Back to 80: My Literary Life

"Chairman Jia." Bai Miao quickly stood up and greeted

At this time, Jia Pingwa was sweating profusely. She walked in with a smile and a briefcase in her creaking nest, said hello to him, and sat down on the sofa opposite.

Fang Minghua knew that Jia Pingwa was here for something, so he asked Bai Miao to go back to the office for the time being.

After Bai Miao left, Fang Minghua poured Jia Pingwa a cup of herbal tea and asked, "It's such a hot day. Is there something urgent?"

Jia Pingwa did not answer directly, but drank a cup of herbal tea and asked: "I heard that you and Lu Yao went to Yanjing and quarreled with the scholars at the meeting."

"Look what you said." Fang Minghua smiled and said, "Have you met Lu Yao?"

"I met him yesterday. After chatting for a while, he left. He said he was going back to the Tongchuan Coal Mine Guesthouse, and vowed not to come back until he completely finished his novel. It seemed like he had been hit hard."

Fang Minghua just sighed slightly and said nothing.

"Actually, according to me, he shouldn't go. What good can those people say? They're bringing shame on themselves!" Jia Pingwa said, blowing out a smoke ring.

"Come on, Brother Jia, stop saying sarcastic words. If you encounter him again, comfort him."

"You should be comforted. If Lu Yao insists on creating in this way, he will have to bear the pressure. However, Mencius said: When heaven entrusts a man with a great task, he must first work hard on his will and muscles. In the future, he will write this novel Maybe there will be a time when the clouds clear and the sun will end, and there will be a day when the clouds open and the moon will shine.”

"Do you also think it will be popular in the future?"

"Yes! Definitely! How could a book written by a few of us not be popular?! Well, let's not talk about him anymore. I came to you today for some serious business."

"What's up?"

"This." Jia Pingwa said, taking out a thick book from her briefcase and handing it to Fang Minghua.

It's "Impetuous".

"Minghua, my book has been published in China. You said before that I would contact the United States for publication. Is that okay now?"

So that’s what happened.

After Fang Minghua came back from participating in the Iowa International Writing Program in the United States last year, he talked about it with Jia Pingwa. After the novel was published, he contacted Ms. Nie Hualing of the University of Iowa to translate it into English and try to get it published in the United States.

Now that it has been published in China, Fang Minghua must of course keep his word.

"Okay." Fang Minghua agreed: "I will contact Ms. Nie Hualing as soon as possible, but the translation fee will be charged."

"I'm worried about this too. What Ms. Nie definitely wants is U.S. dollars. How can I have that? How about asking a domestic scholar to translate it? Hey, your novel is not a student of Professor Xu Yuanchong. Your friend's name is Li Li. Did she translate it? Or should I pay her the domestic translation fee?”

Historically, Jia Pingwa's book "Imbulant" was translated by Nie Hualing. After being published in the United States, it also won the Mobil Pegasus Literary Award in the United States.

Since Jia Pingwa proposed it, let Li Li try?

"Okay, then I will contact Li Li and send the book to her. I will ask her to translate it as soon as possible, and then contact Ms. Nie to try to publish it as soon as possible! As for the translation fee, how about I ask Li Li to give you a preferential price? ?”

"Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll let you know the latest situation right away."

"Okay, I'm going back." Jia Pingwa said and grabbed the briefcase on the desk.

"Walk slowly, Brother Jia."

After Jia Pingwa left, Fang Minghua flipped through the book "Impotence" left by Jia Pingwa. This book also describes the fate of characters in the early stage of rural reform, but it is so different from "The Ordinary World".

It describes the problems exposed in the initial stage of reform and opening up, as well as the impetuous state of the entire society and the emptiness beneath the impetuous surface.

"The Ordinary World" is a literary work that praises ordinary workers in a warm realist way from another perspective. The writer transforms suffering into a spiritual motivation to move forward.

Everyone has his own thing.

Fang Minghua put down the book, took out the letter paper from the drawer, and wrote a letter to Li Li, who was studying in London, hoping that she could translate this 300,000-word novel into English and prepare it for publication in the United States. Jia Pingwa is my friend, translator The manuscript fee can be discounted by Point Cloud Cloud

In fact, translating this long novel was a big test in itself for Li Li.

It doesn't matter. After Li Li completes the translation, she will send both the Chinese and English versions to Ms. Nie Hualing for final review.

After writing the letter and the book, he rode his bicycle to the Bell Tower to send the international parcel. Fang Minghua stopped worrying about it. Li Li would complete the work seriously.

It is now mid-July, which is the hottest season of the year in Xijing. In addition to going to work, Fang Minghua also reduces socializing after get off work. He comes back every day to accompany his wife, watch TV, go shopping and so on.

Another thing is that the science fiction novel "My Journey is the Sea of ​​Stars", which took almost two years to complete, is finally completed. The full text is about 1.5 million words.

If this was placed in the online literature of later generations, this word count would really be nothing, but now, it can definitely be considered a masterpiece.

Kodansha Japan has begun publishing a single volume of this novel, and the manga adapted into it has been published in Japan and is quite popular.

Calculating, the royalties and royalties earned by my several science fiction novels and "The Legend of Monkey King" in Japan have reached as high as 120 million yen. According to the current exchange rate, one yen is exchanged for 0.06 yuan, which is converted into RMB 7.2 million. .

7.2 million won in two years!

Yes, little Japan is rich and willing to spend money.

But now is Japan's highlight moment. It is rich and powerful. It is said that the "Plaza Accord" with the United States has been signed, and a rope has been tied around its neck!

But this has nothing to do with Fang Minghua. He is also creating foreign exchange for the country.

In China, this science fiction novel was recommended by "Science" Literary Publishing House to "Ocean Publishing House" for distribution as a single book.

Now, Fang Minghua is thinking about another thing.

Since I participated in the International Writing Program in the United States and wrote three novels last year, I have not written a word of serious literature in the past year except for the serialization of "My Journey is the Stars and the Sea". I am always busy with this and that.

Recently, the work of the editorial department has been gradually getting on the right track. Is it time for me to prepare to write something?

Pioneer novel?

No! Not interesting.

Now that domestic avant-garde novels are in full swing, I should stop joining in the fun. Just like six years ago when others were writing scar literature and educated youth literature, I started to write stream-of-consciousness writing and held high the banner of "avant-garde novels."

In the evening, while walking on the street with Song Tangtang, Fang Minghua told his wife his thoughts.

"Then what do you want to write about?"

"I haven't decided yet, but I have to write something different, right?" Fang Minghua said, holding his wife's hand and looking at the busy traffic on the street.

But what Fang Minghua didn't expect was that when he was about to calm down and write, the National Writers Association was making plans for him.