[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-58":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},2260766,4412,"Chapter 58: In-World Weisheng","rising-in-1979-chapter-58",58,"\u003Cp>Wei Ming slept for a few hours, got up at midnight for his patrol shift on Route Four, so he could spend the day shopping in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Biaozi’s first patrol, and Wei Ming was guiding him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: That’s right, I’ve become a senior now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biaozi was also excited, hoping something would happen tonight at Beida—doesn’t need to be big, just enough for him to show off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unfortunately, this night was even quieter than Wei Ming’s usual night shifts; even the wild cats in Yannanyuan didn’t go into heat—nothing happened tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sunrise, Biaozi ate and immediately lay down to sleep; though he really wanted to go into the city, he was truly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming changed clothes and got ready to go, estimating his cycling speed—it would take at least an hour and a half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid being late, he set out at seven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By October, Beijing’s mornings were slightly chilly; he pedaled hard on his old 28-inch bicycle and soon warmed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tires warmed up too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the road, Wei Ming stared at the flat front tire in silence—damn, cheap goods really are crap; he should’ve known better—brakes and chain were already broken, so how could the tire escape damage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now stuck between a rock and a hard place: going back, he knew where to find a repair shop, but it was too far; going forward, he wasn’t sure if any repair stalls existed ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make his appointment on time, he had no choice but to push forward, walking with the bike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed for over an hour, asking along the way, and finally found the location of a repair stall just before entering the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After turning left, left again, then left once more, he saw an elderly master tinkering with a broken bicycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming quickly offered him a cigarette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Da Qianmen!” the old man smiled, taking it and tucking it behind his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa, I’ve got a date at nine—I’m already late, can you fix mine first?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was easygoing: “Sure, let me take a look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After opening the outer tire and seeing the inner tube layered with patch upon patch, the old man chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you patching it again, or just replacing it outright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming rubbed his forehead: “Replace it outright—it’ll be faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He patted the rear tire: “Should I replace the back one too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The repairman: “I only have one left of this model—come back tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright then.” Wei Ming figured he’d ride carefully, keeping his weight forward—it shouldn’t be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After setting off again, Wei Ming didn’t dare ride fast; he slowly rolled into the city and arrived at the famous Wangfujing Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wangfujing Street was bustling—even on a weekday, the National Day atmosphere lingered, and crowds of shoppers filled the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shops lined both sides: Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore, China Photo Studio, Gongmei Building, and along the street stood renowned restaurants such as Quanjude, Donglaishun, and Fengzeyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The busiest spot was Wangfujing Department Store, Beijing’s first large-scale retail store after the founding of the PRC, hailed as “New China’s First Store,” with constant streams of customers coming and going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he neared the department store, Wei Ming asked a passerby for the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, it’s ten already!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was an hour late, he wasn’t sure if she’d still be waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he even reached the entrance, he spotted the woman standing outside holding a radio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really was her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Short-to-medium hair, dressed in a blue coat, carrying a blue bag—more stylish than most; even without a tape recorder, she was the brightest figure in the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it—even though the name’s common, same name, same age, same workplace—it could only be her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin, who in the future would become deeply beloved for her role as the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom in Journey to the West, was unofficially paired by netizens as “South Gong Rui, North Zhu Lin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, their professional status differed greatly: Gong Rui was a double Best Actress winner at the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards—though not the absolute top of the industry then, she was among the top three of her generation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin had no major film roles, but the emotional weight of the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom made her beloved by netizens. In fact, Gong Rui, who retired early, also gained unexpected curiosity and affection from younger fans unfamiliar with her due to this pairing—mutual benefit, really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Wei Ming had never met Gong Rui, but he had seen Zhu Lin in her early fifties—still possessing an extraordinary aura, utterly captivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming first parked his bike for two fen, under the watch of an old woman with a red armband, then walked up to her: “Excuse me, are you Comrade Zhu Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin checked her watch; though Wei Ming was handsome and visually pleasing—enough to soften some of her irritation—she clearly remained displeased: “Yes. You’re Writer Wei, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently Mu Rong had told her about him, but the first impression was poor—so what if he’s a writer? Does that mean he can make someone wait an hour?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good thing this wasn’t a blind date—just a cold, transactional exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wei Ming felt he needed to explain: “I’m truly sorry for keeping you waiting so long—my tire blew out halfway, and I had to push the bike for ages before finding a repair stall. I didn’t expect you’d still be waiting. In ancient times, there was Weisheng who clung to a pillar—now you’re Weisheng in the flesh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin nodded; she didn’t bother guessing whether his words were true or not—it was just a transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed him the radio: “I bought this for 78 yuan, used it for half a year. Here’s the receipt—I’ll sell it for 70.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only a ten percent discount, in this era of scarcity, even full price wouldn’t be unusual—premium pricing wouldn’t be surprising either, since she didn’t need ration coupons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming took the radio—it was a popular Hongdeng-brand transistor radio from Shanghai, not too large, well-maintained, nearly new, and came with batteries—ready to use immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, television coverage was far inferior to radio, and programs were less diverse—this was the mainstream; even in rural areas without electricity, finding a few radios wasn’t hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he turned it on, he heard a familiar voice—hey, isn’t that Heshen, my lord?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This must be his audio drama version of The Gadfly broadcast on China National Radio—his voice was unmistakable, unchanged for decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, I’m very satisfied. Thank you.” Wei Ming paid quickly—seventy yuan—and the transaction was complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman was surprisingly polite; after taking the money, Zhu Lin gave him a smile and walked into the department store. Wei Ming followed her in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin paused, glancing at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled: “I’m going to buy something too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To avoid looking like he was following her, Wei Ming quickened his pace, walking ahead—then it became Zhu Lin following him upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Electronics were on the second floor, watches on the third, so after ascending, they parted ways without much interaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Lin had tried several times to initiate conversation—she was curious about Wei Ming’s extraordinary talent and legendary background—but remembering her hour-long wait, she stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming didn’t initiate either; he thought, after making her wait an hour, his first impression was already bad—she was now the cold butt, and he had no reason to chase after her with a warm face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what if she’s beautiful? So what if she’s North Zhu Lin? I know South Gong Rui too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming hadn’t done any research beforehand; at the watch counter, he saw many brands—besides the famous Shanghai, there were Hongmei, Beijing, Dongfeng, and cheaper ones like Nanjing’s Zhongshan brand, priced at just over thirty yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But would this thing even last?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight wasn’t the issue—it was the fear that a slight bump would break it, and at this price range, waterproofing was out of the question—you’d have to take it off every time you washed your face or hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hated inconvenience!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming asked directly: “How much is the Shanghai brand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They vary—some expensive, some cheap.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prices ranged from 120 to 200 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to limited production, stock was often unavailable; today, Wei Ming was lucky—three different-priced Shanghai watches awaited him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it was a major purchase, he needed to be careful; after buying the radio, his cash was under 400 yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he carefully examined the performance of all three watches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short: the expensive ones are worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pricier watches weren’t just more stylish—they were waterproof, shock-resistant, made of better materials, more accurate, and didn’t need frequent winding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the salesclerk had zero sales skills, Wei Ming was somewhat persuaded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end, he weighed his wallet and chose the middle path—buying a 165-yuan all-steel Shanghai watch (including strap).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within half an hour, Wei Ming had spent 235 yuan, leaving him with just over 200 yuan—but it was enough. He even considered browsing further to see if he could buy something for his mother; after all, he was already here~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Please vote for monthly tickets and follow the story!!!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1547,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","65b97ab7bd374e4ccccce885c40d16478c5807cb365da5f25e56de389c645c0a","rising-in-1979-chapter-59","rising-in-1979-chapter-57",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]