Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Xu Bei thought the person was talking about him, and thought to himself that his hands must be very clean.

Especially after experiencing the years of wearing masks, I've developed an obsessive-compulsive disorder about washing my hands.

Even decades ago, this habit was still preserved.

As a result, when he turned around, he found a very fierce salesperson scolding a young man.

He recognized the young man whose face was flushed and who was eager to explain.

It was Lu Xiaohua, his brother-in-law from his previous life.

Xu Bei never dreamed that he would run into him at Xinhua Bookstore.

Seeing Lu Xiaohua inevitably brings to mind his sister, Lu Xiaoxia.

The two met through a blind date a few years later, got married quickly, and had a daughter more than six months after their marriage.

Even couples who enter into marriage because of love inevitably encounter bumps and bruises when faced with the mundane realities of daily life, let alone a couple like them who married simply because they were of similar age.

So it's not surprising that their lives are noisy and chaotic.

At the beginning of his rebirth, Xu Bei also considered whether to go back to his wife from his previous life. Later, he felt that since their personalities were incompatible, it would be a good thing to let each other go and have a fresh start.

However, unexpectedly, she encountered her younger brother first.

The strange looks from the people around her who were flipping through books—some with pity, some with disdain, and some with amusement—made Lu Xiaohua feel extremely embarrassed, and her voice unconsciously rose a little.

"My hands aren't dirty! They got machine oil on them from working, and I can't get them clean no matter how I wash them. There are black marks under my fingernails, which is why they look so dirty!"

The sales clerks at Xinhua Bookstore are all quite shrewd; after all, they have stable jobs and a bit of power. One of them immediately snapped in a shrill voice, "What good does it do to not be dirty? If you get this new book dirty, are you going to pay for it? If you're not buying it, put it down right now!"

"You!" Although Lu Xiaohua really wanted to take out his money to buy the book and slap the saleswoman in the face, he was short of money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been borrowing the book. So he was so angry that his eyes turned red.

Xu Bei walked over at this moment, patted Lu Xiaohua's shoulder reassuringly, and then said in a cold voice, "Comrade, please watch your attitude! I just saw it from the side, this young man's hands are indeed not dirty, and he did not soil the book."

The saleswoman sized up the meddlesome man who had suddenly appeared. Her intuition told her that he was not the same type of person as the young man she had scolded, judging from his appearance and demeanor. He not only looked energetic, but also had a somewhat intimidating air about him.

But with so many people watching, and having already dragged her here, she had no choice but to say something that showed she couldn't back down.

"What's wrong with my attitude? This is a bookstore, a place to sell books. If you're not going to buy anything, don't browse around. Who's going to compensate you if you make a mess or affect sales?"

Xu Bei was too lazy to argue with this woman, so he took the book directly from Lu Xiaohua's hand and found that it was Lu Yao's "Life". "Give me the receipt, I'll buy this book."

Upon hearing this, not only were the sales clerk and Lu Xiaohua stunned, but the onlookers were also very surprised.

After all, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that the two of them didn't know each other at all before.

As a result, they not only helped stand up for the victims, but also spent money to buy the book.

Ignoring the stares of others, Xu Bei said directly to Lu Xiaohua, "Come with me."

Lu Xiaohua obediently followed, feeling very grateful to this tall, handsome, and energetic man who had helped him out of his predicament.

The saleswoman also watched the two people's backs, and for some reason, she only dared to spit inwardly and dared not make any more moves.

Xu Bei bought the book for 49 cents.

Then, after leading Lu Xiaohua out of the bookstore, he gave him the book.

"Young man, I already have one at home, so I don't need another one. I'll give this one to you."

Lu Xiaohua was overwhelmed with gratitude and hurriedly refused, "No, no, brother, we don't know each other. You helped me so much just now, that's already enough... I can't take this book for free!"

However, I only have a little over two cents. Can I consider it an overpayment? Tell me your name and address, and I'll go home, get it, and bring it to you.

As he spoke, he took money out of his pocket.

Xu Bei knew Lu Xiaohua quite well and knew that she genuinely wanted to repay the money.

But with such a small amount of money, let alone the connection they had in their past lives, he wouldn't even take it from a stranger.

Xu Bei pressed his hand down directly. "No need, young man. I only bought the book because I didn't like that salesperson's attitude and I thought you were a good match. Consider it making friends. Maybe we'll meet again someday."

After saying that, he glanced down at his watch again, "I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

Lu Xiaohua clutched the book and the 24 cents she had pulled out, and strode after him. "Brother, you said you wanted to be friends with me, but you didn't tell me your name, where you work, or even ask my surname, name, or where I live!"

Xu Bei thought to himself, "They know all too well, they even know exactly which way the Lu family's gate faces."

"My name is Xu Bei, and I haven't been working lately."

"Then I'll call you Brother Xu. My name is Lu Xiaohua. I'm an apprentice at the machine repair shop. My home is at the back of Beiyang Street, the third row of houses..."

Listening to the other party's detailed explanation, which was so precise that they wanted to specify even the house number, Xu Bei felt like facepalming.

Actually, he also wanted to subtly inquire about Lu Xiaoxia's current situation, but he held back.

As far as he knew, it seemed that she was now working in the factory just like him, and there didn't seem to be anything he needed help with.

After that, Xu Bei dismissed the person with just a few words.

Then, I planned to find a place to eat first, and then return to Beishan Forestry Bureau after delivering the goods at noon.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaohua jogged all the way home.

It just so happened that Lu Xiaoxia, who was on break, was washing clothes on a washboard in her room.

"Sis, look what books I brought back!"

Lu Xiaoxia is about 1 meters tall, with fair skin and a very thin build, weighing only about 62 kilograms.

However, she has delicate features and big, double-lidded eyes, so she can be considered a pretty girl.

"Oh, 'Life'! Isn't that book really hard to buy? And where did you get the money to buy it? You've already spent all your allowance..."

With a complex and aggrieved expression, Lu Xiaohua recounted what happened in the bookstore.

"...That saleswoman was so disrespectful. She insisted that my hands were dirty and that I had made the book dirty."

"Sis, you wouldn't believe how handsome that guy is! I think he's even more dashing than the actor who played Xu Jun in 'The Wrangler'! Oh, and coincidentally, he's also surnamed Xu!"

Lu Xiaoxia stood up and pinched her younger brother's cheek with her still slightly damp hands, scolding him, "How can you be so shameless! Even if you don't have enough money in your pocket, you can't just not give me a single penny!"