"The Moon" Editorial Department

Su Man took the envelope and immediately opened it to read it. Fu Xiao and Lin Xi, who were standing nearby, also came over.

Looking at the reply and official seal from the editorial department of "October," Fu Xiao and Lin Xi felt a mix of emotions.

As for Su Man, she had put aside her worries and was filled with joy. She looked at it carefully again.

When did you write it?

Su Man was beginning to believe it. After all, in her eyes, Chen Weidong was just a bit playful, but he was very smart. As long as he got back on the right track and worked hard, he would definitely make a name for himself. Now it proved that she hadn't misjudged him.

"Around the time before the Lunar New Year, I wasn't sure what to do, so I planned to submit the application first and then tell you."

Chen Weidong said casually while playing with Chen Xiaosui.

"Oh, that's when you were writing letters home, right?"

Su Man immediately remembered, but during that time she had focused all her attention on the child and hadn't paid much attention to Chen Weidong.

However, Fu Xiao and Lin Xi, who were standing to the side, couldn't sit still any longer. They simply couldn't stand the sour, pungent smell that filled the air.

"Congratulations, Comrade Chen Weidong. I have some things to attend to at home, so I'll be leaving now."

Lin Xi congratulated Chen Weidong and then prepared to leave.

Fu Xiao, who was standing next to her, immediately stood up from the kang (a heated brick bed). "Then I'll go back too."

After Fu Xiao and Lin Xi left, Su Man continued to ask, "So when do you plan to go back to Yanjing?"

"In the next couple of days."

Despite the ample time allotted, transportation remains inconvenient; it would take dozens of hours to get from Yangjiatun back to Yanjing.

"I'll talk to Fu Xiao and the others later and have them come over to keep you company."

Su Man is definitely too busy taking care of two children by herself, so Chen Weidong plans to have Fu Xiao and Lin Xi come over to help look after them.

"Okay, then go to the cellar and get some more potatoes and cabbage, and scoop out some cornmeal as well."

Su Man nodded. When asking for help, she couldn't ask the person to bring their own food, as the little food left in the house was definitely not enough.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go in a bit."

"No rush. Go to the brigade first to get a certificate and pass, exchange them for some national grain coupons, and then buy your train ticket in advance."

The village only issued rations, not national grain coupons. Therefore, one had to go to the commune's grain depot in advance to exchange the grain coupons before going out, otherwise restaurants and canteens in Beijing would not accept local grain coupons at all.

"I see."

If Su Man hadn't reminded him, Chen Weidong would have forgotten that he still needed national grain coupons.

He first went to the brigade headquarters, where Yang Shulin happened to be on duty that day.

"Secretary Yang."

"Comrade Weidong is here, please have a seat."

Yang Shulin warmly poured Chen Weidong a glass of water, and even added a little brick tea. Normally, he would be lucky to even have a cup of hot water, let alone tea.

"Secretary Yang, I'd like to get a travel permit to Yanjing. This is the proof."

Chen Weidong took out the reply from the editorial department of "October" magazine. Without this proof, it would have been impossible for him to get a pass from the brigade.

Although Yang Shulin had already heard about it, he still couldn't help but marvel when he saw the reply from "October" magazine. It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover!

"Congratulations, Comrade Weidong! You've really brought honor to Yangjiatun. For the next while, you can focus on revising the manuscript in Yanjing. Don't worry about things at home; I'll have someone take good care of Suman and the others."

"Thank you, Secretary Yang."

Chen Weidong immediately expressed his gratitude. Although he had already planned to ask Fu Xiao and Lin Xi to take care of him, he felt much more at ease now that he had received Yang Shulin's care.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, mostly Yang Shulin reminiscing about Chen Weidong's past, praising him the most. When Chen Weidong came out with his pass, Yang Shulin couldn't help but wonder to himself, "Was he really that good before?"

A cold wind blew.

Chen Weidong calmed down and chuckled to himself, "It seems my self-cultivation is still lacking."

It's not that he didn't do a good job, but he had heard too many compliments all day, and Yang Shulin's subtle praise made him feel a little tipsy.

Fortunately, his decades of experience in his previous life calmed him down. If it were a young person, they might have believed it after a few more rounds of praise.

Chen Weidong then went to the grain depot to exchange some national grain coupons, and after telling Fu Xiao and Lin Xi, he arrived at He Yan's house.

"Brother Yan, are you going to get some potatoes from the cellar? I'm planning to go down and get some."

"I don't need it. I didn't finish the last one. Wait for me, I'll eat with you."

He Yan came out wearing a coat and patted Chen Weidong's arm happily: "I heard your article got published?"

"Hehe, I was just lucky!"

Chen Weidong said with a smile, still feeling somewhat proud.

"You're quite something, kid. You've been keeping quiet until now, and now you've really impressed everyone! You can write articles and have beautiful handwriting. You were really good at hiding your talent before."

"No way, you know my family's situation. I was thinking of helping out a bit in the household expenses a while ago, and I didn't expect it to actually work out."

"That's because you have the ability."

He Yan was genuinely happy for Chen Weidong. Many people wouldn't even dare to try, and only someone with Chen Weidong's personality would dare to do something like this.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Chen Weidong quietly got dressed, and Su Man handed him a package.

"I've packed a few cornbread buns and two steamed buns inside. Eat them if you get hungry on the road."

"I understand. It's still early, you can get some more sleep. If there's anything you need, just tell Fu Xiao and He Yan. I've already spoken to them."

"I understand, don't worry."

……

Chen Weidong first took a horse-drawn carriage to Lin'an County. There were no carriages available today, but Yang Shulin specially arranged one for him.

Upon arriving at the county bus station, Chen Weidong waited for a while before boarding the bus to the provincial capital.

Upon arriving in the provincial capital, Chen Weidong bought a ticket for the nearest train to Yanjing and spent the night at the station.

The next day, Chen Weidong boarded a green train and traveled for a full thirteen hours before finally arriving at Yanjing Station.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar streets, there was no trace of what it would look like in the future.

Chen Weidong inquired about Dongxinglong Street outside Chongwenmen and found that it wasn't too far from the bus station; he could get there by bus.

He walked 400 meters to the bus stop, then spent 10 cents and rode for about 20 minutes to reach the vicinity of the magazine office.

I asked another passerby and easily found the location of the October magazine office.

"Comrade, who are you looking for? This is a publishing house, you can't go in."

Before Chen Weidong could even enter the courtyard, he was stopped at the gate by an old man wearing a gray cloth uniform and a red armband.

"Hello sir, I'm the author whose manuscript has been accepted. I'm here to see editor Zhang Shouren."

"Do you have proof?"

"Yes, this is the editorial department's reply to me."

Chen Weidong handed over the envelope.

"Chen Weidong".

"My name."

"The editorial office of 'October' is in that old wooden building on the left. You can find Zhang Shouren by going there directly."

"Thank you, sir."