Chapter 68: The Highest Award! (Please keep reading, there's an easter egg at the end!)

They didn't find out anything.

The secrecy work for this award ceremony was done too well.

"Short Story First Prize: 'Class Teacher', winning author: Liu Xinwu!"

Onstage, Wang Chaoyin announced loudly.

Liu Xinwu walked from the audience seats to the stage, waving to everyone along the way.

Next came the Second Prize and the Third Prize.

"Where's Old Xu's 'The Horse Herder'?"

Liu Zhenyun, seeing that Xu Yuexin's name was absent from the list, grew a bit anxious and asked, "It was written so well, why wasn't it selected?"

"Maybe it's because he already won a First Prize?"

Chen Jiangong speculated, also defending Xu Yuexin, "In any case, I think this rule setting is unreasonable."

"Perhaps it was published too late."

Xu Yuexin had anticipated this; he calmly cracked sunflower seeds and comforted his two friends, saying, "'The Horse Herder' was already published in June."

"It's still a pity."

Chen Jiangong said with some regret.

Onstage, Wang Chaoyin still held the microphone with overflowing passion, showing no sign of winding down: "Writers, guest friends, the Report Literature, Long Novel, Mid-length Novel, and Short Story awards have all been presented in this ceremony."

"Next up is the final item, the People's Literature Award ceremony!"

People's Literature Award? The mood of everyone in the hall was instantly stirred.

An award named by the Magazine Office placed at the very end—its prestige is easy to imagine!

"Breaking the genre divisions for the award, that's quite interesting."

Wang Meng whispered to the Li Ji beside him, "It becomes even more eye‑catching."

"Hmm, when Chaoyin reported to me back then, I thought we should establish a grand prize above all other awards."

Li Ji Li's weather‑worn face broke into a mysterious smile, saying, "Let's see who wins."

As soon as the words fell, Wang Chaoyin raised his voice to the highest, unveiling the answer: "I announce that the inaugural People's Literature Award goes to 'The Horse Herder' by Xu Yuexin!"

"Down below, please invite our comrade Xu Yuexin to the stage to receive the award!"

The audience below instantly became lively.

"I've read Xu Yuexin's 'The Horse Herder'. This People's Literature Award is well deserved for him!"

"A Mid-length Novel First Prize in one hand, a People's Literature Award in the other—truly a prodigy."

"Achieving this at just twenty years old—remarkable!"

Amid the rising and falling applause, the audience clapped repeatedly, casting admiring glances at Xu Yuexin.

"Old Xu, the award is yours!"

Chen Jiangong, brimming with excitement, nudged Xu Yuexin and said.

"Mm‑mm, heard you."

Xu Yuexin tossed the handful of sunflower seeds, patted his shirt and trousers, and strode from his seat toward the stage.

He took the grand prize.

Xu Yuexin inhaled deeply, feeling the lights above his head had never shone so brilliantly.

What should he say later?

On the way up, he kept pondering his acceptance speech.

When he reached the stage, Wang Chaoyin, microphone in hand, congratulated him warmly: "Comrade Xu Yuexin, congratulations on once again stepping onto our award podium and taking the laurels into your hands."

"The People's Literature Award is our society's prize that breaks genre limits, selecting from all types of works. May I ask how you feel inside after receiving this precious award?"

After speaking, Wang Chaoyin handed the microphone to him.

"Excitement and emotion."

"The People's Literature Award is a great recognition of my work, so I feel very excited." "The emotion comes from having, over the past two or three years of our nation's great changes, combined with my various observations, thought repeatedly about the fate, values, and life‑path choices of intellectuals. Each reflection gave me something."

"Especially after 'The Horse Herder' just received the People's Literature Award, those gains gathered together, turning into emotion."

Xu Yuexin said slowly.

He clearly saw the literary heavyweights in the front row listening intently, as if trying to find something in his forthcoming words.

Obviously, they must also ponder the issues they speak of in everyday life, and likely still have doubts about them.

Beside Xu Yuexin, Wang Chaoyin also wore a thoughtful expression.

"Then could you share your feelings with everyone?"

Wang Chaoyin paused briefly, recovered from his short thought, and asked Xu Yuexin.

"My feeling is that, entering the new era, intellectuals can do more and more. The necessary condition for achievement is to be rooted in the land beneath our feet."

"In 'The Horse Herder', Xu Lingjun's final choice is the projection of this feeling."

Xu Yuexin's voice was calm and measured, "After being stripped of his title, Xu Lingjun was able to return to the teaching field, spreading his knowledge across the plateau."

"To continue this undertaking, letting the seeds of knowledge keep flowering and bearing fruit, he chose to reject the temptations of a frivolous world and stay steadfast on the three‑foot podium at the nation's borderlands."

"One can imagine, if he had gone overseas, the other side of the ocean would have gained only a mediocre merchant. By staying, the country gains an outstanding People's Teacher."

"Of course, teaching is only one of many choices for intellectuals. Besides that, devoting oneself to cultural work, scientific research, or diving into the sea of commodity economy are all good paths."

"The premise is to stay on this land, because it is still a blank sheet, offering ample space for us to act."

Xu Yuexin's words plunged the whole venue into silence, each listener chewing over his statements.

Including Wang Chaoyin, who also thought quietly, striving to savor the meaning in Xu Yuexin's words.

Rooted in the land, diving into the commodity economy, a blank sheet…

The words Xu Yuexin uttered gave them a mental storm and a baptism of thought.

"Congratulations, you first won the First Prize, and also got the final grand prize."

"Your talk was also quite good; I can see that you love to think."

Mao Dun smiled faintly, handed the People's Literature Award Award Certificate and Certificate to Xu Yuexin, saying, "Intellectuals can indeed devote themselves to the commodity economy; your ideas are very forward‑looking."

At last year's conference, the great figure introduced the term "commodity economy." Now there are indeed some daring people who responded to the call, starting Sole Proprietorships and setting up small processing factories.

However, few intellectuals have so far entered the commodity economy; the overwhelming majority still work in public institutions.

In this environment, Mao Dun believes Xu Yuexin's ideas are very prescient and also very bold.

"Mao Lao, you're overpraising me. From my personal perspective, I think literature need not reject commerce; only by combining the two can we go farther."

Xu Yuexin replied honestly.

The later it gets, the more inseparable the link between literature and the market becomes. Many later successful writers, such as Zheng Yuanjie and others, are often also successful merchants.

Next to them, Wang Chaoyin and another person finished their conversation, turned the microphone back on: "Friends present, let us once again applaud and congratulate the winner of this People's Literature Award and the Mid-length Novel First Prize, comrade Xu Yuexin!"

Before the words finished, a roar of applause and admiration erupted in the hall.

……

After the award ceremony ended, Xu Yuexin's spot was surrounded so tightly that it was impassable; the literary and artistic figures who wanted to greet or meet him were packed three layers deep inside and three layers outside.

Xu Yuexin was a bit overwhelmed; he could only see one face after another flashing before him, unable to tell who was who.

Fortunately, Wang Meng, Chen Jiangong and Liu Zhenyun were there, clearing a path through the crowd for him and rushing out of the hall.

"Lao Wang, the matter we discussed last time now has a chance for a solution."

At Chaonei 166, in a corner of the courtyard, Xu Yuexin said to Wang Meng with fighting spirit.

That matter? Referring to publishing in Xiangjiang and overseas? Wang Meng's mind stirred, a strong interest flashing in his eyes: "What kind of solution?"

"Go find Mao Lao."

Xu Yuexin said decisively.

(End of Chapter)