[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260718,4412,"Chapter 10: Then Let It Be","rising-in-1979-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>Qiao Feng was momentarily stunned into silence; he didn’t believe there was any insider dealing here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because his former superior, Wei Anping, had once told him that to boost his wife’s performance metrics, he’d written an article to submit—only to have it rejected by the editor-in-chief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping was a genuine Peking University top student; though not from a literature major, he’d been a key writer in the military, his speech drafts brilliantly crafted—and even he couldn’t get through, yet Wei Ming could!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Tom is truly a talent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Qiao Feng was certain Wei Ming wouldn’t stay long here; this young man was no ordinary fish in a pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh come on, then you write—you write. Today we’re not talking about The Legend of the Condor Heroes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “I haven’t decided what to write yet. This time I’m planning to submit to literary journals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re from the countryside, so write about rural life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao Feng’s words woke the dreamer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wei Ming didn’t reject “borrowing” from later-generation successful works, the sheer breadth of options overwhelmed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao Feng’s suggestion subtly narrowed his choices and helped him decide quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought of Gouzitun where he lived, his parents and younger sister, the villagers with their varied personalities, and the livestock his father often dealt with—donkeys, horses, oxen, sheep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled Zhao Debiao’s comment during his shower: “You’re such a donkey!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Donkey!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Got it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would write a story about a donkey!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he recalled the movie and was about to begin writing, the door opened—Zhao Debiao and Mei Wenhua returned together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua looked delighted; Zhao Debiao, blunt as ever, immediately revealed the reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just now I saw Mei Wenhua with a female college student—hey, that girl was gorgeous, stunning!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” Qiao Feng was also pleased for him. “Little Mei’s got a crush!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua demurred: “No no no, she’s just an older sister from our courtyard—she’s from the class of ’78. We ran into each other and chatted a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not a planned coincidence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pure chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what did you talk about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Literature, of course. My sister’s with the May Fourth Literature Society. She knew I liked writing, so she asked me to submit something for their journal, The Weiminghu. I thought, we’re from the same courtyard, why not help her out? It’s no big deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua grew increasingly animated—Peking University’s literary society had asked him to contribute; this was a major win for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao Feng never imagined that a tiny campus guard dorm could simultaneously harbor two talents: Wei Ming and Mei Wenhua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two are truly the Dragon and Phoenix among our guards!” he remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao pointed in shock at his own broad face: “Wait, am I being compared to the Dragon and Phoenix?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who said you?” Qiao Feng pointed to Wei Ming upstairs. “I’ve got good news to announce: Wei Ming wrote an article that got picked up by a magazine—it’ll be published this month!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell!” Zhao Debiao’s eyes bulged as he leapt onto the top bunk, staring at Wei Ming: “Brother Ming, is this true?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded modestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’re way better than Mei Wenhua—he might not even get accepted. Do you get a fee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mei Wenhua, does your ‘Weiminghu’ pay?” he asked below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua stammered: “Ah, well… talking about money is vulgar~ I’m just supporting student… ideals are priceless… Look at how full the moon is tonight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understood—no pay, purely volunteer work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao ignored him and turned back to Wei Ming, rubbing his hands: “Brother Ming, now that you’re earning royalties, shouldn’t you treat us a little~” Wei Ming had been planning to slack off in the guard unit and pursue side gigs—this small request was surely fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure, when I get my second royalty payment, I’ll treat everyone to a meal at the Changzheng cafeteria.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait, why the second payment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sending the first one entirely home,” Wei Ming replied honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhao Debiao felt a twinge of shame—Brother Ming was from the countryside, not as well-off as them, raised under the imperial capital’s shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suggested: “How about this—we each chip in a bit and take Brother Ming out to the Changzheng cafeteria to celebrate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua was about to say “Why should I?”, but Qiao Feng declared grandly: “No need for you to pay—I’ll treat you all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, everyone looked at him as if he were the legendary Qiao Boss—Brother was truly a formidable figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao Feng earned dozens of yuan a month; a single meal at Changzheng wasn’t even a Peking Duck feast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thanked him profusely; the other two cheered in unison. Qiao Feng then advised them: “When you get your first salary next month, don’t forget to buy something for your families—even a little means something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both nodded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao now gazed at Wei Ming with adoring eyes. Curious, he asked: “Brother Ming, are you writing a wuxia novel like The Legend of the Condor Heroes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s a fairy tale.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao was instantly disappointed—he thought Brother Ming’s eloquence made him just as good as Old Jin at wuxia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Ming’s piece was a fairy tale, Mei Wenhua, who’d just lost the spotlight, revived himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s just a children’s fairy tale? Didn’t know you had such a childlike heart, Brother Wei~” Mei Wenhua sneered, then pulled out a new magazine from his bag again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming ignored him, but Zhao Debiao wouldn’t let it slide: “So what if it’s a fairy tale? At least it pays—better than your free labor with no pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua lifted his chin: “Children’s stories are just tales—no barriers, no literary merit. What I write belongs to literature.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk tsk tsk, you’re just jealous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Qiao Feng spoke: “Little Wei is preparing a new piece—this one isn’t a fairy tale. He’s submitting to literary journals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua froze. “Which journal are you submitting to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Not decided yet. I don’t really understand these things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua immediately advised: “Among today’s literary journals, the top two are People’s Literature and Harvest. I’ve got this issue of Harvest right here—thirty years of prestige, Ba Lao as editor-in-chief, immense credibility. If you’re submitting, submit to this. If accepted, you’ll be famous nationwide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao gasped: “Holy shit, that’s awesome! Brother Ming, submit to it! Submit to it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming readily agreed: “Alright, then I’ll submit to Harvest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao meant well—he thought if you’re going to submit, go for the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua was quietly malicious: Harvest came out every two months, with only four or five stories per issue. But due to its top-tier status, those slots were fiercely contested by the nation’s finest writers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the quality of the writing, the author’s reputation mattered greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget a guard like Wei Ming—even among Peking University’s top students, ask who’s ever published in Harvest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single person!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming’s submission to Harvest had only one outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rejection!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tragedy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1182,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ce962c43dd7f569cc28a20fa6f27f06126ecf67eb2a3a31773a62e5da191b5c4","rising-in-1979-chapter-11","rising-in-1979-chapter-9",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]