Entertainment and culture in those days started with cultural propaganda teams.

Chapter 8: Conquered by Xu Yang

He Hui's gaze fell on the first line of text.

The Herdsman.

The characters are in neat and tidy regular script, with clear strokes and a well-proportioned structure, as if they were printed on.

He Hui nodded slightly.

She had read many manuscripts and knew the saying that one's handwriting reflects one's personality.

A person who can write such beautiful characters must at least be calm and composed, and possess considerable knowledge.

She continued reading.

The first few paragraphs describe Xu Lingjun's background.

A wealthy family member, abandoned, raised on a ranch.

He Hui's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Such a background requires courage in this era.

She couldn't help but wonder if Xu Lingjun in the article was Xu Yang himself.

So, she subconsciously glanced at Xu Yang.

The young man appeared calm and composed, without the slightest hint of unease.

He Hui looked away and continued reading.

Turn the page.

Turn to the second page.

When she turned to the third page, He Hui's page-turning speed noticeably slowed down.

The ward was extremely quiet, with only the rustling of papers being turned over and the occasional sound of a bicycle bell coming from outside the window.

Liu Xiaoli held her breath, staring intently at her third aunt's expression.

She saw her aunt's brows furrow, then relax, then furrow again.

I saw my aunt's fingers rubbing back and forth along the edge of the paper, her fingertips trembling slightly.

When I saw my aunt reading a certain paragraph, she suddenly took off her glasses and rubbed the corner of her eye with her sleeve.

Liu Xiaoli felt relieved immediately.

She had just read the novel yesterday, and she knew all too well what her third aunt had written on the page where she pressed her eye corner.

That was the part where Xu Lingjun gave up the opportunity to go abroad and chose to stay on the grassland.

He Hui took a deep breath and continued reading.

This time, she read even faster.

She wasn't reading word by word; she was chasing after the characters in the story.

She was chasing after Xu Lingjun, the silent man herding sheep on the vast grasslands, his rough hands, and his roots buried deep in the soil.

When she read the ending, where Xu Lingjun bids farewell to his father and walks alone on the road back to the ranch, with the distant roar of airplanes behind him and the boundless grassland and the woman named Xiuzhi in front of him, He Hui closed her notebook.

She didn't speak immediately.

She placed the notebook neatly on her lap, her hands folded over the cover, and remained silent for a long while.

She was completely captivated by the story written by Xu Yang.

"Third Aunt?" Liu Xiaoli called out softly.

He Hui then seemed to be awakened and slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, but her gaze was surprisingly bright.

"Xu Yang," she said, her voice lower than usual, carrying a serious tone.

"Did you really write this novel?"

Xu Yang nodded: "I just wrote it today, but it's been on my mind for a while. Maybe I wrote it before, or maybe I saw it somewhere else; I'm not really sure."

He Hui stared at him for several seconds, then let out a long breath.

She felt that the article was not copied by Xu Yang, but rather something he had written before.

Perhaps this story has something in common with him.

"Can I have Xu Yang's manuscript?"

Before Xu Yang could speak, Liu Xiaoli exclaimed anxiously, "Third Aunt, you can't confiscate it! This is Xu Yang's hard work!"

He Hui chuckled and gently patted Liu Xiaoli's head with the notebook: "You little rascal, you're so quick to side with outsiders. Who said I was going to confiscate it?"

She turned to Xu Yang and said seriously, "Xiao Xu, listen to me. I'll submit this manuscript for you."

"I have an old classmate who is the deputy editor-in-chief of 'October' magazine. If he doesn't like this manuscript, then my decades-long friendship with him will have been for nothing."

As He Hui spoke, her tone became increasingly confident, as if she could already foresee what would happen after the article was published.

"The issue with your novel isn't whether it can be published, but which publication and which page it's placed in. Putting it in the last corner would be a waste. If you're going to publish it, put it on the front page."

Liu Xiaoli's mouth dropped open, and it took her a while to react: "Front page? Third Aunt, are you serious?"

"When have I ever lied about something like this?" He Hui carefully put the notebook into her black faux leather handbag, her movements as deliberate as if she were placing a fragile piece of porcelain.

"Xiao Xu, just focus on getting better. Leave the manuscript to me, and wait for my reply."

Zhang Dahe, who had been silent until now, coughed and then said, "Director He, what exactly is this manuscript? Could I take a look at it? I'm a book lover too."

He Hui quickly protected her leather bag and smiled, "Old Zhang, don't worry, you'll see it once the article is published in 'October'."

This draft is quite daring, and He Hui thinks it's best not to circulate it.

After rejecting Zhang Dahe, He Hui turned her attention back to Xu Yang.

Then, in a gentle voice, she asked, "Xu Yang, are you planning to submit your work under your real name, or are you going to choose a pen name?"

Xu Yang thought for a moment, then said, "Then let's use the pen name 'A Ray of Sunshine'."

"A ray of sunshine..." He Hui murmured, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"This name suits you very well; it gives people a warm feeling."

Liu Xiaoli, who was standing next to her, nodded vigorously, agreeing with He Hui's statement.

She silently repeated the pen name to herself twice, and the more she repeated it, the more appropriate it seemed.

Xu Yang is like a ray of warm sunshine.

If it weren't for that ray of sunshine that suddenly appeared and saved me yesterday, I would have said goodbye to this world.

This pen name is so perfect for Xu Yang.

"Then we won't disturb your rest any longer. If you need anything, just tell Xiaoli." As she spoke, He Hui's gaze swept over Xu Yang and Liu Xiaoli.

The more I look at them, the more they seem like a perfect match.

This Xu Yang is more suitable than that boy from the An family.

Both of them are involved in the arts, so they have more in common and can understand each other better. They also won't have conflicts over work after marriage.

She knew her niece quite well, knowing that Liu Xiaoli loved the stage.

However, An Jia did not like Liu Xiaoli to appear in public and hoped that she could stay at home and be a good wife and mother.

Moreover, she could tell that Liu Xiaoli also greatly admired Xu Yang.

When Xu Yang was playing the harmonica just now, Liu Xiaoli's eyes were practically drooling.

She had previously thought she should investigate Xu Yang's identity in order to repay him.

Now she felt that she could gloss over the matter so that Xu Yang could stay and develop his relationship with Liu Xiaoli further.

If Xu Yang's situation is indeed similar to that described in "The Herdsman," finding out might not be a good thing.