1980 My Literary Era.

Chapter 530 Visitor from the United States
The peaceful and joyful atmosphere in Hope Elementary School was interrupted by a sudden quarrel. Everyone followed the sound and saw Principal Li arguing with a young man.

"Don't mess around, today is a day of great joy, so many leaders are here!"

"What's the matter? What's the matter? It's just to rush you leaders to come!" The young man's neck was full of veins, and his tone was agitated.

"The school is built, the children are full, and my salary as a teacher has not been paid yet.

Last year's salary has just been paid this year, and this year's salary has not yet been paid!

I have owed it for more than half a year, and I will starve to death if I don’t pay anymore..."

The young man continued to shout at the top of his voice. The matter was not complicated, and everyone present knew what was going on after hearing a few words.

The faces of several leaders in the county and the town were as black as the bottom of the pot. The people in the town quickly pulled Principal Li and the young teacher aside, and the leaders of the county smoothed things over.

A small episode was artificially eliminated, and Lin Weimin and several people from the foundation walked together, still discussing the situation just now.

The staff of the foundation have had the most contact with rural primary schools this year, and they know the situation in these places very well.

The conditions in many places are poor. Not only do students not go to school, but even teachers are hard to recruit. Rural primary schools have no establishment, and they are all private teachers. The working environment is poor, the work intensity is high, and the salary is very poor. Many people would rather work in agriculture than Be an elementary school teacher.

The wages of rural primary schools are composed of two parts, one part is allocated to the Education Bureau, and the Education Bureau pays the teachers, and the other part is the responsibility of the grassroots government.

But even if the two parts are added together, it is very meager.

In many places, wages are still in arrears at every turn. It is common for six months or a year not to pay wages. Many rural teachers suffer from it.

Don't ask about today's matter, it must be arrears of wages, the teacher lost his temper, and made trouble when the leader came.

When everyone said this, they all sighed with emotion.

Regardless of the fact that the Foundation has built Hope Primary Schools and still cares about the children’s food, there are still many difficulties in running schools in rural areas, which cannot be solved immediately, nor can they be solved by a Hope Project.

Lin Weimin walked last, feeling equally heavy.

A group of leaders who had just participated in the ceremony were sent to the car. Lin Weimin sat in the car and saw Principal Li waving at the school gate.

The car started, and everyone was still continuing the topic just now. Someone proposed the idea of ​​subsidizing the private teachers of Hope Primary School.

"No, no. The foundation's funds are already tight enough, and every penny must be used wisely. The teachers' salaries will naturally be settled by the government.

No matter how powerful our foundation is, it is impossible to do everything for the government. If we do this, how much money can we raise to maintain the operation of the foundation! "

"Actually, it's not much. A school generally only has two or three teachers, which costs an extra 50 yuan a month."

"The name is not right, what qualifications do we have to give subsidies to other teachers? Besides, there are not many schools, one hundred, one thousand? The account is not calculated like this. Your idea is too absurd!"

People from the foundation were arguing about the topic just now. Lin Weimin sat aside without saying a word. Zheng Guo asked, "Weimin, what do you think?"

Everyone looked at Lin Weimin upon hearing the sound.

Lin Weimin pondered for a moment, "It's unrealistic to distribute subsidies, and our foundation can't go offside to do government affairs."

The look of anticipation in the eyes of several people dimmed, and it seemed that there was no need to continue the topic.

Zheng Guo continued: "For the people, I really didn't know how difficult this job is until I joined the foundation!"

Lin Weimin glanced at him and said nothing, Zheng Guo said again: "You have seen the school too, the construction of such a school, plus various supporting facilities, including the food for the students in the next three years, is at least 10 yuan. Money. This year we will build 120, which is 1200 million, but so far this year we have only raised 1100 million.

According to the plan of the foundation, the foundation will build more schools next year and the year after.If the fundraising amount of the foundation does not increase in the future, it may be empty in a few years according to this method..."

Lin Weimin watched Zheng Guo's eloquence without saying a word, and when he had finished speaking, he asked, "What do you mean, just say it!"

Zheng Guo was overwhelmed by him, and smiled embarrassedly, "Look, you are the honorary president, do you want to donate more next year?"

"You can't pluck wool just like me, a sheep!"

"How can this be a way to get rid of wool? I'm not just begging with you alone, as long as it is a target that can be developed, our colleagues in the foundation will not let go of any of them."

After Zheng Guo finished speaking, he looked at Lin Weimin expectantly.

Lin Weimin pondered for a moment and said: "It's not a problem to donate some more money to the foundation, but the foundation cannot always rely on me alone."

"Of course I know that, everyone is trying to figure out a way! What do you think we have spent so much time and money on this launching ceremony?
Don't you want the media to report more? Only when people understand what we are doing can they support our work and raise more funds. "

Speaking of this, Zheng Guo asked: "Do you have any good ideas?"

"There is a way..." Lin Weimin looked out the window, and the image of the Hope Primary School just now flashed in his mind, "It's not like there is nothing."

Zheng Guo looked surprised, "What way?"

"Let's talk about it when we get back to Yanjing!"

After Lin Weimin finished speaking, he ignored Zheng Guo and scratched his ears and cheeks anxiously, his heart itching unbearably.

On the day after participating in the event, Lin Weimin took the lead to board the train back to Yanjing. The reporters who came with him did not leave. The foundation finally invited the reporters this time, and it must go to a few more places to promote them. .

He went out for six days, mostly on the road, and the eleventh day had already passed. After returning to Yanjing, Lin Weimin rested for a night and then returned to work at the Guowen Society.

As soon as he got to work, Lin Weimin received an email from the United States.

There was only one letter inside, and Lin Weimin immediately thought of what Roger Strauss had said on the phone before.

When I opened it, it was indeed a letter from Richard Yates.

Lin Weimin's letter to Richard Yates was full of enthusiasm, and Richard Yates' reply to Lin Weimin was similar in style, but it was not a commercial flattery, but out of mutual appreciation.

A few days later, news about the completion and opening of the first batch of Hope Primary Schools appeared in the newspapers, which once again won a wave of attention for the Foundation and Project Hope.

Zheng Guo, who came back from other places, approached Lin Weimin again, "What exactly is the method you said that day?"

Ever since Lin Weimin said something that day, he has been thinking about it even in his dreams these days. After returning to Yanjing this time, he couldn't wait to find him.

"Why are you in a hurry?"

"Can I not be in a hurry? If you donate more money, one more child will be able to go to school!"

Lin Weimin reluctantly took out the story that he had just written in the past two days, "Let's have a look!"

There are not many manuscripts, only a dozen pages, and the story has just begun, but Zheng Guo can still see some clues.

"For the people, is this your solution?"

Lin Weimin nodded.

Zheng Guo looked at the manuscript again, with a bright smile on his face, "Your method is good!"

He thought about it and became excited, "This is a good way! Your novels are read by millions or tens of millions of people across the country. This is a very good publicity channel. Moreover, the publicity effect of novels is much better than news. If the story is written more vividly, it will definitely touch the hearts of the readers, and then fundraising will be much easier! What a good way!"

Zheng Guo was talking to himself, with a silly smile on his face, and kept talking about good solutions.

"Is it okay this time?" Lin Weimin asked.

Zheng Guo looked at Lin Weimin again, his face excited, "Weimin, your method is worth 100 million, no, 1000 million, no, maybe [-] million!"

Lin Weimin put away the manuscript, "It's hard to say, but as long as the foundation and the Hope Project can be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, fundraising will definitely not be a problem."

"Yes, you are right. Weimin, thank you so much!"

"There is nothing to be thankful for. I am the initiator of the foundation and the Hope Project. I hope it will be better and better. It is necessary to contribute money and efforts. After all, I am also the honorary president!"

Zheng Guo asked again: "When will you finish writing this novel?"

Lin Weimin thought for a while, "A few months!"

Zheng Guo nodded, his face full of anticipation, and said: "Then I will be waiting for your masterpiece, and I will definitely buy a hundred copies for everyone."

After chatting for a while, Zheng Guo happily left the Guowen Society.

In the next few days, apart from going to work, Lin Weimin devoted most of his energy to the creation of novels.

While he was immersed in the creation, a guest's visit interrupted his concentration.

At the end of June, Roger Strauss helped Lin Weimin secure a writer interview for The Paris Review.

Lin Weimin accepted two interviews with Paris Review editor and reporter Christian Salmon at the end of June and mid-July respectively. The two agreed that the last interview would be conducted in China.

After more than three months, Christian Salmon came to China as scheduled.

Meeting again, Christian Salmon came to the Shizhu courtyard where Lin Weimin lived.

He showed great interest in the courtyard house, and after visiting it, he praised: "The house is so beautiful! It's much better than the Dakota Apartment!"

"thanks!"

Siheyuan and apartments have their own characteristics, but from the perspective of Christian Salmon, an American who is used to seeing apartments, the courtyard is undoubtedly more distinctive.

The two chatted casually for a while, and Christian Salmon took out several newspapers from his bag, all of which were interviewed by Lin Weimin when he was in the United States.

"I thought you definitely didn't have these newspapers, so I brought you one specially, and it took a lot of trouble to go through customs!"

"You have a heart."

Lin Weimin took the newspaper and flipped through it. Except for the interview in The New Yorker, he had never read the other two newspapers. At that time, he was busy every day, so he didn't care about this matter at all.

"These interviews should be regarded as your first official appearance in the United States. The response is quite good, and the attitude of the mainstream literary circles is quite friendly to you. Especially your praise of Richard Yates, Kurt Vonnegut He also specially wrote an article in the newspaper to praise you."

"Why are you praising me?"

"Don't you know? Vonnegut was on good terms with Richard Yates and was one of his staunchest defenders in American literature.

Vonnegut said in the article, 'You are a writer who really understands Richard Yates, a writer with deep humanistic care. '"

Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most important writers in the United States in the 60s. On the university campus at that time, almost everyone had a copy of his novels.Paperback Vonnegut novels are essential reading in every college dorm room.

Lin Weimin smiled and said, "I'm really flattered!"

Christian Salmon said seriously: "Lin, you deserve such admiration! I heard from Strauss that you planned to introduce Richard Yates' works immediately after you returned to China!"

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(End of this chapter)