Starting from 1950

That morning.

As dawn broke, Su Yang finished another night shift and was pushing his bicycle out of the factory.

When we arrived at the factory gate, we saw two green trucks parked outside.

People gradually got off the train from the back compartment.

Su Yang could roughly guess what was going on with these people.

Nowadays, almost all factories in Shenzhou have added night shifts, and many factories are urgently expanding production and hiring more workers.

For example, Limin Flour Factory has already started laying foundations and expanding its factory buildings on the wasteland on both sides of the factory area.

Expanding production requires more workers, and Shenzhou obviously doesn't have enough local labor, so they have to bring in workers from other places.

Judging from the two trucks full of people carrying large and small bags, it's clear they're from out of town supporting Shenzhou.

Su Yang glanced around a few times, greeted the security guard standing at the gate, and was about to ride his bike home to his family compound.

Suddenly, he saw two familiar figures.

After rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he quickly abandoned his bicycle and ran over.

"Aunt Mei! Officer Wang!"

Ruan Sumei and Wang Cui, who were packing their luggage, heard someone call their names and looked over. When they saw that it was Su Yang running towards them, both of them showed surprise and disbelief.

"Su Yang! It's Su Yang!" Ruan Sumei subconsciously dropped the bundle in her hand and grabbed Su Yang's hand, who was trying to help her with the bundle.

"Su Yang... what's this? You're from Limin Flour Factory?" Wang Cui looked at Su Yang's well-fitting Zhongshan suit and the bicycle he had just abandoned, her mind a little dazed.

She knew that state-owned factories would not hire child laborers under the age of 16, and even if Su Yang changed his age, he would only be 15 years old by the traditional Chinese age reckoning.

Judging from Su Yang's attire and demeanor, he was clearly having a very good time in Shenzhou.

"You were adopted by the employees of Limin Flour Factory, right? I was wondering why no one in Beijing was willing to take you away from the reformatory. The comrades in the Northeast have good taste." Wang Cui automatically imagined what happened to Su Yang after he came to Shenzhou.

"Su Yang, you've been adopted? What about Xin Xue?" Ruan Sumei was overjoyed at first, then quickly asked.

Su Yang was somewhat amused and quickly explained, "I wasn't adopted. Xin Xue and I live in the flour factory's staff quarters now. She works in the propaganda department, and I work in the security department, but I work the night shift and she works the day shift."

"Security Department?"

Ruan Sumei and Wang Cui looked at each other in surprise. Although they were somewhat surprised that Wu Xinxue had entered the propaganda department, they could understand.

After all, that girl is 16 years old after changing her age, and she can sing and dance.

But how did Su Yang get into the security department?

"Forget it, let's not talk about that now." Su Yang didn't continue to explain, but smiled and said, "The flour factory office doesn't start work until 9 o'clock, so you'll have to wait for three hours. Why don't you come home with me to rest and have something to eat? Xinxue and I live in the family compound behind the factory area."

"Okay! Okay!" Ruan Sumei nodded repeatedly.

Wang Cui smiled and shook her head, "I'll wait here."

Su Yang glanced at the two cars of people who had come with them, and a few others wearing military uniforms like Wang Cui.

Wang Cui should be one of the team leaders, so it's indeed not appropriate for her to leave the team.

He didn't insist and said with a smile, "Alright, since you're already here, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I'll take Aunt Mei back to familiarize herself with the place first."

Su Yang picked up his bicycle, patted the back seat, raised an eyebrow at Ruan Sumei, and smiled, "Aunt Mei, get on!"

The other people from Beijing looked on with envy when they saw Ruan Sumei getting on the bicycle.

It wasn't that I envied her for being able to ride in a rickshaw, but rather that I envied her for having someone to pick her up here, unlike them, who were unfamiliar with the place and had no idea what the future held.

"See you later, Officer Wang!"

......

Wu Xinxue gets up at six o'clock sharp.

She works the 9 o'clock shift, so she doesn't normally need to get up so early. However, since Su Yang started working the night shift, she gets up more than an hour earlier so that Su Yang can have a hot meal after get off work.

The first thing I do after getting dressed is empty the spittoon.

She was yawning as she came down the stairs when she ran into Su Yang, who was pushing a bicycle with a large bundle on the seat and a woman beside him who was looking at her with excitement on her face.

"Let's see who comes..."

"Bang!"

"Hey! Xinxue-jie, what are you doing?"

Su Yang's face darkened. He had intended to give Wu Xinxue a surprise, but Wu Xinxue gave him a fright first.

Wu Xinxue dropped the spittoon in her hand, spilling an unidentified liquid all over the ground.

"Aunt Mei!"

"New Snow Girl!"

The two women looked at each other, their eyes both red.

Su Yang rolled his eyes, tied up the bicycle, and stuffed the bundle on the back seat into Wu Xinxue's hands. "Take Aunt Mei home first. I'll clean up this mess so the neighbors won't start cursing."

"Okay! Okay! Aunt Mei, come home with me! Watch out for the stairs."

Wu Xinxue left with Ruan Sumei, leaving Su Yang alone to clean up the mess on the ground.

.....

"Aunt Mei, come in quickly! Please sit here!" After entering the house, Wu Xinxue pressed Ruan Sumei into a chair, while she busily poured water.

Ruan Sumei was equally excited as she looked around the small room.

Although the space is cramped, it is clean and tidy.

The newly built five-drawer chest and dressing table, the kettle bubbling on the stove, and the several pots of lush green scallions and garlic sprouts on the windowsill all exude a carefully cultivated sense of life.

This is completely different from the worst-case scenario she had when she sent her two children away.

Ruan Sumei took the water glass from Wu Xinxue, but didn't drink it. Instead, she held Wu Xinxue's hand tightly with one hand, her eyes full of relief and emotion.

"Xinxue, seeing you two doing so well here, I can finally relax! I heard you got a job in the propaganda department? That kid Su Yang... he really surprised me at the factory gate just now! His energy, that Forever car... He said he's in the security department? Or is he working the night shift?" Her questions came out in rapid succession.

Wu Xinxue stopped crying and smiled, nodding vigorously: "Yes! Aunt Mei, Su Yang is amazing! He's our factory's 'Rat Extermination Pioneer'!"

She began to recount Su Yang's miraculous experiences over the past few months: his slingshot with perfect accuracy, his achievement of catching thousands of mice, the factory-wide commendation, his Forever brand bicycle, his popularity in the factory and other units... Her tone was full of pride, as if it were all her own.

Ruan Sumei was stunned, her mouth slightly agape, almost big enough to fit an egg.

Is this still the same Su Yang who was taciturn in the reformatory and always liked to find a quiet corner to stay in?

Is it still that child she worries will be bullied?

This huge contrast was hard for her to process for a while.

Just then, Su Yang returned carrying a clean dustpan and broom, which he casually placed outside the door.

He walked into the house, saw the two people with red eyes, and scratched his head: "It's all cleaned up. Aunt Mei, have some water and rest for a while. I'll cook."

"Oh, good child!" Ruan Sumei responded, smiling as she looked at Wu Xinxue and then at Su Yang.

Wu Xinxue seemed to have grown taller than before, and her cheeks were fuller. She was no longer the thin, malnourished woman she was in the reformatory. Even though she had just gotten up and hadn't had time to wash up, her bright and beautiful appearance was still evident.

Su Yang was a full half head taller than a year ago, and his physique was much stronger. Most importantly, his eyes were calm and bright, exuding a maturity beyond his years.

Breakfast consisted of thick white rice porridge that could hold chopsticks upright, along with a plate of cured meat that had just been made this month.

Ruan Sumei drank the porridge, mixed with her hot tears, in large gulps, murmuring to herself from time to time, "So good, so good!"