106 Teacher Gu, your son-in-law is acting far too arrogantly; is he here to humiliate us?

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“Excuse me, comrade, whom are you looking for?”

At the editorial office of October, Cao Aiqin, an editor seated near the entrance, looked up. Seeing a young man peering inside from the doorway, she greeted him.

This was the place, wasn’t it?

Cheng Xuemin knew only the address of his mother-in-law’s workplace, and had made his way there by asking for directions along the way. When he reached the doorway bearing the sign for the editorial office of October, he leaned inside for a glance. A female comrade seated near the front happened to notice him and called out.

“Hello, hello. This is the editorial office of October, isn’t it? I’m looking for… Teacher Gu!”

Cheng Xuemin poked his head in and took a quick look around. Seeing no sign of his mother-in-law, he asked.

“You’re looking for Teacher Gu? Have you come to submit a manuscript, or have you already submitted one?”

“Come on in first!”

Hearing that he was looking for Teacher Gu, Cao Aiqin assumed that he had either come to submit a manuscript or was there to inquire whether a previously submitted piece had been accepted.

Such visits were extremely common at newspapers and magazines.

“All right, thank you.”

Cheng Xuemin nodded and entered the editorial office of October, taking a look around his mother-in-law’s workplace. The layout was much like that of Yanjing Literature, and the number of editors appeared to be about the same as well.

The other editors at October also looked up to examine him. Cheng Xuemin nodded to each of them in turn, counting it as a greeting.

“Have you come to submit a manuscript, or have you already submitted one?”

“Are you from Yanjing? This issue of October has already been finalized, and all the acceptance notices have been mailed. If you’re from out of town, even if you had received an acceptance notice, it shouldn’t have reached you so quickly.”

Cao Aiqin studied Cheng Xuemin as well. Secretly, she nodded in approval. He was a refined and handsome young man. Then she asked again, “So, what brings you here?”

“Hello, Teacher.” Cheng Xuemin continued, “If Teacher Gu isn’t here, I could also speak with Teacher Liu Xinwu.”

“I haven’t come to submit a manuscript. I’m here to return a manuscript payment.”

Return a manuscript payment?

This time, it was not only Cao Aiqin who stared at Cheng Xuemin in astonishment. Several other editors looked at him in bewilderment as well.

They had seen people come to collect manuscript payments, but they had never seen anyone come to return one. This… surely had to be the first such case since October resumed publication, didn’t it?

What on earth was going on?

“You’ve come to see Teacher Gu to return a manuscript payment? Comrade, did you receive our acceptance notice and payment slip, then decide you no longer wished to publish the piece and want to return the money?”

Even Wang Shimin, head of the editorial group, could no longer remain calm. He quickly rose and asked, curious and perplexed.

In all his decades as an editor, Old Wang seemed to have encountered such a situation for the first time as well.

“Yes, Teacher. I received the payment slip in the middle of the month.”

He had not received an acceptance notice, as far as he knew, but the payment slip had arrived long ago. Feng Jiayou had already gone to the post office, cashed it, and put the money into her private savings.

Cheng Xuemin had come today not only to do Elder Wu a favor by delivering his written instructions, but also to return to October the payment slip he had just received from People’s Literature.

In any case, both publications paid the maximum rate of seven yuan per thousand characters. The amounts on the two payment slips were identical, so there should be no problem returning this one to his mother-in-law’s workplace, right?

As for the payment for a reprint, that would depend on October’s attitude.

At present, there were no regulations requiring a publication to pay an author for reprinting a work. Some periodicals would offer a token amount, usually three or four yuan per thousand characters.

Most, however, simply pretended not to understand and paid nothing whatsoever.

Naturally, those who played dumb were usually dealing with new authors. Try reprinting a famous author’s work without paying a reprint fee and see what happened.

And, of course, works that were not particularly influential were generally not reprinted in the first place.

Reprints were especially rare among magazines, whereas newspapers did so quite often.

“I see.” Wang Shimin nodded, still eyeing him suspiciously. “Why did you suddenly decide to return the payment? Which manuscript did you write?”

“We’ve already finalized the issue and locked in the contents. For you to suddenly withdraw your manuscript…”

Before Wang Shimin could finish his troubled explanation, Xiao Yang, the preliminary editor responsible for mailing acceptance notices, suddenly interrupted.

“A payment slip received in the middle of the month? That doesn’t seem possible.”

“We only began mailing the payment slips for this issue on the twentieth.”

Oh. Right.

Xiao Yang’s reminder jolted Wang Shimin, Cao Aiqin, and the other two male editors into remembering.

The contents of this issue of October had been determined ahead of schedule. Under normal circumstances, they would not begin finalizing the issue and mailing acceptance notices and payment slips until the beginning of the following month.

But this issue might need to be brought out early because of the atomic-bomb manuscript, so Old Liu had decided to finalize it ahead of time in preparation for a possible special issue. The acceptance notices had therefore begun going out on the twentieth of the month.

They could not possibly have been sent any earlier than that. The middle of the month, as this comrade had claimed, certainly deserved closer scrutiny. Perhaps he had made a mistake?

“In the middle of the month? You came to see Teacher Gu? You… you couldn’t possibly be Teacher Gu’s son-in-law—the author of The Herdsman, Old Xu, could you?”

Cao Aiqin, as the editor who knew Teacher Gu best, ran through the facts in her mind. Indeed, October had issued a payment slip in the middle of the month.

But it had been made out to Teacher Gu’s son-in-law, Old Xu, the author of The Herdsman. It was payment for that atomic-bomb manuscript.

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Yet early that morning, word had suddenly spread that the atomic-bomb manuscript had been chosen by People’s Literature. There was no longer anything October could do with it.

Now this man was saying he had come to see Teacher Gu and return the payment.

Considering that possibility, Cao Aiqin studied him carefully. Her voice carried both suspicion and shock as she asked, “Could you be—”

“Xuemin, what brings you here? Weren’t you going to the People’s Literature office today?”

At that very moment, Feng’s mother, Teacher Gu, entered from outside the editorial department carrying a thermos. Upon seeing her son-in-law, Cheng Xuemin, she asked in surprise.

“Mom, I just came back from there. I thought I’d stop by and see you and Teacher Liu.”

Seeing his mother-in-law enter, Cheng Xuemin quickly greeted her.

Good heavens! He really was Teacher Gu’s son-in-law—the author of The Herdsman, Old Xu, that extraordinary son-in-law who had also produced an atomic-bomb manuscript for October, only for the higher authorities to refuse to let October publish it?

“Teacher Gu, is this comrade really your son-in-law?”

The mother and son-in-law had already acknowledged each other, but Cao Aiqin still had not recovered from her shock. She asked with a trace of envy.

Where could anyone find such an outstanding and remarkable son-in-law?

Cao Aiqin herself desperately wished she could have a son-in-law as impressive and capable as Teacher Gu’s.

“Yes, he is! This is Cheng Xuemin, my daughter Jiayou’s husband.” Feng’s mother introduced him to everyone with a radiant smile. Then she continued, “Xuemin, this is Wang Shimin, the head of our editorial group—Old Wang; this is our senior editor, Teacher Cao Aiqin; this is Old Chen; and this is Xiao Yang, our preliminary editor.”

“Hello, Teacher Wang. Hello, Teacher Cao. Hello, Teacher Chen. Hello to you too, Teacher Yang.”

Cheng Xuemin greeted them all again.

“So you really are Teacher Gu’s son-in-law—the author of The Herdsman, Old Xu?”

Wang Shimin slapped his thigh and hurriedly pulled over a chair.

“Quick, quick, sit here!”

“No, no, thank you, thank you, Teacher Wang.”

He would not sit. After delivering the instruction letter and returning the payment slip, he had to hurry back to Yanjing University to pick up his wife and give her the good news.

With more than two thousand yuan in manuscript payments on him, they would have to celebrate properly that evening.

“Come inside first. Old Liu’s office is in the back.” Feng’s mother nodded, placed the thermos on a stand, and led Cheng Xuemin toward Chief Editor Liu’s private office.

“All right.”

Cheng Xuemin followed behind her. Old Wang, Cao Aiqin, Xiao Yang, and the others tagged along as well.

Teacher Gu’s son-in-law had come to return a manuscript payment. It had to be the payment for that atomic-bomb manuscript. If Old Liu found out, wouldn’t he go completely wild?

And this son-in-law of Teacher Gu seemed awfully arrogant. He had actually come in person to return the payment, leaving Old Liu no dignity at all and showing no consideration for October either.

When the payment slip had originally arrived, the son-in-law had not even come to collect it. Teacher Gu had accepted it on his behalf. But now look at him!

Was this not a deliberate slap in the face?

“By the way, Mom, could you return this payment slip to Teacher Liu for me?”

It was as though his thoughts had summoned the scene.

Old Wang had been waiting to see how the “mother and son” would slap Old Liu across the face. But he had never expected this remarkable son-in-law to be so blunt—to return the payment so directly.

“You came all the way here just for that?”

Feng’s mother was equally stunned. She stared at the payment slip in her son-in-law’s hand, the corners of her mouth twitching violently several times.

Xuemin had never behaved this way before. He had always handled personal relationships and social formalities extremely well.

So what was going on today?

Had he really been so anxious that he had to come all the way here personally to return the payment? If he wanted to return it, he could have mentioned it at home and let her bring it back privately.

What was he trying to do now?

The most outrageous part was that he had brought the payment slip issued by People’s Literature and was returning it to October—to Old Liu himself.

This was too much.

Feng’s mother felt a headache coming on. She simply took the payment slip from him and hid it away.

If they had not already arrived, and if she had not been worried about leaving her son-in-law humiliated, she truly would have kicked him straight back out.

“Oh.” Cheng Xuemin nodded instinctively and answered.

Feng’s mother rolled her eyes. She was just about to tell him, “When you see Old Liu later, don’t mention returning the payment.”

But at that moment, Liu Xinwu, having heard the commotion outside, emerged from his office. He happened to see Cheng Xuemin at the doorway and immediately widened his eyes in surprise.

“Well, well! Xuemin, what a rare visit! You’ve finally come to our place—what an honored guest!”

“Quick, quick, come in! Come in! I was just thinking I should go look for you!”

Liu Xinwu warmly beckoned him inside, then called to Xiao Yang, “Xiao Yang, hurry up and pour Xuemin some tea. Bring out the best tea in my office!”

“Xuemin is here! Our October son-in-law has come to visit! How rare, how rare!”

Good heavens!

Liu Xinwu’s reaction left Old Wang, Cao Aiqin, Xiao Yang, and the others speechless with astonishment.

Old Liu was treating Teacher Gu’s son-in-law far too well, wasn’t he?

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Not only was he serving him tea, he was even bringing out the best tea in his office. The last time Li Qingquan, chief editor of Yanjing Literature, had visited, Old Liu had not been willing to take it out at all.

And Old Liu, did you know that your October son-in-law had come to return a manuscript payment—to come here personally and slap you, the October father-in-law, right across the face?

“Braziers! Bring in the braziers! Hurry up and carry the brazier from outside in too!”

Liu Xinwu continued issuing orders.

The working conditions at October were indeed considerably worse than those at Yanjing Literature. The latter benefited from being located in the compound of the Cultural Bureau and had central heating.

October had no such advantage. In winter, they had to rely on charcoal braziers to keep warm.

“Come, come, Xuemin, sit down. This is your first time visiting your own family’s place, isn’t it?”

“I think you should come by more often from now on. Don’t stand on ceremony with us.”

Liu Xinwu ushered Cheng Xuemin inside and even pulled out a chair for him, his enthusiasm making Feng’s mother feel increasingly miserable.

If Old Liu found out that Xuemin had come to return the manuscript payment, who knew what his reaction would be? What would he feel?

“Yes, yes, Teacher Liu, you’re right. I’ll come more often in the future.”

Cheng Xuemin nodded repeatedly. Old Liu’s enthusiasm was making him somewhat uncomfortable.

Besides, he was entirely different from the Liu Xinwu of the previous day, who had looked utterly bereft after his manuscript was poached.

“Tea, tea, tea! Xiao Yang, what are you taking so long? Is the tea ready yet?”

Liu Xinwu called again toward Xiao Yang outside the door.

“Teacher Liu, there’s no need to hurry. Please don’t be so courteous. You’re making me feel awkward.”

Cheng Xuemin and Old Liu could be considered old acquaintances, but his excessive warmth still left him confused.

Why was he being so solicitous and enthusiastic toward a junior like him?

There had to be some ulterior motive.

Could Old Liu still be thinking about that atomic-bomb manuscript?

“Coming, coming! Teacher Liu, Comrade Old Xu, the tea is here!”

Xiao Yang came in carrying a large teacup and handed it to Cheng Xuemin.

“Old Xu, have some tea. And remember to sign an autograph for me later!”

Xiao Yang was perhaps even younger than Zhang Dening and Bai Ling from Yanjing Literature. As the preliminary editor at October, she also doubled as the office manager, handling all sorts of odd jobs.

“Uh… all right, all right, Teacher Yang.”

Cheng Xuemin exchanged a joke with the young female editor, who was only a couple of years older than he was.

“Hee-hee, Old Xu, I can’t possibly accept being called Teacher Yang. Just call me Xiao Yang, like Teacher Gu and the others do.”

“All right, Teacher Yang.”

Liu Xinwu signaled for Xiao Yang to stop acting lovestruck and dawdling around. The man already had a wife, so she should hurry along.

“Xuemin, you must have come over from Old Zhang’s place today, right? So? How did things go with our atomic-bomb manuscript over there? The sample issue must have been printed by now, hasn’t it?”

At the mention of it, Liu Xinwu felt another stab of heartache. It truly hurt.

“It’s out. I went with Teacher Zhang first thing this morning to submit it for review. Elder Wu was extremely pleased and instructed that it be published in tomorrow’s issue.”

Cheng Xuemin nodded and told Liu Xinwu.

“Well, that’s all right. Actually, having Old Zhang’s People’s Literature publish it is better for you, Xuemin.”

Liu Xinwu slapped his thigh and sighed.

At first, he had been hoping that something might go wrong at Old Zhang’s publication, allowing October to take advantage of the situation and fill the gap.

But now that Elder Wu had directly approved its publication, there was no hope left whatsoever.

Still, Liu Xinwu had spent the entire day thinking about it. For Cheng Xuemin as an author, having the manuscript published in People’s Literature would indeed bring him far greater benefits.

“Thank you for understanding, Teacher Liu. I really do feel somewhat… indebted to you.”

Cheng Xuemin responded modestly, his tone apologetic.

“No, no, Xuemin, this has nothing to do with you. In the end, it’s because October lacks influence. Our skills are inferior, and we can’t blame anyone else.”

Liu Xinwu waved his hands repeatedly and reflected on the matter himself.

“So from now on, you’ll have to send October several more high-quality manuscripts, Xuemin. Help us borrow a little of your influence and raise our own profile.”

“Of course. Even if you hadn’t said so, Teacher Liu, I would certainly have done that.”

“Then, Xuemin, you’ve seen the situation October is in now. What do you think about that novella you gave Li Qingquan? Could you get it back and let us publish it here at October?”

“If you handed it over to us, I’d arrange a special issue devoted entirely to it. How does that sound?”

…

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