Exciting 1979!

Chapter 396 The Literary World of Shanghai Welcomes the Grand Master

When Wei Ming visited the old Party Secretary Zhou Xingbang's home, he brought a bag with him. As soon as he entered, he asked, "Uncle Xingbang, do you have any hot water?"

"Yes." It was a young man's voice.

Wei Ming glanced at him and saw that he was wearing a military uniform, around thirty years old, not very tall, but with a straight posture.

"Oh, it's Uncle Wenwu! You've come back to visit your family."

This is Zhou Wenwu, the youngest son of the former Party Secretary, who is serving in the army.

"Yeah, and while we're at it, I'll go on a blind date and get married."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "You're sure to succeed this time."

Zhou Wenwu scratched his head and asked with a smile, "Xiao Ming, what do you need hot water for?"

"Have something to eat." Wei Ming took out two buckets of instant noodles from his bag.

The Zhou family of three gathered around, and after Wei Ming tore open the packaging, Zhou Wenwu asked, "Is this instant noodles?"

Wei Ming: "Uncle, you've eaten here?"

"Once, during a field training exercise, the troops were given flatbreads. You could just chew them and eat them, but they weren't cheap. I heard they were deep-fried." Zhou Wenwu was quite knowledgeable about food.

Wei Ming nodded: "I brought these back from Hong Kong. They cost about 25 cents a bag in domestic shopping malls."

It's really not cheap. Even a bowl of hot noodles at a state-run restaurant in the county town only costs one cent, and the portion is much larger.

Wei Ming soaked both buckets of water, and after a moment he opened them: "Hmm, it's ready to eat. Uncle Wenwu, and Grandpa and Grandma Xingbang, you should all try some."

"Mmm, smells good, tastes delicious!"

"It's quite robust."

"It tastes better than what I ate in the army."

Grandma Zhou said, "And it's convenient too. Just soak it for a few minutes and you can have a meal ready."

Zhou Xingbang slurped up a mouthful of soup: "Xiaoming, you wouldn't be thinking of getting our village to make this instant noodles, would you?"

Wei Ming shook his head: "I do have that idea, but the conditions are not right at the moment."

The instant noodle market only began to flourish in the 90s. Although Shanghai had already started producing instant noodles more than a decade ago, they were not widespread. Starting in the 80s, Japanese production lines were gradually introduced, and instant noodles began to be recognized in China as a luxury food.

Wei Ming remembered that when he went to work at the Beijing People's Art Theatre in his previous life, the first instant noodles he ate were the Tiantan brand chicken soup instant noodles, a collaboration between Beijing and Japan, which cost 35 cents a bag. There was also Huafeng Sanxian Yi Mian, which cost 50 cents a bag, but the market was still not large, and the economy was not keeping up.

When the country needs to draw a large number of migrant workers from rural areas, the instant noodle market can be further expanded, creating a market with annual sales of tens of billions. Foreign companies include Master Kong and Uni-President, while domestic companies include Hebei's Hualong (Jinmailang) and Henan's Baixiang.

"As you just said, this stuff is very fragrant, oily, and convenient. Its advantages are very obvious. If people have money, there's no need to worry about it not selling. I spent some time in Japan, where instant noodles were invented, and the market there is huge. They even make it taste better than this. I'm also optimistic about the market for instant noodles in China. However, people don't have money right now, so even if I make it, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sell. Therefore, I think it's better to focus on developing the raw materials first at this stage."

"Raw materials?"

“Yes, flour and cooking oil. There’s an oil mill in the village, right? Using livestock to work is too slow. I can help you find Hong Kong investors to invest in it. First, we can build an electric oil mill, and then a flour mill. Our North China Plain is an important wheat-producing area.”

"Wait, you mean Hong Kong businessmen?" The old Party Secretary was somewhat shocked.

"Yes, a Hong Kong businessman." It must be a Hong Kong businessman; this company must be established as a joint venture.

First of all, attracting foreign investment is a political achievement for County Chief Qin, and it will garner more of his support. Having more friends means having more opportunities.

Secondly, Wei Ming is very familiar with the business environment in his hometown.

In my previous life, there was a well-performing and promising beverage factory in the county. It was considered the leading enterprise in the county, specializing in the small market of carrot juice. Everything was thriving at first, but then the county government interfered arbitrarily, taking goods from the factory without paying them, and using public funds to cover the factory's expenses. Eventually, the factory went bankrupt and became a contract manufacturer for Huiyuan. Later, Huiyuan also went bankrupt.

If this factory hadn't had foreign investment, some things would have been truly unscrupulous, especially years later, when it would have been difficult for the honest farmers of Gouzi Village to hold onto their hard-earned profits.

Of course, Holiland is also short of funds right now, so it must be Wei Ming who will provide the funding, but he will use the name of this promising Hong Kong food company.

Wei Ming has little interest in the food industry. He believes that when Holiland has more money, he can let them take over his shares. The food industry in mainland China definitely has great potential.

Moreover, such a large-scale factory has a significant impact on the local economy. It can not only provide many jobs, but also generate dividends for every household if managed well.

"Then why would Hong Kong businessmen invest money in us?" the old Party Secretary asked.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "I don't have much else, but I have a lot of friends, both domestically and internationally, and they all give me a lot of face."

Hearing this, the family of three looked at Wei Ming's big face, and it seemed that he really had a lot of face.

Wei Ming still needs to consult Uncle Liu Bin about this matter. If Uncle Liu Bin thinks there's no problem, then he can talk to County Chief Qin.

Early the next morning, Qi Delong drove a donkey cart to take Wei Ming away. Wei Ming told him to just drop him off at the Yang family's house, and then gave him ten yuan and a few grain coupons, telling him to come to the city to have some meat whenever he felt like it, since it was the time for him to grow.

"Brother, I really don't want to leave you. I wish you could stay a few more days!"

Wei Ming patted his tiger-like head and thought of the days when the two brothers supported each other in Yanjing in their previous life.

"It's okay, we'll see each other again in the summer. This time, I'll show you around Shanghai."

Unfortunately, time flies. I heard that the commune junior high school in the town and the county high school have undergone many changes because of Wei Ming's sponsorship, and Wei Ming was unable to see them in person.

Once inside the Yang family's house, Wei Ming told Uncle Liu Bin about his idea.

"I agree with your idea. The changes in Shenzhen make me believe in the determination of China to develop its economy. Therefore, the fast food industry will definitely have a bright future in China, and instant noodles will definitely become the leader in the fast food product market. However, if you are going to invest, you should aim to make a profit. Whether it is a flour mill or an edible oil mill now or an instant noodle mill in the future, it is not advisable to give them a sum of money to mess around."

"Yes, what should we do? I don't know anything about this either."

Liu Bin asked, "When did this County Magistrate Qin take office?"

Wei Ming said: "About a year and a half ago, I became the director of the Revolutionary Committee, and a year ago I was changed to the county magistrate."

Liu Bin nodded: "That's good. He won't be transferred in the short term. In that case, I'll sign a letter of intent with him on behalf of Holiland. After we return to Hong Kong, I'll have my deputy investigate the relevant industries in Taiwan, and then send him to the mainland to oversee the investment, factory construction, and equipment import. He's a graduate of the University of Hong Kong, and he's pro-mainland. The key is that he's mixed-race and has a foreign face. Let's just consider it a training opportunity for him."

Uncle Liu understands the situation in China too well; foreigners' faces are more effective than his own.

"Alright, let's hurry up and meet with County Chief Qin so we don't miss the noon train."

When County Chief Qin heard that Liu Bin insisted on opening two factories in Gouzi Village, he understood that it was because of Teacher Wei's influence, and Teacher Wei would definitely take care of his fellow villagers.

Liu Bin signed a letter of intent with County Chief Qin on the spot and declined County Chief Qin's invitation to stay for lunch.

"It's really my son's wedding. The plane won't wait for anyone. We've already made a date with the Peace Hotel and need to set up the venue in advance."

Upon hearing that Liu Bin's son was going to hold his wedding at the renowned Peace Hotel in Shanghai, County Chief Qin was once again convinced of Boss Liu's strength. He also needed to discuss policies for Hong Kong businessmen, as this was the first foreign-invested enterprise that was expected to settle in Ping'an County!
It wasn't until the evening of the second day of the Lunar New Year that the two families arrived in Yanjing. They had bought their plane tickets a few days earlier, and the next morning, Xiao Hong, still a little dizzy, boarded a plane to Shanghai with her older brother and the others.

My older brother is still full of energy; he was on the phone all night last night.

Wei Ming's main purpose was to appease Xiao Mei, who was frightened by the Eight Kings incident. However, the rapid development in the Jiangzhe region had raised concerns among the higher-ups, hence the warning. The North remains quite conservative.

However, this conservatism in the North also means they will miss out on a lot of future wealth, so it's no wonder that others are making money.

"Brother, where are we going to stay when we get to Shanghai? Are we staying at the Peace Hotel too?" Xiao Hong asked on the plane.

Wei Ming shook his head: "The Peace Hotel is a hotel for foreign guests, we can't stay there."

But staying at Sister Xue's or Sister Lin's place isn't appropriate either; the truth will come out sooner or later. Ah, I've got it!

“Our family also owns property in Shanghai, so we don’t need to stay in hotels.”

"what?!"

After landing at Hongqiao Airport, a car from the Peace Hotel picked them up, and Ah Long went with Wei Ming to see the Jueyuan No. 2 mansion.

On the way, Wei Ming said to A Long, "You guys shouldn't always focus on Hong Kong properties. Although Hong Kong properties can appreciate in value, the appreciation rate is definitely not as high as in the north or Shanghai. You'll definitely be coming to these two cities often in the future. You can buy an old-style house in Shanghai and a courtyard house in Beijing."

Upon hearing this tone, the driver thought, "Wow, no wonder he's a foreign guest."

Ah Long smiled and shook his head: "Then it might take a few more years to save up."

Wei Ming smiled slightly: "If we can gather the wedding gifts together, that should be enough."

Ah Long was taken aback, and before he knew it, they had arrived at their destination.

"Master, you go back first. I'll take a taxi back later," Ah Long said.

Wei Ming opened the door and went in. This place was much larger than Wei Ming's courtyard house in Beichizi, and it was also two stories high.

"But can people live here?" Wei Hong asked.

"The bed and blankets are all there, they're all new, it's just that it hasn't been renovated yet. It used to be a workplace." Wei Ming looked at A Long, knowing that this matter would have to trouble his father-in-law again.

Wei Hong rolled up her sleeves: "It's been uninhabited for a long time and it's all covered in dust, so let's clean it up!"

So big, and three people?!

Wei Ming began to regret his decision; he should have just found an ordinary guesthouse.

"Wait a minute, let me gather some people." He recalled his connections in Shanghai. Sister Lin was probably busy filming and rushing to finish her project, and Sister Xue was busy with her sister's wedding, so he wouldn't trouble them. Old Ba...

No, no, it would be too impolite to ask Mr. Ba to help me clean my house. It's also inappropriate for editor Li Xiaolin to do it, she's over forty years old.

By the way, Mr. Ba is not suitable, but the Shanghai Writers Association should have a group of young people.

So Wei Ming called the Shanghai Writers Association, which was in the same building as the editorial office of Harvest, to ask which young people were still in the association, since he had treated them to a lot of meals when he was revising The Right Path in the World.

Coincidentally, the Shanghai Writers Association just held a symposium for young writers because of the relaunch of "Mengya" magazine, and among them was Ms. Wang Anyi, who is familiar with Wei Ming.

"Could you please have Comrade Wang Anyi answer the phone? Wei Ming is looking for her."

After a while, you could hear Wang Anyi breathing heavily on the other end of the phone.

"Comrade An Yi, I heard you're in a meeting. Do you have any plans for tonight?" "Oh, the young writers who are in the meeting today were originally going to have dinner with me."

Wei Ming: "That's great! I'm all in Shanghai now, how can I let you guys pay for your own meals?"

"Oh dear, that's not appropriate. You're a guest in Shanghai..." Wang Anyi tried to be polite.

Wei Ming said directly, "How about we eat at the Peace Hotel?"

Wang Anyi was silent for a moment before replying, "There are quite a few of us, about ten."

"It's great to have so many people! Come on, everyone! But don't go to the Peace Hotel yet. Let's go somewhere first, and you can write down the address."

After hanging up the phone, Wei Ming originally wanted to find some more people from "Story Club" to have a clash between popular and serious literature, but Wang Anyi already had so many people, it seemed that there was no need to call anyone else.

Then Wei Ming asked Xiao Hong and A Long to go to a nearby grocery store to buy a batch of cleaning tools such as brooms and dustpans.

So when Wang Anyi and his group of more than ten people arrived, there was a pile of brooms and dustpans in the yard.

When Wei Ming looked, he was surprised to see that besides Wang Anyi, there were several other familiar faces, including Zhang Kangkang, a female writer he had eaten with at the literary workshop, whose future husband was also a celebrity, Jiang Rong, the author of "Wolf Totem".

There is also Ye Xin, who was once considered one of the two great figures of educated youth literature, along with Wei Ming.

And Zhao Changtian, the future head of "Mengya" magazine, whom I had met once at the Shanghai Writers Association.

Finally, there is the painter Acheng, who once illustrated Wei Ming's novels.

There are two others I haven't met yet, but who will become very famous in the future. One is Tie Ning, a fellow Hebei native of Wei Ming and the future head of the Writers Association.

Another is Yan Geling, whose works were remade by directors such as Chen Chong, Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, and Li Shaohong, but was banned due to inappropriate remarks. She recently returned from the front lines against Vietnam and seems to be in relatively good condition.

Wang Anyi also introduced the other writers, including Jin Yucheng, a newcomer to the literary world and the author of "Blossoms".

Another person who caught Wei Ming's attention was Yang Yihua, pen name Chen Cun, one of the founders of the Future Banyan Tree Literature Network, and a prominent figure in the online literature world.

These people are mostly writers from Shanghai. Zhang Kangkang is in Hangzhou, which is not far away. There are also two northerners, Acheng and Tie Ning.

Both of them recently published works that have shaken the literary world: A Cheng's "King of Children" and Tie Ning's "Oh, Xiangxue".

Both works are set in a timeline earlier than the original, and both authors said they were inspired by Wei Ming.

Then Wei Ming introduced his genius sister and his cartoonist brother.

Seeing that they had all noticed the tools on the ground, Wei Ming smiled and said, "Most of you should have had experience working in the countryside, right?"

Ye Xin gave a wry smile. "That's right, ten years of rural life in Guizhou!"

Wei Ming said, "So everyone should know under what circumstances food tastes best."

Acheng stepped forward and said, "After finishing work, when you're tired and hungry, you'll have a great appetite."

Wei Ming picked up a broom: "To ensure everyone has a delicious meal they'll never forget, let's all work together to clean this house!"

Looking at the large estate in front of him, Wang Anyi asked, "Is this your home?"

Everyone else shared this view, after all, they all knew that Wei Ming was incredibly wealthy. Being the richest man in the literary world was no joke; it was said that Lu Xun, Guo Moruo, Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Lao She, and Cao Xueqin combined were not as rich as him.

Wei Ming shook his head: "This belongs to a distant relative of mine, who is my father's aunt. She lives overseas and just got the house back last year, but no one lives there. My childhood friend is getting married recently, and I need to stay in Shanghai for a while, so I thought I'd clean it up and move in for a bit."

Ah Cheng laughed and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's all get started."

At this time, the writers had just come from that era and still retained the ability to work.

Everyone chatted while they worked.

Wang Anyi asked Wei Ming, "Do you still read our recent works? I feel like you haven't been paying attention to the literary scene lately."

That's a bit of a resentful tone. Wei Ming, as the leading figure of the younger generation in the literary world, you're neglecting your duties. You're involved in popular literature, science fiction, fairy tales, and songwriting. Is that right?

Wei Ming laughed and said, "Of course, I watch every episode of 'The Four Great Dan Actors.' Of course, if you can't even upload 'The Four Great Dan Actors,' then there's nothing I can do."

Zhang Kangkang: "So what novels have I published recently on the Four Great Dan (a popular online platform for female celebrities)?"

“You haven’t had one recently. The last one was over six months ago, it was ‘Northern Lights’ in the third issue of Harvest magazine.”

Zhang Kangkang: "Alright, so you were paying attention to us after all. I thought you were only focused on making foreign exchange now."

Wei Ming laughed and said, "How can I invite you to the Peace Hotel without earning foreign exchange?"

Hearing this, Wang Anyi became even more motivated to work, even though she was from Shanghai and had never eaten there before.

While sweeping the stairs, Wei Ming saw Ye Xin and said, "I heard your novel 'Wasted Years' is going to be made into a TV series, Lao Ye?"

Ye Xin: "Yes, they made me write the script myself. If it weren't for this, I would still be in Guizhou right now."

Of course, now I don't have to go to the countryside to work anymore. I've not only joined the Guizhou Writers Association, but I've also become the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Shanhua". My promotion speed is very fast, but my writing speed has slowed down. I'm preparing to unleash a big move.

Wei Ming remembers that this drama was very popular. It was filmed this year and was still being shown when the village got its first television set. One of the female leads was Xiao Xiong.

At this moment, Yan Geling was admiring a painting on the second floor. Not only had the house been returned, but some of the artworks that could still be found that originally belonged to this house had also been returned, but the number was not large, less than one in ten.

Seeing Wei Ming approach, Yan Geling busied herself shyly and asked Wei Ming, "Comrade Wei Ming, you've been to so many countries, which one is your favorite?"

Wei Mingzheng declared with unwavering righteousness: "China!"

Yan Geling's smile froze for a moment. "I was asking about foreign countries."

Then Wei Ming saw A Cheng: "Congratulations! 'King of Children' is excellent. So, which is more fun, the literary world or the art world?"

Acheng shook his head violently: "We don't dare to draw anymore. Ever since Li Shuang was arrested, the Xingxing Painting Association has basically disbanded."

"I've heard about her situation too." Wei Ming could only express his regret. Li Shuang, the only female member of the Stars Art Society, was arrested for having a relationship and cohabitation with a French diplomat. She has already been detained for more than a year and is expected to remain in custody for another year.

Thanks to her boyfriend's efforts, the matter even caught the attention of the French president, who brought it up during Mitterrand's visit to China, which led to her early release from prison.

The two then discussed Ah Cheng's new work, which he was preparing to write about a chess fanatic.

With many hands make light work, the old house was completely transformed in less than two hours, and even the yard was repaired by Chen Cun and Zhao Changtian.

Wei Hong was overjoyed. Sure enough, her elder brother had influence; with just a call to action, so many people came to help.

Wei Ming asked, "Are you tired?"

"tired!"

Are you hungry?

"Hungry!"

"Let's go, Peace Hotel!"

Once at the dining table, Wei Ming took the initiative to order all the fancy dishes that are usually hard to find outside, so that everyone could settle down and have a proper chat.

Wei Ming also revealed his recent creative progress to his colleagues who follow him, which naturally surprised them all.

"I am writing a novella in English that reflects reality."

Silence, a long silence.

Ah Cheng broke the silence: "You really do need to learn English. Have you guys seen that 'Learn with Me' program lately?"

"Oh, I saw it, I saw it, it's Hua Kelin, right?" Yan Geling had something in common with this topic. Later, both of them chose to go to the United States. However, Acheng went there purely to make money. He came back after a few years and found that it was better to stay in China. Back then, his little brother had made a fortune from royalties.

Wang Anyi exclaimed with admiration: "No wonder you travel abroad so often, it turns out you have no communication barriers!"

At this point, the female writer Cheng Naishan started speaking to Wei Ming directly in English, and she spoke quite fluently.

She was born in Shanghai and grew up in Hong Kong. In the 50s, she returned to Shanghai with her parents to contribute to the development of the motherland. After graduating from high school, she majored in English. Now she is a middle school teacher and part-time writer. She is also the most composed person when entering and leaving the Peace Hotel.

She asked about the progress of the novel and how it would be published in the country.

Wei Ming replied, "I will translate it myself. The English version will be given to my editor abroad, and the Chinese version will be published first in Hong Kong's Ming Pao. If mainland publications are interested, we can discuss it, but it's science fiction, you know."

Everyone else looked completely bewildered, and Wei Hong had to translate for them.

When everyone saw this, they exclaimed, "Wow, no wonder she's a genius girl who can get the top score in the province; she's also fluent in English!"

The young writers' respect for Wei Ming grew even more during the meal.

Seeing the gathering of distinguished guests, Ah Long was inspired to paint and took out his tools to capture the scene.

"Click~" Wei Hong pressed the shutter and blew on the lens. "Taking pictures is still the fastest." She also felt that this gathering of young writers was very meaningful. She wondered how many of them would still be dedicated to literature in a few years.

Ah Long smiled and continued drawing.

"How much did it cost?" After Wei Ming paid the bill, everyone went up to ask.

Wei Ming quickly put the bill away: "It's all agreed that I'm treating, so nobody can take it from me."

Acheng: "That's not what we meant. We just wanted to find out so we could have something to brag about when we're talking to people."

Tie Ning: "Yes, and I'll write it in my diary."

Wei Ming: "..."

……

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(End of this chapter)