Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 64 He's even become a youth representative? (Please read on!)

After writing the letter, Liu Yimin put it in an envelope. The letter would first go to the editorial department of *People's Literature*, where they would extract the contents and then send the original to the sender, this worker-peasant-soldier student from the National Academy of Medical Sciences. Cui Daoyi and Yu Jiajia would also come to pick up the letter five days later.

I wonder if publishing this reader's letter in People's Literature and Art magazine will spark a major discussion about these two types of college students?

Liu Yimin packed up more than a dozen letters and placed them on the bedside table, sighing, "I shouldn't let them bring the letters over anymore; there's nowhere to put them!"

Li Xueqin gritted his teeth, Liu Zhenyun covered his cheek, and only Chen Dazhi came over and said, "Treat me to a meal at the Long March Canteen, and I'll get you a cabinet specifically for storing your letters!"

“Sure.” Liu Yimin put his arm around Chen Dazhi’s shoulder and asked with a smile, “Could you make a cabinet in the style of a courtyard house? You know, I’m quite fond of traditional Chinese culture, especially furniture and architecture.”

"Fine, just pretend I didn't say anything!" Chen Dazhi sighed helplessly, having hoped to get a free meal. A cabinet in the style of a traditional courtyard house? Is that even a cabinet anymore?

When school started, Chen Dazhi still had a lot of materials left over from repairing desks, chairs, and bed boards. These planks and nails were piled up under his bed.

Liu Zhenyun was about to leave when Liu Yimin called him back. He turned to look at Liu Yimin, a hint of anxiety in his hand as he held his lunchbox. If he waited any longer, the canteen's braised tofu would be gone.

Liu Zhenyun hadn't been at the school long, but he already knew which dish offered the best value for money. Vegetarian dishes cost five cents, deep-fried dishes like braised tofu cost ten cents, dishes with a little minced meat cost fifteen cents, and braised pork cost twenty cents. Braised tofu was a dish that cost ten cents and still had a meaty flavor.

When we're together, we automatically disappear when it's time to eat, to avoid any awkwardness caused by the perceived hierarchy of the food.

"Today I'm treating everyone to lunch at the Long March Canteen!" Liu Yimin grinned at Liu Zhenyun. He had quite a few national meal tickets on him, all given to him by the Revolutionary Committee at the time.

When Liu Fuqing was admitted to university, he also brought grain to the grain station to exchange for a lot of national grain coupons. These coupons could not be used in the school canteen, but it was a good choice to have a meal at the Changzheng Canteen.

In those days, the area around Yenching University was still quite desolate, with stretches of farmland and low-rise houses, making it difficult to find suitable state-run restaurants.

The Long March Canteen is located at the south gate of Yenching University. It's a two-story building with a wide variety of dishes and fresh meat. It's a popular spot for many Yenching students to treat themselves, but unfortunately, most of the students who can go there are salaried students from wealthy, privileged backgrounds.

"Isn't this inappropriate?" Liu Zhenyun said as he put down the lunchbox in his hand!

"What's wrong?"

Liu Zhenyun chuckled and quickly took off his clothes: "I mean, it's not good to go to the Long March canteen in this outfit. Old Li, are you lying there like a corpse? Hurry up and change your clothes. Dazhi, hurry up, stop fiddling with that iron nail of yours."

Inside the Long March canteen, Liu Yimin handed the menu to several people, but they were all too embarrassed to order, afraid that it would be too expensive. So Liu Yimin had to order by himself.

"A serving of stir-fried liver tips, tomato and pork slices, braised pork slices, and shredded pork with garlic sauce."

"That's enough!" Li Xueqin quickly said.

"Do you want rice or noodles?" Liu Yimin asked.

The meal actually cost less than three yuan. The stir-fried liver and other meat dishes were the cheapest meat dishes here. It wasn't that Liu Yimin didn't dare to order more expensive ones, but he was afraid that they would feel burdened by the food.

When the dishes arrived, the group ate hesitantly. Liu Yimin said, "Eat quickly. I'm happy today, so consider this a celebration for me. The China Youth Daily is going to reprint one of my articles and even pay me a fee. This money is like a windfall. I also get paid for replying to readers' letters. I've been wanting to eat something different for a while now, and this gives me a perfect excuse."

Upon hearing Liu Yimin's words, the three of them became much less polite and no longer hesitated so much when picking up their chopsticks whether to take more meat or more rice.

Liu Zhenyun said happily, "Yimin, once I get my manuscript approved, I'll invite you all to eat at the Long March Canteen!" "I'm waiting! Hurry up and wipe the grease off your mouth!"

"If I don't wipe it off, how will others know I ate meat today?"

Hey! That sounds authentic, like something a Manchu nobleman would do.

Cui Daoyi and Yu Jiajia came to pick up the manuscript on the same day. Yu Jiajia carefully looked at the revisions made by Liu Yimin. She found that Liu Yimin took this commission quite seriously. Most of the sentences were optimized, making the reading smoother and more progressive, finally reaching the climax of the entire report.

"You stand on China; as you are, so is China! If you are bright, China will not be dark. May all Chinese youth strive upwards and shake off apathy. If you feel the country is not good, then go and build it. If you feel the progress of the Four Modernizations is too slow, then study science and culture to accelerate the Four Modernizations. Instead of sitting idly by and mocking, bury yourself in hard work; instead of empty talk, forge ahead bravely!"

After reading it aloud, Yu Jiajia exclaimed, "It has the flavor of Mr. Liang Qichao's 'A Discourse on Young China'!"

"How dare I compare myself to Mr. Liang Qichao?"

“We wouldn’t dare now, but who knows what the future holds!” Cui Daoyi interjected.

"Comrade Liu Yimin, the payment for the manuscript will be sent later. I assure you it will be no less than the standard payment for 'People's Literature and Art'. I will negotiate the specifics with the editor-in-chief. I'm heading back to the newspaper office now, and I hope it will be published by tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Liu Yimin's report appeared at the newsstand. Although the China Youth Daily did not publish Liu Yimin's report on the front page, it was still placed on an important page.

The article is accompanied by an editor's note (the editor's comments on the article): "[This report is a genuine expression of Comrade Liu Yimin's feelings. He describes his experiences and mental journey before and after entering university in simple language. He uses his own experience to encourage contemporary youth to strive for excellence. In particular, the last paragraph is quite similar to Mr. Liang Qichao's message to the youth of the whole country in 'A Young China'.]"

Comrade Liu Yimin, who hails from a rural area in western Henan, persevered despite setbacks, responded to the national call, and braved wind and snow to take the college entrance examination. He scored 451 points and was admitted to Yenching University. He is undoubtedly a representative figure of contemporary youth actively pursuing scientific and cultural studies. The old path of prioritizing birthright has been proven unworkable; the time has come for young people to change their destiny through the college entrance examination.

Young people, go to the universities! Go to the classrooms! Go to the battlefield of building the Four Modernizations!

Since its release, the China Youth Daily newspaper has been purchased by tens of thousands of young people lining up on the streets, proclaiming the voice of the times that allows people to change their destiny through the college entrance examination in the increasingly chilly autumn.

Many people, after reading Liu Yimin's story, tore the newspaper to shreds and roared, "University? I can do that too!"

Many students from Yenching University ran to the large classroom of the Chinese Department with newspapers, wanting to see what Liu Yimin looked like.

"Where are the youth representatives?" a group of people outside jeered.

Liu Zhenyun waved his hand: "The youth representatives are here!"

“If we lock Yimin up in a dormitory and sell tickets like the Palace Museum, we can make a lot of money!” Li Xueqin laughed.

“The Palace Museum ticket costs one yuan, so selling it for eight mao isn’t expensive, right? Let me do the math. If a hundred people visit a day, that’s eighty yuan!” Liu Zhenyun counted on his fingers, and he was shocked when he got to the end.

In a courtyard house near the Drum Tower, the makeshift operation of the underground magazine *Today* was holding another meeting. Zhang Pengzhi threw a copy of *China Youth Daily* on the table and said sarcastically:
"Hey! This country bumpkin has become a representative of Chinese youth!"

I'm begging for monthly tickets and recommendation votes! I'm begging to keep reading! Throw your votes in my face, I love that feeling!

Thank you all for your support, I'm so grateful!

(End of this chapter)