[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-40":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},2260748,4412,"Chapter 40: Reader Letters and Illustrations (Please Follow!)","rising-in-1979-chapter-40",40,"\u003Cp>Wei Xi’s face twisted with a spectrum of emotions—disappointment, gloom, bitterness—as if the sky had collapsed, his eyes even glistening with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Xi: “Do you know how much I missed you these days? And this is all you bring me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As brotherly bonds teetered on the brink of rupture, Wei Ming quickly slipped an unwrapped candy into his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Big White Rabbit!” Wei Xi’s tears turned to laughter—he was only four, after all, and a single candy was a monumental thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Xi had one, and Lele naturally had one too, and hers was wrapped; she wouldn’t eat it yet—she planned to save it for when she felt down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two candies weren’t gifts for them; soon after, he pulled a stack of books from his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wei Xi, this is the complete set of Little Picture Books on ‘Nezha Creates Havoc in the Sea’—and they’re in full color.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since watching the animated film, Wei Xi had been obsessed with Nezha and often cosplayed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He draped his mother’s silk scarf as his Kun Tian Ling, stomped in his father’s leather shoes pretending they were Wind-Fire Wheels, and had a stretchy balloon at home which he punctured and slipped over his wrists, mimicking the Qian Kun Quan perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The set Wei Ming bought was produced by Meiyingchang, a movie-related product, exquisitely made, wildly popular—and certainly not cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Xi fell in love with it at once, so overcome with excitement that he swallowed the Big White Rabbit whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to cry again: “I hadn’t even tasted the sweetness yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned to his sister. Lele, who had been saving hers for later, promptly tore open the wrapper and ate it now—otherwise it would be too late!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Wei Xi pleaded humbly: “Can I have your candy wrapper?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lele was generous—she handed him the wrapper and let him lick it freely, then looked at Ming-ge with expectant eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She, too, had a special gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pulled a finely crafted small gift box from his bag; when Lele opened it, she saw a metal-gleaming harmonica.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen such things before—her kindergarten music teacher owned one, capable of producing beautiful music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming couldn’t afford big-brand harmonicas like Mo Du or Guo Guang; he bought a plain one, but it cost half his monthly salary—more expensive than Wei Xi’s picture books or his aunt’s silk scarf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lele couldn’t help but blow on it; though no melody emerged, the tone was clear and pleasant, and Ming-ge’s gift had struck right at her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Wei Ming left, Wei Anping told his wife: “Xiao Ming will be confirmed next month—I thought he’d be a temporary worker for two or three years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan: “Xiao Ming’s from out of town—I thought he’d never get confirmed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s thanks to the kid’s own drive. Once his story appears in ‘Shouhuo’ this November, we might even consider promoting his rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan: “But he’s a writer—do you really want him stuck in Peking University’s logistics system forever? That’s such a waste.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Ming told me about this—he says he wants to gain experience at the grassroots level, to broaden his horizons, otherwise he fears he’ll have nothing left to write about. Are you thinking something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan: “I’ve thought about it—if he publishes a few more articles in our journal, could we transfer him here as an editor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s common for writers to also serve as editors—Ba Jin founded ‘Shouhuo,’ Lao She founded ‘Yanjing Literature’—both were editors while writing, discovering many young authors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It pleased Wei Anping that his wife had thought of this for her nephew, but he said: “Xiao Ming’s only eighteen—he probably can’t sit still in your office, and I actually hope he’ll get a higher degree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, a high school diploma isn’t low these days, but what about the future? Anyone can see college graduates will keep increasing—maybe high school diplomas will soon be worthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want him to retake the college entrance exam next year? But his subject imbalance?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping chuckled: “Not that kind of exam. I’ll let you in on a secret—the school’s considering reviving correspondence education, a two-year program, not demanding much time or energy. And since he’s already a Peking University employee, getting a diploma shouldn’t be a problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that’s great!” Lu Xiaoyan said. “Tell Xiao Ming right away—he’ll be thrilled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping: “Better not tell him yet. The school’s only discussing it—nothing’s final, and even if approved, it won’t start until next year at the earliest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, Wei Ming returned with the two kids, Lele’s harmonica playing softly. Lu Xiaoyan blinked: “Lele, you can actually play?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it wasn’t just noise—it had actual melody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming was amazed too: “Lele asked me to teach her. I’m barely competent myself—I just showed her a bit, and she got it right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan picked up her precious daughter: “Who knew my girl had musical talent? Haha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for her precious son, he suddenly spotted a wild Kun Tian Ling and immediately began waving it excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan snapped: “Wei Xi, put that down right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a chaotic scramble, the five sat down to eat—a lavish meal with fish, meat, and wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Anping opened a bottle of ginseng-cinnamon tonic wine, more expensive than Maotai, pouring half a liang each for the three adults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“On this happy occasion, let me say a few things first—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan kicked him under the table. Wei Anping immediately changed course: “First—eat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they ate, he told Wei Ming: “Xiao Ming, your confirmation will be processed next month, and your commendation will come with it. But your household registration? We’ll have to wait a bit longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine—I wouldn’t get housing even if I had the hukou anyway.” The registration was useless for now, but it was something he had to fight for—he’d spent years in the future just to get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also,” Wei Anping added, “the Li family told me they’ll come thank you after National Day—they’re soldiers, you know, even busier during the holiday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming nodded, raised his glass to Uncle Anping. It was his first time drinking this medicinal wine—it had a peculiar taste. The two uncles exchanged a smile, both agreeing it paled next to their hometown’s old baijiu, so they finished the half liang and switched to the home-brewed liquor Old Wei had brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan sipped and liked it immediately. She remembered something: “Oh, right—after the September issue of ‘Children’s Literature’ came out, your story ‘The Toothless Tiger’ got a great response—lots of reader letters. I brought them back for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, really?” Wei Ming felt a surge of excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought of Zheng Yuanjie’s legend—how he bought ten apartments in Beijing just to store reader letters, the ultimate flex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll buy twenty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming saw Lu Xiaoyan carrying a stack of envelopes—and his ambition instantly deflated. That wasn’t much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About ten letters, maybe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: “How many letters do other authors get? Like Zheng Yuanjie, the one who writes about ants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan thought: “Five.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming burst out laughing—he wasn’t doing badly at all!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Children’s Literature’ received many reader letters, but most were addressed to the editorial office; those specifically naming a single author were rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zheng Yuanjie’s ‘The Fairy Tale King’ had only him as an author, and he regularly published reader letters and replied publicly, sparking children’s enthusiasm—so his letters piled up like crazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, Lu Xiaoyan showed Wei Ming the illustrations for ‘If I Were Wu Song’—she’d brought them home especially for him to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Toothless Tiger’ had been rushed into the September issue, so the illustrations were hastily done and only three were made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ‘Wu Song’ had been submitted early, allowing for careful artwork—quality improved significantly, and there were eight illustrations in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaoyan said: “So if you can submit your November manuscript soon, we can hire an outside artist to create custom illustrations—make them even more refined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could hire outside artists to make custom illustrations? Wei Ming suddenly grew curious: “Do any writers submit their own illustrations with their manuscripts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1364,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2cca4bb83590e8de3ae19dc7625f4cbbbb7f30fb2c6d13968d9a03f3645e432d","rising-in-1979-chapter-41","rising-in-1979-chapter-39",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]