Chapter 1384 1386 [Remission of royalties]
In 1977, in addition to being divided into houses, it was a good thing for Xiang Nan. There were also a few good things that made him happy.
First, various periodicals and magazines have resumed publication one after another, such as "Yanjing Literature and Art", "Contemporary Novel", "World Literature", "Shanghai and Jiangxi Literature and Art", etc.
The remuneration system has also been restored. It is stipulated that original manuscripts are worth 2 to 7 yuan per 1,000 words, and translated manuscripts are 1 to 5 yuan per 1,000 words. These are low remunerations. Because in the 1960s, the standard remuneration for original manuscripts was three to ten yuan and two to seven yuan for translated manuscripts.
Ten years have passed, not only has there been no improvement, but it has even dropped by one level.
But even so, for people like Xiang Nan who are extremely productive and can write 10,000 to 20,000 words a day, it has become possible to make money from manuscripts. Even if it costs four yuan for a thousand words, he can earn fifty or sixty yuan a day, which is equivalent to his monthly salary income.
Second, cultural restrictions are gradually loosened. Previous novels, movies, and dramas all had to follow the principle of "Three Prominences" and highlight the heroic figures of workers, peasants, and soldiers, and they also faced strict review.
After entering 1977, censorship was gradually relaxed. Many subjects that could not be written or touched before can now be written about, which makes Xiang Nan feel free from the shackles, get rid of the constraints, and dance to his heart''s content.
He first sent a novella "Our Field" to "People''s Literature". This film tells the story of educated youths who went to the countryside, took root in the countryside, and experienced hardships and growth in a dangerous natural environment.
This novel is written relatively conservatively. Try to express the experiences of educated youth in an objective and fair manner, without deliberately beautifying or criticizing. Unlike other works, it has a pessimistic and sad attitude towards the educated youth going to the countryside.
Xiang Nan plans to use this work as a stepping stone, and it would be best to publish it. If it can’t be published, I’ll just take my time writing it in the future. Wait until the policy is significantly liberalized before considering loosening restrictions.
…
"Xiaoli, this is the house assigned to me by the factory, isn''t it good?" Xiang Nan said with a smile while standing in the neat and clean room.
“Not bad, of course not bad.” Cai Xiaoli nodded repeatedly.
They are a family of six, and now they only have three rooms. When my father was still alive, five sisters slept on the same kang. Grinding your teeth, farting, snoring, and talking in your sleep can all be heard clearly, not to mention making you irritated.
Unlike Xiang Nan, living in a unit by yourself is spacious and comfortable, which is really great.
“Jianjun, I really envy you~” Cai Xiaoli said again.
“Don’t be envious, this is my house, and it’s also your house.” Xiang Nan smiled and said, “You can move here too in the future.”
“What are you talking about, disgusting~” Cai Xiaoli blushed and said coquettishly.
"Hey, don''t get me wrong. What I mean is that if you are tired from working overtime at night and are too lazy to ride home, you can just come here for one night." Xiang Nan explained.
“That’s not appropriate. If it spreads, it will make people laugh.” Cai Xiaoli said shyly.
The current social atmosphere is still very conservative. Young men and women who are dating would not dare to hold hands while walking on the road, let alone sleep in the same room.
"Who knows how to laugh, who dares to laugh, and what to laugh at?" Xiang Nan curled his lips, "We are in love, isn''t it normal to be together? Unless you don''t want to."
"Jianjun, don''t get me wrong, of course I am willing." Upon hearing this, Cai Xiaoli quickly expressed her stance, "You didn''t even go to the Poetry Magazine for me. How could I not know how much you care about me? ?
I''m just worried that if the news gets out, it will affect your reputation. In that case, I would have harmed you instead. "
"Don''t worry, it''s okay. The government advocates freedom of love and freedom of marriage. We are together and don''t mess with anyone. Can anyone else care about it?" Xiang Nan said, holding her hand.
?Cai Xiaoli nodded after hearing this.
…
?One night two days later, Cai Xiaoli did not go home after working overtime at night, but chose to live in Xiang Nan''s house.
I sleep in spring without waking up, and hear the singing of birds everywhere. The sound of wind and rain at night makes one know how many flowers have fallen.
After breaking through the last barrier, the relationship between Xiang Nan and Cai Xiaoli increased day by day. Love is stronger than gold, like glue and paint, even if you want to break it apart.
??Cai Xiaoli''s mother, Zhang Xiulan, did not object when she learned about her daughter and Xiang Nan. Instead, she strongly supported it. In her opinion, Xiang Nan''s son-in-law is really great. He is young and promising, motivated and has huge future potential that should not be underestimated. A son-in-law like this should of course be bound as soon as possible. Otherwise, it will be snatched away in the blink of an eye.
So not only did she not beat the couple, but she also encouraged them to live together.
In the 1970s, the social atmosphere was still relatively conservative.
??If Xiang Nan dares to start chaos and end up giving up, playing with emotions, then he will be ruined and the fate that everyone will blame him for. Therefore, it is more beneficial for my daughter to get on the bus first and pay for the ticket later.
…
Since moving to the factory, Xiang Nan has transferred all the second-hand car business to Han Chunming.
?Chunming has the skills to repair cars and has a business acumen, but due to limited connections and insufficient supply of old bicycles, this business cannot be done.
After Xiang Nan transferred his supply of goods to him, Chunming became trembling.
You can repair a bicycle in two or three days. You can earn 10 yuan per bicycle, which means you can earn 150 yuan a month. Including salary and the money for flipping eggs, you make more than the factory director.
?Chunming repaired the bicycle, and then Xiang Nan gave it to Cui Weihong and Cai Xiaoli to sell, and everyone made a fortune together. Everyone likes to drink spicy food.
In comparison, Su Meng, who lives in the same courtyard, is still unemployed and spends all day bored at home. It is estimated that she will start to grow hair in a while.
Su Jingxuan and Liu Lanzhi sighed every day.
They have no idea about their daughter''s job and are thinking about marrying off their daughter. Perhaps finding a powerful and well-backed husband can help her daughter fulfill her wish.
After all, my daughter’s conditions are quite good. She is young, beautiful, graduated from high school, and has been a scholar for generations, so she is still very attractive to young men.
After coming up with this idea, they started secretly planning it without discussing it with their daughter.
They knew that their daughter was arrogant and self-centered. She had long said that she did not want her parents to interfere in her marriage, so they definitely did not agree to the blind date.
?So they thought about letting the young man have contact with their daughter first, just in case they felt something.
So a few days later, young men began to come to the door.
…
Xiang Nan has stopped living at home since the house was divided.
Go home at most once a week. When I have free time, I also create in my dormitory.
He heard that Su Meng was on a blind date because Chunming was nagging her.
??Although Chunming has not spoken to Su Meng for more than a year, he has not forgotten Su Meng and has always been thinking about her.
Therefore, when I heard that Su Meng had started a blind date, Chunming was completely excited.
“If she goes on a blind date, what should I do?” he said painfully.
"If she can really succeed in the blind date, then I would like to congratulate you. Your life is finally free." Xiang Nan curled his lips and said, "If you think about it carefully, what is so good about Su Meng? She has high ambitions but low ambitions, and is selfish. Arrogant and willful... Such a young lady is just a treasure to you."
"You are not allowed to say that about her." Chunming said unhappily upon hearing this.
“Tch, you asked me, I’m too lazy to tell you.” Xiang Nan rolled his eyes at him.
(End of this chapter)