Exciting 1979!

Chapter 273 The Right Path of Humanity is Full of Vicissitudes (Part 1)

In his previous life, Wei Ming had dealt with Ma Wei. He suggested that Ma Wei submit his work to the China Youth Daily because his debut novel was published in the China Youth Daily. Because it suited the tastes of young readers, it had a considerable influence and could be said to have made him an instant hit.

With this work, he also became an editor of Youth Literature magazine, a sister publication of China Youth Daily. During his time as an editor, he met writers such as Wang Shuo, Su Tong, and Liu Zhenyun, and completed his network of contacts in the literary circle.

After reading Ma Weidu's manuscript, Wei Ming continued writing the script for "The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan".

When I woke up the next day, the outside world was covered in silver, a vast expanse of white.

Old Wei watched the news last night and saw that it was going to snow the next day, and it would be heavy snow, so he covered the motorcycles and bicycles downstairs with plastic sheeting in advance.

However, it's not advisable to ride a motorcycle to school in this situation, as the snow hasn't been cleared yet and it's easy to slip. Wei Ming chose to take the bus.

On a snowy day, Wei Ming received a letter from Sister Xue early in the morning.

Once on the bus, Wei Ming found a seat and sat in the back to read the letter and a photo of Sister Xue standing in the courtyard of the old house, smiling and making a "V" sign.

In the letter, she told Wei Ming: "The house has been renovated. I also used the money you had left to buy some furniture, which matches the style of the house. You can see it for yourself next time you come. Oh, I also bought a record player and some old records. We can even dance in the living room then."

Wei Ming figured he would be going to Shanghai soon. He planned to finish revising the second part of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" before the Chinese New Year. He just didn't know if Xue Jie would be in Shanghai at that time. If she wasn't, he could revise it in Beijing without having to stay in a guesthouse.

She later wrote: "The location scouting in Shanghai is complete. Shanghai Film Studio provided a lot of help. The director, art director, and I plan to go to northern Jiangsu next week. I will visit the little boy named Dongzi that you mentioned if I have the chance."

These things wouldn't normally require her personal involvement as an actress, but Gong Xue wanted to immerse herself in the story's context earlier to make it easier to get into character later.

Finally, Sister Xue said some more cheesy sweet nothings, but there were some things she didn't say.

For example, the person who took her picture was Zhu Lin, and the dancing in the living room was also a veiled reference to Wei Ming dancing with Zhu Lin. Hmph, she wants to dance too, and she wants to learn yoga.

When Gong Xue returned, Zhu Lin was about to go to Shandong with the "Joyful Reunion" film crew. On the last day before Zhu Lin left, Gong Xue invited her to visit this old house.

It has two floors, about ten rooms, five toilets, and a yard so big that you can plant two cherry trees and two cherry blossom trees, not to mention other flowers and potted plants.

When Zhu Lin learned the price of the house, his hands trembled as he took photos of Gong Xue, and he gasped in shock.

Chilling!
Then Gong Xue patted Zhu Lin on the shoulder to comfort her: "It's because he couldn't buy a suitable apartment in Shanghai, so he spent a lot of money to buy such a big apartment. You can stay here when you come to Shanghai to film in the future."

"Let's not wait until later, let's do it today."

That night, Zhu Lin accompanied Gong Xue to stay in the old house, which made Gong Xue beg for mercy repeatedly. The next day, the two of them crawled out of the same bed, their clothes disheveled.

There's no central heating in Shanghai, so people can only generate heat by rubbing against each other.

Unfortunately, Wei Ming will not be able to see this scene.

After trying out the place, Zhu Lin said, "Old houses are just so-so, not as good as my little nest. I dare to live alone in my small house, but would you dare to live alone in such a big house like yours?"

Gong Xue dared not.

As soon as Zhu Lin left, Gong Xue obediently went home to live. It was indeed chaotic outside, and she dared not live outside alone. But if she asked A Ying to come with her, her parents would worry. How could two unmarried girls live outside all the time?

For the past six months, Gong Ying has maintained the intensity of her relationship with Liu Rulong through letters, and she hasn't seen him at all during that time.

However, Ah Long said he would come to the Shanghai Animation Film Studio for an internship during the winter break, and then they could be together again.

Gong Ying had already started thinking about borrowing the key to the old house from her sister to go on a date with A Long. Anyway, her sister had said that the maid's room on the first floor was reserved for her.

Gong Xue was also calculating in her mind when Wei Ming would come to Shanghai to revise the manuscript. Whenever Wei Ming came, she would return from northern Jiangsu. At that time, she could do many things in the old house, such as tango dancing or yoga.

At this time, in the editorial department of Harvest, the leadership was discussing the first print run of the first issue of Harvest in 81.

This episode features the first part of Wei Ming's novel, as well as Chen Rong and Gao Xingjian, making for a very strong lineup.

However, they still dare not rashly challenge the 1.1 million copies sold for the final chapter of "Wasted Years," after all, the usual sales of "Harvest" magazine are only 400,000 to 500,000 copies.

In the end, Ba Jin made the final decision, setting the relatively conservative figure of 60, firstly because "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" is not the most popular novel genre at present.

Secondly, the issue of "Mom, Love Me Again" published in "Huacheng" had a circulation of about 60 copies.

Third, printing materials are in short supply recently, and the government has repeatedly emphasized the need to eliminate printing waste. If the materials are sold out, that's fine, but if they are not sold out and cause stockpiling, it will have a negative impact.

Therefore, it is better to print less than to print more.

After the number of shares to be issued was determined, Mr. Buffett hurriedly took a plane to Yanjing. Mr. Mao Dun's health was getting worse and worse, and it was unknown whether he could make it through the Spring Festival.

If Mr. Mao Dun were to leave, the higher-ups would prefer him to take over the Writers' Association.

~
January 13th, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Wei Ming asked the sheriff, who confirmed that he didn't want to go out. So Wei Ming went to the Beichizi courtyard house to help his parents build a stove to cook Laba porridge and pickle Laba garlic. All the glass bottles left over from eating canned food came in handy.

Xu Shufen cooked a huge pot of food, and it was very rich in ingredients. Manager Mei said that she could add as many ingredients as she wanted, without any cost restrictions.

So this big iron pot contained dried fruits such as red dates, raisins, goji berries, and white fungus, as well as nuts such as peanuts and walnuts, red beans, lotus seeds, glutinous rice, wheat kernels, rice, and ginkgo nuts (ginkgo nuts) that grew in their own yard.

Hsu Shu-fen said she had never fought such a rich battle before.

Once the eight-treasure porridge was cooked, its aroma filled the courtyard, and even the dog Ginkgo barked excitedly. It was also incredibly nutritious and highly beneficial.

Most of the eight-treasure porridge was sent by Wei Jiefang to Oriental New World. Besides what they ate themselves, Xu Shufen also arranged for Wei Ming to deliver two lunchboxes to Uncle Ping'an and Xiao Hong.

Xiaohong hasn't been home recently because she's facing final exams.

Xu Shufen: "Take this bottle of Laba garlic to your Uncle Ping An."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "My Aunt Xiaoyan did it herself too."

“She did it, that’s her doing. These are all purple-skinned garlic, the perfect choice for Laba garlic,” Xu Shufen insisted.

She felt that the reason her son was so successful was largely due to Ping An arranging a job for him at Peking University, and that one should be grateful.

Wei Ming had no choice but to obey. In the afternoon, he returned to Peking University and first delivered the food to Xiao Hong's dormitory. It looked like a lot, but there were six mouths to feed in their dormitory, so each person couldn't eat much.

~
Hong Kong.

On the rooftop of a high-rise building.

Old Ghost, wearing sunglasses, came up. Liu Bin, who was also wearing sunglasses, had been waiting for a long time.

"Uncle Gui, in less than three months, I have basically mastered the McDonald's hamburger production process. Can I go back now?"

"No rush, try the eight-treasure porridge I brought you," Old Ghost said, taking out a lunchbox. "Besides the eight-treasure porridge, there are also some side dishes that Afen made for you. You've worked hard these past few days."

"It's not hard work at all. I'm almost sick of eating hamburgers these days. It's such a blessing to be able to eat these side dishes." Liu Bin started eating without caring about his cultured image.

Then Lao Gui asked, "Have you figured out how much revenue and profit McDonald's makes each month?"

Liu Bin paused in his eating: "Boss, I'm only in charge of frying chicken, and this shop is open 24 hours a day. I only work a third of the shifts, how could I possibly know so much?"

Old Ghost: "Then continue to lie low and don't expose yourself."

"what?"

"Okay, that's settled. Your salary and bonuses here have already been deposited into your account."

"Oh, there are also dividends?"

"As I said, if you do well, you will definitely get a share of the profits. This is just the beginning."

Liu Bin exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, sir! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Old Gui came downstairs as if nothing had happened, and only left quickly after making sure no one was following him.

However, just as he was about to step into the Holiland restaurant, he suddenly stopped, calmly turned around and walked away from the restaurant, then hid not far away and stared at the entrance.

After waiting for about twenty minutes, an old man a few years older than him came out of the store. He was wearing glasses, leaning on a cane, and was being supported by a woman in her thirties. Behind him were two piercing young men who looked like military experts.

As for the old man's identity, Lao Gui knew him. Not only did he know him, but they were very familiar with each other. They had dealt with each other quite a bit during both the Anti-Japanese War and the Liberation War.

Even if Shen Zui turned into an old ghost, he would still be recognized!
They were once good friends on the surface. Shen Zui always thought that Lao Gui was his superior's younger brother and treated him as a little brother. Even after the liberation of the whole country, he did not know that this little brother was an underground member of the Communist army.

Old Ghost was puzzled. Wasn't he imprisoned in Gongdelin? When was he released?
Even if he's released, he's still a war criminal, right? Can he just come to Hong Kong freely? Are mainland policies that lenient now?

What Lao Gui didn't know was that just last year, Shen Zui had transformed into a defector general, and now his rank was quite high, so he was allowed to come to Hong Kong to meet his ex-wife and children in Taiwan.

Because Shen Zui's wife thought he would be executed after being captured, she remarried in Hong Kong.

Even after Shen Zui walked far away, Lao Gui didn't dare to follow, worried that Shen was after him. Finally, he went into the shop with a heavy heart and asked Zhou's mother about the customer.

"He didn't ask about me, did he?"

"Why are you asking me? He's just here to eat. He seems to be from Hunan and can handle a lot of spicy food."

Old Ghost: "Do you know what he came to Hong Kong for?"

"Why would I ask that? When have I ever been so talkative?" Old Gui said sheepishly, and went home early, not expecting a series of pleasant surprises throughout the day.

"Lingling?"

Old Ghost saw a beautiful girl downstairs. She was fair-skinned, tall, and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. She was in her twenties and had a cool and aloof demeanor, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

Wei Lingling nodded slightly when she saw him: "I'm going back to Taiwan for the Lunar New Year. My aunt asked me to give you a letter."

As she spoke, she took a letter out of her Chanel bag and handed it to the old man. It was thick and seemed to contain more than just a letter.

Old Ghost took the letter and asked with a smile, "Would you like to come up for a sit?"

"No, I have to catch a flight and don't plan to stay in Hong Kong." Wei Lingling's attitude was indifferent.

Old Ghost asked again, "So, when are you graduating? Do you plan to stay in the United States afterward?"

Wei Lingling snorted, "You don't even know what grade I'm in, so does it matter to you where I live?"

"I'm speaking to you in a humble tone, and you can't even speak properly? Get lost!"

Old Ghost's sudden outburst startled Wei Lingling. She turned and walked away, her eyes brimming with tears. Only when she was far enough away and sure that Old Ghost could no longer see her did she begin to sob.

Suddenly, a small, fair hand handed over a tissue: "Sister, are you alright?"

Wei Lingling glanced at Zhou Huimin, who was carrying a schoolbag, took the tissue, said, "It's okay, thank you," and then walked away.

Zhou Huimin thought to herself, "This beautiful woman is crying so sadly, could it be that she met a scumbag?"

Old Gui stared blankly in the direction his daughter had left, even after she was out of sight. He was filled with mixed emotions. She was his only daughter. Even though his marriage to her mother was forced, how could he not love her after watching her grow up?

But she was unwilling to be tied to Taiwan by her elder brother using family ties; her heart was ultimately set on the north.

"Uncle Ghost!" Vivian Chow exclaimed energetically, "You have a letter?"

"Ah, um, you play by yourself, I'll go upstairs and open the letter." Old Ghost couldn't wait to go upstairs and open the letter.

Zhou Huimin pursed her lips. Ah Ming hadn't replied to her letters in a long time. The last time he replied, he said he was busy writing a script for Li Hanxiang. He must be very busy.

Moreover, he is truly remarkable. Even a renowned director like Li Hanxiang, who lives in mainland China, asks him to write scripts. Doesn't that prove that Hong Kong writers are no match for him?
However, as far as she knew, director Li Hanxiang often made erotic films. Although she had never seen any of them, she knew about movies such as "The Strange Tale of the Wind and Rain", "The Romantic Affair", "The Golden Twins", "The Story of the Bridal Chamber", and "Sex and the Beast".

"Is Ah Ming writing a script for an erotic film? Whatever, even if it is, I'll still go to the cinema to buy a ticket to support it. I can just invite a few more girlfriends to go together for courage."

He also said he might come to Hong Kong this year, and he's already here. When is he coming?
To surprise him, Amin had been holding back from sending him the photos.

~
Amin sneezed; he was reading a letter.

I have two letters in my hand. One is from Sister Lin in Jinan. She has already started to experience life. Since there is not much farm work to do now, she is learning skills such as burning firewood and making shoes by hand. She also said that she wants to make a pair of shoes with a thousand-layer sole for Wei Ming.

The second letter was sent from Chengdu by my cousin, Long Xiaoyang.

In the letter, he told Wei Ming that more and more people in the surrounding villages were starting to raise quails, and that he and his uncle had come to Chengdu to investigate feed processing technology and machinery.

He also mentioned two interesting things he encountered in Chengdu.

"The Coca-Cola you treated us to in Yanjing, I also saw it in Chengdu. It's called Tianfu Coca-Cola, and you can buy it in Chengdu without going to the Friendship Store. It's just not cheap. I don't know how it tastes different from the Coca-Cola in Yanjing."

It seems this kid ultimately couldn't bring himself to buy a bottle of Tianfu Cola.

Wei Ming was surprised; he didn't know that Tianfu Cola was already available so early.
Coca-Cola is not yet fully available for sale in China. In addition to Friendship Store, Overseas Chinese Store, and Foreigner Hotel, it is now also sold in the Forbidden City, but it is mostly unavailable.

Tianfu Cola seized this opportunity to quickly capture the market.

In addition, Long Xiaoyang also mentioned a movie.

"Although I didn't get to drink Tianfu Cola, my uncle and I watched a movie called 'The Mysterious Buddha,' a martial arts film starring Liu Xiaoqing. It was so exciting! But I think your 'Heroes Have Always Been Born' is definitely even better. Brother Biao and Sister Yanzi's fight scenes are definitely better than Liu Xiaoqing's. I just don't know when we'll be able to see it. If possible, I'll come to Chengdu to see it."

Wei Ming did not see any news about the release of "The Mysterious Buddha" in Yanjing. At present, "The Herdsman" still dominates the market and its popularity remains undiminished.

It seems to be a local screening organized by the Emei Film Studio. They are currently facing severe criticism, and it is said that film processing plants have stopped producing copies.

It seems they're trying to counter criticism from above by relying on the audience's approval, using the phrase "The people like it, who do you think you are?" to shut them down.

After reading the letters, Wei Ming began replying, replying to Zhu Lin, replying to Long Xiaoyang, and also selecting some to reply to the young readers of "Black Cat Detective".

Wei Ming had already written the story for the January issue of Children's Literature, but after he handed the story of Rabbit Village to Aunt Xiaoyan, she felt that it was very suitable for the recent trend of the promulgation of the Marriage Law, so she moved the story to be published in January.

Fortunately, there is no issue of succession between the two stories, so it doesn't matter if the order is reversed.

After the Black Cat Detective story was published, it became popular among children. Many parents even slipped their letters into their children's envelopes to discuss the severity of the population problem with Wei Ming.

Of course, Wei Ming preferred reading the letters from young readers in Sichuan and Chongqing.

They confidently stated: "It's a good thing that the rabbits are having a lot of offspring. We'll eat as many as they have and absolutely won't waste any!"
As "Children's Literature" became a monthly magazine, Wei Ming received more and more letters from his young readers. Today, Wei Ming specially sorted out the letters from readers in 79, put them in a big bag, and delivered them to the courtyard house. It just so happened that Old Wei had bought some antique cabinets to store the letters.

~
January 20th, the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Great Cold.

"Mom, I'm back!" Wei Ming used his motorcycle to transport Xiao Hong and some of her belongings back from the dormitory. The final exams of the first semester of university were over, and Wei Hong announced that the semester was over.

Xu Shufen said, "It's a good time to help with chores during the holidays. I'll give you two options: cook meals for your parents or work as a temporary worker at Xintiandi."

Wei Hong knew that she wouldn't get paid for helping her parents with their work, but she could earn wages at Xintiandi. However, she firmly chose to help her parents.

Xu Shufen was very pleased, but Wei Hong added, "However, I can only help for a few days. When my brother goes to Shanghai, I want to go with him and broaden my horizons."

Wei Ming was taken aback: "What are you coming with me for? I'm going to revise the manuscript. How am I supposed to arrange things for you?"

Wei Hong: "But I heard that Shanghai used to be the national financial center, and I want to go there to see how people in the past did finance."

"The reason isn't very convincing; Shanghai doesn't really have a financial industry right now."

Wei Hong immediately pleaded, "Brother, can't I go play? You can take Brother Long, but you can't take me, brother~"

Wei Ming got goosebumps: "Fine, but we can't stay at the free guesthouse provided by the Writers' Association. I'll find a friend in Shanghai who has a place, and we can stay there together."

"Wouldn't this be too much of a bother?" Wei Hong asked apologetically.

Wei Ming spread his hands: "What can we do?"

"Brother, you're the best!"

Taking Wei Hong along would be a good way to keep things under wraps. Otherwise, it would be risky for me and Sister Xue to live together openly. I'll just let Xiao Hong stay in the maid's room on the first floor and forbid her from going up to the second floor.

In her letter, Sister Xue mentioned that the bed in the master bedroom on the second floor wouldn't creak.

~
Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport.

Shen Zui and his youngest daughter, Shen Meijuan, who had been in Hong Kong for more than ten days, were preparing to return to Beijing. He and his ex-wife, Su Yanping, had both started their own families. This meeting was a way for his daughter to fulfill her wish to see her biological mother. They also visited Ocean Park in Hong Kong together.

This child suffered terribly. Shortly after his birth, Chiang Kai-shek was defeated, and he stayed on the mainland with her. Fortunately, someone adopted him, so he didn't starve to death like his eldest daughter.

As for his relationship with his ex-wife, they now address each other as brother and sister. What else could they do? They're both over sixty years old, and this might be the last time they see each other in their lives.

He slept on the plane, and the two guards' job was done after landing. Shen Zui went home with his daughter, and he was completely free in mainland China.

"Dad, how was your rest?"

A day later, her daughter, Shen Meijuan, brought in a literary magazine from outside; it was the January issue of Harvest, which had just been released that day.

Shen Meijuan, a member of the CPPCC, works at the Literature and History Data Publishing House. She is also a literary enthusiast who enjoys writing articles and reads most of the literary journals.

"Hmm, you're in good spirits," Shen Zui took a deep breath. "The air here in socialism is so much better."

He has a lively personality and a humorous nature, which is why Lao Gui initially sought a breakthrough by working through him.

Shen Meijuan, who was on leave today, started reading a novel in the living room and turned directly to the page of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes".

After nearly a year of silence, Wei Ming, a rising star in the literary world, has finally published a novel again, and it's a full-length novel at that! This is so exciting, she'll definitely read it as soon as possible.

However, this topic was about the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Thinking of the role her father had played during the period of discord between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, Shen Meijuan quietly returned to her room.

However, in the afternoon, Shen Meijuan started reading the novel in front of her father again, and seemed hesitant to speak.

"Xiao Juan, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Dad, do you know someone named Jiang Limin?"

"Jiang Limin?" Shen Zui thought for a moment and asked, "Is he alive or dead?"

……

(Today's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)