Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 11 The happy time of receiving royalties
  In the next few days, guests were invited every afternoon. No one paid attention to gourd heads, dumplings in sour soup, or even noodles, just to create an atmosphere. Of course, wine was indispensable.

Fang Minghua became familiar with these people.

The magazine also quickly cashed in the manuscript fee. Today is a weekend. In the afternoon, Fang Minghua received a notice from the finance office to collect the manuscript fee. He did not need to mail a remittance form or anything like that. He just went to the finance office to sign and received 323.5 yuan.

These days, the price for a manuscript is 3 to 10 yuan per 2 words, and for a translation manuscript is 7 to yuan.

"Yanhe" magazine gave me a manuscript fee of 8 yuan per thousand words, which is quite good.

Therefore, writers in the 80s could not make a fortune. Of course they had no worries about food and drink. They spent several years writing a novel costing hundreds of thousands, and the manuscript fee was only a few thousand yuan. If the manuscript fee exceeded 800 yuan, they had to pay tax.

You have to wait until after the 90s to get rich, after the royalty system is established, and the first person to try it is Wang Shuo.

Still early.

Of course, becoming famous is quick.

But Fang Minghua is also very happy. At least the copyright is firmly in his hands, and maybe someone will adapt it into a movie later.

More than 300 yuan is not a small sum, it is higher than my annual salary. After receiving the royalties, he carefully hid them in an envelope in his pocket and rushed home happily after get off work. As soon as he walked onto the street, he saw a tram stopping at the bus stop and a girl squeezed out of the car.

"Little sister! Mingli!" Fang Minghua greeted quickly.

"Brother, are you off work?"

"Yeah" Fang Minghua agreed and looked the girl up and down.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Fang Mingli felt uncomfortable when her brother looked at her.

"The clothes are too old! They need to be replaced with new ones."

"Also, these pants are too rustic, so why not buy a pair of denim bell-bottom pants? They look good and are warm!"

"And these shoes."

Seeing Fang Minghua talking to himself, the girl smiled: "Oh, brother, have you paid your wages? It doesn't seem like it's the end of the month, right?"

"It's not salary, it's royalties! I wrote a novel and published it. How much do you think you earned?"

"How many?"

Fang Minghua leaned into his sister's ear and whispered.

"Oh, there are so many, is it true?"

"How could I lie to you? This is the royalties!" Fang Minghua took out the envelope containing the money and briefly explained the novel he had written.

"Wow, brother, you are amazing. You have become a writer." The girl jumped up excitedly.

"Hush, be humble and low-key!" Fang Minghua said quickly.

"Yeah." The girl nodded quickly.

"Do you believe what I say? Let's go to Minsheng Department Store tomorrow and buy you new clothes and shoes!" Fang Minghua looked proud.

Unexpectedly, my sister said: "Brother, no need, I'm pretty good here. You'd better save your money, don't spend it randomly, and marry me a sister-in-law."

"It's early."

"It's not early, how about you invite me and Dongmei to watch a movie together tonight?"

It’s that winter plum again!
  "No, please don't."

After returning home, Fang Mingli naturally spoke quickly and told her parents about Fang Minghua getting paid for writing novels. The whole family was naturally very happy.

My mother, Zhang Fenglan, was extremely excited.

My daughter is a college student and my son has become a writer!
  Dad Fang Changhe is very calm.

"Writing a novel does that make you a writer? Damn it, stop talking nonsense when you go out!"

"Okay, okay son, save the money quickly and don't spend it randomly. I want it to help you find a wife!"

I@#%……

But in the end, Fang Minghua went to Luoma Market to buy a new set of clothes for his sister. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, how can we not wear something new?
  Of course, I would not treat myself badly. I shamelessly asked my boss for a bicycle ticket, and bought a permanent brand 168 Dabong - worth RMB !
  The "three turns, one direction" was very fashionable in the early 1970s and 1980s.
  Watches, bicycles, sewing machines, plus a radio.

Haha, I’ve already had a “turn” now! Because of this, his mother called him a prodigal, but Fang Minghua said plausibly: Who doesn’t ride a bicycle to work now? Also, are you going to take a correspondence course soon? Taking the bus to Western University is too crowded and delays things, so why not ride a bicycle?

How about asking dad to stop riding his bike to fish every day and let me ride his old Flying Pigeon? !
  1980 is coming to an end and today is Sunday off. Fang Minghua was still sleeping soundly in his room when he heard a knock on the door outside.

"Brother, get up quickly. I have to take correspondence classes and I'm going to be late." It was my younger sister Fang Mingli.

There was no other way, Fang Minghua had no choice but to get up from the bed.

Today is the first day of the Western University correspondence course, and he has to go.

After a simple wash, the brother and sister ate the steaming steamed buns prepared by their mother and hurried downstairs. Fang Minghua rolled out his brand-new permanent bicycle and took his sister to the west.

The weather is extremely cold today, and there are people rushing on the streets.

"Brother, what are you reading recently?" Fang Mingli asked while sitting behind the car seat.

""Story Club" was bought by Zhang Baofu. I read it when I was free."

Fang Minghua answered honestly.

"Ah? How do you read that kind of book?" Fang Mingli raised her voice: "Brother, the content in "Story Club" is very tacky. Our teacher said not to read it, it will pollute the soul!"

Fang Minghua simply didn't know what to say.

However, it is now 1980, and popular literature has not yet emerged, let alone those marginal magazines on the street stalls. The stories told in "Story Club" have become the favorites of many young people.

But which stories can pollute the soul?
  Hey. This girl is so pure.

"Brother, if you don't have a book to read, let me recommend a book to you. I'm currently reading "Long Live Youth" written by Wang Meng," the girl said enthusiastically.

"I've seen it."

"Really? I like the character Yang Qiangyun very much, and I also like the poem in the prologue:"

Fang Mingli said, sitting in the back seat and couldn't help but recited on the street:

All days, all days come,
  Let us weave you with the golden thread of youth,

And the necklace of happiness weaves you together.

Always cheerful, never indifferent,
  Tears, laughter, deep thoughts, all for the first time.
  Passers-by passed by, watching, listening, and some even smiled in response.

This is the eighties.

If in a few years a girl recites poetry on the street, will others think she is a lunatic who escaped from a mental hospital?

Fang Minghua was also infected by his sister's enthusiasm and pedaled faster.

"Brother, does my recitation sound good?"

"It sounds great, just like the announcer." Fang Minghua praised.

"Li Li from our literary club sings well."

After riding to Western University, Fang Mingli was going to study in the classroom. The brother and sister broke up. Fang Minghua first found a carport to park the car, and then went to the Academic Affairs Office according to the address written on the notice to register. He paid the tuition first and received a stack of books. After putting my schoolbag in, I hurried to a lecture theater on the third floor.

There were already many people in the classroom. Fang Minghua was looking around to find a place to sit down, when he suddenly heard someone calling his name.

"Fang Minghua!"

Fang Minghua took a closer look and saw a young man with a straight face shouting at him.

This young man held a cigarette in his hand and was wearing a green cotton coat, a pair of denim bell-bottoms, and military suede shoes.

This outfit looks a bit funny, but it is very fashionable in this era.

"Why are you standing there stunned? Why don't you recognize me?" The young man asked again with a smile.

Fang Minghua also showed a smile on his face and replied:

"How could it be? Zhao Hongjun! Are you coming to take a correspondence class?"

(End of this chapter)