Reborn in 1982, the prodigal son returns

January 29th

Before dawn, Lin Nuo quietly got dressed.

On the kang (heated brick bed), Su Wanqing woke up. She tried to sit up, but Lin Nuo reached out and pulled her back into bed, tucking the blankets in neatly.

"Goodbye, Teacher Su, get some sleep. I'll be back in ten days."

He walked to the door, turned back, and smiled.

Don't miss me too much.

Su Wanqing spat lightly and pulled the blanket over her head.

He's being indecent so early in the morning.

Lin Nuo chuckled twice and pushed the door open to go out.

Outside the courtyard gate, Lin Jiang was already squatting against the wall, while Qi Dawu stood beside him with a cloth bag on his back, looking restless.

Lin Nuo walked over and patted Qi Dawu on the shoulder.

"Da Wu, what's wrong?"

Qi Dawu shook his head, said nothing, and his eyes were a little red.

Lin Nuo knew in her heart that anyone would feel upset if their newlyweds ran away from home so soon.

He didn't want to bring Qi Dawu along, but Zhou Laoshuan insisted.

He smiled:

"Let's go. We'll be back in ten days. We'll buy her nice things then. The department store in the county town has everything."

Qi Dawu exclaimed "Hey!", wiped his face with his sleeve, and nodded vigorously.

Lin Jian waited for them at the bus station in town.

He was wearing a slightly worn military overcoat, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and his neck hunched. When he saw the three men getting off the donkey cart, he nodded without saying a word.

"The shuttle bus is almost here, let's go."

When they arrived at the fertilizer plant, the sun had just risen. The air was thick with the pungent smell of ammonia, mixed with the odor of coal smoke and rust, which made Qi Dawu sneeze.

Lin Jian led them to the mailroom to register and receive their number plates.

"Second brother, you guys live in the communal dormitory. I live in the factory staff dormitory, so we're not together."

Lin Nuo took the number plate.

The dormitory-style sleeping area was located in a row of bungalows behind the warehouse. Seven or eight people squeezed into one room, and they could sleep as soon as they rolled up their bedding. Lin Jiang spread his bedding on the innermost side, and the three of them sat side by side.

The plaster has peeled off, revealing the red bricks underneath. A low-wattage, yellowish incandescent light bulb hangs from the ceiling.

The factory manager, surnamed Ma, was in his early forties, chubby, and wearing a blue work uniform. He came over and glanced at the new porter, his gaze lingering on Lin Nuo for a moment.

"You're Lin Jian's second brother?"

"Yes, Director Ma."

"I heard you've hunted wild boars before?"

Lin Nuo was taken aback. He glanced at Lin Jian, but Lin Jian looked away.

Factory Director Ma grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from smoking.

"Good job. Keep it up."

He patted Lin Nuo on the shoulder and left without saying anything.

The job of a porter is simple, but tiring.

Each bag of fertilizer weighs eighty pounds. We carry it from the warehouse to the truck, stack it up, and then go back to carry the next bag.

When Lin Nuo hoisted the first bag onto his shoulder, he knew he was in for a tough time. After carrying the bags all morning, during his break, Lin Nuo felt his legs trembling.

However, he didn't say anything. He couldn't let people laugh at him for the work Lin Jian had found for him. Besides, Lin Jian was watching from the side, and although he hadn't actually helped with the moving, he had been helping with counting and bookkeeping.

The eldest brother, Lin Jiang, was the most reliable. Bag after bag, he carried them without breaking a sweat or even turning red in the face, walking with 80-pound bags as if he were carrying wheat from his own field.

Qi Dawu was alright; he hunched over and moved forward step by step. Although he couldn't straighten his back, he never complained.

So it turns out he's the only one who's not quite up to the task.

We ate lunch in a shed outside the communal sleeping area. A dozen or so porters, divided into several groups, sat around a few tattered tables. The dish was cabbage stew with glass noodles, with the occasional translucent slice of fatty meat floating on the soup. Coarse grain buns were plentiful.

Lin Nuo carried her bowl and looked for a place to sit.

The three of them sat down to eat. Only after sitting down did Lin Nuo feel like she had come back to life.

In the corner sat a man, around forty years old, wearing a drab gray cotton-padded coat, eating alone.

Lin Nuo carried the bowl over and sat down opposite him.

"Brother, let's eat together, it'll keep us warm if we squeeze in."

The man looked up, paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Lin Nuo's face before he grinned.

"Thanks, brother. My name is Cheng Youtian."

Lin Nuo was drinking soup when he heard this name and almost choked.

Cheng Youtian.

He knew that name all too well. In his past life, this man was among the first in the county to start private businesses. He owned a brick factory, a livestock farm, and later even ventured into real estate. Several factories in the county belonged to him.

Unexpectedly, he's now carrying fertilizer here.

Lin Nuo's face remained expressionless.

"Lin Nuo. From Liujiagou."

Cheng Youtian wasn't a man of many words, but once the conversation started, he was willing to say a few.

As he ate his steamed bun, he said that his family had just had a son, but his wife didn't have enough breast milk, and the baby was crying from hunger. He had come out to earn some money so he could buy some eggs for his wife to help her recover.

As he said this, the wrinkles on his face relaxed, and his eyes were filled with laughter. He was quite a legendary figure indeed.

"Brother Cheng, have you named the baby yet?"

"Not yet. We'll wait until he's older. I'm not very educated, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get him to do it properly."

Lin Nuo looked at him intently, her tone resolute:

"If you work hard, your child will definitely amount to something."

Cheng Youtian glanced at him, grinned, and revealed his slightly crooked teeth.

"Thank you for your kind words."

Lying on the communal bed at night, people who had been exhausted all day quickly began to snore. The snoring rose and fell like drums in turn, never a moment of peace.

Qi Dawu was fast asleep, snoring loudly, his mouth slightly open.

Lin Jiang was asleep, but Lin Nuo couldn't sleep. Her shoulder ached as if it were on fire, and the blisters on her palms were excruciatingly painful to the touch.

It's so uncomfortable, and then there's that snoring. It's torture for both my body and my mind.

Ugh.

Unable to sleep, I could only put on my cotton-padded coat, push open the door, and go out.

A figure was squatting by the door, the red glow of a cigarette butt flickering in the darkness.

Lin Jian.

Lin Nuo squatted down next to him, and neither of them spoke. After a while, Lin Jian took out half a bottle of baijiu from his pocket and handed it to him.

"Second brother, rub it on. It works."

Lin Nuo took it, poured some into his palm, and pressed it onto his shoulder. It burned, making him wince in pain, but after a while, it did feel much better.

Thanks.

Lin Nuo said.

Lin Jian didn't reply. He lit another cigarette, took a drag, and the white smoke he exhaled quickly dissipated in the night breeze.

Two people were squatting at the doorway.

"Third brother," Lin Nuo began.

"Um."

"You...it must have been tough working at the factory these past few years."

Lin Jian's finger paused on the cigarette for a moment without saying anything:

"Go to bed early. You have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

He turned and left.

Lin Nuo didn't say anything more.

……

In the following days, Lin Nuo gritted his teeth and endured it.

Doing a temporary job felt like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon.

Lin Jiang remained the same, steady and composed. Qi Dawu had also adapted; although he still couldn't straighten his back, his steps were much more steady than on the first day.

Lin Jian works in the workshop during the day and returns to his dormitory at night. Occasionally, they bump into each other in the canteen, nod, and then go about their own meals.

Day .

No cars are coming today, so I can rest for a day.

Lin Jiang and Qi Dawu were catching up on sleep in their dormitory, their snoring getting louder and louder.

Lin Nuo washed his face, changed into clean clothes, and went to the county supply and marketing cooperative alone.

The supply and marketing cooperative was on the main street of the county town. He pushed open the door and went in. The old man behind the counter who was using an abacus looked up and looked at him through his reading glasses.

Liu Dezhu was somewhat surprised to see Lin Nuo arrive:

"Hey, Nuozi? What are you doing in the county town?"

"I came to the factory with Lao San to move fertilizer. Uncle, I want to ask you something."

Liu Dezhu turned the abacus around, leaned forward, and rested his elbows on the counter.

"Tell me, what are you asking about?"

"How's the market price for wild animal pelts in this county town?"

Liu Dezhu lit a cigarette, took a slow puff, and raised his eyelids slightly.

"I was just about to send a message. A document came in from above, expanding the scale of buying and selling wild game pelts. Live pheasants are five yuan each, dead ones are three yuan each. Pits are bought by the piece, and good pelts will be paid extra."

He flicked his cigarette ash and lowered his voice.

"Nuozi, if you can get the goods, send them directly to the county town, and I'll give you a 10% bonus. The volume in the town is small, and Junzi doesn't have the authority to raise prices."

Lin Nuo did the math in his head. Add 10%, and the live pheasants would be 5.5 yuan each. That's 50 cents more per pheasant, so ten pheasants would be 5 yuan.

"Uncle, thank you. I'll get things arranged as soon as I get back after I finish these ten days."

Liu Dezhu waved his hand, took out a pack of cigarettes from under the counter, and stuffed it into his hand.

"Take it and smoke it, don't be shy with your uncle."

Lin Nuo pushed it twice, but couldn't push it away, so she put it in her arms.

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Lin Nuo walked all the way back to the fertilizer factory. Lin Jiang and Qi Dawu were still asleep on the communal bed.

Lin Nuo took off his shoes and lay down on the edge of the bed. He intended to take a nap, but he fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, someone gently nudged him.

"Brother Nuozi... Brother Nuozi..."

Lin Nuo opened his eyes groggily and saw Qi Dawu squatting by the bed, with Lin Jiang standing behind him.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Nuo propped himself up on his arms and sat up, his shoulder aching. He grimaced.

Qi Dawu stammered for a long time, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum:

"I...I want to go to the department store."

Lin Jiang added from the side:

I want to go too.

Lin Nuo paused for a moment, then smiled. He jumped off the bed and put on his cotton-padded coat.

"walk."

It's good to go and take a look; it will give me more motivation to work.

The county department store is located at the crossroads. It has four floors, gray-white terrazzo walls, and a large red sign with gold lettering that reads "Serve the People" hangs at the entrance.

The three people stood at the door, craning their necks to look for a long time.

Qi Dawu's mouth was open, and he couldn't close it for a long time.

"This...this building is really tall."

Lin Jiang didn't speak, but his eyes widened. The most impressive place he had ever been to before was the town's supply and marketing cooperative, a two-story building. Compared to this, it was like comparing a mud-brick house to a large tiled house.

Lin Nuo had seen even higher ones in his previous life, but he still looked up to take a look.

The first floor is for daily necessities. Enamel basins, thermos flasks, towels, soap, sewing kits, mirrors, combs... are all neatly arranged, several times more than the supply and marketing cooperative.

Qi Dawu wanted to touch everything he saw, but he would reach out his hand and then pull it back, afraid of getting it dirty.

Lin Jiang's gaze fell on a row of bicycles against the wall. Phoenix brand, 28-inch, handlebars gleaming, frame jet black, spokes on the rims shimmering silver under the light. A sign attached to the frame read "128 yuan".

Lin Jiang's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Big brother, do you like it?"

Lin Nuo asked.

Lin Jiang shook his head and looked away. But after taking a couple of steps, he looked back again. Who doesn't love a bicycle? However, when Lin Jiang got married, he didn't have any of the three essential items (motorcycle, bicycle, and radio).

Ugh.

As for Lin Nuo, he had nothing either.

The second floor was for hardware and electrical supplies. They didn't want to go up, but Qi Dawu said, "Since we're already here," so the three of them went up.

A crowd had gathered around the counter on the second floor, several layers deep. Curious, Qi Dawu squeezed in to take a look.

There was a color television set on the counter, 14 inches, which was playing the TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".

On the screen, a person dressed in white ancient costume flies around, sword flashing, and with a palm strike, the person opposite falls to the ground.

Qi Dawu's eyes nearly popped out.

He grabbed Lin Nuo's sleeve, his voice changing:

"Brother Nuozi! Brother Nuozi, look! There are people inside! Little people that are moving!"

The sound was quite loud, and everyone around heard it, some of them giving Qi Dawu a disdainful look.

Lin Nuo covered his face and didn't say anything. He remembered the first time he watched TV in his previous life, it was just like this, even more exaggerated than Qi Dawu. He asked at the time, "Is this person acting or real?" and was laughed at for a long time.

Qi Dawu asked again:

"How did this person get in there? How can such a small box hold so many people?"

Someone nearby couldn't help but laugh, and Qi Dawu naturally heard it too. He knew he was being a bit embarrassing, his face turning red to the roots of his neck, but he still couldn't bear to look away from the screen.

Just like those other people who watch TV online, I squatted down, leaned close to watch, and almost pressed my face against the screen.

Lin Jiang stared at the color TV in shock. These days, the sheer astonishment one felt at a color TV was akin to seeing a deity. He glanced curiously at the price tag. A 14-inch Feiyue brand color TV, 1100 yuan. The larger one next to it, 1700 yuan.

Lin Jiang's face turned pale instantly. He retreated from the counter, as if he had been bitten by the price.

Qi Dawu probably noticed the price tags too. He squeezed through the crowd and came to Lin Nuo's side: "Brother Nuo, do you still want to shop around?"

Lin Nuo asked, puzzled, "Didn't we just arrive?"

Qi Dawu stammered, "I'm a little tired, I want to go back to sleep."

Lin Jiang also spoke up, "I'm a little tired too, let's go back."

Lin Nuo nodded.

When the three of them came out of the department store, none of them said a word.

Lin Nuo walked in front, with Lin Jiang and Qi Dawu following behind, their heads down like defeated roosters.

Lin Nuo stopped at the street corner, turned around to look at them, and said:

"What's wrong with you two? Didn't you say you wanted to go shopping? Why are you running away like this?"

Lin Jiang said in a low voice:

"The larger items inside are too expensive."

Qi Dawu nodded vigorously beside him, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz:

"I... I thought I could buy a TV for a few dozen yuan. More than a thousand... I could never earn that much in my entire life."

His eyes were red.

It's clear that the two of them were quite shocked this time.

Seeing their expression, Lin Nuo walked over, patted them on the shoulders, and said confidently:

"Don't worry, we'll definitely be able to afford the three big items: color TV, bicycle, and watch in the future."

Even Qi Dawu, who had always trusted Lin Nuo, was somewhat skeptical:

"Brother Nuozi, don't try to fool me..."

I wasn't trying to comfort you.

Lin Nuo's voice was resolute:

"Within three years. No, it won't take three years."