14.Huang Zuolin had paid Yang Jiang's manuscript fee in a timely manner, which had solved their urgent financial needs when they were stranded in Shanghai.
17.A few such agents are reputable (the Scott Meredith Agency used to read for fees; I don't know if they still do or not) , but all too many are unscrupulous fucks.
18.Then we would talk of agents and the offers they had obtained for us; of editors and the sort of contributions they welcomed, how much they paid a thousand, and whether they paid promptly or otherwise.
19.When we had done discussing the merits of the latest book, it was natural to wonder how many copies had been sold, what advance the author had received, and how much he was likely to make out of it.
20.The manuscript was privately dispatched, accompanied by a note, modestly saying that if the tale didn't get the prize, which the writer hardly dared expect, she would be very glad to receive any sum it might be considered worth.