Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

It was past four o'clock in the afternoon, and the sky was completely dark.

The north wind, carrying snowflakes, swept across the city's train stations like knives, making a howling sound.

The dim, yellowish light emanating from the station spread out in the snow and fog, like clusters of will-o'-the-wisps about to go out.

The platform was crowded with people, most of whom were dressed in bulky clothes, hunched over, stamping their feet, and glancing frequently in the direction the train was coming from.

Xu Bei also stood among the people waiting to board the bus.

Even with a hat and scarf from head to toe, it still couldn't keep out the biting cold.

He clutched a hard-seat ticket in his cotton-padded handkerchief and carried a worn-out bag in his other hand, similar to his outfit when he last went to the provincial capital.

However, the amount of money that had been made through legitimate channels in the inner pocket was somewhat higher.

Among them was the fifty yuan that Zhou Qingwan spent.

Thinking of the girl's persistent and stubborn demeanor, her graceful figure in jeans and a white sweater, and her pure and refined appearance, Xu Bei's heart burned with passion.

Especially since he returned to the past, his physical functions returned to their peak, which was the time when all kinds of impulses were most intense and urgent.

Once a clear goal emerges, one will naturally think about winning the heart of the beauty as soon as possible and living a blissful life of mutual affection and sharing everything.

However, the social atmosphere in the 1980s was still conservative, and dating without the intention of marriage was considered immoral.

You have to eat one bite at a time, and you have to keep up with people step by step.

Neither of them should cross the line rashly without a certain time.

Just then, a muffled whistle suddenly sounded in the distance, like a tired old ox panting, interrupting Xu Bei's thoughts.

He subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, just like everyone else on the platform.

Two dim yellow headlights pierced through the snow and fog as the car slowly approached.

The locomotive, puffing out white smoke, its wheels making a sound as they rolled over the rails, carrying a strong smell of coal smoke, came to a stop at the platform.

As soon as the car door opened, a wave of heat mixed with a variety of smells rushed out.

Xu Bei followed the crowd to get his ticket checked and board the train. The carriage was much warmer than the platform.

Once he found his own window seat, Xu Bei sat down and pulled off his hat and gloves, and also untied his scarf.

The three-seater seat he was sitting in was quickly filled with people.

Next to them was an elderly couple, and opposite them were a well-dressed young couple holding a child and a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

At first, since we weren't familiar with each other, we didn't talk much.

Later, as the train slowly started moving, the rhythm of the wheels rolling over the rails became faster and faster, and the scenery outside the window rushed past.

To pass the time, everyone started chatting casually.

However, Xu Bei always adhered to the principle that his identity was self-given when he was away from home, so he could not reveal his true background or what he was going to do at his destination.

He guessed that the middle-aged man, who looked like he traveled frequently for work, was the same way; he seemed to answer, but his answer wasn't entirely truthful.

As for the two couples, one elderly and one young with children, they seemed much simpler and more down-to-earth, even explaining their family situations in detail.

Xu Bei even knew that the elderly couple, whose family was clearly in poor condition, were going to the provincial capital for medical treatment.

The family of three, with shiny hair and fashionable clothes and shoes, were going to buy tickets to visit relatives in Beijing after getting off the train.

Xu Bei also longed for the heart of the motherland in the 1980s. In his previous life, at this time, he only knew how to work in the workshop of a timber processing plant. He had never even been to the provincial capital, let alone Beijing.

With only ten days left until the Lunar New Year, he knew he wouldn't be able to go, but he would definitely make the trip after the New Year.

Even if you can't buy a courtyard house in Beijing for the time being due to household registration issues, it's still a good thing to walk around and experience the streets and alleys of Beijing in the 1980s.

Therefore, Xu Bei gradually started chatting with Wei Xuelin, the husband of the young couple.

I also learned more about the local customs and traditions from them, as well as some must-visit places.

A pleasant chat always makes time fly by.

As night deepened, the lights in the carriage were dimmed, and most of the passengers were asleep.

Some people are snoring, some are talking in their sleep, and some are gently rocking their babies.

The seats in their area also quieted down.

Xu Bei leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed, looking at the dark night and listening to the noise in the carriage, and slowly closed his eyes.

Half-asleep, I was suddenly awakened by some sounds.

Using the dim light inside the carriage, Xu Bei noticed that the middle-aged man with glasses opposite him was gone, replaced by a shifty-eyed man.

The other party was holding a switchblade, the blade gleaming coldly, and was forcing the young husband, Wei Xuelin, who had exchanged names with Xu Bei, to hand over money.

Perhaps not wanting to disturb his wife, who was sleeping with their one-year-old child by the car window, Wei Xuelin was reluctantly and reluctantly about to do as he was told.

But the moment she saw Xu Bei wake up, she stopped what she was doing and gave him a pleading look.

Xu Bei woke up completely at once and instinctively sat up straight.

"If you don't want to get stabbed, hurry up!" After threatening the young husband, the man lowered his voice and cursed viciously at Xu Bei, "And you, don't you dare meddle in other people's business!"

Xu Bei didn't consider himself a meddlesome person, but being cursed at like that was definitely unpleasant, especially since he didn't know if he would be next.

However, he is not taking any rash actions for the time being.

Instead, he made a gesture, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes to rest.

Several other passengers seemed to be alarmed as well; some changed their posture, some muttered something, but no one actually offered to help.

Seeing this, the man grew bolder, increasing the pressure on his hand. "What are you waiting for? Get it over with!"

Wei Xuelin showed a look of disappointment and understanding, his fingers trembling as he pulled a small cloth bag containing money from the inside pocket of his coat.

The shifty-eyed man's attention was immediately drawn to the money, his eyes filled with greed and smugness, and he no longer gripped the switchblade as tightly.

At this critical moment, a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly reached out from the side and gripped the man's wrist like an iron clamp.

With a short scream from the man, the switchblade clattered to the ground and slid to the middle of the aisle.

It turned out that Xu Bei had stood up at some point, and his movements were as fast as a shadow.

"Ah! My hand!"

The man's face contorted in pain, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

He never expected that this seemingly energetic but cowardly young man would suddenly make a move, and that he would be so ruthless.

Xu Bei gave the man no chance to breathe. After pulling him off his seat, he immediately slammed his knee into his back, pressing down on him like a mountain, rendering the man unable to move.

Wei Xuelin was incredibly grateful to have managed to save his money, repeatedly saying, "Thank you so much, thank you so much!"

He shouted again, "Thief! Thief!"

In the 1980s, many thieves brazenly picked people's pockets to steal, which aroused deep hatred among many people.

However, due to various fears and a desire not to cause trouble, many people tend to mind their own business.

However, seeing that the thief had been caught, many people took advantage of the chaos to punch and kick him a few times.

Therefore, by the time the train police officers arrived through the carriages, the thief who had been subdued by Xu Bei had already been badly beaten up...