later, in the afternoon, she was grading essays in her office when the security guard suddenly brought her a letter: "Teacher Gu, there's a letter for you from the capital."
Gu Qiuyue's heart skipped a beat. From Beijing? Could it be the journal's editorial department?
She took the letter, her fingers trembling slightly. The words "Economic Research Editorial Department" were clearly printed on the envelope.
A response so soon? Was it an acceptance letter? Revision suggestions? Or... a rejection letter? The envelope was thin, feeling like it contained only one or two sheets of paper. Her heart sank. If it was an acceptance letter, would it be thicker?
Gu Qiuyue held the letter in her hand and suddenly didn't dare to open it. Her palms were sweating slightly. She was both looking forward to and afraid to know the result. This thin envelope contained her hard work of these days and her hope for the future.
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