Exciting 1979!

Chapter 315 The Storm is Coming, Siblings Reunited

Wei Ping'an wondered if his nephew had brought business to Founder Group from Hong Kong, and that their major client was in Shanghai.

At the dinner table, Wei Ming didn't continue speaking, and Uncle Ping An could only suppress his doubts for the time being, watching Xizi and Lele having a great time.

Wei Ming bought Lele an electronic keyboard, a high-end one, which can simulate a piano in a simple way.

Wei Ming wanted to buy a piano for his cousin, but the living room wouldn't allow it.

Xizi plays with various toy guns that emit lights and sounds; these are products of Langning Toy Factory.

Unfortunately, Transformers only exist on paper. I'm sure Xizi would love them even more; no little boy can resist the allure of transforming mechs.

During the meal, Aunt Xiaoyan hesitantly brought up work-related matters.

"Zheng Yuanjie's 'The Magic Cube Building' has been serialized for two chapters. Although it is not as influential as your 'Black Cat Detective,' it has received a lot of letters from children. I heard that Rubik's Cubes are now sold in department stores, and children's palaces have started to offer Rubik's Cube interest classes. All of this is because young readers became curious about Rubik's Cubes after reading the novel."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "It seems that this novel also has the merit of popularizing the Rubik's Cube."

Lü Xiaoyan said helplessly, "Xiao Zheng said that he will write as many articles as there are Rubik's Cube pieces, one per month, and if it's a serial, it will take at least two years."

"Isn't this great? Zheng Yuanjie's novel is of high quality and he writes it quickly. It's been serialized for two years, more than twenty issues, and we don't have to worry about running out of manuscripts." However, Wei Ming noticed that Aunt Xiaoyan didn't seem very happy.

Lü Xiaoyan said, "Normally, our Children's Literature Fairy Tale section only has three or four works per issue. Now, your two long serials have taken up two spots, which has caused a lot of dissatisfaction in the editorial department."

Although "Black Cat Detective" made a significant contribution to the circulation of "Children's Literature," it was not a private magazine but a public one. In addition to providing children with excellent and suitable literary works, the most important function of this publication was to discover more children's literature writers.

The current situation is that with Wei Ming and Zheng Yuanjie doing this, each issue will at most feature one or two fairy tales by other authors, which is not conducive to the discovery of talent.

"So now the editor-in-chief is having a meeting and says we have to be tough and make tough decisions. They've set a new rule: if a novel isn't finished after three issues, it will be published as a book once it's finished, depending on its quality. So I wanted to tell you that 'Black Cat Detective' can't continue serializing." Lü Xiaoyan said somewhat embarrassedly, and even a little unsure how to face Wei Ming, since she had just received a gift from him.

Wei Ming remained calm. A single issue of "Black Cat Detective" only earned him a few dozen yuan, and he wasn't short of money. He just felt sorry for his young readers.

Originally, there were Black Cat Detective stories to read every month, but after the new regulations came out, you have to accumulate enough material to read one book at a time. It's like reading a web novel serial and suddenly the updates change from daily to monthly. Even young readers will complain.

Moreover, given Zheng Yuanjie's money-grubbing nature, without the serialized manuscript fees, he definitely won't submit articles to "Children's Literature" anymore.

Wei Ming thought for a moment and said, "Aunt Xiaoyan, do you think it's possible to establish another children's literature magazine under the China Children's Publishing House, specifically to publish these long serialized stories, so that the space in 'Children's Literature' can be given to more new authors."

"Ah? Let's start another publication." Lü Xiaoyan pondered.

"Yes, and then you personally take on the role of editor-in-chief. I've even thought of a name for it: 'King of Fairy Tales'."

Upon hearing this, Lü Xiaoyan was thrilled. She had recently been promoted, and there had been talk from above about promoting her to deputy editor-in-chief. But being second-in-command to someone else was nothing compared to being the top leader herself.

She began to seriously consider this possibility: "If we start a new magazine, and it's full-length children's literature, getting manuscripts will be a big problem."

Children's literature mostly consists of short stories, partly due to the difficulty of writing them, and partly to make them easier for children to read.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "If it really works out, I'll write you a long fairy tale series."

Lu Xiaoyan, the daughter of a military family, slammed her hand on the table: "You said it yourself, I'm going to talk to the president tomorrow!"

“If there are funding issues, I can offer some paid assistance,” Wei Ming said meaningfully.

The state has strict control over publishing, and magazines can only be published by affiliated with state-owned publishing houses, including Zheng Yuanjie's "King of Fairy Tales" a few years later.

If Aunt Xiaoyan's new publication encounters financial difficulties, Wei Ming wouldn't mind taking direct ownership of it.

A meal and a few words ignited Aunt Xiaoyan's passion, and after the meal, she insisted on seeing her eldest nephew downstairs.

Wei Pingan said, "Keep an eye on Xizi and Lele, I'll take them."

Once downstairs, he asked impatiently, "Now you can tell me, what is this wonderful gift?"

Wei Ming pulled him a couple more steps until they reached an open space. After confirming that no one was within a ten-meter radius, he said, "Uncle, actually, my father and I have a huge secret that we've been keeping from you."

Wei Ping'an was a smart man, and he guessed, "You haven't gotten in touch with your uncle in Taiwan, have you? This is a matter of principle!"

"That's not true."

Wei Pingan breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Ming: "It's even more serious than that."

Wei Ping'an: "..."

"Can I not listen?" Wei Ping'an asked hesitantly. He was afraid that he would be unable to resist betraying his own family for the sake of righteousness, so it was better not to know.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "I'm afraid that won't work, as you're involved."

"Then tell me quickly." Uncle Ping An looked around warily.

He had prepared for the worst, but when he heard Wei Ming say, "My grandfather Wei Senhao is still alive," he was still shocked.

"what!"

"Shh~"

Wei Ming succinctly explained the plot developments after his grandfather was seriously injured in Korea.

"Moreover, he got married again over there and had a daughter named Wei Lingling, who lives in the Yanjing Hotel. She is now an American citizen and is studying at Stanford University in the United States. She is very close to my great-aunt, who owns a valuable old villa in Shanghai. According to the policy, it is possible to reclaim it. My aunt came back to do this."

Wei Ping'an had calmed down and asked, "Your dad knows all this?"

"He doesn't know about his aunt and the villa yet. He went back to his hometown, and I haven't seen him. But he might be back now."

Wei Pingan said decisively, "Let's go now and discuss this with him."

He then got on Wei Ming's motorcycle, and Wei Ping'an continued to ask for details from the motorcycle: "So what do you mean by sending me to Shanghai?"

Wei Ming: "My great-aunt said that if we can get this house back, my aunt, my dad, and you will split it equally."

"what!"

This is the second time today that Wei Ping'an has been so shocked that he has lost his composure.

His first reaction was the same as Wei Ming's: this doesn't make sense.

Although he and Wei Jiefang were as close as brothers, they weren't actually that close. Their fathers were cousins, and Xiaoming and Xizi's children were all beyond the fifth degree of kinship.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "A third of this house is worth at least ten or twenty thousand yuan, Uncle, aren't you happy?"

Wei Ping'an said warily, "I'm just worried that there might be some kind of trap here. If what you're saying is true, I'll have to report this to my superiors.

"Oh, then my grandfather would be exposed, wouldn't he?"

Wei Ping'an thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll give up the house for now. Otherwise, if I suddenly inherit the estate of my relatives overseas, it will be hard to explain, just like your grandfather. His experiences are impossible to explain."

Compared to owning a third of the luxury homes in Shanghai, Uncle Ping An cares more about ensuring his current work isn't affected.

Wei Ming sighed, "Let's talk about it after we see my aunt."

~
Beijing Film Studio.

Zhu Lin spent the morning arguing with Wei Ming, then went to the courtyard to film "The Courtyard" in the afternoon. After finishing work, she went to the Beijing Film Studio to find Gong Xue.

Seeing that Gong Xue's room seemed to have many more things, she asked with a smile, "Have you seen them?"

Gong Xue nodded: "Judging from your appearance, you've already met him, haven't you?"

Zhu Lin touched her fair, rosy cheeks: "Is it that obvious?"

Gong Xue glanced in the mirror. As someone with experience, she could tell the difference between having a man's attention and not having one at a glance.

Zhu Lin sat down next to Gong Xue on the bed, and immediately made a creaking sound.

"You two definitely didn't meet here, did you? You went to the courtyard house?" Zhu Lin asked curiously.

Gong Xue refused to answer directly: "Who said we didn't meet here? All the things he brought are here."

"That means there's a second crime scene, so we can't get anything done here."

Gong Xue quickly shut Zhu Lin up, saying, "You're too outspoken! What if someone's eavesdropping at the door?"

Zhu Lin was still quite smug: "Anyway, I didn't get out of bed for half a day."

Gong Xue tapped her cheek, feeling embarrassed. "I've been tormented all night, did I say I was proud?"

"Does he support you taking on the role of 'Du Shiniang'?" Gong Xue asked Zhu Lin.

The director from Changchun Film Studio has already come to Yanjing to meet Zhu Lin. They even changed into ancient costumes and took photos. Unexpectedly, Zhu Lin, who was wearing ancient costumes for the first time, looked very suitable for the ancient style. However, his demeanor and temperament were still too modern and he needed to take a class to correct it. This class can be taken at the Central Academy of Drama.

"Oh dear!" Zhu Lin slapped his thigh. "I was so focused on that that I forgot to mention this."

She had completely forgotten about it; it was only thanks to Gong Xue's reminder that she remembered.

"I'm not talking to you anymore. I'll go to the Overseas Chinese Apartments and see if I can run into him."

Zhu Lin was hiding outside the Overseas Chinese Apartment when she actually ran into Wei Ming. However, Wei Ming was in the car with Wei Ping'an, so Zhu Lin retreated back inside. With other people around, she decided to go back and make a phone call.

Wei Ming and Uncle Ping An arrived at just the right time. Old Wei had just come from Li Guangfu's place. The children who went to Beijing for study tours this year are still staying at his place. There are still a few stubborn ones in his courtyard house who haven't moved out. He'll give them another intensive training session this summer.

Having just experienced being a school principal, Wei Jiefang was now wearing a liberation cap and had a pen pinned to his chest, looking quite the part.

“Hey, you two, you’ve come at the perfect time. Let me tell you about the situation at Gouzitun Elementary School this year. Our village has five of the top ten students in the entire commune for junior high school entrance exams! Five! I’ll take care of those five and bring them all to Beijing to broaden their horizons.”

Wei Ming said, "That's great. Let's talk about it later. I'd like to donate money to the commune's junior high school and the county's No. 1 Middle School to help students."

These are all considered his alma maters.

"Huh?" Wei Pingan and Wei Jiefang were both taken aback. Was it that sudden?

Wei Ming: "I've made too much money lately, I need to spend it all."

After speaking with reporter Zhu, he estimated that the China Youth Daily would soon report on his other pseudonym and his international achievements as a musician. Although he downplayed the million-dollar issue, other tabloids might find out something.

"Brother Jiefang, come out for a second. The men of the Wei family are having a meeting." Wei Ming said, and then Wei Ping'an spoke up. Wei Jiefang's eyes darted around, probably because it was related to the old man. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Come on, let's go downstairs and talk."

"Brother, what are you talking about? I'm not a member of the Wei family." Wei Hong followed.

Wei Ming: "But you're not a man of the Wei family. I'll tell you about publishing a book abroad later; you'll have some good news too."

After giving a perfunctory reply, Wei Ming and the other two went downstairs and found an open space. At Wei Jiefang's command, the stray cats around them all ran away.

Wei Ming pulled out a photo: "This is a photo of me and my grandfather."

Wei Jiefang swiftly snatched it away, and Wei Ping'an immediately followed suit.

Tears streamed down Old Wei's face: "Didn't they say the living conditions were good over there? How come he's aged so quickly? He's not even sixty yet!"

Wei Ping'an's eyes also reddened, and he sighed, "But his eyes are still so bright, they haven't changed over the years."

Wei Mingdao: "Grandpa was seriously injured back then, and he almost went through the gates of hell. If it weren't for my great-grandfather taking him back to Taiwan to find the best surgeon, he probably would have died. But he still felt guilty and felt ashamed of the Party and the country. So when he arrived in Hong Kong, he refused to accept my great-grandfather's relief and did the lowest level of work. He has actually had a very hard time these years."

Old Wei wiped away his tears: "Go on."

Wei Ming: "However, he was forced to marry a woman while he was in Taiwan, and she gave birth to a younger sister for you. She is only a few years older than me and her name is Wei Lingling."

Moved to tears, Old Wei suddenly channeled Wei Ping'an's inner Wei: "What!"

Wei Ping'an: "Shh~"

Wei Ming: "He's staying at the Yanjing Hotel. How about we meet tomorrow?"

"No, how come there's a little sister too? This is all so strange." Old Wei had mixed feelings. When they were young, he and Ping An had always longed for a little sister, but now that they're all this age, a little sister suddenly appears. This is just too absurd.

Wei Ming then talked about the old mansion in Shanghai. When Old Wei learned that Wei Ping'an was also one of the heirs, he wasn't so surprised. He wondered if it was the old man's way of compensating Ping'an, considering how he had treated his aunt back then.

“Alright, let’s meet tomorrow,” Wei Jiefang said. “Shall we meet at the Yanjing Hotel?”

Wei Ming shook his head: "That place is strictly managed and there are too many people around, so it's not suitable. Let's go with the courtyard house. I'll call her later to confirm."

Wei Jiefang nodded: "Alright, I'll hand over the tour guide job to your sister, and have your mother prepare some good wine and food to entertain her."

Then Lao Wei took Wei Ming's car keys and personally drove Uncle Ping An home. The brothers must have some things to talk about about their grandfather.

Once upstairs, Wei Ming immediately made an appointment with his aunt.

"I'll come pick you up then."

After hanging up the phone, Wei Ming told Xiao Hong, "Your book is about to be published, and as a key book for the company, the publishing company has already invited me to the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany in October. I'll see if I can take you with me."

"Take it out? Go abroad?" Wei Hong asked incredulously.

Wei Ming nodded: "Of course."

Wei Hong immediately pressed herself against the wall, looking at the world map: "Germany, here, where is Frankfurt?"

Wei Ming pointed it out to her, and Xu Shufen and her grandmother came over after hearing it: "It's so far?"

Wei Hong laughed and said, "My brother has already been to England, which is even farther than Germany!"

The phone rang again, and Wei Hong answered it.

"Brother, it's Zhu Lin," Wei Hong shouted into the phone, "Sister Zhu Lin, I really love your portrayal of Shui Lian!"

After confessing my feelings, I handed the phone to my older brother.

Upon hearing that the suggestion was about taking on roles, Wei Ming said openly, "I think you can give it a try; it would broaden your acting range."

Wei Ming strongly advised her to take the role. As one of the three giants, Changchun Film Studio's strength goes without saying. "Middle Age" and "Du Shiniang" can be considered the two strongest films produced by Changchun Film Studio in 82. One of them could win an award, and the other was well-received by the audience.

As for Zhu Lin's concerns about the prostitutes, one of the most criticized aspects of this film is that it is too clean, portraying the courtesans as talented women like Li Qingzhao. Although this is a flaw, it also reduces the difficulty for Zhu Lin in her performance.

Zhu Lin's appearances in these two films produced by Changchun Film Studio were crucial to her acting career, which was a pity for actress Pan Hong.

Pan Hong: Is this never going to end?!

With Wei Ming's approval, Zhu Lin felt reassured, and then quietly asked him if he would come again tomorrow.

With his grandmother, mother, and sister all staring at him, Wei Ming laughed and said, "Let's stop here then. I have things to do tomorrow, so I need to go to bed early."

Zhu Lin: I understand, I'm busy tomorrow.

~
The next day, before dawn, eighteen-year-old Long Xiaoyang packed his bags and set off on a long journey alone.

When he set off from the village, the sky was clear and sunny, but when he arrived in Chengdu, it was covered with dark clouds.

However, Sichuan is usually rainy this season, so he didn't realize that this rain was any different. At that moment, he was only excited because he was going to the capital again. Although it was just to pick up his grandmother and take her back to his hometown, it showed how much his cousin valued him.

Long Xiaoyang set off on the first day of the 1981 National College Entrance Examination.

The number of students taking the college entrance examination this year has decreased significantly compared to last year, with only 259 million. However, the number of students admitted remains the same because the number of universities and majors has remained largely unchanged. A notable feature this year is that the English score requirement has increased from 30 points last year to 50 points, which is a trend that has been rising year by year.

Wei Ming saw this while reading the newspaper during breakfast. This year's college entrance rate is expected to reach 10%, but more than two million young people are still being kept out of university.

Rural students are better off, at least they have land and something to do. Urban youths can only hope that their fathers will give them their jobs, but usually several children are waiting for the same job.

Wei Ming sighed: It's not easy for anyone.

Instead of rushing to the Yanjing Hotel, he first took Wei Hong to Li Guangfu's house and met with this year's outstanding primary school students.

Li Guangfu held Wei Ming's hand: "Teacher Wei, you've been so busy lately. It's been so long since we last saw each other."

Wei Ming smiled and said, "I was just thinking of going to the Beijing People's Art Theatre to see you all."

“You have to come. The new students are rehearsing ‘The Tale of Two Donkeys’ right now, and they want to get to know you, the great writer.”

Wei Ming guessed that these new trainees must be from the same cohort as Sister Dandan and Liang Xiaopang, all of whom were old acquaintances of his, and he needed to get to know them.

"Sure, I'll definitely visit you once I'm done with this busy period."

"Oh right, didn't you ask me to keep an eye on the courtyard house for you? I..."

Just as Li Guangfu lowered his voice to whisper something, Wei Ming saw Qi Kexiu come out from inside.

"Uncle Qi?"

Qi Kexiu, looking embarrassed, said, "Oh, Xiaoming, I'm the teacher leading the team this time."

Qi Kexiu was from Yanjing, but his parents' and brothers' homes couldn't even accommodate a bed for him, so he simply didn't go back and lived with the students instead.

Wei Ming nodded: "I was worried that Xiao Hong wouldn't be a good tour guide, but I'm relieved to have you here."

He then had a conversation with the students. This year's students are a completely different group compared to last year, with more than half being new students. It seems that the learning environment in the village school has become more competitive, and it won't be easy to maintain a position in the top three.

~
Yanjing Hotel.

During breakfast, Wei Lingling ran into Jin Yong's family and they greeted each other.

Newspapers also serve an advertising function. How could Wei Lingling not get to know this newspaper tycoon when she was making toys in Hong Kong later?

If he were merely a novelist renowned throughout the Chinese-speaking world, Jin Yong would never have been invited by the chief architect of the revolution; his value in the united front work was primarily due to his association with Ming Pao.

Since it wasn't time for their agreed meeting yet, Jin Yong went to the Xinhua Bookstore after dinner to buy books by Wei Ming and something similar.

Wei Lingling told Lizhi to go out and wander around by herself, as she didn't need anyone to accompany her anymore.

So Lizhi walked and walked until she arrived at Oriental Plaza. She had often heard of this brand in Shanghai, and she was determined to have a good look around today.

Half an hour after Lizhi left, Wei Ming found Wei Lingling in the hotel lobby.

"Let's go."

Wei Lingling asked, "Do we need the hotel's car?"

"No need, take my car."

Then Wei Lingling saw a motorcycle. She seemed a little excited, took the helmet and said to her nephew, "I'll drive, you give directions."

"Can you?"

"Stop talking nonsense. When I was riding a motorcycle, you were probably still wearing open-crotch pants," Wei Lingling said confidently.

~
In the courtyard house, after lunch was prepared, Wei Jiefang made an excuse to let his wife leave. The fewer people who knew about this, the better, since it concerned Ping An and his son's future.

The food sat smoldering on the stove, and the two paced back and forth anxiously, making the sheriff dizzy with their presence. Meanwhile, Ginkgo followed them around the yard, full of energy.

It just hopes to get a bone when it's time to eat.

Upon hearing the sound of a motorcycle, Lao Wei excitedly went to open the door and saw Mei Wenhua, that kid.

"Uncle, is my brother Ming here? He's back, but I haven't seen him yet."

Old Wei: "You're going to the store, right? I'll have him come find you there later."

At the corner of the alley, Wei Lingling said, "That person is gone, can we go now?"

"Go over there."

Just as Lao Wei was about to close the door, he heard the sound of a motorcycle again. He thought Mei Wenhua had returned, but when he turned around, he saw a dashing female rider with Wei Ming parked at the door.

"Dad, we're back." After Wei Ming finished speaking, Wei Lingling also took off her helmet and looked into the eyes of Wei Jiefang and Wei Ping'an.

A strange feeling arose among the three; they seemed to see certain traits of themselves in each other's faces.

Wei Ming broke the three's stare: "Don't just stand there, let's go inside and talk~"

(End of this chapter)