Chapter 290: Wei Ming

When Yanzi found out about this, though it wasn't her husband, Wei Ming didn't dare tell Yunyun yet, since he didn't know how serious the injury was.

When Wei Ming and Biaozi went downstairs, they moved quietly, afraid Yunyun might notice.

On the way, Biaozi echoed Wei Ming's sentiment: "If only I'd been on night shift tonight, the killer would've been the one hurt."

Wei Ming: "Don't just say you— even if it were me, the killer would've been the one hurt. Xiao Mei's just too weak."

Biaozi grew even more ashamed: "I'm twenty years old, strong as an ox, yet I've never once stood up for justice—even Xiao Mei did, damn it!"

Wei Ming sighed: "It's better not to have chances to stand up for justice—it means society's stable and people live in peace. But now even Xiao Mei ran into theft and murder. I fear such incidents won't stop."

"Murder? Someone died?!" Biaozi finally realized what Xiao Mei had gone through.

Wei Ming nodded: "I heard from Director Sun that a man broke into Xidan Mall to steal, got caught by two security guards, and stabbed them—one dead, one critically injured. When he came out, he still had the knife, covered in blood, and just happened to run into Xiao Mei after his shift."

Biaozi hissed: "Even with a knife, Xiao Mei still charged? I never thought he had guts—I always figured he was a coward, scared stiff by a cat on night patrol."

Wei Ming thought a moment: "Maybe he's about to become a father. From boy to man—he's grown."

They arrived at Xiehe Hospital, asked around, went upstairs, and found Mei Wenhua's ward—he was alone inside.

He looked pale, his eyes blank without glasses, and both of them were terrified.

"Xiao Mei, you okay? Where are you hurt?"

Seeing them, Mei Wenhua pointed to his leg under the blanket.

Wei Ming: "Broken leg?"

Biaozi: "Leg gone?"

At that moment, a nurse walked in holding a hospital gown: "Bed 13, here's your pants. Quick, change. Don't let them stew."

Mei Wenhua quickly snatched the pants into the blanket and gave the nurse a wary glance.

After the nurse left, he changed into the gown, pulled off the wet pants beneath the blanket, and tossed them aside—Wei Ming caught a faint smell of urine.

Regardless, the kid had been a hero. Wei Ming and Biaozi didn't mock him.

"So where exactly are you hurt?" Wei Ming couldn't help asking.

Xiao Mei said: "I don't even know. I threw up, damn—it's too terrifying. I need a full-body check."

Biaozi realized: this guy wasn't hurt at all.

"Wait, you caught the killer, and you didn't even get a scratch?" Biaozi found it unbelievable—the guy had a knife.

"Of course I got scratched—look, right here," he pointed to his elbow, slightly scraped, "and my glasses flew off too."

Wei Ming was speechless: "Tell us the whole story."

Xiao Mei winced as he recalled: "It's near month-end, and May Day's coming—lots of work at the store. After the staff left, I stayed another half-hour. When I rode past Xidan Mall, I saw a man with a knife, covered in blood—I got scared… I thought, this guy's suspicious—I gunned the throttle and slammed into him, then jumped—"

Biaozi's face twitched—jumping off a moving motorcycle? You're pulling our legs.

"I jumped off the bike, the bike landed on him, then I saw Xidan Mall's door wide open—someone was clutching his stomach screaming for help, another man lay on the ground, blood everywhere."

Wei Ming and Biaozi understood: Xiao Mei had accidentally rammed the fleeing killer in panic, the motorcycle tipped over, and by sheer luck, he'd subdued the criminal—no heroic intent, but factually, he'd acted bravely. The police came because he screamed for help.

"By the way, how are the two people at Xidan Mall?" Mei Wenhua asked after recounting his heroics.

Wei Ming: "You don't know? One dead, one critically injured."

Hearing one was dead, Mei Wenhua's expression froze, his body stiffened.

"What kind of monster is this? A professional killer? So ruthless!" He couldn't comprehend it—now thinking back, he was terrified. This was the closest he'd ever come to death.

Wei Ming: "Alright, since you're not seriously hurt, we're leaving. You're sure you're not coming with us? Your wife still doesn't know."

Mei Wenhua hesitated: "I just changed my pants—do I have to change back?"

Biaozi: "We can go soak in a bath, scrub down, wash away the bad luck."

"Ah, good idea! Good idea!" Xiao Mei finally agreed to be discharged.

But right after finishing the paperwork, Director Sun arrived and told Wei Ming and the others: "The killer's also here getting treated for injuries—we just finished interrogating him."

"What?!" Xiao Mei shuddered again—the man was too brutal.

Wei Ming asked curiously: "What's his background? Why so vicious?"

Director Sun shook his head: "You'd never guess. Not in a million years."

Biaozi: "Your colleague?"

"Get lost, you idiot," Director Sun said. "He's a student from Beijing Foreign Studies University, studying French. Top grades, top character—preparing for graduate school."

"What? A student? This kid's too ruthless!" All three were stunned.

Director Sun said: "According to Feng Daxing's confession…"

Feng Daxing? Hearing the name, Wei Ming froze—dead memories surged. It was him!

In the early 1980s, this man was extremely famous, sparking massive public debate.

Originally intending to study and prepare for graduate school, he stole a French-Chinese dictionary from Xinhua Bookstore—no one caught him, so his courage grew.

No money? Want something good? Steal it.

Once, caught stealing at Xidan Mall, to avoid being arrested and ruining his future, he attacked the two security guards—killing one, seriously injuring the other. He was executed months later.

This case became a classic example of value clashes during China's early reform era, sparking nationwide debate: "Can a talented, successful person cross moral boundaries?" It forced society to reexamine the balance between material pursuit and spiritual development.

In his past life, Wei Ming had read about this name and event in many newspapers—never imagined his brother-in-law would cross paths with it.

Director Sun told them what Wei Ming already knew, then thanked Xiao Mei on behalf of the people: "Bring your motorcycle tomorrow, and get a banner made."

Mei Wenhua understood the banner's value and gripped Director Sun's hand in thanks, but he had one question: "How much was the stuff Feng Daxing stole worth?"

"Just pens and notebooks—maybe ten yuan at most."

Hearing this, all three fell silent. Ten yuan—roughly the profit on one of their clothes. But to Feng Daxing, it was worth a life and a half, with half still fighting for survival.

Now the bathhouse was truly just for bathing—no opposite sex in sight.

The three first rinsed off, then soaked in the tub. Biaozi bought a bottle of liquor—today's events weighed heavy, everyone wanted a drink. No cups, so they passed the bottle, each taking a sip.

Xiao Mei took the bottle, glanced at it: "38 degrees. Fine, not too strong."

Wei Ming suddenly said: "Xiao Mei, I noticed you don't need glasses to walk around—you're not nearsighted? What's your prescription?"

Wei Ming had only wanted to estimate the chance his nephew would be born nearsighted—but Xiao Mei took a big gulp, his face turning red: "Actually, I'm not nearsighted."

"What?!" Wei Ming and Biaozi spoke at once. Biaozi said: "Then why wear glasses? To pretend you're cultured?"

Mei Wenhua splashed water over his head with eyes closed: "Can you promise not to laugh at me if I tell the truth?"

Wei Ming: "Go ahead—we're brothers. Who doesn't know each other's embarrassing stories?"

Biaozi: "Yeah, like I'm a love-struck fool, Ming-ge is a heartless jerk—nobody's perfect."

Wei Ming rolled his eyes: I feel like you're proud of being a love-struck fool—you've learned some new terms.

With Biaozi's words, Xiao Mei took another sip: "Today I'll let you meet the real Mei Wenhua. Didn't I say I took part in the crackdown on Little Brat when I was eight?"

"You did."

"Actually, my brother dragged me along—I just stood outside waving flags. I never even saw the guy alive. I only glanced at the corpse—and peed my pants."

Wei Ming comforted: "You were just a kid then."

Mei Wenhua: "Don't comfort me—I'm just a coward. Grew up in a military compound. The kids there loved dangerous stuff, but I hated it. Still, to fit in, to seem tough, I followed the older boys, fighting and playing like an idiot."

"I thought they were idiots—leadership wasn't based on ability, but on whose dad had higher rank. But I followed them willingly, acting as their lackey—I was even more of an idiot."

At this, Wei Ming called for the bathhouse attendant. Soon, he brought a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. All three lit up.

With smoke and liquor, Xiao Mei's self-revelation deepened.

"Actually, as a kid, I preferred playing with girls. What we played didn't matter—key was, it wasn't dangerous. At worst, they pulled hair. But with those bastards, I got stitched twice, broke bones three times—I still feel the pain thinking about it."

"When you're young, boys will bully you to death unless you can fight like me," Biaozi boasted—he'd always loved playing with Yanzi.

"Later, hanging out with them had some perks—they were worldly, loved to brag. In middle and high school, girls loved them. Many girls liked to hang with us. You remember Mi Qing?" Xiao Mei exhaled a smoke ring.

Biaozi gestured at his chest: "Remember? She had those."

Wei Ming thought of Li Zhi—similar size, but her face was prettier, paler.

"I haven't seen her at school lately," Wei Ming said—he worked in the library, saw many students, but never her.

Xiao Mei: "She went abroad to study in Japan. When I got married, her parents came—they were so proud."

Biaozi chuckled: "You must've liked her back then?"

Xiao Mei confessed: "She was the most popular girl in our circle—boys all flocked to her, probably thinking they could score. But she got closest to our group leader. Once, he randomly beat me in front of everyone, humiliated me. Now I think—he did it because I was getting close to Mi Qing. Wanted to impress her, show off his big-brother status. I held it together in front of everyone, laughed it off—but on the way home, I cried buckets. I remember it rained hard that day—I'll never forget that rain."

Biaozi took a sip, passed the bottle to Xiao Mei, lost in memory.

He thought Xiao Mei was truly a man now—who doesn't have embarrassing teenage moments? But Xiao Mei could speak them aloud—impressive.

Xiao Mei continued: "Then I went to the countryside—voluntarily. Wanted to get away from them. When I returned, my father wanted me to join the army—our whole family served. He thought only the military could shape me into a real Mei man. But I was scared—I was afraid of going to war, afraid of dying. That's when I went nearsighted."

Wei Ming and Biaozi understood: the nearsightedness was just an excuse to avoid conscription. He came to Peking University as a temporary worker.

Wei Ming patted his shoulder: "So you'll keep wearing glasses?"

Xiao Mei thought, then shook his head firmly: "No more. After today, I feel I've grown. Maybe next time, I'll ride straight at them."

Wei Ming nodded: "Regaining courage is good—but don't be reckless. Don't forget you've got a wife, and a baby on the way."

Thinking of his wife, of the child in her womb, Xiao Mei groaned: "I'll keep wearing glasses."

"Why?"

"Yunyun likes me in glasses. Says I look cultured."

Wei Ming and Biaozi: "Pfft!"

They'd talked enough, soaked enough. The bathhouse attendant scrubbed them down. Wei Ming was the cleanest—he'd been scrubbed by Lin Jie in the Magic City.

On the way back, Xiao Mei rode with Biaozi. Wei Ming was about to part ways when Xiao Mei suddenly called out to him.

"Big brother, you turned Biaozi's childhood into 'Heroes Rise Young.' Do you think someone ordinary like me will never be the main character?"

"You call yourself ordinary?" Wei Ming gave him a look. "Stop overthinking. Go home, hug your wife, sleep well. Biaozi, drive slow—don't let Xiao Mei die by killer's knife only to get killed by your driving."

"Relax—I can go fast or slow."

The bathhouse was near Beichi Zi; Wei Ming arrived home quickly. The ginkgo tree barked twice, then returned to its nest to sleep. The police chief never showed up.

It was nearly midnight. Wei Ming lay in bed, thinking about Xiao Mei's heartfelt emotions after her brush with death, but he couldn't fall asleep. The group of children from the courtyard complexes really was fascinating.

During those ten years, they were well protected. While other children were either fighting heaven and earth or suffering from their parents' misfortunes, they idled away their days, eating, drinking, and playing—and even enjoyed rock music over a decade ahead of the general public.

When the dark clouds cleared, they leveraged their head-start in information to reap the era's benefits: either quietly growing rich, or loudly shaping the cultural market and influencing the entire nation as all kinds of idols.

They were a group naturally endowed with dramatic qualities, and this era needed a novel that precisely portrayed them—not written by themselves, but by an outsider, with a more objective attitude.

Thinking of this, Wei Ming sat up abruptly, pulled a blank notebook from the bedside drawer, and wrote several large characters on it.

Assuming Biaozi and Xiao Mei had also returned home, Wei Ming picked up the telephone recently installed in the sihe courtyard and dialed Mei Wenhua's house.

The phone connected: "Hello."

"Yunyun, has Xiao Mei come back?"

Yunyun: "Wenhua, my brother's on the line for you."

Mei Wenhua took the phone: "Big brother, I just got home and'm changing clothes."

Wei Ming: "Nothing important—I just wanted to say you could be the main character in my next novel."

"What?!" Mei Wenhua's voice shot up sharply.

"Let's talk more tomorrow. That's all. Goodnight." Wei Ming hung up.

Mei Wenhua held the receiver, wondering how he could possibly sleep now.

His childhood memories were already embarrassing enough—now his brother-in-law wanted to turn them into a novel, writing his biography. That meant his humiliation would extend into the future; by 2025, everyone would know about his diaper-wetting incident.

But this was Wei Ming's novel. With his brother-in-law's influence, maybe people would still read his book a hundred years from now. By then, many of his contemporaries might be forgotten, but he would still be remembered.

To avoid disturbing Yunyun's sleep, Xiao Mei, tossing and turning, decided to sleep in the spare room instead, imagining how he'd beg his brother-in-law to soften his portrayal—better not mention the diaper-wetting at all.

Wei Ming didn't just mention it—he planned to emphasize it heavily. The next day, he went to Xintiandi, called Xiao Mei into the storage room, and began from the very start: his kindergarten days.

"Back then, we all went to communal kindergartens. Our parents dropped us off and didn't have to worry—we were looked after by the state, while they focused on working for the nation. Hundreds of three- and four-year-olds formed a miniature society."

This kindergarten experience was truly unique—something a rural child like Wei Ming could hardly comprehend.

Wei Ming asked in meticulous detail and demanded no concealment—he learned every embarrassing detail, including Xiao Mei's incident of drawing maps in kindergarten.

"Big brother, tell me honestly—are you serious? You really want me to be the main character in your novel?"

Wei Ming: "Do you think I'm joking?"

Xiao Mei: "Will my character be named Mei Wenhua too?"

Wei Ming: "Do you want to be called that?"

"No, come up with another name."

Wei Ming smiled: "Alright, I'll think of another one."

Actually, Wei Ming wanted to write this in first person—first-person narratives were the mainstream for short and medium-length novels now, but he'd never used it before. This time, he wanted to tell the story directly from "I"—the youth and pain of a courtyard child.

First-person narration would create deeper immersion, a sense of personal agony.

First-person also required a name, but that didn't matter—names like Fang Qiangqiang, Ma Xiaojun, or Zhong Yuemin weren't the point.

The point was this would be the first novel to drag the courtyard children out and dissect them, blood and all, for the entire nation to see.

Wei Ming didn't just want to write about the past and present—he even wanted to predict the future, like what would happen after the dual-price system.

This novel would contain many adaptations and fictionalizations based on Xiao Mei's experiences, but beneath it all was a foundation—a base upon which this second-layer creation would be built.

And that foundation was called "Sunny Days."

As the two chatted enthusiastically, Wei Ming wanted Xiao Mei to invite him to his parents' home—the place where Xiao Mei had grown up.

At that moment, Director Sun arrived, bringing a banner on his motorcycle.

Wei Ming rushed out to greet him, temporarily escaping his brother-in-law's relentless interrogation. Later, this incident made the newspaper—Mei Wenhua and Dongfang Xintiandi became famous again.

While Wei Ming prepared for his new work, the May Day holiday arrived. Li Aiguo, Li Kui, and other overseas students planned to visit Beidaihe.

Just before departure, Li Aiguo received a package from his family in the United States.

It was his father's mailed copy of the "Moonlight Shadow" record. Due to postal delays, Li Aiguo's father mentioned the album had received decent reviews but modest sales—it hadn't cracked the Billboard Top 100.

Yet after listening, Li Aiguo and the other overseas students all agreed: it was the most moving song they'd heard all year—this quality would surely make the Billboard charts.

When Li Aiguo gave the record to Wei Ming, he also conveyed his classmates' admiration and gratitude—for everything Wei Ming had done for Lennon.

The moment Wei Ming received the record, his first impulse was to share it.

Unfortunately, his parents didn't appreciate English songs, and Wei Hong's praise was half-hearted.

Luckily, Zhu Lin called the house—she'd finished filming and was home!

"Why don't you come over? I've got something great to play for you."

"What's so great?"

"The English song I wrote."

Zhu Lin was immediately intrigued: "Will anyone be home tomorrow morning?"

"No one—my parents and grandma are all at the sihe courtyard."

The next day was May Day; Wei Ming didn't have to work. But in the morning, he received a package from Melinda in Britain.

He never expected it—Melinda had also mailed him a copy of "Moonlight Shadow," on vinyl and cassette, and the vinyl bore Sarah Brightman's autograph.

That wasn't enough—she'd also included a photo of herself with Sarah Brightman. At the time, Brightman was young, still slim.

He couldn't believe these two had connected—and Melinda's letter revealed that "Moonlight Shadow" had just entered the Billboard charts. Wei Ming eagerly opened the letter…

(Today's minimum)

(End of chapter)