[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-66":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},2260774,4412,"Chapter 66: Fire Burns Bright (Requesting Monthly Tickets and Follows!)","rising-in-1979-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>As they drew closer, Wei Ming and Wei Hong could already see the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, an old man wearing a Liberation cap and a blue coat rushed over, carrying a bucket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Secretary!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoming, Xiaohong!” Old Secretary Zhou Xingbang glanced at the motorcycle in surprise and hurriedly said, “Hurry up—your house is on fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they arrived, the fire was still burning; the courtyard was filled with villagers who had come to help, but everyone had already given up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the fire was raging—buckets of water couldn’t put it out, and this year Hengzhou was suffering a severe drought; better to conserve water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the burning area wasn’t critical, and there were no other houses or flammable materials nearby; as long as firebreaks were set, let it burn out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming recalled—it was a makeshift shelter made of reed mats, right beside the chicken coop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei sometimes brought donkeys and mules home to spend the night, so he built this shelter—it wasn’t even a proper house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Wei Jiefang stood there, face covered in soot, watching the blazing shelter; when he saw Wei Ming push the motorcycle into the yard, he immediately flashed a row of white teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoming, you’re back! Oh my, Old Secretary, you came too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers who had come to help all turned to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, Dad, Mom,” Wei Ming called out warmly, especially to his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though officially separated for only a month, they’d actually been apart for five years—he hadn’t seen Xu Shufen, under forty, in decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Old Wei was about to launch into a scene of filial piety, Old Secretary Zhou Xingbang asked sternly: “Jiefang, what exactly happened? You’ve stirred up half the village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang sighed, picking up a limp Huahua chicken from the ground: “I was cooking with Shufen when we heard the chickens squawking—I grabbed a burning stick and saw a weasel dragging a chicken into the shelter. I scared it off, got the chicken back, but the stick fell inside the shelter—it still had embers—and then it caught fire. Sigh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that’s how it happened—Wei Ming had thought Old Wei was playing the “burning beacon to amuse the concubines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Secretary said: “As long as no one’s hurt, everyone can go home now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d heard the rumors too—he wanted to wait until the crowd dispersed to speak privately with Wei Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one wanted to leave; Wei Ming had become too famous lately, and now he’d returned on a motorcycle—they barely recognized the boy they’d watched grow up, and they all wanted to get to know him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang didn’t want them to leave either—he gave Wei Ming a meaningful look: Where’s my radio?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled and said to Zhou Xingbang: “Old Secretary, the fire’s still burning—why don’t we wait until it’s fully out before leaving? That’s safer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly, exactly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone chimed in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Secretary nodded, and Wei Ming added: “Also, uncles, aunts, uncles, aunts—adversity reveals true friendship; distant relatives can’t match close neighbors. Thank you all for coming to help put out the fire. I don’t have much to offer, but please wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Wei Ming opened his luggage and pulled out a fashionable little desk lamp, handing it to Wei Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Hong’s eyes lit up—she fell in love with it at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Wei Ming pulled out the radio and handed it to Old Wei; everyone’s eyes immediately fixed on the small, elegant radio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, where did I put it—wait a sec,” Wei Ming pulled out another bottle box—this one contained Ginseng and Cinnamon Nourishing Wine, unfamiliar to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then another bottle box—this time it was Maotai; many hadn’t seen the characters but had heard of them—Maotai and Wuliangye were the Tsinghua and Peking University of liquor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the villagers—even Old Wei couldn’t close his mouth; he hadn’t expected such a windfall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came boxes of mooncakes and canned goods, handed to his mother—all premium goods the village had never seen, with packaging unlike anything local: good heavens, mooncakes in metal tins!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came magazines and newspapers: “Xiaohong, take these—don’t let them burn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, are these your published articles? All of them?!” she exclaimed in awe—there were so many!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming smiled and kept rummaging in his bag: “Ah, found it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming pulled out a bag and began handing out candy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are local specialties from Shanghai—Big White Rabbit milk candy. Thanks for your help—there’s not much, just one per person, everyone gets some.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had bought them for Xiao Hong, but with the fire incident, he owed gratitude to everyone who came to help—he couldn’t be stingy; distributing the candy was the perfect solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big White Rabbit milk candy was scarce even in the city, and rare in the countryside—most had only seen it at county supply stores, and few could afford it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary candy cost one or two cents per piece, but Big White Rabbit cost ten cents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most didn’t eat them right away—some wanted to savor them slowly later, others planned to save them for their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother and Xiao Hong each received one; when Xiao Hong saw her mother put hers in her pocket, she immediately unwrapped hers and offered it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen’s eyes sparkled with joy: “Sweet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then slipped her own cherished piece into her daughter’s mouth—immediately, a rich milky fragrance spread through Xiao Hong’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was too delicious!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at her brother’s bag—only a few pieces left—and quickly tucked hers away; this candy was clearly expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, more people arrived—Qi Kexiu, Jia the Accountant, and others—they hadn’t moved as fast as the motorcycle. “What happened? Why the fire?” they asked anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang pointed at the ashes: “Look how fierce the fire was—just like our Gouzitun’s life—bright, fiery, and getting even brighter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming felt awkward—why add false meaning? You trying to become team leader now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his surprise, Old Secretary enthusiastically applauded: “Jiefang’s optimism deserves recognition—don’t you all agree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed!” Many voices responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming had planned to hand out candy to Uncle Qi and the others, but when he looked down, the candy bag was gone—he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handing them to Old Wei to distribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hey—Da Qianmen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei thought such good cigarettes were wasted on them, but today was a special day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, Xiuzi, San’er—have a smoke, have a smoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu and Jia the Accountant took the fine cigarettes in surprise, while Wei Jiefang leaned right into the fire to light his, puffing smoke dramatically against the roaring flames—like a warlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first villagers were already explaining the scene to the newcomers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cigarettes and wine—Xiao Wei Ming has really made something of himself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of wine? You’ve heard of Maotai, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And a tape recorder—so high-end, we don’t see many around here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw that metal box—wasn’t that mooncakes? Mooncakes in metal boxes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And lots of canned goods too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wei family is really going to prosper!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei didn’t even need to speak—he just stood there, brushing off ash, and the whole scene radiated prestige.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those things are cheap—what’s really valuable is the motorcycle!” someone else said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang quickly replied: “The motorcycle belongs to Xiaoming’s friend—we can’t afford it yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listen to that—“yet”—meaning they’ll afford it someday!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wei Jiefang’s smug face, Qi Kexiu felt terrible—he wondered why Wei Ming wasn’t his son, why his own son only scored thirty in Chinese!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made him furious—he wanted to go home and beat his son right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The empty shelter held little; the fire gradually weakened and died out. A neighbor brought a shovel; together they covered the ashes with soil to prevent reignition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Wei Ming’s stomach growled—he gave his father a look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei chuckled: “Ah, you’ve all worked hard—why not stay for a bite?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, it was time to disperse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone hesitated—there was good smoke, good candy, good stories—they all wanted to hear Wei Ming’s tales—but Wei Ming didn’t speak, leaving it for Old Wei to tell tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone else left, except Old Secretary and Qi Kexiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoming, your novel—nobody else understands it, only I do—but I only have one newspaper. Do you have the full version I could read?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Uncle Qi was a bit of a loose cannon and always clashed with Old Wei, Wei Ming had often borrowed his novels as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming pulled out the three copies of the Wen Hui Bao and handed them over; Old Wei hurriedly said: “Don’t take them away—read right here, I’ll read them too later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu: “Can you even understand it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I don’t understand, I’ll just ask the author to explain it to me,” Old Wei said, hands on hips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen was setting the table with food; the desk lamp sat on the table, the kerosene lamp left for Qi Kexiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Secretary had already eaten, but Wei Jiefang still invited him to join for a drink; Qi Kexiu got no such privilege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Wei hesitated to open the Maotai, so he casually picked up the Ginseng and Cinnamon Nourishing Wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Kexiu asked in surprise: “Xiaoming, isn’t this the super expensive medicinal wine from your novel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang froze: “Super expensive? How expensive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “Fifteen yuan a bottle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Jiefang “Oh”ed, then smoothly put the bottle back and reached for the cheap white liquor in the corner…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1587,"2026-06-19T16:30:57.111Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0e4338226bcc8d2239d09d371156cebd95ce087450ac48d724288fd1d79df7f4","rising-in-1979-chapter-67","rising-in-1979-chapter-65",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]