Chapter 30: Old Xu, Are You Digging Fool's Gold?

"Then let's leave the decision to you young people; didn't the higher-ups say we should promote democracy?"

Li Ji closed his eyes, waved his hand, and refused Wang Chaoyin, saying.

Wang Chaoyin still persisted.

"You have experienced many things and have rich work experience. Without your guidance, we would be at a loss."

Wang Chaoyin said earnestly.

Li Ji could not resist his request, thought for a moment, and then gave guidance.

"There's no need for guidance. I will set a direction, and you will select accordingly; inevitably the works will end up stylistically uniform."

"I will only recommend three authors and their works, namely Liu Xinwu's 'Class Teacher', which occupies one short story slot."

"'Goldbach Conjecture', written by Xu Chi, which is important for establishing the image of researchers in the public's mind, occupies one Report Literature slot."

"There's one more…"

Li Ji said this, and exchanged a glance with Wang Chaoyin, revealing a knowing smile.

"Xu Yuexin, 'High Mountain'."

Wang Chaoyin jumped ahead of Li Ji and voiced the idea for him.

"Hmm, this piece is indispensable."

Li Ji tapped the table with his finger, emphasizing.

"By the way, I have a suggestion: keep one flexible slot each for the medium-length, short, and Report Literature categories, reserved for outstanding works to be published later this year."

Wang Chaoyin reported to Li Ji.

Regarding Wang Chaoyin's suggestion, Li Ji considered briefly and then issued an order: "Fine, this approach is more prudent."

The manuscript review was completed, the matters to be discussed were settled, and Wang Chaoyin took his leave from Li Ji, heading to the Finance Office to handle Manuscript Payment remittance for Xu Yuexin.

After finishing his tasks, Wang Chaoyin returned to the editing room; the chair was still cold, when a shout came from the warehouse manager outside: "Which editor's author is Chunfeng?"

"He has too many letters from readers; come quickly and we'll handle it."

"Got it, I'll go in a moment."

Wang Chaoyin waved his hand at the warehouse manager, said, took a short break, then went downstairs to the warehouse, asking the manager to open the door for him to look.

"Here you go, Wang Team Leader, these are all letters from Chunfeng's readers."

After the door opened, the warehouse manager pointed at the large jute bags stacked in the corner, sighing, "I'm not pressuring you; I've never seen so many letters, they take up too much space."

Wang Chaoyin looked at the three bulging jute bags and was quite amazed.

How many reader letters are stuffed into this one bag!

Having worked for twenty years, Wang Chaoyin had never seen such a booming scene.

"High Mountain" is truly too popular with readers!

"We'll send these letters to Chunfeng; please come with me and move them to the post office."

After recovering from the shock, Wang Chaoyin said to the warehouse manager, then strode toward the back of the warehouse, laboriously lifting a bag.

…

On a morning several days later, at the Faculty Building of Qinghua University.

Xu Yuexin held a copy of that day's People's Daily, reading it with great interest.

The interview he once gave finally appeared in today's paper.

His conversation with Wang Chaoyin, Wang Meng, and Li Renchen was printed in neat type, placed in the newspaper's literary section.

After putting down the newspaper, Xu Yuexin began to study by heart, preparing for the upcoming College Entrance Exam.

The 1979 College Entrance Exam was scheduled for early July, the third exam since the reinstatement of the exam.

Xu Yuexin was reviewing the philosophy principles section of the political textbook, which currently accounts for the largest proportion of College Entrance Exam politics and often yields essay questions.

The universality and particularity of contradictions and their relationship; practice is the sole criterion for testing truth…

Xu Yuexin read it twice, then recited it once, engraving the knowledge piece by piece into his mind, his spirit intensely focused.

Not until the sun was high did Xu Yuexin set the book aside, go downstairs for a walk, and casually check whether any letters had been mailed to him.

Below the Faculty Building, temporary structures sprang up one after another, with people constantly entering and exiting through their doors.

Some of the more refined ones were built of bricks and stone, while the rest were merely wooden frames covered with a layer of opaque plastic film.

With many Educated Youth returning to the city and families expanding, many households began to lack sufficient housing.

Most faculty apartments in the building had only one bedroom and a living room; couples with three or four children plus elders inevitably faced cramped living space.

With homes small and land narrow, insufficient for expansion, some people led the way in erecting temporary dwellings outside for their children, a practice that has now become widespread.

Many of the young men and women there knew Xu Yuexin and greeted each other when they met.

When Xu Yuexin reached the edge of the wall, a plump young man emerged from a small brick house built against the wall and, upon seeing him, ran forward excitedly: "Lao Xu, you're back too!"

"Lao Wang, when did you return, and why didn't you say a word?"

Xu Yuexin stepped forward, patting the plump youth's shoulder excitedly, and said.

The plump youth's name is Wang Youle, a childhood friend of Xu Yuexin; they were in the same high school class.

Wang Youle and Xu Yuexin were dispatched to the countryside at the same time, one to the north and one to the south; Xu Yuexin was in the Northeast, he was in Hunan. "I only got back last night, was just about to look for you."

Wang Youle beamed, "How about it? My temporary house isn't bad, brick walls and tiled roof, no wind or rain gets in."

"My family knew I was coming back, so they set it up in advance; I just moved the quilt inside."

Wang Youle's father, Wang Qin, is a research engineer at Qinghua University; their house is fairly spacious, but can't accommodate the many people.

So when they learned Wang Youle was returning, they built a small house under the wall in advance.

"The house is fine, facing north to south with ample sunlight."

"You should stay inside more and soak up the sun, supplement some vitamins, maybe you'll grow a bit taller."

Xu Yuexin examined his childhood friend's house for a moment and affirmed it.

Wang Youle didn't betray the name his parents gave him; he has a bright, carefree personality. The other children of faculty staff living in the temporary buildings have more or less complaints, many of which have reached Xu Yuexin's ears, but only he remains cheerful.

"Borrowing your auspicious words, if I grow a bit taller, I won't look so chubby."

"By the way, Old Xu, aren't you going to work? At this hour you're definitely late, right?"

When the two walked to the outside of the wall, Wang Youle asked.

"I used to work in a coal mine, but I quit now and just stay at home."

Xu Yuexin shook his head, seeing three large burlap sacks piled under the mailbox.

"Awesome, bro, people are busting their heads looking for a job, and you quit."

Wang Youle admired his boldness, gave a thumbs‑up, then looked left and right, and after confirming no one was near, lowered his voice, "Are you digging for gold nuggets in a well, got rich, and therefore quit?"

Before returning to the city, Wang Youle had discussed work with his parents, and Wang Qin explained the job options his family could provide.

Laboratory odd jobs, campus sanitation worker, logistics mover…

Anyway, they're all positions that make Wang Youle's scalp tingle just by looking at them. Because of that, he's been daydreaming lately that if he could strike it rich, he wouldn't have to go to work.

When he heard his friend quit and stay home, Wang Youle immediately projected his own fantasy onto him, assuming he was now living the life Wang Youle had always dreamed of.

"What are you thinking, be careful someone hears and reports me."

Xu Yuexin, unable to laugh or cry, said, "I'm writing a novel at home."

"Writing a novel? That's even more awesome."

"At our Educated Youth point we had one person; two years ago he wrote 5,000 characters and published it in a newspaper, and the higher‑ups immediately transferred him back to the city, making a few of us enviously say wow."

At this moment, Xu Yuexin and Wang Youle had reached the burlap sacks, and saw the postal label on the sacks, indicating they were reader letters forwarded by People's Literature, addressed to himself.

Readers of this era are truly enthusiastic.

The three large burlap sacks of reader letters amount to a number that can't be counted in the thousands.

Xu Yuexin sighed, tore off the label completely and slipped it into his pocket.

He opened the mailbox again and saw that there were two more letters of his inside.

One was from People's Literature, and the other from You Peiling.

"Lao Wang, if you're not busy, could you help me carry a sack?"

Xu Yuexin cleared the passage, and was the first to hoist two large burlap sacks onto his shoulders.

"Got it."

Wang Youle also grabbed a sack, immediately baring his teeth, "What's inside, it's so heavy."

Even a sturdy guy like him, who is considered strong among ordinary people, can't bear the weight of the sack.

"If you can't lift it, never mind; just keep an eye on it here, I'll come down later for another run."

Xu Yuexin, seeing the situation, made an arrangement, saying.

"No, I can lift it. When I heard we were going back to the city, I stopped working; today I'm just temporarily unaccustomed."

Wang Youle didn't want to embarrass his childhood friend in front of others, gritted his teeth and persisted, saying.

The two, carrying the three large burlap sacks of reader letters, walked toward the Faculty Building; Xu Yuexin, at the front, walked faster and faster, his steps steady and firm.

Wang Youle, at the back, stared with his eyes wide open.

He could barely pant carrying one bag himself, yet this guy, shouldering two bags, moved as if flying.

What did he eat to grow up like that?

After delivering the reader letters home, Xu Yuexin took out two bottles of Beijing Yang soda, along with twisted dough sticks, fruit candies and other snacks to treat the panting Wang Youle.

Wang Youle grabbed a bottle of soda, twisted the cap off and "Glug glug glug" drank it until the soda was gone.

Xu Yuexin saw his satisfied face, opened the cabinet and fetched two more bottles for him.

Wang Youle took one of the bottles.

"Really tasty, you can't even see this stuff in the countryside."

Wang Youle twisted the cap, fanned the air with his hand, and said, "By the way, our class is organizing a reunion, scheduled for the day after tomorrow."

"Shall we go together then?"

(End of chapter)