For Her Son-in-Law, the Mother-in-Law Humbled Herself to Beg for a Favor (Asking for Full Collection)

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“What?!”

Liu Xinwu was stunned when he heard Teacher Gu say this. He had never expected another choice between two manuscripts!

What was more, the novella that had already been scheduled this time was one Teacher Gu herself intended to give to People’s Literature, so that they could build the momentum together.

“Old Liu, the novella is at my place. I’ve almost finished reading it. I’ll bring it over later so you can look it over first.”

After Mrs. Feng—Teacher Gu—finished speaking, her gaze fell upon the telephone on Liu Xinwu’s desk.

“That’s wonderful!” Liu Xinwu nodded repeatedly. Since both manuscripts would be given to October, naturally he could not have been more pleased.

Seeing that Teacher Gu’s eyes remained fixed on the telephone, he asked, “Teacher Gu, do you need to make a call?”

“Then shall I step outside for a moment?”

Knowing that Teacher Gu was about to make a call, and that she was furious without his knowing whom she intended to contact, Liu Xinwu decided it might be best to give her some privacy.

“No need, Old Liu. I’m only calling Li Xiaolin in Shanghai.”

Mrs. Feng shook her head. There was nothing private about this call; there was no need for Liu Xinwu to leave.

“You’re calling Li Xiaolin in Shanghai?”

“Teacher Gu, you mean Old Ba’s beloved daughter, don’t you? She should be working in Shanghai’s literary world now, shouldn’t she?”

Liu Xinwu’s thoughts turned, and he quickly recalled the information concerning the Li Xiaolin Teacher Gu had mentioned.

“Yes. Xiaolin has recently transferred to Old Ba’s Harvest, where she is now the chief editor.”

Mrs. Feng nodded. After answering Liu Xinwu, she dialed a string of numbers. When the call connected, a voice on the other end said, “Hello? Where would you like to be connected?”

“Hello. Please connect me to the Harvest magazine office in Shanghai.”

For work purposes, October had installed a telephone capable of making long-distance calls.

However, telephones in those days still relied on manual switching and operators plugging lines in by hand. A long-distance call had to be connected step by step, first to the central exchange at the Yanjing Post and Telecommunications Bureau.

After that, it had to be connected to the central exchange in Shanghai, then routed down through several more operators until it finally reached the telephone at the Shanghai office of Harvest. Only then could the two parties speak.

As a result, a long-distance call could never be instantaneous. One had to wait for some time.

If the line on the other end was busy, a single call might consume an entire day.

Before the 1980s, telephone exchanges had not yet undergone their modern transformation. It was common for a long-distance call to take an entire day merely to exchange a few words.

“Li Xiaolin has transferred to Old Ba’s Harvest?” Liu Xinwu knew they would have to wait for the connection, so he asked curiously, “What are you calling her about today, Teacher Gu?”

“It was only recently—at the beginning of last month. Before that, Xiaolin had indeed been assigned to Shanghai Literature.”

Mrs. Feng nodded at Liu Xinwu while waiting for the operators to connect the call.

“No wonder,” Liu Xinwu said, nodding. When he had first heard that Li Xiaolin had been assigned to Shanghai Literature, he had wondered how she had suddenly ended up at Harvest. So she had only recently been transferred.

“You’re rather concerned about Li Xiaolin, aren’t you, Teacher Gu? Are you calling to ask Harvest in Shanghai to lend its support and stand up for Xuehmin as well?”

At this moment, Liu Xinwu could think of no other reason for Teacher Gu to make such a long-distance call except to seek reinforcements.

“Something like that. At the end of last month, Xiaolin accompanied Old Ba to personally visit Xuehmin and commission a manuscript from him. It should be published in the coming issue.”

Mrs. Feng nodded. She was indeed calling Li Xiaolin to ask for her support. Since Harvest already had a manuscript by Xuehmin waiting to be published, it should be no more than a matter of saying a word.

“What?!”

“Old Ba personally visited Xuehmin at the end of last month and commissioned a manuscript from him? We—we had no idea!”

Liu Xinwu had initially nodded, but soon he was staring at Mrs. Feng in disbelief.

What kind of joke was this?

Old Ba had personally gone to the home of Cheng Xuehmin, a younger generation writer, to ask him for a manuscript?

Personally gone to his home!

How had he never heard Teacher Gu mention it? How had none of the newspapers, magazines, or other media outlets in Yanjing heard even the slightest rumor?

“It was not long after that meeting. Xiaolin brought Old Ba to Xuehmin’s home to commission the manuscript.”

Mrs. Feng nodded and casually added the explanation.

Before Liu Xinwu could ask anything further, the long-distance connection came through with unusual speed. That was probably because both organizations held relatively high status; only two exchanges separated them from the central line room.

Soon the call connected again, and Li Xiaolin’s voice came through.

“Hello. Is that you, Teacher Gu?”

“Yes, Xiaolin. Hello, this is Gu Xueqing.”

Mrs. Feng nodded to Liu Xinwu, then greeted Li Xiaolin on the telephone.

“Hello, Teacher Gu! I believe I can guess why you’re calling.”

“I’ve read both yesterday’s Tianjin Daily and today’s newspapers from Yanjing.”

“I never imagined that such a thing would happen at yesterday’s symposium. I had originally planned to go there myself, but my father hasn’t been well lately, so I was delayed.”

Li Xiaolin had recognized that the call from October in Yanjing must be from Teacher Gu.

As she had said, she had been following the newspapers over the past two days.

“It’s all right, it’s all right. Xiaolin, your father’s health is the most important thing. As his children, you really ought to pay close attention to him and take good care of him.”

“Is Old Ba seriously ill?”

Hearing Li Xiaolin say that Old Ba was unwell, Mrs. Feng immediately asked with concern.

“Nothing serious. He caught a chill, and at his age…” Li Xiaolin continued over the telephone. “By the way, my father read the newspapers today as well. He was furious and said they were deliberately trying to stir up trouble.”

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“Teacher Gu, rest assured. We will publish Xuehmin’s manuscript as scheduled. My father even instructed us to give it the lead position on the front page.”

“Wonderful, wonderful. Thank you, Xiaolin. And thank Old Ba for me. Please tell him that our entire family is grateful.”

Mrs. Feng’s voice caught in her throat.

The lead story on the front page!

Harvest, the most influential magazine in Shanghai, was directly throwing its support behind her son-in-law. Not only would it publish his manuscript as scheduled, it would temporarily rearrange the issue to make it the front-page lead.

That made it clear just how much Old Ba and his daughter in Shanghai valued her son-in-law, and how firmly they intended to stand behind him.

The front-page lead?

Liu Xinwu, who had been listening with his ears pricked up, had vaguely caught those words through the telephone. His expression changed in astonishment.

The front-page lead of Harvest!

How powerful was that show of support? Was Teacher Gu’s relationship with Old Ba and his daughter really so close?

Given Old Ba’s position, he would never designate a manuscript for Harvest’s front page unless it was exceptionally well written and carried exceptional weight.

Could it be another The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office?

If Old Ba’s Harvest was about to publish another work on the level of The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office, what burden did Liu Xinwu have to fear? Why should he hesitate to publish the manuscript in his hands?

They could create a response between north and south, amplify their support, and make the whole affair as prominent as possible.

While standing up for Cheng Xuehmin, October’s influence would surely rise as well.

“That is exactly what we need. The commotion caused in Tianjin this time has been enormous. Xiaolin, you can tell what happened in Yanjing simply by reading the newspapers.”

“The reason I’m calling is to ask whether this issue’s manuscript could be published under Xuehmin’s pen name, ‘Old Qiao.’ Would that be possible, Xiaolin?”

Mrs. Feng was indeed seeking a coordinated response from north and south. That was why she had gone to the trouble of making this call—to ask Li Xiaolin to publish Cheng Xuehmin’s work under the pen name Old Qiao, the name he had used for The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office.

Otherwise, who would know that the work written under the names Kuang Yalan or Old Tian was actually by her son-in-law? Who would know that it was a new work by the author of The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office?

Kuang Yalan was the pen name Xuehmin had used for The Female College Students’ Dormitory, which had appeared in Shanghai Literature. Old Tian was the name he had used for The Traitor, published in Li Xiaolin’s Harvest at the beginning of the month.

The male protagonist in The Traitor was surnamed Tian, so the pen name followed Cheng Xuehmin’s usual style.

According to the sample issue Li Xiaolin had previously sent them, The Story of Chen Huansheng Going to the City had also been published under the pen name Old Tian, the same name used for The Traitor. Mrs. Feng did not know whether the Shanghai office had begun printing it officially.

That was why she had chosen to make a long-distance call rather than send a letter, which would have been far too slow.

“What? Teacher Gu, we really hadn’t considered that.” Li Xiaolin fell silent in surprise, then answered somewhat blankly.

“Xiaolin, have you already begun printing it?”

Mrs. Feng’s heart gave a violent jolt, but she finished the question anyway. It could not really be blamed on them. What had happened at the symposium the day before had been entirely unexpected.

Who could have anticipated this?

When Old Ba and his daughter had visited Xuehmin to commission the manuscript, they had gone specifically for the author of The Traitor, Old Tian. Naturally, the new work had been assigned the name Old Tian in order to avoid the Old Qiao used by People’s Literature. There had even been a hint of competition between the two magazines, as though they were challenging each other to a contest of sales.

How could anyone have imagined that such a development would occur? How could they have known that Mrs. Feng would suddenly want to change his pen name?

“We’ve already printed two hundred thousand copies,” Li Xiaolin replied.

They had indeed begun printing—and had already printed two hundred thousand copies.

Mrs. Feng’s face flushed with embarrassment.

She knew that she had raised her request far too late, leaving the other side in an awkward and difficult position.

But Li Xiaolin quickly continued, “Still, Teacher Gu, it’s not a problem. We can change it right now.”

“We’ll change the pen name to Old Qiao and immediately print another hundred thousand copies first. We’ll deal with the rest afterward.”

Mrs. Feng was deeply moved. Her voice choked as she said, “No, let’s not. Otherwise, Xiaolin, wouldn’t the two hundred thousand copies you’ve already printed become useless?”

“Not at all. Teacher Gu, do you really think so little of Harvest’s circulation?”

Li Xiaolin sounded completely relaxed. “With Harvest’s circulation and your son-in-law’s influence, this issue is certain to sell explosively. We’ll have to print more copies later anyway.”

“My suggestion is that we use Old Qiao to lead the charge and build momentum first. When we reprint, we can bring out the two hundred thousand copies already printed under the previous name.”

“Of course, the two pen names will differ, which may reveal that Xuehmin has been writing under two names. I hope you and Xuehmin won’t take that too seriously.”

“Yes, yes, yes! I underestimated both Harvest’s influence and its circulation.”

Mrs. Feng was instantly delighted. She nodded again and again, her voice still thick with emotion.

“Then it’s settled, Xiaolin. The pen name is a minor matter now.”

Mrs. Feng realized that she had truly underestimated Harvest’s influence and circulation.

Harvest was one of the country’s foremost magazines, fully capable of competing with People’s Literature. Two hundred thousand copies was merely a guaranteed minimum for them.

October could not compare.

So, just as Li Xiaolin had said, Harvest would certainly print additional copies later, and its circulation would not fall far short of People’s Literature.

That was precisely why Mrs. Feng had made this long-distance call for the sake of her son-in-law’s future: she was asking for help.

What she valued was Harvest’s unrivaled influence throughout the country.

As for the pen name?

That was no longer important.

“Teacher Gu, has Xuehmin already published a manuscript in Harvest?”

Liu Xinwu had listened with his ears pricked up, and now he understood.

Teacher Gu had specifically called Li Xiaolin at Harvest in Shanghai to ask her to change her son-in-law’s pen name.

She wanted it changed to Old Qiao, the pen name from The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office, so that it could confront the publications in Tianjin and the small newspapers in Yanjing.

If she wanted the pen name changed, that meant her son-in-law Cheng Xuehmin must already have been publishing under another name in Harvest.

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And if he had a pen name, then he must already have published manuscripts there.

This left Liu Xinwu itching with curiosity. How had his son-in-law secretly submitted work elsewhere again?

Yet October, his “mother-in-law,” had not, up to this point, truly managed to publish even a single manuscript from this “excellent son-in-law.”

“He did just publish one. It was…”

Mrs. Feng nodded and was about to name the manuscript when Liu Xinwu hurriedly waved his hands to stop her.

“Don’t tell me yet, Teacher Gu. Let me guess—let me guess!”

“It’s in this issue of Harvest, right? Then, then… it must be The Traitor, isn’t it?”

“The author was Old Tian. Given Xuehmin’s habit of choosing names, it has to be The Traitor, right?”

It was an easy guess.

After all, the manuscripts in this issue of Harvest had once again swept up an enormous number of readers.

As one of the country’s leading magazines, Harvest’s finest articles were things Liu Xinwu would certainly have read.

And then there was the new author who had suddenly appeared under the pen name Old Tian.

If a large number of newcomers had not recently begun adopting pen names starting with “Old,” Liu Xinwu would have guessed the moment he finished reading the manuscript that the author was his son-in-law, Cheng Xuehmin.

Now that Teacher Gu had made it so obvious, he had naturally seen straight through it.

“That’s right, Old Liu. It was The Traitor.”

Mrs. Feng smiled and nodded. After hanging up with Li Xiaolin, she dialed another number.

“Hello. Please connect me to Yanjing Literature.”

After reaching an agreement with Harvest in Shanghai, the next step was Yanjing Literature.

Li Qingquan still had a novella by her son-in-law in his hands. It had likewise already been scheduled and finalized, and was about to be published.

So Mrs. Feng had to call and ask Li Qingquan of Yanjing Literature to change the pen name as well.

They should not use Old Xu, the name from The Herdsman. They should use Old Qiao from The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office.

“Teacher Gu, is that the novella Old Li has?”

Seeing Teacher Gu call Yanjing Literature as well, Liu Xinwu quickly understood what she intended to discuss with Li Qingquan.

Because it was a local call within the same city, the connection came through quickly. Before long, Li Qingquan’s voice sounded from the other end.

“Hello, is that Old Liu? What’s this? Are you finally inviting me to dinner, you old rascal?”

“Old Li, it’s me, Gu Xueqing.”

Mrs. Feng got straight to the point.

“Oh! Teacher Gu, it’s you!”

Li Qingquan sounded surprised to learn that it was Mrs. Feng, but he quickly recovered and offered reassurance.

“Teacher Gu, what they did this time was truly outrageous. I was actually planning to visit Xuehmin personally in the next day or two and have a talk with him.”

“Tell me what you need, Teacher Gu. Give the word. Whatever I, Li Qingquan, can do, I’ll go through fire and water to the very end and fight them alongside you.”

“Old Li, you haven’t finalized Xuehmin’s novella yet, have you?”

Mrs. Feng nodded to herself. She believed him, and then asked.

The question nearly frightened Li Qingquan to death. He hurriedly emphasized over the telephone, “We have! We have, Teacher Gu. The sample issue has already been printed, and we’re working overtime to print the full run!”

“You’ve already started printing?”

Mrs. Feng’s expression fell. Everyone knew that this was basically the week when the magazines finalized their manuscripts and issues. She had made the call too late.

“What is it, Teacher Gu?”

Li Qingquan sounded anxious.

“Nothing, nothing,” Mrs. Feng said quickly. Then she tried, “Old Li, would it be possible to change Xuehmin’s pen name?”

“What?”

Li Qingquan was clearly stunned. He evidently had no idea what she meant.

“I mean the novella by Xuehmin. If possible, could you publish it under the pen name Old Qiao instead of Old Xu from The Herdsman? What do you think, Old Li?”

Putting aside the fact that the novella had already gone to print, asking Yanjing Literature’s Li Qingquan to abandon Old Xu—their main promotional pen name—was already asking a great deal.

After all, Old Xu from The Herdsman was now the signature name of Yanjing Literature, a guarantee of sales.

Although Old Qiao from The Story of Factory Director Qiao Taking Office had caused an equally powerful sensation and perhaps an even greater response, that was the Old Qiao of People’s Literature, not the Old Qiao of Yanjing Literature.

“Oh, Teacher Gu, you nearly scared me! It’s only a change of pen name? I thought you had suddenly changed your mind and wanted to take the manuscript back from us!”

“You gave me quite a fright!”

Li Qingquan’s relieved voice came through almost immediately.

Then he continued enthusiastically, “Of course, no problem. We’re only changing the pen name to Old Qiao, right? Absolutely no problem!”

“Come to think of it, Teacher Gu, this time we really should use Old Qiao. We need to stand together as one.”

Hearing Li Qingquan agree so readily, Mrs. Feng nodded, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“Thank you, thank you. Old Li, thank you.”

“Oh, Teacher Gu, please don’t say that. Yanjing Literature is Xuehmin’s maternal home. If we, his godparents, don’t stand up for him, who will?”

“It’s only a pity that Xuehmin has been so distracted lately and hasn’t written more manuscripts. Otherwise, if we could bring Old Zhang into this as well, the effect would certainly be even greater.”

“Or perhaps… if there’s truly no other way, I could give this novella to Old Zhang’s People’s Literature. Old Zhang has tremendous influence, and even Senior Wu has called him out by name.”

As he spoke, Li Qingquan became almost excessively generous. He directly offered to hand over the manuscript that had already been finalized and sent to the printer.

“No, no. Thank you, Old Li. Thank you. Just hearing you say that is enough.”

…