Chapter 86

For a long time to come, the atmosphere of reading newspapers in the dormitory was particularly strong.

Over at the stick people's side next door, it was like acting in a TV series. One moment it was *The Man Standing Next*, another moment it was *12.12: The Day*, all of which were highlights, and domestic media were also happy to report.

In Wei Ming's hometown, after hearing the broadcast about the stick people, Wei Jiefang even bought related newspapers and burned them to his old father in front of his grave. His father's bones were still over at the stick people's side, and he was happy to see the stick people in chaos.

In this atmosphere of watching the fun without fear of big things, October came to an end, and the creation of *Herdsman* was more than halfway through.

This day, Wei Ming came out of the gate post room at the South Gate and saw Chen Jiangong, who was dressed very formally, returning from outside.

"Where did Old Chen go?" Wei Ming asked casually.

Chen Jiangong: "Oh, just came back from the Great Hall."

A simple sentence, deeply obtaining the essence of Wei Ming's invisible showing off.

If Wei Ming didn't ask one more question, he would probably be uncomfortable to death.

So he said again: "You came back from attending the Literary Congress?"

Chen Jiangong nodded busily: "It just opened today, and I have to go later."

Wei Ming pulled him into the room and asked him to talk about what he saw today. Other colleagues also wanted to hear it.

Chen Jiangong couldn't hide his excitement: "I saw the old man, he said..."

For all literary and art workers, the old man's speech at the meeting was very inspiring, especially the sentence "Literary and art spiritual labor very much needs literary and art workers to exert their personal creative spirit. What to write and how to write can only be explored by literary and art workers in artistic practice. Do not interfere arbitrarily in this regard."

Chen Jiangong said: "The old man specifically added weight to the tone on the six words 'do not interfere arbitrarily'."

Wei Ming knew that although it was still autumn and winter, the spring for literary and art workers was really coming.

After this Literary Congress, creation was untied, more and more could be written, and creation would no longer be raised to the level of principle.

A colleague next to him asked: "Did you see any other big figures?"

Then Chen Jiangong reported a long string of names, "Lu Guo Mao Ba Lao Cao Wei." Among the four living, three were at the meeting.

What he said were basically people in the literary scene, only accounting for a small part of the participants.

This Literary Congress had more than 3,000 participants. Besides the literary circle, there were almost all living influential artists from various circles such as drama, fine arts, music, film, dance, quyi, acrobatics, photography, etc. Juniors like Chen Jiangong could only sit in the last row to listen to teachings.

From this day on, Wei Ming didn't pay much attention to the stick people when reading newspapers, but focused on reading the dynamics related to the Literary Congress. This congress was going to be held for more than half a month, and a large amount of reports were released every day.

Of course, reading newspapers can be done during work, and it didn't delay his writing.

After more than ten days of hard work, the 40,000-word *Herdsman* was successfully completed.

"Brother Feng, are you going into the city?" Early in the morning, Wei Ming saw Brother Feng, this rough man, shaving his beard, and knew there was a situation today.

"Yes, go see your sister-in-law today. Busy for a while, haven't gathered for days."

Wei Ming immediately got up holding the manuscript and said: "Take me with you!"

Northern Qiao Feng stared: "Is this appropriate? It's not easy for us two to meet once."

"You guys have to eat when you meet. I just want to treat the meal we agreed on before, otherwise I'll always be thinking about it."

Hearing this, Brother Feng laughed: "Oh my, what to treat? We are all our own people. Then let's eat something casual."

Wei Ming: "Fine, how about Donglaishun? It happens to be a bit cold today."

Wei Ming planned to send *Herdsman* to *Contemporary* magazine today. Anyway, he had to go into the city, so he just treated this meal. He hadn't eaten instant-boiled mutton for more than two months since his rebirth.

The two rode their bikes to the outside of the Health Research Institute, and Brother Feng went in to call people.

Wei Ming suddenly called him: "Right, Brother Feng, if Sister Zhu Lin is there, invite her too. After taking the radio last time, my dad liked it very much."

Northern Qiao Feng shook his head: "You, you are just too generous."

But thinking that Wei Ming indeed had the capital to be generous, in just two months, it caught up with his own annual salary.

Brother Feng didn't think elsewhere. Although Zhu Lin is beautiful, she is nine years older than Wei Ming, and she has a partner.

Usually at work, Zhu Lin either brings food from home or eats in the unit cafeteria, only occasionally going out to eat at a restaurant, but it's just a small restaurant.

Today she is on her period, didn't bring food, and didn't want to eat those things in the cafeteria that she had no appetite for, so she prepared to find a restaurant to deal with it.

Just waiting to get off work, her colleague Southern Murong, who had a good relationship, came to call her.

"Sister Lin, let's go, go out to eat."

"You are also going to eat outside." Zhu Lin got up to go with her.

Southern Murong laughed: "Someone is treating, and specifically asked me to call you."

"Ah?" Zhu Lin stopped her steps, thinking about refusing.

Southern Murong said again: "It's Wei Ming from the unit of my man, that great writer."

"Ma Xiaowei!"

Hearing it was Wei Ming, Zhu Lin agreed. During this period, she often saw his name and the names of his works in newspapers and magazines. She didn't know if he had floated under such fame after not seeing him for a month.

As a result, when she saw him, not only did he not float, but he appeared thicker, and his temperament became more and more steady.

Besides wearing thicker clothes, Wei Ming's body shape was indeed more robust.

Zhu Lin greeted people with a smile, talking and laughing, but when she heard it was going to Donglaishun, she hesitated. Instant-boiled mutton is not cheap.

Wei Ming: "It's not cheap, but we have to eat. Writing *Er Niu* is all relying on my Brother Feng. If he wants to eat dragon meat, I have to find a way to get it. But you have to pay for the tickets yourself." Southern Murong glared at Northern Qiao Feng: "Isn't it fine to eat something casual? Why eat something so expensive? Is it easy for Ma Xiaowei to earn manuscript fees?"

Northern Qiao Feng was wronged. Donglaishun was his own suggestion, and he earns manuscript fees really easily. Even *The Prophet of Ducks* can occasionally receive reprint manuscript fee slips now. That is really a golden duck that lays eggs!

And the reprint manuscript fee of *The Prophet of Ducks* once was more than enough to treat them to this meal.

Zhu Lin thought, Southern Murong and Northern Qiao Feng are husband and wife, then what am I? Wouldn't I be freeloading?

So she bought four bottles of Arctic Ocean on the way for everyone, but she never touched her bottle, it was a bit cold.

Donglaishun Restaurant is located at the North Gate of Dong'an Market in Wang Fujing. Currently, there is no branch. After entering, there are quite a few people, and you can also see foreigners.

While waiting for seating, Wei Ming asked about the situation of Zhu Lin's goddaughter.

"A few days ago, she had her full-month celebration, and I went to see her. Now she is even more beautiful than when she was just born, and her eyes are especially black and bright." Speaking of that little baby, Zhu Lin's eyes shone. Who could have thought she would have no children for her whole life in the future?

Soon Southern Murong also joined the discussion about children. She is also 27 years old. Because she has no house, she still doesn't dare to have children, afraid that if she gives birth, she will still have to live in the dormitory, but she really wants one.

"If you want, just have one." Northern Qiao Feng used the excuse of going to the bathroom to call Southern Murong out and told her a good news.

"Brother Ping'an said, if you can get pregnant, he has a reason to pressure personnel to transfer your work."

!

"Then what about the house?"

"Temporarily might not be able to get a house, but a room in the tube building in the school can be assigned to us."

A tube building is also fine! Southern Murong was excited: "Good, then let's have one today. No one is in my dormitory!"

Thus, the two only ate meat and didn't eat vegetables, then used the excuse of having something to do and slipped away, leaving only Wei Ming and Zhu Lin chewing slowly.

"These two~" Wei Ming shook his head, "Sister Lin, why don't you drink the beverage? I'll help you open it."

Zhu Lin pushed it to him: "Too cold, you drink it."

Can't drink cold things, Wei Ming understood.

"Right, did you buy a radio later?" Wei Ming asked.

"Yes, bought it, but there are too few good tapes." Zhu Lin complained.

The basic things that can be bought through regular channels are those old songs, and new songs are also old tunes repeated. The only one she could listen to, *Roses Bloom Everywhere*, she almost listened to the tape until it was worn out.

As for irregular channels, she didn't have any. Recently, she was thinking about whether to contact friends from the original literary and art troupe.

Wei Ming asked: "What is your acceptance level for English songs... Okay, no need to answer."

He could already feel the change in Zhu Lin's eyes, becoming very fiery.

"Can you get it? But it must be very expensive, right?"

Wei Ming: "Don't even think about the original version. I can get you some dubbed tapes. I'm not very clear about the specific price."

Melinda sells them for five yuan outside. I don't know if there will be a discount for myself.

"It must be dubbed. These days, original foreign tapes are simply unthinkable."

Wei Ming asked again: "Then which singer are you more interested in?"

Zhu Lin: "I don't know either. Anyone is fine."

"Then tell me the style you like."

"Hmm," Zhu Lin hesitated, "Relatively soft, about love..."

After eating, the two parted ways. Zhu Lin stuffed her bottle of Arctic Ocean to Wei Ming.

After she returned to the unit, she received a call from her partner when she was about to get off work, asking her to watch a movie in the evening.

Because she spent too much money buying a radio before, her partner had some complaints, feeling it was unnecessary, so the two had a bit of a conflict because of this. Now he took the initiative to call to seek reconciliation.

And he also bought a tape of *Collection of Chinese Folk Songs* to apologize.

Zhu Lin gently stroked her lower abdomen: "I'm not feeling well today, another day."

"Ah, not feeling well, then remember to drink more hot water."

Hanging up the phone and returning to her workstation, Zhu Lin picked up the *Yanjing Literature and Art* she bought this morning. There was a small poem on it, called *Far and Near*.

In a dormitory of the Health Research Institute, North Northern Qiao Feng and South Southern Murong had a hearty battle. Both felt it was very satisfying.

Afterwards, the husband and wife gossiped. Southern Murong asked: "Don't you think it's a bit strange that Ma Xiaowei called Sister Lin to eat together today?"

"What's strange about it? They can also be considered acquaintances, and they have experienced things together."

Southern Murong: "I just feel that Sister Lin's personality generally won't easily agree to others treating her."

"What? Do you think Sister Lin has taken a fancy to Ma Xiaowei? Can't be, they are nine years apart, three gold bricks."

Southern Murong: "Then what if Ma Xiaowei has taken a fancy to Sister Lin? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say our Sister Lin is a national beauty."

"Then, then Ma Xiaowei is so excellent. If the little hoe swings, the corner of the wall over there will collapse immediately," Northern Qiao Feng laughed, "But it shouldn't be to that extent. I tell you, don't spread it around. Ma Xiaowei is very close to a British female international student."

"Ah, international student, a foreigner!"

"Achoo!"

Wei Ming sneezed a few times before entering the editorial room of *Contemporary*. Who is thinking of me...

(End of chapter)