[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-16":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},2260724,4412,"Chapter 16: My Son Wei Ming Has the Talent of a Literary Master! (Please Follow!)","rising-in-1979-chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Hengzhou Region, Ping’an County, Henghe Li Commune, Gouzi Tun Brigade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang had returned to the village nearly half a month ago; after the initial awe and admiration, the villagers had lost interest in the story of Quanjude’s ultra-luxurious restaurant and a single meal costing a hundred yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, he added a little embellishment—it made Wei Anping look more successful and showed how close the brothers were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Old Wei held a small leather whip, driving a donkey cart loaded with pig feed he’d borrowed on credit from the neighboring brigade’s workshop—official to official, he was just running an errand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else could handle these animals so well? It all counted toward work points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Uncle Wei!” Wei Jiefang spotted a fellow villager, jumped off the cart, and prepared to chat again about his Beijing experiences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Wei reacted quickly: “Oh no, my edamame is still boiling!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked into the courtyard, blocking Wei Jiefang at the door—you’ve heard it eight hundred times already, still talking?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disappointed, Wei Jiefang kept driving. When he reached the brigade office, Accountant Jia called out: “Wei Jiefang, you’ve got a letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s it from? My son, the teaching assistant at Peking University?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accountant Jia adjusted his glasses: “Yeah, yeah, yeah—grab your letter and get out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang didn’t open the letter on the spot—in case Jia wanted to peek, or if Wei Ming had written about his guard duty at Peking University, that wouldn’t look good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably nothing important—maybe his son had received the chili sauce he’d sent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang returned home to find a visitor in the courtyard—but his expression darkened the moment he saw the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, however, beamed and pulled out a cigarette pack: “Oh! Big Brother’s back! Have a smoke, eh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was Qi Kexiu. More than ten years ago, he came here as part of the Down to the Countryside Movement, married a woman named Fan Chunhua, settled in Gouzi Tun, and became a substitute teacher at the village elementary school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Chunhua was the daughter of Wei Jiefang’s uncle—his cousin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the two families were related, Wei Jiefang disliked Qi Kexiu because Qi, proud of being from Beijing, was always putting on airs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as everyone knew, a village couldn’t hold two pretentious bastards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stories Wei Jiefang told upon returning home shocked everyone, filled them with envy, and gave them plenty of emotional satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Qi Kexiu would calmly exhale a smoke ring and say: “Quanjude? That’s ancient history. Didn’t your brother take you to Lao Mo?” What? You don’t know Lao Mo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he’d flick his ash, smirk slightly, and fall silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the villagers’ awe shifted to Qi Kexiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It infuriated Wei Jiefang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dislike as he might, cigarettes were innocent—Wei Jiefang took one. His wife, Xu Shufen, who was tending the fire, immediately picked up a smoldering stick and lit it for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang glanced at Qi Kexiu with great satisfaction—do you have a wife this gentle, this beautiful?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Fan Chunhua was his cousin, closer by blood than even Wei Anping, she was a she-devil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu was genuinely hurt, but since he needed something from them, he had to endure this dog food assault alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, when are you going to town? Give me a ride?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To buy some books—you know I’m the most studious person around,” Qi Kexiu said with a sheepish grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang snorted: “Studious? Pfft. You just read comic books and historical romances—nothing serious. Our Xiao Ming was corrupted by you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Wei Ming’s severe subject imbalance, Wei Jiefang grew angry—his son used to score full marks in everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu stood up: “Big Brother, that’s not fair. Without all that extra reading, could Xiao Ming write such great essays? Isn’t that partly my doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what if he writes good essays?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How isn’t it useful? Maybe Xiao Ming will become a writer someday,” Qi Kexiu laughed—but the laugh rang hollow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen lifted the lid off the pot and replied coolly: “If that day comes, we’ll thank your uncle-in-law—he didn’t even pass college, yet he trained a writer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1977, thirty-year-old Qi Kexiu had taken the college entrance exam and failed alongside Wei Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he paid no mind to Xu Shufen’s jab, instead praising: “Hey, Sister-in-law, your millet porridge is authentic—I smelled it from afar and instantly got hungry. What’d you cook for lunch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What else? Sichuan-Chongqing style—chili sauce stir-fried with peppers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu: “Uh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his back—couldn’t handle spice, and his hemorrhoids hadn’t healed yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, Wei Jiefang opened the letter, saw the photos first, beamed, and slipped them into his pocket—proof he could show others to prove Beijing’s splendor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then two slips—wait, these are… two remittance slips!?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty yuan each?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did that brat send back the money I gave him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he saw the letter—and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, when are you going to town?” Qi Kexiu turned to Wei Jiefang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This afternoon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, perfect timing!” Qi Kexiu was delighted—he’d save on transport. “What time? I’ll wait for you at the brigade.” “Wait, Qi, my eyes aren’t so good,” Wei Jiefang called him back. “What does this slip say? I can’t read it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What slip?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s from Xiao Ming—read it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu took it and read: “Remittance slip for manuscript fee from Children’s Literature…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart lurched—then Wei Jiefang let out a roar and dashed inside: “Shufen! Our son’s a writer! A writer! Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?” Xu Shufen wiped her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang told her everything in the letter, holding the real remittance slip—the one that could be cashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is his first manuscript fee—twenty whole yuan! And he wrote it in one night—one night for twenty! How much would he make in a month? Isn’t that incredible?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?!” Xu Shufen’s eyes welled up—she grew happier with every thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her son, far from home, had made her worry about his future in Beijing—now, at last, there was light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qi Kexiu still stunned, Wei Jiefang snatched back the photocopy of the fee slip: “Xiao Ming said to keep this one—it’s the first, most meaningful. No future fee will compare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, yeah, yeah—only twenty…” Qi Kexiu tried to protest—twenty yuan? You’re acting like this is a fortune?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang cut him off: “Qi, Xiao Ming really owes you, Uncle-in-law. Stay for a meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen added: “Yes, we made some non-spicy dishes today—Uncle-in-law, join us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no—Chunhua already cooked. I’m off, no need to see me out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu wouldn’t fall for it—if he stayed, he’d be crushed by Wei Jiefang’s arrogance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang watched Qi Kexiu’s retreating back with regret—he’d be delivering vermicelli to the county supply office this afternoon and would visit Qi Kexiu’s house first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cousin Fan Chunhua said: “He left early to catch the bus to town. Big Brother, what did you say to him? He came back smoking nonstop—cigarette butts everywhere—and his voice was hoarse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wei Jiefang’s spirits soared: “I didn’t say anything, Chunhua. I’ve got news for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your nephew—my son—is going to become a great writer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he had to go to town, Wei Jiefang could only tell Fan Chunhua the good news—he’d announce it village-wide when he returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In town, after delivering the vermicelli, he rushed to the post office and successfully withdrew the money, insisting: “I want it in single-yuan notes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty bills in hand felt thick, like a fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then wrote Wei Ming a letter, urging him to keep pushing, to scale the heights of literature, and even invoked the example of Ping’an County’s own Sun Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Old Wei went to see his daughter at County No. 1 High School.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His daughter, Wei Hong, was thirteen, just entered Grade 10, and came home once a week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thirteen-year-old high school student wasn’t unusual then—she started primary school at six, under the five-year system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She entered middle school at eleven, under the two-year system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now high school was still two years—meaning she could enter university at fifteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, is something wrong at home?!” Wei Hong looked panicked, her face pale—not from fear, but because she was naturally pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was due home in two days—why was her father showing up now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something’s happened,” Wei Jiefang laughed. “A great thing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, calm down—I’m scared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, I got carried away. My bad, my bad.” He handed Wei Hong the letter to read herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong’s first reaction was disbelief—writing novels for manuscript fees? Was this really her dull-witted brother?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Jiefang showed her the photocopy of the remittance slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Wei Hong was utterly awed by her brother’s talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I always said my brother was extraordinary, unique—clearly not ordinary!” Wei Hong beamed, the thirteen-year-old girl floating on air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she suggested: “To celebrate my brother’s novel being published, let’s split this fee!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking? Split it? I’ll give you five yuan at most.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Dad—and my distant brother!” Wei Hong’s real bottom line was three yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three yuan could buy her so many study books!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, the Chinese teacher assigned an essay—with the prompt: “My ___.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfect for Wei Hong—she immediately wrote the title: “My Brother Is a Writer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Wei Ming received his father’s letter, he first received a letter from afar~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1559,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","510426573a523e9d76e5cd2ae522b8915392cd70491e551f9b26907eae72c7b8","rising-in-1979-chapter-17","rising-in-1979-chapter-15",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]