Chapter 30:

By the time they arrived at Baishi County Station, it was already dark. Yu Xianghai was wandering around inside the station, waiting. He didn’t know the exact time, but he guessed it would be this train, possibly delayed, so he kept waiting there.

And indeed, the train was late. For some unknown reason, it had stopped at one station for over half an hour.

Finally, when they arrived, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Following the crowd out of the station, they soon spotted Yu Xianghai.

Yu Xianghai was surprised when he saw their large and small bundles. “What’s all this? So much?”

Yu Qingshan glanced at Yu Xiang’an, who chuckled awkwardly. “These are all food—local specialties from my sister’s place. They’re cheap and practical, so we bought a lot. Some were also gifts from them. I know my limits, and even if I didn’t, Dad was there. Don’t you trust him?”

That was true.

If she didn’t have self-control, their father was there to rein her in. Without another word, Yu Xianghai picked up a large bundle and started walking ahead. “You must be tired from the trip. Let’s go home and rest early.” They still had work the next day.

As for the food—no loss there. No family would complain about having too much to eat.

Yu Xiang’an had most of her things taken by Yu Xianghai, so she took some of the lighter packages from Yu Qingshan. After walking a distance from the station, the crowd gradually thinned. Breathing in the fresh air outside, Yu Xiang’an removed the crude cloth mask she had been wearing and took deep breaths.

Yu Qingshan chuckled and shook his head beside her. At first, the smell had been unbearable, but after a while, she had gotten used to it.

When they got home, Yu Xiangju was waiting at the door. Seeing them, he called out, “Dad’s back!”

Zhao Qiaoniang and Ye Qijia came out at the sound and helped take their things. “Have you eaten? There are still some sweet potatoes and porridge warming in the pot.”

Yu Qingshan exhaled. “Not yet. Bring them out.”

To save money, they hadn’t eaten on the way back, waiting to eat at home.

Yu Xiang’an stretched. “I can’t take it anymore. I need to shower first. I’ll eat after.”

The mask had helped a little with the smell, but after being squeezed in the train for hours, she could still detect the odor on herself. She didn’t want to eat while smelling like that.

Zhao Qiaoniang nodded. “There’s hot water on the stove.”

Yu Mingjie came over, sniffed, then pinched his nose and backed away.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Did he have to make it so obvious?

Unaware of his aunt’s resentful gaze, Yu Mingjie had already wandered off.

Yu Xiangju, either slow to react or oblivious, hovered near Yu Qingshan. “Dad, did you see Fourth Sister? How is she?” Over a year had passed since they last saw her, and Yu Xiangju’s memory of his fourth sister had faded. If not for the family portrait at home, he might have forgotten what she looked like.

Yu Qingshan: “Your fourth sister has grown a bit taller, tanned a little, and become more capable. She’s learned a lot of farm work she couldn’t do before. If she came back, your grandfather would definitely praise her.”

Yu Xiangju didn’t fully understand, but hearing this, he took it as a compliment and grinned.

Yu Xianghai, Ye Qijia, and Zhao Qiaoniang, however, felt heavy-hearted.

To learn all that, she must have suffered a lot. Originally, she shouldn’t have had to learn such things in her lifetime.

“Your sister now…” Yu Xianghai couldn’t finish his sentence.

Yu Qingshan shook his head. “Don’t worry. Your sister has come to terms with it. She doesn’t care much anymore, and since she doesn’t, it’s fine. Things will only get better from here.”

“Just like your little sister said—early detection, early intervention. Finding out sooner isn’t a bad thing.”

Yu Xianghai’s frown eased slightly. It was good that his fourth sister had moved on. But: “What exactly happened?”

Yu Qingshan: “He climbed the social ladder. Now he’s seeing the only daughter of a local commune official. Thanks to her, he got a temporary job at the commune. Compared to your sister, that path naturally seemed more promising.”

His tone was indifferent, but Yu Xianghai’s fists clenched tighter.

He had three sisters. The eldest, who was gone, didn’t count, but the remaining two had both suffered such misfortunes.

Though the reasons were different, the outcome was the same—both had been betrayed by their partners.

If it weren’t for the current discouragement of “superstition,” he’d have gone to a temple to get them protective charms to ward off bad luck.

“Little sister is doing better and better now. Fourth sister will too.”

Yu Xianghai said this aloud, but in his heart, he was already planning to visit the Liang family to find out when Liang Yong would return. Once he was back, Yu Xianghai’s sack would come in handy.

Yu Xiangju didn’t fully understand. He furrowed his little brows. “Was Fourth Sister bullied?”

Yu Xianghai ruffled his hair roughly. “Yes, your fourth sister was bullied. You need to grow up fast so you can stand up for her.”

Yu Xiangju nodded solemnly. “I’ll grow up quickly. When I’m big, if anyone bullies them, I’ll bully them back. Then no one will dare bully my sisters.” He spoke with such conviction that Yu Mingjie raised his hand. “Me too! I’ll help! We’ll protect them together!”

Yu Xiang’an, who had just finished showering, found them utterly adorable and pinched their cheeks.

“Then you two need to eat more and sleep more so you can grow faster. Until then, we’ll protect you. If anyone bullies you, we’ll stand up for you.”

Yu Xiangju puffed out his chest. “No one bullies us!” If anyone tried, they’d fight back themselves.

They weren’t the type to take bullying lying down.

Only then did Yu Xiang’an sit down, quickly eating something to fill her stomach before unpacking the bundles with Zhao Qiaoniang and Ye Qijia to sort them out.

Some would go to Grandpa, some to Grandma and their uncles.

Since they had brought back things not commonly found here, it was only right to share them with everyone. It also showed that Yu Xiangqing was doing fine—otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the energy to gather these things.

Ye Qijia was also intrigued by some of the items. Working at the supply and marketing cooperative, she had seen many things, but some of these were new to her.

“I also brought some seeds. If they taste good, we can try growing them ourselves.”

After organizing the bundles, Yu Qingshan finished his shower.

Zhao Qiaoniang moved the table to the courtyard and set out mooncakes and snacks for the Mid-Autumn Festival—both as offerings and for the family to enjoy under the moon.

Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for family reunions.

At the sight of the mooncakes and treats on the table, Yu Xiangju and Yu Mingjie became exceptionally well-behaved. Though it was past their bedtime, they were wide awake.

How could they not be? There were so many delicious things—mooncakes, biscuits, candy, pomelos. Wow, four kinds of treats! They were in heaven!

With the children’s cheerful laughter, this Mid-Autumn Festival became a happy memory.

The next day, at the factory, Yan Yuzhen asked Yu Xiang’an a few questions.

Yan Yuzhen knew where she had gone—after all, the Mid-Autumn Festival was only a one-day holiday, but Yu Xiang’an had taken two days off. Her leave request had been approved by Yan Yuzhen herself.

“How’s your sister doing?”

She didn’t know what had happened, but under normal circumstances, Yu Xiang’an wouldn’t have gone to visit her sister out of the blue.

Yu Xiang’an smiled and nodded. “She’s doing well. I even brought back some local specialties from her place.”

“That’s good.” Yan Yuzhen didn’t pry further.

Every family with sent-down youths carried a burden of sorrow. If there had been any other choice, no one would have sent their children to the countryside. Even she didn’t like talking about it—her own family had members who had been sent down.

Yu Xiang’an appreciated her discretion.

She really didn’t want to discuss it further. If word got out, it would stir up unnecessary trouble.

Just as Yu Xiangqing’s matter settled, something happened in the Qin family.

One wave subsided, another rose.

Qin Shengsong’s job was reassigned.

Originally, he had worked at the neighborhood office. Now, he was transferred to the recycling station, collecting all sorts of scrap. The demotion was significant.

When asked why, he refused to explain, only saying it was voluntary when pressed.

Nowadays, there was no such thing as firing someone. Even if someone made a mistake at work, they’d just be reassigned—kept on if they could handle the new role, moved again if they couldn’t.

He had been demoted to the bottom.

Only slightly better than being assigned to gatekeeping duty.

Qin Shengsong and Qin Shenghua were brothers, both sons of the late Uncle Qin. Qin Shenghua was a soldier, and Qin Shengsong had wanted to enlist too, but his health didn’t meet the requirements, so he stayed behind.

Yu Xiang’an learned about this from her grandmother Yao Cuifen’s sigh of frustration and was shocked.

Yao Cuifen was at her wits’ end. “I asked, his wife asked, but he won’t say a word. You might get through to him. Go ask him what’s going on.”

Yu Xiang’an made time to visit the recycling station. Seeing her, Qin Shengsong smiled wryly. “I know why you’re here—to pry the truth out of me. I’ve already told them I’m fine, that this was voluntary, but they won’t believe me.”

His calm expression was unusual, indicating something was indeed wrong—he just didn’t want to talk about it.

Yu Xiang’an understood, so she didn’t press further. “Alright, if you say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. What’s your plan now? Is there anything I can do to help?” This cousin was already a father—he should know what he was doing.

Qin Shengsong shrugged. “I’ll do my best here. It’s my job now, and I’ll take it seriously.”

Besides Qin Shengsong, there was one other person at the recycling station—an elderly woman whose hearing was failing. You had to speak loudly for her to hear.

She was currently sorting glass bottles at the other end.

The recycling station bought all sorts of things—old furniture, newspapers, glass jars, anything still usable. The prices were low, but it was better than nothing.

They also sold things here. Old furniture, once cleaned and repaired, could be bought by those looking for bargains.

Yu Xiang’an nodded. “How’s it been these past few days?”

“Not bad. Need some old newspapers? Fresh ones look better when pasted on walls.”

Aside from reading the news, pasting newspapers on walls was their most common use.

Yu Xiang’an shook her head. “No, thanks. Mind if I look around?” She was actually quite curious. From TV shows and novels, she had heard this was a place where you might stumble upon “treasures.”

She had visited once shortly after arriving here, but reality paled in comparison to fiction. Finding hidden gems was nearly impossible unless you searched meticulously.

The good stuff from raided households rarely made it here. What did were broken furniture, shattered glass, or ceramic fragments. The valuable items had long been divided up.

No one was blind to their worth—it was just that the times didn’t allow them to be displayed openly, so they were hidden away.

Finding treasures here was a long shot.

The most likely finds were old books—but many were damaged, with missing pages or blurred text.

What counted as treasure? Could you even tell?

One word: difficult.

“Go ahead. I’ll keep working on this.” He gestured to the broken radio he had bought from the station and had been tinkering with.

Yu Xiang’an had a thought. Pointing at the radio, she asked, “Is this why you…?”

Qin Shengsong coughed.

Lowering his voice, he said, “I just wanted to see if I could fix it. If I can, we’ll use it at home. If not, it’s practice.”

Yu Xiang’an voiced her support. “Cousin, I believe in you. You can do it!”

If he succeeded, he could buy broken radios for scrap prices, fix them, and resell them for a tidy profit.

New radios cost over a hundred yuan and required ration coupons. A used one could sell for several dozen—a lucrative side hustle with great potential.

Qin Shengsong was surprised and pleased. “You really believe I can do it?”

“Of course! If you come across an old bicycle, keep an eye out for me. Right now, I’m walking to work. A bike would save me a lot of time.”

It didn’t matter if it was old—a fresh coat of paint could make it look new. The important thing was that it worked.

Qin Shengsong nodded in understanding. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye out. There aren’t any here now, but if one turns up, I’ll give it a shot.”

Compared to radios, he was more familiar with bicycles—his family had one.

Yu Xiang’an wandered over to the pile of books. Glancing back, she saw Qin Shengsong working intently.

Everyone—including his wife—was baffled by his job change. He must be under pressure, but what was done was done.

His salary remained the same, but holiday benefits and perks were a thing of the past.

But if he could figure something out from these scraps, his extra income would surely be much more than those welfare benefits—though doing this line of work now carries some risk.

It has to be done on the sly.

Yu Xiang’an found some textbooks, books that might be useful, and some she couldn’t understand, which she secretly tucked among the old books.

The ones she couldn’t understand were a test of her luck.

If she was lucky, they’d be treasures.

If not, they’d just be random scribbles to fill space.

Besides books, there were also some exquisite fragments that looked like pieces of antiques. One of them had a mark at the bottom of a bowl that read “Ming Dynasty.” Yu Xiang’an didn’t know if it was genuine, but she collected it anyway.

These fragments didn’t take up much space, and if they were real, they could be restored and sold for some money later. If the restoration was done well, the price might even exceed what it was before the pieces were broken.

When Qin Shengsong saw her haul, he weighed it and then shaved off two pounds when selling it to her.

Truth be told, when he first arrived here, he had also rummaged through the place, but the results were quite disappointing. It wasn’t that he found nothing at all, but the value was unclear. As for gold or silver—forget about it.

As for the books, the ones that shouldn’t have been there were either torn up or burned the moment they were discovered. What remained were the permitted ones.

So it was all fair game.

“What kind of books are you looking for? I can keep an eye out for you.”

Yu Xiang’an replied, “Thanks! See if you can find any on cooking, medicinal cuisine, or encyclopedias.”

—

After working at the county hospital pharmacy for three months, Lin Chuanbai was officially hired.

During those three months, he never made a mistake in dispensing medicine. He could sort, classify, and process various medicinal herbs. After being evaluated by his superiors, he secured his place in the county hospital pharmacy.

When he returned home and told his grandfather the news, the old man was overjoyed. “That’s good, that’s good.” Seeing his grandson now so calm and composed, he felt deeply relieved.

Originally, Lin Chuanbai had been recommended for admission to a Worker-Peasant-Soldier University—what a fantastic opportunity! Becoming a college student would have guaranteed him a job.

But at the last moment, his name was replaced by someone else’s.

They had no recourse. The other party was powerful, and in terms of qualifications, the two were evenly matched.

The other guy was also a local heavyweight.

If they wanted to keep living there, they had to accept it.

On top of that, the situation in the city seemed unstable, so Grandpa Lin decided to take his grandson back to their hometown county.

The city was more prosperous, but staying there wouldn’t have led to anything better. Returning home was the wiser choice.

Back in their hometown, they had a house, and Grandpa Lin still had some connections. Having worked at the city hospital for so long, he had accumulated enough goodwill to arrange for his second grandson to work at the county hospital.

Thanks to Lin Chuanbai’s solid foundation, he passed the exams and stayed on.

Lin Chuanbai had arrived after the original owner, devastated by the news of his replacement, fell seriously ill and died—giving him a second chance at life.

From the memories, the original owner had been a gloomy, quiet boy who kept everything bottled up.

This opportunity to escape his suffocating environment had been snatched away, and Lin Chuanbai suspected the original owner had despaired over the future, sinking deeper into depression until his illness took him.

The reasons for his depression were complicated, but to put it simply: his parents divorced, his father remarried, his mother remarried, and both had high social statuses. Divorce was rare back then, and their quick remarriages fueled gossip. Over time, the once cheerful boy grew into a silent teenager who barely spoke.

When Lin Chuanbai arrived, the family had just moved back to the county.

This wasn’t a bad thing for him. The new environment meant fewer familiar faces—aside from his grandfather, everyone else was relatively new. He didn’t have to tread too carefully.

Plus, after such a major setback as being replaced, minor changes in his personality were to be expected.

Though Lin Chuanbai hadn’t expected to lose his life while saving someone, he had no attachments in his previous world. Here, he had family, and his grandfather reminded him of the old Taoist priest who had raised him. Seeing him now, it was as if the old priest was still alive, still by his side. This outcome wasn’t bad.

He had lived well before, and here, he would face life just as positively.

Occasionally, he wondered about the girl he’d tried to save—around his age. If he had died, she probably hadn’t fared much better. Did she also have the luck to survive in another form?

Life was precious, no matter the era.

Sometimes, he regretted that his previous studies in Western history were useless here—this was a parallel world.

Even the slightest difference could change everything.

When he heard about the massive earthquake in a neighboring country last year, he knew for sure. As a top graduate, he could swear that country had never experienced such a quake in that year.

And it had even affected their side—though only slightly.

But for the tremors to travel so far was extraordinary.

Still, he was young—only eighteen—with plenty of time to learn this world’s history.

Besides his age, he also had an unscientific cheat: a medicinal garden.

The night before he saved that girl, he had been helping his junior sort through old books. Among them was a book of prescriptions, tattered and partially eaten by insects. The only intact page was for “Ginseng Nourishing Pill.”

Ginseng Nourishing Pill was famous—Lin Daiyu in *Dream of the Red Chamber* had used it for her poor health.

Before becoming an orphan, Lin Chuanbai had wanted to be a doctor.

But after his parents died in a medical dispute, he crossed that career off his list.

Now, here he was, with a grandfather who had been a hospital director, and a cheat ability tied to medicine.

The medicinal garden was about three acres, capable of growing herbs used in Ginseng Nourishing Pill—with a time-acceleration function that drastically shortened growth periods.

It was an overpowered cheat.

Lin Chuanbai sometimes wished he could grow rice or raise chickens, but these medicinal herbs were already incredibly valuable.

Especially with the time acceleration.

One year of growth equaled ten years. Ten years equaled a century.

Ginseng was never cheap, no matter the era.

With this garden, getting rich was effortless.

But for now, under all these restrictions, wealth was just a dream. Once reforms opened things up, his path would be clear.

For now, no matter how many cheats he had, he had to keep them hidden—even eating extra meat required caution.

His salary was fixed. If he frequently ate at state-run restaurants, people would wonder where his money and ration coupons came from.

He didn’t want to explain.

When he got home, he shared the good news with his grandfather and then went to fetch water from the well in the courtyard.

It was a large courtyard with two houses.

His grandfather had long divided the property between his father and uncle—though without a wall separating them.

Now, only he and his grandfather lived on their side.

His uncle’s family lived in the other house.

Life at the county hospital pharmacy was quiet and uneventful. His boss was strict, but as long as he did his work on time, there was no scolding or beatings.

Compared to the original owner’s life in the city, this place was less bustling but more to his liking.

This ordinary, peaceful daily life—

It was exactly what he had wanted before.

Of course, it’d be even better if he could eat meat openly.

For now, he had to sneak extra meals in his medicinal garden.

Speaking of which, the canteen cook had outdone himself tonight—the food was much better than usual.

“Chuanbai’s back. Any good news?” His second aunt had overheard snippets and came probing.

Lin Chuanbai looked up. “Nothing much. Just got officially hired.”

Xu Haili’s expression twisted.

Officially hired—and that wasn’t good news?

Grandpa Lin had two sons. The eldest was outstanding, but the younger one took after neither his father nor his brother—dull and honest, only getting a job through connections. Over the years, he’d never been promoted.

Grandpa Lin paid little attention to his younger son, leaving him neglected.

Xu Haili had two children. Without suitable jobs, she had to retire early so her daughter could take her place and stay in the city. Now her son was about to graduate, and if nothing changed, her husband would have to retire to make way.

And now Lin Chuanbai was officially hired—wasn’t that good news?

Xu Haili took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “Of course it’s good news. Why wouldn’t it be? Your cousin still doesn’t have a job.”

Lin Chuanbai paused. “He’s not willing to learn. The hospital needs capable people.”

Xu Haili nearly choked on her anger.

Both her children took after their father—uninspired. But hospital work required real skill—mistakes could cost lives. The easiest path was blocked.

Her voice turned sullen. “You ate at the hospital, right? Then you’re out of luck tonight. We got some meat, but since you’re full, you’ll just have to watch us eat.”

Lin Chuanbai nodded. “Second Aunt, enjoy your meal. I’ll go boil water.”

He wasn’t tempted. Before his cheat, he’d been too poor to afford meat. Now, with income and ration coupons, he could treat himself anytime.

The county hospital bought medicinal herbs—most people didn’t know or recognize them.

He did. He also knew how to process them, so he occasionally sold some from his garden for extra cash.

The real money was in ginseng, but the older it was, the better. With less than a year’s growth, he was still planting more.

Xu Haili huffed quietly. She didn’t believe he wasn’t tempted—he must be ashamed. Good.

She’d fry the meat extra fragrant tonight, just to taunt him. He could look, but not eat!

Grandpa Lin usually ate with the second family. He gave them his monthly grain rations—his retirement benefits were good, so this was a way to subsidize them.

Seeing meat tonight, he asked, “Is Chuanbai full? Should he join us?”

Xu Haili quickly cut in, “Dad, I already asked. He said he’s full. He’s boiling water for a bath. After that, he’ll probably hole up in his room with a book.”

Grandpa Lin nodded. “Then let’s eat.” Studying was good—he couldn’t stay in the pharmacy forever.

After a quick bath, Lin Chuanbai did indeed take a book to his room, shutting the door and windows tightly.

He did this every day after work, so they were used to it—they assumed he was studying.

Medicine was a field with endless learning.

Grandpa had given him his old notes to memorize. While reviewing them, he also tended to his medicinal garden—harvesting, processing, watering.

Aside from time acceleration and fertility, the garden didn’t seem to have any other supernatural traits.

He didn’t feel invigorated there—he still had to work the land himself. No work, no harvest.

And it only grew herbs listed in Ginseng Nourishing Pill. Anything else wouldn’t survive.

At least he could bring items in and out, making it a portable space.

He had everything set up inside—a dining table, kitchen, medicine storage, processing tools.

After starting a fire to cook rice, he picked up a hoe, tilling the soil while reciting medical notes.

He wasn’t happy with his current stick-thin physique—he wanted his abs back.

He had eaten at the hospital, but at his age, his stomach was a bottomless pit.

By the time he finished tilling, the rice was ready. He washed his hands at the spring-fed pool, then fried an egg on a flat iron plate.

No proper pan was available, so he made do.

A quick meal later, his ravenous stomach was finally satisfied.

Then he returned to studying.

His current job gave him unique advantages for learning medicine. Even if he couldn’t treat patients yet, it didn’t stop him from studying.

This second life had taught him the true value of skills—the more, the better.

If he hadn’t studied history but instead pursued physics, chemistry, or engineering, he could have become a top-notch technician, leading the nation to stand proudly among the world’s great powers more swiftly. On a personal level, with the backing of the state, he could have lived a comfortable life—unlike now, where even filling his stomach requires secrecy.

Moreover, his studies weren’t aimed at becoming a good doctor. Even now, he has no desire to be a physician treating patients. He simply wanted to master the skill.

Given the choice, he’d much rather be a pharmacist, avoiding daily interactions with different patients. He relishes the joy of solitude.

As night fell, the light in his room remained on for a long time. Only after all the other lights had gone out did his finally flicker off. But not long after, a shadowy figure slipped out of the room in the dark, navigating the familiar path to the courtyard gate before stepping outside.

Today was the day they had agreed to meet.