Exciting 1979!

Chapter 431 Wei Ming's Sense of Proportion

"Feeling my way through the darkness, Guided by a beating heart..."

Vivian Chow's headphones were connected to a Walkman, and Elton John's voice was playing from them.

"Wake Me Up" is a great song. Amin thinks the credit mainly goes to Amin, since he wrote it so well. She doesn't listen to many electronic music songs, but this is probably the best one she's ever heard. No wonder it topped the Billboard Hot 100!

A month ago, Elton John, who originally wanted to collect some electronic music of the same style to make an album, was not very satisfied with the new songs he received, so he simply released a single instead.

It debuted in the top ten of the Billboard charts in its first week of release and reached number one last week, sparking an electronic music craze in the UK and the US. People were surprised to find that electronic music could be so catchy.

This single was only recently released in Hong Kong, and Vivian Chow bought several copies in one go.

Mr. Why is now a very important marketing point for the promotion of "Wake Me Up". In Hong Kong, he is even more important than the singer. It is said that Wei Ming wrote a new English song and it will sell as many copies as possible.

At first, Ah Min couldn't buy any even after queuing up herself. Fortunately, the album was sold by PolyGram in Hong Kong, so Ah Min managed to get a few copies through her connections. Moreover, her singles were also released by PolyGram, but she didn't sign with a company.

She was so engrossed in listening that she didn't hear the doorbell until quite a while later.

"Who is it? Mommy, didn't you bring your keys?"

No one responded, but she saw a rose through the peephole. Someone was holding a rose and blocking the peephole to cover their face.

"Ah Ming? Is that you?" Zhou Huimin's voice trembled slightly.

Wei Ming smiled and moved the flower away, then the door opened.

Before he could even give her the flowers, the little girl had already run into his arms.

"You finally remembered me!" Amin punched his back a few times with her little fists, still a little annoyed.

Wei Ming quickly came in and closed the door, gently stroking her back with his palm.

When Wei Ming saw Amin again, he felt that she had grown up a bit more, her face was prettier, her temperament was more elegant, and she seemed to have grown a bit older.

Xiao Hong must be envious; she's a year older than Amin.

Every time I see her, Amin is evolving towards a more perfect state. This is only what is visible. In the unseen places, Amin's singing skills are also getting better and better. At this time, there is a clear difference between her and when she first became Dai Sicong's apprentice. Now, she is not afraid to hold a concert.

Vivian Chow put an earphone into Wei Ming's ear, and the two listened to "Wake Me Up" again.

"Haven't you heard the cassette tape of this song yet?"

"Yeah, but I've heard Elton sing it live, back in the US." Wei Ming knew the song must have sold well, which was reflected in the amount he received.

"Electronic music is quite difficult. I'm focusing my energy on piano and guitar right now."

Zhou Huimin reported to Wei Ming on her recent learning progress. She not only likes singing but also loves playing musical instruments, and her future goal is to be able to write music that expresses her feelings.

In her previous life, Vivian Chow did have some creative talent. Although she didn't write most of her major representative works, she occasionally composed original songs in her albums.

"You don't mean you want to write your own songs in the future, do you?"

"It would be best if I could write it myself." Vivian Chow lowered her head and smelled the rose.

Wei Ming pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket: "Then it seems the song I wrote is useless."

Amin snatched it away quickly: "Of course, it mainly depends on you to write it for me."

Unfolding the paper, she saw the title read "Pink Memories."

This is a Mandarin song. Vivian Chow quickly glanced at it and said, "This song is perfect for this season."

Wei Ming: "Want to try singing?"

“Okay.” She sat down at the piano and sang as she played.

"Summer, summer, quietly passed by, leaving behind a little secret, buried deep in my heart, buried deep in my heart, I can't tell you..."

Halfway through the song, Vivian Chow stopped and looked at Wei Ming, saying, "Something feels off."

Wei Ming: "Because this is the best song to sing and dance to at the same time."

“No wonder,” Zhou Huimin said. “I kept wanting to stand up just now.”

"Let's not play anymore, let's sing a cappella." Wei Ming pressed down on the piano and made her stand up.

Vivian Chow: "I've never actually tried it, I'm not very good at dancing."

"But it must look amazing when you jump like that." Wei Ming praised mindlessly. There's no reason why those legs shouldn't look good; those legs are the proof of it!
Wearing a knee-length dress, Vivian Chow first memorized the lyrics, and then began to imitate the singers and dancers on TV, pacing back and forth in the living room, swaying her waist and hips.

She forgot the lyrics halfway through the song, so Wei Ming quickly held up the lyrics in front of her so she could finish singing.

Then, lacking confidence, she asked, "Can this look good?"

Wei Ming laughed and said, "It's a pity it wasn't recorded, otherwise you would have known how good it was."

Amin plopped down on the sofa, and Wei Ming comforted her, "Actually, the movements don't need to be that big. You can figure it out yourself later. Congratulations on taking your first step in singing and dancing."

Amin leaned on Wei Ming's shoulder: "Although the dance is difficult, the song is very nice. It has a refreshing Taiwanese style. By the way, did you receive the 'Zhi Hu Zhe Ye' that I sent you later?"

"Received it. This Luo Dayou is really amazing. Several songs on his album are very listenable."

“I’m still a bit lacking compared to you,” Amin laughed. “So how many days are you planning to stay in Hong Kong this time? You’re not going to leave after delivering this song, are you?”

Her smile was full of reluctance, and her hands were already restlessly gripping Wei Ming's arms, as if she wanted to lock him in.

Wei Ming: "I'll be staying for at least half a month. Besides visiting you and my parents, my main task this time is to shoot a short film."

"What? Shoot a short film?" Zhou Huimin asked in surprise.

Just as Wei Ming was about to explain why he made the short film, Zhou Huimin suddenly exclaimed, "But your aunt and uncle have already returned to the mainland, didn't you know?"

"What!"

~
"What a mess!" Xu Shufen sighed. The day they returned happened to be the day their son and daughter went to Hong Kong.

“Our vacation time is limited. Should we wait, or fly back to find them right away?” Xu Shufen asked again.

They still want to go back to Hong Kong. Although it's hard to leave one's homeland, the modern life is really attractive, and there's also their elderly father and mischievous children there.

"Say something, husband!" Xu Shufen nudged her husband.

Old Wei was still reminiscing about how, along the way, people had always treated them as overseas Chinese; the changes were too great.

He hurriedly said, "I don't know how many days they plan to stay, but Ping An definitely knows. I'll call and ask."

First, I called home, but no one answered. Then I called Wei Ping'an's office, and this time someone answered.

"Oh, you're looking for our Director Wei? I'm sorry, he's in a meeting. May I ask who you are?" a female voice said.

"Who are you?" Old Wei asked back.

"I am Director Wei's secretary."

Old Wei knew about his cousin's promotion, but he really didn't know about the fact that his cousin had a female secretary. Could this kid have become corrupt?
He himself hasn't been corrupted by capitalism yet, so he can't be the one to go before him!
So Lao Wei said, "Tell him later that I'm his brother and that we're going to his house for dinner tonight. If he's free, he can call me back. Just say it's the Overseas Chinese Apartment's number and he'll know."

Upon hearing this, the secretary understood: "You are Mr. Wei Ming's father, right?"

"Yes, it's me."

A short while later, Wei Ping'an learned about this from his secretary. He repeatedly asked, "Did he say 'I am his brother' or 'I am his cousin'?"

Secretary: "I'm his brother."

Wei Jiefang often said this, but at this moment, Wei Ping'an couldn't help but start to have doubts, wondering if there was something more to what Brother Jiefang was saying.

Because he was busy with work, he didn't return the call. After work, he went straight to the cafeteria, bought a few hearty dishes, and told his wife, Lü Xiaoyan, "Jiefang and the others are back. Let's add two more dishes."

~
Meanwhile, at Lao Gui's house, Wei Hong and Lin Ni were staring at each other. Lin Ni wanted to prepare dinner, but she was afraid of making a bad one and losing face in front of the younger generation, so she could only try her best to find topics to talk about, hoping that either Lao Gui or Xiao Wei would come back.

Wei Hong felt the same way; the atmosphere was indeed a bit awkward, since they were complete strangers.

This guy is so unreliable. He knocked on the door, heard someone answer, and then went downstairs while the elevator doors were still open, saying he had something important to do. He even secretly took a rose from the bouquet.

"These flowers are quite nice," Lin Ni praised the bouquet Wei Hong had given her, which contained several colors, including red, yellow, and blue.

"Yes, it's my brother who wants to buy it. He said you have good taste and he'll definitely like it."

Lin Ni laughed and said, "Your brother is so romantic, unlike your grandfather. No wonder your brother can make girls unable to forget him."

"My brother? A girl? Can't forget her? Who is she?"

"It's Amin, Zhou Huimin, do you know her?"

"I've heard of her. She's my brother's pen pal. She sings very well, but how old is she?"

“One year younger than you.” Lin Ni glanced at Wei Hong’s flat chest, but it was noticeably larger.

"What about my brother? How does he feel about Amin? Is he still hung up on her?" Xiao Hong asked gossipingly.

“This…” Lin Ni thought it should be a two-way street, but she couldn’t guarantee it. “You can ask your brother, but if you want to get to know Amin, I can introduce you. She lives downstairs.”

"Oh, downstairs?"

At this point, the two suddenly had the same thought: Could Wei Ming be at Amin's house right now?

Lin Ni found a way to break the awkward silence: "Xiao Hong, do you want to come downstairs with me and take a look?"

"Okay!"

After descending eight floors, the two knocked on the door, but no one answered. Lin Ni asked disappointedly, "Not home?"

Actually, they had just left home when they talked about shooting a short film, so Wei Ming invited her to go out and watch the currently showing movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".

Although Amin had already seen it, she pretended not to and readily agreed.

On the way, Wei Ming explained to her why he wanted to make this short film, which left Amin stunned. Wei Ming was already quite a multi-talented person, able to write songs, novels, and screenplays, and he was also very talented in art. Now he was actually going to challenge himself to become a director.

Is there anything in this world that can stump him?

"Ah Ming, I'm on summer vacation now. Is there anything I can help you with in this short film? I'd be happy to oblige!" she said cheerfully, even offering to appear in the film herself. However, she wasn't really needed for the film; there were only two main roles, and the female lead had some revealing scenes.

"You, you can just work as a tea girl on the film set."

"Okay, okay, then tell me what the story is about?"

"Oh, this is a story about murder..."

The movie theater wasn't far away, and there were snack stalls nearby, so the two walked over to grab something to eat before watching the movie.

Just then, Lao Gui returned from get off work, with Zhou Ma sitting in the back of the car. Holiland now has a headquarters office where the three bosses handle their work.

After working all day, Zhou Ma closed her eyes and said to Lao Gui, "The process of making bubble tea can definitely be simplified. Right now, it takes too much time to make each cup of bubble tea. Although it sells well, it is actually a waste of the employees' time."

Old Ghost kept responding with "uh-huh," then suddenly said "Hmm?"

"What's wrong? Am I right?"

Old Ghost: "No, no, you're right."

I just saw Amin and Amin walking hand in hand on the street. Luckily, Amin's mother didn't see this.

Wait, why is Ah Min in Hong Kong? Does that mean he's just wasting his time returning home?

He frowned as he thought of something else: the photo of himself and Ping An's mother that Amin had mentioned in the letter. He wondered what Ping An was thinking now.

~
When Xizi opened the door for his uncle and aunt, he almost didn't recognize Wei Jiefang and Xu Shufen. Although Lü Xiaoyan recognized them, she was amazed at how much the two had changed in the past six months. They looked even more stylish than she and Wei Ping'an.

Moreover, Wei Jiefang used to look much older than his actual age, but after six months of nourishment, his face has gained some weight, which has stretched out his wrinkled skin and made him look much younger.

When Wei Ping'an saw Wei Jiefang, he deliberately pulled him to the bathroom to look in the mirror, right?

Wei Jiefang was still gloating: "How about that? Don't you even recognize your brother anymore!"

Wei Ping'an: It's not that I don't recognize them, it's just that I think they look even more alike!

They were like each other when they were young, but as they grew up, their life circumstances changed, and they gradually became different. But now, after Wei Jiefang had a few days of comfortable and good life, they suddenly seem to have gone back to how they were.

Is it reasonable for distant cousins ​​to look so alike?

"Brother, is Uncle alright?" Wei Ping'an asked meaningfully.

“It’s great. His business is growing bigger and bigger, and with Aunt Lin taking care of him, he’s showing signs of rejuvenating. Your sister-in-law and I don’t have to worry about him. We just go over for a meal on the weekend,” Wei Jiefang said naturally. “Tell me about Xiaoming and Xiaohong.”

“Oh, them? They’ll be in Hong Kong for at least half a month.” Then he explained the purpose of Wei Ming’s trip.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shufen said, "Then should we hurry back?"

Old Wei: "Half a month is no rush. I'm thinking of going back to my hometown first. I really miss my fellow villagers."

Xu Shufen thought to herself, "You're just thinking about them, aren't you? You just want to show off."

However, she also missed that home a little, after all, it was the place where she had lived for twenty years, and the place she wanted to return to when she was old and gray.

“Okay, okay, then I’ll go back for two days and then hurry back to Hong Kong,” Xu Shufen said.

"Sister-in-law, let's eat first. We can chat at the table, and you can tell us about the latest happenings in Hong Kong," Lü Xiaoyan said with a smile.

Xu Shufen: "Oh dear, look at my memory! Grandpa Xiaoming brought you a gift. Come and see!"

Lü Xiaoyan: "Oh, there's a portion for me too?"

“Yes, this is yours, and this is Ping An’s.” She took out two gift boxes.

Then Xu Shufen saw two little heads looking up at her with adorable expressions.

Wei Jiefang laughed and said, "Your gifts are with me."

Old Wei bought two blind boxes for his two kids, as a way of supporting his sister's business.

When Wei Pingan opened it, he found that it was a Rolex watch.

Old Wei exclaimed with delight, "Hey, Grandpa's really generous! It's exactly the same as the one he gave me. This one wasn't cheap."

Wei Ping'an quickly glanced at his wife's gift again, which was a pair of jade bracelets. He then noticed that his sister-in-law Shufen also had one, although the styles were different, they looked to be of the same quality.

Even Xu Shufen was somewhat surprised; her father-in-law treated Ping An like his own son.

However, Wei Ping'an got angry for some reason after seeing it, and put the two gifts back in the box and returned them to Wei Jiefang.

"These gifts are too valuable. My position is sensitive right now, and Xiaoyan is also a leader. It's inappropriate to give her these things. Please take them back."

Lu Xiaoyan froze awkwardly. Actually, she quite liked the pair of bracelets. Although they weren't top-quality, they were beautifully designed and could be passed down to Lele and Xizi's wife in the future.

“Indeed,” Wei Jiefang nodded. “Now that you’re in that position, with so many people watching, you really have to be careful about your image. You can’t be corrupt, whether it’s about money or women, especially women.”

Lü Xiaoyan: "Big brother, what about women?"

Wei Jiefang: "Sister-in-law, did you know that he has a female secretary?"

"What, a female secretary? Didn't you say secretaries were men?"

“It’s a male secretary, but Xiao Chen recently got married and took leave, so we found a young girl to temporarily fill in for him,” Wei Ping’an started sweating, and looking at Wei Jiefang with a wicked smile, he took the gift box back. “We’ve accepted the gifts. Let’s eat, let’s eat first.”

~
Old Gui's family was also eating. Old Gui had brought some food from outside, and Zhou's mother had also cooked two dishes. However, she didn't look too good while cooking. She had gone home but didn't see her daughter, so Lin Ni invited her up.

In the living room, Wei Hong whispered to her grandmother, "Are you sure we don't have to wait for my brother?"

Lin Ni grinned mischievously: "What are you waiting for? He definitely won't starve himself. After you finish eating, Xiao Hong, you're tired, so go to sleep first. We don't even know if he'll come back."

Then Zhou Ma slammed the plate down on the table, and Lin Ni chuckled awkwardly and quickly shut up.

Xiao Hong already knows that this is Amin's mother, one of the co-founders of Holiland, and the one who invented the bubble tea that Amin loves so much.

She also knew that her brother had probably gone on a date with Amin. Actually, her brother was already 21 years old, which was an age to get married, but Amin was too young.

Also, if they get married in the future, do I really have to call Amin, who is younger than me, "sister-in-law"?

Wei Ming hadn't expected Xiao Hong to think so far ahead. At this moment, he and Amin had already seen the ending of "E.T." Although it wasn't the first time they had seen it, they were still moved to tears by the pure and innocent story.

Even though Wei Ming knew that this was the universal value commonly used in Hollywood, and that Hollywood was actually full of debauchery and immorality, it still couldn't change the impact of such stories on him and people like Amin who had a childlike heart.

Moreover, these kinds of stories are most likely to spread globally and earn more money.

As the story ended, before the lights came on, Wei Ming's fingers touched Amin's fingers in the darkness, just like E.T. and the little protagonist in the movie. This was their unspoken understanding.

It was already nine o'clock when the movie ended. Amin knew that her mother must have come home by then, but then she found that she wasn't home.

However, she was not flustered at all. On her way home, she deliberately slowed down, looking for fireflies by the roadside. If she couldn't find any, she would have to sing "The Little Insects Fly" by herself.

Wei Ming could sense that Amin's singing skills had improved this time.

This song was written a year ago in the summer, which was also the first time he met Amin. So he and Amin had officially known each other for a year. No wonder Amin always wanted to break through, but Wei Ming guarded against it and could only hold hands at most.

“Amin, how about I start filming with you tomorrow?” Amin asked again.

Wei Ming: "Okay, but I need your permission first. I'll come to see you in person tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll tell my mom to go to work later and wait for you."

As they passed a grocery store, the owner was watching TVB, and Ah Min immediately stopped.

What's being shown on TV right now isn't a drama or a variety show, but a promotional trailer.

TVB is preparing to launch a talent show, welcoming all talented young people who love and can sing to sign up.

This competition was the long-awaited "New Talent Singer Competition," from which countless famous singers later emerged.

Choosing to start in July is also to attract young viewers and contestants, so that even middle school students can participate.

"Amin, what do you think about me participating in this competition?"

Amin did participate in the competition later. In the first round, she sang a Japanese song and was praised by James Wong, who said, "I can't understand it, but you're pretty enough. You could consider acting." She was eliminated in the first round, but she made a good friend like Li Keqin.

Wei Ming laughed and said, "With so many popular songs on your record, you're qualified to be a judge."

"That's because your songs are well-written, it doesn't mean my singing is good." She came up with this idea because she wanted to test how sharp her singing skills really were.

Wei Ming: "Then you should ask your aunt first. Anyway, I support your choice."

Thinking of her mother, Amin stuck out her tongue. She was sure she would ask herself, "Have I finished my homework? Why am I thinking about all this? Should I even take the college entrance exam?"

Wei Ming: "Also, if you really want to participate, you have to get a bonus from Boss Shao first. It's Vivian's first variety show appearance, so you can't work for him for nothing."

Amin chuckled when Wei Ming said something funny, but then she couldn't laugh anymore.

"Mommy!"

Zhou's mother had already finished eating, but when she saw that her daughter hadn't returned yet, she was really worried that, as Lin Ni had said, the two young people might not be home all night, so she came downstairs to meet her. Fortunately, Amin was still sensible.

Wei Ming: I clearly know my limits, only five or six tenths of an inch.

Just then, Wei Ming saw Zhou's mother and said directly, "Auntie, I'm in Hong Kong to film a short film, and I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Amin for the next two weeks."

"I know you film this short film every day until this late?" Zhou's mother asked.

"No need, we can film during the day."

"Oh, do you have anything else to say? If not, we'll go home."

"Wait a minute, I have something to say," Wei Hong rushed out of the building like a whirlwind and said to Zhou Huimin, who looked a little taller than her, "Hello, Amin, my name is Wei Hong, and I am 16 years old."

Amin was taken aback: "I'm fifteen."

Ah Hong said proudly, "Call me Sister Hong!"

(I finally caught up today, which was my minimum. This month has been a complete failure. I'll post two chapters tomorrow to calm everyone down. This is purely as compensation and doesn't count as a bonus for monthly votes.)
(End of this chapter)