Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 557 Sold Out Immediately Upon Launch
May Day is just around the corner.

Following the reinstatement of the Spring Festival and National Day holidays last year, this year we've gone a step further by also having a holiday for Labor Day!
What a joy.

There are 1 day for New Year's Day, 3 days for Spring Festival, 1 day for Labor Day, and 2 days for National Day, totaling seven public holidays throughout the year. Adding the 1 day off every Sunday, there are a total of 59 public holidays throughout the year.

It was much less than in later generations, but the advantage was that there were no make-up days, so you didn't have to count the days on your fingers.

However, for Chen Fan, there was no day off today.

It's not that the school doesn't give holidays, nor that Professor Xu doesn't give him rest, but rather that his first independently published novel, "Yunhu Love," following "A Brief Discussion on Hard-Pen Calligraphy," was officially released and launched today through Xinhua Bookstore.

As the leader of the Jiangnan Literature and Art Publishing House, He Qingsheng took him to the Xinhua Bookstore in the provincial capital early in the morning to observe the situation.

Not far from the Writers Association headquarters, there is a Xinhua Bookstore with a fairly large space.

The bookstore hadn't even opened yet, and there was already a long queue outside. The queue was so long that it stretched to the entrances of other stores and even around a corner, almost onto the street.

These are all customers waiting for the bookstore to open so they can buy books.

The vast majority are young people interested in literature, with a small number of older people mixed in. They may not necessarily be buying literary books; they may also be looking to buy professional books.

The thirst for literature and knowledge has kept the scene of "queuing to buy books" going for more than a decade, thus maintaining the prosperity of the literature and book market for more than a decade. During this period, countless writers have made a fortune through writing.

(Queuing to buy books)
This immense wealth... will still not fall into Chen Fan's lap.

Because he only receives royalties; how much he sells is none of his business!

So he seemed a bit nonchalant, squatting on the curb opposite the bookstore, munching on a bag of steamed buns.

He Qingsheng stood next to him, one arm around his waist, the other hand supporting his chin. "The day before yesterday, the Jiangnan Daily and Wenhui Daily both published the news that this book was about to be released. I guess these people are all lining up to buy 'Yunhu Love'."

Chen Fan swallowed the bun in his mouth, then picked up another one. "It's understandable that the Jiangnan Daily published it, but why did Wenhui Daily join in?"

This is a pure advertisement, quite different from the news about enrollment in the literary creation correspondence center published a few days ago.

That one at least had some news value: "to open up a creative path for a wide range of literature lovers and cultivate more literary talents"—look how lofty its intentions were.

what about this?
"Love in the Clouds and Lakes" is now available for purchase.

There's nothing interesting about it!

He Qingsheng lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "I made a deal with their editor-in-chief. When 'Yunhu Love' is published, he will help me promote it. When 'Shanghai Spy Shadow' is published, Jiangnan Daily and 'Jiangnan Literature' will help them promote it."

Chen Fan blinked. "A trade of interests?"

He Qingsheng rolled his eyes. "What kind of exchange of benefits is this? At most, it's a win-win cooperation."

As he spoke, he squatted down, smoking a cigarette, and said, "It's a tradition to publish news about a new book's release in relevant newspapers before it's released. Otherwise, how many people would know that a new book is being released?"
Wenhui Daily has a large circulation, enabling it to cover most parts of the country. However, Jiangnan Daily also has its own advantages, namely its deep local presence, reaching from the provincial capital to rural production teams—virtually everywhere. In this cooperation, neither side benefits; both will gain something.

Chen Fan nodded and ate two more steamed buns.

He had previously thought that there were no advertisements in this era, but reality has been somewhat unexpected.

There are no purely commercial advertisements, but "pseudo-commercial advertisements" are emerging one after another.

For example, when Yunhu Automobile Factory was established, both Yunhu Daily and Jiangnan Daily reported on it, and even the Ministry of Machinery Industry's "Engineering Machinery" reprinted the relevant information. These were all real advertisements, even more blatant than commercial advertisements.

At least most companies that want to buy cars know that there is now a new Yunhu Automobile Factory, and the models are even approved by the Ministry of Machinery Industry and FAW. Many people are eager to buy them.

The same applies to book publishing.

For example, the first issue of the journal *Literature* in 1979 mentioned that the "Xinhua Bookstore Beijing Distribution Center" had published the book *Selected Readings in Library Science English*. Xinhua bookstores across the country also regularly posted announcements about new book releases on their bulletin boards.

This time, "Yunhu Love" received such treatment.

However, He Qingsheng was even more ruthless, directly enlisting the help of Yunhu Daily and Wenhui Daily, which have millions of readers.

If this book series sells less than 20 copies, it can only be said that Chen Fan is incompetent!

Thinking of this, Chen Fan turned to He Qingsheng and asked, "Uncle He, how many copies are in the first print run?"

Without turning his head, He Qingsheng said, "20 sets, 40 books."

"Love in the Clouds and Lakes" contains 32 words and is divided into two volumes, each containing 16 words. The price is 0.55 yuan.

This price is relatively reasonable. When Zhejiang publishes "Gone with the Wind" next year, that will be really expensive. The whole book will be published in three volumes, and the three volumes together will cost 3.15 yuan. For the novels with more content, a price of 0.75 yuan is considered high.

Even so, despite considerable criticism, the first edition of "Gone with the Wind" still sold 60 copies. The distribution manager of Shanghai Xinhua Bookstore went to Hangzhou and immediately asked for 5 sets.

Moreover, Zhejiang People's Publishing House also published a book called "What Kind of Book is <Gone with the Wind>", priced at 0.26 yuan, which provides a bizarre and incongruous "localized" commentary on the characters.

Well, they just divided them into different social classes, and surprisingly, it sold quite well.

This demonstrates the sheer size of the current literary market.

He Qingsheng set a first edition of 20 copies for "Yunhu Love". There was some risk involved when he made the decision, but now he has no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dragged Chen Fan over today.

However, it's not a big problem; Chen Fan thinks he should be able to keep things stable.

After swallowing the last large meat bun, Chen Fan crumpled the oil paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can a few meters away. He picked up the water bottle on his back, took a sip of water, and asked, "Uncle He, have you ever come to the store before to see the new book launch?"

He Qingsheng turned to look at him. "No, what's wrong?"

Chen Fan asked curiously, "So why did you decide to come today?"

He Qingsheng glared at him and said irritably, "It's all because of you. Although you're not a lecturer at the correspondence center, you're still the top instructor there. The correspondence center is about to start its semester, and it just so happens that your new book is being released. If it doesn't sell well, how embarrassing would that be?!"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "You've already got Wenhui Daily involved in the publicity, so there shouldn't be any problems."

It was exactly 7:30 when the doors of Xinhua Bookstore were opened from the inside.

The crowd queuing outside immediately surged inside.

From within the crowd came a middle-aged woman's gruff voice, "Everyone line up, line up! I'd rather see who doesn't line up than sell anything today..."

Chen Fan and He Qingsheng exchanged a glance, then simultaneously got up and crossed the road. (Remember traffic rules, don't imitate them.)

Instead of queuing, the two crossed the road and peered into the doorway.

The old lady at the entrance was still shouting, "Those who want to buy literature books, please continue to line up. Those who want to buy other books can come in and line up inside."

Many people in the line turned their heads to look around, but unfortunately, almost no one moved.

It seems they're all here for literature.

I wonder how many people bought "Yunhu Love".

Chen Fan leaned against the doorway, craning his neck to look inside.

The Xinhua Bookstore in the provincial capital is different from the one in Nanhu Commune.

Nanhu Commune's layout is somewhat similar to that of bookstores in the 90s, with counters around the perimeter and open bookshelves in the center where customers can browse and purchase books. Chen Fan didn't know why Nanhu Xinhua Bookstore was so "advanced," considering that the transformation of Xinhua Bookstore's layout from "closed" to "open" didn't happen until the mid-80s, and in some places, it wasn't until the 90s that the transformation began.

Previously, it was similar to a department store, with salespeople and customers separated by a counter. You could only ask the salesperson to get what you wanted; there was no option to choose for yourself.

This bookstore in front of us is a perfect example.

There is a glass display case around the perimeter, and several small square counters in the center, arranged according to different book categories.

(Interior view of Xinhua Bookstore)
The literature counter was undoubtedly the largest, located on the long strip of wall directly opposite the entrance.

The head of the group was there too.

Chen Fan saw that the bookstore's female employee was still shouting, "Those who want to buy other books can come in and line up inside."

He then slipped through the gap in the line.

Upon seeing this, He Qingsheng immediately followed.

Actually, if he had just made a phone call to the leaders of the Xinhua Bookstore in the provincial capital, he could have directly "inspected" the store; there would have been no need for all this trouble.

Once inside the bookstore, you can see a small blackboard hanging on the bookshelf behind the literature counter, displaying information about new books.

New book today: *Love in the Clouds and Lakes*, by Chen Fan.

Chen Fan watched from afar, unable to help but grin and chuckle.

It felt like seeing my own words printed in lead type for the first time; it was a magical experience.

In the past, my articles were published in magazines, crammed together with other people's articles; it was like living in a "dormitory."

Today I finally saw my novel published independently; you could call it a "detached villa," right?!

Right now, the staff are busy maintaining order, distributing books, and collecting payments, so no one is paying attention to them. Otherwise, if they saw two people loitering in the store, they might just kick them out.

Among the people queuing, some had already gathered in small groups to discuss the matter.

"The Love of Cloud Lake? It has the word 'love' in it, so is it a love story?"

"I'm pretty sure it's true, but I don't know what kind of love story it's about."

"Chen Fan's previous works have mostly focused on rural themes, so I guess it's very likely to be a rural love story!"

Chen Fan listened from the side, and his face instantly darkened.

I'm not Brother Shan!

Then someone offered a different opinion: "Not necessarily. Chen Fan's style is known for its versatility. Although he only had a year of writing experience, his works are rich in content and numerous."

From the rural-style "On the Hopeful Fields" to the documentary literature "The Tanka Fishing Boats," from the anti-Japanese war-themed "Reed Marshes" to the love story of educated youth in "The Ferryman," his style has never been limited.

"Oh right, I just remembered. Isn't 'The Ferryman' about love? Could 'Love in the Cloud Lake' be a similar story?"

"To be honest, there's no point in guessing now. We'll find out once we buy the book and read it."

Then a girl with bright eyes waved her hand and said, "Comrade, comrade, could I take a look at the introduction?"

The young man who had just bought the book hesitated for a moment, glanced at the pretty woman, and finally carefully opened the book and handed it to her, saying, "You can look at it, but you can't touch it."

"thanks, thanks."

The girl quickly thanked them, and then several heads huddled together to look at the introduction on the title page.

The other people in line all turned their attention to this spot, as if they could also see the words on the book.

The girl had only read the beginning when she couldn't help but gasp in surprise, "Wow, she's actually the daughter of a Blue Party general, and an overseas Chinese who returned from America?"

These words immediately caused the line, which had been quiet for only a few seconds, to erupt in a clamor.

"What? The KMT?"

"Or is he an overseas Chinese?"

"How dare Chen Fan write that?"

"How dare the publisher print it?"

"How dare the bookstore publish this?"

"How dare you buy this? Hey, if you don't dare, get out of here! Don't take up the front seats!"

"Who said we're not buying? Hurry up, you guys!"

"I really want to see it!"

The staff behind the counter were busy but organized, but they didn't have time to manage these people.

Anyway, every time a famous author releases a new book, the first day is always like this, so I'm used to it.

I wonder how long this team can last?
So everyone in the bookstore remained calm.

But it wasn't long before they couldn't stay calm.

"What? The inventory is gone?"

The saleswoman's eyes widened. "We ordered 1000 sets today. Were there 1000 people in line just now?"

"There are definitely not 1000 people!"

The young woman who joined the company this year looked nervous. "But, Auntie, there are definitely three or four hundred people. Some of them buy three or four sets at a time. Even 1000 sets wouldn't be enough for them."

The older woman glared at her, "How many times have I told you not to call me 'Auntie' at work?"

Then he waved his hand and said, "Don't be nervous. If the goods are sold out, we can just ask the head office to send more."

The young man at the front of the line asked hopefully, "There are still books, right? How long will it take?"

Before the woman could speak, a voice came from behind a small door, "I just asked the head office, and they're all out of stock!"

The woman was stunned. "Didn't I hear the head office placed an order for 50000 units this time? How come they're all gone?"

A middle-aged man wearing arm sleeves emerged from a small door, wiped his sweat, and said with a wry smile, "Don't even mention 5 sets. Chen Fan is from Jiangnan. If we don't support him, who will? The provincial company placed an order for 10 sets directly, and half of them are from the provincial capital."

He spread his hands as he spoke, “But that couldn’t stop the demand from so many people. I heard that Yunhu ordered 20,000 copies, and before the store even opened, they were all pre-ordered by various organizations. They all placed orders collectively in the name of their organizations: the health department wanted 200 sets, the machinery factory wanted 500 sets, the cotton mill wanted 500 sets, the Nanhu Commune wanted 1000 sets… It simply wasn’t enough to meet demand, and at that time, many people were causing trouble in the store…”

The middle-aged woman stared wide-eyed. "Sold out as soon as it went on sale?"

Not far away, Chen Fan gave He Qingsheng a look, but without saying a word, the two quickly left.

(End of this chapter)