Chapter 1: The Flower Wreath Below the High Mountain

"Wu Jie, your Xu Yuexin was doing fine at the mine; why did he resign?"

"What! This kid resigned? Where did you hear that?"

"Qiao Qiao told me when she got home. She said Xu Yuexin plans to devote himself entirely to writing, to earn manuscript payments."

"Sigh… this kid is really a worry! He also told me he was just taking leave; I need to go home and ask him properly."

In late spring, at the Chaoyang Vegetable Market in Jing, two well‑dressed middle‑aged women finished buying vegetables and walked home.

Among them, the woman called Wu Jie, upon hearing that her son had quit his job, was instantly horrified, wishing she could sprout wings to fly home immediately and get the full story.

……

At this moment, below the faculty dormitory of Qinghua University in HD District Wudaokou.

Xu Yuexin, carrying a cloth bag containing an envelope, strode briskly toward the outer wall.

Inside the envelope was the manuscript he had devoted half a month to writing, titled "The Flower Wreath Below the High Mountain." Xu Yuexin intends to send it to People's Literature to earn his first manuscript payment.

As a time‑traveler, Xu Yuexin is eager to make money.

In his previous life, Xu Yuexin was a full‑time writer, cranking out twenty thousand words daily; eventually his body could not endure the intense labor and he collapsed one night.

When he regained consciousness, he had become a namesake Educated Youth sent to the Northeast Cadre.

Xu Yuexin was lying in bed, just opening his eyes, when a beautiful female Educated Youth rushed to his side, tearfully thanking him for saving her life and constantly caring for him.

Amid the warm, soft gratitude of the female youth and the surprised exclamations of others, Xu Yuexin recalled the events.

The Production Team organized a fishing outing; Chen Qiao Qiao, the most beautiful female Educated Youth in the Communist, accidentally fell into the water while clearing the nets.

The original self jumped into the water, rescued Chen Qiao Qiao, but was choked by the water and fell into a coma, only waking up now.

Huh… I still don't know whether the original self has become my modern self.

If so, he's quite lucky. After all, as a writer of period literature, he has a group of eloquent, wealthy, and generous readers.

While marveling at that kid's luck, Xu Yuexin began his life in 1978.

The original self was a Jing Educated Youth who failed the College Entrance Exam twice, whereas Chen Qiao Qiao, whom he rescued, had made the Top of the List and was admitted to Yanjing University, about to enroll.

After Xu Yuexin woke up, Chen Qiao Qiao became his little sidekick, chatting with him whenever she could; the two soon became inseparable.

Happy times are always brief; after a while, Chen Qiao Qiao boarded a train back to Jing, and before departing, she reluctantly told Xu Yuexin that they must stay in touch.

On the platform, Xu Yuexin stared at Chen Qiao Qiao's porcelain‑pink, classically beautiful face and crystal‑clear eyes, and couldn't help but feel the urge to act.

But before he could make a move, Chen Qiao Qiao took the initiative and leaned forward.

"Believe me, I will never forget you."

Chen Qiao Qiao spread her arms and clutched Xu Yuexin tightly, sobbing as she said.

Xu Yuexin was completely stunned, taking several seconds to react, then he wrapped his arms around Chen Qiao Qiao's slender waist beneath her shirt and said, "Don't be afraid, we will definitely reunite within a year."

When Xu Yuexin said that, he was thinking of returning to Jing via the College Entrance Exam. Unexpectedly, half a year later his father resumed work and transferred him back directly.

When they heard Xu Yuexin was returning to Jing, Chen Qiao Qiao and her parents brought gifts to the Xu family, expressing gratitude, and the two sets of parents became acquainted.

Soon, following the Return-to-City Policy for Educated Youth, Xu Yuexin entered Jingxi Coal Mine as a worker.

The coal mine was far from Yanjing University, so Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiao Qiao corresponded by letters for a while. After several exchanges, Chen Qiao Qiao stopped replying, as if she had vanished.

Damn, she's a top student at Yanjing University, and there's indeed a considerable gap between her and a coal‑mine worker like himself.

Even though the life‑saving debt initially brought them closer, over time they still had to go their separate ways.

Having lived a full life, Xu Yuexin takes it in stride, not overly upset, only occasionally nostalgic as Chen Qiao Qiao's bright eyes and white teeth flash through his mind.

Honestly, Xu Yuexin himself doesn't like this coal‑mine job.

Staying at the mine, he's either going down the shaft or doing maintenance daily; even if he's strong enough to endure it, his time is completely consumed, leaving no room for anything else.

As a time‑traveler, Xu Yuexin can't mine coal his whole life. He had already begun quietly planning his fortune before returning to Jing.

The first step to getting rich is to quit the coal‑mine job, freeing time and energy for other pursuits.

Xu Yuexin hinted at his resignation intention in a letter to Chen Qiao Qiao and put it into action a few days ago.

After resigning, Xu Yuexin returned home to start writing, telling his parents he was merely taking a leave of absence.

Before he achieves any writing success, he cannot let them know. They would certainly not agree to him giving up his secure job to pursue literary creation, which ordinary people see as lacking security.

As for why he chose writing instead of other work like running a business, it's because the cost‑benefit ratio of writing is currently very high.

In 1977, the state restored the Royalty System; publishing a short story of several thousand words could earn at least half a month's salary of an ordinary worker.

Excellent authors not only earn abundant income, but also gain lofty social status, widespread fame, and countless fangirls.

Xu Yuexin wants not only money but also fame, so he chose the path of writing.

The "Flower Wreath Below the High Mountain" in the envelope is the work Xu Yuexin intends to use to test the waters.

Currently, the entry operation in the Southern Frontier has just ended, and public attention remains focused on the war defending the homeland, making it an ideal time to publish this work.

Of course, considering the original was presented as a frontline interview and Xu Yuexin himself never went to the border front, he made adjustments during writing to avoid later questioning.

Stepping out of the Jiafu Building wall, Xu Yuexin stood before the mailbox, picking up the envelope to toss it in.

At that moment, he felt a hint of hesitation.

Are you sure you want to mail it?

Regular mail is slow, and with the queue for manuscript review, it's unclear how long it will take.

Moreover, since the work might not be accepted, it may need to be submitted elsewhere later, making the timing even harder to control.

It's not that Xu Yuexin lacks confidence in the work's quality; "The Flower Wreath Below the High Mountain" is a classic of its generation, its caliber needs no explanation.

The problem is that even a great piece may not suit an editor's taste. Works by Lu Yao, Chen Zhongshi and others have repeatedly faced rejection.

Content censorship must also be considered. Some plot elements in "The Flower Wreath Below the High Mountain" might lead editors to deem them unsuitable for public release, which must be taken into account.

After much deliberation, Xu Yuexin finally retrieved the envelope into his cloth bag, deciding to go to People's Literature in person to hand the work to an editor.

If it gets accepted, it will be published; if not, he'll try another house and make a clean break.

Whether for money or fame, both should be pursued quickly rather than slowly.

(End of chapter)