Chapter 155 My manuscript has been approved!
Maybe the Nian beast really does exist. Nian comes quietly and leaves in a hurry amid the sound of firecrackers. Before you can react, the Nian is over.
In rural areas, people don't calculate age based on birthdays. After the New Year, one is considered one year older. Although his actual age is not yet reached, Fang Wei is already considered fourteen years old.
Because of the Spring Festival in between, the one-month winter vacation feels particularly short.
After the Chinese New Year, the holiday is already half over, and after the Lantern Festival, the holiday is coming to an end. There are only four days left until the start of the new semester.
Life quietly returned to normal and days began to become busy.
Fang Wei started his daily morning run as usual.
Liu Zhiyi also got up early as usual and waited for his arrival at the gate of the yard.
Seeing his figure from afar, the girl who had just finished warming up on the spot started jogging towards him.
"I don't know if it's because I gained weight during the Chinese New Year, but now running feels harder and my thighs are sore all of a sudden, huh, huh..."
"You've been slacking off! Me too, my body clock is messed up, and I almost couldn't get up this morning."
"biological clock?"
"Well, it's a regular mechanism of the human body's natural regulation. For example, if you get used to waking up early, you will wake up naturally at a certain time without the alarm going off."
"So that's how it is. Huh, huh..."
"Stop talking, or you'll get a stitch in the side. Just focus on running."
"Uh-huh!"
Fang Wei and Liu Zhiyi stopped talking. They ran one after the other along the country path. The only sound left was the rhythmic footsteps of each other.
Even if she didn't say a word at this time, Liu Zhiyi would not feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. Instead of running side by side with him, she preferred to lag behind him by one step and run behind him, so that she could look at him without restraint.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, would they keep running together like this every day? Seven days a week, or two or three days off when it was windy or rainy, as the seasons changed, year after year, they would slowly grow up together.
What will he look like when he grows up? She imagined what Fang Wei would look like when he grew up, and also imagined what she would look like when she grew up, but she couldn't imagine what she would look like.
Looking back on his life, Liu Zhiyi feels that the most appropriate self-evaluation is probably "thinking too much".
She also tried to be like Cai Ling, living today's affairs today and dealing with tomorrow's affairs tomorrow, but she could never be that relaxed and open-minded. Perhaps if she could really do that, she would no longer be herself.
Of course, this kind of "thinking too much" often ends up not even making her able to come up with an answer, just like what she wrote in the article she submitted to Mengya: I love the unknown of the world, but I cannot predict who I will become or who I will meet tomorrow, and this is the most interesting thing.
Well, Liu Zhiyi admitted that what was written in that article were actually his true feelings and thoughts! He was just too embarrassed to admit it to him...
Before I knew it, I arrived at the beach.
The naughty sand got into my shoes and socks.
Like Fang Wei, she took off her shoes and socks and walked barefoot on the beach.
The morning sun in the distance rose as promised, and the two of them put their hands together at their mouths to form a trumpet shape.
First, Fang Wei shouted: "Ah——!"
She also shouted: "Ah——!!"
She was secretly trying to compete with him, so she shouted so loudly that even Fang Wei was startled by her shouting.
"...As expected, the food during the New Year is good, so the shouting is particularly loud, right?!"
"laugh."
Liu Zhiyi smiled. It felt great to run like this every day and then shout to the sea. It was as if all the messy "overthinking" in his mind was shouted out with this shout, and his chest felt clear and comfortable.
There was no rush to go back, and the two sat down on the beach to rest.
Their movements were surprisingly consistent. They each supported themselves on the beach with their hands behind them, and stretched their legs out flat in front of them. Their feet were facing the sea, with their taken-off shoes and socks placed beside them. The sea breeze gently brushed the soles of their feet, bringing a tingling and cool feeling.
"Have you finished your winter vacation homework?" Fang Wei asked her.
"Yeah, I just finished it last night. What about yours?"
"It's done."
School is about to start in three or four days, and Fang Wei finished his winter vacation homework in the past two days.
Cailing was the first to finish, but she had also been making up for her homework these past two days, because Fang Wei had circled all the mistakes she had made during her winter break and asked her to do it again...
As for Asheng, he probably just started busying himself with his homework today.
"Time flies! Winter vacation is over in a flash! Many people should have gone back to work by now..." Liu Zhiyi sighed.
Fang Wei blinked his eyes and could tell what she was thinking from her expression, so he asked her again:
“Have the results of the submission to Mengya come out?”
The fact that she secretly wrote articles and submitted them to major magazines has become an open secret between the two. In front of Fang Wei, the girl no longer hides the fact that she writes articles and novels and dreams of becoming a great writer.
"There is no result yet..."
"It's been a month and a half, right?"
"Well... there's the Chinese New Year holiday in between, so it's not surprising if there are results later, but it's also not surprising if there are no results. I'm already preparing to write a new manuscript!"
"Hmm? New manuscript?"
"Yes, because if you are not selected, you have to submit again."
Liu Zhiyi proactively said that there was a possibility of losing the election. Was this probably a subconscious way of giving himself a shot of prevention?
Fang Wei didn't know how sincere she was when she said this, but he knew that anyone who submitted a manuscript with full of heart naturally hoped that it would be accepted. However, the fact that she could show such an optimistic attitude and such an unbeatable resilience was already amazing, and it really impressed Fang Wei.
"So what kind of manuscript are you going to submit next time?"
"It's still an article~"
"Why don't you try writing a novel?"
"Well, I can't control it..."
"So what kind of article do you plan to write?"
"I won't tell you~"
"Hey, what's our relationship? Why don't you even tell me? Didn't you agree before that you would show me the new manuscript as soon as possible?"
"I, I haven't really thought about it yet!"
"Haha. I don't believe it."
"real!"
"Do not believe."
"Really, really, please believe me!"
"Do not believe!"
Fang Wei looked as if he would never believe it, which made Liu Zhiyi very depressed. The girl was so angry that she hit him with her little hand, but he smiled even more happily, like a winner.
People are always like this. Once a secret is revealed, they can no longer hide it. Not only can they not hide it, but they will also treat this person as the only person to confide in and tell him more. "Fang Wei..."
"Ok?"
"Do you think it's really possible for me to be a writer?"
Liu Zhiyi asked him this as if seeking confirmation, her beautiful big eyes meeting his gaze.
"Why do you want to be a writer, then?"
"Well... because I like it."
There is never much reason to like this kind of thing. Even Liu Zhiyi himself can't explain why he has a special liking for writing.
For her, writing seems to have some kind of unique magic, which allows her to discover another self in this solitary conversation, just like an unknown world. Before putting pen to paper, she doesn't understand what she will write. Even if she has already conceived a story and said something, the words on paper will use its logic to deduce new ideas. The mottled images and ideas in her mind find a perfect place to stay through words. For her who "thinks too much", there is no other way of life that suits her better than writing.
"That's all!"
Fang Wei smiled and said, "Zhiyi, you know, many people don't know what they want until they are 30 or 40 years old, but you already have a clear goal, which is already a great thing!"
"Really……"
"Of course, I believe in your talent and hard work. You can definitely become a real writer!"
Writing is a very personal thing, and she needs to deal with many difficulties on this road by herself. What I can do is to give her the greatest encouragement and affirmation, which is also what every writer desires most.
Fang Wei's words penetrated into Liu Zhiyi's ears, and an indescribable happiness and warmth rose in her heart.
"Hmm~~!"
The girl let out a sound of great emotion, and no beautiful words could describe her feelings.
As if the spring was wound too tight, the energy in her body was too abundant, so she stood up barefoot and ran forward a few steps, her hands gathered to her mouth in a trumpet shape, and roared to the sea:
“Aaaaaah! I want to be a great writer! Aaaaah!”
Fang Wei: “…”
……
In those days when transportation was slow and letters were far away, it was not possible to do nothing and just wait for submissions.
Liu Zhiyi gradually lost hope in the results of her last submission, and she began to prepare to write another new manuscript.
As the school starts date approaches, in addition to writing, I also have to prepare for school.
At around ten o'clock in the morning, Liu Zhiyi was reading a book in his room. The book he was reading was borrowed from Cailing. It was Sister Caiwei's previous second semester textbook for junior high school. It could be considered as advance preparation, as Fang Wei had already read it early.
Liu Zhiyi was watching intently when the landline phone at home rang.
[Ding-ling-ling——]
In the past, Liu Zhiyi would not be curious about who was calling, nor would he take the initiative to answer the phone. After all, his grandfather was at home and would answer the phone.
But after submitting her articles, every time the phone at home rang, she would run over to answer it, but unfortunately, none of the calls were from the magazine.
This call was no exception. As the phone rang, the girl's heart skipped a beat. Before her brain could react, her body honestly ran out of the room.
Ta-da! Before grandpa could even get close to the phone, she had already picked up the phone.
"Hey……?"
The girl asked softly, holding the receiver in one hand and nervously pulling the phone cord with the other.
Uncle Liu was standing not far away, holding a bunch of green onions in his hand, preparing to make lunch and about to take the phone she handed him.
However, he did not expect that the call did not seem to be for him. He could not hear what was said on the other end of the phone. He only saw the expression on his granddaughter's face suddenly change. Her eyes widened and her mouth was open. The tone of her voice also became respectful, and she kept nodding like a nodding doll.
"Whose call is it?" Uncle Liu asked curiously.
But the good granddaughter didn't hear his question, her mind was full of the voice on the phone!
"Hello, we are from Mengya Magazine. Is this the author Nanfeng's home?"
"...!!"
Just hearing that name, the girl's mind went blank and she couldn't think at all!
Her little heart began to beat wildly, and she nodded her head like pounding garlic -
"Uh-huh! Hello, Y-yes!"
"Excuse me, are you Nanfeng?"
"Yes! It's me!"
"Hello, I'm Bai Yun, the editor of Mengya Magazine. I'm mainly responsible for the Youth Thoughts column. We have received your manuscript "Sea Breeze Blowing". I'm calling to confirm with you whether you wrote the article "Sea Breeze Blowing" yourself and own the original copyright?"
"Yes, it is!"
"After review by our editorial department, we have decided to publish your work in the April issue. Would you like to publish your article in our budding journal?"
“Y-yes!!”
"Okay, I'm honored that you chose our Mengya magazine. Our unified remuneration for prose manuscripts is 100 yuan per thousand words. Your remuneration is yuan. Do you have any questions about this?"
"No, no!"
"Okay, we will send you the payment via remittance slip after the work is published. I would like to confirm the address with you. Is it No. 3, Shayang Village, Pineapple Island, Xuanzhu City?"
“Y-yes!!”
"As the editor of this column, I personally like your article very much. Although the writing style is mature and sophisticated, the article still retains the purity and sincerity unique to youth. It really makes my eyes light up. I also look forward to you submitting more excellent manuscripts to us in the future."
“Ok, ok!!”
Only after the other party hung up the phone did Liu Zhiyi put down the microphone in his hand. He felt a little dazed for a moment, as if he was dreaming.
In fact, she didn't hear most of what the other party said on the phone. Only one voice echoed in her heart -
I passed the manuscript!
I passed the manuscript!!
Thinking of this, the girl even had the urge to cry, tears of joy!
“Ah… ah! Hehehe!!”
Liu Zhiyi couldn't help it, he jumped three feet high on the spot, and ran around the living room excitedly, jumping up and down.
Seeing his granddaughter like this, Liu Liangxun was also shocked and asked hurriedly: "Who called to make you so happy?"
"Grandpa! I passed the manuscript!"
"Huh? What manuscript?"
"I'm going to go out for a while!"
"Where are you going? We're going to eat soon... Hey? Hey?"
Before his grandfather could say anything, Liu Zhiyi had already pushed his bicycle out the door and headed straight for Donghua Village.
She couldn't wait to tell Fang Wei the good news!
(End of this chapter)
