[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-131":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},2260839,4412,"Chapter 131: The Art of Making Wealth and the Virtue of Giving It Away (Guaranteed Second Update)","rising-in-1979-chapter-131",131,"\u003Cp>“You’re serious?” Wei Ming looked at Xiao Hong, this fourteen-year-old girl with yellow hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong nodded: “I’ve thought it through. I’ve already finished first-year high school curriculum. With those tutoring books from Ping’an Uncle, I want to cram for second-year material during the holidays and take the college entrance exam this July!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before 1979, including 1979, non-current graduates could take the college entrance exam directly, with no age restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming didn’t know whether this year’s policy would change, but he didn’t advise Wei Hong to take that risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you know that if your score doesn’t get you into Peking University, they’ll automatically assign you to another school—possibly not even in Beijing—and you won’t be allowed to refuse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming wasn’t scaring her; the current allocation system had a degree of compulsion. The student’s own preference wasn’t that important—even if you didn’t want to attend and wanted to drop out and retake the exam, you couldn’t. That was seen as wasting precious exam resources, and you might be barred from taking it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wei Hong grew uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming pulled two big red bills from his pocket and handed them to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s your New Year’s money early—buy whatever you want before the holiday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing such a large sum all at once, Wei Hong forgot all her worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen worried: “Why give her so much? She’ll lose it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong quickly tucked it away: “Mama, I’d rather lose myself than lose this money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei said: “Your brother doesn’t earn money easily—don’t waste it, understand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming waved his hand: “Spend what you need to. I earn money pretty easily—I just sold the script for ‘The Herdsman,’ and I’ve got two more script offers lined up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living in the countryside with limited information, they didn’t know about the recent bidding war between Beiyingchang and Shangyingchang over ‘The Herdsman.’ They eagerly asked about the film adaptation and who would be cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because ‘Little Flower’ had been so wildly popular last year, they all wanted to see Tang Guoqiang and Chen Chong reunite in ‘The Herdsman.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang said: “Only Tang Guoqiang can portray the handsomeness and charm I had back then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong said: “Chen Chong played Tang Guoqiang’s sister before—won’t it be weird if they play husband and wife now? Liu Xiaoqing would be more suitable, right, Brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming didn’t reveal the lead actors’ names but changed the subject: “Director Xie is interested in Xi Zi. In a couple of days, Ping’an Uncle’s whole family is going to Shanghai for a screen test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my, Xi Zi really looks spirited!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shanghai? Isn’t it more prosperous than Beijing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wei Ming was describing his Shanghai experiences, someone called out: “Big Brother Jiefang, is Xiao Ming back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming recognized the voice—it was Jia the Accountant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Brother, come quick, come quick—we’re just drinking. Have a sip?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia the Accountant had heard the motorcycle and rushed over, hovering around Wei Jiefang like he was the team leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Jia—the small room soon filled with several older village uncles and cousins, all drawn by Wei Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become a legend in Gouzitun; just talking to him felt like absorbing literary grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what Wei Ming really absorbed was the stench of secondhand smoke—and everyone already knew his story. Old Wei was more than enough as his spokesperson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes of chatting, he excused himself to use the latrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Wei Ming left, Old Wei pointed outside: “See that? On Xiao Ming’s wrist!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy cow—it’s a glow-in-the-dark watch!” Jia the Accountant exclaimed. “This is on par with ancient luminous pearls!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another uncle said: “Then Xiao Ming’s foreign girlfriend must come from a very distinguished family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia the Accountant: “She’s probably at least a princess—minimum a princess of a commandery!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Foreign countries have princesses too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course they do! Foreign countries even have queens—just like Wu Zetian—with harem full of handsome men!” Jia the Accountant spoke as if he knew foreign lands intimately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei exhaled a slow puff of smoke: “Anyway, her looks are princess-worthy—far prettier than any current movie star like Liu Xiaoqing or Chen Chong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wei Ming returned from the latrine, he saw his western room lit by candlelight. Inside, Wei Hong sat on his kang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, feel this—Mama turned on the heat even before dark! So warm!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, good, good. The walls are thick enough,” Wei Ming said. Old Wei had built it to northern house standards—thicker walls meant better insulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed ‘Ode to a Humble Abode’ on the wall—clearly Wei Hong’s handwriting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong…” Wei Ming was about to praise her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, tell me about your first love—I want to hear!” In the candlelight, Wei Hong’s eyes sparkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought for a moment: “Let me show you her photo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!” Wei Hong jumped up in delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had tucked several photos of Melinda into his notebook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my, Sister-in-law’s hair is so red, her skin so white—she’s gorgeous!” Wei Hong had assumed her brother wouldn’t date an ugly girl, but she hadn’t expected someone this beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Don’t call her sister-in-law—it’s all in the past. But she really was a good person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong wanted to hear, so Wei Ming told her his first love story—selectively, of course, omitting anything about sex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Wei Hong most wanted to hear that part—but since her brother didn’t bring it up, she couldn’t ask. “Brother, what if you miss Melinda now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Use your hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed: “It’s useless to miss her—she’s too far away. Sending one telegram costs dozens of yuan. So the best thing I can do is forget her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you forget her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The best way to forget a relationship is to start a new one. I’m looking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong: That’s so low, but it makes so much sense!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the guests seemed ready to leave. Wei Ming hurried out to see them off—it would be impolite otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Old Wei walked them all to the door, then returned to his western room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong, go back first. I need to speak with your brother about something important.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Wei Hong left, only father and son remained. Old Wei asked: “Did you get a reply to that letter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s letter had been sent nearly half a month ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head: “Not yet. But they’ve probably received it by now—just waiting to see if they’ll reply.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright~” Old Wei said. “You’ve traveled all day—get some rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, did someone just ask you for money again?” Wei Ming had noticed several uncles’ uneasy expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They did, but I handled it—I told them you’re planning to buy a house in Beijing and don’t have cash on hand. Of course, if someone’s sick or in real need, I’d still lend. But these families aren’t in that kind of trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming grunted. As soon as Old Wei left, he blew out the candle and climbed onto the kang to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laba porridge, drink for days, drips and drabbles till the twenty-third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-third, sugar melons stick;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-fourth, sweep the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day was the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you do on the twenty-fifth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty-fifth, grind tofu,” Old Wei said. He’d already prepared the soybeans. “Do you need your motorcycle back soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Old Man Yang said I can return it when I go back to the county.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei: “Then grind the tofu after lunch. Take Hong with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. I’ll stop by the team office to get the stamp.” Soon, Wei Ming would officially become a Beijing resident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commune and team each had small factories or workshops—now called commune-team enterprises. With deeper reform and opening, they gained a new name: “township enterprises,” which contributed immensely to reform’s success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grinding stone and technique of Gouzitun’s tofu workshop originally belonged to Wei Ming’s grandmother. She used it to support two widows, raise Wei Jiefang and Wei Ping’an, send Ping’an to university, and even pay for Jiefang’s marriage. Now it was public property—you paid a small fee to grind tofu, and the donkeys and mules used were still those Old Wei had raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s arrival stirred up the crowd waiting to grind tofu. He hated cutting lines, but the workshop supervisor and villagers all insisted he go ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Auntie, really, no need—I can wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming felt too embarrassed to cut in, and anyway, they didn’t grind on the spot—they weighed the beans, calculated the processing fee, and you came back later to collect. It didn’t take long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, he and his sister went to the team office. On the way, they passed the elementary school—its gate locked. They peered outside; it held their childhood memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the team office, the old party secretary had already prepared everything—he signed the form and stamped it. They’d still need to visit the commune afterward; his household registration would be officially transferred out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xingbang sighed: “Our village now has two Beijing residents—your Ping’an Uncle and you. Both from the Wei family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Wei family was a minor surname in Gouzitun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “The easiest way to get out is to pass the college entrance exam. Education must be valued. I just passed the school and saw the windows have no glass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, didn’t you kids go through the same? You’d patch them with plastic sheeting, just get through winter. Now it’s holiday, and the plastic’s all torn.” The old party secretary sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poverty was brutal—last year’s drought meant many families who worked hard for labor points ended up with only a few dozen yuan. No household earned a hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Uncle Xingbang, I’d like to donate money to the village school—to fix desks, chairs, windows, doors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What!” Zhou Xingbang jumped to his feet. “Really? How much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure yet—I’ll check what the school needs and decide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Xingbang hurried: “Wait—I’ll go get the school principal to give you the keys!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “We’ll wait for you at the school.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming and Wei Hong left. Outside the team office, she asked: “Brother, how much money do you have now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “As long as I don’t buy a house or car, I’ll never run out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’re amazing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming laughed: “I just have a few ways to make money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No—I mean you’re amazing because you not only have ways to make money, but also the virtue to give it away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming felt a little embarrassed by his sister’s praise—he had his own quiet wish: to make his parents’ life back home more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1782,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bf6094bcf5bf5452b8c4459ce5c9079b4900a779d8be8b8a46f21ae020594df6","rising-in-1979-chapter-132","rising-in-1979-chapter-130",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]