Exciting 1979!

Chapter 320 The Wedding of the Century
This was faster than Wei Ming had expected, meaning they could go home.

According to Lao Fei, it was probably the Shi family's overseas prestige that played a role. The Shi family is a major family in Suzhou, involved in railways, banks, and other fields. Relevant departments certainly hoped that the Shi family could take the lead in returning to invest in and build the motherland.

Wei Lingling said, "Let's go to Jueyuan first. Once the formalities are completed, we'll leave. As for the rest, we can leave it to Mr. Fei."

Before it got dark, the group took a taxi directly to Jueyuan No. 2 Courtyard. Lizhi accompanied them, but Along was not there.

Since they didn't know when Wei Ming and the others would finish, A Long and Gong Ying had already returned to Beijing to prepare for their trip to Hong Kong.

Because they were three-wheeled taxis, we hailed two: one for Lao Wei and Wei Lingling, and the other for Wei Ming and Li Zhi.

"Young Master Ming, I just found out that the Shi family, who were once incredibly wealthy, are your relatives. I've even heard my grandmother mention them."

Having been busy with the paperwork these past few days, Lizhi has finally figured out the origins of the No. 2 Jueyuan residence, as well as the relationship between Wei Ming and the owner of Jueyuan.

Wei Ming shrugged: "I've said it before, my family isn't rich. We just have a few wealthy relatives overseas, and we haven't been in contact for so many years, our relationship has long faded."

Lizhi thought to herself, "If things don't turn out well, I'll leave you with such a big house."

She said, "I don't care about those things. I think my own ability is what really matters. Your talent is your greatest asset."

This woman really knows how to charm men, Wei Ming thought, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'd like to say the same to you: you've been a bit lax in your English studies lately. You still need to keep practicing English."

Lizhi shyly smoothed her short hair behind her ear, revealing a hint of charm: "It's just that there haven't been any opportunities to study since I came back."

"If there are no conditions, create them; learn from the people around you."

"How about I learn English from you? Your English is amazing, you can even write songs in English, you're my role model."

Wei Ming glanced at the driver who was eavesdropping intently in front of him and said in a serious tone, "We're about to part ways. You won't learn the essence from me. Go learn from your boss, Lingling. Her English is definitely better than mine. From now on, when you're by her side, you'll not only have to learn English well, but also how to manage people and the company, understand?"

Wei Ming meant that Li Zhi had the opportunity to become her aunt's right-hand woman and should cherish this learning opportunity, but Li Zhi clearly misunderstood.

Does he mean that I will be in charge of the family business in the future?

Lizhi nodded solemnly: "Yes, I will!"

Soon the toad-shaped car arrived at Yanjing West Road. After getting out of the car, Old Wei pointed to the courtyard in front of him and asked, "Is that all inside?"

Wei Ming nodded.

Old Wei thought to himself, "This is indeed huge. It's more than twice the size of the old house we live in now. It looks very luxurious and is clearly the property of a large, prosperous family."

Unfortunately, the eldest son of the Shi family, whom Aunt Wei Ming married, has few descendants and is now facing the situation of having no offspring.

There was a gatekeeper, and the old gatekeeper was very well-informed; he already knew that the descendants of Jueyuan had returned from America, so he generously opened the gate for them to come in and have a look.

This is the office of Shanghai Electric Import & Export Company, and the company's leaders have also been notified.

Unlike the doorman's indifferent attitude, the leader of this state-owned enterprise looked at Wei Lingling and her group with a hint of displeasure, but could not show it.

He was probably thinking, "Those damn capitalists are back again."

Wei Ming could understand; the environment here was too good, and being in the city center, working here made him feel like a lord.

In the future, it's uncertain whether we can find a new office location for them; the chances of finding one that matches this location in terms of environment, location, and space are slim.

Besides the three floors above ground and some small houses on the left and right sides of the courtyard, this building, which is more than half a century old, also has an underground space that can withstand a certain amount of explosive impact. It is estimated that war was taken into account when the house was built.

After they finished their walk around, Wei Ming caught up with Wei Lingling and asked, "Auntie, do you think there might be some treasure hidden in Grandma's house?"

Wei Lingling gave a direct answer: "We did have some before, after all, we had to consider the possibility of not being able to make a living in the United States, so we made a few preparations. But we don't know if we still have any now. My aunt told me the location, and we'll dig it up slowly after we get the house back."

Old Wei was surprised to hear this: "Oh my, when I get back I'll have to bury something in the courtyard house too, so it won't all be destroyed later."

Wei Ming suggested, "I think we could bury some Moutai."

"Will those things be valuable in the future?" Old Wei wondered. "I see a lot of people collecting stamps now, maybe I should bury some stamps."

Wei Ming: "..."

In his previous life, he knew an older brother at the Beijing People's Art Theatre who was a stamp collector. He kept a whole album of rare stamps until 2025.

The next day, Wei Lingling, Lao Wei, and Lao Fei went to the relevant department again and completed the formalities. Only the final handover was left, which they would have to wait for after the vacated space to be vacated before contacting them.

Old Wei left the contact information for the Yanjing Overseas Chinese Apartment, and Old Fei, who had been busy with all this, would also receive some compensation for his hard work.

Knowing that Wei Lingling was from Hong Kong, he asked, "Could you give me some Hong Kong dollars?"

Wei Lingling asked, "Won't the US dollar work?"

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Old Fei was overjoyed. He assured him, "I will continue to urge that unit to relocate."

Wei Lingling waved her hand and said, "There's no need to rush us, we're not in a hurry to use it."

Wei Ming: "And they will pay rent before they move out." It's just that the rent won't be too high.

Old Wei said with concern, "This house is so big, we don't usually need it. What are we going to do with it after we get it back?"

Wei Lingling said earnestly, "This is what I'm thinking, big brother, would you like to hear this? You and Brother Ping An are both in Yanjing. If my company expands to the mainland in the future, we will definitely need an office in Shanghai, or even the mainland headquarters. At that time, I can give you some money to buy this house, or pay the rent according to the market price."

"Oh, you're being too polite. If you need it in the future, just use it. We're family, why are we talking about money?"

"We still need to talk about it. The company may not just belong to me alone, so there's no need to save money for the company."

Old Wei then smiled and nodded, indicating that he would talk about it later.

When only Wei Ming and his aunt were left, he asked with a smile, "Is the company you're talking about a toy factory or our Dream Factory? It's Dream Factory, right?"

Wei Lingling snorted and didn't answer directly. She said, "I'm not going back to Yanjing. We'll fly directly to Hong Kong tomorrow. Where are your Transformers blueprints?"

Wei Ming went back inside to get some more. Including the ones from before, there were a total of five characters: three Autobots and two Decepticons.

"Only five?"

“Why do we need so many now? Aren’t we afraid of having our ideas stolen?” Wei Ming said. “The toy factory’s next focus is to overcome the technical difficulties of transforming toys and reduce costs. This process will probably take a year and a half. I’ll draw them out for you slowly.”

Wei Lingling agreed and added, "There's also the story text of Transformers."

"Understood, you can use it directly to make an animation later." However, animation production takes too long, so we can make a comic version first, which shows the role of Madman Comics.

The next day, the four parted ways at the airport, two heading north and two heading south.

Watching his sister turn and leave, Old Wei murmured, "When will I be able to go to Hong Kong?"

Wei Ming knew that he didn't want to go to Hong Kong, he just wanted to see his father.

Wei Ming patted him on the shoulder: "Why don't you go over there with Ah Long and the others in a while?"

Anyway, we need to send some comic book talent over there.

Old Wei thought for a moment, then shook his head: "You said he's in good health, so I'm not in a hurry. Let's wait a bit longer. I'll go see him with your mother and sister then."

This was Wei Jiefang's second time flying, and he was much calmer. While reading the newspaper in his seat, he also saw reports about the floods in Sichuan.

The heavy rain in Sichuan has now entered its fifth day, and there is still no sign of it stopping or lessening. The news is full of bad news. Except for a few prefectures with relatively high altitudes such as Ganzi and Aba, the entire Sichuan province is submerged in water.

He said with a worried look, "I wonder how your uncle and aunt are doing. Luckily, we didn't let your grandmother go back."

Wei Ming comforted him, saying, "Our hometown in Sichuan is located in a relatively high-altitude area, so I think we should be fine."

Anyway, no one died in the flood in my previous life.

"The terrain is high and there are many mountains, so we are afraid of mudslides. Have you forgotten that your mother's original village was buried by a mudslide?"

As Lao Wei spoke, the passengers next to him joined in the conversation, talking about the worrying floods.

This passenger was from Xingyang, Henan, whose hometown had also suffered from the flooding of the Yellow River, and he deeply sympathized with the people of Sichuan.

Speaking of floods, Lao Wei also has something to say. Although Ping'an County doesn't have any major rivers, the Hutuo River occasionally floods unexpectedly. His hometown was flooded when he was a child, and some people lost their lives as a result.

Wei Ming thought of the Hutuo River in his hometown, which wasn't very wide. It was the only way to get from Gouzi Village to the county town, but the bridge over the river had been in disrepair for many years, and it was always unsafe to walk on, especially when there were cars passing by.

It wasn't until several accidents occurred in the 90s that a new one was built.

After getting off the plane, Wei Ming told Lao Wei about his trip back to his hometown to donate money.

"You said we should repair the bridge over the Hutuo River."

"Good heavens, how much money do you have!" Old Wei was shocked. He had mentioned repairing bridges and paving roads, but he was referring to the road in front of his house and the small stone bridge at the village entrance.

Wei Ming asked, "How much does it cost to build a bridge?"

Old Wei: "It must cost at least tens of thousands."

Wei Ming: "That's not expensive."

Old Wei: "..."

If it affects his ability to buy a courtyard house, Wei Ming won't say anything. If it's just a matter of ten thousand yuan, he thinks it's fine.

He now has over 200,000 RMB in foreign exchange in his domestic account, and The Lion King is about to be released in the United States.

Seeing that his son was serious, Old Wei nodded: "Then when we get back, I'll go with the old Party Secretary to ask County Chief Qin. If this really works out, all the people in Ping'an County will remember your kindness, and your father will benefit from it too."

The father and son took a bus to the Yanjing Hotel to pick up their motorcycle.

"Wei Sang!"

Someone called out to Wei Ming. Wei Ming turned his head, and sure enough, it was Masashi Sada. "Sada-san, you've finished filming the Yangtze River?"

"Filming is over, no, not over yet, but the filming is finished, and I'm about to go home," Masashi Sada said. The footage had been reviewed and approved, and there were no problems; post-production could begin.

During this meeting, Masashi Sada was eager to talk to Wei Ming about music, so Wei Ming and Lao Wei were invited to have lunch at the Yanjing Hotel.

"When we parted ways in Shanghai last time, you said you wrote an English song. Now I've heard it. Wei Sang really is a man of few words, but when he does speak, he's amazing. Now, who in the world doesn't know the name Mr. Why?"

"Sada-san, you flatter me. This song was written while playing the guitar you gave me."

“It is my honor. Wei Sang’s musical talent is beyond my imagination. I also really like the song ‘Moonlight Shadow’ and have been listening to it on repeat for the past few days.”

"It's an honor for me too."

Although he couldn't understand English, he could tell from their expressions that the two were being modest and accommodating. Old Wei, unable to get a word in edgewise, just kept eating and was going to eat the Japanese poor.

I must say, the food at this foreign-owned hotel is really good, almost as good as my wife's.

Masashi Sada asked curiously, "With Wei-san's successful debut in English songs, is he preparing to officially enter the international music scene?"

"No, not really. Writing is my true passion; songwriting is just a pastime."

"That's a shame. Do you have any new works recently?"

"I recently wrote a Cantonese song and have already found a singer in Hong Kong."

Wei Ming remembered that the original song of "First Love" was Japanese, so he had a sudden idea: "Sada-san, this song of mine is about love, which is very much in line with East Asian tastes. I wonder if you could take it back to Japan and help me sell it? I want to help the country earn some foreign exchange."

Upon hearing this, Masashi Sada was filled with respect: "Mr. Wei has a noble character that makes people ashamed. Don't worry, I will definitely help you sell it. If I can't sell it, I will buy it myself."

Masashi Sada was a little guilty when he said this, as he was currently heavily in debt and short of money.

Just then, Wei Ming said, "Oh, I suddenly feel that this song is very suitable for Sada-san."

Masashi Sada's lips twitched. Just what he feared had come to pass.

"Yes, really?"

Wei Ming asked, "You're not leaving tomorrow, are you?"

"I booked my flight for the day after tomorrow."

Wei Ming made the decision: "Then tomorrow. I'll bring the sheet music over for you to take a look tomorrow."

Masashi Sada could only reply "yes." Wei Ming was not only his friend in China, but also an internationally renowned musician and writer. The song couldn't be too cheap; he would have to pay the highest price for a Japanese composer.

After lunch, Masashi Sada personally saw the two out.

Old Wei, burping, asked his son, "What were you guys saying in that bird language?"

Wei Ming: "To make a long story short, I'm going to make money off the Japanese."

"That's great!" Old Wei said. "There are so many Japanese electronics on the market now. The Japanese have made so much money off us. You should make it back from them too!"

It's too much to ask of Wei Ming, a small-time creator, to offset the profits that Japanese electronics companies make from the Chinese market. He can only hope to earn whatever he can.

So many songs were adapted from Japanese to Cantonese; if he simply adapted them back from Chinese to Cantonese, he could make a lot of money. And the best person to act as this bridge would be Masashi Sada.

When they arrived at the Overseas Chinese Apartment, only Grandma and Mom were home. Grandma, looking worried, gave the father and son two bottles of Tianfu Cola.

"This was brought all the way from Xiaoyang's hometown for you. I find it really hard to drink, but Xiaohong said she likes it, so you should try it."

Wei Ming took the bottle and looked at the refrigerator full of Coke. He asked, "Where's Xiao Yang?"

"She's with Xiaohong, keeping those students company."

Today is the last day of their study tour. Tomorrow, Lao Wei will go back to his hometown with them.

Wei Ming took a sip of the ice-cold cola, which had a faint taste of Chinese medicine. It was slightly different from Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but it was still a carbonated beverage.

In July, having a bottle of this right after coming back from outside is just so refreshing.

Wei Ming burped: "It's delicious. Grandma, drink more and you'll get used to it."

Grandma said disdainfully, "It's so expensive, I don't want to get used to drinking it."

Seeing that his grandmother was in a bad mood, Wei Ming quickly comforted her, as she was still worried about her relatives back home.

Xu Shufen wiped her hands: "Xiaoming, come here for a moment, something's wrong."

"what happened?"

Xu Shufen took out a note from the coffee table drawer: "A transoceanic phone call came from Britain a couple of days ago."

"What?! A transoceanic phone call?!" Wei Ming was very surprised.

He couldn't think of anything else important besides Melinda's death that warranted a transoceanic phone call. A transoceanic phone call from Britain was no small matter, not only for the Chinese but also for Melinda.

"It was your ex-girlfriend who called, and Xiaohong answered. They were even speaking English." My mother was dissatisfied, as she didn't understand a large part of it. "She had something important to tell you, and she wrote it all down on this note."

Wei Ming's heart skipped a beat. He thought back to the night before they left London, when they had indulged in a moment of pleasure and hadn't taken precautions. Could it be...?

He took the neatly folded note: "Mom, didn't you read it?"

Xu Shufen was even angrier: "Xiao Hong wrote the English!"

Wei Ming laughed and unfolded the letter.

The note wasn't long, and it was a mix of Chinese and English. Xiaohong still needs to practice her English.

After reading it, Wei Ming was stunned for a moment and muttered: They're getting married already?

"What are you talking about?" Xu Shufen asked. She wasn't usually this gossipy, but the call was from her son's first love, whom she had never met, so it was different.

"It's nothing major, someone is getting married and wants me to write a wedding song to cheer them up."

"Yes, Melinda is getting married?" Xu Shufen was a little worried for her son.

"What? It's not her, it's the Queen of England's son," Wei Ming said, amused.

"Huh? The Queen's son asked you to write a song? That must be the Crown Prince! You know the Crown Prince?!"

"What? Son, you know the son of the King of England? Hiccup, England has a king? Hiccup..." Old Wei, who had just finished drinking his Tianfu Cola, also came over, drawn by the gossip.

Wei Ming shook his head: "I don't know them, but I have friends in Britain who do. Anyway, it's a good thing, and it can earn foreign exchange, so let's write it."

Melinda made it very clear that Prince Charles and his fiancée were viewers of "Cats," which is how they met Webber, and they are getting married at the end of the month.

This wedding of the British Crown Prince is bound to be a globally watched wedding of the century, and the bride-to-be, Diana Spencer, has expressed her wish for a cultural performance at the wedding, with Webber having some say in the matter.

Melinda learned about this through Sarah Brightman, so she urgently made this long-distance call to Wei Ming to see if he could have another burst of inspiration and write an excellent wedding song.

If the prince and princess choose this song to perform at their wedding, it would be hard for it not to become a global hit.

Because this was something Sarah Brightman revealed to Melinda, she hoped that Wei Ming would try to write a song that suited Sarah.

This is not only a set topic, but also restricts the style. Of course, it's not mandatory; the key is to be selected.

Having one hit song is a matter of luck, but if he could have two, Wei Ming's creative talent would surely be recognized, and he would easily earn foreign exchange in the European and American music scene.

The wedding is at the end of the month, and there are only two weeks left. We need to create songs, familiarize ourselves with them, and rehearse. Time is very tight. Unfortunately, Wei Hong couldn't contact Wei Ming a couple of days ago, so she has to wait for him to come back.

Wei Ming's mind raced. In his previous life, he had attended too many weddings, and all his friends had become married. Later, he even had to attend their children's weddings.

He'd heard so many songs at the wedding, both Chinese and English, that wasn't a problem for him. The real challenge was choosing from so many options.

He selected a song, wrote out the lyrics first, and then it would take some time to compose the music.

I originally planned to visit Sister Xue and Sister Lin after I got back, but I have to postpone that for now. I need to make this money from the British royal family first.

Wei Hong and Long Xiaoyang returned in the evening, and they also brought their cousin Qi Delong back with them.

Wei Ming reimbursed Xiao Yang for his train ticket: "Now you can stay in Yanjing and go back when your hometown is completely safe. I will find a way to get in touch with them."

Long Xiaoyang nodded solemnly: "I want to go help Sister Yunyun tomorrow. Xintiandi's business is really big!"

"Alright, I'll have your brother-in-law pay you a salary then."

Wei Ming then looked at Qi Delong: "You're leaving tomorrow. How was your trip to Yanjing?"

Qi Delong hung his head and said, "I don't want to farm anymore. I also want my child to go to the youth palace from a young age."

Wei Ming patted the sturdy boy on the shoulder: "Then study hard. This is the only path for you. I heard you got fifth place in your class this time, which is a big improvement from last year. I hope you can participate in the study tour next year by being among the top three in your grade."

This time, he once again used his uncle's connections to get a train ticket to Beijing.

After the meal, Lao Wei took Qi Delong back to Li Guangfu's house and even stayed there. He wanted to brag to Qi Kexiu and the driver about his experience of flying.

Unfortunately, that was Li Guangfu's house. Li Guangfu, who was eating noodles from a large bowl, said directly, "I've been on an airplane too."

Old Wei asked, "Where are you flying to? I'm going to Shanghai."

"I traveled to Europe with the troupe, visiting more than a dozen cities, including Paris in France, London in England, Rome in Italy, and Berlin in Germany."

Old Wei: "..."

Qi Kexiu, who had been keeping his head down, was finally happy. He was really happy today!
~
"Ah!" Wei Ming threw down his pen, finally finished!
He glanced at the time. Oh dear, it's only 11 o'clock. How about another song...?

(I'll make sure it's a minimum today, how about another chapter? Also, does anyone have any song recommendations? English songs, wedding songs.)
(End of this chapter)