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

The day before the graduation banquet, the entire Hongqi Commune was bustling with activity.

The tables and chairs borrowed by the production team have filled the threshing ground. Several women are gathered together picking vegetables, some washing vegetables, some killing chickens, and some carrying wine jars.

From a distance, it looked as lively as a wedding celebration.

In fact, this was indeed a joyous occasion for the Red Flag Commune.

In the first year after the resumption of the college entrance examination, we ranked first in the county and were admitted to Tsinghua University—enough for the entire commune to be proud of for many years.

In the morning, Lin Xiuhe was called by Captain Wang to inspect the site.

Just as they reached the threshing ground, they heard Zhao Xiaomei's voice: "Sister Xiuhe! Come quick!"

"What's wrong?"

"Your seat," Zhao Xiaomei pointed to the front table. "Captain Wang said you'll sit here tomorrow."

Lin Xiuhe glanced at it, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The table was placed right in the center, with a large empty space around it, like an awards ceremony.

"That's an exaggeration."

"Where's the exaggeration?" Zhao Xiaomei retorted confidently, "You're from Tsinghua University."

Laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding area.

Just then, a bicycle stopped outside the threshing ground.

Zhou Zhiyuan has arrived. He's been busy with the machinery factory project lately and hasn't been back to the commune for several days. It's clear that he was dragged here by Captain Wang today.

Sure enough, as soon as they arrived, Captain Wang rushed over and said, "You've come at the right time, move the table."

Zhou Zhiyuan: "..."

The people around burst into laughter.

Soon, the young people were working together, and the threshing ground became more and more lively.

The midday sun was blazing, so everyone sat in the shade to rest. Someone offered watermelon, someone else brought iced tea, and the air was filled with the sounds of casual conversation.

Just then, a young man suddenly asked, "Xiuhe, after you go to Beijing, will you be able to come back?"

A slight silence fell over the room as everyone turned to look. Lin Xiuhe thought for a moment, then said, "Yes."

"You're coming back after graduation?"

"If I have the opportunity, I will come back to help build my hometown."

Upon hearing this, Captain Wang clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Good! Well said!" Everyone else joined in the applause.

But Lin Xiuhe noticed that Zhou Zhiyuan hadn't said a word in the distance.

In the afternoon, people gradually dispersed, leaving only the finishing touches to be done.

Lin Xiuhe helped organize the list, while Zhou Zhiyuan repaired the table legs nearby.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves, and the surroundings were unusually quiet.

After a while, Zhou Zhiyuan suddenly spoke up: "Do you believe in fate?"

Lin Xiuhe paused, her pen poised. The question was too sudden and too strange: "Why do you ask that?"

"Just asking."

"And what about you?" Zhou Zhiyuan asked, looking down as he tightened a screw. "I didn't believe it before. Now?"

"Maybe I should believe it a little."

The wind rustled through the leaves, and neither of them spoke again.

But Lin Xiuhe's heart was slowly tightening, because she was becoming more and more certain that Zhou Zhiyuan was acting strangely lately.

Ever since that time at the machine factory, many questions, seemingly casual and unintentional, always revolved around the same theme—fate, the future, choices. It was as if… he was confirming something.

Thinking of this, she suddenly looked up: "Zhou Zhiyuan."

"Um?"

"What would you do if you discovered something truly incredible one day?"

This time, it was Zhou Zhiyuan's turn to stop moving.

The air quieted down, and the sounds of children playing could be heard in the distance, but it was as if an invisible line had suddenly appeared between the two of them.

After a few seconds, Zhou Zhiyuan laughed: "Let's confirm whether it's true or false first."

"and then?"

"Then accept it."

He spoke calmly.

But for some reason, Lin Xiuhe suddenly felt a jolt in her heart—because this sentence didn't seem like an answer to a hypothetical situation, but rather an answer to an experience.

As evening fell, the sun slowly set.

The tables and chairs on the threshing ground were all set up. Tomorrow was the graduation banquet, and the whole commune was immersed in joy.

But no one knew that beneath this lively scene, the two of them were hiding the same secret.

At night, Lin Xiuhe lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The conversation from the daytime kept replaying in my mind.

Suddenly, a thought popped into my head—what if… just what if… Zhou Zhiyuan knew those things not from what he heard from others?

Thinking of this, she suddenly sat up, her heart racing.

Because she realized that she had been doubting something, but never dared to think about it seriously.

Meanwhile, in the county machinery factory dormitory, Zhou Zhiyuan was also awake.

A notebook lay open on the table, and the kerosene lamp flickered slightly.

He stared at the last page, not turning it for a long time.

The words I uttered this afternoon kept echoing in my mind—"If one day you discover something truly incredible..."

At that moment, he almost thought that Lin Xiuhe knew something.

The night breeze blew in through the window, causing the lamplight to sway gently.

Zhou Zhiyuan slowly closed the notebook, but the questions in his mind grew heavier and heavier.

Because he suddenly realized that he was no longer fixated on the answer, but rather afraid—what if the answer was true?