Chapter 0006: The Troubling Past and Present

Political families like the Song family are rare, with no more than twenty such families recognized nationwide

It was still his biological aunt, who feared that he might cause trouble outside, and secretly entrusted his old classmate Chen Mingde, who was working in Huaihai Province, to take care of him

Shen Huai felt as if he were watching a movie; even if the images were crystal clear, he knew in his heart that what was being recorded was someone else's life, someone else's world

Well, since Shen Huai's life was utterly rotten before, leaving behind a huge mess, but at least I can still survive by borrowing his body, there really is no reason to complain about anything

Shen Huai lived with his mother on the farm where they had been sent for re-education. When he was twelve years old, his mother fell ill with a serious disease and passed away after a prolonged illness

After Shen Huai went overseas, his unruly temperament was revealed even more thoroughly. He engaged in various vices typical of a debauched youth, such as gambling and fighting, and he hardly refrained from any of them

Even so, his performance today still left Ge Yongqiu both surprised and puzzled, ultimately leading him to think in a different direction. However, how will he confront Chen Mingde, who knows him better and is more familiar with him?

The disciples and former officials of the Song family are widely distributed both in the central and local areas

However, at this moment, he is unable to let go of his concern for his sister: it is truly hard to imagine how Xiao Li could withstand the blow of his "unexpected passing"

On the eve of liberation, Sun Yaoting fled abroad with his family, leaving only his second daughter and son-in-law, along with their daughter Shen Guixiu, to remain overseas

After the incident of drunken assault occurred, Shen Huai's grandparents ultimately gave up hope of saving their grandson, sending him back to the country and even rewriting their will to deprive him of his inheritance rights

Others only know that Shen Huai worked for more than a year at the Provincial Economic Institute before coming to Donghua, and the reputation at the Provincial Economic Institute was not particularly good. Later, he was transferred by Chen Mingde to Donghua to serve as an administrative secretary in the municipal government

In the middle of the day, there were not many people on the bus back to Meixi Town. Chen Dan and Xiao Li sat one after the other in the seats at the side of the bus. Xiao Li rested her forehead against the window, gazing outside.

Shen Huai weakly rested his forehead against the steering wheel, cursing inwardly: Damn it, this kid comes from a wealthy family, yet at such a young age, he has managed to ruin himself like this, and even alienate everyone around him. He really is something!

Having been at Donghua University for half a year, Shen Huai had limited interactions with Ge Yongqiu, thus he would not appear overly awkward in front of Ge Yongqiu

He still cannot sever his life from that of Shen Huai's past

Shen Huai was thinking that rather than rushing to the city and passively waiting to be reprimanded, it would be better to wait for Chen Mingde to call and scold him instead

Chen Dan instantly thought of why Shen Huai had parked the car here, her face slightly flushed, and she lightly scolded, "Men are truly no good!"

Shen Huai is said to be a discarded child of the Song family, but no matter how discarded he may be, he is still a member of the Song family

During his study abroad, Shen Huai, after a drinking session, even had inappropriate intentions towards his stepmother's daughter

However, after occupying this body, the complex background and past experiences of the previous Shen Huai left him utterly astonished

By the time Song Bingsheng reached middle age, he had only managed to attain the position of Deputy Director of the Personnel Bureau of the Agricultural Machinery Department, which was far from being a significant achievement in life, and even less than that of Shen Huai's three aunts

Even if we take a step back and assume, which commoner’s child can casually spend a few years as a minor official and then secure a legitimate position at the county level?

Behind a transparent glass door, there are three to five provocatively dressed ladies of charm in the small shop, posing flirtatiously towards the outside.

Shen Huai angrily slammed the steering wheel twice, releasing the pent-up frustration within him

Although the Shen family has a deep background overseas for more than 30 years and has not left any criminal record against him, his reprehensible behavior has deeply hurt his elderly grandfather and grandmother.

As for Shen Huai, who was in front of the book before the picture, although his consciousness vanished at the moment of the fatal accident, most fragments of his memories were preserved

Go to hell, get lost, fuck you

Even a discarded pawn from the Song family is still a hundred times better off than an ordinary person

Ultimately, Shen Huai has not yet prepared himself mentally to enter the lives and worlds of others

This unexpected incident left Shen Huai momentarily at a loss, initially feeling secretly pleased at the prospect of becoming a member of a wealthy family.

Although the elder of the Song family, Song Hua, no longer holds a position as a national leader, he is still alive and his influence remains. The elder has had two wives over the years, who bore him a total of seven children: four sons and three daughters, all of whom hold significant positions in central ministries or large state-owned enterprises.

... ...

Perhaps Shen Huai has had a self-destructive tendency in his character since childhood—since the age of 12, it seems that his only purpose in life has been to make his father and subsequently his stepmother, who married into the Song family, lead an unhappy life.

Chen Dan was still lost in thought about the events that had just occurred at the steel mill when she heard Xiao Li's voice reminding her, prompting her to look up.

Shen Huai understood that if this matter truly reached Chen Mingde, even if Chen Mingde were to protect him, he would at least publicly scold him to demonstrate that he would not condone such behavior; it was possible that he would also have to bear a penalty and then go to the city steel mill to apologize to Zhou Dazui to mitigate the impact

Although one can enter another person's life and world with a new identity, the sense of unfamiliarity and alienation cannot be eliminated in just three or four days

Since that moment, he became Shen Huai, and the secrets within could not be disclosed to outsiders. Therefore, the decayed life of Shen Huai that preceded him became the mess he had to bear

Speaking of which, Shenhuai does have some connections with Donghua City

His mother, who passed away when he was twelve, was Shen Guixiu, the granddaughter of Shen Yaoting, a national capitalist from Donghua City before the liberation

He knows that he is a completely unrelated "stranger"; showing too much concern and warmth towards Xiao Li and Chen Dan will only backfire, provoking unnecessary aversion and rejection

Ah? Xiao Li, being simple-minded, did not know what those beauty and hairdressing shops were about. When Chen Dan suddenly said this, she turned around in surprise to look at her...

In Shen Huai's view, the previous Shen Huai was entirely a parasite living off the political elite; the extent of his indulgence and the severity of his character were beyond what he could have imagined, given his strict upbringing.

At that moment, Shen Huai also realized: no matter what, from now on, he must live as Shen Huai, as a member of the Song family, and as Secretary Chen Mingde.

These fragments of memory, akin to stored visual data, can be summoned at any time to present themselves in the mind, yet they are ultimately the memories of the previous Shen Huai

Although most of the second-generation descendants of the Song family are relatively well-behaved, by the third generation, influenced by the atmosphere of reform and opening up, many have become somewhat restless and have fallen into corruption, resulting in a mix of good and bad. Among them, Shen Huai stands out the most.

Indeed, Shen Huai is quite unpopular within the entire Song family. No family would appreciate a descendant who is uneducated, of poor character, and rebellious.

Shen Huai believes that his mother's early death is closely related to his father's abandonment of his wife and children. Although he was brought back to the Song family after his mother's passing, he subsequently became unusually rebellious. In the name of his guardian, he has never been willing to write a single character of the Song family.

After sorting through the memories of this body's original owner, he couldn't help but feel regret. It truly seems that fate plays tricks on people, as he has ended up with such a universally rejected master.

Chen Mingde progressed step by step from an ordinary position in the National Planning Commission to the Deputy Director of the Huaihai Provincial Planning Commission, and then to the Standing Committee Member and Deputy Mayor of Donghua City, a trajectory that is directly related to the influence of the Song family behind him

The bus returning to Meixi Town will pass through Taowu Road. In the past, he would always take this route to the city steel plant, and he is quite familiar with it. At this moment, for him, even a fleeting glance at Xiao Li would bring him some comfort

Understanding all of this, Shen Huai gathered his spirits and silently reminded himself: it is time to bid farewell to the past life; from this moment on, just be your true self, Shen Huai!

Chen Mingde served as the secretary to the elder Song while he was in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission. Although the elder Song retired early, he continued to take good care of Chen Mingde, which contributed to the smooth progression of Chen Mingde's career.

Shen Guixiu, who remained in the country with her parents, inevitably faced challenges during the 1960s and 1970s. After meeting Song Bingsheng, who was sent down during that tumultuous period, they eventually came together and had a child named Shen Huai.

When he was a child, his parents separated due to emotional discord. Having lived closely with his mother, there is consequently little connection to the Song family in his records.

Even if one's past life has been utterly corrupt and degenerate, there is still an opportunity to return to the right path: at least Chen Mingde, remembering the nurturing he received from the Song family, has not yet given up hope for him

It is extremely difficult for outsiders to associate Shen Huai with the Song family, one of the few political powerhouses in the country.

It is uncertain whether Ge Yongqiu has brought this matter to Chen Mingde's attention

Chen Dan turned to look and suddenly discovered that the small car Shen Huai had driven to the station was parked by the roadside. Through the car window, she saw Shen Huai resting his forehead on the steering wheel, not knowing what he was looking at or what he was waiting for

Shen Huai parked the car under the shade of the trees on Taowu Road

This matter caused his father, Song Bingsheng, to be extremely furious and utterly despairing of him. After summoning him and his brother back to the country, he exiled him to Huaihai Province to fend for himself.

Oh, Sister Chen Dan, look over there

At the moment when Shen Huai was sorting through those fragments of memories that belonged to others, a bus turned into Taowu Road

His father, Song Bingsheng, was relatively mediocre in ability, and he ended up with such a good-for-nothing, rebellious son who could bring disaster to the Song family at any moment, which further marginalized his position within the Song family

The experience of Shen Huai, a young man who lost his mother, made his grandparents particularly heartbroken. They had emigrated overseas in the early 1980s after the loss of their daughter. Even though they were aware of their grandson's unruly temperament, they brought him overseas as soon as the policy allowed.

This nameless marriage, which was merely a facade, did not last long. By the mid-1970s, the elder of the Song family was rehabilitated and returned to work in the central government. In pursuit of his future, Song Bingsheng left Shen Huai and his mother to return to Yan Jing.

Chen Dan brushed aside the strands of hair tousled by the wind, no longer turning back to look at Shen Huai

Although Shen Huai's actions are quite troublesome, Chen Mingde still takes care of him attentively. Even when he is assigned to work in Donghua City, he will keep Shen Huai, who is like a rat crossing the street at the Provincial Economic Institute, by his side, ensuring that he does not have the opportunity to cause a major disaster

Chen Dan was caught off guard as her gaze unexpectedly collided with his, leaving her with an indescribable sense of panic. She thought of returning a smile, but the inexplicable turmoil made her instinctively avert her eyes from Shen Huai. However, just as Chen Dan turned her head, she noticed a small beauty and hair salon by the roadside where Shen Huai had parked.

Although the previous actions of Shen Huai at the Provincial Economic Institute, where he exploited female students, were deemed disgraceful by many, when compared to his subsequent behavior in Yanjing and abroad, his conduct at the Provincial Economic Institute can be considered relatively virtuous

Shen Huai is the only son of Song Bingsheng, the third son of the Song family, and he carries his mother's surname, Shen

At the moment the bus passed by, Shen Huai turned his head, and their gazes collided.