[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-149":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},2260857,4412,"Chapter 149: Panda Enchanter Old Wei (Guaranteed Second Chapter Update—Seeking Monthly Votes)","rising-in-1979-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>Returning home took nearly two more days; by the time they reached Rongcheng, it was already afternoon, and if they didn’t get back to the village soon, they’d have to find somewhere to spend the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wan’s Jeep had probably already been returned, so Uncle took them to the bus station and boarded the last bus back to Ya’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time they arrived in Ya’an, it was dark; Uncle found a donkey cart heading back to town, chose the stop closest to the village, and when they finally walked home, it was already ten at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone at home was asleep, but the three’s return lit up the lamps again, bringing new life to the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them had eaten dinner yet, so Auntie and Xu Shufen immediately got to work: “We saved you some meat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old lady looked over hopefully, but saw her son silently shake his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of sorrow passed through her eyes, yet she still comforted: “It’s fine—we’ll find it eventually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming added: “Grandma, there are still a few possible places left. I’ll go check them out again during summer break.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing their conversation, Xu Shufen sighed while busy cooking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are Dad and Xiao Hong? Sleeping so soundly?” Wei Ming noticed a few people missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen brought out the dishes: “Almost forgot—your dad helped your uncle catch a giant panda, and Xiao Hong helped too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What!” Wei Ming and Long Xiaoyang jumped to their feet; hearing this news, they couldn’t possibly eat anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Xiaoyang was purely curious; Wei Ming feared Old Wei might become an outlaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming wondered if it was the same panda he and Xiaoyang had seen that night, so he hastily swallowed two mouthfuls and rushed over to see the spectacle—Uncle, however, had lost that curiosity; he just wanted to talk to his mother and younger sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Xu Shufen also had something she wanted to tell him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, Wei Ming asked: “What about Yunyun? Is she at Uncle’s place too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie glanced at her room: “Her engagement was called off—she’s still upset about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s already off?” Wei Ming was delighted. “Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie made no effort to hide her joy: “After you left, they came again to propose. Your uncle said he wouldn’t approve unless he gave his word, so we told them to wait. They didn’t get angry—just kept talking to your father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did Dad say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father told them honestly—he’s just a farmer. They didn’t believe him: ‘How can a farmer have a car pick him up?’ He said it was just luck—a kind stranger gave him a ride. Then they changed their tone, pressured me to finalize the match, and made unreasonable demands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded: “And then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then our county magistrate came, saying he wanted to meet you. The news reached their village, and suddenly their attitude changed—became even more polite than before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie snorted: “Now Yunyun finally sees what kind of family they are. She herself proposed ending it, but she’s still a bit heartbroken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Once she sees the world beyond the mountains, she won’t think much of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie’s eyes sparkled—her younger sister had already told her about taking their mother to Hebei, and even wanted to bring Yunyun along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, that place was rich and close to Beijing; with Wei Ming—a capable cousin—looking out for them, perhaps one day they could become capital residents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though far away, as long as the children were well, distance didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she had already agreed; now she just needed to convince Wei Ming’s uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming and Long Xiaoyang hurried back to Auntie’s house and saw a kerosene lamp hanging in the sheep pen, surrounded by many people—all wide awake despite the late hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Xiaoyang gasped: “Did it eat my lamb?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closer inspection showed the lamb was safely tied outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother!” Wei Hong spotted them, excitedly calling out, “Make way—my brother’s here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong pushed through the crowd, letting Wei Ming and Long Xiaoyang squeeze in—and there they saw Old Wei holding a panda the size of a lamb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So big? Wei Ming stared blankly: “Dad, this is the panda you caught?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d imagined Old Wei battling a ferocious iron-eating beast alone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei cradled the panda adoringly: “Xiaoming, take a picture of me with it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Tomorrow. The lighting’s too poor now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei: “Fine—take a color photo of us tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: So this is my new little brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Auntie and Uncle were tired and shooed away the onlookers. The village secretary gave final instructions: “Make sure the panda is safe—don’t harm it, don’t release it. Forestry officials will come tomorrow to handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As people left, Wei Ming rushed into the pen: “Dad, let me touch it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t scare it,” Old Wei gently rocked the little panda, just like he used to hold Wei Ming and Wei Hong as children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming gently stroked it—the panda was picky: fine with Old Wei, but bared its teeth at Wei Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was so small—Wei Ming thought it was utterly adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: “Did this one come to steal sheep?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, its mother did—but we scared her off and she left the cub behind. That’s how I caught it.” Old Wei recounted the details of how he captured the cub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a plain story—a thief stealing sheep with her cub, panicking when discovered, abandoning the cub at the scene—but Old Wei made it thrilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought of his long-lost aunt: “It’d be best if we could return it to its mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei: “The secretary already reported it—we can’t handle this ourselves.” Just then, Long Xiaoyang entered, holding a plate of venison strips brought from Uncle’s place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei took over feeding it—the panda recognized only him; Wei Ming and Long Xiaoyang got bared teeth if they tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei had spent years around animals—he must carry a scent that calmed pandas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, you’re going to sleep holding it all night?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei shrugged: “I’ve slept in cowsheds and sheep pens delivering calves and lambs. A little straw, and I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Then Xiaoyang and I will keep you company.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Xiaoyang: “Huh? Why am I involved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming grabbed his arm: “Come on, Xiaoyang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t sleep with us, where will Xiao Hong sleep?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So three men spent the night in the sheep pen, chatting all night, while the panda cub occasionally whimpered in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming first told Old Wei about his unsuccessful trip to Yunnan searching for relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Xiaoyang: He didn’t mention he had a female actress friend in Yunnan—gorgeous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming asked Old Wei to recount his memories of Grandpa Wei Senhao, to enrich details for his new novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your grandpa—I suspect he was underground work. I have no proof, but during the war he went to big cities like Shanghai and Harbin. The regular Eighth Route Army wouldn’t have gone there, right...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, warm sunlight fell on Wei Ming’s face and he woke up—but Old Wei, Xiaoyang, and the panda were still asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quietly rose, opened his camera’s lens cap, found a good angle, and clicked—done!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The color photo showed the panda in black and white, but Old Wei wore blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forestry experts arrived quickly—just as Xiao Hong finished taking a photo of Wei Ming with the panda, they showed up, coming all the way from Rongcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were there to take the panda away; since it was separated from its mother, it had to be sent to a panda conservation center for artificial rearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But problems arose when Old Wei tried to hand it over—the panda clung to him, fiercely rejecting the experts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei joked: “If the state provides bamboo, I could make it fat and healthy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expert laughed: “Brother, what kind of magic did you feed it? Why’s it so attached to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei beamed: “I’ve just got a natural charm with animals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your accent isn’t local, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re from Hebei—came here to visit relatives,” Wei Ming said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei: “Let me hold it one more time. You can head back to Rongcheng today—I’ll come with you. When it’s asleep in Rongcheng, I’ll hand it over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expert thought a moment: “Alright, but you can’t leave this spot now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming returned to Uncle’s house, packed his bags—including Grandma’s and Yunyun’s—and prepared to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Uncle was reluctant to let his mother go to a strange place, his younger sister missed her, and Mother said she’d return after staying awhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming told his mother: “Mom, we need to pick up Dad at Auntie’s—he’s busy bonding with his panda cub, can’t come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong muttered: “Yeah—did Dad ever hold us like that all night when we were little? Not that I remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen chuckled and poked her forehead: “Of course he did! When you were little and had stomach cramps at night, you cried nonstop—only holding you would make you sleep. Your dad and I held you all night, walking back and forth, and if we stopped, you’d cry again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong sheepishly: “Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I think I remember too—did I hold you too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—you held her all night too. You were still wetting the bed, yet so thoughtful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Wei Ming and Wei Hong blushed, quickly urging: “Enough of that—let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the panda experts saw this large group, they were startled: “Our truck won’t fit so many people!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle and the others had followed along. Wei Ming smiled: “Just us four—the rest are seeing us off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four had come; six were leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d underestimated the panda’s size, so they’d brought a small truck—plenty big enough for everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another round of tearful goodbyes: Grandma and her children reluctant to part, Yunyun and her parents and siblings reluctant to part, Long Xiaoyang most of all: I want to leave the mountains too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shufen, no—you can’t give us this money!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the last moment before boarding, Xu Shufen suddenly slipped a wad of cash into her brother’s hand, refusing to let him refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, take care of yourselves—don’t let Pingping and Fangfang miss school!” Xu Shufen waved tearfully to her brother’s family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her own family was better off, so she hadn’t given them money—but if she didn’t help her brother, their lives would be too hard. He’d suffered too long—let him taste some sweetness!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Please vote for monthly tickets!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1751,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9fa28c05e9ca357d3ee94926272224697bf8a66c9299696bf3897efd640ebc54","rising-in-1979-chapter-150","rising-in-1979-chapter-148",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]