Reborn in 1991, I opened supermarkets all over the world.

Wu Fucheng didn't complain at all when he heard that Lu Zifeng's New Year's goods were selling like hotcakes.

His position as cannery manager has been revoked, and the car that came to take him away is currently parked downstairs at his house.

He glanced back at his home and said to the bewildered Wu Biao, "I owe someone 20,000 yuan. If they come looking for you after Lu Zifeng's accident, just give them the money. Nothing else matters, understand?"

Wu Biao nodded.

"Take the rest with you and leave Dong County."

Wu Biao nodded again.

Sitting in the car that had come from the city, Wu Fucheng looked through the window at the workers pointing and gesturing through the glass. Every plant and tree in the factory was receding into the distance, and his eyes gradually welled up with tears.

He regrets it.

But he didn't know what he regretted most.

Was it embezzlement of collective assets, or was it allowing He Cheng to replace Lu Zifeng?

"Lu Zifeng, you bastard!" Wu Fucheng roared, startling the staff who came to take him away.

Along with Wu Fucheng, key personnel from the factory's accounting, cashier, and business department were also taken away...

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The Lu family had a lively New Year.

Lu Zifeng bought some small light bulbs from outside—yellow, red, and green—and strung them together with wires, hanging them in three layers around the yard and the house walls.

Mr. Lu kept cursing the expense, but when the lights came on, his mouth was always wide open with a smile.

Old Zhang from next door said over the courtyard wall, "Old Lu, it's all thanks to your son Zifeng. You used to beat him up all the time."

Mr. Lu replied, "That's called 'spare the rod and spoil the child'!"

Back then, it was said that the biggest sin Lu's father had ever committed in his life was giving birth to Lu Zifeng's aunt, and he even said he would introduce her cousin's daughter to Lu Zifeng, but Lu's mother resolutely refused.

Although Lu's mother didn't say it outright, she had already decided in her heart that she wanted Qiao Ling.

Qiao Ling helped Lu's mother carry the dishes to the table in the yard and asked, "Was Zifeng often beaten when he was little?"

Lu's mother laughed and said, "Zifeng was very naughty when he was little, and I had to discipline him. But if I disciplined him the way his father did, I was afraid that it would cause problems sooner or later. So we always keep mercurochrome at home."

Lu Zifeng picked up a chicken leg for Lu Xiaofeng and a chicken wing for Lu Zhenzhen, then said to Qiao Ling, "This is called 'dipping iodine in a whip,' disinfecting it while you're whipping."

Qiao Ling burst out laughing.

Mr. Lu raised his glass, filled with emotion: "Now that things are settled at home, I can't just stay idle all the time. I plan to rent a pedicab after the New Year to take passengers."

Lu Zifeng's heart skipped a beat: "No way!"

In his past life, Lu's father had a car accident while riding a pedicab. Now the family doesn't need his meager earnings, so why bother?

Mr. Lu slammed his wine glass on the table: "This family is not your place to be in charge!"

"I..." Lu Zifeng was about to speak when Qiao Ling quickly tugged at his sleeve.

Lu Zifeng quickly calmed down.

He knew that the old man was not only pleased that he could earn money, but also somewhat disappointed.

Because he was the head of the family, he has now become an idle person.

But pedicabs are really not a good option. Even if nothing goes wrong, it's just too strenuous. Over time, won't it leave you with a host of leg problems?

If he were to carry a very large person, it's questionable whether Lao Lu, with his physique, would be able to pedal it properly.

Qiao Ling put down her chopsticks and said to Mr. Lu, "I heard from Zifeng that Uncle Lu used to be a mechanic in the factory? That's definitely a skilled trade. There are more and more bicycles on the streets now, why don't you open a repair shop, Uncle Lu? You're a skilled person."

Lu Zifeng looked at Qiao Ling gratefully: "Yes, you are a technical talent. It would be a loss for the country if your talent were wasted like this."

"You brat!" Mr. Lu picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Lu's mother's gaze fell gently on Qiao Ling's face.

She knew that if it weren't for Qiao Ling tonight, the father and son might have gotten into another fight.

"You'll pay for the shop opening," said Mr. Lu, popping a peanut into his mouth and taking a sip of wine.

"We have an unshirkable responsibility!"

Seeing that the situation had eased, Qiao Ling timely raised her glass of cola: "Wishing Uncle Lu a prosperous business! Cheers! Cheers!"

"Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!"

"..."

Under the colorful lights, the Lu family courtyard is the brightest "star" among the houses in this area!

In contrast, the atmosphere in the city is much more vibrant.

The air was filled with the smell of sulfur and gunpowder. Children held up sparklers—which later became known as "fairy wands"—and drew circles, with golden sparks dotting the dark night.

Lin Siyan stood in front of the window of the ward, looking at the bright red lanterns on the street and the people coming and going.

But inside, she felt empty.

"Your dad hasn't come back from his business trip yet?" Lin Zheng asked, lying in his hospital bed.

"No."

"That's how it is in criminal investigation. Sometimes, you can't sleep for days and nights while staking out a single clue. Where's your mom? Shouldn't she be on holiday at work?"

"They said there were some issues with the accounts, so they needed to work overtime."

After saying that, Lin Siyan returned to the ward where she was staying.

The first volume of "Ordinary World" is placed on the bedside table.

Turning to the title page, one immediately sees the crudely written words: "Don't lose it, Lu Zifeng, a gift. February 1, 1991."

"I should have known better than to let him write the message. It's such a nice book, and his handwriting is so ugly," Lin Siyan muttered.

"What did you say?" Lin Zheng turned to look at her.

"It's nothing."

After Lin Zheng turned around, Lin Siyan's little mouth began to mutter again:

"And you call yourself an artsy youth?!"

"No, they're just artsy charlatans!"

"No, he's a righteous, righteous, and charlatan artsy fraud!"

Lin Zheng stared at his granddaughter's expression for a moment, then turned around, speechless.

She turned the pages and saw the emotions between Sun Shao-ping and Tian Xiao-xia quietly growing within the folds of their spirits.

One was a coal miner, the other a reporter from the provincial capital; the gap in their social status did not prevent their souls from resonating.

They also shared their thoughts on the world in their correspondence.

Why did I use "also"?

Lin Siyan recalled Lu Zifeng's only two replies.

In fact, Lu Zifeng's writing skills were not as good as she had imagined, but his understanding of life was far more thorough than hers.

For example, she said in a literary style that she should "thank the suffering," but Lu Zifeng told her not to thank the suffering, but to thank herself for overcoming or enduring the suffering.

For example, when her life was not going well, Lu Zifeng said, "Everything has cracks, that's where the light gets in."

He also said that true friends should be the light that illuminates each other.

Lin Siyan put down the book in her hand, rested her chin on her hand, and thought about how this "fruit vendor bullied by a landlord bully" and "literary swindler who knocked out a thief with one punch" hadn't replied to her letter in a long time.

Outside the window, a Cantonese song was playing from the audio equipment store downstairs; it was Priscilla Chan's "Half Moon Serenade".

Still leaning against the sleepless night

Looking at the stars in the sky

I can still hear the violin.

A teasing, almost pleading tone, provocative.

Why is there only a crescent moon left?

Stay in my sky

After that night

Communication cut off...