Chapter 61: Better to light a fire. He didn’t pay attention to these things before, so…
He didn’t pay attention to these things before and didn’t know about them. But after watching “In the Wind and Rain”, he became a fanboy of Li Daohua.
When I saw people slandering Li Daohua, I just hated myself for not having enough artistic talent and not being able to write an article to support my teacher Daohua.
Today is a holiday, so he got up and cleaned the house. He doesn't want to clean the house every day on weekdays when he goes to and from get off work, so he only cleans a little on Sundays, as long as it's passable.
Just as the dust was flying, he heard someone outside asking something, and it seemed like they were asking about him.
"Hello, I would like to ask if there is a young man named Yang Xue here?"
"Oh yeah, what do you want with him?"
It was winter at that time and everyone was wearing warm clothes. Li Daohua also dressed warmly when she went out.
The small hat, the big scarf, and the constant questioning made the aunt alert.
"Oh, that's right. I wanted to give him something, but I was afraid I might give it to the wrong person."
"Oh." The aunt looked outside the door and saw a young man standing next to the truck with a pile of things around him, but she didn't know what they were.
"Then come in, we do have someone named Yang Xue here, Yang Xue! Yang Xue! Someone has something to send you!"
At this time, and it’s not a festival, it’s a rare thing to be able to give people gifts.
After calling Yang Xue, the aunt did not leave. She just wanted to see what the gift was.
"Who is it?" Yang Xue put down the broom in her hand and brushed off the dust on her body.
Li Daohua had to be careful since she entered the courtyard house. What she wore was not very convenient, and it would be bad if she accidentally broke other people's things.
When she saw someone, Li Daohua pulled down her scarf and said, "Hello, are you Comrade Yang Xue from Yunnan Province?"
Yang Xue looked at Li Daohua for a long time, and suddenly realized what was going on. She said in surprise, "You are it!"
"Yes, I am. I want to talk to you. Is that convenient? I'm just outside. It will only take up a little of your time."
Li Daohua quickly interrupted Yang Xue and invited him outside.
The two came to the truck, and Yang Xue was still very excited. He didn't expect that one day he would meet Teacher Daohua in person.
It is said that Teacher Daohua works very hard, day and night, just to bring more works to everyone.
Because of this, she had no time to attend exchanges, no private time of her own, and even no time to spend money.
I make more and more money, but have less time to spend it. It’s really a huge sacrifice for everyone.
"I read your letter and felt really unworthy of it. I knew you wanted to buy some novels and send them back home, so I prepared a few copies. If you don't mind, we can go and send the novels to your home together."
Yang Xue looked at the bundle of wrapped books on the ground next to her, and then looked at Li Daohua.
"In the Storm" has completed serialization this month. Although it is called serialization, it is actually just divided into two parts and published in People's Literature.
The single volumes have not yet been officially sold. The ones that Li Daohua got were just printed by the printing factory and have not yet been put on the market.
"This... This is really too much money for you. I thank you on behalf of my parents and fellow villagers!"
"It's not a big deal. We are all family and we are all Chinese."
Yang Xue took deep breaths to avoid being overwhelmed by the sudden surprise and emotion. As a grown man, he couldn't cry in front of his idol.
"Yes, we are all family!"
The reason why Yang Xue wanted to buy books and send them back was because his hometown was too remote. According to the normal process, it would take three or four months for "In the Storm" to be published in People's Literature and reach them.
I don’t know when I’ll have to wait for the single volume to be released.
In other words, Li Daohua is quite famous, and provincial Xinhua Bookstores can still receive Li Daohua's novels even after a long time.
If it is an unknown novel written by an unknown writer and is not good enough, Xinhua Bookstores in remote areas may not even include it.
It’s not that they look down on these books or anything, but the limited resources should be allocated to excellent literature as much as possible.
During this period, Xinhua Bookstore was not only a place to sell books, but also a place to enlighten people.
Xinhua Bookstores in remote areas can only ensure that reading is beneficial as much as possible.
These are the provincial and municipal Xinhua Bookstores in Yunnan Province. The situation at the county level is even more difficult. His hometown is in the village, and many people in the village have never been to the county in their lives. Even if they go to the county, they dare not enter the Xinhua Bookstore.
As illiterate or semi-literate people, in their eyes, Xinhua Bookstore is a place only for educated people, and they are not worthy of going in.
The books were sent out, and as the truck started slowly, the family letters loaded with a bundle of books and other letters slowly moved towards Yunnan Province.
After constantly changing vehicles and people, it finally reaches the hands of the most grassroots postman.
The postman confirmed the address, tied the bundle of books to the back of his bicycle, tried it to make sure it would not fall off, and then rode away on his already tattered bicycle.
It is the last and most important link in the postal service connecting thousands of households.
In fact, he has only been a postman for a few years. When he first started, the bicycle he was assigned was still new, and he took great care of it.
But no matter how well you take care of it, the car will be broken down in a few years.
There are rugged mountain roads and various winding paths, and especially there are often streams in the mountains.
Sometimes, he even had to carry his bicycle across the river. It didn't matter if he got into the water, but the letters on the bicycle were not. If they got soaked in water, the ink on them would dissolve and the letter would be ruined.
The sound of bicycles jingling could be heard. After working for several years, he knew exactly where each village was and quickly mapped out the route in his mind.
When he delivered the letters, he did not do it in chronological order, but according to the route.
These letters also have a unified delivery time.
Road robbers will not rob postmen like them because they all know that they are very important to the people in the mountains. Most importantly, they really don't have any money.
The village where Yang Xue lived was the last one to be delivered. When the postman arrived, the sun had already set and he couldn't guarantee that he could return home before the sun went down.
It seems that I can only stay at a villager's home for one night today.
"Yang Tian, a letter from your son." Yang Tian is Yang Xue's father, and he has a brother named Yang Di.
This was not the first time the postman had delivered letters to his home, and he had even helped read the letters.
His family was the only one in their village who could receive letters, because their son worked in Peking.
"Hey, hurry up, mother, get him a glass of water and let him rest his feet."
After that, he pulled the postman to sit down and said, "It's late now, and it's not safe to go back. Why don't you stay at my house for a night?"
"Uncle, that's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you so much. Now, shall I read your letter to you?"
"Okay."
Yang Xue's mother, Li Hua, hurried over with a bowl of water, and called several children in the family to come over to listen to what their brother said.
"Mom, everything is fine in Peking. I recently read a novel called "In the Storm", written by the great writer Daohua.
In her novel, she wrote about our beautiful Yunnan Province, which made me feel like I was back home. Mom, the motherland and the people have not forgotten us.
Originally, I wanted to buy a novel for you to read. After Teacher Daohua found out, she came to me specially, gave me many copies of the novel, and helped me mail it to you.
Mom, keep one of these novels at home, and share the rest with others, so that they can read them too. Our Yunnan Province has become famous in front of the people of the whole country!"
"What does he mean? I don't understand." Li Hua was a little confused.
"Aren't rice flowers the rice flowers in the field? You don't even understand this!" Yang Tian said contemptuously.
"No! Our teacher said that Teacher Daohua is the best writer in our country, and gave us the opportunity to read more of Teacher Daohua's works." The child at home who is still in elementary school retorted.
The postman had already folded the letter back into the envelope and explained to them what it meant.
After a long explanation, they finally understood that this bundle of books were given to them by others, and their son asked them to keep one at home and give the rest away.
"Who are you giving it to? We won't read it. It would be better to use it for burning firewood. You have so much money to burn, why give it to others?" Yang Tian disagreed. As he was about to take the bundle of books away and put it together with the firewood.
It is not easy to make a fire. The corn stalks and corn cobs kept at home are for the convenience of starting a fire. Wood is resistant to burning, but not easy to ignite.
"Oh uncle, this is a waste. You don't know how to read it, so I'll read it to you. After all, it's what your son wants you to read."
The postman felt very distressed because he was literate and knew Teacher Daohua.
When he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature some time ago, even in their remote area, newspapers had spread the word.
But outsiders can't say anything, so they can only save the country in this way.
Yang Tian thought to himself, since he had nothing to do in the evening anyway, listening to him read the novel would be similar to listening to a storyteller, which would be interesting.
There was nothing else at home, but plenty of firewood. Now the whole family gathered around the fire, listening to the postman reading "In the Wind and Rain".
At the beginning, no one spoke as everyone was immersed in Li Daohua's opening remarks.
They knew about the war, not from newspapers, but from word of mouth.
The war was going on right next to them, and it just ended two years ago. Many people died, but war is bound to involve casualties.
Gradually, they heard the part about Yunnan Province. Yang Tian instantly became alert, as if he had come to the territory he ruled, and his voice became much louder.
"This mountain valley is so beautiful. City kids are weird."
"I just like singing. I am the first one in our village to sing."
…
The postman didn't say as much as Yang Tian did. Yang Tian would comment on almost every paragraph he read.
The postman was helpless, and Li Hua could only smile apologetically. Her husband was like this, and no one at home could control him.
In the past, Yang Xue would occasionally go against him, but now that Yang Xue has gone to Peking, Yang Tian really has the final say at home.
By the end of the article, Yang Tian had completely agreed with what the postman said. This is an excellent author, so excellent!
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