Exciting 1979!

Chapter 371 Amin, please have some self-respect; Wei Ming is eating too well.

Actually, because he had been traveling all night, taking both airplanes and Shinkansen bullet trains, Wei Ming was exhausted. He fell asleep as soon as his body touched the tatami mat and slept very soundly.

On the contrary, Amin was thinking about her lover in the room across the street and couldn't sleep, tossing and turning.

Zhou's mother was already asleep when she heard her daughter turn over and opened her eyes: "Aren't you going to sleep? What are you thinking about at such a young age?"

Amin asked shyly, "Mom, how did you and Dad get together back then?"

From a young age, she, being born after her father's death, rarely mentioned her father to her mother, so she was very unfamiliar with her parents' experiences.

Mrs. Zhou turned to the side, looked at her daughter who was already taller than her, and said after a long silence, "Actually, it's time to tell you about the family. Your grandfather was a wealthy merchant from Zhongshan, Guangdong. Later, due to the war, the whole family came to Hong Kong to seek refuge, but his concubine and youngest son were lost."

"Whose concubine is she?"

“Your grandfather’s son, your father was the son of the first wife.”

"Grandfather had two wives!"

“What’s so strange about that? Nowadays, many wealthy businessmen have multiple wives. The law can’t control the rich, and it didn’t care back then either,” Mrs. Zhou continued. “In order to restore the family’s glory, your grandfather went abroad to do business, and then we lost contact with him. He’s probably gone now.”

Zhou Huimin understood. In other words, she had a grandfather and an uncle, but due to the chaos of war, their chances of survival were slim.

Mrs. Zhou: "As for our family, your maternal grandfather led everyone to flee from Shanghai to Hong Kong to escape the civil war. Both families were impoverished and lived close by. We met through an introduction. At that time, your grandmother was with your father. Their family was not as well off as ours. I mainly chose your father because he was good-looking."

Vivian Chow laughed: "The photos of my dad at home are all blurry, he's just so-so."

"The photos are all from when he was forty, he's long since aged. He was really handsome when he was young, almost as handsome as Patrick Tse," Mrs. Zhou said, not holding back her praise for her late husband. "He was a very generous man, always willing to lend money to anyone who asked, but his own family was a mess. I told him off so many times, and he would just say, 'Women are all talk and no action.' But he did have a good reputation, and when he passed away, all the neighbors came to see him off."

Amin could tell from her mother's tone that she still loved her father, but the hardships of raising her alone over the years had numbed her heart.

Amin quickly got up and crawled into her mother's bed, gently hugging her. In her mother's arms, Amin finally fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Masashi Sada finally saw Wei Ming's "girlfriend" for the first time. She was indeed a very beautiful girl, as energetic as a middle school student. If she were in the Japanese entertainment industry, she would definitely be very popular. In today's parlance, she would be the successor to Momoe Yamaguchi.

With Momoe Yamaguchi's retirement, there are now successors everywhere. Seiko Matsuda wants to take over her role, and Warner Bros. Vanguard signed a young girl named Akina Nakamori who also wants to succeed her.

Wei Ming introduced her to him, saying, "She is the original singer of 'First Love,' and she is already a well-known singer in Hong Kong."

Masashi Sada quickly expressed his pleasure at meeting her and said he would like to invite her to his concert, but unfortunately she was leaving today.

Zhou Huimin told Wei Ming, "I will record 'A Girl's Prayer' when I go back this time, and then I will be more than just a little famous."

Wei Ming smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll sing you another song next time we meet."

Watching Wei Ming chatting and laughing with his daughter, Zhou's mother felt powerless. But then again, Wei Ming's conditions were far superior to Amin's father's, and even in terms of Amin's father's strongest point—looks—they were evenly matched.

The only downside is that he's from the mainland, which is far, far away from Hong Kong, and he's reluctant to let his daughter marry so far away.

Oh dear, Amin is only 15 years old, how did we get so far off topic?

After breakfast, the group of six went to the Osaka Arena to watch the game, which was the first match of the morning between the Chinese team and the American team.

Wei Ming did not try to force himself to get acquainted with the Chinese women's volleyball team by virtue of his status as a cultural celebrity, because he remembered that the last two matches were very fierce and not easy to win, and any variable could affect the outcome.

He didn't want to disappoint hundreds of millions of viewers in China.

At that time, there weren't many Chinese and overseas Chinese in Japan, only about 50,000. In addition, there were a large number of immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong. Moreover, it was difficult to tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese people without careful observation. Wei Ming didn't know how many compatriots were in the audience.

However, since this was not a Japanese match, there weren't many spectators; the stadium wasn't even half full. You could see some spectators who looked like they were from Europe or America, probably Americans who came to support their own team. A few of them were even wearing military uniforms.

As soon as the Chinese team scored the first point, Wei Ming realized that there were Chinese people all around him. When the first set ended and the Chinese women's volleyball team won the set 15-8, the whole stadium cheered enthusiastically, and shouts of "Awesome!" could be heard continuously. Wei Ming knew that there were at least several hundred Chinese people in the stadium.

~
Yanjing, the north is moving.

Old Wei didn't take leave today, but there was a TV at work. He let Gangdan out to roam freely, and then he, his wife, a few other colleagues, and a few tiger cubs hid inside to watch the sixth match of the women's volleyball team.

The women's volleyball team has now secured a top-three finish, and CCTV has obtained the rights to broadcast the game live.

The US women's volleyball team is still very strong, and they won the second set again, 13-15, marking the first defeat for the Chinese women's volleyball team since the start of the tournament.

Seeing that his own team had lost the game, Lao Wei slapped his thigh hard, and the little tiger that was slapped let out a wronged howl.

This is a Siberian tiger cub. It's thinking: I'm not a jaguar, why are you hitting me!
However, being a small tiger, it could only continue to lie in its owner's arms and look at the sparkling little box in front of it, while the other tiger cubs had all gotten off the ground and were wandering around.

In the third set, the Chinese team won another set, 15-11, and now the total score is 2-1. Lao Wei happily picked up the little tiger and kissed it.

He really enjoys working at the zoo. Back in his hometown, he only saw cattle, horses, donkeys, and sheep. Coming to the Beijing Zoo really broadened his horizons. There are all kinds of animals, including jackals, tigers, and leopards. Elephants and rhinoceroses are not uncommon either.

But it's still more exciting to be a zookeeper in my son's novel, Jurassic Park.

In the fourth game, both the Chinese and American teams played with great intensity, and the score spiraled upwards, with the score constantly fluctuating and the winner unpredictable until the very last second.

The match, which is played to 15 points, is now tied at 14. In the next game, one team must win by two points to secure the victory.

The US team scored first, 14-15. Zhou Huimin secretly held Amin's hand. She was nervous for the players, but Wei Ming was not at all.

He wasn't nervous; he was just there to enjoy the victory. Even though the Chinese women's volleyball team lost another point and the fourth set, he remained calm.

Because the Chinese women's volleyball team won the sixth game with a score of 15-6 in the fifth set, they only need to defeat Japan to win the championship!

Hundreds of Chinese spectators stood up and applauded enthusiastically in celebration, and Wei Ming and Amin hugged each other excitedly.

However, under Zhou's mother's death stare, he hugged Amin, then his aunt, and even tried to hug his step-grandmother, but Lin Ni just gestured "Damn it."

Now that both Japan and the United States have lost a match, the Chinese women's volleyball team will win the World Cup if they beat Japan tomorrow. Even if they lose, as long as the loss is not too bad, they may still win the championship based on their points.

We can already see the light at the end of the tunnel.

At the zoo, Old Wei happily lifted the tiger cub above his head, making it look just like a baboon.

Xu Shufen, however, stared blankly at the audience screen that had just flashed by. She checked with her colleague next to her and asked, "They're rebroadcasting it tonight, right?"

"It will be replayed tonight and tomorrow morning. Beating the Americans is so exhilarating!"

Xu Shufen planned to check again in the evening. She thought she had just seen her son in the audience. This was not surprising, since he went to Japan to watch the game. The key point was that he was surrounded by women, and the women he was with were not Xiaoxue and Xiaolin!

~
Zhu Lin had just arrived in Yanjing and missed the match because he was rushing to catch a flight.

After landing in Yanjing, I went to Tuanjiehu immediately. Then I found a new note on the coffee table in the living room, which was left by Wei Ming.

"I don't know which of you will come back first, or if you will come back while I'm abroad. Please leave a text message to let me know that I've gone to Japan to attend a concert at Masashi Sada's invitation, and also to support the women's volleyball team. I should be back in a few days. Don't worry about me."

There's a date following it; it was written the day before yesterday.

Zhu Lin slumped onto the sofa, feeling dejected. She was currently ovulating, which was when she was most fertile.

I tilted my head and happened to see the calendar.

"Huh?" She walked closer and saw that it was a calendar from 1982, with 12 photos of Gong Xue wearing different fashionable clothes.

After admiring it for a while, Zhu Lin made the same deduction as Wei Ming: this will definitely sell very well.

She even wanted to get her own set like that, to hang here specifically for bad boys to see, and it had to be even prettier and more alluring than Xiaoxue's.

Since she hadn't seen Wei Ming, Zhu Lin was about to go home to see her parents when she ran into Mei Wenhua. She quickly said, "Xiao Mei, congratulations on the birth of your big, healthy son!"

"Haha, Sister Zhu Lin, it's been so long! Come up and sit down, and take a look at our Mei Changsu. It was Ming-ge who named him."

Zhu Lin gladly accepted the invitation. Yunyun was Wei Ming's cousin. The little boy was quiet and well-behaved, never crying or making a fuss, and would occasionally give a wicked smile. He was clearly a prodigy.

Since she was already up there, after looking at Yunyun, she went to see Huang Qiuyan and Zhao Zifeng.

Yanzi is recovering well. She's taking care of the baby at home while also practicing snake boxing. The chubby baby is lying on the mat on the floor, occasionally lifting his head—he's so adorable!

Thinking of Mei Changsu and looking at Zhao Zifeng, Zhu Lin couldn't help but touch her own belly. It was a pity that she wouldn't have a baby if she didn't have sex.

~
Back at her parents' house, Zhu's mother quickly told her daughter about Gong Xue's visit to deliver German sausages.

"I know, I saw her in Shanghai and even stayed at her place for one night."

"That would be too much of a bother for them."

"It's okay, she lives alone at home, in a big house." Zhu Lin said, munching on an apple and crossing his legs on the sofa.

Aunt Zhu exclaimed in surprise, "What's Xiaoxue's family background? Good heavens, she owns houses in Beijing and Shanghai, and they're even grand mansions!"

Zhu Lin thought guiltily that they were from similar backgrounds, having gotten their positions by dating younger men.

“Sigh, people from Shanghai often have overseas connections. I heard her ancestors were quite wealthy, and her maternal grandfather was even a student who studied abroad,” Zhu Lin changed the subject. “Mom, I can’t stay at home for long. I have to rest for a week before I have to go to Shanghai to film ‘Middle Age’. I’ll try to come back for the New Year.”

Zhu's mother sighed: "Come back as much as you can. As long as you don't get married, this will always be your home."

When Zhu's mother saw Gong Xue last time and learned that she was also single, she felt much better. The two were of similar age and had comparable professional experience. Xiao Xue wasn't in a hurry, and neither was her own Xiao Lin. Moreover, her daughter was in Yanjing, which was much better than Xiao Xue, who was far from home.

Wei Ming never expected that having Gong Xue visit Zhu Lin's parents would have such a miraculous effect.

~
Osaka.

After watching the women's volleyball match, Wei Ming and Amin strolled around Osaka, took some photos, and ate at a famous local okonomiyaki restaurant, which can be called a Japanese pancake.

Wei Ming's appetite wasn't quite enough, so he ordered another bowl of tonkotsu ramen.

As the time of parting drew closer, Vivian Chow gave Wei Ming her beloved Walkman, which was even decorated with Doraemon stickers.

"That way you can listen to my songs anytime, anywhere."

In the spirit of reciprocity, Wei Ming should also give one to Amin. Amin thought so too. She didn't want to trade her old one for a new one; she just wanted to exchange something with Wei Ming, either saliva or a player.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find it at either of the two stores he visited. Wei Ming said helplessly, "This thing sells too well. Here's what I'll do: I'll buy it and send it to you when I get back to Tokyo."

Vivian Chow gently hugged Wei Ming, her little hands involuntarily touching her Walkman.

Wei Ming took a step back: "What's given away can't be kept. Amin, please have some self-respect."

"I didn't say I wanted to come back, I just wanted to touch it," Zhou Huimin pouted. Wei Ming checked the time: "Alright, let's go back to the hotel. I'll take you to the airport."

Upon arriving at the airport, Wei Lingling finally had the opportunity to talk to Wei Ming about the music birthday card.

She has already found a suitable chip supplier. Once she gets back, she just needs to optimize the process. It could very well be a market worth millions.

"Tell me, how will your aunt reward you?"

“You gave me such a big surprise yesterday, what reward do I need?” Wei Ming not only didn’t ask for a reward, but also reminded her, “After you go back, you need to get the copyright for ‘Happy Birthday’ first. It should be in the United States, but for the Hong Kong market, you can also discuss the copyright of ‘Happy Birthday’ with Sister and Adam Cheng.”

The song with the lyrics "Wishing you longevity and happiness, and a happy birthday! May you have many more birthdays like this!" is considered a birthday song in the Cantonese-speaking world.

"Do you need to remind me? I started doing my research before I even came to Japan."

Wei Lingling patted Wei Ming, who was half a head taller than her, on the shoulder: "Let's go."

"Goodbye, little aunt; goodbye, Grandma Lin; goodbye, Auntie; goodbye, Amin."

Lin Ni gently nudged Zhou's mother: "I'm a generation older than you!"

Mrs. Zhou: "I'm glad you don't mind being called old."

Lin Ni: "..."

After seeing the four of them off, Wei Ming returned to the hotel and immediately approached Masashi Sada: "Old Sada, I've got some inspiration again. I want to write a few new songs. Can you help me write them down?"

"How many?!"

"Let's start with one song." Wei Ming thought for a moment, then suggested another Chinese song.

Since I'm in Japan and the music scene is so great, I have to bring back a few hit Japanese songs.

~
Xu Shufen: "Did you see clearly now?"

Old Wei: "I see it clearly now."

Hsu Shu-fen: "One of them seems to be that pen pal named Amin, right?"

Old Wei: "Yes, the other one is my sister."

"Ah? She's Lingling!"

Old Wei: "So actually nothing happened. It was probably just a coincidence that we ran into each other in Japan. After all, Japan isn't a big country, and you're bound to run into each other all the time."

Xu Shufen: "I'll think about it again tomorrow. I won't go in the morning. I'll stay home and watch the women's volleyball team and my son."

"If you don't want to go, then don't go. You're just a temporary worker; your salary isn't even as much as your pocket money."

The next morning, Xu Shufen made dumplings while waiting to watch the women's volleyball team.

On this day, almost everyone in the country who had access to television tuned to CCTV just to watch the women's volleyball team win the championship. Some schools and companies even organized people to watch the live broadcast of the game together.

Football, basketball, and volleyball are known as the three major ball sports in the world, and the Chinese teams have basically achieved little in these three sports. This will be the closest Chinese athletes have ever come to winning world championships in these three sports.

On this day, the red flag and the Japanese flag were lined up in two camps in the Osaka Gymnasium. However, since the Japanese team was playing on home soil, the Japanese flag covered a larger area. Wei Ming followed the national flag and found his group, sitting with several fellow Chinese.

When we talked, we found out that some people came to the Chinese Embassy in Japan, some came to Japan to open restaurants, some came to Japan to take care of their children, and some came to Fuji Television for further studies.

Wei Ming looked at the man who had come to Fujitai for further studies and said, "You look familiar."

The man said, "I feel the same way. We probably know each other."

Wei Ming shook his head: "I don't know him, but I should know your father and be familiar with your grandfather. Your surname is Lu, no, your surname is Zhou!"

Zhou Lingfei also recognized Wei Ming: "You are Teacher Wei Ming, who is known as the guiding star of the literary world!"

"Who came up with these nicknames? I don't deserve them, I don't deserve them."

Wei Ming exchanged a few pleasantries with the other party, but did not become particularly close to him simply because the other party was Lu Xun's grandson.

This guy had a relationship with a Taiwanese girl while studying in Japan, which was a bit like a real-life version of "Romance on Lushan Mountain". However, the result was that he went to Taiwan to live with his wife's family, which made Zhou Haiying bear the stigma of "traitorous son" and ruined his father's life. He was a bit too love-struck and didn't know the consequences.

Speaking of which, Wei Ming has quite a connection with the Zhou family. Xue Jie's maternal grandfather, Mr. Zhuang Xianshi, was a classmate of Mr. Lu Xun when they studied in Japan.

Not only did Zhou Lingfei recognize Wei Ming, but even the Xinhua News Agency reporter sent by the Chinese side to blend into the audience recognized Wei Ming.

"Teacher Wei, is that you, Teacher Wei?!"

After the Chinese women's volleyball team won the first set, a bespectacled man excitedly patted Wei Ming on the shoulder.

He was carrying a camera just like Wei Ming, but the difference was that the other man also had a press pass around his neck, which included his name, surname, and organization.

"Hello, reporter Zhao."

After receiving a definite answer, reporter Zhao asked, "Teacher Wei, how did you end up here all of a sudden?"

"It's not that sudden. I arrived yesterday. This trip abroad is to cheer on the women's volleyball team," Wei Ming said.

"Should we go backstage and say a few words to our women's volleyball team members to encourage them?"

Wei Ming hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands: "Now is a critical moment in the battle between the two armies. Why would I go and cause trouble? But after we win the game, Reporter Zhao can take me over to meet him."

"Teacher Wei, you're sure we can win, right?"

"Of course! Look, we scored again!"

As the two were talking, the Chinese women's volleyball team easily won the second set 15-7, meaning that they only needed to win one more set to secure the championship.

But it's obviously not that simple. In his previous life, Wei Ming didn't have the opportunity to watch the live TV broadcast, but he knew from the written descriptions in the newspapers how hard-won this victory was.

In the crucial third set, the Chinese team initially took a commanding 10-4 lead, but the Japanese team fought back with their backs against the wall, scoring seven consecutive points to ultimately win the key set 12-15.

The hearts of television viewers across the country were in their throats. Xu Shufen really wanted to call Lao Wei back to watch the game with her. At this moment, she no longer cared about her son in the stands; all she wanted was to win the game.

Students from Peking University, Tsinghua University, and many other universities across the country with access to television were also watching the match. They were extremely anxious when they saw the Japanese team dominating the fourth set.

"Oh dear, how could I not catch it!"

"Wow, Lang Ping's spikes are so powerful, how did they manage to stop her?!"

"Oops, I lost points again!"

Japan won the fourth game 7-15, bringing the score to 2-2 with only one game remaining.

Fifth game.

At the start, the Chinese team trailed the Japanese team by four points. Then it was a back-and-forth battle, and the score was 14-15, at which point the Chinese team was one point behind.

Even Wei Ming, who knew the outcome, felt his throat go dry upon seeing this scene; the game would be over if the Japanese team scored just one more point.

At the crucial moment, Lang Ping launched a powerful attack and regained the serve, bringing the score to 15-15. The Japanese players were stunned by her powerful shot.

The spectators from both countries in the stands were almost holding their breath, as if their breathing would affect the players' performance.

Next, Zhou Xiaolan and captain Sun Jinfang combined to block the shot, securing a crucial point.

"Good job!"

Then, despite her injuries, Chen Zhaodi scored the final point.

With a score of 17:15, the Chinese team achieved a perfect record of seven wins in seven matches, concluding their World Cup journey in a perfect fashion.

Meanwhile, more than 500 audience members excitedly sang the March of the Volunteers, though they were not singing in unison and their versions were slightly different.

It seems there were people singing "The Three Principles of the People," they appeared to be Taiwanese compatriots.

Wei Ming kept moving his mouth as he thought to himself, "Peking University will probably be very lively tonight. It's a pity I won't be able to see it. I'm going to take a picture with Lang Ping and the others."

After the other countries' matches ended, there would be an awards ceremony that evening. Wei Ming couldn't wait for that time, so he came backstage with reporter Zhao to greet the women's volleyball team.

Wei Ming's appearance was a pleasant surprise for the women's volleyball team, especially since he's so handsome in person!
Lang Ping was the first to approach Wei Ming. She was the tallest among the team members, and Wei Ming was almost the same height as her when they stood together.

"Teacher Wei, how tall are you?"

"I'm 183."

Lang Ping: "I'm 184cm tall, but you seem a bit stronger than me!"

Wei Ming laughed heartily: "I spurted at twenty-three, could it be that I've grown taller again?"

That's not impossible. He's been eating too well in this life, so maybe he's developed again. He just hasn't measured it since.

Reporter Song didn't forget his mission. First, he took a photo of Wei Ming and Lang Ping together, and then another photo of Wei Ming with all the team members and coaches.

Actually, what they are most familiar with about Wei Ming is not his novels and poems, but his songs, such as "On the Hopeful Fields," "The Same Song," and "Tomorrow Will Be Better," which are very popular. Oh, and there are also his movies.

So Chen Zhaodi asked with a smile, "Teacher Wei, have you written any new songs lately?"

Wei Ming: "Yes, I wrote it. Last night I specially wrote a song for the women's volleyball team. I'll find someone to record it and release it when I get back."

Upon hearing this, the girls objected: "Why go back? Sing now!"

"Yes, right now."

"Teacher Wei, one more! One more!"

"Let's all give Teacher Wei a big round of applause!"

Amidst everyone's encouragement, Wei Ming began to sing this somewhat difficult song.
……

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