Chapter 67

Many locals in Huizhou have the habit of watching "Huizhou Evening News."

During dinner every day, they turn on the TV, glance at the evening news while eating, which makes the dining atmosphere more comfortable and lets them catch up on local matters; for many, it is quite good.

When "Huizhou Evening News" tonight began reporting on Cao Sheng, many people in thousands of households across the region involuntarily put down their chopsticks and looked curiously at the television.

On the TV screen.

The hostess Cai Yuhua, dressed in a white women's suit, was reporting with a smile: "Since ancient times, Huizhou has been a place where talents gather. It not only produces the Four Treasures of the Study and possesses deep historical and cultural heritage, but also continuously produces new talents; truly, it is a land of outstanding people! Cao Sheng, aged 18, is the talent from our Huizhou this year who has become famous across the nation and even on both sides of the Taiwan Strait! He is a new writer. At only 18 years old, he has already authored two works: one is the recently best-selling 'Days Living with the Stewardess,' and the other is a brand-new genre he pioneered—the Xianxia cultivation work 'I Wish to Become an Immortal.' This book has already been published in Traditional Chinese on the island of Taiwan and is about to be published in Simplified Chinese on the mainland. Now, please watch a segment of my interview with him!"

The scene on the TV switched, and she and Cao Sheng appeared face-to-face on the screen.

Those who become famous at a young age always attract attention easily.

For example, Guo Xiaosi and Han Er from the original timeline became known nationwide after achieving fame with a single book.

And today, Cao Sheng, who appeared on "Huizhou Evening News," is seen by most people as a typical case of early fame.

At 18 years old, while in his first year of college, he had already written two novels, both of which were published.

On TV, Cai Yuhua asked about Cao Sheng's family background, asking if his parents were intellectuals? If they had cultivated his interest in writing since childhood?

Cao Sheng shook his head. "My parents can't even write their own names well; they should be considered illiterate."

"Then does your family have other relatives or elders who cultivated your interest in writing?"

Cai Yuhua pressed further.

Cao Sheng shook his head again. "No! My relatives and elders taught me to harvest rice, transplant seedlings, fish, and ride a bicycle, but no one taught me writing, because most of them are also illiterate."

"Then how did you learn to write?"

Cai Yuhua was curious.

Cao Sheng smiled: "School teachers! Didn't your teachers teach you to write compositions?"

Cai Yuhua: "Teachers only teach us to write compositions of a few hundred words, right? Did your teachers teach you to write long novels of hundreds of thousands of words?"

Cao Sheng: "That, they did not."

Cai Yuhua: "Then how did you learn to write?"

Cao Sheng smiled and answered: "Interest is the best teacher."

This was the truth. In the original timeline, the reason he could make a living from typing words was indeed that no one taught him; everything relied on interest. Because he had sufficient interest, he had the patience to explore slowly.

And also because he had sufficient interest, he could try writing web novels again and again.

Failing book after book, he could still persist.

And as far as he knew, the vast majority of web novel writers grew up this way; no one taught them, nor did they need anyone to teach them.

Having read enough web novels, one naturally knows what web novels are like.

The saying "Read three hundred Tang poems thoroughly, and even if you cannot compose poetry, you will be able to chant them," the principle is much the same.

Knowing what a good web novel looks like, and striving towards that direction while writing, one will naturally improve bit by bit.

Under years and years of improvement, a newbie will eventually become an old hand.

So...

That evening, while the TV news was reporting on Cao Sheng, many teenagers in Huizhou were educated by their elders around them.

In one household, an illiterate old lady pointed at Cao Sheng on the TV and earnestly educated her grandson, who was eating with his head down: "Good-for-nothing grandson! Look at him! You are 18, and he is also 18, but he has already published two novels. What about you? You only know how to eat! You only know how to play! Why can't you bring honor to your grandmother?"

In another household, a teenager eating dinner was suddenly slapped in the face by his father.

The teenager was stunned by the slap, looking at his father with confusion and grievance. "What's wrong? You hit me when I don't eat, and you hit me when I do eat? Do you want me to eat or not?"

The middle-aged man wearing large shorts and a white tank top glared at the teenager. "Look at him! He surnamed Cao, and you also surname Cao! He is 18, and you are also 18! Why is the gap between you and him so huge? He published two novels at 18; do you think you deserve to be hit?"

The teenager turned his face to look at Cao Sheng on the TV, finding him unbearable to look at no matter how he looked.

In yet another household.

An old man with snow-white hair pointed at Cao Sheng on the TV and said to his 16-year-old grandson: "Grandpa used to teach you to harvest rice and transplant seedlings, and also taught you to fish and ride a bicycle. When will you be able to write two novels to publish?"

The 16-year-old grandson looked speechlessly at his grandfather, slumped his shoulders, and pouted, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? You taught me to harvest rice, transplant seedlings, fish, and ride a bicycle, so I can learn to write novels? Who told you that writing novels is learned this way?"

The old man waved his hand dismissively. "What do you know? Writers must experience life! Harvesting rice and transplanting seedlings are all experiencing life. Look, he experienced these lives, so he can write novels. Why can't you?"

Teenager: "???"

Huizhou Teachers College.

In front of the small shop next to Building 2 of the girls' dormitory.

Cao Sheng's old classmate, Tan Lei, was buying shampoo.

On the TV in the small shop, the news report about Cao Sheng was being broadcast.

Hearing "Cao Sheng" mentioned on the TV, she turned her face in surprise to look at the television.

When she saw that Cao Sheng was indeed on the TV, she froze, staring blankly at Cao Sheng who was being interviewed on the screen.

A former classmate she knew very well had actually appeared on the TV right before her eyes.

Her feelings in her heart were very complex.

She felt the gap between herself and him was growing wider and wider.

Clearly, he was only in a junior college, while she was in a university; previously, she had a bit of a sense of superiority in front of him and was quite confident.

But now?

Looking at the female host on the TV interviewing Cao Sheng, Tan Lei couldn't help but suspect if that female hostess had feelings for Cao Sheng?

Otherwise, why did that female hostess look at him with such bright eyes?

In front of the small shop at the foot of another girls' dormitory building.

Cao Sheng's roommate, Wei Dongming, was selecting items on the shelf with a petite girl, chatting and laughing as they picked.

This girl is the junior that Wei Dongming has been pursuing these past two days.

Taking advantage of this new student orientation, he took a liking to her, and for the past two days he's come to her daily under the guise of being a senior.

He felt he had a good chance—this junior seemed to like him a little too.

At that moment, the junior beside him suddenly turned her head toward the TV in the convenience store, watching Cao Sheng being interviewed on screen.

Hearing the words "Huizhou Teachers College" and "Accounting Major," she stared at Wei Dongming in surprise. "Hey, senior, is that guy on TV really from our school? He seems to be in the same major as you—do you know him? He's so handsome!"

Hearing this, Wei Dongming frowned and looked at the TV.

When he saw Cao Sheng on screen, his smile froze. He'd heard at lunch that TV crew members had come to interview Cao Sheng, but hearing it was one thing—actually seeing Cao Sheng interviewed on TV was another matter entirely.

He'd always been jealous that Cao Sheng was more handsome than him, and he'd always looked down on Cao Sheng's rural origins, thinking Cao Sheng was just a country bumpkin.

Now, as he watched Cao Sheng on TV, he instinctively turned his face toward the junior beside him and noticed her eyes shining as she gazed at Cao Sheng on screen—Wei Dongming's expression darkened.

He felt as if green light were radiating from his head.