Chapter 45

Listening to Liu Shi, this person was also coming to Beida to give a speech, which Wei Ming wouldn't be able to see.

But he could probably guess why he was coming to Beida to give a speech; it should be that the country hoped to increase exchanges of international students and take advantage of the Sino-US honeymoon period to send more university students to the United States to study.

It's said that the '77 cohort is already competing for public-funded international student spots. Brother Qiang from the Law Department also wants to go, but because he's too outstanding, he was kept in the Youth League Committee by the school.

The country certainly understands that international students are very likely to become like "meat buns thrown at a dog"—gone forever—and they are all the best buns in the country.

But not going really won't work. After ten years of interrupted academic exchanges, many disciplines have already had gaps. Without the help of foreign knowledge, the country's development will only be slower.

Even if 10 go out and 5 can come back, it's worth it.

Liu Shi told Wei Ming to wait for his news later; he would help him find a leader to write an introduction letter.

After leaving the school bus fleet, Wei Ming returned to the South Gate. Mei Wenhua, who was volunteering for the National Games, had already returned and was sitting inside with Biaozi.

Wei Ming said: "Where's Brother Feng? Still not off work?"

Biaozi said regretfully: "Brother Feng said he won't go."

"Why?"

Mei Wenhua chuckled: "Sister-in-law is here!"

"Ah?"

Zhao Debiao: "Right here in our dorm."

"Oh!"

Zhao Debiao: "It's not what you think. Brother Feng just feels that adding one more person would make you spend more money, and was thinking about maybe another day."

Wei Ming: "Isn't it just one more person? I invited someone else anyway. It's a happy occasion, no need to be so calculating."

In this day and age, even if you have money, there aren't many ways to spend it. Besides those few big-ticket items, it's just eating and drinking, and even then, you can't eat and drink to your heart's content because there are ration coupon limits.

So Wei Ming told Biaozi to go down and invite them: "If you can't do it, let Wenhua go. If Wenhua still can't invite them, I'll go visit them three times."

Not long after Biaozi went down, Liu Zhenyun came over at a trot.

Wei Ming told him to wait a bit longer; the people hadn't all gathered yet.

"No rush. Oh, this is for you." Liu Zhenyun handed a 16-mo booklet to Wei Ming. The cover background was yellow, and the main subject was a man leaning over holding a small flower, with three large characters written above: "Weiminghu."

The characters were written by Mr. Mao Dun. This was the inaugural issue of "Weiminghu."

"Yo, it's already printed!" Wei Ming hurriedly took it, and Mei Wenhua also leaned over, looking on with some envy.

He flipped through a few pages and saw "Ideal" placed at the beginning of the volume, feeling a little moved. This generation of university students still had a lot of tolerance.

"I thought you guys were just doing this as a hobby, didn't expect the production to be so refined."

"Just don't know if we can earn back the cost. Quite a few seniors have put money into it," Liu Zhenyun sighed.

At the time when they said they needed to raise funds, he had a moment of heat and didn't follow up with money. Otherwise, he'd be unable to eat now worrying about sales.

"How much do you plan to sell it for?"

"Thirty cents."

"Thirty cents isn't expensive, same as 'Yanjing Literature and Art,' cheaper than 'People's Literature'."

Liu Zhenyun was ashamed: "How can we compare to them? But any cheaper and it's really impossible to recover the costs."

"Understood. They all print hundreds of thousands of copies, and they all have large-scale equipment. Cost control is also very strict. It's hard for small workshops like yours to compare."

The more copies you print at once for publishing, the lower the cost per copy.

Just as they were talking, Zhao Debiao had already called the couple Northern Qiao Feng and Southern Murong up.

Southern Murong is a typical Shandong woman, enthusiastic and forthright, and her looks are not bad. Being called repeatedly made her a bit coy, and she had long been curious about this "extraordinary man" her husband kept talking about. Seeing him today, he was indeed remarkable.

The six of them introduced themselves as they walked. Everyone didn't reject Liu Zhenyun, the university student, and come to think of it, Southern Murong was also a Beida student, though she didn't get in by exam.

Mei Wenhua started calculating the bill. Last time four people ate for five yuan, how much would it be for six people this time?

How much manuscript fee did this kid Wei Ming actually earn? So generous!

"By the way," Northern Qiao Feng asked Wei Ming, "I saw two newspapers on the table. The author of one of the articles is also named Wei Ming. Is it the same name or..."

"It's me," Wei Ming explained, "I was bored while revising manuscripts in Shanghai. When I went out for a stroll, I had an inspiration, so I wrote a short story and submitted it to Wenhui Daily, and it passed. And they paid very promptly."

Mei Wenhua: No wonder!

Liu Zhenyun: This works too?

Southern Murong congratulated him: "Ma Xiaowei, you're too amazing. Does this count as a double blessing?"

"Harvest" is one blessing, "Wenhui Daily" is another. Liu Zhenyun chimed in: "Our 'Weiminghu' magazine is about to be officially launched, with Brother Wei's poetry, it can be called a triple blessing."

Mei Wenhua chuckled: "This blessing has no manuscript fee."

Wei Ming: "Actually, there's also the blessing of 'Yanjing Literature and Art.' I reckon it can also be published next month, and the prototype for this story was provided by Brother Feng."

Southern Murong: "Is it the one about the person and the cow on the mountain in our hometown?"

"Yes, so I want to treat Brother Feng and sister-in-law to a meal alone another day. Without Brother Feng providing the material, how could I have that novel," Wei Ming said sincerely.

Hearing this, Northern Qiao Feng felt he had a lot of face. Although he couldn't write, being able to inspire a writer was also a meritorious deed.

And Zhao Debiao was inspired by this: "Brother Ming, then if I tell the story of our Shichahai Sports School, and you write a novel, does that count as me inspiring you too?"

Wei Ming: "Does your sports school have any stories worth writing?"

Biaozi racked his brains and finally sighed: "Seems so, but my personal experience is still very legendary."

"Oh?" Everyone looked at him in unison.

"I've listened to those storytelling books like 'Three Heroes and Five Gallants' since I was a kid, and I've always had a hero's dream in my heart. When I was seven, I had the idea of wandering the world, but unfortunately, I was caught back by my mother that afternoon. Although my butt blossomed, my mother sent me to Shichahai because of it, and I practiced martial arts for ten years. Does that count?" Biaozi blinked, very expectant.

!

Wei Ming thought for a moment: "That seems like just a normal runaway."

Everyone laughed wildly.

Mei Wenhua scoffed: "Brother Ming writes literary works. This doesn't even touch literature, alright? It has to be me. I grew up in a military compound, playing with kids older than me, and participated in many famous battles in the Four-Nine City. You know 'Little Bastard,' right? I was one of the witnesses when he died."

Wei Ming was amused: "Mei, you were only eight or nine when 'Little Bastard' died, fighting with people that young?"

"Heroes emerge from youth since ancient times." He pushed up his glasses; he really couldn't see where the heroism was.

After chatting for a while, they arrived at the Long March Canteen. This time, with ladies present, everyone didn't order alcohol, so even with six people, they only spent five yuan.

But this was enough to make Liu Zhenyun gasp. The dishes on this table were all things the school canteen didn't have, and every one of them had meat!

During the meal, because everyone was curious, Wei Ming also talked about what he saw and heard in Modu. None of the people present had been to Modu yet.

Things like the huge billboards, the Lovers' Wall at the Bund, and the "toad cars," etc.

Hearing Wei Ming talk so vividly, as if they were there, Northern Qiao Feng felt this was Wei Ming's ability. To be able to observe a place so thoroughly after only living there for a few days, that's why he could casually write an article that got published.

As they ate, Wei Ming talked about tomorrow's arrangements.

Tomorrow, he had the senior arrange a night shift for him, so he could go to the Film Academy to find Liu Rulong during the day.

"Tomorrow I'm going to Zhuxinzhuang to see a classmate, so I need to borrow your bike. Who's using the bike tomorrow?"

Zhao Debiao: "I'm not!"

Mei Wenhua had to say: "I'm not using it either."

Wei Ming: "Then I'll ride Wenhua's. New bikes are good to ride."

Mei Wenhua: You know it's a new bike!

"That's my new bike, pedal gently~" Mei Wenhua urged repeatedly.

Finally, he couldn't help but ask: "You have so many manuscript fees now, why don't you buy a bike?"

"Do you have a coupon?"

"I don't, but you can buy a second-hand one. No coupon needed, and it's cheap."

Mei Wenhua was very much looking forward to Wei Ming having a bike of his own, so he wouldn't ruin his new one.

Wei Ming took this to heart. He would get a watch coupon soon, and he'd buy a new watch, which had after-sales protection.

Actually, it didn't matter if the bike was new or old, as long as it could be ridden. Anyway, he planned to switch to a car in a few years, or use a motorcycle as a transition before that.

"Then do you have any leads on second-hand bikes?"

Seeing Wei Ming was interested, Mei Wenhua said: "I'll help you ask around."

Northern Qiao Feng and the others also indicated they would help him keep an eye out.

Southern Murong asked with a smile: "Ma Xiaowei, is this classmate a male or female classmate?"

"Sister-in-law, it's a male classmate. Why, do you want to introduce someone to me?"

"As long as you ask, I'll bring one over tomorrow. There are many female comrades in our Medical Research Institute, beautiful and smart, and they especially love literary youths!"

(End of chapter)