Chapter 37: So, You Are a Writer

This exclamation in itself was nothing, but it made Zhang Li blush instantly. She was so nervous she couldn't utter a word: "Hey! Sister, you... you misunderstood."

Zhang Li was flustered!

However, Zhang Yu eyed Li Yousi with suspicion. At one meter seventy-eight, his stature was particularly prominent for this era, and wearing a military uniform, he actually looked quite decent.

Li Yousi said very calmly, "Hello, Comrade Zhang Yu. I am a colleague of Comrade Zhang Li at the Cultural Troupe. I went to the train station to pick her up today."

Zhang Yu sighed and said with some disappointment, "So that’s not it! I thought you’d finally made some progress, Xiao Li!"

Unexpectedly, this older sister was remarkably open-minded. Li Yousi just wondered what Zhang Li's parents thought; he only wanted to probe a little. He had no intentions toward Zhang Li whatsoever. He promised! He was just curious about "Sister Baochai."

"Hello, then come on in." Zhang Yu smiled slightly and opened the door.

They had only taken a small step into the house when they saw a middle-aged woman in simple clothing appear. However, the woman had a stern look on her face, clearly someone in a leadership position; this was surely Zhang’s mother.

Hearing her eldest daughter’s call, Mother Zhang had run out. Seeing a tall man standing next to Zhang Li, she would have flown into a rage if he hadn't been wearing a military uniform, or if he had looked even slightly like a street hoodlum!

At the very least, in the eyes of people like them, the image of a soldier represented a standard, honest man.

"What's going on? Who is this?" Even Mother Zhang couldn't help but jump to conclusions upon seeing her daughter bring a man home.

Zhang Li quickly explained, "It’s not like that... He’s a comrade from the Cultural Troupe named Li Yousi. He helped me carry my things, and didn't I mention in my last letter that he was the one who helped me settle the issues at the troupe?"

Hearing her defense, Li Yousi looked at Zhang Li with an "I knew it" expression. As he had thought, his coming here was bound to cause trouble.

Mother Zhang breathed a slight sigh of relief. It wasn't that she was dissatisfied with Li Yousi, but their family upbringing had always been strict. If her daughter suddenly brought home a man, it would be hard to accept if he were truly a boyfriend.

"Oh! Well then, Xiao Li, come on in."

Mother Zhang began to fuss over Zhang Li. "Wasn't it too boring going to Beiping by yourself? Did you suffer any hardships?"

Zhang Li smiled and said, "Not at all. The comrades at the Cultural Troupe are very kind to me, and the director is a good person too!"

"Well, that's good." Mother Zhang said, feeling comforted. "Since you've gone, you must work hard to make something of it."

To intellectuals like them, *Dream of the Red Chamber* was a legendary title. If she could act in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, she would naturally be different from those common stage actors!

That was why Mother Zhang had no complaints about her participating.

Zhang Li nodded.

The two of them entered the house. Li Yousi set her luggage down by the bedroom door. Zhang Li looked around and asked, "Where is Dad?"

Mother Zhang replied, "Your father is still at work. His department is busy; you know how he is."

Then, Zhang Yu and Mother Zhang looked at Li Yousi with a new perspective. Mother Zhang smiled and said, "Comrade, it's been hard on you."

"It's nothing!"

"Why don't you stay for a meal tonight? We'll be ready soon."

Li Yousi looked at Zhang Li, who was avoiding his gaze, and then said, "Then thank you for your hospitality, Auntie."

He followed Zhang Yu to the sofa. The older sister handed him a book and said, "You must be bored sitting here. Why don't you read a magazine?"

Li Yousi nodded, "Thank you!"

Li Yousi examined the Zhang household. It was a two-bedroom apartment with a small living room and no television. The walls were covered in various newspapers, and in the center hung a family portrait of the four of them, the two sisters and their parents. Besides that, there was a wall calendar featuring a painting of a rocket launch. It looked like a classic house from the eighties.

After a while, Zhang Li finished tidying up and walked out slowly, intentionally or otherwise sitting down next to Li Yousi.

Mother Zhang walked over carrying a bowl of stir-fried vegetables. She took another look at Li Yousi and then at Zhang Li. Even she couldn't help but think to herself that they were indeed a talented and handsome pair.

"Comrade Xiao Li, if you're hungry, feel free to have some fruit..."

Li Yousi smiled and replied, "Thank you, Auntie."

Mother Zhang thought she would probe the young man's background. "Comrade Xiao Li, do you work at the Cultural Troupe?"

"That's right, Mom, he's a writer at our Cultural Troupe!" Zhang Li immediately interjected, fearing that Li Yousi’s preference for being low-key would get in the way.

"A writer?"

Hearing this, Mother Zhang was somewhat surprised.

Zhang Li smiled slightly, took the magazine from Li Yousi's hand, and pointed it out to her mother. "Have you both read this? He wrote it."

Zhang’s parents had always been in the habit of reading literary magazines, with *People's Literature* and *Harvest* being their favorites, followed by *Beiping Literature* and *October*.

The magazine in question contained the recently popular story, *Fallen Leaves Return to Their Roots*.

Mother Zhang opened her mouth in surprise and subconsciously shook her head, unable to believe it. How could such an impressive writer come from a small cultural troupe? Even if they did, they usually only wrote military-themed fiction.

Besides, he was so young!

Could her daughter have been deceived? These writers were the best at tricking young girls.

She subconsciously asked, "Did he really write it?"

Zhang Yu was even more skeptical, looking back and forth between her sister and Li Yousi.

Zhang Li said with a hint of pride, "Look at the pen name. How could it be such a coincidence? The person's name and the pen name are the same! And because of publishing this story, Comrade Li has become the most valued writer in our troupe!"

Zhang Li even brought up the Zhanqi Cultural Troupe, the largest in the Southwest—could they really be fooled by Li Yousi?

Only then did Mother Zhang look again, noticing that he did indeed have an air of scholarly refinement.

"That's truly amazing! Comrade, I never expected you to be a writer!"

Zhang Li, with a bell-like laugh, continued, "That's right! Last time he even went to Beiping to revise his manuscript! The editors at the magazine loved him and told him to submit more work next time."

Zhang Yu glanced at the story in the magazine and looked at Li Yousi with surprise. "Oh? Dad mentioned this story to me last time and told me to study it. You wrote this?"

With three pairs of eyes fixed on him, Li Yousi could only nod slowly. "It was me..."

The status of a writer had been highly regarded for the past few decades; at least, a serious writer with representative works was quite well-liked. This was the respect for intellectuals deeply rooted in the bones of the people.