Chapter 7: Writing for a Living
“Click!”
Cheng Xuyuan burped and staggered out of the state-owned dumpling restaurant.
Seven meat dumplings for 1 cent, Cheng Xuyuan ate the ones worth 50 cents! The dumplings were authentic pork and scallion stuffing, each with a thin skin and tender stuffing, and the belly was round and plump. When you bite into it, it sizzles with oil.
The filling is plump and juicy, the meat flavor is rich and mellow, the taste is extremely delicious, and a bowl of hot original soup is really satisfying!
But fifty cents for a dumpling plus three or two taels of meal ticket is really a bit painful.
Last night when I reported in, I invited Wang Changyi, who was with me to do the paperwork, to dinner. Together with the meal this morning, the hundred yuan I brought from home is now only 97.86 yuan left.
Not to mention the national meal ticket in hand.
According to Wang Changyi, he had just reported for work and his monthly salary should be around 47 yuan.
If I continue to eat the way I do today, the money I earn won’t even be enough to cover my food.
But do we really have to do as Old Li said, buy a stove and a pot, and then feed ourselves?
Cheng Xuyuan felt a bit overwhelmed when he thought about having two steamed buns with radish and cabbage for a meal.
As a second life, I am here to enjoy life. I cannot be like in my previous life, toiling like an ox or a horse for half my life and ending up busying myself for whomever pleases me!
We still have to find a way to make money!
But how to make money? Do business? When these three words appeared in his mind, Cheng Xuyuan immediately threw them aside.
It's not the right time yet.
As for the rest, Cheng Xuyuan couldn't help but shook his head.
With a slight headache, Cheng Xuyuan walked to the street not far from the cultural center, and saw a huge flow of bicycles, which moved forward in a mighty manner amid the ding-dong sound of bicycle bells...
Looking at this situation, Cheng Xuyuan felt a sense of pride in his heart.
He also wanted to join the traffic, but unfortunately, he didn't even have a bicycle.
And the watch. I just checked the time and I was still in the state-owned dumpling shop...
And all of this requires money!
If I just rely on saving, I will basically live on coarse food for the rest of my life! At least, I have lived on coarse food for the past six years!
How can this be done? We still have to find a way to make some money!
But how can we make money in a legitimate way?
With a heart full of thoughts, Cheng Xuyuan walked through the traffic and headed towards the district cultural center.
No matter what, the first thing to do is to go to work.
Just as Cheng Xuyuan crossed the road, a jeep broke through the flow of bicycles like a crane standing out among chickens.
While driving, Shen Yulin advised Shen Yumo: "Second sister, you don't need to be so anxious to go to work."
"The work has already been assigned. You just came back. It won't be too late to take a few days off before going back to work."
"Didn't our father say that he and your editor-in-chief have already agreed that you can report to the unit in half a month."
"If you ask me, you might as well wait a month until the college entrance examination results come out. If you can get into a good university, you can stop working and go to college directly."
Shen Yumo said calmly: "Brother, it's boring to just stay at home. I want to work."
"Besides, I don't have much confidence in this college entrance examination, so I might as well go to work."
"Okay, okay, if you want to work, then let's go."
"It shouldn't be too busy at this time."
Shen Yulin smiled as he drove, "Even if you have to go to work, you should go out for a walk. I heard from my sister-in-law that the department store has received a batch of very good fabrics recently. Go get them and make a new set of clothes."
"It's almost New Year's Day!"
Speaking of new clothes, Shen Yumo suddenly looked up and said, "Second brother, from what elder sister said, do you want to introduce someone to me?"
Shen Yulin was stunned for a moment. During the family gathering yesterday, he also understood the meaning of his eldest sister's words.
Seeing Shen Yumo's serious expression, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Second sister, men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough, right?"
"I'm just introducing you to someone and trying to connect you. As for whether they're suitable for you, you should find someone on your own."
"Haha, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Shen Yumo said calmly: "I haven't divorced yet, so before the divorce, I don't want to meet a messy person."
Seeing Shen Yumo's determination, Shen Yulin sighed and said, "Second sister, I care about you too. Besides, the reason why you and Xiao Cheng haven't divorced is entirely because of his work."
"In fact, this matter has been discussed a long time ago."
"When I sent Xiao Cheng to report yesterday, Xiao Cheng said it was very good."
"He said you can't always live in the past, and he also said that he hopes that after the divorce, we can still be friends instead of strangers."
"There is nothing right or wrong in this marriage."
"It's normal to break up if it's not suitable. If you keep feeling sorry for him, it will make it impossible for you to even be friends."
…
After listening to his brother's advice, Shen Yumo hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, brother, I know what I'm doing. Let's not talk about this anymore. I just want to work hard now."
"As for Cheng Xuyuan, I hope what you said is what he really means in his heart."
“Crack…”
With the harsh sound of brakes, the car had come to a steady stop in front of a gate with the words "Yanjing Writers Association" inscribed on it.
Cheng Xuyuan naturally didn't know that his nominal wife would rush to work the next day after returning to Beijing.
When he returned to the cultural center, it was already bustling with activity.
Although there was no practice of clocking in at that time, everyone's enthusiasm for work was very high.
There are three offices in the writing group. Cheng Xuyuan's desk is closest to the door, and he sits opposite a young girl named Shi Xuehong.
Shi Xuehong is not tall, with a white and slightly chubby face.
Although it's not beautiful, it's quite attractive.
She was very welcoming to Cheng Xuyuan's arrival, because with Cheng Xuyuan's arrival, she was no longer the newest person in the writing team. There was also someone who could share all kinds of miscellaneous tasks with her.
After helping Cheng Xuyuan clean up the office, she whispered to Cheng Xuyuan, "Xiao Cheng, you're at work at the right time."
"Something good is going to happen tonight!"
Cheng Xuyuan poured himself a glass of water from the washed reception white porcelain cup, and whispered as he drank, "What's the good news?"
The meat dumplings were a bit salty!
"Hehe, you may not know this, but Mr. Ma's novel was published in Yanjing Literature and Art, and he received more than 50 yuan in royalties. Our cultural center even gave him a TV ticket award for the second half of this year."
Shi Xuehong lowered her voice and said, "This is a double blessing, so of course we have to treat everyone!"
"I heard that he plans to treat our group to mutton hotpot. This time, we can't afford it without ten yuan."
"This is the first time that Teacher Ma has been so generous!"
Shabu-shabu! Cheng Xuyuan, who had no desire to eat shabu-shabu hotpot in his previous life, felt his stomach growl.
Then his attention turned to the fifty-plus yuan in royalties.
His monthly salary was only forty-seven yuan, not enough to buy three meals of dumplings a day.
But he earned more than 50 yuan in royalties for writing a novel. It's too easy to make money.
What's more, there is a TV ticket.
This is a good thing, so many people are trying their best to get it! Seeing Cheng Xuyuan's thoughtful look, Shi Xuehong suddenly understood something in her heart, and she couldn't help but smile softly.
When she first came to the literature group, she had the idea that she could also write, but a year of experience taught her that having ideas is good, but it is too difficult to realize them.
Young people still lack life experience and have not yet been beaten by reality! (End of this chapter)
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