Chapter 0001 Let that woman wait

How is that possible

Song Zhichao lay on the bed, unmoving

Stranger

Reform of state-owned enterprises, the golden decade of coal

The tape recorder crackled softly, while Beyond sang this incredibly poignant yet popular song about gratitude for maternal love, a staple in every KTV. Song Zhichao continued to survey his surroundings in a somewhat dazed manner, as if time and space were reversing. The most eye-catching was the calendar hanging on the wall, featuring Andy Lau, one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Hong Kong, leaning stylishly against a red motorcycle, reminiscent of his role in the film "If There Is Love"

I am fine, just feeling a bit dizzy.

1990

Then his head spun with dizziness, and a wave of unfamiliar memories instantly engulfed him

He can be certain that he has never seen this face in his entire life

As for why the workers would lend money to Song Zhichao, the reason is quite simple. Rumor has it that Song Zhichao is the best candidate for the next workshop supervisor at the "Developed Toy Factory." In line with the tradition of flattery, these workers voluntarily lent money to Song Zhichao, hoping that once he becomes the supervisor, he would take better care of them.

This is not all; that manager also abused his authority to directly dismiss him, who could have originally been promoted to the position of workshop supervisor

Song Zhichao's mind was somewhat chaotic and disordered

The simple-minded Song Zhichao felt that he was even inferior to his father

In the mirror, there is a slightly youthful yet very handsome face, no more than eighteen years old. Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol, it appears somewhat haggard, with dark circles under the eyes

little sister-in-law

This is an era where victory can be achieved without relying on connections

The spring breeze and gentle rain warm my heart, a lifetime of silent care and gifts; how warm your gaze is, teaching me to steadfastly look ahead, reminding me that I should not give up when I fall; I cannot explain how to repay your parental kindness, the love is vast and boundless, please allow me to say that I truly love you

... ...

But who knows that Song Zhichao not only had his girlfriend taken away by someone, but also lost the position he was in charge of.

Soon, Song Zhichao realized the situation before him; what kind of era was this

Looking around, this is a room of approximately 20 square meters. Above, there hangs an outdated old-fashioned light bulb. To the left of the bed is a table cluttered with various items, including a mirror, a wooden comb, and a box of cassette tapes. The tapes feature the Hong Kong band "Beyond" with members such as Huang Jiaju, as well as handsome pictures of the members of the Taiwanese group "Little Tigers" including Wu Qilong, Su Youpeng, and Chen Zhipeng

After being reborn, "Song Zhichao" could not help but smile wryly; he truly did not know whether to feel fortunate or sorrowful. However, one thing is certain: he is now Song Zhichao, and Song Zhichao is him

The simple-minded youth could not immediately accept such a blow, so he resorted to drinking excessively, ultimately leading to the scene before us

Song Zhichao felt a surge of warmth in his heart and said, "This is your treasure, how can I drink it?"

"Alright, I know you have a headache. I will let you drink my malt extract—once you drink it, your head will no longer hurt." Zhu Fugui handed the steaming tea to Song Zhichao

Now the years have returned me to the age of eighteen, the simple and pure Song Zhichao has departed, yet I have arrived

Love, career, a complete failure

Turn your head first

What is she looking for herself at this moment

What are you doing

The sound quality of this brand's tape recorder is quite poor, far inferior to that of Japanese or Hong Kong brands. However, its television advertisements are extremely popular. In fact, Song Zhichao immediately recalls a young boy named "Yanwu Xiaozai" from back in the day, who held a tape recorder while dancing and singing, "Yanwu Yanwu, a song brings forth a wave of emotions!"

How could this happen? ... These things ... . ... Looking again at the calendar, it shows the time—Happy New Year 1990

A strange yet familiar melody suddenly echoed in Song Zhichao's ears

In the end, after the great waves have washed away the sand, how many heroes and tyrants have emerged!

Is all of this a dream

Countless workers, farmers, intellectuals... have thrown themselves into the surging tide of this era one after another

Just yesterday, he witnessed his girlfriend betraying him, as she had become involved with the production department manager of his own factory

The more the fat man explained, the more confused it became, yet Song Zhichao clearly understood that, as his cousin, the original Song Zhichao was indeed simple-minded, but he was quite willing to spend money to keep up with trends. Especially after establishing a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Tian Xiaoli, Song Zhichao spent money like water, and after working for more than a year, not only did he not save any money, but he also accumulated a mountain of debt

Everything before me is both familiar and unfamiliar

1990

Isn't that Tian Xiaoli, who had her support undermined?

This is the cousin of "myself", whose name has a strong rural flavor, called "Zhu Fugui". He has been working in the south for a year alongside me, and he is seventeen years old this year. He is tall and strong, but unfortunately, he is not very bright. After staying here for a long time, he still cannot speak Cantonese and often does not understand what the local people are saying, which leads to him being bullied. Song Zhichao usually likes to protect him, and the bond between the two is very deep.

This brand of tape recorder was highly sought after by enthusiasts as soon as it was launched, and citizens of the imperial city even queued overnight in the snow to purchase it, resulting in a price of 280 yuan. It is important to note that at this time, the average salary of ordinary workers in Beijing was only between 80 yuan and 150 yuan. For individuals like Song Zhichao, who worked in the southern Guangdong region, enduring long nights and working overtime, their monthly salary was at most around 60 to 70 yuan. Purchasing such a luxury item was only possible because Song Zhichao shamelessly borrowed money from his coworkers.

Have you not woken up yet

Zhu Fugui carefully opened the package of malt extract held by a wooden clip, and poured some of the malt extract into the enamel tea mug; after taking a look, he gritted his teeth and shook the opening to pour out a bit more. Some fine powder spilled onto the rim of the mug, which he pinched with his finger, stuffed it into his mouth, and sucked vigorously.

... ...

Is this really me?" Song Zhichao looked at himself in the mirror in disbelief

Song Zhichao listened to him and turned his head away

Song Zhichao thought for a moment and then recognized this person

Shouldn't it be the year 2018 now

This is an era of reform and opening up, full of vitality; a time when thousands of horses gallop and hundreds of boats compete for the current

However

He suddenly jumped up from the bed, picked up the small oval mirror on the table, and stared intently at himself.

A pair of hands that cannot be adorned, bringing warmth that is always behind, even if verbose, always attentive, feeling guilty for not cherishing it too much

Although the names are the same, they are not the same person

Very unfamiliar

This is an era where success can be achieved without relying on academic qualifications

After completing all of this, Zhu Fugui hurriedly placed a bag of malted milk powder into the iron box and stuffed it under the bed, being very careful, resembling a thief in appearance

In 1990, in the South, at the dormitory of a developed toy factory

Heroes are tragic, while tyrants are obsessive

Song Zhichao put down the teacup and said, "Let that woman wait!"

In his previous life, Song Zhichao was an orphan, a renowned real estate tycoon and a financial magnate; however, the person before us is merely a poor "worker" with only a high school education, who has come to the south to seek employment

Here, we do not need wealthy fathers, nor do we require being the offspring of officials; we only need to seize an opportunity, keep pace with the rhythm of the times, and we can create a new century that belongs to us

This is a simple young man who came from the north to the south, working hard in a toy factory with his little friends. He happily works alongside his childhood sweetheart.

It seems that you drank too much last night. My mother says that drinking excessively is not good. I advised you last night, but you just wouldn't listen

As Mr. Lu Xun said: The children of the poor wander on the streets with unkempt hair and dirty faces, while the children of the wealthy, with their extravagant appearances and delicate voices, stay at home. When they grow up, they all become lost in society, just like their fathers, or perhaps even worse

Just as Song Zhichao was drinking malted milk and feeling a bit more comfortable, he heard a woman's clear voice calling from downstairs in the dormitory building: "Song Zhichao, I have something to say to you"

Going to sea, stock tide

It feels as if time has suddenly rolled back several decades

Zhu Fugui scratched his head, hurriedly put down the iron thermos in his hand, and then picked up a white enamel tea mug from the table. He then said to Song Zhichao: "Brother Chao, turn your head away, you are not allowed to look"

The rapid development of information technology, the era of the internet, and the globalization of entertainment

Song Zhichao has yet to recover from the shock he just experienced; to be precise, he has not yet fully adapted to his current "identity".

Then Song Zhichao saw through the round mirror placed on the table that Zhu Fugui was crouching down, sneaking out an iron box from under his bed, and then opened the iron box to take out a bag of "Chrysanthemum Brand Milk Powder".

At this moment, a brand new black plastic "Yanwu" brand tape recorder is crackling as it plays a cassette, the song being the one that Song Zhichao just heard, Beyond's "Truly Love You"

Zhu Fugui blushed and said, "As long as you don't sneak a drink and ask me for it, I will let you have some. My mother asked me to save money, and I am reluctant to spend it. I only bought this malt milk powder, originally intending to take it home for my mother to try. It's not that I don't want to share; it's just that I can't bear to let you drink it..."

He opened his bleary eyes, and an old-fashioned cabinet adorned with goldfish patterns from the 1980s came into view. The cabinet was somewhat dirty and emitted a musty odor

Zhu Fugui leaned over to look outside, then turned to Song Zhichao and mumbled, "Well, it seems that your little sister-in-law is looking for you about something"

Song Zhichao couldn't help but pinch his own face, it hurt

Gudu! As the hot tea brews with malted milk powder, a rich aroma rises from the room

"Brother Chao, you are awake. Are you alright?" Suddenly, a stout man with a simple appearance entered with a thermos in hand, and upon seeing Song Zhichao, he inquired with a look of urgency on his face.

Without mentioning anything else, I would like to point out that the brand new "Yanwu" tape recorder used to play music just now was purchased by Song Zhichao only half a month ago