Chapter 1 Reborn in 1976

  These days everything is popular, and if you're not careful, it's easy to get caught up in the trend of cross-dressing.

  It's really not bad to talk about this crossing. Those who lived in the previous life were not rich and even lived a bit suffocated, if they had the good fortune to cross over, relying on their prior knowledge of future events, what benefits would they not take advantage of? Of course, they would be prosperous and noble, with wealth and status. And perhaps they would have both wealth and nobility, with beauties flocking around them, it's simply enough to make people envy until their eyes are bloodshot.

  Like me, born out of time, at the age of 40, still nothing has been achieved, barely making a living by helping others with their work, a humble and lowly commoner. In my heart, I yearn for that kind of transcending life, why can't such a good thing happen to me?

  That evening, I was scolded by my boss and felt extremely unhappy. I ran out alone to drink and drown my sorrows. As the saying goes, "wine enters, sorrow grows". Originally, my alcohol tolerance was not good, and drinking alone made me even more drunk. After downing just two or three bottles of beer, I completely passed out. I don't know how I got back to my dormitory, but as soon as I entered, I fell asleep like a horse, unaware of anything.

  "Xiao Jun, get up! Hurry up and get out of bed, Xiao Jun..."

  Is that you calling me?

  "My name is Liu Jun, and I'm a 40-year-old man who serves as the director of engineering at a Taiwanese-funded factory in a coastal city. My wife and family are not around me, so who's calling me like this? Besides, this nickname was only used when I was 12 or 13 years old. After entering junior high school, except for my elders at home, no one has called me that again."

  It must be a misunderstanding.

  I just feel dizzy and sleepy.

  "Xiao Jun, get up quickly, you'll be late..."

  This time it's not just calling, but also a big hand constantly pushing me.

  Why are you late?

  Damn, it's time to go to work. This capitalist factory doesn't have the concept of a rest day. In order to rush orders, our entire factory hasn't had a single day off in almost a month. And yet, yesterday I was still scolded by the boss for not doing a good job with machine maintenance and affecting shipments. If I'm late again today, who knows how that ruthless boss will deal with me?

  These days, the US has been endlessly making a fuss about some financial crisis, causing the whole world to catch a cold. The Taiwanese are following suit and going crazy, shouting every day that they want to lay off employees. If they really do get laid off, they'll be crying and won't even be able to find their graves.

  I was startled and sat up straight, my body suddenly tense. It's strange, I've never been so agile before. After all, time doesn't spare people, and at middle age, even a simple sit-up is no longer easy, and I have to rely on my elbows for help.

  But... wait, who's calling me?

  I'm just a worker in the factory. My wife is not around either. I'm not like those rich guys who can find some mistress to accompany them every day.

  As I opened my eyes and took a look, a face that seemed both familiar and strange appeared before me. In an instant, the hairs on my body stood on end, and I almost let out a shrill cry.

  Grandma!

  Good heavens! The one calling me is actually my grandma!

  But... but... but grandma has been dead for over a decade. This this this... am I dreaming? But it doesn't quite feel like it either.

  In desperation, I stretched out my arm and bit down on it hard.

  Mom, it hurts so much!

  "What's wrong with this kid, why is he biting himself?"

  My grandmother was shocked and heartbroken, hastily grabbed my small hand, rubbing it back and forth.

  Small hands...... Ah, how did my arms become so thin and small? This is clearly a child's arm. I'm tall and sturdy, weighing over 160 pounds, a standard robust man.

  I couldn't care about anything else, I raised my hands to examine them carefully, and they were white and tender, only slightly thicker than a rolling pin. What was this if not a child? I was shocked and pale, I lifted the quilt, pulled up my underwear and took a look inside, the little chicken was snowy white and delicate, without a single hair, a standard child's body.

  I finally couldn't help but scream out loud, screaming uncontrollably, hysterically...

  This shout scared my "grandma" (I don't know who she actually is, let's just assume she's my grandma). The old lady was flustered, holding me in her arms while loudly shouting: "Old servant, old servant, come quickly..."

  I was still screaming when a seventy-year-old old man walked in with brisk steps and asked loudly, "What's going on?"

  This voice is so familiar that I suddenly stop screaming and take a closer look, oh my god, isn't this my grandfather? My grandfather's voice is quite special, with a heavier nasal tone, I've been listening to him tell stories since I was young, and I'll never forget it.

  But he passed away even earlier than my grandmother, I remember it was when I was 25 years old. Now after more than a decade, where did his old self come from? Don't understand! Don't understand!

  "Xiao Jun doesn't know what evil spirit he has encountered..."

  Grandma said hastily.

  My arm was burning with a scorching pain, it seemed I wasn't dreaming. I forced myself to calm down and slightly sorted out my chaotic thoughts. If this wasn't a dream, then there's only one possibility - I had crossed over.

  As soon as I thought of this, I completely calmed down.

  It's my turn to travel through time. I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement in my heart. Regardless of whether this journey is good or bad, it can't be worse than the life I had yesterday. A 40-year-old man with no achievements, working for others and earning only 3,000 to 4,000 yuan per month.

  Seeing me not crying or making a fuss, Grandpa was very dissatisfied and said: Old lady, what nonsense are you talking about? Isn't Little Jun fine?

  Grandma also has some

  Strange, grasped me carefully and examined me closely, muttering to himself.

  My grandparents had passed away before I was born. My parents were both civil servants, and as a child, I was raised by my maternal grandparents. It seems that not only did I travel through time, but also back into my own body.

  Is this the legendary rebirth? So to speak, my previous life was ruined by less than three bottles of beer? It's really super funny. A lifetime of never getting drunk, and just one time of getting drunk, ends up like this? Damn it, I'm so unlucky.

  "Xiao Jun, Xiao Jun..."

  I was lost in thought, and when my grandmother saw me staring blankly with a silly expression, she became anxious again.

  I woke up with a start and gave Grandma a sweet smile, calling out: "Grandma."

  "Hey...... Xiao Jun, what's wrong with you?"

  "I'm fine, very good."

  "Oh no, you scared Grandma to death..."

  Grandma still wanted to nag, but Grandpa was already old and dissatisfied, saying: "Old lady, what are you nagging about again? Hurry up and get Little Jun dressed, he has to go read books."

  Right, reading books. I remember only attending elementary school in my hometown for a year, and then transferred to the county town to continue studying. Calculating from this, I should be seven years old now, and it should be 1976 this year.

  Put on clothes and pants, grandma washed my face for me, then handed me a soft roasted sweet potato.

  Look at the small grey cotton-padded jacket, look at the sweet potato in my hand, look at the familiar and kind faces of my grandparents, and then carefully examine the dusty old-fashioned room around me, I am sure that I have returned to 1976.

  "Xiao Jun, eat quickly, finish eating and then go to school."

  Grandma said as she took out a yellowish cotton backpack.

  I nodded in agreement, peeled off the roasted sweet potato's charred skin and started eating it in big mouthfuls.

  It's been many years since I last had roasted sweet potatoes. They're really delicious. In my memory, 1976 was a year of extreme material scarcity. Not to mention children, even adults, breakfast was just one or two roasted sweet potatoes. It seems that this roasted sweet potato is my lunch for the whole morning, and I'm still hungry!

  I couldn't help but feel worried.

  What's there to worry about? You're just a 7-year-old kid, yet you think you're a big and strong man of 160 pounds? With such a huge roasted sweet potato, shouldn't you be full instead of worrying about going hungry?

  Alas, now that I've returned to a seven-year-old body, can my forty-year-old mind still keep from getting all tangled up?

  No, I'd better be alone for a while and sort out my thoughts.

  Seeing me eating well, grandma was delighted and smiled with her eyes narrowed into a slit.

  "My little brother Jiajun is such a good boy..."

  Grandma, my dearest grandma, I never thought in my dreams that there would be a day when we could reunite. This is truly wonderful. Not to mention the difficulties of crossing over and rebirth, being able to reunite with Grandpa and Grandma again after twenty years is an excellent opportunity given by heaven. I must grasp it tightly and cherish this hard-won happiness.

  I wolfed down the roasted sweet potato, shouldered my backpack, bid a reluctant farewell to my grandparents and stepped out of the house.

  My hometown is in the southern province of N, Baoyu area, Xiangyang County, Hongqi Commune, Liujiashan Brigade, a remote and mountainous inland hilly area. Liujiashan Brigade, just hearing the name you know it's not a place with rich products or fertile land.

  As I stepped out of the high stone threshold, I took a deep breath to calm my turbulent emotions and also to get a sense of direction. In my previous life, I lived in this ordinary farmhouse with half-brick and half-earth structure for seven years. The memories of childhood are deeply ingrained in my bones, unforgettable for a lifetime.

  As soon as I walked out of the house, a cool mountain breeze hit me. My grandmother only wore a single layer of clothing and a thin cotton pants for me, it seems that the solar term should be in the beginning of August in the lunar calendar, early September in the Gregorian calendar, which is just after the start of primary school.

  Liu Jia Shan Primary School, as the only primary school in the entire brigade, is about two miles east of home. Although I am only seven years old and not very tall, this short distance doesn't pose a problem for me.

  As I walked on the bumpy rural road, I was both excited and terrified. Crossing over to another time period was something I had only read about online before. It sounded wonderful - every crosser used their foresight and knowledge from a more advanced era to achieve great success. Those who crossed into ancient times either became famous generals or high-ranking officials, and some even became the rulers of a new dynasty. Those who crossed into modern times were all incredibly wealthy tycoons or high-ranking government officials, living lives that were the envy of others. But I couldn't shake off my anxiety. Why? Because in my previous life, I was a typical member of the underclass, with grand ambitions but limited abilities. My unhappy and unfulfilling life had turned me into a fatalist - I believed that one's fate was predetermined by heaven. If heaven had destined me to be an ordinary, mediocre person, then even if I crossed over to 30 years ago and lived again, the result would still be the same. This thought was just too terrifying. Having endured such a painful life once was already too much - how could I bear to go through it all again?

  Alas, things have come to this, and it's probably useless. Days still have to go on one by one, can't just drown myself after crossing over, right?

  At the thought of drowning myself, I couldn't help but stop in my tracks and walk over to a pond to take a look at my reflection.

  A clear face appears on the water surface, looking like my son in his previous life at the age of 7 or 8. Everyone says that my son looks very much like me when I was young, it seems that I have indeed come back.