Exciting 1979!

Chapter 45: Please Kick Gently (Please read and vote for me!)

According to Master Liu, this person will be giving a speech at Peking University, and Wei Ming won't be able to see it.

However, he could probably guess why he came to Peking University to give a speech. It was probably because the country hoped to increase exchanges among international students and send more college students to study in the United States during the honeymoon period between China and the United States.

I heard that the class of 77 has already started competing for government-funded overseas student places. Brother Qiang from the law department also wanted to go, but because he was too outstanding, he was retained by the school's Youth League Committee.

The country certainly understands that overseas students are likely to become like meat buns thrown at dogs and never come back, and these are the best buns in the country.

But we really have to go. Academic exchanges have been interrupted for ten years, and many disciplines have been disconnected. Without the help of foreign knowledge, the country's development will only be slower.

Even if 10 out of 5 people come back, it would be worth it.

Master Liu asked Wei Ming to wait for his news and he would help him find a leader to write a letter of introduction.

After leaving the school motorcade, Wei Ming returned to the South Gate. Mei Wenhua, who was a volunteer for the National Games, had already returned and was sitting inside with Biaozi.

Wei Ming said: "Where's Brother Feng? Has he not finished get off work yet?"

Biaozi said regretfully: "Brother Feng said he won't go."

"What?"

Mei Wenhua smiled and said, "My sister-in-law is here!"

"what?"

Zhao Debiao: "In our dormitory."

"ah!"

Zhao Debiao: "It's not what you think. Brother Feng just felt that having one more person would cost you a lot of money, so he thought about changing the date."

Wei Ming: "It's just one more person. I also invited someone else. It's just a happy thing, so don't worry too much."

Nowadays, even if you have money, you don't have many ways to spend it. Apart from a few big items, you can only eat and drink. And even then you can't eat and drink as much as you want because there are quotas for food coupons.

So Wei Ming asked Biaozi to go down and invite someone: "If you can't do it, ask Wenhua to go. If Wenhua still can't hire me, I will go to you three times."

Not long after Biaozi went down, Liu Zhenyun came trotting over.

Wei Ming asked him to wait a little longer as not all the people had gathered yet.

"No hurry. Oh, this is for you." Liu Zhenyun handed a 16-page booklet to Wei Ming. The cover had a yellow background and featured a man leaning over with a small flower in his hand, with three big characters "Weiming Lake" written on it.

The words were written by Mr. Mao Dun, and this is the first issue of "Weiming Lake".

"Oh, it's already printed!" Wei Ming hurriedly took it. Mei Wenhua also came over, looking at him with envy.

He flipped through a few pages and saw that "Ideal" was placed at the beginning of the volume. He felt a little touched. This generation of college students is still very tolerant.

"I thought you were just doing this as an amateur, but I didn't expect the production to be so sophisticated."

“I just don’t know if I can make back the cost. Many of my seniors have invested money in it.” Liu Zhenyun sighed.

When we talked about the need to raise funds, he got carried away and did not contribute money. Otherwise, he would be unable to make a living now due to sales.

"How much do you plan to sell it for?"

"Sanmao."

"Sanmao is not expensive. It is the same as Yenching Literature and Art, and cheaper than People's Literature."

Liu Zhenyun was ashamed: "How can we compare with them? But if we make it any cheaper, we won't be able to recover the cost."

"I understand. Their printing costs are hundreds of thousands, and they use large-scale equipment. Their cost control is also very strict. It's hard for a small workshop like yours to compare."

The more books you print at one time, the lower the cost per book.

As he was speaking, Zhao Debiao had already called up Qiao Feng and Mu Rong.

Mu Rong was a typical Shandong woman, warm and cheerful, with good looks. It was a bit embarrassing for her to be called that again and again. Moreover, she had long been curious about Wei Ming, the strange man her husband had mentioned. When she saw him today, she found that he was indeed extraordinary.

The six people introduced themselves to each other as they walked. No one was averse to Liu Zhenyun, a college student. Besides, Mu Rong was also a student at Peking University, but she didn't get in through admissions.

Mei Wenhua began to calculate the bill. Last time, four people spent five dollars on the meal. How much would it cost for six people this time?
How much did this kid Wei Ming earn from writing articles? He is so generous!
"By the way," Qiao Feng asked Wei Ming, "I saw two newspapers on the table. The author of one of the articles is also named Wei Ming. Is it the same name or..."

"It was me," Wei Ming explained. "I was bored in Shanghai revising manuscripts, and when I was out walking around, an inspiration came to me. I wrote a short story and submitted it to Wenhui Daily, and it was accepted. They paid me very generously."

Mei Wenhua: No wonder!

Liu Zhenyun: Is this all right?
Mu Rong congratulated him and said, "Xiao Wei, you are amazing. Does this count as a double blessing?"

The Harvest was one piece of good news, and the Wenhui Daily was another. Liu Zhenyun interrupted and said, "Our Weiming Lake magazine will be officially launched soon, and it has Brother Wei's poems, which is three pieces of good news."

Mei Wenhua said with a chuckle: "There is no fee for this happy event."

Wei Ming: "In fact, there is also a piece about Yenching Literature and Art, which will probably be published next month, and the prototype of this story was provided by Brother Feng."

Mu Rong: "Is it the one with a cow on the mountain in my hometown?"

"Yes, so I want to treat Brother Feng and Sister-in-law to a meal alone some other day. Without the materials provided by Brother Feng, there would be no way I could write that novel." Wei Ming said sincerely.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng felt very proud. Although he couldn't write, he was able to inspire a writer, which was also a good deed.

Zhao Debiao was also inspired by this: "Brother Ming, if I tell you the story of our Shichahai Sports School and you write a novel, does that mean I inspired you?"

Wei Ming: "Is there any story about your sports school worth writing about?"

Biaozi racked his brains and finally sighed: "It seems so, but my personal experience is still legendary."

"Oh?" Everyone looked at him.

"I have been listening to storytelling like The Three Heroes and Five Gallants since I was a child. I have always had a dream of being a knight. When I was seven years old, I had the idea of roaming the world. Unfortunately, I was caught by my mother that afternoon. Although my butt was beaten to a pulp, my mother sent me to Shichahai, where I practiced martial arts for ten years. Does this count?" Biaozi blinked, looking forward to it.

Wei Ming thought for a moment and said, "It seems like you are just running away from home."

Everyone laughed wildly.

Mei Wenhua sneered, "Ming Ge writes literary works, and you have nothing to do with literature, okay? It's me. I grew up in a military compound, played with kids older than me, and participated in many famous battles in the Forty-Nine City. You know, little bastard, I was one of the witnesses when he died."

Wei Ming was amused: "Mei, you were only eight or nine years old when that little bastard died. How could you pick a fight with someone at such a young age?"

"Heroes have always emerged from youth." He pushed his glasses, but he really couldn't see where the hero was.

After chatting for a while, we arrived at the Chang Zheng canteen. There were ladies there this time and no one ordered any wine, so even though there were six of us, we only spent five dollars.

But this was enough to make Liu Zhenyun gasp. The dishes on the table were not available in the school cafeteria, and they all contained meat!

During the dinner, because everyone was curious, Wei Ming also talked about what he saw and heard in the Magic City. None of the people present had ever been to the Magic City.

Such huge billboards, the Lover's Wall on the Bund, the Toad Car and so on.

Wei Ming's description was so vivid, as if he were there himself. Qiao Feng felt that this was Wei Ming's ability. He could observe a place so thoroughly after only living there for a few days, so he could easily write an article that was published in the newspaper.

While eating, Wei Ming talked about tomorrow's plans.

He asked his senior to arrange a night shift for him tomorrow so that he could go to the Film Academy to find Liu Rulong during the day.

"I'm going to Zhuxinzhuang to visit my classmates tomorrow, so I need to borrow your car. Who will use the car tomorrow?"

Zhao Debiao: "I don't need it!"

Mei Wenhua had no choice but to say, "I don't need it either."

Wei Ming: "Then let's ride a cultural bike. A new bike is easier to ride."

Mei Wenhua: You also know that I am a new car!
"My bike is new, please pedal gently~" Mei Wenhua reminded again and again.

Finally, he couldn't help asking, "You have so much money from writing now, why don't you buy a car?"

“You have a ticket.”

"I don't have one, but you can buy a second-hand one. It doesn't require a ticket and it's cheaper."

Mei Wenhua is really looking forward to Wei Ming having a car of his own so that he doesn't have to show off his new car.

Wei Ming took this to heart. He would get the watch ticket soon and buy a new watch with after-sales guarantee.

In fact, it doesn’t matter whether the car is new or old, as long as it can be ridden. Anyway, he plans to change to a car in a few years, or use a motorcycle as a transition before that.

"Do you have any access to used cars?"

Seeing that Wei Ming was interested, Mei Wenhua said, "I'll help you find out."

Qiao Feng and others also said they would help him keep an eye out.

Mu Rong asked with a smile: "Xiao Wei, is your classmate a boy or a girl?"

"Sister-in-law, it's a male classmate. What's the matter? Do you want to introduce me to someone?"

"As long as you ask, I will bring her to you tomorrow. We have many female comrades in the Institute of Medical Sciences. They are beautiful and smart, and they especially love literary youths!"

(End of this chapter)