[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-167":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},2260875,4412,"Chapter 167: The Swirling One (Guaranteed First Update)","rising-in-1979-chapter-167",167,"\u003Cp>With the release of the March issue of *Mass Cinema*, Gong Ying became famous—but not for good reasons; many review articles, based solely on a still from the film, claimed she was unsuited to play the simple, kind rural girl Wei Fenfang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past few days, Gong Ying couldn’t sleep well after reading these articles, terrified she’d be replaced by Director Xie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today she specifically went to town to make a phone call, hoping to report her progress in experiencing rural life and reassure Director Xie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Gong, wait a moment,” Xie Jin covered the receiver and told Wei Ming this was Gong Ying, then explained her recent public backlash, asking if he wanted to say a few words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming took the phone and gave Xie Dao a look, silently asking if he thought the room was too bright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Xie smiled and stepped out of the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Xue, it’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Little Wei?!” Gong Ying’s tone betrayed unmistakable delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I came to Shangyingchang to find you, but you hadn’t returned yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying smiled down and said, “I wrote you a letter from the northwest—didn’t you get it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been traveling nonstop and haven’t even returned to Yanjing,” Wei Ming said, “Guess what I saw today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Snow in the Magic City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Snow?” Gong Ying was even more delighted—snow didn’t fall in the Magic City every year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming grinned, “So today isn’t your birthday, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying paused, then said, “No, tomorrow is—I almost forgot myself, you didn’t mention it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said, “Then let me wish you a happy birthday early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” Gong Ying said, surprised Wei Ming still remembered the origin of her name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming added, “I’ve also read some of the reviews about that still. You should actually be happy—they’re basically saying you’re too beautiful and have too refined an aura. Anyone else getting such comments would be secretly thrilled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying laughed in disbelief—she hadn’t expected such an interpretation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hearing you say that, I guess I really should be glad,” Gong Ying smiled, “but I’ll definitely meet the director’s expectations—I won’t be the weak link in this film.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe you, and Director Xie believes you too, so relax and immerse yourself. When filming starts, I’ll come see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving Gong Ying reassurance, Wei Ming stepped out of the office; Director Xie was also preparing to go home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man didn’t even offer to treat him to a meal, so Wei Ming volunteered, “Director Xie, let’s go eat—I’ll treat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Xie waved his hand, “I’m used to eating at home—I’m afraid my wife can’t manage alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming suddenly remembered Director Xie’s family situation and didn’t press further; the man was pitiful—four children, three with serious intellectual disabilities. His daughter was fine, at least married, but his two sons’ conditions were worse, becoming a lifelong burden for his wife and him, something they couldn’t even rest easy about in death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why after Reform and Opening, Director Xie worked harder than his peers, even started an arts school—he had to earn enough money to secure his sons’ future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Wei Ming wandered again through the Magic City, a place where many modern historical events unfolded, worth exploring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, Wei Ming boarded a train to Nanjing; before boarding, he bought the latest March issue of *Story Weekly*, told by the newspaper vendor that the magazine had sold out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, *Heroes Born in Youth* had just published its second part in *Story Weekly*, with only the final third remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the magazine on the train, Wei Ming felt *Story Weekly*’s selected stories were growing increasingly compelling, increasingly familiar in tone—its rising sales were no surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wei Kuangren’s fame still paled in comparison to Wei Ming’s or Wei’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Nanjing, Wei Ming had no connections at all—he’d only been commissioned once by *Zhongshan* magazine, but he’d never delivered, so he couldn’t dare trouble them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his goal was clear: just the Nanjing Nationalist Government and Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After touring, Wei Ming hurried back to Yanjing; when he stepped off at Yanjing Station, eleven days had passed. Had it not been for his embarrassment, he’d have visited his grandmother and cousin back home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in the dorm, Biaozi and Xiao Mei were on patrol duty. Wei Ming opened the door and found letters from Sister Xue and Sister Lin on his bed—but no letter from Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened them; nothing urgent—just that they missed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming wrote each of them a reply, telling them about their lives, and shared his own experiences during this time spent crafting his new novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after finishing, comparing the two letters, Wei Ming laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank goodness this wasn’t a thesis—otherwise, plagiarism check would’ve failed, even before Tianlin Year One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming still had plenty of blank envelopes and stamps; he quickly stuffed the letters in, sealed them, and checked multiple times to ensure no mix-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were just ordinary friends, yet Wei Ming couldn’t explain why he felt like a scoundrel being so cautious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he finished, someone knocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in… Uncle, what are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Wei Anping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping smiled, “I came to borrow your motorcycle to pick up Lele—she’s studying at Teacher Gu’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said, “I saw your motorcycle still in the gatehouse—haven’t you ridden it these days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve used it a few times, but I always bring it back. Your gatehouse is safer—our neighborhood’s had bicycle thefts lately. I wouldn’t dare leave your thousand-yuan bike downstairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming suddenly remembered something: “Let me go pick up Lele for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You just got back from the south—didn’t you get exhausted from the long train ride?” Wei Anping said, concerned. Wei Ming laughed, “I’m still young, and I need to see Teacher Gu about something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Wei Anping said, “Come straight home for dinner—we’re also seeing off your aunt and uncle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seeing them off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Director Xie called, hoping Xi Zi could also experience rural life, shed his urban child’s airs, and bond with Gong Ying—get some mother-son connection. In a few days, they’ll leave together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded. He took the keys and was about to leave when Wei Anping added something about housing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The professors living in the Overseas Chinese Apartment haven’t thought of selling, but they say some people in the neighborhood are looking to sell—they’ll keep an eye out for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, good!” Wei Ming was delighted—finally some progress, though he still hadn’t saved enough money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping noticed the shift in Wei Ming’s expression and smiled, “Still short on cash? Don’t worry—I’ll lend you some when the time comes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… that wouldn’t be right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a small amount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping laughed, “My nephew’s so talented—I’m not worried you won’t pay me back. If someone really wants to sell, no matter the price, grab it—I’ll keep watching for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, you’re truly my real uncle!” Wei Ming hugged Wei Anping tightly—now he had no worries left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Gui sneezed—it had been a late spring chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving work, he received a letter from *New Evening Post*. He opened it, glanced once, then happily rushed home to reply to his grandson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides wuxia novels, Wei Ming’s other path to earning Hong Kong dollars was music—and it was faster than wuxia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he visited Teacher Gu Jianfen to ask her to critique a song he’d just “composed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lele.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After not seeing each other for days, Wei Ming and Lele indulged in affection, then he set his sister aside and reached for his lyric notebook—but Teacher Gu beat him to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Wei, come here—I just wrote a new melody, take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.” Wei Ming took it, glanced at the title: *Young Friends Meet*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good heavens—this song was incredibly famous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he read, Wei Ming began singing aloud; Lele joined in immediately—she’d clearly learned it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wei Ming sing it directly, Gu Jianfen beamed, clapping rhythm—this catchy tune was exactly what she wanted to create for the youth, and she was sure they’d love it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming praised enthusiastically: “Great! This song is wonderful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jianfen said, “I recently saw Zhang Meitong’s lyrics published in *Lyrics Journal*—they moved me deeply, so I composed the melody.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she scolded Wei Ming: “But you—after writing *The Spring of the Sheep Herding Class*, you stopped composing songs. Don’t waste your talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She believed his songwriting gift rivaled hers, but he dabbled in too many things, unable to focus. According to Lu Xiaoyan, he was even writing children’s literature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Teacher Gu said so, Wei Ming immediately pulled out his lyric notebook: “Who says I haven’t written?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jianfen took it at once: “*The Swirling One*? Let me see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jianfen sat down and read carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard you went to Sichuan-Chongqing after the New Year—this song seems influenced by *Kangding Love Song*.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Gu, your insight is sharp,” Wei Ming smiled. “My grandmother’s home is near Kangding—I heard this ‘swirling’ tune on the train, spent a day writing the lyrics, and took half a month to finish the melody. But I’m not professional in composition—I’d like your advice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Based on Wei Ming’s simplified notation, Gu Jianfen hummed it aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve never seen me, I’ve never seen you—when young friends meet, hearts align and feelings flow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In theme, *The Swirling One* and *Young Friends Meet* shared similarities—both about forming friendships. It was a peculiar coincidence; Wei Ming hadn’t known Teacher Gu was composing *Young Friends Meet* when he wrote his song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the lyrics and notation, Teacher Gu hummed it again, silently amazed—this boy had improved so much!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she finished, Wei Ming asked, “What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Gu spoke bluntly: “It’s well-written, but you’ve been listening to a lot of Taiwanese songs lately, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just a lot—he’d copied it outright. This song launched the newcomer Qi Qin to fame; originally titled *Again Seeing the Swirling One*, later covered by Fei Xiang on the mainland and renamed the familiar *The Swirling One*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Gu worried, “Domestic criticism of *Xianglian* is growing fiercer—radio stations won’t even play it. I fear your song will suffer the same fate unless you adjust the melody.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Make it fit current mainland music styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming shook his head: “Teacher Gu, what if I send this song to Hong Kong to earn Hong Kong dollars?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Requesting monthly votes!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1758,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6be2c8853ff6ae4b17bd9d8f361f734c9e6fa58854821429429c683cf8e03573","rising-in-1979-chapter-168","rising-in-1979-chapter-166",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]