Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

By the time the old control box was finished being modified, it was already dark.

One red light, one green light, and two old buttons salvaged from the warehouse. Master Du was in charge of wiring, Lin Xiuhe rewrote the operation sheet, and Wang Chunmiao stood beside him and tried reading it aloud.

The green light means you can go.

When the red light comes on, first turn off the flour mill circuit, then press the reset button.

If that doesn't work, shut down the machine, close the door, and deal with it the next day.

"I can understand it now," Xiao Han said.

Wang Chunmiao handed him the notebook and walked to the control box herself.

The flour mill and water pump started simultaneously, the red light quickly illuminated, and the compressor automatically stopped. She turned off the adjacent circuit, pressed the reset button, the green light came on again, and the temperature gauge continued to descend.

After watching the whole process, Master Du closed his toolbox.

"Alright."

Half an hour later, the temperature reached the set point, and the last truckload of fresh meat began to be stored.

Manager Huang came over with the on-site usage certificate, along with a job description.

"Lin, have you ever thought about coming to work for a food company after graduation?"

Lin Xiuhe opened the documents.

The list of formal positions in the technical department, dormitory arrangements, and future renovations of the cold storage facility is all written on it.

Manager Huang continued, "I'll fight for the position, and I can arrange accommodation. Once you're here, we can continue this process."

Master Du said from the side, "There are plenty of machines in the factory; they'll keep you busy for several years."

Wang Chunmiao chimed in, "If you really come, I'll cover your late-night snacks for the first month of your night shift."

Lin Xiuhe was still looking at the job description when footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

Zhou Zhiyuan came in carrying a paper package.

Manager Huang immediately stopped him: "Comrade Zhou, could you also help me persuade her? The food company offers her a decent deal, doesn't it?"

Zhou Zhiyuan's gaze fell on the document.

"Good."

Lin Xiuhe looked up: "What's good about it?"

"It's close to the school, and the job is stable."

"Anything else?"

"The food company needs people."

"So should I stay?"

"You choose."

He said it casually, but Lin Xiuhe folded the job description very neatly and put it into her bag.

"Then I'll think about it seriously."

Zhou Zhiyuan paused for a moment as he unwrapped the paper package.

It contains red bean paste cakes.

Wang Chunmiao smelled the sweetness and was about to come over when Zhou Zhiyuan took out two train tickets from his pocket and placed them on the wooden box.

"Go back to school tomorrow morning."

Two tickets, same bus, adjacent seats.

Lin Xiuhe picked up one of the cards.

"Who told you to buy mine?"

"Professor Chen called this afternoon."

"He said I have to leave tomorrow morning?"

"Some employers want to see the project materials in person and also discuss their intention to hire me after graduation."

"Then why don't you just buy one?"

Zhou Zhiyuan broke open the red bean paste cake and swept away the crumbs that had fallen onto the ticket.

"I'm afraid there won't be any seats if I arrive late."

"You can stand if there are no seats."

"You have a meeting when you get back."

"I've stood there before."

"Do we really have to repeat the same mistakes of the past?"

Both of them paused for a moment.

Wang Chunmiao sensed something was wrong and pulled Xiao Han to the warehouse entrance, while Manager Huang turned around to sign the warehouse entry form.

Only they remained beside the wooden crate.

Lin Xiuhe put the ticket back.

"What are your plans?"

"It's not decided yet."

"The food company offered me a job, and you said that was a good thing."

"It's really good."

"What about the research institute?"

"Alright."

"Provincial Industrial Equipment Division?"

"That's also acceptable."

She looked at him: "You think it's okay for me to go anywhere?"

"As long as it's your own choice."

Lin Xiuhe took out the job description again and flattened it.

"Then I'll stay here."

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at her for a while before asking, "Are you really decided?"

"Didn't you let me choose for myself?"

"I'm asking you if you've made a decision."

"What's the difference?"

He reached for the ticket, but Lin Xiuhe stopped him first.

"Let's cancel it."

Why?

"I'll buy it myself."

"I've already bought it."

"Buy one more ticket for your luggage."

Zhou Zhiyuan didn't argue anymore, but simply picked up her toolbox.

"Tomorrow morning at six o'clock."

Lin Xiuhe held out her hand: "Give it to me."

"Heavy."

"I can lift it."

"I know."

"Then why did you take it?"

"smoothly."

She snatched the toolbox back and turned to leave.

When they arrived at the factory gate, Wang Chunmiao caught up with her and gave her two boiled eggs.

"I'll eat it on the way tomorrow morning."

Lin Xiuhe put the item into her bag and was about to leave when the evening breeze blew out a corner of the job description.

Zhou Zhiyuan pressed it back down for her.

"Don't drop it."

"It's lost, but Manager Huang can give you another one."

"He's quite enthusiastic."

"You can be enthusiastic too."

"Am I not enough?"

"I'm already prepared to cancel the tickets."

Zhou Zhiyuan took out the two tickets.

"Who said we'd back out?"

"Just now."

"I only said that if I bought the wrong thing, I could get a refund."

"That means you bought the wrong thing."

"It's not tomorrow morning yet."

Lin Xiuhe did not answer.

Zhou Zhiyuan handed the ticket to her.

"Six o'clock."

"I may not leave."

"6:10."

"Why are you ten minutes late again?"

"I'll wait for you for another ten minutes."

"And in ten minutes?"

"Go buy tickets for the next train."

She looked at the ticket, and a slight smile finally appeared on her lips.

"You have a lot of money?"

"The refund fee isn't much."

"Buying the wrong thing a few times adds up to a lot."

"Then try to stop me from buying the wrong thing so many times."

He stuffed the ticket into the outside of her bag, picked up the toolbox, and walked towards the car.

Lin Xiuhe followed behind, and after a few steps, suddenly asked, "Is it cold in the Northwest?"

Zhou Zhiyuan slowed his pace.

"Why are you asking that?"

"I heard that winters are long there."

"It's long."

"You need to wear a thicker cotton-padded coat."

"Um."

"The food company is giving out cotton-padded coats."

Zhou Zhiyuan put the toolbox into the trunk.

"That's good."

It's still those three words.

Lin Xiuhe opened the car door.

"If you really think it's a good idea, don't come pick me up tomorrow."

The car door closed.

The driver turned around and asked Zhou Zhiyuan if he wanted to go.

He went around to the other side to get on the bus.

On the way back to the guesthouse, the toolbox separated the two of them.

No one moved.

At six o'clock the next day, the entrance to the guesthouse was still shrouded in morning mist.

When Lin Xiuhe came out carrying her bag, Zhou Zhiyuan was already standing at the bottom of the steps, with the toolbox strapped to the back of his bicycle.

"Didn't I tell you not to come?"

"Tickets shouldn't be wasted."

"You can get a refund."

"The window isn't open yet."

"What about the next one?"

"I only bought a ticket for this train."

Lin Xiuhe handed him the bag.

"Let's go then."

He took the bag and pushed the cart forward.

Only after leaving the guesthouse did I ask, "Are the food company's dormitories single rooms?"

Lin Xiuhe turned her head.

"Don't you think it's great?"

"Manager Huang didn't explain clearly."

"You want to know?"

"Just asking."

She followed.

"It's not a private room."

Zhou Zhiyuan responded with an "oh," and quickened his pace a bit.

After the train pulled into the station, the ticket inspector took the two tickets.

"You two are together?"

Before Lin Xiuhe could speak, Zhou Zhiyuan had already taken her bag.

"Together."

After getting on the bus, he put her luggage in the window seat and sat on the outside himself.

Lin Xiuhe took two eggs out of her bag and handed one to him.

"Did Wang Chunmiao give it to you?"

She gave two.

"so?"

"The ticket seller knew that the two people sat together, so she probably knew too."

The train slowly started moving.

Zhou Zhiyuan peeled the egg and suddenly asked, "Where did you hear about the Northwest?"

Lin Xiuhe looked out the window.

"Just listen to it."

"Who said I was going?"

"I didn't say you were going."

The car window reflected the shadows of two people.

One is looking outside.

One person was looking at her.

After a while, Zhou Zhiyuan handed over the peeled eggs.

"Yours hasn't been peeled yet."

Lin Xiuhe took it and then placed the larger one from her hand into his palm.

"Change to another one."

Why?

"So that we won't go to a cold place and not be able to eat."

Zhou Zhiyuan held the egg in his hand.

"Then I'll try my best not to go."

Lin Xiuhe took a bite of the egg.

"What does this have to do with me?"

She turned to look out the window, but she couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

She turned to look out the window, but she couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

The train arrived at the station after noon.

Zhou Zhiyuan took the toolbox off the car, and Lin Xiuhe followed the crowd out of the station. The two had barely reached the school gate when Professor Chen's students came to greet them.

"Lin Xiuhe, Professor Chen is looking for you."

"The people from the Beijing Institute of Mechanical Engineering arrived early and are waiting in the office."

Lin Xiuhe took the toolbox from Zhou Zhiyuan.

"I'll go first."

Zhou Zhiyuan did not let go.

"I'll walk you downstairs."

When the two arrived at the department office, the door was open.

Professor Chen sat behind the table, with two other people sitting opposite him. Li Mingyuan was organizing project drawings next to him when he heard footsteps and looked up towards the door.

"You're back."

He stood up and took the documents from Lin Xiuhe's arms.

"The research institute has reviewed our project and would like to discuss it in person."

Zhou Zhiyuan stood outside the door carrying his toolbox.

Two acceptance letters were placed on the table.

A document was written with Lin Xiuhe's name on it.

The other one was written as Li Mingyuan.