[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-462":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},2261170,4412,"Chapter 462: Beginning! (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)","rising-in-1979-chapter-462",462,"\u003Cp>Looking at the crowd surrounding him, Old Wei regretted not buying two TVs to bring back—this crush was unbearable, with many people only hearing voices and seeing no one at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But villagers who often watched TV recognized the voice immediately: it was Zhao Zhongxiang’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t hosting this year, only announcing the phone number for request-based programs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spring Gala director, Huang Yihé, was decisive—he believed the News Broadcast announcers were steady but lacked improvisational skill, and live broadcasts put too much pressure on them, so he overruled objections and brought in the more agile, lively comic performers Ma Ji and Jiang Kun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also paired them with Wang Jingyu from the Youth Art Theatre and Gong Yu from Beiyingchang, with Gong Yu representing southern cultural workers—otherwise the gala would’ve been too northern in flavor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Gong Yu’s participation, people from the Magic Capital were all eagerly waiting, especially the Gong family, who had gathered at Gong Yu’s parents’ Huaqiao Xincun apartment, eating New Year’s Eve dinner while waiting for her to appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhao Zhongxiang came a short animation: cartoon versions of the four hosts appeared, then the live studio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Jie wore a red shirt and black skirt, slender and charming, her smile sweet; though thirty, she radiated youthful energy and stunned the entire audience upon her entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Villagers unfamiliar with Wei Ming and Gong Yu’s relationship sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gong Yu is so beautiful—if anyone could marry her, they’d be blessed beyond measure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei chuckled—he didn’t need to burn incense for something this small; they were underestimating their family’s writer’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yanjing, Zhu Lin, the old maid who couldn’t find a husband, was watching the Spring Gala with her parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did the couple feel glad their daughter wasn’t married—if she were, she’d be at her in-laws’ house, not enjoying this lively scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gala opened with Ma Ji inviting his mentor Hou Baolin, the consultant, onstage to speak, followed by the first official act: Li Gu’s song “Bainian Ge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the four hosts introduced tonight’s guests, including Hou Yaowen, Shi Fukuan, Siqin Gaowa, Hu Songhua, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Zi suddenly widened his eyes: “Jingzi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Beijing Martial Arts Team being introduced, led by Coach Wu Bin, who had brought Wu Jing along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming hadn’t expected Wu Jing to appear on the Spring Gala—this kid was really going all out to avoid homework.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xi Zi, take another good look,” Wei Ming reminded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xi Zi stared hard and spotted another familiar face at the table behind Wu’s team: “Ah, it’s Biao Ge and Biao Sao!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biao Sao was holding a chubby baby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some villagers were confused: “Your cousin and his wife are on TV too? Awesome!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the first time villagers had seen so many big names in one place—they thought the Spring Gala was wonderful and hoped it would continue next year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the introductions ended, they played a riddle game, then began crosstalk: Ma Ji and his partner Zhao Yan performed three acts, thanks to phone requests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers sighed again: “If only our village had a phone—we could request shows too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu chuckled: “Even if you had a phone, could you afford the call charges?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled through three utterly clichéd crosstalk skits—he wouldn’t have laughed alone, but the joy around him was contagious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later came song and dance, magic acts; when the acrobatics troupe’s panda performance appeared, Old Wei’s eyes welled up—he thought of his Hong Kong son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the act, Wei Anping patted him: “Brother, I’m going back to sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already past ten—Lü Xiaoyan and Xi Le were still wide awake, but earlier that day, Wei Anping had promised his mother he’d let her visit him in a dream so they could talk properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After waiting through several more acts, they finally reached Xue Jie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, a clip from the film “Under the Bridge” played—Xue Jie looked more beautiful than ever, and Xi Zi appeared too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the audience, Qi Delong laughed: “Who’s that little boy? Isn’t that Xi Zi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Xi smiled modestly: “Yes, it’s me again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately received a wave of praise calling him a “big star,” and several elders teased him to perform something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to perform—he’d learned some things at Shichahai Sports School—but he wanted to watch Xue Mama’s act more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Gong Yu was being teased by Ma Ji and Jiang Kun onstage to perform too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was all prearranged—the director held this song in high regard, and Gong Yu had rehearsed it countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then—I’ve prepared a new song to offer everyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ji asked: “What’s the song called?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Yu: “Me and My Motherland.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Ji led the applause: “Clap, everyone! Comrade Gong Yu is an actress—chances to hear her sing are rare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since live broadcasts had no subtitles, Gong Yu added before singing: “Performed by Gong Yu, lyrics and music by Wei Ming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! It’s Uncle Ming’s song!” a younger relative of Wei Ming shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gala had already lasted over three hours; many villagers were tired, but this shout revived their spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Xiaoyan said: “Xiao Ming, why didn’t you tell us earlier? We’d have kept your uncle awake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “It’s fine—there’ll be a replay tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Chengdu, Liu Xiaoqing was watching the show in a guesthouse—she’d come to Chengdu for side gigs; her singing wasn’t bad either, and during the break from “The Last Empress,” she’d toured everywhere with her troupe, making plenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing Gong Yu on CCTV not only hosting, promoting her new film, and singing, she couldn’t help feeling envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who to blame? Only herself—for loving a man who lacked Wei Ming’s talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me and my motherland, never to be parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever I go, I sing a hymn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sing of every mountain, I sing of every river…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Yu’s heartfelt performance moved everyone in the studio and viewers at home—they realized for the first time how beautifully she could sing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the wings, Li Gu listened and softly hummed along—during rehearsals, she’d already figured out how she could handle it even better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though technically imperfect, Gong Yu’s singing overflowed with emotion; by the end, her eyes were misty with tears—a sight both heartbreaking and beautiful, touching every viewer at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An old man by the Hai Zi lake stood up and clapped spontaneously at the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a beautiful song—it revealed Comrade Wei Ming’s deep patriotism; no wonder he’s the teenage genius who donated a million to Peking University!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Viewers at home wouldn’t let Gong Yu go—during the song, they called in demanding another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gong Yu wasn’t a singer, and requests poured in wildly; most just said she could sing anything she knew well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A contingency plan had been prepared for this—Gong Yu replied: “Then I’ll sing another verse of ‘Tomorrow Will Be Better.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The song was perfectly fitting, and it was one of Gong Yu’s signature pieces—she excelled at nearly every song Wei Ming wrote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she sang, listening to the villagers singing along, Wei Ming rubbed his chin, thinking of something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This song was too orthodox—it might earn Xue Jie official favor, but if she ever emigrated, this song might cause public backlash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Wei Ming had no such worries—he never planned to emigrate; he knew where the ecosystem suited him best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years of accumulation had given him the power to live comfortably in China, unafraid of even the underworld’s enforcers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things ever reached the point where he himself was forced to flee, then Xue Jie and Zhu Lin would have to leave with him—there’d be no need to care about public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joyful moments are fleeting—Gong Yu sang only one extra song; other acts followed, and all further requests for her to sing were ignored—the audience couldn’t bear to let her go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with Gong Yu rushing, Ma Ji and Jiang Kun’s crosstalk couldn’t end before midnight—they had to cut it short and ring the bell to welcome the New Year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, four hours had passed; villagers usually slept by nine or ten, but since more acts were coming, most stayed, watching as if keeping vigil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Party Secretary Zhou Xingbang touched the hot TV, saw everyone’s high spirits, and since Wei Ming hadn’t left, he let them continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After midnight, Li Gu’s song performance was the most anticipated—after singing “Spring Song,” she was repeatedly called for encores, including Wei Ming’s “Lubeihua,” “Young Friends,” “Ask the Motherland Hello,” and “Zhiyin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After singing five songs, backstage received a call requesting Li Gu’s “Xiang Lian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wasn’t the first call for “Xiang Lian”—in fact, requests for it were overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After consulting his superiors, director Huang Yihé finally nodded—Jiang Kun stepped onstage and told Li Gu the final song could be “Xiang Lian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, after being banned for over two years under the accusation of “decadent music,” this song was officially lifted—though in the countryside, it had never been banned; the people loved it too much, and even Deng Lijun couldn’t suppress it, let alone Li Gu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then clips from the films “Wulin Zhi” and “Wudang” were shown, with Zhao Debiao and Huang Jiaoyan introducing their respective starring roles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a mutual understanding between the two studios—to create a sense of a marital showdown, embedding the names of these two martial arts films deeply into the audience’s minds.\u003C\u002Fp>",1565,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","40eda66a837fff64792091fe5f26a24e5cf712a99548d3d5a1f88c77e074844e","rising-in-1979-chapter-463","rising-in-1979-chapter-461",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]