076 Feng Family’s Youngest Publishes Another Article (Please Vote for Monthly Ticket)

"Hey, Xu Lingjun, Li Xiuzhi, what brings you two here today? How come you have time to drop by Yanjing Literature?"

As soon as they stepped through the gates of the Yanjing Literary Institute, they spotted Zhang Dening clutching several issues of Yanjing Literature, heading outside.

From afar, she caught sight of Cheng Xueming and Feng Jiayou and hurried over, laughing as she teased and greeted them.

"Dening, are you heading out?" Cheng Xueming helped Feng Jiayou down from the bicycle and asked Zhang Dening.

"What a coincidence! I was just on my way to your university to deliver this issue's complimentary copies."

Zhang Dening hugged the newly printed issues to her chest and said, "Xueming, Jiayou, we've published Xueming's 'A Deep and Tender Heart' as the cover story this issue!"

"And Jiayou, your 'Review of The Horseman' that you submitted last time has also been accepted and published in the same issue!"

With that, Zhang Dening handed each of them a fresh copy of Yanjing Literature.

"What? Sister Dening, my review was accepted too?"

Feng Jiayou was so excited that she snatched the magazine from Dening's hand and quickly flipped to the table of contents.

"It's on page 27!"

"Editor Zhou said your review was insightful and your perspective quite sharp. She even praised you, saying if you submitted it to Wenhui Daily, it would surely have been accepted!"

Zhang Dening relayed to Feng Jiayou the editor-in-chief Zhou Yanru's comments on her piece.

"Hehe, Sister Dening, I was actually planning to submit it to Wenhui Daily! I only handed it to you because you happened to catch me at the right moment!"

It really was on page 27!

Feng Jiayou was so thrilled that she skipped right past her husband's cover story, "A Deep and Tender Heart," and turned straight to her own piece.

She had become completely numb to Cheng Xueming's constant successes—only having her own work accepted and printed could still excite her.

This was the second time!

For the second time, Feng Jiayou saw her handwritten manuscript transformed into printed type and published!

She soaked in the pleasure of reading her own words in print, and then, still putting on airs, said to Zhang Dening:

"Ha! Jiayou, what a thing to say! Are you blaming me for stealing your piece and keeping you from publishing in Wenhui Daily?"

One compliment, and she was already getting carried away!

It was true—last time when she went to Yanjing University to check on the manuscript, she happened to discover Feng Jiayou's review of The Horseman. Dening thought the perspective was excellent and suggested submitting it to Yanjing Literature instead.

At first, Feng Jiayou was reluctant, feeling that submitting to Yanjing Literature made it look like she was riding the coattails of her husband, the original author of The Horseman, and that even if it was accepted, it wouldn't feel particularly honorable.

She wanted to challenge Wenhui Daily!

But after much persuasion and flattery from Dening, she finally relented and let Dening take the manuscript.

On that trip, she didn't manage to secure a piece from her husband, but she got his wife's review—still a good haul!

Editor Zhou even advised Dening to keep close to Feng Jiayou, since the first time Cheng Xueming received payment for a manuscript, he gave it directly to his wife, showing who truly held sway in the family.

Secure Feng Jiayou, and you secure The Horseman’s author, Xu.

Moreover, the review itself was truly well-written, and Editor Zhou approved it on the spot, even noting offhandedly that it would have passed at Wenhui Daily as well.

And now, after Dening's casual remark, Feng Jiayou was acting as if Yanjing Literature was beneath her, leaving Dening a little exasperated.

"Hehe, no, Sister Dening, that's not what I meant at all!"

"By the way, where’s the payment slip? The payment slip?"

Feng Jiayou shot Dening a coquettish look, and as soon as she finished reading her review, she asked about the payment.

"Right here! I was just about to deliver it to you!"

"Seven yuan per thousand words—thanks to your husband's backdoor, aren't we generous?"

Zhang Dening, half amused and half exasperated, pulled the payment slip from her bag and handed it to Feng Jiayou with a smile.

"Seven yuan per thousand?"

Both Feng Jiayou and Cheng Xueming were surprised—was Yanjing Literature really so generous? This was Jiayou's first time publishing with them, and they were immediately paying the highest rate?

Hearing Dening's last comment, Cheng Xueming forced a wry smile. So it was the benefit of his connections.

"Very generous, Sister Dening! If we have anything else, you'll be the first to get it!"

Regardless of whether her husband's influence played a role, the payment was generous enough to delight Feng Jiayou.

"Exactly! If you’d sent it to Wenhui Daily, would they pay you this much?" Dening retorted, regaining the upper hand.

"Yes, yes, Sister Dening, you’re absolutely right! From now on, you get all our submissions!" Feng Jiayou responded absentmindedly, her focus fixed on the slip in her hand.

It wasn’t much, just seventeen yuan.

Her review was only a bit over two thousand words, less than three thousand. Still, for Feng Jiayou, this was more than enough to make her proud and content.

Published again, and another payment!

She could hardly wait to show off this contributor’s copy to Huang Beijia and Cha Jianying back at school.

Those two had been slacking off lately—neither writing their own pieces nor reviewing The Horseman.

All day long, they just fantasized about finding ways to secretly meet her husband, the author.

Women really ought to have more ambition!

Feng Jiayou resolved to toss this issue in front of them and remind them that writing and earning manuscript fees was far more rewarding than daydreaming.

"You two keep saying yes, yes, yes, but how many days has it been now? Xueming, have you finished that novella yet?"

With a sidelong glance at Feng Jiayou, Dening ushered Cheng Xueming into the editorial office.

"It's finished! We're delivering it to you in person!"

"Here, a thick stack!"

Feng Jiayou carefully handed the bundle from her bag—over two hundred thousand words!

Seven yuan per thousand, that meant a manuscript fee of sixteen or seventeen hundred yuan!

"Finished?" Dening’s eyes lit up, having waited for The Horseman’s novella for a while. She was excited. "Let me see it, Jiayou, quickly!"

"Xueming, Jiayou, what brings you here—delivering a manuscript to Dening?"

Bai Ling, seeing the trio at the door, stood up in surprise to greet them.

"Yes, Sister Bai Ling, Xueming just finished his novella and brought it straight over," Jiayou replied, handing her bag to Dening, and greeted Bai Ling as she stood.

"Really? So soon?"

Bai Ling was stunned. "Isn’t it a two-hundred-thousand-word novella? Xueming, how did you finish it so fast?"

She counted on her fingers—it had only been about twenty days since he started. Had he really written that much already?

"Just practice," Cheng Xueming replied modestly, nodding to Bai Ling.

He then greeted the other editors in the room.

"Comrade Xu, another great work?"

"Xu, perfect timing! This issue features your 'A Deep and Tender Heart.' Here’s your copy—take a look and let us know if you have any feedback!"

"I hear it’s a novella? Dening’s been dropping hints—she says it’s great. We’ve all been anxiously waiting to read it."

"So thick? That must be two or three hundred thousand words!"

The editors all greeted Cheng Xueming while Dening, unable to wait, grabbed the manuscript and dashed into her mentor Zhou Yanru’s office.

"Editor Zhou, Xueming’s novella is finished—the whole thing, just delivered. Please take a look at the beginning!"

Dening had already read the first hundred thousand words half a month ago and had been waiting for the rest ever since.

Now that Cheng Xueming and his wife had delivered the manuscript themselves, she was nearly bursting with impatience.

She dropped the stack of pages onto Zhou Yanru’s desk and plopped into a chair, immediately reading the new content.

"It’s finished? There’s so much!"

Zhou Yanru stared at the thick pile, bewildered by the sheer volume.

"Aunt Zhou, Xueming just finished writing last night, and we rushed over first thing this morning!" Jiayou chimed in, beaming.

"Ah, Jiayou, you came too! Quickly, have a seat!" Zhou Yanru was all smiles—Jiayou was the pride of Yanjing Literature.

She quickly called out, "Xueming, come in! Sit wherever you like!"

Upon seeing Cheng Xueming, Zhou Yanru’s eyes shone even brighter. She bustled to brew the best tea, fretting, "You should have just told Dening to pick it up! In this freezing weather, what if Jiayou caught a chill?"

"And Dening, really—you were supposed to fetch it yesterday afternoon, but you delayed until today!"

As she fussed over the couple, Dening, engrossed in the manuscript, caught some of the blame.

"Editor Zhou, how is this my fault? I’ve been so busy—I was even in Xidan yesterday. I haven’t had a day to myself in ages!" Dening protested, not looking up from her reading.

"You, child..." Zhou Yanru rolled her eyes. Couldn’t Dening just go along for once, instead of talking back to her editor-in-chief?

"Jiayou, drink some hot water to warm up!"

"Bai Ling, bring the brazier in here! Don’t let Jiayou freeze!"

Zhou Yanru poured a cup of steaming water for Jiayou and called out to the editorial office.

Yanjing hadn’t yet turned on the heating, and the December cold was biting.

Only Jiayou would brave the cold to deliver the manuscript in person!

If it had been Cheng Xueming, he would’ve just stayed at the university and waited for Dening to come by with the contributor’s copy and payment slip.

Jiayou, impatient as always—if she’d waited just a few more hours, Dening herself would have come to the university.

"Here, Xueming, have some hot tea to warm up!"

Zhou Yanru poured another cup, using the best tea leaves they had, and handed it to Cheng Xueming.

"Thank you, Teacher Zhou!"

Cheng Xueming accepted the cup politely.

"Here comes the brazier! Jiayou, warm yourself by the fire. In this weather, you really went out of your way—didn’t Dening say she’d be by your place today?"

Bai Ling and another editor brought in a brazier, setting it by Jiayou’s feet, and gave Dening a good-natured scolding as well.

But Dening was already too absorbed in the manuscript to care.

"Thank you, Sister Bai Ling, thank you, Sister Yang! I didn’t have class this morning, so I thought I’d come by," Jiayou replied, her cheeks rosy from the cold, cupping the porcelain bowl in both hands and blowing on it.

"Jiayou, speaking of this manuscript, are you still keeping it from your mother? Haven’t you thought of submitting this novella to your mother’s magazine, 'October'?"

Zhou Yanru, settling back into her seat, looked over the thick manuscript with a hint of curiosity.

…