Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 479 Return
The meeting ended on the 17th, and Chen Fan did not leave immediately afterward.

From the afternoon of the 17th to the entire day of the 18th, he locked himself in his room and wrote a novella of more than 3 words called "Love in the Cloud Lake".

The main reason was the limited time; he was afraid of scaring others, which restricted his ability to expand the work. Otherwise, it could have been expanded to at least 30 words.

Ahem, this isn't just filler.

Although the story is relatively simple and has few characters, there is still a lot to write about.

For example, descriptions of scenery, characters' appearances, inner thoughts, and environment; the psychological activities, expressions, and actions of the main characters in the same event; and even societal views on the various behaviors of the male and female protagonists—these are all areas that can be expanded upon.

It's about empathizing with the readers.

That was a mistake; I should have written it before telling He Qingsheng.

He thought about it again and again, but he was still unwilling to give up.

It's 7 yuan per thousand words. A dry 3 words only earns 210 yuan, but if you expand it to 30 words with detailed descriptions, that's 2100 yuan. Do you even need to ask which one to choose?
So on the evening of the 18th, Chen Fan found He Qingsheng again, first composed himself, then knocked on the door and entered, his tone containing three parts depression, three parts resentment, and four parts embarrassment, "Chairman He, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."

He Qingsheng was writing the association's work plan when he heard his words and was a little stunned.

Why are you disappointed?

You promised to do something yesterday, and now you're just going to back out?
My paperwork is almost done!

Chen Fan coughed lightly, glanced at the Platinum Dragon cigarettes on the table, quietly reached into his hand, pulled one out, handed it over, and lit it for him.

He lit another cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke in frustration, and said, "These past few days I've been working until midnight every day, spending four nights and a day and a half writing the first draft of 'Love of Cloud Lake'."

"Love in the Clouds and Lakes"?
He Qingsheng finally understood what was going on and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't going to quit, that was good.

Given the current environment, it's not impossible that there are people who would dare to take on the position of director of the European and American branch of the External Relations Department, but the only one who can put his mind at ease, is qualified to engage in literary exchanges with outsiders, and is within his reach is Chen Fan.

If Chen Fan doesn't do it, he really doesn't know where to find someone for the time being.

Upon hearing that it was "Love of Cloud Lake," he immediately felt relieved and laughed, "What's wrong? Having trouble with your writing?"

Chen Fan scratched his head and nodded. "I've been racking my brains these past few days and have only managed to write a 3-word outline. I also have some insights into the suggestions that the seniors gave me, but I don't have enough time to write them all down. So I want to go back and slowly work on my ideas, and then delve deeper into the characters in the story. At the same time, I also need to think carefully about how to elevate the theme."

He talked for a long time, but He Qingsheng didn't hear anything else except "3 words"?
It's only been a few days, four days, and I had to attend meetings and go shopping in between, yet I've already written 30,000 words?

After a two-second pause, He Qingsheng came to his senses and quickly nodded, saying, "Oh, it's okay. That's how creation is. You have to be as meticulous as possible to produce good works."

He paused for a moment, then couldn't help clicking his tongue, "Did you bring your 3 words?"

Chen Fan dusted off his cigarette ash. "It's not well written, so I'm embarrassed to show it to anyone."

He Qingsheng waved his hand, "It's nothing, let me take a look."

Then I asked him, "So when do you plan to go back?"

Chen Fan: "Let's do it first thing tomorrow morning."

He then asked, "Is Vice Chairman Guo going back to Yunhu? Would you like me to give him a ride?"

It's about Comrade Guo, the deputy director of Yunhu Zoo. He was elected as the vice chairman of the current Writers Association, mainly responsible for preparing for the Yunhu regional branch of the Writers Association. He also wanted to bring Chen Fan on board and give him a vice chairman position, but Chen Fan declined.

Old Guo didn't care. Anyway, he was a member of the Provincial Writers Association and a local of Yunhu. It didn't matter whether he got in or not. As long as he was still in Yunhu when the Writers Association had major events, he would definitely get involved.

He Qingsheng waved his hand, "He won't be there that quickly. He still has some things to take care of. Besides, he's already a deputy director-level official and has a car assigned to him. You don't need to worry about him."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. Well, they even have an extra driver than him.

He Qingsheng added, "Let me take a look at the draft you've finished writing. It'll be like checking it out for you in advance. I'll return it to you before you leave tomorrow."

Chen Fan nodded and agreed without hesitation.

As long as he can keep posting nonsense, that's fine.

……

The Jiangnan Writers Association had just been re-established, and there were countless tasks to be done. When Chen Fan left, only He Qingsheng came to see him off.

He first handed the first draft of "Love in the Cloud Lake" to Chen Fan, saying, "It's well written, but the time was too tight, and the plot and character descriptions are a bit rushed. You're right, it can be explored in more depth."

Regarding the issue of elevating the central theme, I've also taken a look, and the direction is correct; however, it's not without its problems.

His expression showed obvious hesitation. "Isn't there a bit too much description of love and capitalist's daughter?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly, "This is what I'm thinking: clearer descriptions will leave a deeper impression on readers, making the later plot twists even more moving."

He Qingsheng nodded slowly after listening, "That makes some sense."

He looked up at Chen Fan and said seriously, "If this subject matter is written well, it will definitely shock the literary world, but the details must be handled precisely, otherwise it may easily cause trouble."

I wrote some comments on the manuscript paper. You can think about them yourself later. They may not be correct, but you must take all relevant aspects into account.

This is just a first draft, so I can't say too much right now. We'll discuss it properly once you've finished the final draft.

He paused for two seconds, then said, "Today is January 19th. We're going to the capital for a meeting in March, so it would be best if we could finalize the draft before the meeting. I'll show it to Mao Dun, Ba Jin, and a few others for their review. If there are no problems, we can publish it directly, and maybe it can even be published in People's Literature."

Chen Fan broke out in a cold sweat. How did he end up blaming those two?

However, it must be said that as the chairman of the Jiangnan Provincial Branch, He Qingsheng is indeed qualified to meet with those famous writers, whether it's for casual conversation or work, it doesn't matter.

However... how does People's Literature plan to publish a novel estimated at 30 words?
Just before getting into the car, He Qingsheng waved, and a staff member immediately handed him two bags.

He didn't even handle it, but had someone deliver it directly to the car, saying, "This is a souvenir from the meeting; everyone gets one. Take it."

Chen Fan didn't stand on ceremony. After waving goodbye, he drove away.

……

When we arrived, the road was wet but still relatively firm, so it didn't affect our speed at all. On the way back, the snow had melted, and although there were few cars on the national highway, it was still constantly busy, making the whole road bumpy and muddy.

On roads like this, it's impossible to drive fast. We set off before 8 a.m., and the journey of just over 200 to 300 kilometers took us more than 8 hours. We finally arrived at the health department around 4 p.m.

In the political work department, everyone is seriously slacking off.

Sister Zhou didn't stay in her own office either. She pulled up a chair and sat in the large office, sighing deeply. "I went to great lengths to get Xiao Fan into the company, and now, with just one word from the higher-ups, they've handed her over. All my efforts have been for nothing!"

Lin Liwen leaned on the table, her eyes full of curiosity, "Xiao Fan really became a leader in the Provincial Writers Association?"

Xia Yuping curled her lip, "Of course it's true. They don't even need to go through us to transfer people; they go directly through the Health Department's connections."

He sighed deeply, "That's true. Compared to the Writers' Association, what is the Health Department? Besides, Xiao Fan was promoted two levels in a row and was a real department head. Water flows downhill and people strive for higher positions, it's all understandable."

Sister Zhou was still somewhat indignant, "I understand, but at least give me a heads-up beforehand. A transfer order just came out of nowhere, and I was completely dumbfounded."

He waved his hand as he spoke, "I think this kid has no conscience."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a voice came from the doorway, "Who's talking badly about me behind my back?"

Everyone immediately turned to look at the door, where they saw Chen Fan leisurely walking in, carrying a bag in his hand.

Sister Zhou's face lit up at first, but then she deliberately put on a stern face and said, "I'm talking about you."

She looked him up and down. "I haven't even congratulated you yet, you've been promoted twice and you're at the same level as me now. At this rate of promotion, I might have to call you 'boss' next year."

Chen Fan chuckled and placed the bag on Sister Qin's desk. "What are you saying? Forget about promotions or anything like that. Whenever I see you, I have to call you 'Sister,' right?" Sister Zhou's lips twitched, but she finally couldn't hold back. "You're just shameless."

He then waved to his subordinates, "All of you, get up there! No matter how much stuff you bring, don't leave a single thing behind."

Lin Liwen and Xia Yuping rushed over impatiently, laughing and joking. Sister Qin and Sister Yu also happily opened the bag, and the group gathered around. "Wow, so many things!"

Chen Fan pointed to the bag, "No need to fight over it, everyone gets a share. Hey, Yuping, that's for Sister Zhou, don't grab it."

Xia Yuping turned around and handed a small handbag to Sister Zhou, pouting as she said, "I knew we wouldn't get any of these good things."

Chen Fan sighed and said, "Then you've wronged me. The point is, even if I gave this to you, you wouldn't use it."

These days, you hardly see any young women carrying handbags on the street. Most people carry canvas bags, and those who carry small handbags are mostly middle-aged or elderly women, and they're the kind who look like government officials.

He added, "The things I'm giving you are in the bag; they're all things you can use normally."

Wallets, folding scissors, folding knives, travel mugs... everyone had several items, all of which Chen Fan had bought wholesale from the department store.

Well, these days, travel mugs aren't the plastic Fuguang mugs of the 8s and 90s, nor are they stainless steel mugs; they're ceramic mugs.

The cup is made of ceramic with exquisite patterns, while the lid is made of plastic. Nowadays, anything related to plastic is expensive, and this teacup costs several dollars.

(A travel teacup from 1978)

Lin Liwen and the others were very satisfied with the gifts and kept having a good time together.

Sister Zhou glanced at the brown leather handbag, unzipped it, and found all the other small gifts inside. She nodded in satisfaction, then stood up and said, "Come on, let's go to my office and chat. Let's see what amazing position you've gotten and how you've been promoted to deputy director."

Lin Liwen and the others gave Chen Fan a look that said "good luck," and then returned to their seats to fiddle with their small gifts.

Chen Fan followed Sister Zhou into the office, closed the door, and expertly brewed two cups of tea.

Sister Zhou picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said directly, "Your file has just been transferred out, but according to the suggestion of the higher-ups, and of course, also the requirement of our unit, we have still set up a technical consultant position for you."

She shook her head with a wry smile, "A perfectly good full-time cadre, suddenly became an advisor, I just can't understand how you did it?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "I didn't do this. It was all arranged by Chairman He of the newly rebuilt Provincial Writers Association."

Sister Zhou nodded in realization, "Just like when I transferred you to the health department a few months ago?"

She couldn't help but feel a little curious again. "You were transferred to the health department because you invented a method for clearing foreign objects from the respiratory tract. If we hadn't transferred you, our entire leadership would have been blamed for 'not knowing how to recognize and use talent'."

But why the Writers' Association? You're already a member; whether you hold a position within the organization or not doesn't really matter much, right?

Chen Fan didn't mince words and explained the situation directly. He then smiled and said, "So, just like when I was in the Health Department, I'm only a figurehead in the External Liaison Department of the Writers' Association. I don't participate in any specific affairs. It's also to give Chairman He face, so that we can find a suitable person and avoid the situation where the organization's leadership is incomplete, which would make everyone look bad."

After listening to Chen Fan's words, Sister Zhou frowned slightly. She didn't ask why they didn't just cancel the European and American branch of the External Relations Department.

Although the organizational systems are different, the rules and principles are the same. The higher-level headquarters have all established them, so how can the branches not follow suit?
After pausing for two seconds, Sister Zhou said, "That's true, but this department is ultimately a bit sensitive. What if authors or organizations from Europe and America really request to exchange ideas? What do you plan to do?"

Chen Fan shrugged, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and laughed, "We'll just have to do what we have to do."

Seeing Sister Zhou's brows furrowed, he smiled and said, "First of all, the Writers' Association isn't the Health Department, and Chairman He isn't you, Sister Zhou. I can willingly work for the Health Department..."

He shrugged again as he spoke, "Although it seems like you guys don't have anything for me to do."

Sister Zhou smiled and said, "The fact that your people can stay in the health department is the biggest help to our unit."

Chen Fan smiled and continued, "In short, I don't owe the Writers' Association any favors. If I feel something is wrong one day, I can resign from this position at any time, and I won't get involved."

Sister Zhou pursed her lips, looked at him, and said, "You do seem to have a bit of the 'being invincible without desires' mentality."

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair and laughed, “That’s just how it is. From beginning to end, I never actively pursued these things. Even without the sanitation department or the machinery factory, I could have lived a very good and fulfilling life in Lujiawan.”

Sister Zhou nodded gently, her previous worries completely gone. She smiled at him and said, "So, your plan is to be a mascot in the Writers' Association, and then voluntarily step down when Chairman He finds a suitable candidate?"

Chen Fan couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. "Chairman He promised that once someone takes over, he would give me a nominal vice-chairmanship, and my benefits would be upgraded, and I wouldn't have to do anything."

He didn't know what the Writers' Association would be like in the future, but the current Writers' Association was indeed a good place to slack off.

Besides full-time writers, there are roughly two situations for writers holding positions in writers' associations. One is that they are required to participate in work and earn wages through their labor, just like other staff members. However, they can also earn royalties by writing in their spare time.

The other type is simply nominal appointment.

The most common positions are vice chairman or deputy director, where they receive the same salary but do not have to do anything.

That is, to slack off openly and legitimately.

Chen Fan is currently in the second type of idle position, and if the department ever gets a real task and Chairman He finds a suitable person to take over, he can be promoted again.

No, the vice chairman should be promoted two ranks, but there needs to be some manipulation in between. For example, he can serve as the director of the external relations department for a few months first, and then be elected as the vice chairman during the reshuffle.

But no matter how his job changes, it doesn't affect his ability to be a couch potato.

This was one of the main reasons he agreed to He Qingsheng's request.

Another important reason is the opportunities that this department offers.

Everyone else is afraid of being associated with Western countries, but he isn't!

Everyone knows that diplomatic relations with the US will be established in a year, and a large number of Western countries will follow suit.

Moreover, even now, quite a few European and American countries have established diplomatic relations with my country, from the first neutral country Switzerland, to the first Western country Sweden, and then to France, Britain and so on. There are actually quite a few.

They just don't communicate very frequently.

Once the US takes the lead, those countries will all start various exchange activities.

By then, as the director of the European and American branch of the External Relations Department, Chen Fan will surely have plenty of opportunities to go abroad.

It's important to know that in the early 80s, writers were among the most frequent travelers abroad, perhaps even the most frequent.

So-called people-to-people exchanges are largely based on cultural exchange, but in the current domestic cultural circles, which organization dares to show its teeth in front of the Writers Association?
To take it a step further, it's not that the Writers' Association wanted these opportunities in many cases, but rather that in the early years, almost all the cultural products exported overseas were literary works, so the invitations for visits from abroad were basically sent to the Writers' Association.

Furthermore, they often specify which writer must attend.

Ye Junjian worked tirelessly with a full head of white hair.

Chen Fan is still young, and he is not afraid of hard work. The key is that once he goes abroad, he will have the opportunity to earn foreign exchange.

Just a few days ago, he wasn't so greedy. He was thinking about when the print run royalties would be reinstated so he could earn royalties legitimately.

That's what they mean by "manna from heaven."

The world changes too fast. When he learned that the Writers' Association had set up an external relations department and that there would be opportunities to go abroad for exchanges, he knew that he also needed to adjust his plans.

He just didn't expect He Qingsheng to make him the director of the European and American branch. He was even thinking of asking He Qingsheng for a spot when there was an event.

Now that power has been handed directly to him, he's overjoyed and has no reason to be afraid!

What? You firmly refused before?

If I don't refuse, how can I get deputy division-level treatment?
These conditions were all negotiated!

After leaving Sister Zhou's place, Chen Fan visited other key leaders of the health department, presented them with souvenirs, and said some polite words to express his gratitude for their concern. Only then did he drive his cleaned jeep out of the yard and head home.

(End of this chapter)