Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 673 Each with their own melancholy
December 11th, Monday, the 12th day of the 11th lunar month?

Chen Fan was fast asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed).

This is the first time I've slept in since I stopped getting up early to exercise. The joy of staying in bed is something early risers can't imagine.

He was fast asleep under the covers, unaware of the time. In his drowsy state, Chen Fan vaguely heard knocking on the window, and it seemed like someone was calling him.
He didn't even open his eyes, but just twitched his ears and heard someone knocking on the bedroom window.

Judging from the voice, it sounds like Lao He?

It was only then that he came to his senses, threw off the covers, wrapped himself in a cotton coat, got up, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains. Sure enough, he saw He Qingsheng's old face.

He was still shouting with his mouth open, "What time is it? Still sleeping?"

Chen Fan blinked. "What time is it?"

He Qingsheng was speechless for a moment, then raised his wrist and showed him his watch. "It's almost 11 o'clock. Open the door."

After saying that, he walked forward.

Chen Fan yawned and casually pulled the curtains closed. Hmm, this will keep the room warm.

He then shuffled out of the door and opened it.

He Qingsheng walked in shivering, muttering to himself, "It's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts. The snow stopped today, and the sun even came out, but it's still colder than the past few days."

As soon as he followed Chen Fan into the study, he relaxed instantly, looking around and asking, "Why is your room so warm?"

Chen Fan walked behind the desk and sat down, opened the drawer, took out a pack of cigarettes, took one out and handed it to him, then pushed the sandalwood ashtray outwards, "I built a kang (heated brick bed), it'll definitely be warm."

He Qingsheng pulled out a chair and sat down. He looked at the ashtray in front of him, then turned his head to look at the large kang (heated brick bed) that was almost the size of a small house. A sore throat was stuck in his throat, and he didn't know where to start spitting it out.

Chen Fan lit a cigarette, then pushed the match in front of him and asked, "What's wrong?"

He Qingsheng shook his head, pondered for two seconds, and asked, "When did you have someone build the kang (heated brick bed)?"

Chen Fan smoked a cigarette. "Looking for Manager Huang? Oh, you mean Huang Tianzhi from the housing management office. He's been transferred to a construction company as a project manager. He's one of the people in charge here, and the one in the neighboring community that's under construction."

I asked him for help, and he finished it in half a day. It works very well.

He Qingsheng lit a cigarette. "I'll go find him later and get one for my house too."

As she spoke, she picked up the ashtray and examined it closely. After putting it down, she looked up at Chen Fan and said, "Don't tell me this ashtray is also made of sandalwood?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "Of course! Furniture costing over a thousand yuan, is it worth the price if it's not made of rosewood? Oh, right,..."

As he spoke, he picked up a small wooden box from the corner of the table, gently pushed the lid open, and inside was a pack of cigarettes. "There's also a sandalwood cigarette case here. Sandalwood is moisture-proof, and the area by the lake is humid, so storing cigarettes in it won't make them damp."

He Qingsheng was speechless. After a moment, he shook his head and sighed, "When it comes to money, we are not short of money, but there is not a single person like you who dares to show it off."

Chen Fan hummed twice, his eyes full of worry, and sighed, "I don't want to either, but Takahashi Publishing House has given me $300,000 in royalties. If I don't spend some of it, I'm afraid someone will covet it."

The most outrageous thing is that now he doesn't have to pay taxes, so the money becomes net income, which makes him feel a little embarrassed.

Well, although my country initially drafted its tax law as early as the 1950s, which included a category for royalties, no one has collected them for decades.

Yes, it's not that no one is paying, it's that no one is collecting. When the tax law was first promulgated, quite a few veteran writers voluntarily went to pay their taxes, but the tax officials discussed it for a long time with worried expressions, and finally told them that the detailed rules for how to collect taxes on royalties had not yet been finalized, so it was temporarily suspended.

And until now, no one has paid this tax.

It wasn't until the 90s, when the government rectified taxation and emphasized the collection of personal income tax, that royalties were included in the calculation.

So Chen Fan wanted to pay this tax, but he didn't know who to turn to, and no one came to him.

When He Qingsheng heard him talk about his income, he frowned slightly and looked at him, saying, "But how come I remember that you bought this house and all this rosewood furniture without spending any money? It seems like it was recorded in the company's books and deducted from your salary and bonus, right?"

Chen Fan coughed lightly and said seriously, "This is not important, as long as others don't know."

He Qingsheng waved his hand helplessly and looked at him, saying, "Don't worry about anyone eyeing your money. As long as they're still thinking about earning foreign royalties, no one will dare to offend you."

So you'd better hurry up and pack your things, go to Beijing and talk to your uncle, and persuade your cousin to agree to cooperate with us. Once everyone sees hope of making money, and more people are making money, who will care about your pittance?!

Chen Fan leaned back in his chair, flicked off his cigarette ash, and laughed, "My flight is at 2 PM, so there's no point in me arriving earlier."

He glanced at the small grandfather clock on the bookshelf next to him. Hmm, he bought it himself at the department store, purely for its appearance, and also to check the time.

It's exactly 11 o'clock now. He turned around and said, "There are still more than three hours left. I can leave an hour early. I can wash my face and brush my teeth later, and even cook a meal for myself. It's cheaper and healthier."

He Qingsheng shook his head helplessly, "You really aren't in a hurry at all."

He then said, "My wife is cooking, so don't cook for yourself later, just come to my place and have something to eat."

Chen Fan shook his head directly, "No, it's not appropriate for me to go since you two are having a family reunion with your grandson. Anyway, it's not much trouble, just make something simple."

Seeing that he did not agree, He Qingsheng did not try to persuade him any further. He silently smoked his cigarette, thinking about the issue of "cultural export and literary foreign exchange earnings".

After dealing with Hideo Takahashi for about half a year, he has gained some understanding and insights into this matter.

Generally speaking, serious literature dominates the domestic literary scene, focusing on literary and artistic merit, and exploring social phenomena and human nature through the creation of stories and characters.

Compared to popular literature that prioritizes entertainment, visual appeal, and even profit, it firmly occupies a superior position. Popular literature, on the other hand, can only "survive in the cracks," quietly making money.

Ahem, it may sound harsh, but it's the truth.

For serious literary works, selling over 10 copies is already a remarkable achievement, making them truly exceptional. Even the major provincial literary magazines only sell around 3 to 50 copies per issue.

In contrast, "Story Club," which publishes popular literature, sells over a million copies per issue, making it a completely different level of publication.

If you look at the book market for small notebooks, the situation is basically the same as in China.

Therefore, in the context of "cultural export and literary foreign exchange earnings", this project may need to be viewed as two separate issues.

How should we promote our culture overseas, and what should we do to generate foreign exchange earnings through literature?

Thinking about these problems gave him a headache.

Just then, Chen Fan suddenly said, "By the way, there's something I need to tell you in advance."

He Qingsheng looked up at him and asked, "What is it?"

Chen Fan looked up and sighed deeply, shaking his head with a sense of lament that if the heavens hadn't given birth to him, Mr. Chen, the literary world would have been plunged into eternal darkness. "Yesterday I went to hand in my assignment, and the teacher thought I was exceptionally talented and knowledgeable, so he wanted me to stay at the school as a teacher..."

"What?"

Before he could finish speaking, He Qingsheng interrupted him with a surprised exclamation, "You? Staying at the university to teach?"

Chen Fan pursed his lips and nodded gently, "Yes."

He Qingsheng's eyes twitched, and he looked at him with a strange expression. "Let me tell you, you can just say whatever you want. There's no need to act like this. Oh, and also, the day before yesterday you asked for more manpower. Xiao Xu has already had Xiao Duan prepare a supplementary document, which I have signed and agreed to. You just need to sign it when you come back."

He took a drag of his cigarette and tapped his fingers on the table. "In short, you just focus on building up the external relations department for me. Once it's done, I'll arrange for Xiao Duan to take over as the director of the external relations department. You'll just be a mascot, like Lao Tan."

"Then your wish will be fulfilled, what's that saying again?"

He Qingsheng glanced upwards, lost in thought. "Oh, high pay, low workload, close to home, high position with little responsibility, is that what they say?"

Chen Fan looked at him expressionlessly. "So, you don't believe what I'm saying?"

He Qingsheng chuckled twice, "How can you expect me to believe that? You only enrolled in April, and it's only December now, and you're already telling me that Professor Xu wants to arrange for you to stay at the university to teach, and that you're even a graduate student."

A graduate student needs at least three years of study, not to mention Professor Xu's extremely strict requirements. Now, if you were in his shoes, would you believe him?

Chen Fan sighed softly, "I don't want to believe it either, but a genius like me just happened to get the teacher's approval, and the school happens to be short of teachers, so it's reasonable for me to get this opportunity."

He Qingsheng was stunned upon hearing this.

The shortage of faculty is not just a problem at Jiangnan University, but a real issue faced by most universities across the country.

Unfortunately, many senior professors and lecturers passed away in recent years due to poor health.

Well, whatever the reason for his poor health, this is definitely the cause of his death. Coupled with the insufficient, or even nonexistent, efforts to cultivate future talent in recent years, it's quite reasonable to expect a talent gap.

In this context, if Chen Fan can really pass Elder Xu's test... then what he said is true?
He Qingsheng's eyes widened. "You're not kidding?"

Chen Fan glanced at him and silently smoked, "Would I dare joke about a teacher?"

He Qingsheng was dumbfounded. "What should we do?"

He then quickly asked, "You agree?"

Chen Fan shrugged. "No, not at all. The teacher said that even if I were to stay at the school, I wouldn't start working until next September, so he told me to think it over carefully."

He Qingsheng's brows furrowed deeply.

At the beginning, Chen Fan was brought into the Provincial Writers Association and given the position of director of the European and American branch of the External Liaison Department. First of all, Chen Fan was a rising star in the province's literary scene, and even a unique talent, so bringing him into the association was an inevitable choice.

As for the branch director, no one dared to take the job at the time, since they weren't part of the diplomatic system and could simply follow orders without question.

The Writers' Association was full of writers; they only set up this department because they followed the general association's lead. Back then, nobody knew what the future held, or if there would be another cold snap in spring!

Therefore, no one wants to be associated with Europe and the United States, not even with a nominal department that does nothing.

But having no one around wasn't an option either. He Qingsheng thought long and hard until he remembered Chen Fan. He felt that young people should be bolder, so he tried to persuade him and finally managed to get Chen Fan on the boat.

To say he deliberately tricked someone wouldn't be accurate. He was even prepared to cover for him himself, but that was a last resort, and it would be best if someone else could step in.

In the unlikely event that something unexpected happens, the branch will follow the lead of the head office, and the blame will not fall on the branch.

He was confident that if he maneuvered around a bit more, he could extricate Chen Fan and at least ensure his safe return.

Unexpectedly, after joining the Writers Association, Chen Fan did an outstanding job and even opened up channels for exchanges with foreign countries.

Things are different now than they were a year ago; many things are now clear.

Take the European and American branch as an example. This year, the superiors had a lot of exchanges with Western countries, especially the United States, the big brother of the West, which had frequent exchanges with China and even agreed to China's request to send students abroad.

Sending students abroad—that's a pretty clear stance!

Diplomatic relations might be established within the next year or two.

Therefore, at this time, the External Relations Department was no longer a taboo place that everyone avoided, but instead became a highly sought-after position.

The Writers Association officially elected its third presidium and council this time. In fact, some people wanted to take over the external relations department, but He Qingsheng blocked them all.

On the one hand, it's unreasonable to bring in people to fill gaps in emergencies, only to have them reassigned when there are benefits to be gained.

On the other hand, Chen Fan is indeed the best candidate to be in charge of the External Relations Department, at least for now.

Only then did he and Tan Yong work together, using the correspondence center and the "Literary Youth" magazine as a price to get Chen Fan the position of vice chairman and vice president.

Otherwise, given Chen Fan's qualifications, even if he made a great contribution, being promoted one level to the director of the external relations department would be enough. There's no reason for him to be promoted two levels in a row.

Those were all obtained by exchanging resources, and Chen Fan himself didn't care about those resources anyway!
Even after it was all done, He Qingsheng was still dreaming.

First, let Chen Fan achieve results in the External Relations Department, then give up the External Relations Department and give him another batch of resources in return.

If he achieves success in his work, he might be promoted further and may eventually have the opportunity to join a department.

By then, Old He would be completely satisfied.

What more could you ask for than nurturing a leading figure in the literary world?!

But to his utter surprise, his plan had barely begun when someone came to snatch him away? And the one who attacked was none other than the untouchable Mr. Xu.

Although Chen Fan said he would think about it carefully, Professor Xu had already spoken, and it was Jiangda University, a key university under the Ministry of Education and a nationally renowned university. This "careful consideration" probably meant he was thinking about how to teach the course.
At that moment, the light in He Qingsheng's eyes disappeared. He wondered if he should go to Professor Xu and beg for mercy.

……

Chen Fan had no idea that He Qingsheng was having so many thoughts. He was thinking about how to make a choice so that he wouldn't upset the teacher, but also wouldn't affect his plan to be a lazy bum.

If he followed his own ideas, creating a mascot like Tan Yong would be the best choice.

External relations departments and university professors are all meaningless.

He has fame; he doesn't need a high position, his current one is more than enough; he has more money than he can spend, and with the new era about to begin, his money will only increase. On the road to wealth, he will leave everyone else in the dust and never look back.

Then why is he still making such a fuss?

Make a contribution?
Developing Lujiawan, the automobile factory, and the machinery factory—aren't we all making contributions? We haven't been freeloaders.

Living a carefree life most of the time, but lending a helping hand in crucial moments, serving both public and private interests – this is Chen Fan's ideal life.

But things are different once you get into university. Not only do you have to attend classes, but you'll also likely have to supervise graduate students and do research projects, and you can't delegate these tasks to others.

The thought of those days when he was so busy made Chen Fan feel a little depressed.

So, in the study, the two sat facing each other, each lost in their own melancholy.

……

A moment later, the two sighed in unison.

Only after hearing the other person sigh did the two of them come to their senses.

Chen Fan quickly threw away the cigarette butt that was about to burn his fingers, took out two more, lit them, and said, "Uncle He, I remember the teacher just said that I should work part-time as a teacher at the university. These days, aren't most jobs full-time? How come there are part-time teachers?"

Upon hearing this, He Qingsheng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at him and said, "Old Xu really said that?"

Chen Fan nodded. "That's what they said. They said that being a teacher wouldn't affect my position in the Writers' Association. However, the teacher also said that it would be best if I transferred my job there so I could focus on teaching and research."

He Qingsheng exhaled a long breath, took a drag of his cigarette, and said with a smile, "In that case, my suggestion is that you consider becoming a part-time professor first."

After a pause, he explained, "More than 20 years ago, Mr. Ye Shengtao, as an editor at a publishing house, became an adjunct professor at a university, pioneering the practice of outsiders becoming professors at universities."

Afterwards, most of the famous writers were invited to give lectures at the school, and some of them were even awarded the title of professor. However, this trend was later interrupted by external forces.

The school can't even keep its full-time professors stable, so how can it possibly care about part-time professors?!

He flicked off his cigarette ash, looked at Chen Fan and smiled, "When you mentioned this earlier, I thought Old Xu wanted you to transfer to another unit and become a full-time teacher. Since he mentioned part-time teachers, you might as well give it a try first."

Otherwise, given your current rank, the school should at least grant you a full professorship at level four. Otherwise, it would be a demotion or reassignment. A reassignment, let alone an upgrade, would at least be at the same level. There's no reason for a demotion.

But you are too young, and applying for a professorship will likely be controversial.

However, this isn't an issue with the Writers' Association, so my suggestion is to start as a part-time teacher and see how things develop.

Full professors are divided into four levels. Level four is equivalent to the rank of deputy director-general, level three is equivalent to the rank of director-general, and level one is equivalent to the rank of minister. If Chen Fanzhen agrees to go to the university, with his teachers watching over him and his own talent, he might be promoted even faster than he would in the Writers' Association.

However, as long as the job isn't changed immediately, there's room for maneuver. As for what happens next, things will work out in the end; we'll talk about that later.

After listening to He Qingsheng's explanation, Chen Fan nodded thoughtfully, "I see."

He didn't really know much about this before. Even though Professor Xu said it was possible to work part-time, he didn't understand the ins and outs. Now he realizes that there were precedents for it.

That would give him more options.

He then looked up and smiled, "I've remembered what you said. It's still early before making a decision, we'll talk about it later."

He Qingsheng nodded. "This is something we really need to consider, but personally, I definitely hope you stay."

Chen Fan laughed and said, "I understand. I won't just leave like that either."

After finishing his cigarette, He Qingsheng got up to say goodbye, reminding everyone before leaving, "Go early, don't miss your flight."

Chen Fan waved his hand, "It won't cause any delays."

(End of this chapter)