Reborn in 1977

Chapter 586: Walking Your Own Path

After returning, Chen Fan resumed his regular life.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays mornings, he went to school to attend classes. At other times, he was either at the Writers Association revising manuscripts or following up on the progress of the correspondence center.

And every afternoon, he would set aside some time to give acupuncture to patients at the Provincial Military Region Hospital.

These patients were similar to Grandpa Xiang, having barely survived the battlefield only to be unable to work normally due to their injuries, so they were assigned some simple jobs to live out their days.

Such as sitting as gatekeepers in the reception room, patrolling the neighborhood committee occasionally, or being forest rangers, cemetery guardians, and so on… But most of them were doormen.

Out of 33 patients, 23 were doormen.

It was just a pity that most of them were not in the provincial capital, otherwise, in the future, Chen Fan, or rather, the Cultural New Village, could enter and exit most units in the provincial capital without needing any identification.

Even so, Chen Fan, or rather the Cultural New Village, had gained many benefits.

At this time, the Cultural New Village had completed all the approval work and was about to enter the construction phase.

In the planning of this area, along the side of the Cultural New Village that was adjacent to the road, a hospital and a two-story building would be built.

This was the result of the efforts of "all parties." The hospital was jointly funded by Jiangnan University and the Department of Health, with the Department of Culture sponsoring a little bit.

The other building was funded by the Writers Association and, after completion, would be "transferred" to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the Vegetable Market Company, the Food Company, the Tobacco and Liquor Company, the Hardware and Chemical Company, the Electronics Company, the Cloth Store, the Xinhua Bookstore, and other units.

These companies would open Supply and Marketing Cooperative outlets, state-owned restaurants, non-staple food stores, hardware and chemical stores, electronic equipment stores, cloth stores, bookstores, etc.

As many units as there were, that many suites would be built. The houses would have an internal staircase layout, with the upper and lower floors as one suite. Each unit would purchase one suite to ensure fairness and reasonableness.

However, in exchange, if the Cultural New Village had surplus new houses, these units would have the priority to purchase them.

Government-to-government transactions, no one could find fault with it.

After all the planning was done, according to the current construction progress, they could move in by the end of the year at the latest.

By then, Chen Fan would no longer have to live in the guesthouse.

Early this morning, he woke up in his room at the guesthouse, silently calculating when he would receive his computer, feeling that it should be in the next day or two.

Then, he put the revised stack of manuscripts into his backpack, ate some breakfast in the guesthouse cafeteria, and waved goodbye to the receptionist, Xiao Peng.

He didn't pay a penny from beginning to end. All expenses were charged to the Writers Association account, just a signature was enough.

It wasn't that he loved to take small advantages, but that's how everyone did it these days.

In this guesthouse, there were at least 5 people who had been called over by magazine publishers to revise manuscripts, and Xu Qizhen was also a regular here.

As the saying goes, those in public service have a public spirit. Those with a unit are superior people. Not to mention eating and living at public expense, they are supported by the public until retirement, and even buried by the public after death.

Why else would so many people sharpen their heads and squeeze into units in the 1990s?

Living and eating at the guesthouse was nothing at all. If you insisted on being noble and aloof, people would definitely scold you for being stupid behind your back.

He drove out and soon turned into the courtyard of the Writers Association, got out of the car and went upstairs.

The gatekeeper was still that young man. Grandpa Xiang had just had heart surgery a few days ago to remove the last piece of shrapnel and would not be back to work for a few more days.

Waving greetings along the way, he went upstairs to He Qingsheng's office. Chen Fan knocked on the door and entered, took out the manuscript from his bag and put it on the desk, "Here, this is the last batch, revised."

He Qingsheng picked up the manuscript and looked at it, his brows furrowing slightly, "Couldn't you be a little more diligent and rewrite it?"

Chen Fan yawned weakly, reached out and grabbed a Yunyan cigarette from the table, took one out and lit it, and put the rest in his pocket, saying with a bitter face,

"I'm racing against time. The sooner it's revised, the sooner it can be sent out and published. If the Japanese really like this kind of novel, then our other members will also have the opportunity to be selected and earn foreign exchange. Think about it, isn't that the logic?"

He Qingsheng flipped through it a few times, looked up and said, "Alright, I'll arrange for someone to send it out later."

Then he was about to reach for a cigarette, but turned his head and looked, hey, where's my cigarette?

He glanced at Chen Fan, "Did you see my cigarette?"

Chen Fan exhaled a puff of smoke, "No."

He Qingsheng looked at the cigarette in his mouth, his eyes narrowed slightly, "Hiss… your cigarette?"

Chen Fan took it down and looked at it, "Oh, I took it from you, forgot?"

He Qingsheng looked blank, muttering to himself, "Did I misremember?"

Then he opened the drawer, took out a pack of cigarettes, thought about it, and threw another pack to Chen Fan, "Young people should smoke less, it's not good for your health."

Chen Fan's mouth twitched slightly, "I don't smoke unless I come to the unit."

You old smokers, you still have the nerve to advise me?

He Qingsheng pretended not to hear, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, lit it and said, "I gave your revised manuscript to the translators, and they said they understand what you mean and will translate according to your revised style in the future."

Chen Fan nodded gently, "That's the best way, saving trouble and increasing efficiency."

After a pause, he smiled at He Qingsheng, "I suggest that when sending the manuscript, you should also write a letter to Takahashi, asking him to find a few currently popular literary books in Japan and send them over with the sample books. In the letter, just write that we are doing this to better understand what kind of writing style is currently popular in Japan, and it's also in line with Mr. Li's advice to do some research before taking action."

When He Qingsheng heard this, he was also a little moved, but he still had some concerns, "Then do we have to pay for his books? I heard that books over in Japan are not cheap."

A book costs about 800 to 1200 yen, which is about 5 US dollars. You can't just buy a few books, right? Dozens of books would easily cost hundreds of dollars, and the unit's foreign exchange quota is already limited. Spending more would be a little painful.

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "It's okay, just tell him in the letter that the money for the books will be deducted from my future royalties."

He Qingsheng was stunned, "Your royalties, haven't they all been settled?"

Chen Fan smiled, "What if it sells well and there's a reprint? Then there will be royalties again."

He Qingsheng frowned slightly, "What if it doesn't sell well?"

Chen Fan looked at him expressionlessly, "Then you submit a report to apply for foreign exchange funds?"

He Qingsheng immediately made a decision, "Let's do as you say."

Chen Fan threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray, stood up and was about to walk out, "I'm going to class."

He Qingsheng quickly called out, "Hey, the Jiangnan University Auditorium this afternoon, don't forget."

This was already the third session of the correspondence center's interview class. Chen Fan was not there for the first session, as he was accompanying Zhou Zhengdong's family everywhere. When he came back, he just caught up with the second session. He Qingsheng asked him to give a lecture to the students, which was also to inspire people, but he declined on the grounds of revising manuscripts.

So he was assigned to the third session.

As one of the leading figures in Jiangnan's literary world, He Qingsheng and several other writers had already shown their faces, so it was his turn.

Chen Fan sighed and turned around to say, "Knowing that many people are looking for me at school, you still arranged for me to give a lecture at Jiangda. Who decided on the location?"

He Qingsheng slightly raised his forehead, "You decided it, forgot? The Cultural Palace, the university auditorium, those were all your suggestions."

Chen Fan stood frozen for two seconds, then turned around, waved his hand, and left without looking back.

Coming out of the Writers Association, the stirring music of the "Athlete's March" came from the nearby elementary school, signaling the flag-raising ceremony.

Chen Fan slowed down and slowly drove past the school. After a few seconds, the familiar yet unfamiliar national anthem began to play.

Familiar was the tune, unfamiliar were the lyrics.

"Advance, people of heroic nationalities! The great… Party, leads us to continue the Long March! With one heart and mind, we head towards… the socialist tomorrow! Build the motherland, defend the motherland, bravely struggle! Advance! Advance! Advance! For thousands of generations, we hold high… the banner,… Advance! Hold high… the banner, Advance, Advance, Advancing!"

The lyrics of this song were newly changed in March of this year.

Why wasn't the original used?

Because Mr. Tian had been overthrown, his works could naturally no longer be used.

So this new one was written.

Later, Mr. Tian's reputation was restored, so at the meeting at the end of 1982, the original lyrics were restored.

Calculating it, this song still had to be sung for more than four years.

After the car drove away from the elementary school, accompanied by the soaring music, Chen Fan floored the accelerator and soon arrived at the school.

He was Professor Xu's only disciple and had always studied in Professor Xu's office. As for the other compulsory public courses, Professor Xu had helped him apply for exams, and he had already passed them all. Therefore, he had never gone to the classroom to attend classes and had always studied in the office.

Arriving at the usual time, Professor Xu, as usual, sat quietly behind his desk reading a book, holding a fountain pen in his hand, occasionally writing a few strokes on the book.

Chen Fan walked in, unloaded his backpack, took out an oil paper package from it, and handed it over with a smile, "Teacher, have a meat bun."

Professor Xu looked up and smiled helplessly, "I told you not to bring me anything."

Chen Fan directly placed the bun in front of him, "Then next time I'll bring eggs."

He was directly copying Zhang Cuie's approach. Back then, he took Zhang Cuie as a student only to repay Zhang's family for their kindness. After all, when he first arrived in Lujiawan, Zhang Wenliang had taken care of him a lot, and he wouldn't be a broadcaster forever. He might as well train Zhang Cuie to make it easier to get away.

As a result, he was bribed by Zhang Cuie with eggs and sweet potatoes, and finally accepted her as a disciple and personally sent her to Peking University.

The last time he went to see Ba Lao, even Ba Lao praised Professor Xu. So he also wanted to try this method to see if he could get more good things out of him.

Professor Xu had no choice but to put the two large meat buns wrapped in oil paper into the drawer, but his face was full of smiles. Looking at the busy Chen Fan, after a while, he said softly, "Your foundation is almost laid now, you can learn something more in-depth."

There was a washbasin stand in the corner of the office, with two washbasins, one for Professor Xu and the other for him. He took out the washbasin, poured hot water, washed his face, and made a cup of tea. Just as he heard Professor Xu's words, he walked over with the teacup and sat opposite him, smiling, "What should I learn?"

Professor Xu leaned back in his chair and said softly, "In ancient times, scholars began their studies with the 'Three Hundred Character Classic' and the 'Thousand Character Classic,' and then entered the basic learning stage, needing to study the 'Classic of Filial Piety' and the 'Four Books,' which are the 'Great Learning,' the 'Doctrine of the Mean,' the 'Mencius,' and the 'Analects.'

This stage focuses on the foundation of Confucian classics. Without learning these, one cannot understand the meaning of the classics. At the same time, it also emphasizes self-cultivation and moral development.

After achieving some success, one can study the 'Five Classics.' Generally speaking, the five core Confucian classics, the 'Classic of Poetry,' the 'Classic of Documents,' the 'Book of Changes,' the 'Record of Rites,' and the 'Spring and Autumn Annals,' even if one spends their whole life studying them, they may not be able to master them all.

Therefore, in most cases, scholars will choose one classic as their 'fundamental classic,' and only need to have a superficial understanding of the other four.

After fully mastering the fundamental classic, one can be considered a great Confucian scholar. At this time, one needs to study more specialized books, such as the 'Records of the Grand Historian' and the 'Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Governance.' This stage is equivalent to what we now call graduate studies."

Chen Fan blinked as he listened, "Me?"

Professor Xu laughed, "It's just an analogy, actually it's not the same. Unless you can give up other things and focus on studying Sinology, even if you are extremely intelligent, you may not be able to surpass the ancients in the meaning of the classics.

You need to know that studying the meaning of the classics is not just reading and memorizing, but understanding the principles and 'uniting knowledge and action,' thereby implementing them into your daily life. If one can govern a region, one must also be able to skillfully apply the principles in the classics to establish virtue and merit. That is how it is."

Chen Fan chuckled dryly twice, not daring to say anything.

Professor Xu didn't mind and continued, "If we only talk about reading, the last book list I wrote for you already includes more than a dozen ancient books from enlightenment to classics. You can not only recite them fluently but also explain the principles from the shoulders of predecessors, which is very good. If you were in ancient times, even if you didn't become the top scholar, you would still be a 'Jinshi Jidi,' and you would naturally be qualified to start the next stage of learning."

Chen Fan's eyes lit up as he listened. So, if I were to travel back to ancient times at this time, I could also be a 'Little Chen Tanhua'?

The so-called Jinshi Jidi refers to the excellent candidates in the final imperial examination, the Dian Shi, in ancient imperial examinations.

The Dian Shi is divided into three grades. The first grade has three people, namely Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua, who are bestowed with the title of "Jinshi Jidi" by the emperor and parade through the streets in official attire, enjoying unparalleled prestige.

The second grade below are the qualified candidates, who are granted the title of "Jinshi Chushen," which is also okay.

As for the third grade, they are granted the title of "Tong Jinshi Chushen," which means that you didn't do very well in the exam, but I see that you still have some advantages somewhere, such as writing well, flattering well, or having a good reputation, and your articles are also passable, so I'll consider you as having passed the exam.

Professor Xu couldn't help but smile when he saw Chen Fan's expression, "There are no imperial examinations for you to take now, let alone Jinshi Jidi. You should still read your books honestly."

Then he took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to him, "This is the second book list, the knowledge is deeper and the scope is wider."

While Chen Fan was looking at the book list, he said to Chen Fan, "When I was young, I encountered a great change that hadn't happened in thousands of years. I also thought about seeking ways to save the country and the people from books. I learned a lot of things haphazardly. It wasn't until middle age that I calmed down.

I realized that no matter what industry or occupation, as long as one can work hard in a down-to-earth manner and contribute to the country and society, that is the way to love the country, love the people, and love oneself.

Since then, I have devoted myself to the campus, and according to my expertise, I have devoted myself to the study of Sinology, in order to inherit our Chinese civilization and not be eroded by Western learning. After decades, I have gained some insights, and I have not failed to read extensively in those years.

But this is just my path, and it may not be suitable for you.

Just as I said to you when we first met, I hope you can understand your own path from books and be able to practice it."

Chen Fan nodded lightly and said solemnly, "I understand."