Section 1, Mutation

Amidst a crowd of classmates whose faces were indistinguishable, Rong Fei squeezed his way up to the third floor of the teaching building, following closely behind Li Jianguang. He seemed to have forgotten his own seat, and only when Li Jianguang called him did he slowly make his way to sit beside him, reaching into the desk to take out his books and flipping through them aimlessly

Li Jianguang was taken aback, feeling once again the strangeness of Rong Fei. At this moment, Rong Fei felt more like a distant father to him. Among the five roommates in Dormitory 202, although they had gotten along harmoniously for a year, in terms of personal relationships, Li Jianguang and Rong Fei were the closest. During their free time, whether playing ball, playing the harmonica, chess, or shopping, the two were almost inseparable. Yet now, Rong Fei seemed so unfamiliar, almost like a newly acquainted person, and a middle-aged man who had experienced many hardships. What had happened? Li Jianguang recalled the accident from a week ago. During physical education class, they were excitedly playing volleyball when a ball was hit out of bounds by a classmate on the opposite side. Rong Fei, standing in position one, turned to retrieve it but failed to notice the thick low bar. With a loud crash, Rong Fei's body flew through the air and then fell heavily to the ground. The classmates burst into laughter, but after a long time, when Rong Fei did not get up, they became frightened and rushed over. He was unconscious and could not be awakened. How could they not be afraid? They were all young people under twenty.

Hello, Jian Guang, have you eaten? Rong Fei, with a white bandage still on his nose, stood up and extended his hand towards Li Jian Guang. Seeing that Li Jian Guang did not take it, he stepped forward and embraced him tightly.

In Dormitory 202, the leader Li Jianguang made a gesture to stop, saying, "No more talk about Old Five being strange. What do you mean by impersonation? Don't talk nonsense. Rong Fei was just sick for a while. We would be the same in his place. Ni Si, you really deserve a slap. We are all buddies; does it sound better when you say it out loud?" Li Jianguang was the only one from Class 02 who came from Beijing, and his accent was heavily influenced by the Beijing dialect. Ni Kai, who was always meticulous in his dealings, found this hard to tolerate. We are all buddies; does it sound better when you say it out loud?" Li Jianguang was the only one from Class 02 who came from Beijing, and his accent was heavily influenced by the Beijing dialect. Ni Kai, who was always meticulous in his dealings, found this hard to tolerate.

Li Jianguang returned home, humming a tune, and he did not feel bored. He could not foresee what the days ahead would be like. What he did not know was that in thirty years, the pigs raised on such slop would be called organic food. He also did not realize that the meals he privately cursed for being lacking in oil and meat were precisely part of the green lifestyle that future generations longed for. Lu Yingshou, who proudly owned a half-brick tape recorder that was envied by his classmates, would soon see it become an antique, along with the tapes that easily jammed in the heads, ultimately becoming treasures for collectors. This vicious cycle is understood by only a very few; those who struggle to survive in the river of time can only look back and sigh for the days they once had. Who can see through the mist ahead to clearly envision the dreamlike future? This vicious cycle is understood by only a very few; those who struggle to survive in the river of time can only look back and sigh for the days they once had. Who can see through the mist ahead to clearly envision the dreamlike future?

"We are going to be late, hurry up!" Ni Kai rushed in, hurriedly putting down the utensils before running out. Ni Kai studies the hardest; he is only worried about not letting the homeroom teacher note his tardiness, as that would result in a deduction from his financial aid. Ni Kai, who hails from Xingguo, receives the highest financial aid, amounting to 22 yuan. In his haste, Ni Kai seemed not to notice Rong Fei.

Bored? I feel like you have changed a lot

In Dormitory 202, there lived five individuals: the leader, Li Jianguang, the class monitor; the second, Ma Jinyu, from Shandong; the third, Lu Feng, from Guangdong, nicknamed Lao Guang; the fourth, Ni Kai, from Jiangxi; and the fifth, Rong Fei, the only local student among them. Unfortunately, during physical education class this past Wednesday afternoon, while running to retrieve a ball, he collided with the lower bar of the horizontal bar, resulting in a concussion and a broken nose. He was urgently sent to the school infirmary and then transferred to the municipal people's hospital. After being in a coma for a day and a night, he woke up and underwent surgery. According to the doctors, everything went smoothly, and they believed there were no issues. However, Rong Fei seemed dazed for several days, appearing confused and eager to return home. After the incident, Rong Fei's parents visited the hospital, and Li Jianguang also met with them. It seemed that after seeing his parents, he became even more disoriented; the evidence being that he hardly recognized them. It was not that he could not recognize them, but rather he displayed signs of confusion and fear. What could there be to fear about one's own parents? Six days later, Rong Fei was discharged from the hospital and hurried back to school, his demeanor even more peculiar, and his interactions with classmates were markedly unusual. He did not request leave and urgently borrowed a bicycle from his fellow townsman, Cao Junbin, to leave. In front of his four dormitory brothers, he hardly spoke a word. While one might say he was confused, his actions were quite agile; he was very clear-headed when borrowing the bicycle from Cao Junbin, aside from ignoring Cao Junbin's concerned inquiries, everything else seemed fine. He simply did not wish to talk, rode off on the bicycle, and Li Jianguang could not catch up with him despite calling after him.

Change is absolute, while permanence is relative. Isn't that what philosophy classes teach? I feel as if my past was like a dream. Rong Fei smiled, and his teeth appeared particularly white under the moonlight

In an environment that seems fair, one often does not feel the hardships. Li Jianguang quickly finished his rations, pouring the remaining cabbage along with the vegetable soup into his lunchbox, stirring it with a spoon, and gulping it down. He stood up, gazing blankly around; twilight had enveloped the surroundings, and the willows by the playground had become indistinct, while the lights of the distant teaching building shone clearly. In half an hour, evening self-study would begin. Li Jianguang jumped down from the concrete platform and washed his utensils under a row of faucets outside the cafeteria. Not far from his feet, a filthy garbage bin emitted a pungent odor, prompting him to instinctively step aside. A student who habitually dumped leftover food into the sink was unfortunate enough to be caught by a staff member from the student affairs office, who had been lurking nearby for a long time, followed by a round of scolding and pointless arguments. Li Jianguang knew that the unfortunate one would face a reprimand and be sentenced to hard labor—three days of washing the sink. A notice prohibiting the dumping of leftovers in the sink was posted above it, and one could only blame this guy for his misfortune.

Li Jianguang is willing to listen to Teresa Teng's songs, but he is reluctant to approach at this moment. This reluctance stems from an innate sense of self-respect and superiority, which prevents him, as the class leader of Class 02, from bowing to the wealthy Lu Yingshou like some of his classmates do. The term "wealthy" refers to Lu Yingshou's monthly living expenses, which amount to 50 yuan, a figure that is more than double that of Li Jianguang. Li Jianguang has reason to believe that among the three classes in the 80th Mechanical Engineering Department, no one can surpass that arrogant fellow in terms of living standards.

A melody of Teresa Teng's "The Moon Represents My Heart" wafted from the playground, and without a doubt, it was Lu Yingshou from Class 01 showing off his SONY half-brick tape recorder. It is said that this device, along with the TDK tape, was imported from Hong Kong by a relative of his. This made many classmates envious. Technically, items coming from Hong Kong should not be referred to as imports; although it was occupied by the British, it is still part of Chinese territory, right? Yet, no one corrected Lu Yingshou's misstatement. Technically, items coming from Hong Kong should not be referred to as imports; although it was occupied by the British, it is still part of Chinese territory, right? Yet, no one corrected Lu Yingshou's misstatement.

No rush. I will stay alone for a while

In 1981, in Beiyang City, where the Industrial College was located, strict quotas were still enforced for coarse and fine grains, with 40% fine grains and 60% coarse grains. Noodles, rice, and steamed buns fell under the category of fine grains, while cornbread, rice cakes, and corn porridge were naturally considered coarse grains. For those university students from various regions who were not accustomed to eating coarse grains, they could exchange coarse grain tickets for fine grains at a rate of 2 liang for 1 liang. For students with a quota of only 30 jin, without strong external support (such as additional grain tickets and cash), it was not feasible to make such exchanges regularly.

"Do we still have to submit our assignments?" Rong Fei muttered to himself. Shan Zhen, who was seated in front of them, turned around to look at Rong Fei and said, "Have you injured your brain? I told you, you didn't submit the last assignment. If you're not afraid of a retake, then don't bother writing it." She flicked her beautiful long braid and turned back around.

"Quickly go back and do your homework."

"Old Five, you are back? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rong Fei's gaze was unfamiliar, leaving Li Jianguang feeling puzzled and even somewhat afraid

Li Jianguang did not know when Rong Fei left the classroom. He felt uneasy after discovering Rong Fei's absence and went out to look for him, ultimately finding Rong Fei on the rooftop terrace, gazing at the moon.

"Oh, do you have evening study later?" Rong Fei asked

"It's so boring, this year is only 1981," Rong Fei said softly

"It is not just strange, but very strange," said Lu Feng, another roommate of Li Jianguang.

"Old Five, you have never treated me this way..." Li Jianguang murmured

"It's not very strange," said Ni Kai, a person from Jiangxi, who has been living together for a year. Ni Kai's strong dialect sometimes still makes it hard to understand him. "It's like he's become a different person. If we hadn't been with him all along, I would almost think someone had impersonated him."

"Let's go, it's time for self-study," Rong Fei said

Li Jianguang stood there listening to the intermittent song, which became less clear as the distance increased. However, the lingering melody made him hum involuntarily. Li Jianguang was a music enthusiast; he not only played the harmonica but also the flute—skills he had acquired in elementary school. A piece titled "Driving the Horses to Deliver Grain" had made him the center of attention at last year's New Year's Eve party. He could play several old tunes, and it seemed that the sudden arrival of Teresa Teng on campus made him even fonder of her. He collected all of Teresa Teng's songs and cherished the cassette tapes that featured her sweet face in a red dress, which his classmates eagerly shared. At that time, Teresa Teng's songs were labeled as "mellow music" and faced unintentional suppression from the authorities. Of course, Li Jianguang would not know that if a selection for the influential figures of 1981 were to be held in mainland China, Teresa Teng would undoubtedly deserve the title. Her songs "express women's feelings and relieve men's worries." Her voice was unique, capable of singing high notes continuously without any noticeable breath or nasal sound, with clear enunciation and a delicate timbre. Only through comparison can one understand the significance of things; countless pop music figures emerged afterward, yet few reached the heights of Teresa Teng.

Of course, we have to attend on Sunday night. Do you think it's Saturday? Lao Wu, are you still feeling dizzy? Should you stay in the hospital a few more days? This time, all the medical expenses for the hospitalization were covered by the school, and Rong Fei and his family did not pay a single cent

The industrial college of 1981, in certain aspects, was a complete extension of secondary school, such as roll call during self-study sessions and assignments

Dinner was monotonous, consisting of a queue, handing over a few meal tickets and vegetable tickets, and receiving a portion of corn porridge, a steamed bun, and a窝头, along with a serving of boiled cabbage. The corn porridge was served in a rectangular aluminum lunchbox, with the boiled cabbage placed on top, and two pieces of dry food, one white and one yellow, arranged on the vegetables. Li Jianguang carried his dinner out of the noisy cafeteria, walked a few steps, and squatted on a cement platform atop a vegetable cellar outside the cafeteria to eat. Before long, a group of classmates gathered around him, occasionally sharing a few jokes, but for the most part, they were focused on their own food.

"Boss, don't you think that the fifth one seems a bit strange? It's as if he has changed into a different person." said Ma Jinyu, a student from Class 8002 of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Beiyang Industrial College, to his dormitory brother Li Jianguang

"Old Five is back? That's great." Lu Feng returned, carrying two green plastic thermoses, and greeted Rong Fei loudly

September 27, 1981, Sunday, evening

Li Jianguang steadied himself and began to do his homework. The homework for the metallography class had accumulated significantly and needed to be made up. Just now, the class representative, Shan Zhen, had already written on the blackboard that the metallography homework should be submitted to the podium before the end of class

Li Jianguang returned to the dormitory in a sullen mood. Unexpectedly, he saw Rong Fei sitting on his own bunk, gazing at him intently

No wonder Majin Yu and the others say that Rong Fei is strange; Li Jianguang also believes that this easygoing and unambitious younger brother became very odd after being injured in an accident