Exciting 1979!

Chapter 336: Sharing the Rain and Dew, A New Work is Published

After leaving Changchun Film Studio, Wei Ming immediately went to buy a plane ticket. Changchun Dafangshan Airport was not too far away, and Wei Ming took a pedicab there.

During his conversation with driver Changhai, Wei Ming also learned where to buy high-quality tiger bone wine and ginseng in Changchun, and confirmed the location provided by factory director Su Yun.

Dafangshan Airport is a dual-use military and civilian airport, and it only has one route: Heilongjiang-Changchun-Shenyang-Yanjing.

Wei Ming bought a plane ticket for tomorrow. The staff recognized his name first, and then recognized him as a person. Naturally, they had another long chat.

Wei Ming mainly inquired about how much luggage he could bring.

Next, he went to make purchases. Today, Wei Ming was a purchasing agent for local specialties from Jilin, such as tiger bone wine, ginseng, deer antler, and some delicious wild mushrooms.

Taking advantage of the abundance of good and genuine products available now, Wei Ming went on a buying spree, but in the end, he only spent a little over a thousand yuan to purchase two large bags of Jilin local specialties.

As for the Clivia miniata, which is now becoming popular in Changchun, Wei Ming didn't even glance at it. Every era has its own labubu.

Back at the Changchun Film Studio guesthouse, I happened to see Zhu Lin returning with others.

Upon arriving at Changchun Film Studio, the two went their separate ways. Zhu Lin went to report to director Zhou Yu and then met the other actors from "Du Shiniang".

The woman next to her is Jin Yaqin, whom she knew before. The old lady is 56 years old this year and won numerous awards decades later for her film "We Two".

Grandma Jin wasn't a professional filmmaker; she was a stage actress at the Beijing People's Art Theatre. Because Wei Ming intended for Zhu Lin to be affiliated with the theatre system, he had her study whenever she had free time, and naturally she quickly became familiar with the people at the theatre. She had previously interacted with Jin Yaqin.

They've joined the same production team again this time, with Zhu Lin playing the courtesan Du Shiniang and Jin Yaqin playing the madam.

Jin Yaqin was surprised to see Wei Ming here. Everyone around her had been talking about him these past two days. As one of the few people here who had met Wei Ming, she said: "The young man is indeed very talented."

Wei Ming recited the same script he had prepared for the field trip, and then said, "Teacher Jin, please don't move. Let Comrade Zhu Lin help me carry my luggage. I don't want you to do this for nothing."

"What are the benefits?"

Wei Ming: "I'll let you eat something delicious in a bit."

Zhu Lin cursed under his breath, "Shameless! Not tasty at all!"
After the items were moved inside, Wei Ming took out the Sachima he had just bought from his bag. It was a local specialty pastry made by Dingfengzhen, not Samaranch.

Zhu Lin: That's it?
It really did taste sweet. Wei Ming shared some with Jin Yaqin, and she took it and went back to her room. The old lady knew that Wei Ming and Zhu Lin were close friends.

Now only the two of them were left in Wei Ming's room. He asked, "Are you coming to my place tonight, or should I go to yours?"

Zhu Lin, who was eating Sachima, paused for a moment: "Come on, this is their territory. Can't you, a role model for youth, be a little more mindful of your image?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming's rebellious spirit was aroused, and he immediately shut Zhu Lin up.

Sure enough, Sachima is still the best according to other people's opinions.

So sweet!

Wei Ming tasted a bit of success, but didn't really do anything to Zhu Lin, since everyone was still awake.

Later, many people came to visit Wei Ming, including Tong Ruimin, the male lead of "Du Shiniang," and several key actors from Changchun Film Studio. Everyone admired Wei Ming very much.

It's a pity I didn't see the handsome young man from the surrounding area; he should still be performing in a play right now.

After Wei Ming dealt with everyone and left, most of the lights in the guesthouse were turned off. He then knocked on the left wall.

Zhu Lin's room is on the left.

After more than ten minutes, Zhu Lin, having probably mentally prepared herself, tiptoed and pushed open the door that Wei Ming hadn't closed properly.

She hadn't seen him for over half a month and missed him terribly.

The first thing Zhu Lin said to Wei Ming as soon as he touched him was sternly, "Don't make a sound."

She didn't want to become the laughing stock of the entire studio during the upcoming filming.

Wei Ming said, "This bed won't do. It's an iron bed, and it always creaks and groans."

Zhu Lin glanced around the room and saw a wooden table. It felt sturdy and heavy, and although it was embarrassing, it was the only option he had.

"You, you seem a little different today. Is it because this isn't home?" Zhu Lin asked with difficulty, turning around.

Wei Ming said intently, "Maybe."

It might be because when I bought tiger bone wine today, the shop owner let me try a small cup, and I felt like I had inexhaustible energy.

The next day, when Wei Ming woke up, his side was empty. Zhu Lin had gone back the night before and dared not spend the night there.

Wei Ming checked the time, slowly got up to pack, and even had breakfast at Changchun Film Studio before leaving.

Zhu Lin saw Wei Ming, who was carrying two large bags, to the gate of Changchun Film Studio. Wei Ming promised, "I will try my best to come see you whenever I have time."

"It's okay if you don't come, I still need to focus on my work."

"Your body is more honest than your mouth." Wei Ming laughed, picked up his bag, and strode away.

Wei Ming had too much luggage, and the pre-boarding inspection took a long time. Fortunately, there was no wildlife protection law at the time, so the tiger bone wine did not attract any attention.

It's also possible that his celebrity status is at play; the newspaper bombardment continues, and the radio is starting to exert its influence again.

After listening to the broadcast, Accountant Jia from Wei Ming's hometown began to publicize Wei Ming's great achievements on the loudspeaker.

After hearing the broadcast, the uncles and aunts from my maternal grandmother's house in Ya'an began to eagerly anticipate their nephew bringing supplies to Sichuan for disaster relief, and even fantasized about him becoming an imperial envoy.

Xia Lin (Wang Fei), a junior high school student who was worried about her summer Chinese homework, immediately chose Wei Ming, whom she had only met a few times, when she saw the essay topic "Write about someone you will never forget".

~
The plane stopped in Shenyang for an hour, where they had lunch, and then continued flying. Wei Ming saw Shanhaiguan from the sky.

Who should we look for after we leave Shanhaiguan?

The weather was great when we landed in Yanjing; the sun was shining brightly.

Wei Ming then realized that he hadn't been home for two days, so he quickly called the Overseas Chinese Apartment from the airport.

His mother answered the phone, and Wei Ming said he could go home tomorrow.

Thank goodness, Xu Shufen is still alive.

Seeing that there were pedicabs outside the airport, Wei Ming didn't bother Biaozi and the others and had the pedicabs take him directly to Tuanjiehu.

"Dude, what are all these things?"

Wei Ming smiled and said, "These are local specialties brought from Northeast China."

"Oh my, you must be a middleman, you exude an air of wealth!"

The resellers have become quite influential; everyone knows they make money.

Wei Ming didn't deny it. It's rare to meet someone who doesn't know him and doesn't immediately call him Teacher Wei. Such a person should be cherished.

"Wait a minute." When they arrived at the Tuanjiehu bus stop, Wei Ming asked the driver to stop.

Then he yelled, "Damn it, where's my car?!"

The car, lock and all, is gone.

He returned to his home in Tuanjiehu feeling dejected. Standing outside the door, he was a little uneasy, wondering if Sister Xue was waiting for him.

Without knocking, Wei Ming simply took out his key.

However, the house was unusually quiet; no one was home.

Wei Ming put the two large bags on the ground, slumped onto the sofa, and wondered if he was going to lose Sister Xue.

Suddenly, he noticed several newspapers on the coffee table, all about him from yesterday and today, so Sister Xue was at least still here today.

More than an hour later, the sound of a lock being opened could be heard outside.

When Gong Xue opened the door, he was startled to see two large bags, but then he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Wei Ming on the sofa.

Wei Ming felt a sense of preciousness, as if he had lost something and then regained it. He immediately went to her and hugged her, saying, "Sister Xue!"

Gong Xue numbly let him hold her, then said slowly, "You didn't change your watch today."

Wei Ming glanced at his wrist; it was still the digital watch Zhu Lin had given him.

He said somewhat embarrassedly, "I was a little flustered when I saw you this time, and I didn't pay attention to the details."

Gong Xue grasped Wei Ming's wrist and examined the Japanese watch: "Then be careful next time."

Upon hearing this, Wei Ming was overjoyed: "Good sister, you've forgiven me!"

“I will never forgive you,” Gong Xue said firmly, then added, “but I can’t just ignore you either.”

Then her eyes reddened, and she began to sob softly, releasing all the pent-up grievances in her heart at that moment.

She had originally hoped for a lifelong, monogamous love, but she was forced to get involved in this complicated relationship involving three or four people. However, her attachment to this man prevented her from being firm and extricating herself in time, leading to the current awkward situation where she had to face the three-way relationship.

Wei Ming kept apologizing, but it was no use. It wasn't that Gong Xue wouldn't listen; she just needed to release the grievances in her heart.

So Wei Ming went all out and picked her up in his arms. She seemed even thinner than before he left Hong Kong.

Soon, Sister Xue finally stopped crying, but she started crying again soon after, only this time it was a happy cry.

By the time it was completely dark, Xuejie had calmed down completely, and Weiming told her his story with Zhu Lin, even though she might have heard it from Linjie.

"That's the truth. I was greedy and couldn't bear to give up any of them. Since you have a three-year agreement, why don't we just maintain the status quo for now? What do you say?"

Gong Xue gave a soft "hmm" in embarrassment, but it was still too embarrassing to bring such a thing up in public.

What's even more embarrassing is that Wei Ming also said, "From now on, you can live here openly. It's better than the guesthouse at the Beijing Film Studio. Even if Sister Lin comes back, there are two bedrooms. She can have one, you can have one, and I can stay in the guesthouse."

Gong Xue lightly punched the naughty boy, "What good ideas are you having?"

But just thinking about that scene made my face burn even more.

With such a beautiful face, Wei Ming couldn't help but whisper in her ear, "Again!"

~
The next morning, Gong Xue said embarrassedly, "Again? Let's do it tonight, I have to go back to the factory."

"Is there any work?" "No, but I'll be at the factory every day. If I'm not filming, I'll do whatever I can on set. It's not right to just take a paycheck for nothing."

"Sister Xue, you're so kind."

Gong Xue: "And also, Liu Xiaoqing has started asking me about you again."

Wei Ming: "Alright, I'll go to the Beijing Film Studio when I have time. Director Li Hanxiang's film really needs casting."

He already had a plan in mind: basically follow the original timeline, except for one thing—kick Zhang Tielin out.

"Then come back early tonight, I'll show you something good."

"Are you going to act like a hooligan again?"

"What are you thinking? Don't you want to see my concert in Hong Kong?"

"Can I see it?"

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Sure, I'll show you tonight."

The two went downstairs together, and then Wei Ming saw Zhu Lin's bicycle.

Following his gaze, Gong Xue said, "I just rode my bike back after you left. Why don't you take it?"

Wei Ming shook his head: "Why don't you ride your bike to take me back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment? I'll ride my motorcycle over this afternoon. Also, remember to wear a mask. Lin Jie and I always get recognized at the station."

"It's okay, I'm past my prime now," Gong Xue said self-deprecatingly, noting that it had been more than half a year since her last hit movie, "The Herdsman."

Wei Ming asked, "When will 'Mom, Love Me Again' be released?"

"They say it's the fourth quarter."

That is, from October to December.

Wei Ming rode his bicycle with Gong Xue to the vicinity of the Overseas Chinese Apartment, then Wei Ming got off the bicycle and she continued to the Beijing Film Studio.

"Grandpa Sun."

"Hey, Teacher Wei, I saw a car pick you up the other day. Were you going to see a big leader?" Old Sun said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

"Haha." Wei Ming laughed it off.

When she got home, her parents, grandmother, and sister were all there. Xiaohong wanted to ask him where he had been these past two days, but her mother stopped her, and the couple acted as if nothing had happened.

However, when Wei Ming started disassembling the video recorder, Old Wei had to speak up: "Son, where are you taking this machine?"

Wei Ming: "Oh, I've found another place. I'm going to go into seclusion to write from now on."

Wei Hong asked in confusion, "You're in seclusion and you still watch movies?"

Wei Ming: "When you're bored, you need to relax and unwind."

Xu Shufen guessed what was going on: "If your brother bought it and you let him take it, what about meals?"

"I'll try to come back to eat." Then Wei Ming packed his books and clothes, and began to look forward to living with Sister Xue.

After having lunch at home, Wei Ming first went to the post office, picked up some money order slips, and also received a letter from Ah Min in Hong Kong.

Upon seeing Amin's name, Wei Ming's heart skipped a beat. He had just managed to win over two older sisters, and now there was a little sister here. His future was going to be quite tumultuous.

In her letter, Amin first expressed her longing for Wei Ming, even though the letter was written the day after Wei Ming left.

Amin's letter mainly inquired about Wei Ming's experiences after returning to the mainland, whether he received praise and a warm welcome from the people.

Wei Ming returned to Tuanjiehu and first wrote her a reply. Sister Xue hadn't returned yet, so he began to concentrate on writing "In the Heat of the Sun." He's now more than halfway through and getting into the swing of things.

When Gong Xue returned in the afternoon, she was carrying a vegetable basket. When she saw the video camera, she was amazed.

“We heard about this when we were in Guangzhou. It can be used to watch Hong Kong movies, but we haven’t seen it yet. It must be expensive.”

Wei Ming: "It's not expensive for me, but this thing won't be popular for more than a few years."

Once VCD players come out, this thing will no longer be cost-effective.

Then Gong Xue first cooked dinner. The braised pork was so sweet, it was comparable to Sachima (a type of Chinese pastry).

After eating and drinking their fill, the two leaned back on the sofa, making out with each other while watching the concert.

Xue Jie's uneasy expression was exactly what Wei Ming had expected. Both the amazing songs and the extravagant spending of the Hong Kong tycoons were beyond her imagination.

Having never been to Hong Kong before, this concert opened a door to a new world for her.

When Sarah Brightman appeared on stage, Gong Xue asked, "Is she also British?"

Wei Ming's eyelids twitched. The song "Melinda" had already made Sister Xue a little uneasy, and he had to answer this question properly.

"Well, we collaborated on two English songs, so we've had a mutually beneficial relationship. That's why she came to support us. But right now, she's flirting with her boss."

Wei Ming said this to prevent Gong Xue from having any wild ideas, since Sarah Brightman is quite beautiful now, and Wei Ming has a precedent of having an international relationship.

Gong Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Melinda wasn't included in the videotape. However, when she saw Zhou Huimin, the student who sang the lead role in "Tomorrow Will Be Better," Gong Xue's heart skipped a beat.

This girl is so pretty, she looks so gentle, and she's so young!
Wei Ming didn't introduce Amin to her, but Gong Xue's intuition told her that this girl was definitely not an ordinary passerby, and that they might have scenes together in the future.

Now, her co-star is Wei Ming, and the scene only features a sofa—Zhu Lin's sofa.

Over the next few days, Wei Ming focused on writing, going back to the Overseas Chinese Apartment for lunch and back to Tuanjiehu for dinner, quickly filling up the novel's progress bar.

A week later, the editorial office of "October" welcomed an unexpected guest.

One of the four great literary figures, "October," is published by Yenching Publishing House at No. 51 Dongxinglong Street, outside Chongwenmen. Wei Ming published several essays there, but none of his major works.

Following the principle of distributing benefits equally, it's its turn this time.

Previously, Wei Ming had been in contact with editor Xie Dajun, but this time, editor-in-chief Su Yu personally received Wei Ming.

Wei Ming is now not only a writer, but also a social celebrity, with unlimited potential for the future.

Moreover, Editor-in-Chief Su is also from Sichuan, so she feels an extra sense of gratitude towards Wei Ming.

After reading the novella "In the Heat of the Sun," which is 8 words long, Su Yu commented: "The language style is reminiscent of 'The Tale of Two Donkeys,' but the story is more complete, and the creative techniques and expressive methods are more radical."

She used the word "radical" to indicate that this novel is vastly different from existing serious literary styles, both in terms of language style and the themes it expresses, making it feel new and intense.

Although Wei Ming's novel is based on Wang Shuo's "Ferocious Animals", the story is closer to Jiang Wen's "In the Heat of the Sun". However, it also incorporates a lot of Mei Wenhua's personal growth experience and Wei Ming's evaluation of the children of the compound in that era as an observer.

Although this novel has its own historical background, namely those few years, it is different from mainstream novels that reflect that period of time. The entire novel, which is nearly 100,000 words long, is just about a boy's adolescent experiences and fantasies.

The background layer resembled the earth scorched by the blazing sun, appearing both dazzling and blurry.

"Can it still be published?" Wei Ming didn't ask if it needed to be changed. If the general direction needed to be changed, he could switch to another magazine.

"Of course, I can already imagine the readers' reaction after reading such a good novel." Su Yu said directly, not only will it be published, but it won't wait any longer, it will be placed in the September issue, and the manuscript fee will be the maximum of ten yuan per thousand words.

In addition, this novel is not short, and it will be published as a standalone volume later.

She felt that the golden age of "October" was about to arrive. Last month, "October" published Zhang Jie's novel "Heavy Wings, Part 1", which is the first full-length novel in China to reflect the Four Modernizations and industrial reform.

Despite the ongoing controversy following its publication, it also garnered immense popularity, propelling the July issue of "October" to a new circulation record.

The following September issue features the second part of "Heavy Wings" and another novella by Wei Ming after nearly two years of silence. She couldn't imagine how popular this issue of the magazine would be!
After finishing "In the Heat of the Sun," Wei Ming returned to Peking University. There was less than a week left before the start of the semester, but the library was always staffed with people on duty.

When his colleagues saw Wei Ming, they couldn't help but sigh in amazement. 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars! Even Peking University struggles to apply for that much foreign exchange, but young Wei managed to do it.

Wei Ming also hopes that Peking University can earn more foreign exchange and expand its academic influence, but this depends on Uncle Ping An's ability. At present, Professor Wang Xuan's Chinese character laser typesetting technology can only be sold domestically.

As Wei Ming strolled around the familiar yet unfamiliar college, he saw the newly built Shaoyuan Building.

The last time he saw it, it wasn't even finished yet, but now it's habitable. He saw groups of international students coming and going.

The international students were also familiar with him and greeted him one after another.

When Li Aiguo saw him, he didn't just greet him, but instead threw himself into a hug.

"Leonardo, 'Only Time' is absolutely amazing. The whole world of music is going crazy for you this summer."

"It's still at the top of the Billboard charts!"

"Yeah, it's the third week already!" he exclaimed excitedly. Although he didn't get a share of the profits from this song, he had already paid off his student loan with "Moonlight Shadow," and he would have a steady stream of money coming in from now on. It was just too awesome!

“Would you like to come up and sit for a while, and get familiar with the place?” Li Aiguo said. “I also brought American media reports about your charity concert.”

"Oh, the American public knows about this too?"

"The dissemination wasn't very wide; it was mostly reposted from British media. However, American musicians have a very high opinion of your actions. You know, John Lennon was also very passionate about charity, and after his death, you suddenly resurfaced."

The two chatted as they went, and soon entered the new building of Shaoyuan.

"Has Li Kui not returned?" Wei Ming asked.

“He’s not going to play anymore; he’s gone back to his homeland in Africa to inherit the throne,” Li Aiguo said regretfully.

Wei Ming was taken aback: "Isn't he American?"

"Yes, but his father wasn't. Now his father has passed away, leaving him a kingdom in Africa to inherit."

Wei Ming: So you two are both rich kids, and I'm just an ordinary person!
Li Aiguo then joked, "But he doesn't have a bald uncle who's eyeing the throne."

Wei Ming was taken aback: "You've already seen The Lion King in America?"

"Absolutely! I'll definitely support your book."

Wei Ming laughed heartily, then his gaze fell on a white machine on the table, and his smile faltered.

"This, this, this..."

(Yesterday's minimum guarantee~)

(End of this chapter)