Chapter 91
Shen Mingzheng rested at home for an afternoon, and then got busy again the next day.
Although the disaster was not severe, there was still a lot of follow-up work to be done, keeping us extremely busy.
It was already late December, and there wasn't much time left until the Lunar New Year. Many families in the residential compound had begun preparing for the holiday, and the children, who were on vacation, were running around the compound every day, adding to the lively atmosphere.
Gu Xi and her sisters are also making preparations for the New Year. Although there are few people in the family, they still need to make the necessary preparations.
That day, when Shen Mingzheng returned, he brought Gu Xi a letter.
The letter was thin, and it was impossible to tell what was inside. However, what was noteworthy was the address on the mail, which was from the publishing house where Qiao Hui used to work.
Gu Xi held the letter, staring blankly at the address on it.
"Aren't you going to open it and take a look?" Shen Mingzheng asked with a smile, somewhat understanding her feelings.
The letter was thin, so it was clearly not a rejection letter, which meant that the publisher had already accepted her article.
Gu Xi looked up at him, her voice slightly unsteady: "I can hardly believe it, is this really not a rejection letter?" After thinking for a moment, she handed him the letter, "Brother, can you open it for me?"
Perhaps because she had once been a ghost, she had a strange sense of luck, always feeling like she was unlucky. She didn't actively seek trouble, but trouble would still find her. She was terrified that this letter would bring her bad luck. What if the letter didn't say anything about the manuscript being accepted, but rather that it was lost, or something else entirely?
She felt she wasn't that lucky.
Perhaps all the good fortune in her life came from meeting Feng Min; otherwise, she was mostly unlucky.
Shen Mingzheng found it both funny and heartbreaking, knowing that it stemmed from her lack of self-confidence.
He deftly tore the letter open, and when he poured out its contents, a smile appeared on his face: "It's a letter from the publishing house and the royalties."
Gu Xi took a moment to understand what he meant, then clenched her fist in surprise and exclaimed.
"Really? Is it payment for the article? How much is it?"
More than anything else, what she cares about most is how much she will get paid for this article. She doesn't write because she likes it or has any passion for it; she just wants to make money.
Although Qiao Hui helped recommend the story, she didn't know how much she would get paid for it. What she feared most was that the publisher wouldn't pay in cash and would just send her a notebook, pen, or something similar as payment.
Such things are not uncommon in this era.
In this special era, I heard that royalties are generally very low, and the system of paying royalties was even abolished at one point. Moreover, there is no difference in royalties for different genres, which greatly discourages authors from being creative.
Shen Mingzheng took out two ten-yuan bills, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "There's twenty yuan in royalties." Then he added with a laugh, "That's really impressive."
Gu Xi looked at the two ten-yuan bills and finally couldn't help but scream, throwing herself into his arms.
"Ahhh—I got paid for my writing—"
The Xu sisters, Yuansheng and Yuansheng, thought something had happened and rushed out of the guest room. When they saw Gu Xi hugging a man and jumping around, they blushed and quickly shrank back.
However, they quickly realized what she had just shouted and rushed out again.
"Big sister, what's the royalty? Has the publisher sent you the royalty payment?" Xu Yuansheng's eyes lit up.
Xu Huaisheng said excitedly, "I knew my sister's article would be published. She's amazing!"
The two sisters never considered the issue of Gu Xi's articles not being published. In their hearts, Gu Xi was perfect in every way, and the stories she wrote must be excellent as well. They were very idealistic.
Gu Xiren, still clinging to Shen Mingzheng, turned to her two younger sisters excitedly and said, "There's a twenty-yuan manuscript fee!"
"Really? That's great!"
"That's awesome!"
Seeing her two younger sisters so happy, Gu Xi rushed over and hugged them tightly.
Shen Mingzheng looked at the three girls jumping and skipping, shook his head secretly, took out the letter from the envelope, and read it quickly.
The letter was short. It first informed the author that her manuscript had been accepted and that the publisher had decided to publish her article, promising to send a sample copy after the New Year. At the end of the letter, it mentioned commissioning her to write more articles, hoping she would continue to create excellent articles on the theme of education. If her manuscripts were accepted, they could discuss royalties later.
After reading it, Shen Mingzheng said to Gu Xi, "Xi Xi, the publishing house wants to commission you to write an article."
Gu Xi turned her head immediately to look over, "Really?"
She ran to his side, took the letter and read it word by word. She read the last few times and felt a sense of unreality when she confirmed that the publisher really wanted to commission her to write an article.
The Xu sisters also came over, stared at the words on the letter, confirmed that it was real, and hugged their eldest sister tightly, very happy for her.
That's great! My sister can earn money by writing articles in the future. This is something only cultured people can do. Being a writer is not only respectable, but also very promising. Who wouldn't envy her if word got out?
Originally, because of her poor health, the eldest sister was unable to go out to work. They had heard people in the family compound shake their heads in regret more than once, muttering that her sister's poor health meant that being beautiful was of no use.
Now that's great, even if she's not in good health, she can still earn money by writing articles at home. Let's see who dares to say anything now.
Gu Xi was so happy that she immediately went next door to find Qiao Hui.
Shen Mingzheng pulled her aside and said, "Take something with you, as a thank you to Comrade Qiao for his help."
If it weren't for Qiao Hui teaching her how to write, helping her revise her manuscript, and even recommending her to a publishing house, it probably wouldn't have been so easy to get her manuscript accepted, let alone for the publishing house to send her the royalties so readily.
Gu Xi thought he was right, so she quickly packed some things and put them in the basket, then went next door with him.
**
It was already after get off work hours, and Chief of Staff Gao was at home, holding his daughter and playing with her.
Seeing the two of them arrive, he was a little puzzled and asked, "What brings you here?" As he spoke, he called into the house, "Huihui, Commander Shen and Comrade Gu have arrived."
Qiao Hui had just gotten her clothes dirty from her baby spitting up milk and went back to her room to change. When she heard Gu Xi coming over, she quickly straightened her clothes, put on her coat, and came out.
She smiled and invited them to sit down, asking, "Gu Xi, is there something you need?"
Gu Xi grabbed her hand, her eyes sparkling, and said happily, "Qiao Hui, my manuscript was accepted! The publisher sent me a letter and even sent the royalties!"
As she spoke, she handed her the letter from the publisher.
Qiao Hui wasn't surprised. Judging by the time, the publisher's reply should arrive soon, and they would give her a definite answer regardless of whether the manuscript was approved or not.
She didn't rush to read the letter. First, she asked how much the royalties were. When she learned it was twenty yuan, she frowned slightly and said, "Nowadays, many publishers don't usually pay royalties in cash. Twenty yuan is not bad. If you write well in the future, the royalties should increase."
Gu Xi's story this time is 10,000 words long, and she gets paid two yuan per thousand words.
Two yuan per thousand words is indeed the royalty for new authors. If the publisher is ruthless, they might withhold half or not pay in cash at all, but instead pay in kind.
The actual item is worthless.
The publisher offered this price partly because of Qiao Hui's recommendation, and partly because Gu Xi's story is indeed well-written.
She has a strong learning ability. I only taught her some writing techniques, and she knew how to write an attractive story. In addition, she read a lot of books and had a wealth of knowledge. Her word choice and sentence structure were very appropriate, and her writing gave people a very fresh feeling that was refreshing. No publishing editor would refuse her unless they were blind.
When Qiao Hui finished reading the letter and found that the publishing house was still asking her to write an article, she was not surprised at all.
She smiled and said, "That's a good thing! Gu Xi, you can focus on your writing from now on. You can specialize in creating stories about education. Education is a big deal. No matter what, the country will never relax its efforts in educating children."
Although the college entrance examination has been abolished, the country still attaches great importance to the literacy level of its people. Literacy classes are held throughout the country, and children's education is naturally valued. Publishers dare not publish other kinds of stories, but educational stories like this are still published and are easily approved.
Gu Xi nodded and said happily, "Thanks to you, Qiao Hui, you are my great benefactor!"
She's incredibly excited right now, never imagining she could actually write, even though there are many restrictions right now, limiting her to educational stories and those that don't cross any lines. But that's okay; once the reform and opening up take place, these restrictions will gradually be lifted, and the future of online literature will be incredibly diverse, allowing for all sorts of writing.
Of course, she probably won't be able to write until then, because the most important thing right now is to find herself a job and have an income.
Writing is undoubtedly an enviable job, allowing you to earn money while sitting at home.
Gao Wenbin, standing next to him, looked surprised. He never expected that Gu Xi could write articles, publish them, and receive royalties.
This woman is amazing.
Looking at his wife, her smile, tinged with kindness, was like that of someone looking at their own successful daughter, which made him feel awkward no matter how he looked at her.
Suppressing her excitement, Gu Xi chatted with Qiao Hui about writing for nearly half an hour before reluctantly leaving.
Having just received her payment, she's now filled with excitement and wants to continue creating to earn more money.
Yes, that's how realistic and vulgar it is; everything is about money!
Seeing that it was getting late and it was dinner time, Gu Xi didn't want to stay and disturb the other people's meal.
She got up and left, saying to Qiao Hui, "We're going back now. I'll come see you again tomorrow when I have time."
"Okay," Qiao Hui said with a smile.
After seeing the couple off, Gao Wenbin checked the things that Gu Xi and his wife had brought. Seeing that the place was full of preserved meats, canned goods, candies, and other items, he remarked, "Commander Shen and the others are really generous."
Qiao Hui glanced at it and disagreed, "They're being too polite. Gu Xi will come over tomorrow and take it back to her."
She didn't feel she had helped in any way, and Gu Xi didn't need to thank her so much.
Gao Wenbin disagreed with her statement: "If it weren't for Huihui, you teaching her how to write, helping her revise her manuscripts, and even recommending her to publishing houses, how could the publishing houses have accepted her articles and sent her royalties?"
"That's because Gu Xi is talented and writes well!"
"No matter how well she writes, she still needs someone to teach her and someone to recommend her!"
Gao Wenbin still felt that his wife deserved a lot of credit; she was Gu Xi's benefactor.
His wife is such a kind girl!
Teaching her neighbors to write articles to earn money will improve Gu Xi's social status. In the future, when people in the residential compound see her, they will probably all call her a writer.
Unfortunately, his flattery didn't please Qiao Hui. Instead, she glared at him and said, "If Gu Xi hadn't saved me back then, I probably wouldn't even have the chance to sit here and listen to you say all this! If we're talking about benefactors, Gu Xi is my benefactor!"
Upon hearing her words, Gao Wenbin's voice immediately softened, and he quickly said, "You're right. Comrade Gu is indeed a benefactor to our family. You and your daughter are doing well thanks to her."
He didn't deny that Gu Xi helped his wife and daughter.
Qiao Hui pursed her lips and continued, "Gu Xi has a strong learning ability. As long as you give her a few pointers, she knows what to do. Even without me, she can write good articles after trying a few times." At this point, she became happy again, "Some people are born geniuses."
Just like her parents, who are both state-protected researchers, they are both geniuses.
In her eyes, Gu Xi was amazing at everything she did; it was just a matter of whether she did it, not whether she couldn't.
Gao Wenbin couldn't help but look at her, feeling that something was off about her.
He finally understood when she picked up her daughter and kissed her cheek with loving affection.
His wife treats Gu Xi like a daughter, guiding her in her writing and genuinely happy for her achievements, just like a proud mother whose daughter has finally made something of herself.
Gao Wenbin: "..."
By the way, his wife is only twenty-eight years old this year, just eight years older than Gu Xi, right?
Qiao Hui was genuinely happy for Gu Xi. When they sat down to eat, she talked to Sister Zhu about how strong Gu Xi's learning ability was and how quickly her writing had improved. She also expressed her hope that Gu Xi would write some great articles in the future.
Sister Zhu chimed in, "Comrade Gu is truly remarkable."
At this moment, Qiao Hui showed a happy expression, and her eyes softened when she looked at Sister Zhu.
Gao Wenbin couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Huihui, the way you are now is just like Comrade Gu's mother, looking like your daughter has finally made something of herself."
Qiao Hui was stunned for a moment, then glared at him angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Seeing her angry expression, Gao Wenbin felt even more strongly that in his wife's heart, Gu Xi was like a daughter, and her attitude towards them was almost the same as towards their own daughter.
Sigh, we can't let Commander Shen know about this, otherwise he'll have two more fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law.
I'm afraid that when the time comes, Commander Shen will drag his "father-in-law" to the training ground and beat him up under the guise of a friendly sparring match.
**
After receiving the twenty yuan in royalties, Gu Xi started thinking about how to spend it.
This is the money she earned, the first time she's earned so much, and she wants to use it to buy things to thank everyone who has helped and cared for her.
She asked her two younger sisters, "Just tell me what you want to eat, I have money now!"
Xu Yuansheng and Xu Huaisheng looked at her and said, "Next time we go to the state-run restaurant in town, please treat us to white flour dumplings, sister."
"Sure!" Gu Xi said readily, then turned to Shen Mingzheng and asked, "Big brother, what about you?"
Shen Mingzheng chuckled, "Didn't you knit me two sweaters? That's enough."
Seeing that he seemed indifferent, Gu Xi didn't press him. "I want to write to my parents and Mingrong about this, buy them some things and send them over, so they won't have to worry about me anymore..."
Making money through writing articles is a good thing, and she really wanted to share it with Feng Min.
The more she thought about it, the more restless she became. She stood up and said, "No, I should call Mom and tell her the news."
It's been too long since I wrote the letter, and now that the Lunar New Year is approaching, they probably won't receive it until after the holiday.
Seeing that Gu Xi was about to run out, Shen Mingzheng pulled her back and said helplessly, "It's late now, I'll go with you to fight tomorrow."
Gu Xi looked at the sky outside; it was already dark, so she had no choice but to give up.
In the evening, Gu Xi was organizing her books in the study.
There were quite a few books on the bookshelf, some of which she brought with her when she was in the army, some were sent from Beijing, some she bought in the city, and some were sent to her by Mo Xuezhi who knew she loved reading...
Little by little, it gradually filled up a bookshelf.
Mo Xuezhi has returned to the provincial capital. After returning, she sent a lot of things over, including food, toys, and most of all books. The book of paintings by a famous artist is particularly valuable; it's a real treasure.
With this picture book, Gu Xi felt that she could continue to teach herself painting, and maybe even draw some illustrations for publishing houses, which would also be a way to make money.
Gu Xi felt that the Mo family were truly kind people. What pleased her most was the way the Mo family acted – not just with words of thanks, but with concrete actions, such as connecting the military with job opportunities for military spouses.
This particular era was indeed chaotic, but there were also people with good intentions who worked hard to benefit society.
Gu Xi looked at the books on the bookshelf with satisfaction.
When Shen Mingzheng came over, she turned to him and said, "Big brother, this is great! I can make money now."
Looking at her smiling face under the light, Shen Mingzheng felt an exceptionally tender emotion welling up in his heart.
He could sense that something had changed about her, as if some kind of shackle had been removed, the shadows in her heart had been wiped away, and she had finally stepped out of the cage that had imprisoned her...
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