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

With three days left until registration, I finally bought the train ticket.

When the news reached Hongqi Commune, many people were stunned for a moment before they realized that he was really leaving, not later, not in a while, but in the next few days.

In the backyard of the supply and marketing cooperative, a thin train ticket lay on the table, from the provincial capital to Beijing.

Zhao Xiaomei has watched it no less than ten times.

"Is this the train ticket?"

"Um."

"So small?"

Lin Xiuhe laughed: "How big do you think it is?"

Zhao Xiaomei touched the corner of the ticket and suddenly felt reluctant to let go, because she knew that this ticket meant separation, meant Beijing, meant that many things would be different from now on.

In the evening, Li Hongmei came in carrying a bundle: "Here you go."

"What?"

"quilt."

Lin Xiuhe was taken aback: "I have it."

"That's yours." Li Hongmei put down the bundle. "This is mine. Beijing winters are cold, so bring an extra blanket."

Lin Xiuhe opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

In her past life, she rarely experienced the feeling of being cared for, but in this life, it seems that there are always people thinking of her.

Not to be outdone, Zhao Xiaomei pulled a cloth bag from under the counter: "Mine's here too."

"What is this now?"

"Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and roasted soybeans." After saying that, she laughed sheepishly, "I'll eat them on the train."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then laughter broke out. But as she laughed, Zhao Xiaomei's eyes reddened again, and she quickly lowered her head, pretending to tidy up her cloth bag.

That evening, Captain Wang arrived, followed by several production team leaders. Each of them carried something—some gave him an enamel mug, some a notebook, some grain coupons, and one even gave him a new umbrella.

"You'll always find these useful when you're traveling." Captain Wang put the things down, his voice still loud, but his eyes were visibly red. "Xiuhe, once you get to Beijing, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Getting into Tsinghua University is already a remarkable achievement."

Lin Xiuhe nodded: "I know."

Captain Wang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "And also, if you ever become a big shot in the future, don't forget the Red Flag Commune."

The courtyard erupted in laughter. Little did anyone know that this joke would later come true.

As night deepened, everyone gradually left, and the courtyard returned to quiet.

The moonlight fell on the locust tree, turning the ground into a silvery white.

Lin Xiuhe sat on the steps looking at the luggage, suddenly lost in thought—in her previous life, she had left many places, but never so many people had seen her off.

Just then, a familiar bicycle bell rang out from outside the courtyard gate, very softly, only once.

Lin Xiuhe looked up and saw Zhou Zhiyuan standing at the door, holding a wooden box in his hand.

"Still not asleep?"

"No."

"Here you go." He handed over the wooden box.

Lin Xiuhe opened it, and inside was a fountain pen and an old-fashioned mechanical watch, which had obviously been used.

"This is……"

"It was left by my father," Zhou Zhiyuan said softly.

Lin Xiuhe was stunned. In her previous life, she knew that Zhou Zhiyuan always carried this watch with him, but now, he was actually giving it away.

"It's too expensive."

"Here you go." Zhou Zhiyuan smiled. "Remember to keep track of the time when you get to Beijing."

They both laughed. A breeze blew through the courtyard, and the locust tree swayed gently. Neither of them spoke.

After a long silence, Zhou Zhiyuan suddenly spoke: "Xiuhe."

"Um?"

"Make the most of your time in Beijing."

This sentence was very ordinary, but for some reason, Lin Xiuhe suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Because only she knew that she hadn't actually had a good life in her past life. All those regrets, those missed opportunities, and those paths she couldn't walk were left behind in her previous life.

In this life, I finally have the chance to start over.

She nodded gently: "You too. Things will get better and better at the machine factory."

After he finished speaking, the air suddenly became quiet.

Because this statement once again went beyond the norm—the machinery factory project had just begun, and no one knew what the future held, yet she spoke with such certainty.

Zhou Zhiyuan looked up at her. In the moonlight, their eyes met briefly.

No one offered an explanation, and no one pressed for an answer. Because some answers were drawing ever closer.

The sound of a train whistle drifted from afar, soft yet exceptionally clear, as if reminding everyone that it was time to leave.

Three days later, Beijing, the city they had missed in their previous life, awaited their arrival.

******

On the day of departure, before dawn, some people in the Red Flag Commune were already up.

The lights were on in the courtyard of the supply and marketing cooperative, and several bundles were neatly laid out on the ground—quilts, books, changes of clothes, and gifts from the villagers, filling two large bags.

Zhao Xiaomei's eyes were badly swollen, clearly from crying, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I didn't cry."

Li Hongmei didn't bother to expose her, and simply helped pack her luggage silently. The atmosphere in the courtyard was somewhat quiet; everyone knew they were leaving today.

Captain Wang arrived first, just as dawn was breaking, followed by many villagers. Some offered eggs, some offered dry rations, and some tried to give him food coupons; after much back and forth, they all ended up stuffing them into his bag.

"Take it with you and eat it on the road. Things are expensive in Beijing, so don't skimp on the money."

One sentence after another brought tears to Lin Xiuhe's eyes. In her past life, no one saw her off when she left, and no one cared about her. But in this life, she took not only her luggage, but also the expectations of many people.

In the morning, at the county bus station, almost half the people from the commune had come. The waiting shed was packed to the brim; anyone who didn't know better would have thought it was a wedding celebration.

Zhao Xiaomei finally couldn't hold back her tears and hugged Lin Xiuhe tightly, refusing to let go: "Remember to write when you get to Beijing."

"good."

One letter a month.

"good."

"Don't forget."

"I won't forget."

Beside her, Li Hongmei, her eyes also red-rimmed, still smiled and said, "Let's hurry, or we'll miss the bus."

Everyone laughed, but there was a hint of reluctance in their laughter.

As the car started, Captain Wang suddenly shouted, "Xiuhe! When we get to Beijing, let them see what kind of people from our Red Flag Commune are like!"

The car window rolled down, and Lin Xiuhe nodded vigorously: "Okay!"

The car slowly drove out of the station, and the familiar figures in the rearview mirror grew farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, until they disappeared completely.

Lin Xiuhe withdrew her gaze, suddenly feeling somewhat dazed. She knew that from this moment on, her life would truly be different.

……

Two days later. Beijing Railway Station.

The train whistle blared across the platform, the train slowly came to a stop, the doors opened, and a flood of people poured out. People carrying backpacks, shoulder poles, seeing others off, and welcoming others filled the air with their voices.

This was the first time Lin Xiuhe had truly stood in Beijing. Not the Beijing of the newspapers, not the Beijing of the radio, but the real Beijing.

The air was thick with the smell of coal smoke, and tall buildings stood in the distance, with crowds surging around them—it was many times larger than the county town.

She stood on the platform with her luggage, momentarily lost in thought.

In her past life, she had also been here. But it was too late then, and she had missed many things.

But now, it's not too late.

Just then, a voice came from behind: "Comrade, excuse me."

Familiar, yet strange.

Lin Xiuhe's body stiffened slightly, and she slowly turned around.

In the crowd, Zhou Zhiyuan stood there, a bag slung over his shoulder, looking travel-worn.

Their eyes met. The surroundings were still noisy, but in that instant, it was as if all sound had disappeared, leaving only the two of them.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Because they both noticed the exact same emotion in each other's eyes.

The wind blew across the platform, swirling up an old newspaper.

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at her and suddenly smiled.

Then he said something, something no one else could understand, something only the two of them could understand:

"Welcome back."

Lin Xiuhe stood there, her pupils slightly contracted.

Because these four words—not "Welcome to Beijing," not "Welcome to School," but "Welcome Back"—are not the same as the previous two.

"Come back" is not a word used only by people who are visiting for the first time.

On the platform, the train whistled again, and the crowd continued to move forward. Lin Xiuhe looked at Zhou Zhiyuan and suddenly smiled.

Many questions seem to have been answered. But no one has revealed the answers, because some secrets don't need to be uncovered now.

Beijing is right in front of them, and university is just ahead. Their new life is just beginning.