Chapter 46

Xu Yanan’s life inevitably slid into another extreme.

Sun Yan’s gaze suddenly shifted away from her and landed on Xu Yanan’s brother.

Xu Yanan became more and more silent and gradually turned into a “transparent person” in the class.

In contrast, Jian Li became more and more eye-catching.

As everyone swapped long sleeves for short ones and shed their thick winter clothes, Jian Li’s successful weight loss became just as surprising as her sudden weight gain had been.

Amidst everyone’s astonished gazes, Jian Li successfully released the first volume of her manga.

—–

In every letter, Jiang Rou would mention the magazine’s sales numbers. From just over 100,000 at New Year’s, it had tripled.

In May’s letter, Jiang Rou raised the offer to Jian Li.

The original offer of 30 yuan had now increased to 50 yuan.

Not only that, but Jiang Rou also mentioned that the magazine hoped to publish a standalone volume of the manga.

Jian Li had already anticipated the standalone volume. Her first manga volume would be finished by June, allowing her to take a month off and then release the second volume, which was perfectly timed and paced.

As for the earnings from publication, Jiang Rou suggested an offer between 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. Perhaps fearing Jian Li might think the amount was too small, Jiang Rou explained in the letter.

Currently, there were no manga styles like Jian Li’s in the country, so to be cautious, the first print would only be 3,000 copies. The publishing costs of manga were higher than literary works, and the time for review and approval was also longer.

Of course, this 1,000 yuan was just the beginning. If the work sold well, the revenue share would only increase with subsequent prints.

Jian Li found the offer acceptable. Her collaboration with Jiang Rou had gone smoothly, and Jiang Rou had likely guessed that she was a student. However, in their communications, Jiang Rou never treated her lightly due to her age. Instead, she always explained things clearly.

Jian Li, having been an office worker before, understood how rare it was to find a cooperative partner who suited one’s temper in the workplace.

So even though Jiang Rou admitted in the letter that several other publishers had tried to contact Jian Li, and if things went as expected, they would find her through various channels soon, Jian Li still chose to continue cooperating with Jiang Rou.

—–

At this moment, the “Mei Hua” magazine office in Jing City was quiet.

Over the past few months, perhaps due to the immense success of “Xingzhu Chuan,” “Mei Hua” had received many works in a similar style to Jian Li’s. Jiang Rou picked a few that she thought were good and published them. While the effect wasn’t as strong as Jian Li’s, there were still readers who wrote in, mentioning that they liked certain short stories.

Jiang Rou had officially transitioned from a temporary worker to a full-time editor.

Now, in addition to managing Jian Li’s long-form work, she was also in charge of receiving submissions for one of the modules of “Mei Hua.”

Jiang Rou fully embraced her preferences, selecting only shojo manga.

This led to dissatisfaction among many of the veteran editors, with the most discontented being Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen loudly addressed the editor-in-chief in the office: “I admit that Jiang Rou is excellent, and I acknowledge that Jian Li’s work fits the market. But editor-in-chief, I want to ask, what exactly is the direction of our magazine? If everything is to follow Jiang Rou’s wishes, does that mean we’ll only be publishing these sugary, shallow works from now on?”

Qin Zhen no longer had his usual demeanor; his expression was calm as he asked, “I just want to know, where is the magazine headed?”

Losing to Jiang Rou, he didn’t feel bad about it.

From the start, he had known that Jian Li’s work would be successful. But so what if it was popular?

It was just about boys and girls falling in love, just a little pocket money for young girls.

Could that last?

When Qin Zhen spoke, the veteran editors outside were listening closely, waiting for an answer.

Qin Zhen’s words were exactly what they had been thinking.

They couldn’t understand the content of these shojo manga, and most of them couldn’t judge their quality.

If the magazine really gave up on other modules in the future, they might as well leave early and seek a new path.

Qin Zhen held his breath, waiting for the editor-in-chief’s response.

He felt certain he wouldn’t lose.

At the very least, he would get a clear answer from the editor-in-chief.

The answer was on the verge of coming out. Although the sales had gone up temporarily, could Jian Li continue to write here for a lifetime? In other words, a creator’s best work is often just a momentary spark.

Who could guarantee that Jian Li wasn’t a one-hit wonder?

Qin Zhen believed the editor-in-chief would at least limit Jiang Rou’s power, such as returning her to only managing Jian Li’s long-form work.

The magazine had to continue, and they needed to think long-term.

Many of the editors thought this way.

The entire magazine office had now formed a division between the veteran editors and the new editors.

The new editors, led by Jiang Rou, were mostly young women who had graduated not long ago. The veteran editors, led by Qin Zhen, wanted the magazine’s style to be more diverse and hoped it would return to its original direction of publishing passionate manga.

A new editor angrily told Jiang Rou: “If it weren’t for you, would the magazine have sold 300,000 copies in the past six months? Qin Zhen and the others really have the nerve to say that!”

“Jiang Rou, aren’t you angry?”

Jiang Rou, who had been focused on reviewing the manuscript, replied, “I’m not angry.”

To be fair, even if Qin Zhen hadn’t said anything, she would have wanted to say it.

The magazine was indeed at a point where it needed a major overhaul, and Jiang Rou felt that the magazine’s original inclusive style was no longer suitable for development.

The content was good, but it didn’t leave a refreshing impression.

However, Jian Li’s serialized work undoubtedly demonstrated the vast market demand for comics among girls between the ages of 14 and 25.

Jiang Rou thought to herself, if the editor-in-chief decided not to change the style, she would have to consider her future. For her and Qin Zhen, it wasn’t about personal preferences but a fundamental stylistic conflict. If she didn’t leave, then Qin Zhen would have to go. There was no second option.

The editor-in-chief was very aware of the internal struggles at the magazine over the past few months, and he knew that Qin Zhen’s questioning today was the result of a long buildup.

He smiled wryly and asked a question that surprised everyone.

“Qin Zhen, do you know how long it usually takes for a comic magazine to go out of business on average?”

Qin Zhen didn’t answer. The editor-in-chief raised two fingers.

“Most comic magazines only survive for two years.”

The editor-in-chief leaned back.

“Two years. Do you think I have the luxury of choice? I don’t. I know you all graduated from good schools and have a lot of experience. But as the editor-in-chief, the only thing I care about is the market.”

Jian Li’s work had earned the love of most readers, and he had no choice but to go in that direction. For a magazine, long-term plans and the future didn’t matter. The first priority was survival.

Qin Zhen stared at the editor-in-chief, his mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to say.

The editor-in-chief waved his hand and said loudly enough for all the editors to hear, “Go back.”

Qin Zhen silently returned to his position.

Three days later, the magazine office saw the departure of three editors, including Qin Zhen.

And Jiang Rou officially took over the long-form section of Meihua.

Before they knew it, the weather began to warm up, and the 1996 college entrance exam arrived as scheduled.

A month in advance, Wang Mengmei started talking about giving Qian Ping some nutritional supplements.

“The last stretch of the long march, we can’t let her fall short.”

To be fair, Qian Ping had been an easy child to take care of during her year at school here. Wang Mengmei had grown fonder of her the more she watched her, and she hoped for a good result.

At the entrance of the high school, parents gathered every evening. The third-year students had three evening classes, running until 10:30 PM. Some parents would deliver food to their children before the evening classes began.

Wang Mengmei, not yet busy with her own work, would make a meal for Qian Ping in advance.

They alternated between fish, meat, and other dishes, with plenty of variety every day.

Qian Ping felt really embarrassed. She knew her aunt was busy, and yet she still made the time to bring her food. It warmed her heart.

Wang Mengmei filled her lunchbox with grilled beef jerky.

“Don’t worry about anything else. If there’s something you need, just ask me or your uncle. This month, nothing is more important than you.”

In this month, Wang Mengmei came three times.

Though a mother might say that she had no high expectations for her daughter, she still hoped for the best.

However, Wang Mengmei was so busy that every time she visited, she looked exhausted and couldn’t stay for long.

Though she often complained, the last time she came, she brought a red cloth bag.

“A relative went to the temple in town and brought this back for me. You can take it with you… it’s up to you whether you bring it. Honestly, I don’t have much hope for her.”

Wang Mengmei didn’t accompany Qian Ping to the exams, and Wang Mengmei didn’t persuade her to either.

The child had an important exam. Her sister didn’t have a good temper, and if they argued, it could affect Qian Ping’s exam mood.

Soon, the exam day arrived.