[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-133":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},2260841,4412,"Chapter 133: Wei Ming","rising-in-1979-chapter-133",133,"\u003Cp>“They’re out!” Old Wei spotted the four of them at once in the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Wei, good day, Brother Ming.” Wei Le’s voice was hoarse as she greeted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked curiously, “Lele, what happened to your throat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping and Lu Xiaoyan sighed helplessly; Xi Zi blurted out, “On the train, we heard someone singing ‘Where Is Spring?’ I said it was Lele singing, and they didn’t believe me, so I made Lele sing until they believed me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping said, “We changed passengers many times along the way, and that brat kept boasting that his sister was a little singing prodigy. Lele was just as bad—whenever her brother asked her to sing, she sang, until I couldn’t stand hearing that song anymore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan quickly gave Lele another sip of water; Wei Ming could tell Lele was actually enjoying herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the donkey cart and motorcycle outside the station: “Who’s coming with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both kids were fascinated by the donkey cart, holding hands as they climbed aboard; Xi Zi even reached out to pinch the donkey’s rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The motorcycle wasn’t new to them—their grandfather was in the military, and they’d ridden in sidecars and even jeeps—but this was their first time on an animal-drawn cart, and the siblings passionately debated whether it was a horse or a donkey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helpless, Wei Ming rode the motorcycle slowly while the donkey cart pulled the five of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way home, they kept discussing how wildly ‘Where Is Spring?’ had spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping: “We first heard it at the hotel in Shanghai, and by the time we got on the train, several kids were singing it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan didn’t mention Gong Ying in front of Old Wei, but she hinted: “The lead actress helped us a lot during the audition, and even treated us to dinner afterward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming simply said, “Oh,” then shifted the topic by bringing up his donation to the village elementary school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Anping exclaimed in delight: “It’s truly touching that Xiao Ming has this heart—no wonder he writes children’s literature; this is exactly ‘loving others’ children as one’s own!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang: “What? What meat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping: “So, how do you think we should help these rural kids focus on their studies and unlock their full potential?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had seriously considered this: “First, the school—teachers are beyond my control, so I’ll supply teaching aids and materials to improve the learning environment. Second, the parents—some still don’t grasp the importance of education. But the most crucial thing is the students themselves: if they don’t have the determination to leave and see the world, no amount of donations will help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping praised: “Excellent analysis!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang: “Stop talking nonsense—just tell me how much money is appropriate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping thought for a moment and ventured: “How about a thousand yuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang jumped straight off the donkey cart: “Damn, you don’t care if it’s not your money, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought five hundred was the absolute maximum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping laughed: “I’d love to help out, but not this time—I don’t need the fame, but Xiao Ming does. Don’t go home yet—come with me to the brigade office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang: “Why go there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To borrow a phone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wei Anping’s family is back in the village!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news spread quickly. Although Wei Ming was famous and wealthy, he was still a nouveau riche—his reputation couldn’t match Wei Anping’s esteemed prestige throughout the surrounding villages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a high-ranking official from Beijing, the village’s only graduate of Qingbei, and the man who married a general’s daughter—“Ping’an County produced Wei Anping”—who didn’t know that back then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His background was also tragic, making him a classic rags-to-riches story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a posthumous child: when Wei Jiefang’s father, Wei Senhao, brought back Lele’s mother, he claimed she was his cousin’s wife—but the cousin had died fighting in the war, and from then on, the two of them settled in Gouzitun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he never had a father, Wei Anping suffered constant bullying as a child; without Wei Jiefang’s protection, his childhood would’ve been entirely gray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among those who bullied him as a child, Zhao Chun was one of the worst—ten or so cousins and brothers in his own family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his old classmate had returned, Zhao Chun panicked and hid himself at the brigade office—how could a village cadre face off against a county-level official?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wei Anping headed straight for the brigade office; the two inevitably met. Zhao Chun’s inner turmoil showed on his face, while Wei Anping merely nodded calmly and asked to borrow the phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Saner, the sycophant, hurried to arrange it and asked, “Comrade Wei, who are you calling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The county office—I need to speak with Director Yao Siyuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Anping wanted to reach the county revolutionary committee chair, Accountant Jia wasn’t surprised—after all, they were peers—and immediately dialed the number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, old classmate, it’s me, Wei Anping. Ha ha, yeah, I’m back home. There’s something I need to report to you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the call, Wei Anping chatted briefly with the old party secretary, Zhou Xingbang, then prepared to head home and rest—he was exhausted from the long train ride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Xi Zi and Lele had already been brought home by Wei Ming’s motorcycle; Wei Hong had never met these cousins before and adored them instantly, especially Lele—who, at such a young age, sang so beautifully. She longed to hear her perform live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hong, forget it—you can see she’s not speaking. Her throat’s sore.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lele blushed: “I’ll sing for you when my throat gets better.” Wei Hong hurriedly said, “No problem—how about we collect eggs instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day before, her five hens had laid eggs for the first time; Wei Hong had left them uncollected just so the city kids could experience it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Picking up eggs required real courage. Xi Zi led the way, wearing leather gloves and ignoring the hens’ pecks, successfully grabbing two eggs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen chuckled: “Shall we fry these two eggs for Xi Zi and Lele today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Zi refused: “I want to hatch chicks—I’ll take one, Lele gets the other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming glanced around the yard—there was no rooster, so no chicks could hatch. But for a city kid like Xi Zi, this concept might be unfamiliar; he thought such a small detail would fit perfectly into the ‘Black Cat Detective’ series—fun and educational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming lured Xi Zi away from the eggs by promising a hunting trip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Zi was eager to ride with hounds and falcons; he asked: “What about the dogs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “Don’t worry—your uncle’s already borrowed hunting dogs for you. They’ll arrive soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Wei Jiefang returned with Wei Anping and Lu Xiaoyan; they first went to the back courtyard—Wei Anping’s old home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei had repaired it thoroughly, lit the stove early that morning, and now the house stayed warm at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his mother Cheng Ziyuan’s photo displayed in the main hall, Wei Anping moved and said to Wei Jiefang: “Thank you, Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t mention it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Zi and Lele entered the house and saw their grandmother’s large portrait for the first time. Xi Zi spoke without hesitation: “Grandma’s so beautiful—she looks like a female spy from a movie!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a top-tier compliment, like calling someone a fox spirit in later times—Lu Xiaoyan had never been praised this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lunch was at Wei Jiefang’s house: steaming pork stew, and Xu Shufen had bought a fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mapo tofu was fiercely contested; only Lele, due to her sore throat, could only watch and not eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Wei Hong, as the eldest, took Qi Delong and the twins, leading the thin hound borrowed from a neighboring village to “hunt” in the fields outside the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Yao Siyuan, the county revolutionary committee chair, arrived at Gouzitun with a correspondent, Xiao Sun, who had written for the Hebei Daily, to attend, witness, and document writer Wei Ming’s charitable donation to the village elementary school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total was a massive thousand yuan—the money was deposited into the village account, earmarked for specific use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five hundred yuan went directly toward purchasing school supplies and repairing windows and doors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other five hundred yuan had two purposes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One part directly rewarded students—for example, this summer’s transition from elementary to middle school: cash prizes of fifty yuan for first place, thirty for second, twenty for third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top three students in other grades would receive notebooks and pens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another part would broaden the students’ horizons: Wei Ming planned to organize a city trip during summer vacation for the top three students from each grade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without experiencing firsthand the gap between the capital and the countryside, they wouldn’t understand how fortunate it was to study in a big city—Wei Ming wanted them to open their eyes to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time it was Beijing; later, when his means grew, perhaps Shanghai, Hong Kong, even overseas trips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The correspondent Xiao Sun excitedly recorded everything he saw and heard. The writer Wei Ming was only a few years younger than him, yet his achievements made him look up in awe—and his character left many, including himself, feeling ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From today on, Wei Jiefang became Wei Headmaster; besides the brigade’s livestock, he now had something far more precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, when visiting the graves, Wei Jiefang wore a Liberation cap, a Zhongshan suit, and even pinned a fountain pen to his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one day, Wei Ming’s large donation had spread through the entire village—and was now reaching the commune and county; everyone praised the Wei family’s ancestral mound for emitting green smoke, producing two remarkable figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, when someone asked Wei Jiefang for a loan, he had more confidence: “My son donated his money to Gouzitun’s education! Should I take some from that donation for you? How dare you even suggest that? Ask every villager if they’d agree!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With cash rewards now in place, even Qi Delong was studying hard; when Xi Zi called him out to set off firecrackers, he handed his own small firecrackers to Xi Zi: “You play with them—I’m going to study.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father Qi Kexiu had never written novels this diligently—he was still stuck on “Once upon a time” and couldn’t think of the second sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On New Year’s Eve, at the graves, Wei Ming, as the eldest son, joined his father and Uncle Anping to pay respects, letting Wei Jiefang recount to their ancestors all his son’s achievements this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa, Dad, Xiao Ming says he’s going to write a novel for you! When it’s published, I’ll burn it for you to read.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?” Wei Anping asked curiously, “Is this your new direction, Xiao Ming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded: “Yes. I want to write about the period of KMT-CCP cooperation and conflict—it’ll be my first full-length novel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(There should be one more chapter—double bonus in the final two hours—please vote for monthly tickets!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1824,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","63a46063dc033ec4ae4dd0b63fae8dee14f6b8ba0aef078e03e45fd0087a106c","rising-in-1979-chapter-134","rising-in-1979-chapter-132",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]