Chapter 36: Earn Money by Writing Articles
After seeing off Political Commissar Zhou's wife, Lu Tingxiao also went to work. Jiang Ruoxi took out a book to read. As she was reading, Jiang Ruoxi suddenly thought that since she had nothing to do, she might as well earn some royalties by writing some articles or novels.
Jiang Ruoxi took out a piece of manuscript paper, held a pen, and started writing after thinking for a moment. She wrote a story about a military combat hero, which was adapted from a true story she had seen reported in the newspaper. As she wrote, she seemed to see Pang Guoxing in the 1962 self-defense counterattack against India. In the battle in the early morning of November 18, the 9th Company where Pang Guoxing was located launched a surprise attack on the enemy. Pang Guoxing lost contact with the main force while pursuing the enemy. On the way, he met his comrade Wang Shijun, and then met Zhou Wenxuan and the soldier Ran Fulin, who formed a combat team of four. They adopted a tactic of alternating cover in groups of two to pursue the enemy. During the battle, Pang Guoxing knocked down an enemy commander. They also divided their troops into two groups to raid an enemy artillery position, and the enemy abandoned three artillery pieces and fled. After Zhou Wenxuan sprained his ankle and escaped, Pang Guoxing, Ran Fulin and Wang Shijun continued to pursue him, and they launched a surprise attack on another enemy artillery position from a corner. The enemy blew up four artillery pieces and then fled. The three men penetrated 15 miles deep into the enemy's hinterland, fought a total of five times, captured two enemy artillery positions, killed 7 enemy soldiers, and seized 7 artillery pieces. The words they wrote became more and more emotional as they described the scene.
After finally finishing the short story, Jiang Ruoxi carefully checked and revised it several times, then nodded with satisfaction. Then, I carefully put the manuscript into an envelope according to the magazine's submission address, affixed a stamp on it, and mailed it to People's Literature magazine. She was full of anticipation, hoping that the work could be published successfully, which would not only prove her own worth, but also allow her to earn royalties to supplement her family income.
Time passed slowly as she waited. When Jiang Ruoxi thought that her manuscript had become scrapped, she received a reply letter from the magazine, saying that her novel about the combat hero had been published. The letter also said that the payment would be 15 yuan per thousand words. Her short story had about 8,500 words, so the total payment was 127.5 yuan. After the magazine was published, the magazine would send a copy to Jiang Ruoxi, and a remittance slip was attached to the letter. Finally, the magazine hoped that Jiang Ruoxi could submit more articles to their magazine.
Jiang Ruoxi took the remittance slip and walked briskly to the post office. After withdrawing the money, she came to the vegetable market. She saw that there was fresh meat on the stall, so she bought 1 pound of meat and 3 ribs. Then she went to the fish stall and carefully selected a fat fish. Finally, she bought a handful of Chinese cabbage and went home.
After returning home, Jiang Ruoxi hummed a little tune and started cooking. He prepared to make boiled fish fillet, sweet and sour spareribs, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and stir-fried choy sum with garlic. When Lu Tingxiao got home from get off work, he smelled an enticing aroma as soon as he entered the house.
"What good day is today? Why is the feast so abundant?" Lu Tingxiao asked in confusion.
"Tingxiao, my novel has been published, and these ingredients were bought with my royalties." Jiang Ruoxi's face was filled with a proud smile, with an expression that said, "Praise me!"
"Xibaoer, you're so amazing. You're my pride. I have to call my parents tomorrow to tell them. By the way, Xibaoer, which magazine did you submit your article to? I have to buy a copy for you when the time comes!" Lu Tingxiao picked up Jiang Ruoxi and spun her around in surprise.
"I'm submitting it to People's Literature magazine. You don't have to buy it. The magazine said they will send me a sample copy when the time comes!" Jiang Ruoxi said excitedly.
While eating, Jiang Ruoxi excitedly told Lu Tingxiao about the process of writing the novel, especially the excitement she felt when she wrote about the heroic deeds of the combat heroes. Lu Tingxiao listened with great interest, and from time to time he praised Jiang Ruoxi for her good writing skills and talent. He also asked Jiang Ruoxi to write about the soldiers in the current army. Lu Tingxiao said that the current soldiers also have a hard time. Although there are no big battles to participate in, there are still many dangers.
After hearing what Lu Tingxiao said, Jiang Ruoxi made up her mind to write about the soldiers in the active military and publicize the military's development in her next article and submit it to the People's Liberation Army Daily.
After dinner, Lu Tingxiao took the initiative to wash the dishes. Jiang Ruoxi sat at the table, planning what kind of construction and changes in the army she would write about in her next article. She felt that life was full of hope, and she must write more excellent works in the future, which would not only improve her family's living conditions, but also share those touching stories with more people.
Jiang Ruoxi wanted to write an article that was closer to the life in the army, so she decided to ask Lu Tingxiao to ask Commander Xie tomorrow if he could borrow some information about the army from the army library so that she could write about the development and construction of the army in a realistic way.
While Jiang Ruoxi was thinking, Lu Tingxiao had already washed the dishes and boiled the bath water. Lu Tingxiao entered the study and called Jiang Ruoxi to take a bath: "Xibaoer, stop writing. Look at me. How many days have you ignored me?" Lu Tingxiao looked like a pitiful big puppy at this moment. Jiang Ruoxi's heart melted when she saw him. She put down her pen, hugged Lu Tingxiao's neck and said coquettishly: "Brother Xiao, it's all my fault. I will make it up to you tonight!"
When Lu Tingxiao heard Jiang Ruoxi call him "Brother Xiao", his heart skipped a beat. He pinched her slender waist and said with gritted teeth, "You little devil, you want to kill your brother!" Then he kissed Jiang Ruoxi's bright red lips.
The dim light flickered in the small study. It suddenly started raining outside the window. The drizzle hit the glass, as if playing an ambiguous melody for the two people in the room. Lu Tingxiao hugged Jiang Ruoxi tightly. His steps were urgent but gentle as he kicked open the bathroom door.
"Xibaoer, I really love you!" Lu Tingxiao's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of uncontrollable desire. His eyes were fixed on Jiang Ruoxi, as if he wanted to carve her into his bones.
Jiang Ruoxi's cheeks were flushed, and there was a hint of shyness and panic in her eyes. She bit her lower lip gently, subconsciously wrapped her arms around Lu Tingxiao's neck, and buried her face in his chest, not daring to look directly into his fiery gaze.
Lu Tingxiao gently placed Jiang Ruoxi on the sink, held her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply. Jiang Ruoxi responded to his kiss with a moan, their breaths intertwined, and it seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world.
Lu Tingxiao's hand slowly slid down and unbuttoned Jiang Ruoxi's shirt, revealing her snow-white skin. Jiang Ruoxi trembled slightly, but did not resist. Her eyes were full of trust and love for Lu Tingxiao.
Lu Tingxiao picked up Jiang Ruoxi and walked into the bathtub. The warm water instantly enveloped their bodies. Jiang Ruoxi leaned in Lu Tingxiao's arms, feeling his strong heartbeat, her heart filled with happiness and sweetness.
Lu Tingxiao picked up the towel and gently wiped Jiang Ruoxi's skin. His movements were gentle and delicate, as if he was wiping a precious treasure. Jiang Ruoxi's cheeks became hotter and hotter. She closed her eyes slightly, enjoying this rare moment of intimacy.
"Brother Xiao, I love you." Jiang Ruoxi said softly, with a hint of sob in her voice.
Lu Tingxiao hugged Jiang Ruoxi tightly and whispered in her ear: "I love you too, Xibaoer. I will always love you. You will always be my Baoer!"
The next day, Lu Tingxiao got up early to go to work, and promised Jiang Ruoxi that he would definitely ask Teacher Xie about borrowing materials. Jiang Ruoxi was thinking about the framework of the article while cleaning at home. At noon, Lu Tingxiao came back for lunch and said that he had obtained Teacher Xie's permission and could borrow materials at any time. Jiang Ruoxi was very happy and prepared to go to the military library in the afternoon.
In the library, she flipped through various materials with her eyes shining. She gained a lot from the material recorded in the book, including the changes in training methods, the introduction of new equipment, and the progress in soldiers' thinking. She took notes carefully, and the article gradually took shape in her mind.
In the evening, Jiang Ruoxi returned home with the materials and couldn't wait to sit down at the desk to start creating. Lu Tingxiao came back and saw how focused she was, so he quietly went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. When Jiang Ruoxi finally finished writing the first draft and looked up, the aroma of food wafted over. She stretched herself and thought to herself that she must polish this article carefully to perfectly display the demeanor of contemporary soldiers.
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