Chapter 60 The Real Estate Moved

Liu Xinwu asked, "Xiao Li, have you finished reading it? Any questions? We can discuss them now."

"No major issues, let's just revise it along these lines. When is the exact submission deadline?" Li Yousi replied.

Liu Xinwu spoke slowly, "Well, considering that your revisions are quite demanding, involve a heavy workload, and take a lot of time, do you think you can submit it to us before mid-May? By then, the political review will be completed, and it will be published directly in early June."

"Can the revisions be finished in time? If it's really tight, we could push it back by half a month."

Ah, Liu Xinwu was always so easy to talk to. Li Yousi had this thought once again. "I'll be able to submit it before mid-May."

"That is naturally for the best."

After finishing their discussion about the manuscript, Liu Xinwu continued considerately, "I heard you came all the way from the Jincheng Cultural and Art Troupe! Since you are far from home and unfamiliar with the place, does the magazine need to arrange a guesthouse for you, or help you apply for subsidies?"

"Well, the guesthouse won't be necessary. The General Political Department has already arranged that."

"Then we'll apply for the subsidies."

Li Yousi tacitly accepted this. His novel was being revised for both the General Political Department and *People's Literature*, so receiving two sets of subsidies seemed completely fine.

Plus, there was his salary from the cultural troupe, which was paid as usual. Putting the three incomes together, he would make about a hundred yuan a month... No wonder people said life within the system was comfortable.

~

In the afternoon, he left the magazine office, bought a few things, and returned to the General Political Department.

He was quite used to this peaceful routine.

Revising the manuscript? A month and a half was more than enough time. Li Yousi never had objections to making revisions, provided they didn't undermine the core theme of the story—unlike Liu Baiyu, who had directly demanded that he alter the character depictions.

First, that would be a massive undertaking, requiring him to rewrite nearly half of a three-hundred-thousand-word novel. Second, once the characters were changed, the essence of the story would be lost.

On the other hand, *People's Literature* requesting revisions to sentences and paragraphs for literary polish posed absolutely no problem for Li Yousi.

So, all things considered, the revisions could be completed in just over ten days.

With the remaining time, he could work on a new piece at the General Political Department. His previous work, *Tears*, had given him plenty of inspiration, and the subject matter seemed rather sensitive.

No matter, he had tested the waters this time, and the General Political Department's acceptance level was actually quite high...

---

Military Region Compound.

A Red Flag sedan stopped at the entrance, and Liu Baiyu slowly poked his head out of the door.

The driver, Xiao Wang, immediately stepped out to help him. "Chief."

"Let's go. It's been a while since I last came back for dinner," Liu Baiyu nodded.

The two of them walked into the compound.

Soon, the sound of noisy commotion drifted from the house, and a six- or seven-year-old boy wearing a red cotton-padded jacket came running out of the doorway.

Spotting Liu Baiyu, he immediately called out, "Grandpa, Grandpa~"

"Ah," Liu Baiyu responded, immediately stepping forward to scoop the boy up into his arms.

He reached out to pinch his little grandson's cheek and asked, "What's gotten into you today? You're shouting so eagerly."

The grandson leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Grandpa, I want to tell you something."

"What is it? Do you want a present?"

The grandson's head shook vigorously like a rattle drum. "No, it's a little secret."

"Oh? So secretive. Xiao Wang, step back a bit; this little rascal doesn't like outsiders hearing his secrets."

Xiao Wang stepped away a little, and the little grandson leaned in and shouted, "Grandpa, I love you!"

"Haha."

This declaration caused old Liu, who had spent decades fighting battles outside, to instantly blush. No matter how progressive society became, he was still just an old man bound by traditional ways of thinking.

The little grandson was unsatisfied. "Grandpa, you're supposed to ask: *How much do you love me?!*"

"Alright, alright. How much do you love me?"

The little grandson spread his arms as wide as he could and declared, "I love you this much."

Liu Baiyu burst into laughter, reached into his pocket, pulled out a ten-yuan bill, and shoved it into his grandson's hand.

"Oh! Grandpa loves you too. Is there some toy you want? Here, Grandpa will give you money."

After the joy settled down, the old man looked somewhat surprised as he watched his daughter-in-law slowly walk out of the door.

She seemed to be asking with her eyes: *What is this grandson of mine up to today? Could it be that he's eyeing my real estate?*

The daughter-in-law walked over and immediately patted her son. "Grandpa is so old, yet you still want him to carry you. Have you no idea how much you weigh?"

Having secured the money, the grandson immediately scampered off. "Mom, I'm going to buy candied haws."

Only then did the daughter-in-law explain, "I took him out to play today, and he saw a fairy tale book called *Children's Literature* with little rabbits printed on the cover. He started making a fuss and demanding it, so I figured I'd just buy him a copy."

"When we got back, I read the fairy tale inside to him. You know how children are—they just mimic whatever they see!"

"What fairy tale?" Liu Baiyu asked, somewhat surprised. "Does China have fairy tales like that?"

The daughter-in-law replied, "Wait a moment, I'll go inside and get it for you."

Liu Baiyu walked into the main room and sat down slowly, while Xiao Wang tactfully poured him a cup of tea.

After searching for a short while, the daughter-in-law came out holding a copy of *Children's Literature* and said with a smile,

"Right here. Even the name is strange—*Guess How Much I Love You*. Haha, when I first read it, I thought some foolish editor had put Zhang Henshui's romantic novels into *Children's Literature*."

Liu Baiyu looked at the magazine.

His first glance was at the title, and his second was at the pen name: Li Yousi.

"This Li Yousi again?"

The daughter-in-law asked, "What Li Yousi?"

Liu Baiyu smiled and said, "Nothing. A young writer recently joined our General Political Department and is currently revising a manuscript! This story was written by him."

The daughter-in-law nodded. "No wonder. I was just thinking, ordinary writers wouldn't have such delicate sensibilities, but if he's from the General Political Department, then it's not surprising."

After all, the General Political Department was the organization under her respected elder's command.

Liu Baiyu nodded. *Children's Literature* was naturally different from literary fiction, but it held profound educational significance for the flowers of the motherland. He had a friend named Ye Shengtao, who had been dedicated to educational work all this time.

Over these past decades, true talents had emerged like crucian carp crossing a river.

The five-thousand-word fairy tale was finished by Liu Baiyu in the blink of an eye. No wonder his little grandson had been mimicking it; those exact lines were written right there in the book.

Still, even if it was just mimicry, it was enough to delight the old man.

"I never expected that a literary writer could also write children's stories, and write them so well."

After reading the story, Liu Baiyu's attitude toward Li Yousi underwent a dramatic shift. A writer capable of crafting such an educational little story—how skewed could his political stance possibly be?

Furthermore, on a small scale, this story taught children how to express themselves, and on a grand scale, it fostered greater family harmony!

"Oh! It really is that Li Yousi from *Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots*! I thought it was just someone with the same name. Writers like this are truly amazing; whatever story they write turns out good. It looks like you've gained another fierce general, Grandpa."

Liu Baiyu shook his head. "He belongs to the *Battle Flag*, not the General Political Department."

"Doesn't the *Battle Flag* answer to your General Political Department as well?"