Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

The two returned home covered in the chill of the outdoors. After taking a hot shower, they were enveloped in the warm steam and the refreshing scent of soap.

They sat side by side on the sofa, having just finished showering. The hot water made her skin slightly warm, and her face flushed.

Chen Jie was wearing pajamas, her hair wet and draped over her shoulders, as she bent down to rub the ends of her hair with a towel. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the noticeably dented sofa surface, and her cheeks flushed again.

Liu Xiangyang followed her gaze, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "What..." he said, his tone full of mockery, "Your skills have improved quite a bit. Look, even the spring has lost its elasticity."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie abruptly tossed her wet hair back, splashing a few drops of water onto Liu Xiangyang's face.

She pouted, looking both embarrassed and annoyed, but her eyes were unusually bright. "Come on! This is clearly your doing. You're the best at turning the tables. What did I have to do with this?" she retorted, but she moved closer and sat down next to him on the sofa.

Liu Xiangyang chuckled and naturally took the towel from her hand, taking over the task of drying her hair.

Chen Jie squinted, like a cat being stroked. Through her blurry vision, she stared at the profile so close to hers, at the strong features and the slightly lowered eyelashes when focused.

After a moment, she spoke softly, voicing the question that had been on her mind:

"Xiangyang, were you serious yesterday about waiting a year so I could get pregnant?"

Liu Xiangyang put down the towel, placed his hands on her shoulders, and turned her around slightly so that their eyes could meet directly. His expression was serious.

"It's true, why?" he replied, his voice deep and clear. "But it also means that you might have to give up everything in Harbin—your job, your network, this familiar environment."

"Come back to Beijing with me. Life might start all over again, and it could be even more uncertain. Are you willing?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Jie looked up at him with clear and firm eyes, repeating her previous answer word by word: "Xiangyang, I'm willing. I'm willing now. I'll answer the same way you asked me last time. Wherever you are, that's where I'll be. I don't care about anything else."

Liu Xiangyang gazed at her, his eyes brimming with love, and pulled her into his arms.

"Chen Jie, I will never let you lose in this lifetime."

……

"I told you not to do anything reckless, but you just had to be mischievous. You just took a shower, and now you want to take another one, and wash your hair again. I hate you!" Chen Jie complained repeatedly, but the expression on her face was one of happiness.

"Then let's just go straight to the next step, and there won't be any more problems." Liu Xiangyang lifted her up from behind with both hands.

"Okay, okay, my little darling, I promise you, alright?" As soon as Chen Jie said that, she knew things were going to get ugly.

Sure enough, she immediately felt his rapid breathing behind her, and then heard him say, "Then you can call me that from now on!"

Water was splashing everywhere in the bathroom.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Chen Jie held Liu Xiangyang affectionately for a while before saying, "I'm going to work now, be good, okay?" She then rode her bike to work with a radiant face.

After Chen Jie left, Liu Xiangyang rode his brand-new bicycle to the Xinhua Bookstore in Harbin.

Inside the Xinhua Bookstore in Harbin, light streams through the glass windows, illuminating the dust particles that float slowly in the air.

The surroundings were quiet, with the occasional soft sound of someone taking a book from the counter and a whisper. The air was filled with the mixed scents of old paper, new ink, and wooden countertops—a tranquil atmosphere belonging to knowledge.

Liu Xiangyang walked straight to the textbook section.

"Comrade, could you please provide three complete sets of high school humanities textbooks: Chinese, history, geography, politics, and foreign language?" he said to the middle-aged female sales clerk behind the counter, who was wearing arm sleeves and had a dignified appearance.

The sales clerk was clearly taken aback for a moment, then looked up and scrutinized him closely.

"Do you have a letter of introduction for purchasing from schools or organizations?" she asked routinely as she turned to get the books, her tone inquisitive.

"I'm going to help the educated youth in my hometown village, and also to help the younger brothers and sisters I've taken in, to improve their basic knowledge." Liu Xiangyang answered calmly, taking out a letter of introduction he had stamped from his pocket. "It's not just about labor; their ideological and cultural foundation also needs to keep up."

The sales clerk took the letter of introduction, read it carefully, nodded, and didn't ask any more questions, but couldn't help glancing at him a few more times while moving the books.

Then, he turned to another area, ran his finger over the bibliographic card, and said clearly:

"The Barefoot Doctor's Manual, the latest version."

"Militia Military Training Manual"

"Friends of Dual-Use Military and Civilian Talents"

Finally, his gaze fell on a book in the corner with a simple cover and straightforward title: "Troubleshooting Common Agricultural Machinery Faults".

He pulled it out; the cover was somewhat worn. For him, who possessed the ability to fuse and decompose, this book was more like a reference manual and a tool to deceive others.

Just as he finished paying and carefully tied the two large stacks of books with the prepared net and rope, a slightly hoarse but earnest voice rang out beside him:

"Young man, buying so many books, emphasizing both fundamentals and practicality, is quite rare."

Liu Xiangyang looked up and saw a man who looked to be about fifty years old and was wearing a faded old military-style shirt.

"Learn more, always thinking you'll be able to use it." Liu Xiangyang smiled politely, preparing to leave.

"Wait a minute," the man stepped forward, lowering his voice, and pointed to the agricultural machinery book, "Judging from your purchase of this, you must know a bit about mechanical repair?"

Liu Xiangyang's mind raced slightly, and he stopped what he was doing: "I encountered some when I was working in the village, they were all minor ailments. What's wrong with you?"

"Sigh, I'm from Qianjin Farm." The man sighed, his brows furrowing. "There's a tractor in the farm that broke down at a crucial moment. We've called people, but they haven't been able to fix it. Spring plowing is just around the corner, and we can't afford to let it fall behind. Judging from the way you were picking out books, you seem like someone who's willing to study, so I couldn't help but strike up a conversation." His words were filled with anxiety.

Liu Xiangyang quickly weighed the options in his mind. This was an opportunity, a place where he could test his integration capabilities and have another channel to explain the source of many of his resources.

"I definitely can't handle complicated things," he waved his hand humbly. "But if you trust me, tell me the general situation, and I'll go back and look through some books to think of a solution. If I find any methods mentioned in those books, I'll let you know, which will give you another idea."

"Then please keep an eye on it." The man nodded, not holding out much hope, and explained the tractor's condition in detail.

"My surname is Zhao, and I'm the farm manager. Young man, what's your name? Which commune do you work for?"

"My surname is Liu, Liu Xiangyang. I was a sent-down youth in Dongsheng Village and now I work as a village patrolman," Liu Xiangyang introduced himself.