The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 819 - 788: Brilliant, Submission

Chapter 819: Chapter 788: Brilliant, Submission

A few days later, He Tiantian finally finished reading it.

He Tiantian wanted to revise it but didn’t know how, so she only corrected a few typos and punctuation marks in the end.

Probably because He Tiantian had been praising the book these past few days, Huo Zhekun was also very curious.

"Tiantian, if it’s as good as you say, why don’t you let me take a look?" Huo Zhekun said, "I could also give some advice to your student."

"Sure!" He Tiantian laughed, "But this is a manuscript. Please be careful not to damage it while reading."

Huo Zhekun nodded and said, "Okay!"

After taking the manuscript, Huo Zhekun really liked it and kept reading until late into the night.

If Jiang Lifang hadn’t gotten angry, Huo Zhekun would have probably stayed up all night reading it, such was the allure of the novel.

The next morning, Jiang Lifang asked, "Tiantian, is that book really so interesting? Your father-in-law was reading it until midnight. He would have continued if I hadn’t gotten angry. He gets really obvious dark circles when he doesn’t sleep because of his age."

Huo Zhekun, who was eating breakfast across from her, looked slightly embarrassed and chuckled awkwardly, "It’s been a long time since I’ve read such an interesting novel! Look, I usually read documents. Please cut me some slack for entertaining myself this once, and I won’t stay up late again."

"That’s more like it," said Jiang Lifang, stopping at the right moment so as not to keep teasing her husband in front of her daughter-in-law.

"Dad, do you also think this book is good?" He Tiantian asked, looking forward to hearing Huo Zhekun’s suggestions.

Huo Zhekun nodded, "Yes, it’s very good, quite excellent. The plot is interlinked, the characters are vivid, it’s better than the novels I’ve read before. By the way, who wrote this?"

"It’s one of my students," He Tiantian said proudly, "Our class has started a writing activity, and many students are using their spare time to write. Several of them have already had their work published in newspapers and magazines."

"Not bad at all," Huo Zhekun said, "The cultural field has opened up now. Although it’s not quite a blossoming of a hundred flowers like in the Spring and Autumn period, a lot of excellent works are emerging and enriching the cultural market."

"Yes, that’s what I think too," He Tiantian said, "With so many talented people, not everyone can become an official; some should engage in cultural pursuits. By the way, Dad, what do you think about me sending this book to Xiangjiang to submit for publication?"

After thinking, Huo Zhekun said, "Well, there aren’t any newspapers or magazines that publish this sort of novel in the country yet, so trying Xiangjiang isn’t a bad idea. Why not give it a shot? You might get published!"

"That’s what I was thinking," He Tiantian laughed, feeling proud as she was taking her responsibility as a class teacher seriously for the first time. She hoped the students in her class could use their strengths and have a broader horizon for their future development.

Having received affirmation from her father-in-law, He Tiantian began to set the wheels in motion.

The manuscripts were all carefully penned by Tang Ping’an, and He Tiantian couldn’t bear to send them out in the mail, so she went to the library to make copies instead.

He Tiantian roughly estimated that the stack consisted of a martial arts novel with a hundred thousand words, only one third of which was written, but the neat handwriting was ready for submission.

He Tiantian went to the library and spent five yuan to photocopy the stack of manuscripts, which she then bound neatly.

He Tiantian called Tang Ping’an to her office and said, "Tang Ping’an, this is your manuscript, take it back with you for now. I’ve read it, and it’s very impressive. You must continue your writing."

Tang Ping’an felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar when He Tiantian instructed him to take his manuscript back, thinking his writing wasn’t good enough for submission.

So he stood aside, disheartened.

He Tiantian then asked, "By the way, what pen name do you plan to use?"

"Pen name?" Tang Ping’an was stunned, thinking if he couldn’t submit the work, what was the need for a pen name?

"Yes, I’m planning to submit your work through some channels, but usually a pen name is used. Think of a cool one," He Tiantian smiled, "No need to rush, you have three days to think it over."

"Huh?" Overwhelmed by the sudden happiness, Tang Ping’an couldn’t quite adapt, "Teacher, didn’t you give my manuscript back to me? Then what will you submit?"

He Tiantian laughed, "This is your manuscript, it’s precious, how can we send it for submission? Moreover, you should keep a copy on hand in case you need it. Besides, if you become a famous writer in the future, these originals may be worth a fortune, maybe even at auction. Take your manuscript and keep it safe. I have a copy here, look."

He Tiantian pulled out the neatly bound photocopy.

Tang Ping’an felt moved to tears when he heard He Tiantian’s words.

Back at home, his parents always said that writing would bring trouble; relatives and friends called him delusional.

Almost no one had faith in him.

But after going to university, he met a good teacher.

A teacher who cared for their life and guided their studies.

While He Tiantian might not be the most scholarly teacher, she was certainly adept at expanding students’ thinking and encouraging them.

There were many learned teachers, but few had such an open-minded approach like Teacher He.

"Thank you, Teacher He," Tang Ping’an said gratefully, bowing to He Tiantian.

"You’re welcome," He Tiantian smiled, "When I gave you back your manuscript earlier, you seemed disappointed and upset as if you had lost hope. That state of mind worried me. We don’t know if the submission will be successful, and if it fails, I hope you will become more determined rather than disheartened. You are still young, and if you carry such a heavy sense of gain and loss, it will negatively affect you. As the teacher giving you advice, I would also feel guilty."

Tang Ping’an wiped his tears, "Don’t worry, Teacher He. I was disappointed, but I won’t get discouraged."

Even if only to ensure his teacher wouldn’t feel guilty, he couldn’t afford to be disheartened.

Just as his teacher said, he would become stronger through adversity.

"Good, keep it up, young man," He Tiantian encouraged, "You can go back now. Once you’ve decided, come and tell me."

"Okay, goodbye Teacher He," Tang Ping’an bowed respectfully and left.

After Tang Ping’an left, Teacher Wu, who shared the office, asked with a smile, "Teacher He, are you really submitting your student’s work? Sending it to Xiangjiang will cost quite a bit, and without connections there, I’m guessing nobody might even look at it."

He Tiantian smiled, "It’s worth trying. They are my students and very talented. If I can help them, I will. About the cost, it wasn’t much. I have relatives in Xiangjiang. When my family sends things to her, we can just include the manuscript and ask her to submit it for me."

Hearing this, Teacher Wu became envious, "I’m really jealous, He Tiantian, you have so many overseas contacts."