Chapter 2: Whose Fate Is It in This Life and the Next?

  Xue Xiang walked out of the room and came to the main hall, pushed open a small ventilation window on the left wall, and looked around the entire house. This was an independent courtyard given to the No. 1 leader of the military district in '57, with a four-room and one-hall main building, facing the main hall was a spacious courtyard, in the middle of which two parallel flower pools were built, two meters apart from the flower pool, two rows of white birch trees stood upright, the famous flowers and grasses in the flower pool had long been abandoned and withered, but the wildflowers and weeds had regained new life, lush and dense, as if this world. On the left side of the courtyard was a corridor leading directly to the main hall, and on the right side was a row of outhouses, except for one kitchen, the rest were either used to store miscellaneous items or supported empty beds that no one slept in. Looking at this unfamiliar yet familiar courtyard, Xue Xiang felt a mix of emotions, this was also the only property left to the Xue family after the disaster.

  In 1967, the old soldiers from the big courtyard rushed into the military district's courtyard, and all the valuable things in this house were looted. Even Xu Shu, the family's helper, was driven back to her hometown in Hebei Province. In 1970, my uncle was isolated for investigation and labor reform. Fortunately, unlike other homes of leaders who had been demoted in this courtyard, this small courtyard was not sealed by the Revolutionary Committee. Later, Xue Xiangcai learned from his uncle that in 1941, during the rectification movement in the cave, Xue Anyuan saved the life of Zhang Guangzhu, the director of the District Revolutionary Committee. After Xue Anyuan resumed his post, he still remembered this incident with resentment: How could I have saved such a thing!

  Xue Xiang turned on the white light bulb in the living room and came to the door of the bedroom opposite his room, which was Xiao Wan and Xiao Shi's room. After their parents passed away, Xiao Shi, who had left her mother's arms, slept with her sister. Xue Xiang carefully pushed open the door and gently gazed at the two tender little faces on the bed. Xiao Wan had a student haircut of this era, with neat bangs covering her forehead, her nose slightly wrinkled on her melon-seed-shaped face, her small mouth pursed, and her hand tightly grasping the corner of the quilt, perhaps having a nightmare. Looking at Xiao Wan's restless little face, Xue Xiang felt full of self-reproach. When their parents passed away, 12-year-old Xiao Wan was already sensible, after crying once, she silently took on household chores, and besides going to school every day, she also did laundry and cooked for her four siblings. It was himself, the elder brother, who had been fooling around all day, never sharing any responsibility for this family.

  The 5-year-old Xiaoyi's small face was peacefully sleeping, and her young age had not left any shadow in her heart after her parents' departure two years ago, which also made Xue Xiang feel comforted. Xue Xiang gently pulled down the corner of the quilt from Xiaoyi's hand, carefully put her arm into the quilt, and pressed the edges of the quilt tightly, then quietly exited the room and slowly closed the door. In the room on the left side of the two sisters, Xiaoyi was sleeping, and the desk lamp on the bedside table was still on. From a distance, Xiaoyi was sleeping very soundly, lightly snoring, with her head buried in the thick pillow. Xue Xiang did not intend to turn off the lamp, knowing that this was the child's way of fighting against the fear of darkness, and quietly closed the door.

  He walked out of the house and into the courtyard, where a pressure tank washing pool was located about five meters away from the kitchen. Although this type of pressure tank washing pool was an old-fashioned water fetching device, it was not inferior to modern faucets in terms of usage. From afar, Xue saw that the washing pool was filled with a large basin of clothes, and he knew that these clothes were usually washed by Xiaowan early in the morning. Now that he had arrived in this world, how could he let his sister continue to suffer and toil?

  Xue Xiang poured the clothes into the washing pool, scooped up water with a basin, and submerged a small military uniform that had been washed white in the water. He sprinkled soap powder on it and rubbed it hard. In the early spring season, the temperature at night was very low, but Xue Xiang was sweating profusely as he washed. Three hours later, looking at the clean clothes hanging on the clothesline, Xue Xiang smiled with satisfaction.

  He picked up the clothes, went into the kitchen, checked the rice jar and vegetable basket. The grayish rice jar was almost empty, and in the green bamboo woven vegetable basket, a few white radishes were lying crookedly. Xue Xiang took out three or four big white radishes from the vegetable basket, turned it upside down on the counter, poured out the miscellaneous things inside, and planned to go buy some vegetables.

  Perhaps the honorable officials will find it strange that Xue Xiang buys vegetables at 3 or 4 in the morning. The reason is that during this time of winter and early spring, vegetable supplies are extremely tight, ordinary citizens start lining up at the market at 2 or 3 o'clock at night, many people can't bear the cold, so they use stones, baskets (with stones inside), small stools to take their place in line, go home to sleep, and come back to line up again at 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning, which often leads to quarrels and fights, it's hard for people today to imagine.

  Xue Xiang found the hidden compartment where the tickets were stored, opened it, and inside lay grain tickets, oil tickets, meat tickets, sugar tickets, tofu tickets, and various subsidiary tickets. At that time, these tickets were far more valuable than money, as they were used to purchase scarce food or non-staple foods such as eggs, fish, and cigarettes in limited quantities. Having money but no tickets meant you still couldn't buy these scarce goods. Fortunately, after the emergence of "Dacron" last year, various fabric tickets gradually disappeared from people's daily lives.

  Xue Xiang took out some documents from the secret compartment and stuffed them into the pockets of his military uniform, put on a water rat skin hat, wrapped a white fox fur scarf around his neck, and wore Da Bo's officer's overcoat. This overcoat was one of Da Bo's treasured possessions, with a grayish-brown color, thick, soft, and heavy. At that time, both young people and children liked to wear military uniforms, and the military uniforms issued by the Liberation Army at different times were all considered fashionable clothing. In 1955, when the army was awarded ranks, the clothes issued to officers above the rank of captain were very particular, with winter uniforms made of woolen fabric and horsehair fabric, and summer uniforms made of tussah silk fabric. The generals' military uniforms were even more particular, with the same woolen fabric as the officers' uniforms, but with a higher grade of fabric. They also issued water rat skin hats and windbreakers made of downy fabric. As a result, various types of military uniforms became fashionable items, and even the high-waisted leather boots with elastic cuffs that were issued together with the military dress uniform became top-grade fashion items, commonly known as "officer boots". The children of cadres probably hoped to show off their parents' status in this way. The fox fur scarf was also something Da Bo had captured during his time in Northeast China, and it felt soft and warm around his neck, not letting in a single thread of wind.

  Xue Xiang rode his "Forever" brand chromium steel bicycle, pedaling furiously as the bike shot forward like an arrow piercing through the cold wind. In about ten minutes, he arrived at the entrance of the vegetable market, where a large, dark red lacquered gate stood with half its paint peeled off, looking like the face of someone who had fallen on hard times. Above the wide gate, a long white banner was stretched across, painted in red ink: "The Great Leader's Thought Guides Us Forward". The bold characters seemed to radiate light under the dim street lamps.

  In front of the two-meter-wide gate, eight crooked and slanted queues, each about ten meters long, had already formed. Between people, there were small stools and bricks placed at intervals to occupy positions. At this time, most of those who came to line up were the old, weak, women and children, not a single young or strong man like him.

  The early risers were all sluggish, some whispering to each other, some nodding off on small stools, and others leaning against the wall snoring loudly. Xue Xiang pushed his cart straight to the end of the second row, parked it, hung the vegetable basket on the handlebars, lifted his leg over the saddle, with one long leg resting on the ground and the other wrapped around the crossbar. He pulled out a pack of "Feicui" cigarettes from the pocket of his woolen coat, lit one up with a red military lighter, and began to smoke contentedly. At this time, a pack of "Feicui" cost 90 cents, which was equivalent to two days' worth of work points for an able-bodied laborer in some rural areas. The young man who originally owned the cigarettes couldn't afford to smoke them regularly, usually carrying two packs with him, one of which was "Feicui" to be used when socializing with revolutionary comrades from all over the country, while he himself normally smoked "Peony" for 45 cents. As soon as Xue Xiang got his hands on this pack of cigarettes, he didn't care if it was meant for entertaining guests or not, and started smoking right away.

  Xue Xiang took a deep drag, the rich tobacco flavor overpowering the stench of rotting garbage from the nearby dumpster. After finishing the cigarette, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He got off the driver's seat, parked the car in place, and found a spot with his back to the wind by a wall. Not even bothering about his top-notch gear, he sat down on two bricks, pulled up his collar to cover his face, brought his legs together towards his abdomen, stacked his arms into a nest-like shape, buried his head inside, and fell asleep in no time.

  He didn't know how long he had slept, but the noisy sound woke up Xue Xiang. He raised his hand to look at the "Mingzhu" plum watch on his wrist and found it was already 5:30. He rubbed his eyes, patted the dust off his body, and walked towards the parked fleet. After a few steps, Xue Xiang stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide open, staring at something like a golden ingot, unable to move his gaze away.

  A young woman stood leaning against her bicycle, with a green vegetable basket placed on the back seat. The standing woman was like a lily standing in the morning sun, blooming in the wind, fresh and elegant. The woman had a head of black shiny long hair, which was not tied into two thick braids like the current fashion, but was loosely tied behind her head with a red ribbon. She wore an olive green jacket, which might have been worn for a long time, washed and faded, with white patches on the cuffs and shoulders in the shape of chrysanthemums. This old and tattered olive green jacket did not look awkward or sloppy on the woman's body, but rather natural and effortless. The tight military uniform wrapped around the woman's slender figure, making her appear more elegant and refined, as if she had just stepped out of a spring breeze, leaving people feeling refreshed and intoxicated. The woman wore a pair of light black trousers with wide hems, which seemed to have been cut from another pair of pants. At first glance, it was clear that the woman was not the original owner of the pants, and the straight legs hung down to cover a pair of black-and-white sneakers. This simple pair of trousers matched the woman's tall figure, resembling the pencil pants of later generations, making her legs appear long and straight, elegant and refined.

  The girl's delicate face was not like most melon faces, with a pointed chin, but instead had a rounded arc at the intersection of the chin and cheeks. Her big eyes sparkled, her gaze clear and transparent, her slender nose bridge below her cherry lips full and plump, exactly like a plump version of Lin Chi-ling.

  Xue stared at the woman's straight eyebrows and eyes for a long time. Finally, the woman noticed that there was a lustful light staring at her, and she stomped her foot in shame and anger, twisting her waist and turning her face in another direction. The woman didn't know that when she turned around, her plump and firm round buttocks broke through the loose-fitting long pants, drawing out a shocking arc line that gave Xue a strong visual impact, almost making him nosebleed.

  Xue Xiang felt a little embarrassed in his heart when he realized that the girl had discovered his peeking. Neither Xue Xiang from his previous life nor the original young man had much experience interacting with girls, let alone falling in love. Xue Xiang from his previous life was somewhat introverted and shy, belonging to the category of deep-seated otaku. The original young man, on the other hand, had a bit of a spoiled nature, but he was generous and open-minded, and the friends he made were all energetic and lively young men who often got into fights and brawls, with no experience whatsoever in interacting with girls.

  Xue Xiang continued to walk towards his vehicle. Liu Ying'er felt a bit anxious: What's wrong with this guy? She hadn't encountered those who deliberately flirted and were glib before, but they were all in remote areas, quiet places. Such a bold rogue was the first time she had met, looking at his high-ranking cadre son's attire from head to toe, he must be a rogue leader, Liu Ying'er gave Xue Xiang a verdict. At that time, the hooligans loved this kind of dress and demeanor, and in the eyes of ordinary people, hooligans were almost synonymous with rogues, no wonder Liu Ying'er misunderstood.

  Xue Xiang approached the bicycle, his hands reaching for the handlebars. Liu Ying was startled and hastily said: "Don't come any closer, if you take another step I'll shout for help." She tightened her grip on the vegetable basket, took a step back, her voice trembling. This soft rebuke sounded to Xue Xiang's ears like the oriole's cry in the valley, the young phoenix's first call, as if he had eaten the fruit of life, and all 3,600 pores on his body opened wide.

  "This comrade, this is my car." Xue rubbed his head and actually blushed first.

  Liu Ying'er didn't respond, instead she picked up the vegetable basket from the back seat of the car, wiped the place where the basket had been with her sleeve, and then took a step back.

  Mistaken for a hooligan, Xue felt annoyed and ignored her, straddling the car seat and striking the same pose as when queuing at night, his long legs shaking slightly.

  Xue stretched out his right hand, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, and with a light flick of his index finger on the bottom of the cigarette case, a cigarette sprang out and flew towards his mouth. Xue opened his mouth and precisely caught the cigarette. This subconscious action was incredibly cool, as if he had practiced it thousands of times. He did it reflexively, like a conditioned response. Why didn't he do this last night when he was smoking? Xue was puzzled. He thought to himself that attracting beautiful women's attention must be an instinct for all men, and he gave himself a perfect explanation.

  Liu Ying'er's attention was indeed attracted, and she thought to herself: How many cigarettes must he have smoked to reach this level? He's not old, but he's a real chain smoker. Fortunately, Xue Xiang couldn't hear what she was thinking, or else he would have been furious, truly throwing sheep's eyes at a blind man.

  The cigarette was smoked halfway, and the front team was like a floodgate opening, rushing back quickly. Xue stabilized the steering wheel with both legs clamped on the ground, posing as "let the wind be high and the waves be urgent, I am unshakeable".

  The big red gate of the vegetable market was opened, and the gate was squeezed to make a creaking sound, shaking back and forth. It seemed that if there were more people or a bit more strength, the gate would be squeezed off. The salespeople in the state-run vegetable market were already familiar with this scene, and they calmly put all kinds of food and vegetables on the shelves of the eight sales windows. The vegetable market was set up in a unique way. After the big gate was opened, moving forward half a meter was a wall, and on the wall, a row of eight one-meter-high wide windows were carved out. The windows were connected by thick colorless transparent glass, through which you could clearly see the various foods placed on the shelves inside the market. Each window had three salespeople responsible for collecting tickets, collecting money, and taking goods, with clear divisions of labor, which greatly accelerated the speed of collecting goods.

  The team in front was pushed back by the opening of the gate, and the team behind saw that the door was open and rushed forward suddenly. In the midst of pushing and shoving, Liu Ying'er lost her balance and turned around to see that the original old lady behind her had been replaced by a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old. This guy wore a yellow military uniform in a sloppy manner, with a cigarette in his mouth revealing a full set of yellow teeth, and on his face, which was full of flesh, there was a pea-sized tumor on his left cheek, making people feel disgusted at the sight of him. The young man's eyes were fixed on Liu Ying'er's round buttocks, rolling around and around, with saliva flowing from the corner of his mouth.

  PS: Here, thank you Mr. Du Liang, some military uniform depictions have borrowed places, and Pan Dao, of course he also made a good Pan Dao, which also borrowed from Blood-colored Romance, here, thanks!