Rebirth: The Tumultuous Year of 1979

The group went to the hall for dinner. The Zhong family's chef, appointed by higher-ups, was highly skilled, and the dishes were delicious and visually appealing.

Five people, five dishes and one soup, a combination of meat and vegetables, the soup being a light yet delicious pork rib and corn soup.

After the meal, Zhong Jianguo stood up and said, "Dad, if there's nothing else, Zhong Wei and I will head back now."

Zhong Wei smiled and said, "Grandpa, let's go first."

In the past, when the family gathered, Zhong Wei and Zhong Jianguo would leave first, while the eldest uncle Zhong Jianjun and cousin Zhong Wen would stay to chat with the old man.

"Jianguo." The old man raised his eyes and blinked slightly. "You, your elder brother, and Zhongwen go back first. Let Zhongwei keep me company for a while longer."

"What..." Zhong Wen was instantly dumbfounded.

"Dad!" Zhong Jianjun was also dumbfounded, staring at Zhong Wei in disbelief. According to the usual practice, they should have stayed behind to listen to the reprimand, so why was it the other way around this time?

Zhong Jianguo was also stunned, turning to look at Zhong Wei with disbelief in his eyes.

Zhong Wei was startled, a look of surprise flashing across his face: "Grandpa... noticed me? Is there something you need to do by staying?" He secretly prepared himself.

"Jianjun and Jianguo, you have duties to perform. Go back early and be proactive in your work," the old man said calmly.

"Yes, Dad!" The two nodded hurriedly.

Zhong Wen glanced at Zhong Wei defiantly before being pulled away by Zhong Jianjun.

As Zhong Wei watched the three figures disappear, an aged voice rang in his ears: "Come with me."

"It's Grandpa!" He snapped out of his daze and saw that the old man had already stood up, his seventy or eighty-year-old body still robust, and was walking towards the backyard. Zhong Wei quickly followed.

In the backyard, the old man stopped and slowly turned around: "You brat, how dare you scheme against your grandfather." His tone was low, but there was a smile on his lips, without any anger.

"I knew Grandpa had such sharp eyes that he could see right through me." Zhong Wei flattered him without hesitation.

"Hmph!" The old man feigned anger, then reached out his old hand and gave Zhong Wei a hard knock on the head—a real blow!

Zhong Wei gasped in pain. The old man had spent his life in the military, fighting with bayonets in his youth, and his strength was still undiminished.

"Though I am old, I am not a stubborn old man." The old man's cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Your words today have another meaning. Remaining neutral may seem like trying to please both sides, but in this turbulent situation, who can distinguish right from wrong? Throughout history, how many people have fallen into the abyss with one wrong step? What will become of the Zhong family in the future?"

"Grandpa!" Zhong Wei said in a deep voice.

The side that brings a better life to the people is the victor.

Those who obstruct reform will be rejected, and the country's positive progress in recent years is evident to all.

Some people are obstructing progress out of fear of the future, but national development is inherently a process of trial and error; we must have confidence in the future.

After he finished speaking, cold sweat broke out on his back; his words had touched on the Chung family's position.

If the old man agrees, the Zhong family's direction will change; if he opposes it, his status in the old man's eyes will plummet.

But he wasn't afraid; the nightmares from his past life were far more terrifying.

The old man stood there for a long time, then looked up after several minutes, his sharp gaze fixed on Zhong Wei: "Why didn't you follow Z?"

"Grandpa!" Zhong Wei exclaimed, beaming. "I believe there are things more meaningful than starting from Z. Some things that can't be done from Z can be done from S."

"In that case, go to Pengcheng!" The old man seemed to see his own years of war and conquest. "I have an old subordinate there, Deputy S. Have your Uncle Li give you his contact information. Go find him yourself."

As Zhong Weigang stepped out of the Zhong family's gate, Secretary Li quickly followed.

"Zhong Wei!" Secretary Li called out to him.

"Uncle Li!" Zhong Wei turned around and saw Secretary Li catching up, so he quickly greeted him.

Secretary Li handed over a slip of paper: "This is Chen S's home phone number."

Zhong Wei took it and saw that it was a phone number, which was the contact information for that person from Pengcheng.

"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Li." Zhong Wei grinned.

"You're welcome." Secretary Li smiled warmly. "The old chief said that if you need anything in the future, just come to me directly."

Zhong Wei was secretly pleased; the old man's instructions clearly indicated a softening of his stance.

It should be noted that even the core of the Zhong family for three generations, Zhong Wen, did not receive this treatment; apart from the Zhong brothers, Zhong Jianguo and Zhong Jianjun, only he could directly call the old man's secretary.

"That means..." Zhong Wei instantly realized that he was the only person in the three generations to have received this special privilege.

"I won't see you off. Do your best." Secretary Li patted him on the shoulder.

"Okay." Zhong Wei watched Secretary Li return to the courtyard house. He took a few steps forward, his expression gradually becoming excited. The old man had finally changed somewhat.

Today's subtle probing has shaken the old man, causing him to soften his stance.

Although not completely acquiescing, at least they showed tolerance for the "fight" between Zhong Wei and his father, which is a sign of easing tensions.

For Zhong Wei, that was enough.

As long as the old man changes his attitude, his and his father's status will surely rise significantly within a few years.

At that time, the Chung family will be able to stand on the right path, avoid future calamities, and not be completely ruined.

Even after the old man passes away, the Zhong family will still be the same Zhong family.

"Phew!" He exhaled a long breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions.

Driver pick-up: On the way home to the apartment building

"Third Young Master..." A middle-aged man approached; he was the father's driver.

"Third Young Master, after I saw the leader off, he told me to wait for you here."

"Thank you for your help." Zhong Wei nodded and got into the car. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the family dormitory building.

Zhong Wei opened the door and entered the house, where he saw Zhong Jianguo sitting on the sofa, making tea and reading the newspaper.

"You're back." Zhong Jianguo looked up, then looked down again to continue reading the newspaper.

"Hmm." Zhong Wei sat down, and Zhong Jianguo poured him a cup of tea, asking with a smile, "What did the old man talk to you about?"

Chung Chien-kuo was so satisfied with Chung Wei's performance today that he was "astounded." He thought that his son was indeed worthy of being his son, and that like father, like son. His son was a great talent.

"The old man didn't say much, he just gave me Pengcheng's phone number." Zhong Wei put down the note.

"Great!" Zhong Jianguo exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the note, "The old man's lack of objection means he tacitly agrees!"

He explained, "Old Chen used to be the old man's subordinate, and later became a regional official. The old man called you to see what a different perspective would be like."

Zhong Jianguo stared at Zhong Wei: "Whether you can completely change the old man's stance depends on you."

"Hmm." Zhong Wei nodded casually.

Zhong Jianguo looked helpless; his son was unbelievably calm.

"By the way, when are you planning to go to Shenzhen? Your mom is coming back from the next province in a few days."

Zhong Wei hesitated for a moment, then frowned slightly: "No rush, let's wait a month."

Zhong Wei wandered around the old hutongs of Yanjing for three days, absorbing the "old flavors" like a sponge.

The unexpanded hutongs still retain the framework of the Ming and Qing dynasties: pine trees grow on the green tiles, faded peonies are carved on the door piers, and an old stall selling douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) stands against the wall, with aluminum lunch boxes clinking against the rims of bowls. He wore a faded blue cloth shirt and mingled among the old men walking their birds and the old women sewing shoe soles, looking just like a native Beijing "tourist".

"mom!!"

As he turned into the familiar alleyway, Zhong Wei suddenly stopped.

That face, the fine lines at the corners of its eyes, the dimple on its right cheek when it smiled, overlapped with and tore apart from the memory of its mother who "died after her father jumped off a building."

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice trembled: "Mom..."

Li Yuqin was walking home with a shopping basket when she heard the sound. She looked up, and the tomatoes in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud": "Xiaowei? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"

Zhong Wei rushed over and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her clothes, which smelled of soap.

The image of his mother from his past life, suffering a mental breakdown and growing increasingly thin, flashed before his eyes. His eyes welled up with tears, and he tightened his grip on her arm, as if afraid that if he let go, the dream would shatter.

"Oh my, it's been a month since we last met, why have you become so clingy?" Li Yuqin patted his back and laughed, her fingertips brushing against his slightly trembling shoulder. "It's like we're facing a life-or-death separation."

"Hehe..." Zhong Wei let go, wiped his face, and laughed like a child. "Mom, I was just afraid you would leave again."

He took two steps back and looked around the house: the peeling paint on the wooden door, the old calendar with "Labor is Glorious" on the wall of the main room, the jasmine his mother grew on the windowsill—everything was exactly the same as when his father had just passed away, yet it was so vivid that it made him want to cry.

"That's wonderful..." he whispered, secretly vowing: in this life, he would never let his mother experience the pain of losing her husband again, and he would never let this family fall apart.

"Why are you crying?" Li Yuqin took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of his eye with her fingertips. "Mom's here, why are you crying?"

Zhong Wei's nose tingled, and he quickly nodded, "No, I wasn't crying, it was just the wind."

Li Yuqin patted his shoulder with a smile: "Hurry up and put your luggage away. Your Aunt Zhou is treating us to dinner tonight. Let's get ready."

Upon hearing "Aunt Zhou," Zhong Wei's heart skipped a beat. It was the Aunt Zhou from his past life who "held him and teased him about 'growing up and getting married'!"

Her husband was a deputy third-rank official in Yanjing. Her daughter, Wang Jie, was three years younger than him. She had visited their home a couple of years ago, and with pigtails, she called him "Brother Wei."

"Mom, Aunt Zhou is treating us to dinner, why is Dad going too?" he asked tentatively.

"Your dad already contacted him!" Li Yuqin couldn't hide her smile. "I had the driver deliver it after get off work, just in time for dinner."

"Pfft," Zhong Wei almost fainted.

So his parents teamed up to "trick" him!

In their past lives, their parents were too busy with work to be so "in sync".

This is clearly a case of Mom returning to Beijing and Dad immediately "betraying" her, wanting to set him up on a blind date!

"Mom, how old am I?!" he wailed. "I'm still a baby! Isn't this too early for blind dates?"

"How old?" Li Yuqin laughed, hands on her hips. "You're already twenty-three! Grandma Wang next door already has two grandsons! Aunt Zhou's daughter, Wang Jie, is just twenty. She's pretty and highly educated, a perfect match for you. Hurry up and pick out a decent outfit, don't embarrass your mother!"

Zhong Wei was on the verge of tears.

"Mom, if Dad is busy, can we go another day?" he pleaded in desperation.

"Your dad said 'you have to go!'" Li Yuqin turned and walked towards his room. "I'll go find you some clothes. You always pick out ripped jeans, what kind of look is that!"

"Hey, Mom! Those aren't ripped jeans, they're fashion!" Zhong Wei shouted as he chased after her, looking utterly hopeless. He imagined Wang Jie wearing a dress and braids, asking, "What kind of wife does Brother Wei want?" and his scalp tingled.

In the room, Li Yuqin pulled out a brand-new blue khaki coat: "Wear this! It'll make you look more mature!"

Zhong Wei stared at the "Labor" label on his coat collar, a wave of sadness washing over him: In the 80s, "steadiness" meant dressing like a "junior cadre" to go on a blind date.

"Mom, how about... I tell Aunt Zhou I have something to do?" he made a last-ditch effort.

"Too late!" Li Yuqin held her coat up to him. "Your dad's car is already at the alley entrance!"

Zhong Wei peeked out and saw his father, Zhong Jianguo, getting out of the black car and waving at him.

He let out a wail and collapsed onto the bed: "Heavens above! Earth below! The future richest man is going on a blind date?! Who would believe it?!"

Half an hour later, Zhong Wei and his mother, dressed neatly, walked out of the living room.

Mrs. Zhong looked her son up and down, nodding in satisfaction: "Remember to be polite later, okay?"

"Okay!" Zhong Wei replied readily.

After getting ready, the two walked out of the Ministry of Railways' residential compound. Outside the gate, a taxi was already waiting quietly. This was a rare sight in Beijing in 1979; there were only a few hundred taxis in the entire city, and hailing one on the street was as difficult as winning the lottery in later generations.

This was a taxi that Mrs. Zhong booked in advance by calling the taxi dispatch center. It was quite expensive; for longer trips, it cost almost half a month's salary for an average worker.

With a click, Zhong Wei opened the car door, let his mother sit in the back seat, and got into the front passenger seat himself. The old-fashioned taxi had no air conditioning and was cramped. He gave her the address, and the car headed towards the hotel.

Twenty minutes later, the car came to a smooth stop. The meter showed ten yuan and fifty cents, and Zhong Wei handed over eleven yuan: "Keep the change, driver."

The driver's eyes lit up, and he beamed, "Thank you so much!"

Zhong Wei got out of the car to open the door for his mother, and the two walked towards the restaurant.

This is a famous state-run hotel in Yanjing, which often receives foreign guests. Even if ordinary people come in, they may not be able to get a seat.

But Zhong Weijia is no ordinary person; with just one phone call, a private room was booked.

"Upstairs." Mrs. Zhong led the way, with Zhong Wei following behind. Sure enough, the waiters at state-run restaurants these days seemed to have an aura of superiority, each one haughty and more arrogant than the customers. Zhong Wei shook his head helplessly.

As soon as we entered the private room and the door opened, we heard a hearty laugh: "Speak of the devil, and he appears!"

Zhong Wei looked up and saw his father laughing heartily. Good heavens, what a son-pitting father! He almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Besides Mr. Zhong, there were two familiar faces at the table: Aunt Zhou and her husband, Uncle Wang.

Beside Uncle Wang stood a graceful young woman, dressed appropriately, with a fair and radiant face, and a ponytail that accentuated her dignified demeanor.

The more Zhong Wei looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. He recalled the image of her following behind him when she was little, calling him "Brother Zhong Wei" in her clear voice.

"Wang Jie..."

Zhong Wei pursed his lips. The little girl who used to follow him around back then is now a young woman of nineteen or twenty, and she's actually going on blind dates? This pace is really "ruthless"!

"Haha, we're late!" Mrs. Zhong laughed, pulling Zhong Wei over. "Aren't you going to greet them?"

"Hello, Aunt Zhou, Uncle Wang, and Wang Jie," Zhong Wei greeted politely.

"Wow, Zhong Wei is getting more and more handsome!" Aunt Zhou looked him up and down, her gaze like that of a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, growing more and more satisfied with each look. Zhong Wei felt uneasy under her gaze.

"Hello, Brother Zhongwei." Wang Jie's voice was clear and melodious, with a touch of girlish charm.

"Zhong Wei, sit here with Uncle Wang." Uncle Wang, a deputy third-rank official, waved to him with a friendly smile. If it weren't for Zhong's father being promoted to a full third-rank official this month, the two would have been at the same rank.

"Go ahead," Mother Zhong said gently, patting him on the back.

Zhong Wei rolled his eyes in exasperation and had no choice but to walk over.

As he passed by Zhong's father, he glared at his father again, who chuckled and looked smug, as if he had "successfully tricked his son."

Zhong Wei almost spat out blood again: How come I didn't discover this side of my dad in my past life? And it seems there was no such blind date in my past life at all!

A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately understood that although his father was a member of the Zhong family in his previous life, he had lingered at the deputy third rank for many years without ever reaching the full third rank. At that time, Uncle Wang and his wife probably never intended for Wang Jie to be his matchmaker.

But now, the wheel of fate has clearly been whipped into a hurricane by this "butterfly".