Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 695 I have a friend

Zhou Yali ate her breakfast at a leisurely pace, while Chen Fan read a book beside her, but his mind was preoccupied with how to arrange the publishing collaboration between the two sides.

My cousin is right. Once the Jiangnan Writers Association reaches a cooperation agreement with the Zhou family's publishing company, given the relationship between Ba Jin and myself, they certainly won't turn a blind eye.

Going a step further, the Writers' Association will most likely try to find a way to enter this channel.

After more than a decade of interruption in literary exchanges with foreign countries, reopening the country's doors requires not only finding ways to re-establish past relationships but also exploring new channels.

Especially book publishing that can generate practical benefits.

It's important to know that one of the core topics of the recently concluded meeting was strengthening economic development.

Finding ways to generate foreign exchange is naturally a way to follow policy, and no one will disagree with that.

In fact, the collaboration between the Jiangnan Writers Association and Takahashi Publishing House had already attracted the attention of the association.

The collaboration has been going on for about half a year now, and the results are already very obvious. This collaboration has not only promoted domestic literary works overseas, but also generated tangible foreign exchange benefits. According to He Qingsheng, the association is already preparing a cultural exchange event to expand this collaboration. On the one hand, it will not be limited to Jiangnan Province, and on the other hand, it will not only be about book publishing, but may also include bilateral exchanges, book forums, and other activities.

However, since the specific details haven't been released yet, Chen Fan doesn't know much about it.

If one can cooperate with Japan, then one can cooperate with the United States as well.

Not to mention, given the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, if a cooperation can be reached with an American publishing company as soon as possible, its significance would be even greater than the cooperation with the notebook.

However, as the major shareholder of Zhou's publishing company, he certainly couldn't betray his own people. Well, "own people" here refers to Zhou Yali.

In our collaboration with Takahashi Publishing House, whatever books they publish, the Writers' Association here submits a list, and then they select from that list.

Takahashi Publishing has been deeply involved in the small-format book market for many years and naturally has its own judgment on the market. Even if the selected books are not bestsellers, they are not too bad.

The Zhou family's publishing house was previously just a semi-public enterprise serving the Chinese community, so their research and understanding of the American book market was certainly not very in-depth, not to mention that Zhou Yali was a publishing novice.

Therefore, the task of selecting works for publication naturally fell to Chen Fan.

Therefore, rather than saying that Zhou Yali approved two more potential partners, it would be more accurate to say that she broadened Chen Fan's selection pool, allowing him to choose literary works suitable for the American market from a wider range of submissions.

Yes, there are indeed big differences between domestic and American literary works, but even if we're not aiming to make money, we shouldn't at least avoid losing money!
Chen Fan silently recalled the relatively well-known literary works in China... Forget about the unknown ones; if even domestic readers don't like them, then don't expect them to go overseas.

Based on Western values ​​and preferences, they are further divided into two categories: drama or comedy and tragedy.

You don't realize how many metrics there are until you actually start planning.

In other words, he must have read extensively and have a good understanding of the similarities and differences between Eastern and Western cultures; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to do this.

After thinking for a while and having a few goals in mind, he relaxed and put the matter aside for the time being.

He then picked up his teacup and took a sip. Looking at Zhou Yali, she had just finished breakfast, stacked several bowls together, and got up and ran to the kitchen to put them away.

He then washed his hands and wiped his mouth, before running back and jumping onto the recliner. He curled up tightly in the bearskin and blinked at Chen Fan, asking, "Brother, when's lunch?"

Chen Fan's face darkened, and he pointed to the clock in the corner, "Take a look at the time."

Zhou Yali turned her head and looked, “11:30.”

Then, turning back to the question, "It's noon, are you making lunch yet?"

Chen Fan tossed the book aside, looking at her speechlessly, "You can still eat?"

Zhou Yali lay back in the chair, shifting her position to curl up, and said, "If you make it, I can eat it."

Chen Fan sighed, "We haven't finished the dumplings that Tian Tian and Li Li made yesterday. I'll cook you a bowl later, and then we can have dinner when they get back."

Zhou Yali thought for a moment, then clicked her tongue and said, "Okay."

Mentioning Tian Tian, ​​Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat. He turned to look at Zhou Yali, thought for a moment, and asked, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

Zhou Yali was just thinking about where to go on a snowy day when she suddenly heard this. She immediately turned around and looked at him with a look of astonishment. "Why are you asking this?"

The next second, as if she had thought of something, her eyes lit up. "Could it be that you're having relationship problems?"

He then sat up straight, cross-legged on the chair, staring at Chen Fan without blinking, "Tell me quickly, let me analyze it for you."

Chen Fan's eye twitched slightly, and he looked at her suspiciously. "Could it be that you know a lot about this?"

Zhou Yali stretched her neck and said confidently, "Although I've never been in a relationship, I've never been ignorant, even if I haven't eaten pork, I've still seen pigs run, right?"

He then raised his finger and said, "I've also read Erich Fromm's classic work on the psychology of love, 'The Art of Loving.' Fromm believed that love is an art, not simply an emotional investment of the mind and body, and it is also related to a person's maturity."

She raised her head and patted her chest as she spoke, "Like your sister, I'm very mature. If you have any problems with relationships, asking me is definitely the right thing to do."

If it weren't for the gossipy glint in his eyes, Chen Fan would almost have believed it.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "What do you mean I have relationship problems? What relationship problems could I possibly have?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yali's eyes revealed undisguised disappointment. "Ah? You don't have any?"

As she spoke, she deflated like a punctured balloon, slumped back into her chair, and said weakly, "Then why are you asking this? Do you want to pry into your sister's romantic history? You'll be disappointed. Under the earnest guidance and strict supervision of Mr. Zhou and Ms. Zhao, I haven't even had a male friend, let alone dated. In terms of love, I haven't had as much excitement as you."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "What's so exciting about me? I'm just dating someone and getting ready to get married."

Zhou Yali glanced at him, her sidelong glance instantly turning into a roll of her eyes; she didn't want to talk to him.

Chen Fan coughed lightly, took another sip of water, and said seriously, "The Art of Loving is a psychology book published by Erich Fromm in 1956. I have read a few excerpts about it in magazines, and it does have some insightful points. It's a pity that this book is not available in China, otherwise I would definitely read it."

Then he looked at Zhou Yali and said, "Since you've read it, you should have some insights. Even if it's not your own idea, just copying the viewpoints from the book is still an opinion."

Zhou Yali glanced at him sideways again, thinking, "Why do I want to hit him after hearing that?"

Chen Fan's expression turned serious, and he continued, "Well, here's the thing, I have a friend who's having some relationship problems..."

Zhou Yali sat up abruptly, staring at him with a suspicious look. "Friend?"

Chen Fan said matter-of-factly, "That's right, just a friend."

Zhou Yali blinked. "What's your friend's name? Where is he from?"

Chen Fan, ..., are you really that serious?

He took a deep breath and said without hesitation, "His name is Anquan, from Shanghai. If he weren't so busy with his studies and work, I would have called him over to show you."

Therefore, we absolutely cannot let Anquan come over, especially when Zhou Yali is around.

Hearing his confident assertions, some of the doubt in Zhou Yali's eyes finally subsided, but she still wasn't entirely convinced. After a two-second silence, Zhou Yali tightened her fur coat and looked at him, asking, "So, what kind of relationship problems does your friend have?"

Chen Fan changed his posture, crossed his legs, and said, "Here's the thing, he's quite outstanding. He's handsome, and he's a student at a top university. After entering the school, he also started a work-study program, helping his classmates earn money while also earning a fair share himself. That's why he's quite popular with girls."

However, he was married and about to have a child, so he had always been quite chaste.

However, being too outstanding isn't always a good thing. For example, there was a girl who really liked him.

This has put the security personnel in a bit of a predicament.

He casually took another sip of tea, then turned to Zhou Yali and asked, "In this situation, what do you think he should do?"

Zhou Yali had almost dismissed her doubts, but by the end, the look of suspicion on her face was even stronger than at the beginning. She stared intently at Chen Fan, "You said he's very outstanding and that many girls like him?"

Chen Fan nodded. "Yeah."

Zhou Yali: "He's married, and his baby is almost due?"

Chen Fan blinked. "Yeah."

Zhou Yali pressed on, "And now he knows a girl likes him, but he doesn't know what to do?"

Chen Fan thought about it and felt that there was no problem with saying it that way, so he continued to nod, "Yeah."

Zhou Yali gasped, her eyes full of confusion. "That's strange. Why wasn't he bothered when so many girls liked him before, but now he's bothered when this girl likes him?"

Chen Fan's face froze for a moment. After several seconds, he frowned and said thoughtfully, "That's a good question. I'll ask him about it tomorrow."

Zhou Yali rolled her eyes subtly. "What else is there to ask? There's only one answer."

Chen Fan looked up at her. "What?"

Zhou Yali glanced at him. "What else? He didn't like the girls before, but he's fallen for this one. Otherwise, why wasn't he bothered by the previous girls, but he's bothered by this one?"

Chen Fan gasped, his eyes widening involuntarily. "Is that so?"

Zhou Yali pursed her lips, sighed almost imperceptibly, and said earnestly, "Little brother, you're young, you've never been in a relationship..."

Chen Fan immediately corrected, "Of course we are! Lili and I are dating."

Zhou Yali gave a cold laugh, full of disdain, "You and Lili are dating, that's true, you're even talking about marriage. But that's not what dating is. Let me ask you, have you ever gone on a date? Don't say that the atmosphere in the mainland is conservative. I've asked Tian Tian and the others, and there are quite a few people dating in school and in society now. It's not that intimacy is the only way to be in a relationship."

Going to the park together, watching a movie together, even just having a meal or taking a walk together—that's still dating. How many times have you and Lili gone to the park, watched a movie, eaten together alone, or taken a walk together?

Chen Fan's mouth was slightly open, and he was somewhat speechless.

Before meeting Jiang Lili, he was a lifelong single. Even when girls pursued him in college, he pretended not to notice them because of his own shortcomings.

After you start working, it's even more of a no-go. You have neither the time nor the money, so what's there to talk about?

So he really has no experience in dating and doesn't even understand the theory.

Zhou Yali continued speaking, "You and Lili, it was entirely out of mutual appreciation after sharing hardships, and a natural progression after sharing wealth..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan immediately interrupted her, saying earnestly, "No, it's not mutual appreciation or true love. I can tell the difference. She is beautiful, gentle, hardworking, and kind. She is exactly the right match for me. It is my good fortune to be with her."

Zhou Yali blinked, paused for two seconds, and looked at him, asking, "So, are you sure you like that girl?"

Chen Fan, "Regarding her..."

He suddenly realized what he meant and immediately corrected himself righteously, "What do you mean I'm sure? I already said it's a friend of mine. It's safe. It's him, not me."

Zhou Yali nodded blankly, "Yes, yes, it's him. So you—no, he's really sure he likes that girl?"

Chen Fan clicked his tongue, thought for a moment, and said, "They're probably not sure, otherwise they wouldn't have come to ask me, and then I asked you."

Zhou Yali chuckled coldly twice, "Then I can tell you with absolute certainty... fine, fine, tell him he definitely likes that girl. I've already given you my reasons, you should let him think about what to do."

Chen Fan let out a long breath, his brows furrowing tightly. "This is a difficult matter, that's why I'm asking you."

Zhou Yali shrugged and said, "You said it yourself, you can completely distinguish between what you like and what you don't like."

Chen Fan corrected again, "Safety."

Zhou Yali's lips twitched slightly. "Okay, Anquan. Anquan is actually very clear-headed, so he could remain indifferent to the girls who liked him before, but when he's with this girl, his heart starts to flutter."

As for what to do?

She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and said, "No one can help him with this; only he can make the decision. Anyway, he can't abandon his wife. As for that girl, either he should make things clear with her, cut ties completely, and not leave any room for others to have illusions, or..."

She turned to Chen Fan, grinned, and said insincerely, "Let's see if he has the ability to keep a mistress in a golden house. He can't possibly marry both of them."

Chen Fan's face darkened. "What nonsense! 'Keeping a mistress in a golden house'? You're just giving me terrible ideas. Besides, the girl hasn't even clearly expressed her feelings to him. How is he supposed to explain himself?"

Zhou Yali clapped her hands and chuckled, "Then let's continue to play dumb and leave everything to time. Maybe one day she'll meet someone even better and fall for someone else."

She turned her head back, closed her eyes, and muttered something softly.

Even with Chen Fan's excellent hearing, he couldn't hear what was said, so he couldn't help but ask, "What did you say?"

Zhou Yali didn't open her eyes, "It's nothing."

But he chuckled to himself, thinking, "I'm saying, someone better than you? That's practically impossible."

Seeing that she wouldn't talk, Chen Fan had no choice but to pat his thigh and stand up. "Asking is pointless. Let him figure it out himself."

Just as she was about to leave, she turned back and whispered, "Hey, this is someone else's privacy, so don't go around saying things like that."

Zhou Yali opened her eyes, looked at him and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Chen Fan nodded. "Also, he's a shy person, so if you meet him someday, don't ask him about it."

Zhou Yali made a zipper-like gesture around her mouth, saying, "I'm keeping my mouth shut. I promise I won't ask him or tell anyone."

Chen Fan nodded in satisfaction and gave her a thumbs up. "You're a good girl. I'll go cook you some dumplings."

Zhou Yali raised her right hand and waved, "Cook it until it's very soft, I like it soft."

After Chen Fan went to the kitchen, she looked up and couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered her mouth, "Friend? Heh!"

(End of this chapter)