[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-472":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},2261180,4412,"Chapter 472","rising-in-1979-chapter-472",472,"\u003Cp>The successful assembly of the Santana in mainland China meant it was about to enter mass production, and thus restrictions on private car purchases would inevitably be lifted—Wei Ming was delighted that he could finally drive openly in his own country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he poured a fortune into it, the Sihe Academy on Nánluógǔxiàng was now impregnable—unless terrorists attacked, it was virtually impossible to breach, so now the greatest concern was the safety of his two sisters on the road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bicycle could be knocked down with a single blow, but in a small car, unless confronted by a scammer, criminals couldn’t even get close to the driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as personal car purchase restrictions were lifted, Wei Ming planned to immediately equip both sisters with small cars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying and Xia Meng continued their flight from Guangzhou; the seats ahead belonged to an American family—a fat father, a fat mother, and a fat junior-high daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they had recognized Gong Ying, knowing she was China’s most famous female star, having watched “Mom, Please Love Me Again,” and adored her—though they barely spoke Chinese.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Xia Meng was about to help translate, Gong Ying herself began conversing with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not a high-level academic exchange, her English was surprisingly good—though nowhere near the level of someone who had lived abroad, basic communication posed no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Meng said to Gong Ying’s mother Zhuang Che: “Your daughter taught you well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Che was also surprised: “I never expected Xiao Xue could speak English so fluently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Xia Meng asked Gong Ying: “Xiao Xue, are you also thinking of going abroad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying shook her head: “I haven’t thought about it, but I believe the mainland will eventually open fully to the world; when that happens, film collaborations with overseas partners will surely increase, and mastering an international language will become an advantage for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These views were mostly instilled in her by Wei Ming, but with her mother present, Gong Ying could only apply them to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Meng nodded repeatedly—though Gong Ying was born on the mainland, her demeanor was very cosmopolitan, and at over thirty, she closely resembled Shan Shan, the other female lead in the new film, and her double Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Award-winning acting was unquestionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a pity, however, that Gong Ying’s distinct mainland demeanor still didn’t match the Hong Kong woman’s temperament—otherwise she would have been an excellent candidate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After landing, someone from Xia Meng’s company would pick her up; she asked Gong Ying: “Shall I take you there? The taxi drivers here are somewhat xenophobic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying waved her hand: “Thank you, Miss Xia Meng, but I already sent a telegram to my sister; she replied that she would come to pick us up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked out, they didn’t know whether Gong Ying had arrived yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Gong Ying and her mother spotted Gong Ying, Xia Meng pointed outside: “Oh, Ah Ying is already here—she must have driven herself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew the current Gong Ying better than either of her relatives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Wei Ming was still dreaming of the freedom of owning a small car, Gong Ying had already achieved it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying’s mother and sister were surprised—the sister\u002Fdaughter could actually drive?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying goodbye to Xia Meng, Gong Ying told her mother and sister: “Ah Long is on a business trip to Japan, so I’m driving his car for now; once the child is older, I’ll buy my own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Che gasped—a three-person family owning two cars? That was too luxurious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her view, a small car was worth as much as an apartment, but in Hong Kong, the difference between cars and property was astronomical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying asked: “Do cartoonists have to travel on business?” Then her precious ink paintings couldn’t be given away yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying said: “Many of Maniac Comics’ cartoons collaborate with Japanese manga magazines, especially ‘Dragon Ball,’ which is extremely popular in Japan—ranked among the top ten. We even owe the money for our house to Japan’s contributions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of her husband’s achievements, Gong Ying beamed with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Che exclaimed: “Ah, you’ve already bought a house in Hong Kong? I thought Hong Kong property prices were extremely high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying: “Yes, why didn’t you tell us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying said: “We bought it just a few days ago, hadn’t had time to mention it yet. Hong Kong property prices were indeed high—though they’re still high now, they’ve dropped significantly from their peak. This one was even half-price; my and Ah Long’s income was enough to afford a decent second-hand apartment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They quickly found the car; Gong Ying told them to get in. Zhuang Che pulled out her camera: “Wait, let me take a photo of you two sisters together in Hong Kong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With decades of photography experience, Zhuang Che’s photos were beautiful; Gong Ying also took a photo of her mother and sister inside the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the car started, seeing that Gong Ying could truly drive, Gong Ying thought again of what Wei Ming had told them—that learning to drive was a necessary skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wei Ming believed that soon they would all have dedicated drivers, during these transitional years, being able to drive themselves was more convenient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the car was just an ordinary German model, middle-class level, it had air fresheners and a cute plush toy hanging from the center of the dashboard—Zhuang Che felt her youngest daughter was far too bourgeois.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the car left the airport, a Hong Kong that had existed only in imagination and on film began unfolding before them—Zhuang Che was even more unfamiliar with Hong Kong, while Gong Ying had only seen some Hong Kong film and TV tapes before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying asked: “So are we going to your new home now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We haven’t moved into the new home yet—we’ll move after Ah Long returns. For now, we’re going to a restaurant; my in-laws reserved a private room to welcome you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying asked: “Is it at Uncle Liu’s Holiland Restaurant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She often heard Wei Ming mention it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying laughed: “A fast-food joint isn’t suitable for hosting guests; tonight we’re dining at a seafood restaurant—I’ve been there before, it’s excellent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Che asked: “So your sister-in-law will be there too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—she’s only been home a few months, can’t leave the baby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect—I brought a gift for her,” Zhuang Che smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying suddenly became alert: “Mom, you brought a gift for Ru Yan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—when she gave birth, we were on the mainland and couldn’t get there in time; otherwise, we would’ve sent it sooner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying blushed: “I didn’t prepare anything—Ah Ying, is it still possible? Can you take me somewhere to buy a gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying declined: “No need—it’s family, your mother’s gift represents you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying checked the time: “No, no—my sister has money; we can’t be lax with etiquette.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had told her she could freely use his money in Hong Kong, and had given her several thousand Hong Kong dollars and several thousand U.S. dollars as spending cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying: “Alright, alright—what should we get? A longevity lock?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuang Che: “No, no—I already gave a longevity lock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gong Ying thought for a moment: “Oh, I’ve got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she turned off the elevated highway to the right and turned on the car radio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, this is Hong Kong Radio’s Chinese Song Top 10. Let’s continue listening to this week’s new songs—next up is a big one: Vivian Zhou Huimin’s new song, and she even co-composed this Mandarin track herself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the name, Gong Ying wanted to change the station, but Zhuang Che stopped her: “Zhou Huimin? Is that the Hong Kong singer Zhou Huimin who sang ‘Pink Memories’?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1297,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a296da1a63cc2855e84ca8ac953339b15bbce1f689f6d37362f1950a64b45880","rising-in-1979-chapter-473","rising-in-1979-chapter-471",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]