[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-233":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},2260941,4412,"Chapter 233: Just a Little Wind and Frost","rising-in-1979-chapter-233",233,"\u003Cp>“Mom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Mei Wenhua’s greeting, the room erupted in “Mom!” calls. Mei looked at the other salesgirls: “Don’t join in—the Yunyun here can call her that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Yunyun turned bright red. “Who called her mom? I was just surprised!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more surprising, Mei’s mother instantly changed her expression, shedding her difficult-customer demeanor and warmly taking Xu Yunyun’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yunyun, don’t blame your aunt—I just didn’t trust my son’s judgment in people. He used to associate with all sorts of unreliable folks. I never expected he’d finally see clearly and find a girl as sweet-tempered as you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei’s mother was skilled in language. She’d come to check whether her son had been fooled by some scheming country girl, but phrased it so well that Yunyun felt flattered, convinced the aunt was praising her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua, however, was displeased. His mother clearly doubted Yunyun—she could doubt him, but not Yunyun!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mei’s mother added: “Yunyun, do you remember which piece of clothing I picked first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunyun nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could you please get it for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunyun said: “Auntie, you didn’t like that one. And it’s not suitable—it’s better for younger girls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei’s mother smiled: “It’s fine. I’m buying it for a purpose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she insisted, Yunyun fetched it. Mei’s mother handed it to Mei Wenhua and pulled out money to pay her son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was a joint business, Mei Wenhua didn’t refuse payment—just gave his mother a discount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the transaction, Mei’s mother placed the garment into Yunyun’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve never met before. I didn’t bring a gift. This is my welcome present to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no, Auntie, I can’t accept this—it’s too expensive!” Yunyun knew the price—it matched her base salary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you refuse, you’re still mad at me,” Mei’s mother goaded. “Take it, take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Mei Wenhua urged her to accept it. Only then did she relent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei’s mother smiled happily: “Then let’s arrange a time for your grandmother to meet my husband?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she was pleased with this future daughter-in-law. Though they’d met only once, Yunyun was clearly a gentle girl—her top requirement for a daughter-in-law was temperament. She’d had enough of her eldest daughter-in-law’s spoiled-princess ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Wenhua held back his enthusiastic mother: “Mom, let’s have dinner together after Yunyun’s cousin returns to Beijing. Is that fine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally rid of his mother, Mei Wenhua sighed: “Let’s eat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, Mei Wenhua personally escorted Yunyun home, again reassuring her not to mind his mother’s behavior: “My mom’s actually easy to get along with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think your aunt’s great too—she even gave me such an expensive dress,” Yunyun said innocently, naturally seeing the best in everyone. Then Mei Wenhua told her about his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d grown up in a military compound, but no one in his family had seen combat. His father worked in logistics, his mother in the cultural troupe, his older brother at the arms research institute, and his sister-in-law was a military doctor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he alone in the family hadn’t joined the military, his father looked down on him and favored his eldest son—but his mother doted on him, the youngest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Mei’s mother feared he’d end up like his brother, marrying a domineering wife. After all, in her cultural troupe there were two Sichuan-Chongqing “female tyrants,” making her naturally wary of girls from that region. Yet today’s meeting proved her prejudice wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I tell Grandma and Auntie about all this?” Yunyun asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course you must. When Ming comes back, tell him too—he needs to prepare mentally for meeting the parents,” Mei Wenhua said. He didn’t want Yunyun to be overpowered by his sister-in-law; he’d need his older brother to back her up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Wei Ming was living like a hermit on Qimeng Mountain, having filmed two full days with the crew, while Old Wei had made his entrance with his oxen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three oxen were brought as backups, but thanks to Old Wei’s expert training, only one ox was used throughout filming—the others never even got called upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou still couldn’t be the cinematographer—he could only assist—but he often offered solid suggestions, and the cinematographer frequently consulted him. Some things were innate: Zhang Yimou had already begun to show flashes of brilliance in cinematic aesthetics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t seen the full cut, Wei Ming had full confidence in the film’s overall quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Tianming noticed this and thought: this fellow from the same hometown was truly impressive. When he graduated, he’d find a way to get him into Xiyingchang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou also held high regard for the male lead, Li Baotian, sensing the older man gave his all on set—a man who put art above all else. He might collaborate with him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zhang and Li Baotian were already a golden duo, having collaborated on three films—essentially the male version of Gong Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, everyone gathered around a bonfire to see Wei Ming off—he was leaving tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening, Wei Ming slipped his father another wad of cash: “Take care of yourself out there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need, no need—the crew pays me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be formal. If you get hungry, buy a chicken from a fellow villager,” Wei Ming said. “I’m making money fast now with Mei’s business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had previously told Old Wei about Dongfang Xintiandi—including buying another sihe Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Old Wei grew serious: “Ming, money’s good, but don’t forget—you’re a writer. You’re an engineer of the human soul!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: Isn’t an engineer of the human soul a teacher?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei: “So don’t let wealth or material things distract your true purpose. Keep writing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rarely did his father sound so earnest. Wei Ming replied seriously: “Don’t worry—I’ve started writing that long novel. I’ve already got thirty or forty thousand characters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the preparation was thorough, the writing itself moved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a novella, that amount could be published outright. But this novel’s plot is long—thirty or forty thousand characters is barely the beginning. The protagonist, Jiang Limin, has just entered Huangpu and met key figures from both parties, but still doesn’t know which path he’ll take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His older brother, Jiang Lizhong, however, is already thriving in the upper echelons, showing remarkable personal charisma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Old Wei relaxed. In these times, money must be hidden like stolen goods—but reputation lets you travel the world, respected by all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The local officials treated him so well at meals, serving him the fish head—wasn’t it because he was Wei Ming’s father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Old Wei asked to read Wei Ming’s manuscript, the opening of the novel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his education was limited and he wasn’t a reader like Qi Kexiu, after reading it, he felt an urgent need to know what came next. He turned over in bed, lost in thought all night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just from this opening, he knew the story would be grand, intricate—no wonder he was my son! My grandson!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Wei Ming set off for home. Once back, he could start arranging plane tickets to Sichuan-Chongqing. He’d already found the train ride from Beijing to Shandong unbearable—how would he endure the journey to Chengdu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Beijing, Wei Ming first visited the sihe Academy on Beichi Zi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, he sensed something different. Upon closer look, the empty patch of ground had been planted—recently watered too. No doubt, his mother’s doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then entered his study and found a letter from Xuejie on the desk, learning she’d returned to Shanghai. He felt a pang of melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as their relationship had drawn closer, she’d gone far away again. Wei Ming put Xuejie’s watch into his drawer—it wouldn’t be needed for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was an electric fan here too. Wei Ming slept here, returning to the Overseas Chinese Apartment only for dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom, I’m back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming walked in to find the TV on, four women seated together, wrapping dumplings—pork and scallion filling. They’d known he’d return today and prepared this welcome feast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming sighed: “On set, I ate nothing good—just pancake rolls with scallions and baked sweet potatoes. Back home, finally, I can satisfy my cravings. This filling is so fragrant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen smiled: “Tasty, huh? What if I cook for Xintiandi too? I make your meals anyway—might as well make theirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming froze. Had his mother taken a liking to this job? Was she planning to stay in Beijing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Hong chattered on about Mei Wenhua trying to find a restaurant to cater to his staff’s meals—but all the state-run canteens were hard to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, the only private restaurant in all of Beijing was Yuebin Restaurant—and even that wasn’t cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming was happy his mother wouldn’t return to the countryside—city life was far superior, and he could easily afford it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his mother clearly wanted to support herself, not waste her years. Yet cooking required space—if she cooked at the Overseas Chinese Apartment, where would he and Linjie go for their dates?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she cooked at the sihe Academy, where would he and Xuejie cuddle when she returned to Beijing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s mind raced—he already had a solution. He agreed, but with conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This must wait until Dad comes back—you two handle it together. Otherwise, you’ll exhaust yourself. Earning money’s fine, but not at the cost of your health.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen agreed. She couldn’t manage it yet—first she had to send Grandma back to the village. Once she had time, she’d reconsider. Besides, if Jiefang refused to stay in Beijing, she’d follow him back to Gouzitun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Wei Ming’s grandmother returned home, she needed to meet the future in-laws. During the meal, they brought up the matter, and Yunyun shyly conveyed Mei Wenhua’s suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Let’s do it this weekend. Ask Yunyun to check with her parents’ availability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, as her son entered the study, Xu Shufen hesitated—she never voiced what she wanted to say about Gong Ying and Zhu Lin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how flawed her son was, he was still her child. A mother couldn’t bring herself to scold him—but she feared he’d mess things up beyond repair. That was one major reason she wanted to stay in Beijing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having slept well in the afternoon, Wei Ming focused on writing his novel that night. The next day, all four women went out. Wei Ming kept writing furiously—having an outline made it fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wrote until afternoon, his hand aching. He finally stopped—time to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong returned with his mother and grandmother. Xu Shufen went to cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong leaned close to Wei Ming: “Brother, Yunyun has a bicycle now. You promised me one if I got into university.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought a moment: “Alright, come with me. Mom, we’re going to pick up the bike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took his sister to Peking University, deciding she should inherit his own legendary Da Yongjiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming usually rode only on campus, but he hadn’t been there in ages. Neglected maintenance, plus recent rains—when he found the bike, its condition was poor. Old and worn, it was caked in mud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiao Hong’s disappointed expression, Wei Ming calmly said: “Just a little wear and tear. Wipe it down—it still works.” Xiao Hong mumbled: “Won’t it be too big? I’m afraid I can’t handle such a big bike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought Mei Wenhua’s little Feidiao was more suitable for girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a valid point,” Wei Ming rubbed his chin. Xiao Hong was only fourteen, still growing. “Alright, I’ll buy you a new one later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had just received five thousand yuan in dividends—he could spare this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong sighed in relief and began praising him endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pulled her along: “Come with me to Yannanyuan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To hire a cat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming took his sister to visit Professor Feng Youlan and met Meier, who was heavily pregnant—likely to give birth this month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong thought the long-haired white cat was stunning—far prettier than the scrawny cats back in the village. Had she not been intimidated by the owner’s fame, she’d have already started petting it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had no such reservations. He’d brought some small shrimp, and as he fed them to Meier, he gently stroked the cat’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professor Wu was an old acquaintance of Wei Ming’s and knew “Wei Shenhua” was Wei Ming—the author of “Black Cat Detective.” Clearly, he was a cat lover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the China Youth Daily published the love story between Wei Shenhua and Melinda, nearly everyone at Peking University knew Wei Shenhua and Wei Ming were the same person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m comfortable leaving the kitten with you, young friend, but cats dislike being confined—they might get mischievous, mess around, and urinate or defecate anywhere. You’ll need to be patient with it at your place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming chuckled: “I bought a sihe Academy just to keep this cat—I’m not worried about any of that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Youlan: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the old man’s philosophical shutdown expression, Wei Ming quickly waved his hand: “Just joking—I bought the sihe Academy, so I dared to come to you, hoping to keep a cat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he lived in an apartment building, he definitely wouldn’t consider keeping a cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Youlan exhaled. That’s what he thought—what he’d just said made no sense at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who buys a whole mansion just for a cat? Buying it to store letters or to hide a concubine would be more believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his way home, Wei Ming saw Ping’an Shu walking with Vice Principal Wang, both looking excited as they talked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing they were discussing serious matters, Wei Ming didn’t interrupt—just greeted them and left, while also giving Xiao Hong, the incoming Peking University freshman, a quick rundown on Vice Principal Wang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the Overseas Chinese Apartment, Yunyun had also returned home, so they had dinner together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yunyun told Big Boss Wei Ming about the shop’s situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, Culture Brother decided to make the three temporary workers permanent—otherwise we’re just too swamped. He also got approval from the street leadership, and they all support it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight people now—that’s hitting the red line. Wei Ming said: “Then Xiao Hong shouldn’t go anymore, unless you’re truly overwhelmed and need to help out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to heavy media coverage, Dongfang Xintiandi is now as crowded every day as on weekends—come Saturday, there might be a stampede. We might need to sell some clothing right outside the store.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So neither I nor Culture Brother can get free on weekends. He asked if we could meet next Monday?” Yunyun added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had no problem—as long as Xiao Mei’s family has time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Wei Ming called Ping’an Shu and learned that the state had just secured a $1.5 billion loan from the World Bank, confirmed yesterday, with $20 million each allocated to Tsinghua and Peking University.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the prestige of the top two. Ping’an Shu also secured a big chunk of that money to support Professor Wang Xuan’s research—Hanzi laser typesetting technology is expected to achieve commercial adoption soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming sincerely rejoiced for Ping’an Shu—indeed, such high-investment projects still rely on the state. His own meager foreign exchange royalties were utterly insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, when the world was quiet and Wei Ming was in top form, he wrote for another three hours—nearly five thousand words in three hours. Combined with what he wrote during the day, he’d hit ten thousand words today!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Wei Ming continued writing in the morning. In the afternoon, Wei Hong, seeing him idle, begged him to buy a car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Wei Ming had no bicycle quota, he planned to buy a secondhand one. Xiao Hong didn’t care—no matter how used, it’d still be better than Brother’s Forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bicycle, no matter how worn out, is just a bicycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xinxin Bridge Trust Shop specialized in secondhand bicycles—over twenty of them, new and old. With money to spare, Wei Ming picked the best one: a Phoenix brand. He had Xiao Hong test ride it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he asked how it was, she just grinned stupidly. So Wei Ming paid outright—over 140 yuan. A new one would cost about the same, but why bother with a quota when you can just buy without one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you’ve got a bike, get a watch too. That’s the new-generation college student’s essential trio.” Wei Ming, having removed the sewing machine from the old “three-turns-one-sound” set, summarized the new essentials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, most students only had a bike and a watch—the cassette player was more for entertainment, unless you were in a foreign language major.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no need, Brother. That’s too extravagant.” Xiao Hong felt embarrassed—spending so much in one day was wasteful. At least wait a few days before spending again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some money shouldn’t be saved,” he now had a rich-daughter mindset—back in his past life, Xiao Hong had been won over by a city boy’s small favors when she first entered college. All lessons learned. “Besides, it’s secondhand—it’s cheaper than the bike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the bike paperwork, Wei Ming had planned to go to the Qianmen Trust Shop—he’d visited before and found many decent secondhand watches—but on the way, they spotted a small-time trader selling digital watches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the flashy, colorful digital watches, Xiao Hong was tempted. She stopped to ask the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty yuan.” The trader handed her a pink-band digital watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming watched coldly—he remembered Xiao Mei and Biaozi had traded these before. Their cost in Shenzhen was under five yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong looked at Wei Ming: “Brother, how about we buy this one? It’s cheaper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! Not only cheap, but no winding needed—just replace the battery when it dies,” the trader pushed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming picked it up, glanced at it: “Ten yuan. Sell it to me, I’ll take one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Hong stared at her brother in shock—how brutally he haggled! Half price!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought he was being kind—he’d left the trader enough profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the trader was furious, sneering: “Fuck, if you’re not buying, don’t waste my time! Ten yuan? Go ask around the whole city—no one sells it that cheap!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “This is made by Hong Kong’s Mingde Factory, right? Cost two or three yuan to make. You dare sell it for twenty? Isn’t that a case of chicken-trading?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that term, the trader glanced at passersby who looked like plainclothes officers, visibly cowed. He waved his hand: “Fine, ten yuan—it’s yours, Xiao Hong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Xiao Hong had a bike and a watch, happily riding ahead. Wei Ming followed slowly behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, I’ll definitely earn a lot of money to repay you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why say that between siblings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’re so good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But halfway home, the good brother told Xiao Hong to go on ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve got something to do. I won’t be eating at home today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Been back two days—I miss Lin Jie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin had already taken leave from her unit. Finding her now wasn’t as easy. After thinking, Wei Ming turned toward Beiyingchang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even need to go inside—just ask the gatekeeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Comrade Zhu Lin did come to the studio today. The movie starts shooting next month, but she just left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just left? She must’ve gone home. Wei Ming headed straight to the Industrial Institute to wait for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time he was right—within minutes, he spotted Zhu Lin riding her bike toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged glances across the street. Then Zhu Lin rode into the campus. Soon after, she walked out and got on Wei Ming’s bike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she didn’t know where he was taking her, it didn’t matter—she held him tightly from the back seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, she first told Wei Ming: “The other day, I met Auntie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What auntie?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?!” The motorcycle hit a pothole, jolting violently. “Why didn’t my mom say anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming wasn’t worried about Lin Jie meeting his mom—but not now. Not until he and Xue Jie had made things official. But Lin Jie was moving too fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Auntie didn’t recognize me,” Zhu Lin said. “I was with some actors and directors, so I didn’t reveal my identity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside his helmet, Wei Ming frowned. His mother couldn’t possibly not recognize Zhu Lin—she’d been to Dongfang Xintiandi and seen that poster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why was his mom pretending not to know her? Didn’t she like Lin Jie? Thought she was too old?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming kept this suspicion to himself—he didn’t dare voice it. That would be too cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are we going?” Zhu Lin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about we go catch cicada nymphs again?” Wei Ming suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure. But why ‘again’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Yesterday’s guaranteed two-in-one)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3413,"2026-06-19T16:30:58.707Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4664a5d3e48fd1c074852ab32710f6cc0343c70e63c5b102620904260b2486e3","rising-in-1979-chapter-234","rising-in-1979-chapter-232",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]