Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 609 Unity and Friendship
Seeing An Quan's rather dejected look, Jiang Tiantian smiled and explained, "My results don't count. If I relied solely on myself, I probably wouldn't sell as much as your magazine."

Anquan looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Jiang Lili glanced at Chen Fan, then turned back and said softly, "Have you forgotten that poem?"

He glanced upwards with his eyes on safety, and after two seconds it finally dawned on him: "The night gave me black eyes, yet I use them to seek the light?"

After this poem was published in March, it not only caused a great stir in major universities in Shanghai, but also caused a sensation throughout the country. Countless people wrote to Wenhui Daily to express their feelings, and it is said that many people even expressed their love to Comrade Jiang Tiantian.

Only a delusional, idealistic person would propose to someone they don't even know looks like.

However, according to rumors, Jiang Tiantian has repeatedly stated publicly that she will not get married and that she doesn't even look at those love letters, burning them to ashes.

Thinking of this, Anquan glanced at Chen Fan, who was engrossed in chopping vegetables, his eyes flickering, seemingly lost in thought.

Jiang Tiantian didn't see the safety expression on Anquan's face. She just nodded slightly and didn't stop washing the vegetables. At the same time, she said, "It's because of this poem that many school literary societies have taken the initiative to come to us and have subscribed to our school magazine. So suddenly a lot of people know about our school magazine and subscribe to it."

Later, Xiao Fan also helped write a few short articles, which were widely praised, establishing the magazine's reputation. It then spread rapidly, leading to its current sales figures.

She then looked at Chen Fan, "If it weren't for Xiao Fan, that poem..."

Chen Fan turned to look at her, his knife still in his hand, and laughed, "Stop. I've told you countless times, your ability to condense my meaning into a poem is your own skill, don't try to take the credit from me."

Jiang Lili's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but in the end she just smiled and lowered her head to continue working.

Anquan deliberately feigned indignation, saying, "What about the short articles? Before the start of the semester, when you mentioned starting a school magazine, I asked you to contribute, but you haven't given me a single one yet. Instead, you gave several to your sister-in-law..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan said irritably, "You yourself said you're my sister-in-law, we're family, aren't you?"

Jiang Tiantian couldn't help but smile slightly as she listened, her cheeks flushing, but she quickly lowered her head the next second, not daring to let anyone see.

Anquan was so angry that he gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do. He could only mutter angrily, "You value women more than friends."

They didn't dare let anyone hear it.

Chen Fan didn't care, but he was mainly afraid that Jiang Tiantian would hear it. After all, girls are shy and wouldn't say such things.

Especially since she's not even his official girlfriend.

So, during mealtimes, he could only eat vegetables instead of rice, and he also drank a whole bottle of good wine from Chen Fan.

As a result, because they had drunk too much, and using the excuse that his wife was pregnant and it was not advisable to take risks, they made Chen Fan drive them home, and only then were they satisfied and calmed down.

Finally, as soon as Chen Fan left, he lightly slapped himself.

Yu Keying looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Anquan sighed softly, "I forgot to ask him to write an article again."

Yu Keying rolled her eyes. "Even if you and Xiao Fan are close, you can't just take advantage of him. He's the one who came up with the proposals for several of your projects, and now you're thinking of asking him for commissions?"

"It's only because the current payment standards are low; otherwise, according to the market rates in the 50s, he would have earned at least several thousand yuan for a short article. Aren't you just getting a free ride?"

In the 50s, Ye Shengtao received more than 3000 yuan in royalties for an article he wrote for a newspaper, which was roughly equivalent to one yuan per word. However, this was before the People's Republic of China established a standard for royalties, and there was no specific standard for royalties at that time. Newspapers and magazines paid writers based on their reputation.

Ye Shengtao returned the money and declared that he would no longer accept royalties. Only then were royalties standardized, gradually reduced every few years, and eventually abolished altogether.

So, if we put Chen Fan in the 50s, earning several thousand yuan for an article is no joke.

Anquan chuckled and helped her to sit down on the wicker sofa. He said with a smile, "Believe it or not, even if I asked him for it, he wouldn't give it to me. Besides, he might be secretly laughing right now, thinking that I got him drunk and he's regretting forgetting to ask me for the article."

Yu Keying was a little confused and looked at him with puzzlement, "What do you mean?"

Anquan got up, poured two glasses of water, and placed them on the coffee table. He said softly, "This is what friendship between men is like. They tease and insult each other, and enjoy taking advantage of each other, but when it really matters, they will definitely help each other out. Old Chen, Old Zhang, and I have this kind of relationship."

If I were to be overly polite to him, it would mean our relationship hadn't progressed properly. Over time, we'd become distant, and the politeness would actually destroy the connection.

He sat next to his wife, put his arm around her shoulder, and laughed, "Anyway, I won't really take advantage of him. I'll keep the favors from these projects in mind and repay them in the right way when the time is right."

Even if he doesn't need me, I can still help his wife, and if that doesn't work, helping his sister-in-law would be a form of repayment.

As he spoke, he patted Yu Keying on the shoulder, "In short, my relationship with him and Lao Zhang is different from that with others. When you make friends with others, that's called expanding your network. But when you deal with these two, the more genuine the better. I don't care who takes advantage of whom, because everyone knows in their hearts that they will pay back sooner or later."

It's similar to having clear accounts with your own brothers.

Yu Keying rolled her eyes slightly, then shook her head. "Forget it, I don't understand you men. You know what's going on."

Then he stood up and said, "This place is still too small. You'll be covered in sweat as soon as you move. You should hurry up and make more money so you can move to a bigger house. I don't need a small villa like Xiao Fan's, but at least a proper Shikumen house."

With money in her pocket, her ambitions rose. Before, she was content with just having a place to stay, but now she began to look up to Western-style houses.

Anquan immediately stood up at attention and saluted, "Yes, sir, mission accomplished."

……

Chen Fan drove home and hummed a song as he walked through the gate.

She closed the door behind her, changed into a pair of slippers, and looked around. "Where is everyone? Did they finish upstairs so quickly?"

At this moment, Jiang Tiantian came out of the kitchen, ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair, and looked up to see Chen Fan. "Still humming a song? What's making you so happy?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "Didn't Lao An just urge me for the manuscript? But after a few drinks, he completely forgot about it. He's probably slapping himself now."

Jiang Tiantian was immediately at a loss for words, "You did this on purpose?"

Chen Fan sat down on the sofa. "It wasn't intentional or not, he was just playing around. He's different from you. You're dedicated to your work, treating the magazine as a career..."

At this moment, Jiang Tiantian poured him a glass of honey water and brought it over, saying, "Don't drink tea tonight, drink some honey water instead, it will help you sleep."

Chen Fan picked up the glass and took a sip. "Hmm, the water temperature is just right."

Then he looked at Jiang Tiantian sitting not far away and continued what he had just said, "You should start a magazine, make a good start, and establish the magazine. This will help you accumulate experience for the future."

I think social management is getting looser and looser. Maybe in a couple of years, individuals will be able to start their own magazines. You can start your own magazine company then, and use everything you've learned, gained, and know during this time. That way, things will fall into place naturally, and you can build a successful business.

Old An's expertise and interests don't lie in this area. The magazine is just a platform for him to build connections and increase his qualifications. As long as he doesn't do too badly, he can get away with it.

Moreover, in order to make room for growth for those who come after him, the magazine he runs cannot be too outstanding. Otherwise, the school will require him to stay and continue to run it, which will limit his future. That's why I don't provide him with articles.

Otherwise, considering how he helped me find building materials last year without taking a penny, I would have sent him the manuscript without him even asking.

Jiang Tiantian nodded in realization, "So that's how it is."

She really didn't know the ins and outs of it, but she could tell that the two of them were just joking around and didn't seem to care whether they actually had a script or not.

After a two-second pause, she looked at Chen Fan with a hint of doubt in her eyes and asked, "You just said that if the policy allows, you'd let me start my own magazine?"

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I would definitely spout a bunch of grand principles to other people, but I'll tell you the truth."

He deliberately lowered his voice and acted mysteriously, "I just think the payment for the manuscript is too low. Magazines make so much more money. After deducting printing costs and distribution expenses, a magazine can only earn a penny."

Moreover, many magazines have been raising their prices since last year, so they might be able to earn even more in the future.

How many big names can you earn just by writing novels? It's a different story if you publish your own magazine.

If I write my own novels and publish them in my own magazine, then all the money I earn will be mine, right?
Since you like literature anyway, let's keep the profits in the family. You can be in charge of running the magazine, and I'll handle the submissions. The magazine can also accept submissions from other publishers, and we'll split the profits 50/50.”

And you know what? From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, magazine prices rose year after year. In 1975, a literary magazine was priced at 0.25 to 0.3 yuan. By 1985, magazine prices had risen to more than two yuan, and pictorial magazines were even more expensive, ranging from three to five yuan.

Under these circumstances, writers' royalties did not increase significantly, remaining at the 60s standards. Although their income was already high compared to ordinary workers, it was far lower than that of their international counterparts. This led to Zheng Yuanjie launching his own magazine, *King of Fairy Tales*, and later, Wang Shuo negotiating royalties with publishers. Only then did writers' incomes truly begin to skyrocket, and by then it was already the 90s.

After hearing Chen Fan's words, Jiang Tiantian's lips parted slightly, unsure of what to say.

She thought to herself, "You still think the royalties are too low? Your books have been published overseas. In the last two years, have there been any writers who have earned more royalties than you?"

Of course, she wouldn't say such a thing. When she came to her senses, she just smiled slightly and said, "Let's just split it 50/50. If there ever comes a day when private individuals can run a magazine, I'll definitely help you."

Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction, "Work hard, study diligently, and strive to make the magazine bigger and stronger in the future. Writers will all be vying to curry favor with you."

Jiang Tiantian couldn't help but burst out laughing. "I wouldn't dare to think about it."

She looked at Chen Fan, and after several seconds, she suddenly looked up at the second floor, where she could only see the ceiling.

Pointing upwards, she said, "Lili has heated the bathwater for you upstairs. You can go up and take a bath and rest when you're done."

Chen Fan picked up the cup, drank it all in one gulp, then exhaled a puff of hot air, stood up and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go up first, you should go up early to wash up and go to bed too."

Jiang Tiantian remained seated, listening to footsteps going upstairs. She looked back for a while, then took a deep breath, picked up the water glass from the coffee table, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

Chen Fan's words were still on my mind: can an individual really start a magazine?
……

Over the next few days, Chen Fan frantically typed into the computer.

Language, writing system, religion, political structure, humanities, geography, customs, ...

As Chen Fan typed, he cursed inwardly, "Damn it, there's so much to organize. I don't even know if ten days will be enough."

If that doesn't work, then 20 days.

Anyway, only Lily has heard my boasting, so she won't expose me, right?
In fact, he only needed to organize the excerpted information slightly. The most crucial part was to combine certain elements with his designed battle aura and magic, and to provide a logical explanation.

For example, I could design a constellation-themed combat skill and create an Earth Warrior. With the Alps as my martial spirit, I could shatter your Galactic Starburst Magic with a single punch. Or, I could learn from the Atlantic Ocean and create boundless ocean energy, capable of rivaling legendary mages who can communicate with the stars, dominating an entire era.

That's roughly it.

Even with just these things, Chen Fan was already quite annoyed.

Whenever he felt frustrated, he would think of Cameron, that old man who had spent 15 years designing a whole social background for the Avatars, from language and customs to clothing and social structure, it was truly outrageous.

Then I can quickly calm down, my fingers leaving a blur on the keyboard.

After about ten days, I finally finished organizing the background on August 8th, without losing face in front of Lili.

The next step is to write the novel outline.

As August arrives, the weather becomes increasingly hot.

At this time, the computer had a high power consumption. When the machine was turned on, it not only hummed loudly, but also continuously emitted heat, making the room feel like a steamer.

Even opening the windows and having the fan blowing directly on you doesn't help.

Jiang Lili brought in a bowl of chilled mung bean soup, her brows furrowing slightly. When she reached the table, she placed the soup in front of Chen Fan and said, "It's too hot. Drink some of this to cool down."

Chen Fan didn't say anything, but his fingers sped up, tapping away incessantly.

Two minutes later, he stopped, leaned back and exhaled a long breath, looked up at Jiang Lili who was waiting quietly to the side, and smiled, "Done."

Only then did he pick up the soup bowl and gulp down several large mouthfuls.

Jiang Lili's eyes were full of surprise, "Are you finished writing?"

Chen Fan nodded, put the soup bowl aside, and said with a smile, "I've just finished organizing the social background. The next step is to write the novel outline. If all goes well, I should be able to finish my first Western fantasy novel before the end of summer vacation."

Jiang Lili bent down to the computer, a wave of heat hitting her face. She remained expressionless, glanced at the word count at the bottom of the document, and her pupils dilated instantly. "Over a million words?"

He then turned to look at Chen Fan and asked, "You wrote over a million words in 10 days?"

Chen Fan shook his head and smiled, "It's not writing, it's organizing information. A lot of it is copied from previous research, so I just need to copy it over. There's not much that actually needs to be typed."

Jiang Lili exclaimed, "That's still amazing."

She paused, wrinkled her nose, and said softly, "You've been working hard on your creative work these days. I don't know what's wrong with me. She used to come home for lunch, but now she doesn't even come home for lunch anymore. If it weren't for the danger at night, I think she wouldn't even come home on time at night. I don't know what she's busy with."

Chen Fan frowned slightly. "You've been bringing me food these past few days, and I didn't notice. Hmm, that definitely won't do; I have to criticize you."

Of course he could guess why Jiang Tiantian was working so hard. It was just a magazine company, and it wasn't something she had to rush into. There was no need for her to work so hard.
I need to give her a talking-to when she gets back tonight.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Jiang Lili smiled and nodded gently, "You have to say that, she won't listen to me."

As she said this, there was a strange look in her eyes, but Chen Fan was still sitting in his chair and couldn't see it.

She paused for a moment, then pouted, "You and my sister are both working so hard. Should I spend more time in the lab too? But I can't bear to leave you."

Chen Fan laughed and took her hand, saying, "I was just saying I was going to criticize Tian Tian, ​​and now you're going to work overtime? Do you want to be criticized too?"

Seeing Jiang Lili's silly, charming smile, he added, "You have to eat one bite at a time, and do things one step at a time. I'm busy because I'm only busy for these few days. Once the background information is organized, writing any number of novels afterward will be very easy."

As for Tian Tian, ​​I'll give her some feedback later. Work is never-ending, and no matter how hard you work, you must take care of your health.

He took Jiang Lili's hand and said, "When the time is right, Tian Tian can start her own publishing house. I can just write whatever I want at home, and you can open your own clothing store like those old tailors, specializing in making your own clothes. What do you say?"

Jiang Lili's eyes darted around slightly, and she smiled, "We both have bright futures?!"

Chen Fan blinked, almost thinking she had also transmigrated. Seeing her still bright eyes, he nodded and smiled, "Yes, we all have a bright future."

Taking a breath, Jiang Lili glanced at the computer and suddenly changed the subject, "Xiao Fan, it's too hot like this. I remember the machinery factory gave you an air conditioner last year, why don't you ask them to send it over?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment, "Forget it, it's too much trouble."

He looked up and smiled, "Judging by the time, Zhou Yali should be here soon, right?"

Upon hearing him mention Zhou Yali, Jiang Lili's face immediately lit up with a smile. "Last time she sent a telegram saying she would come over in early August. Today is August 8th, so it should be tomorrow or the day after."

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "When she comes, she'll definitely have US dollars on her. The Shanghai Refrigerator Factory produces three-phase window air conditioners, so we can just buy them directly."

Jiang Lili covered her mouth and chuckled, "You just know how to bully her."

Chen Fan shook his head. "How can you call it bullying? It's more like unity and friendship. Besides,"

He pointed to the computer as he spoke, "This book is going to be published and distributed by their publishing house. For both public and private reasons, is it wrong to improve the living conditions of my cousin, who is also a contracted writer?"

Jiang Lili tilted her head back and giggled, "No problem, absolutely no problem."

After Chen Fan finished drinking the mung bean soup, she took the soup bowl away and soon brought out a bowl of ice.

He placed the ice on the table, then pulled up a chair and sat down next to Chen Fan, holding a large palm-leaf fan, and fanned the cold air from the ice onto Chen Fan.

Chen Fan smiled at her, gently touched his head, then saved the organized information to a floppy disk, created a new document, and began writing the novel outline.

Because this novel was intended for Western countries, Chen Fan wrote both the background information and the outline in English.

The same applies to the novels he wrote afterward.

Under his tutelage, Jiang Lili's English also became quite good, so she sat beside him watching, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, her eyes occasionally revealing exclamations of amazement.

(End of this chapter)