Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter one thousand nine hundred and eighty-two.
Saturday, January 2, 1982.
There was a little snow outside, but the weather was not particularly cold.
There are a lot of people on the campus of Capital University, all of them are busy reviewing in the library or study room, as the final exam week is coming soon.
But this has nothing to do with Mu Mian and her classmates. As graduation is approaching, the defense has long been over, and all that remains are some miscellaneous matters.
The Department of Economics took graduation photos today. There were two classes in total. Class one took the photo, then class two, and then they took a group photo and that was it.
After four years of being classmates, I still feel reluctant to leave you. Whenever we take a photo, you hug me and I hug you.
The students in Class 2 waited on the side first. Class 1, with more than 50 people, stood in several rows. After the photographer made a "click", the smiles on everyone's faces not only disappeared but became even more intense, and there was a lot of noise.
"Master, please take another one. Let's do another fashionable pose."
"Yes, yes, yes, take another one. I think I just closed my eyes."
"Don't mention it. I seem to have closed my eyes too."
"Is it okay? Why are you still taking photos? Our class hasn't taken photos yet. It's almost done."
"Hey, you don't have to pay for the film, so why are you reluctant to do it?"
"This is something I'm not willing to give up. It's obviously you who are hesitating."
"Don't speak too soon. Let's see if your class will dawdle later."
…………
…
While they were chattering, Class One took two more photos, and soon it was Class Two's turn. Because they had to take a group photo, everyone stayed on the side and waited while chatting.
Most of what they talked about were things about the new unit. Starting from the second semester of the senior year, assignment becomes the top priority for every student, after all, it concerns future development.
Now that we are about to graduate, every student in the class has found a place to go, the only difference is whether it is a good place or a bad place.
Mu Mian stood with Mao Shanfang and Yao Gudong. She was wearing a very thick cashmere coat today, which was warm and beautiful. Both of them put their hands into her pockets.
When talking about joining the company, Mao Shanfang complained again that the location of the company was a bit remote, and she was the only one in her class who started working there, without any companions.
After that, Mao Shanfang continued, "It's still good for you two to still be together."
Yao Gudong: "We go to class together. Mu Mian doesn't live in the dormitory."
Mu Mian held Yao Gudong's arm and smiled, "Hehe, I'll continue to rely on the monitor from now on. Remember to notify me if there's anything going on in the class."
Yao Gudong also laughed, "It's too early to say, what if I don't win the election?"
Mu Mian: "That can't be done, absolutely!"
Mu Mian had already thought about studying for a master's degree before his senior year started.
If she participated in the allocation, she should be able to be assigned to a good unit, just like Mao Shanfang, even though she complained several times that the unit's location was a bit remote and too far from home.
But in fact, Mao Shanfang is quite satisfied with his new unit. In the tax department, students with poor academic performance in school cannot get in.
Mu Mian's grades were not bad. To be more precise, overall, no one in the department performed better than her. When she showed her transcript to other companies, all of them were vying for it.
However, Mu Mian thought about it carefully and realized that she didn't really like this fixed working pattern. If possible, she wanted to stay in school.
The teaching workload for their major is relatively light, so she has more time to take care of other things after class.
She was not the only one studying for a master's degree in the department. In addition to her and Yao Gudong, there was another male classmate in Class 1. Together with the students in Class 2, there were a total of six or seven students.
Mu Mian is not the only one in the family who is studying for a master's degree. Nie Sihui also passed the exam.
However, Nie Sihui had no plans to stay in school. She simply wanted to learn more and do more research.
Both my aunt and my sister-in-law want to continue their studies, and of course our family fully supports them.
When Comrade Mu Fugui took the two graduate school admission letters home, he was so happy that he started drinking again, and said casually that their family would definitely be called a... scholarly family in the future! !
This is not an exaggeration. After all, there are five college students among the younger generation, including Nie Sihui!
At the moment, the students in Class 2, who previously complained about Class 1 being too slow, are now starting to be slow too. In the midst of the excitement, Mao Shanfang, holding Mu Mian's arm, suddenly said, "Have you finished making that cartoon? Is it going to be broadcast on TV?"
Mu Mian: "Soon, Director Wang said it will be broadcast during the Chinese New Year."
Mao Shanfang: "I'll go home tomorrow and tell my nephew. He's looking forward to it."
Mu Mian's pseudonym of "Autumn Rain" was exposed during the summer vacation of his junior year. The exposure process was quite dramatic. On that day, Mu Mian took Xixi and Xinxin to Xinhua Bookstore, wanting to buy some extracurricular books for the two sisters. He mainly bought books for Xixi, as Xinxin could only understand a few of them.
After the three of them arrived at the bookstore, Xixi went to look for extracurricular books by herself.
When Mu Mian took Xinxin to the comic book bookshelf, he happened to meet Mao Shanfang there. It was a coincidence that they met, so they naturally chatted for a while.
Mao Shanfang was holding several books in her hands at the time, and among them was the second series of Mu Mian's "Xiao Ya and Friends".
Mao Shanfang said that she bought it for her nephew, who had bought and read the book before, but the book was accidentally soaked in water a few days ago, so she bought a new one.
As he was talking, Mao Shanfang muttered to Mu Mian, saying that the author didn't know when the third series would be released. The first two stories were very exciting, and the third series would definitely not be bad either.
Mu Mian opened his mouth to speak, but Xinxin spoke first, just when Mao Shanfang was asking why the author had taken such a long break and hadn't drawn any new works.
Xinxin said cutely, "Mom is already drawing and is almost done."
Mao Shanfang was like, “????”
What? ? ?
Who is drawing? ?
The exposure came so suddenly that Mao Shanfang almost cried out in the bookstore. She caught Mu Mian and questioned him for a long time.
Mao Shanfang was not someone who could keep a secret, and within two days of school starting, the entire department knew about it.
This incident was quite shocking, no less than the one that happened when eight little hooligans were beaten up.
Come to think of it, 'Autumn Rain' is an old author. Before they knew that Mu Mian was the author of 'Autumn Rain', some people in her class had read Mu Mian's works. Comic books are not just for primary school students, college students can read them too.
After finding out, everyone's reaction was similar to Mao Shanfang's.
He started publishing his paintings when he was eight or nine years old. During that time, he was invited by the Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio to collaborate on a comic strip with the same name as an animated film. His own comic strip was also going to be adapted into an animated film.
Everyone had the same thought in their mind: We are all human beings, taking the same classes, so how come you are the only one who is so outstanding? ?
This resulted in Mu Mian being treated like a monkey for a week or two, with people always looking at her when she walked around school.
In a sense, she is also a celebrity in the school.
Those who were not familiar with them just took a look, while those who were familiar came directly to ask questions. Even the teachers joked that they didn't know that there was a great writer and painter hidden in the class.
Other counselors pulled Mu Mian and their counselor Geng Jianzhong aside and sighed, saying that the female student in your major is really capable of both literature and martial arts! !
Counselor Geng Jianzhong said that she said at the beginning of the school year that they would also slaughter pigs, but unfortunately we didn't see it.
Other counselors: “………………”
It is indeed a bit too delusional to think of seeing pigs being slaughtered on a university campus.
Now back to the present.
It’s been so long since Mu Mian was exposed, but the impact is still there.
For example, at this moment, the female classmate next to Mao Shanfang is called Sheng Xiaoling. After listening to Mao Shanfang talking about cartoons, she tilted her head and looked at Mu Mian.
Although Sheng Xiaoling smiled brightly, her words were very 'ruthless', "It just so happens that we have a holiday. Mu Mian, you don't have anything to do for such a long time, right? Hurry up and draw new ones, start drawing series four, five and six!"
Mu Mian: "I'm drawing, I'm drawing."
After the exposure, there were several more close editors, who were more dedicated than the editors themselves in urging for updates. When Nie Sihui told Bi Qin about this, Bi Qin almost laughed to death on the other end of the phone.
Sheng Xiaoling was suspicious, "Is it a real painting or a fake one?"
Mu Mian opened his big innocent eyes and said, "Really, really, when have I ever lied to anyone?"
Series 4 is indeed already being drawn, but we have only just started it. Even if we have just started it, it is already being drawn. If all goes well, it can be completed in two months.
In the autumn of 1980, Mu Mian sent the third volume of the series "Xiao Ya and Friends" to the publishing house. With the foundation of the first two volumes, the sales were naturally very good.
Royalties start in the five figures.
In fact, she didn't write much in the next year and a half. One reason was that she was busy. She was about to graduate and was busy with study and thesis. She was also involved in the small business at home and Xiang Xuewen's factory.
Secondly, she is under a lot of pressure as the number of readers increases. This is how a series of works works. If the later ones are not as exciting as the previous ones, it is easy for people to feel that it is perfunctory.
Mu Mian doesn’t want to see people buy a series only to find it unsatisfactory after watching it, so he spends a long time thinking about it every time.
She conceived two stories this time, and after finishing series five, "Xiao Ya and Her Friends" will be the finale.
But it’s still early now, and I’ve just started writing series 4.
Sheng Xiaoling smiled brightly after receiving Mu Mian's affirmative answer. "When the sample book comes out, please send it to me. I want a signed copy."
Sheng Xiaoling came from Shanghai and chose to return to her hometown when she was assigned.
Speaking of which, there was a funny thing that happened before. Sheng Xiaoling grew up in Shanghai, and she loved reading picture books when she was a child.
After Mao Shanfang said that 'Autumn Rain Mianmian' was Mu Mian, this person was the most shocked in the class. His jaw almost dropped to the ground. The first thing he said when he saw Mu Mian was, "I grew up reading your comic books!!"
Mu Mian said, "………………"
I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve suddenly aged ten or twenty years.
Sheng Xiaoling's words were not an exaggeration at all. She had really read all of Mu Mian's works, whether they had good or bad sales.
Not only had she seen it, she also remembered it.
Mu Mian was quite touched by the treatment he gave her at that time, and their relationship improved rapidly, becoming much closer.
At this moment, facing Sheng Xiaoling's request for a sample book and signature, Mu Mian naturally agreed, "I won't forget it. I will send it to you as soon as you get it."
Sheng Xiaoling wanted to say something, but before she could open her mouth, the instructor called out, "It's time to take a group photo. Class 1, come over and stand in position. Mu Mian, what are you guys doing standing over there?"
Mu Mian: "Here I come."
A few minutes later, the photographer held up the camera and said, "Look ahead, don't close your eyes, those who squint, open your eyes wider."
The undergraduate life of more than one hundred students in the Department of Economics ended with a "click".
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