Exciting 1979!

Chapter 280 Preface personally written by Mr. Mao Dun
Despite burning for a long time, the temperature in the courtyard house still couldn't match that of the Overseas Chinese Apartment, but the intense exercise left the two of them drenched in sweat, as if they were in a sauna.

Watching the red quilt flutter and feeling its silky smooth texture, Zhu Lin felt as if he were on his wedding night. If he didn't have the chance to enter the bridal chamber, today would be like fulfilling his dream ahead of time.

It's a pity there were no wedding candles.

She was determined to go home for the night, but as soon as she was about to get up, she felt the coolness in the room and shrank back into bed, rubbing against Xiao Wei to generate heat.

This very act sparked another World War II.

Then came World War III.

Finally, I checked the time and realized it was past 11 o'clock. I wouldn't get home until after midnight. Oh well, I'm not going anywhere today.

Zhu Lin, embarrassed and annoyed, bumped her head against Xiao Wei's chest: "It's all your fault~"

Wei Ming laughed heartily, then got up, put on his clothes, poured hot water, and helped his good sister clean up, providing very attentive service.

"Wear more clothes, don't get cold." Zhu Lin said, snuggling under the covers, concerned for her little man.

"Freezing?" Wei Ming became even more smug, taking off his shirt to reveal his well-defined 108-pack abs.

After tidying up, they added a few more pieces of coal. Wei Ming crawled into bed and hugged his sister, shivering, which made his sister laugh out loud. You could even see her tonsils.

Meanwhile, at Yenching Institute of Technology, a middle-aged couple tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

He didn't come back yesterday. He said he was rehearsing a scene at the home of a female classmate he met in acting class. It was too late and the road wasn't safe, so he stayed at her house for the night.

I can't possibly spend another night at my female classmate's house, can I? Are female classmates that easy to please? Don't they have any objections?

"I hope it's not a male classmate!" Zhu's mother nudged her husband, expressing her concern.

“How could that be! My daughter may not be the best student, but she should at least have basic manners and a sense of shame. What kind of person do you think she is?” Mr. Zhu said righteously.

Zhu's mother sighed, "She's already 29, almost 30. Sometimes I even think, even if it's a male classmate, it doesn't matter. As long as he's a good person, I won't say anything. She has to find someone to spend her life with eventually."

Mr. Zhu scoffed, "A man who lets girls stay overnight can't possibly have good character! Bah, despicable!"

Zhu's mother didn't reply to him, but she thought to herself, "I hope you'll still be this stubborn when you're over thirty."

~
The next day, Wei Ming woke up early with Yu Ren in his arms. He felt the room was a bit cool, so he quickly got up to check the stove. Luckily, the fire hadn't gone out, so he turned it on and added more coal. He saw the sleek, shiny sheriff walking over on four white clouds, so Wei Ming opened the door a crack, and it naturally slipped inside.

Wei Ming went in after it and closed the door. When it realized it couldn't get out, it started scratching at the door and meowing anxiously.

Zhu Lin opened his sleepy eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Haha, Black Cat Sheriff!"

Wei Ming joined in the singing: "Haha, Black Cat Sheriff! The citizens of the forest salute you, salute you, salute you!"

Zhu Lin immediately perked up: "Did you write this song for the sheriff?"

"A somewhat immature little melody." Wei Ming took off his coat and crawled into bed, watching the sheriff slowly calm down, then staring intently at the couple in the bed.

Because of the long-haired gene of the lion cat, the black and white sheriff has a sweetness that is not typical of male cats, and is quite attractive.

The room temperature began to rise, and Zhu Lin stretched out a long, white arm to beckon it: "Sniff sniff sniff~"

The sheriff could make her happy for a long time just by tilting his head.

Only when the sheriff actually approached them did Zhu Lin, who had a strong sense of hygiene, ask worriedly, "Does it have fleas?"

Wei Ming: "There definitely wasn't any before. People living in apartment buildings used to be very clean. But now, it's hard to say. Who knows if they've caught any rats since we moved here?"

Zhu Lin quickly tucked his arms under the covers, which made the police chief meow twice more in anger. "You're the one who seduced me, and you're the one who despises me. You're the one who kills but doesn't bury, huh?"

Hearing the soft, sticky meow, Zhu Lin quickly reached out and stroked its head twice. Its fur was soft and smooth, the best-feeling cat she had ever touched.

"Uncle is really good at taking care of animals!" Zhu Lin exclaimed.

"That's right. My mom is usually in charge of cooking for our family, while my dad is only in charge of the cats and dogs."

Zhu Lin: "Is it hungry?"

"It's alright, let it go hungry for now, we'll take a nap later." Wei Ming said as he started working.

Zhu Lin was worried that things would turn out like yesterday morning, so she struggled to get up and cook for the cat.

Just then, Ginkgo the dog started barking, seemingly from the front gate.

Wei Ming sighed, "Someone's here again. Don't come out of bed. I'll be right back."

Zhu Lin couldn't stay still; what if her uncle and aunt came back from their hometown ahead of time?

So after Wei Ming and the police chief left, she quickly started getting dressed. Oh dear, where did her underwear go? Oh, this...

Looking at her plain underwear, Zhu Lin couldn't help but think of a photo of Melinda wearing a bikini that she had seen the day before yesterday.

Although I feel that foreigners are too indecent, those clothes can only cover three points, how can you take pictures like that? What's the difference between that and being naked!
She's really beautiful, and I bet all her lingerie is this style, which makes men very aroused.

Wei Ming had already heard Biaozi's voice at the door. He had come to bring food to Yinxing and the police chief, but he didn't expect the lock to be gone and that it was locked from the inside. He was worried that there might be a thief, so he knocked on the door loudly.

Uncle Wei said that this courtyard is full of his treasures, and if there is no reaction, he will punch this wooden door open.

"Coming, coming." Wei Ming opened the door.

Biaozi exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Ming, when did you get back?!"

"I just got back. I was just saying I was going to visit you today. I even brought you some local specialties from my hometown."

Biaozi chuckled and was about to enter the courtyard when Wei Ming blocked the doorway: "Just give me the food. You must be quite busy, so go ahead and get busy."

"I'm not busy. We're getting a phone installed at home today, so I don't need to go to the store."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming became interested: "Are you installing it together with Xiao Mei's family?"

"correct."

Wei Ming: "Perfect timing. I... I'll have Zhu Lin's apartment renovated too. I'll go with her there later."

"You and her?" Biaozi, that simpleton, suddenly glanced into the courtyard. Luckily, there was a screen wall blocking the view, otherwise he might have actually seen something.

“Alright,” Biaozi smiled knowingly, “then let’s install them together. But nowadays, there’s an installation fee for installing a telephone, which costs several hundred yuan.”

"Hmm, no problem." Wei Ming was thinking of buying another color TV to take the living experience in Tuanjiehu to the next level.

"And what about this courtyard house?"

Wei Ming: "Let's install it too. My dad likes living here, and it's convenient to stay in touch. Let's install the one in Tuanjiehu first."

After seeing Biaozi off, Wei Ming closed the door and went back to his bedroom, only to find that Sister Lin was gone.

Upon further searching, they found her in the study, sitting at Wei Ming's desk, an old, exquisitely crafted piece.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhu Lin waved the Playboy cover in his hand.

Wei Ming was slightly taken aback, then pretended to be calm and said, "I was worried that my parents would see it, so I hid it on purpose. How did you find out?"

"I found it while flipping through a book. You didn't hide it very well."

“But my parents never touch my books.” Wei Ming moved closer, wanting to see what she was reading.

Zhu Lin pointed to the page she was looking at: "What do you think of me dressed like this?" It was a set of photos of lingerie models. American lingerie was simply unconventional for Chinese women today. Not only was there little fabric, but they also deliberately pushed it in the middle to create a visual impact.

Wei Ming put his arm around Zhu Lin and said, "No matter what you wear, you can make me dizzy with your charm. Come on, let's have dinner."

Zhu Lin stood up: "Who was that just now?"

"Biaozi, come and bring food to Ginkgo and the police chief."

Zhu Lin was taken aback: "Then we eat?"

Wei Ming laughed and said, "I've already fed them. Let's go out to eat, and also come with me to the Friendship Store."

"What to buy?"

"Buy a color TV."

Wei Ming originally intended to buy a color TV for the house in Tuanjiehu, but when he saw the clothing section, he nudged Sister Lin and said, "You can go over and pick out a set of underwear."

Zhu Lin looked at the dazzling array of imported lingerie, a blush flashing across her face. "Hmph, I'll buy it!"

While she was choosing clothes, Wei Ming bought some food and other necessities.

The total cost was less than two thousand foreign exchange certificates. The two returned to Tuanjiehu, and the delivery and installation of the color TV arrived shortly after, just like the phone installation, and everything was done together.

During this time, Biaozi and Yanzi came over for a visit.

Huang Qiuyan wasn't very familiar with Gong Xue and Zhu Lin, but Zhu Lin was from Yanjing and had studied at the Shichahai Sports School when she was young, so they were from the same school and Huang Qiuyan was obviously closer to her.

Zhu Lin also actively tried to win over Wei Ming's wife, hoping to turn her into a member of the Zhu faction.

“I’ve started calling you Swallow too,” Zhu Lin said with a smile, opening the imported food Wei Ming had bought from the Friendship Store, and then asking Wei Ming, “Can pregnant women eat this?”

"No, puffed foods are unhealthy."

Yanzi's smile immediately turned sour.

Zhu Lin: "And this one?"

Wei Ming: "These are called macadamia nuts, and you can eat them."

Then she and Huang Qiuyan ate them one by one. Huang Qiuyan also learned that Zhu Lin was going to Shandong to film a movie the next day, and she was very envious.

Because of the unexpected arrival of this child in her womb, she missed several important competitions, and she doesn't really understand the business of the clothing store, so she's now incredibly bored.

I was finally able to chat with Zhu Lin, who is also a woman, but after the color TV and telephone were installed, she didn't even like the imported color TV before Biaozi dragged her away.

"There's still pork rib soup simmering at home, let's go!"

No wonder Biaozi is so perceptive; Wei Ming was just giving him a lot of meaningful glances.

Wei Ming wasn't annoyed by the couple's chatter; it was just that today's situation was special, and he couldn't wait to see the new clothes Sister Lin had bought.

If we don't look at these now, we'll really only be able to look at new clothes after tomorrow when the mannequins leave. Underwear without live models is soulless.

Moreover, Wei Ming personally helped her put it on and then helped her take it off.

Because of this segment, the two of them were in a very good emotional state. However, Zhu Lin was very determined this time, saying that he was leaving tomorrow and insisted on staying at home today no matter what.

Wei Ming didn't insist and sent her home before dark, promising not to take her home the next day.

After separating from Zhu Lin, Wei Ming immediately threw himself into the scriptwriting work for "The Empress Dowager". Thinking back on the past three days and ten or so times, women really only affect his writing speed.

When he got tired of writing, he would go to the courtyard to feed Ginkgo and Sheriff. Over the course of a few days, Wei Ming got along better and better with the pair of cats and dogs. If it weren't for the fact that it was a bit cold here in winter and that it was inconvenient to go to the toilet, Wei Ming would have wanted to move in and live with them.

Small animals can be a good way to relax during the solitary creative process.

Wei Ming stopped Yin Xing and watched as the sheriff finished the last bite of the small shrimp before letting go of the dog and allowing it to lick the plate.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Dog, guard the door well. Mimi, stay put and protect our antique. Don't let the mice get close. Let's go."

When he returned to the Overseas Chinese Apartment, the doorman, Old Sun, told him, "Someone is looking for you. He seems very polite, so I let him in to wait for you."

How old are you?

"He must be around sixty years old, but he looks younger than me."

Wei Ming nodded, but couldn't recall who it was. He went upstairs and saw the visitor, but still felt like a stranger.

"You must be Comrade Wei Ming. I am Wei Tao."

"Oh, hello Comrade Wei Tao." Wei Ming shook hands with the son of Mr. Mao Dun. He was a scholar in the army, with a military rank, and was now retired, mainly helping his father organize his memoirs.

Wei Tao is his pen name, which he used to deliberately keep his relationship with Shen Yanbing a secret.

Wei Ming opened the door and invited the person in. His lavish living room did not surprise the other party much. As the world's leading literary figure with a high official status, the person's courtyard house was not bad either.

Wei Tao maintained an apologetic expression throughout. As soon as he entered the room, he apologized: "Comrade Wei Ming, I'm really sorry. There's something I've been wanting to tell you and get your permission for, but I haven't been able to get through on the phone. I just happened to be passing by today, so I thought I'd try my luck and explain it to you in person."

"Oh, what's wrong? Did you lose the original manuscript?" Wei Ming first raised the worst possibility, and then said calmly, "Even if it's lost, it's not a big deal. I have a backup copy."

“Oh, no,” Wei Tao explained. “My father had already finished reading it a few days ago, but it was during the New Year holiday and he didn’t have time to return it. It just so happened that Comrade Xia Yan from the Ministry of Culture came to visit the old man. Coincidentally, he had just finished reading the first part of Harvest and saw that there was a sequel. He was itching to read it and wanted to borrow it. The item is not mine, so I should have asked for your permission. But I saw that Mr. Xia is over 80 years old and I couldn’t contact you, so I couldn’t bear to refuse and lent it to him.”

This matter is unreasonable, but it is pitiful. Wei Ming waved his hand and said that it was no big deal: "Old Xia is also a literary senior whom I respect very much. I even studied his articles when I was a child. Let alone reading them, even if I read them and didn't get them, what does it matter?"

Wei Tao said awkwardly, "Old Xia does have this idea."

"Ok?"

"I actually visited Professor Xia first today to ask him if he had finished reading it. However, he only read half of it and asked me if he could lend the first part to someone else. Someone found out that he had the original manuscript and has his eye on him."

People who can associate with the Vice Minister of Culture are definitely not ordinary people; they might even be the prototypes mentioned in the novel. As the original author, I feel both uneasy and proud to be being targeted.

Although Elder Xia had not yet lent out the manuscript, he was already quite bothered by it. Wei Ming simply authorized Wei Tao: "You can tell Elder Xia not to have too many concerns. As long as it is someone he approves of, he can borrow it at will. Later, any senior who wants to read it can also read it. It is my honor, Wei Ming."

Hearing Wei Ming's magnanimity, which didn't seem feigned, Wei Tao finally felt relieved. He could finally give his ailing father some peace of mind.

Some writers value their original manuscripts highly. If the writer will have a certain historical status in the future, such as his father, then these manuscripts can even be called historical relics and have extremely high value.

Given the quality of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes," Wei Tao also believes that the value of this original manuscript is not low.

He stood up and thanked Wei Ming repeatedly, and Wei Ming even invited him to stay for a simple meal.

"No, no, I have to go to the hospital tonight."

Knowing that Mr. Mao Dun was in the final days of his life, Wei Ming sincerely said, "Please give my regards to Mr. Mao and wish him a speedy recovery so that he can pick up his pen again."

It was sincere, but also helpless.

Wei Tao said he would definitely pass on the message.

When he arrived at the hospital, he told his father that he had seen Wei Ming and what Wei Ming's response was. Mr. Mao Dun muttered the four words "picking up his pen again".

After a long silence, he said to his son, "Bring me a pen and paper; I want to write a preface."

……

(End of this chapter)