[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-447":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},2261155,4412,"Chapter 447","rising-in-1979-chapter-447",447,"\u003Cp>“Who are you looking for?” a bearded man with glasses called out to the shifty-eyed Feng Xiaogang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrade, I’m from the ‘Shepherd Class’ film crew, here to report to Teacher Wei Ming,” Feng Xiaogang straightened his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his appearance was unimpressive, the outfit eased Mi Jiashan’s guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, follow me,” Mi Jiashan led Feng Xiaogang to the guesthouse, and they exchanged names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Jiashan mentioned his name, which Feng Xiaogang didn’t know; when he mentioned his screenplay for the film “Song in the Whirlpool,” Feng Xiaogang immediately exclaimed: “Starring Pan Hong, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Jiashan nodded, a smug smile on his lips: Pan Hong, my wife!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since debuting, Pan Hong had starred in multiple films like “Daughter of the Slave,” “The Laugh of the Tormented,” and “Sunlight Through the Clouds”—not top-tier, but solidly a second-tier star, and the top actress at Emei Studio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaogang would never have guessed that Pan Hong’s husband was this unremarkable bearded man before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the bearded man wasn’t ordinary; though he hadn’t yet produced a major work at Emei Studio, his family background was prestigious—his father had once been the top leader of Rongcheng, a position higher than Han Sanping’s father (deputy mayor of a prefecture-level city).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since both were second-generation elites and worked at Emei Studio, he got along well with Han Sanping; his wife wanted him to ask Han Sanping if there were any suitable roles for her in Wei Ming’s film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Han Sanping was listening to Chen Kaige speak at length, while Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaoning sat quietly, occasionally chipping in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Mi Jiashan arrived with a man claiming to be from the “Shepherd Class” crew, everyone was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Kaige asked: “Which unit are you from? I’ve never heard of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was borrowed from the army by Teacher Wei. My name is Feng Xiaogang,” he said, pulling out a pack of Da Qianmen cigarettes and offering them around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the name, Chen Kaige laughed and turned to Feng Xiaoning: “Xiaoning, is this your brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaoning looked at Feng Xiaogang and wanted to say he couldn’t possibly have such an ugly brother—but truthfully, their facial structures were somewhat similar; even the unattractive Feng Xiaoning looked somewhat refined next to Feng Xiaogang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou introduced the three of them, then asked: “So what’s your role?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaogang replied: “In the army, I handled art direction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Kaige laughed harder: “Xiaoning, same job as you—admit it, you’re brothers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaogang immediately stepped forward and grabbed Feng Xiaoning’s hand: “Big Brother Xiaoning, we’re destined to be together—you’re my real brother from now on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being connected to Wei Ming wasn’t enough—he also wanted to tie himself to the film’s art director, the easiest entry point to a key film position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaoning smiled politely but awkwardly, silently screaming inside: Get your hands off me, you idiot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon Wei Ming returned and saw Feng Xiaogang: “Xiaogang, you’re here. You all know each other now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, we do,” Han Sanping said, then introduced Mi Jiashan to Wei Ming; Mi Jiashan also worked in art at Emei Studio and wrote his own screenplays, and the studio planned to groom him as a director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Han Sanping and Mi Jiashan would attend film school next year to study directing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without Han Sanping’s introduction, Wei Ming knew Mi Jiashan’s background, so he was warmly receptive and asked: “Old Mi, would you be willing to join my team?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With him on board, coordinating with various units would save much time and effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Old Mi didn’t have strong interest—there was already a deputy director and an art director on the team, and the script was Wei Ming’s responsibility; there was little room for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Pan Hong’s sake, he smiled: “Just assign me any task, Teacher Wei—I’ve got nothing else on my plate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know you’re versatile—then you handle the sets, and I’ll give you the title of assistant director. We can also discuss the script together—how’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Jiashan nodded; just as he was about to ask about the female lead, Zhang Yimou eagerly showed Wei Ming photos taken in Xinjin County—towns, villages, countryside scenes all captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rural areas of Xinjin had no distinctive features; Wei Ming wasn’t satisfied and wanted to see more, but the county town looked acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Tomorrow, come with me to my grandmother’s place—Yaan’s scenery is also excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Han Sanping arranged housing for Feng Xiaogang; before returning to his room, Wei Ming visited Xiao Hong, who was studying TOEFL materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hi, bro, you’re back! Did you find your auntie yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming chuckled and tapped her head: “It won’t happen that fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though household registration data was already digitized, finding someone matching the criteria wasn’t easy—it would take time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reuniting families sometimes depends on technological progress; future tech could identify children through facial scans of their parents—not perfectly accurate, but at least narrowing the range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Wei Ming would likely just get a range—he’d have to sort through the rest himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow we go to your grandmother’s, then you’ll stay there for a while—we still need to scout locations everywhere, and it’s inconvenient to bring a girl along.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, okay,” Wei Hong understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next day, Chengdu was hit by heavy rain—torrential downpour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming looked out the window: “Well, we can’t go out now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sichuan was still in its rainy season, and Ya’an had even more rainfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sanping worried: “I hope it doesn’t rain as badly as last year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year’s flood still haunted many in Sichuan and Chongqing; when last year’s flood was mentioned, everyone looked at Wei Ming—even Chen Kaige, the arrogant genius, showed some admiration—it had cost over a hundred million Hong Kong dollars in foreign exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “It shouldn’t be that bad, but after the rain, transportation in many mountain villages will likely be problematic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly—I’m afraid the Jeeps won’t be able to pass,” Zhang Yimou said; filming required transporting heavy equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming turned to Han Sanping: “Old Han, does Emei Studio have motorcycles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have one,” Mi Jiashan raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sanping: “The studio doesn’t, but some private individuals do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, they saw Mi Jiashan’s motorcycle in the workshop—it was the future-famous Jialing brand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at that time, Jialing had just partnered with Honda; the higher-performance joint-venture model had not yet been produced—Mi Jiashan rode a lightweight motorcycle, the CJ50, independently developed by Jialing several years earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Wei Ming, it looked more like a future electric scooter—thin and flimsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this lightweight motorcycle sold extremely well in Chongqing, since the city’s hilly terrain left no room for bicycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Kaige said: “This thing can’t carry much weight, can it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Jiashan: “Heavy loads are tough, but carrying my wife? No problem—oh, my wife is Pan Hong, about a hundred jin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: Xue Jie weighs only ninety jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Feng Xiaogang’s small eyes widened—he was married to Pan Hong? Him?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently noted: Making films lets you marry movie stars!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yimou remained calm—Pan Hong was nothing; did he know about Nan Gong Shu and Bei Zhu Lin? Neither had anything to do with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming tried riding the motorcycle in the spacious workshop—it was indeed light and had decent power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the rain lessened, he rode outside, testing it on rough terrain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he decided: “Are these motorcycles still sold in Chengdu? I want to buy a batch for the crew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These motorcycles weren’t expensive—under a thousand yuan each—and Wei Ming could easily afford them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, gasoline would be Emei Studio’s responsibility—mainly securing fuel quotas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mi Jiashan immediately helped Wei Ming make inquiries; they learned only three were left in Chengdu stores. Learning Wei Ming needed them, the manager promised to request stock from the Chongqing headquarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming was seen as a great benefactor in Sichuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming said: “Take all three, and add seven more—make it ten.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the three motorcycles arrived, and the rain stopped; Han Sanping could drive, so he took the studio’s Jeep, carrying Feng Xiaoning, Mi Jiashan, Chen Kaige, Wei Hong, and a mountain of luggage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming, Zhang Yimou, and Feng Xiaogang rode the motorcycles straight to Wei Ming’s grandmother’s home—the sun was bright, filling these young men under thirty with a thrilling sense of boundless freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Xiaogang rode the slowest, lagging behind, watching the Jeep and motorcycles ahead, thinking: Making films is amazing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trip would take them not only to Ya’an and Baoxing, but also to several famous beautiful villages in Sichuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiuzhaigou was also on Wei Ming’s list, but its scenery was so extraordinarily beautiful he hesitated whether to include it—the place was too ethereal; he wanted the film to be beautiful, but not a mere travelogue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t reach his grandmother’s home in one day; they spent the night in Pujiang County, refueled, and ate Pujiang kiwifruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ideally, shooting locations should be as close to Chengdu as possible—problems and logistics would be easier to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Beijing Film Studio’s “Xu Mao and His Daughters” was shot in Jianyang County near Chengdu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But places closer to political and cultural centers lacked distinctive character—they felt soulless, like Wei Ming’s hometown in Hebei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, they finally arrived in Ya’an’s Baoxing County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Sanping, driving ahead, stopped before a large bridge and shouted excitedly to the motorcycles behind: “Look! Wei Ming Bridge!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had reached the Qingyi River; at everyone’s strong request, they took a group photo beside the stone monument on the bridge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, they went to the town near his grandmother’s home; to facilitate transport, his uncle and elder brother-in-law had built the feed factory in town, but their family still lived in the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bro, Xiao Hong!” Long Xiaoyang had just seen off a mule cart hauling feed, then spotted this group—cars, motorcycles!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming asked: “Is there a place to eat in town? Let’s grab something first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sure thing—I’ll take you to a private restaurant, the food’s excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1673,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","25c3a862e59a6c94226b833a043ab09b941a9f8ea0eaa552fbda921a6c238664","rising-in-1979-chapter-448","rising-in-1979-chapter-446",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]