[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-182":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},2260890,4412,"Chapter 182: Let","rising-in-1979-chapter-182",182,"\u003Cp>In April, Beijing’s nights still carried a chill; Wei Ming slowed his speed, not caring himself, but there was an old man behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lao’s salary was very high; he didn’t care about Wei Ming’s share of lamb hotpot, but he rarely got the chance to eat meat heartily and chat loudly with so many young people—he was truly happy today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zuxiang asked Wei Ming: “Did you feel heartache when paying the bill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there were so many people, Wei Ming spent his entire month’s salary at Peking University on this one meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming forced a smile: “Not at all—I’ll earn it back eventually.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the table, he’d asked every classmate about their hometown and workplace—wait till I get to Xi’an and see if I eat Jia Pingwa’s lamb dumplings or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t just have to cover meals—he has to cover our housing too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lao laughed heartily: “You little rascal!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he added: “Save your royalties—you heard your uncle’s been helping you look for a house lately, right? Are you in a hurry to get married?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, this news had already spread through Peking University’s faculty; Wei Ming smiled and replied: “No wife yet, but I do want a home—if you know any leads, please tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, I’ll remember this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed unnecessary—the next day, Wei Anping came to find Wei Ming at work and told him to wait at the south gate after his shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To look at houses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s eyes lit up instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no work that day, he left early and waited a few minutes at the south gate—Uncle Anping arrived soon after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the two went to pick up Lele at the kindergarten; on the way, Wei Anping told his nephew: “Your aunt called today—she said they’re about to head to the northwest to shoot a drama. I plan to visit them during May Day, taking Lele along.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>May Day wasn’t a golden week back then—just one day off—but Uncle Anping had annual leave and compensatory days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: “Has Xi Zi’s role run out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping said: “Yeah—just one scene sending off Dad, one picking him up. I’ll stay to finish filming with them, then return to Beijing together by plane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When mentioning flying, Uncle Anping got excited—he’d never flown before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since reform and opening, civil aviation had grown rapidly; though still not affordable for ordinary people and hard to get tickets, Uncle Anping wasn’t ordinary—he could easily get them, and the two kids got half-price fares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’d like to see how the set’s progress is going—why don’t we go together and come back together?” Wei Ming suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d had enough of train speeds and wanted to try this era’s air service—if he liked it, he’d make flying his first choice for long trips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With someone to keep him company, he wouldn’t need to watch Lele constantly on the way; Wei Anping was delighted—but he doubted his nephew’s reason for going to the set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After picking up Lele, the three headed straight to Huayuan Village Overseas Apartment, located at No. 30 Chegongzhuang West Road, West Third Ring Road; walking down the road, they arrived in less than fifteen minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the compound was Peking University of Labor Relations, a school not particularly prestigious, famous only for producing Gao Yuanyuan—though now it was still called “Labor Movement College.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the guardhouse, they explained their purpose, registered, and parked their motorcycle at the entrance before entering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm—it felt safe; you could leave your motorcycle downstairs without worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The compound’s landscaping was also good—after all, it had property management; the trees had been planted when the complex was first built, nearly twenty years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were only four four-story buildings, four apartment types, each between 150 and 220 square meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At just four stories high, even the top floor didn’t require much climbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the building, whether in materials or design, Wei Ming clearly felt it was far more upscale than Uncle Anping’s unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping said: “The owner who wants to sell lives on the first floor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First floor meant poor privacy; Wei Ming frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After knocking and entering, Wei Ming’s frown deepened at the sight of the apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow, this living room is huge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lele was amazed—it felt as big as their own home, which was only about fifty square meters: two bedrooms and a small living room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: “How big is this apartment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man, dressed in noticeably Westernized style, replied: “220 square meters—the largest type.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And no common area deduction—back in the future, this would count as a luxury penthouse, with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why would a single man need such a big place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a quick glance, Wei Ming cautiously asked the unit price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man said: “My father bought it with U.S. dollars back then; I won’t charge you in dollars now—no one can afford that much anymore—let’s say 180 yuan per square meter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wow—220 square meters at 180 yuan per square meter—that’s nearly 40,000 yuan; Wei Ming couldn’t even afford half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pulled Uncle Anping and Lele aside: “Sorry for the trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, Uncle Anping looked equally frustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Song didn’t say it was this big—and 180 yuan per square meter is steep; it’s been lived in for twenty years, even if well-maintained, it’s still an old house.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Anping told Wei Ming about the owner: a second-generation overseas Chinese, parents divorced, mother in Canada, father died of illness—he wanted to sell the house to raise capital for business in Guangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forty thousand yuan can start a big business in Guangzhou—he’s got good vision,” Wei Ming remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guangzhou was full of opportunities; with forty thousand yuan as capital, even if he didn’t become top-tier, he could easily buy ten such apartments later. Uncle Anping asked: “How much have you saved so far?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming calculated: RMB and HKD combined—about 15,000 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About 20,000,” Wei Ming added the money from the four songs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping thought: “Then the smallest unit—if we haggle hard enough—it’s within reach! Very promising!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he realized something odd: after “Beastly” was published, Wei Ming hadn’t released any new work—he’d only had a little over 10,000 yuan saved then; how had he reached 20,000?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t secretly write another novel under a different pen name, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming grinned: “Can’t fool your golden eyes—I have another pen name: Wei Kuangren. One of his novels is being adapted into a screenplay, and ‘Er Niu’ also sold its screenplay—mainly the screenplays that earn the money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping asked for details about Wei Kuangren; when he heard it was wuxia, he felt slightly worried—until he learned it was a co-production.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh, then no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s contributing foreign exchange for the country—when Qingniao pays, it’s in HKD; when filming in mainland China, they spend RMB.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was late, Wei Ming treated Uncle Anping and Lele to dinner at Changzheng Cafeteria, then returned to the south gate and saw Liu Zhenyun waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Wei, you’re finally back—I’ve been waiting two hours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “You should’ve waited for me at Changcheng Cafeteria—I just came from there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Wei Ming had eaten out again, Liu Zhenyun regretted it, but said: “No merit, no reward—I can’t eat your meal without helping.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what are you here for now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly the opposite—I’m here to ask for your help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pushed his motorcycle inside, parked it, and sat on it: “Tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhenyun’s gaze landed on Wei Ming’s feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The school track and field meet is in two days—I’d like to borrow your running shoes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The National Olympic Committee had just officially withdrawn from the Moscow Olympics, but sports couldn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the student meet was scheduled, and next month there’d be the faculty meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Will your feet fit my shoes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re about the same height,” Liu Zhenyun said—he was nearly 1.8 meters tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming took off his shoes: “I’m 1.83—try them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhenyun tried them: “Perfect—made for me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were a bit big, but he only used them once a year—he couldn’t afford to buy his own, and his mother’s cloth-soled shoes were still more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d already tried Zhao Debiao’s and Mei Wenhua’s—Mei’s were too small; Zhao’s were about his height, but his feet were even bigger than Wei Ming’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Liu Zhenyun found them suitable, Wei Ming let him use them—he had other shoes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, the school’s track and field meet officially began, with 22 departments and 540 students participating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming and Yang Hao took photos on the May Fourth Playground, and they could see hospital staff, including Mu Rong, whose belly was no longer flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Injuries were inevitable at such events—they were ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Debiao, Xiao Mei, and others from security also participated, serving as referees and maintaining order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hao snapped a perfect shot of the sprint race and said to Wei Ming: “Next month, I’m counting on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Counting on me for what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Hao: “The faculty meet—teams compete by department. Our editorial team is full of elderly, weak, and sick people—except you, who else can run and jump like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming glanced at the strong young men from security—was there even any suspense in this race?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming stretched his arms and legs: “I’ll do my best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Mei Linda left, without sexual needs, he’d become lax about exercise and fitness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No good—I’ll start running tomorrow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhenyun competed in long jump and high jump; the running shoes were definitely better than cloth shoes—he qualified for finals in both events, but didn’t place—participation was what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Wei Ming began jogging around Peking University; when he reached the newsstand, the old man had just opened up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has this month’s ‘People’s Literature’ arrived?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet—maybe tomorrow or the day after,” the old man asked eagerly, “Did you publish something again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.” He was waiting for the results of the National Excellent Short Story Awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wei Ming returned to the south gate guardhouse, he spotted the mailman and received a letter and remittance slip from Hong Kong…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Please vote for monthly tickets!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1705,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2e029a34283c526921cdd4dfa9365879cd22b6b92f865582648de1cc8dfb56ab","rising-in-1979-chapter-183","rising-in-1979-chapter-181",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]