Exciting 1979!

Chapter 368 Unlocks a New Song; Vivian Chow Elopes to the Mainland

Wei Ming hadn't been to the girls' dormitory for a long time. He used to come here often when he was on patrol, to keep the area safe.

Thinking back to when he first came to Peking University as a gatekeeper, these students were only sophomores. Now they are about to enter society, and some are even getting married. Wei Ming has heard several pieces of good news along the way.

The six-person dormitory room now has at least twenty people sitting inside, with several more crowding at the door. There are more girls than boys. The boys are mostly core members of the Chinese Literature Department, such as Chen Jiangong, Liang Zuo, Su Mu, and Huang Ziping. The girls are mainly from the Chinese Literature Department, but there are also people from the History Department, Foreign Languages ​​Department, and Law Department. They are mostly from the humanities. As everyone knows, Professor Wei is biased towards the humanities.

"A warm welcome to Teacher Wei for visiting and guiding us in dormitory 304!" Wang Xiaoping led the way, and the dormitory erupted in enthusiastic applause and laughter.

Wei Ming has been busy making moves in Hong Kong and Europe and America lately, and has indeed become somewhat distant from the public. So before he started singing, he chatted with them to gradually regain a sense of familiarity.

"Professor Wei, your article in the People's Daily was so well written! I never imagined that there were still such injustices in the world!" Huang Ziping was referring to the article about Mandela, which Wei Ming had already translated and published, quickly sparking a nationwide Mandela craze. Moreover, official media outlets subsequently reprinted related reports from newspapers in Europe and the United States, maintaining the momentum.

Liang Zuo said, "It sounds a bit like a translated article; it doesn't even look like your writing."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "That's exactly the kind of translation style we want. But I'll also be writing some articles about my experiences abroad in Chinese in the future. Anyway, Liang Zuo, where were you assigned?"

The job placement process for college graduates usually lasts throughout their senior year, and is typically finalized two months before graduation.

Liang Zuodao said, "I was assigned to the Ministry of Education."

"What great jobs!" Wei Ming asked about other people he knew. Su Mu was assigned to the Film Academy, Chen Jiangong chose to become a professional writer at the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Cen Xianqing went to the People's Daily, and Wang Xiaoping went to People's Literature. He even jokingly asked Wei Ming to submit his newly written essays about foreign countries to him.

How come they all work for such great companies, and they're all so ambitious and eager to make a name for themselves? How am I supposed to get emotional with them?
Finally, a female philosophy major said that she had been assigned to the Daliang Mountains. She was a girl from Hebei who had never seen mountains before and looked very frail.

Those classmates who knew about the situation in Daliangshan felt sympathy for the girl, and the cheerful atmosphere suddenly turned sour. Then, several people shared their less optimistic assignments.

In principle, one cannot refuse a state-assigned job; one must obey. Otherwise, one will be barred from entering state-owned enterprises for five years, which is tantamount to giving up one's cadre status.

It's likely that a two-way selection policy will be implemented when this year's batch of college students graduate, giving students a certain degree of autonomy in their choices.

Although people of this era have high moral standards, some of them come from remote rural areas, especially girls. They know that some places are very unsuitable for living, and in severe cases, they may even be life-threatening. Not everyone is willing to dedicate their youth to the most difficult areas. Especially when compared with their close classmates, the better the assignments they receive, the more difficult it is for them to feel at peace with themselves.

Thinking of this, Wei Ming moved his hand, a note floated out, the scene immediately quieted down, and Wei Ming began his performance.

"We didn't say a word to each other the day we learned you were leaving."

When the midnight bells toll, they awaken the door to our parting hearts, but cannot break through your deep silence.

Wei Ming isn't very good at singing, but some of the songs are quite simple, and since he's sung them so many times, they weren't difficult for him to handle. Some classmates even whispered comments like, "They sound really good."

"We didn't say a word to each other until the very end that day."

The crowded platform may have hurt those seeing people off, but it couldn't squeeze away my deep sorrow at parting.

One female student thought of her boyfriend, who had left school early to go to a faraway place. The day she saw him off at the train station, just like in the song, they didn't say a word because she was staying in Yanjing. No one dared to promise whether their relationship could continue in the future.

I know you have a thousand words to say, but you refuse to say them.

You know how worried and sad I am, but I don't dare to say it out loud.

Wang Xiaoping also recalled the scene when he sent Cha Jianying to the United States. The two very good friends hugged each other in the waiting hall, unable to say many things they wanted to say, such as: "Don't worry, Xiao Cha, I will definitely come to the United States to find you. Wait for me there!"
When Wei Ming sang, "When you shoulder your baggage and lay down that glory, I can only let the tears stay in my heart."

With a slight smile and a vigorous wave, wishing you a safe journey, he finally got to the point!
"Wishing You a Safe Journey," a graduation season anthem, and just now this lyric successfully broke some students' hearts, with tears welling up in their eyes. They could already imagine the scene on the day they graduated and left school.

This lyric also reveals a fact: once they leave Peking University, the halo of Peking University fades, and whether their future lives will still be brilliant depends on their performance at work—that is another test, another fate.

The crying was contagious. At first, it was just a few girls who were not very happy with their job assignments crying. Later, even close friends who were about to be separated from each other started crying in each other's arms.

When Wei Ming finished singing the whole song, the atmosphere was completely right. The people in the dormitory, as well as the girls outside the dormitory door, couldn't help but sob quietly. At the same time, they thought that this was the second time recently that they had been made to cry by Wei Ming's song.

Despite their tears, the students didn't forget to give Teacher Wei a sincere round of applause. Huang Beijia asked Cen Xianqing, "Dormitory leader, have you learned it yet?"

Cen Xianqing wiped away her tears: "How can I learn it in just one time?"

Li Zhihong said, "How about we let Teacher Wei do another one?"

"Good! Good!"

Everyone cheered, and Liang Zuo quickly handed his teacup to Wei Mingrun to moisten his throat.

Wei Ming took out the lyrics and handed them to Liang Zuo: "I'll sing, you copy them down, and then we'll pass them around and copy them down."

"okay."

"Wait a minute, I still need to record it." Wang Xiaoping took out a tape recorder and a blank cassette tape. The lyrics were easy to remember, but the melody could only be made from this.

"Wait, I'll go back and get the recorder too!" Several other girls hurriedly ran back, also preparing to record and study.

After Liang Zuo passed the lyrics to the other girls, he shamelessly begged Xiaoping to give the tape to the boys, otherwise he was afraid of singing off-key with only the lyrics.

Wang Xiaoping was naturally unwilling, but Wei Ming waved his hand and said, "I'll go to your dorm and sing it again later. Remember to record it."

When Wei Ming arrived at the boys' dormitory, even a few girls followed him to hear the live version, and there were even more boys. Even Liu Zhenyun from the class of '78 came to join in the fun, and a wave of melancholy washed over him as he listened to the song.

In another six months, it will be their turn. At this time, the issue of job assignments has been placed in front of all the students. Because of his achievements during his university years, he is somewhat confident that he can stay in Yanjing. However, his roommates are all honest rural kids who study hard. In six months, he will probably be the one wishing them a safe journey at the train station.

~

When Wei Ming returned to Tuanjiehu, it was already past 11 o'clock, but Sister Xue was still waiting for him, she had something to say.

"I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow."

"Wow, I've only been learning for half a month!" And it all happened so suddenly.

"The film shooting schedule has been adjusted," Gong Xue said regretfully. "So I have to go back and read through the script in advance. But Mr. Wu said that my current level is no problem to handle filming. Just remember not to slack off and keep practicing."

Gong Xue had long been prepared for parting, but... she gently hugged Wei Ming and said, "It's just a pity I can't celebrate your birthday with you."

"Birthday?" Oh, right!
If Sister Xue hadn't reminded him, Wei Ming would have almost forgotten that Amin's birthday was in a few days, and after Amin's birthday, it would be his turn.

Wei Ming kissed Xue Jie wildly: "I didn't expect you to be so sentimental. Have you thought about what gift you'd like to give me in advance?"

Gong Xue: "I'm wearing Sister Lin's clothes today, is that enough?"

Wei Ming: "Not enough, we've used this trick before."

"Well~" Sister Xue suddenly got out of bed and took out a... calendar from the closet!?

Gong Xue said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then this is for you."

Wei Ming was taken aback: "This is... a calendar from 1982?"

"Yes, the factory asked us to film it, saying it's to generate revenue. It will go on sale next month."

Wei Ming flipped through it; it was a proper calendar, just a bit more fashionable than the average person's, some even featuring winter clothing.

"These clothes look a lot like the Xintiandi style."

“It’s from Xintiandi. You can’t find such fashionable clothes anywhere else,” Gong Xue said. “I suggested it to them, saying that Xintiandi would definitely be willing to provide the clothes for free, and we did manage to negotiate. These few pieces were even designed by Aying.”

"With so many A-list female celebrities wearing Xintiandi clothes, it's already a miracle they don't ask Xintiandi for money," Wei Ming chuckled, then suddenly asked, "Why are you the only one here?"

Gong Xue laughed and said, "Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming also took pictures. Some of them are of us on one calendar, and some are of us separately."

"Then theirs definitely won't sell as well as yours." These fashionable clothes look better on Gong Xue; Xiaoqing and the others are more suited to simple styles.

Gong Xue gently pinched Wei Ming: "After I leave, hang up the calendar. If you miss me, flip through it."

Wei Ming was even more amused. "Isn't this a case of you keeping me in your heart while I hang you on the wall?"

He put down the calendar, picked up Sister Xue, and said, "If I miss you, I'll fly over to see you. I won't make myself suffer."

Gong Xue wanted to say no, it would be bad if someone saw them, but she didn't say it out loud. She knew that when they were really separated for a long time, she might not be as stubborn as she was now.

She lovingly stroked the naughty boy's face, then made him lie down and close his eyes, telling him she still had a "gift" for him.

~
The next day, Wei Ming personally took Gong Xue to the airport so she could fly to Shanghai.

After dropping people off, he went back to work at the school. He had just finished reading a book called "1587, A Year of No Significance," which he also bought in Frankfurt.

There is no Chinese version of this book yet, but according to the colleagues from the Zhonghua Book Company who went to Germany with me, it will be available soon.

Moreover, it was translated and written by the original author himself, but the author had lived abroad for 30 years and his Chinese had deteriorated. At this time, it was being polished and revised by Shen Yucheng, an expert in classical literature.

That's right, this book, which is a favorite of tall plants, was originally written in English. It has caused a great stir in the American academic community since its release this year and has been cited as a textbook by many prestigious universities.

The stories from the Ming Dynasty are quite interesting. Wei Ming put down the book and returned from Frankfurt a month ago. He feels that he can read the original English texts faster and faster.

Wei Ming hasn't written much this past month, but now he wants to try writing in English again.

He pulled out a new notebook, a picture of a spaceship flashed through his mind, and thought, "You're the one!"

~
Wei Ming ate at school that evening, and after finishing, he strolled over to the boys' dormitory to chat with the graduating students. Occasionally, he could hear "Have a safe journey" coming from the next room.

"Old Pan, what did you just say?" Wei Ming asked Pan Weiming, who was from the Chinese Department of Class of '78, Liu Zhenyun's classmate, and the current student union president. Pan Weiming said, "Teacher Wei, we students from Classes of '77 and '78 are about to leave campus, and the student union wanted to do something for our alma mater so that we can have something to remember us by."

There were also several students from the classes of '77 and '78 who held certain positions in the student union and the Youth League committee; they had come to Wei Ming for advice and suggestions.

Wei Ming said, "Then why not leave a statue for our alma mater? As long as the quality is up to standard, this thing can last a long time, and may even accompany the school for hundreds of years."

At that time, there weren't many statues on the Peking University campus, so Wei Ming's proposal received the most support. The only question was whose statue to build.

I heard that they finally decided on Principal Cai Yuanpei and Mr. Li Dazhao, and then began fundraising among the students of the 77 and 78 classes.

It's a pity that Wei Ming wasn't a student in these two years, otherwise donating a gold-plated one wouldn't be a problem. Wei Ming won't get involved in this kind of activity that belongs exclusively to the classmates of '77 and '78. He can donate it himself when he has the chance in the future, and then change Weiming Lake to Weiming Lake.

Wei Ming had been out having fun for a long time that day and finally went home to sleep. His parents hadn't seen him for many days and now treated Gangdan like their own son.

Even Xu Shufen got a temporary job at the Yanjing Zoo, which gave her something to do and allowed her to date Lao Wei during work hours.

When Wei Ming returned, they were watching the news. Good news! Both the Chinese men's and women's volleyball teams had qualified for the Tokyo Volleyball World Cup, and the TV was currently reporting on the two teams' departure for Japan.

Wei Ming recalled that when the men's volleyball team defeated the South Korean team and qualified for the Asian knockout stage in March, Peking University students spontaneously celebrated, making a great show of it.

However, Wei Ming, who was familiar with future history, knew that in the following reports, he would almost only see the Chinese women's volleyball team. The trip to Tokyo was the first battle that cemented the team's legendary status.

During the subsequent competition period, countless hesitant potential TV buyers finally decided to buy a TV, whether it was a black and white or color TV, just so they could watch a women's volleyball match at home.

Old Wei and Xu Shufen also seemed very excited: "Tomorrow is the first match, and it's against the Japanese again. Let's come back early so we don't miss the match."

Although they don't understand volleyball, they all like playing against Japanese players.

Wei Ming glanced at the old calendar. It was Xiao Amin's birthday in four days. He couldn't even mail a letter, so he sent her a fax? But a simple blessing wouldn't mean much. Oh well, he'd unlock a new song for her.

The next day, Wei Ming went to the post office to send an overseas fax. It contained a song and some blessings, quite a lot of words, and cost a considerable amount of money. However, the staff knew Wei Ming very well; every month, Teacher Wei would spend several hundred yuan writing letters, sending faxes, and making long-distance calls.

It feels pretty good to be financially independent.

~
The next day, the Chinese men's volleyball team played against the Japanese men's volleyball team and lost. The absence of key middle blocker Wang Jiawei due to injury weakened the effectiveness of the quick attack tactics.

However, while the men's volleyball team suffered a defeat in their first match, the women's volleyball team easily defeated Brazil with a perfect score of 3:0.

Official propaganda immediately shifted its focus, highlighting players like Sun Jinfang and Lang Ping from the women's volleyball team. Suddenly, the women's volleyball team became a hot topic, and if they won just one more game, they could become a national phenomenon.

At the same time in Hong Kong, the public's attention to the Volleyball World Cup was generally low. Ah Min only saw a short report in a left-wing newspaper. Her main purpose was to see news about Ah Ming.

Their birthdays are coming up soon, and Amin spent money to have a photo album taken of herself, which has already been mailed to them.

I just don't know if he's thought about giving me any gifts.

Just then, Wei Ming's fax arrived, unlocking the song called "A Girl's Prayer" for Amin.

Previously, a Polish female pianist, Badadewska, composed a piano piece called "The Maiden's Prayer" when she was 18 years old, which Amin recently learned.

It's truly remarkable how talented she was. Amin felt that she was already quite accomplished to be able to play this piano piece so well at the age of 18. It's just a pity that she passed away at the young age of 24.

I never expected that as soon as I learned this famous piano piece, Amin would send me the song of the same name. Is this his birthday gift to me?

No one was home, so Amin quickly started reading. "He and I had a love affair like eloping in the train carriage along the way, and they wouldn't let go no matter how crowded it was."

I pray that there will be no obstacles on the road, lest a pleasant journey turn into a sorrowful one…

This is a love song. Vivian Chow had been studying singing under teacher Dai Sicong without interruption, and at this point she was much better than before when she was a self-taught singer.

She first read through the entire song lyrics, like reading a short love story, and understood what story the lyrics told and what emotions they conveyed. After that, she sang it quite well on her first listen.

When singing "I pray that heaven and earth will spare the lovers, and that what I fear will never happen."

How can one regain confidence when good times have never come their way?

Amin regrets not recording it; I sang so well!

So when her mother came home that evening, she immediately suggested, "Mom, don't you think it's a bit monotonous to only play 'First Love' in the store?"

"Don't worry, we've been playing songs like 'You'll Win If You Fight' lately, anyway, it's free."

Vivian Chow smiled and hugged her mother's arm: "I have a new song here, would you like to listen to it?"

Zhou's mother asked suspiciously, "Was this written by A-Ming?"

"Yes, it was my birthday present."

Zhou's mother emphasized: "It's your 14th birthday present."

"I'll be 15 after my birthday~" Vivian Chow muttered, then continued playing the piano and singing.

Zhou's mother understood. This was a story about a young girl who wanted to be with her lover for life and prayed to God that her love would be fulfilled.

Even if we were to grant their wish, we would have to wait until they are adults!
Fortunately, the two live in different places, and Zhou's mother agreed to let Amin record the song and sing it in the store. However, she can wait until the third store opens to play it, which will be soon.

Overjoyed, Zhou Huimin found Uncle Gui the next day. Coincidentally, Uncle Gui's wife and Aunt Ling were both at his house.

"What kind of seniority is this?" Amin couldn't help but think to herself after greeting the person.

Wei Lingling had Zhou Huimin sing it once, and affirmed, "It sounds good, and it suits you very well."

Old Gui was secretly pleased. With his grandson's talent, little Amin would be completely captivated.

He added with a smile, "When we open the fourth store, I'll have him write another song for Amin."

Lin Ni couldn't laugh. She pulled her daughter and said, "You must be careful when you go to the mainland this time. I read in the Oriental Daily that the security situation on the mainland is very chaotic now, with bandits and highwaymen everywhere."

Wei Lingling said somewhat impatiently, "Don't worry, I'm a foreign friend, who would dare to touch me?"

Lin Ni: "I'm just worried about you. It's a pity I have a Taiwanese passport and can't go to the mainland, otherwise I would have come with you."

Wei Lingling said, "How about I take you out to have some fun when I come back this time?"

"Okay, okay, you can't fool me anymore!"

Zhou Huimin found it funny; both Gui Bo and Ling Gu Gu had to coax Gui Sao. She was so happy.

She came downstairs with Wei Lingling. Zhou Huimin leaned close to Wei Lingling and said, "Aunt Lingling, you said you're going to the mainland, right?"

"correct."

Zhou Huimin: "Can you take me with you? I've always wanted to go to the mainland to see the beautiful landscapes of our motherland."

Wei Lingling: "Okay."

Zhou Huimin was stunned. She thought Wei Lingling would at least decline, since she was just a child and might distract her and delay her from doing her business.

Seeing how readily she agreed, Zhou Huimin hesitated.

"Should I tell Mom first?"

Wei Lingling: "If you tell your mom, she definitely won't let you go. Never mind, I'll just take Xiaoli instead."

“No, I’ll go. I won’t tell my mom. Just tell me what documents I need first,” Zhou Huimin said firmly.

She certainly wouldn't dare go to the mainland alone, but Wei Lingling is there, and she can also give A-Ming a surprise.

So they prepared for another day. The next day was Friday. After school, Zhou Huimin went directly to the airport to meet Wei Lingling, but she still brought Lizhi with her.

Xiaoli has been performing well lately, so Wei Lingling took her on her first business trip with her and is training her to be an administrative assistant.

When Zhou's mother returned home that evening and didn't see her daughter, but only found a note, she felt like the sky had fallen.

You ran away from home, and then prayed to God that you and that kid could be together forever, right?
Zhou's mother immediately ran to Lao Gui's house to demand his return, as she was fairly certain that they were closely related by blood.

Old Ghost said, "Don't worry, they haven't gone far. They'll probably be back on Sunday."

"They've already gone to the mainland, but they haven't gone far yet. This is an elopement!"

Lin Ni stepped forward, hands on her hips, and said, "What elopement? It's the Canton Fair."

~
Zhou Huimin now understood what the Canton Fair was all about. She realized she had been too hasty and hadn't even asked Wei Lingling where on the mainland she was going.

It turns out to be Guangzhou!

Before I could even warm up my airplane seat, hey, we landed!
This place is only a little over 100 kilometers from my home in Hong Kong, but it's more than 2,000 kilometers from Beijing where Ah Ming lives!
Amin looks north towards the capital, hoping for an early return.

Isn't this a kind of prayer from a young girl?
……

(Yesterday's guaranteed minimum)
(End of this chapter)