Rebirth: The Tumultuous Year of 1979

Zhong Wei took the stack of money, skillfully picked out ten "big unity" bills with his fingertips, and glanced at the two people beside Lu Guoqiang—Zhang Qiang and Xiao Hu were clutching the hem of their clothes, their eyes restrained.

"Zhang Qiang, Xiao Hu." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried weight.

"Brother!" The two took a half step forward, their Adam's apples bobbing.

"This is your payment, fifty yuan each." Zhong Wei handed over ten ten-yuan bills, the edges of the bills brushing against the back of his hand, carrying an unfamiliar warmth.

"Ah! Brother, we can't take this!" Zhang Qiang abruptly pulled his hand back, half of the banknote scattering with a "clatter." "Brother Guoqiang has already paid us for the past few days' wages, we can't take this money!"

Xiao Hu waved his hand and said, "Yeah, Third Brother! My parents only earn thirty yuan a month. Fifty yuan is enough for our family to live on for two months..." Although he said that, the two of them stared at the stack of money with their eyes shining like stars—this was the thickest stack of money they had ever seen in their seventeen or eighteen years of life.

Lu Guoqiang patted the two men on the shoulder: "These are from your third brother, take them! You deserve them!"

Zhang Qiang and Xiao Hu exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and accepted the five bills each, clutching them to their chests as if holding fire: "Thank you, Third Brother!" Their voices trembled, and their eyes reddened—helping Lu Guoqiang collect the radios had actually earned them so much?

Wang Er stood to the side, his throat bobbing as he stared at the money in Zhong Wei's hand and swallowed hard. One hundred yuan! Just like that, it was given away… No wonder he's Third Brother, so domineering! So generous! He silently gave him a thumbs up.

"Guoqiang." Zhong Wei turned to Lu Guoqiang and pulled out three new 100-yuan bills from the pile of money—a rarity in the early 1980s. "You've been running around doing a good job lately."

"Ah! Third Brother, this is too much!" Lu Guoqiang stared at the three hundred yuan, his fingers trembling—this money was equivalent to his entire family's income for a year!

"Take it." Zhong Wei's voice turned colder, but it still held warmth.

"Thank you, Third Brother!" Lu Guoqiang accepted the gift with both hands, his knuckles turning white, his eyes filled with burning gratitude.

"Wang Er." Zhong Wei looked at him again.

"Third Brother..." Wang Er was taken aback and subconsciously straightened his back.

Zhong Wei pulled out three 100-yuan bills and handed them over: "These are yours."

Wang's second hand trembled, almost dropping it—three hundred yuan! His monthly salary was only about twenty yuan, this money was enough to save for a year! "Third brother, this..." His voice was shaky, his eyes wide open.

"Stop nagging," Zhong Wei interrupted him. "If Guoqiang and the others need you in the future, you're responsible for resolving it. If you can't, then come to me."

"Understood, Third Brother!" Wang Er nodded hurriedly, stuffed the money into his pocket, and straightened his back.

Zhong Wei took out another thousand yuan, stuffed the rest of the money back into his bag, and looked at Lu Guoqiang: "Use this money as capital and keep going. From now on, you take 20% of the profits, and Wang Er takes 10%."

"Third Brother, this...this is too much!" Lu Guoqiang almost jumped up, gasping for breath—20%? At this rate of making money, if he earns a thousand yuan a day, he can get two hundred a day, six thousand a month! Add to that Wang Er's 10%, this isn't just about picking up scraps, this is about rising to the top in one step!

He remembered how he was rummaging through trash cans in the alley just a week ago, and now he was earning nearly ten thousand yuan a month; tears welled up in his eyes. Looking up at Zhong Wei, his eyes shone like flames, and he was so excited he could barely speak: "Third Brother, I...I'll definitely work hard!"

"Take it." Zhong Wei looked at him and his lips twitched slightly. "This is what you deserve." To him, this little bit of money was just a temporary measure. The big business he was going to do in the future would earn him much more than this.

"I got a share too?" Wang Er touched the money in his pocket, then suddenly realized, grinning and showing a set of white teeth. "Thanks, Third Brother!"

"Is Boss Lu here? We're here..."

A crisp knock came from outside the door.

"A woman?" Wang Er looked up in surprise.

"Third Brother," Lu Guoqiang scratched his head, "you said those college students could help fix radios—this girl is one of the people we found."

"Hmm!" Zhong Wei nodded.

"Qiangzi, go open the door." Lu Guoqiang pointed at Zhang Qiang.

Zhang Qiang turned around and opened the door. With a "click," the door opened wide, revealing three people standing outside: a tall, slender, and pretty young woman; a man in his thirties who wore glasses and had a refined demeanor; and a thin young man in his twenties.

The three walked in, and the pretty girl in the lead glanced around. Besides the familiar Lu Guoqiang, Zhang Qiang, and Xiao Hu, there were two strangers. She couldn't help but widen her eyes, a look of doubt flashing in them.

"Two of my friends," Lu Guoqiang explained casually.

The young woman looked Zhong Wei and Wang Er up and down, her gaze finally settling on Zhong Wei—he sat there, exuding an air of extraordinary bearing, handsome features, and a calm and composed demeanor. She looked at him curiously for a few more moments, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Uh!" Zhong Wei frowned slightly—he noticed that the girl was staring at him boldly, her beautiful eyes, which seemed to speak volumes, blinking.

"Huh!" A thought struck him; he felt the girl looked familiar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before.

"Brother!" Seeing his confusion, Lu Guoqiang quickly introduced, "These are all top students from Tsinghua University. This young lady is Zhao Qingqing, this is Chu Yuan, and this is Hu Yitong."

Zhao Qingqing —

A sudden flash of insight struck Zhong Wei; a memory surged back. Zhao Qingqing, a Tsinghua University student? Was it her?

His heart skipped a beat. In his past life, when he saw her, she was surrounded by a large entourage, while he was relegated to the sidelines; she was on stage, radiant and full of confidence. He never imagined he would meet her here again—back when he had just entered Tsinghua University.

"Hehe!" He chuckled to himself. Zhao Qingqing was practically his employee now, wasn't she? Working under her was going to be so interesting.

"A beautiful, future high-ranking female officer is now working under me..."

Zhong Wei felt a surge of secret satisfaction, yet also a strange sense of unease—in his past life, Zhao Qingqing, despite her ordinary background, had risen to officialdom before the age of fifty through her intelligence and shrewdness, a rare feat in her time and even globally. At that time, the Zhong family had fallen on hard times, and he had later become the CEO of a company worth tens of millions. He had met that female official at an economic forum.

And now, she is standing right in front of him.

"You..."

A coquettish voice interrupted his reverie, and Zhong Wei snapped back to reality, turning his head to look—Zhao Qingqing's pretty face was flushed as she gently scolded, "Staring at a girl for so long is very impolite."

She felt incredibly shy inside—never before had a boy dared to stare directly at her face like that, making her heart race.

"Huh!" Wang Er glanced at Zhong Wei in surprise, his eyes wide with astonishment—what's wrong with Third Brother?

"I'm sorry." Zhong Wei smiled faintly, his smile as gentle and handsome as sunshine, like a boy next door. He extended his hand and said, "I was lost in thought just now and offended you unintentionally. My name is Zhong Wei, nice to meet you."

"Uh!" Zhao Qingqing was taken aback. Looking at his smile, her heart beat faster for some reason, and a thought popped into her mind—his smile is so beautiful.

"You...you...hello..." She was a little stunned, and subconsciously reached out to shake hands with Zhong Wei.

Zhong Wei felt that her hands were slender, with ten fingers like tender bamboo shoots, wrists like white lotus roots, and skin like solidified cream. The delicate touch made his heart flutter.

Zhong Wei released Zhao Qingqing's hand—those hands were slender and fair, with distinct knuckles, like the "hand models" he had seen in his previous life, but with a more 70s-era "roughness" (her fingertips were still covered in radio solder). He smiled and turned to Lu Guoqiang: "Guoqiang, it's noon, I'll treat everyone to lunch. Are there any restaurants nearby?"

"No, no!" Zhao Qingqing blushed and pulled her hand back, the end of her braid brushing against her ear. "We came after we finished eating, just to fix the radio..."

"Third Brother's treating, I have to go!" Wang Er slammed his hand on the table, his polyester shirt collar ripped and deformed. "Fixing the radio won't make a difference!"

Chu Yuan tugged at Zhao Qingqing's sleeve: "Qingqing, it's Boss Lu's friend treating us, let's not refuse." He could tell that Zhong Wei was the "backbone," and might even be Lu Guoqiang's "boss"—these days, only "capable people" can afford to treat others.

Zhao Qingqing couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to go along.

Lu Guoqiang turned into the alleyway with practiced ease. The signboard of the state-run "Hongguang Restaurant" was faded and white, and the glass window displayed a wooden sign that read, "Today's Items: Pig's Head Meat, Pig Offal." The owner, a stout middle-aged man with oily splatter on his apron, greeted them with his protruding belly: "Gentlemen, what would you like to eat?"

"Bring on whatever's good!" Wang Er plopped down, slamming his enamel mug onto the table with a clatter.

The owner's eyes lit up: "The braised pig's head, intestines, and liver were all gifts from the hunters of Beihe, including wild rabbits and three-pound black carp..."

"That's all?" Zhong Wei frowned. In 1979, fatty meat was the most sought-after item in the grocery store, while lean pork ribs were piled up in the corner collecting dust. Wild rabbits were a "rare commodity," and black carp were "only seen during the Lunar New Year."

He pulled out two 10-yuan bills and slammed them on the table.

The boss's pupils constricted, and his hands trembled: "Comrade, this... this is enough to buy ten rabbits!" — An ordinary person's monthly salary is only twenty or thirty dollars, and these two bills are something only a "big spender" could afford.

"Wild rabbits, black carp, pig's head meat, pig offal, bring them all!" Zhong Wei waved his hand, "Any more will be refunded, any less will be paid."

"Alright!" The boss pocketed the money and ran off to the kitchen with a swagger.

Zhao Qingqing stared at the two banknotes, pouting, "You spendthrift..."—that two bills were enough for two months of her living expenses (she received a monthly stipend of 10 yuan while in university). If she were his wife, she'd make him kneel on a washboard!

"What am I thinking!" She suddenly covered her face, her ears turning bright red—in 1979, was it okay to think about "wife" so casually?

"Pfft!" Zhong Wei almost burst out laughing. This future female official actually had the coquettish manner of a "young wife." Lu Guoqiang wiped his forehead and secretly bowed to Zhong Wei: Grandma, please don't make Third Brother angry!

The dishes were served quickly: neatly sliced ​​braised pig's head, glistening with oil, tender pig liver, chopped wild rabbit, and pan-fried blackfish until golden brown on both sides, drizzled with chili oil and sprinkled with cilantro. The aroma, carried by the rising steam, filled the air, and Wang Er swallowed hard: "Third Brother, you've served all the 'hard dishes' of a state-run restaurant!"

Zhao Qingqing stared at the fatty intestines in her bowl and suddenly felt that the meal this "spendthrift" was treating her to actually taste quite delicious?

"It smells so good!!"

Zhao Qingqing stared at the two plates of braised dishes on the table, her small nostrils twitching slightly as she inhaled the domineering yet tempting aroma. An irresistible craving welled up in her throat, and she subconsciously swallowed.

"Let's eat first!"

Zhong Wei looked at Zhao Qingqing, who was swayed by the aroma like a kitten, and couldn't help but smile. He picked up his chopsticks and deftly picked up a piece of fatty intestine.

The large intestine was glistening with braising liquid. He put it in his mouth and chewed gently—the intestine was soft yet not mushy, incredibly tender and chewy, with a smooth and glutinous texture. The moment his teeth broke through, the rich broth inside exploded in his mouth, the mellow aroma of meat and braising sauce intertwining and rising, instantly enveloping his entire oral cavity. The chewy texture made it even more delicious with each chew.

"It's so delicious!!" Zhao Qingqing could no longer resist and picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

"Authentic!" Wang Er took a bite, and his eyes lit up immediately.

Lu Guoqiang also laughed and said, "This tastes very authentic, it has the flavor of old Beijing, it's delicious!"

Zhong Wei smiled slightly, watching Zhao Qingqing eat with relish. A strange, mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he watched. His future female superior was now eating like an ordinary girl at a street stall. If anyone knew this in the future, they'd be utterly astonished!

He was feeling quite pleased with himself when he picked up another piece of pig's head meat, specifically the perfectly braised pig's snout. He dipped it in the sauce and gently put it in his mouth.

"Snap!"

With a crisp pop, the pig's snout becomes crispy on the outside, yet retains its chewy, gelatinous texture inside, perfectly absorbing the essence of the braised broth. One bite, and it's as if the rich broth "bursts" in your mouth, the aroma of the braising sauce and the meat instantly blending together to create an intoxicatingly complex flavor.

tasty……

A glint of light flashed in Zhong Wei's eyes, and his thoughts drifted away. Since the Zhong family's downfall, he had never set foot in Yanjing, this place of sorrow, let alone tasted such authentic braised pork. The taste at this moment was like a key, suddenly unlocking the floodgates of his deepest memories, and a long-lost excitement flickered in his deep eyes.

"Huh!!"

Zhao Qingqing was engrossed in her meal when she noticed a fleeting, complex expression in Zhong Wei's eyes out of the corner of her eye. His gaze was so profound, unlike that of a young man, as if it carried endless vicissitudes and memories, giving her a sudden jolt.

How old is he?

Looking at Zhong Wei's young and handsome face, Zhao Qingqing felt a strange pity welling up in her heart. Those eyes, which should have been clear, now held an expression as if they had witnessed the full spectrum of life's experiences, carrying a heavy weight of worldly changes and the transience of things. What...secret was he hiding?

She could clearly sense that Zhong Wei exuded a unique charm, like a torch in the darkness, subtly drawing her gaze with an invisible force. She couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him.

Zhong Wei noticed the burning gaze, turned his head and looked directly into Zhao Qingqing's beautiful and lively eyes.

"Ah!!" Zhao Qingqing's heart skipped a beat. She had been caught red-handed, and her pretty face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment. She quickly turned her head away like a startled deer.

He discovered...

Zhao Qingqing was in a state of utter confusion. Staring so openly at a man she had just met in front of everyone was incredibly embarrassing! What's worse, he had caught her red-handed!

Seeing the charming blush rising on her pretty face, Zhong Wei chuckled inwardly: the future Iron Lady actually has such a shy side. This sight is truly a rare treat.

"snort!"

Zhao Qingqing noticed Zhong Wei's smile. Although the smile was very handsome, it made her feel even more embarrassed. She couldn't help but let out a soft hum to cover up her panic.

"Qingqing, what's wrong?" Hu Yitong, who was standing next to her, asked in confusion.

"No, nothing..." Zhao Qingqing suddenly realized that she was in front of a large crowd, and quickly waved her hands to deny it, her voice carrying a hint of panic.

Chu Yuan, who was standing to the side, took in the whole scene. He looked at Zhao Qingqing thoughtfully, then glanced at Zhong Wei, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

Just then, the portly boss's booming voice rang out: "Dry-pot wild rabbit and stewed black carp are here!"

He and his wife each carried a plate of food, with a small stove steadily underneath. The steaming hot dry-pot wild rabbit was piled high with chili peppers, its aroma tantalizingly spicy. The rabbit meat was stir-fried until a deep brown, the moisture evaporated, and it emitted an aggressively dry fragrance. Meanwhile, a large pot of stewed black carp had a rich, milky-white broth, and the fish was so tender it seemed to melt in your mouth.

As soon as the two dishes were served, the small stove continued to heat them, and the extremely powerful aroma instantly enveloped the entire small shop.

"It smells so good..." Zhao Qingqing's cravings were whetted again, and she couldn't help but exclaim.

She picked up a piece of rabbit meat and put it in her mouth. The dry, fragrant meat flavor mixed with the spicy kick instantly ignited her taste buds, making her incredibly hungry.

Take another sip of the blackfish soup, and the delicious flavor melts in your mouth. The soup is thick like condensed milk, and extremely fragrant.

Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely and ate to their heart's content.