Exciting 1979!

Chapter 284 First Print Run of One Million, A Preface
When Wei Ming finished work and walked out of the library, he saw several first-year students from the Spanish Department passing by him with volleyballs, and they politely greeted him with "Hello, Teacher Wei".

This includes Yu Minhong, who hasn't even dropped out of school yet.

Teacher Wei replied with a smile, saying that seeing volleyball reminded him that there seemed to be a very important volleyball match today, which was apparently a Men's Volleyball World Cup qualifier that would determine whether the Chinese men's volleyball team could qualify for the Men's Volleyball World Cup.

Who were they fighting again? Oh, I think it was the Koreans.

Because of the grudges between the Korean War and South Korea, everyone hoped that the men's volleyball team could defeat South Korea and participate in the World Cup.

When he got home, Lao Wei also turned on the TV to watch the live broadcast. Only then did Wei Ming realize that the match between China and South Korea, which would determine who would participate in the Volleyball World Cup held in Japan, was to be held in Hong Kong.

~
The rooftop of the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong.

Old Gui arranged to meet Liu Bin here. As soon as they met, he congratulated him: "Bin, congratulations on your promotion to McDonald's store manager!"

Liu Bin looked helpless: "Boss, I go home every day. Can't we talk about things at home?"

"That's different. If you're doing underground work, you have to act like you're doing underground work. When you're home, that's your life. We need to distinguish between work and life and not confuse them."

“Alright,” Liu Bin sighed, “when can I expect to regain my identity?”

“Don’t rush. This is a good opportunity to learn from the barbarians to defeat them. We should not only learn their technology, but also their management and business philosophy. They must have something unique about them to be able to open so many stores all over the world,” Old Gui glanced at him. “What’s wrong, are you in a hurry?”

"How can I not be anxious? I work at McDonald's during the day and then I have to manage the accounts at Lai Lai when I get home at night. Sometimes I can't even tell if I'm a human or a ghost." Even though I'm working two jobs and earning two salaries, it's mentally exhausting!

At this moment, Lao Gui gave him a timely provocation: "I just received a letter from the mainland. Your son will be coming to Hong Kong in June."

"What!" The dejected Liu Bin suddenly perked up.

Old Ghost: "You and your son can have a good chat later. Alright, let's go down and watch the game."

When did you start liking volleyball?

"I don't like it. I just like to bully those who are using others' power." Old Gui dragged Liu Bin to the competition venue.

However, Lao Gui's arrogance quickly vanished as he was beaten 2-0!
At this time, in the TV rooms of various dormitory buildings at Peking University, especially in the boys' dormitory buildings, all the boys were carrying small stools or standing outside to watch this heart-wrenching live broadcast of the game. Although it was called a live broadcast, it was actually a little later than the actual game.

When they saw the Chinese men's volleyball team being down 2-0 to the Koreans, the old man in Hong Kong saw the score change to 2-1. The Chinese men's volleyball team had finally won a set and was getting better and better.

Meanwhile, in the Overseas Chinese Apartment, as Wei Ming's family excitedly watched the Chinese men's volleyball team tie the score with the South Koreans at 2-2, Lao Gui and Liu Bin from Hong Kong stood up excitedly.

"They won! The Chinese men's volleyball team won!"

This means that the Chinese men's volleyball team will participate in the Men's Volleyball World Cup held in Japan in November. Soon after, the women's volleyball team also qualified, but the sensation was far less than that of the men's team.

At Peking University, when the match on TV ended and the Chinese men's volleyball team completed a super comeback, winning 3-2 and qualifying for the next round, Peking University students couldn't help but raise their arms and cheer, excitedly pouring out of their dormitories.

Overnight, the road in front of Yan Garden became bustling with people and noise.

At first, everyone was chanting "Long live Team China!", then it became "Long live China!", and later, someone started singing "Unity is Strength".

Wei Hong, who lives in the girls' dormitory, also saw this scene and hurriedly asked what was going on.

A girl from the next dorm room told her, "The Chinese men's volleyball team beat the South Korean men's volleyball team and they can participate in the World Cup! Everyone is celebrating!"

"Great, I'm going down too!"

Ning Xin, her roommate, said in surprise, "I never knew you loved sports so much."

“I don’t love sports, I hate the Koreans. My grandfather died on the battlefield of the Korean War, and his remains were never brought back!” Wei Hong said and immediately went downstairs.

At this time, the slogan among Peking University students had been decided as "Unite and revitalize China," and even some students from the neighboring Tsinghua University were getting restless.

The eight-character slogan was later featured in the People's Daily the following day, with a prominent headline.

This slogan quickly spread across the land, allowing people nationwide to feel the passion and patriotism of contemporary college students, and also reminding Wei Ming of the May Fourth Movement of that year.

In addition to the day's newspaper, he also received a letter from Shandong in his mailbox.

This is Zhu Lin's first letter after filming of "Joyful Reunion" began.

After filming began, she was so busy every day that she didn't have a moment to spare. In addition to her work as an actress, she also served as the crew's doctor, prescribing medicine for crew members who were sick due to the changing seasons. She jokingly said that she was almost becoming a barefoot doctor.

After a month, the film crew has now entered a stable phase, and I finally had time to write him this letter to express my longing.

"The crew members were all very friendly. Comrade Zhu Shimao had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and was a gentleman. Comrade Wang Shuqin had a fiery and argumentative character in the movie, but in real life he was very cheerful. Comrade Wang Yumei was as kind and gentle as her character in the movie..."

After praising the crew members, she boasted that she had learned to drive a tractor.

“I didn’t learn how to use it when I was in the countryside. Back then, the production team treasured that tractor and wouldn’t let us girls touch it. But our film crew used this tractor for filming, so I learned how to use it in my spare time.”

Seeing that Sister Lin can even drive a tractor, it seems she's completely immersed in the role, giving off the vibe of a rural woman.

Zhu Lin also included a recent photo of herself in the letter. She was grinning with a simple and honest smile, but her stunning beauty was still undeniable. With a face like this, she's sure to seduce a lot of people when the movie is released.

Wei Ming quickly wrote back to Sister Lin, along with a photo of himself receiving an award with Sister Chen Rong and others at the Writers Association.

The next day, when Wei Ming went to work, the old man greeted him as he passed the newsstand outside Peking University.

"Teacher Wei, there are still three days left."

The three days he mentioned refer to the three days until the March issue of Harvest magazine goes on sale.

This time, the old man at the newsstand applied to his superiors for two hundred copies of "Harvest" magazine, thinking he could sell them all in less than a day.

The last issue of Harvest sold very well. Actually, the subject matter of "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" is not the type that college students are keen on, but it is irresistible to teachers and school staff. Many elderly people lined up to buy it.

Previously, Wei Ming's readers were mostly young people and teenagers, but this time he has attracted many middle-aged and elderly readers as well.

After entering the school, Wei Ming saw Uncle Ping An leading Lele out of the staff canteen. Lele wasn't going to school today, but he had to go to work.

"Uncle, why don't you let Lele come with me? I can find her a notebook to write and draw in, and the day will pass by in no time."

"Won't this interfere with your work?"

Wei Ming laughed and said, "What kind of job could I possibly have?"

Wei Ping'an didn't stand on ceremony with him: "That's great, I have an important meeting today."

So Wei Ming took his cousin to the Peking University Library. The pretty girl made Wei Ming the envy of everyone, and people would give her candy wherever they went.

She politely accepted them and put them in her pocket. She wasn't particularly interested in sweets, but her brother liked them, so she could save them for him to eat when he came back.

"Big brother, what should I draw?" Lele asked, confused, after receiving the blank paper and pen.

Wei Ming: "You should draw 'Only Mother is Good in the World'."

Lele thought about the lyrics of the song for a moment and knew what to draw.

Meanwhile, Gong Xue, Xi Zi, and other cast and crew members, accompanied by Long Xiaoyang, had been living in the village where Song Lian and He Hua lived for several days.

Gong Xue's eyes were swollen from crying. During this time, she completely immersed herself in Hehua's tragic experience, and a surge of maternal instinct suddenly welled up within her.

She couldn't imagine how she would live if she were to carry a child for ten months and then have it forcibly taken away by Wei Ming to be raised with Zhu Lin.

That evening, Gong Xue also wrote a letter to Wei Ming, sharing a lot of his inner thoughts, but told him not to reply because the director had already collected enough material. Next, they were going to northern Jiangsu to experience life there, but they were unsure where they would stay.

When Gong Xue parted ways with Long Xiaoyang at Chengdu Railway Station, he asked at a newsstand if they had the latest issue of "Harvest".

"Comrade, you've asked at an inopportune time. Harvest magazine will arrive first thing tomorrow morning; it hasn't arrived yet."

"Oh, okay then, I'll buy it when I arrive at the station tomorrow," Gong Xue said regretfully.

The newspaper vendor added, "Do you want to read 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes'?"

Gong Xue hummed in agreement. Although it wouldn't be difficult for her to see Wei Ming's backup draft, she wanted to support the sales even more.

The previous issue of Harvest magazine sold 100 million copies thanks to the popularity of this long serialized novel, but that is not the limit for Harvest magazine.

Of course, she hoped that her little man could break through this limit.

The editorial department of Harvest and the Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House also held this hope, but they could not be too extreme in their actions. If they released too many copies at the beginning, what if readers found the second book to be less appealing than the first book's Whampoa Military Academy story because it was a familiar anti-Japanese war story?

Therefore, the final print run was set at 100 million copies, matching the previous issue's final print run, which is already the highest first print run record for domestic literary journals.

At the same time, the publisher and printing company agreed to reserve the publishing materials for them and be prepared to reprint at any time.

What if, by chance, Wei Ming's anti-Japanese war stories are even more captivating?

After all, Wei Ming had previously written a rather unique anti-Japanese war story called "Er Niu," which was well-received for its unique style and was even made into a movie by Xi'an Film Studio.

The day before the official release of the March issue of Harvest magazine, Wei Ming received a letter from Wu Tianming of Xi'an Film Studio. In the letter, he regretfully explained the obstacles in the process of adapting "A Terracotta Warrior's Tale" into a film. He said that the idea of ​​an elixir of immortality and people living in the modern era was too unmaterialistic, and that everyone from top to bottom advised against making the film. He had no choice but to temporarily halt the development of the project.

Wei Ming completely understands this. There's still no definite news about whether "The Mysterious Buddha" will be released yet, and "The Myth of Qin" is indeed too ahead of its time.

Finally, Wu Tianming also shared some good news: "The Cow and the Second Cow" has passed censorship and is now being printed, and it will be released nationwide in April.

Wei Ming was very pleased that his second film was about to be released. Although it did not receive much attention from the public before or after filming, his father was also involved in the film. After returning home, he immediately told his father the good news.

Old Wei sighed, "I wonder how Niu Da, Niu Er, and Xiao Qiang are doing. I really miss them."

"Niu Da, Niu Er, Xiao Qiang?"

"Those are the three cows from the film crew."

Why isn't the third one called Niu San (牛三)?

Old Wei: "Because it's particularly stubborn and has a stubborn temper, I call it Xiaoqiang. Usually, it's Niu Da and Niu Er who are filming, and it's just freeloading."

"And what about their taste?"

"I meant the taste of the milk."

I never expected Lao Wei to receive such treatment on set, with unlimited milk.

~
The next day, in Shanghai.

Emerging writer Wang Anyi hasn't received a sample copy of Harvest magazine yet, but she couldn't wait to rush to the bookstore to buy this issue because it's her first time publishing a novella, "Epilogue," in the magazine.

I didn't expect that even though I got up so early, I would still encounter a long queue, and what's worse, there was someone in front of me who bought five books at once.

"Could this person be a scalper?" Wang Anyi couldn't help but feel a little worried.

After all, bookstores have a limited stock, and there are so many people queuing. If they sell out by the time it's my turn, I won't be able to see it today.

The bookstore clerk was also worried about this issue and asked the young man a few questions.

He said, "My maternal grandfather, my paternal grandfather, and our leader all like to read 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes.' I like it myself too. Why can't I buy a few more copies to give as gifts? It's not like I didn't pay for them."

Someone else asked, "Your grandfather, your maternal grandfather, your boss, and you—that's only four people. Why are you buying five books?"

The young man said shyly, "I have a girlfriend, and her father likes her too."

The atmosphere was filled with joy.

Finally, it was Wang Anyi's turn. Fortunately, the first print run was said to be very large, and the bookstore had plenty of stock. Wang Anyi successfully bought this issue of "Harvest". When she opened the table of contents, before she even saw her own "Epilogue", she was attracted by the bolded title "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes, Part 2".

So this isn't the end yet, there's a sequel!

Many people didn't know that "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" was serialized in three parts. They all thought they would see the finale this time, but to their surprise, they spent money but didn't get to see the ending.

Wang Anyi glanced at the page numbers and estimated that this time it would be another 200,000 words or so. So, after three installments, "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" would be a long novel of at least 600,000 words!
Goodness, Wang Anyi is 27 years old this year. She has been in the industry for five years and has never written a novel. The short stories, novellas, essays and miscellaneous writings she has created in the past five years don't even add up to 60!

60 yuan is a lot of royalties! No wonder he likes to treat people to meals so much.

Wang Anyi was one of the students at the Yenching Literature Institute and was a beneficiary of Wei Ming's hospitality.

Wang Anyi, who regarded Wei Ming as her role model in her literary career, found a quiet place and began to seriously read "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes, Part 2".

Similar situations have occurred in bookstores and post offices in many cities across the country, with eager readers immediately finding a secluded spot to read "Harvest" after purchasing the magazine.

Picking up where we left off, after the Xi'an Incident, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party began to cooperate openly again, and Jiang Limin began a military career facing the Japanese invaders. Wei Ming drew on some classic scenes of fighting the Japanese invaders from "Bright Sword" and wrote a story that was both exhilarating and tragic.

Jiang Limin was much more cultured than Li Yunlong, but he could also be reckless and adept at using clever tricks to achieve unexpected victories.

An important character in this storyline is Wang Yaowu, who was a classmate of Jiang Limin in the third class of the Whampoa Military Academy and a typical figure in the Kuomintang's frontal resistance against Japan.

Here he plays the role of Chu Yunfei, and in fact, Chu Yunfei's classic line, "Even if it's tens of thousands of pigs, it would take the Communist army several days to catch them all," was also said by Wang Yaowu himself. The film and television character of Chu Yunfei drew a lot of inspiration from Wang Yaowu.

Until the outbreak of the July 7th Incident and the rise of the full-scale anti-Japanese war, Jiang Limin was wounded while leading a charge in order to win a battle.

Because of the limited local medical conditions, the organization arranged for him to go to Shanghai for medical treatment and recuperation, which clearly drew on General Chen's experience.

~
Tang Shengming's family.

Tang Shengming, Shen Zui, Wen Xiaoqiang, Yang Botao, Zheng Tingji and other old friends gathered at Tang Shengming's house. Everyone was reading, each holding a copy of "Harvest," all of which Tang Shengming had bought.

Tang Shengming went even further, making the nanny buy six copies of "Harvest" magazine in one go.

When they saw the early episodes, several alumni of Gongdelin School reminisced about Wang Yaowu, that old rascal, who was unfortunately pardoned in 59 and passed away in 68.

When Shen Zui saw Jiang Limin go to Shanghai, his eyes widened because he saw "Yan Shuangying"!
In Wei Ming's novel, Jiang Limin and Yan Shuangying are two different people. Yan Shuangying is Jiang Limin's subordinate and is the one responsible for carrying out the actual actions.

Upon seeing the name, Shen Zui knew that this young author must have consulted some secret files.

Tang Shengming pointed to the memory he saw and said, "Sure enough, a large part of Jiang Limin's prototype comes from Brother Chen. I also have a role here. When Brother Chen came to Shanghai to recuperate, I was the one who helped him wipe out those villains. It's a pity he left too early, not even sixty years old."

The others thought to themselves, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have even entered Gongdelin Prison; you would have been a high-ranking cadre from the very beginning, flirting with the Communist Party."

After arriving in Shanghai due to his injuries, Jiang Limin immediately took over the underground work there, beginning another legendary chapter in his life.

The second part of "Human World" is also divided into two phases: the first phase is the main battlefield, and the second phase is the battlefield behind enemy lines. Not only do they have to face the Japanese invaders who are eyeing the Yangtze River Delta, but they also have to be wary of the Wang Jingwei regime and the fickle Chiang Kai-shek. The story is even more exciting and captivating.

In addition, the second part also features Jiang Limin's love life, or more accurately, his second love story. In the first part, his teacher's sister had already died during the purge of the party, and the two had a vague relationship. After that, Jiang Limin also experienced a few years of being single.

~
"Hehe, I didn't expect Teacher Wei to be such a good writer of love stories. The two love stories in 'The Right Path in the World' are quite good. They don't have much detail, but they add a lot to the story."

"But I always felt that the female lead wouldn't survive to the third movie."

"Haha, I feel the same way."

Discussions about the novel also began in Liu Zhenyun's 78th Chinese Literature Department, with one student even suggesting that Liu Zhenyun invite Professor Wei over for a discussion.

Liu Zhenyun readily agreed and set off to the library to find the person.

Just then, Wei Ming came out of the library, walking hurriedly.

"Ming-ge, our dorm..."

Before Liu Zhenyun could finish speaking, Wei Ming said, "Old Liu, I'm definitely not free today. Let's do it another day."

"Oh, okay." Liu Zhenyun watched Wei Ming's retreating figure, feeling extremely annoyed. He should have asked what it was about; perhaps he could have been of some help.

A phone call just came in from the library, looking for Wei Ming. After answering the call, Wei Ming rushed out, rode his motorcycle directly to Peking Union Medical College, and met Ba Jin, Wei Tao, and others there.

Everyone is waiting for some heartbreaking news.

While waiting, Ba Jin showed Wei Ming Mao Dun Mao Dun his last article.

"He said that this text would be used as a preface when 'The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes' is published. This is your honor, and it is also the honor of this novel. I hope that you can continue to forge ahead and live up to Mr. Mao Dun's expectations, and also make this preface a literary legend."

It was because of this connection that Ba Jin called Wei Ming to the hospital to see Mr. Mao Dun off on his final journey.

Wei Ming took the papers. The article was not written by the author himself, but was dictated by the author and recorded by his son, Wei Tao. These papers contained at least two thousand words and felt heavy in Wei Ming's hands.

"In the folds of history, there are always some undercurrents and bright lights, like a long river surging, carrying mud and stars, and eventually carving lines of varying depths on the beach of the times."

The book "The Right Path of the World is Full of Vicissitudes" is like a meticulous long scroll painting. It uses the ups and downs of the two Jiang brothers as the warp and weft to weave a magnificent picture of the Chinese revolution over half a century. The characters in the book walk on the edge of history, where blood and tears are intertwined with ideals, and faith is torn apart by family affection.

"The so-called 'right path' is never a plaque hanging high in the halls of power, but rather the footprints trudging through the mud, the cold sweat that pierces the heart of a traitor in the middle of the night, and the final cry of the silent..."

Next, Mr. Mao Dun analyzed each of the main figures, including Jiang Limin, Jiang Lizhong, and Jiang Lihua, in a lengthy and detailed article.

Sir, you read very carefully. These comments are insightful and do not reveal the characters' fates. They can greatly help readers who are preparing to read this novel, allowing them to get into the story more quickly. You really put your heart into it.

"Mountains and rivers are torn apart, and time becomes a monument. The weight of a book lies not in how many events it records, but in how it allows the breath of dust to resonate with the stars."

This book is dedicated to all those who listen to silence amidst the noise, piece together wholeness from brokenness, and gaze at the stars while crawling on the ground.

The road of life is long, and the righteous path is endless. May we, after all the vicissitudes of life, still have the courage to say to the passing years: "My heart is pure, what more needs to be said?"

Upon seeing the words "With a heart full of light, what more is there to say?", Wei Ming's eyes welled up with tears.

Although he and the gentleman did not interact much and were not familiar with each other, only acquainted through photographs, the gentleman's preface was extremely sincere and frank, and of exceptionally high quality; it could be included in a Chinese textbook on its own.

Just as Wei Ming was rubbing his eyes, a doctor walked over...

(End of this chapter)