Back to the teenage years

Chapter 621 I Must Strive in This Life

June 1996, an ordinary day. The season had passed the summer solstice, and the dog days of summer were fast approaching. The sun had been scorching the earth for days, and the air was so hot and humid that you could wring water out of it. Although dark clouds occasionally gathered and churned on the summit of Lushan Mountain, the summer rain that would dispel the heat had yet to arrive in Lijin City.

Sultry heat is the theme of this season in the south.

On such gloomy days, the people of Lijin City usually seem listless, but early this morning, a major news story in the Xingcheng Express ignited public opinion in Lijin City.

This report, titled "Behind the Billion-Dollar Capital Battle: The Love Gamble of a Normal University Beauty," is not only incredibly sensational in its title but also in its content. It describes how two young business tycoons in their twenties wagered hundreds of millions of yuan in the stock market over a stunningly beautiful woman. One of them, Mr. Zhang, went bankrupt, and all his assets went to his rival, Mr. Lu. He's probably...

The author, for reasons unknown, has turned a complex business competition into a modern legend of "a hero's anger for a beauty," a topic of endless conversation among ordinary people. But it does make a contribution, at least providing college students and ordinary people with some interesting fodder for conversation in their daily mundane lives.

The media has a keen sense of smell. After this report attracted attention, a series of news about Zhang Yunqi and the United Times Group he controls were quickly published in various media outlets, such as "Aihua Electronics is in deep trouble with production stoppage - it is said that the actual controller Zhang Yunqi suffered a setback in the stock market and hundreds of millions of yuan vanished", "Xiangtai Pharmaceutical's restructuring mystery: who is the final winner" and "Why did hundreds of millions of state-owned assets evaporate in the turbulent stock market?"

These reports have already touched upon the most fatal accusation against Zhang Yunqi for attacking the stock price of Xiangtai Pharmaceutical: suspected loss of state-owned assets!

Overnight, Zhang Yunqi's name leaped from the financial section to the entertainment headlines, and finally became social news. His crushing defeat no longer seemed to be a simple business competition, but rather a national topic of conversation that combined economic crisis, a sex scandal, and doubts surrounding state-owned assets!
In the days leading up to these news reports, Zhang Yunqi had already fled the turbulent Rijin.

He didn't notify anyone, didn't bring any luggage, and wore only a t-shirt and jeans. He bought a bus ticket at the bus station and traveled for more than five hours on muddy county roads before arriving in Jiangchuan.

When Zhang Yun arrived at the Water Pavilion Cloud Capital, it was already close to dusk.

He stood at the door for a while before reaching out and pushing it open.

Everything tasted just as it always had. Several baskets of freshly picked green beans were drying on the cement ground of the front yard, and crisp cucumbers were climbing all over the bamboo poles against the wall. The light of the setting sun shone on the lush vines, on the kitchen windowsill, and on the small, thin figure peeking out of the kitchen window.

That's Zhang Ma.

Zhang Ma, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, was stunned when she saw Zhang Yunqi.

"Mom," Zhang Yunqi called out, bowing his head.

"Why are you back? Didn't you have exams at school? You didn't even call." Zhang Ma quickly put down the spatula, wiped her hands on her apron, and strode out, looking him up and down: "Third son, you look thinner. Did you not eat well in Lijin? Are you too busy with work?"

Under the dim glow of the setting sun, Zhang Yunqi silently gazed at his mother's wrinkled face. For some reason, a lump formed in his throat. After a long pause, he smiled and said, "It's alright, I don't have to do any actual work. By the way, where are my dad, Chunlan, and Xiaoxiao?"

Aunt Zhang said everyone was home, and then she happily called into the house, "Chunlan! Xiaoxiao! Your second brother is back!"

The sound of footsteps echoed down the stairs.

The first one to rush down was Xiaoxiao. The little girl had two pigtails, wore a pretty pink dress and sandals, and when she saw Zhang Yunqi, she pounced on him like a little deer: "Second Brother!"

Zhang Yunqi bent down, picked her up, and spun her around: "Xiaoxiao has grown taller again."

Xiao Xiao raised her little head and said, "I'm already in fifth grade."

Chunlan followed her down.

She was seventeen years old and about to take the college entrance examination. Wearing the blue and white school uniform of Jiangchuan No. 1 High School, with her ponytail tied high, she was already a graceful young girl. When she saw that Zhang Yunqi had not taken anything, she was stunned for a moment before calling him "Second Brother".

Just then, Zhang's father, Zhang Liushun, came in from the backyard, carrying a palm-leaf fan. A smile appeared on his dark face: "You're back? Perfect timing, your mother stewed a chicken today."

For dinner, we had stir-fried green peppers with pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and cucumber salad, with a large bowl of steaming chicken soup in the center. The aroma of the food filled the air under the bright lights. Zhang Ma also cooked a dish that Zhang Yunqi liked: braised dried fish with chopped chili peppers. She brought it to the table, and the family sat down to eat.

The dishes were all ordinary home-style dishes, but Zhang Yunqi held the rooster bowl and wolfed down his food with his head down.

He hadn't had a meal like this in a long time.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang watched their son silently until he put down his chopsticks, then they asked him about his situation in Lijin, their voices cautious: "Third son, is your work going well?"

Zhang Yunqi gave a vague reply: "It's alright."

Chunlan glanced at her second brother sitting opposite her, pursed her lips, and ate without saying a word.

When Zhang Yunqi saw Chunlan looking over, he picked up his teacup and asked, "Chunlan, you're taking the college entrance exam soon, aren't you?"

Chunlan nodded, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before replying, "Yes, next week."

Zhang Yunqi said, "Do your best on the exam. After the exam, I'll take you out to have some fun and relax."

With bright, sparkling eyes, she immediately interjected, "Brother, I want to go to Rijin, to the zoo!"

Zhang Yunqi smiled and reached out to pinch her persimmon-shaped cheek: "That's no problem, but final exams are coming up soon, right? What score are you planning to get?"

Her rosy cheeks immediately fell, and then she pouted and counted on her fingers: "I... I'll try my best to pass."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and said okay.

It took an hour and a half for the family to enjoy a meal together.

After dinner, Zhang's mother cleared the dishes, while Zhang's father smoked and cooled off in the yard. Chunlan had already taken Xiaoxiao upstairs to do her homework. Zhang Yunqi helped his mother wash the dishes; the water from the tap was icy cold, and the dish soap foam shimmered with colorful light under the dim lamplight.

Zhang Ma suddenly whispered, "Third son, is something going on outside with you...?"

Zhang Yunqi paused in his work: "It's nothing. I'm just tired from work and want to rest for a bit."

Aunt Zhang sighed, nodded, and said, "If you're tired, take a few more days to rest. We have everything you need at home. You should get some rest!"

"Ah."

After washing the dishes, Zhang Yunqi went upstairs.

Just then, Chunlan came out of the study. She stood at the corner of the stairwell and watched her second brother lean against the window at the end of the corridor, silently smoking for a long time before going into his room and never coming out again.

Chunlan stood in the shadows and thought for a moment. Perhaps the kidnapping case that happened last year made the girl particularly vigilant. Her second brother's sudden return today and some unusual behavior made her feel uneasy.

They felt like a storm was brewing at Old Zhang's house!

Chunlan knew her intuition was correct.

Apart from that one night, in the days that followed, her second brother basically ate and slept, never going out. He looked very tired, a weariness that seemed to seep into his bones.

No one dared to disturb him.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang never dared to tell outsiders that their son had returned. It wasn't that they knew exactly what had happened, but rather that given their son's current status, the slightest disturbance would cause a huge disturbance at their doorstep.

July 4th. Sunny.

Chunlan's high school career ended on this day. The school gave her a three-day holiday, and the college entrance examination was three days later.

Around 10 a.m., Chunlan noticed that her second brother hadn't gotten up yet, so she called out to Zhang Yunqi from the courtyard towards the bedroom. After a while, Zhang Yunqi's head appeared by the bedroom window, and he saw Chunlan sitting on a Suzuki King-class sport motorcycle.

The motorcycle was bought by Zhang Yunqi a while ago. He used it a few times back in high school, giving Ji Ling a ride, and then it just sat at home collecting dust: "What are you doing?"

Chunlan patted the back seat of the motorcycle: "You're cooped up in your doghouse all day, the blankets are stinking! Get on, let's go for a ride."

Zhang Yunqi was a little confused. After changing his clothes and washing up, he went downstairs, sat on the back seat, and asked, "You can ride a motorcycle?"

Chunlan said, "Yes."

Zhang Yunqi asked, "Who taught you that?"

Chunlan said, "Does this even need to be taught?"

Zhang Yunqi was speechless. He started the motorcycle and drove out of the courtyard gate, through the bustling city of Jiangchuan. In less than half an hour, the brother and sister left Fengyang City and turned onto a dirt road leading to the countryside.

Zhang Yunqi already knew that Chunlan was taking him back to her hometown, Yunxi.

He gazed upon his hometown in the height of summer. Before him stretched vast, boundless fields and majestic mountains. The air was thick with the scorching heat of midsummer. The spring river rippled and surged, and wisps of thin clouds drifted lazily across the sky. At this time of year, the fields were vibrant with life; the rice paddies were lush and green, the fruits fragrant and ripe. The earth and villages resembled an oil painting, and thick plumes of blue smoke rose from the chimneys of distant villages.

The motorcycle bumped along the potholed road for more than half an hour before finally turning into the territory of Yunxi Village.

The muddy dirt road suddenly transformed into a gleaming cement road, flanked by endless, high-standard farmland—a vast expanse of fertile land, teeming with mechanized farming, a lush green expanse. Further on, the vehicle could see the village cultural center, the village primary school, and the basketball court at the village entrance, as well as rows of terraced villas at the north end of the village, nestled against General Ridge and bordering thousands of acres of agricultural and livestock farms to the east, boasting beautiful waterside scenery—a truly magnificent sight. The sweeping tide of reform and opening up has left a deep imprint on this small village.

Zhang Yunqi hadn't been back to Yunxi Village for almost half a year. Yunxi Village was no longer the same as before, but the neighbors and sisters-in-law in their hometown were still just as warm and welcoming to the brother and sister. They drank many cups of tea and tasted many local agricultural products, but they didn't talk about work.

Zhang Yunqi and Chunlan wandered around the village, along the ridges of the fields, and by the river for a long time, enjoying the scenery and chatting about lighthearted topics. Chunlan was about to take the college entrance examination, and the girl was facing a lot of pressure, but most of the time, she was the one accompanying Zhang Yunqi to relax.

We had lunch at Zhang Haijun's house. It was a very lavish meal, with dishes featuring local chicken, duck, and fish—everything had the character "土" (local) in it.

As evening approached, the brother and sister returned to the city. Chunlan was driving again, and she drove very slowly. She asked Zhang Yunqi, "How was it visiting our hometown?"

Zhang Yunqi smiled.

He recalled something from long ago, three years ago, on the eve of Chunlan's high school entrance exam. He drove his Daxingfu 250 with his younger sister back to the village for a stroll to relax and relieve the pressure before the exam. In the blink of an eye, three years have passed, and his sister is about to take the college entrance exam in a few days.

The past is like smoke, yet it appears clearly before my eyes: "It feels like returning home in glory."

Chunlan, riding her motorcycle, said, "This is nothing, Second Brother. You told me three years ago that when you came to the village in your private jet, you would point to the crowd and reward everyone with a villa! That would be a real triumphant return home."

Zhang Yunqi laughed: "I still remember you saying I was daydreaming back then, and now, it might really be daydreaming."

Chunlan fell silent for a moment. Looking at the green fields receding by the roadside, she suddenly said, "Second Brother, has something serious happened to you?"

Zhang Yunqi asked, "Why would you ask that?"

Chunlan said, "Actually, I noticed something was wrong with you on the first day. In the past, you would always bring us a lot of gifts when you came back from Lijin, but this time, you didn't bring anything."

Zhang Yunqi laughed and reached out to rub Chunlan's head: "My sister is so smart, so that's why you asked me to go back to our hometown for a stroll today?"

Chunlan didn't answer, but pressed on, "What exactly happened?"

Zhang Yunqi thought for a moment, and finally said, "I lost some money in business."

"How many?"

"Quite a bit."

"How many?"

"Maybe, it's all gone."

"All gone?"

Zhang Yunqi paused for a moment, then said, "It means I have nothing left. Even if I mortgage all my current assets, it won't be enough. I'll still have to take on tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in debt."

Chunlan's grip on the handlebars swayed, and the motorcycle rocked precariously for a while before she finally regained control. When she pulled the motorcycle to the side of the road, her eyes were already red: "Brother, you've worked so hard all these years..."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and said, "It's nothing. I can start over. I can do what I've done before. It's just that it might temporarily affect the lives of Mom and Dad, you, and your sister."

Chunlan immediately wiped away her tears and said, "It's okay, brother! We've even lived in a muddy, thatched house before, what's there to be afraid of! Besides, I'm taking the college entrance exam soon. If I get into university, I can apply for scholarships and go out to work so we can pay off the debt together!"

Zhang Yunqi looked at Chunlan's serious expression.

This sensible and obedient younger sister, whose eyes held no fear or resentment, only a courage and sense of responsibility to weather the storms together with him.

At that moment, he felt extremely distressed!

Chunlan held his hand, her eyes red, and said firmly, "It's okay if the money is gone. They say true strength isn't about confrontation, but about allowing things to happen. Second brother, all I want is for you to pull yourself together, and we'll start over!"

"I will."

"really?"

"real."

"Then don't look so sad."

"I... can't really laugh right now."

I still want to see you smile.

"How about I recite a poem for you... to prove I'm not joking?"

"What poem?"

"I must work hard in this life because I've bragged before, I've bragged before to my beloved little sister."

"Ugh... I'm getting goosebumps."

“I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”

"Tell your true feelings to Sister Chujian."

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