[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-130":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},2260838,4412,"Chapter 130: The Old Ghost and the Little Girl (Guaranteed First Update)","rising-in-1979-chapter-130",130,"\u003Cp>Ah Min’s mother didn’t stop her daughter as she bounced away happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She trusted Ah Gui completely: last year, when she was hospitalized, her daughter brought her dinner at night, and on leaving the hospital, she was harassed by a drunk man—Ah Gui, the hospital security guard, stepped in. Though he was already old, he radiated righteousness and had great strength, easily driving off the drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After she was discharged, he helped them often, seeing they were a widow and orphan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ah Gui couldn’t read or write; he claimed he was a soldier who retreated to Taiwan with Old Chiang, and had to ask Ah Min to write letters for him to his family left on the mainland, using her home address every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Hui Min’s home was not far from Mary Hospital, just a short drive along a winding mountain road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was curious all the way about the letter’s contents—she was thirteen, and this was her first time corresponding with someone from the mainland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sender’s name and address weren’t hers—they were Wei Ming, Peking University.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was the relationship between this man and Uncle Gui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And was this “Peking University” the famed mainland university, the one everyone talked about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Wei Ming be a Peking University student? His handwriting was indeed excellent, but she’d heard mainlanders used simplified characters—why did he write in traditional ones?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Mary Hospital, Uncle Gui was on duty at the gate. He was tall, and Zhou Hui Min spotted him at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved at him, clutching a letter in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stoic face of Uncle Gui instantly lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rushed out: “Is it—the reply from over there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s probably for you, from the mainland, but the sender and address don’t match what I wrote,” Zhou Hui Min said. “Shall I open it for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Gui took the letter and glanced at it: Wei Ming? Peking University?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head: “No need. I’m on duty. I’ll ask a colleague to read it after my shift. Thanks, Ah Min. Go home quickly—don’t make your mother worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Hui Min couldn’t believe it: you made me write the letter, and now you won’t even read it yourself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? After you read it, I can help you write the reply,” she pleaded, eyes wide with eagerness to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really not needed,” Uncle Gui said, his strength easily turning her bicycle around with her on it. “Go home now—it’s unsafe after dark.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Hui Min huffed. Disappointed she hadn’t seen the letter, she vowed: I’ll never write another letter for you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the little girl walk away, Old Gui returned to his post and, hands trembling, opened the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first sentence was Wei Ming’s self-introduction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandson? The eldest grandson of the Wei family!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xiu had passed away? She was under sixty! Uncle Gui’s face darkened with grief—his letter had arrived too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet seeing Doggie was doing well, he felt slightly relieved. The rascal now had two children—though he’d never amounted to much, both kids were good: his granddaughter excelled in studies, and his eldest grandson had become a writer, already gaining some fame at just nineteen—no wonder this letter came from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grandson also mentioned Dog’s situation—Dog was even more impressive: he’d passed the entrance exam for Peking University and had served in the military—a true scholar-warrior!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yan had passed away too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You two must have suffered, Uncle Gui thought, his eyes growing cloudy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone from the past was gone—things remained, but people were not the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the letter, Wei Ming wrote: “We are thousands of miles apart, but I’m glad we can correspond. I hope to hear more about you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reading those words, Uncle Gui’s heart jolted—had he guessed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He read the letter twice, thinking how to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhou Hui Min returned home, her mother immediately asked: “How was it? What did the letter say? Are Uncle Gui’s family well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Hui Min pouted: “Uncle Gui wouldn’t let me read it. He said he’d ask a colleague to read it after his shift and sent me home right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother thought a moment: “He probably didn’t want to cry in front of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s been cut off from his family for years. Now he’s finally received a letter—it’s bound to stir up complicated emotions. Crying is natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Men cry too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother: “Men are people too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Hui Min thought about it—there was sense in that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine, if he didn’t want her to read it, she wouldn’t press. She remembered another important matter: “Mom, can we watch TV for a bit? ‘The Bund’ is being rebroadcast today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You already saw the premiere. Why watch it again? Finish your homework first—at least one hour before you can watch.” Mother said sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Min: “But I did homework during the day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother: “But you watched TV during the day too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the time I finish an hour, it’ll be over!” Ah Min muttered, but still pulled out her schoolbag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, she remembered her teacher’s winter break assignment: “Find a pen pal—preferably from outside Hong Kong Island.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The school’s student newspaper listed many students seeking pen pals, with names and addresses: some from Hong Kong Island, others from outlying islands, some from Kowloon. Classmates planned to pick from those lists. But some said they’d look for pen pals in Taiwan or Singapore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pen pal should be as distant and unfamiliar as possible. Zhou Hui Min stood up, glanced at the world map at home, measured with a ruler, and realized Beijing was as far from Hong Kong as Singapore was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she returned to her seat, pulled out a sheet of paper, and began writing: “Wei Ming: Hello, I’m a Hong Kong high school student—you can call me Ah Min. Can we be friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, her mother glanced at Zhou Hui Min—still bent over her homework? Rare indeed. She smiled faintly, then looked at her husband’s memorial tablet and clasped her hands together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t ask for Ah Min to be rich or powerful—only that she stays healthy, gets into university, finds a good man who treats her well, and gives birth to… oh, maybe I’m being greedy. I know you don’t have that much power, but it’s your debt to us mother and daughter—you figure it out down there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before dark, Wei Ming and Liu Rulong returned to Ping’an County, then went together to Liu Rulong’s maternal grandfather Yang Songqiao’s home. Wei Ming formally thanked the old man for the snuff bottle, and Mei Linda adored him dearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Rulong’s mother, Teacher Yang Shuting, was also there. Wei Ming asked her about Wei Hong’s studies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Teacher Yang: “Her English was always excellent—she was my class representative. Recently, she’s made rapid progress in all subjects. Thank you for bringing back those study materials from Beijing—our students at No. 1 High have improved noticeably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming replied modestly: “As long as I could help. For this generation, passing the university entrance exam is a vital chance to change their fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, he didn’t stay long. He mounted Yang Lao’s motorcycle and headed home. This time he carried little—many things he wanted to buy had been sent ahead by his parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Wei Ming left, Liu Rulong was called into his mother’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She told him: “We won’t be returning to Foshan for the New Year this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Rulong: “Because of Dad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother nodded: “Dad’s gone, and I don’t know his cousins well. What would I go back for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Rulong nodded: “Okay, Mom. I can earn money now. Don’t worry—I’ll go to Hong Kong and bring Dad back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Shuting stroked her son’s head: “Good boy. You’ve grown up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And thank you, Ah Ming—he’s been guiding me. Mom, you don’t know how powerful he’s become!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. ‘The Shepherd’ is watched by almost everyone in our school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no—his greatness goes far beyond that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You still don’t know about Wei what and Wei the Madman!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Wei Ming’s motorcycle ride back to Gouzi Village attracted almost no attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was cold, the village had no electricity, and after dark, the streets were nearly empty. And this time, Wei Ming didn’t pass through the village—he went straight to his home at the village’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the motorcycle, his door opened immediately. Wei Hong, her two braids bouncing, cried out joyfully: “Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pushed the motorcycle inside. His mother Xu Shufen came out smiling: “Knew you’d come today—we’ve been waiting to eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming glanced at the new west room and the pig in the sty and smiled: “I figured you were waiting for me, so I refused Teacher Yang’s invitation to dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang exclaimed excitedly: “Xiao Ming, tonight—we open Maotai or Shen Gui Yang Rong wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d long craved these two premium liquors, waiting for the right occasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was cold. Wei Ming rubbed his hands: “How about some vodka? It’s strong and warms you up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! Let’s drink vodka!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of vodka, Wei Hong remembered her father bragging about eating at Lao Mo. Too unfair—only she hadn’t eaten Western food!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No good. She had to get into Peking University as soon as possible!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meal was rich: eggs, meat, and a jar of fruit preserves Wei Ming had left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming praised his mother’s cooking: “Better than the school cafeteria!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong asked quickly: “Then how’s Peking University’s cafeteria compared to our county high’s?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “It’s far better. County high meals barely have any meat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong sighed in relief: “Then I’m reassured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “So confident about getting into Peking University? Scoring top in your school doesn’t guarantee admission.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang beamed: “This final exam was county-wide—Xiao Hong came first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong added: “And she’s far ahead of second place!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Movement, nearly every commune had a high school; some were later closed, but four commune high schools remained, plus two in the county town—six high schools total. For Xiao Hong to rank first was impressive—she’d reached the level of Ping’an Shu back in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh,” Wei Ming smiled, “then I’ll wait for you at Peking University next year. If you get in, I’ll reward you with a bicycle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong’s eyes sparkled instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming was delighted: the old clunker finally has an heir!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sister blurted: “Brother, don’t wait till next year—I want to take the exam this year!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1755,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ec4b2abd7dfd10ff07aee6e44458b74b3c7538218aba840a0b75eb2cb06bae9c","rising-in-1979-chapter-131","rising-in-1979-chapter-129",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]