After going downstairs, Du Rong asked Lin Chaoyang: "Why is Liu Xinwu looking for you?"
On the day when the May 4th Literary Society of Yan'an University was re-established, Liu Xinwu was also one of the guests present. Du Rong and others in the library had seen him and knew that he was one of the most popular young and middle-aged writers in the country in the past year or so.
.
Just now, Liu Xinwu went to the front desk of the closed-shelf library and said he was looking for Lin Chaoyang, so Du Rong wrote a note to him upstairs.
Lin Chaoyang shook his head and said he didn't know. He really didn't know Liu Xinwu's purpose of looking for him. After all, the two had never been in contact before. They only met once on the day of the founding meeting of the May Fourth Literary Society, but Lin Chaoyang had a rough guess in his mind.
He asked Du Rong to help him go upstairs for a while. There were two people at the front desk, and Du Rong went upstairs, leaving Tu Mansheng alone.
"Teacher Liu!"
Following the custom of later generations, Lin Chaoyang always used to call people his teacher when he met them.
Liu Xinwu didn't feel comfortable with his title, "You can call me Xinwu or Lao Liu."
"Then let me call you Lao Liu, to be more affectionate."
Liu Xinwu nodded, and the two of them walked to the triangle area while chatting.
Liu Xinwu said: "I am here mainly to request manuscripts from you on behalf of "October". Do you have any manuscripts on hand recently?"
As Lin Chaoyang expected, Liu Xinwu really came to ask for a manuscript.
"I have a novel in hand that I am writing."
Liu Xinwu smiled when he heard this, and just when he was about to speak, he heard Lin Chaoyang say again: "But Zhang Dening from "Yanjing Literature and Art" has been urging me to write a manuscript, and today I received an invitation letter for "Harvest"."
Lin Chaoyang's words gave Liu Xinwu a headache. "Yanjing Literature and Art" was the publication where Lin Chaoyang's debut novel was published, and there was a human connection. Mr. Ba Jin was in charge of "Harvest", and now it has resumed publication with great momentum.
With these two publications eyeing Lin Chaoyang's manuscript, it would be difficult for him to get Lin Chaoyang's new work!
“To request a manuscript, you still have to come in person to be sincere.”
When literati argue, they often do so quietly.
Liu Xin has been an editor at Wudang for some years, and has quite a lot of experience in writing articles. When it’s time to take action, there must be no ambiguity.
The reputations of "Harvest" and Ba Jin were too great, and he planned to use this "insincere" move of the invitation letter to destroy Lin Chaoyang's favor with them.
Lin Chaoyang smiled and said nothing, labeling Liu Xinwu as an "old concealer" in his heart.
"Is it almost four months since your article "Wrangler" was published?"
"Well, it was published in the November issue last year."
Liu Xinwu sighed: "The writing is really good. I feel that its influence has become more and more powerful in the past few months. I have seen two or three review articles in the "Literary News" alone."
Lin Chaoyang humbled himself, and then Liu Xinwu asked again: "Would you mind telling me about the theme and content of your next novel? Is it still about scar literature?"
"Not really, it should be considered a local theme."
"Country theme? What is it about?"
"About a pair of shoes."
When Lin Chaoyang mentioned shoes, the first thing that came to Liu Xinwu's mind was "An Embroidered Shoe". He shook off the idea and said, "Can we talk about it in detail?"
Lin Chaoyang is very service-minded. Liu Xinwu came to request manuscripts on behalf of "October". Thirty years later, this would be considered a potential customer who came to the door. Isn't it right to introduce product information to customers?
He and Liu Xinwu walked through the triangle area and came to Weiming Lake, narrating the story as they walked.
In early March, the Weiming Lake looked a little desolate before we had time to take off our winter clothes, but the many young and energetic figures on the lake made the place full of life.
"This story of yours..." Liu Xinwu listened to Lin Chaoyang's story for more than 20 minutes. During this period, his eyes became moist several times. Until the end, he choked up, "It's so good!"
He cleared his throat, "After listening to you talk about your new novel, it reminded me of "The Wrangler". There is something in the same vein between these two works..."
"Warmth!" Liu Xinwu thought and summed it up in one word.
Lin Chaoyang nodded slightly. As an editor and writer, Liu Xinwu had extremely keen observation skills.
"That's an accurate word."
Liu Xinwu laughed and asked, "Do you like warm stories?"
"That's not to say, I like to read all types of stories. I just think that literature can actually give people more power.
Compared with exposing darkness, satirizing reality, and allowing people to gain the courage to face the hardships of life from words, I may think this is more important."
Listening to Lin Chaoyang's words, Liu Xinwu couldn't help but look at the young man next to him with a serious attitude again.
He and Lin Chaoyang first met at the founding meeting of the May Fourth Literary Society. At that time, Chen Jiangong wanted to introduce him to him, but Lin Chaoyang was in a hurry to return to the library.
In his opinion, he is just a childish and frizzy young man.
But today's conversation made Liu Xinwu see something unique about him.
Liu Xinwu thought to himself that when he was Lin Chaoyang's age, his understanding of literature was far less profound than his.
Of course, literature is a grand proposition, and everyone may have their own understanding.
You may be able to express your thoughts in writing and create such an excellent work as "The Wrangler", but it is not something ordinary people can do. This is what Wang Yangming calls the unity of knowledge and action.
Thinking of this, Liu Xinwu suddenly felt a little unmotivated.
He saw that Lin Chaoyang was a very independent-thinking person, and he would not change his views easily.
If he is really determined to give his next novel to "Yanjing Literature and Art" or "Harvest", I'm afraid that all the extravagances he talks about are useless, so he might as well do it simply.
With this idea in mind, Liu Xinwu decided not to beat around the bush.
"Chaoyang, your novel has been decided to be given to Yanjing Literature and Art, right?"
Lin Chaoyang replied: "That's not true."
Liu Xinwu was a little surprised, "Then you want to give "Harvest"?"
Lin Chaoyang shook his head again.
Neither of them will give it?
Liu Xinwu got two negative answers and was a little confused. Then he felt a little lucky.
"Then why not... give it to us?"
"I didn't say that, did I?"
Lin Chaoyang expressed his attitude straightforwardly this time, but Liu Xinwu was even more confused.
"Then who do you want to give it to?" he asked.
"This... I haven't thought about it yet."
Liu Xinwu's eyes lit up when he heard this. It seemed that the relationship between Lin Chaoyang and "Yanjing Literature and Art" was not as good as he had imagined before!
I was worried in vain before.
He was about to actively fight for it when he heard Lin Chaoyang speak.
"Yanjing Literature and Art told me before that the remuneration standard can be seven yuan per thousand words. The letter from "Harvest" came today. I plan to write to ask them what price they will give. You..."
Chapter completed!