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

The next morning, Zhao Xiaomei did not come to the supply and marketing cooperative.

She would usually have arrived by now, books in hand. But she hasn't shown up today.

Li Hongmei looked out the door several times: "Strange, did I oversleep?"

Lin Xiuhe neatly arranged the soaps on the shelf, then paused, saying, "It doesn't look like it."

Zhao Xiaomei is more anxious about her grades than anyone else lately, so it's impossible for her to be absent without a reason.

Around noon, a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative.

It was Zhao Xiaomei. But she looked completely different from usual—her hair was a little messy, and her eyes were red, as if she hadn't slept all night.

Li Hongmei quickly went to greet her: "What's wrong?"

Zhao Xiaomei didn't answer. She went straight into the warehouse, put her schoolbag on the table, and sat down. She didn't open a book for a long time.

"What happened?" Lin Xiuhe asked.

Zhao Xiaomei bit her lip, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out, "My dad wants to arrange a marriage for me."

Inside the warehouse, Li Hongmei suddenly stopped moving: "What?"

"He's from the next brigade, twenty-five years old, works at a brick kiln," Zhao Xiaomei said, her voice trembling slightly. "His bride price is one hundred and eighty yuan."

Li Hongmei stood up abruptly: "One hundred and eighty?"

These days, many people don't earn that much in a year. Zhao Guofu was clearly tempted.

Zhao Xiaomei lowered her head and stared at the table: "He said the results haven't come out yet, and if I don't pass the exam, girls have to get married sooner or later."

Outside the window, cicadas were chirping loudly, and heat waves seeped in through the cracks in the door. Inside the warehouse, however, it felt rather stuffy.

Li Hongmei slammed her fist on the table in anger: "The college entrance exam just ended! What's the rush?!"

Zhao Xiaomei didn't respond. She knew her father too well—the dowry of 180 yuan was there, rendering many words useless.

After a while, she suddenly looked up and asked, "Sister Xiuhe, what if I really pass the exam? Will I still get married?"

Lin Xiuhe looked at her: "Do you want to get married?"

Zhao Xiaomei immediately shook her head: "I don't want to." Her answer was without the slightest hesitation.

"That's enough."

Zhao Xiaomei stood there, stunned, and gently shook the enamel mug she was holding: "What's enough?"

"You don't want to, that's the answer."

The sound of sparrows fluttering their wings came from under the eaves, and sunlight shone through the window, falling on the corner of the table.

Looking at Lin Xiuhe, Zhao Xiaomei suddenly realized that she had never thought of it that way before.

From childhood to adulthood, everyone has been telling her what to do—listen to her parents, get married early, and find an honest man to settle down with. But no one has ever asked her: Do you want that?

Just then, a shout came from outside the supply and marketing cooperative: "Zhao Xiaomei!"

The sound was very loud; the whole yard could hear it.

Zhao Xiaomei's expression changed—because it was Zhao Guofu.

The next second, Zhao Guofu had already entered the courtyard, followed by a middle-aged woman, who was the famous matchmaker from the neighboring brigade.

Li Hongmei's face immediately darkened: "How did he find his way here?"

Zhao Xiaomei stood up, her palms already sweating.

In the courtyard, Zhao Guofu spotted the warehouse immediately and strode over: "Let's go home!"

I won't reply.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Guofu stopped in his tracks, seemingly surprised that his daughter would refuse: "What did you say?"

"I'm not going back." Zhao Xiaomei's voice was still trembling, but this time she didn't back down.

The matchmaker quickly tried to smooth things over: "We're all family, let's talk this out."

Zhao Guofu's face grew increasingly grim: "The marriage arrangements are all set! They're coming to meet us this afternoon!"

"I'm not seeing them." Zhao Xiaomei stood at the warehouse door, her shoulders taut. "I'm not going anywhere until the results are out."

More and more people gathered in the courtyard, and many shoppers stopped to watch.

Zhao Guofu's face turned red with anger: "Test yourself! Test yourself! You really think you can become a college student?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative spoke up: "Why not?"

Everyone turned around.

Zhou Zhiyuan pushed his bicycle into the yard, a roll of blueprints tied to the back rack, clearly indicating he had just returned from the county.

Zhao Guofu's face stiffened. He still remembered the registration fee from last time.

Zhou Zhiyuan parked his bicycle and walked to the front of the crowd: "The college entrance exam results haven't been released yet, who says she can't pass?"

The matchmaker opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words to say for a moment.

Zhou Zhiyuan continued, "Besides, marriage is based on mutual consent. If she's unwilling, how can this marriage be considered settled?"

Many people in the courtyard nodded in agreement. Things are different now—the college entrance examination has resumed, and policies are changing.

Zhao Guofu's face turned pale and then flushed as he observed the reactions of those around him. Finally, he glared fiercely at Zhao Xiaomei and said, "Fine! Then we'll wait for the results!"

After saying that, he turned and left. The matchmaker quickly followed.

The crowd of onlookers in the courtyard slowly dispersed.

Zhao Xiaomei stood there, her eyes instantly reddening. But this time, it wasn't out of resentment, but rather a sense of relief.

Because for the first time, she discovered that she could actually make her own decisions about some things.

Outside the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhou Zhiyuan picked up his bicycle again. A corner of the drawing had been blown open by the wind, revealing the words at the top—

Equipment Renovation Plan for the County Machinery Factory

******

The next morning, a new notice was posted at the entrance of the commune office.

The red paper with black characters was immediately surrounded by a crowd after it was posted.

"What notification?"

"Is it issued by the county?"

"List of seconded personnel?"

Many people stood on tiptoe to look ahead.

The top line of text is particularly eye-catching: "List of Personnel Temporarily Transferred for the County Machinery Factory's Technological Upgrading Project".

There are only three names below. The first one is: Zhou Zhiyuan.

The news spread quickly. In less than half a day, the entire Red Flag Commune knew about it.

Inside the supply and marketing cooperative, Li Hongmei walked into the warehouse carrying account books: "Xiuhe, have you seen the notice?"

"I've seen it."

"Comrade Zhou has really been seconded." Li Hongmei's tone was tinged with envy. "The county machinery factory, so many people want to get in but can't."

Zhao Xiaomei chimed in, "After being temporarily transferred, are you not coming back?"

"Who said that?" Li Hongmei immediately retorted, "It's just a temporary transfer, not a permanent assignment."

But after she finished speaking, she herself was a little unsure.

Everyone knows that this project of the county machinery factory is extraordinary, and it is said that the county leaders are keeping a close eye on it.

If you really achieve something, you'll have a good chance of staying in the county.

In the warehouse, Lin Xiuhe put a document back on the bookshelf, her actions no different from usual, but she was thinking about some things from her past life.

The county machinery factory renovation project was later successful and even made it into the local newspaper.

Many of those involved were transferred to the county seat. If his life trajectory hadn't changed, Zhou Zhiyuan would most likely have gone even further.

Zhou Zhiyuan arrived at noon.

A military green canvas bag was strapped to the back rack of the bicycle, and it contained more items than usual.

Zhao Xiaomei laughed upon seeing this: "Are you really going to the county?"

"Stay for a few days first, we'll talk about it after the project is finished."

As he spoke, he placed the bag on the table, revealing a thick stack of blueprints inside.

Zhao Xiaomei craned her neck to take a look, then immediately gave up—she couldn't understand a single word.

"What are all these?"

"Equipment drawings".

"Oh." She immediately pulled her head back, as if it were a book written in a foreign language.

Zhou Zhiyuan finished organizing the drawings and looked up to meet Lin Xiuhe's gaze.

"How's it going with the Education Bureau?"

"Checking is complete."

"Nothing else?"

"no."

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded, as if he had put something down.

Actually, he had guessed it from the moment the county called.

The verification of high-scoring candidates usually does not extend to candidates with average scores.

In this life, many things have happened ahead of schedule. This indicates that some outcomes are approaching.

In the afternoon, at the commune office.

The station manager held a small meeting to see Zhou Zhiyuan off. There were only a few people, just a few technicians. On the table were two plates of peanuts and a pot of tea, as simple as could be.

The stationmaster picked up his teacup: "When we get to the county, don't embarrass our commune."

Laughter erupted in the room: "Station Chief, the way you're saying that makes it sound like you're sending off new recruits."

The station manager smiled, then waved his hand: "Go ahead. If you do a good job on the project, I might have to come to the county to ask you for favors in the future."

Everyone laughed again. But after the laughter subsided, they all knew in their hearts that this statement might not have been just a joke.

In the evening, Zhou Zhiyuan rode his bicycle away from the commune.

Blueprints and simple luggage were strapped to the back rack of the vehicle. He stopped briefly as he passed the supply and marketing cooperative.

In the courtyard, Lin Xiuhe was receiving goods. The setting sun cast a long shadow on her shoulders.

"Gone?"

"Um."

"When are you coming back?"

"Project completed."

After Zhou Zhiyuan finished speaking, he took a booklet out of the bicycle basket and handed it over. The cover was already a bit worn—"Compilation of Majors in Key National Universities".

"They were found by the county; they might come in handy."

Lin Xiuhe took it and turned to the first page. It was filled with densely packed information about the school and its programs. This kind of material is hard to find these days.

"Thanks."

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded and straightened the bicycle again.

A gentle evening breeze swept through the streets, and in the distance, a radio station broadcast the news. A bicycle slowly pulled away from the supply and marketing cooperative, the setting sun bathing the road in gold.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Xiaomei suddenly blurted out, "I have a feeling that Comrade Zhou will really stay in the county from now on."

No one responded to that sentence.

Outside the supply and marketing cooperative, the figure on the bicycle was getting further and further away.

Meanwhile, in the county machinery factory's office building, the deputy director was staring at an equipment malfunction report, his face grim.

On the desktop, several words were circled in red: "Host stopped. Installation interrupted. Technical team unable to resolve."

Just then, the office phone rang.

The deputy factory director grabbed the microphone: "Have they arrived?"

The person on the other end of the phone immediately replied, "He's arrived. Zhou Zhiyuan just arrived at the factory."