Chapter 5: Peking Literature and Art "I think this article can be published...
“I think it can be published. This novel has unique significance both in terms of story and content.
Especially in the current environment, it plays a guiding role in both reform and reform literature.”
"The Record of Director Qiao's Taking Office" is the pioneering work of reform literature, but at the same time, this novel is also very controversial.
Since the novel was published, it has caused strong reactions, some loving and some hating. This novel also has its limitations, but as the first work of reform literature, its significance for reform can overshadow its limitations.
Similarly, the person in charge of "Peking Literature and Art" realized that the significance of "Li Yaomei's Layoff" to the reform was no less than that of "Director Qiao's Taking Office".
"Make room for this novel in the next issue. This novel needs to be published as soon as possible." Li Qingquan looked at the manuscript in his hand and instructed the editor next to him.
Strike while the iron is hot. While the popularity of "The Record of Director Qiao's Taking Office" has not yet subsided, it will definitely be possible to launch a film of the same type.
"Daohua? This must be a new author." As an editor, I am very sensitive to writers, especially in this era.
In addition to discovering new authors by reading letters, many young editors also go to old authors to commission articles. Everyone wants good manuscripts, and they are the bridge that maintains the relationship between authors and magazines.
"The letter was sent from Beijing Post, which is very close." It is indeed close, only about an hour by bus. The other party actually chose to mail it instead of delivering it directly.
"Invite the other party to come over and revise the manuscript. It must be revised before the next issue. It's very hard work. Please help as much as possible."
"Okay, then I'll go there directly and not waste time writing a letter." Liang Ning, who had just arrived at the editorial department, took the bus to Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications according to the address on the envelope.
It was approaching winter vacation and the students were very busy. Li Daohua was preparing her next manuscript, making preparations for the future and writing another piece of reform literature.
The rule of most newspapers and magazines at that time was that the same manuscript could not be submitted to two other magazines, so if she wanted to submit a manuscript to another magazine, she had to submit a new manuscript.
"Dujuan's Entrepreneurial Story" is her new manuscript, which mainly tells the story of unemployed young people.
Because it is a story about young people, this novel is about not only reform but also love.
While I was thinking about it, there was a knock on the door. It definitely wasn't Ouyang Yuan, because he didn't knock when he came back.
The biggest advantage of living in the staff dormitory is that it is relatively safe. The sound insulation is not very good, and everyone there knows each other, so if an outsider comes in, it will be very conspicuous.
Liang Ning found out about this and it was someone in the building who brought him here.
"Who are you?"
"Excuse me, does Teacher Daohua live here? I'm the editor of Beiping Literature and Art, my name is Liang Ning."
Rice Flowers is full of the flavor of the times, and coupled with his understanding of reform, Liang Ning and others think that the author should be a retired cadre.
"It's me." When Li Daohua heard that it was the editor of Peking Literature and Art, she knew that they were looking for her.
Liang Ning was stunned, then confirmed: "Are you Teacher Daohua who wrote "Li Yaomei's Laid-off Life"?"
"Yes, come in and talk."
At this moment, someone has already poked his head out and pricked up his ears to try to find out what's going on.
"Okay, thank you."
Walking into the small house, there were quite a few books placed in the small room. There were papers and pens on the small table in front. It seemed that the owner had just left them there.
Liang Ning explained his purpose and said that they would publish the novel, but the person in charge also pointed out some areas that needed to be modified.
During this period, Beiping Literature and Art did not appoint a chief editor, but was referred to as the "main person in charge".
When the manuscript is taken out, the places that need to be modified are marked with pens of different colors, making it clear at a glance.
Li Daohua received the manuscript, asked Liang Ning to sit down, and began to revise it immediately.
While revising the document, he asked Liang Ning for his opinion to see if his revisions were appropriate and whether further revisions were needed.
Revising manuscripts was a very normal thing for Li Daohua. The revision suggestions from Beiping Literature and Art were already very detailed, much better than those inexplicable revision suggestions from her boss before she traveled through time.
My previous bosses would only say, "I don't think it's attractive enough," "It doesn't hit the mark," "You should revise it," or "Just use the first version."
The two of them spent nearly an hour in the small room revising the design, revising all the places that needed to be revised, and even coming up with several versions.
Others spend the whole day revising manuscripts with a cup of tea, a cigarette, and a piece of manuscript.
There is definitely some slacking off, and another point is that when they are writing, they are striving for perfection, and after seeing the revisions, they will question the revisions.
With such doubts and love for my manuscript, it is naturally much more difficult to revise it.
Li Daohua is different. As long as it can be published and I get paid, I will make any changes you say. Not only small changes, but big changes are no problem.
Of course, this is the case now that she is short of money. When she is no longer short of money in the future, her thoughts will be different.
After watching Li Daohua finish her revisions, Liang Ning carefully put the fully written manuscript into her bag. She had to go back as soon as possible.
Although she thought the manuscript was very good, she had no say on whether it would be approved in the end. Only the person in charge had the final say.
"Then I'll go back first. If nothing goes wrong, your article will be published in the next issue. I'll send you the manuscript fee and sample issue then."
The sample issue sent as payment was fake. Liang Ning's main purpose was to commission an article. When she was revising the manuscript, she saw that Teacher Daohua was writing a new novel. Perhaps she could take a look in advance to see if it was suitable for their magazine.
"Sorry for bothering you. If you have any questions about the manuscript, you can contact me at any time."
Watching Liang Ning leave, Li Daohua muttered to himself, calculating how much royalties he could earn from this novel.
In 1979, the low manuscript fee system was still implemented, 2-7 yuan per thousand words.
"Li Yaomei's Laid-off Story" has about 41,000 words. Taking the middle value, 4 yuan per thousand words, she can receive 164 yuan in royalties.
In the future, this amount of money would not be considered a big deal, but this was in 1979, and Chen Li's monthly salary at the textile factory was 15 yuan, 164, which was almost her annual salary.
164. Li Daohua certainly hopes that their lives will become more affluent all of a sudden.
On Ouyang Yuan's way back, some people greeted him and some even reported him.
"A woman came to your house today and stayed for quite a long time. Is she a relative of yours?"
When the two of them sent the letter back, everyone in the building was shocked. It turned out that they were not going back to her parents' home. What a pity.
"A female?" Ouyang Yuan was shocked. The only female he knew who knew his family was his father's second wife.
Worried about something going wrong, Ouyang Yuan hurried home and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Daohua writing with peace of mind.
He took the kettle off the stove, poured a glass of water into his cup, took a breath, and then asked, "I just heard that a woman came to the house. Who is she?"
Li Daohua habitually spun the pen, and halfway through she remembered that it was a fountain pen. At this time, the fountain pen would easily leak ink, especially when spun like this.
"It was the editor of Peking Literature and Art who came to inform me to revise the manuscript."
"Really? That means your novel can be published!"
Ouyang Yuan was cooling his tea. He put down the cup and moved his stool closer to Li Daohua. "Tell me, tell me, what's going on?"
After listening to Li Daohua's revision, Ouyang was even happier than she was. When the two of them came, Li Sanzhu was worried that Li Daohua would not adapt to Beijing, and would be bullied or looked down upon...
Now, Li Daohua has her own job and no one in the building dares to bully her.
Living in a dormitory building like this, neighbors all know each other, and the news that there was a stranger in Li Daohua's house spread quickly everywhere.
But no one dared to say anything weird openly. After all, there was the lesson of Huang Lai Di.
Chen Li also heard about it. She was different from others. During this period, Li Daohua asked her several times about their textile factory, and their relationship became much closer.
On the way to take a shower, I saw Li Daohua and asked who came that day?
"Oh, that's the editor of Peking Literature and Art. I asked you about your textile factory before. I just wanted to write a story about the textile factory. It wasn't published before, so I was embarrassed to tell you."
Now that you have decided to publish it, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone will know about it after a while anyway.
"Really! Oh, you are so amazing. I must buy a copy and read it when the time comes." Chen Li was very excited. It was her first time to participate in literary creation.
She was feeling bad during this period, and she told her husband what Li Daohua asked her about the textile factory. She originally wanted to share her new friends.
As a result, her husband's words made her break out in a cold sweat.
"She asked about your textile factory in such detail. Could she be a spy?"
Although her husband later comforted her and said that if the spies wanted to investigate, they would not inquire about the textile factory, but would at least inquire about the steel factory, she was still worried.
Now let’s see what her husband has to say. I don’t know what the story about the textile factory is about.
She hummed happily in the evening, and her husband Liu Weidong was also surprised after get off work: "Why are you so happy today?"
She is usually happy only when she is at work and has a few good friends in the factory. But when she gets home from work, she is not so happy anymore.
Chen Li snorted and said, "You suspected Li Daohua was a spy before, but it turns out she was just writing a story, which will soon be published in Peking Literature and Art."
She snorted, and Liu Weidong also snorted: "Li Daohua, you are the one who wrote a letter in the newspaper to criticize Huang Laidi, what are you happy about? Who knows, it might be you who is being criticized this time.
Huang Laidi is shameless, she is not afraid of criticism, let me see what you can do. "
Chen Li's hand that was wiping the table paused. When she asked Li Daohua what the story was, Li Daohua just said mysteriously that she would know when the time came. Who knows, it might be true.
"You... don't scare me. I'm not someone like Aunt Huang. What can I criticize?"
"That's hard to say..."
Chen Li didn't sleep well that night and had dark circles under her eyes the next day.
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