I am a literary giant in Russia

Chapter 151 Damn it, how did the country become like this?
Mikhail was certainly happy that the general always invited him to his home, but to avoid any premature exposure of potential problems and causing unpleasantness for everyone, he couldn't agree so readily.

Mikhail would generally not accept invitations that came too quickly or too frequently. He would decline if they came too often, but he would still decline them. It wasn't until the general said, "I really have to come and invite you in person!"

Mikhail then "reluctantly" chose to attend the banquet and then spend some time at the general's house.

The invitation following the release of the latest magazine was a case in point. After considering the frequency and other matters, Mikhail dressed formally and went to visit the general.

Upon arriving at the general's residence, they were greeted by the enthusiastic general, the wary Nadya's mother, and Nadya, who pretended not to know Mikhail very well.

Of course, even though it wasn't appropriate for Nadya to speak to Mikhail in this situation, she still found a suitable opportunity to smile and wink at Mikhail, and there was a certain emotion flowing in her azure eyes: "Long time no see."

As for Mikhail, similar emotions were slowly emerging in his eyes as well.

To be honest, by now, Mikhail has met quite a few noble ladies and wives, and even some who have directly expressed their goodwill towards him. However, after exchanging a few words, things often feel a little off.

Perhaps it's a difference in thinking, or perhaps it's something else; in short, some things are just a matter of fate.

After Mikhail politely greeted everyone, he took a seat at the general's invitation. The general then naturally discussed the contents of this issue of the magazine with Mikhail and shared his own thoughts and experiences.

To be honest, some of the general's insights were quite insightful. Although he was a typical feudalist, he did have his own unique understanding of certain things, and listening to them was simply a way to broaden one's horizons.

Aside from literature and art, the general, engrossed in the conversation, naturally chatted with Mikhail about other things, such as politics, anecdotes and rumors among the nobility, and entertainment activities like theaters and horse races.

Of course, the general wasn't as outspoken about politics as Belinsky and his ilk. In the general's description, apart from a few minor issues, Russia was a vibrant and thriving place. During the conversation, the general also mentioned Russia's expansion in the Near East and asked Mikhail for his opinion on the matter.

To this, Mikhail can only say that he knows, but he's afraid that if he says it out loud you'll yell at him and knock him to the ground.
After all, some things seem a bit far-fetched at first glance. For example, after Nicholas I suppressed the European revolutions of 1848, he still boasted that "the monarch of Russia is the master of all Europe, and no country dares to block Russia's path."

Unexpectedly, just five years later, Russia, this massive paper tiger, was easily punctured, and Nicholas I, a monarch known for his iron fist, simply committed suicide in the face of such a defeat, ultimately choosing not to live.

Mikhail didn't know much about military matters, but he still had the advantage of being out of the loop, so he was able to chat with the general for a bit and even get the general to give him admiring glances from time to time.

As they talked, the general seemed to suddenly remember something, so he asked Mikhail about his plans for the future:

"Dear Mikhail, as far as I know, you seem to be graduating this summer or at the end of the year. So what are your plans then? Where do you intend to work? If you haven't decided yet, I do have some connections that might get you a job in some department in St. Petersburg."

Normally, college graduates from commoner backgrounds like Mikhail would mostly take up entry-level positions after graduation, such as middle school teachers, county clerks, or engineers. Even though college education was extremely expensive for commoner students, they would still face various difficulties such as exclusion by nobles and stricter monitoring by schools. Their salaries after graduation would only be considered decent, and their upward mobility would be very limited.

What? Where have all the good positions gone? There aren't enough genuine St. Petersburg locals left, what more do these out-of-towners want?
Moreover, as the number of noblemen in St. Petersburg increased, the positions became increasingly insufficient. By 1856, the upper class simply adopted a system where only those whose ancestors had served as high-ranking officials for three consecutive generations could be granted noble titles. This effectively blocked the path for commoners to rise in social status. Even though the restrictions were relaxed somewhat later, the relaxation was extremely limited.

After all, there aren't enough to go around for everyone, so how could it be your turn?
But at the same time, the external environment is getting worse, and the country needs to develop, right? Russia's industrialization process needs to be accelerated, right? Doesn't all of this require more skilled and capable workers?

Under these circumstances, the Russian upper class inevitably promoted the development of primary and higher education, as this was indeed a necessary measure for the country, as it could both cultivate suitable talent and allow schools to act as a reservoir to alleviate certain contradictions.

Then the question naturally arises: will the reservoir explode if it's filled too much? And what about ordinary college students who go through all that trouble to graduate, only to earn a meager salary and have no clear path for advancement? Are all of them really just dead and honest people?
This is one of the reasons why Russian student movements emerged one after another afterward. First, the number of students was indeed rising rapidly. Second, Russian society was really boring. Damn it, how did the country become like this? In addition, the times were calling, and the revolutionary situation was surging. In short, more and more students were indeed involved in various revolutionary causes.

Some of them were well-versed in philosophy and political economy, and influenced by works such as Chernyshevsky's "What Is to Be Done?", they were so enraged that they truly broke with Russian society and directly joined the Russian revolutionary organization "People's Will," to the point that they regarded assassination as a means of "awakening the masses."

So, getting back to the main point, the general's words certainly implied a small investment in Mikhail. After all, while Mikhail may not be short of money, noble status is something that almost every Russian aspires to, and to obtain such status, apart from hereditary nobles, one can basically only do so through government and military channels.

In this situation, starting directly from under the Tsar's feet would be more promising.

In fact, the general was indeed optimistic about Mikhail's future. After all, Mikhail had literary fame and wealth, and he was also a smart young man. So even if he didn't know how high he could climb, he would at least be able to obtain a lifelong noble title after a few years. Then he could use the money he earned from literature to buy real estate and serfs.

Even without much power, they could certainly be called a large landowner.

Thinking of this, the general couldn't help but shake his head with some regret. It was a pity that it would probably be many years before Mikhail could obtain a noble title. If his daughter Nadya were seven or eight years younger, then even if Mikhail was just a newly emerging noble with a very shallow background, the general might really consider a marriage alliance.

After all, while his family's foundation may be shallow, they are undoubtedly wealthy and financially powerful. Furthermore, given that his family hasn't had a suitable marriage partner in recent years, the general might actually take a gamble out of goodwill towards Mikhail and optimism about his future.

Unfortunately, my daughter is already that age, so it's probably impossible.
Just as the general was thinking this, Mikhail was quite surprised by his words. After all, the general's suggestion was practically equivalent to keeping someone who should have been transferred to another region under the Tsar's rule. Given that the two were not related, the general was truly showing great kindness. After a moment's thought, Mikhail thanked the general first, then said, "For some reasons, I may need to think about it some more."

After saying this, since the general had asked Mikhail about his future plans, and given that this was in front of Nadya's father, the general, Mikhail felt he needed to reveal something to demonstrate his ambition. Therefore, he continued:

"My next plan is to serialize a novel in French newspapers. If all goes well, I think it will become popular throughout Paris."

General: "?"

France, novel, popular
I understand each word individually, so why does the combination seem a bit unbelievable?

Slightly shocked, the general naturally interpreted Mikhail's words as a boastful statement from a young man, simply to express his ambition.

Thinking this through, the general suddenly felt much more at ease, and instead of questioning him, he began to encourage Mikhail:

"Good! Let those Frenchmen see what we're made of! Our army was the first to enter Paris, now it's your turn to write your novel!"

When the general said this, Nadya's mother looked at Mikhail, who spoke so casually, with a thoughtful expression.

She sat to the side the whole time, observing the young man's movements from time to time. Because of this, she did not think that the young man was exaggerating when he said those things. But then, did he really have a lot of confidence in what he said?

What kind of writer could do something so incredible?
The general was encouraging, Nadya's mother was shocked, but Nadya didn't really care what Mikhail said. She just sat there normally, glancing at Mikhail from time to time, until Mikhail got up to take his leave.

Although he was a guest, Mikhail certainly wouldn't stay long. So when the conversation was almost over, Mikhail took the opportunity to say goodbye and leave.

Although the general was somewhat reluctant, seeing that a considerable amount of time had indeed passed, he finally nodded in agreement.

However, before Mikhail left, the general immediately grasped Mikhail's hand and said warmly, "Dear Mikhail, please remember to come often. It is always a pleasure to talk with you."

"me too."

Despite feeling a little embarrassed by the general's frequent invitations, Mikhail eventually nodded and replied, "I will."

And so, after exchanging one last smiling glance with Nadya, Mikhail left the general's house.

It must be said that chatting with the general reminded Mikhail of some things.

As mentioned earlier, college students from ordinary families are indeed struggling these days. Due to the high cost of college, some of them have to find extra jobs to make a living. In addition, the poor accommodation and living conditions mean that some of them do have health problems.

For this reason, the graduation rate of commoner university students is less than 30% these days, far lower than the 80% of nobles. Since Mikhail has been studying at university for quite some time, he has naturally noticed this situation.

Previously, due to the school supervisor's influence, he couldn't directly provide financial aid, as it would be troublesome if he were mistaken for recruiting students. But now that it's still the holidays, he might as well get a grant or scholarship directly from Principal Pletnyov.

While the group of college students is certainly complex, if they can successfully complete their studies, then returning to their hometown to teach students would be a very good thing.

No matter how great a cause may be, it must start with small things.

Of course, the recipients of the grants still need to be screened to some extent, but this was much simpler for Mikhail.

Having considered this matter, Mikhail acted swiftly, immediately approaching Principal Pletnyov to discuss it.

Although Pletnyov seemed to hold the attitude that "giving away such valuable rubles to the poor is a sin," and even slightly doubted Mikhail's true motives, he immediately relaxed when Mikhail cited the example of Prince Odoevsky helping university students pay their tuition fees.

That's all? That makes things much easier. I thought you were trying to bribe the students to gather them up for something else.
That puts my mind at ease.

With this in mind, Pletnyov, who was already reaping the benefits of "The Modern Man," quickly expressed his pleasure at cooperating and began discussing the specific terms with Mikhail.

While Mikhail was living his ordinary daily life, Belinsky and Turgenev were already on their way. This time, they were traveling by water, boarding the "Vladimir" near St. Petersburg, and arriving in Poland in about four or five days. From there, they would take a train, and their first stop would undoubtedly be Paris, France.
(End of this chapter)