Chapter 2: Whose Destiny is it Across Past and Present

Exiting the main hall and arriving at the courtyard, he noticed a pressure washing basin located five meters from the kitchen. Although this pressure washing basin was an old-fashioned water-fetching device, it was no less effective than a tap water supply. Xue looked from a distance and saw a basin full of clothes piled up inside; he knew that these clothes were usually washed by his younger sister early in the morning. Since he had come to this world, how could he allow his sister to suffer any longer?

In 1967, the veterans composed of the children of the large courtyard stormed the military district compound, and all the valuable items in this house were looted, even the family servant, Aunt Xu, was sent back to her hometown in Hebei. In 1970, Uncle was isolated for investigation and subjected to labor reform. The only consolation was that, unlike the residences of other demoted leaders in this large courtyard, this small courtyard was surprisingly not sealed off by the Revolutionary Committee. Later, Xue Xiang learned from his uncle that during the rectification movement in the cave dwellings in 1941, Xue Anyuan had saved the life of Zhang Guangzhu, the director of the district Revolutionary Committee. After Xue Anyuan was reinstated, he would still feel ungrateful whenever he recalled this matter, still indignant: How could I have saved such a thing back then!

The front line was pushed back by the opened gate, and the rear line surged forward eagerly upon seeing the door open. In the midst of the pushing and shoving, Liu Ying'er lost her balance and turned to look back, only to find that the older woman who had been behind her had been replaced by a young man of about eighteen or nineteen. This fellow was dressed in a loose-fitting yellow military uniform, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. His face, covered in excess flesh, had a pea-sized growth on his left cheek, which was quite off-putting. The overweight man’s eyes were fixated on Liu Ying'er’s round backside, and drool was trickling from the corner of his mouth. This fellow was dressed in a loose-fitting yellow military uniform, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. His face, covered in excess flesh, had a pea-sized growth on his left cheek, which was quite off-putting. The overweight man’s eyes were fixated on Liu Ying'er’s round backside, and drool was trickling from the corner of his mouth

Xue Xiang continued walking towards his vehicle. Liu Ying'er felt a bit anxious: What is wrong with this person? She had encountered those deliberately flirting, smooth-talking little rascals before, but that was always in remote places, quiet corners. This was the first time she had met such a bold rogue. Observing his attire, which was that of a high-ranking official's offspring, she concluded that he must be a leader of ruffians. At that time, the troublemakers loved such clothing styles; to ordinary people, troublemakers were almost synonymous with ruffians, so it was no wonder Liu Ying'er misunderstood.

Xue Xiang took out some receipts from the hidden compartment and stuffed them into the large pocket of his military uniform, put on a military cap made of otter fur, wrapped a pure white fox fur scarf around his neck, and donned his uncle's woolen overcoat. This overcoat was a treasured item of his uncle, gray-brown in color, thick and soft. At this time, both young people and children liked to wear military uniforms, as the uniforms issued by the People's Liberation Army during different periods were considered fashionable attire. In 1955, when the military ranks were conferred, the clothing issued to officers of the rank of major and above was quite elaborate, with winter clothing made of wool and cavalry fabric, and summer clothing made of oak silk. The uniforms of generals were even more refined; although they were also made of wool, the fabric for general's uniforms was of a higher grade than that for major's uniforms. They were also issued otter fur hats and woolen trench coats. Thus, various fabric military uniforms became fashionable items, and even the calfskin high-waisted boots with elastic openings issued alongside the military dress uniforms became top-tier fashionable goods, commonly referred to as "officer boots." The children of cadres likely hoped to express their parents' ranks in this way. The fox fur scarf was also captured by his uncle during the campaign in the Northeast, wrapping around his neck, soft and warm, blocking out every bit of wind.

Xue Xiang rode his "Yongjiu" manganese steel bicycle, pedaling rapidly, the sound of the wheels clattering like arrows shot forth, rushing into the cold wind. In just about ten minutes, he arrived at the entrance of the vegetable market, where the dark red lacquered gate had lost most of its paint, standing there mottled like the face of an unfortunate person. Above the wide gate hung a long banner, a white cloth inscribed with the words "The thoughts of the great leader guide us forward" in red brush strokes, the large characters seemingly glowing under the dim streetlights.

Xue Xiang stepped out of the room and came to the main hall, pushing open the small ventilation window on the left wall, surveying the entire house. This was the independent courtyard allocated to the number one leader by the military district in 1957, a main house with four rooms and one hall, directly facing the main hall was a spacious courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard were two flower beds built side by side, two meters apart from the flower beds stood two rows of straight white birch trees. The flowers in the flower beds, once vibrant, had long since fallen into disrepair due to neglect, while the weeds and wildflowers had burst forth with new life, growing densely, as if reflecting the state of the world. To the left of the courtyard was a corridor leading directly to the main hall, and to the right was a row of side rooms. Aside from one kitchen, the remaining side rooms were either used for storage or held empty beds that no one slept in. Looking at this strange yet familiar courtyard, Xue Xiang felt a surge of emotions; this was the only property left to the Xue family amidst the calamity.

Liu Ying'er was indeed captivated, marveling to herself: how many cigarettes must one smoke to reach such a level? Although young, she is quite the chain smoker. Fortunately, Xue Xiang could not hear her thoughts; otherwise, it would surely provoke a strong reaction, truly a case of casting flirtatious glances at a blind person.

Xue Xiang approached the bicycle, his hands reaching for the handlebars. Liu Ying'er was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Don't come any closer; if you do, I will call for help." She tightened her grip on the vegetable basket, took a step back, her voice trembling. Her light reprimand sounded to Xue Xiang like the song of a yellow oriole in the valley, like the first cry of a fledgling phoenix, as if he had tasted the fruit of life, with all three thousand six hundred pores on his body wide open.

Halfway through the cigarette, the front line seemed to have opened the floodgates, rushing back with a loud clamor. Xue Xiang steadied the handlebars, bracing his legs against the ground, adopting a posture of "no matter how high the wind or how fierce the waves, I remain steadfast and unmoving"

Mistakenly regarded as a rogue, Xue felt somewhat irritated and ignored her. He mounted the seat and struck the same pose as when he was queuing at night, his long legs shaking slightly as they rested on the ground

The main entrance of the market was opened, and the wide vermilion doors creaked and swayed under the pressure of the crowd, as if they would be forced off their hinges with just a little more force or a few more people. Such scenes were already commonplace for the employees of the state-run market, who methodically arranged various food items and vegetables on the counters of the eight sales windows. The market was uniquely designed; after the hinged doors opened, one would advance half a meter to encounter a wall, on which were carved eight wide windows, each about one meter high. The windows were connected by thick, colorless transparent glass, allowing a clear view of the various food items displayed on the shelves inside the market. Each window had three employees responsible for ticket collection, payment, and item retrieval, with clearly defined roles, which significantly expedited the transaction process.

Xue Xiangxun found the hidden compartment where the tickets were stored. Upon opening the compartment, he discovered grain tickets, oil tickets, meat tickets, sugar tickets, tofu tickets, and various duplicates of these tickets. At this time, these tickets were far more important than money, as they were used for the rationed purchase of scarce food items such as eggs and fish, and sometimes even cigarettes were supplied on a ticket basis. Without tickets, one could not purchase these essential goods, regardless of the amount of money available. Fortunately, since the introduction of "Diquan" last year, various fabric tickets gradually withdrew from the daily lives of the common people.

A young lady is standing by her bicycle, with a green vegetable basket resting on the rear seat. The still figure of the lady resembles a lily blooming in the morning sun, fresh and elegant as she sways in the breeze. She has long, glossy black hair, which is not styled into the popular thick pigtails of the time, but rather loosely tied back with a red hair tie. She is wearing a piece of military green clothing, which has perhaps faded a bit due to prolonged wear, with white linen patches on the cuffs and shoulders, the patches shaped like beautiful sunflowers. This worn military green attire does not appear at all awkward or shabby on her; instead, it seems entirely natural. The fitted military uniform accentuates her slender figure, making her look graceful and enchanting, as if one were basking in a spring breeze, intoxicated by her presence. The lady wears a pair of light black trousers, which are somewhat wide at the cuffs, as if they were cut short from another pair. It is evident that she is not the original owner of the trousers, as the legs hang straight down, covering a pair of black-and-white rubber shoes. This extremely simple pair of trousers, combined with the lady's tall stature, resembles the long pencil pants of later generations, further highlighting her long and straight legs, elegant and poised.

The small face of the 5-year-old girl, Shituantuan, was peacefully and comfortably asleep. Due to her young age, the departure of her parents two years ago had not left a shadow in her heart, which brought great comfort to Xue Xiang. Xue Xiang gently pulled the corner of the blanket from Xiaowan's hand, carefully placed her arm into the quilt, and meticulously tucked in the edges of the blanket before quietly stepping out of the room and slowly closing the door. In the room to the left of the two sisters slept Xiaoyi. Upon opening Xiaoyi's door, the bedside lamp was still lit. From a distance, it was clear that Xiaoyi was sound asleep, softly snoring, her head, adorned with a hat, sunk into the thick cotton pillow. Xue Xiang did not intend to turn off the lamp, knowing that this was a way for children to combat their fear of the dark, and gently closed the door.

Liu Ying'er did not respond, she took the vegetable basket down from the back seat of the car, wiped the spot on the back seat where the basket had rested with her sleeve, and then took a step back

Xue Xiang stared at the woman with wide eyes for a long while. Finally, the woman noticed a lewd gaze fixed upon her, and in a mix of shame and anger, she stamped her foot, twisting her slender waist to turn her face away. Unbeknownst to her, as she turned her body, her full and firm round hips broke free from the confines of her loose trousers, tracing a breathtaking arc that delivered a strong visual impact, nearly causing Xue Xiang to bleed from his nose

Xue Xiang turned on the incandescent light in the living room and approached the bedroom door directly opposite his room. This was the room of Xiao Wan and Xiao Shi. After their parents passed away, Xiao Shi, who had left their mother's embrace, began to sleep with his sister. Xue Xiang carefully pushed open the door and gently gazed at the two tender little faces on the bed. Xiao Wan sported a student hairstyle typical of this era, with neat bangs covering her forehead. The nose on her oval face was slightly wrinkled, her small mouth pouted, and she tightly clutched the corner of the blanket, perhaps caught in a nightmare. Seeing Xiao Wan's uneasy little face filled Xue Xiang with guilt. When their parents passed away, the 12-year-old Xiao Wan had already become sensible. After crying once, she silently took on the household chores. In addition to attending school, she also had to wash clothes and cook for her four siblings. Meanwhile, he, as the older brother, had been fooling around all day and had never shared any responsibility for the family.

The young woman's delicate face does not resemble the typical oval faces, with a pointed chin; instead, it features a rounded arc at the intersection of the double contours of her chin. Her large eyes sparkle, with a gaze that is clear and deep. Below her elegant nose, her full and rosy lips resemble a plump version of Lin Chi-ling.

He did not know how long he had been asleep when the noisy sounds woke Xue Xiang. He raised his hand to check the "Mingzhu Brand" plum blossom watch on his wrist; it was already 5:30. He rubbed his eyes and patted the dust off his clothes, then walked towards the line of parked vehicles. After taking a few steps, Xue Xiang stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide open, as if staring at a gold ingot, unable to move even a fraction.

In front of the two-meter-wide gate, there are already eight crooked lines of people, each about ten meters long. Between individuals, there are small stools and square bricks placed to reserve spots. At this moment, most of those queuing are elderly, weak, women, and children; there are no young men or strong men like him.

After tidying up the clothes, he entered the kitchen and checked the rice jar and the vegetable basket. The grayish rice jar was nearly empty, and a few white radishes were lying askew in the green bamboo-woven vegetable basket. Xue Xiang took out three or four large white radishes from the basket, turned the basket upside down over the table to shake out the scraps inside, and he planned to go buy vegetables

Xue Xiang extended his right hand and took out a cigarette from his pocket. With a gentle flick of his right index finger on the bottom of the cigarette box, a cigarette leaped out like lightning, heading straight for his face. Xue Xiang opened his mouth and accurately caught the cigarette. This subconscious action was incredibly cool, as if practiced a thousand times; Xue Xiang executed it as a conditioned reflex. Why didn't he perform this action while smoking last night? Xue Xiang felt a bit puzzled. It seemed that attracting the attention of beautiful women was an instinct inherent in all creatures, and Xue Xiang provided himself with a perfect explanation.

Xue Xiang poured the clothes into the washing basin, filled a basin with water, and submerged a small military uniform that had turned white into the water, vigorously rubbing it with soap powder. In early spring, the temperature at night was very low, yet Xue Xiang was sweating profusely from the washing. Three hours later, looking at the clean clothes hanging on the clothesline, Xue Xiang smiled with satisfaction

Esteemed audience, you may wonder why Xue Xiang buys vegetables at three or four o'clock in the morning. The reason is that during this time in winter and early spring, the supply of vegetables is extremely tight. Ordinary citizens line up at the vegetable market as early as two or three in the morning. Many people, unable to endure the cold, use stones, vegetable baskets (weighted with stones), and small stools to substitute for standing in line, returning home for a nap and coming back to queue again around four or five in the morning. Such disputes and fights over this situation are unimaginable for people today

"Comrade, this is my car," Xue said, scratching his head, and he ended up blushing first.

Xue Xiang took a deep breath, the rich aroma of tobacco diluted the foul smell emanating from the garbage truck not far away. After finishing a cigarette, a heavy drowsiness gradually overcame him. Xue Xiang got off the seat, parked the vehicle in place, and found a wall corner sheltered from the wind. Ignoring his top-notch gear, he sat down on two pieces of blue bricks, raised his collar to cover his face, brought his legs together towards his abdomen, crossed his arms to form a nest-like shape, buried his head in this nest, and soon fell asleep.

Xue Xiang sensed that the young lady had discovered his gaze, and he felt somewhat embarrassed about his own impulsiveness. Neither the previous life of Xue Xiang nor the original young man had much experience in interacting with girls, let alone in romantic relationships. In his previous life, Xue Xiang had a somewhat reclusive and shy personality, belonging to the category of deep introverts. The original young man, on the other hand, had a somewhat dandy disposition, but he was open-hearted and generous. He associated with a group of boisterous young men, all full of energy, frequently engaging in fights and brawls, and had absolutely no experience in dealing with girls.

The early risers appeared listless, some whispering softly, some sitting on small stools dozing off, and others leaning against the wall fast asleep, a myriad of peculiar sights. Xue Xiang pushed his cart directly to the end of the second line, parked it, hung the vegetable basket on the handle, lifted his leg to straddle the seat, one long leg resting on the ground while the other was crossed over the horizontal bar. He took out a pack of "Jade Brand" cigarettes from the pocket of his wool coat, flicked open a red military lighter with a snap, lit it, and began to smoke with great satisfaction. In those days, a pack of "Jade" cost 0.90 yuan, equivalent to the wages of a strong laborer in some rural areas for two days. The young men of the past could not afford to smoke "Jade" regularly; they usually carried two packs of cigarettes, one pack of "Jade" to bond with revolutionary brothers from all over, while they themselves typically smoked "Peony" at 0.45 yuan. When this pack of cigarettes landed in Xue Xiang's hands, he did not care whether it was a reception cigarette or not; he simply picked it up and started smoking.