Front-page headline? Do you think you can appear there just because you want to?

“Mom, it actually passed?!”

Thunk!

Feng Jiayou’s reaction was so intense that when she saw her mother handing her the manuscript payment slip, she leapt up in delight, nearly tipping over the long wooden bench beneath her. The bench almost sent Cheng Xuemin, who was sitting at the other end, sprawling onto the floor.

“Be careful!” Cheng Xuemin was so startled that his heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked over to make sure Feng Jiayou was all right.

It’s just a manuscript acceptance, isn’t it? Was it really worth getting this worked up over?

“Careful, slow down—you’re pregnant, remember!” Father Feng was equally startled, pointing at his daughter in reproach.

“Slow down!” Mother Feng rolled her eyes, tossing the payment slip in her daughter’s direction as she chattered on. “This revision turned out well. Old Liu was really surprised and praised you quite a bit!”

“And your piece was originally set to miss this issue and wait for the next, but Old Liu withdrew his own manuscript to give yours priority!”

Although one manuscript didn’t mean much to Editor-in-Chief Liu Xinwu, they still owed him their gratitude.

“Is it the front-page feature?” Feng Jiayou blurted out. If her piece was also chosen as the cover story for October, then she and her husband would be dominating half the pages of Yanjing’s literary magazines this month. If Huang Beijia and Cha Jianying found out, her face would be the talk of the campus!

“What front page? You’re getting ahead of yourself!” Mother Feng shot her daughter another glare, but then seemed to realize something and asked, “Also? What do you mean, also the front page?”

“That classmate of yours from Yanda—Cha someone—her piece was chosen as the cover story by Yanjing Literature?”

No wonder Mother Feng was suspicious. Earlier that afternoon, as they finalized the issue in Chief Editor Liu’s office, Li Qingquan from Yanjing Literature had called out of the blue to thank them profusely and even invited them to dinner. It made Old Liu wonder if October had accidentally lost a good manuscript, leaving Yanjing Literature to scoop it up. So, he had the editorial department conduct an emergency cross-check, but after a thorough review, nothing outstanding seemed to have slipped through.

They thought it was all in their heads—until Mother Feng got home and, after a little probing, discovered that Cha Jianying from Yanda’s Chinese department had indeed submitted to October, been rejected, and then sent her piece to Yanjing Literature, where it was published.

So, there really was a manuscript they’d turned down that Yanjing Literature had accepted.

How could it be that, judging by her daughter’s tone now, Yanjing Literature had given that piece the front-page feature?

“No, no! I was just talking too fast. Old Liu’s manuscript—surely that was going to be your cover story, right? So I thought if mine replaced his, maybe it would be the cover story, too!”

Feng Jiayou had been talking too quickly, a habit worsened by all the teasing from Cheng Xuemin lately. She almost let something slip.

“No, Old Liu’s piece was something he put together at the last minute. It wasn’t slated for the cover. Besides, it’s not easy to land the front page! Unless a manuscript is truly outstanding and thought-provoking, we wouldn’t put it there.”

Mother Feng sighed in relief; she had been worried her daughter would blurt out that it was the front page. She shook her head and said, “Your piece is far from that level, even if it’s much improved.”

“Exactly, Mom, you’re absolutely right! Only the most exceptional pieces deserve the front page,” Feng Jiayou nodded furiously, though inwardly she was bursting with pride.

Is the front page really that hard to get? Her husband, Cheng Xuemin, had submitted two pieces to Yanjing Literature—one would be this month’s cover, the other next month’s. Wasn’t that impressive?

She even glanced at Cheng Xuemin with a smirk—two cover stories, sitting right here!

“Ahem!” Cheng Xuemin cleared his throat, already picturing the day his rebellious wife would be exposed. He wondered if his sharp-tongued mother-in-law would kill them both. He resolved to save up and buy a house, move out before disaster struck, and give them all some breathing room.

He’d never met a mother-daughter duo quite like this—they were truly a handful.

“That’s how it should be,” Mother Feng nodded. At least her daughter wasn’t reaching for the stars; she was satisfied with that. “No more boasting—just keep working hard! When the sample issue comes out, I’ll bring back a few copies for you to show off at school and give October some good press.”

“And get started on your next piece—strike while the iron is hot and try to get another one published next month!”

Though advertising wasn’t really a thing yet, Mother Feng wanted her daughter to show off at Yanda’s Chinese department—free publicity for October, after all. And she wanted her to keep writing while the inspiration was fresh. As long as the next piece wasn’t too weak, she’d help it get published right away, to salvage her daughter’s reputation among her classmates.

“I can write, but the payment… Yanjing Literature really pays more, Mom. You really can’t compete!”

This acceptance had given Feng Jiayou confidence; whereas before she wouldn’t write for her mother for anything, now she was eager to curry favor.

“For the next one, we’ll match Yanjing Literature—five yuan! Your classmates too: if their pieces are good, we’ll start at five yuan.”

It was true that October’s payments lagged behind Yanjing Literature by a yuan, and the standards weren’t quite as high. In fact, she’d only been strict with her own daughter, which had ended up scaring away her classmates as well. So, they had to raise the payment to win them back.

“I’ve already published a piece, so I’m an established author for October now, right? Yanjing Literature gives established authors six yuan per thousand characters!”

Feng Jiayou pushed her luck, hoping to get as much as her husband at Yanjing Literature—maybe even seven yuan per thousand!

“Then send your work to Yanjing Literature! If they don’t reject you, I’ll write my name backwards!” Mother Feng wasn’t about to indulge her daughter’s outrageous demands. After barely scraping one piece past her for months, she dared to ask for more pay? If all she talked about was Yanjing Literature, she could just go and try her luck—see if she didn’t get a harsh rejection.

“You need to build a solid foundation. Chasing quick success won’t help you write anything good,” Father Feng interjected, frowning. He thought his daughter’s priorities were off; if this were a few years earlier, she’d have been criticized for such eagerness.

“Jiayou, five yuan per thousand is already fantastic. For me, just being published would be an achievement!” Second Sister-in-law Sun Juan added, clearly envious.

Over sixty yuan for one piece—that would cover her expenses for months!

“Exactly, Sis! Sixty yuan for one piece—give me some pocket money!” said Feng Jiamei, her eyes glued to her sister’s payment slip, wishing she could snatch it away.

“Don’t write your name backwards—I can’t take responsibility for that!” Feng Jiayou muttered, thinking with her husband’s success leading the way, as long as her work wasn’t bad, Yanjing Literature would give her a pass, too. If that happened, her mother’s vow would come back to haunt her.

She sat back down and said, “Fine, I’ll write, but let me be clear—three revisions, max. Otherwise, I’ll send my work elsewhere. Don’t blame me then, Mom!”

“If you keep up the quality of this piece, you won’t need to change a single word!” Mother Feng replied, equally sharp-tongued. Setting ground rules with her? If the writing was good, no revisions needed; if not, she’d revise it until it worked. As for submitting elsewhere—just let her try!

…

PS: Sorry for the delay today—the next chapter will be up tomorrow morning. If you like it, please vote—thank you!